Surgical Options for Appropriate Length of J-Pouch Construction for Better Outcomes and Long-term Quality of Life in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis after Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Xu Weimin,Tang Wenbo,Ding Wenjun,Hua Zhebin,Wang Yaosheng,Ge Xiaolong,Cui Long,Wu Xiaojian,Zhou Wei,Ding Zhao,Du Peng 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회 2024 Gut and Liver Vol.18 No.1

Background/Aims: Total proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is widely accepted as a radical surgery for refractory ulcerative colitis (UC). Definite results on the appropriate pouch length for an evaluation of the risk-to-benefit ratio regarding technical complications and long-term quality of life (QOL) are still scarce. Methods: Data on UC patients who underwent IPAA from 2008 to 2022 in four well-established pouch centers affiliated to China UC Pouch Center Union were collected. Results: A total of 208 patients with a median follow-up time of 6.0 years (interquartile range, 2.3 to 9.0 years) were enrolled. The median lengths of the patients’ short and long pouches were 14.0 cm (interquartile range, 14.0 to 15.0 cm) and 22.0 cm (interquartile range, 20.0 to 24.0 cm), respectively. Patients with a short J pouch configuration were less likely to achieve significantly improved long-term QOL (p=0.015) and were prone to develop late postoperative complications (p=0.042), such as increased defecation frequency (p=0.003) and pouchitis (p=0.035). A short ileal pouch was an independent risk factor for the development of late postoperative complications (odds ratio, 3.100; 95% confidence interval, 1.519 to 6.329; p=0.002) and impaired long-term QOL improvement (odds ratio, 2.221; 95% confidence interval, 1.218 to 4.050, p=0.009). Conclusions: The length of the J pouch was associated with the improvement in long-term QOL and the development of late post-IPAA complications. A long J pouch configuration could be a considerable surgical option for pouch construction.

Thermal and Mechanical Response of Soil and Tunnel during Replacement of Shield Tail Brush by Freezing Method

Xu-Yang Wang,Da-Jun Yuan,Da-Long Jin,Wei-Lin Su 대한토목학회 2020 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.24 No.5

In the long-distance shield tunneling process, the shield tail brush needs to be replaced after wear failure, especially in cross-river and cross-sea tunnel projects. Taking the shield tail brush replacement project of Qingchun Road tunnel in Hangzhou, China as the research background, a three-dimensional sequential thermo-mechanical coupled numerical simulation was carried out to study the shield tail brush replacement with liquid nitrogen freezing by ABAQUS software. The development of temperature fields and displacement fields of soil, and the deformations of the tunnel sections along the longitudinal direction induced by freezing were obtained. The numerical model was further validated by site measurement. In addition, the effects of the frozen wall thickness, buried depth, excavation radius, and coefficients of linear thermal expansion of soils on the frost heave were studied.

Risk Factors of Colorectal Stricture Associated with Developing High-Grade Dysplasia or Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis: A Multicenter Long-term Follow-up Study

Weimin Xu,Wenjun Ding,Yubei Gu,Long Cui,Jie Zhong,Peng Du 거트앤리버 소화기연관학회협의회 2020 Gut and Liver Vol.14 No.5

Background/Aims: The risk factors of colorectal stricture associated with ulcerative colitis (UC) carcinogenesis in the long-term disease duration remain unclear. Methods: This study included all UC patients registered from a prospectively maintained database between June 1986 to July 2018. The demographic data, clinical features, and outcomes in patients with dysplasia and stricture were assessed using univariable analysis and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A total of 246 eligible patients were included in the analysis. The median follow-up time was 13.0 years (interquartile range [IQR], 9.0 to 16.0). There were 35 cases (14.2%) of colorectal stricture. Patients with stricture had worse clinical outcomes. Stricture formation (odds ratio [OR], 9.350; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.842 to 30.762), inflammatory polyps (OR, 5.464; 95% CI, 1.692 to 17.638), disease duration of more than 10 years (OR, 3.223; 95% CI, 1.040 to 9.985), and age >40 years at diagnosis (OR, 8.499; 95% CI, 1.903 to 37.956) were significantly associated with high-grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer. In addition, disease duration of more than 5 years (OR, 3.211; 95% CI, 1.168 to 8.881), moderated anemia (OR, 3.373; 95% CI, 1.472 to 7.731), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (OR, 5,842; 95% CI, 1.395 to 24.468) were contributing factors for the development of colorectal stricture. Conclusions: Colorectal stricture had the highest risk for malignant transformation. Earlier initiation of colonoscopic surveillance in UC patients with risk factors for stricture should be considered to prevent stricture formation and further malignant transformation.

