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Although engulfment is a hallmark of microglia function, fully validated platforms that facilitate high-throughput quantification of this process are lacking. Here, we present FEAST (Flow cytometric Engulfment Assay for Specific Target proteins), which enables interrogation of in vivo engulfment of synaptic material by brain resident macrophages at single-cell resolution. We optimize FEAST for two different analyses: quantification of fluorescent material inside live cells and of engulfed endogenous proteins within fixed cells. To overcome false-positive engulfment signals, we introduce an approach suitable for interrogating engulfment in microglia from perfusion-fixed tissue. As a proof-of-concept for the specificity and versatility of FEAST, we examine the engulfment of synaptic proteins after optic nerve crush and of myelin in two mouse models of demyelination (treatment with cuprizone and injections of lysolecithin). We find that microglia, but not brain-border associated macrophages, engulf in these contexts. Our work underscores how FEAST can be utilized to gain critical insight into functional neuro-immune interactions that shape development, homeostasis, and disease. When and how microglia engulf synapses and myelin is still unclear. Here, the authors provide a suite of flow cytometry-based approaches to quantify engulfment, paving the way for high-throughput assessment of microglial function in health and disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to comprehend the dynamic disaster mechanism induced by overburden rock caving during the advancement of a coal mining face, a physical simulation model is constructed basing on the geological condition of the 21221 mining face at Qianqiu coal mine in Henan Province, China. This study established, a comprehensive monitoring system to investigate the interrelations and evolutionary characteristics among multiple mechanical parameters, including mining-induced stress, displacement, temperature, and acoustic emission events during overburden rock caving. It is suggested that, despite the uniformity of the overburden rock caving interval, the main characteristic of overburden rock lies in its uneven caving strength. The mining-induced stress exhibits a reasonable interrelation with the displacement, temperature, and acoustic emission events of the rock strata. With the advancement of the coal seam, the mining-induced stress undergoes four successive stages: gentle stability, gradual accumulation, high-level mutation, and a return to stability. The variations in other mechanical parameters does not synchronize with the significant changes in mining-induced stress. Before the collapse of overburden rock occurs, rock strata temperature increment decreases and the acoustic emission ringing counts surges with the increase of rock strata displacement and mining-induced stress. Therefore, the collaborative characteristics of mining-induced stress, displacement, temperature, and acoustic emission ringing counts can be identified as the precursor information or overburden rock caving. These results are in good consistent with on-site situation in the coal mine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of archive information network, it has become an important means to obtain archive information resources based on network means. At the same time, the number of users of network archives is increasing rapidly. As the main body of archive utilization, archive users play a leading role in the content and direction of archive management and utilization. The informatization of archive management is not equivalent to computerization or networking, but a systematic project related to the whole educational reform and modernization. As the modern archive management has become a complex system, there are also multi-level division methods. The first level is divided into two subsystems: archive entity management and archive information development, and each subsystem is further divided into several levels of small systems. Archive entity management is divided into collection, sorting, identification, storage, statistics, and other work links. The whole file management system and its subsystems form feedback mechanism in operation. Based on the multimedia soft computing and edge-driven multimodal system, this paper constructs the digital personalized healthcare web archive collection and storage model. The designed system is implemented through the C + + and various simulation scenarios have been considered. The comparison simulation is conducted to show the performance of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the potential role of selenium (Se) on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, we utilized mouse middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by reperfusion as an animal model and oxygen–glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) to treat N2a cells as a cell model, respectively. MCAO model was established in mice and then divided into different groups with or without Se treatment. TTC staining was used to observe whether the cerebral I/R modeling was successful, and the apoptosis level was determined by TUNEL staining. The expression of GPx-4 and p22phox was assessed by western blot. In vitro experiments, the OGD/R induced oxidative stress in N2a cells was assessed by levels of GSH/GSSG, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase and iron content, respectively. QRT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of Cox-2, Fth1, Mfn1 and mtDNA in N2a cells. JC-1 staining and flow cytometry was performed to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential. Se treatment alleviated cerebral I/R injury and improved the survival rate of mice. Additionally, Se treatment apparently attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited iron accumulation in MCAO model mice and OGD/R model of N2a cells. In terms of its mechanism, Se could up-regulate Mfn1 expression to alleviate oxidative stress and ferroptosis by promoting mitochondrial fusion in vivo and vitro. These findings suggest that Se may have great potential in alleviating cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately predict and quantify the potential structural damage (PSD) of ground motion records (GMRs), an intensity measure (IM) that correlates well with the structural response is needed. This paper proposes an exploratory factor analysis (EFA)-based approach for developing a compound intensity measure (CIM) for characterizing the PSD of GMRs. EFA is used to preferentially extract principal factors that are related to the acceleration, velocity and displacement of GMRs through compression of the selected IMs of three groups of GMRs. Then, the CIM is developed with a linear combination of the extracted principal factors on a log-scale. The explanations of variance corresponding to each principal factor are used to quantify the contributions of a single IM to the developed CIM. Applications to single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems modeled with different hysteretic models and multiple-degree-of-freedom systems subjected to three groups of GMRs demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. The results of the correlation between the developed CIM and structural demand confirm the robust performance of the proposed approach in estimating