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K-joints have been commonly used in steel structures benefiting from excellent connection performance. In this study, a combined experimental and nonlinear analysis was performed on CFDST-K joints to investigate the displacement, strain evolution, bearing capacity degradation, impact force, and energy absorption capacity in detail with different structure-related parameters such as hollow rate and steel tube thickness. The finite element model was developed and validated by experimental results. Results indicated that the CFDST-K joint can effectively enhance impact resistance with a more reasonable energy distribution. To improve the anti-impact property, the optimal hollow rate is 0.63 and the diameter-to-thickness ratio of the outer tube should be less than 30. Meanwhile, the inner tube thickness had little effect on impact resistance under low-impact energy. Finally, simplified calculation methods for the deformation and impact force were derived based on a parametric study on the dynamic response by discussing the influence of the impact energy, hollow rate, diameter-to-thickness ratio, and axial compression ratio. The findings can serve as a foundation for the development of more reliable CFDST-K joints for steel structures.

Reinforced concrete (RC) walls are extensively used in civil air defense engineering and are susceptible to low-speed impacts with high energy and massive weight during service. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the impact resistance of these walls and explore effective protection methods. The honeycomb structure, known for its energy-absorbing properties, has been widely utilized in aerospace, automotive, and maritime industries. However, there is a need for more research on applying honeycomb structures in energy-absorbing protection devices in civil engineering. This study proposes the use of honeycomb sandwich panels to protect civil air defense RC walls, creating a Honeycomb Sandwich Panel Composite RC wall (HSP-RC wall). Through pendulum impact experiments, we investigated the dynamic response of RC walls, both standard and HSP-RC walls with varying honeycomb parameters, under high-energy impacts. The goal was to evaluate the impact resistance of these RC walls, analyze the deformation differences among different HSP-RC walls, and examine the influence of honeycomb parameters on the impact protection effectiveness. The research results indicate that honeycomb sandwich panels can provide impact protection for RC walls by absorbing energy, and their protection effect is related to the parameters of the honeycomb core layer. This research result can be applied to RC structures that bear impact loads, achieving effective protection for RC structures.

In order to understand the mechanism of air flooding shale oil, an online physical simulation method for enhanced shale oil recovery by air injection was established by integrating CT scanning and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The development effect of shale oil by air flooding under different depletion pressures, the micro-production characteristics of pore throats with different sizes and the mechanism of shale oil recovery by air flooding were analyzed. The effects of air oxygen content, permeability, gas injection pressure, and fractures on the air flooding effect in shale and crude oil production in pores with different sizes were analyzed. The recovery of shale oil can be greatly improved by injecting air into the depleted shale reservoir, but the oil displacement efficiency and the production degree of different levels of pore throats vary with the injection timing. The higher the air oxygen content and the stronger the low-temperature oxidation, the higher the production degree of pores with different sizes and the higher the shale oil recovery. The higher the permeability and the better the pore throat connectivity, the stronger the fluid flow capacity and the higher the shale oil recovery. As the injection pressure increases, the lower limit of the production degree of pore throats decreases, but gas channeling may occur to cause a premature breakthrough; as a result, the recovery increases and then decreases. Fractures can effectively increase the contact area between gas and crude oil, and increase the air sweep coefficient and matrix oil drainage area by supplying oil to fractures through the matrix, which means that a proper fracturing before air injection can help to improve the oil displacement effect under a reasonable production pressure difference.

Fluoride is a toxic and harmful ingredient in the spent cathode carbon blocks (SCCB). Gaseous fluoride pollution is a significant potential pollution source in the process of boiler collaborative disposal of SCCB. In this paper, meager coal and SCCB were used as fuel, the mixing ratio and temperature were variables, the law of thermal conversion of fluorine during the co-combustion process was studied, and the properties of ash residue were discussed. At the same time, CaO was added to the furnace to reveal the influence of temperature on the effect of fluorine fixation in the furnace. The results showed that combustion was the most suitable method for removing soluble fluorine from SCCB, and the thermal conversion rate of soluble fluorine was up to 99.68–99.98%. The higher the combustion temperature, the higher the conversion of gaseous fluoride, and the worse the effect of fluorine fixation in the furnace. It is not suitable for fluorine fixation in the furnace when the furnace temperature exceeded 1100 ℃. The higher the mixing ratio of SCCB, the higher the production of gaseous fluoride, and a proper mixing ratio is vital for co-combustion. Ash residue after mixing 10% SCCB combustion belongs to general industrial solid waste. This study has important theoretical significance for determining the applicable furnace type, the appropriate mixing ratio and effective fluoride treatment measures in the co-combustion process of coal and SCCB.

