Risk Factors Associated with Pain Severity in Patients with Non-specific Low Back Pain in Southern China

Shilabant Sen Sribastav,Jun Long,Peiheng He,Wei He,Fubiao Ye,Zemin Li,Jianru Wang,Hui Liu,Hua Wang,Zhaomin Zheng 대한척추외과학회 2018 Asian Spine Journal Vol.12 No.3

Study Design: A prospective cross-sectional study. Purpose: To evaluate the risk factors associated with the severity of pain intensity in patients with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) in Southern China. Overview of Literature: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of activity limitation and work absence throughout the world, so a firm understanding of the risk factor associated with NSLBP can provide early and prompt interventions that are aimed at attaining long-term results. Methods: Participants were recruited from January 2014 to January 2016 and were surveyed using a self-designed questionnaire. Anonymous assessments included Short Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The association between the severity of NSLBP and these potential risk factors were evaluated. Results: A total of 1,046 NSLBP patients were enrolled. The patients with primary school education, high body mass index (BMI), those exposed to sustained durations of driving and sitting, smoking, recurrent LBP had increased VAS and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores with lower SF-36 scores (p <0.01). Workers and drivers compared with waiters and patients who lifted >10 kg objects in a quarter of their work time for >10 years had higher VAS and ODI scores with lower SF-36 scores (p <0.01). Multiple logistic regression showed lower levels of education, LBP for 1–7 days, long-lasting LBP in last year, smoking, long duration driving, and higher BMI were associated with more severe VAS score. Conclusions: The severity of NSLBP is associated with lower levels of education, poor standards of living, heavy physical labor, long duration driving, and sedentary lifestyle. Patients with recurrent NSLBP have more severe pain. Reducing rates of obesity, the duration of heavy physical work, driving or riding, and attenuating the prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and smoking may reduce the prevalence of NSLBP.

Compressive Fracture Behavior of Al-based Bulk Partially Amorphous/Nanoycrstalline Alloy by Warm Extrusion of Ar Gas Atomized Powders

Liu Zuming,Liu Yong,He Shiwen,Long Rijun,Du Yong,Li Zhantao,Huang Baiyun 한국분말야금학회 2006 한국분말야금학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2006 No.1

Aloe-emodin suppresses prostate cancer by targeting the mTOR complex 2.

Liu, Kangdong,Park, Chanmi,Li, Shengqing,Lee, Ki Won,Liu, Haidan,He, Long,Soung, Nak Kyun,Ahn, Jong Seog,Bode, Ann M,Dong, Ziming,Kim, Bo Yeon,Dong, Zigang IRL Press] ; Oxford University Press 2012 Carcinogenesis Vol.33 No.7

<P>Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) amplification and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) deletion-caused Akt activation contribute to the development of prostate cancer. Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2) is a kinase complex comprised of mTOR, Rictor, mSin1, mLST8/G관L and PRR5 and functions in the phosphorylation of Akt at Ser473. Herein, we report that mTORC2 plays an important role in PC3 androgen refractory prostate cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. Aloe-emodin, a natural compound found in aloe, inhibited both proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of PC3 cells. Protein content analysis suggested that activation of the downstream substrates of mTORC2, Akt and PKC관, was inhibited by aloe-emodin treatment. Pull-down assay and in vitro kinase assay results indicated that aloe-emodin could bind with mTORC2 in cells and inhibit its kinase activity. Aloe-emodin also exhibited tumor suppression effects in vivo in an athymic nude mouse model. Collectively, our data suggest that mTORC2 plays an important role in prostate cancer development and aloe-emodin suppresses prostate cancer progression by targeting mTORC2.</P>

Molecular Biology and Omics : Direct Evaluation of the Effect of Gene Dosage on Secretion of Protein from Yeast Pichia pastoris by Expressing EGFP

( Hai Long Liu ),( Yu Feng Qin ),( Yuan Kai Huang ),( Yao Sheng Chen ),( Pei Qing Cong ),( Zu Yong He ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

Increasing the gene copy number has been commonly used to enhance the protein expression level in the yeast Pichia pastoris. However, this method has been shown to be effective up to a certain gene copy number, and a further increase of gene dosage can result in a decrease of expression level. Evidences indicate the gene dosage effect is product-dependent, which needs to be determined when expressing a new protein. Here, we describe a direct detection of the gene dosage effect on protein secretion through expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene under the direction of the α-factor preprosequence in a panel of yeast clones carrying increasing copies of the EGFP gene (from one to six copies). Directly examined under fluorescence microscopy, we found relatively lower levels of EGFP were secreted into the culture medium at one copy and two copies, substantial improvement of secretion appeared at three copies, plateau happened at four and five copies, and an apparent decrease of secretion happened at six copies. The secretion of EGFP being limiting at four and five copies was due to abundant intracellular accumulation of proteins, observed from the fluorescence image of yeast and confirmed by western blotting, which significantly activated the unfolded protein response indicated by the up-regulation of the BiP (the KAR2 gene product) and the protein disulfide isomerase. This study implies that tagging a reporter like GFP to a specific protein would facilitate a direct and rapid determination of the optimal gene copy number for high-yield expression.

