CT-Guided Core Needle Biopsy of Pleural Lesions: Evaluating Diagnostic Yield and Associated Complications

Xiang-Ke Niu,Anup Bhetuwal,Han-Feng Yang 대한영상의학회 2015 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.16 No.1

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and complications of CTguided core needle biopsy (CT-guided CNB) of pleural lesion and the possible effects of influencing factors. From September 2007 to June 2013, 88 consecutive patients (60 men and 28 women; mean [± standard deviation] age, 51.1 ± 14.4 years; range, 19–78 years) underwent CT-guided CNB, which was performed by two experienced chest radiologists in our medical center. Out of 88 cases, 56 (63%) were diagnosed as malignant, 28 (31%) asbenign and 4 (5%) as indeterminate for CNB of pleural lesions. The final diagnosis was confirmed by either histopathological diagnosis or clinical follow-up. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and complication rates were statistically evaluated. Influencing factors (patient age, sex, lesion size, pleural-puncture angle, patient position, pleural effusion, and number of pleural punctures) were assessed for their effect on accuracy of CT-guided CNB using univariate and subsequent multivariate analysis. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 89.2%, 86.1%, 100%, 100%, and 67.8%, respectively. The influencing factors had no significant effect in altering diagnostic accuracy. As far as complications were concerned, occurrence of pneumothorax was observed in 14 (16%) out of 88 patients. Multivariate analysis revealed lesionsize/pleural thickening as a significant risk factor (odds ratio [OR]: 8.744, p = 0.005) for occurrence of pneumothorax. Moreover, presence of pleural effusion was noted as a significant protective factor (OR: 0.171, p = 0.037) for pneumothorax. CT-guided CNB of pleural lesion is a safe procedure with high diagnostic yield and low risk of significant complications.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Pretreatment Evaluation and Prediction of Treatment Effect in Patients Undergoing CT-Guided Injection for Lumbar Disc Herniation

Xiang-Ke Niu,Anup Bhetuwal,Han-Feng Yang 대한영상의학회 2015 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.16 No.4

To determine whether a change in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value could predict early response to CTguided Oxygen-Ozone (O2-O3) injection therapy in patients with unilateral mono-radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation. A total of 52 patients with unilateral mono-radiculopathy received a single intradiscal (3 mL) and periganglionic (5 mL) injection of an O2-O3 mixture. An ADC index of the involved side to the intact side was calculated using the following formula: pre-treatment ADC index = ([ADC involved side - ADC intact side] / ADC intact side) x 100. We analyzed the relationship between the pre-treatment Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the ADC index. In addition, the correlation between ODI recovery ratio and ADC index was investigated. The sensitivity and specificity of the ADC index for predicting response in O2-O3 therapy was determined. Oswestry Disability Index and the ADC index was not significantly correlated (r = -0.125, p = 0.093). The ADC index and ODI recovery ratio was significantly correlated (r = 0.819, p < 0.001). When using 7.10 as the cut-off value, the ADC index obtained a sensitivity of 86.3% and a specificity of 82.9% for predicting successful response to therapy around the first month of follow-up. This preliminary study demonstrates that the patients with decreased ADC index tend to show poor improvement of clinical symptoms. The ADC index may be a useful indicator to predict early response to CT-guided O2-O3 injection therapy in patients with unilateral mono-radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation.

Recombinant-attenuated Salmonella Pullorum strain expressing the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) protects chickens against NDV and Salmonella Pullorum challenge

Ke Ding,Ke Shang,Zu-Hua Yu,Chuan Yu,Yan-Yan Jia,Lei He,Cheng-Shui Liao,Jing Li,Chun-Jie Zhang,Yin-Ju Li,Ting-Cai Wu,Xiang-chao Cheng 대한수의학회 2018 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.19 No.2

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and Salmonella Pullorum have significant damaging effects on the poultry industry, but no previous vaccinecan protect poultry effectively. In this study, a recombinant-attenuated S. Pullorum strain secreting the NDV hemagglutinin-neuraminidase(HN) protein, C79-13ΔcrpΔasd (pYA-HN), was constructed by using the suicide plasmid pREasd-mediated bacteria homologousrecombination method to form a new bivalent vaccine candidate against Newcastle disease (ND) and S. Pullorum disease (PD). The effectof this vaccine candidate was compared with those of the NDV LaSota and C79-13ΔcrpΔasd (pYA) strains. The serum hemagglutinationinhibition antibody titers, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies, secretory IgA, and stimulation index in lymphocyte proliferation wereincreased significantly more (p < 0.01) in chickens inoculated with C79-13ΔcrpΔasd (pYA-HN) than with C79-13ΔcrpΔasd (pYA) but werenot significantly increased compared with the chickens immunized with the LaSota live vaccine (p > 0.05). Moreover, the novel strain provides60% and 80% protective efficacy against the NDV virulent strain F48E9 and the S. Pullorum virulent strain C79-13. In summary, in this study,a recombinant-attenuated S. Pullorum strain secreting NDV HN protein was constructed. The generation of the S. Pullorum C79-13ΔcrpΔasd(pYA-HN) strain provides a foundation for the development of an effective living-vector double vaccine against ND and PD.

