Search

Abstract This study conducted vehicle-track shaking table model tests at the Seismic Laboratory of the China Academy of Building Research, employing both unidirectional (horizontal) and bidirectional (horizontal and vertical) seismic waves. Discussions were made on the dynamic response of the vehicle-track system and the mechanism of derailment, providing data support for the research on seismic early warning thresholds for vehicles. Additionally, three-dimensional finite element numerical simulations were performed on the vehicle-track dynamic model, successfully incorporating track irregularities into the model. In this paper, the main conclusions are as follows: The limits of the wheel load reduction rate and that of the derailment coefficient specified in China’s national standard “Code for Dynamic Performance Evaluation and Test Identification of Railway Vehicles” are conservative. The primary cause of vehicle derailment was identified as horizontal vibration of the track structure induced by seismic activity. Different seismic waves have varying effects on the dynamic response of the vehicle-track model, necessitating further research on the impact of seismic wave spectrum characteristics on vehicle safety during operation. When horizontal and vertical seismic waves are simultaneously applied, horizontal seismic waves have a greater impact on dynamic response. The numerical simulation results align well with experimental results, confirming the accuracy of the vehicle-track dynamic numerical model. It is recommended to adopt a more conservative seismic early warning threshold of 0.04 g to ensure the safety of train operation.

Abstract Background Tumor neoantigen peptide-based vaccines, systemic immunotherapies that enhance antitumor immunity by activating and expanding antigen-specific T cells, have achieved remarkable results in the treatment of a variety of solid tumors. However, how to effectively deliver neoantigens to induce robust antitumor immune responses remains a major obstacle. Results Here, we developed a safe and effective neoantigen peptide delivery system (neoantigen-ferritin nanoparticles, neoantigen-FNs) that successfully achieved effective lymph node targeting and induced robust antitumor immune responses. The genetically engineered self-assembled particles neoantigen-FNs with a size of 12 nm were obtained by fusing a neoantigen with optimized ferritin, which rapidly drainage to and continuously accumulate in lymph nodes. The neoantigen-FNs vaccine induced a greater quantity and quality of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and resulted in significant growth control of multiple tumors, dramatic inhibition of melanoma metastasis and regression of established tumors. In addition, no obvious toxic side effects were detected in the various models, indicating the high safety of optimized ferritin as a vaccine carrier. Conclusions Homogeneous and safe neoantigen-FNs could be a very promising system for neoantigen peptide delivery because of their ability to efficiently drainage to lymph nodes and induce efficient antitumor immune responses. Graphical Abstract

Objective One case of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection after kidney transplantation was reported, and relevant literature was collected to provide a scientific reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods A case of UU infection after renal transplantation in our hospital was analyzed retrospectively. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for case reports of UU infection after organ transplantation before 30 June 2024. The clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatment and prognosis of UU infection were summarized and analyzed.Results A 65-year-old man underwent renal transplantation on 26 January 2022 due to chronic renal disease (grade 2) caused by focal sclerosing glomerulonephritis. Hyperammonaemia and coma occurred after the operation, and the patient died. A total of 38 case reports or series of cases were included in this study, involving 44 patients. The case reports included 22 cases of kidney transplantation, 11 cases of lung transplantation, 4 cases of heart transplantation,1 case of liver transplantation and 6 cases of multiple organ transplantation. Ureaplasma urealyticum infection occurred in 74.47% of cases within 1 month after transplantation, and the main symptoms after the infection were mental. After the onset of the disease, the most abnormal examination index was the increase of blood ammonia, followed by the increase of white blood cells. Therapeutic drugs included tetracyclines (doxycycline or minocycline), quinolones and azithromycin. The clinical symptoms could be significantly improved after 24 h of taking the fastest-acting medication. The highest mortality rate was in patients infected with Ureaplasma after lung transplantation.Conclusion Early identification of UU and timely and correct drug treatment are essential to saving the lives of patients.

