Effects of Neodymium and Calcium on the Thermal Stability of AZ71 Magnesium Alloys

Cheng‑Feng Yue,Shi‑Jei Huang,Jhewn‑Kuang Chen,Hsien‑Tsung Li,Kam‑Shau Chan 대한금속·재료학회 2018 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.24 No.2

The effects of an addition of 0–2 wt% Nd on thermal stability of 0–3 wt% Ca-containing modified AZ71 magnesium alloyswas investigated. The ignition temperature was found to increase from that of AZ71, 574, to 825 °C with the addition of0.5 wt% Ca and 1 wt% Nd. The ignition temperature was further increased to 1114 °C when 3 wt% Ca was added. The CaandNd-added AZ71 was isothermally maintained at a temperature of 500 °C in air for 12 h. The MgO–CaO–Nd2O3 formedon the surface to improve the thermal stability of the AZ71–xCa–yNd alloys. While both the tensile strength and ductilitydecreased with the Ca concentration in the alloy, an addition of 1 wt% Nd was found able to alleviate the degradation effectsof Ca on the tensile strength and ductility at 170 °C. Both solid solution formation and precipitation strengthening contributedto the increase in toughness. AZ71 containing 0.5–2 wt% Ca and 1 wt% Nd provides the optimum combination of ignitionresistance and mechanical properties.

Distinctive Roles of Wnt Signaling in Chondrogenic Differentiation of BMSCs under Coupling of Pressure and Platelet-Rich Fibrin

Cheng Baixiang,Feng Fan,Shi Fan,Huang Jinmei,Zhang Songbai,Quan Yue,Tu Teng,Liu Yanli,Wang Junjun,Zhao Ying,Zhang Min 한국조직공학과 재생의학회 2022 조직공학과 재생의학 Vol.19 No.4

BACKGROUND: Although newly formed constructs of feasible pressure-preadjusted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) showed biomechanical flexibility and superior capacity for cartilage regeneration, it is still not very clear how BMSCs and seed cells feel mechanical stimuli and convert them into biological signals, and the difference in signal transduction underlying mechanical and chemical cues is also unclear. METHODS: To determine whether mechanical stimulation (hydrostatic pressure) and chemical cues (platelet-rich fibrin, PRF) activate canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs, BMSCs cocultured with PRF were subjected to hydrostatic pressure loading, and the activation of the Wnt signaling molecules and expression of cartilage-associated proteins and genes were determined by western blotting and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Inhibitors of canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling, XVX-939 or L690,330, were adopted to investigate the role of Wnt signaling molecules in mechanically promoted chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. RESULTS: Hydrostatic pressure of 120 kPa activated both Wnt/b-catenin signaling and Wnt/Ca2? signaling, with the the maximum promotion effect at 60 min. PRF exerted no synergistic effect on Wnt/b-catenin signaling activation. However, the growth factors released by PRF might reverse the promotion effects of pressure on Wnt/Ca2? signaling. Real-time PCR and Western blotting results showed that pressure could activate the expression of Col-II, Sox9, and aggrecan in BMSCs cocultured with PRF. Blocking experiment found a positive role of Wnt/b-catenin signaling, and a negative role of Wnt/ Ca2? signaling in chondrogenic differentiation of the BMSCs. Mutual inhibition exists between canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in BMSCs under pressure. CONCLUSION: Wnt signaling participates in the pressure-promoted chondrogenesis of the BMSCs co-cultured with PRF, with canonical and noncanonical pathways playing distinct roles during the process.

The <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> Merozoite Surface Protein 1 Paralog Is a Novel Erythrocyte-Binding Ligand of <i>P. vivax</i>

Cheng, Yang,Wang, Yue,Ito, Daisuke,Kong, Deok-Hoon,Ha, Kwon-Soo,Chen, Jun-Hu,Lu, Feng,Li, Jian,Wang, Bo,Takashima, Eizo,Sattabongkot, Jetsumon,Tsuboi, Takafumi,Han, Eun-Taek American Society for Microbiology 2013 Infection and immunity Vol.81 No.5