Molecular Characterization of Cold-Inducible β-Galactosidase from Arthrobacter sp. ON14 Isolated from Antarctica

( Xiang Xiao ),( Feng Ping Wang ),( Xu Ke ),( Xi Xiang Tang ),( Ying Bao Gai ),( Muhammad Aamer Mehmood ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2011 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.21 No.3

A psychrotrophic bacterium, Arthrobacter sp. ON14, isolated from Antarctica, was shown to exhibit a high β-galactosidase activity at a low temperature. A genomic library of ON14 was constructed and screened for β-galactosidase genes on functional plates containing 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactopyranoside (X-gal) as the substrate. Two different β-galactosidase genes, named as galA, galB, were found in ON14. Computational analyses of the genes revealed that the encoded protein GalA belongs to family 2 of glycosyl hydrolysases and is a cold-active protein, whereas GalB belongs to family 42 of glycosyl hydrolysases and is a mesophilic protein. Reverse transcription analyses revealed that the expression of galA is highly induced at a low temperature (4℃) and repressed at a high temperature (28℃) when lactose is used as the sole carbon source. Conversely, the expression of galB is inhibited at a low temperature and induced at a high temperature. The purified GalA showed its peak activity at 15℃ and pH 8. The mineral ions Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Mn2+ were identified as enzyme activators, whereas Ca2+ had no influence on the enzyme activity. An enzyme stability assay revealed that the activity of GalA is significantly decreased when it is incubated at 45℃ for 2 h, and all its activity is lost when it is incubated at 50℃.

Leukocyte invasion of the brain after peripheral trauma in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Chen Xiang-Ke,Kwan Joseph Shiu-Kwong,Wong Gordon Tin-Chun,Yi Zhen-Ni,Ma Alvin Chun-Hang,Chang Raymond Chuen-Chung 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

Despite well-known systemic immune reactions in peripheral trauma, little is known about their roles in posttraumatic neurological disorders, such as anxiety, sickness, and cognitive impairment. Leukocyte invasion of the brain, a common denominator of systemic inflammation, is involved in neurological disorders that occur in peripheral inflammatory diseases, whereas the influences of peripheral leukocytes on the brain after peripheral trauma remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that leukocytes, largely macrophages, transiently invaded the brain of zebrafish larvae after peripheral trauma through vasculature-independent migration, which was a part of the systemic inflammation and was mediated by interleukin-1b (il1b). Notably, myeloid cells in the brain that consist of microglia and invading macrophages were implicated in posttraumatic anxiety-like behaviors, such as hyperactivity (restlessness) and thigmotaxis (avoidance), while a reduction in systemic inflammation or myeloid cells can rescue these behaviors. In addition, invading leukocytes together with microglia were found to be responsible for the clearance of apoptotic cells in the brain; however, they also removed the nonapoptotic cells, which suggested that phagocytes have dual roles in the brain after peripheral trauma. More importantly, a category of conserved proteins between zebrafish and humans or rodents that has been featured in systemic inflammation and neurological disorders was determined in the zebrafish brain after peripheral trauma, which supported that zebrafish is a translational model of posttraumatic neurological disorders. These findings depicted leukocyte invasion of the brain during systemic inflammation after peripheral trauma and its influences on the brain through il1b-dependent mechanisms.

