Search

Carbonation resistance ability is one of the most important durability-related proprieties of cement-based materials. Through the carbonation depth experiment, isothermal conduction calorimetry, XRD, BET, and water vapor sorption, the effect of calcium nitrite (Ca(NO3)2) on the carbonation properties of cement-based materials is obtained. The result indicates that the addition of Ca(NO3)2 improves the carbonation resistance property of cement-based materials if the hydration of cement pastes and microstructure is modified earlier without affecting the late hydration process. In addition, the refined pores and higher tortuosity cut down the channels, thereby impeding the ingress of carbon dioxide gas into cementitious materials, as confirmed by BET and water vapor sorption. The Ca(NO3)2 exhibits high performance in improving the carbonation resistance and extending the life of strengthened concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of 5G communication and wireless Internet of Things technology, the application of intelligent wearable devices based on wireless data transmission technology is becoming more and more popular. However, due to the bandwidth of wireless data transmission nodes and the power consumption of the device system, the use time and data storage of wearable devices are severely restricted. The compressed sensing (CS) technology has become an effective method to tackle this problem. CS technology includes data compressive sensing at the transmission end and data reconstruction at the receiving end. In this paper, we consider the reconstruction of nonnegative sparse vectors, an important problem in the area of CS for wireless data transmission. It is known that the interval-passing (IP) algorithm is a low-complexity message-passing type method for the problem. However, the reconstruction performance of the IP algorithm is inferior to that of the other state-of-the-art CS reconstruction algorithms such as the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm. In order to address the problem, we propose a two-stage reconstruction algorithm in this paper. The proposed algorithm applies the IP algorithm for the first stage of reconstruction. If the reconstruction fails, the OMP algorithm is then used on the basis of the results in the first stage. The proposed algorithm is evaluated and compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms by the probability of perfect reconstruction under the given sparsity order value. Simulation results suggest that the proposed two-stage algorithm can greatly improve the reconstruction performance of the IP algorithm and can even outperform the OMP algorithm. In addition, the low-complexity advantages of the IP algorithm are maintained in the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antimicrobial properties of copper are well-known but maintaining a low oxidation state of Cu in particles is difficult. Herein, antimicrobial CuxP particles were synthesized through phosphorization of Cu(OH)2, to lock copper in its monovalent state (as Cu3P). We found that the phosphorization could be achieved at temperatures as low as 200°C, with stable surface presence of Cu(I) on the resulting CuxP particles. Cu(I) can act as a one-electron reducing agent for molecular oxygen, to generate the highly reactive hydroxyl radical. In this study, CuxP displayed antibacterial activities on the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 32 mg/L for the highest temperature particles (350°C) on both model bacteria. The evident membrane damage is consistent with the intended hydroxyl radical bacterial targeting mechanism. Low-temperature CuxP, although exhibiting lower antibacterial efficacies than those of the higher temperature variant, still showed competitive growth inhibiting activities when compared to other reported antimicrobial copper-based particles. The present work showcases advancements in particle technology that can lead to the development of a more robust antimicrobial agent, presenting a potent additive for self-disinfection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydraulic fracturing is a necessary measurement to realize the commercial exploitation of oil and gas, but its application in multilayered thin tight sandstone gas reservoirs is still not perfect, which usually have thin gas layers mixed with complex intervals, and shows a dramatic variation in geological and geomechanical properties in the vertical direction. When conventional hydraulic fracturing methods are applied to this kind of reservoir, it is hard to get proper fracture propagation, especially for fracture height control. Facing this situation, this paper proposes a numerical study of the hydraulic fracturing mechanism and analyzes its influencing factors in the multilayered thin tight sandstone gas reservoir. Relying on a real reservoir in the Ordos Basin in China, relevant geological and geomechanical parameters of major gas layers and interlayers are obtained. According to these parameters, the hydraulic fracturing simulation in the multilayered thin tight gas reservoir model is carried out, based on which, the sensitivity analysis of different geological and fracturing parameters which affect the fracture propagation is performed. Furthermore, a real low-production well after fracturing in this kind of reservoir is selected as an example, and based on the analysis, an optimized fracturing scheme is proposed to adapt to the characteristics of the reservoir. According to the comparison of fracturing and production simulations, the optimized fracturing scheme can prevent hydraulic fractures from breaking through thin interlayers, control the fracture height, and prevent fractures from communicating strata with a high water-bearing layer. At the same time, with the same amount of proppant and fracturing fluid, longer fracture length and better fracture conductivity are created, so that the productivity of the optimized fracture has been greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The complex etiological variables and high heterogeneity of bladder cancer (BC) make prognostic prediction challenging. We aimed to develop a robust and promising gene signature using advanced machine learning methods for predicting the prognosis and therapy responses of BC patients. Methods. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and univariable Cox regression were used to identify the primary risk hallmark among the various cancer hallmarks. Machine learning methods were then combined with survival and differential gene expression analyses to construct a novel prognostic signature, which would be validated in two additional independent cohorts. Moreover, relationships between this signature and therapy responses were also identified. Functional enrichment analysis and immune cell estimation were also conducted to provide insights into the potential mechanisms of BC. Results. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was identified as the primary risk factor for the survival of BC patients (HR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.26-1.63). A novel EMT-related gene signature was constructed and validated in three independent cohorts, showing stable and accurate performance in predicting clinical outcomes. Furthermore, high-risk patients had poor prognoses and multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed this to be an independent risk factor for patient survival. CD8+ T cells, Tregs, and M2 macrophages were found abundantly in the tumor microenvironment of high-risk patients. Moreover, it was anticipated that high-risk patients would be more sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs, while low-risk patients would benefit more from immunotherapy. Conclusions. We successfully identified and validated a novel EMT-related gene signature for predicting clinical outcomes and therapy responses in BC patients, which may be useful in clinical practice for risk stratification and individualized treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, traditional uncertainty design optimization (UDO) methods are based on probability density distribution function or fuzzy membership function. In this situation, a large amount of uncertain information is necessary to construct the UDO model accurately. While, the interval UDO methods require less design information. Only the upper and lower bounds of interval uncertainty are utilized to construct the optimization model. In this study, to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of UBDO considering interval uncertainty, a reliability-based multidisciplinary design optimization (RBMDO) strategy using the point-infilled Kriging model is proposed. In the given method, a double-nested RBMDO model considering interval uncertainty is established. The collaborative optimization is utilized to deal with coupling relationships among complex systems. Then, the point-infilled Kriging response surface strategy is introduced to approximate the RBMDO model. The procedure of the interval multidisciplinary collaborative optimization method based on the Kriging model is discussed. Two examples are given to illustrate the application of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible multi-body dynamics of wind turbines is a subfield of structural mechanics that mainly studies the response of the coupling structure under dynamic loading, such as the transient changes of displacement and stress, in order to measure the load carrying capacity of the coupling structure and obtain the corresponding dynamic properties. Structural dynamics takes into account not only the damping and inertia forces generated by the vibration of the structure but also the elastic force generated by the