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This paper presents an experimental study on the effects of lateral tension and loading rate on the local bond performance of ribbed bars in concrete. The results show that, up to a loading rate of 10 mm/s, the mode of bond failure is independent of the loading rate but is closely related to the cover depth, concrete grade and level of lateral tension. It is also shown that the bond strength of ribbed bars increases with the increase of loading rate but decreases with an increase in lateral tension. The increase or decrease ratio becomes larger when splitting failure occurs. Specifically, for pull-out and splitting failure, the bond strength decreases by 8% and 22% when the lateral tension increases from 0.0 to 0.6 times the tensile strength of concrete but increases by 22% and 28% when the loading rate increases from 0.01 to 10 mm/s, respectively. The slip at peak bond stress is rate-insensitive. It can be taken as 0.18 times the rib spacing for pull-out failure but decreases linearly with the increase of lateral tension for splitting failure. Finally, a bond stress–slip model with three parameters is suggested for different levels of lateral tension and loading rates.

A two-step scheme is presented for estimating the chloride diffusivity of pure cement paste. In the scheme, gel pores are included in the solid skeleton, composed of calcium hydroxide, unhydrated cement and calcium silicate hydrate, while capillary pores and the solid skeleton constitute pure cement paste. In combination with percolation theory, the effective medium method was modified to formulate the chloride diffusivities of the solid skeleton and pure cement paste sequentially. Detailed analysis was conducted to calibrate the percolation exponent for the high-diffusivity phase and the chloride diffusivity of the pore solution. Comparisons with various test results were made to verify the proposed scheme. Unlike existing analytical methods, the physical properties, volume fractions and morphological relationships of various phase constituents and the shapes, percolation behaviour and different roles of gel and capillary pores are all taken into account simultaneously. The calibrated chloride diffusivity of the pore solution was found to be considerably close to that derived by molecular dynamics simulation, suggesting that the scheme represents a more realistic pure cement paste. The scheme can reasonably evaluate the chloride diffusivity of pure cement paste at medium and long curing ages.

Background : Platelet distribution width (PDW) and PDW-to-platelet ratio (PPR) have been proven to be good prognostic indicators for many diseases. However, their prognostic values in severe burns have not been reported. Objective : To investigate the early time course of PDW and PPR in severe burn patients and investigate their prognostic values. Methods : This is a 16-year, single-center retrospective study of 590 severe burn patients. The complete blood count parameters on day 1, day 3 and day 7 postburn, including PDW and PPR, were collected. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic values of PDW and PPR in severe burn patients. Results : According to 120-day follow-up records, 96 patients were non-survivors and 494 patients were survivors. ROC and area under the curve (AUC) analysis showed that, for predicting 120-day prognosis, the AUC of PDW (0.782) and PPR (0.816) on day 3 was the highest, followed by the AUC of PDW (0.764) and PPR (0.750) on day 7. The ROC-AUC of PPR (0.816) on day 3 was very close to that of the ABSI score (0.818). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the PDW (P = 0.033 and P = 0.009) and PPR (P = 0.052 and P = 0.046) on day 3 and day 7 were all significantly independently positively associated with 120-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high PDW and PPR were both significantly associated with a high 120-day mortality rate on day 3 and day 7. Conclusion : PDW and PPR on day 3 and day 7 were independent risk factors for 120-day mortality in severe burn patients. These objective and readily available prognostic indicators may be more clinically favored.

