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China's high-quality development cannot be achieved without high-quality research. As the university is an indispensable source of advanced research, analyzing the impact of university-industry collaboration (UIC) on firm performance helps us understand the significance of universities for China's economic development and innovation activities. As existing research does not pay attention to the impact of UIC on the productivity of Chinese firms, we examine the impact of such collaboration on firm productivity using natural language processing and by matching China's intellectual property and listed firms' operations databases. The empirical results show that UIC can promote firm productivity by improving the quality of their innovations, strengthening internalization efficiency, and broadening their research horizons. Moreover, the UIC process has a pronounced effect on promoting firm productivity in technology- and intellectual property-intensive industries. From the UIC perspective, we interpret China's economic development and provide new insights for developing countries regarding using universities to alleviate the insufficiency of private R&D investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide more suggestions for the anti‐fatigue design of cold‐formed steel, a series of high‐cycle fatigue tests are carried out on cold‐rolled steel sheets connected by self‐tapping screws and blind rivets in this paper. Subsequently, fatigue failure mode, fatigue strength, and fatigue damage are analyzed in detail. The test results show that all effective data points are below the S‐N curve of screws in the code. Meanwhile, the fatigue limit values of the fitted curves with 95% survival probability fall within the range of 0.3 to 0.67 times the specified value. Besides, the fatigue damage expansion rate of cold‐rolled steel sheets is less than the standard value. Through further discussion, it is noticed that metal grade has little influence on the fatigue performance, while thickness has a significantly positive influence on the shear resistance and fatigue performance. Moreover, the fatigue performance of the two connection types appears to be similar. Highlights: The base metal has little effect on the fatigue performance of cold‐rolled steel connections.Thickness raises the shear and fatigue performance of cold‐rolled steel connections.The fatigue performance of the two types of cold‐rolled steel connections is similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboveground biomass (AGB) of shrubs and low-statured trees constitutes a substantial portion of the total carbon pool in temperate forest ecosystems, contributing much to local biodiversity, altering tree-regeneration growth rates, and determining above- and belowground food webs. Accurate quantification of AGB at the shrub layer is crucial for ecological modeling and still remains a challenge. Several methods for estimating understory biomass, including inventory and remote sensing-based methods, need to be evaluated against measured datasets. In this study, we acquired 158 individual terrestrial laser scans (TLS) across 45 sites in the Yanshan Mountains and generated metrics including leaf area and stem volume from TLS data using voxel- and non-voxel-based approaches in both leaf-on and leaf-off scenarios. Allometric equations were applied using field-measured parameters as an inventory approach. The results indicated that allometric equations using crown area and height yielded results with higher accuracy than other inventory approach parameters (R2 and RMSE ranging from 0.47 to 0.91 and 12.38 to 38.11 g, respectively). The voxel-based approach using TLS data provided results with R2 and RMSE ranging from 0.86 to 0.96 and 6.43 to 21.03 g. Additionally, the non-voxel-based approach provided similar or slightly better results compared to the voxel-based approach (R2 and RMSE ranging from 0.93 to 0.96 and 4.23 to 11.27 g, respectively) while avoiding the complexity of selecting the optimal voxel size that arises during voxelization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The realistic simulation of the dynamic responses of a moving articulated vehicle has attracted considerable attention in various disciplines, with the identification of the vehicle model being the prerequisite. To this end, a double-sensor hump calibration method (DHCM) was developed to identify both unladen and laden vehicle models, consisting of a sensor layout optimization step and a system identification step. The first step was to optimize the number and position of sensors via parameter sensitivity analysis; the second was to inversely identify the vehicle system based on sensor responses. For comparison, the DHCM and the existing single-sensor hump calibration method (SHCM) were used to calibrate a small-sized vehicle model and a multi-axle articulated vehicle model. Vertical accelerations of the vehicle models were then simulated and characterized by power spectral densities (PSDs). Validation against experimental measurements indicated that the PSDs of the models identified with the DHCM matched the measured PSDs better than those of the SHCM, i.e., the DHCM-identified model accurately simulated the dynamic response of an articulated vehicle with relative errors below 16% in the low-frequency range. Therefore, the DHCM could identify models of small-sized vehicles and multi-axle articulated vehicles, while the SHCM was only suitable for the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To address the challenging problem of fixed‐time anti‐sway and positioning control for tower cranes with uncertain disturbances and input saturation, a novel fixed‐time anti‐saturation robust algorithm is proposed. First, on the basis of a newly designed fixed‐time convergence system, a fixed‐time disturbance observer (FTDO) is developed to estimate the matched and unmatched disturbances. Then, an anti‐saturation compensator is employed to deal with the input saturation and make the control input leave the saturated region rapidly. Upon which, a novel non‐singular fast terminal sliding mode surface is presented. Furthermore, in order to ensure the stability of each subsystem, a hierarchical sliding mode surface taking into account unmatched disturbances and input saturation is designed. Finally, the FTDO based hierarchical sliding mode control law is introduced to improve the transient control performance and robustness of tower cranes. The fixed‐time convergence of the closed‐loop system is proved by Lyapunov technique. Numerical simulations for four scenarios demonstrate the validity of the presented control scheme and fastest convergence speed in comparison to the recently proposed fixed‐time control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is caused by the hormonal environment in utero, abnormal metabolism, and genetics, and it is common in women of childbearing age. A large number of studies have reported that lncRNA is important to the biological process of cancer and can be used as a