the predictability of the developed CIM for measuring the PSD of GMRs. The efficiency of the developed CIM for SDOF systems is found to be approximately of the same magnitude irrespective of hysteretic models, and the developed CIM is sufficient and proficient in structural demand evaluation with good confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previous study has pointed to that endogenous CYP metabolites play an important role in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD). The study aimed to identify the association of CYP19A1, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 polymorphisms with CHD susceptibility in a Chinese Han population. A total of 960 genetically unrelated participants consist of 480 CHD patients and 480 healthy controls were enrolled. Nine SNPs in CYP19A1, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 were randomly selected and genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY platform. Logistic regression analysis was used for the relationship between selected SNPs and CHD susceptibility by calculating odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age and gender. The distribution of clinical characteristics in different genotypes was evaluated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). CYP1A2 rs2470890 TT genotype had a higher CHD risk compared with CC genotype (OR = 3.06, p = 0.032) or CC-CT genotype (OR = 3.04, p = 0.033). Moreover, the contribution of CYP19A1 and CYP1A2 polymorphisms to CHD susceptibility was associated with age, gender, and clinical phenotypes (course of the disease and Gensini score). Besides, CYP1A2 rs762551 was related to serum levels of red blood cell, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, p < 0.05). Our findings provided scientific evidence about CYP19A1, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 polymorphisms on CHD incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious condition with a particularly high mortality rate. Gli-similar 2 (Glis2) has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ICH; however, its underlying mechanisms and biological significance remains unclear. In the present study, a specific interaction between Glis2 and p75NTR, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, was identified both in vivo and in vitro. These experiments further indicated that p75NTR may interact with Glis2, and that the complex was transported into the nucleus, initially, inducing neuronal death. Furthermore, the mechanism of neuronal death was explored, and may have been mediated via the activation of the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, and this was further investigated in the pathogenesis of ICH in rats in vivo. The study may provide evidences for regulating p75NTR-Glis2 complex as a potential reliable treatment for the secondary damage following ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the constant-damage residual displacement ratios Cr (i.e., the ratio of the residual displacement in terms of the maximum inelastic displacement) of single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems with different damage levels. A statistical study aimed at estimating the constant-damage Cr is conducted using the modified Park–Ang damage model when subjected to 228 ground motions recorded in California and organized for the NEHRP soil type, peak ground acceleration and ground motion duration. The effects of soil type, damage model and hysteretic behaviour are highlighted. The results indicate that constant-damage Cr increases when the damage index increases, reaching a limit at a damage index of 0.5. An empirical expression is finally proposed with two-step regression analysis to provide a reliable estimate of constant-damage Cr for SDOF structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current X-ray imaging technologies involving flat-panel detectors have difficulty in imaging three-dimensional objects because fabrication of large-area, flexible, silicon-based photodetectors on highly curved surfaces remains a challenge1–3. Here we demonstrate ultralong-lived X-ray trapping for flat-panel-free, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging using a series of solution-processable, lanthanide-doped nanoscintillators. Corroborated by quantum mechanical simulations of defect formation and electronic structures, our experimental characterizations reveal that slow hopping of trapped electrons due to radiation-triggered anionic migration in host lattices can induce more than 30 days of persistent radioluminescence. We further demonstrate X-ray luminescence extension imaging with resolution greater than 20 line pairs per millimetre and optical memory longer than 15 days. These findings provide insight into mechanisms underlying X-ray energy conversion through enduring electron trapping and offer a paradigm to motivate future research in wearable X-ray detectors for patient-centred radiography and mammography, imaging-guided therapeutics, high-energy physics and deep learning in radiology.Using lanthanide-doped nanomaterials and flexible substrates, an approach that enables flat-panel-free, high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging is demonstrated and termed X-ray luminescence extension imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative input energy of a ground motion is used to quantitatively estimate the destructive capacity of ground motion to a structure, which reflects the deformation capacity and energy dissipation capacity of a structure. The destructive capacity of a ground motion on a structure is known to be relevant to the structural period. Because ranking the destructive capacity of ground motion at all periods is not practical, rationally dividing period ranges should be performed before ranking ground motions according to their destructive capacity and a new method to divide period ranges based on the relative input energy is proposed. According to the correlation coefficient of the relative input energy at adjacent structural periods, the structural periods from 0.2 s to 10 s are divided into several representational period ranges, which include a recommended period within each period range to represent the whole range. Only the ground motion ranking sequence at the recommended period is used in this period range. The rationality of the ranking sequence of ground motions based on destructive capacity is verified by a series of structural seismic response analyses. The results of this paper are compared with those of existing methods, and the results show that the relative input energy index is able to better quantitatively describe the destructive capacity of ground motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulse-like ground motions are capable of inflicting significant damage to structures. Efficient classification of pulse-like ground motion is of great importance when performing the seismic assessment in near-fault regions. In this study, a new method for identifying the velocity pulses is proposed, based on different trends of two parameters: the short-time energy and the short-time zero crossing rate of a ground motion record. A new pulse indicator, the relative energy zero ratio (REZR), is defined to qualitatively identify pulse-like features. The threshold for pulse-like ground motions is derived and compared with two other identification methods through statistical