Burden of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Related to Tobacco Smoking among Adults Aged ≥45 Years in Asia: A Pooled Analysis of 21 Cohorts

Zheng, Wei,McLerran, Dale F.,Rolland, Betsy A.,Fu, Zhenming,Boffetta, Paolo,He, Jiang,Gupta, Prakash Chandra,Ramadas, Kunnambath,Tsugane, Shoichiro,Irie, Fujiko,Tamakoshi, Akiko,Gao, Yu-Tang,Koh, Woon Public Library of Science 2014 PLoS medicine Vol.11 No.4

<▼1><P>Wei Zheng and colleagues quantify the burden of tobacco-smoking-related deaths for adults in Asia.</P><P><I>Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary</I></P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Background</B></P><P>Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for many diseases. We sought to quantify the burden of tobacco-smoking-related deaths in Asia, in parts of which men's smoking prevalence is among the world's highest.</P><P><B>Methods and Findings</B></P><P>We performed pooled analyses of data from 1,049,929 participants in 21 cohorts in Asia to quantify the risks of total and cause-specific mortality associated with tobacco smoking using adjusted hazard ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. We then estimated smoking-related deaths among adults aged ≥45 y in 2004 in Bangladesh, India, mainland China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan—accounting for ∼71% of Asia's total population. An approximately 1.44-fold (95% CI = 1.37–1.51) and 1.48-fold (1.38–1.58) elevated risk of death from any cause was found in male and female ever-smokers, respectively. In 2004, active tobacco smoking accounted for approximately 15.8% (95% CI = 14.3%–17.2%) and 3.3% (2.6%–4.0%) of deaths, respectively, in men and women aged ≥45 y in the seven countries/regions combined, with a total number of estimated deaths of ∼1,575,500 (95% CI = 1,398,000–1,744,700). Among men, approximately 11.4%, 30.5%, and 19.8% of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory diseases, respectively, were attributable to tobacco smoking. Corresponding proportions for East Asian women were 3.7%, 4.6%, and 1.7%, respectively. The strongest association with tobacco smoking was found for lung cancer: a 3- to 4-fold elevated risk, accounting for 60.5% and 16.7% of lung cancer deaths, respectively, in Asian men and East Asian women aged ≥45 y.</P><P><B>Conclusions</B></P><P>Tobacco smoking is associated with a substantially elevated risk of mortality, accounting for approximately 2 million deaths in adults aged ≥45 y throughout Asia in 2004. It is likely that smoking-related deaths in Asia will continue to rise over the next few decades if no effective smoking control programs are implemented.</P><P><I>Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary</I></P></▼2><▼3><P><B>Editors' Summary</B></P><P><B>Background</B></P><P>Every year, more than 5 million smokers die from tobacco-related diseases. Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (conditions that affect the heart and the circulation), respiratory disease (conditions that affect breathing), lung cancer, and several other types of cancer. All told, tobacco smoking kills up to half its users. The ongoing global “epidemic” of tobacco smoking and tobacco-related diseases initially affected people living in the US and other Western countries, where the prevalence of smoking (the proportion of the population that smokes) in men began to rise in the early 1900s, peaking in the 1960s. A similar epidemic occurred in women about 40 years later. Smoking-related deaths began to increase in the second half of the 20th century, and by the 1990s, tobacco smoking accounted for a third of all deaths and about half of cancer deaths among men in the US and other Western countries. More recently, increased awareness of the risks of smoking and the introduction of various tobacco control measures has led to a steady decline in tobacco use and in smoking-related diseases in many developed countries.</P><P><B>Why Was This Study Done?</B></P><P>Unfortunately, less well-developed tobacco control programs, inadequate public awareness of smoking risks, and tobacco company marketing have recently led to sharp increases in the prevalence of smoking in many low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Asia. More than 50% of men in many Asian countries are now smokers, about tw

Adaptive Consensualization for Lipschitz Nonlinear-type Multi-agent Networks with Fixed Topologies

Tang Zheng,Jianxiang Xi,Mei Yuan,Guangbin Liu 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2018 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.16 No.4

Adaptive consensualization problems for Lipschitz nonlinear-type multi-agent networks with fixed topologies are addressed. By using the state errors of the neighboring agents, an adaptive consensus protocol is proposed to deal with the consensualization problems. To eliminate the impacts of the Lipschitz nonlinear dynamics, the structure property of a transformation matrix and the Laplacian matrix, and the Lipschitz condition are well utilized. In the Lyapunov function, a scaling constant is introduced to eliminate the impacts of eigenvalues of the Laplacian matrix, which are the global information of the whole multi-agent networks. Then, an completely distributed consensualization criterion is presented in terms of the linear matrix inequality. Furthermore, an explicit expression of the consensus function and its initial state of this multi-agent network are presented. In the Final, a numerical example is shown to verify the validity of theoretical results.

