Muslin Deweaving through Combined Mechanical, Thermal and Chemical Methods

Hang Zhang Cao,Jamie DeCoster,Jamie DeCoster,Kelvin Linskens,Kareem Mehdi,Yizhi Meng,Gary Halada,Hye-Jung Jung,Theanne Schiros,Asta Skocir,Taejin Kim 한국섬유공학회 2022 Fibers and polymers Vol.23 No.11

Fabric waste has become an escalating problem that stems from the ever-shortening clothing lifecycle. Previouscotton recycling processes used mechanical methods to break the cotton down into fiber; this comes at the cost ofcompromised strength. Sodium hydroxide has long been used in the textile industry to increase dye absorption and lusterthrough mercerization. In this paper, the deweaving of cotton muslin fabric was attempted using the chemical interactions ofNaOH in combination with heat and mechanical forces through agitation. Different NaOH concentrations were tested todetermine the optimum condition for fabric decomposition on a laboratory scale. Overall, the muslin fabric treatment with0.5 M NaOH yielded the most promising results for fiber quality retention and chemical usage. The NaOH solution wasshown to be feasible in effectively deweaving multiple muslin fabrics consecutively. While the deweaving process reducesthe mechanical strength of the fabric, overall, the recycling method was successful in minimizing chemical waste anddeweaving time.

A Systematic Classification of the Congenital Bronchopulmonary Vascular Malformations: Dysmorphogeneses of the Primitive Foregut System and the Primitive Aortic Arch System

Meng-Luen Lee,Hung-Chi Lue,Ing-Sh Chiu,Han-Yao Chiu,Lon-Yen Tsao,Ching-Yuan Cheng,Albert D. Yang 연세대학교의과대학 2008 Yonsei medical journal Vol.49 No.1

Purpose: We reviewed the cases of 33 patients from our clinic and 142 patients from the literature with congenital bronchopulmonary vascular malformations (BPVM), systematically analyzed the bronchopulmonary airways, pulmonary arterial supplies, and pulmonary venous drainages, and classified these patients by pulmonary malinosculation (PM). Materials and Methods: From January 1990 to January 2007, a total of 33 patients (17 men or boys and 16 women or girls), aged 1 day to 24 years (median, 2.5 months), with congenital BPVM were included in this study. Profiles of clinical manifestations, chest radiographs, echocardiographs, esophagographs, computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), cardiac catheterizations with angiography, contrast bronchographs, bronchoscopies, chromosomal studies, surgeries, and autopsies of these patients were analyzed to confirm the diagnosis of congenital BPVM. A total of 142 cases from the literature were also reviewed and classified similarly. Results: The malformations of our 33 patients can be classified as type A isolated bronchial PM in 13 patients, type B isolated arterial PM in three, type C isolated venous PM in two, type D mixed bronchoarterial PM in five, type F mixed arteriovenous PM in one, and type G mixed bronchoarteriovenous PM in nine. Conclusion: Dysmorphogeneses of the primitive foregut system and the primitive aortic arch system may lead to haphazard malinosculations of the airways, arteries, and veins of the lung. A systematic classification of patients with congenital BPVM is clinically feasible by assessing the three basic bronchovascular systems of the lung independently.

Clinical Application Value of Lactobacillus Plantarum PS128 in Patients with Anxiety Disorders

Xiaojuan Meng,Yajie Gao,Hang Qi,Yongyan Ding,Yaqing Sun 대한정신약물학회 2022 CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE Vol.20 No.3

