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Sustained compressive injury (SCI) in the brain is observed in numerous injury and pathological scenarios, including tumors, ischemic stroke, and traumatic brain injury-related tissue swelling. Sustained compressive injury is characterized by tissue loading over time, and currently, there are few in vitro models suitable to study neural cell responses to strain-dependent sustained compressive injury. Here, we present an in vitro model of sustained compressive neural injury via centrifugation. Spheroids were made from neonatal rat cortical cells seeded at 4000 cells/spheroid and cultured for 14 days in vitro. A subset of spheroids was centrifuged at 104, 209, 313 or 419 rads/s for 2 minutes. Modeling the physical deformation of the spheroids via finite element analyses, we found that spheroids centrifuged at the aforementioned angular velocities experienced pressures of 10, 38, 84 and 149 kPa, respectively, and compressive (resp. tensile) strains of 10% (5%), 18% (9%), 27% (14%) and 35% (18%), respectively. Quantification of LIVE-DEAD assay and Hoechst 33342 nuclear staining showed that centrifuged spheroids subjected to pressures above 10 kPa exhibited significantly higher DNA damage than control spheroids at 2, 8, and 24 hours post-injury. Immunohistochemistry of β3-tubulin networks at 2, 8, and 24 hours post-centrifugation injury showed increasing degradation of microtubules over time with increasing strain. Our findings show that cellular injuries occur as a result of specific levels and timings of sustained tissue strains. This experimental SCI model provides a high throughput in vitro platform to examine cellular injury, to gain insights into brain injury that could be targeted with therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain injuries resulting from mechanical trauma represent an ongoing global public health issue. Several in vitro and in vivo models for traumatic brain injury (TBI) continue to be developed for delineating the various complex pathophysiological processes involved in its onset and progression. Developing an in vitro TBI model that is based on cortical spheroids is especially of great interest currently because they can replicate key aspects of in vivo brain tissue, including its electrophysiology, physicochemical microenvironment, and extracellular matrix composition. Being able to mechanically deform the spheroids are a key requirement in any effective in vitro TBI model. The spheroids' shape and size, however, make mechanically loading them, especially in a high-throughput, sterile, and reproducible manner, quite challenging. To address this challenge, we present an idea for a spheroid-based, in vitro TBI model in which the spheroids are mechanically loaded by being spun by a centrifuge. (An experimental demonstration of this new idea will be published shortly elsewhere.) An issue that can limit its utility and scope is that imaging techniques used in 2D and 3D in vitro TBI models cannot be readily applied in it to determine spheroid strains. In order to address this issue, we developed a continuum mechanics-based theory to estimate the spheroids' strains when they are being spun at a constant angular velocity. The mechanics theory, while applicable here to a special case of the centrifuge-based TBI model, is also of general value since it can help with the further exploration and development of TBI models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to identify the discriminative features for high dimensional clustering. However, due to the lack of cluster labels, the regularization methods developed for supervised feature selection can not be directly applied. To learn the pseudo labels and select the discriminative features simultaneously, we propose a new unsupervised feature selection method, named GlObal and Local information combined Feature Selection (GOLFS), for high dimensional clustering problems. The GOLFS algorithm combines both local geometric structure via manifold learning and global correlation structure of samples via regularized self-representation to select the discriminative features. The combination improves the accuracy of both feature selection and clustering by exploiting more comprehensive information. In addition, an iterative algorithm is proposed to solve the optimization problem and the convergency is proved. Simulations and two real data applications demonstrate the excellent finite-sample performance of GOLFS on both feature selection and clustering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic mineralization of organic pollutions and simultaneously converting CO2 to CO (tetracycline → CO2 → CO) represents a fascinating way to solve the environmental and energy crisis. This work demonstrates the excellent mineralization and CO2 reduction performance of S-vacancy CdS and reveals the high efficiency of the carbon self-recycling two-in-one photocatalytic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contemporary risk‐directed treatment has improved the outcome of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and TCF3::PBX1 fusion. In this study, the authors seek to identify prognostic factors that can be used to further improve outcome. Methods: The authors studied 384 patients with this genotype treated on Chinese Children's Cancer Group ALL‐2015 protocol between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. All patients provisionally received intensified chemotherapy in the intermediate‐risk arm without prophylactic cranial irradiation; those with high minimal residual disease (MRD) ≥1% at day 46 (end) of remission induction were candidates for hematopoietic cell transplantation. Results: The overall 5‐year event‐free survival was 84.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80.6–88.3) and 5‐year overall survival 88.9% (95% CI, 85.5–92.4). Independent factors associated with lower 5‐year event‐free survival were male sex (80.4%, [95% CI, 74.8–86.4] vs. 88.9%, [95% CI, 84.1–93.9] in female, p =.03) and positive day 46 MRD (≥0.01%) (62.1%, [95% CI, 44.2–87.4] vs. 87.1%, [95% CI, 83.4–90.9] in patients with negative MRD, p <.001). The presence of testicular leukemia at diagnosis (n = 10) was associated with particularly dismal 5‐year event‐free survival (33.3% [95% CI, 11.6–96.1] vs. 83.0% [95% CI, 77.5–88.9] in the other 192 male patients, p <.001) and was an independent risk factor (hazard ratio [HR], 5.7; [95% CI, 2.2–14.5], p <.001). Conclusions: These data suggest that the presence of positive MRD after intensive remission induction and testicular leukemia at diagnosis are indicators for new molecular therapeutics or immunotherapy in patients with TCF3::PBX1 ALL. Minimal residual disease ≥0.01% at the end of remission induction was associated with an inferior event‐free survival in patients with TCF3::PBX1 acute lymphoblastic leukemia despite intensified chemotherapy. The presence of overt testicular leukemia conferred a particularly poor outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's economy and the U.S. economy have shown a definite interaction, there is considerable interest in studying the correlation between the Chinese stock market and the US financial markets. This paper uses an Asymmetric Dynamic Conditional Correlation (ADCC)-GARCH to investigate the correlation between the Shanghai Composite Index (SHCI) and the U.S. financial markets, including SP500, NASDAQ, and US dollar indexes. The empirical results show that the time-varying daily and the lag-one correlation between China and the US stock markets have different performances during global events and national events. Compared with the complicated effect of negative events on the correlation of the stock market, SHCI and USD are negatively correlated with higher negative correlation during the global negative events. In addition, we found Chinese investors are more contagious to the news than American investors, indicating that the Chinese government's policy are more indicated to Chinese investors. Finally, some policy suggestions are provided, and are beneficial to risk prevention and control, and investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The effect of prolonged pulse therapy with vincristine and dexamethasone (VD) during maintenance therapy on the outcome of paediatric patients with TCF3‐PBX1 positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) remains uncertain. We conducted non‐inferiority analysis of 263 newly diagnosed TCF3‐PBX1 positive ALL children who were stratified and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive seven additional VD pulses (the control group) or not (the experimental group) in the CCCG‐ALL‐2015 clinical trial from January 2015 to December 2019 (ChiCTR‐IPR‐14005706). There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups. With a median follow‐up of 4.2 years, the 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and 5‐year overall survival (OS) in the control group were 90.