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Engineered geopolymer composites (EGCs) exhibit excellent tensile ductility and crack control ability, making them promising for concrete structure repair. However, their widespread use is limited by high costs of reinforcement fiber and a lack of an EGC–concrete interface bonding mechanism. This study investigated a hybrid PE/PVA fiber-reinforced EGC using domestically produced unoiled PVA fibers to replace commonly used PE fibers. The bond performance of the EGC–concrete interface was evaluated through direct tensile and slant shear tests, focusing on the effects of PE fiber content (1%, 2%, and 3%), fiber hybrid ratios (2.0:0.0, 1.5:0.5, 1.0:1.0, 0.5:1.5, and 0.0:2.0), concrete substrate strength (C30, C50, and C70), and the ratio of fly ash (FA) to ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) (6:4, 7:3, and 8:2) on interface bond strength. Results showed that the EGCs' compressive strength ranged from 77.1 to 108.9 MPa, with increased GGBS content significantly enhancing the compressive strength and elastic modulus. Most of the specimens exhibited strain-hardening behavior after initial cracking. Interface bonding tests revealed that a PE/PVA ratio of 1.0 increased tensile bond strength by 8.5% compared with using 2.0% PE fiber alone. Increasing the PE fiber content, PVA/PE ratio, GGBS content, and concrete substrate strength all improved the shear bond strength. This improvement was attributed to the flexible fibers' ability to restrict thermo–hydro damage and deflect and blunt microcracks, enhancing the interface's failure resistance. Cost analysis showed that replacing 50% of the PE fiber in EGC with unoiled PVA fiber reduced costs by 44.2% compared with PE fiber alone, offering the best cost–performance ratio. In summary, hybrid PE/PVA fiber EGC has promising prospects for improving economic efficiency while maintaining tensile ductility and crack-control ability. Future optimization of fiber ratios and interface design could further enhance its potential for concrete repair applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) exhibits ultra-high toughness, excellent crack control capability, and superior durability, making it highly promising for applications in bridge connecting slabs, wet joints of prefabricated components, and concrete structure reinforcement. However, the bond performance and failure mechanisms at the interface between EGC and existing concrete remain unclear. To elucidate the bond performance of EGC to existing concrete, direct shear tests were conducted on 15 sets of EGC–existing concrete bond specimens. This study explored the effects of existing concrete strength, interface roughness, and EGC strength on the bond performance and mechanisms. Additionally, a direct shear bond mechanical model was established to predict the interface bond strength. The results indicate that, with comparable compressive strength, the preparation of EGC can reduce the total carbon emissions by up to 127% compared to ECC. The failure mode of EGC-existing concrete bond specimens was mainly adhesive failure (except for specimen C30-III-G95), which can be categorized into serrated interfacial failure and alternating crack paths. The change in interface roughness was the primary factor leading to the transition between failure paths. The changes in interface roughness and EGC strength significantly influenced the bond performance. Under their combined effect, the interface bond strength of specimen C50-III-G95 increased by 345% compared to C50-I-G45. In contrast, the improvement in existing concrete strength had a relatively smaller effect on the increase in interface bond strength. Based on the experimental results and the bonding mechanism under direct shear stress, a direct shear bond mechanical model correlating existing concrete strength, interface roughness, and EGC strength was established. The model predictions showed good consistency with the experimental results. This study provides theoretical support and experimental data for the engineering application of EGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-strength engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties under quasistatic loading, thus showing great potential in military and civilian facilities subjected to impact or explosive loading. However, its dynamic mechanical response under high-speed loading is not fully understood. In this study, dynamic compressive test was performed on EGC with PE fiber contents of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test. The results indicated that EGC reinforced with 1.5% fiber exhibited optimal static and dynamic mechanical performance. In the strain rate range of 181 s−1 to 201 s−1, when the fiber content increased from 1.0% to 1.5% and 2.0%, the dynamic compressive strength of the EGC increased by 24.3%, 28.8%, and 44.0%, respectively, compared to the matrix without fiber. Dynamic parameters of the EGC, including dynamic compressive strength, dynamic increase factor, and impact toughness, showed sensitivity to strain rates and increased with strain rate. A modified model, incorporating the fiber bridging effect, was proposed based on the CEB-FIP model, providing important guidance for practical engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, first, synthetic wollastonite microfiber (SWM) with a high aspect ratio (44:1) was produced with a special three-stage production method. Then, fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag-based engineered geopolymer composites (FA+GGBFS-based EGCs) were developed. SWM was used in different proportions instead of FA. The compressive strength of EGCs, changed in the range of 88.1-111.1 and 95.1-122.6 MPa at 7 and 28 days, respectively. Additionally, EGCs containing 6% SWM performed the best, considering both ‘‘increasing deformation capacity’’ and ‘‘maintaining the bearing strength by fiber bridging after crack’’, since they acted like a fiber owing to the acicular particle structure of SWM. Moreover, it can be said that the presence of the SWM mineral in the pore system, ensured pore discontinuities in the matrix because of its acicular particle structure. Consequently, the mechanical, durability and dimensional stability properties of EGCs improved with SWM.

Objectives: This paper presented a detailed analysis of the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) that occurred in a hotel in Hangzhou. Methods: A total of 46 guests at the hotel underwent an epidemiological survey. Samples of stool from patients, vomit, swabs from the kitchen, leftover food items, and anal swabs from food handlers were taken and investigated for the presence of potential pathogenic bacteria. Molecular techniques and whole genome sequencing were performed to track the evolution of Staphylococcus aureus associated with the outbreak of SFP. Results: Forty-six individuals displayed gastrointestinal symptoms. Seventeen isolates of S. aureus were discovered to carry the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and selu genes found in a specific enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) operon, but without the presence of classical enterotoxins such as SEA ∼ SEE. All egc-positive isolates shared identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles and were classified under new ST7591 (Clonal Complex 72) with identical spa typing t148. In addition, some isolates of S. aureus obtained from food sources sold in Hangzhou over the past 3 years and carrying egc genes were grouped under the ST72 lineage (CC72). Through whole genome sequencing, a strong genetic connection was revealed between these egc-positive isolates and clinical ST72 S. aureus found in China. Conclusions: S. aureus with non-classical egc enterotoxins was suggested to be a potential cause of SFP in humans.