A complication is an unanticipated disease arisen following, induced by a disease, a treatment or a procedure. We compile the Human Disease-Complication Network from the medical data and investigate the characteristics of the network. It is observed that the modules of the network are dominated by the classes of diseases. The relations between modules are unveiled in detail. Three nontrivial motifs are identified from the network. We further simulate the dynamics of motifs with the Boolean dynamic model. Each motif represents a specific dynamic behavior, which is potentially functional in the disease system, such as generating temporal progressions and governing the responses to fluctuating external stimuli.Author summaryAdvances in molecular biology lead to a new discipline of network medicine, investigating human diseases in a networked structure perspective. Recently, clinical records have been introduced to the research of complex networks of diseases. An important available medical dataset that has been overlooked so far is the complications of diseases, which are vital for human beings. We compile the Human Disease-Complication Network, representing the causality between the upstream diseases and their downstream complications. This work not only helps us to comprehend why certain groups of diseases appear collectively, but also provides a new paradigm to investigate the dynamics of disease progression. For clinical applications, the investigation of complications may yield new approaches to disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Many studies show a "obesity paradox", which seems to protect against death. Whether an obesity paradox space is present in severe burn patients remains a matter of great debate. Most research on the obesity paradox of burn injuries is classified by body mass index (BMI) rather than by age.To investigate whether the obesity paradox exists in severe burn patients stratified by age.Retrospective analysis was performed on 490 patients with severe burns who were ≥ 18 years of age and were admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2005 to December 2020. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected, including age, BMI, total body surface area (TBSA), presence of inhalation injury, abbreviated burn severity index (ABSI) score, diabetes comorbidities, hypertension comorbidities, and in-hospital mortality. The patients were divided into the younger group (18 ≤ age65 years) and the older group (age ≥ 65 years). The important variables of the two groups were compared. The predictive value of BMI stratified by age on in-hospital mortality was evaluated by binary logistic regression analysis and the Cochran's and Mantel-Haenszel statistics.A total of 490 patients were selected for this study, and were divided into the younger group (413) and the elderly group (77) according to their ages. In the younger group, logistic regression analyses indicated that high BMI remained significantly and independently associated with decreased in-hospital mortality (P = 0.021). That is, in-hospital mortality decreased by 17.8% when BMI increased by 1 kg/mIn this study of patients with severe burns, overweight and obesity had protective effect on burn injury in the younger group (18 ≤ age65 years), but not in the older group (age ≥ 65 years). Investigating the obesity paradox in burn patients needs to consider age differences. However, multicentre clinical trials are needed to verify the results.

Background: Information about the relative importance of critical laboratory values in burn patients has not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to investigate the morbidity of analytes of critical laboratory values and their association with in-hospital mortality in burn patients.Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. The clinical data and critical laboratory values of burn patients admitted to the Fujian Province Burn Center from July 1, 2017, to May 1, 2021, were downloaded from the Big Data Center of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital. The morbidity of analytes of critical laboratory values and the impact of these critical laboratory results on in-hospital mortality were investigated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyse the independent association between analytes of critical laboratory values and in-hospital mortality in burn patients.Results: There were 18 common analytes of critical laboratory values in burn patients in a provincial burn centre, and their morbidity was as follows: hypertroponinemia, alkalemia, positive blood culture (PBC), acidaemia, hypocapnia, hypercapnia, hypocalcaemia, hypoxemia, hyperglycaemia, high activated partial thrombin time (APPT), hypokalaemia, hypernatremia, hypofibrinogenemia, hypohemoglobinemia, hyperkalaemia, hypoglycaemia, hypothrombosis and high prothrombin time (PT). Compared with patients without critical laboratory results, patients with critical laboratory results had a significantly higher in-hospital mortality rate (P < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality of patients with two or more analytes of critical laboratory values was significantly higher than that of patients with one analyte (P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the critical results of hyperglycaemia (P = 0.005), hyperkalaemia (P = 0.030), hypofibrinogenemia (P = 0.015), hypertroponinemia (P = 0.023) and hypoxemia (P = 0.008) were all independently associated with in-hospital mortality.Conclusion: In a group of hospitalized burn patients at a provincial burn centre, the morbidity of analytes of critical laboratory values and their association with in-hospital mortality were investigated for the first time. The critical results of hyperglycaemia, hyperkalaemia, hypofibrinogenemia, hypertroponinemia and hypoxemia were all independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in burn patients.

Confinement reinforcement, such as tubes, stirrups, and wraps, can significantly improve the strength and, more importantly, ductility of eccentrically loaded concrete prisms. However, the...

Severe burns can cause a hypermetabolic response and organ damage. Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid with various pharmacological effects. In this study, whether glutamine could alleviate the hypermetabolic response and maintain organ function after burn injury was analyzed.A multicenter, randomized, single-blind, parallel controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of glutamine in decreasing hypermetabolism after burn injury. Physiological and biochemical indexes, such as vital signs, metabolic hormones, metabolic rate, and organ damage, were recorded on the 7th and 14th days after treatment.In total, 55 adult burn patients with a total burn surface area (TBSA) of 30-70% were included in this study and randomly divided into the burn control (B, 28 patients) and burn+glutamine (B+G, 27 patients) groups. Except for the glutamine administration, the groups did not differ in the other treatments and nutrition supplements. The levels of diamine oxidase (DAO), lactulose/mannitol (L/M), βGlutamine moderately alleviates the hypermetabolic response and reduces organ damage after severe burns. Therefore, the early application of glutamine, which is effective and safe, should be used as an active intervention as early as possible.

