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.

The Interactive Modeling Method of Virtual City Scene Based on Building Codes

( Wei-long Ding ),( Xiao-jie Zhu ),( Bin Xu ),( Yan Xu ),( Kai Chen ),( Zang-xin Wan ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2021 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.15 No.1

For higher-level requirements of urban planning and management and the recent development of "digital earth" and "digital city", it is urgent to establish protocols for the construction of three-dimensional digital city models. However, some problems still exist in the digital technology of the three-dimensional city model, such as insufficient precision of the three-dimensional model, not optimizing the scene and not considering the constraints of building codes. In view of those points, a method to interactively simulate a virtual city scene based on building codes is proposed in this paper. Firstly, some constraint functions are set up to restrict the models to adhere to the building codes, and an improved directional bounding box technique is utilized to solve the problem that geometric objects may intersect in a virtual city scene. The three-dimensional model invocation strategy is designed to convert two-dimensional layouts to a three-dimensional urban scene. A Leap Motion hardware device is used to interactively place the 3D models in a virtual scene. Finally, the design and construction of the three-dimensional scene are completed by using Unity3D. The experiment shows that this method can simulate urban virtual scenes that strictly adhere to building codes in a virtual scene of the city environment, but also provide information and decision-making functions for urban planning and management.

KRAS Mutation as a Biomarker for Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, A Meta-Analysis of 12 Randomized Trials

Ying, Min,Zhu, Xiao-Xia,Zhao, Yang,Li, Dian-He,Chen, Long-Hua Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.10

Background: Because there is no clear consensus for the prognostic implication of KRAS mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we conducted a meta-analysis based on 12 randomized trials to draw a more accurate conclusion. Materials and Methods: A systematic computer search of articles from inception to May 1, 2014 using the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was conducted. The enrollment of articles and extraction of data were independently performed by two authors. Results: Our analysis was based on the endpoints overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Nine records (All for OS, 7 for PFS) comprising 12 randomized trials were identified with 3701 patients who underwent a test for KRAS mutations. In the analysis of the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for OS (HR: 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.56) and PFS (HR: 1.33; 95% CI 1.17-1.51), we found that KRAS mutations are related to poor survival benefit for NSCLC. According to a subgroup analysis stratified by disease stage and line of therapy, the combined HRs for OS and PFS coincided with the finding that the presence of a KRAS mutation is a dismal prognostic factor. However, the prognostic role of KRAS mutations are not statistically significant in a subgroup analysis of patients treated with chemotherapy in combination with cetuximab based on the endpoints OS (P=0.141) and PFS (P=0.643). Conclusions: Our results indicate that KRAS mutations are associated with inferior survival benefits for NSCLC but not for those treated with chemotherapies integrating cetuximab.

Reusable and Efficient Polystryrene-supported Acidic Ionic Liquid Catalyst for Mononitration of Aromatic Compounds

Li Xia Li,Qi Long Ling,Zu Liang Liu,Xiao Dong Xing,Xiao Qin Zhu,Xiao Meng 대한화학회 2012 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.33 No.10

A series of polystyrene-supported 1-(propyl-3-sulfonate)-3-methyl-imidazolium hydrosulfate acidic ionic liquid (PS-[SO3H-PMIM][HSO4]) catalysts were prepared and tested for mononitration of simple aromatics compounds with nitric acid. It was found that the reactivity of the catalysts increased with increasing [SO3HPMIM][ HSO4] content. The para-selectivity was not only related to the [SO3H-PMIM][HSO4] content but also the substituent groups in aromatics. A reaction mechanism of nitration over this new catalyst was proposed. The catalytic activity of this catalyst decreased slightly after fifth runs in the synthesis of nitrotoluene.

Improving the quality of breast ultrasound examination performed by inexperienced ultrasound doctors with synchronous tele-ultrasound: a prospective, parallel controlled trial

Yi-Kang Sun,Xiao-Long Li,Qiao Wang,Bo-Yang Zhou,An-Qi Zhu,Chuan Qin,Le-Hang Guo,Hui-Xiong Xu 대한초음파의학회 2022 ULTRASONOGRAPHY Vol.41 No.2