Abstracts: It is cost-effective and low-carbon emission using high performance mortar to repair and protect damaged structures. Here, graphene oxide (GO)/steel fiber (SF) reinforced ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer compound sulfoaluminate cement repair mortar (GOCRM) was directly prepared by water-reducer sonication dispersion and subsequent shear mix method. The workability, mechanical properties, and durability of GOCRM were systematically investigated along with microstructure and micro/nano enhancement mechanism evaluation. The flowability, initial/final setting time, 1 day/28 days flexural, 1 day/28 days compressive, interfacial bonding strength (fb), 90 days drying shrinkage, 3 days water absorption rate, contact angle and migration coefficient of chloride ion of GOCRM at 0.03% GO dosage reach 192.0 mm, 35 min/53 min, 8 MPa/19.9 MPa, 21.3 MPa/79.3 MPa, 4.93 MPa, 1.051×10−4, 0.1%, 80.96° and 2.322×10−13 m2/s, respectively. Microscopic morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectra of mortars with varied curing ages demonstrate that sulfoaluminate cement, EVA, GO incorporation can improve the microstructure in interiors and at interfaces of mortars by filling micro-pores between products and promoting hydration degree. Accordingly, tighter bonding surface, higher fb and superior bond durability between GOCRM and the old substrate are achieved. These indicate that GOCRM can advantageously serve as high-performance repair mortar with superior fast repair capability, and long-term repair stability.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced cementitious composite (CNRC) with excellent electrical and self-sensing properties, which enables it to serve as an intrinsic sensor for structural health monitoring (SHM). However, the requirements of modern industry for accurate calculation and performance design of engineering materials are not met by traditional experimental studies alone. The finite element method (FEM) has the advantages of simplicity of operation, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness, and it has been widely used in the property verification and prediction of various composite materials. In this article, the constitutive model, FEM modeling method, and simulation process of CNRC along with existing model types, innate relations, and model parameters are reviewed, and the corresponding mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical coupling properties of CNRC under different parameters are systematically analyzed by FEM method. By combining different uncertainty parameters and model types, the advantages and disadvantages of FEM for mechanical, electromechanical coupling, and SHM applications of CNRC modeling are explored. The results are in good agreement with those in the existing CNRC experiment, which effectively proves the reliability of the FEM method in CNRC research. This work is important to develop a sound theoretical model verification and performance prediction for early applications in SHM of CNRC.

Abstract Background The incidence of hypoxemia during painless gastrointestinal endoscopy remains a matter of concem. To date, there is no recognized simple method to predict hypoxemia in digestive endoscopic anesthesia. The NoSAS (neck circumference, obesity, snoring, age, sex) questionnaire, an objective and simple assessment scale used to assess obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), combined with the modified Mallampati grade (MMP), may have certain screening value. This combination may allow anesthesiologists to anticipate, manage, and consequently decrease the occurrence of hypoxemia. Methods This study was a prospective observational trial. The primary endpoint was the incidence of hypoxaemia defined as pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2)

With the continuous development of the electricity market and the gradual expansion of the number and scale of participation in market transactions, the traditional energy trading model has limited the formation of a competitive pattern of multi-agents. In this paper, a new multi-microgrid energy storage alliance energy trading model based on Nash negotiation is proposed. This model takes energy storage, multi-microgrid, and superior power grid enterprises as the main participants and establishes an energy market trading model with “buy–sell” cooperation and competition coexisting within the alliance based on Nash negotiation theory. Through the interaction of electricity between different entities, energy conversion and complementary utilization are increased, achieving reasonable allocation of resources, enhancing the overall flexibility of the alliance, and promoting the local consumption of a high proportion of new energy. The simulation results of the example show that the energy trading model based on Nash negotiation can fully leverage the initiative of demand-side participation in scheduling and improve the utilization rate of energy storage systems while ensuring the payment benefits of all participating entities, which can provide technical support for energy complementarity among multiple entities and provide new technological paths for the sustainable development of energy sharing mechanisms.