deformation of the structure. With the continuous increase of individual power and tower height, the flexibility of the multi-body system of wind turbines also increases. The study of the influence of structural parameters on the coupled structural vibrations of tower blades of large wind turbines can provide a scientific basis for the flexible design of large wind turbines as well as important theoretical support for their safe, stable, and economic operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This paper aims to explore novel ferroptosis-related biomarkers for acute kidney injury (AKI). Methods. Various bioinformatic methods, such as differential expression analysis, functional annotation analysis, machine learning, and chemical-gene network analysis, were used in this study. Furthermore, the expression and proferroptotic role of RPS7 were validated with further bioinformatics analysis and biochemical experiments. Results. GSE30718 dataset and GSE139061 dataset were used, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened. The DEGs were overlapped with ferroptosis-related genes and genes associated with AKI, which led to the identification of four candidate genes. Machine learning and ROC curve analysis were conducted, and RPS7 and TRIB3 were selected for diagnostic model analysis and functional analysis. Finally, the upregulation of RSP7 in cisplatin-induced AKI was validated in cisplatin-induced AKI, and its proferroptotic role was confirmed in cisplatin-treated proximal tubular cells. Conclusion. Our results indicated that RPS7 might present as a novel ferroptosis-related biomarker for AKI, and it derived ferroptosis to accentuate cisplatin-induced AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent detection of gravitational waves is a remarkable milestone in the history of astrophysics. With the further development of gravitational wave detection technology, traditional filter-matching methods no longer meet the needs of signal recognition. Thus, it is imperative that we develop new methods. In this study, we apply a gravitational wave signal recognition model based on Fourier transformation and a convolutional neural network (CNN). The gravitational wave time-domain signal is transformed into a 2D frequency-domain signal graph for feature recognition using a CNN model. Experimental results reveal that the frequency-domain signal graph provides a better feature description of the gravitational wave signal than that provided by the time-domain signal. Our method takes advantage of the CNN's convolution computation to improve the accuracy of signal recognition. The impact of the training set size and image filtering on the performance of the developed model is also evaluated. Additionally, the Resnet101 model, developed on the Baidu EasyDL platform, is adopted as a comparative model. Our average recognition accuracy performs approximately 4% better than the Resnet101 model. Based on the excellent performance of convolutional neural network in the field of image recognition, this paper studies the characteristics of gravitational wave signals and obtains a more appropriate recognition model after training and tuning, in order to achieve the purpose of automatic recognition of whether the signal data contain real gravitational wave signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an improved method for selecting a specific location in the development of convenience stores in municipal areas. This method solves the problem of self-service store location from the perspective of sustainability and uncertainty and adequately considers the characteristics of individual locations with the proposition of an improved grey wolf optimization algorithm. The example presented shows that the improved algorithm has obvious advantages in facilitating the selection of convenience stores with respect to the search precision, stability, and convergence. Based on the macroenvironment, income, and cost, this work establishes a relatively complex, complete, and targeted mathematical model. Finally, taking the Xiaonanzhuang area of Suzhou Street in Beijing as an example, the scientificity, feasibility, and sustainability of the location model are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase of obesity incidence, the development of antiobesity drugs has aroused extensive interest. In this study, a simple and portable personal glucose meter (PGM) method based on the lipase-mediated reaction combined with molecular docking was developed for the screening of lipase inhibitors. Lipase can catalyse the hydrolysis of 4-acetamidophenyl acetate to form acetaminophen, which can directly trigger the reduction of K3[Fe(CN)6] to K4[Fe(CN)6] in the glucose test strips and generate an electrical signal that can be detected by the PGM. When lipase inhibitors exist, the yield of acetaminophen will be reduced and results in a corresponding decrease of the PGM signal. Therefore, the activity of lipase can be measured by the PGM. After optimization of the experimental conditions, the inhibitory activity of fourteen small-molecule compounds and fifteen natural product extracts on lipase were evaluated by the developed PGM method. The results indicate that tannic acid, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin have good inhibitory effect on lipase (% of inhibition higher than 40.0%). Besides, the natural product extracts of Galla Chinensis, lemon, and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma have a good inhibitory effect on lipase with % of inhibition of (97.5 ± 0.6)%, (88.1 ± 0.7)%, and (79.1 ± 1.6)%, respectively. Finally, the binding sites and modes of six small-molecule compounds on lipase were investigated by the molecular docking study. The results show that the developed PGM method is an effective approach for the discovery of potential lipase inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fundamental design guideline for a metamaterial (MTM) leaky‐wave antenna with continuous tuning capability of radiation directions without causing band gaps. The proposed design is the composite right–left hand (CRLH) type MTM, and each cell has a slot that could be in the open‐ or close‐state with indicating as 0 and 1 states. With the MTM‐based design, a leaky‐wave antenna consisting of eight MTM units can be controlled by states of periodical MTM units such as coding states 0000–0000, 1010–1010, ..., 1111–1111, rather than by frequency tuning, thereby realizing continuously beam scanning without any stopband from −30° to +30° in the fixed frequencies from 9 to 9.2 GHz. The proof‐of‐concept level tuning capability is confirmed by experiments using the closed‐ or open‐patches that emulate the electrical short‐ or open‐state of individual switch. The measured results show that the MTM‐based leaky‐wave antenna can obtain state‐dependent and continuous beam scanning at the fixed frequencies of 9–9.2 GHz. It can be applied for radar sensing with requiring continuous and state‐dependent beam scanning properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal wall of large mining height longwall fully mechanized face in steeply dipping coal seam has poor self-stability and high probability of instability, which is likely to induce secondary hazards such as support instability and flying gangue once catastrophic occurs, increasing the difficulty of surrounding rock control and production risk. Coal wall disaster prevention and control can improve the productivity of this type of face, and this is based on the sufficient understanding of damage patterns such as internal and external dispersion of coal wall pressure, deformation, and displacement; in order to clarify the coal wall dynamic failure law of large mining height face in steeply dipping coal seam, numerical calculation, field measurement, theoretical analysis, and other methods are comprehensively applied to the study. The results show that the coal wall bearing of large mining height face in steeply dipping coal seam is distributed asymmetrically, the stress concentration position in the upper and middle part of the face is closer to the coal wall than the lower part, the stress concentration degree is also larger than the lower part, and the stress concentration coefficients from upper to lower are 1.37, 1.50, and 1.29, respectively. Soft coal wall bearing is mainly dispersed in the shape of "X" in its interior, forming intertwined pressure increasing and unloading zones, and most of the pressure increasing zones are at the edge of the outer end of the pressure relief zone, compression-shear type is the main failure form of the coal, and the middle and upper part of the coal wall in the height direction is easy to break and cause disaster. The coal wall of steeply dipping face partitioning migration features is obvious, and vertical displacement within 3.77 m from the coal wall is lower > middle > upper; after 3.77 m, it is upper > middle > lower; horizontal displacement is middle > upper > lower; coal migration volume in the middle region of the face is largest; and the coal wall instability has high frequency, wide influence area, and alternating evolution law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the retrieval efficiency, this paper uses case-based reasoning (CBR) in the retrieval of traffic congestion cases and tries to adopt the strategy of clustering case databases before retrieval so as to narrow the scope of case retrieval. In terms of case clustering, the k-means algorithm, with excellent performance in text clustering, is selected to cluster traffic congestion edge cases. At the same time, considering that there is a certain similarity among the descriptions of traffic congestion, the K-means algorithm is optimized to generate an