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 85.1–95.4) and 94.7% (95% CI, 90.9–98.6) comparable to those in the experimental group 89.2% (95% CI 84.1–94.7) and 95.6% (95% CI 91.8–99.6), respectively. Non‐inferiority was established as a one‐sided 95% upper confidence bound for the difference in probability of 5‐year EFS was 0.003, and that for 5‐year OS was 0.01 by as‐treated analysis. Thus, omission of pulse therapy with VD beyond one year of treatment did not affect the outcome of children with TCF3‐PBX1 positive ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to obvious differences in the properties of the filling body and surrounding rock, deformation always develops near the contact zone. Thus, determining the damage and failure characteristics of the contact zone between the backfill and surrounding rock is a precondition for safe production in mines. Taking Jinchuan mine as study area, the backfill-surrounding rock contact zones are divided into three models according to their different geometric shapes, namely, a linear model, embedded model, and multiple broken line model. A combined numerical simulation and physical model test method was adopted in this study. The research results show that the damage in the linear model begins at the seam, the failure is mainly concentrated in the filling body, and shear failure is dominant. The damage in the embedded model initially occurs around the inflection points, while the damage in the multiple broken line model initially occurs at the seams, and cracks always appear on the vertical contact surface first. Among the three contact models, the stability increases as follows: embedded > multiple broken line > linear. Moreover, the filling body enclosed by surrounding rock is the most stable, and the surrounding rock located in the footwall is more stable than the filling body located in the footwall. The conclusions of this study provide a theoretical basis for designing a mining scheme for Jinchuan mine and other mines with similar geological conditions and mining methods, and they provide a reference for studying the mechanical properties and stability of composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quartz-crystal resonator is the core device for frequency control in modern communication systems and network technology. At present, in modern resonator blanks manufacturing, BOE solution is usually used as the etching solution, but its etching rate is relatively volatile, and the surface morphology of the blanks is prone to defects after etching, which brings certain difficulties to the deep-etching process of the wafer. To solve the above challenges, this paper systematically compares a BOE solution and anhydrous etching solution in terms of etching rate, surface morphology, and electrical properties of the blanks after etching. Seven groups of blanks were etched using different etching solutions with different etching conditions to verify their effect on the surface morphology and electrical properties of quartz blanks. The experimental results suggest that the application of anhydrous etching solution has achieved better surface morphology and electrical properties and can be more suitable for application in batch manufacturing. In general, when using anhydrous etching solution, it is possible to reduce surface roughness by up to 70% and equivalent resistance by 32%, and the etch rate is almost 10 times lower than BOE solution under the same temperature, which is more conducive to the rate control of wafers in the etching process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The backfill mining method transports treated tailings to the mined-out area, which not only improves the surrounding environment of the mine but also enables the mined-out area to continue mining and production under the support of the filling body. However, with the growth in the depth and scale of mining, ground subsidence, and backfill deformation are becoming increasingly serious problems. As an example, in the Jinchuan mine, a typical multi-stage filling mining mine in China, the deformation law of surface rock mass and backfill are studied through a method combining field monitoring and numerical simulation. The major findings are as follows: (a) A settlement funnel is formed on the ground, and its radius gradually expands with continuous mining and filling. The location of the settlement center moves toward the surface above the footwall of the ore body, and the maximum subsidence reaches 739 mm in 14.5 years. (b) Three-section mining significantly affects the surface deformation, and the single subsidence center on the upper wall develops into the double subsidence center with the mining and filling. When the three-section mining is finished, the maximum value of the surface subsidence reaches about 1.35 m and the mining area is still in a relatively stable state. (c) The whole filling body presents obvious subsidence, with the development of the multi-stage mining and filling. Bed separation phenomena are found between the filling layers, and the closer to the interior, the more obvious it becomes. The backfill's subsidence characteristics are similar to the surface's; that is, both the subsidence amount and speed are higher on the hanging wall than on the footwall. (d) The backfill mainly shrinks inward in the horizontal direction, and the deformation is mainly manifested as an internal uplift and an external subsidence in the vertical direction. The mass instability of the backfill is difficult because of the insufficient deformation space, and the influence of large-scale deformation on the mining and overlying strata needs to be considered, as well as the local deformation near the rock contact zone surrounding the backfill. The results provide technical support for filling mining in the Jinchuan mine and provide a reference for other projects with similar engineering conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) have been key drivers of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic waves. To better understand variant epidemiologic characteristics, here we apply a model-inference system to reconstruct SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in South Africa, a country that has experienced three VOC pandemic waves (i.e. Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1) by February 2022. We estimate key epidemiologic quantities in each of the nine South African provinces during March 2020 to February 2022, while accounting for changing detection rates, infection seasonality, nonpharmaceutical inter)ventions, and vaccination. Model validation shows that estimated underlying infection rates and key parameters (e.g. infection-detection rate and infection-fatality risk) are in line with independent epidemiological data and investigations. In addition, retrospective predictions capture pandemic trajectories beyond the model training period. These detailed, validated model-inference estimates thus enable quantification of both the immune erosion potential and transmissibility of three major SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, that is, Beta, Delta, and Omicron BA.1. These findings help elucidate changing COVID-19 dynamics and inform future public health planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heat source based on the self-propagation reaction of Al/Ni thin foil has the characteristics of concentrated heat, fast temperature rise/fall rate and small heat-affected zone; it can complete the melting and solidification crystallization of solder within milliseconds to realize solder interconnection, which can solve the problems of damage to heat-sensitive materials and components caused by monolithic heating of package structure. However, due to the highly non-stationary interconnection process, the resulting microstructure morphology may affect the service performance of the interconnected joints. In view of this, to investigate the post-solder microstructure of solder based on the self-propagation reaction, this paper analyzes the effect of the initial microstructure on the post-solder microstructure by heating 300-μm-thick SnBi solder with a 40-μm Al/Ni thin foil. The results indicated that the short melting time could resulted in the incomplete melting of heterogeneous phases and the non-uniform distribution of elements during the melting process, which had a significant effect on the morphology and composition distribution of the solidified microstructure, as well as the hardness distribution of the melted zone. The above conclusions have the potential to improve the