Conventional practices in earth construction, such as cement stabilization and the energy-intensive firing of bricks, contribute significantly to carbon emissions due to the processes involved in cement production and kiln operation. Additionally, concerns over the low strength of earth-based materials have limited their broader applications. This research addresses these challenges by implementing ultra-high pressures (200 MPa and 400 MPa) and bio-binders (animal glue and xanthan gum) to enhance earth materials for construction. Unstabilized earth mixture and normal pressure case (20 MPa) are also included in this study for comparison. A custom-designed mold and a specialized production process are developed to fabricate cylindrical earth samples for testing. After undergoing three hours of consolidation and 28 days of curing, unconfined compressive strengths are measured. Scanning electron microscopy is used to investigate the influence of ultra-high pressures and bio-binders on the microstructures of compressed earth blocks. The experimental results demonstrate that animal-glue- and xanthan-gum-stabilized samples under ultra-high pressure achieve compressive strengths comparable to traditional fired bricks, while unstabilized samples exhibit the strength of cement-stabilized rammed earth. This research demonstrates that ultra-compression combined with bio-binder stabilization presents a viable strategy for reducing the carbon footprint of earth construction while significantly enhancing the mechanical properties.

Abstract Basin‐type insulator often has small cracks due to stress concentration. The current method cannot accurately reflect the stress condition of the insulator to find the stress concentration areas. To solve these problems, a method for detecting two‐dimensional plane stress (δ1 and δ2) within different depth ranges in a basin‐type insulator is proposed based on critically refracted longitudinal (LCR) wave. First, the acoustoelastic equation characterising the relationship between the variation of LCR wave propagation time and the plane stress was derived. Next, the propagation characteristics of LCR wave in epoxy resin samples were investigated. Then, the stress distribution within different depth ranges of the insulator subjected to hydraulic load was measured using the proposed method, including direction (θ), δ1 and δ2. The results show that the magnitude of the stress alone cannot accurately characterise the stress state. Points with equal distances to the centre have similar stress magnitudes, but their directions are not the same. With increasing depth, θ remains essentially unchanged at the same location, while δ1 and δ2 decrease, and the rate of decrease varies at different locations. Comparing the measured and simulated data, the results showed that they were in good agreement, and the maximum errors of stress value and θ were 0.69 MPa and 2.97°, respectively, which confirmed the feasibility and accuracy of the stress detection in the proposed method.

This paper aims to increase the diagnosis accuracy of the fault classification of power transformers by introducing a new off-line hybrid model based on a combination subset of the et method (C-set) & modified fuzzy C-mean algorithm (MFCM) and the optimizable multiclass-SVM (MCSVM). The innovation in this paper is shown in terms of solving the predicaments of outliers, boundary proportion, and unequal data existing in both traditional and intelligence models. Taking into consideration the closeness of dissolved gas analysis (DGA) data, the C-set method is implemented to subset the DGA data samples based on their type of faults within unrepeated subsets. Then, the MFCM is used for removing outliers from DGA samples by combining highly similar data for every subset within the same cluster to obtain the optimized training data (OTD) set. It is also used to minimize dimensionality of DGA samples and the uncertainty of transformer condition monitoring. After that, the optimized MCSVM is trained by using the (OTD). The proposed model diagnosis accuracy is 93.3%. The obtained results indicate that our model significantly improves the fault identification accuracy in power transformers when compared with other conventional and intelligence models.