HMD디자인을 위한 기술 발전방향 연구

향가흔(Xiang Ke xin),고정옥(Go Jeong uk) 한국콘텐츠학회 2019 한국콘텐츠학회 종합학술대회 논문집 Vol.2019 No.5

실내조명기구 디자인의 혁신성과 제품구매 의도의 상관성 연구 : 전통 중국식 조명기구 중심으로

마가상(Ma, Ke Xiang),이성원(Lee, Sung Won) 한국디자인리서치학회 2020 한국디자인리서치 Vol.5 No.2

최근 몇십 년간에 경제발전에 따라 현대인은 점점 생활의 질적 수준이 높아지며 자신만의 뚜렷한 라이프 스타일과 인테리어 취향을 가지고 있다. 조명기구 디자인은 활성화를 시키기 위한 많은 각도에서 연구 개발하여야 한다. 소비자를 대상으로 하는 현대 조명기구 디자인 혁신성의 핵심은 새로운 방향을 제시하는 디자인의 역할을 강화하고 경쟁력을 향상하기 위한 노력을 다각적으로 기울이며, 차별화된 제품 디자인을 적극적으로 개발하는 것이다. 이에 본 연구에서는 소비자들이 제품구매 의도를 고려할 수 있는 시각적 요인과 기능적 요인을 도출하고, 소비자의 구매 의도에 미치는 영향을 검증하자고 하였다. 분석결과를 보면 첫째, 현대 조명기구 디자인 혁신성에서 소비자의 사용 만족도에 영향을 미치는 것은 시각적 요인으로 나타났으며 기능적 요인은 사용 만족도에 영향을 미치지 않은 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 소비자의 사용 만족도는 구매 의도에 긍정적 영향을 주고 있는 것으로 확인할 수 있다. 분석결과에 따라 연구자가 조사 결과를 맞게 재설계하였다. 향후 실내 조명기구의 혁신적 제품으로 개발에 도움을 줄 수 있는 기초자료가 되기를 기대한다. In recent decades, with the development of the economy, modern people have gradually increased the quality of life and have their own distinct lifestyle and interior taste. Lighting equipment design must be researched and developed from many angles to activate. The essence of modern lighting fixture design innovation for consumers is strengthening the role of design that suggests a new direction and diversifying efforts to enhance competitiveness, and actively developing differentiated product designs. Therefore, in this study, it is intended to draw out visual and functional factors that allow consumers to consider product purchase intentions, and to verify the effects on consumers purchase intentions. As a result of the analysis, first, it was found that it was a visual factor influencing the consumer s use satisfaction in the design innovation of modern lighting fixtures, and the functional factor did not affect the use satisfaction. Second, it can be confirmed that consumer satisfaction with use has a positive effect on purchase intention. According to the analysis result, the researcher has redesigned to match the survey results. It is expected that it will be a basic material that can help development with innovative products of indoor lighting fixtures in the future.

김봉룡과 강천리 작품을 중심으로 본 한 중 나전칠기 비교 및 4차산업 기술 융합을 통한 발전방안 연구

마가상(Ma, Ke Xiang),이성원(Lee, Sung Won) 한국전시산업융합연구원 2020 한국과학예술융합학회 Vol.38 No.3

나전칠기는 한 · 중 · 일을 대표하는 전통 공예기법이다. 독특하고 아름다운 예술 양식인 나전칠기는 미적가치와 전통공예로서의 실용성을 두루 갖추고 있다. 본 연구의 목적은 한국과 중국 양국을 대표하는 장인인 ‘강천리(江千里)’와 ‘김봉룡(金奉龍)’을 비교 분석함으로써 두 나라가 공유하는 나전칠기 예술의 보편적 특성을 논의함과 동시에 각국의 나전칠기 양식이 가진 특수성을 비교하여 나전칠기 공예의 대중화와 현대화 방안을 모색하는 데 있다. 따라서 본 논문은 작품 분석과 문헌연구방법을 통하여 두 나라의 나전칠기에 대한 예술사적 흐름을 고찰하고 두 사람의 작품중 대표성을 띠는 작품 범위에 한정하여 비교 · 대조, 분석을 이행하였다. 연구결과 및 내용은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 두 사람의 시대적 배경과 작품 특징 및 예술 양식은 작품 모티브, 작품 주제, 기법 등에서 뚜렷한 차이를 보임이 나타났다. 둘째, 4차산업 기술에 해당하는 AI와 3D프린팅 기능은 전통이나 고전으로만 남아있는 나전칠기 공예를 새롭게 해석할 수 있는 실마리가 될 수 있다는 점도 확인하였다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 동아시아가 공유하는 전통 예술인 나전칠기의 우수성을 다시 한번 되새기고, 나전칠기 예술의 계승과 발전에 이바지하기를 기대한다. Najeonchigi is a traditional craft technique that represents Korea, China, and Japan. A unique and beautiful style of art, Najeon Chilgi has a wide range of aesthetic values and practicality as a traditional craft. The purpose of this study is to discuss the universal characteristics of Najeon Chilgi art shared by the two countries by comparing and analyzing "Gang cheon-ri" and "Kim Bong-ryong," the craftsmen representing both Korea and China, while at the same time comparing the specialities of Najeon Chilgi styles of each country to find ways to popularize and modernize Najeon Chilgi crafts. Therefore, through the analysis of works and the method of literature research, this paper considered the flow of art history about the najeonchigi of the two countries and carried out the comparison, contrast and analysis limited to the range of works that bear representativeness among the two works. The results and contents of the study are as follows. First, the period background and work characteristics and art styles of the two showed distinct differences in work motifs, work themes and techniques. Second, it was also confirmed that the AI and 3D printing functions, which correspond to the fourth industrial technology, could serve as a clue to a new interpretation of the lacquerware, which remains traditional or classical. Based on these findings, we hope to reflect on the excellence of Najeon Chilgi, a traditional art shared by East Asia, and to contribute to the succession and development of Najeon Chilgi art.