interconnection process based on the self-propagation reaction, which is critical for both theoretical guidance and engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel/concrete structures strengthened with externally bonded FRP plates may be subjected to significant temperature variations during their service time. Such temperature variation (i.e., thermal loading) may significantly influence the debonding mechanism in FRP-strengthened structures due to the thermal incompatibility between the FRP plate and the substrate as well as the temperature-induced bond degradation at the FRP-to-steel/concrete interface. However, limited information is available on the effect of temperature variation on the debonding failure in FRP-strengthened beams. This paper presents a new and closed-form solution to investigate the plate-end debonding failure of the FRP-strengthened beam subjected to combined thermal and mechanical (i.e., flexural) loading. A bilinear bond-slip model is used to describe the bond behavior of the FRP-to-substrate interface. The analytical solution is validated through comparisons with finite element analysis results regarding the distributions of the interfacial shear stresses, the interfacial slips and the axial stresses of the FRP plate. Given that a constant bond-slip relationship is adopted, it is observed that an increase in service temperature will lead to an increased interfacial slip at the plate end and consequently a reduced plate-end debonding load, and vice versa. Further parametric studies have indicated that the thermal loading effects become more significant when shorter and stiffer FRP plates are applied for strengthening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing requirements of agricultural machinery, the study of the contact relationship between the tire–soil interface and the improvement of traction efficiency has gradually become a main concern. In this study, the pattern on the agricultural tire was simplified into single-pitch pattern blocks. The pattern blocks were made of rubber material that was highly resistant to abrasion and bending. The experiment was carried out by pressing the three types of patterned block construction into the soil and the pure sliding under the soil. The simulation used the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian Method (CEL) to verify the experimental results. We found that the herringbone pattern block was subjected to the highest stress for the same depth of downward pressure. The horizontal force generated by the pure sliding was also the highest. The results showed that the numerically simulated and experimentally measured data exhibited similar trends and average values. In addition, the increase in the contact area between the tire and the soil reduced the compaction and sinking of the soil. The herringbone pattern structure not only had a large contact area but also produced the most significant shear force on the soil. Thus, it may generate greater traction in actual operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co–CeO 2 was used to activate the PMS for degrading PET plastics. • The degradation rate reached 91.61 % in 6 h after adding 1 mL H 2 O 2 and 5 mM PMS. • Several factors, such as pH and anions, were considered. • SO 4 − played a crucial role in the degradation, compared to OH, O 2 −, and 1O 2. • The possible mechanism of photocatalysis/PMS degradation of PET was proposed. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, widely used for packaging owing to its excellent properties, has become a major contributor to plastic waste, for which satisfactory recycling and upgrading treatment technologies are lacking. In this study, Co-doped CeO 2 was used as a photocatalyst to degrade PET plastics in water, and PET degradation was measured according to the weight loss rate. Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) addition to the photocatalytic system enabled the degradation of 53.82 ± 4.48 % of PET plastics, highlighting the excellent PET plastic degradation capability of the photocatalytic PMS system. The study investigated the effects of the catalyst-to-plastic ratio, PMS concentration, initial pH, inorganic anions, humic acid concentration, and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) addition on the catalytic oxidation system. Contrast experiments revealed that H 2 O 2 addition to the photocatalysis/PMS oxidation system further improved the PET plastic degradation efficiency (91.61 ± 1.50 %). Liquid product analysis, electron paramagnetic resonance, and free radical quenching experiments confirmed that SO 4 − played the most significant role in PET degradation. Finally, a possible mechanism for the degradation of PET plastics in water using the photocatalysis/PMS oxidation system was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a novel hybrid energy harvesting antenna that can be used to harvest radio frequency (RF) and vibration energy in ambience. A microstrip antenna is designed on the piezoelectric film with the material of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Due to the high dielectric constant of PVDF, the antenna size can be reduced efficiently. The shape of designed microstrip antenna is trapezoidal, the final antenna size is reduced to 50 mm × 30 mm × 0.2 mm. To improve the efficiency, the rectifier with matching network is optimized and the modes of the piezoelectric film are analyzed. The experimental results show that the frequency bandwidth of the antenna is 2.1 to 2.5 GHz. For a RF source at distance of 1 m away, with a 0.25 W EIRP 2.4 GHz transmitter, the output power of the antenna can reach 17.2 μW. While under 17 Hz vibration excitation, the output voltage and power can reach 1.44 V and 15.3 μW, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological evidence shows that the use of iron in Yunnan could be dated to as early as the Warring States Period (fifth to third century BCE). There are large numbers of iron objects excavated from Yunnan, but very limited metallurgical analysis was studied. Iron objects excavated from the Muyi site provide an opportunity to study the iron production technologies in Yunnan during the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE). Three metallographic samples were prepared and analysed. This is the second metallographic analysis of fu-pot and the first analysis of iron stands excavated from Yunnan. It shows that mottled cast iron and decarburized cast iron were used in Yunnan during the Han dynasty, and the results are discussed in relation to other studies of iron objects discovered in Yunnan and elsewhere of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about transmission dynamics of and insights from the 2018–2019 measles outbreak in New York City. Topics discussed include allow parents to vaccinate and protect children more effectively should a high level of vaccine hesitancy persist; and enhanced public health education is needed to reduce activities that unnecessarily expose children to measles and other infections.

Abstract We introduce a novel method to construct conforming meshes for an evolving branched curve immersed in a given background mesh in 2D and 3D. The proposed method is built on the successive node snapping (SNS) scheme proposed by Wan and Shen (2016) and Wan et al. (2019) which is able to generate a conforming mesh for a simple evolving curve in 2D and 3D. The essence of the SNS scheme is to snap chosen nodes to the curve, and to simultaneously relax the nodes within the neighborhood of the curve. Following the curve, each portion of the curve's vicinity is adjusted to obtain a mesh conforming to the entire curve. The core of the generalization of the SNS scheme for a branched curve is to assign each branch a matching node , from which we start to adjust the mesh for the branch via a procedure similar to that for a simple curve. The approach to determine the matching node is based on minimizing mesh distortion. The proposed approach inherits the main advantage of the SNS scheme, including unaltered nodal connectivities, small adjustment of nodes, no a priori conformity requirements on the background mesh, and permitting obtuse-angled triangular or tetrahedral background mesh as well as acute-angled ones. As all the operations on the mesh are local, the proposed method is especially suitable for evolving branched curve problems in which the curve updates a little bit at each time/ load step. Numerical examples in 2D and 3D are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Effect of column size on axial compressive behavior of FRP ring-confined concrete is studied. • The effect of column size is negligible for FRP ring-confined concrete. • The axial and hoop strains distributions are presented. • A new design-oriented stress-strain model for FRP ring-confined concrete is proposed. Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental program aiming to investigate the effect of the specimen size on the axial compressive behavior of circular concrete columns wrapped with spaced FRP rings. A database consisting of the up-to-date test results on FRP ring-confined concrete in the literature is established, and it is used for proposing a new design-oriented stress-strain model for FRP ring-confined concrete. The accuracy and reliability of the new model are validated by comparing the test results presented in this paper with the predictions by the new model. The comparisons show that the new model provides close predictions with test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Typical Chinese source water has high content of low molecular weight and aromatic protein-like organic matter which is difficult to remove and poses a great challenge to conventional coagulation/flocculation. To investigate coagulation performance of this typical water, this research focused on organic matter removal characteristics and the associated disinfection byproducts formation potentials (DBPFPs) during the coagulation process by titanium salts compared with traditional aluminum and ferric salts. Results showed that based on the dissolved organic matter (DOM) removal, the optimal coagulant dosages of AlCl 3 , FeCl 3 and TiCl 4 were 0.5 mM and the optimal initial pH values were 8, indicating that the DOM in the typical Chinese water could be effectively removed through sweeping and adsorption by metal hydroxides rather than the complexation and charge neutralization effect under acidic conditions. Compared these three coagulants, the highest ultra violet absorbance at 254 nm removal rate of 72.9% was achieved by TiCl 4. The three-dimensional excitation emission matrix results showed that the removal ability of humic acids by AlCl 3 was poorer than FeCl 3 and TiCl 4. The removal rate of low molecular weight components (1600 Da) by TiCl 4 was 20% higher than using AlCl 3 and 14% higher than FeCl 3. Comparing with AlCl 3 and FeCl 3 , TiCl 4 had a better performance on the control of DBPFPs, especially for chloroform and dichloroacetic acid, due to its higher removal ability of aromatic organics. The trihalomethane formation potentials removal rate by TiCl 4 was three times higher than that by AlCl 3 and twice by FeCl 3 , by which could be inferred that titanium salts achieved better removal of low molecular weight organic matter than aluminum and ferric salts. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Low molecular weight (Mw)/protein-like organics is hard to remove by coagulation. • The low Mw and aromatic organics removal was mainly based on adsorption/sweeping. • Low Mw and aromatic organics were more effectively removed by Ti salt. • TiCl 4 coagulation better controlled disinfection byproducts than AlCl 3 and FeCl 3. • The decrease of trihalomethane by TiCl 4 was three times by AlCl 3 , twice by FeCl 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Macrozoospermia is a rare sperm morphologic abnormality associated with male infertility and is characterized by a high percentage of spermatozoa with large irregular heads. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic cause of an infertile male with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed using peripheral blood genomic DNA from the patient and his parents. Results: WES analysis of the patient with macrozoospermia from a consanguineous family allowed the identification of a novel homozygous missense variant in the AURKC gene (c.269G>A). Bioinformatics analysis also suggested this variant a pathogenic mutation. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA level of AURKC is significantly decreased in the patient compared with his father. Moreover, no embryos were available for transfer after ICSI. Conclusions: These results further support the important role of AURKC in male infertility and guide the practitioner in optimal decision making for patients with macrozoospermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is experiencing rapid age, which will lead to increasing burden of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to 1) Explore the temporal trend of mortality of Alzheimer disease (AD) and other forms of dementia in China and 2) Analyze its geographic variations and urban-rural differences and calculate the years of life lost (YLLs) from AD and other forms of dementia. Data and methods: Data were extracted from the National Mortality Surveillance System (NMS). Age-standardized mortalities were calculated with the Western Grade 26 Standard Life List, and the YLLs were calculated using the DALY template provided by the WHO / World Bank global burden of disease (GBD) Working Group. The trends in crude and age-standardized mortality of AD and other forms of dementia were examined using Cochran-Armitage trend test. Results: In China, the crude mortality from AD and other forms of dementia increased from 2009 to 2015, but the age-standardized mortality decreased. The YLLs of AD and other forms of dementia increased during the study period. The age-standardized mortality in the east was higher than those in the west and middle regions, and the age-standardized mortality in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas. Conclusion: In China, the age-standardized mortality of AD and other forms of dementia decreased from 2009 to 2015. However, the disease burden from AD and other forms of dementia is becoming heavier due to increasing elderly population. Moreover, there were geographic variations and urban-rural differences in mortality of AD and other forms of dementia in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We introduce a novel method called the successive node snapping (SNS) scheme to construct conforming meshes for an evolving curve in 2D and 3D, with a given simplicial background mesh. In the procedure, only a small fraction of nodes of the background mesh are moved and the nodal connectivities remain unaltered. The core of the method is to snap chosen nodes to the evolving curve and to simultaneously relax nodes within the vicinity of the curve. Following the curve, we adjust each portion of the curve's neighborhood successively to obtain a mesh conforming to the entire curve. The curve and the background mesh are under very mild geometric requirements: The curve can be open or closed, and the background mesh can have obtuse-angled triangles or tetrahedra as well as acute-angled ones. With no a priori conformity requirements, the same background mesh can be utilized for a series of snapshots of the evolving curve, permitting tractable variable remapping. Since all the operations on the mesh are local, the method is especially suitable for evolving curve problems where the curve only updates a small portion each time, for example, crack propagation in 2D and dislocation dynamics in 3D. Highlights • We propose a novel method to construct conforming meshes for curves in 2D and 3D. • The method only needs to move a small fraction of nodes of the background mesh. • The curve is under mild requirements. • The mesh is also under mild requirements: It can have obtuse angled elements as well as acute angled ones. • The method is flexible because it processes the mesh following the curve in a successive way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an innovative basalt fabric-reinforced shotcrete system is proposed for the flexural strengthening of fire-damaged RC slabs for the first time. An extensive experimental program was conducted to validate this new fabric-reinforced cementitious matrix system. Parameters investigated in the tests included the duration of heating for the fire-damaged RC slabs, the types of the cementitious matrix (strain-hardening engineered cementitious composites (ECC) versus polymer-modified mortar (PMM)) and the layers of basalt fabrics that are used for the strengthening systems. A total of nine one-way slabs were constructed and tested in this paper. One slab served as the control specimen and was tested at ambient temperature, while the other eight slabs were initially exposed to the furnace fire following the ISO 834 standard temperature-time curve. After fire exposure, five slabs were strengthened using two or three layers of the strengthening systems. Test results indicated that the flexural capacity of the fire-damaged RC slabs strengthened with the basalt fabric-reinforced shotcrete systems was increased by 68.9–193.4% compared to their un-strengthened fire-damaged counterparts. The use of ECC as a cementitious matrix was found to be an attractive solution as the slabs strengthened using ECC achieved better results in terms of the cracking control and ultimate load, ductility