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Graph convolutional networks (GCNs) have made significant progress in the skeletal action recognition task. However, the graphs constructed by these methods are too densely connected, and the same graphs are used repeatedly among channels. Redundant connections will blur the useful interdependencies of joints, and the overly repetitive graphs among channels cannot handle changes in joint relations between different actions. In this work, we propose a novel relation selective graph convolutional network (RS-GCN). We also design a trainable relation selection mechanism. It encourages the model to choose solid edges to work and build a stable and sparse topology of joints. The channel-wise graph convolution and multiscale temporal convolution are proposed to strengthening the model’s representative power. Furthermore, we introduce an asymmetrical module named the spatial-temporal attention module for more stable context modeling. Combining those changes, our model achieves state-of-the-art performance on three public benchmarks, namely NTU-RGB+D, NTU-RGB+D 120, and Northwestern-UCLA.

A high maternal triglyceride (mTG) level during early pregnancy is linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, but the use of specific interventions has been met with limited success. A retrospective cohort study was designed to investigate the impact of gestational weight gain (GWG) on the relationship between high levels of mTG and adverse pregnancy outcomes in normal early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) women. The patients included 39,665 women with normal BMI who had a singleton pregnancy and underwent serum lipids screening during early pregnancy. The main outcomes were adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, cesarean delivery, preterm birth, and large or small size for gestational age (LGA or SGA) at birth. As a result, the high mTG (≥2.05mM) group had increased risks for gestational hypertension ((Adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.80, 95% CI, 1.46 to 2.24)), preeclampsia (1.70, 1.38 to 2.11), gestational diabetes (2.50, 2.26 to 2.76), cesarean delivery (1.22, 1.13 to 1.32), preterm birth (1.42, 1.21 to 1.66), and LGA (1.49, 1.33 to 1.68) compared to the low mTG group, after adjustment for potential confounding factors. Additionally, the risks of any adverse outcome were higher in each GWG subgroup among women with high mTG than those in the low mTG group. High mTG augmented risks of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and LGA among women with 50th or greater percentile of GWG. Interestingly, among women who gained less than the 50th percentile of GWG subgroups, there was no relationship between high mTG level and risks for those pregnancy outcomes when compared to low mTG women. Therefore, weight control and staying below 50th centile of the suggested GWG according to gestational age can diminish the increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes caused by high mTG during early pregnancy.

Explore the feasibility and effectiveness of accepting mind mapping combined with problem-based learning (PBL) teaching method in the standardized training of emergency surgery residents in the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) model of emergency trauma. Eighty-nine doctors under training who rotated in the Department of Emergency Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2021 to January 2022 were selected as the study subjects, and randomly divided into a group receiving mind mapping combined with PBL teaching and a group receiving traditional lecture-based learning teaching. Mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), teaching adherence, and satisfaction assessments were completed at the time of discharge from the department. There were no significant differences between the observation and control group trainees in terms of gender, age, education, and entry grades. Both groups of doctors were better able to participate in their respective teaching modes and made significant progress. The participants in the observation group had significantly higher Mini-CEX, DOPS, and teaching satisfaction scores than the control group (P .05). Under the MDT model of emergency trauma, the combination of mind mapping and PBL teaching can improve the comprehensive clinical ability of the trainees more than participating in the traditional lecture-based learning teaching, which is worth promoting and implementing in the clinical standardized training.

IntroductionConventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a widely used treatment for couples with severe male infertility. However, there are controversies regarding the selection and the damage to gametes during the ICSI procedure. Although preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) can give genetic information about embryos for transfer and improve fertility rate, and it is widely used in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion or advanced age, PGT-A is not only more expensive but also has unclear effectiveness with respect to the improvement of fertility rate among couples with severe male infertility. High-quality, well-powered randomised clinical trials (RCTs) comparing ICSI+PGT-A and ICSI are lacking.Methods and analysisThis is a protocol for a multicenter, open-label RCT in four reproductive medical centers qualified for PGT technique in China. We will study couples with severe male infertility scheduled for their fertility treatment. After the blastocyst culture, eligible participants are randomised to the ICSI+PGT-A group or the conventional ICSI group in a 1:1 ratio. Other assisted reproductive procedures are similar and parallel between the two groups. The primary outcome will be live birth rate and cumulative live-birth rate . Secondary outcomes will be embryo implantation rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, spontaneous abortion rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, preterm birth rate, fetal chromosomal abnormality rate, birth defect rate and treatment complications. To demonstrate or refute a difference between the two groups, we plan to include 188 participants in each group; taking consideration of 20% of dropout, the total target sample size is 450.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical Science Research Ethics Committee (GKLW2016-16). Informed consent will be obtained from each participant. The findings will be disseminated to the public through conference presentations and publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02941965.

Topical administration of triptolide (TP) is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but it can also induce skin irritation. Previous studies have used data mining strategies to analyze the application of Tripterygium wilfordii in the treatment of RA and have shown that TP and ferulic acid (FA) can be used in combination due to their component compatibility. The aims of the present study were to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of TP treatment and to identify its effects on metabolism and oxidative damage in the skin. MTT assay results suggested that the HaCaT cell survival rate was significantly increased when the compatibility ratio of TP to FA was 1:100. Moreover, the combination of TP with FA (TP + FA) did not significantly affect the activities of the cytochrome P40 (CYP) enzymes CYP family 1 subfamily A member 2 (CYP1A2), CYP2E1 and CYP3A4, when used as a ‘cocktail’. It was found that TP + FA significantly decreased the production levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in HaCaT cells, while significantly increasing levels of glutathione and catalase. In addition, TP + FA significantly increased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 protein expression, compared with TP alone. Thus, the present results indicated that the underlying mechanism of TP + FA efficacy may be related to decreased ROS production level in HaCaT cells, increased production levels of key antioxidant factors and increased antioxidant activity of the epidermis, all of which were correlated with a protective effect against oxidative damage.

Power spectrum density transmissibility (PSDT) functions have attracted widespread attention in operational modal analysis (OMA) because of their robustness to excitations. However, the selection of the peaks and stability axes are still subjective and requires further investigation. To this end, this study took advantage of PSDT functions and support-vector machines (SVMs) to propose a two-stage automated modal identification method. In the first stage, the automated identification of peaks is achieved by introducing the peak slope (PS) as a critical index and determining its threshold using the SVM classifier. In the second stage, the automated identification of the stability axis is achieved by introducing the relative difference coefficients (RDCs) of the modal parameters as indicators and determining their thresholds using the SVM classifier. To verify its feasibility and accuracy, the proposed method was applied to an ASCE-benchmark structure in the laboratory and in a high-rise building installed with a structural health monitoring system (SHMS). The results showed that the automated identification method could effectively eliminate spurious modes and accurately identify the closely spaced modes. The proposed method can be automatically applied without manual intervention, and it is robust to noise. It is promising for application to the real-time condition evaluation of civil structures installed with SHMSs.

Limited studies focused on the slope rock foundation, and the application results of several methods differ considerably. In this paper, the coefficients of the Bell solution are first reduced by the length ratio of the sliding failure plane and the vertical area ratio of the overloaded soil. Then, the Hoek–Brown criterion for nonlinear failure is introduced, and the tangential line tangent to the Hoek–Brown failure criterion curve is calculated to replace the original M-C failure criterion. A method for determining the instantaneous friction angle and instantaneous cohesion under normal stress with the Bell solution failure mode is established, and the relationship between the instantaneous friction angle, instantaneous cohesion, and normal stress are discussed. The instantaneous friction angle decreases with the increase in normal stress, whereas the instantaneous cohesion increases with normal stress. The influence of geological strength index (GSI) and rock empirical parameter mi on bearing capacity coefficients N σ, N q, and Nγ are also comprehensively analyzed. The coefficients increase with GSI and mi . In addition, the method is used to analyze the bearing capacity of rock foundation of a high and steep slope in an open-pit mine, and the results are compared with the slip-line method, which considers Hoek–Brown failure criterion and finite-element numerical simulation. The comparison demonstrates the acceptability of the proposed method.

