Search

Abstract Eye health has become a global health concern and attracted broad attention. Over the years, researchers have proposed many state‐of‐the‐art convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to assist ophthalmologists in diagnosing ocular diseases efficiently and precisely. However, most existing methods were dedicated to constructing sophisticated CNNs, inevitably ignoring the trade‐off between performance and model complexity. To alleviate this paradox, this paper proposes a lightweight yet efficient network architecture, mixed‐decomposed convolutional network (MDNet), to recognise ocular diseases. In MDNet, we introduce a novel mixed‐decomposed depthwise convolution method, which takes advantage of depthwise convolution and depthwise dilated convolution operations to capture low‐resolution and high‐resolution patterns by using fewer computations and fewer parameters. We conduct extensive experiments on the clinical anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT), LAG, University of California San Diego, and CIFAR‐100 datasets. The results show our MDNet achieves a better trade‐off between the performance and model complexity than efficient CNNs including MobileNets and MixNets. Specifically, our MDNet outperforms MobileNets by 2.5% of accuracy by using 22% fewer parameters and 30% fewer computations on the AS‐OCT dataset.

Abstract Compound plant extracts (CPE) are beneficial for aquatic animals on growth performance and antioxidant capacity. A 56‐day experiment was conducted to investigate its positive effect on rice field eel. The fish were fed a commercial diet and supplementing CPE (mainly containing eucommia polysaccharides, reducing sugar) at 0, 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 g/kg. Results showed that dietary CPE significantly increased weight gain and specific growth rate (p

Abstract Objectives Allergic rhinitis (AR) refers to a form of respiratory inflammation that mainly affects the sinonasal mucosa. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of immune cell infiltration and the pathogenesis of AR. Methods We performed a comprehensive analysis of two gene expression profiles (GSE50223 and GSE50101, a total of 30 patients with AR and 31 healthy controls). CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the immune cell infiltration levels. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was applied to explore potential genes or gene modules related to immune status, and enrichment analyses including gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, gene set enrichment analysis, and gene set variation analysis, were performed to analyze the potential mechanisms in AR. A protein–protein interaction network was constructed to investigate the hub genes, and consensus clustering was conducted to identify the molecular subtypes of AR. Results Compared to the healthy controls, patients with AR had high abundance levels and proportions of CD4+ memory‐activated T cells. One hundred and eight immune‐related differentially expressed genes were identified. Enrichment analysis suggested that AR was mainly related to leukocyte cell‐cell adhesion, cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction, T‐cell activation, and T‐cell receptor signaling pathway. Ten hub genes, including TYROBP, CSF1R, TLR8, FCER1G, SPI1, ITGAM, CYBB, FCGR2A, CCR1, and HCK, which were related to immune response, might be crucial to the pathogenesis of AR. Three molecular subtypes with significantly different immune statuses were identified. Conclusion This study improves our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in AR via comprehensive strategies and provides potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of AR.

Abstract Plasma etching treatment is an effective strategy to improve the electrocatalytic activity, but the improvement mechanism is still unclear. In this work, a nitrogen‐doped carbon nanotube‐encased iron nanoparticles (Fe@NCNT) catalyst is synthesized as the model catalyst, followed by plasma etching treatment with different parameters. The electrocatalytic activity improvement mechanism of the plasma etching treatment is revealed by combining the physicochemical characterizations and electrochemical results. As a result, highly active metal–nitrogen species introduced by nitrogen plasma etching treatment are recognized as the main contribution to the improved electrocatalytic activity, and the defects induced by plasma etching treatment also contribute to the improvement of the electrocatalytic activity. In addition, the prepared catalyst also demonstrates superior ORR activity and stability than the commercial Pt/C catalyst.

Abstract Epithelioid inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma (EIMS) is an aggressive subtype of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour which rarely affects the chest cavity. We, for the first time, report a case of mediastinal EIMS with the EML4‐ALK fusion. A young woman presented to our hospital with cough, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Computed tomography (CT) showed a mixed attenuation soft‐tissue mass in the right middle and upper mediastinum. Negative results were obtained from bronchoscopy forceps biopsy and endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration. CT‐guided percutaneous biopsy was finally performed. However, due to the rapidly progressed EIMS that compressed the trachea and right main bronchus, the patient died of respiratory failure 1 day before diagnosis. EIMS progresses rapidly, and an early diagnosis is important. For mediastinal EIMS, CT‐guided percutaneous biopsy may be useful. Next‐generation sequencing of blood may be instructive to EIMS patients who are intolerant to invasive biopsy.

