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Background. Current research studies have suggested that glucose deprivation (GD)-based tumor microenvironment (TME) can promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tumor cells, leading to tumor invasion and metastasis. However, no one has yet studied detailedly the synthetic studies that include GD features in TME with EMT status. In our research, we comprehensively developed and validated a robust signature regarding GD and EMT status to provide prognostic value for patients with liver cancer. Methods. GD and EMT status were estimated with transcriptomic profiles based on WGCNA and t-SNE algorithms. Two cohorts of training (TCGA_LIHC) and validation (GSE76427) datasets were analyzed with the Cox regression and logistic regression analyses. We identified a 2-mRNA signature to establish a GD-EMT-based gene risk model for the prediction of HCC relapse. Results. Patients with significant GD-EMT status were divided into two subgroups: GDlow/EMTlow and GDhigh/EMThigh, with the latter having significantly worse recurrence-free survival ( P < 0.01 ). We employed the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) technique as a method for HNF4A and SLC2A4 filtering and constructing a risk score for risk stratification. In the multivariate analysis, this risk score predicted recurrence-free survival (RFS) in both the discovery and validation cohorts and remained valid in patients stratified by TNM stage and age at diagnosis. The nomogram that combines risk score and TNM stage as well as age produces improved performance and net benefits in the analysis of calibration and decision curves in training and validation groups. Conclusions. The GD-EMT-based signature predictive model may provide a prognosis classifier for HCC patients with a high risk of postoperative recurrence to decrease the relapse rate.

Perspective on This Article from Estrogen Stimulates the Expression of Mismatch Repair Gene hMLH1 in Colonic Epithelial Cells

This study aims to explore the effect of Jingfang Mixture on the protein expression of urticaria in mice and explain the mechanism of Jingfang Mixture in the treatment of urticaria. Twenty-seven male Kunming mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and a Jingfang Mixture group according to body weight. Except for the normal group, mice in the model group and the Jingfang Mixture group were injected with the mixture of ovalbumin and Al(OH)_3 gel for the first immunization, and the second immunization was performed on the 10 th day to induce the urticaria model. Mice in the Jingfang Mixture group started to be administered on the 6 th day after the initial immunization, and was administered continuously for 21 days. The normal group and the model group were replaced with the same amount of purified water. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, an appropriate amount of skin was taken, and label-free quantitative proteomics technology was used to detect the differences in protein expression in skin tissue. The signaling pathways involved in the differential proteins was further analyzed. The results of proteomics indicated that seventy-six proteins were involved in the intervention of Jingfang Mixture on mice with urticaria, and the differential proteins were mainly enriched in biological process(BP), molecular function(MF), and cellular component(CC). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) analysis showed that the signaling pathways regulated by Jingfang Mixture mainly involved carbon metabolism, metabolic pathways, glucagon signaling pathway, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway, hypoxia inducible factor-1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, purine metabolism, adherens junction, calcium signaling pathway, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and inflammatory mediator regulation of transient receptor potential(TRP) channels, which were involved in skin tissue energy metabolism and immune regulation. The findings of this study showed that the protective effect of Jingfang Mixture on mice with urticaria was closely related to the regulation of immune disorders, and the regulatory effect on immune system may be achieved through the regulation of energy metabolism by Jingfang Mixture.

This study explored the curative effect of Jingfang Mixture on urticaria mice induced by aluminum hydroxide/ovalbumin, and discussed its mechanism. Sixty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, three Jingfang Mixture(low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose) groups, and a positive drug(cetirizine hydrochloride) group. The urticarial model in mice was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of the mixed solution of ovalbumin and aluminum hydroxide. The degrees of pruritus were observed after the second immunization. Pathological changes were detected by hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Levels of interleukin 1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) in the serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Expressions of NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) and IL-1β were detected by immunohistochemistry(IHC). Expressions of nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB p65), NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD(ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases 1(caspase-1), and IL-1β proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that, except for the normal group, the mice in all groups had different degrees of pruritus. Compared with the model group, the Jingfang Mixture groups and the positive drug group prolonged the scratching latency of mice(Plt;0.05), and significantly reduced the number of scratching(Plt;0.05). In addition, the Jingfang Mixture groups and the positive drug group improved the pathological morphology of skin tissue. The expression levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum were significantly reduced(Plt;0.05), and the number of NLRP3 and IL-1β positive cells was decreased(Plt;0.01). The expressions of p-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and IL-1β protein were significantly down-regulated(Plt;0.05). The results of the above study indicate that Jingfang Mixture inhibit the inflammatory response in urticaria mice, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of activating NF-κB/NLRP3/IL-1β signaling pathway.

