Simultaneous Single-Position Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery and Unilateral Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Fixation for Spondylolisthesis

Hui Lv,Yu Sheng Yang,Jian Hong Zhou,Yuan Guo,Hui Chen,Fei Luo,Jian Zhong Xu,Zhong Rong Zhang,Ze Hua Zhang 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.3

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and radiological efficacy of a combine of lateral single screw-rod and unilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (LSUP) for lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) in the treatment of spondylolisthesis. Methods: Sixty-two consecutive patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent minimally invasive (MIS)-TLIF with bilateral pedicle screw (BPS) or LLIF-LSUP were retrospectively studied. Segmental lordosis angle (SLA), lumbar lordosis angle (LLA), disc height (DH), slipping percentage, the cross-sectional areas (CSA) of the thecal sac, screw placement accuracy, fusion rate and foraminal height (FH) were used to evaluate radiographic changes postoperatively. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Results: Patients who underwent LLIF-LSUP showed shorter operating time, less length of hospital stay and lower blood loss than MIS-TLIF. No statistical difference was found between the 2 groups in screw placement accuracy, overall complications, VAS, and ODI. Compared with MIS-TLIF-BPS, LLIF-LSUP had a significant improvement in sagittal parameters including DH, FH, LLA, and SLA. The CSA of MIS-TLIF-BPS was significantly increased than that of LLIF-LSUP. The fusion rate of LLIF-LSUP was significantly higher than that of MIS-TLIF-BPS at the follow-up of 3 months postoperatively, but there was no statistical difference between the 2 groups at the follow-up of 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months. Conclusion: The overall clinical outcomes and complications of LLIF-LSUP were comparable to that of MIS-TLIF-BPS in this series. Compared with MIS-TLIF-BPS, LLIF-LSUP for lumbar spondylolisthesis represents a significantly shorter operating time, hospital stay and lower blood loss, and demonstrates better radiological outcomes to maintain lumbar lordosis, and reveal an overwhelming superiority in the early fusion rate.

개혁개방 이후 중국 은행산업의 구조와 성과: 국유은행과 주식제 은행의 차이를 중심으로

육택휘(Ze-Hui Liua),최동욱(Dong-Ook Choi) 강원대학교 경영경제연구소 2023 Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Vol.14 No.4

Purpose - This study applies the traditional Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) model from industrial organization theory to investigate the relationship between market structure and performance in China's banking industry. Design/methodology/approach - For analysis, financial data from the People's Bank of China's “China Financial Stability Report” and financial reports of 6 state-owned banks and 11 joint-stock banks for the period 2010 to 2021 were collected to create a balanced panel dataset. The study employs panel fixed-effects regression analysis to assess the impact of changes in market structure and ownership structure on performance variables including return on asset, profitability, costs, and non-performing loan ratios. Findings - Empirical findings highlight significant differences in the effects of market structure between state-owned and joint-stock banks. Notably, increased market competition positively correlates with higher profits for state-owned banks and with lower costs for joint-stock banks. Research implications or Originality - State-owned banks demonstrate larger scale and stability, yet they struggle to respond effectively to market shifts. Conversely, joint-stock banks face challenges in raising profitability against competitive pressures. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance for Chinese banks to strengthen risk management due to the increase of non-performing loans with competition. The results provide insights into reform policies for Chinese banks regarding the involvement of private sector in the context of market liberalization process in China.

Key challenges, recent advances and future perspectives of rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries

Ze-Chen Lv,Peng-Fei Wang,Jian-Cang Wang,Shu-Hui Tian,Ting-Feng Yi 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.124 No.-

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery, which releases energy by coupling high abundant sulfur with lithium metal,is considered as a potential substitute for the current lithium-ion battery. Thanks to the lightweight andmulti-electron reaction of sulfur cathode, the Li-S battery can achieve a high theoretical specific capacityof 1675 mAh g1 and specific energy of 2600 Wh kg1. However, some key scientific issues limit its practicalapplication, such as the ‘‘shuttle effect” of lithium polysulfides, large volume change, poor conductivityof sulfur and its solid-state products, and self-discharge phenomenon. Of these, the ‘‘shuttle effect”is recognized as the most critical challenge affecting on electrochemical performance. Hence, this reviewfirst systematically introduces the development of Li-S batteries and the corresponding ‘‘shuttle effect”. Then, the latest work on anode, cathode, separator and electrolyte are summarized. Finally, some promisingviews on the future research direction of this battery system are put forward.