Abstract The development of semiconductor photocatalysts is of great significance for the realization of efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE). AgIn5S8, as an emerging ternary metal sulfide photocatalyst, possesses the advantages of suitable bandgap (1.7–2.0 eV), environment‐friendly elements, and strong photostability, which holds great potential to realize high‐efficiency PHE. Although AgIn5S8‐based photocatalysts have achieved promising research progresses, their PHE performances are still far below the level of commercial applications. In this review, the basic semiconductor properties of AgIn5S8 and PHE mechanism are first introduced in detail. Subsequently, the development process and PHE activities of AgIn5S8‐based photocatalysts are systematically summarized, mainly including morphology control, Schottky junction formation through cocatalyst loading, and construction of different types of heterojunctions. Finally, the current issues and the possible solutions of AgIn5S8‐based photocatalysts in future studies are presented.

Abstract Objective Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide and imposes serious burdens on society and individuals. However, predicting the long‐term outcomes in aSAH patients requiring mechanical ventilation remains challenging. We sought to establish a model utilizing the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO)‐penalized Cox regression to estimate the prognosis of aSAH patients requiring mechanical ventilation, based on regularly utilized and easily accessible clinical variables. Methods Data were retrieved from the Dryad Digital Repository. Potentially relevant features were selected using LASSO regression analysis. Multiple Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to develop a model using the training set. Receiver operating characteristics and calibration curves were used to assess its predictive accuracy and discriminative power. Kaplan–Meier and decision curve analyses (DCA) were used to evaluate the clinical utility of the model. Results Independent prognostic factors, including the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 2, early brain injury, rebleeding, and length of intensive care unit stay, were identified and included in the nomogram. In the training set, the area under the curve values for 1‐, 2‐, and 4‐year survival predictions were 0.82, 0.81, and 0.80, respectively. In the validation set, the nomogram exhibited excellent discrimination ability and good calibration. Moreover, DCA demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically beneficial. Finally, a web‐based nomogram was constructed (https://rehablitation.shinyapps.io/aSAH). Interpretation Our model is a useful tool for accurately predicting long‐term outcomes in patients with aSAH who require mechanical ventilation and can assist in making individualized interventions by providing valuable information.

Summary The natural flavonoids luteolin and luteoloside have anti‐bacterial, anti‐inflammatory, anti‐oxidant, anti‐tumour, hypolipidemic, cholesterol lowering and neuroprotective effects, but their poor water solubility limits their application in industrial production and the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐(6″‐O‐succinyl)‐d‐glucoside, a new compound that was prepared by succinyl glycosylation of luteolin by the organic solvent tolerant bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FJ18 in an 8.0% DMSO (v/v) system, was obtained and identified. Its greater water solubility (2293 times that of luteolin and 12 232 times that of luteoloside) provides the solution to the application problems of luteolin and luteoloside. The conversion rate of luteolin (1.0 g l−1) was almost 100% at 24 h, while the yield of luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐(6″‐O‐succinyl)‐d‐glucoside reached 76.2%. In experiments involving the oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury model of mouse hippocampal neuron cells, the cell viability was significantly improved with luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐(6″‐O‐succinyl)‐d‐glucoside dosing, and the expressions of the anti‐oxidant enzyme HO‐1 in the nucleus increased, providing a neuroprotective effect for ischemic cerebral cells. The availability of biosynthetic luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐(6″‐O‐succinyl)‐d‐glucoside, which is expected to replace luteolin and luteoloside, would effectively expand the clinical application value of luteolin derivatives.

