Which Indicator Among Lumbar Vertebral Hounsfield Unit, Vertebral Bone Quality, or Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry-Measured Bone Mineral Density Is More Efficacious in Predicting Thoracolumbar Fragility Fractures?

Bo Zhang,Lu-Ping Zhou,Xian-Liang Zhang,Dui Li,Jia-Qi Wang,Chong-Yu Jia,Hua-Qing Zhang,Liang Kang,Ren-Jie Zhang,Cai-Liang Shen 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.4

Objective: Hounsfield units (HU), vertebral bone quality (VBQ), and bone mineral density (BMD) can all serve as predictive indicators for thoracolumbar fragility fractures. This study aims to explore which indicator provides better risk prediction for thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Methods: Patients who have received medical attention from The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University for thoracolumbar fragility fractures were selected. A total of 78 patients with thoracolumbar fragility fractures were included in the study. To establish a control group, 78 patients with degenerative spinal diseases were matched to the fracture group on the basis of gender, age, and body mass index. The lumbar vertebral HU, the VBQ, and the BMD were obtained for all the 156 patients through computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The correlations among these parameters were analyzed. The area under curve (AUC) analysis was employed to assess the predictive efficacy and thresholds of lumbar vertebral HU, VBQ, and BMD in relation to the risk of thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Results: Among the cohort of 156 patients, lumbar vertebral HU exhibited a positive correlation with BMD (p < 0.01). Conversely, VBQ showed a negative correlation with HU, BMD (p < 0.05). HU and BMD displayed a favorable predictive efficacy for thoracolumbar fragility fractures (p < 0.01), with HU (AUC = 0.863) showcasing the highest predictive efficacy, followed by the DEXA-measured BMD (AUC = 0.813). VBQ (AUC = 0.602) ranked lowest among the 3 indicators. The thresholds for predicting thoracolumbar fragility fractures were as follows: HU (88),VBQ (3.37), and BMD (0.81). Conclusion: All 3 of these indicators, HU, VBQ, and BMD, can predict thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Notably, lumbar vertebral HU exhibits the highest predictive efficacy, followed by the BMD obtained through DEXA scanning, with VBQ demonstrating the lowest predictive efficacy.

Associations of hypoxia inducible factor-1a gene polymorphisms with susceptibility to digestive tract cancers: a case–control study and meta-analysis

Zhi-Hai Ni,Xian-Jun Liang,Jing-Gang Mo,Yi Zhang,Jian-Hua Liang,Yu-Sha Yang,Yong Zhou,Zhao-Hua Li,Jian-Liang Zhang,Yin-Lu Ding,Peng Zhang,Jin-Qing Wang 한국유전학회 2015 Genes & Genomics Vol.37 No.11

We aim to investigate the correlations of hypoxia inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) C1772T (rs11549465) and G1790A (rs11549467) gene polymorphisms with digestive tract cancers. A sum of 267 digestive tract cancers patients were hospitalized in Taizhou Central Hospital of Zhejiang Province as case group between December 2012 and December 2014. Additionally, 275 healthy people who had a physical examination in our hospital at the same time were selected as control group. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was utilized for detecting allele and genotype frequency of different locus in case and control group. Meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Metaanalysis 2.0 (Biostat Inc., Englewood, New Jersey, USA). Our result showed statistical significance only exists in family history of cancer between case and control group (P\0.05). Both C1772T (rs11549465) and G1790A (rs11549467) polymorphisms showed positive correlations with an increasing risk of digestive tract cancers. The frequencies of TT genotype of C1772T (rs11549465) and GA, AA genotypes of G1790A (rs11549467) polymorphisms in case group were evidently higher compared with the controls (all P\0.05). Besides, the comparison of allele and dominant models of HIF-1a C1772T (rs11549465) and G1790A (rs11549467) between two groups showed a significant difference (all P\0.05). Meta-analysis results further confirmed that the onset risk of digestive tract cancers may be improved under allele and dominant models of HIF-1a C1772T (rs11549465) and G1790A (rs11549467) (all P\0.05). Single nucleotide polymorphisms of HIF-1a C1772T (rs11549465) and G1790A (rs11549467) may play a role in development of digestive tract cancers.

