Search

Pseudostellaria wuyishanensis, a new species from the Wuyishan National Park, Fujian, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, Pseudostellaria wuyishanensis resembles P. heterantha. However, the new species can be distinguished by presence of stolons, 1 line of hairs on the stem, smaller leaf blades, shorter pedicels, and ovary with 2 styles.

Copyright of Tunnel Construction / Suidao Jianshe (Zhong-Yingwen Ban) is the property of Tunnel Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tunnel Construction / Suidao Jianshe (Zhong-Yingwen Ban) is the property of Tunnel Construction Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highway constructions in southern China have revealed a massive distribution of carbonaceous mudstone. However, this mudstone is seldomly used as embankment fillers because of its significant disintegration upon wetting. Compared to bulk carbonaceous mudstone, small disintegrated carbonaceous mudstone (DCM) grains show less disintegration potential and may be applied to fill embankments in some regions. The purpose of this study is to reveal the mechanism behind the further disintegration of primarily DCM and investigate the swelling–consolidation characteristics of the DCM, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the difference for the compacted DCM specimens before and after wetting, and the microstructural change and the disintegration mechanism of the wetted DCM were analyzed accordingly. The saturated free swelling tests and saturated consolidation tests were conducted to elucidate the influences of dry density and grain size range on the swelling and consolidation characteristics of the DCM. The results show that the disintegration of the DCM is greatly affected by the swelling of hydrophilic clay minerals and softening and dissolving of inter-particle cementation. The free swelling deformation of the DCM increases with increasing dry density and decreasing grain size upon wetting. The DCM shows an increasing compression index as the consolidation pressure increases, which is related to its disintegrating nature. The settlement and compression index of the DCM reduce as an increase in dry density or the grain size. Therefore, relatively large grain sizes and compacted at a higher dry density for DCM is recommended in filling highway embankments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper studies the influencing factors of permeability in shales of the Longmaxi Formation, located in the southern Sichuan Basin, China. The methodologies used in the present study include overburden pore permeability experiments, whole rock analysis and geochemical tests, NMR measurements of fluid saturation, pore size distribution and specific surface area distribution, SEM and extraction of pore structure parameters, and core analysis. The results show the following: (1) high TOC and high maturity generate a large number of organic pores, which may improve the permeability of shale. (2) Mineral composition and rock relative permeability also have influence on permeability to a certain degree, since different minerals have different effects on shale permeability. Clay in the study area has an adverse effect on permeability. The results show that the organic-rich siliceous clay mixed shale facies in this area has the best permeability. (3) A large specific surface area and total pore volume are associated with good shale permeability, while average pore size does not correlate with permeability. A small fractal dimension of pore morphology and simple pore structure result in good permeability, and bedding is the key controlling factor for the anisotropy of shale permeability. (4) Water in shales can influence the permeability of microfractures by binding to clay minerals. Low permeability in shales with high bound water saturation suggests that water and clay mineral absorption may block flow channels, resulting in poor permeability. The purpose of this study is to clarify the influencing factors on shale permeability of the Longmaxi Formation in the study area and to provide a reference for the exploration and development of shale gas in this area of the Sichuan Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contamination and carry-over of trace zearalenone (ZON) and its metabolite α-zearalanol (α-ZOL) from different feedstuffs to foods in different seasons were monitored by molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) and high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector (HPLC-FLD) for the first time. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) bond ZON and α-ZOL selectively were prepared using cyclododecanyl-2,4-dihydroxybenzoate (CDHB) as the pseudo template. By using MIPs as sorbents of MISPE, selective enrichment of ZON and α-ZOL by MISPE increased the accuracy of HPLC-FLD. Seasonal differences on ZON contamination were observed in different feedstuffs and raw milk. But only the carry-over of ZON from cow feedstuffs to raw milk was observed. No α-ZOL contamination was detected. The humid and warm weather in April and July in Wuhan increased ZON contamination levels and the risk of ZON transmission from cow feedstuffs to milk. Seasonal differences on ZON contamination and carry-over indicate the necessity of seasonal-dependent mycotoxin monitoring and safety evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous gelatin microspheres (GMSs) were constructed to enhance the neuroprotective effects of fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10) against spinal cord injury (SCI). The GMSs were prepared using a water-in-oil emulsion, followed by cross-linking, washing and drying. The blank GMSs had a mean particle size of 35 µm, with a coarse and porous surface. FGF10 was encapsulated within bulk GMSs via diffusion. To evaluate the effects of the FGF10-GMSs, locomotion tests were performed as a measure of the functional recovery of rats. Hematoxylin and eosin and Nissl staining were used to quantify tissue injury, and Evans blue staining was used to evaluate blood-spinal cord barrier restoration. Western blotting and TUNEL assays were employed to assess apoptotic activity. Immunohistochemical staining of neurofilament antibodies (NF200) was used to evaluate axonal rehabilitation. Compared with the groups intravenously administered FGF10 alone, disruption of the blood-spinal cord barrier and tissue injury were attenuated in the FGF10-GMS group; this group also showed less neuronal apoptosis, as well as enhanced neuronal and axonal rehabilitation. Implantable porous GMSs could serve as carriers for FGF10 in the treatment of SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study is to explore the clinical effect and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for treatment of rectal carcinoids.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 42 patients with rectal carcinoids who were hospitalized and subjected to surgical treatment in our hospital from January 2010 to November 2015. The patients were categorized into two groups based on treatment received: ESD (n = 22) and EMR (n = 20). The patients were analyzed and compared to determine differences in lesion size, operation time, histopathologically curative resection rate, intraoperative complications, complete lesion resection rate, and postoperative recurrence rate between the two groups.Results: Operation time (25.2 ± 20.1 min) and wound surface diameter (36.2 ± 10.1 mm) were significantly higher in the ESD group than those in the EMR group (12.6 ± 8.4 min and 18.6 ± 5.9 mm, respectively) (P < 0.05). The differences in complete lesion and histopathologically curative resection rates between the two groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Delayed hemorrhage was the primary postoperative complication in both groups. Postoperative follow-up was performed for 3-71 months, and the median follow-up time was 45 months. Recurrence was noted 32 months after surgery in one patient in the EMR group (4.5%), whereas recurrence was not detected in the ESD group.Conclusion: ESD and EMR are safe and effective methods for treatment of rectal carcinoids. Moreover, ESD had less risk of recurrence, more complete resection rate which could provide more information for postoperative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]