Abstract Background Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by massive fibrosis and has ineffective adjuvant therapies. Here, we demonstrate the potential of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) in targeting iCCA. Methods Masson's trichrome staining was used to assess the effect of ARBs in iCCA specimens, CCK8 and gel contraction assays in vitro and in xenograft models in vivo. RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq were used for mechanistic investigations. Results Patients with iCCA who were administered ARBs had a better prognosis and a lower proportion of tumour stroma, indicating alleviated fibrosis. The presence of AGTR1, the ARBs receptor, is associated with a poor prognosis of iCCA and is highly expressed in tumour tissues and cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The ARBs strongly attenuated the viability of AGTR1+CAFs in vitro and retarded tumour progression and fibrosis in xenograft models of co‐cultured CAFs and iCCA cells. Still, they did not have a significant effect on AGTR1−CAFs. Moreover, ARBs decreased the secretion of AGTR1+CAF‐derived MFAP5 via the Hippo pathway, weakened the interaction between CAFs and iCCA cells, and impaired the aggressiveness of iCCA cells by attenuating the activation of the Notch1 pathway in iCCA cells. Conclusions ARBs exhibit anti‐fibrotic function by inhibiting the viability of AGTR1+CAFs. These findings support using ARBs as a novel therapeutic option for targeting iCCA.

In view of the poor accuracy and unsatisfactory effect of shrinkage compensation for concrete-filled steel tubular structures of large cross-sea bridge (CSTS-LCSB), a new shrinkage compensation technology for CSTS-LCSB is proposed. The shrinkage mechanism of CSTS-LCSB is analyzed, including plastic shrinkage, dry shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage, and carbonation shrinkage. The proportion of dry shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage in ordinary concrete and high-strength concrete is determined. The CSTS-LCSB has different shrinkage forms in different environments, and the shrinkage strain state of CSTS-LCSB in different environments is calculated according to the difference. The shrinkage area of the concrete structure is determined, and the expansion agent is used to compensate for the shrinkage area of CSTS-LCSB. The experimental results show that the proposed compensation technology has a good effect on shrinkage compensation and has certain feasibility.

Abstract Cesium lead based all‐inorganic perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are promising candidates for tandem solar cells owing to their favorable thermal stability and suitable bandgap. However, to exploit the advantage to the full, there is still huge room to reduce energy loss and enhance the VOC. In this work, we developed low‐temperature processed ZnO as an ETL alternative. Incorporation of PbX2 (X = I−, Cl−, and CH3COO−) was found to increase oxygen vacancies in ZnO, which not only promoted the growth of all‐inorganic perovskite layer with improved morphology and orientational order, but also formed a favorable energy level alignment with the perovskite layer, thus facilitating charge extraction and suppressing charge recombination. Consequently, the CsPb(I1−xBrx)3 PSCs based on PbX2:ZnO exhibited enhanced stability and performance. The efficiency was boosted from 17.64% to 20.04% with an improved fill factor of 84.14% and a VOC of 1.28 V, being the highest VOC among highly efficient (>20%) all‐inorganic PSCs to date.

Background. Exenatide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that can reduce body weight. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of exenatide on body mass index (BMI) reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with differing baseline body weight, blood glucose, and atherosclerotic status and to determine if there is a correlation between BMI reduction and cardiometabolic indices in these patients. Methods. This retrospective cohort study used data from our randomized controlled trial. A total of 27 T2DM patients treated with combination therapy of exenatide twice daily and metformin for 52 weeks were included. The primary endpoint was a change in the BMI from the baseline to week 52. The secondary endpoint was a correlation between BMI reduction and cardiometabolic indices. Findings. The BMIs of overweight and obesity patients and those with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 9% significantly decreased −1.42 ± 1.48 kg/m2P=0.015 and −0.87 ± 0.93 kg/m2P=0.003, respectively, at the baseline after 52 weeks of treatment. There was no reduction in BMI in patients with normal weight, HbA1c