Application of CRM to Mobile Communication Industry

Liang Tian,Xian-hua Zhang 한국산업정보학회 2007 한국산업정보학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2007 No.3

Schisandrin B Improves the Hypothermic Preservation of Celsior Solution in Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Zhang Ying,Wang Peng,Jin Mei-xian,Zhou Ying-qi,Ye Liang,Zhu Xiao-juan,Li Hui-fang,Zhou Ming,Li Yang,Li Shao,Liang Kang-yan,Wang Yi,Gao Yi,Pan Ming-xin,Zhou Shu-qin,Peng Qing 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2023 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.20 No.3

BACKGROUND: Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) have emerged as promising therapy for immune and inflammatory diseases. However, how to maintain the activity and unique properties during cold storage and transportation is one of the key factors affecting the therapeutic efficiency of hUCMSCs. Schisandrin B (SchB) has many functions in cell protection as a natural medicine. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of SchB on the hypothermic preservation of hUCMSCs. METHODS: hUCMSCs were isolated from Wharton’s jelly. Subsequently, hUCMSCs were exposed to cold storage (4 C) and 24-h re-warming. After that, cells viability, surface markers, immunomodulatory effects, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial integrity, apoptosis-related and antioxidant proteins expression level were evaluated. RESULTS: SchB significantly alleviated the cells injury and maintained unique properties such as differentiation potential, level of surface markers and immunomodulatory effects of hUCMSCs. The protective effects of SchB on hUCMSCs after hypothermic storage seemed associated with its inhibition of apoptosis and the anti-oxidative stress effect mediated by nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 signaling. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate SchB could be used as an agent for hypothermic preservation of hUCMSCs.

IRE1α protects against osteoarthritis by regulating progranulin-dependent XBP1 splicing and collagen homeostasis

Liang Li,Zhang Fengmei,Feng Naibo,Kuang Biao,Fan Mengtian,Chen Cheng,Pan Yiming,Zhou Pengfei,Geng Nana,Li Xingyue,Xian Menglin,Deng Lin,Li Xiaoli,Kuang Liang,Luo Fengtao,Tan Qiaoyan,Xie Yangli,Guo Fen 생화학분자생물학회 2023 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.55 No.-

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a full-joint, multifactorial, degenerative and inflammatory disease that seriously affects the quality of life of patients due to its disabling and pain-causing properties. ER stress has been reported to be closely related to the progression of OA. The inositol-requiring enzyme 1α/X-box-binding protein-1 spliced (IRE1α/XBP1s) pathway, which is highly expressed in the chondrocytes of OA patients, promotes the degradation and refolding of abnormal proteins during ER stress and maintains the stability of the ER environment of chondrocytes, but its function and the underlying mechanisms of how it contributes to the progression of OA remain unclear. This study investigates the role of IRE1α/ERN1 in OA. Specific deficiency of ERN1 in chondrocytes spontaneously resulted in OA-like cartilage destruction and accelerated OA progression in a surgically induced arthritis model. Local delivery of AdERN1 relieved degradation of the cartilage matrix and prevented OA development in an ACLT-mediated model. Mechanistically, progranulin (PGRN), an intracellular chaperone, binds to IRE1α, promoting its phosphorylation and splicing of XBP1u to generate XBP1s. XBP1s protects articular cartilage through TNF-α/ERK1/2 signaling and further maintains collagen homeostasis by regulating type II collagen expression. The chondroprotective effect of IRE1α/ERN1 is dependent on PGRN and XBP1s splicing. ERN1 deficiency accelerated cartilage degeneration in OA by reducing PGRN expression and XBP1s splicing, subsequently decreasing collagen II expression and triggering collagen structural abnormalities and an imbalance in collagen homeostasis. This study provides new insights into OA pathogenesis and the UPR and suggests that IRE1α/ERN1 may serve as a potential target for the treatment of joint degenerative diseases, including OA.