Objective: PS128 is a novel psycho biotic strain, it has been reported to play an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders. This study investigated the clinical effect of PS128 supplementation on patients with anxiety. Methods: A total of 200 patients with anxiety were recruited, and divided into two groups (n = 100/group). The control group received oral treatment with citalopram, and the PS128 group received PS128 capsules based on citalopram treatment. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) were used to evaluate the anxiety levels. After 2 months of continuous administration, clinical efficacy was evaluated according to HAMA score. Results: There was no significant difference in HAMA and SAS scores between the two groups before treatment. With the treatment prolonged, the HAMA and SAS score decreased gradually in both control and PS128 groups, and the decrease rate of PS128 group was significantly greater than that of the control group. The clinical effective rates of PS128 group were higher than those in the control group, high levels of clinical cure rate were also detected in the PS128 group. Compared with the control group (22%), the incidence of adverse reactions was significantly reduced for patients in the PS128 group (4%). Conclusion: The treatment effect of citalopram combined with PS128 against anxiety is satisfactory clinically. It can greatly improve the anxiety symptoms of patients, increase the cure rate, reduce adverse reactions.

Interpretation and Use of Natriuretic Peptides in Non-Congestive Heart Failure Settings

Shih-Hung Tsai,Yen-Yue Lin,Shi-Jye Chu,Ching-Wang Hsu,Shu-Meng Cheng 연세대학교의과대학 2010 Yonsei medical journal Vol.51 No.2

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) have been found to be useful markers in differentiating acute dyspneic patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) and emerged as potent prognostic markers for patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). The best-established and widely used clinical application of BNP and NT-proBNP testing is for the emergent diagnosis of CHF in patients presenting with acute dyspnea. Nevertheless, elevated NPs levels can be found in many circumstances involving left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or hypertrophy; right ventricular (RV) dysfunction secondary to pulmonary diseases; cardiac inflammatory or infectious diseases;endocrinology diseases and high output status without decreased LV ejection fraction. Even in the absence of significant clinical evidence of volume overload or LV dysfunction, markedly elevated NP levels can be found in patients with multiple comorbidities with a certain degree of prognostic value. Potential clinical applications of NPs are expanded accompanied by emerging reports regarding screening the presence of secondary cardiac dysfunction;monitoring the therapeutic responses, risk stratifications and providing prognostic values in many settings. Clinicians need to have expanded knowledge regarding the interpretation of elevated NPs levels and potential clinical applications of NPs. Clinicians should recognize that currently the only reasonable application for routine practice is limited to differentiation of acute dyspnea, rule-out-diagnostic-tests, monitoring of therapeutic responses and prognosis of acute or decompensated CHF. The rationales as well the potential applications of NPs in these settings are discussed in this review article.

Development and Characterization of a Specific Anti-Caveolin-1 Antibody for Caveolin-1 Functional Study in Human, Goat and Mouse

Ke, Meng-Wei,Jiang, Yan-Nian,Li, Yi-Hung,Tseng, Ting-Yu,Kung, Ming-Shung,Huang, Chiun-Sheng,Cheng, Winston Teng-Kuei,Hsu, Jih-Tay,Ju, Yu-Ten Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2007 Animal Bioscience Vol.20 No.6

Caveolin-1 of the caveolin family of proteins regulates mammary gland development and has been shown to play a contradictory role in breast tumor progression. A specific anti-Caveolin-1 antibody will be useful for functional study of Caveolin-1 in different tissues. In this study, we generated a rabbit polyclonal antibody that specifically recognizes the N-terminal amino acids 50-65 of Caveolin-1. This polyclonal antibody specifically reacted with Caveolin-1 extracted from cells of different species, including human epithelial A431 cells, goat primary mammary epithelial cells and mice fibroblast NIH 3T3 cells, by Western blotting. Endogenous Caveolin-1 protein expressing in cells and normal human tissues was detected by this polyclonal antibody using immunocytofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. Furthermore, an apparent decrease in Caveolin-1 expression in tumorous breast and colon tissues was detected by this polyclonal antibody. In conclusion, we have identified amino acids 50-65 of Caveolin-1, which contains an epitope that is specific to Caveolin-1 and is conserved in the human, goat and mouse. In future, this anti-Caveolin-1 antibody can be used to examine the progression of breast and colon cancers and to study functions of Caveolin-1 in human, goat and mouse cells.