Objective. Obesity increases risk of thyroid cancer. However, the association between obesity and the progression of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains controversial. This retrospective study aimed to explore the relationship between obesity and regional patterns of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in PTC. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed data from 1015 patients with PTC. We calculated obese parameters, such as body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), and body surface area (BSA). Logistic regression models were used to assess associations between obese parameters and the rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM), number of LNM, pattern of LNM, and lymph node ratio (LNR). Results. Higher BMI was not associated with different regional patterns of LNM in PTC. In men with PTC, high BFP was an independent predictor of total LNM, central lymph node metastasis (CLNM), total lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM), multiple lateral lymph node metastasis, and simultaneous metastasis in lateral compartment. In addition, male patients with high BFP had higher central LNR and higher number of CLNM. For women, high BSA was an independent predictor of LLNM and level IV metastasis. Female patients with high BSA had higher number of CLNM. Conclusion. BFP and BSA, possibly influenced by gender, were positively associated with the number and risk of LNM in different regions of PTC patients. However, BMI was not the predictor for aggressiveness of PTC in terms of LNM. Clinical decision-making for regional LNM in PTC patients should consider the factor of obesity.

Microwave pretreatment could be an invaluable method to improve the efficiency of the rock breakage in the excavation and comminution operations. To investigate the influence of microwave irradiation on the thermal response and mechanical behavior of compact rocks, a series of physical and mechanical experiments were conducted on the nontreated and treated basalts. The mineral compositions of the basalts were obtained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) test. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and geological sketch were utilized to analyze the propagation pattern of the microcracks and macrofractures caused by the microwave irradiation. High power density microwave can induce the complication of the microcracks and exchange the pattern of the macrofracture network. Based on the uniaxial compression strength (UCS) test, the mechanical performance of the basalts was evidently reduced with the increase of the microwave power and exposure time. The experimental results prove that microwave-assisted method has significant potential application to preweakening rocks in civil and mining engineering.

This paper is concerned with the asymptotic optimality of quantized stationary policies for continuous-time Markov decision processes (CTMDPs) in Polish spaces with state-dependent discount factors, where the transition rates and reward rates are allowed to be unbounded. Using the dynamic programming approach, we first establish the discounted optimal equation and the existence of its solutions. Then, we obtain the existence of optimal deterministic stationary policies under suitable conditions by more concise proofs. Furthermore, we discretize and incentivize the action space and construct a sequence of quantizer policies, which is the approximation of the optimal stationary policies of the CTMDPs, and get the approximation result and the rates of convergence on the expected discounted rewards of the quantized stationary policies. Also, we give an iteration algorithm on the approximate optimal policies. Finally, we give an example to illustrate the asymptotic optimality.

In high gas mines, the safety accidents of coal seam spontaneous combustion and gas leakage in goaf caused by fresh air flow entering goaf due to loose roof connection of filling body beside goaf are easy to occur. In order to solve such problems, this paper proposes the gob-retaining technology of the “combined” filling body at the side of the roadway. The upper layer of the “combined” filling body is constructed with high-water material as the “connecting top layer” so that the deformation form of the filling body is consistent with the broken characteristics of the roof, and the lower layer is constructed with concrete as the “supporting layer” to achieve sufficient support strength. The “combined” filling body can not only ensure the stability of roadway surrounding rock but also a timely closed goaf. The gob-retaining technology of the “combined” filling body was applied in the field of coal mine 2603 working face. Based on the engineering background, the mechanical model was established to calculate cutting resistance of the filling body, and Flac3D software was utilized to optimum parameters of the “combined” filling body. According to the field monitoring results, the “combined” filling wall at the side of the roadway effectively controls the stability of surrounding rock and the gas concentration in the roadway.

In this study, the numerical calculation of optimal policy pairs in two-person zero-sum stochastic games with unbounded reward functions and state-dependent discount factors are studied. First, the expected discount criterion, ε −optimal values, and policy pairs are defined for zero-sum stochastic game model. Then, an iterative algorithm is given and the correctness of the algorithm is verified. At last, an example of inventory system is stated, the numerical simulation is obtained according to the iterative algorithm steps, and the difference between varying discount factors and a constant discount factor is obtained in further discussion.