Engineered geopolymer composites (EGCs) exhibit excellent tensile ductility and crack control ability, making them promising for concrete structure repair. However, their widespread use is limited by high costs of reinforcement fiber and a lack of an EGC–concrete interface bonding mechanism. This study investigated a hybrid PE/PVA fiber-reinforced EGC using domestically produced unoiled PVA fibers to replace commonly used PE fibers. The bond performance of the EGC–concrete interface was evaluated through direct tensile and slant shear tests, focusing on the effects of PE fiber content (1%, 2%, and 3%), fiber hybrid ratios (2.0:0.0, 1.5:0.5, 1.0:1.0, 0.5:1.5, and 0.0:2.0), concrete substrate strength (C30, C50, and C70), and the ratio of fly ash (FA) to ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) (6:4, 7:3, and 8:2) on interface bond strength. Results showed that the EGCs’ compressive strength ranged from 77.1 to 108.9 MPa, with increased GGBS content significantly enhancing the compressive strength and elastic modulus. Most of the specimens exhibited strain-hardening behavior after initial cracking. Interface bonding tests revealed that a PE/PVA ratio of 1.0 increased tensile bond strength by 8.5% compared with using 2.0% PE fiber alone. Increasing the PE fiber content, PVA/PE ratio, GGBS content, and concrete substrate strength all improved the shear bond strength. This improvement was attributed to the flexible fibers’ ability to restrict thermo–hydro damage and deflect and blunt microcracks, enhancing the interface’s failure resistance. Cost analysis showed that replacing 50% of the PE fiber in EGC with unoiled PVA fiber reduced costs by 44.2% compared with PE fiber alone, offering the best cost–performance ratio. In summary, hybrid PE/PVA fiber EGC has promising prospects for improving economic efficiency while maintaining tensile ductility and crack-control ability. Future optimization of fiber ratios and interface design could further enhance its potential for concrete repair applications.

A Staphyloccoccus aureus is one of the leading causes of food poisoning outbreaks (FPOs) worldwide. Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is induced by the ingestion of food containing sufficient levels of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). Currently, 33 SEs and SE-like toxins (SEls) have been described in the literature, but only five named "classical" enterotoxins are commonly investigated in FPOs due to lack of specific routine analytical techniques. The aims of this study were to (i) establish the genetic profile of strains in a variety of artisanal cheeses (n = 30) in Belgium, (ii) analyze the expression of the SE(l)s by these strains and (iii) compare the output derived from the different analytical tools. Forty-nine isolates of S. aureus were isolated from ten Belgian artisanal cheeses and were analyzed via microbiological, immunological, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, molecular typing and genetic methods. The results indicated that classical SEs were not the dominant SEs in the Belgian artisanal cheeses that were analyzed in this study, and that all S. aureus isolates harbored at least one gene encoding a new SE(l). Among the new SE(l)s genes found, some of them code for enterotoxins with demonstrated emetic activity and ecg-enterotoxins. It is worth noting that the involvement of some of these new SEs has been demonstrated in SFP outbreaks. Thus, this study highlighted the importance of the development of specific techniques for the proper investigation of SFP outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A foodborne outbreak caused by Staphylococcus aureus harboring the enterotoxin gene cluster was investigated. • A novel sequence type, ST7591, was discovered. • The genetic relationship between CC72 S. aureus from foods and patients was analyzed. This paper presented a detailed analysis of the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) that occurred in a hotel in Hangzhou. A total of 46 guests at the hotel underwent an epidemiological survey. Samples of stool from patients, vomit, swabs from the kitchen, leftover food items, and anal swabs from food handlers were taken and investigated for the presence of potential pathogenic bacteria. Molecular techniques and whole genome sequencing were performed to track the evolution of Staphylococcus aureus associated with the outbreak of SFP. Forty-six individuals displayed gastrointestinal symptoms. Seventeen isolates of S. aureus were discovered to carry the seg, sei, sem, sen, seo , and selu genes found in a specific enterotoxin gene cluster (egc) operon, but without the presence of classical enterotoxins such as SEA ∼ SEE. All egc -positive isolates shared identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles and were classified under new ST7591 (Clonal Complex 72) with identical spa typing t148. In addition, some isolates of S. aureus obtained from food sources sold in Hangzhou over the past 3 years and carrying egc genes were grouped under the ST72 lineage (CC72). Through whole genome sequencing, a strong genetic connection was revealed between these egc -positive isolates and clinical ST72 S. aureus found in China. S. aureus with non-classical egc enterotoxins was suggested to be a potential cause of SFP in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigallocatechin (EGC) is one of the main bioactive polyphenols in green tea. This study aims to determine the anti-tumor effect of EGC against colorectal cancer. Our results revealed that treatment of EGC led to significant suppression of cell proliferation and apoptosis in three colorectal cancer cells. Western blot confirmed that EGC activated Caspase-3 and PARP, down-regulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Luciferase-reporter-activity assay further determined that EGC suppressed the promoter activity of STAT3 and downregulated the transcription of STAT3. Besides, in vivo study proved that EGC (100 mg/kg) resulted in significant suppression of tumor volume and tumor weight (decreased by 63.7 %) in mice bearing SW620 tumors. Tumor organoid assays demonstrated the inhibitory efficacy of EGC in colorectal organoids. In conclusion, our study present evidence that EGC inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo by down-regulation phosphorylated STAT3 and activated downstreams.

Engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) exhibits ultra-high toughness, excellent crack control capability, and superior durability, making it highly promising for applications in bridge connecting slabs, wet joints of prefabricated components, and concrete structure reinforcement. However, the bond performance and failure mechanisms at the interface between EGC and existing concrete remain unclear. To elucidate the bond performance of EGC to existing concrete, direct shear tests were conducted on 15 sets of EGC–existing concrete bond specimens. This study explored the effects of existing concrete strength, interface roughness, and EGC strength on the bond performance and mechanisms. Additionally, a direct shear bond mechanical model was established to predict the interface bond strength. The results indicate that, with comparable compressive strength, the preparation of EGC can reduce the total carbon emissions by up to 127% compared to ECC. The failure mode of EGC-existing concrete bond specimens was mainly adhesive failure (except for specimen C30-III-G95), which can be categorized into serrated interfacial failure and alternating crack paths. The change in interface roughness was the primary factor leading to the transition between failure paths. The changes in interface roughness and EGC strength significantly influenced the bond performance. Under their combined effect, the interface bond strength of specimen C50-III-G95 increased by 345% compared to C50-I-G45. In contrast, the improvement in existing concrete strength had a relatively smaller effect on the increase in interface bond strength. Based on the experimental results and the bonding mechanism under direct shear stress, a direct shear bond mechanical model correlating existing concrete strength, interface roughness, and EGC strength was established. The model predictions showed good consistency with the experimental results. This study provides theoretical support and experimental data for the engineering application of EGC.

High-strength engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) materials exhibit excellent mechanical properties under quasistatic loading, thus showing great potential in military and civilian facilities subjected to impact or explosive loading. However, its dynamic mechanical response under high-speed loading is not fully understood. In this study, dynamic compressive test was performed on EGC with PE fiber contents of 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) test. The results indicated that EGC reinforced with 1.5% fiber exhibited optimal static and dynamic mechanical performance. In the strain rate range of 181 s−1 to 201 s−1, when the fiber content increased from 1.0% to 1.5% and 2.0%, the dynamic compressive strength of the EGC increased by 24.3%, 28.8%, and 44.0%, respectively, compared to the matrix without fiber. Dynamic parameters of the EGC, including dynamic compressive strength, dynamic increase factor, and impact toughness, showed sensitivity to strain rates and increased with strain rate. A modified model, incorporating the fiber bridging effect, was proposed based on the CEB-FIP model, providing important guidance for practical engineering applications.

Background: To improve the diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC), a train-the-trainer (TTT) course was developed. This trial aimed to investigate whether TTT courses from trained trainers could improve trainees' EGC detection. Methods: In this multi-center, retrospective study, the training was carried out 8 times in one year. Clinical records one year before ("2016"), during ("2017"), and after ("2018") the course were collected. The primary endpoint was the improvement of EGC detection rate after TTT courses. Results: Twenty-four trainees from 17 hospitals were included in this study. A total of 123,416 esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 65,570 colonoscopy procedures were analyzed. The early gastric cancer detection rate (EDR) was 0.101% in 2016, which significantly increased to 0.338% in 2018 (p = 0.015). The early gastric cancer ratio (ECR, ratio of newly detected EGCs to all newly detected gastric cancers) in 2016 was 8.440%, which consistently increased to 11.853% and 19.778% in 2017 and 2018 (p = 0.006), respectively. In contrast, the advanced gastric cancer detection rate (ADR) was similar before, during, or after the course (p = 0.987). The 3-year EDR, ECR, and ADR in esophageal and colorectal cancer were not significantly different. Conclusions: The systematic training course can improve EGC detection rate and may be an effective educational strategy to reduce gastrointestinal cancers mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a highly ductile PE fiber reinforced engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) was developed with metakaolin as main ingredient, and the mechanical properties of EGC after thermal exposures were investigated experimentally. The results showed that the compressive strength of EGC was gradually increased to 78.2 MPa as exposure temperature increased to 140 ℃ from 54.7 MPa at ambient environment, while it reduced to 72.0 MPa at 200 ℃ probably due to the voids left by melted fiber and formation of micro-cracks on specimens. In addition, thermal exposures likely refined the microstructures of EGC within 20–140 ℃. However, as the exposure temperature exceeds to 400 ℃, EGC completely loss its strength performance because of the severely cracking. Under tensile/flexural loadings, the EGC behaved high ductility within 20–140 ℃, and the tensile and flexural properties of EGC exhibited the similar tendency, that is, the strength and deformability increased gradually as exposure temperature increased from 20 ℃ to 120 ℃, and then appears a slight reduction at 140 ℃. For instance, the tensile strength and strain capacity of EGC was increased to 7.29 MPa and 5.18% at 120 ℃ as compared with 6.20 MPa and 3.73% that at 20 ℃, respectively; at 140 ℃, the value was decreased to 5.55 MPa and 4.15%, respectively, but was still comparable to that of 20 ℃ scenario. Moreover, the thermal exposures likely widen crack width on EGC howbeit retaining within 80 µm even the exposure temperature approaches the melting point of PE fiber.

