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The unprecedented urbanization in China has dramatically changed the urban spatial structure of cities. With the proliferation of individual-level geospatial big data, previous studies have widely used the network abstraction model to reveal the underlying urban spatial structure. However, the construction of network abstraction models primarily focuses on the topology of the road network without considering individual travel flows along with the road networks. Individual travel flows reflect the urban dynamics, which can further help understand the underlying spatial structure. This study therefore aims to reveal the intra-urban spatial structure by integrating the road network abstraction model and individual travel flows. To achieve this goal, we 1) quantify the spatial interaction relatedness of road segments based on the Word2Vec model using large volumes of taxi trip data, then 2) characterize the road abstraction network model according to the identified spatial interaction relatedness, and 3) implement a community detection algorithm to reveal sub-regions of a city. Our results reveal three levels of hierarchical spatial structures in the Wuhan metropolitan area. This study provides a data-driven approach to the investigation of urban spatial structure via identifying traffic interaction patterns on the road network, offering insights to urban planning practice and transportation management.

Sheng Zou,&ast; Jiayue Ye,&ast; Sheng Hu, Yiping Wei, Jianjun Xu Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330006, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jianjun Xu; Yiping Wei Tel +8613907913526; +8613687919322Email xujianjun3526@163.com; weiyip2000@hotmail.comPurpose: To analyze the relationship between titin (TTN) mutation gene and tumor mutational burden (TMB) and the with prognosis of lung squamous cell carcinomas (LUSC), and to explore the feasibility of TTN as a potential prognostic marker of for LUSC.Methods: We analyzed the somatic mutation landscape of LUSC samples using datasets obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. Sequence data were divided into wild and mutant groups, and differences in TMB values between the groups compared using a Mann–Whitney U-test. The Kaplan Meier method was used to analyze the correlation between TTN mutation and LUSC prognosis, whereas CIBERSORT algorithm was used to calculate the degree of relative enrichment degree of among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in LUSC.Results: Analysis of both datasets revealed high mutations in the TTN gene, with mutants exhibiting a significantly higher TMB value relative to the wild-type (P < 0.001). Prognosis of the TTN mutant group in LUSC was significantly better than that of wild-type (P = 0.009). Kaplan Meier curves showed that TTN mutation may be an independent prognostic factor in LUSC patients (HR: 0.64, 95% CI 0.48– 0.85, P = 0.001), while GSEA analysis revealed that TTN mutation plays a potential role in the development of LUSC. Finally, analysis of LUSC immune microenvironment revealed that TTN mutation was significantly associated with enrichment of macrophages M1 (p < 0.05).Conclusion: TTN mutation is associated with TMB, and is positively correlated with progno

Highlights • UAV surveys can be used for evaluating long-term hillslope morphology evolution. • Successive landslides influence frequency distributions of topographic features. • Successive landslides gradually reduce slope gradient, roughness and local relief. • The slope gradient changes with elevation. Landslides are recognized as dominant geomorphic events of morphological evolution in most mountainous and hilly landscapes. However, the lack of multitemporal high-resolution topographic data has resulted in a lack of quantitative estimates of topographic changes influenced by successive landslides. Taking a typical hillslope with successive loess landslides in the Heifangtai loess tableland, China, as an example, we conducted four unmanned aerial system (UAS) surveys and created corresponding high-resolution digital elevation models (HRDEMs) and orthophotos. We found that multitemporal UAS surveys have become a powerful new approach for addressing local topographic changes and evolution over a relatively long time series. Moreover, landslides can leave persistent geomorphic imprints on hillslope topography. The frequency distributions of topographic indexes are significantly influenced by successive landslides. The mean slope gradient, roughness and local relief decreased with successive landslide occurrences, whereas the mean topographic wetness index (TWI) increased. However, the mean slope aspect was almost unchanged by successive landslides. Furthermore, analysis of the coefficient of variation demonstrates that the frequency distribution of the slope gradient becomes more dispersed with landslide occurrences, while the slope aspect and TWI become more concentrated. The slope gradient changes with elevation. More broadly, this study provides new insights into the prediction of the local topographic feature changes and morphology evolution trends caused by successive landslides.

