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Waste steel slag is an industrial by-product during the process of steelmaking, and it is usually stacked in steelmaking plants. Employing steel slag in treating dredged sludge (DS) would be an economic and environmental protection solution. This study investigated the effectiveness of steel slag powder (SSP) on the strength development of cement-SSP-stabilized DS (CSDS). The effects of cement content and type, SSP content, humic acid (HA) content and curing age on the strength development of CSDS were analyzed via a series of UCS and pH tests. Additionally, microstructure analyses were conducted by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests. The results indicated that the cement content and type significantly affected the strength gain of CSDS. The UCS of CSDS increased first and then decreased with an increasing in SSP content. The SSP content of 5–10% was the optimal to improve the strength of CSDS, but for CSDS containing HA, the 15–20% SSP was recommended as cement admixture. The HA seriously reduced the strength of CSDS, but this strength loss can be effectively relieved by adding SSP. Based on the strength difference (ΔUCS) and strength growth rate (UCSgr), it was suggested that using 15% cement admixed 20% SSP was the most effective to the long-term strength development of CSDS. The variation of UCS with pH exhibited oscillation characteristics, and the pH of 9.00–10.00 was conducive to the strength development of CSDS. The microstructural analyses confirmed that the addition of SSP can contribute to the formation of cementitious products in CSDS, especially needle-like gel ettringite, and then leading to a dense inter-locked structure in CSDS.

This study examines the small-strain dynamic properties of cement-stabilized silty clay (CSC) and cement-fly ash-stabilized silty clay (CFSC). A series of resonant column tests were performed to investigate the effect of confining pressure, binder content and curing age on the small-strain dynamic shear modulus (G) and damping ratio (D) of CSC and CFSC. Furthermore, the maximum dynamic shear modulus (Gmax) and maximum damping ratio (Dmax) of CSC and CFSC were also evaluated. The results showed that the G of CSC and CFSC increased with the increase of confining pressure, binder content and curing age. The G decreased slowly and then rapidly with shearing strain (γ), and the γ of 10−4 was the turning point of evaluating the small-strain dynamic behavior of CSC and CFSC. Using 5% cement together with 30% fly ash as stabilizer has advantageous over using 15% cement alone in improving the stiffness properties of silty clay. The D of CSC and CFSC decreased with the increase of confining pressure and curing age, but increased with an increase in cement and fly ash content. This was attributed to the weakly cemented and rough of soil particles led to more energy dissipation of vibration wave propagating through the sample. The microstructural analysis revealed that the micro-aggregate effect and hollow structure of fly ash particles not only contributed to the improvement in G, but also effectively improve the energy dissipation performance of CFSC.

The disposal of dredged sludge (DS) poses an increasingly difficult problem for sediment dredging engineering. This study investigated the strength development of solidifying DS containing humic acid (HA) with cement, lime and nano-SiO2 (NS). A range of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and pH tests were conducted to explore the roles of cement, NS, HA, lime and curing age on the solidification effect of DS. Furthermore, microstructures and crystalline phases of typical mixes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests. The results showed that the addition of NS can significantly improve the strength development of cement-solidified dredged sludge (CDS). The 60-day UCS of CDS with 1.0% NS was more than twice that without NS, concurrently, the addition of NS also reduced the pH of CDS. The HA seriously affected the strength development of CDS, and the influence threshold value of HA content was in the range of 4.5–5.0%. Using lime together with cement for solidifying DS containing HA had advantages over using cement alone, and the optimum mass ratio of lime to cement is 6:9. The optimum NS content of 1.0% was determined to be the most cost-effective for improving the strength development of CDS. The microstructure and mineralogy analysis confirmed that adding NS to CDS can effectively accelerate the hydration reaction and produce more calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), leading to a significant improvement in the strength of CDS.