potential prognostic biomarker. Thus, we studied lncRNAs' roles in PCOS in this article. Methods. We obtained mRNAs', miRNAs', and lncRNAs' expression profiles in PCOS specimens and normal specimens from the National Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Comprehensive Center database. The EdgeR software package is used to distinguish the differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Functional enrichment analysis was carried out by the clusterProfiler R Package, and the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction ceRNA network was built in Cytoscape plug-in BiNGO and Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integration Discovery (DAVID), respectively. Results. We distinguished differentially expressed RNAs, including 1087 lncRNAs, 14 miRNAs, and 566 mRNAs in PCOS. Among them, 410 lncRNAs, 11 miRNAs, and 185 mRNAs were contained in the ceRNA regulatory network. The outcomes from Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that the differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) were mainly enriched in response to the maternal process involved in female pregnancy, morphogenesis of embryonic epithelium, and the intracellular steroid hormone receptor signaling pathway. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis data showed that DEMs were primarily enriched in pathways related to the TGF-β signaling pathway, Type I diabetes mellitus, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. In addition, we chose NONHSAT123397, ENST00000564619, and NONHSAT077997 as key lncRNAs due to their high bearing on PCOS. Conclusion. ceRNA networks play an important role in PCOS. The research indicated that specific lncRNAs were related to PCOS development. NONHSAT123397, ENST00000564619, and NONHSAT077997 could be regarded as potential diagnostic mechanisms and biomarkers for PCOS. This discovery might provide more effective and more novel insights into the mechanisms of PCOS worthy of further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study on the stub columns of cold-formed thick-walled square, rectangular and circular steel tubes under axial compression was presented in this paper. Obvious cold-forming effect was observed from the tensile coupon test for RHS and SHS, in terms of the yield strength and elongation. It was shown that the width-to-thickness ratio had a significant influence on the failure modes and load-displacement curves of the stub columns. Performance of current design methods, including effective width methods in design codes, direct strength method (DSM) and continuous strength method (CSM), in predicting the ultimate capacity of stub columns was assessed by comparing the predicted capacities with the experimental capacities in this study and existing literature. It is shown that the CSM can provide more accurate and consistent strength predictions than the methods in current design codes. • Experimental investigation of cold-formed thick-walled stub columns, including square, rectangular and circular sections. • Different failure modes and influencing factors of stub columns are explained. • Design methods in the codes considering the cold forming effect are evaluated. • Application of continuous strength method on cold-formed thick-walled stub columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Previous studies have demonstrated the ubiquitin-proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BTZ) can effectively alleviate hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) by suppressing the intracellular calcium homeostasis in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Further evaluation showed that the antiproliferation roles of BTZ are mainly mediated by inhibition of the intracellular calcium homeostasis. Caveolin-1 belongs to one of the key regulators of the intracellular calcium homeostasis in PASMCs, which can regulate the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). However, the effects of BTZ on Caveolin-1 remain unclear. Methods. Primarily cultured human PASMCs were used as the cell model. CCK-8 assay was performed to assess the PASMCs proliferation. Western blotting and real-time qPCR were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions. Fura-2-based fluorescence imaging experiments were used to determine the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) was utilized to determine the protein degradation process. Results. Firstly, in cultured human PASMCs, treatment of BTZ for 24 or 60 hours significantly downregulates Caveolin-1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Secondly, in the presence CHX, BTZ treatment also leads to downregulated protein expression and fastened protein degradation of Caveolin-1, indicating that BTZ can promote the Caveolin-1 protein degradation, other than the BTZ on Caveolin-1 mRNA transcription. Then, BTZ significantly attenuates the hypoxia-elevated baseline [Ca2+]i, SOCE, and cell proliferation. Conclusion. We firstly observed that the ubiquitin-proteasome inhibitor BTZ can inhibit the Caveolin-1 expression at both mRNA transcription and protein degradation processes, providing new mechanistic basis of BTZ on PASMC proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible roof structures, such as membranes, are sensitive to wind action due to their flexibility and light weight. Previously, the effect of added mass on the vibration frequency of membrane structures has been experimentally tested. However, the effect of added mass on wind-induced vibration remains unclear. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of added mass on the wind-induced vibration of a circular flat membrane based on wind tunnel tests. First, wind tunnel tests were conducted to obtain wind pressure distribution from the rigid model and wind-induced vibration from the aeroelastic model of a circular flat membrane. Secondly, a dynamic finite element analysis for the proposed added mass model was conducted to obtain the wind-induced vibration of the membrane structure. Then, with the wind pressure distribution obtained from the rigid model tests, dynamic analysis was conducted either with or without consideration of the effect of added mass. According to the dynamic analysis results and the wind tunnel test results, it is clear that considering the effect of added mass in dynamic analysis can significantly improve the accuracy of a wind-induced response. Such an effect is more significant at the windward than the central zone. The inclusion of added mass can result in a larger displacement response as wind velocity increases but a smaller response as the prestress level increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor is the most serious threat to human beings. Although war against cancer has been launched over forty years, cancer treatment is still far away from being satisfactory. Immunotherapy, especially checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, is a rising star that shows a promising future. To fulfill the requirement of depleting primary tumor and inhibiting tumor metastasis and