Introduction: Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is acknowledged to play a critical role in depression. Emerging evidence suggests that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway can modulate hippocampal neurogenesis. Crocin, a natural carotenoid, possesses antidepressant property. Yet, how it affects neurogenesis and exerts antidepressant response remains unknown. Objective: To explore the role of AHN and Wnt/β-catenin in the antidepressant action of crocin. Methods: Depressive-related behaviors, including sucrose preference test (SPT), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), and sexual behaviors were performed following crocin treatment. Neurogenesis was characterized via immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Golgi staining and electrophysiology approach. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was examined with western blot analysis. The role of AHN Wnt/β-catenin cascade in crocin’s antidepressant response was assessed by conditional removal of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-expressing newborn neural cells, temozolomide administration, microinfusion of Dkk1 or viral-mediated shRNA of Wnt3a. Results: Crocin decreased the immobility duration in TST and FST without impairing the performance in sexual behaviors. Crocin boosted the proliferation and differentiation of progenitors, and promoted dendritic maturation and functional integration of hippocampal newborn neurons. Conditional removal of GFAP-expressing neural cells or temozolomide administration impaired the antidepressant response of crocin. Additionally, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was promoted following crocin treatment. In chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) murine model, crocin treatment displayed antidepressant response in SPT, FST and TST, and restored the neurogenesis levels and Wnt/β-catenin signaling impaired by CUMS. Infusion of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) or knockdown of Wnt3a in the hippocampus impaired the antidepressant response of crocin. Conclusion: Crocin exerted antidepressant response, which was dependent on enhancement of AHN and activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is one of the diseases that seriously threaten human health today and its mechanisms are very complex. Our study aims to confirm the optimal dose ISO-induced chronic heart failure mice model for better study of HF-related mechanisms and treatments in the future. Methods C57BL/6 mice were used to establish mice model of chronic heart failure. We injected isoproterenol subcutaneously in a dose gradient of 250 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg. Echocardiography and ELISA were performed to figure out the occurrence of HF. We also supplemented the echocardiographic changes in mice over 30 days. Results Except group S and group E, echocardiographic abnormalities were found in other groups, suggesting a decrease in cardiac function. Except group S, myofibrolysis were found in the hearts of mice in other groups. Brain natriuretic peptide was significantly increased in groups B and D, and C-reactive protein was significantly increased in each group. Conclusion Our research finally found that the HFrEF mice model created by injection at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 7 days was the most suitable and a relatively stable chronic heart failure model could be obtained by placing it for 21 days.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between inbound tourism and economic inequalities (income and wealth). We construct a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) small open-economy model that includes the tourism industry and the housing market. We focus on the recent Icelandic tourism boom, and our simulation results suggest a reduction in income inequality and an increase in wealth inequality. Inbound tourism thus has opposite effects on domestic income inequality and wealth inequality, so the Icelandic government faces a trade-off when formulating tourism-related policies to reduce inequalities, and the consequences may depend on the type of inequality that policymakers prioritize. Lastly, implications are provided based on results.

Abstract A combined model based on improved information entropy and vague support vector machine (IVSVM) is introduced into transformer fault diagnosis using dissolved gas analysis in oil (DGA). The improved information entropy method is used to obtain the weights of each gas and to weight the raw data, and the processed training data and the corresponding fault types are inputted into the vague support vector machine (VSVM) model to obtain classifiers. Firstly, the training data are weighted by the improved information entropy method to discretise the original data from the mixed state for subsequent classifier training. Then, the vague set divides the events into true, false and unknown factors, which can optimise the sub‐interface of SVM and improve the accuracy of the boundary point classification. Finally, fault data from the literature and actual collections are selected for training and testing. By comparing with the widely used ratio method and artificial intelligence method, it can be concluded that the method described herein can effectively improve the accuracy of fault diagnosis. The result shows that this method has better applicability when facing actual fault type classification with higher data similarity.

Cancer is the second most common cause of mortality in the world. One of the unresolved difficult pathological mechanism issues in malignant tumors is the imbalance of substance and energy metabolism of tumor cells. Cells maintain life through energy metabolism, and normal cells provide energy through mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP, while tumor cells demonstrate different energy metabolism. Neuroendocrine control is crucial for tumor cells’ consumption of nutrients and energy. As a result, better combinatorial therapeutic approaches will be made possible by knowing the neuroendocrine regulating mechanism of how the neuroendocrine system can fuel cellular metabolism. Here, the basics of metabolic remodeling in tumor cells for nutrients and metabolites are presented, showing how the neuroendocrine system regulates substance and energy metabolic pathways to satisfy tumor cell proliferation and survival requirements. In this context, targeting neuroendocrine regulatory pathways in tumor cell metabolism can beneficially enhance or temper tumor cell metabolism and serve as promising alternatives to available treatments.