After fracturing in the pilot area, channeling occurs at a low fracture angle (15°). Based on the resistance-water saturation relationship, three-dimensional physical simulation methods are used in the laboratory to study the effect of different fracture angles and lengths on the residual oil distribution during the displacement process. Meanwhile, recovery percent, displacement efficiency and expanding sweep coefficient to the improvement of recovery percent are also discussed. The results show that the fracture angle and length are closely related to the oil saturation distribution in these models. As the fracture angle increases, the sweep coefficient decreases (0.2412 → 0.1463), and the recovery percent also increases (46.16 → 56.88%), but the extent of increase has been reduced (7.96 → 2.96%). The extension of the fracture length is more prone to have a cross-flow phenomenon; the sweep coefficient is reduced (0.2412 → 0.1463). Compared to the model with 1/2 oil-water well spacing, the recovery percent is decreased by 14.29%. In different fracture models, the increasable sweep coefficient has a greater impact on oil recovery than the increasable displacement efficiency (71.30 → 28.70%).

Abstract Background Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare but life-threatening complication after esophagectomy. A new gastrointestinal occluder device provides treatment for TEF patients. However, TEF-related pneumonia and respiratory failure increase the difficulty of anesthesia management, especially in airway management. Case presentation A 64-year-old man with thoracic esophageal cancer underwent esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction one year ago. The patient presented with recurrent cough and sputum after surgery. Gastroscopy revealed a fistula between the esophagogastric anastomotic site and membrane of the trachea. Therefore, the patient received implantation of a new gastrointestinal occluder device under gastroscopy combined with tracheoscopy. Airway management under general anesthesia was discussed with an interdisciplinary decision, and cuffed endotracheal tube with an inner diameter of 5.5 mm was chosen. This airway management ensured adequate oxygenation during the operation and provided sufficient space for the operation of the tracheoscope in the trachea. Finally, the TEF disappeared after the operation, and the patient was administered an oral diet on the first postoperative day. Conclusions The implantation of a new gastrointestinal occluder device under gastroscopy combined with tracheoscopy provides a new treatment for TEF patients. This case report suggests that it is important to select an endotracheal tube with an appropriate inner diameter that can not only meet the requirements of ventilation but also does not affect the operation of tracheoscopy in the trachea.

Glioblastoma is rather recalcitrant to existing therapies and effective interventions are needed. Here we report a novel microenvironment-responsive micellar system (ch-K5(s-s)R8-An) for the co-delivery of the radiosensitizer Dbait and the chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (DOX) to glioblastoma. Accordingly, the ch-K5(s-s)R8-An/(Dbait-DOX) micelles plus radiotherapy (RT) treatment resulted in a high degree of apoptosis and DNA damage, which significantly reduced cell viability and proliferation capacity of U251 cells to 64.0% and 16.3%, respectively. The angiopep-2-modified micelles exhibited substantial accumulation in brain-localized U251 glioblastoma xenografts in mice compared to angiopep-2-lacking micelles. The ch-K5(s-s)R8-An/(Dbait-DOX) + RT treatment group exhibited the smallest tumor size and most profound tumor tissue injury in orthotopic U251 tumors, leading to an increase in median survival time of U251 tumor-bearing mice from 26 days to 56 days. The ch-K5(s-s)R8-An/(Dbait-DOX) micelles can be targeted to brain-localized U251 tumor xenografts and sensitize the tumor to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, thereby overcoming the inherent therapeutic challenges associated with malignant glioblastoma.

Objectives Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a lethal human malignancy, and previous studies support the contribution of microRNA to cancer progression. The prognostic value of miR-219-5p in patients with SCLC remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of miR-219-5p with respect to mortality in patients with SCLC and to incorporate miR-219-5p level into a prediction model and nomogram for mortality.Design Retrospective observational cohort study.Setting and participants Our main cohort included data from 133 patients with SCLC between 1 March 2010 and 1 June 2015 from the Suzhou Xiangcheng People’s Hospital. Data from 86 patients with non-SCLC at Sichuan Cancer Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were used for external validation.Outcome measures Tissue samples were taken during admission and stored, and miR-219-5p levels were measured at a later date. A Cox proportional hazard model was used for survival analyses and for analysing risk factors to create a nomogram for mortality prediction. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by C-index and calibration curve.Results Mortality in patients with a high level of miR-219-5p (≥1.50) (n=67) was 74.6%, while mortality in the low-level group (n=66) was 100.0%. Based on univariate analysis, we included significant factors (p47.9 (HR=0.45, 95% CI 0.24–0.83, p=0.01) remained statistically significant factors for improved overall survival. The nomogram had good accuracy in estimating the risk, with a bootstrap-corrected C-index of 0.691. External validation indicated an area under the curve of 0.749 (0.709–0.788).Conclusions The miR-219-5p level was associated with a reduced risk of mortality in patients with SCLC. A nomogram incorporating MiR-219-5p level and clinical factors demonstrated good accuracy in estimating the risk of overall mortality. Prospective validation of the prognostic nomogram is needed.