Data-driven SIRMs-connected FIS for prediction of external tendon stress

See Hung Lau,Chee Khoon Ng,Kai Meng Tay 사단법인 한국계산역학회 2015 Computers and Concrete, An International Journal Vol.15 No.1

This paper presents a novel harmony search (HS)-based data-driven single input rule modules (SIRMs)-connected fuzzy inference system (FIS) for the prediction of stress in externally prestressed tendon. The proposed method attempts to extract causal relationship of a system from an input-output pairs of data even without knowing the complete physical knowledge of the system. The monotonicity property is then exploited as an additional qualitative information to obtain a meaningful SIRMs-connected FIS model. This method is then validated using results from test data of the literature. Several parameters, such as initial tendon depth to beam ratio; deviators spacing to the initial tendon depth ratio; and distance of a concentrated load from the nearest support to the effective beam span are considered. A computer simulation for estimating the stress increase in externally prestressed tendon, Δfps, is then reported. The contributions of this paper is two folds; (i) it contributes towards a new monotonicity-preserving data-driven FIS model in fuzzy modeling and (ii) it provides a novel solution for estimating the Δfps even without a complete physical knowledge of unbonded tendons.

Chlorophyll-Related Compounds Inhibit Cell Adhesion and Inflammation in Human Aortic Cells

Kuan-Hung Lin,Ching-Yun Hsu,Ya-Ping Huang,Jun-You Lai,Wen-Bin Hsieh,Meng-Yuan Huang,Chi-Ming Yang,Pi-Yu Chao 한국식품영양과학회 2013 Journal of medicinal food Vol.16 No.10

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of chlorophyll-related compounds (CRCs) and chlorophyll (Chl) a + b on inflammation in human aortic endothelial cells. Adhesion molecule expression and interleukin (IL)-8, nuclear factor (NF)-jB p65 protein, and NF-jB and activator protein (AP)-1 DNA binding were assessed. The effects of CRCs on inflammatory signaling pathways of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4, respectively induced by IL-6 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-b, in human aortic smooth muscle cells cultured in vitro were also investigated. HAECs were pretreated with 10 lM of CRCs, Chl a + b, and aspirin (Asp) for 18 h followed by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a (2 ng/mL) for 6 h, and U937 cell adhesion was determined. TNF-a–induced monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion was significantly inhibited by CRCs. Moreover, CRCs and Chl a + b significantly attenuated vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and IL-8 expressions. Treatments also significantly decreased in NF-jB expression, DNA binding, and AP-1 DNA binding by CRCs and Asp. Thus, CRCs exert anti-inflammatory effects through modulation of NF-jB and AP-1 signaling. Ten micromoles of CRCs and Asp upregulated the expression of mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (Drosophila) (SMAD4) in the TGF-b receptor signaling pathway, and SMAD3/4 transcription activity was also increased. Ten micromoles of CRCs were able to potently inhibit STAT3-binding activity by repressing IL-6–induced STAT3 expression. Our results provide a potential mechanism that explains the anti-inflammatory activities of these CRCs.

Determining optimal number of cores in a submarine power cable

Hsieh Meng-Chang,Chen Bang-Fuh,Wang Yanyang,Chang Hsun-Cheng,Liu Wen-Hsiu,Hsu Hung-Lin 대한조선학회 2022 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.14 No.1

Submarine power cables must be reinforced and must possess suitable mechanical properties to meet operational requirements for complex marine environments. This study numerically investigated the mechanical properties of submarine power cables under tensile, torsional, and compressive loading. The optimal number of cores was determined according to the variation in tensile and torsional stiffness with radial compressive pressure. As the radial compressive pressure increased, the tensile and torsional stiffness of the four- and five-core cable models decreased marginally compared with those of the threecore cable model; thus, the five-core cable model was superior to the two-, three-, and four-core cable models in terms of radial deformation and contact stress. The two-core cable model was superior to the three-, four-, and five-core cable models in terms of tensile and torsional strength. The results of this study can serve as a reference in the design of submarine power cables.