performance as well as energy dissipation capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengthening existing steel beams with externally bonded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) plate has attracted many interests in the research community. Debonding of the CFRP plate is the dominant failure mode in a flexurally strengthened steel beam, and the debonding failure is controlled by the interfacial responses between the CFRP plate and the substrate steel beam. Although some experimental investigations have been conducted on CFRP-strengthened steel beams, limited test results on the interfacial stress and strain responses especially in full-scale steel beams, are available to verify the numerical modeling. This paper presents an experimental study on the flexural behavior of full-scale CFRP-strengthened H-section steel beams. The effects of different bond lengths of CFRP plates and the presence of steel stiffeners are investigated. The test results in terms of the failure modes, load-deflection responses, CFRP strains, interfacial shear stress distributions are reported in detail. A three-dimensional finite element model is proposed to predict the flexural performance of full-scale CFRP-strengthened steel beams, and it is then validated extensively by the test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel nonlinear local bond-slip model for fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates externally bonded to thermally damaged concrete substrates. The proposed model is an extension of an existing two-parameter bond-slip model and incorporates two key parameters including interfacial fracture energy ( G f ) and interfacial brittleness index (B). To study the variations of G f and B with different thermal damage levels of the concrete substrate, an extensive experimental database of shear tests on FRP-to-thermally damaged concrete bonded joints was collected from the existing literature. The G f values were calculated from the peak pull loads with proper consideration of the bond length and width effects, while the B values were obtained by least-squares regression analysis using experimental load-displacement curves or measured strain distributions in the FRP laminates. The results have indicated that the G f values initially exhibit a slight increase accompanied by mild thermal damage of the concrete substrate after exposure to moderately high temperatures; however, these values significantly decrease when the exposure temperature exceeds 300°C. The B values initially decrease with high-temperature exposure and stabilize at around 50% of the initial values when the temperatures reach around 400°C. Despite the inherent variability in the test database, the proposed temperature-dependent bond-slip model has demonstrated its accuracy, as demonstrated by the comparisons between the theoretical predictions generated by the model and the corresponding shear test results. This interfacial bond-slip model is expected to serve as a constitutive law to characterize the bond behavior between externally bonded FRP laminates and thermally damaged concrete substrate, thus facilitating the practical application of high-performance FRP composites in the repair and strengthening of thermally or fire-damaged RC members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of positive copy number variations (CNVs) results by non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) without fetal ultrasonography‐identified structural anomalies, especially with several known CNVs results. Methods: A total of 135,981 results of NIPT performed between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2020, enrolled in the free NIPT service program implemented by the local government were retrospectively analyzed. Of these, 87 cases with positive NIPT screens for CNVs and no fetal ultrasonography‐identified anomalies were recalled and provided genetic counseling. After obtaining full informed consent, these cases were provided invasive prenatal diagnosis by karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA)/copy number variation sequencing (CNV‐seq) with follow‐up. One case was lost, while 86 cases were successfully followed up. Results: A total of 44 (50.6%) cases underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis, of which six cases were detected with abnormal karyotype. CMA/CNV‐Seq revealed 11 fetuses with positive results for CNVs, among whom eight were consistent with NIPT results, two were partially consistent, one was inconsistent, and positive predictive value (PPV) was 22.7% (10/44). For known CNVs, PPVs were 20% (15q11.2‐q13 microdeletion) and 33.3% (5p end deletions). Among 11 pregnant women with positive prenatal diagnosis, seven were confirmed to have pathogenic CNVs in their fetuses; four had CNVs of unknown clinical significance. Conclusions: Even in pregnancies without ultrasonography‐identified anomalies, a positive NIPT screen for CNVs must be interpreted with caution and validated by additional diagnostic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) scans play a vital role in the diagnosis and evaluation of trauma patients. Repeat CT scans occurred often among transferred trauma patients. The objective was to describe CT use and identify patient- and hospital-level factors associated with repeat CT scans among inter-facility transferred major trauma patients.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data extracted from the Oklahoma State Trauma Registry between 2009 and 2015. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the factors associated with repeat CT scans.Results: During the 7-year study period, 8678 major trauma patients were transferred between acute-care hospitals in Oklahoma. Among them, 4311 patients had at least one repeat CT scan. Head CT scans were the most commonly performed as well as repeated. Bivariate analysis showed that differences in repeat CT scans were associated with age, injury type, injury severity score, head injury severity, revised trauma score, payer source, transport mode to referring facilities, and facility levels at the 5% level. Multivariate analysis showed the odds of repeat CT scans were higher for adult and geriatric patients, patients with blunt injuries, severely injured patients, patients with severe head injuries, patients with a good revised trauma score, patients discharged alive, and mode to referring facilities.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that inter-facility transfers within an organized rural trauma system often underwent repeat CT scans. The large proportion of patients with multiple and repeated CT scans should underline the importance of trauma systems evaluating the necessity of CT scans, image-sharing capability, and obtaining appropriate scans in order to optimize use. Overall, reducing unnecessary CT scans should be an essential part of trauma care quality improvement efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here the synthesis and biological activity study of a pair of diastereomeric analogues of Gramicidin S using β,γ-diamino acids as β-turn mimic. The synthesis of the orthogonally protected β,γ-diamino acids was achieved in 6 steps starting from d -alanine. The analogues were then synthesized in solution phase and on solid phase. Biological activity tests showed that, compared with Gramicidin S, both analogues exerted diminished hemolytic activity while they retained interesting antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the flexural performance of a series of RC beams externally bonded with carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) grid-reinforced engineered cementitious composite (ECC) matrix. A total of 15 RC beams, including three control and twelve strengthened, were prepared and tested. The test variables included the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, the strengthening configurations that consisted of different cementitious matrices (ECC versus epoxy mortar), different installation methods (prefabricated versus cast-in-place), and different stiffness of CFRP grids. The test results showed that ECC is an ideal cementitious matrix for the strengthening applications where FRP grids are used as the external reinforcement. The flexural strengthening configuration using the epoxy adhesive to bond prefabricated CFRP grid-reinforced ECC plate proved to be the most efficient solution. For such configuration, the plate-end debonding can be avoided and the mid-span debonding can be almost suppressed. Flexural capacity analysis was conducted and demonstrated that the plane section assumption is valid and the full strength composite action can be nearly achieved for the strengthening system. The average ratio of the predicted peak loads to the experimental ones of the strengthened