Hyperoside, as an active compound, widely exists in a large number of Chinese herbal medicines and has been reported to possess anti‐inflammatory and diuretic properties. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of hyperoside on periodontitis have not been previously reported. In this study, we found that hyperoside ameliorates symptoms of periodontitis in a rat model, with improvements in alveolar bone resorption, relief of inflammatory infiltration, increase in orderly arrangement of collagen fibers and increase of osteogenic differentiation. In addition, hyperoside promoted proliferation, up‐regulated EdU‐positive cells, decreased cell‐cycle distribution and increased the protein expression of Ki67 and PCNA in rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs), as revealed by Cell Counting Kit‐8, EdU, flow cytometry and western blot analysis. Moreover, hyperoside significantly promoted osteogenic differentiation, as shown by quantitative RT‐PCR, western blot and alizarin red staining assays. Furthermore, hyperoside activated the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathway in rBMSCs, similar to the results observed in vivo. Finally, BMS345541, an inhibitor of the NF‐κB signaling pathway, could reverse the effects of hyperoside on the biological functions in rBMSCs. In conclusion, our results suggest that hyperoside has potential therapeutic properties against periodontitis via promotion of proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs via activation of the NF‐κB signaling pathway.

Abstract Background Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS‐TBLB) and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) have been widely used in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). This study was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of EBUS‐TBLB combined with FDG‐PET in the assessment of PPLs. Methods The clinical data of 76 patients with PPLs who received both FDG‐PET and EBUS‐TBLB from January 2016 to February 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Further subgroup analysis was performed according to lesion diameter (≤20 mm or >20 mm). Related diagnostic indices were calculated and compared between groups. Results When combining EBUS‐TBLB with FDG‐PET, the diagnostic accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, Youden's index, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for PPLs were 86.8%, 90.2%, 73.3%, 63.5%, 93.2%, and 64.7%, respectively. In addition, the diagnostic accuracy rate of the combined approach was significantly higher than the single EBUS‐TBLB and FDG‐PET (P 20 mm than PPLs ≤20 mm. In addition, we found that positive bronchus sign and probe within the probe were two important factors conducing to enhancing the diagnostic accuracy rate for EBUS‐TBLB. Conclusions An integrated approach combining EBUS‐TBLB with FDG‐PET is particularly useful for diagnosing PPLs, and the improved diagnostic yields were especially evident for PPLs >20 mm.

Abstract Ferroptosis is a new form of regulated cell death, which is characterized by the iron‐dependent accumulation of lethal lipid peroxides and involved in many critical diseases. Recent reports revealed that cellular energy metabolism activities such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and tricarboxylic acid cycle are involved in the regulation of key ferroptosis markers such as reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH), glutathione (GSH), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), therefore imposing potential regulatory roles in ferroptosis. Remarkably, tumor cells can activate adaptive metabolic responses to inhibit ferroptosis for self‐preservation such as the upregulation of glycolysis and PPP. Due to the rapid proliferation of tumor cells and the intensified metabolic rate, tumor energy metabolism has become a target for disrupting the redox homeostasis and induce ferroptosis. Based on these emerging insights, regulatory impact of those‐tumor specific metabolic aberrations is systematically characterized, such as rewired glucose metabolism and metabolic compensation through glutamine utilization on ferroptosis and analyzed the underlying molecular mechanisms. Additionally, those ferroptosis‐based therapeutic strategies are also discussed by exploiting those metabolic vulnerabilities, which may open up new avenues for tumor treatment in a clinical context.

Abstract Objective Differentiation‐inducing therapy for tumors is a strategy that aims to induce the differentiation and maturation of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The differentiation‐inducing capacity of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying mechanism were previously unknown. Methods In the present study, we explored the ATO‐induced differentiation of CSCs in HCC by detecting the expression of CSC‐related markers and tumorigenicity variation in vivo and in vitro. We developed a combined chemotherapeutic approach to HCC by characterizing the effects of combinatorial treatment with 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)/cisplatin and ATO in vitro and in patient‐derived xenograft models. Changes in gene expression patterns were investigated by gene microarray analysis. Results ATO effectively induced differentiation of CSCs by downregulation of CSC‐related genes and suppression of tumorigenicity capability. Combinatorial treatment with ATO and 5‐FU/cisplatin significantly enhanced therapeutic effects in HCC cells compared with the treatment with 5‐FU/cisplatin alone. Synergistic inhibition of the LIF/JAK1/STAT3 and NF‐kB signaling pathways by ATO and 5‐FU/cisplatin is a potential molecular mechanism underlying the differentiation effect. Conclusions ATO induced the differentiation of HCC CSCs and potentiated the cytotoxic effects of 5‐FU/cisplatin through synergistic inhibition of the LIF/JAK1/STAT3 and NF‐kB signaling pathways. These results offer new insights for the clinical treatment of HCC.