The steel tube-reinforced concrete (STRC) shear wall plays an important role in the seismic design of high-rise building structures. Due to the synergistic collaboration between steel tubes and concrete, they effectively enhance the ductility and energy dissipation capacity of conventional shear walls. To identify vulnerable areas prone to brittle failure and optimize the design, it is essential to develop a rapid method for identifying the failure mode of STRC shear walls. In this study, a fast identification method of STCR shear wall failure modes based on a Blending fusion model with Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) augmented data is proposed. The GAN is employed to address the issue of inadequate experimental data by generating new samples. This method combines classification boosting (Catboost), Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) to establish the Blending-CRKL fusion model to improve the prediction accuracy of the failure mode of STRC shear walls. The results reveal a significant improvement in the prediction performance of KNN, Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN), RF, Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Catboost, and Blending-CRKL models after augmenting the training set with GAN. On average, the accuracy increased by 13%, precision increased by 81%, recall increased by 48%, and F1 score increased by 67%. The proposed Blending-CRKL fusion model outperforms the tested KNN, BPNN, RF, LightGBM, and Catboost models, achieving an accuracy rate of 97% in predicting the failure mode of STRC shear walls. Additionally, the stability and robustness of the Blending-CRKL model were validated, while the important features and value ranges of different failure modes were analyzed. This study provides a reference for the rapid identification of the failure mode of STRC shear walls.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly lethal malignancy characterized by poor prognosis and a low 5-year survival rate. Drug treatment is proving to be effective in anti-HCC. However, only a small number of HCC patients exhibit sensitive responses, and drug resistance occurs frequently in advanced patients. Autophagy, an evolutionary process responsible for the degradation of cellular substances, is closely associated with the acquisition and maintenance of drug resistance for HCC. This review focuses on autophagic proteins and explores the intricate relationship between autophagy and cancer stem cells, tumor-derived exosomes, and noncoding RNA. Clinical trials involved in autophagy inhibition combined with anticancer drugs are also concerned.

As an essential regional planning policy, poverty alleviation relocation has a significant impact on the regional economy, environment, and social well-being and is critical for sustainable development. Based on the development of minority areas in Yunnan, this study improves the traditional sustainable livelihood analysis framework and constructed a livelihood capital evaluation system including natural, physical, financial, social, human, and cultural capital. Furthermore, the measurement standard of sustainable livelihoods is proposed, which requires not only the enhancement of livelihood capital but also the coupling and coordinated development of all capital components. Based on the data of Menglai township from 2015 to 2021, this study estimates that farmers’ livelihood capital has increased after relocation, and the level of coupling and coordination has improved. Still, it has yet to reach extreme coordination. Hereafter, the theoretical framework of internal and external factors affecting livelihood capital is constructed, and the influencing factors of livelihood capital are obtained through regression analysis. This study provides a new tool for evaluating livelihood capital in minority areas, obtains new findings on the sustainable development of farmers’ livelihood capital after poverty alleviation relocation, and expands a new perspective for studying the influencing factors of livelihood capital.

Unconventional reservoirs are normally characterized by dual porous media, which has both multi-scale pore and fracture structures, such as low permeability or tight oil reservoirs. The seepage characteristics of such reservoirs is mainly determined by micro-fractures, but conventional laboratory experimental methods are difficult to measure it, which is attribute to the dynamic cracking of these micro-fractures. The emerging digital core technology in recent years can solve this problem by developing an accurate pore network model and a rational simulation approach. In this study, a novel pore-fracture dual network model was established based on percolation theory. Fluid flow in the pore of two scales, micro-fracture and matrix pore, were considered, also with the impact of micro-fracture opening and closing during flow. Some seepage characteristic parameters, such as fluid saturations, capillary pressure, relative permeabilities, displacement efficiency in different flow stage, can be predicted by proposed calculating method. Through these work, seepage characteristics of dual porous media can be achieved.