In this study, it was aimed to develop a fly ash+blast furnace slag (FA+BFS)-based engineered geopolymer composite (EGC) mixture having similar bearing strength and deformation capacity to the standard engineered cementitious composite (ECC) known with the M45 code in the literature. For this purpose, in addition to ECC, two different EGC mixtures incorporating different ratios of FA and BFS were produced. The compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, air dry unit volume weight, structural efficiency, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), fracture toughness and flexural performance were determined on the 7th and 28th day as well as the fresh and rheological properties of these three mixtures. Finally, an EGC mixture having much higher compressive strength and ductility was obtained than that of ECC. Moreover, it was determined that increasing amount of BFS improved mechanical strength and toughness, but decreased ductility. The reasons of these situations were investigated microstructurally by XRD, TGA/DTA and FTIR analyzes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboviruses such as Dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, and Zika are flaviviruses vector-borne RNA viruses transmitted biologically among vertebrate hosts by blood-taking vectors. Many flaviviruses are associated with neurological, viscerotropic, and hemorrhagic diseases, posing significant health and socioeconomic concerns as they adapt to new environments. Licensed drugs against them are currently unavailable, so searching for effective antiviral molecules is still necessary. Epigallocatechin molecules, a green tea polyphenol, have shown great virucidal potential against flaviviruses, including DENV, WNV, and ZIKV. The interaction of EGCG with the viral envelope protein and viral protease, mainly identified by computational studies, describes the interaction of these molecules with viral proteins; however, how the viral NS2B/NS3 protease interacts with epigallocatechin molecules is not yet fully deciphered. Consequently, we tested the antiviral potential of two epigallocatechin molecules (EGC and EGCG) and their derivative (AcEGCG) against DENV, YFV, WNV, and ZIKV NS2B/NS3 protease. Thus, we assayed the effect of the molecules and found that a mixture of the molecules EGC (competitive) and EGCG (noncompetitive) inhibited the virus protease of YFV, WNV, and ZIKV more effectively with IC50 values of 1.17 ± 0.2 µM, 0.58 ± 0.07 µM, and 0.57 ± 0.05 µM, respectively. As these molecules fundamentally differ in their inhibitory mode and chemical structure, our finding may open a new line for developing more effective allosteric/active site inhibitors to combat flaviviruses infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Staphyloccoccus aureus is one of the leading causes of food poisoning outbreaks (FPOs) worldwide. Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is induced by the ingestion of food containing sufficient levels of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). Currently, 33 SEs and SE-like toxins (SEls) have been described in the literature, but only five named “classical” enterotoxins are commonly investigated in FPOs due to lack of specific routine analytical techniques. The aims of this study were to (i) establish the genetic profile of strains in a variety of artisanal cheeses (n = 30) in Belgium, (ii) analyze the expression of the SE(l)s by these strains and (iii) compare the output derived from the different analytical tools. Forty-nine isolates of S. aureus were isolated from ten Belgian artisanal cheeses and were analyzed via microbiological, immunological, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, molecular typing and genetic methods. The results indicated that classical SEs were not the dominant SEs in the Belgian artisanal cheeses that were analyzed in this study, and that all S. aureus isolates harbored at least one gene encoding a new SE(l). Among the new SE(l)s genes found, some of them code for enterotoxins with demonstrated emetic activity and ecg-enterotoxins. It is worth noting that the involvement of some of these new SEs has been demonstrated in SFP outbreaks. Thus, this study highlighted the importance of the development of specific techniques for the proper investigation of SFP outbreaks.

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Background: The purpose of the study was to conduct a comprehensive genomic characterization of gene alterations, microsatellite instability (MSI), and tumor mutational burden (TMB) in submucosal-penetrating (Pen) early gastric cancers (EGCs) with varying prognoses., Methods: Samples from EGC patients undergoing surgery and with 10-year follow-up data available were collected. Tissue genomic alterations were characterized using Trusight Oncology panel (TSO500). Pathway instability (PI) scores for a selection of 218 GC-related pathways were calculated both for the present case series and EGCs from the TCGA cohort., Results: Higher age and tumor location in the upper-middle tract are significantly associated with an increased hazard of relapse or death from any cause (p = 0.006 and p = 0.032). Even if not reaching a statistical significance, Pen A tumors more frequently present higher TMB values, higher frequency of MSI-subtypes and an overall increase in PI scores, along with an enrichment in immune pathways. ARID1A gene was observed to be significantly more frequently mutated in Pen A tumors (p = 0.006), as well as in patients with high TMB (p = 0.027). Tumors harboring LRP1B alterations seem to have a higher hazard of relapse or death from any cause (p = 0.089), being mutated mainly in relapsed patients (p = 0.093)., Conclusions: We found that the most aggressive subtype Pen A is characterized by a higher frequency of ARID1A mutations and a higher genetic instability, while LRP1B alterations seem to be related to a lower disease-free survival. Further investigations are needed to provide a rationale for the use of these markers to stratify prognosis in EGC patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In the recent wireless communication trends, the radio frequency spectrum is the prime concern for effective utilization as there are many radio frequency channels simultaneously used by many users. Cognitive radio (CR) can be the most useful new technique to utilize the radio frequency spectrum effectively and efficiently. Multiple users of the cognitive radio can be detected by sensing the spectrum in cooperative mode and vacant spectrum space is detected from these cognitive radio networks (CRN) for new users. Information of these CR users jointly utilized and combined at the common receiver level either by conventional or soft combining technique. Hence most attention is required in sensing the used cooperative spectrum with a minimum of error. This paper focuses on the optimization technique called Artificial Bees Colony (ABC) under the MINI-MAX criterion to minimize the probability of the error of spectrum energy level weighting coefficient. ABC algorithm generates the weighting coefficients vector which in turn minimizes the probability of error during sensing. Comparative analysis of the performance of this proposed algorithm and traditional soft decision fusion (SDF) methods like Equal Gain Combining (EGC) and hard decision fusion (HDF) methods like Majority, AND, OR etc. is done in this paper and simulation results shows that proposed technique have a minimum of error in detection.