Study on the Simulation and Experiment of Cantilever Beam Piezoelectric Energy Harvester

Yao Fenglin,Meng Wengjun,Zhao Jie,Yin hang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Multimedia and Ubiquitous Vol.11 No.9

Owing great to the widespread application of wireless sensor networks, supply energy for these wireless sensors proves to be a significant issue. Moreover, for the ambient vibration lies everywhere, the vibration can supply energy for the wireless sensor via energy harvester. The single cantilever beam piezoelectric energy harvester becomes the research focus for the simple structure and higher energy conversion efficiency. Due to the transcendental equation in distributed parameter model, the numerical method is become powerful complement for theoretical and experimental method. Static analysis, model analysis, harmonic response analysis and mechanical-electrical coupling analysis are simulated in ANSYS. Four aspects of the harvester has been studied in detail. Test and measurement show that Geometry and shape parameters have great affect to piezoelectric single cantilever energy harvester. In addition, the inherent characteristics of piezoelectric patch will affect enormously on the electrical characteristics

Isolated Noncompaction of Ventricular Myocardium: a Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of 11 Patients

Hong Yun,Meng-su Zeng,Hang Jin,Shan Yang 대한영상의학회 2011 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.12 No.6

Objective: To retrospectively summarize the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) findings of isolated noncompaction of ventricular myocardium (INVM). Materials and Methods: Eleven patients (M:F = 9:2; mean age, 35 years) were evaluated. Steady-state free precession (SSFP), fast spin echo (SE) sequence, SSFP cine imaging, and delayed enhanced inversion recovery spoiled gradient echo (IR-SPGR) sequence were used for showing abnormal myocardium, measuring ratio of noncompacted/compacted myocardium layers (NC/C ratio), and detecting myocardial viability. The left ventricle was divided into nine segments and a NC/C ratio > 2.3 in diastole was used as cutoff value in diagnosing left INVM. The right ventricle was assessed qualitatively. Results: Cardiac MRI indicated left INVM in seven patients, right INVM in one patient and biventricle INVM in three patients. Characteristic CMRI changes included prominent trabeculations, deep intertrabecular recesses and an increase in the NC/C ratio. The most frequently involved segments was left ventricular apex. Three patients had abnormal high signals within the trabecular structures on SE T2 weighted image. One ventricular aneurysm and one apical thrombus were also observed. Delayed enhancement was seen in six of nine patients with subendocardial and transmural patterns. Conclusion: There are CMRI features that might be characteristic for INVM. Objective: To retrospectively summarize the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) findings of isolated noncompaction of ventricular myocardium (INVM). Materials and Methods: Eleven patients (M:F = 9:2; mean age, 35 years) were evaluated. Steady-state free precession (SSFP), fast spin echo (SE) sequence, SSFP cine imaging, and delayed enhanced inversion recovery spoiled gradient echo (IR-SPGR) sequence were used for showing abnormal myocardium, measuring ratio of noncompacted/compacted myocardium layers (NC/C ratio), and detecting myocardial viability. The left ventricle was divided into nine segments and a NC/C ratio > 2.3 in diastole was used as cutoff value in diagnosing left INVM. The right ventricle was assessed qualitatively. Results: Cardiac MRI indicated left INVM in seven patients, right INVM in one patient and biventricle INVM in three patients. Characteristic CMRI changes included prominent trabeculations, deep intertrabecular recesses and an increase in the NC/C ratio. The most frequently involved segments was left ventricular apex. Three patients had abnormal high signals within the trabecular structures on SE T2 weighted image. One ventricular aneurysm and one apical thrombus were also observed. Delayed enhancement was seen in six of nine patients with subendocardial and transmural patterns. Conclusion: There are CMRI features that might be characteristic for INVM.