Perioperative Comprehensive Supportive Care Interventions for Chinese Patients with Esophageal Carcinoma: a Prospective Study

Zhang, Xiao-Dan,Zhao, Qing-Yu,Fang, Yi,Chen, Guan-Xuan,Zhang, Hui-Fang,Zhang, Wen-Xiao,Yang, Xiao-Ping Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.12

Objective: To assess the effects of perioperative comprehensive supportive care interventions on outcome of Chinese esophageal cancer patients in a prospective study. Methods: 60 patients with primary esophageal carcinoma were randomized into an intervention group (IG, n=31) and a control group (CG, n=29). The Chinese version of symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90) was adopted to assess their psychological status. The interventions, including health education, psychological support, stress management, coping strategies and behavior training, were carried out in 3 phases (preoperative, postoperative I and postoperative II), and psychological effects were thereafter evaluated accordingly before surgery, and 1 week, 4 weeks and 24 weeks post-surgery. Medical costs were estimated at discharge. Survival of patients was estimated each year post-surgery. General health status and satisfaction-with-hospital were surveyed by a follow-up questionnaire 4 years post-surgery. Results: All the subjects demonstrated higher scores in the preoperative phase than the normal range of Chinese population concerning 7 psychological domains including somatization, obsessive-compulsive, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation. Although no significant difference was observed between the two groups at admission, the scores of IG, which tended to decrease at a faster rate, were generally lower than those of CG at weeks 1, 4 and 24 post-surgery. The length of hospital stay and medical costs of IG were significantly less than those of CG and satisfaction-with-hospital was better. However, there was no significant difference in 4-year survival or health status between two groups. Conclusions: Appropriate perioperative comprehensive supportive care interventions help to improve the psychological state of Chinese patients with esophageal carcinoma, to reduce health care costs and to promote satisfaction of patients and their families with hospital.

Design and investigation of bladder power pump driven by an external electromagnet

Xiao Li,Ting Guan,Dongcai Zhou,Chunbao Liu 대한기계학회 2014 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.28 No.9

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of the bladder power pump driven by an external electromagnet proposed by the authors. The structure of the pump was designed based on its working principle. The mathematical model and 3D finite element model of theelectromagnetic field of the pump were established. The electromagnetic driving property of the pump was analyzed using the models,and the micturition performance of the pump was investigated in the simulated experimental system. Results show that maximum intravesicalpressure and maximum urine flow rate reached 10.8 KPa and 13.9 cm³/s, respectively, approaching the normal human urodynamicparameters. This novel pump has the potential of being used for assisting neurogenic bladder micturition.

Compounds from a jellyfish-derived fungus Aspergillus fumigates

Guan-yu Tao,Juan Liu,정지형,Wei Guo,Xiao-qiong Wen,Yonghong Liu 한국생약학회 2016 Natural Product Sciences Vol.22 No.2

Six compounds were isolated from the secondary metabolites of the jellyfish-derived fungus Aspergillus fumigates, whose structures were identified by chemical methods and spectroscopic analysis as pseurotin F1 (1), azaspirofurans B (2), (22E, 24R)-24-methyl-5a-cholesta-7,22-diene-3b,5,6b-triol (3), 5a,8a-epidioxyergosta-6,22-dien-3b-o1 (4), cyclo-(L-Pro-L-Tyr) (5), fumitremorgin C (6). The compounds 1 - 5 were isolated from the fungus Aspergillus fumigates for the first time. The isolated compounds (1 - 6) were evaluated for antibiotic activity and cytotoxicity against six bacterial strains and ten human tumor cell lines, respectively.