analysis. The proposed procedure not only shows good accuracy and efficiency when identifying pulse-like ground motions but also exhibits good performance for classifying records with high-frequency noise and discontinuous pulses. The REZR method does not require a waveform formula to express and fit the potential velocity pulses; it is a purely signal-based classification method. Finally, the proposed procedure is used to evaluate the contribution of pulse-like motions to the total input energy of a seismic record, which dramatically increases the seismic damage potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM-C) with Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Data were derived from 1976 students (Mean age = 14.6 years; 50.1% female) from 17 secondary schools. An exploratory factor analysis was applied first to find out the factor patterns, and then a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to verify model structures obtained from the exploratory factor analysis. After that, two measurement invariance tests were used to test the construct stability across gender and educational levels. Internal consistency was examined by performing Cronbach’s alpha test. Associations between volunteering and prosocial behaviors and gender differences were also analyzed for concurrent validity examination. Results yielded partial support for the reliability and validity of PTM-C to use with Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Differences in findings and suggestions for further revision of PTM-C were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although researchers widely use the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) to measure parenting behaviour in terms of parental care and overprotection, its development using Western samples has cast doubt on its applicability among non-Western ones. In response, we examined psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the PBI by using survey data collected from a sample of 1997 Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong, whose mean age was 14.6 years and 50.3% of whom were girls. Our results supported a 4-factor structure representing caring, indifferent, overprotective, and autonomous parenting behaviours that we confirmed to be applicable to paternal and maternal parenting behaviours. Results of Cronbach’s alpha tests indicated that the measure is of good reliability, and correlations between the PBI and character strengths confirmed the scale’s good concurrent validity. Parental care and autonomy positively correlated with bravery, honesty, perseverance, kindness, love, self-regulation, social intelligence, and fairness, whereas indifference and overprotection negatively correlated with those eight character strengths. Parenting differences emerged regarding parental and children’s gender. In all, the Chinese version of the PBI proved to be a psychometrically robust measure for capturing adolescents’ perceptions of parenting behaviours in Hong Kong, which we discuss in terms of implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to incorporate near-fault directivity effect into the ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs) is an active research topic in recent years. Many studies demonstrated that the directivity could amplify the spectral accelerations (Sa) in a range close to the pulse period (Tp). This study intends to propose a new empirical narrowband model for including such effects. The ratio of the Sa from the original ground motions to the Sa from the residual ground motions is employed to quantify this amplification effects, under the assumption that the Sa from the residual ground motions are well predicted by the non-directivity-included GMPEs. Differing from previous models that suggested the amplified Sa arise in a smooth bell-shaped pattern, the proposed model assumes that the peak amplification occurs as a plateau in the intermediate range. This plateau, having a constant ordinate of about 3.31, starts and ends at the period of 0.75 and 1.09 times the Tp, respectively; while in the other ranges the amplification decreases away from the two sides of this plateau. To further simplify the proposed model, two additional controlling periods are derived to determine the period range with significant amplification effects. Then the proposed model is expressed in the form of a piecewise function comprising five line segments. Finally, it is concluded that the non-directivity-included GMPEs, when multiplying the proposed model, can reasonably approximate the Sa of the original ground motions in the statistical sense within the Tp-related range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures located in seismically active regions may be subjected to mainshock-aftershock (MSAS) sequences. Strong aftershocks significantly affect the hysteretic energy demand of structures. The hysteretic energy, EH,seq, is normalized by mass m and expressed in terms of the equivalent velocity, VD,seq, to quantitatively investigate aftershock effects on the hysteretic energy of structures. The equivalent velocity, VD,seq, is computed by analyzing the response time-history of an inelastic single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system with a varying vibration period subjected to 309 MSAS sequences. The present study selected two kinds of MSAS sequences, with one aftershock and two aftershocks, respectively. The aftershocks are scaled to maintain different relative intensities. The variation of the equivalent velocity, VD,seq, is studied for consideration of the ductility values, site conditions, relative intensities, number of aftershocks, hysteretic models, and damping ratios. The MSAS sequence with one aftershock exhibited a 10% to 30% hysteretic energy increase, whereas the MSAS sequence with two aftershocks presented a 20% to 40% hysteretic energy increase. Finally, a hysteretic energy prediction equation is proposed as a function of the vibration period, ductility value, and damping ratio to estimate hysteretic energy for mainshock-aftershock sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil engineering works such as buildings and infrastructure are the carriers of human civilization. They are, however, also the origins of various types of disasters, which are referred to in this paper as civil engineering disasters. This paper presents the concept of civil engineering disasters, their characteristics, classification, causes, and mitigation technologies. Civil engineering disasters are caused primarily by civil engineering defects, which are usually attributed to improper selection of construction site, hazard assessment, design and construction, occupancy, and maintenance. From this viewpoint, many so-called natural disasters such as earthquakes, strong winds, floods, landslides, and debris flows are substantially due to civil engineering defects rather than the actual natural hazards. Civil engineering disasters occur frequently and globally and are the most closely related to human beings among all disasters. This paper emphasizes that such disasters can be mitigated mainly through civil engineering measures, and outlines the related objectives and scientific and technological challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a powerful numerical model to simulate the fracture behavior of concrete material has long been one of the dominant research areas in earthquake engineering. A reliable model should be able to adequately represent the discontinuous characteristics of cracks and simulate various failure behaviors under complicated loading conditions. In this paper, a numerical formulation, which incorporates a sophisticated rigid-plastic interface constitutive model coupling cohesion softening, contact, friction and shear dilatation into the XFEM, is proposed to describe various crack behaviors of concrete material. An effective numerical integration scheme for accurately assembling the contribution to the weak form on both sides of the discontinuity is introduced. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been assessed by simulating several well-known experimental tests. It is concluded that the numerical method can successfully capture the crack paths and accurately predict the fracture behavior of concrete structures. The influence of mode-II parameters on the mixed-mode fracture behavior is further investigated to better determine these parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine whether decitabine priming prior to low-dose chemotherapeutic regimens could improve outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes-refractory anemia with excess of blasts (MDS-RAEB). Methods: The current retrospective analysis included all MDS-RAEB patients receiving idarubicin/cytarabine (IA) or aclacinomycin/cytarabine (AA), with or without decitabine priming during a period from February 2010 to May 2015. Treatment response and toxicity were compared between patients receiving decitabine priming and those who did not. A panel of 6 MDS-related genes was examined using bone marrow specimens. Results: A total of 81 patients were included in the analysis: 40 received decitabine priming prior to chemotherapy (decitabine priming group). The median follow-up was 10.9 months (IQR: 6.2-21.9). The rate of overall response (OR) and complete remission (CR) was significantly higher in the decitabine priming group than in the chemotherapy group (OR: 75.0 vs. 51.2%, p = 0.027; CR: 55.0 vs. 29.3%, p = 0.019). Overall survival (OS) did not differ significantly between the two groups (19.5 vs. 14.7 months, p = 0.082). In a subgroup analysis that included only patients at < 60 years of age, the CR rate in the decitabine priming group was significantly higher than in the chemotherapy group (65.5 vs. 31.0%, p = 0.009). Survival benefit of decitabine priming was apparent in patients at < 60 years of age (22.4 months with 95% CI of 6.7-38.1 vs. 14.7 months with 95% CI of 11.4-18.0 months in the chemotherapy group, p = 0.028), patients with intermediate and unfavorable karyotypes (22.4 months with 95% CI of 15.1-29.7 vs. 11.9 months with 95% CI of 4.0-19.8 months in the chemotherapy group, p = 0.042), and patients with mutated splicing factor genes (35.3 months with 95% CI of 21.4-49.2 vs. 17.8 months with 95% CI of 13.8-21.8 months in the chemotherapy group, p = 0.039). Grade 3-4 hematological and non-hematological toxicities were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions: Decitabine priming prior to low-dose chemotherapy could improve treatment responses in patients with MDS-RAEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vps4, vacuolar protein sorting 4, belongs to ATPases Associated with diverse cellular Activities (AAA) protein family which is made up of Vps4A and Vps4B. Previous studies demonstrated that Vps4A plays vital roles in diverse aspects such as virus budding, the efficient transport of H-Ras to the PM (plasma membrane) and the involvement in the MVB (multivesiculate bodies) pathway. Interestingly, Vps4A is also expressed in the brain. However, the distribution and function of Vps4A in ICH diseases remain unclear. In this study, we show that Vps4A may be involved in neuronal apoptosis during pathophysiological processes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Based on the results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry, we found a remarkable up-regulation of Vps4A expression surrounding the hematoma after ICH. Double labeled immunofluorescence showed that Vps4A was co-expressed with NeuN but rarely with astrocytes and microglia. Morever, we detected that neuronal apoptosis marker active caspase-3 had co-localizations with Vps4A. Additionaly, Vps4A knockdown in vitro specifically leads to decreasing neuronal apoptosis coupled with increased Akt phosphorylation. All datas suggested that Vps4A was involved in promoting neuronal apoptosis via inhibiting Akt phosphorylation after ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a Green's function, an essential representation of water-saturated ground under moving excitation, to simulate ground borne vibration from trains. First, general solutions to the governing equations of poroelastic medium are derived by means of integral transform. Secondly, the transmission and reflection matrix approach is used to formulate the relationship between displacement and stress of the stratified ground, which results in the matrix of the Green's function. Then the Green's function is combined into a train-track-ground model, and is verified by typical examples and a field test. Additional simulations show that the computed ground vibration attenuates faster in the immediate vicinity of the track than in the surrounding area. The wavelength of wheel-rail unevenness has a notable effect on computed displacement and pore pressure. The variation of vibration intensity with the depth of ground is significantly influenced by the layering of the strata soil. When the train speed is equal to the velocity of the Rayleigh wave, the Mach cone appears in the simulated wave field. The proposed Green's function is an appropriate representation for a layered ground with shallow ground water table, and will be helpful to understand the dynamic responses of the ground to complicated moving excitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrary to cell cycle-associated cyclin-dependent kinases, CDK5 is best known for its regulation of signaling processes in regulating mammalian CNS development. Studies of CDK5 have focused on its phosphorylation, although the diversity of CDK5 functions in the brain suggests additional forms of regulation. Here we expanded on the functional roles of CDK5 glycosylation in neurons. We showed that CDK5 was dynamically modified with O-GlcNAc in response to neuronal activity and that glycosylation represses CDK5-dependent apoptosis by impairing its association with p53 pathway. Blocking glycosylation of CDK5 alters cellular function and increases neuronal apoptosis in the cell model of the ICH. Our findings demonstrated a new role for O-glycosylation in neuronal apoptosis and provided a mechanistic understanding of how glycosylation contributes to critical neuronal functions. Moreover, we identified a previously unknown mechanism for the regulation of activity-dependent gene expression, neural development, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A glassy carbon electrode was modified with a composite consisting of ferrocene imidazolium salts and hydroxy-functionalized graphene in a Nafion matrix. The electrode is shown to facilitate the reduction of oxygen to form the superoxide anion radical. Atomic force microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to characterize the electrode. The in-situ production of superoxide anion was then studied with an