This study investigates the impact of nano-zinc oxide (ZnO) on the self-cleaning and microstructural performance of engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) for urban cleanliness enhancement. The research focuses on achieving homogeneous dispersion of nano-ZnO through ultrasonication to prevent agglomeration and assess its effects on workability, setting time, mechanical, and microstructural properties of EGC. Results show that incorporating ZnO nanoparticles at 5 % and 10 % concentrations as a surface coating on engineered geopolymer composite creates a highly effective photocatalytic material. This enhanced composite demonstrates significant capability in degrading Rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light exposure over a 15-day period, breaking down organic pollutants into simpler, potentially less toxic substances. The efficiency of degradation depends on factors such as nano-ZnO concentration, UV radiation intensity, and initial pollutant concentration. The optimal dosage of nano-ZnO in EGC is found to be 0.5 %, which enhances hydration and pozzolanic activity, promoting a densified microstructure at the nanoscale. This innovative composite material shows promise as a self-cleaning finishing material for urban buildings, offering potential improvements in both aesthetics and environmental sustainability. [Display omitted] • Optimum dosage of nano-Zinc oxide is found to be 0.5 %. • Eary age compressive strength is enhanced with the addition of 0.5 % nano-ZnO. • Nanoparticles can act as fillers and reduce the size of crystals at the interface at an early age. • With increasing the dosage of nano-ZnO, chances of agglomerations increase due to the intrinsic large surface area of NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the requirements for the flexibility of concrete support materials in deep and large deformation conditions, composite fiber EGC materials were produced by using domestic raw materials. Through the experiment of the specimen, the composite fiber EGC material constitutive was obtained. The convergence characteristics of U-shaped steel and EGC materials were numerically calculated by using COMSOL. Analysis of the simulation results shows that when ordinary concrete support is used, the concrete at the bottom of the straight wall and the vault is prone to damage. U-shaped steel and ordinary concrete supports have not improved the phenomenon, and the EGC material produced can adapt to the operating conditions. Through the study in this paper, the constitutive structure of EGC materials with CaSO4 whiskers was obtained, and the adaptability of EGC materials to large deformation conditions was discussed.

The Staphylococcal nuclease and Tudor domain containing 1 (SND1) has been identified as an oncoprotein. Our previous study demonstrated that SND1 impedes the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) assembly by hijacking the nascent heavy chain of MHC-I to endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation. Herein, we aimed to identify inhibitors to block SND1-MHC-I binding, to facilitate the MHC-I presentation and tumor immunotherapy. Our findings validated the importance of the K490-containing sites in SND1-MHC-I complex. Through structure-based virtual screening and docking analysis, (−)-Epigallocatechin (EGC) exhibited the highest docking score to prevent the binding of MHC-I to SND1 by altering the spatial conformation of SND1. Additionally, EGC treatment resulted in increased expression levels of membrane-presented MHC-I in tumor cells. The C57BL/6J murine orthotopic melanoma model validated that EGC increases infiltration and activity of CD8+ T cells in both the tumor and spleen. Furthermore, the combination of EGC with programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody demonstrated a superior antitumor effect. In summary, we identified EGC as a novel inhibitor of SND1-MHC-I interaction, prompting MHC-I presentation to improve CD8+ T cell response within the tumor microenvironment. This discovery presents a promising immunotherapeutic candidate for tumors. • Targeting SND1-MHC-I interaction for tumor immunotherapy prevents immune evasion. • EGC prevents the binding of MHC-I to SND1 in tumor cells. • EGC enhances the CD8+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. • EGC works as a potential immunotherapeutic agent to enhance tumor immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboviruses such as Dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, and Zika are flaviviruses vector-borne RNA viruses transmitted biologically among vertebrate hosts by blood-taking vectors. Many flaviviruses are associated with neurological, viscerotropic, and hemorrhagic diseases, posing significant health and socioeconomic concerns as they adapt to new environments. Licensed drugs against them are currently unavailable, so searching for effective antiviral molecules is still necessary. Epigallocatechin molecules, a green tea polyphenol, have shown great virucidal potential against flaviviruses, including DENV, WNV, and ZIKV. The interaction of EGCG with the viral envelope protein and viral protease, mainly identified by computational studies, describes the interaction of these molecules with viral proteins; however, how the viral NS2B/NS3 protease interacts with epigallocatechin molecules is not yet fully deciphered. Consequently, we tested the antiviral potential of two epigallocatechin molecules (EGC and EGCG) and their derivative (AcEGCG) against DENV, YFV, WNV, and ZIKV NS2B/NS3 protease. Thus, we assayed the effect of the molecules and found that a mixture of the molecules EGC (competitive) and EGCG (noncompetitive) inhibited the virus protease of YFV, WNV, and ZIKV more effectively with IC50 values of 1.17 ± 0.2 µM, 0.58 ± 0.07 µM, and 0.57 ± 0.05 µM, respectively. As these molecules fundamentally differ in their inhibitory mode and chemical structure, our finding may open a new line for developing more effective allosteric/active site inhibitors to combat flaviviruses infection.