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in microwave ablation treatment of symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis

Xiao-Long Li,Jia-Xin Li,Song-Yuan Yu,Pei-Li Fan,Yun-Jie Jin,Er-Jiao Xu,Sai-Nan Guan,Er-Ya Deng,Qiu-Yan Li,Zheng-Biao Ji,Jiu-Ling Qi,Hui-Xiong Xu,China Alliance of Multi-Center Clinical Study for Ultra 대한초음파의학회 2024 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.43 No.1

Purpose: This study evaluated the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) treatment of symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between March 2020 and January 2023, enrolling 52 patients with symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis who had undergone MWA. All patients were examined with CEUS before and after MWA. The non-perfused volume (NPV) was compared between CEUS and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCEMRI) following ablation. Therapeutic efficacy and safety were evaluated at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Additionally, this study explored the correlations between pre-treatment CEUS features and a volume reduction ratio indicating sufficient ablation, defined as 50% or more at the 3-month follow-up.Results: No significant differences in NPV were noted between CEUS and DCE-MRI immediately after MWA and during follow-up (all P>0.05). At the 3-month follow-up, the median VRRs for the uterus and adenomyosis were 33.2% and 63.9%, respectively. Sufficient ablation was achieved in 69.2% (36/52) of adenomyosis cases, while partial ablation was observed in the remaining 30.8% (16/52). The identification of non-enhancing areas on pre-treatment CEUS was associated with sufficient ablation (P=0.016). At the 12-month follow-up, significant decreases were observed in both the uterine and adenomyosis volumes (all P<0.001). Dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia were significantly alleviated at 12 months, and no major complications were encountered.Conclusion: CEUS can be used to evaluate the ablation zone of focal adenomyosis that has been treated with MWA, similarly to DCE-MRI. The identification of non-enhancing areas on pretreatment CEUS indicates satisfactory treatment outcomes. Purpose: This study evaluated the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) treatment of symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between March 2020 and January 2023, enrolling 52 patients with symptomatic focal uterine adenomyosis who had undergone MWA. All patients were examined with CEUS before and after MWA. The non-perfused volume (NPV) was compared between CEUS and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE- MRI) following ablation. Therapeutic efficacy and safety were evaluated at 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. Additionally, this study explored the correlations between pre-treatment CEUS features and a volume reduction ratio indicating sufficient ablation, defined as 50% or more at the 3-month follow-up. Results: No significant differences in NPV were noted between CEUS and DCE-MRI immediately after MWA and during follow-up (all P>0.05). At the 3-month follow-up, the median VRRs for the uterus and adenomyosis were 33.2% and 63.9%, respectively. Sufficient ablation was achieved in 69.2% (36/52) of adenomyosis cases, while partial ablation was observed in the remaining 30.8% (16/52). The identification of non-enhancing areas on pre-treatment CEUS was associated with sufficient ablation (P=0.016). At the 12-month follow-up, significant decreases were observed in both the uterine and adenomyosis volumes (all P<0.001). Dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia were significantly alleviated at 12 months, and no major complications were encountered. Conclusion: CEUS can be used to evaluate the ablation zone of focal adenomyosis that has been treated with MWA, similarly to DCE-MRI. The identification of non-enhancing areas on pre- treatment CEUS indicates satisfactory treatment outcomes.

Flocking for Multi-agent Systems with Optimally Rigid Topology Based on InformationWeighted Kalman Consensus Filter

Xiao-yuan Luo,Xiaolei Li,Shaobao Li,Zhongping Jiang,Xin-Ping Guan 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2017 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.15 No.1

This paper investigates the leader-follower flocking problem of multi-agent systems. The leader withinput noise is estimated by a proposed continuous-time information weighted Kalman consensus filter (IWKCF)for agents. A novel distributed flocking algorithm based on the IWKCF is further presented to make agents achieveflocking to the leader. It is shown that the proposed flocking algorithm based on the continuous-time IWKCFis asymptotically stable. Applying the topology optimization scheme, the communication complexity of systemtopologies of multi-agent systems is effectively reduced. Finally, simulations are provided to demonstrate theeffectiveness of the proposed results.