RC beams was 1.05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe here an efficient synthesis of both diastereomers of cyclic β,γ-diamino acids starting from L-glutamic acid, based on the Blaise reaction. We show that by changing the protecting group, we can access either the five-memberedring lactam, which can be used as a β-amino acid, or the sixmembered-ring lactam, as a γ-amino acid. We also discovered an interesting kinetic resolution during the synthesis that allowed easier separation of diastereomers. The products can be easily used in peptide synthesis, and a tetramer with alternating trans cyclic γ-amino acid and AIB (2-aminoisobutyric acid) residues was synthesized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste plastics have posed enormous to the environment, but their recycling, especially polyethylene terephthalate plastics, was still a huge challenge. Here, CdS/CeO 2 was used as the photocatalyst to promote the degradation of PET-12 plastics by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) synergistic photocatalytic system. The results showed that 10 % CdS/CeO 2 had the best performance under the illumination condition, and the weight loss rate of PET-12 could reach 93.92 % after adding 3 mM PMS. The effects of important parameters (PMS dose and co-existing anions) on PET-12 degradation were systematically studied, and the excellent performance of the photocatalytic-activated PMS system was verified by comparison experiments. SO 4 •− contributed the most to the degradation performance of PET-12 plastics, which was demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and free radical quenching experiments. Furthermore, the results of GC showed that the gas products including CO, and CH 4. This indicated that the mineralized products could be further reduced to hydrocarbon fuel under the action of the photocatalyst. This job supplied a new idea for the photocatalytic treatment of waste microplastics in the water, which will help recycle waste plastics and recycle carbon resources. [Display omitted] • CdS/CeO 2 heterojunction photocatalyst with good photocatalytic activity is prepared. • The degradation rate of PET plastics is high (93.92 ± 1.82 %) under photocatalysis + PMS system. • In the simulated real water environment, the system also has a higher degradation rate of PET plastics. • The addition of PMS can further promote the degradation of PET plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical model was proposed to study post-fire bond behavior of corroded steel bars in concrete. • Combined actions of loading and volume expansion of corrosion products were properly considered in the theoretical analysis. • Residual bond strengths of corroded steel bars could be accurately predicted by the proposed analytical model. • Slight corrosion levels of steel bars could delay the bond strength degradations caused by high temperature exposure. Reinforced concrete structures used in aggressive environments (e.g., coastal and ocean regions) may suffer from steel corrosion. On the other hand, structures with corroded steel bars are likely to experience fire hazards during their service life. Therefore, the combined effect of high-temperature exposure and steel corrosion may lead to a significant reduction in the post-fire bond strength between the corroded steel bars and surrounding concrete, which will further affect the residual load-capacity assessment of fire-damaged RC members. This paper presents an analytical model for predicting the residual bond strengths between the corroded steel bars and surrounding concrete after exposure to high temperatures. In the analytical model, the concrete cover around the steel bar is considered as a thick-walled cylinder whose inner surface is subjected to uniform pressure due to the combined action of the pull-out load and the volume expansion of the corrosion products. Three stages of the concrete cover (i.e., uncracked, partially cracked and fully cracked stages) are considered one by one in the analytical model to determine the internal pressure. During the analysis, the tensile softening behavior of the cracked concrete and the material property degradations of concrete after high-temperature exposure are properly considered. The accuracy and reliability of the proposed analytical model are verified by comparing the analytical predictions with the corresponding pull-out test results collected from the literature. A detailed parametric analysis is then performed to gain insight into the effects of various factors on the post-fire residual bond strengths of corroded steel bars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively reduce surgical stress reactions and promote postoperative recovery, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The present study aims to examine the effects of EA on the hyperactivity of the hypothalamic‒pituitary‒adrenal (HPA) axis and investigate its potential mechanisms. Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to partial hepatectomy (HT). The results showed that HT increased the concentrations of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), corticosterone (CORT), and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in the peripheral blood and upregulated the expression of CRH and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) proteins in the hypothalamus. EA treatment significantly inhibited the hyperactivity of the HPA axis by decreasing the concentration of CRH, CORT, and ACTH in peripheral blood and downregulating the expression of CRH and GR in the hypothalamus. Moreover, EA treatment reversed the HT-induced downregulation of oxytocin (OXT) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in the hypothalamus. Furthermore, intracerebroventricular injection of the OXTR antagonist atosiban blocked the effects of EA. Thus, our findings implied that EA mitigated surgical stress-induced HPA axis dysfunction by activating the OXT/OXTR signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To understand the epidemiological status of hypertension and related influencing factors in the areas of very high altitude in Tibet, and provide a basis for the prevention and control of hypertension in high altitude areas. Methods Using the whole-group random sampling method, questionnaires and physical examinations were conducted to collect basic personal information, height, weight, and blood pressure from adult Tibetan residents living in Jiaqiong Township, Bange County, Naked City, Tibet Autonomous Region. SPSS 26. 0 software was used for descriptive analysis, univariate analysis and Logistic regression analysis. Results The prevalence of hypertension among native adult Tibetan residents in Jiaqiong Town, Bange County, Naked City was 25. 4%, with 30. 5% in males and 21. 3% in females. The results of the multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the age group was middle-aged group (45 -59 years old) (OR = 3. 570, 95% CI = 2. 036-6.260, P <0. 001), elderly group (≤60 years old) (OR =6.213, 95% CI = 2. 744-14.067, P < 0. 001), obesity (OR = 3. 292,95% CI = 1. 721-6. 298, P < 0. 001), waist-to-height-ratio 0. 5 (OR =2. 733, 95% CI = 1. 278-5. 844, P < 0. 05 ) were the independent risk factors for hypertension. Female gender (OR = 0. 402,95 % CI =0. 237-0. 682, P = 0. 001) were protective factors for hypertension. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension in native Tibetans living in the very high altitude areas of Tibet is at an average level, and people with advanced age, obesity, and waist-to-height ratio ≤0. 