A Hybrid Dynamic Stabilization and Fusion System in Multilevel Lumbar Spondylosis

Li-Yu Fay,Chih-Chang Chang,Hsuan-Kan Chang,Tsung-Hsi Tu,Tzu-Yun Tsai,Ching-Lan Wu,Wen-Cheng Huang,Jau-Ching Wu,Henrich Cheng 대한척추신경외과학회 2018 Neurospine Vol.15 No.3

Objective: The Dynesys-Transition-Optima (DTO) hybrid system was designed to achieve arthrodesis and stabilization in patients with lumbar degeneration. Satisfactory outcomes were demonstrated previously. However, no study has evaluated the effects of using the DTO system in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis or stenosis. Methods: This retrospective study included 35 consecutive patients with multilevel lumbar degeneration with or without spondylolisthesis who underwent surgery using the DTO system. Imaging studies included pre- and postoperative radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography. The clinical outcomes were measured by Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain. Results: Thirty patients (85.7%) with a mean age of 61.9 years completed the follow-up, with a mean duration of 35.1 months. There were 21 patients in the spondylolisthesis group and 9 in the stenosis group. The spondylolisthesis group had worse functional scores than the stenosis group preoperatively. After DTO surgery, all patients showed significant improvements in clinical outcomes, including VAS for back and leg pain, ODI, and JOA scores (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between the 2 groups. At a 2-year follow-up, lumbar alignment was well maintained in both groups (p=0.116). There were no significant differences in lumbar alignment between the 2 groups. Conclusion: During a follow-up period of over 2 years, both patients with spondylolisthesis and those with stenosis showed improvements and similar disability and pain scores after surgery using the DTO system. Lumbar alignment was also well maintained.

Microstructure evolution and effect on deuterium retention in oxide dispersion strengthened tungsten during He⁺ irradiation

Ding, Xiao-Yu,Xu, Qiu,Zhu, Xiao-yong,Luo, Lai-Ma,Huang, Jian-Jun,Yu, Bin,Gao, Xiang,Li, Jian-Gang,Wu, Yu-Cheng Korean Nuclear Society 2020 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.52 No.12

Oxide dispersion-strengthened materials W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ and W-1wt%La₂O₃ were synthesized by wet chemical method and spark plasma sintering. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis, XRD and Vickers microhardness measurements were conducted to characterize the samples. The irradiations were carried out with a 5 keV helium ion beam to fluences up to 5.0 × 10²¹ ions/m² under 600 ℃ using the low-energy ion irradiation system. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study was performed to investigate the microstructural evolution in W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ and W-1wt%La₂O₃. At 1.0 × 10²⁰ He⁺/m², the average loops size of the W-1wt%Pr₂O₃ was 4.3 nm, much lower than W-1wt% La₂O₃ of 8.5 nm. However, helium bubbles were not observed throughout in both doped W materials. The effects of pre-irradiation with 1.0 × 10²¹ He⁺/m² on trapping of injected deuterium in doped W was studied by thermal desorption spectrometry (TDS) technique using quadrupole mass spectrometer. Compared with the samples without He⁺ pre-irradiation, deuterium (D) retention of doped W materials increased after He⁺ irradiation, whose retention was unsaturated at the damage level of 1.0 × 10²²D₂⁺/m². The present results implied that irradiation effect of He⁺ ions must be taken into account to evaluate the deuterium retention in fusion material applications.

Identification of Homer1 as a Potential Prognostic Marker for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Wu, San-Yun,Yu, Ming-Xia,Li, Xiao-Gai,Xu, Shu-Fang,Shen, Ji,Sun, Zhen,Zhou, Xin,Chen, Xing-Zhen,Tu, Jian-Cheng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.7

Background: The aim of the present study was to analyze whether Homer1 is a potential prognostic marker for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Materials and Methods: The expression of Homer1 in ICC tissue was detected with immunohistochemistry and levels of protein in ICC and paratumor tissues were evaluated by Western blotting. Survival analysis by the Kaplan-Meier method was performed to assess prognostic significance. Results: Homer1 expression was high in 67.4% (58/86) of ICC samples, and there was significant difference between ICC and adjacent noncancerous tissues (p<0.001); high expression was associated with poor histologic differentiation (p=0.019), TNM stage (p=0.014), lymph node metastasis (p=0.040), and lymphatic invasion (p=0.025). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, a comparison of survival curves of low versus high expressors of Homer1 revealed a highly significant difference in OS (p=0.001) and DFS (p=0.006), indicating that high expression of Homer1 was linked with a worse prognosis. Multivariate analyses showed that Homer1 expression was an independent risk factor predicting overall survival[Hazard ratio(HR), 7.52; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.63-21.47; p=0.002] and disease-free survival (HR, 11.56; 95%CI, 5.17-25.96; p<0.001) in ICC. Conclusions: Homer1 promotes lymphatic invasion and associates with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of ICC. The current study shows that Homer1 may be an independent prognostic factor for ICC patients after curative resection, and it provides an important basis for screening/treating high-risk patients.