The present study aimed to explore the regulatory targets and anti-inflammatory mechanism of Jingfang Mixture based on network pharmacology and animal tests. The active ingredients of Jingfang Mixture and the corresponding targets were screened out by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). Inflammation-related targets were searched from GeneCards and DisGeNET, and the targets of active ingredients of Jingfang Mixture against inflammation were obtained. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was analyzed by STRING and plotted. Gene ontology(GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out based on DAVID. The results of network pharmacology showed 159 active ingredients and 276 targets of Jingfang Mixture and 664 inflammation-related targets were screened out, and 90 targets of active ingredients of Jingfang Mixture against inflammation were obtained. As revealed by the PPI network, protein kinase B1(AKT1), caspase-3(CASP3), interleukin-1β(IL1 B), prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), and tumor necrosis factor(TNF) might be the key proteins for the anti-inflammatory effect of Jingfang Mixture. KEGG enrichment analysis demonstrated the pathways involved TNF, nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK). The anti-inflammatory effect of Jingfang Mixture was explored through the mouse model of urticaria. The results indicated that Jingfang Mixture could down-regulate the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK1/2), and NF-κB. The present study revealed the anti-inflammatory effect of Jingfang Mixture with multi-component and multi-target characteristics, which is expected to provide a scientific basis and important support for further research, development, and application.

Recent genetic progress has shown many causative/risk genes linked to Parkinson's disease (PD), mainly in patients of European ancestry. The study aimed to investigate the PD-related genes and determine the mutational spectrum of early-onset PD in ethnic Chinese.In this study, whole-exome sequencing and/or gene dosage analysis were performed in 704 early-onset PD (EOPD) patients (onset age ≤45 years) and 1866 controls. Twenty-six PD-related genes and 20 other genes linked to neurodegenerative and lysosome diseases were analysed.Eighty-two (11.6%, 82/704) EOPD patients carrying rare pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in PD-related genes were identified. The mutation frequency in autosomal recessive inheritance EOPD (42.9%, 27/63) was much higher than that in autosomal dominant inheritance EOPD (0.9%, 12/110) or sporadic EOPD (8.1%, 43/531). Bi-allelic mutations in PRKN were the most frequent, accounting for 5.1% of EOPD cases. Three common pathogenic variants, p.A53V in SNCA, p.G284R in PRKN and p.P53Afs*38 in CHCHD2, occur exclusively in Asians. The putative damaging variants from GBA, PRKN, DJ1, PLA2G6 and GCH1 contributed to the collective risk for EOPD. Notably, the protein-truncating variants in CHCHD2 were enriched in EOPD, especially for p.P53Afs*38, which was also found in three patients from an independent cohort of patients with late-onset PD (n = 1300). Functional experiments confirmed that truncated CHCHD2 variants cause loss of function and are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction.Our study reveals that the genetic spectrum of EOPD in Chinese, which may help develop genetic scanning strategies, provided more evidence supporting CHCHD2 in PD.

The present study explored the anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic mechanism of Jingfang Granules on tail thrombosis induced by carrageenan in mice. Thirty-two male ICR mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a Jingfang Granules group, and a positive drug(aspirin) group, with eight mice in each group. The thrombosis model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carrageenan(45 mg·kg~(-1)) combined with low-temperature stimulation, and the mice were treated with drugs for 7 days before modeling. Twenty-four hours after modeling, blood was detected for four blood coagulation indices in each group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the activity of plasma interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and other inflammatory factors. The tails of mice in each group were cut off to observe tail lesions and measure the length of the thrombus. The protein expression and phosphorylation level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK) in spleen tissues were detected by Western blot. The results showed that dark red thrombus appeared in the tails of mice in each group. The length of the black part accounted for about 40% of the total tail in the model group. Additionally, the model group showed prolonged prothrombin time(PT), increased fibrinogen(FIB) content, and shortened activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT). Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention displayed shortened black parts in the tail and improved four blood coagulation indices(Plt;0.05). As revealed by ELISA, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the mouse plasma were significantly up-regulated in the model group, and those in the groups with drug intervention were reduced as compared with the model group(Plt;0.05). As demonstrated by Western blot, the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in the spleen tissues were significantly elevated in the model group, while those in the Jingfang Granules group were down-regulated as compared with the model group with a significant difference. Jingfang Granules can inhibit tail thrombosis of mice caused by carrageenan presumedly by inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.