accurate clustering. Those edge cases are clustered into microcase clusters of traffic congestion and then divided into different traffic congestion categories according to the distance of cluster center. Experimental results show that the clustered case base is divided into several microcase bases, which improves the accuracy and shortens the retrieval time in the process of retrieval and provides a new idea for the retrieval method in the process of case-based reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To find the effects of dapagliflozin in combination with metoprolol sustained-release tablets on cardiac function and prognosis in acute myocardial infarction patients after PCI. Methods. A total of 84 patients with myocardial infarction who experienced PCI from February 2020 to February 2022 were included and allocated into 3 groups: groups A, B, and C (n = 28 /per group). Group A was given dapagliflozin combined with metoprolol sustained-release tablets, group B was given dapagliflozin, and group C was given the placebo. Left ventricular end diastolic diameter (EDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and end systolic diameter (ESD) were measured before and after treatment in all groups; myocardial infarction areas were matched among all three groups at 3 months posttreatment. The serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected in all three groups before and after treatment. The levels of N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP), lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), and secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) were also detected in the serum of all groups. Adverse reactions and cardiovascular adverse events were matched between all groups. Results. The levels of LVEF in groups A and B were increased after treatment, while the levels of EDD and ESD were decreased. The improvement degree of LVEF and EDD levels in groups A and B was found greater compared to group C (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in myocardial infarction area among the three groups at 3 months postoperation (P > 0.05). Serum concentrations of MDA, hs-CRP, IL-6, IMA, NT-proBNP, and Lp(a) were found to decrease in all three groups after treatment, while the levels of SOD and SFRP5 were increased. The improvement degree of serum hs-CRP, IL-6, SOD, MDA, IMA, NT-proBNP, Lp(a), and SFRP5 levels was greater in both groups A and B compared to group C. The improvement degree of serum hS-CRP, SOD, MDA, IMA, Nt-probNP, Lp(a), and SFRP5 levels was significantly greater in group A compared to group B (P < 0.05). No adverse effect was observed in all three groups (P > 0.05). Total occurrence of cardiovascular adverse effects such as stent thrombosis, heart failure, ventricular fibrillation, and death was 10.71% in group A, 25.00% in group B, and 53.75% in group C. There was statistical significance in the onset of cardiovascular adverse effects 3 months postoperation among all three groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Dapagliflozin with metoprolol sustained-release tablets can be effective in improving the heart function, inflammatory response, oxidative stress response, and prognosis in patients after PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the digital age, the hardware equipment and system software of digital painting are becoming more and more popular, and the penetration of digital technology in the field of printmaking is getting deeper and deeper. However, traditional skills are gradually being eroded under the pressure of a homogeneous and efficient modern digital society. This paper aims to use the edge computing optimization model to provide a new path for the integration of digital prints and traditional prints. While retaining the exquisite skills of traditional printmaking, it also uses modern digital technology to make digital printmaking more alive. Based on this, this paper focuses on analyzing the optimization model of edge computing, and it optimizes the upload and downlink transmission for the creation of digital prints. Through experiments, it is found that the system energy consumption of the initialization scheme does not change with the change of T, while the system performance of the MEC optimization scheme has been improved, and the improvement range is between 80% and 100%. As T grows, the optimization of the task assignment variable L u will improve the overall system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trajectory planning of UAV with nonholonomic constraints is usually taken as differential algebraic equation to solve the optimal control problem of functional extremum under the condition of inequality constraints. However, it can be challenging to meet the requirements of real-time for the high complexity. A differential flat theory based on B-spline trajectory planning can replace the optimal control problem with nonlinear programming and be a good means to achieve the efficient trajectory planning of an UAV under multiple dynamic constraints. This research verifies the feasibility of this theory with actual flight experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infestation was the most widespread STD (sexually transmitted diseases) among humans and was the leading cause of infectious recurrent genital herpes. Existing therapies against HSV-2 did incompletely restrain the comeback of activated HSV-2 infestation. Geranium wilfordii Maxim had long been used as traditional Chinese medicine for treating the diseases owing to its anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. Herein, the study was designed to investigate the antiviral activity of G.wilfordii and its potential effect in regulating the host's immune response. Methods. To identify the stage of infection at which the compounds inhibited HSV-2, we performed virucidal, therapeutic, and prophylactic assays. The antiviral efficacy was evaluated by the analysis of viral components HSV-2 gD and VP16. The antiviral activities of these compounds were also evaluated by phenotypic analysis, such as cell proliferation and apoptosis. Molecular docking studies on candidate compounds were done to indicate binding interactions between the compounds and adopted compound targets. Results. Quercetin, corilagin, and geraniin inhibited the replication of HSV-2, with geraniin showing greater TI. The obtained IC50 value of quercetin was 204.7 μM and TI (IC50/EC50) was 5.1, whereas the obtained IC50 value of corilagin was 118.0 μg/ml and TI was 4.05. Geraniin exhibited prominent antiviral activity with an IC50 of 212.4 μM and an EC50 of 18.37 μM, resulting in a therapeutic index (TI) of 11.56. Geraniin showed important in vitro virucidal activity through blocking viral attachment. Compared with the virus group, the apoptosis rates in quercetin-, corilagin-, and geraniin-treated groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.001).The expressions at the transcription genes of virus own replication key factors (including HSV-2 gD and VP16) and cytokines (including TBK1) of infected cells treated with quercetin, corilagin, and geraniin were inhibited. The in silico approaches demonstrated a high number of potential strong intermolecular interactions as hydrogen bonds between geraniin, corilagin, and the activity site of HSV-2 gD. Molecular docking studies demonstrated the effects of corilagin by targeting TBK1. Conclusions. Together, these results highlighted the importance of G.wilfordii treatment in HSV-2 infection and underscored its therapeutic potential. However, additional in vitro and in vivo research was required to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Message queuing telemetry transport has emerged as a promising communication protocol for resource-constrained electric Internet of things due to high bandwidth utilization, simple implementation, and various quality of service levels. Enabled by message queuing telemetry transport, electric Internet of things gateways adopt dynamic protocol adaptation, conversion, and quality of service level selection to realize bidirectional communication with massive devices and platforms based on heterogeneous communication protocols. However, protocol adaptation and quality of service guarantee in message queuing telemetry transport-empowered electric Internet of things still faces several challenges, such as unified communication architecture, differentiated quality of service requirements, lack of quality of service metric models, and incomplete information. In this paper, we first establish a unified communication architecture for message queuing telemetry transport-empowered electric Internet of things for adaptation and conversion of heterogeneous protocols. Second, we formulate the quality of service level selection optimization problem to minimize the weighted sum of packet-loss ratio and delay. Then, a delay-reliability-aware message queuing telemetry transport quality of service level selection algorithm based on upper confidence bound is proposed to learn the optimal quality of service level through dynamically interacting with the environment. Compared with single and fixed quality of service level selection strategies, delay-reliability-aware message queuing telemetry transport quality of service level selection can effectively reduce the weighted sum of delay and packet-loss ratio and satisfy the differentiated quality of service requirements of electric Internet of things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly developed two-component polymer (TFPU) cut-off walls have great application potential in civil engineering for water-seepage prevention. Investigating the mechanical interactions between TFPU and soil from the theoretical perspective can provide