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In this study, we investigated the effects of planting three types of forage crops in an apple orchard on the soil microbial community structure. The apple orchard was intercropped with native grasses (NG), red clover (RC;Trifolium pratenseL.), ryegrass (RE;Trifolium repensL.), and no vegetation (CT control; clean tillage). We obtained soil samples from depths of 0–20, 20–40, and 40–60 cm from the different treatment plots in the orchard and analysed them using a high-throughput DNA sequencing technique. The three forage crops had affected the soil bacterial and fungal community structures. Compared with CT control, intercropping with NG increased the proportion of Acidobacteria and reduced those of Nitrospirae and Verrucomicrobia, whereas intercropping with RC increased the proportions of Nitrospirae and Verrucomicrobia and reduced that of Planctomycetes. Intercropping with RE increased the proportions of Nitrospirae and Chloroflexi, whereas reduced that of Acidobacteria. Furthermore, unlike in the other treatments, intercropping with NG increased the proportion of Zygomycota in the 0–20-cm soil layer. Intercropping with RC increased the proportion of Chytridiomycota in all the three soil layers, whereas intercropping with RE increased the proportion of Basidiomycota in the 20–40-cm soil layer. Collectively, these findings suggest that intercropping with forage crops, especially RC, in an apple orchard, could alter soil microbial community structure. In our previous study, we showed that microbial sole-carbon-source utilisation is changed by intercropping with forage crops; thus, it can be considered as an effective approach to improve the efficiency of soil C cycling in the apple orchard by altering the microbial community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Childhood trauma is a risk factor that may lead to persistent brain metabolic abnormalities, predisposing individuals to major depressive disorder (MDD). To better elucidate the pathogenesis of MDD, we investigated the neurometabolic changes in unmedicated MDD patients who had experienced childhood trauma (CT).Methods: In this study, 37 unmedicated MDD patients with CT, 35 unmedicated MDD patients without CT, and 30 healthy control participants underwent high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) examination. Bilateral metabolic ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho)/Cr in the prefrontal white matter (PWM), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), putamen, and cerebellum were obtained.Results: MDD patients showed neurometabolic changes in the cortico-striato-cerebellar (CSC) circuit. Furthermore, MDD patients showed significantly lower NAA/Cr and higher Cho/Cr ratio in the bilateral ACC and putamen, and higher NAA/Cr and lower Cho/Cr ratio in the cerebellum. Childhood trauma reduced the Cho/Cr ratio in the left ACC, which played an important role in longer and more episodes of depression.Conclusion: Early childhood trauma has a long-lasting impact on the metabolism of adult MDD patients, leading to abnormal choline metabolism of the left ACC. Abnormal biochemical metabolism in the CSC circuit may be an underlying pathophysiology of MDD.Limitation: As this is a small cross-sectional study, the impact of childhood trauma on the different stages of depression has not been observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The depressed adolescents with NSSI have executive dysfunction. • The executive dysfunction is associated with the abnormal NAA metabolism in the right thalamus and ACC. • The abnormal NAA/Cr ratio may distinguish between NSSI adolescents and those without NSSI adolescents. H protons magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has been used to detect the biochemical metabolism changes and the mechanism of executive dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD). While, finding information associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents with MDD is challenging. The present study aimed to examine the executive function and biochemical metabolism alterations, as well as to elucidate their associations in depressed adolescents with NSSI. A total of 86 adolescents with MDD (40 with NSSI, and 46 without NSSI) and 28 healthy controls were recruited in the current study. The executive function was assessed by Digital symbol test (DST), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test, part B (TMT-B), and Verbal fluency (VF). Bilateral metabolite levels of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), lenticular nucleus (LN) of basal ganglia and thalamus were obtained by 1H-MRS at 3.0 T, and then the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) to creatine (Cr) were determined, respectively. Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships. The depressed adolescents with NSSI showed significantly lower VF scores than those without NSSI and healthy controls. We also found significantly higher NAA/Cr ratios in the right thalamus, while significantly lower Cho/Cr ratios in the right thalamus of NSSI group than the MDD without NSSI group and healthy controls. And NSSI group also showed lower NAA/Cr ratio in the right LN than the MDD without NSSI group. For MDD with NSSI, the NAA/Cr ratios of the left thalamus were positively correlated with the time of TMTB and the Cho/Cr ratios of the left ACC were positively correlated with the VF scores. Depressed adolescents with NSSI may have executive dysfunction and NAA and Cho metabolism abnormalities in the thalamus. And the NAA/Cr ratios of the right LN could distinguish NSSI from depressed adolescents. Further, the executive dysfunction may be associated with the abnormal NAA metabolism in the left thalamus and ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current differential protection is widely used in transmission line due to its inherent simplicity and good performance. In order to strive to increase sensitivity of protection without compromising stability on external faults, phase correlation current differential protection is presented in this paper. Current phase difference is introduced to the differential current principle so as to improve the sensitivity and reliability of differential protection simultaneously. Comprehensive analysis and comparisons of performance characteristics in Alpha Plane demonstrate that phase correlation current differential protection has preferable performance than that of conventional current differential protection. As far as CT saturation is concerned, the proposed protection scheme has flexible adaptability to ensure significant improvement in sensitivity and dependability for internal faults while still improving stability for external faults. The performance of the proposed protection is investigated for various faults of transmission line simulated by Electro-Magnetic Transients Program including DC and record fault data from real power system. The test results show that the proposed protection has satisfactory operation performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel mosquitocidal toxin named Xpp81Aa1 with a thioredoxin domain was identified from Bt strain HSY204. • The xpp81Aa1 gene was successfully expressed in E. coli cells. • The Xpp81Aa toxin has synergism with the Cry2Aa and Cry4Aa toxins against Aedes aegypti larvae. • Xpp81Aa1 is an effective moquitocidal protein that could be used in combination with other toxins. Some Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains produce dipteran-active toxins and can control larval mosquitoes. We identified a novel mosquitocidal toxin named Xpp81Aa1 with the thioredoxin domain from Bt strain HSY204. This toxin has very little sequence similarity to the three-domain Cry toxin and Cyt toxins and has significant toxicity to Aedes aegypti larvae. A safety assessment indicated that the Xpp81Aa1 toxin has no cytocidal activity against red blood cells and did not induce allergic reactions. The Xpp81Aa1 toxin exhibited a synergistic effect in combination with Cry2Aa and Cry4Aa protein toxins. Thus, the Xpp81Aa1 toxin could be a good candidate for mosquito control applications to reduce the mosquito-borne disease. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between plant, soil and microorganism plays a crucial role in sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystem function and diversity. However, little information is known about how plant growth, soil organic carbon (C) fractions and microorganism respond to exogenous C addition in soils with low organic C content. Three levels of 13C-glucose (equal to 0, 100% and 500% of initial microbial biomass C) were added to non-sterilized (corresponding to treatment abbreviation of CK, Glu-1, Glu-2, respectively) and sterilized soils (corresponding to treatment abbreviation of SS, SS+Glu-1, SS+Glu-2, respectively) planted with apple rootstock (Malus baccata (L.) Borkh.) seedings. The objectives of this study were to analyse the dynamics of soil organic C (SOC) fractions and soil bacterial community diversity with glucose levels and soil sterilization, and to explore the morphology of roots and nitrogen (N) metabolism by plant after glucose addition to sterilized/non-sterilized soils. Results showed that the contents of labile organic C fractions were significantly varied (P<0.05) with the levels of glucose addition and soil sterilization. SS+Glu-2 and Glu-2 treatments increased the contents of labile organic C fractions, on average, by 48.47% and 35.33% compared with no glucose addition, respectively. About 21.42% and 16.17% of glucose-C remained in sterilized and non-sterilized soils, respectively at the end of experiment (day 45). Regardless of soil sterilized or not, the glucose addition increased the richness and diversity indices of soil bacterial community compared with no-glucose addition. The glucose addition optimized root zone conditions, and enhanced root vitality, morphology and biomass. Both SS+Glu-2 and Glu-2 treatments significantly enhanced (P<0.05) the contents of nitrate (NO3—N) and nitrite (NO2—N), but sharply decreased (P<0.05) the ammonium (NH4+-N) content compared with no glucose addition. Also, these two treatments significantly (P<0.05) increased the enzymic activities and gene transcript levels involved in root N metabolism, which demonstrated that the high level of glucose addition promoted N assimilation and transformation into free amino acids by root. Overall, the addition of exogenous C to not only promotes its fixation and bacterial community diversity in C-poor soils, but also improves root morphology and N absorption by plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Type 2 diabetic kidney disease is the most common cause of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and end-stage renal diseases (ESRD). Although kidney biopsy is considered as the 'gold standard' for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) diagnosis, it is an invasive procedure, and the diagnosis can be influenced by sampling bias and personal judgement. It is desirable to establish a non-invasive procedure that can complement kidney biopsy in diagnosis and tracking the DKD progress. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we collected 252 urine samples, including 134 uncomplicated diabetes, 65 DKD, 40 CKD without diabetes and 13 follow-up diabetic samples, and analyzed the urine proteomes with liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). We built logistic regression models to distinguish uncomplicated diabetes, DKD and other CKDs. Results: We quantified 559 ± 202 gene products (GPs) (Mean ± SD) on a single sample and 2946 GPs in total. Based on logistic regression models, DKD patients could be differentiated from the uncomplicated diabetic patients with 2 urinary proteins (AUC = 0.928), and the stage 3 (DKD3) and stage 4 (DKD4) DKD patients with 3 urinary proteins (AUC = 0.949). These results were validated in an independent dataset. Finally, a 4-protein classifier identified putative pre-DKD3 patients, who showed DKD3 proteomic features but were not diagnosed by clinical standards. Follow-up studies on 11 patients indicated that 2 putative pre-DKD patients have progressed to DKD3. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated the potential for urinary proteomics as a noninvasive method for DKD diagnosis and identifying high-risk patients for progression monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: H protons magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has been used to detect the biochemical metabolism changes and the mechanism of executive dysfunction in major depressive disorder (MDD). While, finding information associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents with MDD is challenging. The present study aimed to examine the executive function and biochemical metabolism alterations, as well as to elucidate their associations in depressed adolescents with NSSI.Methods: A total of 86 adolescents with MDD (40 with NSSI, and 46 without NSSI) and 28 healthy controls were recruited in the current study. The executive function was assessed by Digital symbol test (DST), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Trail Making Test, part B (TMT-B), and Verbal fluency (VF). Bilateral metabolite levels of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), lenticular nucleus (LN) of basal ganglia and thalamus were obtained by 1H-MRS at 3.0 T, and then the ratios of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and choline-containing compounds (Cho) to creatine (Cr) were determined, respectively. Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships.Results: The depressed adolescents with NSSI showed significantly lower VF scores than those without NSSI and healthy controls. We also found significantly higher NAA/Cr ratios in the right thalamus, while significantly lower Cho/Cr ratios in the right thalamus of NSSI group than the MDD without NSSI group and healthy controls. And NSSI group also showed lower NAA/Cr ratio in the right LN than the MDD without NSSI group. For MDD with NSSI, the NAA/Cr ratios of the left thalamus were positively correlated with the time of TMTB and the Cho/Cr ratios of the left ACC were positively correlated with the VF scores.Conclusions: Depressed adolescents with NSSI may have executive dysfunction and NAA and Cho metabolism abnormalities in the thalamus. And the NAA/Cr ratios of the right LN could distinguish NSSI from depressed adolescents. Further, the executive dysfunction may be associated with the abnormal NAA metabolism in the left thalamus and ACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Current differential protection is widely used in transmission line due to its inherent simplicity and good performance. In order to strive to increase sensitivity of protection without compromising stability on external faults, phase correlation current differential protection is presented in this paper. Current phase difference is introduced to the differential current principle so as to improve the sensitivity and reliability of differential protection simultaneously. Comprehensive analysis and comparisons of performance characteristics in Alpha Plane demonstrate that phase correlation current differential protection has preferable performance than that of conventional current differential protection. As far as CT saturation is concerned, the proposed protection scheme has flexible adaptability to ensure significant improvement in sensitivity and dependability for internal faults while still improving stability for external faults. The performance of the proposed protection is investigated for various faults of transmission line simulated by Electro-Magnetic Transients Program including DC and record fault data from real power system. The test results show that the proposed protection has satisfactory operation performance. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is one of the most commonly utilized plasticizers and a frequently detected phthalic acid ester (PAE) compound in soil samples. However, the toxicological effects of DBP on soil-dwelling organisms remain poorly understood. This study employed a multi-biomarker approach to investigate the impact of DBP exposure on Folsomia candida 's survival, reproduction, enzyme activity levels, and transcriptional profiles. Analyses of antioxidant biomarkers, including catalase (CAT) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), as well as detoxifying enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Cytochrome P450 (CYP450), and lipid peroxidation (LPO), revealed significant increases in CAT activity, GST levels, and CYP450 expression following treatment with various doses of DBP for 2, 4, 7, or 14 days. Additionally, LPO induction was observed along with significant AChE inhibition. In total, 3175 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified following DBP treatment that were enriched in six Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 144 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, including 85 upregulated and 59 downregulated primarily associated with lipid metabolism, signal transduction, DNA repair, and cell growth and death. Overall these results provide foundational insights for further research into the molecular mechanisms underlying responses of soil invertebrates to DBP exposure. [Display omitted] • The molecular toxicity of DBP in soil on Folsomia candida was characterized. • DBP exposure induced oxidative stress and changed antioxidant enzymes activities. • DBP exposure influenced DNA replication-related pathways and reproductive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) finite element analysis is used to investigate the vertical and horizontal bearing capacity of internal skirted foundations in normally consolidated uniform clay under undrained condition. The vertical and horizontal bearing capacity analysis has taken the effects of embedment ratio, foundation–soil interface roughness and soil strength heterogeneity into account. In this paper, new equations have been proposed for calculating vertical and horizontal bearing capacities based on the results of the finite element analyses. In the proposed equations, the vertical capacity consists of an end-bear resistance and a skin friction resistance, whereas the horizontal capacity consists of a normal resistance, a radial shear resistance and a base shear resistance. By comparing the numerical results, it shows that the proposed equations properly predicted the bearing capacities of the internal skirted foundations in uniform or non-uniform clay under undrained condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The gene vip3Aa was cloned and expressed in E. coli. • We report for the first time that Vip3Aa is toxic to Aedes aegypti (Diptera) larvae. • Vip3Aa could be used to prevent or delay the onset of Cry toxin resistance in mosquitoes. Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) vegetative insecticidal proteins share no sequence or structural homology with the known Cry proteins. The activity of Vip3Aa is generally considered to be restricted to lepidopteran insects. In this paper, the vip3Aa gene was cloned from Bt subsp. kurstaki HD1 and expressed in E. coli. It was found to be toxic to Aedes aegypti larvae – the first time that dipteran activity has been reported. Furthermore, the potential synergism of Vip3Aa with the Cry toxins was investigated. Although no significant synergism was observed, Vip3Aa could be used in combination with Cry toxins to prevent or delay the onset of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the response of a rigid pile under a combined load on a cohesionless soil slope is investigated. The ultimate soil resistance in front of piles varies nonlinearly with depth, while both the ultimate soil resistance behind piles and the subgrade reaction modulus vary linearly with depth. The expressions of ultimate soil resistance behind and in front of the pile and the subgrade reaction modulus are determined. In addition, the variation law of the modulus of the subgrade reaction with relative density is also considered. Based on the balance between force and moment, the balance equation of a soil-pile system is derived, and a nonlinear analysis method of a rigid pile under a combined load on a cohesionless soil slope is proposed. The feasibility of this method is verified by the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Construct objective sensitivity-subjective preference matrix model to identify visual landscape key areas. • Use ArcGis spatial analysis model and beauty degree evaluation statistical model integrated measurement model, both have complementary. • For minority regional tourism unit, natural and human comprehensive landscape evaluation. • dentify four types of landscape areas: visual landscape key area, natural development area, priority improvement area, and sub-priority improvement area. Landscapes illustrating agricultural cultural heritage can serve as an important