Effects of Modafinil on Behavioral Learning and Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission in Rats

Wen-Wen Yan,Li-Hua Yao,Chong Chen,Hai-Xia Wang,Chu-Hua Li,Jun-Ni Huang,Peng Xiao,Cheng-Yi Liu 대한배뇨장애요실금학회 2015 International Neurourology Journal Vol.19 No.4

Purpose: Modafinil is a wake-promoting agent that has been proposed to improve cognitive performance at the preclinical and clinical levels. Since there is insufficient evidence for modafinil to be regarded as a cognitive enhancer, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic modafinil administration on behavioral learning in healthy adult rats. Methods: Y-maze training was used to assess learning performance, and the whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to assess synaptic transmission in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1 region of rats. Results: Intraperitoneal administration of modafinil at 200 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg significantly improved learning performance. Furthermore, perfusion with 1mM modafinil enhanced the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous postsynaptic currents and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices. However, the frequency and amplitude of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents in CA1 pyramidal neurons were inhibited by treatment with 1mM modafinil. Conclusions: These results indicate that modafinil improves learning and memory in rats possibly by enhancing glutamatergic excitatory synaptic transmission and inhibiting GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic) inhibitory synaptic transmission.

Quality Characteristics of Songpyeon Containing Different Fillings during Storage

Yi-Hua Wen,은종방 한국식품과학회 2013 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.22 No.1

Songpyeon is a Korean traditional food made of rice with different fillings. The fillings may affect the qualities of songpyeon, such as shelf-life. Therefore, quality characteristics of songpyeon filled with chopped black eyed peas (CBP) and unchopped black eyed peas (UCBP)were investigated during storage at room temperature. As a result, all samples had moisture content and pH values favorable for microbial growth. Hardness, gumminess, and chewiness were increased during storage. All sensory parameters values decreased steadily in stored songpyeon. The shelf-life of songpyeon was suggested to be only 2days by the panelists. UCBP had higher number of total microbial loads, yeasts, and molds than those of CBP. Coliforms were not detected in songpyeon during storage. These results suggested that songpyeon filled with UCBP had a shorter shelf-life than songpyeon filled with CBP.

Albumin-to-Fibrinogen Ratio as an Independent Prognostic Parameter in Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: A Retrospective Study of 191 Cases

Yi-Xin Zou,Jia Qiao,Hua-Yuan Zhu,Rui-Nan Lu,Yi Xia,Lei Cao,Wei Wu,Hui Jin,Wen-Jie Liu,Jin-Hua Liang,Jia-Zhu Wu,Li Wang,Lei Fan,Wei Xu,Jian-Yong Li 대한암학회 2019 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.51 No.2

Purpose Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is one of the most frequent type of B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders and chronic inflammation takes part in the development of CLL. However, there has been no valid immune biomarker to predict the prognosis of untreated CLL patients. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed the clinical correlations and prognostic value of albumin-to-fibrinogen ratio (AFR) detected at diagnosis in 191 CLL patients. Results The cut-off value of AFR was 9.7 calculated by X-tile. Patients who were more than 65 years old were often accompanied by low level of AFR (p < 0.001). Survival analysis showed that patients with low level of AFR had shorter overall survival (OS) than patients with high level of AFR (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis illustrated that AFR had a negative impact on OS (p=0.003) and was independent of parameters involved in CLL international prognostic index and other prognostic markers such as CD38 and ZAP-70. Conclusion These data provide a comprehensive view of AFR and shows that AFR at diagnosis is an adverse prognostic factor in untreated CLL patients.