a basis for furtherly evaluating the stability of TFPU cut-off walls, which, however, has not been conducted. In this study, based on the shear testing results, the shear damage model of the TFPU-bentonite contact surface was established. Studies show that the TFPU-bentonite contact surface performs strain-softening behavior under shear and that the strain-softening behavior becomes less and less obvious when the normal stress increases. The theoretical shear stress-strain curves are in good consistent with the experimental ones, and the maximum differences between the theoretical shear stress and shear strain at yield and the experimental ones are about 3.88% and 3.40%, respectively, indicating that the shear damage model can reflect the mechanical properties of the TFPU-bentonite contact surface. The critical damage of the contact surface increases from 0.05 to 0.50 in the power function way when normal stress increases from 75 to 1200 kPa, implying that the shear failure of the contact surfaces changes from brittleness to ductility. This study provides a theoretical base for evaluating the influences of the TFPU-soil contact surface on the stability of the TFPU cut-off wall structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an improved coupled modeling method for coalbed methane extraction after hydraulic fracturing. Based on the damage mechanics theory, we introduce a state damage variable to record the damage changes at different times and construct the coupling governing equations of the seepage field and solid mechanics field in the hydraulic fracturing process. Then, the results of hydraulic fracturing simulation are used as initial values to perform coupling modeling for coalbed methane extraction. The method is implemented by the combination of different modules in COMSOL to solve the state damage variable, displacement, and pressure. Additionally, two 2D numerical examples are used to verify the precision of this method, and a 3D coalbed methane extraction simulation is performed to analyze the extraction effects and the evolution characteristics of the permeability before and after hydraulic fracturing. Numerical examples show that the proposed coupling modeling method can not only simplify the calculation steps of the CwM method and reduce the numerical errors caused, but also characterize the damage, porosity, permeability, and extraction effect caused by hydraulic fracturing in coal seams with permeability anisotropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gear-bearing system is the most important part of integrally centrifugal compressors. According to statistics, the majority of integrally geared compressor accidents are caused by excessive vibration of the geared rotor. However, its complicated dynamic characteristics and inevitable vibration faults in actual operation present significant challenges throughout the analysis and design stages. In this paper, the coupled self-excited vibration of the gear system characterized by multipoint meshing and oil film bearing supporting is investigated. Firstly, the structure of the gear system in an integrally geared compressor is used as a research object. The modeling approach of meshing excitation, including time-varying mesh stiffness, gear meshing error, and tooth backlash are introduced. However, the variable stiffness and damping coefficient equations of journal bearing and oil film thrust bearing are modeled and utilized to approximate the variable bearing force and simplify the vibration computation under the assumption of Newtonian fluid. Then, a dimensionless modeling method of the gear system considering gyroscopic moment of gear disk, variable meshing force, as well as variable stiffness and damping coefficient is proposed. Based on the dynamic model, the influence of the bearing dynamic coefficients and load on the vibration of the entire gear system is studied. Among which, the vibration displacement and meshing force are examined using frequency-domain and time-domain analysis methods. The results suggest that the flexible support can restrain the system's nonlinear motion, whilst increasing load on the gear system can improve gear operation stability and reduce load fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the efficiency of dynamic visualization of large-scale road traffic data in a web environment, this paper proposes a SLAM 3D digital terrain map visualization method using SqueezeNet in a web environment. We propose a hierarchical organization method of the road network, taking into account road attributes and drawing roads at different view heights; a multiroad merging method based on the line segment indexing feature of WebGL (web graphics library) technology, and optimizing the scene by combining view rejection and multithreading technology. The prototype system was developed and case studies were carried out using the national road network data as an example. The experimental results show that the frame rate of large-scale road traffic data visualization in the network environment is above 40 frames/second, which is 20–30 frames/second higher than that of Baidu's ECharts GL visualization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational data mining (EDM) methods are increasingly diversified. In this research, a hybrid method of multikernel learning (MKL), least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM), and genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to evaluate teaching quality through nine indicators; the reliability of our proposed method is evaluated by confidence interval and prediction interval. First, English teaching quality samples occurring from three age groups at Guizhou Normal University are collected. Next, an intelligent method MK-LSSVM is proposed. Finally, the test sets are regression by the proposed model, and regression results are evaluated by confidence interval, prediction interval, and several error calculation methods; we also develop an ablation experiment for our proposed model. The experiment indicates that the MKL-LSSVM-GA outperforms other benchmark methods at three age-group levels. Additionally, at all three age-group levels, the experiment indicates that three indicators are crucial for the evaluation of teaching quality. Therefore, the proposed model in this paper can evaluate the English teaching quality effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online shopping has led to the rapid development of e-commerce, and at the same time, the pressure of offline distribution has increased abruptly. Therefore, a current development trend is to share end-to-end distribution against the background of the Internet. The main research content of this paper is the benefit distribution mechanism of shared end distribution. Based on an analysis of the current situation of interest distribution, this paper proposes factors that affect interest distribution from the perspectives of individuals and groups. The suitable income distribution mode of enterprise alliances is chosen from two dimensions—cooperation mode and coordination mechanism. Based on extant theory, this paper proposes a benefit distribution scheme-selection mechanism based on the modified Shapley value method and takes the terminal distribution in the Haidian District of Beijing as an example. The revised income distribution results better reflect the income-generating abilities of different enterprises within a cooperative organization and assign different benefit proportions to this cooperative organization based on different income-generating capacities to provide development incentives and, at the same time, better achieve income distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of slope vibration induced by flood discharge of high dams cannot be ignored. In this paper, this problem is simplified to be the relationship among the fluctuating pressures, the inherent properties of the slope system, and its dynamic responses. The characteristics of fluctuating pressures in the plunge pool during flood discharge are analyzed by the hydraulic model test. And a numerical slope model consisting of the finite element domain and the PML domain is established to study the inherent characteristics and vibration responses by numerical simulation. The results show that the flow fluctuation in plunge pool is a continuous and stable random vibration process. And the fluctuating pressures on the bottom area of the plunge pool are greater than that of the sidewall, but the fluctuation phenomenon at the sidewall is more intense. In addition, the slope displacement vibration intensity caused by fluctuating pressures is small, only at the micron level. The fluctuating pressures on the bottom area of the plunge pool are the dominant factor affecting the kinetic energy density distribution of the slope. This work provides a simple and efficient method for the study of slope vibration induced by high dam flood discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing research data show that, after reservoir impoundment, due to the repeated rise and fall of water level and water-rock interaction, the mechanical parameters of landslide are reduced, which will have an adverse effect on the stability of landslide. Therefore, sufficient attention must be paid to the stability of slope after reservoir impoundment. Hejia landslide is the largest landslide near the bank of Miaojiaba hydropower station, and its stability plays an important role in the normal operation of the hydropower station. Through field investigation and analysis of regional geological conditions, it is concluded that Hejia landslide is a large-scale landslide, through long-term sliding-bending deformation; it is generated from the external hard rock with thick layers and sliding zone for layered soft rock; the formation mechanism of landslide is as follows: (1) high-steep and hard-soft layered slope is the slope structure condition that caused the large landslide; (2) the existence of thick soft rock belt provides material conditions for the formation of slip surface; (3) certain air conditions provide displacement space for the separation and disintegration of the sliding body, and the landslide is stable at present. Numerical analysis results show that reservoir impoundment will adversely affect the stability of landslide. In order to ensure the normal operation of power station, certain engineering measures must be taken to treat Hejia landslide. After taking measures, years of monitoring data show that the deformation of Hejia landslide tends to be stable, and the current operation is normal, indicating that the engineering treatment measures are reasonable and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teriparatide, also known as 1-34 parathyroid hormone (PTH (1-34)), is commonly used for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. But its therapeutic application is restricted by poor metabolic stability, low bioavailability, and rapid clearance. Herein, PTHG2, a glycosylated teriparatide derivative, is designed and synthesized to improve PTH stability and exert more potent antiosteoporosis effect. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis shows that PTHG2 combines to PTH 1 receptor. Additional acetylglucosamine covalent bonding in the first serine at the N terminal of PTH (1-34) improves stability and increases protein hydrolysis resistance. Intermittent administration of PTHG2 preserves bone quality in ovariectomy- (OVX-) induced osteoporosis mice model, along with increased osteoblastic differentiation and bone formation, and reduced marrow adipogenesis. In vitro, PTHG2 inhibits adipogenic differentiation and promotes osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). For molecular mechanism, PTHG2 directs BMSCs fate through stimulating the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Blocking PKA abrogates the pro-osteogenic effect of PTHG2. In conclusion, our study reveals that PTHG2 can accelerate osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and inhibit adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs and show a better protective effect than PTH (1-34) in the treatment of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To discuss the effects of dydrogesterone combined with letrozole on the effectiveness, sex hormone levels, and serological indicators in patients with endometriosis. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020213172). Methods. We searched relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through PubMed, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP Database. The standardized mean differences (SMDs), the mean differences (MDs), or odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed to be outcome indicators, including total effectiveness, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) level, Carbohydrate Antigen 125 (CA125) level, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) level, Luteinizing Hormone (LH) level, estrogen (E2) level, progesterone (P) level, interleukin-6 (IL-6) level, and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) level. Results. A total of 19 RCTs involving 1,591 patients were included in this study. Our results showed that letrozole combined with dydrogesterone can significantly reduce the levels of VEGF (SMD -2.23, 95% CI -2.39 to -2.07; p < 0.00001), CA125 (MD -10.53, 95% CI -11.19 to -9.88; p < 0.00001), E2 (SMD -1.64, 95% CI -1.81 to -1.47; p < 0.00001), P (MD -5.11, 95% CI -6.26 to -3.96; p < 0.00001), IL-6 (MD -4.41, 95% CI -5.16 to -3.67; p < 0.00001), and TNF-a (MD -5.67, 95% CI -6.34 to -5.00; p < 0.00001) in patients with endometriosis compared with the control group. In addition, the results indicated that total effectiveness was significantly higher in the experiment group (OR 6.21, 95% CI 4.17 to 9.24; p < 0.00001) compared to the control. However, there was no significant difference between FSH and LH levels in both groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion. This combination therapy can effectively decrease the levels of VEGF, CA125, E2, P, IL-6, and TNF-a and increase the total effectiveness when comparing with the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teriparatide, also known as 1-34 parathyroid hormone (PTH (1-34)), is commonly used for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. But its therapeutic application is restricted by poor metabolic stability, low bioavailability, and rapid clearance. Herein, PTHG2, a glycosylated teriparatide derivative, is designed and synthesized to improve PTH stability and exert more potent antiosteoporosis effect. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis shows that PTHG2 combines to PTH 1 receptor. Additional acetylglucosamine covalent bonding in the first serine at the N terminal of PTH (1-34) improves stability and increases protein hydrolysis resistance. Intermittent administration of PTHG2 preserves bone quality in ovariectomy- (OVX-) induced osteoporosis mice model, along with increased osteoblastic differentiation and bone formation, and reduced marrow adipogenesis. In vitro, PTHG2 inhibits adipogenic differentiation and promotes osteoblastic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). For molecular mechanism, PTHG2 directs BMSCs fate through stimulating the cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. Blocking PKA abrogates the pro-osteogenic effect of PTHG2. In conclusion, our study reveals that PTHG2 can accelerate osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and inhibit adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs and show a better protective effect than PTH (1-34) in the treatment of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The immune microenvironment of liver cancer is of great significance for the treatment of liver cancer. After evaluating the content of mast cells resting in the transcriptome data of The Cancer Genome Atlas database by CIBERSORT analysis, this study aimed to group the samples according to the content of mast cells resting in different samples to find the differentially expressed genes in the two groups. Significant prognostic differences were found between high and low mast cells resting infiltration groups. The prognostic model was constructed according to the differentially expressed genes. The model was validated using external independent datasets. The results revealed that the constructed model was reliable. It could well distinguish the prognostic differences of patients in different characteristic groups. The high-risk group was mainly concentrated in metabolic pathways. The risk score of this model was closely related to some immune cells, immune function, and immune checkpoints. Therefore, this model may provide new ideas for immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a progressive cardiovascular disease, which is a permanent and localized dilatation of the abdominal aorta with potentially fatal consequence of aortic rupture. Dysregulation of circRNAs is correlated with the development of various pathological events in cardiovascular diseases. However, the function of circRNAs in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is unknown and remains to be explored. This study is aimed at determining the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in AAAs. This study was aimed at exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms of abdominal aortic aneurysms based on the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory hypothesis of circRNA, miRNA, and mRNA. Methods. The expression profiles of circRNAs (GSE144431), miRNAs (GSE62179), and mRNAs (GSE7084, GSE57691, and GSE47472) in human tissue sample from the aneurysm group and normal group were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, respectively. The circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed by using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software; then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by using the STRING database, and the hub genes were identified by using the cytoHubba plug-in. The circRNA-miRNA-hub gene regulatory subnetwork was formed to understand the regulatory axis of hub genes in AAAs. Results. The present study identified 40 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) in the GSE144431, 90 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs) in the GSE62179, and 168 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) with the same direction regulation (130 downregulated and 38 upregulated) in the GSE7084, GSE57691, and GSE47472 datasets identified regarding AAAs. The miRNA response elements (MREs) of three DECs were then predicted. Four overlapping miRNAs were obtained by intersecting the predicted miRNA and DEmiRs. Then, 17 overlapping mRNAs were obtained by intersecting the predicted target mRNAs of 4 miRNAs with 168 DEGs. Furthermore, the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed through 3 circRNAs, 4 miRNAs, and 17 mRNAs, and three hub genes (SOD2, CCR7, and PGRMC1) were identified. Simultaneously, functional enrichment and pathway analysis were performed within genes in the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. Three of them (SOD2, CCR7, and PGRMC1) were suggested to be crucial based on functional enrichment, protein-protein interaction, and ceRNA network analysis. Furthermore, the expression of SOD2 and CCR7 may be regulated by hsa_circ_0011449/hsa_circ_0081968/hsa-let-7f-5p; the expression of PGRMC1 may be regulated by hsa_circ_0011449/hsa_circ_0081968-hsa-let-7f-5p/hsa-let-7e-5p. Conclusion. In conclusion, the ceRNA interaction axis we identified may be an important target for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. This study provided further understanding of the potential pathogenesis from the perspective of the circRNA-related competitive endogenous RNA network in AAAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Being a traditional Chinese medicine, Geranium wilfordii Maxim (GWM) is used for the treatment of various infectious diseases, and its main active ingredients are the polyphenolic substances such as polyphenols quercetin, corilagin, and geraniin. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-HSV-1 viral activity of these three main ingredients. Through employing a network pharmacological method, the authors of the present research intend to probe the mechanism of GWM for the therapeutic treatment of HSV-2 infection. Methods. The bioactive substances and related targets of GWM were obtained from the TCMSP database. Gene expression discrepancy for HSV-2 infection was obtained from dataset GSE18527. Crossover genes between disease target genes and GWM target genes were gained via Circos package. Distinctively displayed genes (DDGs) during HSV-2 infection were uploaded to the Metascape database with GWM target genes for further analysis. The tissue-specific distribution of the genes was obtained by uploading the genes to the PaGenBase database. Ingredient-gene-pathway (IGP) networks were constructed using Cytoscape software. Molecular docking investigations were carried out utilizing AutoDock Vina software. Results. Nine actively involved components were retrieved from the TCMSP database. After taking the intersection among 153 drug target genes and 83 DDGs, 7 crossover genes were screened. Gene enrichment analysis showed that GWM treatment of HSV-2 infection mainly involves cytokine signaling in the immune system, response to virus, epithelial cell differentiation, and type II interferon signaling (IFNG). One hub, three core objectives, and two critical paths were filtered out from the built network. Geraniin showed strong binding activity with HSV-2 gD protein and STING protein in molecular docking. Conclusions. This network pharmacological study provides a fundamental molecular mechanistic exploration of GWM for the treatment of HSV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the clinical effectiveness of antibiotic-loaded bone cement on primary treatment of diabetic foot infection. This is a randomized controlled study, including thirty-six patients with diabetic foot ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis who had undergone treatment between May 2018 and December 2019. Patients were randomly divided into control group (group A) and study group (group B). Patients in the intervention group received antibiotic-loaded bone cement repair as primary treatment, while patients in the control group received conventional vacuum sealing draining treatment. Clinical endpoints were assessed and compared between the two groups, including wound healing time, wound bacterial conversion, NRS pain score, number of wound dressing changes, and average hospitalization time. All patients were followed up for a period of 12 months after discharge. Results show that compared with the control group, patients in the study group had significant difference in the number of patients for baseline pathogens eradication, short NRS pain score, hospital length of stay and cost, wound surface reduction, healing time, low rate of complications, and infection recurrence. Based on the findings, we conclude that antibiotic-loaded bone cement can be used for treatment of wound in patient with diabetic foot infection. It can help to control wound infections, shorten hospital length of stay, reduce medical cost, and relieve both doctors' and patients' burden. The application of antibiotic-loaded bone cement is suitable for diabetic wound with soft tissue infection or osteomyelitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a circularly polarized (CP) multi‐fed combined inverted‐F antenna (IFA) with highly stable phase center is presented. Based on the analysis of the traditional IFA unit, a four‐ports fed CP combined IFA is designed. Consisting of four combined IFAs, the antenna radiator has a shape of British Union Jack. In addition, four parasitic strips are introduced to improve the phase enter performance. A four‐way Wilkinson power divider is designed to feed the four IFA antennas with equal amplitudes and incremental phase difference of 90, which can maintain stable phase center. To validate the design, a prototype of the antenna working at global positioning system L1 band has been simulated, fabricated, and measured. The measured 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth is from 1.4 to 1.8 GHz. The maximum gain of 8.02 dBic is obtained at 1.58 GHz. Due to the symmetric structure, the simulated deviation of the phase center is smaller than 5.8 at the center operating frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Inflammatory markers are associated with tumor genesis and progression, but their prognostic significance in osteosarcoma remains unclear. Therefore, we discussed the prognostic value of related inflammatory markers in osteosarcoma through a meta-analysis and systematic review. These inflammatory markers include C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and Glasgow prognostic score (GPS). Methods. The Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Chinese Scientific Journals (VIP), PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane libraries were searched. The design of meta-analysis was made based on the PICOS (population, intervention/exposure, control, outcomes, and study design) principles, and STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of included studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DPS) were extracted for the investigation of the prognostic value of inflammatory markers. Results. Twelve researches with 2162 osteosarcoma patients were included in total. The pooled results showed that elevated NLR, CRP, and GPS are all greatly related to shortening of OS among patients with osteosarcoma (HR = 1.68 , P = 0.007 , 95% CI: 1.15-2.45; HR = 1.96 , P = 0.002 , 95% CI: 1.28-3.00; HR = 2.54 , P < 0.0001 , 95% CI: 1.95-3.31, respectively), and CRP level is significantly associated with shortening of DPS among patients with osteosarcoma (HR = 2.76 , 95% CI:2.01-3.80, P < 0.0001), additionally. However, the correlation between LMR or PLR and the prognosis of osteosarcoma is not statistically significant (HR = 0.60 , 95% CI: 0.30-1.18, P = 0.138 ; HR = 1.13 , 95% CI: 0.85-1.49, P = 0.405 , respectively). The outcomes of subgroup analysis to NLR and CRP suggested that histology, ethnicity, metastasis, and sample size all have an impact on its prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma. Conclusion. Worsened prognosis may be related to high levels of NLR, CRP, and GPS before treatment rather than LMR or PLR, which can provide the basis for clinicians to judge the outcomes of prognosis. Trial Registration. PROSPERO (CRD42021249954), https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=249954. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy and is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This study aimed to establish a reliable prognostic model for HCC using histological grades and the expression levels of related genes. The histological grade of a tumor provides prognostic information. The expression data of HCC samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We employed the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, as well as the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to establish the prognostic model. After verification of the proposed model using data downloaded from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database, we found that the model was highly reliable, and it was revealed that the prognosis in the high-risk group was significantly worse than that in the low-risk group. Next, we explored the correlation of RiskScore with patients' clinicopathological characteristics, and we found that the RiskScore could be used as an independent prognostic factor, which further confirmed the reliability of our model. In summary, the proposed model could accurately predict the prognosis of HCC patients, assisting clinicians to study the roles of different histological grades of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of studies have found that macrophages M1 play an important role in the occurrence and development of tumors. The aim of our study is to explore the causes of differential infiltration of macrophages M1 in hepatocellular carcinoma from the perspective of transcriptome and establish a prognostic model of hepatocellular carcinoma. We downloaded gene expression and clinical data from the public database, estimated the content of macrophages M1 in different samples with R software, and found the different genes between high- and low-infiltration groups. Using differentially expressed genes, we constructed a model composed of 7 genes. The risk score of the model has a good ability to predict the prognosis, has a positive correlation with immune checkpoints, and is closely related to other immune cells and immune function. Our model shows good prognostic function and has wide application value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we constructed the ferroptosis-related genes diagnostic and prognostic models. We analyzed the relationship between ferroptosis and tumor mutational burden