analogue of methyl-Cypridina luciferin (also referred to as Vargulin). As a result, an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) based assay was developed for the improved determination of the activity of the enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Under optimized conditions, the ECL based calibration plot is linear in the 0.5 to 6.5 U·mL SOD activity range, with a 0.2 U·mL detection limit (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is a member of IRF family which plays a significant role in the innate immune response, apoptosis, and oncogenesis. Mounting evidence has demonstrated that IRF3 was involved in central nervous system disease such as cerebral ischemic injury through promoting neuronal apoptosis. However, it remains unclear about the underlying mechanisms of IRF3 upon neuronal apoptosis following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In the present study, we established an adult rat ICH model by injecting autologous whole blood into the right basal ganglia and evaluated their neurological deficits by behavioral tests. IRF3 protein level was up-regulated adjacent to the hematoma following ICH when compared with the sham brain cortex by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Immunofluorescent staining indicated IRF3 was mainly localized in neurons, a few in astrocytes. In addition, we also detected that IRF3 co-localized with active caspase-3 which is a neuronal apoptosis marker. Furthermore, in vitro study, knocking down IRF3 by using IRF3 interference in primary cortical neurons reduced the expression of active caspase-3 and Bax while increased Bcl-2. In conclusion, we speculated that IRF3 might exert pro-apoptotic function in neurons after ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OTUB1 is a member of deubiquitinating enzymes, which was shown as a proteasome-associated DUB to be involved in the proteins Ub-dependent degradation. Previous studies have indicated that OTUB1 was expressed in brain. But its distribution and function in the brain remain unclear. In this study, we explored the roles of OTUB1 protein in the pathophysiology of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). From the results of Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence, we found an obvious up-regulation of OTUB1 in neurons adjacent to the hematoma after ICH. Furthermore, we also found that the increase of OTUB1 expression was accompanied by the enhanced expression of Bax and active caspase-3, and decreased expression of Bcl-2 in the pathological process of rat ICH. What's more, our in vitro study, using OTUB1 RNA interference in PC12 cells, suggested that OTUB1 might exert its anti-apoptotic function in neuronal apoptosis. Therefore, OTUB1 may play a role in protecting the brain from secondary damage following ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EP3 is prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype 3 and mediates the activation of several signaling pathways, changing in cAMP levels, calcium mobilization, and activation of phospholipase C. Previous studies demonstrated a direct role for EP3 in various neurodegenerative disorders, such as stroke and Alzheimer disease. However, the distribution and function of EP3 in ICH diseases remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that EP3 may be involved in neuronal apoptosis in the processes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). From the results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry, we obtained a significant up-regulation of EP3 in neurons adjacent to the hematoma following ICH. Up-regulation of EP3 was found to be accompanied by the increased expression of active caspase-3 and pro-apoptotic Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic protein B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) in vivo and vitro studies. Furthermore, the expression of these three proteins reduced active caspase-3 and Bax expression, while increased Bcl-2 were changed after knocking down EP3 by RNA interference in PC12 cells, further confirmed that EP3 might exert its pro-apoptotic function on neuronal apoptosis. Thus, EP3 may play a role in promoting the neuronal apoptosis following ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most reinforced concrete(RC)frame structures did not achieve the 'strong column-weak beam' failure mode in recent big earthquakes, resulting in a large number of casualties and significant property loss. To deal with this serious problem, a new column-beam relative factor was proposed to characterize the relative yield situation of column ends and beam ends. By limiting the column-beam relative factor, RC frame structures could achieve the 'strong column-weak beam' failure mode under the excitation of strong ground motions. The limit values of column- beam relative factor were calculated, analyzed and verified by using structural simulation models for corner columns in the bottom story of structures, which are destroyed most seriously in earthquakes. The results show that the limit values should be analyzed under bi-directional ground motion and with different axial compression ratios of columns. The peak ground acceleration(PGA)of ground motions has no significant effect on the limit values, while the type of strong ground motions has a significant effect on the limit values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel visible light-driven photocatalyst, lithium vanadium phosphate sphere (LVPS), was prepared by a ball-milling method. For enhancing the photocatalytic performance, LVPS was further modified with silver (ALVPS) by a UV-light photoreduction method. After modification, the crystalline phase of LVPS did not change, however, the UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectrum of ALVPS was extended to 656 nm, which greatly improved its photoabsorptivity for visible light and enhanced its electron donating capacity. Under the irradiation of sunlight or visible light (>400 nm), ALVPS can rapidly remove fipronil (a persistent organic pollutant, 5 mg L) from aqueous solution. More than 99.7% of fipronil was removed by ALVPS after 0.5 h of irradiation, yielding a much higher removal rate than those achieved by nano-TiO and BiO. Photo-generated carrier trapping experiments were conducted to elucidate the photocatalytic degradation mechanism further. Hydrogen peroxide and potassium bromate suppressed the photocatalytic activity of ALVPS, while superoxide dismutase and sodium azide reinforced it, verifying that photo-generated electrons played a key role in the photochemical reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-field strong ground motions are useful for engineering seismology studies and seismic design, but dense observation networks of damaging earthquakes are still rare. In this study, based on the strong-motion data from the M 6.6 Lushan earthquake, the ground motion parameters in different spatial regions are systematically analyzed, and the contributions from different effects, like the hanging-wall effect, directivity effect, and attenuation effect are separated to the extent possible. Different engineering parameters from the observed ground motions are compared with the local design response spectra and a new attenuation relation of Western China. General results indicate that the high frequency ground motion, like the peak ground acceleration, on two sides