The determination and analysis of the bearing capacity of a slope foundation has become an important research topic in foundation design theory. To explore the ultimate bearing capacity of the rock foundation adjacent to a slope on the basis of the shear failure mode of a rock foundation on a semi-infinite plane, the failure mode of the rock foundation near the slope was established by analyzing the failure mechanism of the Bell solution. The upper limit theorem of limit analysis was used to build a velocity field allowable for maneuvering. Using this method, the ultimate bearing capacity of the Sandaozhuang open-pit mine was analyzed and calculated. The results show that the foundation load of the mine is less than the allowable bearing capacity; hence, the building on the slope meets the requirements of foundation bearing capacity. At the same time, this paper uses this method and existing research methods to compare and analyze this project with others, proving the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method. This paper further explores factors affecting the ultimate bearing capacity, such as the horizontal setback distance of the footing from the edge of the slope and the dip angle. It is concluded that the ultimate bearing capacity increases with increases in the distance to the slope and decreases in slope angle. The study also shows that the calculations developed and proposed in this paper for the bearing capacity of the rock foundation adjacent to the slope are reasonable and feasible, can be applied to the calculations of the bearing capacity of rock foundations near the slope, and have guiding significance for the project.

In this paper, we consider we consider the regularity problem for the weak solutions to the Navier-Stokes equations with damping term in 3 . We establish a regularity criterion in terms of the derivative of the velocity in one direction for this problem in BMO space.

Credit risk evaluation is important for e-commerce platforms, due to the uncertainty and transaction risk associated with buyers and sellers. Moreover, it is the key ingredient for the development of the e-commerce ecosystem and sustainability of the financial market. The main objective of this paper is to develop an effective and user-friendly system for seller credit risk evaluation. Three hybrid artificial intelligent models, including (1) decision tree&mdash, artificial neural network (ANN), (2) decision tree&mdash, logistic regression, and (3) decision tree&mdash, dynamic Bayesian network have been investigated. The models were trained using sellers credit cases from Taobao, which has 609 cases, and each case had 23 categorical and numerical attributes. The results suggest that the combination of decision tree&mdash, ANN provides the highest accuracy, which can promote healthy and fast transactions between buyers and sellers on the platforms. This model is regarded as a powerful tool that allows us to build an advanced credit risk evaluation system, and meet the requirements of the platform transaction mode to be dynamic and self-learning&mdash, which will ultimately contribute to the sustainable development of the e-commerce ecosystem. The empirical results can serve as a reference for e-commerce platforms promoting an optimum credit risk evaluation model to improve e-commerce transaction environment and for buyers and investors making decisions.

The Nanting River runs through China and Myanmar, which has been planned to be renovated as the urban river of Mengding City, Yunnan. In order to make the river regulation works more efficient, different river discharges are tested in the 1-D and 2-D numerical models to investigate the variation of river hydrology and local flow field profiles before and after the construction works. The results are used to validate the feasibility of designed river parameters (including the width and the depth) and assess the correlation impacts. It proves that: 1) The Nanting River is a typical southern mountain river, of which the discharge has a great difference between rainy and dry seasons. The waterscape and flood control capability of different discharges should be considered for both ecological environment and flood control safety. 2) 1-D model is benchmarked against the on-site measurement data. The results indicate that 1-D model has the capability to simulate the hydrological characteristics before and after the regulation works and represent the influence of upstream and downstream flow. The results can be used as the boundary conditions in the 2-D model. 3) The simulations of the local flow field with different flow discharges are carried out by a 2-D numerical model. Those results are used for the assessments of the project layout and the revetment protection. 4) During the implementation of the regulation works, this project experienced the extreme flood which was close to the defense limit. Moreover, an earthquake and several floods hit this region. The structures survived and maintained in good condition in the hazards which proves that this regulation project is successful and necessary and the research method is valid and efficient.