In this paper, thermoelastic damping (TED) in a simply supported rectangular functionally graded material (FGM) micro plate with continuous variation of the material properties along the thickness direction is performed. The equations of motion and the heat conduction equation coupled with the thermal effects are derived based on the Mindlin plate theory and the one-way coupled heat conduction theory, respectively. The heat conduction equation with variable coefficients is solved by using the layer-wise homogenization approach. Analytical solution of TED is obtained by complex frequency method. Numerical results of TED are presented for the rectangular FGM micro plate made of ceramic-metal constituents with the power-law gradient profile. The effects of the shear deformation, the material gradient index, the plate thickness on the TED of the FGM micro plate are studied.

This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the response of free vibration of functionally graded material (FGM) micro-plates with thermoelastic damping (TED). Continuous through thickness variation of the mechanical and thermal properties of the FGM plate is considered. By employing the simplified one-way coupled heat conduction equation and Kirchhoff’s plate theory, governing equations for the free vibration of the FGM micro-plates with thermoelastic coupling effect are established, in which stretching-bending coupling produced by the material inhomogeneity in the thickness direction is also considered. The heat conduction equation with variable coefficients is solved effectively by a layer-wise homogenization approach. Harmonic responses of the FGM micro-plates with complex frequency are obtained from the mathematical similarity between the eigenvalue problems of the FGM micro-plate with TED and that of the homogenous one without TED. The presented analytical solutions are suitable for evaluating TED in FGM micro-plates with arbitrary through-thickness material gradient, geometry and boundary conditions. Numerical results of TED for a ceramic-metal composite FGM micro-plate with power-law material gradient profile are illustrated to quantitatively show the effects of the material gradient index, the plate thickness, and the boundary conditions on the TED. The results indicate that by adjusting the physical and geometrical parameters of the FGM micro- plate, one can get the minimum of the TED which is even smaller than that of the pure ceramic resonator.

In the present work, the characteristics of bulk wave propagation in an unsaturated porothermoelastic medium are studied taking into consideration of the thermal effect. The wave equations ...

The durative endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and subsequent apoptosis contributes to the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). MiR-326 can reduce pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) expression, leading to ERS. Whereas, lncRNA RPPH1 is able to increase dendritic spine density and protect hippocampal pyramidal neurons through targeting miR-326. Our study aims to investigate the regulation of lncRNA RPPH1 and miR-326/PKM2 on ERS and related apoptosis in AD.SH-SY5Y cells treated with AβRPPH1 overexpression enhanced the viability of SH-SY5Y cells, and attenuated the apoptosis of of SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, RPPH1 overexpression down-regulated ER stress related proteins such as GRP78, CHOP and cleaved caspase-12. Mechanistically, RPPH1 directly targeted miR-326, thereby counteracting its inhibitory effect on PKM2 expression, contributing to attenuation of apoptosis and ERS induced by AβAβ

SUMMARY: Nine tumor and various potential biomarkers were measured and combined the information to diagnose disease, all patients accepted fiber bronchoscopy brush liquid based cytologyand histopathology examination in order to reliably detect lung cancer. The samples from 314 Chinese lung cancer patients were obtained and CK5/6, P63, P40, CK7, TTF-1, NapsinA CD56, Syn and CgA were measured with the immunohistochemical SP method and analyzed correlation of the expression of these markers with pathological and clinical features of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell lung carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma were 61 cases, 114 cases and 139 cases,CK5/6 and P63 expression were more frequent in squamous cell carcinoma, with sensitivity and specificity of 77.05 % and 96.44 %, 83.61 % and 88.93 %,and compared with adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma difference was statistically significant (P