Multiple Smooth Support Vector Machine with FCM Clustering in Hidden Space

Xian-wei Zhang,Jinjin Liang 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Grid and Distributed Comp Vol.9 No.9

A multiple smooth model is proposed by smoothing technique and piecewise technique for large scale data. Mapping the training data to the hidden space with a hidden function, the proposed model divides the original data into several subclasses by Fuzzy C Means (FCM), whose initial cluster centers are selected by samples with large density indexes; derives the smooth differentiable model by utilizing the entropy function to replace the plus function of the slack vector, and introduces linking rules to combine results of subclasses. Simulations demonstrate that the obtained algorithm maintains good classification accuracies, reduces the training time and hardly varies with kernel parameters.

Antisurvivin oligonucleotides inhibit growth and induce apoptosis in human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells

Zhen-Xian Du,Hai-Yan Zhang,Da-Xin Gao,Hua-Qin Wang,Yong-Jun Li,Guo-Liang Liu 생화학분자생물학회 2006 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.38 No.3

apoptosis protein (IAP) family, which is known to be over-expressed in various carcinomas and associated with their biologically aggressive characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate survivin expression in human medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and a MTC cell line TT, correlate suvivin expression with clinicopathologic features of MTC, and test effects of antisurvivin oligonucleotides (ASODNs) on growth and apoptosis of TT cells. Survivin expression was immunohistochemically determined in formalin-fixed and paraffinembedded specimens obtained from 10 cases of normal thyroid (NT) and 10 cases of MTC, and in TT cells. In TT cells, we confirmed survivin expression and its down-regulation by ASODNs using RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, and investigated effects of ASODNs on viability and growth by MTT assay and apoptosis by apoptotic analyses including DNA laddering assay, acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining and flow cytometric cell cycle analysis. Immunohistochemical analysis showed high survivin expression in MTC and TT cells, whereas no immunoreactivity was detectable in NT. Statistical analyses revealed no significant correlation of survivin expression with the clinicopathologic features of MTC. In TT cells, survivin expression at both mRNA and protein levels was confirmed and could be down-regulated by ASODNs concomitant with decrease in viability and growth, and increase in apoptosis. Our results suggest that survivin plays an important role in MTC independent of the conventional clinicopathologic factors, and ASODNs is a promising survivin- targeted gene therapy for MTC.

MRI Findings of Primary CNS Lymphoma in 26 Immunocompetent Patients

Dong Zhang,Liang-Bo Hu,Tobias D Henning,Elisabeth M Ravarani,Li-Guang Zou,Xiao-Yuan Feng,Wen-Xian Wang,Li Wen 대한영상의학회 2010 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.11 No.3