In the process of liquid–liquid extraction, it is necessary to look for green solvents as extractants. Ionic liquids have been studied as extractants due to their green recyclability in recent years. The infinite dilution activity coefficients of 100 ionic liquids with a combination of 10 cations and 10 anions were calculated by COSMO-SAC model, and the σ-profiles were plotted. The distribution coefficient and separation coefficient of n-heptane + tert-butanol + ILs were determined. [OMIM][OTF], [HMIM][OTF] and [BMIM][OTF] were selected as solvents for this study. The interaction energy, bond length and charge density of ionic liquids with tert-butanol were calculated by quantum chemistry calculation method. According to these results, the rationality of selected ionic liquids as extractants could be analyzed from the molecular level. At 298.15 K and 101.325 kPa, the liquid–liquid equilibrium data of the ternary system {n-heptane + tert-butanol + [OMIM][OTF], n-heptane + tert-butanol + [BMIM][OTF], n-heptane + tert-butanol + [HMIM][OTF]}) were measured. The distribution coefficient and separation coefficient for judging the extraction effect were obtained. The NRTL model was used to correlate liquid–liquid equilibrium experimental data, and correlation result proved that the correlated and experimental data had a good correlation. The research on ionic liquids is of great significance to the development of green and sustainable chemical industry.

Abstract This study presents a combined model based on the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the least square support vector machine (LSSVM) to predict the contamination degree of insulator surface. Firstly, EFA method is utilised to reduce numerous influence factor variables of the insulator contamination into a few factor variables, which could decrease the complexity of the model. Then, regarding the above factor variables as new input variables, LSSVM model is established to predict the insulator contamination degree. In order to obtain the optimal predictive value, the non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm II is applied on the optimization of LSSVM model parameters. The proposed EFA‐LSSVM combined model is compared with the models of LSSVM, back propagation neural network, and multiple linear regression on the model performance. Results indicate that the EFA‐LSSVM combined model in this study effectively overcomes the shortcomings of the other three models mentioned above in computational time, prediction accuracy and generalization ability. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed model in predicting contamination degree of insulator surface is verified by adopting the radar map of the evaluation indexes of model performance.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Currently, surgery is the treatment of choice for GC. However, the associated expenses and post-surgical pain impose a huge burden on these patients. Furthermore, disease recurrence is also very common in GC patients, thus necessitating the discovery and development of other potential treatment options. A growing body of knowledge about ferroptosis in different cancer types provides a new perspective in cancer therapeutics. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of cell death. It is characterized by intracellular lipid peroxide accumulation and redox imbalance. In this review, we summarized the current findings of ferroptosis regulation in GC. We also tackled on the action of different potential drugs and genes in inducing ferroptosis for treating GC and solving drug resistance. Furthermore, we also explored the relationship between ferroptosis and the tumor microenvironment in GC. Finally, we discussed areas for future studies on the role of ferroptosis in GC to accelerate the clinical utility of ferroptosis induction as a treatment strategy for GC.

BackgroundRemote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a cardioprotective phenomenon, yet transient ischemia is not a requisite trigger for remote cardioprotection. In fact, RIC is a stimulus compound containing interruption of the blood vessel and tissue compression. In this study, we evaluate the effects of remote tissue compression on infarct size after myocardial infarction and explore its preliminary mechanisms.Methods and ResultsWe used a murine model of myocardial infarction to assess ischemia injury and identified remote conditioning by rhythmic compression on forelimb as a novel cardioprotective intervention. We show that the cardioprotective signal transduction of remote conditioning from the trigger limb to the heart involves the release of adenosine. Our results demonstrate that A2a and A2b receptors are indispensable parts for cardioprotection of remote conditioning, which is linked to its anti-inflammatory properties by the subsequent activation of cAMP/PKA/NF-κB axis.ConclusionOur results establish a new connection between remote tissue compression and cardiovascular diseases, which enhances our cognition about the role of tissue compression on RIC cardioprotection.