recurrence, many researchers combined checkpoint blockade immunotherapy with other treatment strategies to extend the treatment outcome. Photodynamic therapy could induce immunogenic cell death, and checkpoint blockade could further accelerate the immunity; therefore, combining these two strategies publishes many papers. Additionally, photothermal therapy and immunotherapy were also utilized for combining with checkpoint blockade, which were also reviewed in this paper. Furthermore, antibodies, siRNA, and small molecule inhibitors are developed to block the checkpoint; therefore, we categorized the papers into three sections, combination nanoparticles with checkpoint blockade antibody, combination nanoparticles with checkpoint blockade siRNA, and combination nanoparticles with small molecule checkpoint inhibitors, and related researches were summarized. In conclusion, the combination nanoparticle with checkpoint blockade cancer immunity is a promising direction that may fulfill the requirement of cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely known that added mass has a significant influence on the natural frequency of membrane structures. Previously, some experimental studies on the added mass of flat membranes have been performed. However, the added mass of curved membrane vibrating in still air is unclear. In this study, first, vibration tests of a circular curved membrane in still air with various air pressures are conducted, and the natural frequencies of the circular curved membrane are identified with the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT). An approximate estimation of the added mass coefficient of the circular curved membrane is given as 0.65 by fitting results of tests. Then, the efficiencies of two added mass models, one as simplified added mass method and the other as numerically analysis method established by using the Boundary Element Method (BEM), are verified by the circular curved membrane tests. At last, the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) values indicate that for uniform mass distribution of the circular curved membrane, there is little difference between the mode shapes of the membrane vibrating in vacuum and in air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A shaking table test explores the resonant responses between vehicles and modules. • Accelerations of the test are simulated by a vehicle-module interaction model. • PSDs from vehicle-module interaction model depicts transportation loading spectra. • Loading spectra consist of five scalable PSDs with three peaks under A-E roads. • Spectra under B-D roads are applicable for most module transportation scenarios. The wastage associated with the damage of single building modules when subjected to dynamic loading (termed transportation loading) from heavy vehicles during road transportation is a primary deterrent to the adoption of modular construction. In this paper, generalized transportation loading spectra were developed to quantify transportation loading for the structural design of building modules. First, a shaking table test was conducted on a scaled-down model representing the module transportation scenario to explore the resonant responses between the vehicle and module. Then, a proposed vehicle-module interaction model accurately simulated the vertical acceleration responses derived from the shaking table test. Finally, the vehicle-module interaction model was extended to a realistic module transportation situation; the acceleration power spectral densities (PSDs) on the vehicle chassis from the extended models characterized the loading spectra. A parametric study involving vehicle type, module category, road roughness, and travel speed demonstrates that the loading spectra consist of five scalable PSDs under Class A-E roads (from A-H classification of ISO 8608). Three peaks are observed in each PSD, with two high peaks consistent with measured PSDs from the literature. Among the spectra, PSDs under B-D roads are applicable for most module transportation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Axial compression tests and corresponding finite element analysis were conducted on the basis of material property tests. It was shown that the failure mode of long column with a low width-thickness ratio is global instability, while the failure mode of short column with a high width-thickness ratio is that small bending deformation appeared firstly at the center of the column, then the deformation developed with the gradually increasing load and caused local buckling in the end. The results of finite element analysis can fit well with the test results, which means the feasibility and accuracy can be achieved by using this residual stress model into finite element analysis to simulate the axial compression behavior of cold-formed thick-walled steel members. Then, the finite element model was used based on the collected 26 groups of material properties of different tubes with representative size and thickness to get the axial bearing capacity data of members, and design reliability analysis of cold-formed thick-walled steel members under axial compression was conducted. Finally, the resistance partial factor and the design strength for Q235 and Q345 cold-formed thick-walled steel were proposed for the reference in current revising of related design codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the cold-forming effect on the yield strength of cold-formed thick-walled steel sections over 6. 0 mm thick, four cold-formed steel rectangular hollow sections with representative size and thickness were selected to investigate the material properties of different parts of the sections. Meanwhile, existing data of material property tests and short column tests were collected. The modifying formula for yield strength considering cold-forming effect based on different codes in the world were summarized, and the calculation results from those formulas were compared with the test results. It is shown that cold-forming has a strong influence on the yield strength of cold-formed thick-walled steel sections, and it depends greatly on the width to thickness ratio of each plate of the sections. The calculation results of Chinese code, AISI ( American Iron and Steel Institute) standard, Australian/New Zealand standard and the formula proposed by Zhu Aizhu are in conservatively agreement with the test results, while that of Eurocode is a little larger. The suitability of the improved method from Chinese Code was theoretically proved, and it can get a little safer results with a lower coefficient of variation, which means appropriate to be used in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Built-up section members have been widely used in cold-formed thin-walled steel structures, but nowadays design methods for load-carrying capacity provided in related specifications in China are rather rough. The existing axial compression tests on lipped channel section members and built-up box section members, which are composed of lipped channel section members by self-drilling