Cu/Nb bilayer was utilized to join Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy and AISI 316L stainless steel by electron-beam welding. Effects of electron-beam offsetting on microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. Microstructural characterization was carried out through optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Results showed that dual-pass welding is better to achieve higher-quality joints than single-pass welding. When adopting dual-pass welding, the closer distance of first pass beam was to Nb layer side, the less contents of Fe and Cr were in the weld zone, and the phases changed from NbFe + NbFe2 + Cr1−xFex + NbCr2 + Cu based solid solution, NbFe + Cu3Ti + Cu based solid solution + Nb based solid solution to NbFe + Cu based solid solution + Nb based solid solution in weld zone. Owing to the formation of Cu-Fe and Nb-Ti solid solutions, the hardness of the weld zone was increased within 400 HV. Maximum average tensile strength of welded joints was 148.8 MPa, and fracture morphology changed from brittle mode to mixed fracture modes by adjusting first pass electron beam closer to the Nb side. Evolution of interfacial microstructure, formation and fracture mechanisms of the joints were summarized.

In this paper, based on finite element (FE) software MSC.Marc, a multi-field coupled FE model is established to investigate the 18-pass hot rolling process of GCr15 steel rod. Thermal, mechanical and microstructural phenomena during the rolling process are coupled in the model. In this model, the microstructure evolution of GCr15 Steel is described by some empirical equations which are obtained using the Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator, and a MSC.Marc subprogram is designed to predict the evolution of recrystallization behavior and austenite grain size. With the aid of the model, the paper analyzes detailedly the distribution and evolution of microscopic field-variables in rolled piece during the whole rolling process of GCr15 steel rod. Predicted values of grain size show good agreement with measured ones. The current model is beneficial to understand the effect of recrystallization behavior and control the microstructure evolution during hot rod rolling process.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effect of Pin1 on the expression and bioactivity of MMP-9 through NF-κB in human colorectal carcinoma SW480 cells. METHODS The eukaryotic expression vector of RNA interfering (shRNA) with the Pin1 gene (pGenesil-1-PIN1) was constructed in our previous experiments and was confirmed through sequencing. Cell motility was tested through the wound healing assay and the Boyden chamber assay. The protein levels and bioactivity of MMP-9 were tested by Western blot ing and gelatin zymography in SW480 cells after transfection with pGenesil-1-PIN1 (SW480/p-shRNA). The DNA-binding activity of NF-κB in cells transfected with pGenesil-1-PIN1 was analyzed by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). In addition, to determine whether NF-κB has direct interaction with the MMP-9 promoter derived from the genomic DNA of SW480 cells transfected with pGenesil-1-PIN1, oligonucleotides containing a putative NF-κB binding site were synthesized and EMSAs were performed. RESULTS The results of the Boyden chamber assay showed that cell motility was reduced from 90.2 ± 6.5 per fi eld (× 10 objective) to 49.6 ± 7.2 per field ( P < 0.05, Student’s t-test) for SW480 cells transfected with pGenesil-1-PIN1 (SW480/p-shRNA). Western blotting detected low protein levels of Pin1 and MMP-9 in SW480/p-shRNA cells. The relative protein levels of Pin1 were 0.49 ± 0.07 in SW480/p-shRNA compared with 0.94 ± 0.09 in SW480/p-Con, and MMP-9 were 0.45 ± 0.07 in SW480/p-shRNA, 0.83 ± 0.07 in SW480/p-Con ( P < 0.05). The results of gelatin zymography showed that silencing Pin1 markedly reduced the bioactivity of MMP-9 in SW480 cells. EMSA results revealed low DNA-binding activity of NF-κB in SW480/p-shRNA cells compared to SW480/p-Con cells, and that NF-κB bound directly to the oligonucleotides which contained putative NF-κB binding sites in the MMP-9 promoter derived from the genomic DNA of SW480/p-shRNA cells. CONCLUSION Inhibited Pin1 expression may contribute to the suppressive effect on the expression and bioactivity of MMP-9 in colon cancer SW480 cells, possibly through the transcription factor NF-κB.

