Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Antibiotic-Impregnated Shunt Catheters on Anti-Infective Effect of Hydrocephalus Shunt

Zhou, Wen-xiu,Hou, Wen-bo,Zhou, Chao,Yin, Yu-xia,Lu, Shou-tao,Liu, Guang,Fang, Yi,Li, Jian-wen,Wang, Yan,Liu, Ai-hua,Zhang, Hai-jun The Korean Neurosurgical Society 2021 Journal of Korean neurosurgical society Vol.64 No.2

Objective : Shunt infection is a common complication while treating hydrocephalus. The antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheter (AISC) was designed to reduce shunt infection rate. A meta-analysis was conducted to study the effectiveness of AISCs in reduction of shunt infection in terms of age, follow-up time and high-risk patient population. Methods : This study reviewed literature from three databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (from 2000 to March 2019). Clinical studies from controlled trials for shunt operation were included in this analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed based on the patient's age, follow-up time and high-risk population. The fixed effect in RevMan 5.3 software (Cochrane Collaboration) was used for this meta-analysis. Results : This study included 19 controlled clinical trials including 10105 operations. The analysis demonstrated that AISC could reduce the infection rate in shunt surgery compared to standard shunt catheter (non-AISC) from 8.13% to 4.09% (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.58; p=0.01; I2=46%). Subgroup analysis of different age groups showed that AISC had significant antimicrobial effects in all three groups (adult, infant, and adolescent). Follow-up time analysis showed that AISC was effective in preventing early shunt infections (within 6 months after implant). AISC is more effective in high-risk population (OR, 0.24;95% CI, 0.14-0.40; p=0.60; I2=0%) than in general patient population. Conclusion : The results of meta-analysis indicated that AISC is an effective method for reducing shunt infection. We recommend that AISC should be considered for use in infants and high-risk groups. For adult patients, the choice for AISC could be determined based on the treatment cost.

3D Focused Inversion of Near-bottom Magnetic Data from Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in Rough Seas

Zhou Fei,Tao Chunhui,Wu Tao,Zeng Zhaofa,Liu Cai 한국해양과학기술원 2018 Ocean science journal Vol.53 No.2

The observation area of an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) often contains undulating terrain in which the shallow portions make a great contribution to near-bottom magnetic data. Magnetic information from varying terrain may be inadvertently removed when traditional topographic correction methods are used to reduce the effect of undulating terrain on inversion results. In this study, we introduce a terrain-weighting matrix into the focused inversion process to overcome this problem. To counteract the natural decay of the potential field, we used the focused inversion with a minimum support function to obtain focused results and depth-weighting function. We also used the interpolation-iteration method to mitigate the influence of the fluctuating observation surface on the inversion results. We verified the effectiveness of the proposed method by conducting model tests using near-bottom data measured along the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) by the AUV, Qianlong II. We obtained the 3D magnetization structure of the oceanic core complex (OCC) area at the 28th segment along the SWIR and concluded that the OCC was primarily composed of gabbroic rock.

Anesthetic Management and Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment of Basilar Artery Occlusion: Results From the ATTENTION Registry

Tao Chunrong,Yuan Guangxiong,Xu Pengfei,Wang Hao,Zhou Peiyang,Yi Tingyu,Li Kai,Cui Tao,Gao Jun,Li Rui,Sun Jun,Zhang Chao,Wang Li,Liu Tianlong,Song Jianlong,Yin Yamei,Nguyen Thanh N.,Li Qing,Hu Wei 대한뇌졸중학회 2023 Journal of stroke Vol.25 No.3

Background and Purpose To examine the clinical and safety outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) with different anesthetic modalities. Methods This was a retrospective analysis using data from the Endovascular Treatment for Acute Basilar Artery Occlusion (ATTENTION) registry. Patients were divided into two groups defined by anesthetic modality performed during EVT: general anesthesia (GA) or non-general anesthesia (non-GA). The association between anesthetic management and clinical outcomes was evaluated in a propensity score matched (PSM) cohort and an inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) cohort to adjust for imbalances between the two groups. Results Our analytic sample included 1,672 patients from 48 centers. The anesthetic modality was GA in 769 (46.0%) and non-GA in 903 (54.0%) patients. In our primary analysis with the PSM-based cohort, non-GA was comparable to GA concerning the primary outcome (adjusted common odds ratio [acOR], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.25; <i>P</i>=0.91). Mortality at 90 days was 38.4% in the GA group and 35.8% in the non-GA group (adjusted risk ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.08; <i>P</i>=0.44). In our secondary analysis with the IPTW-based cohort, the anesthetic modality was significantly associated with the distribution of modified Rankin Scale at 90 days (acOR: 1.45 [95% CI: 1.20 to 1.75]). Conclusion In this nationally-representative observational study, acute ischemic stroke patients due to BAO undergoing EVT without GA had similar clinical and safety outcomes compared with patients treated with GA. These findings provide the basis for large-scale randomized controlled trials to test whether anesthetic management provides meaningful clinical effects for patients undergoing EVT.