Decoding brain cognitive states from neuroimaging signals is an important topic in neuroscience. In recent years, deep neural networks (DNNs) have been recruited for multiple brain state decoding and achieved good performance. However, the open question of how to interpret the DNN black box remains unanswered. Capitalizing on advances in machine learning, we integrated attention modules into brain decoders to facilitate an in-depth interpretation of DNN channels. A 4D convolution operation was also included to extract temporo-spatial interaction within the fMRI signal. The experiments showed that the proposed model obtains a very high accuracy (97.4%) and outperforms previous researches on the 7 different task benchmarks from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset. The visualization analysis further illustrated the hierarchical emergence of task-specific masks with depth. Finally, the model was retrained to regress individual traits within the HCP and to classify viewing images from the BOLD5000 dataset, respectively. Transfer learning also achieves good performance. A further visualization analysis shows that, after transfer learning, low-level attention masks remained similar to the source domain, whereas high-level attention masks changed adaptively. In conclusion, the proposed 4D model with attention module performed well and facilitated interpretation of DNNs, which is helpful for subsequent research.

Sheng Hu, Wenxiong Zhang, Qiang Guo, Jiayue Ye, Deyuan Zhang, Yang Zhang, Weibiao Zeng, Dongliang Yu, Jinhua Peng, Yiping Wei, Jianjun Xu Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yiping Wei; Jianjun XuThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13687919322; +86 13907913526Email weiyip2000@hotmail.com; xujianjun3526@163.comBackground: On April 15, 2021, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database released the latest lung cancer follow-up data. We selected 922,317 lung cancer patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2017 for survival analysis to provide updated data for lung cancer researchers.Research Question: This study explored the latest trends of survival time in terms of gender, race, nationality, age, income, address, histological type and primary site.Study Design and Methods: The SEER database covers 27.8% of the US population. We used life table, Kaplan–Meier, log-rank, Breslow and Tarone-Ware tests to calculate survival rate, time, and curve and to compare differences in survival distribution. We performed univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses.Results: The median survival time of all lung cancer patients diagnosed in 2017 increased by 41.72% compared to 2000. Median survival time of female patients diagnosed in 2017 increased by 70.94% compared to 2000. Median survival time of those diagnosed in 2017 for different primary sites was as follows: right middle lobe was the longest, then left lower lobe, right upper lobe, right lower lobe, and left upper lobe. Lung cancer patients older than 75 years had a significantly shorter median survival time. Patients living in metropolitan areas of 250,000 to 1 million had a longer median survival time. Median survival time in the adenocarcinoma group was significantly greater than other patients. Median survival

Qiaoling Zheng,1,2 Jianyong Zhang,1,3 Xinchen Wang,4 Wenxiong Zhang,1 Yipo Xiao,4 Sheng Hu,1 Jianjun Xu1 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330006, People’s Republic of China; 2Jiangxi Health Vocational College, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330000, People’s Republic of China; 3The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province 550000, People’s Republic of China; 4Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province 330013, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jianjun Xu Tel + 8613907913526Email xujianjun3526@163.comPurpose: Increased use of low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT: low-dose computed tomography) screening has contributed to more frequent incidental detection of peripheral lung nodules, part of them were adenocarcinoma, which need to be further evaluated to establish a definitive diagnosis. Here, our primary objective was to evaluate the ambient mass spectrometry (AMS) sputum analysis as a non-invasive lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) diagnosis solution.Patients and Methods: Neutral desorption extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ND-EESI-MS) and collision induced dissociation (CID) were used to detect sputum metabolites from 143 spontaneous sputum samples. Partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to refine the biomarker panel, whereas orthogonal PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) was used to operationalize the enhanced biomarker panel for diagnosis.Results: In this approach, 19 altered metabolites were detected by ND-EESI-MS from 76 cases of LAC and 67 cases of control. Significance testing and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis identified 5 metabolites [hydroxyphenyllactic acid, phytosphingosine, N-nonanoylglycine, sphinganine, S-carboxymethyl-L-cysteine] with p < 0.05 and AUC > 0.75, r