screws, are briefly introduced. The structural behaviors differences of built-up members and individual members were studied through existing experimental data, numerical analysis and theoretical studies. Then, the effects of installation errors and fastener spacing on built-up members' ultimate capacity were studied. Finally, a design method for built-up members with box and I sections under axial compression was proposed based on the above analysis. It can be concluded from this research that built-up box section member's global and distortional buckling strength and built-up I section member's global buckling strength are higher than corresponding single section member' s strength, and the existing test results can verify the reasonability of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of cold-formed thin-walled steel structures has increased in recent years, and some built-up section members are motivated and also widely used for their excellent structural behaviors. In this paper, a series of axially-compressed tests on built-up box section members composed of two C-section by self-drilling screws at flanges are conducted. The differences of global, local and distortional buckling behaviors between members with built-up and single sections are investigated at first. Then the effects of installation error and fastener spacing on ultimate load-carrying capacity of built-up members are analyzed. A strength estimation method for built-up members under axial compression is proposed based on the experimental investigation in this paper, as well as some existing experiments, and corresponding numerical analysis studies. Finally, the predicted capacity obtained by using the proposed strength estimation method is compared with experimental results and the nominal axial strength determined according to the AISI provisions, by which the suitability and accuracy of the proposed strength estimation method have been established. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on comparison of stability coefficient between distortional buckling and local buckling, the critical condition without distortional buckling or distortional buckling occurring after local buckling for cold-formed thin-walled steel members with lipped channel section was put forward. At the same time, the critical condition for controlling distortional buckling by corresponding calculation length of members was presented. Furthermore, a countermeasure to avoid distortional buckling of cold-formed thin-walled steel members with lipped channel section by setting batten sheets between two lips was presented. A series of tests were carried out to show its validity, and the stiffness requirement of the batten sheets was proposed. The results show that, calculation of distortional bucking load-carrying capacity of cold-formed thin-walled steel members with lipped channel section can be avoided if the distortional buckling occurs after the local buckling or the distortional buckling does not occur by controlling the section sizes of members; distortional buckling doesn't occur when the calculated length is less than half of half-wave length of distortional buckling; the suggested countermeasure by setting batten sheets between two lips is valid to prevent the rotation of flanges, which leads to an evident increase of the elastic distortional buckling strength, and the load-carrying capacity of axial compression members as well; with different spacing of batten sheets, the corresponding increase of load-carrying capacities is obviously different. Generally, the spacing is smaller, increase of load-carrying capacity is higher. The example show that the batten sheets with a certain spacing and stiffness can increase the distortional buckling strength or avoid the occur of distortional buckling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic behavior of framing shear wall, which is the main lateral force-resistance assembly of cold-formed thin-walled steel framing system, is closely associated with the behavior of screw connections between steel studs and sheathing boards. A series of tests on behavior of screw connections between the cold-formed steel studs and structural oriented strand boards (OSBs), under monotonic and cyclic shear loading, were carried out. The main objectives of the tests were to investigate the effects of loading rate, sheathing orientation, end distance of screws and thickness of steel studs. It is shown that, the shear behavior of screw connections is little affected by both the tested loading rate and sheathing orientation; both the strength and deformation increase with the end distance increasing in the tested range; the peak load increases by about 10% with stud thickness increasing from 0. 8 mm to 1.0 mm, while the deformation does not exhibit a clear tendency. Finally, based on the tests results, a restoring force model of screw connections between cold-formed steel studs and structural OSB was obtained by the combination of modified exponential 'Foschi' skeleton curve and pivot hysteretic rule, which will support the numerical study on seismic behavior of framing shear walls, and even integral buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nonlinear dynamic analysis study on seismic behavior of a two-story cold-formed thin-walled steel framing building full-scale test model was carried out by the way of from components to integral structure. Restoring force behaviors of all framing shear walls of the shaking table test building were obtained based on the refined numerical framing shear wall model and restoring force model of tapping screw connections. Then, a dynamic numerical model of low-rise cold-formed thin-walled steel framing building was established based on the simplified shear wall model with nonlinear bracing and assumption of rigid diaphragm, and nonlinear dynamic analysis was carried out. The results of FEA agree well with the tests. Also, values range of damping ratio was proposed based on the parametric analysis of damping ratio and the comparison of FEA and shaking table tests. Finally, the application of linear dynamic analysis is investigated, and suggestions are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold-formed thin-walled steel residential building systems, because of their good environment protection, seismic performance, and high construction efficiency, have been widely used in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Australia, and recently, they also have had good application in China. Although a variety of studies have been carried out all over the world in the last 20 years, there is no related design code for this kind of building in China. For this reason, a series of research has been conducted in China recently, considering the consistency of standard systems in structural design in China and the newest development in the world. The contents of the paper can be divided into two parts. First, the major research works conducted by the authors over the last 5 years and the main findings are reviewed and summarized. Second, based on a Chinese