The harmless disposal of spent cathode carbon blocks (SCCBs) has become an urgent issue in the primary aluminum industry, and the disposal of SCCBs by co-combustion in pulverized coal boilers is expected to be the most effective treatment method. A muffle furnace at 815 °C was used in this study to perform a co-combustion experiment of meager coal and SCCBs. The ash fusion characteristics (AFTs), microscopic morphology, and minerals composition of co-combustion ash were characterized. The interaction mechanism of different mineral components and the change in AFTs and viscosity-temperature characteristics were investigated using FactSage software. Results show that the change in the ash deformation temperature (DT) is correlated linearly with the SCCB addition ratio, whereas other characteristic temperatures exhibit a nonlinear relationship. The contents of SiO2, Al2O3, and Na2O collectively determine the DT in the ash, and the influence degree from high to low is in the order of SiO2, Na2O, and Al2O3. The phase diagram of Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2 is used to accurately predict the changing trend of the melting point of co-combustion ash. The ratio changes between refractory and fusible minerals in the ash, as well as the degree of low-temperature eutectic reaction between sodium- and calcium-containing minerals, are the main factors affecting the melting point of ash. When the blending amount of SCCBs is 5%, mostly complete combustion is achieved, and slagging does not occur easily. The optimal blending ratio of SCCBs is obtained using the co-combustion method from the aspect of AFTs and viscosity-temperature characteristics. This work lays a theoretical foundation for industrial application.

As a hazardous waste, the spent cathode carbon block (SCCB) has a high calorific value while it is difficult to fire, its harmless disposal is a major difficulty at present. Herein, a method of mixed combustion of meager coal and SCCB in a pulverized coal furnace for disposal of SCCB is proposed, and thermogravimetric mass spectrometry (TG-MS) is used to characterize the combustion and gas release characteristics. The effects of the heating rate and mixing ratio on combustion are analyzed as well. The result shows that the comprehensive combustibility index and combustion stability index of SCCB-5 at a heating rate of 50 °C/min are both the highest. Abundant oxygen-containing groups in SCCB promote the co-combustion process. The release of hydrogen fluoride is relatively low below 1000 °C so that the use of pulverized coal boilers meets the temperature requirement for disposal of SCCB. The good melting characteristics of ash after mixing sintering also confirm this point. Finally, the kinetic calculation results show that the combustion activation energy is the lowest when the mixing ratio is 5%, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The highest activation energy values for the combustion of meager coal, SCCB and SCCB-5 are 46.90, 89.39, 59.87 kJ mol−1, respectively.

Abstract It has been reported that geographical variation influences bone mineral density (BMD), obesity, and sarcopenia related traits in other countries. However, there is lack of similar studies in the US population. In this study, we compared data from three US study cohorts to evaluate geographical variations of BMD and body composition. BMD, fat mass and lean mass were collected from Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry machine. ANCOVA and Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences between BMDs, obesity and sarcopenia related traits from different regional sites (Omaha, Kansas City and Baton Rouge/New Orleans). Eta-squared was used to measure the effect sizes of these differences. A total of 11,315 Caucasians from our previous three study cohorts were compared. There was no significant geographical difference in BMD for males or females under the criteria of p-values 0.01. There were significant geographical differences with medium effect size (p-value

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-14-689.

In this study, the effect of 8% UEA the reason why the UEA content is 8% is as follows: the expansion agent content in the actual mix proportion of the project is 8%, which is selected in this test to fit the reality better. expansion agent on the compressive strength, chloride ion penetration resistance, and carbonation resistance of civil air defense concrete were studied by simulating the rapid carbonation and chloride solution immersion of concrete structure in coastal civil air defense engineering environment. The results of this study show that the early compressive strength of concrete decreased by adding the UEA expansion agent and was also affected by the curing time. Moreover, the addition of UEA expansion agent decreased the content of free chloride ions and calcium carbonate in concrete and reduced the early compressive strength of concrete.