Yao Bai,1,2 Qingxia Liu,3 Jie Gu,1,4 Xiaobo Zhang,1 Sheng Hu1 1Xiangya International Medical Center, Department of Geriatrics Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People’s Republic of China; 2Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Klinikum Der Universität München, Munich, Germany; 3Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People’s Republic of China; 4Martini-Klinik Prostate Cancer Center, Department of Urology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyCorrespondence: Xiaobo ZhangXiangya International Medical Center, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail zhangxb@csu.edu.cnSheng HuXiangya International Medical Center, Department of Geriatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail 15574972213@163.comObjective: To analyze pathogen distribution and drug sensitivity in patients with urinary calculi and thereby gain insight into the most appropriate antibacterial drugs for perioperative therapy.Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2018, the results of mid-stream urine pathogen culture and drug sensitivity tests were evaluated retrospectively for 353 patients with urinary calculi. SPSS software version 23.0 was used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 353 strains of pathogens were isolated from urine culture. Among these, 278 (79%) strains belonged to the top 10 most frequently isolated pathogens, comprising 209 (75.2%) Gram-negative bacilli and 69 (24.8%) Gram-positive cocci. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated pathogen overall and the most frequently isolated Gram-negative bacillus, and Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated Gram-positive coccus. Drug sensitivity levels were effectively unchanged for less commonly used drugs, where

Water quality has a direct impact on industry, agriculture, and public health. Algae species are common indicators of water quality. It is because algal communities are sensitive to changes in their habitats, giving valuable knowledge on variations in water quality. However, water quality analysis requires professional inspection of algal detection and classification under microscopes, which is very time-consuming and tedious. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-target deep learning framework for algal detection and classification. Extensive experiments were carried out on a large-scale colored microscopic algal dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method leads to the promising performance on algal detection, class identification and genus identification., Comment: Accepted version to be published in the 42nd IEEE Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2020, Montreal, Canada

reasoning refers to the ability to analyze information, discover rules at an intangible level, and solve problems in innovative ways. Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM) test is typically used to examine the capability of abstract reasoning. The subject is asked to identify the correct choice from the answer set to fill the missing panel at the bottom right of RPM (e.g., a 3$\times$3 matrix), following the underlying rules inside the matrix. Recent studies, taking advantage of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), have achieved encouraging progress to accomplish the RPM test. However, they partly ignore necessary inductive biases of RPM solver, such as order sensitivity within each row/column and incremental rule induction. To address this problem, in this paper we propose a Stratified Rule-Aware Network (SRAN) to generate the rule embeddings for two input sequences. Our SRAN learns multiple granularity rule embeddings at different levels, and incrementally integrates the stratified embedding flows through a gated fusion module. With the help of embeddings, a rule similarity metric is applied to guarantee that SRAN can not only be trained using a tuplet loss but also infer the best answer efficiently. We further point out the severe defects existing in the popular RAVEN dataset for RPM test, which prevent from the fair evaluation of the abstract reasoning ability. To fix the defects, we propose an answer set generation algorithm called Attribute Bisection Tree (ABT), forming an improved dataset named Impartial-RAVEN (I-RAVEN for short). Extensive experiments are conducted on both PGM and I-RAVEN datasets, showing that our SRAN outperforms the state-of-the-art models by a considerable margin., Comment: AAAI 2021 paper. Code: https://github.com/husheng12345/SRAN