in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Eighty-four ferroptosis-related genes were analyzed by Cox regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method. Seven genes (SLC7A11, ACSL3, ACACA, SLC1A5, G6PD, ACSL6, and VDAC2) were used to construct models. The reliability of the model was verified by using the data from the ICGC database. Differential genes in high and low-risk groups revealed enrichment of many immune features by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The degree of ferroptosis was negatively correlated with tumor mutational burden (i.e., the higher the degree of ferroptosis, the lower the tumor mutational burden). The tumor mutational burden was negatively correlated with survival. We also found that ALB, TP53, and DOCK2 may be a bridge between ferroptosis and tumor mutational burden. The reported models and the relationship with tumor mutational burden indicate new possibilities for individualized treatment of HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive assessment method of the fragility of low-rise cold-formed steel (CFS) framed wall structures subjected to wind hazards considering the fragility of both the main structure and the cladding system. The effects of wind directions on the fragility of CFS framed wall structures were also studied. For the main structure, the fragility curve is established using the maximum interstory drift ratio (ISDRmax) as the performance index for assessing the wind fragility of the structure. For the cladding system, the probabilistic models of the wind load and the cladding component resistance are established based on Monte Carlo simulation, and then methods for the fragility assessment of single cladding components and the cladding system under wind hazards considering the influence of the number and arrangement of the cladding components are proposed. The results indicated that, under strong wind, the cladding system may be damaged before the required wind resistance capacity of the main structure is exhausted. In particular, the roof sheathing is the most prone to damage, followed by the stud wall. That is, before the main structure is severely damaged or collapses, the cladding systems may be severely damaged, rendering the structure unusable. Therefore, the comprehensive assessment of the fragility of this type of structure subjected to wind hazard considering the fragility of both the main structure and the cladding system is more accurate. This study is of great significance for the improvement of the wind resistance performance of CFS structures and the popularization of this type of structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the concept of environmental protection of solid waste utilization, material testing is conducted to achieve native improvement using coal gangue-based limestone-calcined clay cement (LC3). Finite element (FE) models of rural raw-soil architecture with a colored-steel roof (RACSR) were established. The effect of modified soil type and seismic character on the vulnerability of single-story raw-soil structures was investigated using probabilistic seismic demand (PSD) analysis. The seismic response characteristics of 80 representative sequences were comparatively investigated when subjected to northwest clay (raw soil) of China, fiber and stone-improved clay (modified soil), and coal gangue-based limestone-calcined clay cement (LC3 soil). The maximum interstory drift angle (ISDAmax) was lower in the LC3 soil model and the modified soil model compared to the raw-soil model. The use of LC3 soil improves structural resistance and reduces the damage probability of a structure, and the influence of different ultimate failure states on the vulnerability of the raw-soil structure was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-flight ice accretion on typical pitot-static systems is numerically investigated to reveal their performance deterioration under both rime and glaze icing. Coupled with the open source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform, OpenFOAM, the numerical strategy integrates the airflow determination by the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, droplet collection evaluation by Eulerian representation, and ice accumulation by mass and energy conservation. Under varying inflow conditions and wall temperatures, the calculated ice accretion performance indicates that the ambient temperature has the most significant effect on the icing-induced failure time, leading to an almost exponential growth. Meanwhile, the blocking time is found to be linearly proportional to the increase in wall temperature. With the increase in inflow velocity, the failure time follows a parabolic variation with glaze ice accretion while shows a monotonic reduction under rime icing conditions. In addition, when the angle of attack increases, failure accelerates under both the glaze and rime icing scenarios. These findings provide guidance for the protection design of pitot tubes. A nonlinear regression analysis is further conducted to estimate the failure performance. The predicated failure times show reliable consistency with numerical results, demonstrating the capability of the obtained empirical functions for convenient predictions of failure times within the applicable range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Discectomy remains the classic procedure for treating lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation, but the occurrence of defects after discectomy is thought to be an important cause generating recurrent and accelerated IVD degeneration. Previous studies attempted suture of the annulus fissure, but the validity of this technique on restraining the degenerative process is controversial. On the other hand, cell therapies have been shown in multiple clinical and basic studies. Our purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of selective retention of autologous Bone Marrow Stromal Cells (BMSCs) with gelatin sponge in combination with annulus fibrosus suture (AFS) for the repair of IVD defects following mobile microendoscopic discectomy (MMED). Methods. This prospective, two-armed, and controlled clinical study was conducted from December 2016 to December 2018. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Forty-five patients with typical symptoms, positive signs of radiculopathy, and obvious lumbar disc herniation observed by MRI were enrolled. Patients were divided into 3 groups with different treating methods: MMED (n = 15), MMED+AFS (n = 15), and MMED+AFS+BMSCs (n = 15). A postoperative 2-year follow-up was performed to evaluate the patient-reported outcomes of VAS, ODI, and SF-36. The improvement rate of VAS and ODI was calculated as latest ‐ preoperative / preoperative to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the three groups. Assessment parameters included Pfirrmann grade, intervertebral disc height (IDH), and disc protrusion size (DPS), as measured by MRI to evaluate the morphological changes. Results. All patients enrolled had a postoperative follow-up at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. VAS and ODI scores were significantly improved compared to the preoperative status in all three groups with a mean DPS reduction rate over 50%. At the final follow-up, the improvement rate of the VAS score in the MMED+AFS+BMSCs group was significantly higher than the MMED+AFS and MMED groups (80.1 % ± 7.6 % vs. 71.3 % ± 7.0 % vs. 70.1 % ± 7.8 %), while ODI improvement showed a significant change (65.6 % ± 8.8 % vs. 59.9 % ± 5.5 % vs. 57.8 % ± 8.1 %). All participants showed significant improvement in SF-36 PCS and MCS; the differences between each group were not significant. The mean IDH loss rate of the MMED+AFS+BMSCs group was also significantly lower than other groups (− 17.2 % ± 1.3 % vs. − 27.6 % ± 0.7 % vs. − 29.3 % ± 2.2 %). The Pfirrmann grade was aggravated in the MMED and MMED+AFS groups while maintained at the preoperative grade in the MMED+AFS+BMSCs group. No adverse events of cell transplantation or recurrence were found in all patients during the postoperative follow-up period. Conclusions. It is feasible and effective to repair lumbar IVD defects using SCR-enriched BMSCs with gelatin sponges, which warrants further study and development as a cell-based therapy for IVD repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the clinical effectiveness of antibiotic-loaded bone cement on primary treatment of diabetic foot infection. This is a randomized controlled study, including thirty-six patients with diabetic foot ulcer complicated by osteomyelitis who had undergone treatment between May 2018 and December 2019. Patients were randomly divided into control group (group A) and study group (group B). Patients in the intervention group received antibiotic-loaded bone cement repair as primary treatment, while patients in the control group received conventional vacuum sealing draining treatment. Clinical endpoints were assessed and compared between the two groups, including wound healing time, wound bacterial conversion, NRS pain score, number of wound dressing changes, and average hospitalization time. All patients were followed up for a period of 12 months after discharge. Results show that compared with the control group, patients in the study group had significant difference in the number of patients for baseline pathogens eradication, short NRS pain score, hospital length of stay and cost, wound surface reduction, healing time, low rate of complications, and infection recurrence. Based on the findings, we conclude that antibiotic-loaded bone cement can be used for treatment of wound in patient with diabetic foot infection. It can help to control wound infections, shorten hospital length of stay, reduce medical