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To address the challenges of managing and mitigating the environmental impact posed by the large amount of underground residual soil generated during underground construction, a composite material known as recycled solidified soil (RSS) was developed using this underground construction residual soil. Through a series of laboratory tests, including mix design, slump spread, unconfined compressive strength, and X-ray diffraction, the basic properties and regenerative curing mechanism of RSS were investigated under various curing conditions, water-tosolid ratios (the total mass ratio of water to air-dried residual soil and cementitious material), cement mass fractions and mineral admixtures. The results show that the fluidity of the RSS can meet the requirements of general backfilling projects at a water-to-solid ratio of 0. 35. The unconfined compressive strength of the RSS increases with curing time, higher cement mass fractions and water-to-solid ratios under different curing conditions, with lower strength of underwater curing compared to indoor curing. The establishment of strength in the RSS is primarily attributed to the cementation between hydration products and soil particles. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the treatment and resource utilization of engineering residues and serve as a reference for addressing these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to understand the pollution characteristics and health risks of heavy metals in PM2.5 in the atmospheric environment of Yuncheng City, PM2.5 samples were collected in urban, industrial and agricultural areas of Yuncheng City in the autumn and winter of 2018. Mass concentrations of 10 heavy metal elements such as V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb in samples were analyzed by wet microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the distribution characteristics of PM2.5 and pollution characteristics of heavy metal elements were analyzed. Health risk assessments were also made for different populations (adult males, adult females and children). The results showed that the mean values of PM2.5 in urban, industrial and agricultural areas were 116.59, 124.00 and 86.05 µg/m³, respectively. The mass concentrations of PM2.5 in the three areas are 74.29, 78.75 and 46.83 µg/m³ in the non-heating season, and 134.52, 140.54 and 104.21 µg/m³ in the heating season. In the non-heating season, the mass concentrations of 10 kinds heavy metals in urban, industrial and agricultural areas were 0.36 to 132.41, 0.40 to 119.42 and 0.81 to 66.59 ng/m³, respectively. During the heating season, the mass concentrations of 10 kinds heavy metals in urban, industrial and agricultural areas were 0.45 to 278.19, 0.57 to 336.85 and 0.43 to 144.18 ng/m³, respectively. The mass concentration of PM2.5 in heating season is higher than that in non-heating season, and it is the highest in urban area, followed by industrial area and agricultural area. The mass concentration of most heavy metals was higher in the heating season than in the non-heating season. The results of health risk assessment showed that the non-carcinogenic risk of heavy metal pollution in atmospheric PM2.5 in Yuncheng City was small, and the carcinogenic risk was mainly As, Cr, Cd and Co. The ranking of carcinogenic risk for different populations was the highest for adult males, followed by adult females and children were the last. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of dual specificity protein phosphatase 3(DUSP3) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and how tripterygium glycosides(TG) regulate DUSP3 and TNF-α expression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Methods A total of 67 patients with RA receiving treatment with TG tablets in our hospital between March, 2016 and January, 2018 and 67 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. The expression of DUSP3 and TNF-α in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) of the participants was detected using real-time PCR(RT-PCR), and the results were analyzed using the receiver operating curve(ROC). In U937 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS), the effects of TG on the expressions of DUSP3, TNF-α and their upstream and downstream pathways were investigated using RT-PCR, Western blotting and chromatin immunoprecipitation(ChIP). Results Compared with the healthy volunteers, the RA patients showed significantly reduced DUSP3 expression and increased TNF-α expression in the PBMCs(P < 0.05), whose areas under the curve(AUC) were 0.948 and 0.908, respectively. Treatment with TG tablets resulted in significantly decreased 28-joint Disease Activity score(DAS28), erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR) and C-reactive protein(CRP), increased expression of DUSP3 and decreased TNF-α expression in the RA patients(P < 0.05). Significant differences were found in the expression of DUSP3 and TNF-α between the RA patients who responded to the treatment and the non-responding patients(with bone erosion, P < 0.05). ROC analysis showed that the AUC of DUSP3 and TNF-α was 0.821 and 0.747, respectively, for predicting the patients' response to TG treatment(defined by the changes in DAS28). In LPS-stimulated U937 cells, the changes in DUSP3 or TNF-α expression did not affect the expression of one another. The rescue experiments demonstrated that nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) mediated the inhibitory effect of TG on TNF-α expression. ChIP experiments confirmed that TG suppressed the conjugation of HDAC1 with DUSP3 promoter; Western blotting showed that TG inhibited LPS-induced up-regulation of HDAC1 and down-regulation of DUSP3. Conclusion TG tablet produces good therapeutic effect on RA by reducing the expression of TNF-α and relieving the inhibition on DUSP3. DUSP3 and TNF-α can serve as prognostic biomarkers for RA patients receiving treatment with TG tablets.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and the prognosis of the laryngeal function preserving surgery (LFPS) and total laryngectomy in hypopharyngeal carcinoma., Method: Ninety-three cases of laryngopharynx carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed from September 1974 to September 2006. Among which 57 cases were primary pyriform sinus cancer, 20 cases were postero-cricoid cancer and 16 cases were postero-pharyngeal wall cancer. 53 cases were treated by LFPS, and 40 cases were treated by total laryngectomy. The treatment effectiveness, complication, survival rate and repair materials were analysed., Result: Adopting Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the 3-year survival rates were 69.9% and 5-year survival rates were 43.0%. The 3-year survival rates of LFPS and Non-LFPS were 73.6% and 67.5%, and the 5-year survival rates of LFPS and Non-LFPS were 49.1% and 32. 5%. There was no significant difference between the two groups (chi2 = 2.566, P > 0.05). Single element analysis indicated survival rates concerned with T-stage (chi2 = 9.764, P < 0.05), neck lymphatic transfer (chi2 = 10.472, P < 0.01) and the degree of pathological differentiation (chi2 = 25.894, P < 0.01). Cox regression analysis suggested that T-stage, the degree of pathological differentiation and whether going through the surgical operation were the independent element of the patient's prognosis. There was no significant difference between LFPS and No-LFPS in the neoplasms location, complication, neoplasms residuum and neoplasms recurrence., Conclusion: LFPS did not affect the survival rates and LFPS was feasible. LFPS can increase the living quality of laryngopharynx carcinoma patients.