Search

This study proposes a framework for the post‐earthquake functionality assessment of subway stations, in which the effects of seismic damage of components and interdependency among sub‐systems are considered by combining the fault tree analysis and Bayesian network method, and the post‐earthquake functionality is quantified by combining multi‐agent simulation and simulation optimization methods. The effectiveness of this method is verified based on a numerical study of a typical subway station. The proposed framework can assist stakeholders of subway stations to systematically assess the functional performance of the system under different earthquake levels and provide support for the design and post‐earthquake emergency management of subway stations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic responses of an instrumented twenty-story steel-moment frame office building were identified with the data from mainshock (M 7.1) occurred on November 30, 2018 and its six aftershocks ranging from M4.2 to 5.7 in the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone. The deconvolution-based seismic interferometry was used to identify the traveling waves and intrinsic-damping ratio in the building. The median shear-wave velocity is 179 m/s for the east-west (EW), 201 m/s for the north-south (NS), and 174 m/s for the torsional responses. The building's average intrinsic-damping ratio is estimated to be 4.4% and 3.7% for the EW and NS directions, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the inelastic displacement of structures subjected to earthquake-tsunami loadings. The relative intensity is defined as the ratio of the tsunami force per unit mass to the Sa of the corresponding ground motion. The effects of the hysteretic model, soil condition, post-yield stiffness, damping, and relative intensity on the inelastic displacement ratios are investigated. The results show that, compared to earthquakes alone, earthquake-tsunami loadings can enlarge the inelastic displacement ratio demands, especially for higher relative intensities. A predictive model is developed by considering several parameters, which may be used in the framework of performance-based seismic design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript quantifies the effects of aftershocks with pulse characteristics on the cumulative damage of structures. The revised randomization method is developed to generate the artificial mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) ground motions showing pulse characteristics. The efficiency of period normalization is discussed from the point of view of dispersion, and the effects of the aftershocks are quantitatively studied. It is found that strong aftershock can contaminate the efficiency of period normalization, and the effects of strong aftershocks in the near-fault region on cumulative damage can exceed 20% and reach 40%. The equations are proposed for the prediction of damage induced by pulse-like MSAS sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deep learning-based rapid peak seismic response prediction model for the most common two-story and three-span subway stations is proposed in this study. The established model predicts the peak seismic responses of subway stations with a data-driven fashion and using limited information. The prediction model extracts the features of ground motions using one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and then integrates the information of subway stations (i.e., the seismic fortification intensity, buried depth, and shear wave velocity) through a fully connected neural network for regression, resulting in peak seismic responses, namely the peak floor acceleration (PFA) and maximum inter-story drift ratio (MIDR). The model is trained using 19,200 samples obtained from the nonlinear time-history analyses (NLTHAs) of the designed 48 typical subway station structures. Furthermore, the external model verification was performed on 960 additional samples. For the predictions of PFA and MIDR , the coefficient of determination (R 2) values are 0.967 and 0.986, respectively, and the damage states of subway stations are further evaluated, achieving an accuracy of 95.0%. These indicates that the model has good predictive performance and generalization ability. Moreover, the prediction model demonstrates a significantly higher computational efficiency compared to numerical simulation methods. ● Deep learning-based peak seismic response prediction model for two-story and three-span subway stations is established. ● Ground motion and structural characteristics can be considered simultaneously. ● The developed prediction model just requires the limited structural information. ● Peak seismic responses of each layer in subway stations can be obtained by the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Post-earthquake functionality assessment framework for subway systems is proposed. • Structural and nonstructural systems and functional interdependencies are incorporated. • Post-earthquake functionality is overestimated by ignoring nonstructural systems. • Ignoring nonstructural systems leads to 73% bias under an earthquake of magnitude 8. • The functionality of subway systems is highly dependent on external systems. This study proposes a framework to evaluate and quantify the post-earthquake functionality of subway systems. The effects of the seismic performance of structural and non-structural systems and the functional interdependencies at different levels are incorporated into the framework. Considering the characteristics of passenger flow and network topology of subway systems, global service efficiency is proposed as the functionality indicator. The computational efficiency of the proposed calculating algorithm of the functionality indicator is improved by 10 times compared to the conventional algorithm. The proposed framework is applied to an actual subway system as a numerical example to verify the effectiveness and operability of the proposed framework. The effects of the non-structural systems on the post-earthquake functionality assessment of the subway system are analyzed, and the result indicates that the post-earthquake functionality of the subway system would be overestimated owing to ignoring the effects of the non-structural systems, and the degree of overestimation is positively correlated with the earthquake intensity. The influence of the municipal power supply system as an essential external system is studied and the results show that the functionality of the subway system is highly dependent on the municipal power supply system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used waveforms from the 2018 MW 7.1 Anchorage earthquake and six selected aftershocks, ranging from MW 4.2 to 5.7, to quantify site properties including shear-wave velocity profile, predominant frequencies, borehole amplification, soil-damping ratio, and shear modulus at Delaney Park in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. The waveforms were recorded by surface and six borehole (up to 61-m depth) three-component accelerometers. The deconvolution of the waveforms at various borehole depths on horizontal sensors with respect to the corresponding waveform at the surface provides incident and reflected traveling waves within the soil column. The shear-wave velocities determined from these events are consistent, and generally agree well with the in situ measurements. The borehole amplification based on surface-to-borehole traditional standard spectral ratio (SSR) and surface-to-borehole response spectral ratio (RSR) and cross-spectral ratio (c-SSR) were also evaluated. Based on c-SSR, we computed the borehole amplification as 4.8 at 1.35 Hz (0.74 s), close to the predominant frequency of the soil column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The seismic resilience of a system includes not only the consequences directly related to the intensity of earthquake but also the recovery process and time closely related to the human and government responses in the post-earthquake environment, in which many aftershocks would affect the mainshock-damaged systems. This manuscript proposes a resilience loss factor to incorporate the effects of aftershocks on the resilience loss of structures. This factor is applied on the evaluation of resilience loss for a case-study reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure under mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) sequences. The recovery time and pre-event functionality are introduced in the definition of the resilience loss factor, making this factor concentrate more on the intrinsic characteristics of structures during the recovery process. The replacement threshold based on the repair cost is incorporated into the definition of resilience loss factor to reflect the engineering application. The results indicate that the effects of considering replacement threshold and aftershocks on the resilience loss of structure can exceed 200% and 400% respectively, when the replacement threshold is reached. Highlights • Resilience loss factor is proposed considering the effects of aftershocks. • The normalization by recovery time and pre-event functionality are incorporated. • The replacement threshold is incorporated to reflect the engineering application. • Effects of replacement threshold and aftershocks on resilience loss are significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract 120 earthquake ground motions recorded on soft soil sites were employed to assess, through response history analysis of simplified systems, the residual displacement demand, C r , defined as the ratio of the residual displacement to the maximum elastic displacement. Single degree of freedom systems were considered and the lateral strength ratio was parametrized to account for varying structural inelasticity. Four hysteretic laws were chosen to represent degrading and non-degrading performance while variation in the post-yield stiffness was considered. The analysis scheme enabled assessing the relationship of the residual displacement with the aforementioned structural characteristics. The residual displacement demand was found to be sensitive in the post-yield stiffness ratio. An equation was finally introduced to accommodate the reliable estimation of residual displacement ratio, the latter being beneficial for evaluating the seismic performance of existing structures built on soft soil sites. Highlights • A total of 120 ground motions recorded on soft soil profiles are selected in this manuscript. • The variation of residual displacement ratios is studied, with post-yield stiffness and hysteretic behavior were taken into account. • A simplified equation is proposed for the application of residual displacement ratios in the evaluation of existing structures built on soft soil sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The soft soil tends to amplify the damage accumulation induced by mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) sequences due to the significant amplification effect of soft soil on the ground motions. This manuscript proposes the damage spectra of MSAS ground motions at soft soil sites to quantify the accumulated damage experienced by the structures under the MSAS sequences. Artificial MSAS ground motions are firstly generated by the revised randomization method (i.e. combing two random records which belong to two different ground motion groups respectively). The effects of period normalization (i.e. the vibration period is normalized by the predominant period of mainshock ground motion) are discussed from the point of view of dispersion and mean. The effects of the aftershock ground motions at soft soil sites on the damage spectra are quantitatively studied. The results indicate that the period normalization can reduce the dispersion of damage spectra of MSAS sequences, but larger intensity of aftershock ground motion can contaminate the efficiency of period normalization. The effects of strong aftershocks at soft soil sites on the damage spectra can exceed 40%. Strong aftershock ground motions at soft soil sites tend to cause larger additional damage than those at firm soil sites. The prediction equations are finally proposed to predict the mean of damage spectra for MSAS sequences at soft soil sites. Highlights • Damage spectra are proposed for MSAS sequences at soft soil sites. • Period normalization can reduce the dispersion of damage spectra of MSAS sequences. • Larger intensity of aftershock can contaminate the efficiency of period normalization. • The effects of strong aftershocks on the damage spectra of soft soil can exceed 40%. • Prediction equation is proposed for the mean of damage spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many earthquakes have indicated that the mainshock-damaged structures may be more vulnerable to severe damage and collapse during the subsequent aftershocks. This manuscript presents a framework for the vulnerability assessment of structure under the mainshock-aftershock sequences. In this framework, the engineering demand parameter ( EDP ) which can more effectively characterized the additional damage of structure induced by aftershock, and the intensity measure ( IM ) having the higher correlation with the additional damage of structure are selected and used. The versatility of the proposed framework is demonstrated on a case-study reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure with 5 stories. The influences of aftershocks on the fragility of structure are studied for different limit states. The effects of aftershocks on the fragility of structure are more obvious for the case that mainshock fragility changes from 30% to 60%, and the maximum influence of aftershock can exceed 15%. The results in this study can be used to evaluate the vulnerability of structure under the seismic sequence in the pre-earthquake environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectra of neutrons emitted in fission of 238 U induced by 2.8 MeV neutrons were measured by N-4 nuclear emulsion. Details like the experimental layout and conditions, and the track data reading, processing and correction were described. Also the energy-range relation of recoil protons among the N-4 nuclear emulsion was derived by Monte Carlo simulation and fitting method for the first time. The experimental results were presented as relative yields and were compared to the calculations using Maxwell and Watt models. The results were approximately the same as the theoretical PFNS, especially for those 3–6 MeV and 11–14 MeV outgoing neutrons, and the availability of nuclear emulsion measurement in the high-energy part of PFNS was proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework for predicting seismic responses based on limited building information is proposed. • A dataset of seismic responses corresponding to 162 typical RC frames of low-medium rise and 200 diverse ground motions is built. • A CNN-based prediction model (call StruNet here) is established for regular RC frame structures based on the dataset. • StruNet maps the limited building information and ground motion time histories into seismic responses (PFA and IDR) of each floor. • StruNet shows sufficient accuracy and high computational efficiency in predicting seismic responses for four actual cases. Building portfolio is the important urban engineering system, and the seismic resilience assessment of a city needs the quick and accurate prediction of the seismic responses of existed buildings. However, many existed buildings generally possess the problem that the design information materials are incomplete or completely lost. The major challenge in the seismic resilience assessment of building portfolio is how to predict the seismic responses of buildings quickly and accurately just using limited building information. This manuscript aims to develop a method for the seismic response prediction of the existed reinforced concrete (RC) frame buildings just using limited building information. A total of 162 typical RC frame buildings of low to medium rise are designed, and the inter-story drift (IDR) as well as peak floor acceleration (PFA) of each floor in each building are computed for 200 ground motions with nonlinear time history analysis (NLTHA) method. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is developed with ground motion records and five easy-getting building parameters as inputs. The outputs are IDR and PFA of each floor for the given building. Considering the physical means of an input parameter—number of stories, the modified loss function and modified evaluation function are proposed. The developed network is trained with the computed dataset and the modified loss function, and the trained model (referred to StruNet) can take the characteristics of ground motions and structures into consideration together comparing to previous studies. The proposed model is verified through four cases (i.e., 4 actual buildings with different construction time, occupancy types, and plane layouts), which are independent of the deep learning dataset. The results confirm that the proposed method offers prediction results with sufficient accuracy and shows high computational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript investigates the constant damage inelastic displacement ratios for the mainshock–aftershock sequence-type ground motions. The inelastic displacement ratios are computed for three hysteretic models and two kinds of sequence-type ground motions, containing one or two aftershocks. The influences of aftershocks on the inelastic displacement ratios are quantitatively investigated with the scaled sequence-type ground motions. The results indicate that the dispersion of inelastic displacement ratio can be effectively reduced by aftershock when it is scaled with spectral acceleration to different relative intensities. Aftershock has more significant influences on the inelastic displacement ratio of Elastic-Perfectly-Plastic (EPP) system than that of degrading system. A simplified expression of constant damage inelastic displacement ratio is proposed for the sequence-type ground motions with strong aftershocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instrumentation layout of Delaney Park borehole array and soil layers; arrows indicate sensor orientation. "Recorded earthquake responses from the integrated seismic monitoring network of the Atwood building, Anchorage, Alaska.". [Extracted from the article]

This study aims to develop a reliable ground motion model (GMM) for CAV by using ground motion (GM) recordings from the PEER NGA-West2 database. A total of 17,684 GM recordings are chosen and randomly separated into the training, validation, and testing datasets. The DNN is advanced by incorporating the refined second-order (RSO) neuron. The effect of seismological and site-specific parameters on the predicted CAV is investigated. The comparative assessment of four existing models with the RSO-DNN model of this study highlights the superior prediction skill of the latter one since the RSO-DNN model is found to be associated with considerably less error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals play vital roles in mitigation and recovery in earthquake-hit communities. This paper aims to clarify the effect of physical damage on hospital organizations and represent a holistic method for the functionality assessment of a hospital. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated based on the case study of a general hospital. The results indicate that the functionality of hospitals would be significantly affected after the maximum considered earthquake. A considerable gap exists between the hospital treatment capacity and the patient demand for medical services. The method will assist hospital stakeholders and managers in design and upgrade criteria selection. Abbreviation: CT: Imaging Procedure; DBE: Design Basis Earthquake; DES: Discrete Event Simulation; DR: Digital Radiography; EDPs: Engineering Demand Parameters; HVAC: Heating Ventilation and Air Conditions; MCE: Maximum Considered Earthquake; OR: Operation Room; PFA: Peak Floor Acceleration; PFV: Peak Floor Velocity; PIDR: Peak Inter-story Drift ratio; RC: Reinforced Concrete; RIDR: Residual Inter-story Drift Ratio; RR: Resuscitation Room; SLE: Service Level Earthquake; UPS: Uninterruptible Power Supply; US: Ultrasound Room; WT: Waiting Time [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusions: Both intravenous general anaesthesia (IVGA) and general anaesthesia with endotracheal intubation (GA with ET) are applicable for the procedure of juvenile onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JO-RRP). GA with ET was found to be better for JO-RRP patients with dyspnoea, as it provided better stabilization of the vital signs with fewer postoperative complications. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of two different anaesthetic techniques in the removal of JO-RRP. Methods: A total of 52 JO-RRP patients with mild dyspnoea were included in the study. Each case underwent two procedures, one by IVGA and the other by GA with ET. A total of 104 procedures were performed. The effectiveness and safety of the two anaesthetic techniques were pairwise compared. Results: There were no significant differences in anaesthetic recovery time, operative time or postoperative voice quality between the two anaesthetic groups. However, significant differences in heart rate, oxygen saturation and carbon dioxide saturation were observed. Some patients who underwent IVGA developed apnoea (28.8%) and laryngeal spasm (19.2%). These complications were not observed in the GA with ET group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The therapeutic outcomes of patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) remain unsatisfactory, largely because the underlying mechanisms of eosinophilic inflammation are uncertain. Here, it is shown that the nasal secretions of ECRS patients have high eosinophil extracellular trap (EET) and cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) levels. Moreover, the cfDNA induced EET formation by activating toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9) signaling. After demonstrating that DNase I reduced eosinophilic inflammation by modulating EET formation, linear polyglycerol‐amine (LPGA)‐coated TiS2 nanosheets (TLPGA) as functional 2D nanoplatforms with low cytotoxicity, mild protein adsorption, and increased degradation rate is developed. Due to the more flexible linear architecture, TLPGA exhibited higher cfDNA affinity than the TiS2 nanosheets coated with dendritic polyglycerol‐amine (TDPGA). TLPGA reduced cfDNA levels in the nasal secretions of ECRS patients while suppressing cfDNA‐induced TLR9 activation and EET formation in vitro. TLPGA displayed exceptional biocompatibility, preferential nasal localization, and potent inflammation modulation in mice with eosinophilic inflammation. These results highlight the pivotal feature of the linear molecular architecture and 2D sheet‐like nanostructure in the development of anti‐inflammation nanoplatforms, which can be exploited for ECRS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate the rapid, though, reliable assessment of mainshock-damaged structures against the succeeding aftershock excitations, the γ -index is introduced, defined as the ratio of the residual displacement of a structure under the mainshock excitation over the aftershock-induced maximum inelastic displacement of the damaged structure. Over 200 mainshock-aftershock sequences from very dense and stiff soil profiles were chosen to perform nonlinear response history analyses of single degree of freedom systems and the influence of structural, strong ground motion and site-specific parameters on the γ -index was assessed. An equation for the γ -index is proposed to predict the performance of the damaged structure under aftershocks. • The γ is proposed to estimate the aftershock-induced maximum displacements of mainshock-damaged structures. • The performance of the γ is evaluated by considering the effect of structural properties and ground motion parameters. • A simplified prediction equation of the γ is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong aftershocks have the potential to induce the additional economic loss of structures. This manuscript proposes a framework to estimate the additional economic loss induced by multiple aftershocks, and meanwhile to determine the necessary number of aftershocks that should be considered in the economic loss estimation. Four analysis models (hazard model, structural model, damage model, and loss model) are contained in the proposed framework, which is applied to a 4-story reinforced concrete structure. The result indicates that the additional economic loss induced by a given aftershock is lower when more aftershocks occur before this one. From the perspective of probability, at least two aftershocks should be considered in the loss estimation for M6.0 mainshock, while this number increases to 10 and 28 for M7.0 and M8.0 mainshocks respectively. For low-rise reinforced concrete frame structure, the impact of aftershocks on the economic loss increases with the increase of mainshock magnitude, and it can exceed 40% for strong