Piao chicken, a rare Chinese native poultry breed, lacks primary tail structures, such as pygostyle, caudal vertebra, uropygial gland and tail feathers. So far, the molecular mechanisms underlying tail absence in this breed have remained unclear. We employed comprehensive comparative transcriptomic and genomic analyses to unravel potential genetic underpinnings of rumplessness in the Piao chicken. Our results reveal many biological factors involved in tail development and several genomic regions under strong positive selection in this breed. These regions contain candidate genes associated with rumplessness, includingIRX4, IL-18, HSPB2, andCRYAB. Retrieval of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and gene functions implied that rumplessness might be consciously or unconsciously selected along with the high-yield traits in Piao chicken. We hypothesize that strong selection pressures on regulatory elements might lead to gene activity changes in mesenchymal stem cells of the tail bud and eventually result in tail truncation by impeding differentiation and proliferation of the stem cells. Our study provides fundamental insights into early initiation and genetic bases of the rumpless phenotype in Piao chicken.

Thermoelastic damping (TED) in a simply supported functionally graded material (FGM) micro rectangular plate is investigated analytically based on the higher-order shear deformation plate theory. The equations of motion for the thermo-elastic coupled transverse free vibration and the heat conduction equation coupled are derived based on the Levinson plate theory and the one-way coupled heat conduction theory. A semi-analytical solution of the heat conduction equation with variable coefficients is obtained by using a layer-wise homogenization approach. The complex frequency of the micro plate including TED is determined in terms of the frequency of the corresponding isothermal homogenous Kirchhoff plate by using the mathematical similarity between the eigenvalue problems for the two types of plates. The effects of the shear deformation, the material gradient and the geometry on the TED are examined in detail for the FGM micro plate made of ceramic–metal constituents with the power-law gradient profile. The numerical results show that the TED evaluated by the Levinson plate theory is smaller than that by the Kirchhoff plate theory . Therefore, for a thick or moderately thick micro plate the Levinson plate theory can provide a more accurate prediction of the TED than the Kirchhoff plate theory.

In this paper, thermoelastic damping (TED) in free vibrating functionally graded material (FGM) micro beams with rectangular cross sections is investigated. The material properties of the micro beams are assumed to be varied continuously in the thickness direction. Based on the classical beam theory and coupled thermo-elastic dynamics, governing equations coupled with the thermal effects derived in terms of the deflection and temperature rise filed. A layer-wise homogenization method is proposed to solve the one-way coupled heat conduction equation with variable coefficients. By using the mathematical similarity between the vibration equation of the FGM beam and that of the reference homogenous beam, complex frequency of the FGM beam including TED is expressed in the terms of that of the reference homogenous beam without TED. Numerical results of TED are obtained for the specific material constituents and the power law gradient profile. The effects of the material gradient index, beam thickness, vibration modes and boundary conditions on the TED of the FGM micro beams are studied in detail.

Piao chicken, a rare Chinese native poultry breed, lacks primary tail structures, such as pygostyle, caudal vertebra, uropygial gland, and tail feathers. So far, the molecular mechanisms underlying tail absence in this breed remain unclear. We comprehensively employed comparative transcriptomic and genomic analyses to unravel potential genetic underpinnings of rumplessness in the Piao chicken. Our results reveal many biological factors involved in tail development and several genomic regions under strong positive selection in this breed. These regions contain candidate genes associated with rumplessness, including Irx4, Il18, Hspb2, and Cryab. Retrieval of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and gene functions implied that rumplessness might be consciously or unconsciously selected along with the high-yield traits in Piao chicken. We hypothesize that strong selection pressures on regulatory elements might lead to changes in gene activity in mesenchymal stem cells of the tail bud. The ectopic activity could eventually result in tail truncation by impeding differentiation and proliferation of the stem cells. Our study provides fundamental insights into early initiation and genetic basis of the rumpless phenotype in Piao chicken.

Buckling and post-buckling thermomechanical deformations of a functionally graded material (FGM) Timoshenko beam resting on a two-parameter non-linear elastic foundation and subjected to only a temperature rise have been numerically investigated with the shooting method. The material properties are assumed to vary only in the thickness direction according to a power law function. Through-the-thickness temperature distribution is determined by numerically solving the one-dimensional heat conduction equation. Geometric non-linearities in the strain-displacement relations and the non-linear traction-displacement relations at the interface between the beam and the foundation are considered. For clamped-clamped and immovable simply supported beams, critical values of the ratio of temperatures of the top and the bottom surfaces of the beam for transitions in buckling modes to occur are determined. Post-buckled equilibrium paths and configurations of the heated FGM beam are illustrated for different valu...