Experimental study on component performance in steel plate shear wall with self-centering braces

Jia-Lin Liu,Long-He Xu,Zhong-Xian Li 국제구조공학회 2020 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.37 No.3

Steel plate shear wall with self-centering energy dissipation braces (SPSW-SCEDB) is a lateral force-resisting system that exhibits flag-shaped hysteretic responses, which consists of two pre-pressed spring self-centering energy dissipation (PS-SCED) braces and a wall plate connected to horizontal boundary elements only. The present study conducted a series of cyclic tests to study the hysteretic performances of braces in SPSW-SCEDB and the effects of braces on the overall hysteretic characteristics of this system. The SPSW-SCEDB with PS-SCED braces only exhibits excellent self-centering capability and the energy loss caused by the large inclination angle of PS-SCED braces can be compensated by appropriately increasing the friction force. Under the combined effect of the two components, the SPSW-SCEDB exhibits a flag-shaped hysteretic response with large lateral resistance, good energy dissipation and self-centering capabilities. In addition, the wall plate is the primary energy dissipation component and the PS-SCED braces provide supplementary energy dissipation for system. The PS-SCED braces can provide up to 90% self-centering capability for the SPSW-SCEDB system. The compressive bearing capacity of the wall plate should be smaller than the horizontal remaining restoring force of the braces to achieve better self-centering effect of the system.

Cloning and expression pattern of odorant receptor 11 in Asian honeybee drones, Apis cerana (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Jun Feng Liu,Le Yang,Mang Li,Xu Jiang He,Zi-long Wang,Zhijiang Zeng 한국응용곤충학회 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.22 No.1

Odorant receptors play a crucial role in the special recognition of scent molecules in the honeybee olfaction system. The odorant receptor 11 (AmOR11) in western honeybee drones (Apis mellifera) has been demonstrated to specifically bind to 9-oxo-2-decenoic acid (9-ODA) of queens. However, little is known regarding the functions of OR11 Asian honeybee drones (Apis cerana) in the context of their mating activities. In this study, the odorant receptor 11 gene (AcOr11) from A. cerana was cloned, and its expression profiles were examined during two developmental stages (immature and sexually mature) and different physiological statuses (flying and crawling). The cDNA sequence of AcOr11 was highly similar to that of AmOr11, and encoded a membrane-coupled protein of 384 amino acids. The results of qRT-PCR indicated that AcOr11 was expressed at higher levels in drone antennae compared to brains, and the expression was significantly up-regulated in sexually mature drone brains compared to immature brains. Interestingly, AcOr11 expression in brains of mature flying drones was dramatically higher than those of mature crawling drones. To our knowledge, this study demonstrate a link between AcOr11 gene expression in the brain of honeybee drones and behavior associated with sexual maturity and mating flight.

Production of a Phage-displayed Mouse ScFv Antibody against Fumonisin B1 and Molecular Docking Analysis of Their Interactions

Zu-Quan Hu,He-Ping Li,Jin-Long Liu,Sheng Xue,An-Dong Gong,Jing-Bo Zhang,Yu-Cai Liao 한국생물공학회 2016 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.21 No.1

Fumonisins produced by Fusarium pathogens are mycotoxins present in maize and other grains in the field as well as during storage worldwide and pose a serious threat to humans and domestic animals. Fumonisin B consists of different chemotypes, and fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most predominant fumonisin found in food/feed commodities. Recombinant antibody can be deployed to analyze the fumonisin toxicological mechanism and develop a simple and cost-effective method for the detection of fumonisins, which is vitally important for monitoring and preventing fumonisins from entering food/feed chains. In this study, FB1 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin was used to immunize mice, from which RNA was isolated to construct a recombinant antibody library. Successive panning of the library by phage display was used to select monoclonal phage clones reactive to FB1 conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Subsequent phage ELISA and sequencing analyses revealed four different reactive scFv antibodies specific to FB1. Soluble expression and ELISA analysis showed that one scFv antibody, FBMA1, had the highest reactivity and could be purified from bacterial cells in large quantities. Surface plasmon resonance measurements further revealed that the FBMA1 scFv antibody had a binding kinetics of KD = 1.89 × 10–7 M. Molecular modeling and docking analyses suggested that the FBMA1 antibody shaped a proper cavity to embed the whole FB1 molecule and that a steady-state complex was formed relying on intermolecular forces, including hydrogen bonding, electrostatic force and hydrophobic interactions. Thus, the scFv antibody can be applied for mechanistic studies of intermolecular interactions and fumonisin toxicity, and for the development of an immunoassay for fumonisin-contaminated food/feed samples.