중국 윈난성 뎬츠(滇池)보호에서의 공중참여에 관한 연구 : 자원동원이론의 시각으로

Yi-Hua Wen,Yue Sun,Ming Liu 한국환경사회학회 2019 환경사회학연구 ECO Vol.23 No.2

This research takes the private environment organization--Green Kunming as an example, to explore the growth of resources by mobilization. The study includes a public participation activity--Protecting Lake Denz, the largest lake in Kunming, Yunnan Province. To ensure this organization survive and thrive, we must have sufficient resources and are able to mobilize them. This study focuses on the development of Green Kunming ancestry conservation activities based on institutional resources, financial resources, human resources and social resources. These resources are organically integrated with each other and are characterized by collective actions. The survey results show that Green Kunming is limited by institutional resources, but this is also a prerequisite for obtaining legitimacy and obtaining new resources. Financial resources are mainly funded by private fund meetings. and these funds are a major participatory survival method including projects. In mobilizing human resources, the members are mainly volunteers. Doing this will ensure the sustainability of group development, promote the formation of social capital, and fully mobilize new media as a social resource. This study aims to determine the growth of citizens in our society, and hope to use it as an indicator to measure the degree of the political structure openness to the Chinese public participation and the degree of democratization in the public sphere. 본 연구는 중국 윈난성 쿤밍시에서 가장 큰 호수인 뎬츠(滇池)에 대한 보호를 비롯한 공중의 참여활동 중에서 민간 환경단체-녹색곤명을 사례로, 자원동원론의 시각으로 참여과정에 자원을 어떻게 동원하면서 성장하였는가를 살펴본다. 단체가 생존하고 성장하려면 다양한 자원을 소유함과 아울러 자원을 충분히 동원하여야 한다. 이런 자원들은 또 서로 유기적으로 결합되면서 단체활동 전개의 특성을 가진다. 본고에서는 자원을 동원하기 위한 전제조건, 재정적 자원, 인적 자원, 사회적 자원을 토대로 뎬츠보호의 주요한 행위주체‒녹색곤명의 뎬츠보호 활동의 전개에 대한 분석이 중심을 이룬다. 연구결과 녹색곤명은 합법적인 지위를 취득하여 새로운 자원을 얻을 수 있는 정치적 기회구조를 확충하고, 재정적 자원은 주로 민간 기금회의 자금 지원을 통해 얻는데 이러한 자금조달은 프로젝트를 비롯한 참여방식이 된다. 인적 자원의 동원을 볼때 구성원은 주로 자원봉사자들인데 이러한 특성은 인력동원이 용이하고 자발적으로 활동할 수 있으며 단체 발전의 지속성을 보장하며, 사회자본의 형성을촉진할 수 있다. 사회적 자원으로는 주로 뉴미디어를 활용했는데 전파속도가빠르고 전파범위가 넓어서 공론장의 형성을 촉진하였다. 이러한 현상을 통해중국에서 공중참여에 대한 제도적 보장은 이미 갖춰져 있고, 정치적 기회 구조는 질적으로 변화하고 있으며, 정부의 집권이념의 변화가 시민사회의 성장을추진하고 있다는 결론을 얻을 수 있었다.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Antibiotic-Impregnated Shunt Catheters on Anti-Infective Effect of Hydrocephalus Shunt

Zhou, Wen-xiu,Hou, Wen-bo,Zhou, Chao,Yin, Yu-xia,Lu, Shou-tao,Liu, Guang,Fang, Yi,Li, Jian-wen,Wang, Yan,Liu, Ai-hua,Zhang, Hai-jun The Korean Neurosurgical Society 2021 Journal of Korean neurosurgical society Vol.64 No.2

Objective : Shunt infection is a common complication while treating hydrocephalus. The antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheter (AISC) was designed to reduce shunt infection rate. A meta-analysis was conducted to study the effectiveness of AISCs in reduction of shunt infection in terms of age, follow-up time and high-risk patient population. Methods : This study reviewed literature from three databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (from 2000 to March 2019). Clinical studies from controlled trials for shunt operation were included in this analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed based on the patient's age, follow-up time and high-risk population. The fixed effect in RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration) was used for this meta-analysis. Results : This study included 19 controlled clinical trials including 10105 operations. The analysis demonstrated that AISC could reduce the infection rate in shunt surgery compared to standard shunt catheter (non-AISC) from 8.13% to 4.09% (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.58; p=0.01; I2=46%). Subgroup analysis of different age groups showed that AISC had significant antimicrobial effects in all three groups (adult, infant, and adolescent). Follow-up time analysis showed that AISC was effective in preventing early shunt infections (within 6 months after implant). AISC is more effective in high-risk population (OR, 0.24;95% CI, 0.14-0.40; p=0.60; I2=0%) than in general patient population. Conclusion : The results of meta-analysis indicated that AISC is an effective method for reducing shunt infection. We recommend that AISC should be considered for use in infants and high-risk groups. For adult patients, the choice for AISC could be determined based on the treatment cost.

Enhanced Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polyimide/Graphene Composites

Wen Dai,Jinhong Yu,Yi Wang,Yingze Song,Hua Bai,Kazuhito Nishimura,Huiwei Liao,Nan Jiang 한국고분자학회 2014 Macromolecular Research Vol.22 No.9

Polyimide (PI)/graphene sheets (GSs) composites were prepared by solution blending. The incorporationof GSs into PI increased the thermal conductivity, thermal stability and mechanical properties of PI. The thermal conductivityof PI/GSs composites was significantly improved compared with that of neat PI from 0.254 to 1.002 W/mK; this can be attributed to the homogeneous dispersion of graphene and the formation of heat conduction pathway. Furthermore, the Young modulus of PI/GSs was raised up to 4.04 GPa, approximately two-fold enhancement incomparison with that of neat PI. In addition, the incorportation of GSs in PI indicated excellent optical transparencyat the lowest weight fractions of GSs and modified wettability of PI films.

