NDE Techniques of Fiber Characterization in Spar Caps of Wind Turbine Blades using Ultrasonic Waves

Xiao-Long Shia,Hua Liang,Zi-Heng Zhou,Peng Zhang,Gui-Lin Zhang,조영태,우용득,임광희 한국생산제조학회 2023 한국생산제조학회지 Vol.32 No.3

Recently, ultrasonic waves (UT) have attracted attention as a tool for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) in various fields, including agriculture, medical engineering, and airport security. In this study, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials are inspected during the fabrication process. Ultrasonic techniques are commonly used to evaluate composites in spar caps of wind turbine blades. Therefore, the fiber orientation and defects of composites are investigated using one-sided ultrasonic measurements to evaluate the soundness of CFRP composites in spar caps of wind turbine blades. Compared with the ultrasonic pulse-echo method, the ultrasonic pitch-catch method is effective in the receiving ultrasonic signals on the composites. Ultrasonic signals must be controlled at arbitrary depths of CFRP composite laminates; this is called a “sampling volume.” Therefore, ultrasonic signals can be obtained at arbitrary depths of composites in any sampling volume.

Characterization of SiC/C Nanocomposite Powders Synthesized by Arc-Discharge

Zhou, Lei,Yu, Jie Yi,Gao, Jian,Wang, Dong Xing,Gan, Xiao Rong,Xue, Fang Hong,Huang, Hao,Dong, Xing Long Korean Society of Microscopy 2015 Applied microscopy Vol.45 No.4

In this paper, three carbon sources, i.e., solid graphite, gaseous CH4 and liquid ethanol, and one solid silicon source were employed to synthesize SiC/C nanocomposite powders by arc-discharge plasma. The processing conditions such as the component ratios of raw materials, atmospheric gases, etc. were adjusted for controllable synthesis of the nanopowders. It is indicated that both of solid graphite and silicon can be co-evaporated and reacted to form nanophases of cubic ${\beta}$-SiC with ~50 nm in mean size and a little free graphite; the carbon atoms decomposed from gaseous $CH_4$ favor to combine with the evaporated silicon atoms to form the dominant SiC nanophase; liquid carbon source of ethanol can also be used to harvest the main ${\beta}$-SiC and minor 6H-SiC phases in the assembly of nanoparticles. The as-prepared SiC/C nanocomposite powders were further purified by a heat-treatment in air and their photocatalytic performances were then greatly improved.

HOXB7 Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Patients with Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer

Long, Qing-Yun,Zhou, Jun,Zhang, Xiao-Long,Cao, Jiang-Hui Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.4

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for most esophageal cancer in Asia, and is the sixth common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Previous studies indicated HOXB7 is overexpressed in ESCC tissues, but data on prognostic value are limited. Methods: A total of 76 advanced ESCC cases were investigated. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression levels of HOXB7 and Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models to determine prognostic significance. Stratified analysis was also performed according to lymph node (LN) status. Results: Kaplan-Meier curve analysis indicated that HOXB7 positive patients had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than HOXB7 negative patients. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model indicated only TNM stage and HOXB7 expression to be independent predictors of overall survival of advanced ESCC patients. HOXB7 indicated poor OS in both lymph node negative (LN-) and lymph node positive (LN+) patients. Conclusion: HOXB7 predicts poor prognosis of advanced ESCC patients and can be applied as an independent prognostic predictor.

Association between Cigarette Smoking and RASSF1A Gene Promoter Hypermethylation in Lung Cancer Patients: a Meta-analysis

Wu, Xiao-Ming,Chen, Yu,Shao, Yang,Zhou, Xiao-Long,Tang, Wen-Ru Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.19