Inhibition of MicroRNA-15a/16 Expression Alleviates Neuropathic Pain Development through Upregulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2

( Tao Li ),( Yingchun Wan ),( Lijuan Sun ),( Shoujun Tao ),( Peng Chen ),( Caihua Liu ),( Ke Wang ),( Changyu Zhou ),( Guoqing Zhao ) 한국응용약물학회 2019 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.27 No.4

There is accumulating evidence that microRNAs are emerging as pivotal regulators in the development and progression of neuropathic pain. MicroRNA-15a/16 (miR-15a/16) have been reported to play an important role in various diseases and inflammation response processes. However, whether miR-15a/16 participates in the regulation of neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain development remains unknown. In this study, we established a mouse model of neuropathic pain by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerves. Our results showed that both miR-15a and miR-16 expression was significantly upregulated in the spinal cord of CCI rats. Downregulation of the expression of miR-15a and miR-16 by intrathecal injection of a specific inhibitor significantly attenuated the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia of CCI rats. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-15a and miR-16 downregulated the expression of interleukin-1β and tumor-necrosis factor-αin the spinal cord of CCI rats. Bioinformatic analysis predicted that G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2), an important regulator in neuropathic pain and inflammation, was a potential target gene of miR-15a and miR-16. Inhibition of miR-15a and miR-16 markedly increased the expression of GRK2 while downregulating the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and NF-κB in CCI rats. Notably, the silencing of GRK2 significantly reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-15a/16 inhibition in neuropathic pain. In conclusion, our results suggest that inhibition of miR-15a/16 expression alleviates neuropathic pain development by targeting GRK2. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular pathogenesis of neuropathic pain and suggest potential therapeutic targets for preventing neuropathic pain development.

Outcome of Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery in Combination with Somatostatin Analogues in Patients with Growth Hormone Producing Pituitary Adenoma

Zhou, Tao,Wang, Fuyu,Meng, Xianghui,Ba, Jianmin,Wei, Shaobo,Xu, Bainan The Korean Neurosurgical Society 2014 Journal of Korean neurosurgical society Vol.56 No.5

Objective : To determine the efficacy of endoscopic surgery in combination with long-acting somatostatin analogues (SSAs) in treating patients with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary tumor. Methods : We performed retrospective analysis of 133 patients with GH producing pituitary adenoma who underwent pure endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery in our center from January 2007 to July 2012. Patients were followed up for a range of 3-48 months. The radiological remission, biochemical remission and complication were evaluated. Results : A total of 110 (82.7%) patients achieved radiological complete resection, 11 (8.2%) subtotal resection, and 12 (9.0%) partial resection. Eighty-eight (66.2%) patients showed nadir GH level less than 1 ng/mL after oral glucose administration. No mortality or severe disability was observed during follow up. Preoperative long-acting SSA successfully improved left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and blood glucose in three patients who subsequently underwent success operation. Long-acting SSA (20 mg every 30 days) achieved biochemical remission in 19 out 23 (82.6%) patients who showed persistent high GH level after surgery. Conclusion : Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery can biochemically cure the majority of GH producing pituitary adenoma. Post-operative use of SSA can improve biochemical remission.

A novel ceramic GEM used for neutron detection

Zhou, Jianrong,Zhou, Xiaojuan,Zhou, Jianjin,Jiang, Xingfen,Yang, Jianqing,Zhu, Lin,Yang, Wenqin,Yang, Tao,Xu, Hong,Xia, Yuanguang,Yang, Gui-an,Xie, Yuguang,Huang, Chaoqiang,Hu, Bitao,Sun, Zhijia,Chen, Korean Nuclear Society 2020 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.52 No.6

A novel ceramic Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) has been developed to meet the demand of high counting rate for the neutron detection which is an alternative to ³He-based detector at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). An experiment was performed to measure the neutron transmittance of ceramic-GEM and FR4-GEM at the small angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument. The result showed the ceramic-GEM has higher transmittance and less self-scattering especially for cold neutrons. One single ceramic GEM could give a gain of 10²-10⁴ in the mixture gas of Ar and CO₂ (90%:10%) and its energy resolution was about 27.7% by using ⁵⁵Fe X ray of 5.9 keV. A prototype has been developed in order to investigate the performances of the ceramic GEM-based neutron detector. Several neutron beam tests, including detection efficiency, spatial resolution, two-dimensional imaging, and wavelength spectrum, were carried out at CSNS and China Mianyang Research Reactor (CMRR). The results show that the ceramic GEM-based neutron detector is a good candidate to measure the high intensity neutrons.