The accurate and early diagnosis is very important for the successful treatment of tumours. However, a single mode of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is difficult to satisfy the high requirements of accurate diagnosis owing to the inherent defects. Herein, we constructed a kind of poly(acrylic) acid (PAA) modified Fe3O4@MnO2 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA NPs) for the pH-responsive T1/T2 dual-model MRI guiding photothermal therapy (PTT). The Fe3O4 core enabled Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA NPs to weaken T2 signal in clinical MRI examination, and MnO2 nanoshells were able to decompose into the paramagnetic manganous ions under the weakly acidic environment of tumours, achieving pH-responsive T1-weighted MRI. Such pH-responsive T1/T2 dual-model contrast agents (CAs) with high sensitivity and specificity provided more comprehensive information for diagnosis of tumours. Moreover, Fe3O4@MnO2@PAA NPs exhibited excellent absorption performance in near-infrared region (NIR), making them as a potential NIR photothermal agents for PTT. This work presented novel pH-responsive theranostic agents integrated dual-model imaging and PTT functionalities, and demonstrated their potential for stimuli-responsive MRI-guided PTT of cancer.

Severe burns might cause intense inflammatory response and tissue ischemia and hypoxia, and these effects result in intestinal mucosal barrier damage. In this study, we evaluated the effects of recombinant human intestinal trefoil factor (rhITF) on the intestinal mucus barrier after burn injury. The results showed that rhITF could improve the intestinal mucosal damage index, decrease diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, reduce intestinal damage, and thereby alleviate intestinal mucous permeability. Severe burns were associated with subsequent decreases in the mucus thickness and the levels of hexose, and mucin, and rhITF administration might partially reverse these changes. Additional experiments showed that supplementation with rhITF markedly increased the mitochondrial respiratory control rate (RCR) and phosphorus-oxygen ratio (P/O) in intestinal tissue. Moreover, rhITF improved the intestinal mucosal blood flow (IMBF) and the levels of oxygen extraction (Oext), nitric oxide (NO) and ATP. These results suggest that ITF can improve the blood perfusion of the intestinal mucosa after severe burns, promote the transport of glutamine in the intestinal mucosa, improve the energy metabolism of goblet cells, stimulate goblet cell differentiation and maturation, promote the synthesis and secretion of intestinal mucus, and maintain the barrier function of intestinal mucus.

The mechanical performance of the interface between fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) laminates and concrete is essential for the analysis of FRP-strengthened concrete structures through external bonding. This paper presents an analytical solution for the pull-off behavior of FRP-to-concrete bonded joints considering local unloading and reloading. With the interfacial slip at the free end as the control variable, the focus of the analysis is to model the mechanical responses of the FRP-to-concrete interface under loading, unloading, and reloading. Based on a three-parameter nonlinear bond stress-slip model for the FRP-to-concrete interface, the interfacial slip and the strain in the FRP laminate are derived in an analytical manner. With the analytical solution, the snap-back phenomenon is analyzed. The critical bond length, and the interfacial slips at the start of unloading and at the termination of reloading are determined. Finally, the analytical solution is verified with existing test results through comparing the axial tensile force-slip relationship at the loaded end and the strain profiles in the FRP laminate.

This paper presents a computer simulation method for predicting the degree of hydration at the initial setting time of cement paste with particle agglomeration. Agglomeration is controlled by using a square-well potential for the interaction between two cement particles, and the degree of hydration at the initial setting time is determined using the burning algorithm. It is verified that, when the critical surface-to-surface distance for attachment is taken as 0.05 μm, the simulation predictions are in good agreement with experimental results. For cement particles in water at the initial stage of hydration, the number of clusters obeys the power law with an average Fisher exponent of 1.9. Finally, the effects of key factors affecting the degree of hydration at the initial setting time are quantitatively evaluated.