Hybrid finite element methods are superior to conventional displacement-based finite element formulations in many aspects and to date many types of hybrid elements have been proposed based on different assumed stress fields. However, some of them are essentially equivalent to each other and there is no general approach available yet to determine their corresponding relationships. In addition, even though the hybrid techniques have many advantages compared to the displacement-based elements, there is an obvious disadvantage, the additional computational cost of the matrix inversions required in constructing element stiffness matrix. In this paper, we show that a linearly independent transformation of the assumed stress field for a given element leads to an equivalent hybrid finite element. This is verified through the proof of equivalence between various existing hybrid elements proposed by different researchers. To improve the computational efficiency, a new inner product including the compliant matrix of material is introduced. With this new definition of inner product, a simplified orthogonalization procedure for the assumed stress modes is then proposed. Based on the orthonorm stress modes obtained using the proposed orthogonalization, an explicit formulation of the hybrid element stiffness matrix is presented. The effectiveness of the present method is validated by numerical examples.

Objective To test the in vitro antiviral activity of a crude tissue extract (CTE) from the earthworm Eisenia fetida, determine any effective components in the CTE, andelucidatepossiblemechanismsofaction. Methods A CTE was made by homogenizing earthworms, followed by treatment with ammonium sulfate, then thermal denaturation. Inhibition of virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) was used to assess antiviral activity. Chromatographic analysis was used to identify effective components in the CTE. Results The CTE inhibited viral CPE at non-cytotoxic concentrations. Chromatography indicated that antiviral components corresponded to three active peaks indicative of proteases, nucleases and lysozymes. For adenoviruses, reduction in viral activity occurred for 100 μg/mL CTE. The reduction in adenoviral activity for four fractions was 100%, 91.8%, 86.9%, and 94.7%. For influenza viruses, reduction in viral activity of 100%, 86.6%, 69.1% and 88.3% was observed for 37 μg/mL CTE. In addition, three active fractions mixture had stronger antiviral activity (98.7% and 96.7%) than three fractions alone. Gel electrophoresis results indicated that nucleases from E. fetida could degrade the genome of influenza viruses and adenoviruses. Conclusion The earthworm CTE displayed non-specific antiviral properties, possibly mediated by a combination of proteases, nucleases and lysozymes. Nucleases likely participate in the antiviral process, and degrade the genome of the virus thereby preventing further replication.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent cancers in the human population. Despite its significance, there is only limited understanding of pathological mechanisms and therapeutic options. Talin1, a focal adhesion complex protein that is required for cell adhesion and motility, regulates integrin interactions with extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, we aimed to study the possible role of Talin1 in diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.Expression of Talin1 protein was detected in normal liver tissues (n=10), HCC tissues (n=32) and adjacent non-cancerous tissues (n=32) by immunohistochemistry and real time PCR.While Talin1 was observed in all tissues, the protein and mRNA expression of Talin1 in HCC tissues was significantly lower than that in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues and normal liver tissues(P0.05). In addition, the expression of Talin1 in HCCs was significantly correlated with pathological differentiation, integrity of the tumor capsule, portal vein tumor thrombus and tumor size (P0.05).Talin1 is possibly involved in the process of the carcinogenesis, infiltration and metastasis of HCC and has potential as a marker for diagnosis and prognostic assessment.