Terahertz Computed Tomorgraphy with a Quantum Cascade Laser and a Quantum-well Photodetector

Tao Zhou,Li Gu,Zhi-Yong Tan,Jun Cheng Cao 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.63 No.2

In this letter, a terahertz (THz) tomography system based on a quantum cascade laser (QCL)and a quantum-well photodetector (QWP) is demonstrated. The QCL provides a relatively high power (a few microwatts) in a continuous-wave mode at 3.9 THz as a light source, and the QWP provides a narrow response range from 3 to 7 THz with a calibrated peak response of 0.5 A/W under background-limited performance. We employ the widely-used filtered back projection (FBP)and algebraic reconstruction algorithms for terahertz tomography technology. The reconstructed cross-sectional image of a sample has successfully revealed the internal and the external structures with a resolution of around 1.5 mm. This experiment demonstrates that the terahertz QCL and the photodetector are potentially useful for terahertz tomography applications.

Uncertainty Analysis of Dynamic Thermal Rating of Overhead Transmission Line

Zhou, Xing,Wang, Yanling,Zhou, Xiaofeng,Tao, Weihua,Niu, Zhiqiang,Qu, Ailing Korea Information Processing Society 2019 Journal of information processing systems Vol.15 No.2

Dynamic thermal rating of the overhead transmission lines is affected by many uncertain factors. The ambient temperature, wind speed and wind direction are the main sources of uncertainty. Measurement uncertainty is an important parameter to evaluate the reliability of measurement results. This paper presents the uncertainty analysis based on Monte Carlo. On the basis of establishing the mathematical model and setting the probability density function of the input parameter value, the probability density function of the output value is determined by probability distribution random sampling. Through the calculation and analysis of the transient thermal balance equation and the steady- state thermal balance equation, the steady-state current carrying capacity, the transient current carrying capacity, the standard uncertainty and the probability distribution of the minimum and maximum values of the conductor under 95% confidence interval are obtained. The simulation results indicate that Monte Carlo method can decrease the computational complexity, speed up the calculation, and increase the validity and reliability of the uncertainty evaluation.

A model for estimating agglomerate sizes of non-magnetic nanoparticles in magnetic fluidized beds

Tao Zhou,Li Zhou,Feng Zhang,Hiroyuki Kage,Yoshihide Mawatari 한국화학공학회 2013 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.30 No.2

The behavior of SiO2, TiO2 and ZnO non-magnetic nanoparticles and the effects of processing parameters on agglomerate sizes were investigated systematically in a magnetic fluidized bed (MFB) by adding coarse magnets. A mathematical model is developed based on energy balance among the agglomerate collision energy, magnetic energy,energy generated by turbulent shear and cohesive energy to predict the agglomerate sizes. The results showed that slugging of the bed disappeared and the measured agglomerate sizes decreased, so that the fluidization quality of non-magnetic nanoparticles was significantly improved by adding coarse magnets due to introduction of magnetic field. The average agglomerate sizes predicted by this model are in agreement with the experimental data.

ROOM-TEMPERATURE SOLID-STATE REACTION TO TREE-LIKE FRACTAL NANO-CdS AND THIRD-ORDER NONLINEAR OPTICAL PROPERTIES

TAO-YU ZHOU,HUI WANG,XIAO-PING KANG,XIN-QUAN XIN 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2013 NANO Vol.8 No.4

A novel tree-like nano-cadmium sulfide (CdS) with the fractal feature is synthesized by solid-state reaction at room temperature from complex precursor with aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid (ATMP) as ligand. The obtained sample is the crystalline cubic beta cadmium sulfide. The tree is composed of nanorods with an average diameter of ca. 95 nm and a length of up to 100–650 nm. The nanorods grow in the asymmetrical "Y" shape. The amount of ATMP plays an important role in the formation of fractal structure. Nonlinear optical (NLO) measurements by the Z-scan technique exhibit that the tree-like fractal nano-CdS has the third-order nonlinear optical properties of both NLO absorption and NLO refraction with self-focusing effect and the optical limiting performance.