In most experiments, small-size fiber reinforced polymer–confined concrete cylinders are used to study the axial compressive behavior. Based on the experimental results, many strength models and stress–strain relationships of confined concrete have been established. Whether the experiment-based strength models and stress–strain relationships can be directly applied to large-size circular concrete columns, however, is still an open issue. To clarify this issue, this article studies the influence of specimen sizes on the axial behavior of carbon fiber reinforced polymer confined concrete cylinders. Three types of concrete cylinders with diameters of 100, 200, and 300 mm, wrapped with one ply, two plies, and three plies of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, respectively, are cast and tested. The experimental results show that, under identical lateral confining stress, the compressive strength and axial stress–strain relationship are independent of the specimen size. Based on theoretical analysis and experimental data, an analysis-oriented stress–strain relationship and an analytical strength model are developed to predict the axial compressive behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer–confined concrete cylinders. The validity of the stress–strain relationship and strength model is verified with the experimental results and 16 existing models obtained from the literature.

Owing to their importance to the assessment of reinforced concrete structures, it is of great practical significance to predict the elastic moduli of concrete with interfacial cracks. The intention of this paper is to present an analytical solution for the elastic moduli of cracked concrete. According to the theory of stereology, the 2D scalar crack density is expressed as an explicit function of the aggregate area fraction and the central angle of interfacial cracks. For uniformly oriented and mutually interacted interfacial cracks, the effective medium method is used to derive the relative elastic moduli of cracked concrete. Based on the numerical results, it is found that the relative elastic moduli decrease with the increase of the aggregate area fraction and/or the central angle of interfacial cracks. It is also found that the relative elastic moduli are independent of the minimum aggregate diameter, the maximum aggregate diameter, and the aggregate gradation.

This paper presents a numerical method that can predict the Young’s modulus of ceramic with reasonable accuracy. By introducing periodic conditions, the distribution of pores in the matrix phase is simulated. The lattice model is then employed for the analysis of stress in the pore structure and for the determination of the maximum element length. Finally, the validity of the proposed numerical method is preliminarily verified with the experimental results obtained from the literature.

Time-to-cracking of the concrete cover induced by the steel corrosion is one of the critical problems faced by engineers, operators and asset managers in making strategies for the maintenance and repairs of reinforced concrete (RC) structures affected by corrosion. In this paper, a theoretical model for predicting the time-to-cracking is derived by assuming the bond between the steel bar and the concrete as a linear combination of perfectly smooth and bonded. The model takes into account the characteristics of existing exiguous flaws and initial cracks in the concrete before the load acting on RC structures. The validity of the proposed model is preliminarily verified by comparing the obtained results with the available experimental results. A remarkable advantage of the proposed method is its application to the prediction of the service life of RC structures, made of the deformed steel bars as well as the round bars. By determining an experimental constant α, which is related to the interface bond state between the steel bar and the concrete, the service life of RC structures can be predicted using the proposed scheme. Analysis of major factors affecting the time-to-cracking demonstrates that the length of the initial crack affects the service life of RC structures significantly. Moreover, the larger cover thickness and the smaller diameter of the steel bar within a certain range are beneficial to prolonging the time-to-cracking.

The symplectic series expansion method is extended to three-dimensional problem for transversely isotropic piezoelectric media. The governing equations are first derived in Hamiltonian form, and symplectic eigensolutions are directly obtained through analytical method. All solutions of the problem are reduced to finding eigenvalues and eigensolutions. The classical St Venant solutions are described by zero-eigensolutions, and the localized solutions are depicted by non-zero-eigensolutions. Symplectic relationships of the ortho-normalization are used, end conditions are rewritten by eigensolutions, and a numerical scheme is formed analytically. Some numerical examples are given. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Experimental and theoretical research showed that in predicting concrete’s elastic modulus, it should be modelled as a three-phase composite material at a mesoscopic level, consisting of aggregates, interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and cement paste, and that the proportions, mechanical properties and interaction of the three phase constituents should all be considered in the prediction. The present paper attempts to develop a numerical method that can predict the elastic modulus of three-phase concrete made with two different aggregates. In this method, the mesostructure of concrete is simulated and the lattice type model is modified to take into account the mechanical properties of the cement paste, ITZ, and fine and coarse aggregates of concrete. The finite element method is then employed for analyzing the stress and strain in concrete and therefore for determining its elastic modulus. Finally, the developed numerical method is verified by comparison with the experimental results obtained from the research literature. The paper concludes that the numerical method can predict with reasonable accuracy the elastic modulus of concrete made with two different aggregates.