The Moderating Effect of Internal Control on Performance of Cross-Border M&A under the Uncertainty of Economic Policy: Evidence from China

Xiao-Lin Huang,Guan-Ting Chen,Eun-Hye Lee 한국무역학회 2019 Journal of Korea trade Vol.23 No.7

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between internal control, economic policy uncertainty, and performance of cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) based on the panel data of Chinese listed firms. The authors expected that internal control has a positive moderating effect on the performance of cross-border M&A and that it mainly occurs during periods when economic policies are relatively stable. In addition, the authors tried to find out the mechanism of internal control affecting cross-border M&A and the corporate performance. Design/methodology - The authors tested the hypotheses by a multivariate regression model based on the panel data of Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2017. The dependent variable is the change value of business performance (DROA_1,2,3) and the explanatory variables are cross-border M&A (MA), China’s uncertainty of economic policy (EPU), and internal control level (IC) respectively. Findings - The authors find that internal control has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between cross-border M&A and corporate performance. Further, the authors find that the moderating effect is more significant in state-owned enterprises and that it mainly occurs during periods when economic policies are relatively stable. Originality/value - This paper is the leading study that tries to analyze empirically the relationship between internal control, economic policy uncertainty, and performance of cross-border M&A. It provides a new avenue through which internal control might reasonably mitigate the risks of crossborder M&A and correspondingly improve the performance of cross-border M&A. It also confirms the moderating effect of internal control on the performance of cross-border M&A under the uncertainty of economic policy.

Oxidation behavior of C/C composites with B4C-SiCZrC-ZrB2 coating prepared by infiltration and pyrolysis

Xiao-Hua Zuo,Zhi-Jun Dong,Guan-Ming Yuan,Zheng-Wei Cui,Xuan-Ke Li 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2021 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.22 No.1

Polycarbosilane, B-Si and B-Si-Zr modification coal tar pitch were used as impregnate agent for infiltration and pyrolysis formation of carbon/carbon (abbreviated as C/C) composites with B4C-SiC-ZrC-ZrB2 coating. The density of the composites was examined to be 1.0 g·cm-3, 1.4 g·cm-3 and 1.8 g·cm-3, respectively. The phase compositions, surface morphologies and element distributions of the coating were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispervive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The result showed that the two composites with a density of 1.4 g·cm-3 and 1.8 g·cm-3 displayed compact microstructures. The oxidation behavior of the composites was studied by oxidation in air at temperatures from 800 to 1,550 ℃ for 1 h. The composites with a density of 1.8 g·cm-3 exhibited a lower weight loss of 1.8 % after oxidation. B4C-SiC-ZrC-ZrB2 coating was found to provide the best protection by the precipitated B2O3, SiO2 and ZrO2 on the surface of the composites during the oxidation process, which were characterized by self-healing and antioxidation. The C/C composites with B4C-SiC-ZrC-ZrB2 coating performed well at high temperatures with the formation of complex oxides glass film that prevented oxygen from further spreading into the matrix.

Novel designs of polycarboxylate superplasticizers for improving resistance in clay-contaminated concrete

Xiao Liu,Jianan Guan,Guanghong Lai,Yunsheng Zheng,Ziming Wang,Suping Cui,Mingzhang Lan,Huiqun Li 한국공업화학회 2017 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.55 No.-

Certain clays attached around the aggregates contaminate the concrete and also greatly affect the concrete workability, the mechanism of which was investigated through calculating the volume change of solid and liquid phases of concrete mixture containing clay. To minimize this detrimental effect, two novel designs based on the transfer of theory and techniques from polymer science, i.e., molecular design of polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE), were proposed. The one was “intercalator” synthesized via Hofmann rearrangement and cationization, and the other was “star-shaped polycarboxylate super- plasticizer (SPCE)” synthesized via a route of “core first and arm second”. The results of Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR) confirm the designed structures. The applications of these polymers in clay-contaminated cement paste and concrete were tested. The results showed that, the dispersing capacities of “Intercalator + Comb-shaped polycarboxylate superplasticizer (CPCE)” and SPCE were less affected by adding clay in both cement paste and concrete. Adsorption and Xray diffraction (XRD) experiments revealed less harmful intercalation for SPCE and preferential occupation in the interlayer space of clay for intercalator to protect other workable PCEs. It is interesting that optimizing charge characteristic and “disassembling-assembling” molecular arrangement can contribute to excellent resistance towards clay. The aim of this study is to offer two promising alternatives, which attractively provide the theoretical basis and technological application in researching advanced materials in clay-contaminated concrete.