Since the object becomes more and more complicated and the existed data dropout and network-introduced time-delay are random and varying in network control system (NCS), the traditional control method is more and more difficult to obtain a good control effect. In this paper, the iterative learning control (ILC) issue for a class of linear continuous singular network control system (SNCS) with time-delay and data dropout is investigated. According to the λ norm and expectation algorithm, the convergence condition of the system is derived. At last, simulation example shows the effectiveness and superiority of the presented method.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a type of sterile inflammation of the pancreas, potentially leading to systemic inflammatory response syndrome or multiple organ failure. An emerging evidence that dysfunction of miRNA expression may alter pivotal physiological functions and lead to inflammation infiltration and complication of multiple diseases, including AP. Here, the AP model was successfully replicated using cerulein in vitro and in vivo. RT-qPCR was used to detect low expression of miR-148a in AP. This study verified that IL-6 was a direct target of miR-148a. Over-expression of miR-148a decreased the mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 by RT-qPCR and Elisa. Moreover, over-expression of miR-148a improved the pathological state of AP through H&E and MPO staining and transmission electron microscopy. After over-expressing miR-148a, Western blot and immunohistochemical method were used to confirm the reduction of autophagosomes and autolysosomes, blockade of the levels of p-STAT3, LC3-II, ATG7, ATG4c, Beclin1 and the increased p62 expression in AP. The expression of LAMP-2 was not significantly different. In addition, IL-6 and AG490, the IL-6/STAT3 signaling inhibitor, were used to verify the role of IL-6/STAT3 signaling in the regulation of miR-148a on autophagy in cerulein-induced AP in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our findings indicate that miR-148a suppresses autophagy via regulating IL-6/STAT3 signaling in cerulein-induced AP in vitro and in vivo. The miR-148a appears to be a promising candidate for the gene therapy of AP.

The transient displacements of a ceramic–metal functionally graded material(FGM) cylindrical shell subjected to dynamic thermal loading are investigated using the differential quadrature method (DQM). Firstly, the dynamic governing equations of the thin shell with simply supported edges under thermal loading are derived based on the classical shell theory, in which the material properties of the ceramic–metal FGM shells are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. Secondly, the transient temperature field of the ceramic–metal FGM is obtained by using the Laplace transform and power series method. Then, the transient displacements of the axisymmetric deformed shell are obtained by solving governing equations using the DQM. The effects of the shape geometry and the material constitutions on the transient central deflection are also analyzed. It is found that one could easily control the transient deformations of the FGM cylindrical shell under dynamic thermal loading by changing the volume fractions of the ceramics.

The transient thermal stresses of a functionally graded (FG) cylindrical shell subjected to a thermal shock are investigated. The dynamic temperature fields of FG shells are obtained by using the Laplace transform and power series method. The differential quadrature method is developed to obtain the transient thermal stresses by solving dynamic governing equations in terms of displacements. The effects of the material constitutions on the transient temperature and the thermal stresses are analyzed in the cases of obverse thermal shock and reverse thermal shock. It turns out that the thermal stresses could be alleviated by means of changing the volume fractions of the constituents.

Axisymmetrical thermal post-buckling of functionally graded material (FGM) circular plates with immovably clamped boundary and a transversely central point-space constraint was studied. The material properties of the plate were assumed to vary as power law functions in the thickness direction and the temperature rise field to change only in the thickness direction. Based on von Karman's non-linear plate theory, governing equations in terms of the displacements of the middle plane were established. Temperature rise field was obtained by solving the one-dimensional heat conduction equation associated with specified boundary conditions at the top and bottom surface of the plate. By using the shooting method, thermal post-buckling deformation of the FGM circular plate was obtained before and after the plate contacting the point-space constraint. The changes in the characteristics of the deformation and the internal forces of FGM plates were discussed. The effects of gradients of material properties and non-un...