In the recent wireless communication trends, the radio frequency spectrum is the prime concern for effective utilization as there are many radio frequency channels simultaneously used by many users. Cognitive radio (CR) can be the most useful new technique to utilize the radio frequency spectrum effectively and efficiently. Multiple users of the cognitive radio can be detected by sensing the spectrum in cooperative mode and vacant spectrum space is detected from these cognitive radio networks (CRN) for new users. Information of these CR users jointly utilized and combined at the common receiver level either by conventional or soft combining technique. Hence most attention is required in sensing the used cooperative spectrum with a minimum of error. This paper focuses on the optimization technique called Artificial Bees Colony (ABC) under the MINI-MAX criterion to minimize the probability of the error of spectrum energy level weighting coefficient. ABC algorithm generates the weighting coefficients vector which in turn minimizes the probability of error during sensing. Comparative analysis of the performance of this proposed algorithm and traditional soft decision fusion (SDF) methods like Equal Gain Combining (EGC) and hard decision fusion (HDF) methods like Majority, AND, OR etc. is done in this paper and simulation results shows that proposed technique have a minimum of error in detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the utilization of cement and promote the low-carbon development of construction materials, engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) offer an alternative to engineered cement composites (ECC). In this study, slag, fly ash and steel slag were innovatively combined as precursor materials to prepare EGC. The focus was laid on the influence of sodium silicate modulus (Ms) and alkali content on the mechanical and tensile properties of ternary solid waste based EGC. Four levels of Ms (1.2, 1.5, 1.8, and 2.1) and three groups of alkali content (6 %, 8 %, and 10 %) were designed in the experiments. The flowability, setting time, compressive strength, flexural strength, uniaxial-tensile performance, and carbon emissions were comprehensively studied. Results revealed that as the Ms decreased and the alkali content increased, the setting time and flowability showed a decreasing trend. With an increase in Ms, the compressive strength and flexural strength initially increased and then decreased, indicating an optimal dosage of sodium silicate modulus. Moreover, alkali content showed a positive correlation with compressive strength and flexural strength. At Ms 1.5 and alkali content 8 %, the 28-day compressive strength reached a maximum of 83.9 MPa, the 28-day flexural strength was 14.7 MPa, and the ultimate tensile strain reached 11.31 %. The environmental benefit analysis indicated that compared with high-ductility cement-based materials, EGCs had lower carbon emissions and energy consumption, and the carbon emissions of EGCs were approximately 50.6 % lower than that of ECC. • Slag, fly ash and steel slag were innovatively combined as precursor materials to prepare EGCs. • The workability, mechanical performance, and sustainability analysis were comprehensively studied. • The optimal modulus and Na 2 O content of alkali activators for mechanical and uniaxial tensile properties were decided. • EGC in this study showed lower carbon emissions, energy consumption, and economic costs, compared with traditional ECC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • EGC inhibited colorectal cancer SW480, SW620 and LS411N cell proliferation by induction of apoptosis. • EGC suppressed colon cancer cell migration and inhibited the phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) expression by inhibition STAT3 promoter activity and suppression STAT3 transcription. • EGC decreased tumor growth in animal via down regulation of phosphorylated S TAT3. • EGC also led to inhibition of proliferation and activity in colorectal tumor organoids. Epigallocatechin (EGC) is one of the main bioactive polyphenols in green tea. This study aims to determine the anti-tumor effect of EGC against colorectal cancer. Our results revealed that treatment of EGC led to significant suppression of cell proliferation and apoptosis in three colorectal cancer cells. Western blot confirmed that EGC activated Caspase-3 and PARP, down-regulated the phosphorylation of STAT3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Luciferase-reporter-activity assay further determined that EGC suppressed the promoter activity of STAT3 and downregulated the transcription of STAT3. Besides, in vivo study proved that EGC (100 mg/kg) resulted in significant suppression of tumor volume and tumor weight (decreased by 63.7 %) in mice bearing SW620 tumors. Tumor organoid assays demonstrated the inhibitory efficacy of EGC in colorectal organoids. In conclusion, our study present evidence that EGC inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo by down-regulation phosphorylated STAT3 and activated downstreams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemopreventive activity of green tea (GT) is limited by the low bioavailability and extensive methylation of GT polyphenols (GTPs) in vivo. We determined whether a methylation inhibitor quercetin (Q) will enhance the chemoprevention of prostate cancer in vivo. Androgen-sensitive LAPC-4 prostate cancer cells were injected subcutaneously into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice one week before the intervention. The concentration of GTPs in brewed tea administered as drinking water was 0.07% and Q was supplemented in diet at 0.2% or 0.4%. After 6-weeks of intervention tumor growth was inhibited by 3% (0.2% Q), 15% (0.4% Q), 21% (GT), 28% (GT+0.2% Q) and 45% (GT+0.4% Q) compared to control. The concentration of non-methylated GTPs was significantly increased in tumor tissue with GT+0.4% Q treatment compared to GT alone, and was associated with a decreased protein expression of catechol-O-methyltransferase and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)-1. The combination treatment was also associated with a significant increase in the inhibition of proliferation, androgen receptor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling, and stimulation of apoptosis. The combined effect of GT+0.4% Q on tumor inhibition was further confirmed in another experiment where the intervention started prior to tumor inoculation. These results provide a novel regimen by combining GT and Q to improve chemoprevention in a non-toxic manner and warrant future studies in humans.