<P>Merozoite surface protein 1 of <I>Plasmodium vivax</I> (PvMSP1), a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein (GPI-AP), is a malaria vaccine candidate for <I>P. vivax</I>. The paralog of PvMSP1, named <I>P. vivax</I> merozoite surface protein 1 paralog (PvMSP1P; PlasmoDB PVX_099975), was recently identified and predicted as a GPI-AP. The similarities in genetic structural characteristics between PvMSP1 and PvMSP1P (e.g., size of open reading frames, two epidermal growth factor-like domains, and GPI anchor motif in the C terminus) led us to study this protein. In the present study, different regions of the PvMSP1P protein, demarcated based on the processed forms of PvMSP1, were expressed successfully as recombinant proteins [i.e., 83 (A, B, and C), 30, 38, 42, 33, and 19 fragments]. We studied the naturally acquired immune response against each fragment of recombinant PvMSP1P and the potential ability of each fragment to bind erythrocytes. The N-terminal fragment (83A) and two C-terminal fragments (33 and 19) reacted strongly with sera from <I>P. vivax</I>-infected patients, with 50 to 68% sensitivity and 95 to 96% specificity, respectively. Due to colocalization of PvMSP1P with PvMSP1, we supposed that PvMSP1P plays a similar role as PvMSP1 during erythrocyte invasion. An <I>in vitro</I> cytoadherence assay showed that PvMSP1P, especially the 19-kDa C-terminal region, could bind to erythrocytes. We also found that human sera from populations naturally exposed to vivax malaria and antisera obtained by immunization using the recombinant molecule PvMSP1P-19 inhibited <I>in vitro</I> binding of human erythrocytes to PvMSP1P-19. These results provide further evidence that the PvMSP1P might be an essential parasite adhesion molecule in the <I>P. vivax</I> merozoite and is a potential vaccine candidate against <I>P. vivax</I>.</P>

Intracerebral Microdialysis Technique and its Application on Brain Pharmacokinetic- Pharmacodynamic Study

Yue-fang Pan,Jian Feng,Qiao-yuan Cheng,Fan-zhu Li 대한약학회 2007 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.30 No.12

Intracerebral microdialysis (IC-MD) has been developed as a well-validated and powerful technique for decades. As a practical sampling tool, it can gain the continuous dialysates of endogenous and exogenous substances in extracellular fluid (ECF) of awake freely moving animals. Also, variform IC-MD probes (IC-MDPs) have grown more exquisite. The implantation of the IC-MDP in certain tissue of brain allows monitor drug distribution and measure drug and corresponding neurotransmitters levels in brain ECF after administration for brain pharmacokineticpharmacodynamic (B-PK-PD) study. So it is suitable for IC-MD to B-PK-PD study (IC-MD/BPK- PD). The performance of IC-MD/B-PK-PD can not only elevate the degree of precision and accuracy of experimental data, minimize the individual difference by reduced number of animals, but also give important information for the prediction and optimization of drug effective dose in preclinical study. In this review, we have discussed various IC-MD/B-PK-PD studies of analgesic, antiepileptic and antidepressant drug. The role of IC-MD/B-PK-PD in confirming and assessing the drug effect before clinic trials is highlighted.

Intracerebral Microdialysis Technique and its Application on Brain Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic Study

Pan, Yue-Fang,Feng, Jian,Cheng, Qiao-Yuan,Li, Fan-Zhu 대한약학회 2007 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.30 No.12

Intracerebral microdialysis (IC-MD) has been developed as a well-validated and powerful technique for decades. As a practical sampling tool, it can gain the continuous dialysates of endogenous and exogenous substances in extracellular fluid (ECF) of awake freely moving animals. Also, variform IC-MD probes (IC-MDPs) have grown more exquisite. The implantation of the IC-MDP in certain tissue of brain allows monitor drug distribution and measure drug and corresponding neurotransmitters levels in brain ECF a after administration for brain pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (B-PK-PD) study. So it is suitable for IC-MD to B-PK-PD study (IC-MD/B-PK-PD). The performance of IC-MD/B-PK-PD can not only elevate the degree of precision and accuracy of experimental data, minimize the individual difference by reduced number of animals, but also give important information for the prediction and optimization of drug effective dose in preclinical study. In this review, we have discussed various IC-MD/B-PK-PD studies of analgesic, antiepileptic and antidepressant drug. The role of IC-MD/B-PK-PD in confirming and assessing the drug effect before clinic trials is highlighted.