Background and Aim Endoscopic examinations carry a potential risk of cross-infection, and the traditional reprocessing method is time consuming. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a novel disposable sheathed gastroscope system in clinical practice in comparison with the conventional gastroscope. Methods There were two phases in the study. In phase 1, 20 patients with hepatitis B were randomized into two groups: the sheathed group was examined with the novel disposable sheathed gastroscope (n = 10) and the conventional group with the conventional gastroscope (n = 10). Microbiologic tests were performed on each endoscope afterwards. In the second phase, 1120 patients were randomized again into the same two groups with 568 and 552 patients in the sheathed group and the conventional group, respectively. The time duration of the endoscopic procedure and reprocessing were measured. The pathology detection rate of endoscopic examinations, the patients' subjective feelings, and problems occurred during procedures were also recorded. Results The total instrument turn-around time in the phase 2 sheathed group (9.9 ± 1.3 min) was significantly shorter than the conventional group (39.0 ± 1.4 min, P = 0.000). The mean procedural time was slightly longer in the sheathed group than in the conventional group (4.9 ± 1.4 vs 4.1 ± 1.3 min, P = 0.000). However, the duration of endoscopic reprocessing was much shorter (4.9 ± 0.2 vs 35 ± 0.2 min, P = 0.000). No significant differences were observed in patient discomfort, optical clarity, or pathology detection rate. There were no complications in either group, and no microbial contamination was detected in phase 1 of the study. Conclusions Compared with the conventional gastroscope, the novel disposable sheathed gastroendoscope is safe and more efficient in clinical practice.

Based on the Loves shell theory, relationship between bending solutions of functionally graded materials (FGM) and homogenous circular cylindrical shells was studied. By comparing the displacement-type governing equations for axially symmetrically bending of FGM and homogenous circular cylindrical shells, an analogous transform relation between the deflections of FGM circular cylindrical shell and those of homogenous one was obtained. By giving the material properties of FGM circular cylindrical shell changing as continuous functions in the thickness direction, the corresponding transition factor between the solutions of the two kind circular cylindrical shells were derived, which reflect the non-uniform properties of the functionally graded material circular cylindrical shell. Numerical example shows that the numerical solutions of the maximum of non-dimensional deflections are almost in agreement with the transformational solutions whennequals approximately 5, wherenis the volume fraction index. As a result, solutions for axially symmetrically bending of a non-homogenous circular cylindrical shell can be reduced to that of a homogenous one and the calculation of the transformation factors.

By using mathematical similarity and load equivalence between the governing equations, bending solutions of FGM Timoshenko beams are derived analytically in terms of the homogenous Euler–Bernoulli beams. The deflection, rotational angle, bending moment and shear force of FGM Timoshenko beams are expressed in terms of the deflection of the corresponding homogenous Euler–Bernoulli beams with the same geometry, the same loadings and end constraints. Consequently, solutions of bending of the FGM Timoshenko beams are simplified as the calculation of the transition coefficients which can be easily determined by the variation law of the gradient of the material properties and the geometry of the beams if the solutions of corresponding Euler–Bernoulli beam are known. As examples, solutions are given for the FGM Timoshenko beams under S–S, C–C, C–F and C–S end constraints and arbitrary transverse loadings to illustrate the use of this approach. These analytical solutions can be as benchmarks in the further investigations of behaviors of FGM beams.

Analytical relations between the critical buckling load of a functionally graded material (FGM) Timoshenko beam and that of the corresponding homogeneous Euler–Bernoulli beam subjected to axial compressive load have been derived for clamped–clamped (C–C), simply supported–simply supported (S–S) and clamped–free (C–F) edges. However, no such relation is found for clamped–simply supported (C–S) beams. For C–S beams, the transcendental equation has been derived to find the critical buckling load for the FGM Timoshenko beam which is similar to that for a homogeneous Euler–Bernoulli beam. For the FGM beams Young’s modulus, E, and Poisson’s ratio, m, are assumed to vary through the thickness. The significance of this work is that for the C–C, S–S and C–F FGM Timoshenko beams, the critical buckling load can be easily found from that of the corresponding homogeneous Euler–Bernoulli beam and two constants whose values depend upon the through-the-thickness variations of E and m. For the C–S FGM Timoshenko beam the transcendental equation for the determination of the critical buckling load is similar to that for the corresponding homogeneous Euler–Bernoulli beam.