Analysis of Switching Clamped Oscillations of SiC MOSFETs

Ke, Junji,Zhao, Zhibin,Xie, Zongkui,Wei, Changjun,Cui, Xiang The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2018 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.18 No.3

SiC MOSFETs have been used to improve system efficiency in high frequency converters due to their extremely high switching speed. However, this can result in undesirable parasitic oscillations in practical systems. In this paper, models of the key components are introduced first. Then, theoretical formulas are derived to calculate the switching oscillation frequencies after full turn-on and turn-off in clamped inductive circuits. Analysis indicates that the turn-on oscillation frequency depends on the power loop parasitic inductance and parasitic capacitances of the freewheeling diode and load inductor. On the other hand, the turn-off oscillation frequency is found to be determined by the output parasitic capacitance of the SiC MOSFET and power loop parasitic inductance. Moreover, the shifting regularity of the turn-off maximum peak voltage with a varying switching speed is investigated on the basis of time domain simulation. The distortion of the turn-on current is theoretically analyzed. Finally, experimental results verifying the above calculations and analyses are presented.

USP18 promotes the growth in hemangiomas by regulating PI3K/AKT pathway

Ke Huan,Ma Xiang,Zeng Ying,Lu Jingjing,Fu Guili 대한독성 유전단백체 학회 2021 Molecular & cellular toxicology Vol.17 No.4

Background USP (ubiquitin-specific peptidase) 18 functions as deubiquitinating enzyme and participates in various human malignancies. The underlying mechanism involved in USP18-mediated hemangiomas progression has not been reported yet. Objective Immunohistochemistry analysis, qRT-PCR, and western blot were applied to detect USP18 expression in hemangioma tissues and cells. Lentiviral-mediated short hairpin RNA transfection was performed to silence USP18, and pcDNA-mediated USP18 over-expression was also performed. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay and flow cytometry were applied to investigate cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. In vivo xenograft model was performed to detect function of USP18 on tumor growth. Results USP18 was enhanced in hemangioma tissues and cells compared to vascular endothelial tissues and vascular endothelial cells, respectively. Forced USP18 promoted cell viability and proliferation of human hemangioma endothelial cell (HemEC) and hemangioendothelioma endothelial cell (EOMA). Cell apoptosis of HemEC and EOMA were repressed by USP18 over-expression with reduced Bax and cleaved caspase-3. In contrast, silence of USP18 demonstrated the opposite effects on HemEC and EOMA cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. Silence of USP18 also retarded in vivo tumorigenicity of hemangiomas. Phosphorylation of AKT was enhanced by USP18 over-expression, while reduced by USP18 silence. Conclusion USP18 functioned as an oncogene in hemangiomas through acceleration of cell proliferation and repression of cell apoptosis, providing new insight for therapy of hemangiomas. Background USP (ubiquitin-specific peptidase) 18 functions as deubiquitinating enzyme and participates in various human malignancies. The underlying mechanism involved in USP18-mediated hemangiomas progression has not been reported yet. Objective Immunohistochemistry analysis, qRT-PCR, and western blot were applied to detect USP18 expression in hemangioma tissues and cells. Lentiviral-mediated short hairpin RNA transfection was performed to silence USP18, and pcDNA-mediated USP18 over-expression was also performed. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation assay and flow cytometry were applied to investigate cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively. In vivo xenograft model was performed to detect function of USP18 on tumor growth. Results USP18 was enhanced in hemangioma tissues and cells compared to vascular endothelial tissues and vascular endothelial cells, respectively. Forced USP18 promoted cell viability and proliferation of human hemangioma endothelial cell (HemEC) and hemangioendothelioma endothelial cell (EOMA). Cell apoptosis of HemEC and EOMA were repressed by USP18 over-expression with reduced Bax and cleaved caspase-3. In contrast, silence of USP18 demonstrated the opposite effects on HemEC and EOMA cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. Silence of USP18 also retarded in vivo tumorigenicity of hemangiomas. Phosphorylation of AKT was enhanced by USP18 over-expression, while reduced by USP18 silence. Conclusion USP18 functioned as an oncogene in hemangiomas through acceleration of cell proliferation and repression of cell apoptosis, providing new insight for therapy of hemangiomas.