A Fully Distributed Architecture for the Hybrid Cascaded Converter based Utility Interface

Yu-chen Su,Ping-heng Wu,Po-tai Cheng 전력전자학회 2019 ICPE(ISPE)논문집 Vol.2019 No.5

This paper attempts to develop a utility interface for hybrid renewable energy resources, which is based on the hybrid cascaded converter so that several solar panels and one wind turbine can be integrated together. Different from conventional centralized architecture, this paper decentralizes not only the controller but also the modulator to enhance the modularity and the scalability of the overall system, becoming a fully distributed architecture. Further investigation shows that the power variation between the solar panels and the wind turbine has almost no influence on the power quality. Laboratory test results are provided to verify the feasibility of the discussed system.

Effects of Ginsenosides Rg1 on Osteoblasts Cultured with Ti Particles

( Yu Lin ),( Yin Sheng Wu ),( Jia Cheng He ),( Yun Mei Huang ),( Yan Ping Lin ) 한국응용약물학회 2012 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.20 No.1

The aim of this study was to explore the role and effect of ginsenosides Rg1 on osteoblasts cultured with Ti particles. Osteoblasts from neonatal rats were cultured with particles and different doses of Rg1, the main active ingredient in ginsenosides Rg1. We found that the COX-2, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL -6 concentrations in the medium of cells cultured with Ti particles significantly increased as compared with that of the control cells (p<0.05 or p<0.01). In addition, cells cultured with Ti particles alone exhibited the highest concentrations of these molecules. The PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 levels in the medium of cells cultured with Rg1 were in between those of the control cells and the cells cultured with Ti particles alone. The IL-1ra level in the group cultured with Ti and medium-dose Rg1 was the highest followed by the cells cultured with Ti and high-dose Rg1 and those cultured with Ti and low-dose Rg1 (p<0.05). In conclusion, ginsenosides can reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines produced by osteoblasts on induction with Ti particles and can prevent prosthesis loosening.

Ginsenoside Rg1 supplementation clears senescence-associated β-galactosidase in exercising human skeletal muscle

Wu, Jinfu,Saovieng, Suchada,Cheng, I-Shiung,Liu, Tiemin,Hong, Shangyu,Lin, Chang-Yu,Su, I-Chen,Huang, Chih-Yang,Kuo, Chia-Hua The Korean Society of Ginseng 2019 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.43 No.4

Background: Ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to clear senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-${\beta}$-gal) in cultured cells. It remains unknown whether Rg1 can influence SA-${\beta}$-gal in exercising human skeletal muscle. Methods: To examine SA-${\beta}$-gal change, 12 young men (age $21{\pm}0.2years$) were enrolled in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled crossover study, under two occasions: placebo (PLA) and Rg1 (5 mg) supplementations 1 h prior to a high-intensity cycling (70% $VO_{2max}$). Muscle samples were collected by multiple biopsies before and after cycling exercise (0 h and 3 h). To avoid potential effect of muscle biopsy on performance assessment, cycling time to exhaustion test (80% $VO_{2max}$) was conducted on another 12 participants (age $23{\pm}0.5years$) with the same experimental design. Results: No changes of SA-${\beta}$-gal were observed after cycling in the PLA trial. On the contrary, nine of the 12 participants showed complete elimination of SA-${\beta}$-gal in exercised muscle after cycling in the Rg1 trial (p < 0.05). Increases in apoptotic DNA fragmentation (PLA: +87% vs. Rg1: +133%, p < 0.05) and $CD68^+$ (PLA:+78% vs. Rg1:+121%, p = 0.17) occurred immediately after cycling in both trials. During the 3-h recovery, reverses in apoptotic nuclei content (PLA:+5% vs. Rg1 -32%, p < 0.01) and increases in inducible nitrate oxide synthase and interleukin 6 mRNA levels of exercised muscle were observed only in the Rg1 trial (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Rg1 supplementation effectively eliminates senescent cells in exercising human skeletal muscle and improves high-intensity endurance performance.

Failure analysis of prestressed concrete containment vessels under internal pressure considering thermomechanical coupling

Wu Yu-Xiao,Fei Zi-Jian,Feng De-Cheng,Song Meng-Yan 한국원자력학회 2023 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.55 No.12

After a loss of coolant accident (LOCA) in the prestressed concrete containment vessels (PCCVs) of nuclear power plants, the coupling of temperature and pressure can significantly affect the mechanical properties of the PCCVs. However, there is no consensus on how this coupling affects the failure mechanism of PCCVs. In this paper, a simplified finite element modeling method is proposed to study the effect of temperature and pressure coupling on PCCVs. The experiment results of a 1:4 scale PCCV model tested at Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) are compared with the results obtained from the proposed modeling approach. Seven working conditions are set up by varying the internal and external temperatures to investigate the failure mechanism of the PCCV model under the coupling effect of temperature and pressure. The results of this paper demonstrate that the finite element model established by the simplified finite element method proposed in this paper is highly consistent with the experimental results. Furthermore, the stress-displacement curve of the PCCV during loading can be divided into four stages, each of which corresponds to the damage to the concrete, steel liner, steel rebar, and prestressing tendon. Finally, the failure mechanism of the PCCV is significantly affected by temperature.