Xiaohua Li,1,2,* Yuntao Wang,3,* Sheng Hu,4 Yifeng Bai2 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Sixth People’s Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610051, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Oncology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Oncology, The Fifth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine the Second Clinical Medical College, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Respiratory and Intensive Care Medicine, The General Hospital of Western Theatre Command, Chengdu 610083, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yifeng BaiDepartment of Oncology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-18183298718Email byf1234_4321@163.comIntroduction: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with LUSC, but cisplatin resistance greatly restricts its clinical application. Therefore, it is particularly important to screen the predominant LUSC population using biomarkers.Methods: Data for 15 LUSC cell lines were downloaded from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) Project database to screen for mutations related to cisplatin susceptibility. We conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) of tumors from 58 LUSC patients from Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital of University of Electronic Science and Technology. Subsequently, the clinical prognostic value of these mutations was verified by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-LUSC cohort and our cohort (n=58).Results: Based on the cisplatin sensitivity data of GDSC-LUSC and survival analysis of TCGA-LUSC and Local-LUSC cohorts

Xue Wang,1,2 Fei-kai Lin,1,2 Jia-rui Li,1 Hu-sheng Wang1 1Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Xin Hua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, People’s Republic of China; 2Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hu-sheng Wang; Jia-rui LiDepartment of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-021-2507-8877; Tel +86-021-6969-2701Email wanghusheng@xinhuamed.com.cn; jiareli@163.comIntroduction: Ovarian carcinoma is a malignant tumor with a high mortality rate and a lack of effective treatment options for patients at advanced stages. For improving outcomes and helping patients with poor prognosis, choose a suitable therapy and an excellent risk assessment model and new treatment options are needed.Materials and Methods: Ovarian cancer gene expression profile of GSE32062 was downloaded from the NCBI GEO database for screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between well and poor prognosis groups using limma package in R (version 3.4.1). Prognosis-related genes and clinical prognostic factors were obtained from univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and a comprehensive risk assessment model was constructed using a Pathway Dysregulation Score (PDS) matrix, Cox-Proportional Hazards (Cox-PH) regression, as well as L1-least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (L1-LASSO) penalization. Then, significant DEGs were converted to pathways and optimal prognosis-related pathways were screened. Finally, risk prediction models based on pathways, genes involved in pathways, and comprehensive clinical risk factors with pathways were built. Their prognostic functions were assessed in verification sets. Besides, genes involved in immune-pathways were checked for immune infiltration using immunohistochemistr

This paper quantitatively examines the effects of slope height and slope gradient on landslide size distributions. We developed a loess slide inventory by using field survey data. Statistical analysis shows that most landslides are concentrated in areas with slope heights less than 60 m, and approximately 30% of the loess slides occurred on slopes with a gradient between 30 degrees and 40 degrees. However, high and steep slopes are rare in nature. We calculated the relative density of landslides, and the results showed that the relative density of landslides is greater on higher slopes with steeper slope gradients. Moreover, landslide size is correlated with slope height and slope gradient. The results demonstrate that landslide size increases as slope height increases and decreases as slope gradient increases. Furthermore, we determined the probability density of landslide area using kernel density estimation. The results showed that the landslide size distribution exhibits power law scaling above a certain size threshold, and the size threshold differs for different slope heights and slope gradients. The exponential scalings are influenced by slope height and slope gradient. Our results indicate that the exponential scaling decreases with increasing slope height and increases with increasing slope gradient. Large landslides are more frequent with a higher slope height and gentler slope gradient.