This study was designed to explore osteoarthritis (OA) treatment from bioactive compounds of chicken cartilage food supplements. The OA rat model induced by sodium iodoacetate was used to evaluate the treatment effect in vivo. In this study, we used animal experiments to show that oral chondroitin sulfate (CS), cartilage powder, and type II collagen peptides could increase the athletic ability of rats and reduce inflammatory cytokine levels in serum or synovial fluid, including prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL) 1β, IL-6, and IL-17. CS displayed the best treatment effect against OA. The morphological structure of articular cartilage indicated that CS could significantly improve cartilage tissue morphology and reduce OA score. Oral CS slowed down the development of OA by modulating gut microbiota. These results provided a useful scientific basis for the high-value utilization of chicken cartilage.

This study deliberated the effect of ultrasonic treatment on collagen self-assembly behavior and collagen fibril gel properties. Bovine bone collagen I which had undergone ultrasonic treatment with different power (0–400 W) and duration (0–60 min) was analyzed. SDS-PAGE and spectroscopic analysis revealed that ultrasonic treatment decreased collagen molecular order degree and the number of hydrogen bonds, stretching collagen telopeptide regions while maintaining the integrity of the collagen triple-helical structure. Ultrasonic treatment (p ≤ 200 W, t ≤ 15 min) dispersed the collagen aggregates more evenly, and accelerated collagen self-assembly rate with a decreased but more homogeneous fibril diameter (82.78 ± 16.47–115.52 ± 19.51 nm) and D-periodicity lengths (62.1 ± 2.9–66.5 ± 1.8 nm) than that of the untreated collagen (119.15 ± 27.89 nm; 66.5 ± 1.8 nm). Meanwhile, ultrasonic treatment (p ≤ 200 W, t ≤ 15 min) decreased the viscoelasticity index and gel strength, enhancing thermal stability and promoting specific surface area and porosity of collagen fibril gels than that of the untreated collagen fibril gel. These results testified that collagen self-assembly behavior and collagen fibril gel properties can be regulated by ultrasonic treatment through multi-hierarchical structural alteration. This study provided a new approach for controlling in vitro collagen fibrillogenesis process so as to manufacture novel desirable collagen-based biomaterials with propitious performances for further valorization.

The purpose of this paper is to achieve efficient detection and prediction of delamination failure of stretchable interconnects by using digital image correlation (DIC) methods. In order to achieve this goal, a visual experiment system and a delamination failure detection and prediction method are designed, and the mechanical characteristics of two-dimensional horseshoe-shaped interconnect are experimentally studied. Firstly, the evolution law of von Mises strain on the surface of the sample was analyzed, and then the time and location of the failure were determined by measuring and calculating the strain at the failure site, and the site that was about to fail was predicted based on this criterion. The experimental results show that von Mises strain field has a distribution feature closely related to the two-dimensional horseshoe geometry, and the boundaries of each strain region are obvious. When a 2 μm layer thickness sample was stretched 3.2 mm at 50 °C, the sample delaminates at 60 pixels on the horizontal reference line, based on the 0.0187 strain difference at the failure point, the location where the failure is about to occur is successfully predicted.

Composite insulators, which use high temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber as shed material, are widely applied in transmission lines. Ice accumulation on their surfaces may inflict flashover accident and even massive power outage. In this study, a superhydrophobic (SH) coating on HTV silicone rubber was fabricated by the sol–gel process combined with the plasma jet treatment method. It was found that the as-prepared SH coating exhibited prominent superhydrophobicity and an excellent self-cleaning property with a water contact angle of 160.15°, a contact angle hysteresis of 0.60°, a sliding angle of 1.8°, and a surface free energy of 0.1421 mN/m. The anti-icing behavior of water droplets on the as-prepared SH coating surface was investigated at a low temperature of −30 °C and compared with that of the HTV silicone rubber surface. The results indicated that the freezing time on the SH coating was postponed obviously and was as long as 150 s. The SH coating surface exhibited about 5.6 times delay in freezing at −30 °C compared with the HTV silicone rubber surface. Furthermore, heterogeneous nucleation theory and heat transfer theory were introduced to explain the difference in freezing time between the as-prepared SH coating and HTV silicone rubber. It could be concluded that the SH coating had a large nucleation free energy barrier and a low heat transfer rate between the droplet and the surface and, thus, was able to effectively delay the freezing time.