mainshock from the perspective of probability. The proposed framework and results in this study would be helpful for the decision making in the pre- and post-earthquake environment. • A probabilistic framework is proposed for loss estimation of multiple aftershocks. • Additional loss of a given aftershock (AS) is lower when more ASs occur before it. • 2, 10 and 28 ASs should be included in loss estimation for M6.0, M7.0 and M8.0 MS. • The impact of aftershocks on the economic loss can exceed 40% for strong mainshock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of ground motion scaling on structural responses are quantified. • The method is proposed to quantify the interdependency between IM s and SF s. • Housner spectrum intensity is the best IM to scale ground motions. • The allowable SF s are determined for various IM s based on the acceptable bias. Ground motion scaling has been widely applied in seismic design and evaluation to perform nonlinear dynamic analysis. However, the quantitative interdependency between intensity measures (IM s) and scale factors (SF s) has not received sufficient attention in previous studies. In this study, effects of ground motion scaling are investigated by considering the effects of IM s and SF s on the response of structures. The bias introduced by ground motion scaling is defined as the difference in engineering demand parameter values obtained from seismic demand models developed with scaled and unscaled ground motions. The bias and allowable SF are comprehensively used to quantify the interdependency between IM s and SF s. Eight different IM s are selected, and 1593 ground motions are collected from the PEER NGA-West2 database. The results indicate that the Housner spectrum intensity is superior to the other IM s based on the entire period region, and that it can control the bias to within about 20% even for a SF as large as 10.0. The spectral acceleration and peak ground velocity are secondary alternatives, and the corresponding biases are generally within 40% when the ground motions are scaled within five times (i.e., the SF varies from 0.2 to 5.0). The allowable SF s are determined for various IM s when the acceptable bias is assumed as 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript studies the effects of rotating mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) sequences to different orientations on the seismic performance of structures. A total of 222 recorded MSAS ground motions are additionally rotated the given angle away from the fault-parallel direction. Four different engineering demand parameters (EDP s) are used to quantify the seismic performance. The results indicate that the aftershock would change the critical angle of ground motions with respect to the mainshock, and the change in the critical angle can exceed 30°. The effect of ground motion rotation is significant for MSAS sequences, and can exceed 25% for all EDP s considered. The effects of aftershocks on the maximum and median EDP s over all rotation angles are generally comparable. Rotating MSAS sequences into the critical angle is necessary for seismic design and performance evaluation. • The effects of rotating mainshock-aftershock sequences on EDP s are studied. • Aftershocks can change the critical angle in a maximum value of 30°. • Effects of rotating MSAS sequences can exceed 25% for all EDP s considered. • Effects of aftershocks on the maximum and median EDP s are generally comparable. • Rotating MSAS sequences into the critical angle is necessary for seismic design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a serious inflammatory condition. Nasal fluids (NFs) present a noninvasive alternative to nasal biopsy for studying CRSwNP pathogenesis. We aimed to compare the protein and mRNA inflammation signature between nasal polyps (NPs) and NFs. Method: The performance of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponges and NFs absorbable device (NFAD) for collecting NFs from 20 patients with CRSwNP was compared using the Luminex assay. The other group consisted of four healthy controls and an additional 21 CRSwNP patients (including eosinophilic CRSwNP [ECRSwNP] and non-eosinophilic CRSwNP [NECRSwNP]) for protein quantification by Olink platform and gene expression evaluation by RNA-sequencing. Spearman's analysis was performed to detect correlations between protein expression levels in NFs and clinical assessment variables. Results: NFAD-collected NFs contained at least a 2-fold higher concentration of cytokines than that obtained using PVA sponge, and these cytokines levels are significantly associated with NPs (ρ > 0.45, p < 0.05). Differentially expressed proteins between NFs and NPs were significantly correlated in the ECRSwNP subgroup compared with controls (ρ = 0.41, p < 0.01). Levels of Th2/IL-13, MCP4, and CCL4, characteristic of eosinophilic infiltration, were increased in ECRSwNP patients. A significant correlation between gene and protein expression was observed (ρ = 0.34, p < 0.01). PDL2 levels in NFs were positively correlated with ECRSwNP postoperative recurrence, the nasal VAS, and SNOT-22 scores (ρ > 0.68, p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: Our study revealed similarities and discrepancies in inflammatory signatures between NPs and NFs in the same CRSwNP patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a heterogeneous and common upper airway disease divided into various inflammatory endotypes. Recent epidemiological findings showed a T helper 2 (Th2)-skewed dominance in CRSwNP patients. Histone modification alterations can regulate transcriptional and translational expression, resulting in abnormal pathogenic changes and the occurrence of diseases. Trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3) is considered an activator of gene expression through modulation of accessibility for transcription, which is closely related to CRSwNP. H3K4me3 levels in the human nasal epithelium may change under Th2-biased inflammatory conditions, resulting in exaggerated local nasal Th2 responses via the regulation of naïve CD4+ T-cell differentiation. Here, we revealed that the level of SET and MYND domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3)-mediated H3K4me3 was increased in NPs from Th2 CRSwNP patients compared with those from healthy controls. We demonstrated that SMYD3-mediated H3K4me3 is increased in human nasal epithelial cells under Th2-biased inflammatory conditions via S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) production and further found that the H3K4me3high status of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) produced in primary human nasal epithelial cells could promote naïve CD4+ T-cell differentiation into Th2 cells. Moreover, we found that SAM production was dependent on the c-Myc/methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) axis in the nasal epithelium. Understanding histone modifications in the nasal epithelium has immense potential utility in the development of novel classes of therapeutics targeting Th2 polarization in Th2 CRSwNP. Et9-hJKHbB2Mg3CRtXWvn_ Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been described as a safe sedative in clinical practice, but its effects on the pathophysiological traits of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are unclear. We estimated the effects of DEX sedation on the four key pathophysiological traits of OSA (pharyngeal collapsibility, dilator muscle function, arousal threshold, and loop gain) in adult patients with OSA by conducting a secondary analysis of a prospective diagnostic trial. Pathophysiological traits estimated from polysomnography and the respiratory parameters under natural sleep and DEX‐induced sleep were compared. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to estimate the relationship between pathophysiological traits and OSA severity for both sleep states. Adult patients with OSA had a significantly higher pharyngeal collapsibility (Vpassive: 44.9 [15.7 to 53.8] vs. 53.3 [34.2 to 66.3] %eupnea, p < 0.001), arousal threshold (178.5 [132.5 to 234.6] vs. 140.5 [123.2 to 192.3] %eupnea, p < 0.001), and loop gain (LG1: 0.74 ± 0.25 vs. 0.60 ± 0.17, p < 0.001; LGn: 0.52 ± 0.12 vs. 0.44 ± 0.08, p < 0.001) during DEX‐induced sleep compared with natural sleep. There was no significant difference in dilator muscle function or PSG respiratory parameters between natural versus DEX‐induced sleep states. Bivariate regression analysis showed varying degrees of correlation between OSA traits and severity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that collapsibility was the strongest predictor of the apnea–hypopnea index for both sleep states. Dexmedetomidine sedation in patients with OSA increased the pharyngeal collapsibility without impairing dilator muscle function, while elevating arousal threshold and increasing loop gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript presents a new model, named SY model, to predict horizontal peak ground acceleration and 5% damped response spectrum for shallow crustal earthquakes in Sichuan-Yunnan region of China. SY model considers the influences of magnitude, rupture distance, fault types, site amplification and hanging-wall scaling on ground motions. The random effect regression analysis and residual analysis are used to fit SY model based on a strong-motion database which is established to summarize the recordings of Sichuan-Yunnan region shallow crustal earthquakes. Prediction results are provided by SY model and subsequently compared with observations and those of other GMPEs for validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-earthquake environment, the rubble generated by the collapse of buildings will seriously affect the functionality of the transportation system, like post-disaster medical rescue, personnel evacuation, and material transport. A reasonable prediction of the distribution range of rubble from building structure collapses is vital for assessing city seismic resilience. This paper focuses on this topic from a probabilistic perspective. Twenty-two ground vibrations are the first input for reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures at different floors to simulate their collapse behavior in earthquakes. The model of rubble distribution range is then proposed to comprehensively consider the uncertainties of the ground motions and structures. The corresponding risk model is finally developed. Building heights, uncertainty associated with ground motions, the likelihood of structural collapse, and the likelihood of the interval distribution of debris are all taken into consideration by the model. The statistical analysis indicates that the proposed model can provide a reasonable prediction of the simulate results. The results can be used as a reference for city government decision-makers to develop emergency plans and as a basis for assessing the road network's capacity after an earthquake. • Methods for predicting the rubble distribution range of RC frame structure damage states after an earthquake are proposed. • Model the RC frame structure based on beam and shell elements, as well as verify the rationality of the modeling approach. • Establish a rubble distribution range prediction model correlated with building height and ground motion parameters. • The rubble distribution distance of a known RC frame structure can be determined by the corresponding exceeding probability. • The risk range model of rubble distribution considering the probability of collapse of RC frame structures was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In steel–concrete composite structures, studs are critical in the shear transfer between steel and concrete. A series of push-out tests were performed to investigate the shear behavior of studs in high-strength concrete subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings. All studs were attached to steel flanges by groove fillet welding. The primary parameters analyzed in this study included the stud diameter, stud tensile strength, and load type. The failure modes, load-slip curves, shear capacities, shear slips, shear stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation capacities of the studs were studied. The experimental results indicate that the shear capacities, shear stiffness, and shear slips increased significantly with the increase in stud diameter. The studs subjected to cyclic loading exhibited lower shear capacities and shear slips than those under monotonic loading. The reductions in shear capacity and shear slip increased approximately with the increase in stud diameter, i.e., 25%–58% and 56%–81%, respectively. From the results of this test and those of previous works, it is deduced that groove fillet welding increased the shear capacities of 16-mm-diameter studs under cyclic loading by approximately 65% with respect to the stud welding. Finally, two empirical formulas were proposed to estimate the ultimate shear capacities and equivalent shear stiffness of studs under cyclic loading to design the studs in steel–concrete composite structures during seismic events. Highlights • This paper studies the shear behavior of studs under cyclic loading. • The failure modes, load-slip curves and shear stiffness are investigated. • The effects of load type and stud diameter on the shear behavior are studied. • Two formulas are proposed to evaluate the shear capacity and shear stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (ECRSwNP) is a refractory clinical phenotype with a high symptom burden and relapse rate. Steroid‐eluting stents are safe and effective for reducing polyp size, symptom burden, and the need for revision sinus surgery. In this study we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of steroid‐eluting stent implantation on the surgical outcomes of patients with ECRSwNP. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, randomized, intrapatient‐controlled trial recruited patients 18 to 65 years of age with ECRSwNP who required surgery. Ninety‐eight patients were enrolled and randomly implanted with absorbable steroid‐eluting stents containing mometasone furoate in one sinus at the end of surgery. All patients received standard postoperative care and follow‐up. The primary outcome was the Lund‐Kennedy endoscopic score within 12 weeks postsurgery. Secondary outcomes included nasal symptoms scores, nasal resistance, acoustic rhinometry, nasal nitric oxide levels, 3‐dimensional volumetric computed tomography scores, and eosinophil counts in the ethmoid mucosa. Results: Ninety‐five patients completed the trial. At postoperative weeks 4, 8, and 12, the Lund‐Kennedy scores were significantly lower on the treatment side than on the control side (all p < 0.01). Compared with the treatment side, the control side exhibited higher tissue eosinophilia at week 4 and higher volumetric, nasal obstruction, and total nasal symptom scores at postoperative week 8 (p = 0.011, p = 0.011, p < 0.01, and p = 0.001, respectively). No adrenal cortical suppression or serious side effects were observed. Conclusion: Steroid‐eluting stents reduce postoperative sinus mucosal edema, and eosinophilic inflammation, with persistent effects after stent disintegration, and are a good supplementary postsurgical treatment in patients with ECRSwNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tie-bars play an important role in the transfer of the shear between the steel faceplate and the concrete in steel-plate concrete composite structure. Twelve push-out specimens were tested to investigate the shear behavior of tie-bars subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings in high strength concrete. The primary parameters analyzed in this study included tie-bar diameter, tie-bar strength grade, load procedure and welded joint structural type. The failure modes, shear capacities, shear slips, load-slip curves, shear stiffness, ductility, energy dissipation capacities and tensile strain distributions of tie-bars were studied, in addition to comparing the ultimate shear capacities of tie-bars in this experiment with those calculated by an existing formula. The experimental results indicated that the groove fillet welding significantly improved the shear capacities of tie-bars under cyclic loading with respect to other three welded joint structural types in this experiment (The difference is more than 33%). The shear capacity, shear stiffness and shear slip increased significantly with the increase of tie-bar diameter. The tie-bars subjected to cyclic loading exhibited lower shear capacities and shear slips than those under monotonic loading. The reductions of the shear capacity and the shear slip decreased approximately with the increase of tie-bar diameter, and they were 28–42% and 58–67%, respectively. The tensile strain distributions of tie-bars were affected significantly by the load procedure, and according