This paper deals with hygrothermal effects on the nonlinear vibration and dynamic response of shear deformable laminated plates. The temperature field considered is assumed to be a uniform distribution over the plate surface and through the plate thickness. The material properties of the composite are affected by the variation of temperature and moisture, and based on a micro-mechanical model. The formulations are based on higher-order shear deformation plate theory and general von Karman-type equation of motion, which includes hygrothermal effects. The equations of motion are solved by an improved perturbation technique to determine nonlinear frequencies and dynamic responses of shear deformable antisymmetric angle-ply and unsymmetric cross-ply laminated plates. The numerical illustrations concern the nonlinear vibration and dynamic response of the shear deformable laminated plates under different sets of hygrothermal environmental conditions. Effects of temperature rise, the degree of moisture concentration, and fiber volume fraction on natural frequencies, nonlinear to linear frequency ratios and dynamic responses are studied.

The effect of hygrothermal conditions on the dynamic response of shear deformable laminated plates resting on a two-parameter (Pasternak-type) elastic foundation is investigated using a micro-to-macromechanical analytical model. The material properties of the composite are affected by the variation of temperature and moisture, and are based on a micromechanical model of a laminate. The governing equations are based on higher order shear deformation plate theory and include the plate-foundation interaction and hygrothermal effects. All four edges of the plate are assumed to be simply supported with no in-plane displacements. Analytical solutions of dynamic response for symmetric cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply laminated plates subjected to a transverse dynamic load under different sets of hygrothermal environmental conditions are obtained by using the state variable approach. The numerical illustrations concern the free vibration and dynamic response of shear deformable laminated plates resting on Pasternak-type elastic foundations with the Winkler elastic foundations being a limiting case. The influences played by temperature rise, the degree of moisture concentration, fiber volume fraction and foundation stiffness are studied. The results show that the hygrothermal environment has a significant effect on the natural frequency as well as dynamic response of the plate.

This paper deals with the dynamic response of shear deformable laminated plates exposed to thermomechanical loading and resting on a two-parameter (Pasternak-type) elastic foundation. The temperature field considered is assumed to be a uniform distribution over the plate surface and through the plate thickness. The material properties are assumed to be independent of temperature. The formulations are based on Reddy’s higher order shear deformable plate theory and include the plate-foundation interaction and thermal effects due to temperature rise. All four edges of the plate are assumed to be simply supported with no in-plane displacements. Analytical solutions of dynamic response for symmetric cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply laminated plates subjected to a transverse dynamic load and exposed to a uniform temperature rise are obtained by using the state variable approach. The numerical illustrations concern the free vibration and dynamic response of shear deformable laminated plates resting on Pasternak-type elastic foundations with the Winkler elastic foundations being a limiting case. Effects of foundation stiffness, plate side-to-thickness ratio, and temperature rise on the dynamic response are also studied.

The investigation was carried out from 15 May to 10 June 2006 among diarrhea patients of two schools and periphery residents in Hecun Town, Jiangshan City. Stool samples were examined for Entamoeba histolytica. Water samples were taken for microbial analysis. 31 cases with E. histolytica were found,with 74.2% (23 cases) of students and preschool children. 9 cases were found in Liuyi kindergarten and 8 cases in Hecun central primary school with a prevalence of 7.4% and 0.65%, respectively. Among 594 asymptomatic close contactors, 9 cases (1.5%) were carriers of cysts. Of the 31 cases, 22 were found with no habit of handwashing before eating or after defecation, and 14 cases had a close contact to the patients. No amoebic cysts or trophozoites were found from 12 water samples collected from schools or patient's houses, but the Escherichia coli level exceeded the national standard in 7 samples.

In this study, the influence of the aggregate-cement paste interfacial transition zone (ITZ) on the steady-state chloride diffusivity of mortars and concretes was examined using a semi-empirical, three-phase composite sphere model. Mortars and concretes were modelled as three-phase composites consisting of the aggregate, bulk cement paste and an inhomogeneous ITZ. The latter was divided into a series of homogenous concentric shell elements of equal thickness. The initial porosity and cement gradients at the ITZ were first estimated from the overall water/cement ratio (w0/c). The evolution of the porosity, solid hydration products and remnants of unreacted cement were then calculated from the hydration degree and local water/cement ratio (w/c) using Powers' empirical model. Based on the Laplacian equation, an element transfer matrix was derived analytically to predict the steady-state chloride diffusivity. The model was calibrated using the available experimental data and then applied to perform a sensitivity analysis to evaluate the effects of aggregate content, water/cement ratio, curing period, ITZ width, maximum aggregate size and aggregate gradation on diffusivity. Some of these variables are impractical to quantify by laboratory experimentation. Implications of the findings with regard to the role of ITZ on mass transport properties are discussed.