Let-7 miRNA family has been proved as a key regulator of mesenchymal stem cells’ (MSCs’) biological features. However, whether let-7b could affect the differentiation or proliferation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) is still unknown. Here, we found that the expression of hsa-let-7b was visibly downregulated after mineralization induction of PDLSCs. After transfected with hsa-let-7b mimics or inhibitor reagent, the proliferation ability of PDLSCs was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. On the other hand, the osteogenic differentiation capacity was detected by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and activity, alizarin red staining, Western blot, and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We verified that hsa-let-7b did not significantly impact the proliferation ability of PDLSCs, but it could curb the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. Besides, we predicted CTHRC1 acts as the downstream gene of hsa-let-7b to affect this process. Moreover, the combination of CTHRC1 and hsa-let-7b was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. Our results demonstrated that the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was enhanced after inhibiting hsa-let-7b, while was weakened after cotransfection with Si-CTHRC1. Collectively, hsa-let-7b can repress the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs by regulating CTHRC1.

In the traditional presplitting blasting, the presplit holes are generally uniformly initiated, which causes local damage to the retained rock mass while forming the damping ditch. In order to determine the optimal delay time of the precise delay initiation hole by hole, the finite element software ANSYS/LS-DYNA is used to build a blasting model of the concrete, which includes concrete, explosive, and air to simulate the crack forming process of the presplitting hole under various initiation modes. Four kinds of initiation modes for blasting, namely, simultaneous initiation with 0 ms, 9 ms, 12 ms, and 15 ms of delay between adjacent holes, are set up to determine the exact delay time of the best presplitting effect. The simulation results show that when the prehole detonates simultaneously, the inner hole crack penetrates the fastest, but the peak stress around the hole is up to 147.9 MPa. When interhole delayed initiation is used, although the time of interhole crack penetration is prolonged, the stress coupling is generated around the precrack and the maximum stress is obviously reduced. The maximum stress generated under the three delayed initiation conditions is only 76.8 MPa. Considering the requirement of damage control of surrounding rock mass and the rapid formation of precrack, 9 ms delay time is determined as the precise delay time of this test.

Based on the principle of conservation of energy, analytical modelling of the energy response of continuous beam bridges with friction pendulum bearing (FPB) was carried out for foundation-induced vibrations. A three-dimensional finite element analysis of a multispan continuous concrete girder bridge with FPB was established using the nonlinear time-history method to verify the accuracy of analytical modelling. The influence of the friction coefficient and isolation period of the FPB on the energy response of isolated bridge was then investigated under multihazard source excitations (e.g., El Centro and Taft waves) with different dominant periods and durations. The variations of structural response energy, sliding displacement, energy dissipation ratio, and acceleration of the isolated bridges are plotted. The results of analytical modelling and finite element simulation show good agreement. In addition, there exist particular values of the friction coefficient and isolation period of FPB, for which the structural response energy of the isolated bridges attains the minimum value. The optimal parameters of FPB are greatly influenced by seismic waves, and the friction coefficient of FPB should be increased with the increase of seismic fortification intensity. In addition, the energy dissipation capacity of FPB used in isolated bridge is excellent.