Currently, only 5 (SEA to SEE) out of 27 known staphylococcal enterotoxins can be analyzed using commercially available kits. Six genes (seg, sei, sem, sen, seo, and seu), encoding putative and undetectable enterotoxins, are located on the enterotoxin gene cluster (egc), which is part of the Staphylococcus aureus genomic island vSaβ. These enterotoxins have been described as likely being involved in staphylococcal food-poisoning outbreaks. The aim of the present study was to determine if whole-genome data can be used for the prediction of staphylococcal egc enterotoxin production, particularly enterotoxin G (SEG) and enterotoxin I (SEI). For this purpose, whole-genome sequences of 75 Staphylococcus aureus strains from different origins (food-poisoning outbreaks, human, and animal) were investigated by applying bioinformatics methods (phylogenetic analysis using the core genome and different alignments). SEG and SEI expression was tested in vitro using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Strains could be allocated to 14 different vSaβ types, each type being associated with a single clonal complex (CC). In addition, the vSaβ type and CC were associated with the origin of the strain (human or cattle derived). The amount of SEG and SEI produced also correlated with the vSaβ type and the CC of a strain. The present results show promising indications that the in vitro production of SEG and SEI can be predicted based on the vSaβ type or CC of a strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A severe water crisis was faced by Paraná in 2020 due to the low rainfall over that period. Metropolitan Curitiba was particularly affected by the scarcity of water, which led statecontrolled water company SANEPAR to adopt a rotating supply program and promote campaigns aimed at reducing water consumption by 20%. In this scenario, the present study aims to project the economic impacts of the reduction in water consumption in Metropolitan Curitiba using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model calibrated for the different mesoregions of Paraná. The results show that the water crisis might be responsible for a 0.58% GDP reduction in the mesoregion corresponding to Metropolitana Curitiba in addition to causing a 1.03% reduction in employment. The effects of the crisis were notable not only to the water supply sector, but also to other sectors for which the resource represents an important productive input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication can prevent metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) after the performance of an endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, 50% of infections persist after eradication, and the identification of MGC protective factors is important. The anti-tumor activity of aspirin has been demonstrated, but its efficacy in preventing MGC remains controversial. We evaluated the effect of aspirin on metachronous recurrence in H. pylori-negative patients. Methods: A total of 4351 patients were evaluated between January 2007 and December 2016, and 2151 patients who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The primary outcome was the cumulative incidence of MGC after an endoscopic resection for EGC. Results: During a 5-year median follow-up (interquartile range, 3.5–6.2), MGC developed in 176 (7.7%) patients, with a cumulative incidence of 89.4% in aspirin users and 92.7% in non-users; this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.64). The duration of aspirin uses and the occurrence of MGC in both groups were not significantly different. There was no significant difference between groups when the duration of aspirin use was categorized into ≤1 year (hazard ratio (HR), 0.64; 0.20–2.01, p = 0.45), 1–4 years (HR, 1.35; 0.66–2.76, p = 0.41), and >4 years (HR, 1.17; 0.67–2.03, p = 0.58). Conclusions: Aspirin use was not associated with a lower risk of MGC in H. pylori-negative patients. Further prospective studies are needed.

• The volume and location of EGC is calculated to simplify the gas cloud dispersion scenarios based on the Gaussian model. • The impact of changing in external conditions on EGC is analyzed. • The flexible alarming mechanism is proposed based on EGC, to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of alarming. Gas detection system (GDS) is critical for identifying and suppressing the flammable or hazardous gas leaked by incidents. The spread of a flammable gas cloud is susceptible to external factors and highly uncertain, but the GDSs deployed today often raise alarms based on certainty. It means that the threshold value set in a GDS for triggering alarms is a constant. Such an approach sometimes cannot accurately determine the leakage location, and so it may result in a great delay of gas detection. To reduce the risk of gas leakage, this paper proposes a flexible triggering mechanism for GDSs, where an alarm is raised or not depending on the number of sensors whose reading are reaching or closing to the preset threshold. An equivalent gas cloud (EGC) model is introduced here to provide design inputs for such a flexible triggering GDS. The volume and location distribution of an EGC are estimated with the Gaussian dispersion model, based on the changes of wind speed and direction. A case study in a terminal station of LNG is conducted, to illustrate the effectiveness of the new approach. The findings show that the flexible triggering mechanism is able to make alarms of a GDS more accurate, and meanwhile avoiding unnecessary measures, which can effectively optimize alarming thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Aberrant expression of miR-106b is a specific symptom of many solid carcinomas. Overexpression of miR-106b has been observed in gastric cancer. The effect of miR-106b on gastric cancer has been investigated in different cell culture models. However, the effect of miR-106b on metastasis of early gastric cancer (EGC) remains unknown. Methods: In the study, qRT-PCR, FISH, western blot, luciferase reporter assay, migration and invasion assays, flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were used to investigate the effect of miR-106b on metastasis of EGC. Results: To explore the function of miR-106b in EGC, we investigated the downstream signaling of miR-106b and found that ALEX1 was a direct target of miR-106 in gastric cancer cells. Up-regulation of ALEX1 effectively rescued the cell apoptosis induced by miR-106b inhibitor and promoted the expression levels of phosphorylation of JAK1 and STAT3. Moreover, overexpression of JAK1 reduced the cell apoptosis induced by miR-106b inhibitor and decreased the expression levels of the apoptotic proteins in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, down-regulation of miR-106b promoted apoptosis of gastric cancer cells via inhibiting JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo. In addition, GLPG0643, a JAK1 inhibitor, enhanced the inhibitory effect of miR-106b inhibitor on gastric cancer growth in vivo. Conclusion: These findings provided a potential therapeutic manner for the treatment of metastasis of EGC in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rhodiola rosea has been used as a traditional medicine for a long history. Previous studies on oligomeric proanthocyanidins from Rhodiola rosea (OPCRR) have showed that it exhibited significant free radical-scavenging activities, antioxidant activities in aging mice and lipid lowering effects.Hypothesis/purpose: We hypothesized that OPCRR can improve the atherosclerosis pathological in rats. In the present study, we investigated the effects of OPCRR on the serum lipid profiles, oxidant stress status, inflammatory cytokines and atherosclerotic mediators, and endothelial dysfunction as well as changes in abdominal aorta of atherosclerosis rats.Methods: The major components of OPCRR were analyzed by using infrared spectrum and HPLC-ESI-MS. The atherosclerosis rat model was induced by high fat and vitamin D3 feeding for 9 weeks and two OPCRR doses (60 and 120 mg/kg b.w.) were orally administered daily for 9 weeks. The rats were then sacrificed and the blood was collected via abdominal aorta and serum was separated by centrifugated for biochemical analysis. Part of the aorta tissues were excised immediately for histopathological examination and western