Astragalus Polysaccharides Attenuate Ovalbumin-Induced Allergic Rhinitis in Rats by Inhibiting NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and NOD2-Mediated NF-κB Activation

Jiangtao Xu,Qiong Zhang,Zhaoxin Li,Yuhang Gao,Zhiyu Pang,Yina Wu,Geng Li,Dongyong Lu,Lijuan Zhang,Detang Li 한국식품영양과학회 2021 Journal of medicinal food Vol.24 No.1

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an IgE-mediated chronic inflammatory disease of the allergic nasal mucosa. It has a significant effect on quality life; most patients with AR also suffer from sleep disorders, mood disorders, and deterioration in social relationships. As increasing numbers of medicinal plants show productive anti-inflammatory activity against inflammatory diseases, there is growing interest in natural medicinal plant ingredients. To this end, we selected Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) to evaluate its anti-inflammatory effect on ovalbumin-induced AR rats, and we further explored its impact on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and NOD2-mediated NF-κB activation. We found that APS can alleviate the nasal symptom of AR rats and attenuate pathological alterations. APS also reduced the inflammatory cytokine levels. APS not only inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome activation but also inhibited NF-κB activation by decreasing NOD2 expression and blocking the phosphorylation of NF-κB (p65). In conclusion, APS can effectively improve the inflammatory symptoms of nasal mucosa in AR rats, which may be mediated by the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and NOD2-mediated NF-κB activation. These findings indicate that APS has the potential to be used as a therapeutic agent for AR.

Highly Durable and Robust Superhydrophobic/Superoleophilic Cotton Fabric with Well-designed Roughness for Oil/Water Separation

Jiangtao Hu,Qianhong Gao,Lu Xu,Minglei Wang,Maojiang Zhang,Kuo Zhang,Xiaojing Guo,Weihua Liu,Guozhong Wu 한국섬유공학회 2018 Fibers and polymers Vol.19 No.7

Herein we report a simple and reproducible method for fabricating highly durable and robust superhydrophobic and superoleophilic cotton fabrics via simultaneous radiation-induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate and subsequent chemical modifications with aminopropyltriethoxysilane and hexamethyldisilazane. The chemical structure and the surface topography of the pristine and the modified cotton fabrics were investigated in detail by ATR-FTIR, XPS, and 29Si NMR, and a grafting layer was successfully immobilized onto the surface of the cotton fabric by forming covalent bonds. Multi-dimensional surface roughness was created by combining micro-sized fibers of the cotton fabric, nanoscaled protuberances of the grafting chain, and molecular level spherical projection points of silicon methyl. The superhydrophobic cotton fabric exhibited long-term stability, ultra-high durability and robustness, and maintained its properties even after 25 wash cycles. The fabric also showed excellent water repellency with a water contact angle of 153 o and a high efficiency of oil/water separation (98 %). The superhydrophobic/superoleophilic cotton fabric developed in the present work exhibits important potential applications in superhydrophobic textiles and oil/water separation.

An Accurate Isotope Dilution Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Serum C-Peptide and Its Use in Harmonization in China

Deng Yuhang,Zhang Chao,Wang Jing,Zeng Jie,Zhang Jiangtao,Zhang Tianjiao,Zhao Haijian,Zhou Weiyan,Zhang Chuanbao 대한진단검사의학회 2023 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.43 No.4

Background: Serum C-peptide results from various routine methods used in China are highly variable, warranting well-performing methods to serve as an accuracy base to improve the harmonization of C-peptide measurements in China. We developed an accurate isotope dilution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC–MS/MS) method for serum C-peptide measurement and explored its use in harmonization. Methods: After protein precipitation with ZnSO4 solution, C-peptide was extracted from serum samples by anion-exchange solid-phase extraction and quantified by ID-LC–MS/MS in positive ion mode. The precision and analytical recovery of the ID-LC–MS/MS method were assessed. Seventy-six serum samples were analyzed using the ID-LC–MS/MS method and six routine immunoassays. Ordinary linear regression (OLR) and Bland-Altman (BA) analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between the ID-LC–MS/MS method and routine immunoassays. Five serum pool samples assigned using the ID-LC–MS/MS method were used to recalibrate the routine assays. OLR and BA analyses were re-conducted after recalibration. Results: The within-run, between-run, and total precision for the ID-LC–MS/MS method at four concentrations were 1.0%–2.1%, 0.6%–1.2%, and 1.3%–2.2%, respectively. The analytical recoveries for the ID-LC–MS/MS method at three concentrations were 100.3%–100.7%, 100.4%–101.0%, and 99.6%–100.7%. The developed method and the immunoassays were strongly correlated, with all R2 >0.98. The comparability among the immunoassays was substantially improved after recalibration. Conclusions: The performance of the ID-LC–MS/MS method was carefully validated, and this method can be used to improve the harmonization of serum C-peptide measurements in China.