An Experimental Investigation of Yarn Tension in Simulated Ring Spinning

Tang Zheng-Xue,Wang Xungai,Fraser W. Barrie,Wang Lijing The Korean Fiber Society 2004 Fibers and polymers Vol.5 No.4

Yarn tension is a key factor that affects the efficiency of a ring spinning system. In this paper, a specially constructed rig, which can rotate a yam at a high speed without inserting any real twist into the yarn, was used to simulate a ring spinning process. Yarn tension was measured at the guide-eye during the simulated spinning of different yarns at various balloon heights and with varying yarn length in the balloon. The effect of balloon shape, yarn hairiness and thickness, and yam rotating speed, on the measured yarn tension, was examined. The results indicate that the collapse of balloon shape from single loop to double loop, or from double loop to triple etc, lead to sudden reduction in yarn tension. Under otherwise identical conditions, a longer length of yarn in the balloon gives a lower yarn tension at the guide-eye. In addition, thicker yarns and/or more hairy yarns generate a higher tension in the yarn, due to the increased air drag acting on the thicker or more hairy yarns.

Evidence for crustal low shear-wave speed in western Saudi Arabia from multi-scale fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave group-velocity tomography

Tang, Zheng,Mai, P. Martin,Chang, Sung-Joon,Zahran, Hani Elsevier 2018 Earth and planetary science letters Vol.495 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>We investigate the crustal and upper-mantle shear-velocity structure of Saudi Arabia by fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave group-velocity tomography and shear-wave velocity inversion. The seismic dataset is compiled using ∼140 stations of the Saudi National Seismic Network (SNSN) operated by the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS). We measure Rayleigh-wave group-velocities at periods of 8–40 s from regional earthquakes. After obtaining 1-D shear-wave velocity models by inverting group-velocities at each grid node, we construct a 3-D shear-velocity model for Saudi Arabia and adjacent regions by interpolating the 1-D models. Our 3-D model indicates significant lateral variations in crustal and lithospheric thickness, as well as in the shear-wave velocity over the study region. In particular, we identify zones of reduced shear-wave speed at crustal levels beneath the Cenozoic volcanic fields in the Arabian Shield. The inferred reductions of 2–5% in shear-wave speed may be interpreted as possibly indicating the presence of partial melts. However, their precise origin we can only speculate about. Our study also reveals an upper-mantle low velocity zone (LVZ) below the Arabian Shield, supporting the model of lateral mantle flow from the Afar plume. Further geophysical experiments are needed to confirm (or refute) the hypothesis that partial melts may exist below the Cenozoic volcanism in western Saudi Arabia, and to build a comprehensive geodynamic–geological model for the evolution and present state of the lithosphere of the Arabian Plate and the Red Sea.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> We develop a 3-D crustal and upper-mantle S-wave velocity model for Saudi Arabia. </LI> <LI> Zones of reduced S-wave speed are observed at crustal levels under the Cenozoic lava fields. </LI> <LI> Reductions of 2–5% in S-wave speed may be explained by small amount of partial melt. </LI> <LI> The upper-mantle LVZ below the Arabian Shield supports the lateral mantle flow model. </LI> </UL> </P>

Inhibition of Dll4/Notch1 pathway promotes angiogenesis of Masquelet’s induced membrane in rats

Qian Tang,Haimin Jin,Minji Tong,Gang Zheng,Zhongjie Xie,Shangkun Tang,Jialei Jin,Ping Shang,Huazi Xu,Liyan Shen,Yu Zhang,Haixiao Liu 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

The Masquelet’s induced membrane technique for repairing bone defects has been demonstrated to be a promising treatment strategy. Previous studies have shown that the vessel density of induced membrane is decreased in the late stage of membrane formation, which consequently disrupts the bone healing process. However, relatively little is known about certain mechanisms of vessel degeneration in the induced membrane tissue and whether promotion of angiogenesis in induced membranes can improve bone regeneration. Here, we showed that the Delta-like ligand 4/ Notch homolog 1 (Dll4/Notch1) pathway was relatively activated in the late stage of induced membrane, especially at the subcutaneous site. Then, DAPT, a classical γ-secretase inhibitor, was applied to specifically inhibit Notch1 activation, followed by up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and CD31 expression. DAPTmodified induced membranes were further confirmed to contribute to bone regeneration after autogenous bone grafting. Finally, in vitro experiments revealed that knocking down Notch1 contributed to the functional improvement of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and that DAPT-treated induced membrane tissue was more favorable for angiogenesis of EPCs compared with the vehicle group. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrate that Dll4/ Notch1 signaling is negatively associated with the vessel density of induced membrane. Pharmacological inhibition of Notch1 attenuated the vessel degeneration of induced membrane both in vitro and in vivo, which consequently improved bone formation at the bone defect site and graft resorption at the subcutaneous site.