Purpose: This prospective study explored the value of synchronous tele-ultrasound (US) to aid doctors inexperienced in US with breast US examinations.Methods: In total, 99 patients were enrolled. Two trainee doctors who were inexperienced in US (trainee A [TA] and trainee B [TB]) and one doctor who was an expert in US completed the US examinations sequentially. TA completed the US examinations independently, while TB was instructed by the expert using synchronous tele-US. Subsequently, the expert performed on-site US examinations in person. Separately, they selected the most clinically significant nodule as the target nodule. Consistency with the expert and image quality were compared between TA and TB to evaluate tele-US. Furthermore, TB and the patients evaluated tele-US through questionnaires.Results: TB demonstrated higher consistency with the expert in terms of target nodule selection than TA (93.3% vs. 63.3%, P<0.001). TB achieved good inter-observer agreement (ICC, >0.75) with the expert on five US features (5/9, 55.6%), while TA only did so for one (1/9, 11.1%) (P=0.046). TB’s image quality was higher than TA’s in gray value, time gain compensation, depth, color Doppler adjustment, and the visibility of key information (P=0.018, P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.033, and P=0.006, respectively). The comprehensive assessment score was higher for TB than for TA (3.96±0.82 vs. 3.09±0.87, P<0.001). Tele-US was helpful in 69.7% of US examinations and had a training effect in 68.0%. Furthermore, 63.6% of patients accepted tele-US and 60.6% were willing to pay.Conclusion: Tele-US can help doctors inexperienced in US to perform breast US examinations.

A Putative Histone Deacetylase Modulates the Biosynthesis of Pestalotiollide B and Conidiation in Pestalotiopsis microspora

( Xue Liang Niu ),( Xiao Ran Hao ),( Zhang Yong Hong ),( Long Fei Chen ),( Xi Yu ),( Xu Dong Zhu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.5

Fungi of the genus Pestalotiopsis have drawn attention for their capability to produce an array of bioactive secondary metabolites that have potential for drug development. Here, we report the determination of a polyketide derivative compound, pestalotiollide B, in the culture of the saprophytic fungus Pestalotiopsis microspora NK17. Structural information acquired by analyses with a set of spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques suggests that pestalotiollide B has the same skeleton as the penicillide derivatives, dibenzodioxocinones, which are inhibitors of cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), and as purpactins A and C’, inhibitors of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). Strain NK17 can make a fairly high yield of pestalotiollide B (i.e., up to 7.22 mg/l) in a constitutive manner in liquid culture. Moreover, we found that a putative histone deacetylase gene, designated as hid1, played a role in the biosynthesis of pestalotiollide B. In the hid1 null mutant, the yield of pestalotiollide B increased approximately 2-fold to 15.90 mg/l. In contrast, deletion of gene hid1 led to a dramatic decrease of conidia production of the fungus. These results suggest that hid1 is a modulator, concerting secondary metabolism and development such as conidiation in P. microspora. Our work may help with the investigation into the biosynthesis of pestalotiollide B and the development for new CETP and ACAT inhibitors.

Nonsingular Fast Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Uncertain Nonlinear Systems Based on Adaptive Super-twisting Sliding Mode Disturbance Observer

Dao-Gen Jiang,Xiao-Dong Zhu,Long-Jin Lv,Wei Jiang 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2023 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.21 No.10

This paper presents a new nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode back-stepping control (BSC) for uncertain nonlinear systems subjected to unknown mismatched disturbance based on an adaptive super-twisting sliding mode nonlinear disturbance observer (ASTSM-NDO). The proposed algorithms utilize BSC technique to manage high-order uncertainty systems by compounding the dynamic surface control (DSC) architecture to get rid of ‘complexity explosion’. To cope with the unknown upper-bound mismatched disturbance, an adaption law is devised by finite time stability ASTSM-NDO designation. Besides, in the last step, the actual control scheme is designed by an integral nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control algorithms combined with disturbance estimation and uncertainty adaption law to eliminate the influence of modeling error and mismatched interference on systems. Lyapunov stability theory is applied to prove that the tracking deviation of the whole system is uniformly and ultimately bounded. Finally, two examples are simulated by comparing the derived outcomes with existing method to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the devised methodology.