Objectives: Epidemiological studies have shown that molecular mechanisms underlying the development of lung cancers differ between smokers and unsmokers. Aberrant promoter methylation in some tumor suppressor genes is frequent in lung tumors from smokers but rare in those from non-smokers. Recently, many studies have investigated the association between cigarette smoking and RASSF1A gene promoter hypermethylation in lung cancer patients, but a unanimous conclusion could not be reached. We therefore performed this meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation of any association. Study Design: An electronic search of PubMed and Chinese Biomedicine databases was conducted to select studies. A total of 19 case-control studies were chosen, and odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of associations. Results: The case-control studies covered 2, 287 lung cancer patients: 63.4%(1449) of the patients were smokers, 36.6% (838) were unsmokers. The overall results suggested that smokers with lung cancer had a 1.297-fold (95% CI: 1.066~1.580, p=0.010, p=0.087) higher risk for RASSF1A gene hypermethylation than the non-smokers. In the stratified analysis, an increased risk of RASSF1A gene hypermethylation in smokers than in non-smokers was found in Asian (OR=1.481, 95%CI: 1.179~1.861, p=0.001, p=0.186). Conclusions: This meta-analysis supports the idea that RASSF1A gene hypermethylation is associated with cigarette smoking-induced lung cancer.

Phase II Study of Preoperative Intra-Arterial Epirubicin, Etoposide, and Oxaliplatin Combined with Oral S-1 Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Borrmann Type 4 Gastric Cancer

Xiang, Xiao-song,Su, Yu,Li, Guo-li,Ma, Long,Zhou, Chang-sheng,Ma, Ru-feng The Korean Gastric Cancer Association 2020 Journal of gastric cancer Vol.20 No.4

Purpose: A phase II study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative, intra-arterial perfusion of epirubicin, etoposide, and oxaliplatin combined with oral chemotherapy S-1 (SEEOX) for the treatment of type 4 gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A single-center, single-arm phase II trial was conducted on 36 patients with histologically proven type 4 gastric cancer without distant peritoneal or organ metastasis. Patients received 3, 21-day courses of SEEOX preoperative chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcomes assessed were chemotherapeutic response, radical resection rate, pathological regression, toxicities, postoperative morbidity, and mortality. Results: All patients were at an advanced stage of cancer (stage III or IV) and completed the entire course of treatment. Based on changes in tumor volume and peritoneal metastasis, the objective response rate was 55.6% (20/36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.5%-72.6%) and the disease control rate was 69.4% (25/36; 95% CI, 53.6%-85.3%). The radical resection rate was 75% (27/36; 95% CI, 60.1%-89.9%) and the proportion of R0 resections was 66.7% (21/36; 95% CI, 50.5%-82.8%). The pathological response rate was 33.3%, of which 13.9% showed complete pathological regression. The median survival was 27.1 months (95% CI, 22.24-31.97 months), and the 2-year OS was 48.5% (95% CI, 30.86%-66.1%). Conclusions: Preoperative SEEOX is a safe and effective treatment for type 4 gastric cancer. Based on these preliminary data, a phase III study will be conducted to confirm the superiority of this regimen over standard treatment.

A new species of gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) damaging flower buds of goji berry Lycium barbarum (Solanaceae)

Ke-Long Jiao,Xiao-Yi Zhou,Hai-Li Qiao,Hao Wang,Jun Chen,Bai-Ming Liu,Wen-Jun Bu,Peter Kolesik 한국응용곤충학회 2020 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.23 No.4

Larvae of a previously undescribed gall midge species have been feeding within malformed flower buds of goji berry Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae) in China, preventing fruit development and causing damage to the fruit industry. The new species is named Gephyraulus lycantha Jiao & Kolesik, its morphology is described, the COI mitochondrial gene segment is sequenced, and the biology is outlined. In order to taxonomically accommodate the new gall midge, the scope of the genus Gephyraulus is broadened and now encompasses also species that lack dorso-apical sensoria on the female cercus.

Tube Voltage, DNA Double-Strand Breaks, and Image Quality in Coronary CT Angiography

Lin Zhu Xiao,Zhou Fan,Schoepf U. Joseph,Pillai Balakrishnan,Zhou Chang Sheng,Quan Wei,Bao Xue Qin,Lu Guang Ming,Zhang Long Jiang 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.8