Performance Analysis of Permanent Magnet Brushless Motors for Mobility Scooters

Yu-Chuan Lu,Ming-Yang Cheng,Chun-Hsien Wu,Wei-Chih Chen,Cheng-Hu Chen 전력전자학회 2011 ICPE(ISPE)논문집 Vol.2011 No.5

Most modern commercial electric scooters are still equipped with the DC brush motor. This type of motor has mechanical structures such as permanent magnet, brush, and commutator. Therefore, it has attractive features, e.g., large start-up torque and easy to control. However, this kind of mechanical commutation often leads to drawbacks such as low power density, low reliability, and poor heat dissipation. In contrast, the Permanent Magnet Brushless Motors (PMBLMs) have advantages such as high efficiency and maintenance free, etc. Hence, the PMBLMs have great potential in becoming the actuators for electric scooters. In this paper, the performance of the PMBLMs with trapezoidal and sinusoidal back-emf waveforms driven by square wave commutation and sinusoidal commutation is investigated. To reduce the cost, low-resolution Hall sensors are used to implement sinusoidal commutation.

Application of physical vapor deposition process to modify activated carbon fibers for ozone reduction

Yu-Chih Lin,Chung-Liang Chang,Tser-Sheng Lin,Hsunling Bai,Ming-Gu Yan,Fu-Hsiang Ko,Chia-Tien Wu,Cheng-Hsiung Huang 한국화학공학회 2008 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.25 No.3

This study utilized the activated carbon fiber (ACF) modified with metal catalyst via physical vapor deposition (PVD) process (ACF/PVD) to diminish ozone. Furthermore, the ozone removal efficiency of ACF/PVD was compared with that of original ACF and ACF modified with metal catalyst via impregnation process (ACF/impregnation). In addition to the kinds of coated metal and the inlet ozone concentrations, the effects of the coating thickness and the reaction temperature on ACF/PVD for ozone removal were also examined. The results indicate that the ozone removal efficiency of ACF/PVD is better than that of original ACF and ACF/impregnation. The ozone removal efficiency of different metal-coated ACF/PVD in the superior order is gold (Au), and manganese (Mn). The increase of Au-coated thickness (3 nm to 80 nm) on ACF/PVD will enhance the ozone removal. However, when the Mn-coated thickness on ACF/PVD is larger than 15 nm, the ozone removal efficiency displays a declining trend. Furthermore, a higher reaction temperature will result in a better ozone removal of ACF/PVD and the original ACF.

The Blood Oxygenation T2* Values of Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas as Measured by 3T Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Association with Tumor Stage

Yu-lian Tang,Xiao-ming Zhang,Zhi-gang Yang,Yu-cheng Huang,Tian-wu Chen,Yan-li Chen,Fan Chen,Nan-lin Zeng,Rui Li,Jiani Hu 대한영상의학회 2017 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.18 No.4

Objective: To explore the association between the blood oxygenation T2* values of resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) and tumor stages. Materials and Methods: This study included 48 ESCC patients and 20 healthy participants who had undergone esophageal T2*-weighted imaging to obtain T2* values of the tumors and normal esophagi. ESCC patients underwent surgical resections less than one week after imaging. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the association between T2* values of ESCCs and tumor stages. Results: One-way ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls tests revealed that the T2* value could differentiate stage T1 ESCCs (17.7 ± 3.3 ms) from stage T2 and T3 tumors (24.6 ± 2.7 ms and 27.8 ± 5.6 ms, respectively; all ps < 0.001). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed the suitable cutoff T2* value of 21.3 ms for either differentiation. The former statistical tests demonstrated that the T2* value could not differentiate between stages T2 and T3 (24.6 ± 2.7 ms vs. 27.8 ± 5.6 ms, respectively, p > 0.05) or between N stages (N1 vs. N2 vs. N3: 24.7 ± 6.9 ms vs. 25.4 ± 4.5 ms vs. 26.8 ± 3.9 ms, respectively; all ps > 0.05). The former tests illustrated that the T2* value could differentiate anatomic stages I and II (18.8 ± 4.8 ms and 26.9 ± 5.9 ms, respectively) or stages I and III (27.3 ± 3.6 ms). ROC analysis depicted the same cutoff T2* value of 21.3 ms for either differentiation. In addition, the Student’s t test revealed that the T2* value could determine grouped T stages (T0 vs. T1–3: 17.0 ± 2.9 ms vs. 25.2 ± 6.2 ms; T0–1 vs. T2–3: 17.3 ± 3.0 ms vs. 27.1 ± 5.3 ms; and T0–2 vs. T3: 18.8 ± 4.2 ms vs. 27.8 ± 5.6 ms, all ps < 0.001). ROC analysis indicated that the T2* value could detect ESCCs (cutoff, 20 ms), and discriminate between stages T0–1 and T2–3 (cutoff, 21.3 ms) and between T0–2 and T3 (cutoff, 20.4 ms). Conclusion: The T2* value can be an additional quantitative indicator for detecting ESCC except for stage T1 cancer, and can preoperatively discriminate between some T stages and between anatomic stages of this tumor.