Copper as an Antimicrobial Agent against Opportunistic Pathogenic and Multidrug Resistant Enterobacter Bacteria

Wen-Xiao Tian,Shi Yu,Muhammad Ibrahim,Abdul Wareth Almonaofy,Liu He,Qiu Hui,Zhu Bo,Bin Li,Guan-lin Xie 한국미생물학회 2012 The journal of microbiology Vol.50 No.4

Infections by Enterobacter species are common and are multidrug resistant. The use of bactericidal surface materials such as copper has lately gained attention as an effective antimicrobial agent due to its deadly effects on bacteria,yeast, and viruses. The aim of the current study was to assess the antibacterial activity of copper surfaces against Enterobacter species. The antibacterial activity of copper surfaces was tested by overlying 5×106 CFU/ml suspensions of representative Enterobacter strains and comparing bacterial survival counts on copper surfaces at room temperature. Iron, stainless steel, and polyvinylchloride (PVC) were used as controls. The mechanisms responsible for bacterial killing on copper surfaces were investigated by a mutagenicity assay of the D-cycloserin (cyclA gene), single cell gel electrophoresis,a staining technique, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Copper yielded a significant decrease in the viable bacterial counts at 2 h exposure and a highly significant decrease at 4 h. Loss of cell integrity and a significantly higher influx of copper into bacterial cells exposed to copper surfaces, as compared to those exposed to the controls,were documented. There was no increase in mutation rate and DNA damage indicating that copper contributes to bacterial killing by adversely affecting cellular structure without directly targeting the genomic DNA. These findings suggest that copper’s antibacterial activity against Enterobacter species could be utilized in health care facilities and in food processing plants to reduce the bioburden, which would increase protection for susceptible members of the community.

한반도 식생의 녹색화에 대한 시계열적 분석

Lv, Guan Ting,ZHUYONGYAN,Liu, Wei Qi,Huang, Xiao,Li, Cheng Lei,Cui, Gui Shan 한국기후변화학회 2019 한국기후변화학회지 Vol.10 No.4

The vegetation is feedback on environmental change due to global warming. Also, the growth status of vegetation and the coverage area of vegetation are greatly affected by the environmental changes. The quantitative change of vegetation growth status is the primary task of vegetation response to environmental changes. In this study, the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS) based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and CRU climate data are used to analyze the spatio‐temporal characteristics of vegetation greening evolution and its response to climate change from 1982 to 2015 in the Korean Peninsula by applying the partial correlation and trend analysis. The results show that the average NDVI value of the Korean Peninsula in the period 1982‐2015 was 0.68, among which the average NDVI in North Korea and South Korea was 0.69 and 0.67, respectively. The NDVI of the Korean Peninsula between 1982 and 2015 increased by 0.6x10‐3 year‐1. The increasing trend prior to and after 1998 was 2.5×10‐3 year‐1 and 0.9×10‐3 year‐1, respectively. During the 1982‐2015 years, the NDVI of DPRK and South Korea have grown mainly with the trend of 0.2×10‐3 year‐1 and 1.1×10‐3 year‐1, respectively. According to the analysis of NDVI and climatic factors, the distribution of NDVI in the three‐time series of Korean Peninsula is consistent in spatial distribution. According to the results of partial correlation analysis of climate factor and NDVI distribution in Korean Peninsula, the region has significant partial correlation with temperature change. The climate factor of temperature is the main driver of NDVI change, which plays a key role in controlling NDVI change accumulation.