of the fault plane is sensitive to the hanging-wall effect, whereas the low frequency ground motion, like the long period spectral acceleration, in the rupture propagation direction is affected by the directivity effect. Moreover, although the M 6.6 Lushan earthquake is not a large magnitude event, the spatial difference of ground motion is still obvious; thus, for a thrust faulting earthquake, in addition to the hanging effect, the directivity effect should also be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the seismic pounding response of adjacent multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) buildings with bilinear inter-story resistance characteristics is investigated through dimensional analysis. The application of dimensional analysis leads to a condensed presentation of the response, and the remarkable self-similarity property for bilinear MDOF buildings with inelastic collision is uncovered. It is shown that when the response is expressed in the appropriate dimensionless form, response spectra for any intensity of the excitation collapse to a single master curve. The reduced Π set explicitly describes the interaction between the colliding structures. The effect of pounding on the MDOF building's response is illustrated using three well-divided spectral regions (amplified, de-amplified and unaffected regions). Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the story stiffness of structures, the story stiffness ratio and mass ratio of adjacent buildings, the structural inelastic characteristics and the gap size values. Results show that (i) the influence of system stiffness ratio to the lighter and more flexible building is more significant in the first spectral region, where the maximum response of the building is amplified because of pounding; and (ii) the velocity and pounding force of the heavier and stiffer building is unexpectedly sensitive to the mass ratio of adjacent buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On April 14, 2010, a devastating Ms 7.1 earthquake occurred in Yushu, China. In the most severely struck area of Jiegu Town, approximately 94 % of the structures were damaged. A seismic intensity map was obtained based on field investigation data of structural damage in 63 residential areas, and the differences in structural damage in four intensity regions were quantitatively compared using a seismic capacity index and a damage index. The typical damage for five types of structures in the epicentral area of Jiegu Town was described and summarized in detail. Some recommendations for improving seismic capacity of buildings are provided; they include avoiding mountainous topography, non-uniform materials, and irregular layouts, as well as considering an appropriate arrangement of structural columns and belt courses for hollow concrete block and brick masonry structures. This paper provides valuable information for structural seismic design, post-earthquake reconstruction, and related work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate estimates of earthquake response spectrum are essential for design of new structures, or seismic safety evaluation of existing structures. This paper presents an alternative procedure to construct design spectrum from a combined normalized response spectrum (NRS) which is obtained from pseudo-velocity spectrum with the ordinate scaled by different peak ground amplitudes (PGA, PGV, PGD) in different period regions. And a consecutive function f( T) used to normalize the ordinates is defined. Based on a comprehensive study of 220 strong ground motions recorded during recent eleven large worldwide earthquakes, the features of the NRS are discussed and compared with the traditional normalized acceleration, velocity and displacement response spectra (NRS, NRS, NRS). And the relationships between ground amplitudes are evaluated by using a weighted mean method instead of the arithmetic mean. Then the NRS is used to define the design spectrum with given peak ground amplitudes. At last, the smooth spectrum is compared with those derived by the former approaches, and the accuracy of the proposed spectrum is tested through an analysis of the dispersion of ground motion response spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify the model structure parameters in shaking table tests from seismic response, especially from time-varying response records, this paper presents a new methodology by combining the online recursive Adaptive Forgetting through Multiple Models (AFMM) and offline Auto-Regression with eXogenous variables (ARX) model. First, the AFMM is employed to detect whether the response of model structure is time-invariant or time-varying when subjected to strong motions. Second, if the response is time-invariant, the modal parameters are identified from the entire response record, such as the acceleration time-history using the ARX model. If the response is time-varying, the acceleration record is divided into three segments according to the accurate time-varying points detected by AFMM, and parameters are identified by only using the tail segment data, which is time-invariant and suited for analysis by the ARX model. Finally, the changes in dynamic properties due to various strong motions are obtained using the presented methodology. The feasibility and advantages of the method are demonstrated by identifying the modal parameters of a 12-story reinforced concrete (RC) frame structure in a shaking table test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seismic conceptual design is an essential part of seismic design codes. It points out that the term 'seismic conceptual design' should imply three aspects, i.e., the given concept itself, the specific provisions related to the given concept and the designing following the provisions. Seismic conceptual design can be classified into two categories: the strict or traditional seismic conceptual design and the generalized seismic conceptual design. The authors are trying to define for both conceptual designs their connotations and study their characteristics, in particular, the differences between them. Authors emphasize that both conceptual designs sound very close, however, their differences are apparent. The strict conceptual designs are usually worked out directly from engineering practice and/or lessons learnt from earthquake damage, while the generalized conceptual designs are resulted in a series of visions aiming to realize the general objectives of the seismic codes. The strict conceptual designs, (traditional conceptual designs) are indispensable elements of seismic codes in assuring designed structures safer and the generalized conceptual designs are playing key roles in directing to a more advanced and effective seismic codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of seawater on vertical ground motions is studied via a theoretical method and then actual offshore ground motion records are analyzed using a statistical method. A theoretical analysis of the effect of seawater on incident plane P and SV waves at ocean bottom indicate that on one hand, the affected frequency range of vertical ground motions is prominent due to P wave resonance in the water layer if the impedance ratio between the seawater and the underlying medium is large, but it is greatly suppressed if the impedance ratio is small; on the other hand, for the ocean bottom interface model selected