Acupuncture is a key component of Chinese medicine. It describes a series of procedures involving the stimulation of skin through penetration of fine, single-use, sterile needles that result in the release of neurotransmitters. Although its use is on the growing trend, considerable controversy surrounds its value as a therapy. Standard randomized controlled trials that adhere to the accepted criteria should be conducted in the future to ensure the effectiveness of acupuncture. This article summarizes the current evidence regarding the use of acupuncture. It includes a description of the history, mode of operation, treatment of a variety of chronic disorders related to inflammation, and future directions for acupuncture use. Published clinical trials support the view that acupuncture is a possible candidate for the treatment of several chronic inflammation-related disorders.

It is crucial to develop novel metrology techniques in the semiconductor fabrication process to accurately measure a film’s thickness in a few nanometers, as well as the material profile of the film. Highly uniform trichlorosilane (1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane, FDTS) derived SAM film patterns were fabricated by several conventional semiconductor fabrication methods combined, including photolithography, SAM vapor deposition, and the lift-off technique. Substantial information can be collected for FDTS SAM film patterns when Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques are incorporated to investigate this material. Precise two-dimensional (2D) FDTS SAM film patterns were reconstructed through mapping analysis of corresponding elements and chemical state peaks by AES and XPS. Additionally, three-dimensional (3D) FDTS SAM film patterns were also reconstructed layer by layer through gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) etching and XPS analysis. These characterization results demonstrate that FDTS SAM film patterns based on the vapor deposition method are highly uniform because the vacuum and precise gas-delivery system exclude ambient environmental interference efficiently and ensure reaction process repeatability. AES and XPS techniques could be used for metrology applications in the semiconductor process with high-quality SAM microstructures and nanostructures.