Full-scale testing and modeling of the mechanical behavior of shield TBM tunnel joints

Wen-qi Ding,Yi-cheng Peng,Zhi-guo Yan,Bi-wei Shen,He-hua Zhu,Xin-xin Wei 국제구조공학회 2013 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.45 No.3

For shield TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) tunnel lining, the segment joint is the most critical component for determining the mechanical response of the complete lining ring. To investigate the mechanical behavior of the segment joint in a water conveyance tunnel, which is different from the vehicle tunnel because of the external loads and the high internal water pressure during the tunnel’s service life, full-scale joint tests were conducted. The main advantage of the joint tests over previous ones was the definiteness of the loads applied to the joints using a unique testing facility and the acquisition of the mechanical behavior of actual joints. Furthermore, based on the test results and the theoretical analysis, a mechanical model of segment joints has been proposed, which consists of all important influencing factors,including the elastic-plastic behavior of concrete, the pre-tightening force of the bolts and the deformations of all joint components, i.e., concrete blocks, bolts and cast iron panels. Finally, the proposed mechanical model of segment joints has been verified by the aforementioned full-scale joint tests.

Effectiveness of Cognitive-behavioral Program on Pain and Fear in School-aged Children Undergoing Intravenous Placement

Yi-Chuan Hsieh,Su-Fen Cheng,Pei-Kwei Tsay,Wen-Jen Su,Yen-Hua Cho,Chi-Wen Chen 한국간호과학회 2017 Asian Nursing Research Vol.11 No.4

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cognitive-behavioral program on pain and medical fear in hospitalized school-aged children receiving intravenous (IV) placement. Methods: This study used an quasi-experimental design. Thirty-five participants were assigned to the experimental group and 33 to the control group in the acute internal medicine ward of a children's hospital. The cognitive-behavioral program entailed having the patients read an educational photo book about IV placement before the procedure and having them watch their favorite music video during the procedure. The outcome measures were numeric rating scales for pain intensity and fear during the procedure. Results: After applying the cognitive-behavioral program, the mean scores on pain and fear decreased in the experimental group. However, the difference in pain intensity between these two groups was nonsignificant. The intensity of fear in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group. Conclusion: In this study, the cognitive-behavioral program used with school-aged hospitalized children promoted less fear during IV placement. The results of this study can serve as a reference for empirical nursing care and as care guidance for clinical IV injections involving children.

Selective blockade of spinal D2DR by levocorydalmine attenuates morphine tolerance via suppressing PI3K/Akt-MAPK signaling in a MOR-dependent manner

Wen-Ling Dai,Xin-Tong Liu,Yi-Ni Bao,Bing Yan,Nan Jiang,Bo-Yang Yu,Ji-Hua Liu 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Morphine tolerance remains a challenge in the management of chronic pain in the clinic. As shown in our previous study, the dopamine D2 receptor (D2DR) expressed in spinal cord neurons might be involved in morphine tolerance, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, selective spinal D2DR blockade attenuated morphine tolerance in mice by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/serine–threonine kinase (Akt)-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling in a μ opioid receptor (MOR)-dependent manner. Levocorydalmine (l-CDL), which exhibited micromolar affinity for D2DR in D2/CHO-K1 cell lines in this report and effectively alleviated bone cancer pain in our previous study, attenuated morphine tolerance in rats with chronic bone cancer pain at nonanalgesic doses. Furthermore, the intrathecal administration of l-CDL obviously attenuated morphine tolerance, and the effect was reversed by a D2DR agonist in mice. Spinal D2DR inhibition and l-CDL also inhibited tolerance induced by the MOR agonist DAMGO. l-CDL and a D2DR small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased the increase in levels of phosphorylated Akt and MAPK in the spinal cord; these changes were abolished by a PI3K inhibitor. In addition, the activated Akt and MAPK proteins in mice exhibiting morphine tolerance were inhibited by a MOR antagonist. Intrathecal administration of a PI3K inhibitor also attenuated DAMGO-induced tolerance. Based on these results, l-CDL antagonized spinal D2DR to attenuate morphine tolerance by inhibiting PI3K/Akt-dependent MAPK phosphorylation through MOR. These findings provide insights into a more versatile treatment for morphine tolerance.

Convenient hydrogel adhesion with crystalline zones

Wen-Tao Chen,Liangpeng Zeng,Ping Li,Yi Liu,Jing-Liang Huang,Hui Guo,Ping Rao,Wei-Hua Li 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.117 No.-

Adhering soft hydrogels to hard substrates is challenging. Existing adhesion approaches mainly rely oninterfacial chemical bonds or physical interactions, which typically require complex fabrication processesor specific surface properties. Herein, we report a convenient approach to achieving effective hydrogeladhesion onto various hard substrates with in-situ formed crystalline zones by heating. Semicrystallizablepoly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels were directly cast on various subtracts by a dryingswellingprocess, which demonstrates strong adhesion with adhesion energy as high as 890 J/m2. Theadhesion performance demonstrates an obvious positive correlation with the crystalline property. Therefore, the factors determining the crystalline degree, including the polymer type and preparationtemperature, demonstrate remarkable influences on the adhesion performance. Moreover, this adhesionperformance manifests high durability in harsh environments. Benefitting from the strong and durableadhesion performance, the crystalline gels can serve as a tie coating layer to joint various hydrogels,which demonstrate satisfactory antifouling ability. Therefore, this strategy may endow the materials withgreat potential for various practical applications in the future.