The Application of Decellularized Adipose Tissue Promotes Wound Healing

Xia Zenan,Guo Xiao,Yu Nanze,Zeng Ang,Si Loubin,Long Fei,Zhang Wenchao,Wang Xiaojun,Zhu Lin,Liu Zhifei 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2020 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.17 No.6

Background: Due to adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) being easy to obtain, their rapid proliferation rate, and their multidirectional differentiation capabilities, they have been widely used in the field of regenerative medicine. With the progress of decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) and adipose tissue engineering research, the role of DAT in promoting angiogenesis has gradually been emphasized. Methods: We examined the biological characteristics and biosafety of DAT and evaluated the stem cell maintenance ability and promotion of growth factor secretion through conducting in vitro and in vivo studies. Results The tested ASCs showed high rat:es of proliferation and adhered well to DAT. The expression levels of essential genes for cell stem maintenance, including OCT4, SOX2, and Nanog were low at 2–24 h and much higher at 48 and 96 h. The Adipogenic expression level of markers for ASCs proliferation including PPARγ, C/EPBα, and LPL increased from 2 to 96 h. Co-culture of ASCs and DAT increased the secretion of local growth factors, such as VEGF, PDGF-bb, bFGF, HGF, EGF, and FDGF-bb, and secretion gradually increased from 0 to 48 h. A model of full-thickness skin defects on the back of nude mice was established, and the co-culture of ASCs and DAT showed the best in vivo treatment effect. Conclusion: The application of DAT promotes wound healing, and DAT combined with ASCs may be a promising material in adipose tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Reusable and Efficient Polystryrene-supported Acidic Ionic Liquid Catalyst for Mononitration of Aromatic Compounds

Li, Li Xia,Ling, Qi Long,Liu, Zu Liang,Xing, Xiao Dong,Zhu, Xiao Qin,Meng, Xiao Korean Chemical Society 2012 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.33 No.10

A series of polystyrene-supported 1-(propyl-3-sulfonate)-3-methyl-imidazolium hydrosulfate acidic ionic liquid (PS-$[SO_3H-PMIM][HSO_4]$) catalysts were prepared and tested for mononitration of simple aromatics compounds with nitric acid. It was found that the reactivity of the catalysts increased with increasing $[SO_3H-PMIM][HSO_4]$ content. The para-selectivity was not only related to the $[SO_3H-PMIM][HSO_4]$ content but also the substituent groups in aromatics. A reaction mechanism of nitration over this new catalyst was proposed. The catalytic activity of this catalyst decreased slightly after fifth runs in the synthesis of nitrotoluene.

<i>Chd7</i> Is Critical for Early T-Cell Development and Thymus Organogenesis in Zebrafish

Liu, Zhi-Zhi,Wang, Zi-Long,Choi, Tae-Ik,Huang, Wen-Ting,Wang, Han-Tsing,Han, Ying-Ying,Zhu, Lou-Yin,Kim, Hyun-Taek,Choi, Jung-Hwa,Lee, Jin-Soo,Kim, Hyung-Goo,Zhao, Jian,Chen, Yue,Lu, Zhuo,Tian, Xiao-L Elsevier 2018 The American journal of pathology Vol.188 No.4

<P>Coloboma, heart defect, atresia choanae, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, ear anomalies/deafness (CHARGE) syndrome is a congenital disorder affecting multiple organs and mainly caused by mutations in CHD7, a gene encoding a chromatin-remodeling protein. Immunodeficiency and reduced T cells have been noted in CHARGE syndrome. However, the mechanisms underlying T lymphopenia are largely unexplored. Herein, we observed dramatic decrease of T cells in both chd7knockdown and knockout zebrafish embryos. Unexpectedly, hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and, particularly, lymphoid progenitor cells were increased peripherally in nonthymic areas in chd7-deficient embryos, unlikely to contribute to the T-cell decrease. Further analysis demonstrated that both the organogenesis and homing function of the thymus were seriously impaired. Chd7 might regulate thymus organogenesis through modulating the development of both neural crest cell-derived mesenchyme and pharyngeal endoderm-derived thymic epithelial cells. The expression of faxn1, a central regulator of thymic epithelium, was remarkably down-regulated in the pharyngeal region in chd7-deficient embryos. Moreover, the T-cell reduction in chd7-deficient embryos was partially rescued by overexpressingfoxnl, suggesting that restoring thymic epithelium may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating immunodeficiency in CHARGE syndrome. Collectively, the results indicated that chd7 was critical for thymic development and T-lymphopenia in CHARGE syndrome may be mainly attributed to the defects of thymic organogenesis. The current finding may benefit the diagnosis and therapy of T lymphopenia and immunodeficiency in CHARGE syndrome.</P>