In order to study the impact resistance of civil air defense engineering shear wall, the impact resistance of civil air defense engineering shear wall was studied by combining finite element numerical simulation with pendulum impact test. The effects of impact height, pendulum mass, and impact times on the impact resistance of civil air defense engineering shear walls were analyzed. It was shown that when the impact height increased from 0.4 m to 2.5 m, the failure mode of civil air defense engineering shear wall tended to be local impact failure, and the horizontal displacement in the middle of the wall span increased. The concrete crushing occurred in the impact area of the back of the civil air defense engineering shear wall. The increase in the impact height is a negative factor for the impact resistance of the civil air defense engineering shear wall. With the increase of pendulum weight, the number of concrete horizontal cracks in the back of the civil air defense engineering shear wall increased, while the number of vertical cracks decreased, but the impact surface was destroyed. Through multiple impact tests on the civil air defense engineering shear wall, the civil air defense engineering shear wall had accumulated damage. The longitudinally loaded steel on the back reached the ultimate strength, and there are large cracks at the bottom and even collapses. The increase of impact times has a great influence on the impact resistance of the civil air defense engineering shear wall. Through the analysis of the factors affecting the impact resistance of civil air defense engineering shear wall, it provides guidance for civil air defense engineering shear wall to resist impact load.

In this study, the effect of boric acid in the cooling water system of nuclear power plants on the durability of reinforced concrete was experimentally studied. The mechanical properties of reinforced concrete under boric acid solution environments were studied by accelerated test methods. In addition, the effect of boric acid on the electrochemical behavior of steel bar and microstructure of concrete was studied. The results showed that boric acid corrosion does not affect reinforced concrete to a large extent, as corrosion only occurs on the surface of reinforced concrete, and thus, the internal reinforced concrete still maintains a high alkaline environment. At a boric acid concentration of 3%, corrosion products are crystallized on the surface of the specimen, which inhibits further corrosion.

Steel tube confined concrete (STCC) stub columns have great strength and facilitate construction. In this study, the axial compressive strength of an aluminum alloy tube confined concrete column with (ATCC-CHS) and without (ATCC) a circular hollow section was tested in laboratory experiments. The influence of concrete strength, diameter–thickness ratio and the hollow rate on the failure mode, ultimate compressive strength, strain, stiffness, constraint effects and ductility was quantified. The experiments showed that local buckling failure could be effectively delayed when the outer aluminum tube did not directly bear axial load. Columns without a circular hollow section had bearing capacities approximately 20% higher than those with a circular hollow section, though their ductility was poorer. The ultimate strength tended to increase with decreases in the hollow rate and diameter–thickness ratio. It tended to increase with increasing concrete strength, though stronger concrete also reduced ductility. The bearing capacities of the columns were calculated according to several proposed formulas and compared with the experimental results, and the proposed Teng and Attard’s formula appeared to be satisfactory.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulations of cells with stem cell characteristics that produce both cancerous and non-tumorigenic cells in tumor tissues. The literature reports that CSCs are closely related to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and promote the malignant features of HCC such as high invasion, drug resistance, easy recurrence, easy metastasis, and poor prognosis. This review discusses the origin, molecular, and biological features, functions, and applications of CSCs in HCC in recent years; the goal is to clarify the importance of CSCs in treatment and explore their potential value in HCC-targeted therapy.

The current study investigated whether a Rho-kinase inhibitor alleviated impairments in a rat model of chronic cerebral ischemia and examined the specific pathological mechanisms by which Rho-kinase impacts neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunction. Adult Sprague–Dawley rats underwent permanent bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO) to establish our chronic cerebral ischemia model. Chronic Y27632 administration reversed the abnormal behaviors of BCAO-treated rats in the Morris water maze. We performed Western blot analyses of the apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax to examine the potential mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of Y27632 on cerebral ischemia and showed for the first time that Y27632 reversed the decrease in the Bcl-2/Bax ratio in BCAO model rats. Y27632 restored the depression of NR2A- and NR2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in the cerebral cortex of BCAO model rats. We also investigated these effects on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model rats and observed some differences between the two models. In summary, our data provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that Rho-kinase inhibitors exert neuroprotective effects on cerebral ischemia. The Bcl-2/Bax-NMDAR signaling pathway in the cerebral cortex may be responsible for the protective effects of the Rho-kinase inhibitor, and this pathway may represent a pharmacological target for curative clinical strategies. Keywords: Rho-kinase, Ischemia, Learning and memory, Apoptosis, NMDAR