Background Telehealth and telemonitoring is an emerging area of study in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), with the potential of increasing access to care, and minimising infection control risks to patients without compromising their health outcomes. To date, limited evidence is available to support the use of telehealth in paediatric population with CF in a clinical setting. This study aims to investigate the utility of a multimodal telehealth-based outpatient physiotherapy service and assess its effect on quality of life, functional exercise capacity, hospital admission and intravenous antibiotic requirements, lung function, processes of care, participation in activities of daily living, and health economics associated with operating an innovative service. Method This single centre, prospective, parallel, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial aims to recruit 110 children with CF between the ages 8 to 18 years of age. Participants will be randomised to the Usual Outpatient Physiotherapy Service group (Usual OPS) or the telehealth intervention group (CyFiT OPS). Quality of life, participation in activity of daily living, functional exercise capacity and patient perception of care will be examined every six months using the Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R), Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE), Preferences for Activities of Children (PAC) questionnaire, Modified Shuttle Test-25 (MST25), and Measure of Process of Care (MPOC-20) questionnaire. Physiological measurements collected during routine clinical visits such as spirometry, body weight and height, information will be retrospectively retrieved via a chart review at the end of the study. Discussion We anticipate that this multi-modal telehealth service will deliver a comparable service to traditional face-to-face models. An alternative to existing outpatient physiotherapy services may potentially increase patient options for access to care and patient-orientated outcomes such as quality of life. If deemed appropriate, the new model of care can be integrated into clinical practice immediately. Trial registration This trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN12617001035314) last updated 17th July 2018. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12890-019-0784-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The iron and steel industry, which discharges a large amount of pollutants including SO

Abnormal proliferation is one characteristic of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which play a key role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Oxidative stress (OS) is the root cause of CAFs abnormal proliferation. ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated protein kinase), an important redox sensor, is involved in DNA damage response and cellular homeostasis. Whether and how oxidized ATM regulating CAFs proliferation remains unclear. In this study, we show that there is a high level of oxidized ATM in breast CAFs in the absence of double-strand breaks (DSBs) and that oxidized ATM plays a critical role in CAFs proliferation. The effect of oxidized ATM on CAFs proliferation is mediated by its regulation of cellular redox balance and the activity of the ERK, PI3K-AKT, and Wnt signaling pathways. Treating cells with antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) partially rescues the proliferation defect of the breast CAFs caused by ATM deficiency. Administrating cells with individual or a combination of specific inhibitors of the ERK, PI3K-AKT, and Wnt signaling pathways mimics the effect of ATM deficiency on breast CAF proliferation. This is mainly ascribed to the β-catenin suppression and down-regulation of c-Myc, thus further leading to the decreased cyclinD1, cyclinE, and E2F1 expression and the enhanced p21(Cip1) level. Our results reveal an important role of oxidized ATM in the regulation of the abnormal proliferation of breast CAFs. Oxidized ATM could serve as a potential target for treating breast cancer.

Background/Aims: The ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) protein kinase is critical for the maintenance of genomic stability and acts as tumor suppressor. Although evidence shows that a DNA damage-independent ATM (oxidized ATM) may be involved in cancer progression, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Methods: Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and western blotting were applied to detect the levels of oxidized ATM. Transwell assay was used to detect the cell migration and invasion abilities in different treatments. Quantitative phosphoproteome analysis was performed using hypoxic BT549 cells, in the presence or absence of Ku60019, a specific inhibitor of ATM kinase. The phosphorylated cortactin, the target protein of oxidized ATM, was confirmed by immunoprecipitation-western blots and in vitro kinase assay. The functions of phosphorylated cortactin were studied by specific short hairpin RNA, site-directed mutation, transwell assay, and actin polymerization assay. Results: Enhanced oxidized ATM proteins were present not only in the advanced and invasive breast tumor tissues but also malignant hypoxic breast cancer cells, in the absence of DNA damage. Loss of ATM expression or inhibiting oxidized ATM kinase activity reduced breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Using quantitative phosphoproteomics approach, 333 oxidized ATM target proteins were identified, some of these proteins govern key signaling associated with gap junction, focal adhesion, actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. Cortactin, one of the biggest changed phospho-protein, is a novel oxidized ATM-dependent target in response to hypoxia. Mechanically, we reveal that hypoxia-activated ATM can enhance the binding affinity of cortactin with Arp2/3 complex by phosphorylating cortactin at serine 113, and as a result, in favor of breast cancer cell migration and invasion. Conclusion: Oxidized ATM can phosphorylate cortactin at serine 113, playing a critical role in promoting breast tumor cell mobility and invasion via actin polymerization.