Roles of Immunohistochemical Staining in Diagnosing Pulmonary Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yan, Yue,Zhang, Ya-Xiong,Fang, Wen-Feng,Kang, Shi-Yang,Zhan, Jian-Hua,Chen, Nan,Hong, Shao-Dong,Liang, Wen-Hua,Tang, Yan-Na,He, Da-Cheng,Wu, Xuan,Zhang, Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Background: Differentiating morphologic features based on hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining is the most common method to classify pathological subtypes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, its accuracy and inter-observer reproducibility in pathological diagnosis of poorly differentiated NSCLC remained to be improved. Materials and Methods: We attempted to explore the role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in diagnosing pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) with poorly differentiated features by HE staining or with elevated serum adenocarcinoma-specific tumor markers (AD-TMs). We also compared the difference of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation rate between patients with confirmed SQCC and those with revised pathological subtype. Logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between different factors and diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 132 patients who met the eligible criteria and had adequate specimens for IHC confirmation were included. Pathological revised cases in poor differentiated subgroup, biopsy samples and high-level AD-TMs cases were more than those with high/moderate differentiation, surgical specimens and normal-level AD-TMs. Moreover, biopsy sample was a significant factor decreasing diagnostic accuracy of pathological subtype (OR, 4.037; 95% CI 1.446-11.267, p=0.008). Additionally, EGFR mutation rate was higher in patients with pathological diagnostic changes than those with confirmed SQCC (16.7% vs 4.4%, p=0.157). Conclusions: Diagnosis based on HE staining only might cause pathological misinterpretation in NSCLC patients with poor differentiation or high-level AD-TMs, especially those with biopsy samples. HE staining and IHC should be combined as pathological diagnostic standard. The occurrence of EGFR mutations in pulmonary SQCC might be overestimated.

A Novel Selenium- and Copper-Containing Peptide with Both Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase Activities

Xian Feng Zou,Yue Tong Ji,Gui Gao,Xue Jun Zhu,Shao Wu Lv,Fei Yan,Si Ping Han,Xing Chen,Chang Cheng Gao,Jun Qiu Liu,Gui Min Luo 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2010 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.20 No.1

Sensor Fault Estimation and Compensation for Microsatellite Attitude Control Systems

Bin Jiang,Zhi-Feng Gao,Peng Shi,Yue-Hua Cheng 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2010 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.8 No.2

In this paper, the problem of sensor fault estimation and compensation for microsatellite attitude dynamics is investigated by using a descriptor system approach. Firstly, a linear model of microsatellite attitude dynamics is given. Based on the proposed linear microsatellite attitude dynamics, an augmented descriptor system is constructed by letting the sensor fault term be an auxiliary state vector. Using linear matrix inequality approach, a state-space observer is designed for the augmented de-scriptor microsatellite attitude dynamics, which can estimate microsatellite attitude dynamics state vector and sensor fault simultaneously. In terms of the estimated sensor fault information, sensor fault compensation is also performed. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness and potential of the proposed techniques.

Angle-sensitive Pixels Based on Subwavelength Compound Gratings

Yunlong Meng,Xuemei Hu,Cheng Yang,Xinyu Shen,Xueyun Cao,Lankun Lin,Feng Yan,Tao Yue 한국광학회 2022 Current Optics and Photonics Vol.6 No.4

In this paper, we present a new design for angle-sensitive pixels (ASPs). The proposed ASPs take advantage of subwavelength compound gratings to capture the light angle, which enables pixel size to reach the wavelength scale of 0.7 μm × 0.7 μm. The subwavelength compound gratings are implement-ed by the wires of the readout circuit inherent to the standard complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor manufacturing process, thus avoiding additional off-chip optics or post-processing. This technique allows the use of two pixels for horizontal or vertical angle detection, and can determine the light’s angle in the range from −45° to +45°. The proposed sensor enables surface-profile reconstruction of mi-croscale samples using a lensless imaging system.

Effects of post anneal for the INZO films prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Lan, Wen-How,Li, Yue-Lin,Chung, Yu-Chieh,Yu, Cheng-Chang,Chou, Yi-Chun,Wu, Yi-Da,Huang, Kai-Feng,Chen, Lung-Chien Techno-Press 2014 Advances in nano research Vol.2 No.4

Indium-nitrogen co-doped zinc oxide thin films (INZO) were prepared on glass substrates in the atmosphere by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. The aqueous solution of zinc acetate, ammonium acetate and different indium sources: indium (III) chloride and indium (III) nitrate were used as the precursors. After film deposition, different anneal temperature treatment as 350, 450, $550^{\circ}C$ were applied. Electrical properties as concentration and mobility were characterized by Hall measurement. The surface morphology and crystalline quality were characterized by SEM and XRD. With the activation energy analysis for both films, the concentration variation of the films at different heat treatment temperature was realized. Donors correspond to zinc related states dominate the conduction mechanism for these INZO films after $550^{\circ}C$ high temperature heat treatment process.