Green high-belite sulphoaluminate cement (GHSC) was firstly calcined by whole industrial wastes. Foam and GHSC-based foamed concrete (GHSFC) were subsequently investigated by orthogonal test with three types of foaming agents (plant protein PPF, animal protein APF, and polymer compound PCF), dilution ratios and valve angles of foaming machine suction (α). The foam density (ρF), foam multiple (βF), 1 h settling distance (SD) and 1 h bleeding volume (BV) of preformed foam and the dry density (ρd), compressive strength (fcu), specific strength (fSS), thermal conductivity (kc), porosity (ε) and volumetric water absorption rate (γV) of cured GHSFC were correspondingly characterized along with microstructures and crystalline structures. The cost-effective GHSC is successfully sintered with waste desulfurized petroleum coke, mine tailings, bauxite and carbide slag with a mass ratio of 1.65:1:0.4:2.5, which possesses close minerals and cured strength to HSC through microstructure, crystallinity, and mechanical property verification. Orthogonal range and variance analysis reveal that, the PPF is the most suitable foaming agent with a dilution ratio of 1:30 and a of 60° to produce GHSFC-based prefabricated thermal insulation panels with optimal performances of ρd, fcu, fSS, kc, ε and γV being 295 kg/m3, 0.53 MPa, 1796.6 N·m/kg, 0.0785 W/m·k, 85.8% and 55.2%, respectively. Keywords: Foamed concrete, Green high-belite sulphoaluminate cement, Foaming agent, Orthogonal test, Foam property, Physical performance

Pall-typed frictional damper (PFD) has higher capacity of energy dissipation, whereas shape memory alloy (SMA) has excellent superelastic performance. Therefore, combining PFD and SMA together as a brace system has a great prospect in vibration control of structures. This paper investigates the performance of offshore platform with three structural configurations including the SMA brace system, the ISO-SMA (where ISO stands for isolation) brace system, and the ISO-PFD-SMA brace system, which are subjected to seismic and ice-induced excitations. In this study, PFD-SMA brace system is installed on the isolation layer of jacket platform, which is under earthquake excitations and ice loading. Then, the reduction of vibration is evaluated by using ANSYS program. The results show that the PFD-SMA brace system is useful in reducing the seismic response and ice-induced response of offshore platform structures; meanwhile, it also demonstrates excellent energy dissipation and hysteretic behavior.

Dielectric properties of materials influence the interaction of electromagnetic fields with and are therefore important in designing effective dielectric heating processes. We investigated the dielectric properties (DPs) of pecan kernels between 10 and 3000 MHz using a Novocontrol broadband dielectric spectrometer in a temperature range of 5−65 °C and a moisture content range of 10−30% wet basis (wb) at three salt levels. The dielectric constant (ε′) and loss factor (ε″) of the pecan kernels decreased significantly with increasing frequency in the radio frequency (RF) band, but gradually in the measured microwave (MW) band. The moisture content and temperature increase greatly contributed to the increase in the ε′ and ε″ of samples, and ε″ increased sharply with increasing salt strength. Quadratic polynomial models were established to simulate DPs as functions of temperature and moisture content at four frequencies (27, 40, 915, and 2450 MHz), with R2 > 0.94. The average penetration depth of pecan kernels in the RF band was greater than that in the MW band (238.17 ± 21.78 cm vs. 15.23 ± 7.36 cm; p < 0.01). Based on the measured DP data, the simulated and experimental temperature-time histories of pecan kernels at five moisture contents were compared within the 5 min RF heating period.

There is a constant drive to improve the properties of recycled concrete owing to its inferior strength and fracture toughness compared to normal concrete and recent progress in graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterials impelling nanosized reinforcements to recycled concrete. Here, GO-modified natural sand (NS)- or recycled sand (RS)-based mortars (GONMs or GORMs) with six GO fractions (wGOs) were fabricated to explore their 28 d mechanical strengths (f28t, f28c), fracture toughness (KIC, δc), and microhardness (Hv), as well as their crystal phases (using X-ray powder diffraction) and microstructures (using scanning electronic microscopy). Results reveal, greater enhancements in mechanical strengths (4.50% and 10.61% in f28t, 4.76% and 13.87% in f28c), fracture toughness (16.49% and 38.17% in KIC, 160.14% and 286.59% in δc), and microhardness (21.02% and 52.70% in Hv) of GORM with just 0.025 wt‰ and 0.05 wt‰ GO, respectively, with respect to the control are achieved when comparing with those of GONM with the same wGO. More zigzag surfaces, more irregular weak interface slips, and the relatively lower strengths of RS bring the superiority of the template and reshaping effects of GO into full play in GORM rather than in GONM. These outcomes benefit a wide range of applications of recycled concrete products.