To investigate the role of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) on renal tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the regulatory effect of urokinase on LIK expression in mice with obstructive nephropathy.Normal male mice were randomly divided into sham-operated group (n=20), unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) group (n=28), and UUO with urokinase treatment group (uPA, n=28), and UUO was induced surgically in the latter two groups. The mice were sacrificed on days l, 3, 7 and 14 after the surgery, and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) was graded according to the result of Masson staining. The expression of ILK in the renal tissues of the rats was examined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting, and the expression of E-cadherin was detected by immunohistochemistry. RT-PCR was used to examine the mRNA expressions of ILK, E-cadherin and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA).The expressions of ILK mRNA and protein were significantly increased in UUO group, but significantly decreased by treatment with uPA (P0.05). The expression of alpha-SMA mRNA level was significantly increased, while E-cadherin decreased in mice with UUO on day 3 after the surgery. Treatment with uPA significantly inhibited such effects (P0.05).ILK plays an important role in renal interstitial fibrosis by mediating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Urokinase attenuates renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in mice with UUO possibly by inhibiting ILK expression and preventing tubular epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Phage display technology has become a vital tool in studies aimed at identifying molecules binding to a specific target. It enables the rapid generation and selection of high affinity, fully human antibody product candidates to essentially any disease target appropriate for antibody therapy. In this study, we prepared the recombinant single-chain fragment variable (ScFv) antibody to hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) by the phage display technology for obtaining a virus-targeting mediator.mRNA was isolated from B-lymphocytes from a healthy volunteer and converted into cDNA. The fragment variables of heavy and light chain were amplified separately and assembled into ScFv DNA with a specially constructed DNA linker by polymerase chain reaction. The ScFv DNA was ligated into the phagmid vector pCANTAB5E and the ligated sample was transformed into competent E.coli TG1. The transformed cells were infected with M13K07 helper phage to form a human recombinant phage antibody library. The volume and recombinant rate of the library were evaluated by bacterial colony count and restriction analysis. After two rounds of panning with HBsAg, the phage clones displaying ScFv of the antibody were selected by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) from the enriched phage clones. The antigen binding affinity of the positive clone was detected by competition ELISA. HB2151 E.coli was transfected with the positive phage clone demonstrated by competition ELISA for production of a soluble form of the anti-HBsAg ScFv. ELISA assay was used to detect the antigen binding affinity of the soluble anti-HBsAg ScFv. Finally, the relative molecular mass of soluble anti-HBsAg ScFv was measured by SDS-PAGE.The variable heavy (VH) and variable light (VL) and ScFv DNAs were about 340 bp, 320 bp and 750 bp, respectively. The volume of the library was up to 2 x 10(6) and 8 of 10 random clones were recombinants. Two phage clones could strongly compete with the original HBsAb for binding to HBsAg. Within 2 strong positive phage clones, the soluble anti-HBsAg ScFv from one clone was found to have the binding activity with HBsAg. SDS-PAGE showed that the relative molecular weight of soluble anti-HBsAg ScFv was 32 kDa.The anti-HBsAg ScFv successfully produced by phage antibody technology may be useful for broadening the scope of application of the antibody.

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are nuclear receptors that function as ligand-activated transcription factors regulating lipid metabolism and inflammation. Recent discoveries found LXRs could regulate tumor growth in a variety of cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effect of LXR activation on melanoma cell proliferation and apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Treatment of B16F10 and A-375 melanoma cells with synthetic LXR agonist T0901317 significantly inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells in vitro. Meanwhile, T0901317 induced the apoptosis of B16F10 melanoma cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, western blot assay showed that the pro-apoptotic effect of T0901317 on B16F10 melanoma cells was mediated through caspase-3 pathway. Oral administration of T0901317 inhibited the growth of B16F10 melanoma in C56BL/6 mice. Altogether, this study demonstrates the critical role of LXRs in the regulation of melanoma growth and presents the LXR agonist T0901317 as a potential anti-melanoma agent.