to the distributions, two recommendations were proposed for the design for out-of-plane shear capacity of steel-plate concrete composite structure subjected to bending moment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures located in seismically active regions may be subjected to mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) sequences. Strong aftershocks significantly affect the hysteretic energy demand of structures. The hysteretic energy, EH,seq, is normalized by mass m and expressed in terms of the equivalent velocity, VD,seq, to quantitatively investigate aftershock effects on the hysteretic energy of structures. The equivalent velocity, VD,seq, is computed by analyzing the response time-history of an inelastic single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system with a varying vibration period subjected to 309 MSAS sequences. The present study selected two kinds of MSAS sequences, with one aftershock and two aftershocks, respectively. The aftershocks are scaled to maintain different relative intensities. The variation of the equivalent velocity, VD,seq, is studied for consideration of the ductility values, site conditions, relative intensities, number of aftershocks, hysteretic models, and damping ratios. The MSAS sequence with one aftershock exhibited a 10% to 30% hysteretic energy increase, whereas the MSAS sequence with two aftershocks presented a 20% to 40% hysteretic energy increase. Finally, a hysteretic energy prediction equation is proposed as a function of the vibration period, ductility value, and damping ratio to estimate hysteretic energy for mainshock-aftershock sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the constant ductility energy factors for bilinear system under the near-fault pulse-like ground motions. The variation of energy factors is studied in consideration of the earthquake magnitude, rupture distance, damping ratios, and post-yield stiffness ratios. The results indicate that the near-fault pulse-like ground motions would increase the energy dissipation of structures. The energy factors are significantly influenced by the earthquake magnitude. The damping ratios have more obvious influences on the energy factors than the post-yield stiffness ratios. A predictive model is proposed for the application of constant ductility energy factors for near-fault pulse-like ground motions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with a poor prognosis. No large series of exclusively hypopharyngeal BSCC patients have been previously reported. Therefore, this retrospective population-based study aims to explain the patient demographics, clinicopathologic characteristics, incidence, and survival outcomes of hypopharyngeal BSCC and how it relates to conventional-type SCC. Methods: The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database registry was queried for patients diagnosed with hypopharyngeal BSCC and conventional-type SCC between 2001 and 2016. Results: The incidence of hypopharyngeal BSCC from 2001 to 2016 was 0.0161 per 100,000 individuals. The BSCC group comprised 213 patients, and the SCC group 7958 patients. The majority of BSCCs were considered high grade (Grade III/IV, 89.58%). Most BSCC patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage (American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC] stage IV, 65.38%). The 1-, 5-, and 10-year disease-specific survival (DSS) rates for hypopharyngeal BSCC were 84.10%, 57.40%, and 46.20%, respectively. Multivariate analysis, after adjustment for sex, age, race, tumor location, grade, and AJCC stage, showed that patients with BSCC had significantly better DSS than those with conventional-type SCC. Surgery with radiation contributed to a favorable DSS for BSCC patients in comparison with other treatments. Conclusion: This analysis of the largest hypopharyngeal BSCC series indicates a better prognosis for this pathologic type compared with conventional-type hypopharyngeal SCC. Multimodality treatment with surgery and radiation may result in a favorable prognosis for hypopharyngeal BSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep neck space abscess (DNSA) is a serious infection in the head and neck. Antibiotic therapy is an important treatment in patients with DNSA. However, the results of bacterial culture need at least 48 h, and the positive rate is only 30-50%, indicating that the use of empiric antibiotic treatment for most patients with DNSA should at least 48 h or even throughout the whole course of treatment. Thus, how to use empiric antibiotics has always been a problem for clinicians. This study analyzed the distribution of bacteria based on disease severity and clinical characteristics of DNSA patients, and provides bacteriological guidance for the empiric use of antibiotics.Methods: We analyzed 433 patients with DNSA who were diagnosed and treated at nine medical centers in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020. A nomogram for disease severity (mild/severe) was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-logistic regression analysis. Clinical characteristics for the Gram reaction of the strain were identified using multivariate analyses.Results: 92 (21.2%) patients developed life-threatening complications. The nomogram for disease severity comprised of seven predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the nomogram in the training and validation cohorts were 0.951 and 0.931, respectively. In the mild cases, 43.2% (101/234) had positive culture results (49% for Gram-positive and 51% for Gram-negative strains). The positive rate of cultures in the patients with severe disease was 63% (58/92, 37.9% for Gram-positive, and 62.1% for Gram-negative strains). Diabetes mellitus was an independent predictor of Gram-negative strains in the mild disease group, whereas gas formation and trismus were independent predictors of Gram-positive strains in the severe disease group. The positivity rate of multidrug-resistant strains was higher in the severe disease group (12.1%) than in the mild disease group (1.0%) (P < 0.001). Metagenomic sequencing was helpful for the bacteriological diagnosis of DNSA by identifying anaerobic strains (83.3%).Conclusion: We established a DNSA clinical severity prediction model and found some predictors for the type of Gram-staining strains in different disease severity cases. These results can help clinicians in effectively choosing an empiric antibiotic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic factors underlying the pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) remains unclear. We herein identified four related subjects with CRS and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) from geographically disperse Chinese Han communities and performed exome capture and sequencing of one affected individual and unaffected parents. We found a novel mutation in DNAH5 (c. 8030G>A) in CRS and PCD which was different from those attributed to cystic fibrosis and a defect of cilia motility in a Chinese family through exome capture and sequencing. Our findings showed that c. 8030G>A of DNAH5 may be implicated as the disease-causing gene of CRS and PCD in this Chinese family, which may expand the understanding of clinicians on the pathogenesis of CRS. Moreover, the identification of this novel mutation in DNAH5 indirectly indicates that exome capture and sequencing are beneficial in the genetic research of midget consanguinity families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to quantitatively evaluate the degree of endolymphatic hydrops and its correlation with the clinical features of Meniere's disease. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients with Meniere's disease who underwent gadolinium‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at our department from January 2018 to December 2019. Mimics software was used to perform three‐dimensional modelling of the labyrinth, and volume information was obtained to calculate the endolymphatic hydrops index (EHI). A correlation analysis was conducted with data from pure tone audiometry, electrocochleography (EchoG), vestibular myogenic‐evoked potential (VEMP) testing, caloric testing and video head impulse testing (vHIT). A two‐dimensional method was also employed to calculate the hydrops ratio (HR) of cochlea and vestibule. The test‐retest reliability of EHI/HR from different operators was evaluated. Results: A total of 23 affected ears were examined, and the EHI was significantly correlated with Meniere's disease stage, low‐frequency hearing threshold, EchoG summating potential/action potential ratio (−SP/AP) and VEMP binaural asymmetry ratio, but no significant correlation was observed between EHI and the caloric test or vHIT. The Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of EHI data calculated by two otologists was 0.946 (p <.001). And the ICC of cochlea and vestibule HR were 0.844 and 0.832 (p <.001). Conclusion: Mimics software can be used to quantitatively evaluate the degree of endolymphatic hydrops and have shown higher test‐retest reliability than traditional two‐dimensional evaluation method. Endolymphatic hydrops correlates with clinical data, such as Meniere's disease stage, low‐frequency hearing threshold, EchoG and VEMP asymmetry ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Airway management, including noninvasive endotracheal intubation or invasive tracheostomy, is an essential treatment strategy for patients with deep neck space abscess (DNSA) to reverse acute hypoxia, which aids in avoiding acute cerebral hypoxia and cardiac arrest. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel risk score to predict the need for airway management in patients with DNSA. Methods: Patients with DNSA admitted to 9 hospitals in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, were included. The cohort was divided into the training and validation cohorts. The risk score was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression models in the training cohort. The external validity and diagnostic ability were assessed in the validation cohort. Results: A total of 440 DNSA patients were included, of which 363 (60 required airway management) entered into the training cohort and 77 (13 required airway management) entered into the validation cohort. The risk score included 7 independent predictors (p < 0.05): multispace involvement (odd ratio [OR] 6.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–23.07, p < 0.001), gas formation (OR 4.95, 95% CI 2.04–12.00, p < 0.001), dyspnea (OR 10.35, 95% CI 3.47–30.89, p < 0.001), primary region of infection, neutrophil percentage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18, p = 0.015), platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.01, p = 0.010), and albumin level (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.92, p < 0.001). Internal validation showed good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.951 (95% CI 0.924–0.971), and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow [HL] test, p = 0.821). Application of the clinical risk score in the validation cohort also revealed good discrimination (AUC 0.947, 95% CI 0.871–0.985) and calibration (HL test, p = 0.618). Decision curve analyses in both cohorts demonstrated that patients could benefit from this risk score. The score has been transformed into an online calculator that is freely available to the public. Conclusions: The risk score may help predict a patient's risk of requiring airway management, thus advancing patient safety and supporting appropriate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• EZH2 tended to be overexpressed in the airway tissues of OVA-sensitized BALB/c mice. • Indirect inhibition of EZH2 using DZNep ameliorated the allergic airway inflammation. • Our research showed a new view of epigenetic modulation in the development of allergic airway inflammation. Growing evidence shows that enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) plays a role in various physiological functions and cancer pathogenesis. However, its contribution to allergic diseases remains controversial. We sought to investigate the role of EZH2 in the pathogenesis of allergic airway inflammation. 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), an indirect inhibitor of EZH2, was administered via intraperitoneal injection in an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced murine model of allergic airway inflammation. The expression of EZH2 in the allergic airway tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot. The inflammatory cell infiltration and the goblet cell hyperplasia in the murine nose and lung were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Levels of cytokines, including IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-6, and IL-10, were evaluated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) using Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). EZH2 expression was inhibited by DZNep treatment (P < 0.05). The administration of DZNep significantly inhibited the inflammatory cell infiltration (P < 0.0001) and goblet cell hyperplasia (P < 0.001). Moreover, it suppressed the secretion of IL-4 (P < 0.0001) and IL-6 (P < 0.01) in the BALF. Our findings demonstrate that DZNep attenuates allergic airway inflammation and could be a new therapeutic option for allergic rhinitis and asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Positive serological test results have marked heterogeneity of sensitivity. • Diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 with either IgM+ or IgG+ has favourable diagnostic accuracy. • The sensitivity of antibody testing might be improved by testing 2 weeks after symptom onset. • IgA might be a surrogate providing better diagnostic accuracy compared with IgG or IgM. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a devastating impact worldwide, and timely detection and quarantine of infected patients are critical to prevent spread of disease. Serological antibody testing is an important diagnostic method used increasingly in clinics, although its clinical application is still under investigation. A meta-analysis was conducted to compare the diagnostic performance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody tests in patients with COVID-19. The test results analysed included: (1) IgM-positive but IgG-negative (IgM+IgG−); (2) IgG-positive but IgM-negative (IgG+IgM−); (3) both IgM-positive and IgG-positive (IgM+IgG+); (4) IgM-positive without IgG information (IgM+IgG+/−); (5) IgG-positive without IgM information (IgG+IgM+/−); (6) either IgM-positive or IgG-positive (IgM+ or IgG+); and (7) IgA-positive (IgA+). Sixty-eight studies were included. Pooled sensitivities for IgM+IgG−, IgG+IgM−, IgM+IgG+, IgM+IgG+/−, IgG+IgM+/−, and IgM+ or IgG+ were 6%, 7%, 53%, 68%, 73% and 79% respectively. Pooled specificities ranged from 98% to 100%. IgA+ had a pooled sensitivity of 78% but a relatively low specificity of 88%. Tests conducted 2 weeks after symptom onset showed better diagnostic accuracy than tests conducted earlier. Chemiluminescence immunoassay and detection of S protein as the antigen could offer more accurate diagnostic results. These findings support the supplemental role of serological antibody tests in the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, their capacity to diagnose COVID-19 early in the disease course could be limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Under-diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common because of the demanding and time-consuming nature of polysomnography (PSG). Herein, we assessed the utility of a short daytime dexmedetomidine-induced PSG for diagnosis of OSA in adults.Methods: This was a single-center, prospective, diagnostic trial. We evaluated 86 patients using a full overnight PSG and a short diurnal drug-induced PSG (DIPSG). DIPSG was induced by continuous intravenous dexmedetomidine infusion. Sedation depth was monitored and maintained using the Narcotrend index (50-70). Diagnostic performance for DIPSG with different apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) cut-off values were calculated. Bland-Altman plots used for analysis. Sleep architecture and position were compared.Results: We studied 47 OSA patients and 39 healthy volunteers. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of OSA by DIPSG were 92% and 79%, respectively, for an AHI cut-off value of 5, 90% and 77%, respectively, for an AHI cut-off value of 15, and 95% and 85%, respectively, for an AHI cut-off value of 30. The DIPSG bias was -5 (-25; 15) for AHI and -3 (-13; 7) for minimal oxygen saturation. N2 sleep was increased (32.9% vs. 50.75%, respectively; p < 0.01) and REM sleep was decreased (21.35% vs. 1.24%, respectively; p < 0.01) during DIPSG. Twenty-eight (33%) participants had postural shifts during DIPSG. No significant adverse events were observed during DIPSG.Conclusions: Dexmedetomidine-induced PSG had a good sensitivity and specificity, and can be used as a screening tool for diagnosis of OSA in adults.Chinese Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR1900024044. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the Editor, As an international health problem, allergic rhinitis (AR) currently affects 10%-40% of the global population.1 Multicenter studies conducted in Europe and America have revealed the clinical features of pediatric, adolescent, and adult patients with AR, including the subtype percentages, common sensitizing allergens, frequent comorbidities, and methods of treatment2,3; however, few studies have reported such information for children or the general population in the cities or provinces of China.4,5 Therefore, there remains an unmet need to acquire more reliable data concerning the manifestations of AR in China and the characteristics of Chinese AR patients. Consequently, AR patients with a lower education level were more likely to have ever or be currently receiving allergen immunotherapy than were patients with a higher educational degree ( I X i SP 2 sp = 14.30, I P i < .01, Figure S5). A multinomial logistic regression analysis (Table 1) showed that PM, IMS, and PMS AR patients were less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease than were IM patients. Finally, when compared with IM patients, the IMS patients more often had a family history of allergy (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.06-1.71), and PMS patients were less likely to be nonsmokers and more likely to have a drug allergy (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03-1.38; OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.03-1.88, respectively). [Extracted from the article]

Uncontrolled severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with elevated levels of type 2 inflammatory cytokines and raised immunoglobulin concentrations in nasal polyp tissue. By using single-cell RNA sequencing, transcriptomics, surface proteomics, and T cell and B cell receptor sequencing, we found the predominant cell types in nasal polyps were shifted from epithelial and mesenchymal cells to inflammatory cells compared to nasal mucosa from healthy controls. Broad expansions of CD4 T effector memory cells, CD4 tissue-resident memory T cells, CD8 T effector memory cells and all subtypes of B cells in nasal polyp tissues. The T and B cell receptor repertoires were skewed in NP. This study highlights the deviated immune response and remodeling mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of uncontrolled severe CRSwNP. We identified differences in the cellular compositions, transcriptomes, proteomes, and deviations in the immune profiles of T cell and B cell receptors as well as alterations in the intercellular communications in uncontrolled severe CRSwNP patients versus healthy controls, which might help to define potential therapeutic targets in the future. • Broad expansions of CD4 effector/tissue-resident memory T cells, CD8 T effector memory cells and B cells in nasal polyp. • The T and B cell receptor repertoires were skewed in NP. • Multi-omic scRNA-seq with bulk RNAseq reveals broad changes in immune response and remodeling mechanismsin CRSwNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor-derived exosomal PD-L1 promoted the differentiation of aTreg and M2, enhanced the positive feedback loop formed by them, and inhibited T cell proliferation, thus promoting tumor immune escape (created with BioRender.com). [Display omitted] • PD-L1 expression is significantly higher on TEXs than on tumor cells. • PD-L1 carried on TEXs induce the differentiation and generation of activated regulatory T cells and M2-type macrophages. • PD-L1 carried on TEXs enhance the positive feedback loop of aTreg-M2, promote the co-generation of aTregs and M2. • Knockout of PD-L1 on TEXs promote systemic antitumor immunity and inhibit tumor growth. • The PD-L1 carried on TEXs is expected to be a new therapeutic target for tumor immunotherapy. The positive feedback loop of activated regulatory T cells (aTregs) and M2 macrophages (M2) play a vital role in promoting the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the key factors regulating the positive feedback loop remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the effect of PD-L1 carried on exosomes derived from tumor cells (TEXs) on the aTreg-M2 positive feedback loop, as well as their role in mediating immunosuppression. In our study, TEXs with or without PD-L1 (TEX-PD-L1 or TEX-PD-L1KO) were treated with CD4+CD25- T cells and M0 macrophages, and the effect on the differentiation of aTregs, M2 and the aTreg-M2 positive feedback loop was assessed. TEXs carried more PD-L1 than tumor cells and not only promoted the differentiation of aTregs and M2, but also, most importantly, enhanced the positive feedback loop of aTreg-M2, which inhibited the proliferation of CD4+CD25- T cells and in turn led to tumor immune escape. Moreover, in vivo study showed that TEX-PD-L1KO could inhibit tumor growth and significantly improve the antitumor efficacy in both the peripheral and tumor microenvironments. Collectively this study revealed the role and mechanism of TEX-PD-L1 in negative immune regulation, and targeting TEX-PD-L1 may be a new idea and strategy for immunotherapy of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to assess the possible role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in promoting neutrophilic inflammation in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) patients.Methods: We examined HIF-1α expression in sinonasal tissues from CRSwNP patients and healthy controls by using immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and western blot. Next, the stimulatory effects of several cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-17A, IL-6, etc.) and reagents (dexamethasone (DEX), clarithromycin (CAM) and curcumin (CUM)) on HIF-1α expression in cultured normal nasal epithelial cells (NECs) were also evaluated. Moreover, the effects of CAM and glucocorticoid on nasal symptoms and signs of uncontrolled neutrophilic CRSwNP patients were evaluated.Results: The mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α were significantly increased in polyp tissues compared with healthy controls (P < 0.05), and the HIF-1α level in polyp tissues was positively associated with IL-17A production and tissue neutrophilia (P < 0.05). Moreover, in cultured NECs, HIF-1α expression was upregulated in the presence of IL-17A and IL-6 (P < 0.05). Both CAM and CUM showed an additive effect with DEX in inhibiting HIF-1α expression (P < 0.05). Moreover, combined glucocorticoid and CAM significantly improved nasal symptoms and signs compared with glucocorticoid alone in uncontrolled neutrophilic CRSwNP patients (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that HIF-1α is associated with neutrophilic inflammation and glucocorticoid resistance in CRSwNP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are critical factors that impair antitumor immunity. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is one of the most pathogenic factors in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the role of EBV-encoded LMP1 in regulating Treg generation in NPC remains unclear.Materials and Methods: The in vitro stability of activated Tregs (aTregs) influenced by LMP1 was analyzed by flow cytometry. The inhibitory effects of LMP1-HONE1 antigen-induced aTregs on tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific T cells were analyzed in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the expression of LMP1, Foxp3, and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) were analyzed in samples from 86 NPC patients by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Results: LMP1 upregulated the expression of EZH2, which increased the stability of aTregs in vitro. EZH2 inhibitor, DZnep, depleted LMP1-HONE1 antigen-induced aTregs in vitro and led to potent TAA-specific T cell antitumor immunity in vivo. In NPC tissues, LMP1 expression level was positively correlated with the number of EZH2+ Tregs, which was positively correlated with clinical stage and overall survival.Conclusions: EZH2 is essential for maintaining the stability and inhibitory functions of aTregs that are induced by EBV-encoded LMP1 in NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]