The biological effects of different wavelengths of light emitting diode (LED) light tend to vary from each other. Research into use of photobiomodulation for treatment of skin wounds and the underlying mechanisms has been largely lacking. We explored the histopathological basis of the therapeutic effect of photobiomodulation and the relation between duration of exposure and photobiomodulation effect of different wavelengths of LED in a Japanese big-ear white rabbit skin-wound model. Skin wound model was established in 16 rabbits (three wounds per rabbit: one served as control, the other two wounds were irradiated by red and blue LED lights, respectively). Rabbits were then divided into 2 equal groups based on the duration of exposure to LED lights (15 and 30 min/exposure). The number of wounds that showed healing and the percentage of healed wound area were recorded. Histopathological examination and skin expression levels of fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelial marker (CD31), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki67) and macrophagocyte (CD68) infiltration, and the proliferation of skin collagen fibers was assessed. On days 16 and 17 of irradiation, the healing rates in red (15 min and 30 min) and blue (15 min and 30 min) groups were 50%, 37.5%, 25% and 37.5%, respectively, while the healing rate in the control group was 12.5%. The percentage healed area in the red light groups was significantly higher than those in other groups. Collagen fiber and skin thickness were significantly increased in both red light groups; expression of EGF, FGF, CD31 and Ki67 in the red light groups was significantly higher than those in other groups; the expression of FGF in red (30 min) group was not significantly different from that in the blue light and control groups. The effect of blue light on wound healing was poorer than that of red light. Red light appeared to hasten wound healing by promoting fibrous tissue, epidermal and endothelial cell proliferation. An increase in the exposure time to 30 min did not confer any additional benefit in both red and blue light groups. This study provides a theoretical basis for the potential therapeutic application of LED light in clinical settings.

Whole genome sequencing studies are essential to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the vast pattern of human genomic variations. Here we report the results of a high-coverage whole genome sequencing study for 44 unrelated healthy Caucasian adults, each sequenced to over 50-fold coverage (averaging 65.8×). We identified approximately 11 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 2.8 million short insertions and deletions, and over 500,000 block substitutions. We showed that, although previous studies, including the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 1 study, have catalogued the vast majority of common SNPs, many of the low-frequency and rare variants remain undiscovered. For instance, approximately 1.4 million SNPs and 1.3 million short indels that we found were novel to both the dbSNP and the 1000 Genomes Project Phase 1 data sets, and the majority of which (∼96%) have a minor allele frequency less than 5%. On average, each individual genome carried ∼3.3 million SNPs and ∼492,000 indels/block substitutions, including approximately 179 variants that were predicted to cause loss of function of the gene products. Moreover, each individual genome carried an average of 44 such loss-of-function variants in a homozygous state, which would completely "knock out" the corresponding genes. Across all the 44 genomes, a total of 182 genes were "knocked-out" in at least one individual genome, among which 46 genes were "knocked out" in over 30% of our samples, suggesting that a number of genes are commonly "knocked-out" in general populations. Gene ontology analysis suggested that these commonly "knocked-out" genes are enriched in biological process related to antigen processing and immune response. Our results contribute towards a comprehensive characterization of human genomic variation, especially for less-common and rare variants, and provide an invaluable resource for future genetic studies of human variation and diseases.

Gene set analysis allows the inclusion of knowledge from established gene sets, such as gene pathways, and potentially improves the power of detecting differentially expressed genes. However, conventional methods of gene set analysis focus on gene marginal effects in a gene set, and ignore gene interactions which may contribute to complex human diseases. In this study, we propose a method of gene interaction enrichment analysis, which incorporates knowledge of predefined gene sets (e.g. gene pathways) to identify enriched gene interaction effects on a phenotype of interest. In our proposed method, we also discuss the reduction of irrelevant genes and the extraction of a core set of gene interactions for an identified gene set, which contribute to the statistical variation of a phenotype of interest. The utility of our method is demonstrated through analyses on two publicly available microarray datasets. The results show that our method can identify gene sets that show strong gene interaction enrichments. The enriched gene interactions identified by our method may provide clues to new gene regulation mechanisms related to the studied phenotypes. In summary, our method offers a powerful tool for researchers to exhaustively examine the large numbers of gene interactions associated with complex human diseases, and can be a useful complement to classical gene set analyses which only considers single genes in a gene set.