Because most automated vehicles (AVs) are programmed to follow a set path and maintain a lateral position in thecenter of the lane, over time significant pavement rutting will occur. This study directly measured AV lateralwandering patterns. It was found that the wandering patterns of both AVs and human-driven vehicles could bemodeled with a normal distribution but have significantly different standard deviations, with AV lateral wanderingbeing at least 3 times smaller than the wandering of human-driven vehicles. Modeling with the TexasMechanistic-Empirical Flexible Pavement Design System (TxME) found that the AVs with smaller lateralwandering would shorten pavement fatigue life by 22 percent and increase pavement rut depth by 30 percent,which leads to a much higher risk of hydroplaning. Researchers also calculated the maximum tolerable rut depthsat different hydroplaning speeds. AVs have a much smaller tolerable rut depth than human-driven vehicles due togreater water film thickness in the rutted wheel paths. To reduce the negative impact of AVs on roadway safetyand pavement life, this research recommends an optimal AV wandering pattern, a uniform distribution, whichresults in prolonged pavement life and decreased hydroplaning potential.

Yi Huang,1 Qi Tao,2 Dongzhi Hou,1 Sheng Hu,1 Shuangyan Tian,1 Yanzhong Chen,3 Ruyi Gui,1 Lingling Yang,4 Yao Wang5 1College of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 2Key Laboratory of Mineralogy and Metallogeny, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Physics and Materials, 3Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 4State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, 5Qingdao Eye Hospital, Shandong Eye Institute, Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Qingdao, China Abstract: As a novel ion-exchange carrier with high surface area and excellent exchangeability, montmorillonite (Mt) was intercalated with betaxolol hydrochloride (BH) to form a nanocomposite and then encapsulated by liposomes (Mt-BH-LPs) for an ophthalmic drug-delivery system. The Mt-BH and Mt-BH-LPs were prepared by an acidification process and ethanol injection combined with ammonium sulfate gradient methods. The successful formation of Mt-BH and Mt-BH-LPs was verified by thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectra, and transmission electron microscopy. Mt-BH-LPs possessed the favorable physical characteristics of encapsulation efficiency, drug loading, mean particle size, and ζ-potential. In vitro release studies indicated Mt-BH-LPs effectively maintained a relatively sustained slow release. Immortalized human corneal epithelial cell cytotoxicity, in vivo rabbit eye-irritation tests, and chorioallantoic membrane–trypan blue staining all revealed that Mt-BH-LPs had no obvious irritation on ocular tissues. A new in vitro tear-turnover model, including inserts containing human corneal epithelial cells, was designed to evaluate the precorneal retention time of Mt-BH-LPs. The results showed that Mt-BH-LPs maintained a certain BH

Aims: Neurodegenerative disorders are caused by progressive neuronal loss in the brain, and hence, compounds that could promote neuritogenesis may have therapeutic values. In this study, the effects of bis(heptyl)-cognitin (B7C), a multifunctional dimer, on neurite outgrowth were investigated in both PC12 cells and primary cortical neurons. MethodsImmunocytochemical staining was used to evaluate the proneuritogenesis effects, and Western blot and short hairpin RNA assays were applied to explore the underlying mechanisms. ResultsB7C (0.1-0.5M) induced robust neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, as evidenced by the neurite-bearing morphology and upregulation of growth-associated protein-43 expression. In addition, B7C markedly promoted neurite outgrowth in primary cortical neurons as shown by the increase in the length of -III-tubulin-positive neurites. Furthermore, B7C rapidly increased ERK phosphorylation. Specific inhibitors of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (7-nAChR) and MEK, but not those of p38 or JNK, blocked the neurite outgrowth as well as ERK phosphorylation induced by B7C. Most importantly, genetic depletion of 7-nAChR significantly abolished B7C-induced neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. ConclusionB7C promoted neurite outgrowth through the activation of 7-nAChR/ERK pathway, which offers novel insight into the potential application of B7C in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