Roles of NMDA NR2B Subtype Receptor in Prefrontal Long-Term Potentiation and Contextual Fear Memory

Zhao, Ming-Gao,Toyoda, Hiroki,Lee, Yong-Seok,Wu, Long-Jun,Ko, Shanelle W.,Zhang, Xue-Han,Jia, Yongheng,Shum, Fanny,Xu, Hui,Li, Bao-Ming,Kaang, Bong-Kiun,Zhuo, Min Elsevier 2005 Neuron Vol.47 No.6

<P><B>Summary</B></P><P>Cortical plasticity is thought to be important for the establishment, consolidation, and retrieval of permanent memory. Hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), a cellular mechanism of learning and memory, requires the activation of glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In particular, it has been suggested that NR2A-containing NMDA receptors are involved in LTP induction, whereas NR2B-containing receptors are involved in LTD induction in the hippocampus. However, LTP in the prefrontal cortex is less well characterized than in the hippocampus. Here we report that the activation of the NR2B and NR2A subunits of the NMDA receptor is critical for the induction of cingulate LTP, regardless of the induction protocol. Furthermore, pharmacological or genetic blockade of the NR2B subunit in the cingulate cortex impaired the formation of early contextual fear memory. Our results demonstrate that the NR2B subunit of the NMDA receptor in the prefrontal cortex is critically involved in both LTP and contextual memory.</P>

A modified heteropoly acid catalyst with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide for methacrolein to methacrylic acid

Yun-Li Cao,Lei Wang,Li-Long Zhou,Bao-Hua Xu,Yan-Yan Diao,Suojiang Zhang 한국공업화학회 2018 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.65 No.-

A novel type of heteropolyacids, CTAB-CsH3PMo11VO40 (CTA-CsPAV), was developed by a method of emulsion synthesis using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure promoter, which was applied as a catalyst in the oxidation of methacrolein (MAL) to methacrylic acid (MAA) with fixed-bed reactor. The structure and property of CTA-CsPAV were characterized by FT-IR, XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, NH3-TPD, SEM, XPS, and so on. The structure-performance relationship of CTA-CsPAV was systematically studied, wherein the influence of surface area, acidity, redox property of CTA-CsPAV were focused and discussed. Importantly, the long-term performance of CTA-CsPAV was also investigated.

Changes in Markers of Liver Function in HCV 1b Patients with Compensated Cirrhosis Treated with Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/ Ritonavir plus Dasabuvir with Ribavirin

( Jeong Heo ),( Yan Luo ),( Wan-long Chuang ),( Jidong Jia ),( Kwang-hyub Han ),( Ming-lung Yu ),( Hong Tang ),( Young-suk Lim ),( Cheng-yuan Peng ),( Min Xu ),( Maorong Wang ),( Bo Fu ),( Niloufar Mo 대한간학회 2017 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2017 No.1

Aims: Patients chronically infected with HCV are at risk of developing extrahepatic manifestations of HCV as well as progressing to compensated or decompensated cirrhosis and HCC. Although current treatments have high rates of SVR, relatively little is known about possible regression of liver fibrosis after achieving an SVR. The ONYX-II trial examined the efficacy and safety of ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir plus dasabuvir + ribavirin (RBV) in Asian patients with HCV genotype 1b infection and compensated cirrhosis. Here we report changes in key markers of liver fibrosis and function. Methods: Patients with chronic HCV GT1b infection and compensated cirrhosis were enrolled in China, South Korea and Taiwan and received 12 weeks of OBV/PTV/r (25 mg/150 mg/100 mg once daily) and DSV (250 mg twice daily) with weight-based RBV. The primary objective of ONYX-II was to assess efficacy (SVR12) and safety of the regimen. Changes in markers of liver fibrosis and function between baseline (BL) and post-treatment week (PTW) 12 are presented. Results: Overall, 104 patients were enrolled and treated in ONYX-II. All patients (104/104, 100%) achieved SVR12. BL and PTW12 data for FibroTest score, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin, albumin, platelet count and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) are shown in Table 1. All selected parameters showed numerical improvements between BL and PTW12. Mean ALT and AST levels returned to within normal range and FibroTest scores demonstrated a numerical improvement, suggesting improvement in liver status. The complete set of data between BL and PTW12 will be presented for these parameters and other liver composite parameters at the conference. Conclusions: Measurement of key liver function markers during the ONYX-II trial showed a numerical improvement within 12 weeks of completion of treatment in HCV GT1b-infected patients with compensated cirrhosis. Further follow-up of these patients will determine the long-term durability of these changes.

RNAi suppression of nuclear receptor genes results in increased susceptibility to sulfoxaflor in brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens

Lu Xu,Chun-Qing Zhao,De-Jin Xu,Guang-Chun Xu,Xiao-Long Xu,Zhao-Jun Han,Ya-Nan Zhang,Zhong-Yan Gu 한국응용곤충학회 2017 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.20 No.2