Objective: To record the MR imaging features of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and compare these features in monofocal and multifocal disease. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one cases of monofocal disease were compared to five cases of multifocal disease. All patients were examined by nonenhanced and contrast-enhanced MRI. Tumor location, tumor size, signal intensity, enhancement characteristics, age distribution, peritumoral edema, cystic changes, and the presence of calcifications were assessed. The MRI features were compared between the monofocal and multifocal disease cases. Results: The 26 cases, including both the monofocal and multifocal cases, exhibited 37 lesions. Contrast-enhanced images showed variable enhancement patterns: homogeneous enhancement (33 lesions), ring-like enhancement (2), and ‘open-ring-like’ enhancement (2). The ‘notch sign’ was noted in four of 33 homogeneously enhancing lesions. One case of hemorrhage and three cases of cystic formation were observed. Intra-tumoral calcification was not found. The frontal lobe, the corpus callosum and the basal ganglia were commonly affected in both the monofocal and multifocal groups. Tumor size differed significantly between the two groups (t = 3.129, p < 0.01) and mildly or moderately enhanced lesions were more frequently found in the monofocal group (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between perifocal edema (p > 0.05) and the signal characteristics (p > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion: Our data show that PCNSL has a variable enhancement pattern on MR images. We first reported two lesions with an ‘open-ring’ enhancement as well as four cases with a ‘notch sign’. Monofocal PCNSL cases typically have larger sized tumors with mild or moderate enhancement. Objective: To record the MR imaging features of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and compare these features in monofocal and multifocal disease. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one cases of monofocal disease were compared to five cases of multifocal disease. All patients were examined by nonenhanced and contrast-enhanced MRI. Tumor location, tumor size, signal intensity, enhancement characteristics, age distribution, peritumoral edema, cystic changes, and the presence of calcifications were assessed. The MRI features were compared between the monofocal and multifocal disease cases. Results: The 26 cases, including both the monofocal and multifocal cases, exhibited 37 lesions. Contrast-enhanced images showed variable enhancement patterns: homogeneous enhancement (33 lesions), ring-like enhancement (2), and ‘open-ring-like’ enhancement (2). The ‘notch sign’ was noted in four of 33 homogeneously enhancing lesions. One case of hemorrhage and three cases of cystic formation were observed. Intra-tumoral calcification was not found. The frontal lobe, the corpus callosum and the basal ganglia were commonly affected in both the monofocal and multifocal groups. Tumor size differed significantly between the two groups (t = 3.129, p < 0.01) and mildly or moderately enhanced lesions were more frequently found in the monofocal group (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between perifocal edema (p > 0.05) and the signal characteristics (p > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusion: Our data show that PCNSL has a variable enhancement pattern on MR images. We first reported two lesions with an ‘open-ring’ enhancement as well as four cases with a ‘notch sign’. Monofocal PCNSL cases typically have larger sized tumors with mild or moderate enhancement.

Improving the Microbial Production of Amino Acids: From Conventional Approaches to Recent Trends

Guoqing Zhang,Xueni Ren,Xiuhong Liang,Yaqun Wang,Dexin Feng,Yujun Zhang,Mo Xian,Huibin Zou 한국생물공학회 2021 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.26 No.5

Variable industrial strains have been applied in the fermentation of bulk amino acids. Strain discovery and evolution, process optimization are traditional approaches to improve the yield and efficiency of the bio-production process, hence to compete with chemical or enzymatic process in amino acids production. With the fast development of bioengineering and synthetic biology, the strains can be rationally engineered to achieve better performance and gain the capacity in the fermentation of broader range of amino acids, especially for value-added amino acids. This proposed review aims to summarize traditional and recent strains in the microbial production of amino acids, characterize their metabolic pathways and present potential objectives for rational evolution. In addition, this proposed review prospect the recent opportunities and challenges in the microbial production of value-added amino acids (rare amino acids, non-canonical amino acids, and unnatural amino acids).

Recent advances of bioactive proteins/polypeptides in the treatment of breast cancer

Qi-Zhang Li,Ze-Rong Zhou,Cui-Yu Hu,Xian-Bin Li,Yu-Zhou Chang,Yan Liu,Yu-Liang Wang,Xuan-Wei Zhou 한국식품과학회 2023 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.32 No.3

Proteins do not only serve as nutrients to fulfill the demand for food, but also are used as a source of bioactive proteins/polypeptides for regulating physical functions and promoting physical health. Female breast cancer has the highest incidence in the world and is a serious threat to women’s health. Bioactive proteins/polypeptides exert strong anti-tumor effects and exhibit inhibition of multiple breast cancer cells. This review discussed the suppressing effects of bioactive proteins/polypeptides on breast cancer in vitro and in vivo, and their mechanisms of migration and invasion inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle arrest. This may contribute to providing a basis for the development of bioactive proteins/polypeptides for the treatment of breast cancer.