professional standard, a brief summary of the design methods for cold-formed thin-walled steel framing residential buildings developed by the authors and other researchers in China is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Referring to Australian specifications and the actual requirements in China, a complete method of determining the design values of specimen capacity based on test data, rather than calculation from existing design formula, was presented. A modification factor was obtained which could determine the characteristic values of specimen capacity directly from the minimum testing result through probability analysis. The modification factor can ensure that the characteristic values have a certain level of survival probability. The resistance partial factors were calculated through design reliability analysis to determine the design values from characteristic values of specimen capacity. It is proven that by adopting the recommended resistance partial factors, the actual reliability index of structural members are no less than the target reliability index under all possible loading cases. Some experimental data were collected, and the design values of specimen strength calculated from design formula provided in the design code were compared with that determined directly from test results using the proposed method. It is found that the proposed method can rationally evaluate the design values of specimen strength. Finally, the preconditions and applicable situation of the proposed method were discussed, which might provide reference for further research and applications of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipelines are susceptible to oil and gas leaks during long-distance transportation due to factors such as damage from external forces and aging. However, existing pipeline leakage detection technologies that rely on physical inspections or sensors installed on pipelines are time-consuming and costly. In this paper, a percussion approach based on improved MobileNetV2 is proposed for pipeline leakage detection. Firstly, the influence of pipe leakage size on vibration characteristics was investigated by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. Subsequently, experiments were conducted to assess the validity of the proposed method. The sounds produced by hammering the pipe under different damage conditions were recorded using a smartphone. The improved MobileNetV2 model was then used for classifying Mel spectrogram and Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC) features extracted from the recorded sound signals. This model incorporates a multi-scale feature fusion module, which allows it to capture features at different scales and enhances its ability to differentiate between damage conditions. Experimental results show that using Mel spectrogram as input for the improved MobileNetV2 achieves a higher accuracy compared to using MFCC, with 100% accuracy for identifying leakage damage and 99.87% for classifying leak size. Compared to other methods, the improved MobileNetV2 exhibits superior classification performance while maintaining the lightweight characteristics of the original MobileNetV2. In conclusion, the improved model demonstrates significant enhancements in classification performance and operational efficiency, making it a promising approach for processing percussive signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Activation of Adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase/Sirtuin1 (AMPK/SIRT1) exerts an effect in alleviating obesity and gut damage. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, has been reported to activate AMPK. This study was to investigate the effect of SNP on HFD induced gut dysfunction and the mechanism.Methods: SNP was applied on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated Caco-2 cell monolayers which mimicked intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction and HFD-fed mice which were complicated by gut dysfunction. Then AMPKα/SIRT1 pathway and gut barrier indicators were investigated.Results: SNP rescued the loss of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, the inhibition of AMPKα/SIRT1 in LPS stimulated Caco-2 cell monolayers, and the effects were not shown when AMPKa1 was knocked-down by siRNA. SNP also alleviated HFD induced obesity and gut dysfunction in mice, as indicated by the decreasing of intestinal permeability, the increasing expression of ZO-1 and occludin, the decreasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, and the repairing of gut microbiota dysbiosis. These effects were complicated by the increased colonic NO content and the activated AMPKα/SIRT1 signaling.Conclusions: The results may imply that SNP, as a NO donor, alleviates HFD induced gut dysfunction probably by activating the AMPKα/SIRT1 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) has been developed to protect C/C composites exposed to high-temperature oxidizing environment. In this study, the effect of additive for the ablation behavior of ZrB 2 -based coating was investigated. The SiC–La 2 O 3 bond coat was firstly prepared on the C/C composites by the method of pack cementation (PC). ZrB 2 –SiC–Si (ZSS) and ZrB 2 –SiC–Al 2 O 3 (ZSA) coatings with dense microstructure and excellent interfacial bonding then were prepared on the surface of C/C composites coated with SiC–La 2 O 3 layer by the method of atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The ablation experiments of all coated samples were conducted under oxyacetylene torch with a heat flux of 4.18 MW/m2. The microstructure, phase compositions, interfacial bonding, ablation and oxidation behaviors of coating were investigated. After ablation test, the ZrO 2 sketon with prorous structure was formed in the central region of ZSS coating. However, denser structure still can be observed at ZSA coating due to the formation of liquid phase. The SiC–La 2 O 3 –C/C interface are still without cracks. Furthermore, the diffusion of La element into ZSS and ZSA coatings from the SiC–La 2 O 3 layer was beneficial for the improvement of ablation resistance. The result indicated that SiC–La 2 O 3 /ZSA could effectively provide protection for C/C composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work firstly evaluated the effect of temperature on the preparation of SiC coating using Al 2 O 3 as catalyst by pack cementation (PC) method. SiC/ZrB 2 -SiC-Si (ZSS) and SiC/ZrB 2 -SiC-Al 2 O 3 (ZSA) coating were prepared on the surface of C/C composites by PC combined with atmospheric plasma spraying (APS). The objective of this work is to study the influence of Si and Al 2 O 3 additives for ablation performances of ZrB 2 -SiC coating. The coated samples were subjected to ablation test, and the phase composition and microstructure evolution were investigated. The results indicated that SiC/ZSA coating had better ablation resistance because phase transformation and growth of ZrO 2 grain was restrained by Al 2 O 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline leakage and water deposits can cause serious consequences, such as environmental pollution, safety accidents, and economic losses. Therefore, effective detection of these flaws is of critical importance. Currently, most of the detection methods rely heavily on experienced inspectors and specialized equipment, which is labor-intensive and costly. To this end, this paper presents a one-dimensional residual convolutional neural network (1D-ResNet) based percussion method, for detecting pipeline leakage and water deposit. The proposed method uses sound produced by tapping the pipe as input to 1D-ResNet, which can directly extract features from the audio signal, avoiding hand-crafted feature extraction process. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through experiments, showing strong performance in pipeline fault detection. Furthermore, the 1D-ResNet method exhibits better classification performance and stronger noise robustness compared to other methods. In summary, this study presents a novel approach for the detection of pipeline leakage and deposit through the innovative introduction of 1D-ResNet deep learning technology, which has significant application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste rubber (WR) and waste glass (WG) have long been a waste disposal challenge. In an effort to alleviate the environmental impacts of solid wastes and to recycle as much as possible, and extensive research has been carried out to use these wastes as a feasible option for concrete materials. However, the utilization of these potential solid wastes in concrete has not yet obtained popularity. Hence to accomplish this aim of wider application of waste materials in producing concrete, the concrete prepared with this wastes should maintain satisfactory performance. This study investigated the effect of incorporating various substitution levels of WR and WG on the performance of concrete, both separation and in combination. The rubber aggregate was substituted for 10%, 20% and 30% of the sand and glass aggregate was used to replace coarse aggregate at 10%, 20% and 30%, on volume basis. The basic properties were evaluated by conducting workability, compressive strength, split-tensile strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), water absorption and sorptivity tests on different forms of the mixtures. Further, the microstructure was analyzed by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated improvement in the water permeability and water absorption of the concrete by adding both rubber and glass simultaneously. In addition, it also showed that the combination of WR and WG enhanced the strengths of rubber concrete, especially at 10% WR and 20% WG. Moreover, the rubber concrete with the addition of glass particles had more encouraging slump results with respect to plain rubber concrete and control mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EZY‐1 is an antifibrosis peptide purified from Eucheuma. In this study, we explored the acute toxicology of EZY‐1 and the signaling pathways involved in its antifibrotic role. The mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis was induced by bleomycin. Pathological changes in lung tissue could be effectively inhibited by EZY‐1. Acute toxicity and cell proliferation tests indicated that EZY‐1 had no apparent toxicity to mice and cells. We identified proteins that could bind directly to EZY‐1 in vitro on the basis of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analysis. EZY‐1 inhibited pulmonary fibrosis via Wnt/β‐catenin, transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β/Smad, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B/ mammalian target of rapamycin, and activator of transcription 3 and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer pathways. A transwell micropore experiment showed that EZY‐1 could inhibit cell migration and invasion. Western blotting analysis on transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1)‐induced A549 pulmonary fibrosis cell model suggested that EZY‐1 could downregulate p‐Smad3 (Ser423/Ser425), Smad4, β‐catenin, vimentin, and N‐cadherin expression. ELISA showed that EZY‐1 could inhibit collagen‐I secretion. EZY‐1 alleviated idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) through regulating TGF‐β/Smad pathways, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition processes, and collagen secretion, which provides a potential foundation for theoretical development of EZY‐1 as a potential drug against IPF. Practical applications: We isolated a new 16‐amino‐acid peptide derived from the polypeptide extract of Eucheuma, named EZY‐1. In vitro and in vivo assays show peptide EZY‐1 is safe. The EZY‐1 peptide alleviates IPF at lower doses than pirfenidone. EZY‐1 alleviated idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) through regulating TGF‐β/Smad pathways, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes, and collagen secretion, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of EZY‐1 as a potential drug against IPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on static and dynamic experimental investigations on light-gauge composite framing walls, the suitable skeleton curve model, as well as the hysteretic curve model of the composite walls for seismic analysis was discussed and suggested at first in this paper. Then, seismic analysis methods for light-gauge composite framing building system were discussed in comparison with shaking table test of a full-scale model of high-strength cold-formed thin-walled steel framing building with yield strength over 550 MPa, including the equivalent base shear method, the response spectrum method and the elastic time-history analysis method for frequently occurred earthquake action design, and the nonlinear pushover method and the elasto-plastic time-history analysis method for rare earthquake action design. Meanwhile, the results based on different seismic analysis methods were compared and verified by the shaking table test data of the full-scale model. Finally, considering the basic requirements in current seismic design codes in China, some suggestions on seismic design methods for low-rise cold-formed thin-walled steel framing buildings were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Growing evidence indicates that the alteration of microRNA (miRNA) expression in tumors that is induced by chemical carcinogens plays an important role in tumor development and progression. However, the mechanism underlying miRNA involvement in lung carcinogenesis induced by anti-benzo[a]pyrene-trans-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (anti-BPDE) remains unclear. In our study, we used the malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE-T) induced by anti-BPDE to explore the mechanisms of human lung carcinogenesis. We found that expression of miR-506 was reduced in 16HBE-T transformed malignant human bronchial epithelial cells compared with 16HBE normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Restoration of miR-506 in 16HBE-T cells led to a decrease in cell