Seismic rehabilitation of RC frame using epoxy injection technique tested on shaking table

Jiangtao Yu,Yuanmiao Zhang,Zhoudao Lu 국제구조공학회 2014 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.52 No.3

A 1/4-scale two-bay eight-storey reinforced concrete frame was tested on shaking table. Initial shaking table tests were carried out through a set of real seismic excitations to investigate the seismic behavior of the RC frame. Subsequently, the damaged frame was repaired using epoxy injection technique, and then subjected to the tests with the same records. The purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the dynamic characteristics, cracking pattern and lateral inter-story stiffness of RC frames using epoxy injection technique. The test results indicate that epoxy-injection technique appears to be a satisfactory method for repairing earthquake-damaged structure.

Hospitalization Due to Asthma Exacerbation: A China Asthma Research Network (CARN) Retrospective Study in 29 Provinces Across Mainland China

Jiangtao Lin,Bin Xing,Huaping Tang,Lan Yang,Yadong Yuan,Yuhai Gu,Ping Chen,Xiaoju Liu,Jie Zhang,Huiguo Liu,Changzheng Wang,Wei Zhou,Dejun Sun,Yiqiang Chen,Zhuochang Chen,Mao Huang,Qichang Lin,Chengpin 대한천식알레르기학회 2020 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.12 No.3

Purpose: Details of patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation in mainland China are lacking. To improve disease control and reduce economic burden, a large sample survey among this patient population is indispensable. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of such patients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation in 29 hospitals of 29 regions in mainland China during the period 2013 to 2014. Demographic features, pre-admission conditions, exacerbation details, and outcomes were summarized. Risk factors for exacerbation severity were analyzed. Results: There were 3,240 asthmatic patients included in this study (57.7% females, 42.3% males). Only 28.0% used daily controller medications; 1,287 (39.7%) patients were not currently on inhaled corticosteroids. Acute upper airway infection was the most common trigger of exacerbation (42.3%). Patients with severe to life-threatening exacerbation tended to have a longer disease course, a smoking history, and had comorbidities such as hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and food allergy. The multivariate analysis showed that smoking history, comorbidities of hypertension, COPD, and food allergy were independent risk factors for more severe exacerbation. The number of patients hospitalized for asthma exacerbation varied with seasons, peaking in March and September. Eight patients died during the study period (mortality 0.25%). Conclusions: Despite enhanced education on asthma self-management in China during recent years, few patients were using daily controller medications before the onset of their exacerbation, indicating that more educational efforts and considerations are needed. The findings of this study may improve our understanding of hospital admission for asthma exacerbation in mainland China and provide evidence for decision-making.

INFLUENCE OF INLET WATER INJECTION ON ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EMISSION OF GASOLINE ENGINE

Xu Jiangtao,Zhou Zhiyuan,Jiang Liyi,Zhou Haojie,Zhang Chuan 한국자동차공학회 2023 International journal of automotive technology Vol.24 No.4

Increased compression ratio of auto engine can effectively improve thermal efficiency. However, the risk of engine knock becomes higher when increasing the intake boosting. In this paper, the role of an inlet Water Injection (WI) system in improving the performance of a spark ignition engine was investigated, which was through a comparative study of Miller cycle with electromagnetic intake valve train (EMIT). The numerical simulation method was developed in AVL BOOST based on the engine test rig, and then the port water injection modelling was introduced. The results showed that when the engine speed was lower than 1800 r/min, the water spray scheme had a better effect on the engine performance as compared with the Miller cycle, and such advantage was increasingly significant with the decrease of the speed. This is due to the fact that the water injection takes into account the temperature reduction in the cylinder. When the engine speed was over 1800 r/min, it had a negative impact on engine performance with IWI due to the excessive suppression of combustion. This study provides a theoretical basis for design and research of gasoline engines

Seismic rehabilitation of RC frame using epoxy injection technique tested on shaking table

Yu, Jiangtao,Zhang, Yuanmiao,Lu, Zhoudao Techno-Press 2014 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.52 No.3

A 1/4-scale two-bay eight-storey reinforced concrete frame was tested on shaking table. Initial shaking table tests were carried out through a set of real seismic excitations to investigate the seismic behavior of the RC frame. Subsequently, the damaged frame was repaired using epoxy injection technique, and then subjected to the tests with the same records. The purpose of this study was to investigate experimentally the dynamic characteristics, cracking pattern and lateral inter-story stiffness of RC frames using epoxy injection technique. The test results indicate that epoxy-injection technique appears to be a satisfactory method for repairing earthquake-damaged structure.