Tianluoshan site (5000∼2500 BC), which belongs to the Hemudu culture, has suffered damages from the hydraulic effect like other Chinese earthen sites in moist circumstance. Tung oil and sticky rice juice, as Chinese traditional building materials, were chosen as the additives in this study. Tung oil has the property of good waterproofness, fast dry-up, and quick film-forming by oxidation. Sticky rice juice has the advantage of high glutinousness, good tenacity, and low expandability. The study is to figure out the best performing mixture of tung oil and sticky rice juice to decrease the permeability of soil and increase its strength to facilitate excavations at archeological sites enlarging the display of layers of cultures. Meanwhile, the color of the site soil after reinforcement must be maintained for a long time. From the direct shear tests and the falling head test of 9 specimens mixed in different mass ratios, it was confirmed that the optimal mass ratio of the tung oil, the sticky rice juice, and the soil was 5 : 10 : 85. The treated soil specimen of the optimal mass ratio had the largest increment of shearing strength. The self-standing height of the vertical soil wall increases correspondingly from 2.63 m to 6.18 m, which could enlarge the step height when excavating a deep earthen site and extend the display height at the protection stage. The treated soil at the optimal mass ratio also showed the largest decrement of permeability coefficient from 1.257 × 10−5 cm/s of the untreated soil to 1.627 × 10−6 cm/s, which could reduce the hydraulic effect to the soil. The microstructures of the 9 specimens in different mass ratios were observed by SEM. The results showed that the glutinousness of sticky rice juice could cohere soil particles together, and the tung oil could then form oxidation film wrapping around the particle groups. In order to meet the aesthetic requirements of earthen sites conservation, the surface color contrast tests were used to measure the color change induced by the two additives. The surface contrast tests showed that the treated soil at the optimal mass ratio had the minimum variation of the surface, which could satisfy the basic requirements of earthen sites protection.

Primary esophageal small cell carcinoma (PESCC) is a weakly prevalent but lethal malignancy with early metastasis and a poor prognosis. Currently, neither effective prognostic indicators nor curative therapies are available for PESCC. Immunotherapy has now evolved into one of the most promising therapies for cancer patients. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells which are integral to the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) are recognized as highly important for prognosis prediction, while the responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade may be subject to the features of TIME. In this study, we aim to identify the TIME and provide indication for the applicability of immune checkpoint therapy in PESCC. We found that PD-L1 expression was detected in 33.33% (27/81) of all the patients, mostly exhibiting a stroma-only pattern and that it was positively associated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (CD4+, CD8+, and CD163+). In 74.07% of PD-L1-positive specimens, PD-L1+CD163+ cells were colocalized more with CD4+ than CD8+ T cells. 83.95% (68/81) of all the specimens were infiltrated with more CD4+ than CD8+ T cells. Further analysis showed FoxP3+ Tregs constituted 13-27% of the total CD4+ T cell population. The Kaplan-–Meier analysis indicated several factors that contribute to poor survival, including negative PD-L1 expression, rich CD4 expression, rich FoxP3 expression, a low CD8/CD4 ratio, and a high FoxP3/CD8 ratio. A nomogram model was constructed and showed good performance for survival prediction. These results highlight that a suppressive TIME contributes to poor survival of patients with PESCC. TIME analyses might be a promising approach to evaluate the possibility and effect of immune checkpoint-based immunotherapeutics in PESCC patients.

Objective: Nasal packing is routinely applied after septoplasty. Patients, however, report feeling very uncomfortable while the packing is in place. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of nasal septum suture combined with inferior turbinate coblation to the effects of nasal packing after septoplasty. Methods: In this study, 135 patients undergoing septoplasty were divided into 3 groups: group 1 patients had microdebrider with packing, group 2 received coblation with packing and group 3 had coblation with suture. Early postoperative quality of life and complications were compared between the 3 groups. Results: The patients in group 1 experienced the most postoperative nasal pain, headache, dysphagia, sleep disturbance and bleeding on the night of surgery; while the patients in group 3 experienced the fewest symptoms. No difference in epiphora was observed between the 3 groups. More pain and bleeding were experienced when comparing the pack removal (Group 1 and 2) with the clearance of the nasal cavity (Group 3). We noted one case of postoperative bleeding in group 1, one septal hematoma in group 1 and a second septal hematoma in group 2. No such postoperative complications were found in group 3. Conclusion: Nasal septum suture combined with inferior turbinate coblation was not only associated with less pain, increased patient satisfaction and an improved quality of life; but also reduced postoperative complications. Our results confirm that it is a more comfortable, reliable alternative to the more common nasal packing. Keywords: Septoplasty, Nasal septal suture, Inferior turbinate coblation, Nasal packing