Objective To investigate the inhibition effect of siRNA interference on NGF induced by inflammatory factor IL-6, and IL-1 so as to provide novel targets for clinical treatment of discogenic low back pain. Methods The intervertebral disc nucleus and annulus fibrosus cells of rats were separated. The cells were co-cultured with different concentrations (10 nmol/L, 20 nmol/L, 50 nmol/L, 100 nmol/L) of IL-6 and IL-1β. The NGF-siRNA was leaded into the co-cultured cells with its import ability assessed by flow cytometry instrument tests, before and after which the NGF mRNA expression was detected by real-time Q-PCR and the NGF content was detected by ELISA. Results Flow cytometry instrument test results showed that the NGF-siRNA cell conversion rate was 99.8%. Real-time Q-PCR detection results showed that compared with negative control group, the NGF mRNA expression of co-cultured cells treated by 10 nmol/L, 20 nmol/L, 50 nmol/L, 100 nmol/L IL-6 and IL-1β were respectively raised 3.4, 3.7, 4.7, 3.7 times which were all significantly down-regulated after the import of NGF-siRNA. EILSA detection results showed that compared with negative control group, the NGF content of co-cultured medium treated by 10 nmol/L, 20 nmol/L, 50 nmol/L, 100 nmol/L I-L6 and IL-1β were respectively raised 2.9, 3.3, 4.5, 7.4 times which were all significantly decreased after the import of NGF-siRNA. Conclusions These molecular biological results suggest that inflammatory factor IL-6 and IL-1β could stimulate NGF on intervertebral disc cells in vitro culture model and its efficiency is concentration dependent, while siRNA interference can inhibit the stimulation effect of IL-6 and IL-1β on intervertebral disc cell, which provides a new targets for the clinical treatment of discogenic low back pain.

In this article, a novel microstrip antenna offering four operation bands to WiMAX (3.3–3.7 GHz), INST (4.5–4.8 GHz), downlink of X-band satellite communication (7.25–7.75 GHz) and X-band (8–12 GHz) is studied. The ring string-shaped radiator in the antenna consists of a circular ring patch and three elliptical rings of different sizes contributing to quad-band characteristics. The proposed antenna is fabricated on a FR-4 substrate with volume of 16 × 24 × 0.8 mm3. The measured reflection coefficient is lower than −20 dB and the peak gains are higher than 1.58 dBi at the center frequency of each operating bands. There is a high consistency between the measured results and the simulation results. It indicates that the idea of this antenna is correct and the proposed antenna can suit for the four desired operating bands.

In order to better study dynamic traffic, experiment and modeling are two common methods. Through experiments, some interesting phenomena and conclusions can be found. In the experiment of Jiang et al., (2014), the standard deviations of speeds of cars show a concave tendency. The amplitudes of car accelerations become larger along the car platoon. However, the simulation results by the inertia model and 2D-inertia model cannot be consistent with the experimental ones quantitatively. To this end, we put forward an improved 2D-inertial model, in which different mechanisms of acceleration and deceleration are considered. As a result, both the speed standard deviation and acceleration tendency in simulation can match to the experimental ones. Moreover, the fundamental relationship between flow rate, density and speed has been analyzed. There are different traffic dynamics at the high density from homogeneous/mega-jam initial configuration.