By parallel operation of three phosphorus removal systems (SBR) using different electron acceptors of O2, NO3(-) and NO2(-), process characteristics and inherent competition mechanism of microorganisms were discussed. Although NO2(-) had no direct inhibition on anoxic phosphorus uptake after the DPAO cultivation, system performance was still much lower than that with NO3(-) as electron acceptor. And it ultimately resulted from the washout of the group of DPAO (DPAO5) that lacked the ability to denitrify NO2(-) and the enhanced GAO growth in the system. Being the efficient electron acceptor, NO3(-) or O2 supplying SBRs removed phosphorus smoothly and comparatively, in viewpoint of stiochoimetry and constitution of functional bacteria. In all three test systems, mass of GAO was present to exhaust limited organics with PAO population. Moreover, total PAO could be divided into 6 distinct groups, i.e., PO, PN, Pn, PNn, PON and PONn, based on the abilities of utilizing different electron acceptors. And facultative PAO of PON and PONn were found as the main contributors for the phosphorus removal. The higher ratio they accounted in sludge, the more capacity the system possessed to remove phosphorus, i.e., SBR0SBRn5SBRn3.

Frequency tuning of optical parametric generators in periodically poled LiNbO3 by applying a periodic electric field was demonstrated. Remarkable wavelength change was achieved. The dependence of the wavelength shift on the applied field shows a linear relationship. The tuning rates exceeding 3 nm/(kV/mm) were obtained. The phenomenon of dispersion in electro-optic tuning was predicted. Possible applications were discussed.

To prepare gemcitabine-loaded nanovesicles and to observe its morphology, structure, particle size, and drug-release performance in vitro.Diemulsion technique was used to prepare nanovesicles as carrier from amphiphilic block copolymer of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (D, L-lactide), and gemcitabine was used as the model drug. The morphology of vesicles was determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and its drug loading (DL), encapsulation ratio (ER), and drug-release curve in vitro were detected by UV-Vis-NIR Spectrophotometer.The Gemcitabine-loaded nanovesicles is a kind of hollow nanosphere with the mean size of 200.6 nm, DL of 4.14% and ER of 20.54%. The nanovesicles showed its excellent controlled-release characteristic in the experiment of drug release in vitro.The nanovesicles prepared from PEG-PDLLA can be served as one of carriers for Gemcitabine with good performance of drug controlled-release. It will provide a reliable experimental base for the further researches in vivo.

To evaluate the effect of antiviral agents on intrahepatic HBV DNA and histology in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients.Thirty-five patients were treated with lamivudine, 16 with interferon alfa (INF-alpha), 24 with sequential Lamivudine and INF-alpha. The total duration of therapy was 12 months. Intrahepatic HBV DNA was measured quantitatively by real-time polymerase chain reaction.There was significant change in all parameters of the groups of patients at the end of treatment (P0.05). The patients treated with sequential treatment had slightly higher HBeAg seroconversion rate (38.1%) than that of the other patients (P=0.1352). The baseline levels of intrahepatic HBV DNA in the patients with HBeAg seroconversion or undetectable serum HBV DNA were significantly lower than that of the other patients (P0.05).Antiviral agents could effectively inhibit intrahepatic HBV DNA and improve hepatic histology. The patients with low baseline intrahepatic HBV DNA level may achieve better antiviral efficacy. Sequential treatment might produce high HBeAg seroconversion rate.

Determining the water permeability of cement paste is of great practical significance in view of cement paste water transport's importance in cement-based material design and durability assessment. The authors present an analytical cement paste water permeability prediction method. The cement paste model is an isotropic two-phase composite material, with gel and capillary pores included in two separate phases, since capillary pores have a considerably larger contribution to cement paste water permeability and a considerably larger scale than gel pores. An analytical solution is derived for cement paste water permeability through the introduction of a hypothetical homogeneous nonzero water permeability medium and application of general effective medium theory. The proposed method's primary advantage is each phase constitutent's physical properties and morphological characteristics, the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds, and the interaction of the two phases are all taken into account. Finally, there is verification of analytical solution validation with experimental results obtained from the literature. The conclusion that cement paste water permeability can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by the analytical solution is reached.