proliferation, G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, as well as significantly suppressed anchorage-dependent growth in vitro and tumor growth inhibition in a nude mouse xenograft model. In addition, we provided novel evidence regarding the role miR-506 potentially plays in negatively regulating the protein and mRNA expression level of N-Ras in cancer cells. Together, these findings revealed that miR-506 acts as an anti-oncogenic miRNA (anti-oncomir) in malignantly transformed cells. The identification of tumor suppressive miRNAs could provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The small-sized variable-stiffness wedge (VSW) anchorage, a second-generation solution, was numerically optimized to anchor basalt-fiber-reinforced polymer tendons, building upon the previous first-generation anchorage. The static, fatigue, and relaxation characteristics of the anchorage were experimentally evaluated. Results revealed that VSWs effectively mitigated radial stress concentration within the tendons compared to constant stiffness wedges. Bonding optimization techniques involving cross-splitting and sandblasting proved advantageous in accurately assessing the tensile properties of round tendons. The second-generation anchorage demonstrated an 87% anchoring efficiency, surpassing that of a longer commercial steel-wedge anchorage significantly. The tendon-anchorage assembly can sustain 2 million cyclic loadings under a maximum fatigue stress of 0.44 f fpk (standard value for tendon tensile strength) and a stress range of 0.04 f fpk ; moreover, sliding between wedges and tendons resulted in negligible stress reduction across various stress ranges. A logarithmic function effectively modeled the relationship between relaxation time and load retention in tendons with R-squared values consistently above 0.94 throughout; furthermore, the million-hour relaxation rate closely aligned with observed tendon behavior. The application of an initial tensile stress of 0.5 f fpk to tendons allowed for simultaneous high strength and minimal prestress loss. • The variable-stiffness wedge effectively mitigates tendon stress concentration. • The variable-stiffness wedge anchorage can sustain 2 million cyclic loadings. • The relaxation behavior of the tendon-anchorage assembly resembles that of tendons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin has strong broad‐spectrum anticancer activity and is one of the most effective anticancer drugs currently used. The clinical application of cisplatin has led to the resistance of cancer cells to cisplatin. Tachyplesin is an active, natural marine peptide with antitumour activity. In the present study, we investigated whether tachyplesin can be used in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 and H460 cells as well as the cisplatin‐resistant human A549/DDP NSCLC cell line. The results revealed that tachyplesin treatment significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in A549 and H460 cells and the combination of tachyplesin and cisplatin significantly suppressed migration and improved sensitivity to cisplatin in A549/DDP cells. Further mechanistic examination revealed that tachyplesin induced apoptosis in A549/DDP cells by increasing Fas, FasL and p‐RIPK1 levels. These results indicated that tachyplesin induces lung cancer death by activating the Fas, mitochondrial and necroptosis pathways. Tachyplesin could be developed as a candidate drug for cisplatin‐resistant NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resistance connection (HRC) is a common electrical fault for the electric machine drive system. This fault can lead to the increased power loss and heat, thus possibly causing the damage of the electric machine drive system due to the excessive temperature. Hence, this paper first proposes a vector control strategy of the surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drive system with the HRC fault to minimize the copper loss. The mathematical model of the PMSM with the HRC is presented in abc stationary frame. The function relationship between the copper loss and the direct axis current, quadrature axis current, stator resistance, and the additional resistance due to the HRC is established and analyzed. The expression of the direct axis current, which minimizes the copper loss, is deduced under the condition of the HRC in one phase and two phases. Consequently, the proposed vector control strategy for the surface-mounted PMSM driving system is achieved. Both the simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method not only preserves the performance of the conventional vector control method, but also can effectively reduce the copper loss, thus protecting the PMSM from the damage due to the increased temperature possibly caused by the HRC fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the mass transfer mechanism of microvias electroforming under ultrasonic agitation by numerical simulations and electrochemical experiments. Firstly, the velocity distribution of electroforming solution inside the microvias under ultrasound treatment is simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics software. The ultrasonic frequency is that of 120 kHz. The ultrasonic powers are 100 W, 200 W, 300 W and 400 W, respectively. The simulation results indicate that the mean liquid velocity inside the microvias increases with the increasing of acoustic power. In addition, under a certain ultrasonic power, the mean liquid velocity will decrease with increasing the distance between microvias and transducer, the aspect ratio of microvias and the distance between cathode and central position. Secondly, electrochemical experiments are presented to investigate the effect of ultrasonic agitation on the electrode kinetics of microvias electroforming. It is found that ultrasonic treatment decreases the thickness of diffusion layer, increases the limiting diffusion current densities and further enhances the mass transfer of microvias electroforming. Compared with the silent condition, the diffusion layer thicknesses with the acoustic power of 100 W, 200 W, 300 W, 400 W are decreased by 50.0%, 64.1%, 69.3% and 74.5%, respectively. Finally, according to the results above, the 200 × 200 metal micro-column array structures are fabricated by ultrasonic electroforming under the condition of 120 kHz and 200 W. The metal micro-column is 250 μm high and has a diameter of 80 μm. The results show that ultrasonic electroforming can enhance the mass transfer of microvias electroforming, and further solve the problem of porous structure in electroforming layer. This work contributes to expanding the application of ultrasonic agitation in the microvias electroforming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large residual stress in the micro electroforming layer has been considered to be the main reason for causing warpage, delamination and micro cracking of the microdevice. These undesirable phenomena dramatically influence the productivity, dimensional accuracy and service life of the microdevice. Reasonable control of the residual