We propose a non-imaging MIMO-OFDM based VLC, and analyzed its bit-error-rate (BER) performance for different LED arrangements. Rectangular LED arrangement offers improved BER compared to the linear arrangement for a range of higher-order modulation schemes.

Inter-symbol interference (ISI) may become detrimental when the data rate rises in the atmospheric scattering UV channel. In this paper, we model the ISI effect due to delay spread in the UV channel and evaluate the approach of direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) in eliminating ISI and improve the system performance. Both the measured noise and newly reported experimental results of impulse response are introduced and incorporated. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the relations between bit-error-rate (BER) and spread factor, sample number, data rate. The results indicate that the DSSS reduces the ISI effect evidently.

In this paper, the influence of the mobility feature of a ultraviolet (UV) communication system is explored via experiments, the performance at four different relative speeds within different valid working distance ranges are tested. In order to get the maximum communication distance of our UV communication system, a large number of repeated tests are made at 5 meter intervals. Meanwhile, Selective Maximal Ratio Combining (SMRC) Algorithm is proposed to reduce system bit error rate (BER) under moving circumstances. Experimental results suggest that based on the given power and 10−3 bit error rate, 30 meter proved to the furthest valid working distance and the influence of mobility on UV system is almost negligible within a certain speed range. Moreover, in comparison with other diversity reception algorithms, average BER decreased notably with SMRC.

The nuclear localization of Drosha is critical for its function as a microRNA maturation regulator. Dephosphorylation of Drosha at serine 300 and serine 302 disrupts its nuclear localization, and aberrant distribution of Drosha has been detected in some tumors. The purpose of the present study was to assess cytoplasmic/nuclear Drosha expression in gastric cancer carcinogenesis and progression. Drosha expression and its subcellular location was investigated by immunohistochemical staining of a set of tissue microarrays composed of normal adjacent tissues (374), chronic gastritis (137), precancerous lesions (94), and gastric adenocarcinoma (829) samples, and in gastric cancer cell lines with varying differentiation by immunofluorescence and western blot assay. Gradual loss of cytoplasmic Drosha was accompanied by tumor progression in both gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, and was inversely associated with tumor volume (P = 0.002), tumor grade (P

Drosha is an RNA III-like enzyme that has an aberrant expression in some tumors. Our previous studies showed the aberrant Drosha in gastric tumors. However, the roles of nuclear Drosha, the main regulator of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis, in gastric cancer (GC) progression remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that nuclear Drosha is significantly associated with cell invasion of GC and that Drosha silence impedes the tumor invasion. Knockdown of Drosha led to a set of dysregulated miRNAs in GC cells. Multiple targets of these miRNAs were the members in cell migration, invasion and metastasis-associated signaling (e.g. ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, p53 signaling and MAPK signaling pathway) revealed by bioinformatics analysis. LAMC2 (a key element of ECM-receptor signaling) and CD82 (a suppressor of p53 signaling) are the targets of miR-622 and miR-197, respectively. High levels of LAMC2 and low levels of CD82 were significantly related to the worse outcome for GC patients. Furthermore, overexpression of LAMC2 and knockdown of CD82 markedly promoted GC cell invasion and activated EGFR/ERK1/2-MMP7 signaling via upregulation of the expression of phosphorylated (p)-EGFR, p-ERK1/2 and MMP7. Our findings suggest that nuclear Drosha potentially has a role in the development of GC.

Recent advances in the search for novel anticancer agents have indicated that the positively charged antimicrobial peptides have emerged as promising agents offering several advantages over the conventional anticancer drugs. As a naturally occurring, cationic, α-helical antimicrobial peptide, temproin-1CEa has been proved to exhibit a potent anticancer effect and a moderate hemolytic activity. In order to reduce the hemolytic activity of temporin-1CEa and improve its anticancer potency towards a range of human breast cancer cells, in the present study, six analogs of temporin-1CEa were rationally designed and synthesized. The amphipathicity levels and α-helical structural patterns of peptides were reserved, while their cationic property and hydrophobicity were changed. The results of MTT and hemolysis assay indicated that the analog peptides displayed an improved anticancer activity and showed an overall optimized therapeutic index. The hydrophobicity of peptides was positively correlated with their hemolytic and antitumor activities. Moreover, the data suggest a strategy of increasing the cationicity while maintaining the moderate hydrophobicity of naturally occurring amphipathic α-helical peptides to generate analogs with improved cytotoxicity against tumor cells but decreased activity against non-neoplastic cells such as human erythrocytes. This work highlights the potential for rational design and synthesis of improved antimicrobial peptides that have the capability to be used therapeutically for treatment of cancers.