5 are at high risk of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development of a design approach for predicting the fire resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams exposed to design fire. The proposed method is based on the energy-based time equivalence method in combination with a correction factor that is formulated as a function of concrete cover depth and compartmental characteristics. In the proposed approach, the fire resistance period of an RC beam under design fire exposure can be deduced from that of the same RC beam under standard fire exposure; the latter can be predicted using a set of explicit equations previously developed by the authors. The fire resistance data of RC beams under design fire exposure, which were used to formulate and validate the proposed approach, were generated using a reliable finite-element approach. The proposed design approach is shown to be accurate in predicting the fire resistance of RC beams under design fire exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of the growth and decline of infectious disease incidence has advanced considerably in recent years. As these forecasts improve, their public health utility should increase, particularly as interventions are developed that make explicit use of forecast information. It is the task of the research community to increase the content and improve the accuracy of these infectious disease predictions. Presently, operational real-time forecasts of total influenza incidence are produced at the municipal and state level in the United States. These forecasts are generated using ensemble simulations depicting local influenza transmission dynamics, which have been optimized prior to forecast with observations of influenza incidence and data assimilation methods. Here, we explore whether forecasts targeted to predict influenza by type and subtype during 2003-2015 in the United States were more or less accurate than forecasts targeted to predict total influenza incidence. We found that forecasts separated by type/subtype generally produced more accurate predictions and, when summed, produced more accurate predictions of total influenza incidence. These findings indicate that monitoring influenza by type and subtype not only provides more detailed observational content but supports more accurate forecasting. More accurate forecasting can help officials better respond to and plan for current and future influenza activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of an experimental program in which basalt and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets are used as confining jackets to enhance the seismic performance of square reinforced concrete (RC) columns with inadequate transverse reinforcement. Crack patterns, failure modes, lateral hysteresis loops, displacement ductility, energy dissipation capacity and stiffness degradations of one unretrofitted column and five retrofitted columns are presented and discussed. The effects of the amount and type of FRP sheets on the seismic behavior of the retrofitted columns are also examined. Experimental results indicate that the unretrofitted column has poor ductility with brittle shear failure, while the FRP jackets are useful in enhancing the seismic resistance of the retrofitted columns and result in more stable hysteresis loops with improved energy dissipation capacity and lower stiffness degradations. The columns retrofitted with BFRP sheets have equivalent or even superior seismic performance compared to counterparts that are retrofitted with the same number of layers of carbon FRP (CFRP) sheets, and the material costs of the former are only 20% that of the latter. It has been demonstrated that the BFRP composites have promising potential for use as an alternative to conventional FRPs for seismic retrofit of square RC columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) activity plays a key role in the fermented food industry. Fluorescence imaging method based on dye is facile to detect LAB viability. However, it is difficult to obtain stable fluorescence, non-toxic and low-cost dyes. In this study, we prepare P- and N-doped carbon dots (PN-CDs) via microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. The properties of high quantum yield (60.36%) and excitation dependence allowed for multicolor imaging of LAB (Lactobacillus plantarum [ L.p ] and Streptococcus thermophilus [ S.t ]). The abundant functional groups and positive charges (+2.34 mV) on the surface of PN-CDs facilitated their quickly integrated into cell wall of live LAB with obvious fluorescence or into dead cells. As a result, PN-CDs can not only be used to rapidly and efficiently monitor bacterial viability (one minute), but can also be used to visualize LAB division using fluorescence imaging. Importantly, the PN-CDs have potential to rapidly detect LAB activity in LAB-fermented juices. [Display omitted] • The preparation of PN-CDs can be used for multi-color imaging of LAB. • The PN-CDs can track the division state of LAB. • By PN-CDs staining can quickly distinguish between dead/live LAB in short time. • The PN-CDs can rapidly detect LAB activity in LAB-fermented juices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP)-retrofitted steel beams are likely exposed to significant service temperature variations due to seasonal and daily temperature changes. However, there is lacking research on the structural performance of CFRP-retrofitted steel beams under service temperature variations. This paper presents an experimental study of fourteen beams including one intact beam, one notched beam and twelve CFRP-retrofitted notched beams tested at various service temperatures from −20 °C to 80 °C. The structural properties including load–deflection curves, load capacities at initial and ultimate debonding, crack mouth opening displacements at the notch and the CFRP strain measurements were examined and compared at different service temperatures. The debonding loads of CFRP-retrofitted beams were increased with the temperatures from −20 °C to 60 °C and decreased at 80 °C. A formula was proposed to derive the local bond-slip behavior of the CFRP-to-steel interface at different temperatures from the CFRP strain measurements. The shear stiffness of the interface generally decreased with the service temperature growth, while the interfacial fracture energy first increased and then decreased. A finite element model was proposed to gain insight into the effects of interfacial thermal stress and temperature-dependent bond properties on the bond behavior and structural performance of CFRP-retrofitted beams at different service temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trx's activity decreased in BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. • P38-MAPK pathway is involved in pulmonary fibrosis. • Blockade of Trx-1 nitration might represent novel therapies in pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is common in the development of inflammatory lung diseases with no effective clinical drug treatment currently. As an essential redox enzyme, thioredoxin (Trx) has been reported to be involved in pulmonary fibrosis, but the mechanism is to be revealed. Therefore, in bleomycin-indued pulmonary fibrosis model in C57 mice, Trx activity and nitrated Trx were examined.,p38-MAPK apoptosis pathway was determined in lung tissues. Additionally, before BLM administration, C57/BL6 mice were treated with aminoguanidine (AG, a peroxynitrite scavenger), recombinant human Trx-1 (rhTrx-1), or SIN-1 (a peroxynitrite donor) nitrated Trx-1 (N -Trx-1). In bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in C57/BL6 mice, we observed that nitrated Trx increased, while its activity decreased, with the increase of alveolar epithelial cells (AECs)apoptosis by p38-MAPK pathway. We demonstrated that AG or rhTrx-1, but not N -Trx-1 significantly reduced pulmonary fibrosis. Taken together, the results above revealed that blockade of Trx-1 nitration, or supplementation of exogenous rhTrx-1, might represent novel therapies to attenuate pulmonary fibrosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical model is proposed to investigate the post-fire bond behavior between steel bars and concrete. • Residual bond strengths of steel bars can be accurately predicted by the proposed analytical model. • A temperature-dependent local bond-slip model is developed and verified through the comparisons between numerical and experimental results. Bond behavior between steel bars and concrete is likely to be significantly degraded after exposure to high temperatures in a fire, which will influence the residual strength of the reinforced concrete (RC) member and the selection of appropriate repair and strengthening solutions. This paper presents an analytical model for predicting the bond behavior between steel bars and concrete after exposure to high temperatures. The concrete cover around the steel bar is considered as a thick-walled cylinder whose inner surface is subjected to uniform pressure. The cylinder is further divided into a partially cracked interior portion and an uncracked outer portion under a pull-out loading. The tensile softening behavior of the cracked interior portion and the material property degradations of steel and concrete after exposure to high temperatures are considered. The proposed model has demonstrated its accuracy and reliability in predicting the residual bond strengths of steel bars by comparing the analytical predictions with pull-out tests results from the literature. A local bond-slip relationship is then established and used in a finite element analysis. The finite element results are then compared with measured load–displacement curves that were obtained from pull-out tests in the literature, providing a verification to the proposed bond-slip constitutive law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical model is proposed to investigate the post-fire bond behavior between steel bars and concrete. • Residual bond strengths