Spectrum- and Energy- Efficiency Analysis Under Sensing Delay Constraint for Cognitive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks

Jia Zhang,Jun Wu,Zehao Chen,Ze Chen,Jipeng Gan,Jiangtao He,Bangyu Wang 한국인터넷정보학회 2022 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.16 No.4

In order to meet the rapid development of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication needs, cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) helps to identify unused spectrum for the primary users (PU). However, multi-UAV mode (MUM) requires the large communication resource in a cognitive UAV network, resulting in a severe decline of spectrum efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE) and increase of energy consumption (EC). On this account, we extend the traditional 2D spectrum space to 3D spectrum space for the UAV network scenario and enable UAVs to proceed with spectrum sensing behaviors in this paper, and propose a novel multi-slot mode (MSM), in which the sensing slot is divided into multiple mini-slots within a UAV. Then, the CSS process is developed into a composite hypothesis testing problem. Furthermore, to improve SE and EE and reduce EC, we use the sequential detection to make a global decision about the PU channel status. Based on this, we also consider a truncation scenario of the sequential detection under the sensing delay constraint, and further derive a closed-form performance expression, in terms of the CSS performance and cooperative efficiency. At last, the simulation results verify that the performance and cooperative efficiency of MSM outperforms that of the traditional MUM in a low EC.

Enhanced Microwave Absorption Properties of Metal Organic Framework (MOF)-Derived Carbonaceous ZnO Incorporated Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites

Zhongfei Liu,Jiangtao Yuan,HUI ZHANG,Kuangwei Xiong,Shaowei Jin,Peihong Wang 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2019 NANO Vol.14 No.1

In this paper, the MOFs-derived carbonaceous ZnO and RGO (carbonaceous ZnO/RGO) composites have been prepared by the wet chemical method and carbonization process. The as-prepared products are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectra, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electromagnetic parameters of carbonaceous ZnO/RGO composites are investigated by the vector network analyzer. The results exhibit carbonaceous ZnO/RGO composites have a maximum absorption of - 37.12 dB at 6 GHz with thickness of 3.5 mm and the effective absorption (below -10 dB) bandwidth is up to 1.92 GHz (from 5.28 to 7.2 GHz). Thus, the carbonaceous ZnO/RGO composites have great potential in the field of electromagnetic wave absorption.

10-m long slim sandpack experiments to investigate gel system transport behavior in porous media

Jianguang Wei,Xin Zhang,Jiangtao Li,Runnan Zhou,Songze Liu 한국화학공학회 2021 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.38 No.10

Understanding the transport behavior of a gel system in porous media is of great significance in enhancing oil recovery (EOR) for high water cut oil reservoirs. However, the length of the experiment models (sandpack or core sample) in current studies is usually in the range of centimeter scale, which is too short to track the full movement path of gel particles. In this work, 10-m long slim sandpacks were adopted to conduct gel flooding experiments. The pressure and polymer concentration distribution along the sandpack was tracked, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) technique was employed to observe the pore morphology after the gel flooding. The results show that the movement of polymer particles is usually within 7m away from the inlet due to the adsorption and retention in the porous medium. For 0.4 PV injection cases, SEM images show that the pore morphology at the inlet region exhibits a stable polymer network, while the network structure disappears at the outlet, along with the decrease of fluid viscosity from 620.1mPa·s to 1.2mPa·s. However, we can still find the stringy state polymer after 5m movement and the viscosity is 584.0mPa·s for 1 PV gel injection cases. Four characterization parameters, including equivalent viscosity, breakthrough pressure gradient, dimensionless gelation gradient, and plugging ratio, were proposed to quantitatively characterize the performance of gel flooding. In addition, empirical models were also obtained to predict the four parameters through multi-parameters fitting, and these models facilitate the characterization of the gel flooding performance. This is the first work, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, using long slim sandpack (10m) to experimentally study gel system transport in porous media, which provides theoretical implications in enhancing oil recovery.