The molecular mechanism between atherosclerosis formation and periodontal pathogens is not clear although positive correlation between periodontal infections and cardiovascular diseases has been reported. Objective: To determine if atherosclerosis related genes were affected in foam cells during and after its formation by P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Methods: Macrophages from human THP-1 monocytes were treated with oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) to induce the formation of foam cells. P. gingivalis LPS was added to cultures of either oxLDL-induced macrophages or foam cells. The expression of atherosclerosis related genes was assayed by quantitative real time PCR and the protein production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor（GM-CSF）, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-1β, IL-10 and IL-12 was determined by ELISA. Nuclear translocation of NF-κB P65 was detected by immunocytochemistry and western blot was used to evaluate IKB-α degradation to confirm the NF-κB pathway activation. Results: P. gingivalis LPS stimulated atherosclerosis related gene expression in foam cells and increased oxLDL induced expression of chemokines, adhesion molecules, growth factors, apoptotic genes, and nuclear receptors in macrophages. Transcription of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-12 was elevated in response to LPS in both macrophages and foam cells, whereas the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was not affected. Increased NF-κB pathway activation was also observed in LPS and oxLDL co-stimulated macrophages. Conclusion: P. gingivalis LPS appears to be an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis by stimulation of atherosclerosis related gene expression in both macrophages and foam cells via activation of the NF-κB pathway.

Maintaining genetic diversity is a major issue in conservation biology. In this study, we demonstrate the differences of genetic diversity levels between wild and captive individuals of Elliot’s Pheasant Syrmaticus ellioti. Wild individuals showed a higher genetic diversity level than that of the captive individuals. Nucleotide diversity and haplotype diversity of wild individuals were 0.00628 and 0.993, while those of captive individuals were 0.00150 and 0.584 respectively. Only 3 haplotypes of mtDNA control region sequence were identified among 36 captive individuals, while 16 unique haplotypes were identified among the 17 wild individuals in this study. One captive haplotype was shared by a wild individual from Anhui Province. It is concluded that a low number of founders was the likely reason for the lower level genetic diversity of the captive group. Careful genetic management is suggested for captive populations, particularly of such an endangered species, to maintain genetic variability levels.

International audience; High-brightness laser diode technology is a highly dynamic field, which is strongly driven by the rapidly evolving and highly competitive applications markets. The large volume resonators required for high-power, high-brightness operation are known to make their beam parameters and brightness sensitive to thermal and carrier induced lensing and also to multimode operation. However, power and beam quality are no longer the only concerns for the design of high-brightness laser diodes. The increased demand for this technology has been accompanied by a range of new performance requirements, including a wider range of wavelengths, direct electrical modulation, spectral purity and stability, and phase-locking techniques for coherent beam combining. This paper explores some (but, by no means all) of the next-generation technologies being pursued for these applications, simultaneously illustrating the growing importance of advanced simulation and design tools. As the simulation tools become more complex, so does their experimental validation and the calibration of the simulation parameters. The paper begins by investigating the brightness limitations of broad-area laser diodes. Next, more advanced technologies are considered, including: two-contact tapered lasers for direct modulation of the output beam; self-organising cavity lasers for efficient generation of a beam with a high spatial and spectral power density; asymmetric feedback broad-area lasers with a dramatically improved beam parameter product; and a phase-locked high-brightness array using an external Talbot cavity.