The free vibration analysis of a functionally graded material (FGM) truncated conical shell is presented using the method of generalized differential quadrature (GDQ). Based on Love's first approximation theory, governing equations are derived. The material properties of FGM shells are assumed to be graded in the thickness direction according to a simple power law distribution in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents. Then, using the GDQ method, the natural frequencies of the shells for various boundary conditions can be obtained. The effects of the materials’ constitution and the shape geometry on the natural frequencies are discussed in detail.

Several tunnel fires were caused by the fire source loaded in moving vehicle. The physical model was designed based on real road tunnel to simulate the distribution of longitudinal temperature. Through fire dynamic simulation software FDS, the fire processes when moving vehicle stabilized and traveled at 10m/s and 15m/s in tunnel were simulated under natural ventilation of 2.7m/s. The purpose of research includes three aspects, first, the temperature field in the early stage when moving fire travels into tunnel; second, influence of moving fire on the longitudinal temperature distribution; third, explores the change of temperature peak and its influential factors when vehicles stops and combustion stabilizes. Simulation indicates that the airflow filed movement induced by moving fire to certain degree blocks the spread of heat released in the direction opposite to fire movement and it also entrains high temperature airflow into its movement. When ventilation direction is accordant with vehicle moving direction, the stabilized value of highest temperature point of ceiling tends to be higher than that when the directions are opposite.

Based on the accurate geometrical theory for the extensible elastic beams, an exact mathematical model of post-buckling transverse free vibration of Euler beams subjected to a distributed tangential follower force along the central axis are established. By using shooting method, pre-buckling free vibrations of both simply supported and fixed Euler beam are solved and the responses of small amplitude vibration are obtained. The numerical results show that all the frequencies of unbuckled beams decrease continuously with the increment of the load parameters.

Coal spontaneous combustion is a complex procedure of physical and chemical changing, in which the macro characters is the reflection of micro changes of coal molecule structure in low temperature oxidation. In order to understand the essence of coal-oxygen composition, the Fourier transform infrared spectrum apparatus is used to test and analyze different kinds of coal samples in different oxidation temperature. According to main characteristic spectrum peaks, the activity of coal functional groups is studied. The difference and change of the type and quantity of functional groups in different kinds of coal sample in different temperature are analyzed. The relation between the macro structure change and spontaneous combustion property of coal in low temperature oxidation process is discussed.

Relationship between bending solutions of functionally graded Timoshenko beams (FGMTB) and those of homogenous Euler-Bernoulli beams (HEBB) were studied in this presentation. The deflection and the rotational angle of FGMTB are expressed in terms of the deflection of the corresponding HEBB with the same geometry, loadings and end constraints. Consequently, solutions of bending of the FGMTB are simplified as the calculation of the transition coefficients which can be easily determined by the variation law of the gradient of the material properties and the geometry of the beams because the solutions of corresponding HEBB are well known. As examples, solutions for the FGM Timoshenko beams under S-S, C-C, C-F and C-S end constraints and subjected to arbitrary transverse loadings were presented. These analytical solutions can be as benchmarks in the further investigations of behaviors of FGM beams.

Conductivities (κ) of PC (propylene carbonate)/EMC (ethyl methyl carbon ate)/DMC (dimethyl carbonate) and EC (ethylene carbonate)/EMC/DMC solutions of lithium bis(oxalate)borate (LiBOB) were experimentally determined at a temperature (θ) range from −40.0 to 60.0°C. Under such experimental conditions, the effect factors on the κ, such as the salt molar concentrations (m), and the volume ratio of solvent compositions, were also investigated. The results showed that, in wide θ range, the higher κ were obtained with 0.7 mol L−1 LiBOB in PC/EMC/DMC and 0.6 mol L−1 LiBOB in EC/EMC/DMC and with a volume ratio of 1: 1: 1 and 1: 1: 2, respectively. When used in LiFePO4/Li cells, compared to the cell with the electrolyte system of 1.0 mol L−1 LiPF6-EC/EMC/DMC (1: 1: 1), LiBOB cells with PC/EMC/DMC and EC/EMC/DMC electrolyte systems with the same volume mixture solvent compositions exhibit several advantages, such as more stable cycle performance, higher mean voltage, excellent large current discharge capability, more capacity retention at high temperature, and more stable storage performance, etc. This study not only shows that LiBOB is a very promising alternative salt for lithium ion chemistry, but also provides appropriate solvent to improve LiBOB’s electrochemical performance.