of steel bars can be accurately predicted by the proposed analytical model. • A temperature-dependent local bond-slip model is developed and verified through the comparisons between numerical and experimental results. Bond behavior between steel bars and concrete is likely to be significantly degraded after exposure to high temperatures in a fire, which will influence the residual strength of the reinforced concrete (RC) member and the selection of appropriate repair and strengthening solutions. This paper presents an analytical model for predicting the bond behavior between steel bars and concrete after exposure to high temperatures. The concrete cover around the steel bar is considered as a thick-walled cylinder whose inner surface is subjected to uniform pressure. The cylinder is further divided into a partially cracked interior portion and an uncracked outer portion under a pull-out loading. The tensile softening behavior of the cracked interior portion and the material property degradations of steel and concrete after exposure to high temperatures are considered. The proposed model has demonstrated its accuracy and reliability in predicting the residual bond strengths of steel bars by comparing the analytical predictions with pull-out tests results from the literature. A local bond-slip relationship is then established and used in a finite element analysis. The finite element results are then compared with measured load–displacement curves that were obtained from pull-out tests in the literature, providing a verification to the proposed bond-slip constitutive law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is an important bio-control agent of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). Storage at low temperature is a valuable method used in the mass rearing of biological control agents to ensure the availability of sufficient parasitoids when needed. However, storing parasitoids at a low temperature may lead to a decrease in their fitness. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different durations of constant low temperature storage on the fitness traits of the above parasitoid. The effect of storage at three temperatures (4, 8 and 12 ± 1°C, RH = 65-75% and in darkness) for periods of 1, 2 or 3 weeks and at two pupal stages (10 and 12 days old) was studied. The percentage emergence, time to emergence, longevity, size and ability of the females that emerged to parasitize B. tabaci were evaluated. The results indicate that there is a decrease in percentage emergence, longevity and ability to parasitize the longer and lower the temperature at which the pupae of E. sophia are stored. The percentage emergence of both pupal stages kept at 12°C for a week was not affected. However, at lower temperatures (8 and 4°C) percentage emergence after storage of two weeks decreased to 67-87.5% and after three weeks none emerged. The time to adult emergence was longer for 12 day old pupae at all temperatures and storage times. The longevity of the adults that emerged from both pupal stages after one week of storage at 12 and 8°C was not affected, but decreased to 66-72% with increase in storage time. There was no effect of cold storage on adult size when 10 day old pupae were stored. The ability of this parasitoid to parasitize B. tabaci after emerging from both pupal stages stored at all of the temperatures regardless of storage time was significantly lower. Effect of storage at 12°C for a week in terms of percentage emergence and longevity did not differ from that of the control, but nevertheless they were less able to parasitize B. tabaci. Although the information on the effect of cold storage on E. sophia is very limited, the results of this study indicate that for more efficient biological control there is an urgent need to improve the method of storing pupae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference standard is critical for ensuring reliable and accurate method performance. One important issue is how to select the ideal one from the alternatives. Unlike the optimization of parameters, the criteria of the reference standard are always immeasurable. The aim of this paper is to recommend a quantitative approach for the selection of reference standard during method development based on the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) as a decision-making tool. Six alternative single reference standards were assessed in quantitative analysis of six phenolic acids from Salvia Miltiorrhiza and its preparations by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The AHP model simultaneously considered six criteria related to reference standard characteristics and method performance, containing feasibility to obtain, abundance in samples, chemical stability, accuracy, precision and robustness. The priority of each alternative was calculated using standard AHP analysis method. The results showed that protocatechuic aldehyde is the ideal reference standard, and rosmarinic acid is about 79.8% ability as the second choice. The determination results successfully verified the evaluation ability of this model. The AHP allowed us comprehensive considering the benefits and risks of the alternatives. It was an effective and practical tool for optimization of reference standards during method development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inference of key infectious disease epidemiological parameters is critical for characterizing disease spread and devising prevention and containment measures. The recent emergence of surveillance records mined from big data such as health-related online queries and social media, as well as model inference methods, permits the development of new methodologies for more comprehensive estimation of these parameters. We use such data in conjunction with Bayesian inference methods to study the transmission dynamics of influenza. We simultaneously estimate key epidemiological parameters, including population susceptibility, the basic reproductive number, attack rate, and infectious period, for 115 cities during the 2003-2004 through 2012- 2013 seasons, including the 2009 pandemic. These estimates discriminate key differences in the epidemiological characteristics of these outbreaks across 10 y, as well as spatial variations of influenza transmission dynamics among subpopulations in the United States. In addition, the inference methods appear to compensate for observational biases and under-reporting inherent in the surveillance data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a set of closed-form solutions for Mode II debonding process of fiber-reinforced polymer-to-substrate bonded joints subjected to combined thermal and mechanical loading. Six different bond–slip models are considered in deriving the closed-form solutions. For each bond–slip model, explicit expressions for the debonding load, effective bond length, interfacial shear stress, interfacial slip as well as the load–displacement response are presented. Provided the bond length is sufficiently long, the debonding load depends only on the interfacial fracture energy and the temperature variation. A temperature increase leads to an increase in both the debonding load and the effective bond length, and the rate of increase of the latter depends on the bond–slip model of the interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This nationwide population-based study investigated the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) after zolpidem use in patients with sleep disturbance using the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan. Material and methods In total, 59,548 adult patients newly diagnosed with sleep disturbance and who used zolpidem were recruited as the study cohort, along with 42,171 subjects who did not use zolpidem as a comparison cohort from 2002 to 2009. Each patient was monitored for 5 years, and those who subsequently had PD were identified. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare the risk of PD between the study and comparison cohorts after adjusting for possible confounding risk factors. Results The patients who received zolpidem had a higher cumulative rate of PD than those who did not receive zolpidem during the 5-year follow-up period (1.2% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.001). The adjusted hazard ratios were 1.10 (95% CI, 0.88-1.37), 1.41 (95% CI, 1.17-1.72), and 1.27 (95% CI, 1.05-1.55) for zolpidem use with 28-90, 91-365, and more than 365 cumulative defined daily doses (cDDDs), respectively, compared to those who did not use zolpidem. Conclusions Among the patients with sleep disturbance, zolpidem use increased the risk of PD after 5 years of follow-up. Further mechanistic research of zolpidem effect in PD is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]