Inactivation of Stat3 and crosstalk of miRNA155-5p and FOXO3a contribute to the induction of IGFBP1 expression by beta-elemene in human lung cancer

Fang Zheng,Qing Tang,Xiao-hua Zheng,JingJing Wu,HaiDing Huang,Haibo Zhang,Swei Sunny Hann 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

β-Elemene, an active component of natural plants, has been shown to exhibit anticancer properties. However, the detailed mechanism underlying these effects has yet to be determined. In this study, we show that β-elemene inhibits the growth of lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, we found that β-elemene decreased the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) and miRNA155-5p mRNA but induced the protein expression of human forkhead box class O (FOXO)3a; the latter two were abrogated in cells with overexpressed Stat3. Notably, miRNA155-5p mimics reduced FOXO3a luciferase reporter activity in the 3-UTR region and protein expression, whereas overexpressed FOXO3a countered the reduction of the miRNA155-5p levels by β-elemene. Moreover, β-elemene increased the mRNA and protein expression levels as well as promoter activity of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1); this finding was not observed in cells with a silenced FOXO3a gene and miRNA155-5p mimics. Finally, silencing of IGFBP1 blocked β-elemene-inhibited cell growth. Similar findings were observed in vivo. In summary, our results indicate that β-elemene increases IGFBP1 gene expression via inactivation of Stat3 followed by a reciprocal interaction between miRNA155-5p and FOXO3a. This effect leads to inhibition of human lung cancer cell growth. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of β-elemene on lung cancer cells.

Aspirin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced COX-2 expression and PGE2 production in porcine alveolar macrophages by modulating protein kinase C and protein tyrosine phosphatase activity

Yu Zhong Duan,Fang Lin Chen,An Mei Zhang,Bo Zhu,Jian Guo Sun,Qi Chao Xie,Zheng Tang Chen,Zheng Tang Chen 생화학분자생물학회 2014 BMB Reports Vol.47 No.1

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Analysis of Indigo Naturalis Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in Mice

Zheng Wang,Yanni Liang,Anqi Fan,Bao-Long Hou,Zhishu Tang,Ting Wang,Dongbo Zhang 한국식품영양과학회 2023 Journal of medicinal food Vol.26 No.12

Ulcerative colitis (UC), often known as UC, is an inflammatory disease of the intestines that has frequent andlong-lasting flare-ups. It is unknown precisely how the traditional Chinese drug Indigo Naturalis (IN) heals inflammatorybowel disease, despite its long-standing use in China and Japan. Finding new metabolite biomarkers linked to UC couldimprove our understanding of the disease, speed up the diagnostic process, and provide insight into how certain drugs work totreat the condition. Our work is designed to use a metabolomic method to analyze potential alterations in endogenoussubstances and their impact on metabolic pathways in a mouse model of UC. To determine which biomarkers and metabolismsare more frequently connected with IN’s effects on UC, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis ofthe serum metabolomics of UC mice and normal mice was performed. The outcomes demonstrated that IN boosted the healthof UC mice and reduced the severity of their metabolic dysfunction. In the UC model, it was also found that IN changed theway 17 biomarkers and 3 metabolisms functioned.

Research on Clustering Algorithm Based on Grid Density on Uncertain Data Stream

Tang Xianghong,Yang Quanwei,Zheng Yang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Database Theory and Appli Vol.9 No.9

To solve the clustering algorithm based on grid density on uncertain data stream in adjustment cycle for clustering omissions, the paper proposed an algorithm, named GCUDS, to cluster uncertain data steam using grid structure. The concept of the data trend degree was defined to describe the grade of a data point belonging to some grid unit and the defect of information loss around grid units was removed in the GCUDS algorithm. The GCUDS algorithm obtained better results of clustering and higher time efficiency than other algorithms over uncertain data stream, through improving the traditional online clustering framework and maintaining three buffers of micro-cluster. Experimental results showed that the GCUDS algorithm could effectively cluster in different shape database and outperform existing methods in clustering quality and efficiency.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modified with Stromal Cell-Derived Factor 1${\alpha}$ Improve Cardiac Remodeling via Paracrine Activation of Hepatocyte Growth Factor in a Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction

Tang, Junming,Wang, Jianing,Guo, Linyun,Kong, Xia,Yang, Jianye,Zheng, Fei,Zhang, Lei,Huang, Yongzhang Korean Society for Molecular and Cellular Biology 2010 Molecules and cells Vol.29 No.1

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising source for cell-based treatment of myocardial infarction (MI), but existing strategies are restricted by low cell survival and engraftment. We examined whether SDF-1 transfection improve MSC viability and paracrine action in infarcted hearts. We found SDF-1-modified MSCs effectively expressed SDF-1 for at least 21days after exposure to hypoxia. The apoptosis of Ad-SDF-1-MSCs was 42% of that seen in Ad-EGFP-MSCs and 53% of untreated MSCs. In the infarcted hearts, the number of DAPI-labeling cells in the Ad-SDF-1-MSC group was 5-fold that in the Ad-EGFP-MSC group. Importantly, expression of antifibrotic factor, HGF, was detected in cultured MSCs, and HGF expression levels were higher in Ad-SDF-MSC-treated hearts, compared with Ad-EGFP-MSC or control hearts. Compared with the control group, Ad-SDF-MSC transplantation significantly decreased the expression of collagens I and III and matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9, but heart function was improved in d-SDF-MSC-treated animals. In conclusion, SDF-1-modified MSCs enhanced the tolerance of engrafted MSCs to hypoxic injury in vitro and improved their viability in infarcted hearts, thus helping preserve the contractile function and attenuate left ventricle (LV) remodeling, and this may be at least partly mediated by enhanced paracrine signaling from MSCs via antifibrotic factors such as HGF.