Nuclear receptors (NRs), which belong to a superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors, play essential roles in gene regulation to affect numerous physiological pathways. Twenty NR genes were identified in Nilaparvata lugens by using genomic, transcriptomic and GenBank databases, and categorized into NR0-NR6 subfamilies according to standard nomenclature. Among them, three NR geneswere classed into NR0, four into NR1, eight into NR2, one into NR3, one into NR4, two into NR5, and one into NR6, respectively. A phylogenetic tree of NRs from N. lugens and other representative species was constructed, which provided evolutionary insight into genetic distance. In order to investigate the NRs,whichwere induced by sulfoxaflor, time- and tissue-specific expression profiles of NR genes in fourth-instar nymphs were determined following LD50 sulfoxaflor treatment (0.28 ng/insect) and compared with control samples. NlUSP, NlE78, NlTLL, NlHR51, NlHR83, NlPNR and NlFTZ-F1 were highly expressed following 12–48 h of sulfoxaflor treatment. NlHR39 and NlDSF transcripts were detected in the head and the thorax, respectively. High-level and constitutive expression of NlHR3, NlTLL, NlHR83, NlFTZF1 and NlHR4 were found in the abdomen. Feeding of dsRNAs reduced the expression of NlHR3, NlUSP, NlTLL, NlHR83, NlPNR, NlFTZ-F1 and NlHR4 (35.48–49.77%) and caused significant nymph mortality (69.21–81.45%). These NRs, considered as insecticide targets, may play important function in sulfoxaflor detoxification.

SIMULATION OF MIXED GAS FORMATION FOR A SPRAY-WALL COMPLEX GUIDED LPG DIRECT INJECTION ENGINE

Bo-yan Xu,Xiang-long Liu,Long-long Jiang,Juan Xu 한국자동차공학회 2017 International journal of automotive technology Vol.18 No.3

To obtain an ultralean air-fuel ratio and to reduce engine-out NOX and HC emissions induced by the richer mixture near the spark plug, a spray and wall complex guided combustion system has been developed by utilizing the fuel characteristics of LPG. The new combustion system configuration is optimized by using a commercial CFD code, FIRE V2013, and the reliability of the system has been experimentally demonstrated by Plane Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). The mixture formation in the new combustion system under part load (2,000 rpm) is numerically simulated. With an injection timing of 40°CA BTDC, the LPG spray which is injected from two upper holes, reaches the ignition point, and the other part of the LPG spray which is injected from the bottom hole, is directed to the ignition point through the vertical vortices at the same time. At the ignition timing of about 20°CA BTDC, the two-part mixtures have been shown to form a stable and richer stratified mixture around the ignition point, and the maximum global air-fuel ratio reaches to 60 : 1.

Circular RNA CREBBP modulates cartilage degradation by activating the Smad1/5 pathway through the TGFβ2/ALK1 axis

Xu Yiyang,Mao Guping,Long Dianbo,Deng Zengfa,Xin Ruobin,Zhang Ziji,Xue Ting,Liao Weiming,Xu Jie,Kang Yan 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Osteoarthritis, characterized by articular cartilage degradation, is the leading cause of chronic disability in older adults. Studies have indicated that circular RNAs are crucial regulators of chondrocyte development and are involved in the progression of osteoarthritis. In this study, we investigated the function and mechanism of a circular RNA and its potential for osteoarthritis therapy. The expression levels of circCREBBP, screened by circular RNA sequencing during chondrogenic differentiation in adipose tissue-derived stem cells, and TGFβ2 were significantly increased in the cartilage of patients with osteoarthritis and IL-1β-induced chondrocytes. circCREBBP knockdown increased anabolism in the extracellular matrix and inhibited chondrocyte degeneration, whereas circCREBBP overexpression led to the opposite effects. Luciferase reporter assays, rescue experiments, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pulldown assays confirmed that circCREBBP upregulated TGFβ2 expression by sponging miR-1208, resulting in significantly enhanced phosphorylation of Smad1/5 in chondrocytes. Moreover, intra-articular injection of adeno-associated virus-sh-circCrebbp alleviated osteoarthritis in a mouse model of destabilization of the medial meniscus. Our findings reveal a critical role for circCREBBP in the progression of osteoarthritis and provide a potential target for osteoarthritis therapy.

Seismic behavior enhancement of frame structure considering parameter sensitivity of self-centering braces

Long-He Xu,Xing-Si Xie,Xintong Yan,Zhong-Xian Li 국제구조공학회 2019 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.71 No.1

A modified mechanical model of pre-pressed spring self-centering energy dissipation (PS-SCED) brace is proposed, and the hysteresis band is distinguished by the indication of relevant state variables. The MDOF frame system equipped with the braces is formulated in an incremental form of linear acceleration method. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) based brace parameter optimization method is developed to obtain an optimal solution from the primary design scheme. Parameter sensitivities derived by the direct differentiation method are used to modify the change rate of parameters in the GA operator. A case study is conducted on a steel braced frame to illustrate the effect of brace parameters on node displacements, and validate the feasibility of the modified mechanical model. The optimization results and computational process information are compared among three cases of different strategies of parameter change as well. The accuracy is also verified by the calculation results of finite element model. This work can help the applications of PS-SCED brace optimization related to parameter sensitivity, and fulfill the systematic design procedure of PS-SCED brace-structure system with completed and prospective consequences.