Metastasis followed by the tumor development is the primary cause of death for cancer patients. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of how the growth of tumor resulted in the immune suppression, especially at the blood-enriched organ such as liver, were largely unknown. In this report, we studied the liver immune response of tumor-bearing (TB) mice using concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis model. We demonstrated that TB mice displayed an immune suppression phenotype, with attenuated alanine aminotransferase levels and liver damage upon Con A treatment. We also elucidated that large amounts of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) being influx into the liver in TB mice and these MDSCs were essential for liver immune suppression through both depletion and reconstitution approaches. We further determined that these MDSCs selectively suppressed the IFN-γ production deriving from NKT cells through membrane-bound transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Finally, we defined a tumorderived TGF-β-triggered CXCL1/2/5- and CXCR2-dependent recruitment of MDSC into the liver. In summary, our results defined a novel mechanism of liver immune suppression triggered by growing living tumor and provided possible therapeutic targets against these MDSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface treatment, using two slurries containing nanomaterials, was applied to recycled aggregate (RA). Experimental studies were conducted (1) to compare properties of RA before and after the surface treatment; and (2) to examine the modification effects of the surface treatment with nanomaterials on the microstructure and macroproperties of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC). The nanoindentation technique was used to achieve elastic modulus of different interface transition zones (ITZs) and old and new mortars in RAC. Test results show that both nanoslurries enhanced new ITZs between the old and new cement mortars. Although they did not work on old ITZs between the virgin aggregate and the old cement mortar, old mortars were surface strengthened. It is also proved that properties of both RA and RAC on the macroscale were improved by the surface treatment using nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reveal the relationship between typical early-age and long-term properties of concrete structures, in order to select proper early-age indexes to predict or evaluate the long-term performance of concrete structures. Four groups of concrete specimens were prepared in different construction scenarios. Cube compressive strength, air permeability, chloride ion penetration, steel bar corrosion, and porosity of the four groups of concrete specimens were tested at different ages. The test results have confirmed the significant influence of both vibration and curing conditions on concrete qualities. Furthermore, in this study, the 28-day air permeability index has been proved to have good correlation with the tested durability indexes, including the chloride ion diffusion coefficient and corrosion current density of steel bars in concrete. It is recommended in this paper that the 28-day air permeability index, together with the 28-day compressive strength, should be chosen as the early-age property index for long-term quality evaluation or prediction of concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of railway and highway bridges employ multi-span simply supported girder system. Investigations about seismic damage to bridge both at domestic and abroad show that for multi-span bridges, longitudinal seismic damage of the bridge is generally more serious, moreover, the girder falling is one of the most serious destructions of the upper structure. As for the multi-span simply supported beam bridge, computerization of specification is recommended. For the number of bridge span is small, finite element calculation is feasible. However, when the number of bridge span is large (even reaches hundreds of thousands), modeling will be very complicated. In order to calculate efficiently the seismic response of simply supported Girder Bridge with long multi-span, this paper proposes a transfer matrix algorithm, in which, using half sides of both pier and structure to form a unit, to establish the relationship of the dynamic state response between the two sides, then calculate the dynamic response of any parts via response state transfer rule, at the same time, take the seismic input non-uniformity of each pier into consideration. Taking the six-span simply supported girder bridge as an example, it proves that this method is reliable, when compared with the finite element numerical calculation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing an edible extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold with good thermal stability, self-assembly properties and biocompatibility is crucial for manufacturing structured cell cultured meat products. In this study, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) was introduced into the bovine bone collagen (BBC) system. Using ultraviolet (UV) absorption, infrared (IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy, it was found that the interaction between BBC and CMCS was enhanced with the increase in CMCS concentration, without affecting the triple-helical structure. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the introduction of CMCS reinforced the thermal stability of BBC. Turbidity test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed an increase in the degree of fibrillogenesis and aggregation behavior and changes in self-assembly rate; a looser and twisted three-dimensional structure with a larger fibril diameter and a wider diameter distribution was observed after the introduction of CMCS. However, the introduction of CMCS did not significantly affect the formation and length of D-periodicity (a characteristic alternating light/dark transverse stripe structure formed during the self-assembly process of collagen fibers) in BBC, and there was no significant difference in the cell compatibility of the system before and after the introduction of CMCS. The BBC-CMCS interaction might be dominated more by electrostatic forces than covalent interactions and hydrogen bonds with the increase in CMCS concentration. These results indicated that the introduction of CMCS improved the thermal stability and self-assembly properties of BBC without affecting its biocompatibility or triple-helical integrity. This study provides a reference for the development of excellent edible collagen-based ECM as a biomimetic scaffold for cultured meat and for the deep processing and high-value utilization of livestock and poultry bone by-products.

Intercellular biomolecule transfer (ICBT) between malignant and benign cells is a major driver of tumor growth, resistance to anticancer therapies, and therapy-triggered metastatic disease. Here we characterized cholesterol 25-hydroxylase (CH25H) as a key genetic suppressor of ICBT between malignant and endothelial cells (ECs) and of ICBT-driven angiopoietin-2-dependent activation of ECs, stimulation of intratumoral angiogenesis, and tumor growth. Human CH25H was downregulated in the ECs from patients with colorectal cancer and the low levels of stromal CH25H were associated with a poor disease outcome. Knockout of endothelial CH25H stimulated angiogenesis and tumor growth in mice. Pharmacologic inhibition of ICBT by reserpine compensated for CH25H loss, elicited angiostatic effects (alone or combined with sunitinib), augmented the therapeutic effect of radio-/chemotherapy, and prevented metastatic disease induced by these regimens. We propose inhibiting ICBT to improve the overall efficacy of anticancer therapies and limit their prometastatic side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]