herein, vertical ground motions consisting of mostly P waves are more easily affected by seawater than those dominated by SV waves. The statistical analysis of engineering parameters of offshore ground motion records indicate that: (1) Under the influence of softer surface soil at the seafloor, both horizontal and vertical spectral accelerations of offshore motions are exaggerated at long period components, which leads to the peak spectral values moving to a longer period. (2) The spectral ratios (V/H) of offshore ground motions are much smaller than onshore ground motions near the P wave resonant frequencies in the water layer; and as the period becomes larger, the effect of seawater becomes smaller, which leads to a similar V/H at intermediate periods (near 2 s). These results are consistent with the conclusions of Boore and Smith (1999), but the V/H of offshore motion may be smaller than the onshore ground motions at longer periods (more than 5 s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of seismic super-shear rupture on the directivity of ground motions using simulated accelerations of a vertical strike-slip fault model is the topic of this study. The discrete wave number/finite element method was adopted to calculate the ground motion in the horizontal layered half space. An analysis of peak ground acceleration (PGA) indicates that similar to the sub-shear situation, directivity also exists in the super-shear situation. However, there are some differences as follows: (1) The PGA of the fault-normal component decreases with super-shear velocity, and the areas that were significantly affected by directivity in the PGA field changed from a cone-shaped region in the forward direction in a sub-shear situation to a limited near-fault region in a super-shear situation. (2) The PGA of the fault-parallel and vertical component is not as sensitive as the fault-normal component to the increasing super-shear velocity. (3) The PGA of the fault-normal component is not always greater than the fault-parallel component when the rupture velocity exceeds the shear wave velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-period ground motion has become an important consideration because of the increasing number of large and long-period structures. Therefore, a thorough investigation on the formation and characteristics of long-period ground motion is desirable for engineering applications. In this work, an analytical study is performed to examine the effect of several parameters and the combining mode for equivalent harmonic components on the dynamic response of systems. The results of the work show that the harmonic components in equivalent ground motion are evidently influenced by the intensity rise time, duration, phase and combining mode. Moreover, the long-period ground motions are simplified and simulated by separate harmonic components through proper combination. The findings of the work are believed to be useful in the selection of input ground motion in structural seismic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fiber-section model based Timoshenko beam element is proposed in this study that is founded on the nonlinear analysis of frame elements considering axial, flexural, and shear deformations. This model is achieved using a shear-bending interdependent formulation (SBIF). The shape function of the element is derived from the exact solution of the homogeneous form of the equilibrium equation for the Timoshenko deformation hypothesis.The proposed element is free from shear-locking. The sectional fiber model is constituted with a multi-axial plasticity material model, which is used to simulate the coupled shear-axial nonlinear behavior of each fiber. By imposing deformation compatibility conditions among the fibers, the sectional and elemental resisting forces are calculated. Since the SBIF shape functions are interactive with the shear-corrector factor for different shapes of sections, an iterative procedure is introduced in the nonlinear state determination of the proposed Timoshenko element. In addition, the proposed model tackles the geometric nonlinear problem by adopting a corotational coordinate transformation approach. The derivation procedure of the corotational algorithm of the SBIF Timoshenko element for nonlinear geometrical analysis is presented. Numerical examples confirm that the SBIF Timoshenko element with a fiber-section model has the same accuracy and robustness as the flexibility-based formulation. Finally, the SBIF Timoshenko element is extended and demonstratedin a three-dimensional numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology for constructing seismic design spectra in near-fault regions. By analyzing the characteristics of near-fault pulse-type ground motions, an equivalent pulse model is proposed, which can well represent the characteristics of the near-fault forward-directivity and fling-step pulse-type ground motions. The normalized horizontal seismic design spectra for near-fault regions are presented using recorded near-fault pulse-type ground motions and equivalent pulse-type ground motions, which are derived based on the equivalent pulse model coupled with ground motion parameter attenuation relations. The normalized vertical seismic design spectra for near-fault regions are obtained by scaling the corresponding horizontal spectra with the vertical-to-horizontal acceleration spectral ratios of near-fault pulse-type ground motions. The proposed seismic design spectra appear to have relatively small dispersion in a statistical sense. The seismic design spectra for both horizontal and vertical directions can provide alternative spectral shapes for seismic design codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amplification effects of soil site response can significantly impact ground motions, and must be considered in the seismic fortification of buildings/structures to prevent or mitigate this potential seismic hazard. Utilizing acceleration time histories from the main shock of the Wenchuan earthquake recorded at four stations (i.e., one on bedrock and three on soil) in the Qionghai Basin, the site responses from three soil sites are studied by using the traditional spectral ratio method. The bedrock site is selected as a reference site. This study found that peak ground accelerations (PGAs) on the soil sites are much larger than on bedrock, with EW, NS and UD components of 3.96-6.58, 6.27-10.98, and 3.17-6.66 times those of the bedrock site, respectively. The amplification effects of the soil sites on ground motions in the frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz are significant, depending on the thickness of the soil layer and the frequency content of the site. A significant amplification occurs with high frequency components of ground motion at shallow soil sites, and low and high frequency components of ground motion at intermediate soil sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic differences in the duration and frequency content of ground motions from the hanging wall and footwall during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are investigated, focusing on the influence of these differences on structural input energy based on the elastic and inelastic energy responses of structures. A comparison of the input energy spectra between the hanging wall and the footwall reveal that the structural input energy on