Background Sunitinib is an inhibitor of the multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) for cancer therapy. Some sunitinib analogues could prevent neuronal death induced by various neurotoxins. However, the neuroprotective effects of sunitinib have not been reported. Methods Cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to low-potassium and MPP+ challenges, respectively. MTT assay, FDA/PI staining, Hoechst staining, DAF-FM, colorimetric nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity assay, and Western blotting were applied to detect cell viability, NO production, NOS activity, and neuronal NOS (nNOS) expression. Short hairpin RNA was used to decrease nNOS expression. In vitro NOS enzyme activity assay was used to determine the direct inhibition of nNOS by sunitinib. Results Sunitinib prevented low-potassium-induced neuronal apoptosis in CGNs and MPP+-induced neuronal death in SH-SY5Y cells. However, PTK787, another RTK inhibitor, failed to decrease neurotoxicity in the same models. Sunitinib reversed the increase in NO levels, NOS activity, and nNOS expression induced by low potassium or MPP+. Knockdown of nNOS expression partially abolished the neuroprotective effects of sunitinib. Moreover, sunitinib directly inhibited nNOS enzyme activity. Conclusions Sunitinib exerts its neuroprotective effects by inhibiting NO overproduction, possibly via the inhibition of nNOS activity and the decrease in nNOS expression.

The genetic loss of endothelial-derived nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in mice impairs vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ischemia-initiated blood flow recovery resulting in critical limb ischemia. This result may occur through impaired arteriogenesis, angiogenesis, or mobilization of stem and progenitor cells. Here, we show that after ischemic challenge, eNOS knockout mice [eNOS (-/-)] have defects in arteriogenesis and functional blood flow reserve after muscle stimulation and pericyte recruitment, but no impairment in endothelial progenitor cell recruitment. More importantly, the defects in blood flow recovery, clinical manifestations of ischemia, ischemic reserve capacity, and pericyte recruitment into the growing neovasculature can be rescued by local intramuscular delivery of an adenovirus encoding a constitutively active allele of eNOS, eNOS S1179D, but not a control virus. Collectively, our data suggest that endogenous eNOS-derived NO exerts direct effects in preserving blood flow, thereby promoting arteriogenesis, angiogenesis, and mural cell recruitment to immature angiogenic sprouts.

The literature of international trade in imperfect market with Cournot assumptions can have two problems: (1) the postentry quantity projected by Nash equilibrium may or may not be supported by firm's capacity level that has been fixed in autarky; and (2) since Nash equilibrium output is independent of fixed factors employed, the payoff level for the entry firm must not be always positive. Thus, the trade pattern projected by such model may actually proceed in different directions. This paper has restructured the above model, and examined the entry effect on the trade. In a simple two-by-two trade setting, if all manufacturing firms in world have discontinuous cost functions in entry, and world market follows the standard Cournot duopoly, then, there must exist a link between the entry of firms and the postentry equilibrium in world; and the interaction between the internal firm's cost shift and the external market structural change should be critical to the determination of trade. Among other interesting outcomes, the essential result from this approach is that, as two entry firms have symmetrical behavior, the solution for their entry game should naturally imply a constant level of relative capacity for each firm, which may or may not be equal to each established capacity. Given this endogenous value, essentially, all the entry and investment decisions of firms are only dependent on the relationship between autarky and endogenous capacity levels. Since trade in postentry equilibrium has been qualitatively determined, while firms make entry and investment decisions, they also influence the world trade and welfare. With different capacity constraints, the results can explain the trade either between similar countries or between dissimilar countries, and the conclusion is mainly affected by autarky production conditions in each country upon entry. In real world, this seems plausible for various types of trade, such as the ones involving Western industrialized nations

The objective of this project was to compare the performance of SP-9.5/FC-9.5 to SP-12.5/FC-12.5 Superpave asphalt mixtures and then determine if SP-9.5/FC-12.5 mixtures were at least equivalent to SP-12.5/FC-12.5 mixtures in terms of cracking and rutting resistance, including durability, for use in heavy traffic volume conditions.