A Novel Esterase from a Marine Metagenomic Library Exhibiting Salt Tolerance Ability

( Ze Ming Fang ),( Jing Jing Li ),( Quan Wang ),( Wei Fang ),( Hui Peng ),( Xue Cheng Zhang ),( Ya Zhong Xiao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.6

A putative lipolytic enzyme gene, named as est9x, was obtained from a marine microbial metagenome of the South China Sea. Sequence analysis showed that Est9X shares lower than 27% sequence identities with the characterized lipolytic enzymes, but possesses a catalytic triad highly conserved in lipolytic enzymes of the α/β hydrolase superfamily. By phylogenetic tree construction, Est9X was grouped into a new lipase/esterase family. To understand Est9X protein in depth, it was recombinantly expressed, purified, and biochemically characterized. Within potential hydrolytic activities, only lipase/esterase activity was detected for Est9X, confirming its identity as a lipolytic enzyme. When using p-nitrophenol esters with varying lengths of fatty acid as substrates, Est9X exhibited the highest activity to the C2 substrate, indicating it is an esterase. The optimal activity of Est9X occurred at a temperature of 65°C, and Est9X was pretty stable below the optimum temperature. Distinguished from other salttolerant esterases, Est9X``s activity was tolerant to and even promoted by as high as 4 M NaCl. Our results imply that Est9X is a unique esterase and could be a potential candidate for industrial application under extreme conditions.

Diversity, distribution, and antagonistic activities of rhizobacteria of Panax notoginseng

Ze-Yan Fan,Cui-Ping Miao,Xin-Guo Qiao,You-Kun Zheng,Hua-Hong Chen,You-Wei Chen,Li-Hua Xu,Li-Xing Zhao,Hui-Lin Guan 고려인삼학회 2016 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.40 No.2

Background: Rhizobacteria play an important role in plant defense and could be promising sources of biocontrol agents. This study aimed to screen antagonistic bacteria and develop a biocontrol system for root rot complex of Panax notoginseng. Methods: Pure-culture methods were used to isolate bacteria from the rhizosphere soil of notoginseng plants. The identification of isolates was based on the analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences. Results: A total of 279 bacteria were obtained from rhizosphere soils of healthy and root-rot notoginseng plants, and uncultivated soil. Among all the isolates, 88 showed antagonistic activity to at least one of three phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Phoma herbarum mainly causing root rot disease of P. notoginseng. Based on the 16S rRNA sequencing, the antagonistic bacteria were characterized into four clusters, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetesi. The genus Bacillus was the most frequently isolated, and Bacillus siamensis (Hs02), Bacillus atrophaeus (Hs09) showed strong antagonistic activity to the three pathogens. The distribution pattern differed in soil types, genera Achromobacter, Acidovorax, Brevibacterium, Brevundimonas, Flavimonas, and Streptomyces were only found in rhizosphere of healthy plants, while Delftia, Leclercia, Brevibacillus, Microbacterium, Pantoea, Rhizobium, and Stenotrophomonas only exist in soil of diseased plant, and Acinetobacter only exist in uncultivated soil. Conclusion: The results suggest that diverse bacteria exist in the P. notoginseng rhizosphere soil, with differences in community in the same field, and antagonistic isolates may be good potential biological control agent for the notoginseng root-rot diseases caused by F. oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Panax herbarum.

Development and Evaluation of Simultaneous Quantification of Naringin, Prunin, Naringenin, and Limonin in Citrus Juice

Hui Ni,Su Fang Zhang,Qiu Feng Gao,Yang Hu,Ze Dong Jiang,Feng Chen 한국식품과학회 2015 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.24 No.4

Quantification of limonin, naringin, prunin, and naringenin is an important approach for monitoring of debittering processes of citrus products. Naringin and limonin have different polarity and solubility values, causing difficulty in simultaneous extraction and quantification. A procedure combining HPLC and solid-phase extraction was developed to simultaneously quantify these analytes in citrus juice. Analytes exhibited calibration curves of good linearity along with low limit of detection and limit of quantification values. Naringin, prunin, naringenin, and limonin exhibited respective recovery values of 92.2-100.6, 92.0-97.3, 98.1-102.2, and 102.4-103.9%, respectively. Relative standard deviations were lower than 5%. For analysis of naringin, prunin, naringenin, and limonin in citrus juices, the simultaneous method displayed analytical results identical to traditional respective quantification methods. The simultaneous method is highly effective for monitoring naringin, prunin, naringenin, and limonin levels in citrus juice.

Shortest Path Analyses in the Protein-Protein Interaction Network of NGAL (Neutrophil Gelatinase-associated Lipocalin) Overexpression in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Du, Ze-Peng,Wu, Bing-Li,Wang, Shao-Hong,Shen, Jin-Hui,Lin, Xuan-Hao,Zheng, Chun-Peng,Wu, Zhi-Yong,Qiu, Xiao-Yang,Zhan, Xiao-Fen,Xu, Li-Yan,Li, En-Min Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.16

NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) is a novel cancer-related protein involves multiple functions in many cancers and other diseases. We previously overexpressed NGAL to analyze its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) was constructed and the shortest paths from NGAL to transcription factors in the network were analyzed. We found 28 shortest paths from NGAL to RELA, most of them obeying the principle of extracellular to cytoplasm, then nucleus. These shortest paths were also prioritized according to their normalized intensity from the microarray by the order of interaction cascades. A systems approach was developed in this study by linking differentially expressed genes with publicly available PPI data, Gene Ontology and subcellular localizaton for the integrated analyses. These shortest paths from NGAL to DEG transcription factors or other transcription factors in the PPI network provide important clues for future experimental identification of new pathways.