A preparation and performance study of glass-ceramic glazes derived from blast furnace slag and fly ash

Hong-xia Lu,Man He,Yuan-yuan Liu,Jing-fei Guo,Li-wei Zhang,Deliang Chen,Hai-long Wang,Hong-liang Xu,Rui Zhang 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2011 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.12 No.5

Glass-ceramic glazes have been prepared successfully via crystallization from blast-furnace slag (BFS), fly ash (FA) fluxed with potash feldspar and borax. The crystalline behavior of glass-ceramic glazes was investigated using differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results revealed that the major crystalline phases are anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) and akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7) and crystalline phases disperse well in glassy phases with a uniform size of 1 μm. Glass-ceramic glazes possess low density, low water absorption,perfect stain resistance, acid resistance and alkali resistance. The thermal expansion coefficient of glass-ceramic glazes is steady up to 800 oC with an average value of 7.2 × 10−6 /K. Final results suggest that BFS and FA have potential to be vitrified into economically and environmentally low-cost glass-ceramic glaze materials.

Ce3+ triggers fenton-like processes in neutral solutions for effective catechol degradation

Xing Chen,Xu Liu,Hai-Bo Wang,Kang-Ping Cui,Rohan Weerasooriya,Shi-Long He,Guang-Hong Li,Jun Pan,Kai Zhou 대한환경공학회 2022 Environmental Engineering Research Vol.27 No.1

Classical Fenton and Fenton-like processes destruct organic pollutants in water non-selectively to complete mineralization. However, the usage of classical Fenton or Fenton-like processes is often limited due to the narrow operational pH window, sludge accumulation, inefficient H₂O₂ and efficiency decline. To overcome these constraints, in this study, we used a homogeneous Fe<SUP>3+</SUP>-Ce<SUP>3+</SUP>-H₂O₂ Fenton-like process to degrade catechol at different experimental conditions. At pH 7, almost 97% of 10 mM catechol can be destructed within 60 min while the degradation by Classical Fenton or Fe<SUP>3+</SUP>-H₂O₂ Fenton-like process only 36.2% and 23.7%. The resultant solution after the degradation contains only traces of cerium ions. The sludge created by the process was extensively characterized by FTIR and XPS spectroscopy to elucidate the fate of cerium ions. Electron spin resonance (ESR) data confirmed •OH as the major free radical in Fe<SUP>3+</SUP>-Ce<SUP>3+</SUP>-H₂O₂ process. Our Fenton-like process widens the optimal pH values to neutral condition.

Establishment of a Tm-shi Method for Detection of Cat-Derived Hookworms

Yeqi Fu,Yunqiu Liu,Asmaa M.I. Abuzeid,Yue Huang,Xue Zhou,Long He,Qi Zhao,Xiu Li,Jumei Liu,Rongkun Ran,Guoqing Li 대한기생충학ㆍ열대의학회 2019 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.57 No.1

Melting temperature shift (Tm-shift) is a new detection method that analyze the melting curve on real-time PCR thermocycler using SYBR Green I fluorescent dye. To establish a Tm-shift method for the detection of Ancylostoma ceyl- anicum and A. tubaeforme in cats, specific primers, with GC tail of unequal length attached to their 5 ́ end, were designed based on 2 SNP loci (ITS101 and ITS296) of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences. The standard curve of Tm-shift was established using the standard plasmids of A. ceylanicum (AceP) and A. tubaeforme (AtuP). The Tm-shift method stability, sensitivity, and accuracy were tested with reference to the standard curve, and clinical fecal samples were also examined. The results demonstrated that the 2 sets of primers based on the 2 SNPs could accurately distin- guish between A. ceylanicum and A. tubaeforme. The coefficient of variation (CV) of Tm- values of AceP and AtuP was 0.07% and 0.06% in ITS101 and was 0.06% and 0.08% in ITS296, respectively. The minimum detectable DNA concen- tration was 5.22×10-6 and 5.28×10-6 ng/μl samples of AceP and AtuP, respectively. The accuracy of Tm-shift method reached 100% based on examination of 10 hookworm DNA samples with known species. In the clinical detection of hookworm in 69 stray cat fecal sample, the Tm-shift detection results were consistent with the microscopic examination and successfully differentiated between the 2-hookworm species. In conclusion, the developed method is a rapid, sensi- tive and accurate technique and can provide a promising tool for clinical detection and epidemiological investigation of cat-derived hookworms.