Objective: To evaluate the effects of tube voltage on image quality in coronary CT angiography (CCTA), the estimated radiation dose, and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in peripheral blood lymphocytes to optimize the use of CCTA in the era of low radiation doses. Materials and Methods: This study included 240 patients who were divided into 2 groups according to the DNA DSB analysis methods, i.e., immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Each group was subdivided into 4 subgroups: those receiving CCTA only with different tube voltages of 120, 100, 80, or 70 kVp. Objective and subjective image quality was evaluated by analysis of variance. Radiation dosages were also recorded and compared. Results: There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics between the 2 groups and 4 subgroups in each group (all p > 0.05). As tube voltage decreased, both image quality and radiation dose decreased gradually and significantly. After CCTA, γ-H2AX foci and mean fluorescence intensity in the 120-, 100-, 80-, and 70-kVp groups increased by 0.14, 0.09, 0.07, and 0.06 foci per cell and 21.26, 9.13, 8.10, and 7.13 (all p < 0.05), respectively. The increase in the DNA DSB level in the 120-kVp group was higher than those in the other 3 groups (all p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in the DSBs levels among these latter groups (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: The 100-kVp tube voltage may be optimal for CCTA when weighing DNA DSBs against the estimated radiation dose and image quality, with further reductions in tube voltage being unnecessary for CCTA.

Association of Dietary Intake of Folate, Vitamin B₆ and B₁₂ and MTHFR Genotype with Breast Cancer Risk

Liu, Ying,Zhou, Long-Shu,Xu, Xiao-Ming,Deng, Liang-Qing,Xiao, Qian-Kun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.9

Aim: We aimed to investigate the associations of dietary intake of folate, vitamin $B_6$ and $B_{12}$ and MTHFR genotype with breast cancer in a Chinese population. Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted, and 435 patients with newly diagnosed and histologically confirmed breast cancer and 435 controls were collected. The folate intake, vitamin $B_6$ and vitamin $B_{12}$ were calculated, and MTHFR C665T, C677T and A1298C were analyzed by PCR-RFLP. Results: We found vitamin $B_{12}$ was likely to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and MTHFR 665TT was associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Folate intake, vitamin $B_{12}$ intake and variants of MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C demonstrated no association with risk of breast cancer. However, we found patients with low intake of vitamin $B_6$ and MTHFR 665TT genotype had a higher risk of breast cancer (OR=1.87, 95% CI=1.29-2.77), the association being less pronounced among subjects with a moderate intake of vitamin $B_6$ and MTHFR 665TT genotype (OR=1.58, 95% CI=1.03-2.49, P=0.03). Conclusion: Our study indicated that the MTHFR C665T polymorphism and vitamin $B_6$ are associated with risk of breast cancer, which indicated roles for nutrients in developing breast cancer.

The Thioacetate-Functionalized Self-Assembled Monolayers on Au: Toward High-Performance Ion-Selective Electrode for Ag⁺

Jin, Jian,Zhou, Wei-Jie,Chen, Ying,Liu, Yi-Long,Sun, Xiao-Qiang,Xi, Hai-Tao Korean Chemical Society 2014 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.35 No.2

Two classes of morpholino-substitued thioacetate have been successfully synthesized and their electrochemical properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au electrode are measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The barrier property of the SAMs-modified surfaces is evaluated by using potassium ferro/ferri cyanide. The results suggest that the arenethioacetate forms higher-quality close-packed blocking monolayers in comparison with alkanethioacetate. Furthermore, it has shown that the barrier properties of these monolayers can be significantly improved by mixed SAMs formation with decanethiol. From our experimental results we find that the electron transfer reaction of $[Fe(CN)_6]^{3/4-}$ redox couple occurs predominantly through the pinholes and defects present in the SAM and both SAMs show a good and fast capacity in recognition for $Ag^+$. The morphological and elementary composition have also been examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).

The Thioacetate-Functionalized Self-Assembled Monolayers on Au: Toward High-Performance Ion-Selective Electrode for Ag+

Jian Jin,Wei-jie Zhou,Ying Chen,Yi-long Liu,Xiao-qiang Sun,Hai-tao Xi 대한화학회 2014 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.35 No.2

Two classes of morpholino-substitued thioacetate have been successfully synthesized and their electrochemical properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au electrode are measured by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The barrier property of the SAMs-modified surfaces is evaluated by using potassium ferro/ferri cyanide. The results suggest that the arenethioacetate forms higher- quality close-packed blocking monolayers in comparison with alkanethioacetate. Furthermore, it has shown that the barrier properties of these monolayers can be significantly improved by mixed SAMs formation with decanethiol. From our experimental results we find that the electron transfer reaction of [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3-/4- redox couple occurs predominantly through the pinholes and defects present in the SAM and both SAMs show a good and fast capacity in recognition for Ag + . The morphological and elementary composition have also been examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).