Current Florida Department of Transportation specifications allow the use of Superpave (SP)-12.5/Friction Course (FC)-12.5 mixtures in heavy traffic levels (e.g., level E), but not SP-9.5/FC-9.5 mixtures. The main goal of this project is to compare the performance of SP-9.5/FC-9.5 to SP-12.5/FC-12.5 Superpave asphalt mixtures and then determine if SP-9.5/FC-12.5 mixtures are at least equivalent to SP-12.5/FC-12.5 mixtures in terms of cracking, rutting resistance, and durability. To achieve this goal, a full factorial experiment was designed and executed. This experiment includes 24 mixture designs (i.e., two gradations [SP-9.5 and SP-12.5], two aggregate types [granite and limestone], two binder grades [PG 67-22 and PG 76-22], and three design gyrations [50, 75, and 100]). For each mixture, specimens were prepared at two compaction levels (or air voids [5 percent and 7 percent]), and seven performance tests were conducted. The test results were summarized in tables and bar charts, showing their averages and standard deviations. Statistical analysis was performed based on the paired t-test to compare the performance between SP-9.5 and SP-12.5 mixtures. The results show only limestone SP-9.5 PG 67-22 mixtures have worse rutting performance than the corresponding SP-12.5 mixtures. Other SP-9.5 mixtures, such as granite (PG 67-22 or PG 76-22) and limestone (PG 76-22), show equivalent or better performance (rutting, cracking, and durability) than the corresponding SP-12.5 mixtures.

Researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review to gather information on thermal segregation in asphalt mixes. Various hardware systems, specifications, and previous research studies were summarized and documented to understand the existing knowledge on the subject.

5-6921-01, The lack of pavement friction causes vehicles to skid and run off the road (ROR). In 2016, single-vehicle ROR crashes resulted in 1,293 deaths on Texas highways. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Highway Safety Improvement Program evaluated the cost of one roadway fatality or one incapacitating injury at approximately $3.3 million. If building better skid-resistant pavement surfaces could reduce fatalities by 1 percent, the potential annual reduction in societal cost, given the number of ROR fatalities in 2016, would be significant.

This project follows up on the original development of the defect correction index (DCI) in the Texas Department of Transportation project 0-6610. As part of implementing the DCI methodology for evaluating defect corrections using surface profile measurements, this implementation project conducted additional bump rating panels to verify the original DCI equation developed from project 0-6610.

This study examined project stakeholders‘ expectations of a funded enterprise coaching project designed to alleviate symptoms of deprivation in Corby. A mixed method approach of Q study and semi-structured interviews was used to reveal the expectations, behaviours and evaluation of four main groups of stakeholders - the project clients (13); the project delivery team (6); Corby Borough Council (3); and the project funder (1) - a total of 23 participants. Results of the Q study analysis revealed three factors, indicating that stakeholders have different expectations about the project. The semi-structured interviews demonstrated that although stakeholders tried to promote their expectations, their influences were significantly limited by their power to influence decision making. Apart from the dominant project funder, there was no rigorous connection between stakeholders‘ expectations and the project evaluation criteria (time, cost and quality). Triangulated results led to the development of a unique model that incorporates broader stakeholder expectations and promotes distributed power and communication in the decision making process. This model further assists in drawing attention to emerging conflicts and problems as a constant process is developed for future project management.