Project stakeholders play an important role in the implementation process of sustainable construction. Due to different attributes of each stakeholder in the project, their importance level is different. This paper firstly identifies 13 project stakeholders based on Chinese construction project management mechanism and then a questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate their importance. This finding indicates that client and government play extremely important role in the sustainable construction; all the project stakeholders are important in the three aspects and the importance level order of project stakeholders in the three aspects is different.

The size, the position and the arrangement of external restraint will significantly affect the mechanical properties of the structures with the external restraint. Based on classical beam theory, the stress distribution of a simply supported beam with externally reinforcing steel bars under transverse loads is analyzed in this presentation. By assuming that the stresses in both the beam and the external constrains are less than their proportional limits, an analytical formulation of normal stress in the cross section of the beam was derived by considering two cases that the externally reinforcing steel bars are pre-stressed and are not pre-stressed. Influences of the parameters of the stiffness and the position of the externally reinforcing steel bars on the stress of the beam are discussed.

A new konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based superabsorbent polymer, KGM-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide), was prepared by the free radical grafting solution polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM) monomers onto KGM in the presence of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide as a crosslinker with potassium persulfate as an initiator. The effects of reaction parameters, including the amount of crosslinking agent and initiator, the weight ratio of both (AA + AM) to KGM and AM to (AA + AM), neutralization degree of AA, bath temperature, and reaction time, on the water absorbency of the superabsorbent were investigated. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the structures of the copolymer. The maximum water absorbency of the optimized product was 650 g/g for distilled water and 70 g/g for a 0.9 wt % aqueous NaCl solution. Furthermore, the water retention of the copolymer in soils was studied. The effect of the copolymers on the aggregate distribution of soils was also evaluated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

Architecture is one of the most element of urban composition.During urban renewal, how to follow the characteristics of mountain, how to respect for history and local culture, how to continue and inherit historical context of architecture is the purpose of this article.The article puts forward some measures of continuing and inheriting historical context of architecture from planning, creating of mountainous architecture, protecting and managing,etc.

Adopting oil-bath temperature programming experiment and gas chromatography, CO2’s inhibitory performance on spontaneous combustion of Tingnan Coal Mine sample was analyzed. Through temperature rise rate test experiment, the accuracy, stability and reliability of the improved oil-bath temperature programming system applied in this experiment was proved to be superior to the traditional system. Spontaneous combustion characters parameters test of coal sample in pure air was carried out with this system and offered comparison standard for research in next stage. Temperature programming to coal sample was further conducted in oil-bath with different concentration of CO2. Testing results are compared with parameters of concentration of CO, O2, temperature, CO generation rate and O2 consumption rate tested and calculated in previous experiment in pure air. Methods of proportioning between concentration of CO and O2, CO concentration and temperature, CO generation rate and O2 consumption rate were applied to eliminate obstructions from certain external factors such as inlet of CO2; meanwhile influences of CO2 of different concentrations to coal oxidation and spontaneous combustion were investigated. Also CO2 inhibition technique was used in spontaneous combustion prevention in workface No.106 of Tingnan Coal Mine, data collected from which indicate that CO2 performs well in inhibiting coal oxidation and spontaneous combustion.

Gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to analyze the essential oil extracted from the leaves of 50 individual plants of Cinnamomum camphora, which were collected from the same mountain in Jiangxi province of China. 32 peaks in total were identified in these samples, which were then categorized into five chemotypes (bornel type, BN; camphor type, CP; isoneolidol type, ID; cineole type, CE; linalool type, LN) according to the primary component in the essential oil. In the meanwhile, total DNA was extracted from each sample for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, As a result, a total of 97 amplification products derived from 10 RAPD primers were obtained. These RAPD data were then analyzed using SPSS 10.0 software with 1 and 0 matrix, Jaccard’s coefficient and between-group linkage methods. Our results revealed that the estimated Jaccard’s differences between chemotypes varied in the range of 0-25, and that the pattern obtained from RAPD was totally accordant with the identification of GC-MS and the biosynthesis pathways of terpene. Thus, we propose that both GC-MS and RAPD are reliable and useful to identify the chemotypes of Cinnamomum camphora, and that quality control and large-scale cultivation of Cinnamomum camphora are possible.