blotting.Results: Compared to model group, OPCRR treatments significantly decreased the serum lipid profiles including total cholesterol, total triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and ox-LDL and increased the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); significant increased serum antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH-Px) and decrease of MDA content as a product of lipid peroxidation; lowered serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and enhanced IL-10 level; increased the serum release of nitric oxide and expression of iNOS in aortic, whereas decreased the expression of eNOS.Conclusion: OPCRR can improve the progress of atherosclerosis by regulation of lipid metabolism, restoring of the antioxidant capacities, and attenuation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemcytokines release, and improving the endothelial dysfunction indicated by nitric oxide system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes RSS-based multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) receiver diversity-combining techniques for identity-based attack detection. The diversity-combining techniques considered for identity-based attack detection using MIMO systems include selection combining (SLC), equal gain combining (EGC), and maximal ratio combining (MRC). First, we exploit the spatial correlation of the RSS hereditary from wireless nodes to detect identity-based attacks. Analytical expressions of the proposed method for the spatial correlation of the RSS hereditary using MIMO-combining diversities are provided and validated through simulation results. Second, we propose unsupervised machine learning (ML) algorithms such as k -means and k -medoids for the detection of identity-based attacks using RSS with different MIMO-combining diversities. Complete statistical derivations for the detection of identity-based attacks using k -means and k -medoids algorithms were performed. The simulation results confirm that the proposed techniques exploiting MIMO diversity-combining techniques for identity-based attack detection using unsupervised ML algorithms outperform the previously proposed techniques in terms of the false positive rate (FPR) and detection rate (DR). Furthermore, the simulation showed that the EGC-combining diversity with k -means and k -medoids outperformed the SLC- and MRC-combining techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibition of excessive fructose intake in the small intestine could alleviate fructose-induced diseases such as hypertension and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We examined the effect of phytochemicals on fructose uptake using human intestinal epithelial-like Caco-2 cells which express the fructose transporter, GLUT5. Among 35 phytochemicals tested, five, including nobiletin and epicatechin gallate (ECg), markedly inhibited fructose uptake. Nobiletin and ECg also inhibited the uptake of glucose but not of L-leucine or Gly-Sar, suggesting an inhibitory effect specific to monosaccharide transporters. Kinetic analysis further suggested that this reduction in fructose uptake was associated with a decrease in the apparent number of cell-surface GLUT5 molecules, and not with a change in the affinity of GLUT5 for fructose. Lastly, nobiletin and ECg suppressed the permeation of fructose across Caco-2 cell monolayers. These findings suggest that nobiletin and ECg are good candidates for preventing diseases caused by excessive fructose intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Altered visceral sensation is common in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and nerve growth factor (NGF) participates in visceral pain development. Sodium butyrate (NaB) could induce colonic hypersensitivity via peripheral up‐regulation of NGF in animals. Enteric glial cells (EGCs) appear to be an important source of NGF. Whether butyrate could induce visceral hypersensitivity via increased EGC‐derived NGF is still unknown. Methods: CRL‐2690 cells were used for transcriptome analyses after butyrate treatment. Rats received butyrate enemas to induce colonic hypersensitivity. Colorectal distention test was performed to assess visceral sensitivity. Immunofluorescence studies were used to evaluate the co‐expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and NGF or growth associated protein 43 in animal model. NGF expression in rat colon was also investigated. In vitro, CRL‐2690 cells were stimulated with NaB or trichostatin A (TSA). NGF or GFAP expression was also examined. Key Results: Transcriptome analyses showed that butyrate induced marked changes of genes expression related to neurotrophic signaling pathways. NaB‐treated rats showed increased visceral sensitivity. An improved NGF expression level was observed in NaB‐treated rats. Meanwhile, a 2.1‐fold increase in co‐expression of GFAP and NGF was also determined in rats received NaB enemas. In cultured cells, both NaB and TSA treatment could cause obvious NGF expression. Thus, butyrate might regulate EGC function via histone deacetylase inhibition. Conclusions & Inferences: Butyrate‐EGC interplay may play a pivotal role in regulation of NGF expression and the development of colonic hypersensitivity in IBS‐like animal model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing number of antennas are closely packed in emerging multiantenna systems and correlation among them can no longer be ignored. In this paper, such a multiantenna spectrum sensing system is investigated considering dual, triple, four and up to infinite number of correlated antenna branches. Constant, arbitrary and exponential correlation among the antenna branches are considered. Closed form expressions for the detection probability, in terms of the confluent hypergeometric function, is derived assuming maximal ratio combining (MRC) and equal gain combining (EGC) diversity techniques in Nakagami-$m$ multipath fading channel. Numerical results quantify the interbranch correlation that impacts the detector performance significantly. However, results also show that this effect could be compensated by employing the appropriate diversity combining technique and by increasing the diversity branches. Furthermore, we find that at high $m$ values (Rician like channel), low false alarm probability and highly correlated environments, EGC which is a simpler scheme performs as good as MRC which is a more complex scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed analysis of interdiffusion processes in emitter shells of electrogenerating channels (EGC) of reactors for space application after long term reactor irradiation is performed. Interdiffusion of Mo and W in the mono- and polycrystalline manufacturing technology with the W layer applied over them with thickness on the order of 10-4 m with irradiation time from 3000 to 12 350 h and at temperatures from 1350 to 1670°C is studied. One of the mechanisms which facilitate the pore-formation process in the W layer and its separation is demonstrated. A method of calculating the activation energy, temperature, and residual thickness of the W layer on the basis of which the state of the shells can be estimated for a long time from the start of irradiation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After water, the most consumed drink is tea. Green tea is one of the most ancient cultivated medicinal plants with a wide variety of therapeutic benefits. Also it is found to be more beneficial than black tea. Green tea is produced form leaves of Camellia sinensis plant which also yields variety of white and black tea. Research is done and available for the health benefits of green tea including anti-carcinogenic effect, anti-inflammatory effect, anti-microbial effect, anti-oxidant property and beneficial in cardiovascular diseases, oral health, diabetes, skin disorders, hair loss, obesity, iron load. Most of these beneficial effects are related to its constituents particularly catechins including epigallocatechin, epicatehin, epicatechin gallate. These are viewed as the most significant active constituents. These are members of the class of polyphenols known as flavonoids. The objective of this review is to illustrate various health benefits of green tea on the basis of research and clinical findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]