Project 0-5123, The placement of an asphalt overlay is the most common method used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to rehabilitate, existing asphalt and concrete pavements. The type of overlay and its required thickness are important decisions that TxDOT engineers make on a, daily basis. To perform well, an asphalt overlay must have a balance of both good rut and crack resistance. Furthermore, overlay performance is, highly influenced by many factors, such as existing pavement conditions, traffic loading, and environmental conditions. It has also recently, become common practice to use two different materials in an overlay, the first being a crack resistant level up course and the second being a, wearing surface. The properties of both overlay types have a big impact on performance. The main objective of the Research Project 0-5123 was, to develop a comprehensive mechanistic-empirical (M-E) asphalt overlay design system to assist TxDOT engineers to make these design, decisions., The design system developed incorporates models for both rutting and reflection cracking of the proposed overlay. The Paris’ law-based, reflection cracking model was evaluated and recommended for use in this study. This model requires the use of both stress intensity factors (SIF), and fracture properties (A and n) for predicting crack propagation caused by both traffic loading and thermal effects. For practical implementation, of the SIF concept, a total of 34 SIF regression equations were developed based on more than 1.6 million finite element computations. The, required fracture properties can be easily determined using the Overlay Tester. The proposed reflective cracking model was calibrated using, performance data from three HMA overlay field case studies and then verified using the California’s Heavy Vehicle Simulator test results. To, predict asphalt overlay rutting, the well-known VESYS layer rutting model was used and later calibrated using the field rutting data from the, National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) test track 2006. The material properties required for this model are obtained from repeated load, tests. The reasonableness and accuracy of the calibrated rutting was further verified by the field rutting data from NCAT test track 2000. Finally, the calibrated reflective cracking and rutting models were integrated into an asphalt overlay thickness design and analysis program. To assist in, implementation, default values of material properties have been provided for all the overlay types currently used in Texas. The program provides, the designer with a tool to evaluate on a project-level basis the impact of load transfer efficiency (LTE) on predicted life and to determine what, level of LTE must be repaired in order to achieve adequate performance., In summary this study has developed a comprehensive overlay thickness design and analysis system based on solid engineering principles., The software package developed in this study has been provided to TxDOT. Based on the evaluations made in this study its predictions appear, r ational and reasonable. This system is ready for state-wide pilot implementation.

General Information, Two workshops were held respectively on Aug. 25 at Paris, Tx and on Oct. 6 at Austin, Tx, More than 30 representatives from TxDOT attended, Introduction of TxACOL software, key input parameters, and related lab and field tests were presented, Attendees practiced the software step by step

Project 0-6622, Recent developments over last several decades have offered an opportunity for more rational and rigorous pavement design procedures. Substantial work has already been completed in Texas, nationally, and internationally, in all aspects of modeling, materials characterization, and structural design. These and other assets provided the technical infrastructure that made it possible to develop the Texas Mechanistic-Empirical (TxME) pavement design system. In the first year of this project, a comprehensive literature review was made to identify and recommend available performance models in terms of rutting, fatigue cracking, low temperature cracking, endurance limit, top-down cracking, and crushing of lightly stabilized base materials. Additionally, the researchers reviewed different reliability approaches used in existing pavement design systems, and the most practical, promising reliability approach was recommended for TxME. Finally, this report discusses the framework proposed for the TxME flexible pavement design system, including pavement structure, material properties, traffic, climate, design reliability, and user interfaces.

Presentation Outline, ??, RAP overview, ??, RAP stockpile survey: state of practice, ??, RAP processing and RAP variability, ??, RAP characterization, ??, RAP mix design, ??, Field performance of Texas high RAP test sections

0-7075, Thermal segregation during the construction of asphalt mixtures can result in the formation of low-density areas and a subsequent decrease in pavement life. Although the methods for measuring thermal segregation have remained largely unchanged, significant advancements have been made in asphalt mixture types and design methods over the past decade. This study assessed the significance of thermal segregation with current asphalt mixes, validated existing criteria, and established modified criteria as necessary. The study also resulted in guidance on identifying and addressing recurring thermal segregation issues, ensuring that thermal profile requirements align with modern asphalt mixes and construction practices. Results from this study showed that based on current practices, more than two thermal profiles with severe thermal segregation could be considered recurring. This study also showed that thermal segregation does induce higher air voids in current mixes, which results in poorer rutting and reduced crack life properties. Analysis suggested that the influence of thermal segregation-induced air voids could take as much as 10 years off the pavement life, although the actual influence of thermal segregation on field performance can vary significantly depending on many factors. In practice, thermal segregation-induced air voids may impact performance but may allow the pavement to still reach its design life. Results from this study showed that the current 25°F temperature differential is still valid as a threshold to define thermal segregation. Results from this study also revealed that the current methods for evaluating thermal profile need further development to include affected area and absolute placement temperature.