stress is a direct and efficient way to improve the production rate of microdevice and expand the application of microdevice. In this paper, the residual stress finite element analysis (FEA) simulation model for Ni micro electroforming layer was established by the method of 'Equivalent Reference Temperature (ERT)'. The simulation result shows that the ERT for Ni micro electroforming layer is 238.15 K. The error of residual stress value is 0.37% between the simulation result and the experimental result. This error value proves the accuracy of the FEA model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression. Previous research has suggested that aberrant miRNA expression often plays a critical role in many types of cancer, including lung cancer. However, the exact miRNAs that are involved in pulmonary carcinogenesis remain unclear. We investigated the miRNA-based molecular changes that occur in urethane-induced carcinogenicity and identified specific miRNA deregulation in pulmonary carcinogenesis induced by urethane. In this study, we used a lung cancer model in which Balb/c mice were exposed to urethane via ip injection once a week for four consecutive weeks. The mice were then killed in weeks 6, 12, or 24. Two small RNA libraries were constructed with the total RNA from the lung tumor and normal adjacent lung tissues of the urethane-injected mice collected in week 24. Using Solexa sequencing, we identified a plethora of differentially expressed miRNAs and predicted nine novel miRNAs. Further analysis demonstrated the sustainable downregulation of miR-1a in the lung tissues in lung carcinogenesis induced by urethane. The levels of miR-1a were also reduced in the serum. Our findings indicate that urethane exposure alters the expression of a cluster of miRNAs. The simultaneous downregulation of miR-1a in lung tissues and serum in urethane-induced pulmonary carcinogenesis suggests that miR-1a is associated with tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The alteration of microRNA (miRNA) expression plays an important role in chemical carcinogenesis. Presently, few reports have been published that concern the significance of circulating miRNAs in lung carcinogenesis induced by environmental carcinogens. The purpose of this study was to identify serum miRNAs that could be associated with lung carcinogenesis induced by 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Male F344 rats were systemically administered with NNK. The rat serum differential expression profiles of miRNAs were analyzed by small RNA solexa sequencing. Using quantitative real-time PCR, the differentially expressed serum miRNAs were identified in each individual rat. Serum miR-206 and miR-133b were selected for further identification in rat serum at different stages of lung carcinogenesis; we detected the levels of serum miR-206 and miR-133b in lung cancer tissues induced by NNK. NNK causes significant alteration of serum miRNA expression. Compared to the control group, serum miR-206 and miR-133b were significantly up-regulated in the early stage of NNK-induced lung carcinogenesis. miR-206 and miR-133b exhibited low-expression in lung cancer tissues. Our results demonstrate that lung carcinogen NNK exposure changes the expression of serum miRNAs. Serum miR-206 and miR-133b could be associated with lung carcinogenesis induced by NNK. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) has been previously demonstrated to play an important role in a wide range of cancer types and further elucidation of its role in the mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis, anticarcinogenesis and potential chemotherapeutics is warranted. We chose the anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide-transformed human bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE-T to study miRNAs involved in anticarcinogenesis. In resveratrol-treated cells, we found that miR-622 was upregulated, whereas it was downregulated in 16HBE-T cells, suggesting that miR-622 potentially acts as a tumor suppressor. Increasing the level of miR-622 by transient transfection-induced inhibition of proliferation and G0 arrest in 16HBE-T cells and the lung cancer cell line H460 as demonstrated by cell viability and cell cycle analysis. MiR-622 dramatically suppressed the ability of 16HBE-T cells to form colonies in vitro and to develop tumors in nude mice. According to bioinformatics analysis, K-Ras messenger RNA was predicted as a putative miR-622 target; this was confirmed by western blot and luciferase reporter assays. Cell growth retardation was inhibited upon knockdown of K-Ras and an increase in the level of miR-622 in 16HBE-T cells. Furthermore, miR-622 inhibitor partially impaired the growth of 16HBE-T cells as demonstrated by luciferase reporter activity and K-Ras protein expression in 16HBE-T cells. In summary, miR-622 functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting K-Ras and impacting the anticancer effect of resveratrol. Therefore, miR-622 is potentially useful as a clinical therapy. MiR-622 impacts the K-Ras signal pathway and the potentially anticarcinogenic or chemotherapeutic properties warrant further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on lithography and electrochemical deposition technology, an integrative fabrication method of micro RF coaxial transmitter on copper substrates combining positive and negative photoresist processes is proposed in this paper. In this method, positive photoresist (AZ50XT) was used for fabricating sacrificial layer which worked as master mold for electroforming copper; negative photoresist (SU-8) was used for fabricating insulating layer. However, due to the distribution of light intensity inside the AZ50XT photoresist is uneven during the lithography process, which will cause the sidewall of the film tilted. Thus, a method of multiple exposures and developments was proposed to improve the sidewall inclination of the AZ50XT photoresist and provide an accurate master mold for electrochemical deposition of the structure. Meanwhile, contrast experiments were conducted to verify the practical effect. The experiments results show that when the thickness of AZ50XT film is 65 μm, the sidewall inclination can be increased from 67.4° to 84.5°. In addition, the soft-bake parameter was adjusted to further improve the sidewall inclination of AZ50XT film. Ultimately, based on the experimental results, a micro RF coaxial transmitter was fabricated. The outline size of the coaxial transmitter is 3000 μm × 400 μm × 200 μm. Unlabelled Image • An integrative fabrication method of micro RF coaxial transmitter on copper substrates was proposed. • Positive photoresist was used for fabricating sacrificial layer and master mold for electrochemical deposition of copper. • Negative photoresist was used for fabricating insulating layer. • Multiple exposures and developments and prolonging the soft-bake process were proposed in the lithography process. • Contrast experiments were carried out to prove the effects of improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]