Diversity, distribution, and antagonistic activities of rhizobacteria of Panax notoginseng

Fan, Ze-Yan,Miao, Cui-Ping,Qiao, Xin-Guo,Zheng, You-Kun,Chen, Hua-Hong,Chen, You-Wei,Xu, Li-Hua,Zhao, Li-Xing,Guan, Hui-Lin The Korean Society of Ginseng 2016 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.40 No.2

Background: Rhizobacteria play an important role in plant defense and could be promising sources of biocontrol agents. This study aimed to screen antagonistic bacteria and develop a biocontrol system for root rot complex of Panax notoginseng. Methods: Pure-culture methods were used to isolate bacteria from the rhizosphere soil of notoginseng plants. The identification of isolates was based on the analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences. Results: A total of 279 bacteria were obtained from rhizosphere soils of healthy and root-rot notoginseng plants, and uncultivated soil. Among all the isolates, 88 showed antagonistic activity to at least one of three phytopathogenic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Phoma herbarum mainly causing root rot disease of P. notoginseng. Based on the 16S rRNA sequencing, the antagonistic bacteria were characterized into four clusters, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetesi. The genus Bacillus was the most frequently isolated, and Bacillus siamensis (Hs02), Bacillus atrophaeus (Hs09) showed strong antagonistic activity to the three pathogens. The distribution pattern differed in soil types, genera Achromobacter, Acidovorax, Brevibacterium, Brevundimonas, Flavimonas, and Streptomyces were only found in rhizosphere of healthy plants, while Delftia, Leclercia, Brevibacillus, Microbacterium, Pantoea, Rhizobium, and Stenotrophomonas only exist in soil of diseased plant, and Acinetobacter only exist in uncultivated soil. Conclusion: The results suggest that diverse bacteria exist in the P. notoginseng rhizosphere soil, with differences in community in the same field, and antagonistic isolates may be good potential biological control agent for the notoginseng root-rot diseases caused by F. oxysporum, Fusarium solani, and Panax herbarum.

Network Analyses of Gene Expression following Fascin Knockdown in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

Du, Ze-Peng,Wu, Bing-Li,Xie, Jian-Jun,Lin, Xuan-Hao,Qiu, Xiao-Yang,Zhan, Xiao-Fen,Wang, Shao-Hong,Shen, Jin-Hui,Li, En-Min,Xu, Li-Yan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.13

Fascin-1 (FSCN1) is an actin-bundling protein that induces cell membrane protrusions, increases cell motility, and is overexpressed in various human epithelial cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We analyzed various protein-protein interactions (PPI) of differentially-expressed genes (DEGs), in fascin knockdown ESCC cells, to explore the role of fascin overexpression. The node-degree distributions indicated these PPI sub-networks to be characterized as scale-free. Subcellular localization analysis revealed DEGs to interact with other proteins directly or indirectly, distributed in multiple layers of extracellular membrane-cytoskeleton/ cytoplasm-nucleus. The functional annotation map revealed hundreds of significant gene ontology (GO) terms, especially those associated with cytoskeleton organization of FSCN1. The Random Walk with Restart algorithm was applied to identify the prioritizations of these DEGs when considering their relationship with FSCN1. These analyses based on PPI network have greatly expanded our comprehension of the mRNA expression profile following fascin knockdown to future examine the roles and mechanisms of fascin action.

Effect of Nano-CaCO3 on the Sealing Efficiency of Grouts in Flowing Water Grouting

Yao-Hui Liu,Ping Yang,Ze-Bin Ouyang,Xiao Wei,Lisha Zhang 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.10

Flowing water grouting is a big challenge in the tunneling and underground engineering. To enhance the early strength and grouting effectiveness of slurry for flowing water grouting, nano-CaCO3 and fly ash were mixed with cement based grout. A series of physical simulation tests were conducted to simulate the flowing water grouting process in rough rock fracture, and investigate the effect of nano-CaCO3 content on the fluid pressure and sealing efficiency of grouts. Results of viscosity tests show that the viscosity of grouts decreased with an increase of nano-CaCO3 content. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests indicate that nano-CaCO3can promote the formation of fibrous hydrates and enhance the flowing water resistance of grouts. Increasing nano-CaCO3 content resulted in the first increase while later decrease of maximal fluid pressure (MFP) and sealing efficiency (SE) of grouts. Reducing water cement ratio of grouts and incorporating fly ash can effectively improve the SE of flowing water grouting.