cost, and relieve both doctors' and patients' burden. The application of antibiotic-loaded bone cement is suitable for diabetic wound with soft tissue infection or osteomyelitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzzy C-means (FCM) is an important clustering algorithm with broad applications such as retail market data analysis, network monitoring, web usage mining, and stock market prediction. Especially, parameters in FCM have influence on clustering results. However, a lot of FCM algorithm did not solve the problem, that is, how to set parameters. In this study, we present a kind of method for computing parameters values according to role of parameters in the clustering process. New parameters are assigned to membership and typicality so as to modify objective function, on the basis of which Lagrange equation is constructed and iterative equation of membership is acquired, so does the typicality and center equation. At last, a new possibilistic fuzzy C-means based on the weight parameter algorithm (WPFCM) was proposed. In order to test the efficiency of the algorithm, some experiments on different datasets are conducted to compare WPFCM with FCM, possibilistic C-means (PCM), and possibilistic fuzzy C-means (PFCM). Experimental results show that iterative times of WPFCM are less than FCM about 25% and PFCM about 65% on dataset X12. Resubstitution errors of WPFCM are less than FCM about 19% and PCM about 74% and PFCM about 10% on the IRIS dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was reported that acupuncture could treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) with the potential mechanisms remaining unclear. The aim of the study is to explore the effect of the combination stimulus of Hegu (LI4) and Taichong (LR3) on the resting-state brain networks in AD, beyond the default network (DMN). Twenty-eight subjects including 14 AD patients and 14 healthy controls (HCs) matched by age, gender, and educational level were recruited in this study. After the baseline resting-state MRI scans, the manual acupuncture stimulation was performed for 3 minutes, and then, another 10 minutes of resting-state fMRI scans was acquired. In addition to the DMN, five other resting-state networks were identified by independent component analysis (ICA), including left frontal parietal network (lFPN), right frontal parietal network (rFPN), visual network (VN), sensorimotor network (SMN), and auditory network (AN). And the impaired connectivity in the lFPN, rFPN, SMN, and VN was found in AD patients compared with those in HCs. After acupuncture, significantly decreased connectivity in the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) of rFPN (P = 0.007) was identified in AD patients. However, reduced connectivity in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (P = 0.047) and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) (P = 0.041) of lFPN and some regions of the SMN (the left inferior parietal lobula (P = 0.004), left postcentral gyrus (PoCG) (P = 0.001), right PoCG (P = 0.032), and right MFG (P = 0.010)) and the right MOG of VN (P = 0.003) was indicated in HCs. In addition, after controlling for the effect of acupuncture on HCs, the functional connectivity of the right cerebellum crus I, left IFG, and left angular gyrus (AG) of lFPN showed to be decreased, while the left MFG of IFPN and the right lingual gyrus of VN increased in AD patients. These findings might have some reference values for the interpretation of the combination stimulus of Hegu (LI4) and Taichong (LR3) in AD patients, which could deepen our understanding of the potential mechanisms of acupuncture on AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the bias dependence of gate‐drain capacitance (Cgd) and gate‐source capacitance (Cgs) in the AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors under a high drain‐to‐source voltage (Vds) from the perspective of channel shape variation, and further simplifies Cgd and Cgs to be gate‐to‐source voltage (Vgs) dependent only at high Vds. This method can significantly reduce the number of parameters to be fitted in Cgd and Cgs and therefore lower the difficulty of model development. The Angelov capacitance models are chosen for verifying the effectiveness of simplification. Good agreement between simulated and measured small‐signal S‐parameters, large‐signal power sweep, and power contours comprehensively proves the accuracy of this simplification method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the predictive factors associated with rapid progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with primary glomerular disease (PGD). Methods. Baseline data, clinical biochemistry, laboratory data, and imaging data were collected from 112 PGD patients in CKD stages 3 and 4 who were hospitalized at the Third Xiangya Hospital. Patients were divided into rapid progression group (Group R) and no rapid progression group (NR) according to the definition of rapid progression of CKD. Results. The age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), serum β2-microglobulin (sβ2-MG), urinary α1-microglobulin (uα1-MG), and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) of the R group were significantly higher than the NR group. However, the size of the kidney, high-dense lipoprotein (HDL), hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit of the R group were significantly lower than the NR group (P < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that baseline CTR, SBP, size of the kidney, and HDL were independent risk factors for rapid progression of PGD. At the end of follow-up, CTR and SBP of group R were higher than the NR group, and the size of the kidney and HDL of group R were lower than the NR group. Conclusion. Increased baseline CTR and SBP and decreased baseline HDL and renal volume could be the predictors of rapid progression in patients of PGD at the CKD stages 3 and 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To identify pivotal differentially expressed miRNAs and genes and construct their regulatory network in hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods. mRNA (GSE101728) and microRNA (GSE108724) microarray datasets were obtained from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Then, we identified the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs. Sequentially, transcription factor enrichment and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis for miRNA were performed. Target genes of these differential miRNAs were obtained using packages in R language (R package multiMiR). After that, downregulated miRNAs were matched with target mRNAs which were upregulated, while upregulated miRNAs were paired with downregulated target mRNA using scripts written in Perl. An miRNA-mRNA network was constructed and visualized in Cytoscape software. For miRNAs in the network, survival analysis was performed. And for genes in the network, we did gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Results. A total of 35 miRNAs and 295 mRNAs were involved in the network. These differential genes were enriched in positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion, positive regulation of leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, and so on. Eight differentially expressed miRNAs were found to be associated with the OS of patients with HCC. Among which, miR-425 and miR-324 were upregulated while the other six, including miR-99a, miR-100, miR-125b, miR-145, miR-150, and miR-338, were downregulated. Conclusion. In conclusion, these results can provide a potential research direction for further studies about the mechanisms of how miRNA affects malignant behavior in hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose.tempspacetempspaceTo identify pivotal differentially expressed miRNAs and genes and construct their regulatory network in hepatocellular carcinoma.tempspacetempspaceMethods.tempspacetempspacemRNA (GSE101728) and microRNA (GSE108724) microarray datasets were obtained from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.tempspacetempspaceThen, we identified the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs.tempspacetempspaceSequentially, transcription factor enrichment and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis for miRNA were performed.tempspacetempspaceTarget genes of these differential miRNAs were obtained using packages in R language (R package multiMiR).tempspacetempspaceAfter that, downregulated miRNAs were matched with target mRNAs which were upregulated, while upregulated miRNAs were paired with downregulated target mRNA using scripts written in Perl.tempspacetempspaceAn miRNA-mRNA network was constructed and visualized in Cytoscape software.tempspacetempspaceFor miRNAs in the network, survival analysis was performed.tempspacetempspaceAnd for genes in the network, we did gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.tempspacetempspaceResults.tempspacetempspaceA total of 35 miRNAs and 295 mRNAs were involved in the network.tempspacetempspaceThese differential genes were enriched in positive regulation of cell-cell adhesion, positive regulation of leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, and so on.tempspacetempspaceEight differentially expressed miRNAs were found to be associated with the OS of patients with HCC.tempspacetempspaceAmong which, miR-425 and miR-324 were upregulated while the other six, including miR-99a, miR-100, miR-125b, miR-145, miR-150, and miR-338, were downregulated.tempspacetempspaceConclusion.tempspacetempspaceIn conclusion, these results can provide a potential research direction for further studies about the mechanisms of how miRNA affects malignant behavior in hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]