the hanging wall is not amplified due to the short duration and low peak ground velocity to acceleration ratio ( V/A). However, the larger demand of structural input energy on the footwall in the range of medium and long periods is observed and the demand increases up to 50% relative to the average level of structural input energy for rupture distances larger than 30 km. The importance of considering the footwall effect on structural input energy when comparing ground motions in the range of medium and long periods is recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-dwelling HIV/AIDS patients in rural Alabama self-monitored (SM) daily HIV risk behaviors using an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, which may enhance reporting, reduce monitored behaviors, and extend the reach of care. Sexually active substance users (35 men, 19 women) engaged in IVR SM of sex, substance use, and surrounding contexts for 4-10 weeks. Baseline predictors of IVR utilization were assessed, and longitudinal IVR SM effects on risk behaviors were examined. Frequent ( n = 22), infrequent ( n = 22), and non-caller ( n = 10) groups were analyzed. Non-callers had shorter durations of HIV medical care and lower safer sex self-efficacy and tended to be older heterosexuals. Among callers, frequent callers had lost less social support. Longitudinal logistic regression models indicated reductions in risky sex and drug use with IVR SM over time. IVR systems appear to have utility for risk assessment and reduction for rural populations living with HIV disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hanging wall effect is an important factor that impacts the characteristics of strong ground motions in near-fault areas. Based on a residual analysis of ground motion parameters characterizing the hanging wall effect and in recognition of the nature of the effect, many models have been developed. In this study, after a comprehensive analysis of two existing models, a new model is proposed and used to model the hanging wall effect in horizontal peak ground acceleration (PGAH) and spectral acceleration (SAH) at a period of 0.1 s in the Wenchuan earthquake. Finally, comparisons between the modeling results of the hanging wall effect in the Wenchuan earthquake and the results predicted by using Abrahamson and Silva's NGA model (AS NGA) indicate that the AS NGA model predicts a much higher hanging wall effect than the model developed in this paper. Furthermore, the AS NGA model predicts a large hanging wall effect even at great distances, while the proposed model more accurately captures the trend of the effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 800 accelerograms recorded by 272 ground-level stations during the Wenchuan earthquake are used to analyze the influence of rupture distance, local site conditions and azimuth on peak ground accelerations (PGAs). To achieve a better understanding of the characteristics of ground motions, the spatial distributions of the EW, NS and UD components of PGAs are obtained. Comparisons between the EW and NS components, the fault-normal and fault-parallel components, and the vertical and horizontal components of PGAs are performed, and the regression formula of the vertical-to-horizontal ratio of PGAs is developed. The attenuation relationship of peak horizontal accelerations (PHAs) is compared with several contemporary attenuation relationships. In addition, an analysis of residuals is conducted to identify the potential effects of rupture distance, azimuth and site conditions on the observed values of PHAs. The analysis focuses on medium-hard soil site conditions, as they provided most of the data used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pushover analysis (POA) procedure is difficult to apply to high-rise buildings, as it cannot account for the contributions of higher modes. To overcome this limitation, a modal pushover analysis (MPA) procedure was proposed by Chopra et al. (2001). However, invariable lateral force distributions are still adopted in the MPA. In this paper, an improved MPA procedure is presented to estimate the seismic demands of structures, considering the redistribution of inertia forces after the structure yields. This improved procedure is verified with numerical examples of 5-, 9- and 22-story buildings. It is concluded that the improved MPA procedure is more accurate than either the POA procedure or MPA procedure. In addition, the proposed procedure avoids a large computational effort by adopting a two-phase lateral force distribution.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between universal banking and firm performance. With 40 developing and developed countries, I find that the overall effect of universal banking on firm growth is negative. This suggests that the negative effect of conflicts of interest dominates the positive effect of economies of scale and scope in universal banking. However, in countries with stronger protection of creditors’ rights and higher information efficiency, conflicts of interest are less likely and the negative relationship between universal banking and firm growth is significantly weaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In displacement-based seismic design, inelastic displacement ratio spectra (IDRS) are particularly useful for estimating the maximum lateral inelastic displacement demand of a nonlinear SDOF system from the maximum elastic displacement demand of its counterpart linear elastic SDOF system. In this study, the characteristics of IDRS for near-fault pulse-type ground motions are investigated based on a great number of earthquake ground motions. The influence of site conditions, ratio of peak ground velocity (PGV) to peak ground acceleration (PGA), the PGV, and the maximum incremental velocity (MIV) on IDRS are also evaluated. The results indicate that the effect of near-fault ground motions on IDRS are significant only at periods between 0.2 s - 1.5 s, where the amplification can approach 20%. The PGV/PGA ratio has the most significant influence on IDRS among the parameters considered. It is also found that site conditions only slightly affect the IDRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of the inelastic response of structures affected by hanging wall and forward directivity in the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake are investigated. Inelastic displacement ratios (IDRs) for ground motions impacted by these near-field effects are evaluated and comprehensively compared to far-field ground motions. In addition, the inelastic displacement responses to hanging wall and footwall ground motions are compared. It is concluded that the inelastic displacement response is significantly affected in the short period range by hanging wall and in the long period range by footwall, Although high peak ground acceleration was observed at hanging wall stations, the IDRs for structures on hanging wall sites are only Larger than footwall sites in the very long period range. Forward directivity effects result in larger IDRs for periods longer than about 0.5s. Adopting statistical relationships for IDRs established using far-field ground motions may lead to either overestimation or underestimation in the seismic evaluation of existing structures located in near-field regions, depending on their fundamental vibration periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]