attraction to encourage tourism in support of rural revitalization in mountainous areas. These landscapes can aid in clarifying the regional scale of agricultural areas and identifying the visual landscape resources that play an important role in promoting the rational and sustainable use and development of resources in mountainous landscapes. Taking the terraced agricultural landscape with cultural resources in the southwestern mountainous region of China as the research object, a landscape visual sensitivity analysis was conducted on this region. This was done using GIS spatial analysis based on the data of relative slope, relative distance, and occurrence probability in the region and scenic beauty evaluation based on 176 questionnaires. Based on the importance-performance analysis, a sensitivity-subjectivity preference matrix of the visual landscape of having terraced agricultural and heritage resources in the southwestern mountainous area of China was constructed. Next, the visual landscape in the study area was classified into four types of areas, and corresponding landscape protection and planning suggestions were proposed. The study shows that the villages of Liushe, Qinglong, and Jiupang are in the "critical visual landscape area" and are evaluated as having high sensitivity-high preference evaluation; the villages of Baidu and Bailu are in the "natural development area" with low sensitivity-high preference. Furthermore, Zhanliu village is in the "priority improvement area" with high sensitivity-low preference; lastly, the villages of Jiulong, Liuzhai, and Liufu are in the "second priority improvement zone" with low sensitivity and preference. The findings of this study can provide a reference for determining the timing and direction of landscape development of agricultural heritage in the terraced mountainous areas of southwestern China; the landscape visual evaluation method employed here has implications for the identification of key areas in other mountainous landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Isolated a bacterial consortium to enable P recovery. • Nitrate is participate in phosphorus bio-recovery process. • Different N species has little influence on the characteristics of products. • Acinetobacter genus dominates phosphorus recovery in different nitrogen species. Recovering finite and non-substitutable phosphorus from liquid waste streams through bio-mediated techniques has attracted increasing interest, but current approaches are incredibly dependent on ammonium. Herein, a process to recover phosphorus from wastewater under multiple nitrogen species conditions was developed. This study compared the effects of nitrogen species on the recovery of phosphorus resources by a bacterial consortium. It found that the consortium could not only efficiently utilize ammonium to enable phosphorus recovery but also utilize nitrate via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) to recover phosphorus. The characteristics of the generated phosphorus-bearing minerals, including magnesium phosphate and struvite, were evaluated. Furthermore, nitrogen loading positively influenced the stability of the bacterial community structure. The genus Acinetobacter was dominant under nitrate and ammonium conditions, with a relatively stable abundance of 89.01% and 88.54%, respectively. The finding may provide new insights into nutrient biorecovery from phosphorus-containing wastewater contaminated with multiple nitrogen species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new covering-based set in which the lower and the upper approximation operations are defined by neighborhood systems. We systematically discuss this new type of covering-based set in two steps. First, we study the basic properties of this covering-based set, such as normality, contraction, and monotone properties. Second, we discuss the relationship between the new type of covering-based set and the other ten proposed sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the variations in Cd uptake, translocation and tolerance among four apple rootstocks, seedlings were exposed to either 0 or 50 μM CdCl 2 for 50 days. Net Cd 2+ influxes in the rhizosphere were greatest at 600 μm in root meristematic zone of all apple rootstocks. There were large variations in net Cd 2+ influxes among different apple rootstocks and the lowest Cd 2+ influxes into roots and leaf petiole vascular bundles were observed in Malus baccata (Mb). Net Cd 2+ influxes into roots of all apple rootstocks were significantly decreased after the treatment with metabolic inhibitors and channel blockers, such as vanadate, verapamil and N -ethylmaleimide. Moreover, net Cd 2+ influxes into roots were also affected by exogenous Fe 3+ concentrations. Cd exposure caused decline in photosynthesis and biomass increment in all apple rootstocks except in M. baccata (Mb). Among four apple rootstocks, M. baccata (Mb) displayed the lowest Cd concentrations and amounts in tissues, and the smallest bio-concentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor ( T f ) under Cd exposure. Gene expression levels regarding Cd uptake, transport and detoxification were in line with the tendencies of Cd absorption, transport and tolerance, respectively. M. baccata (Mb) had lower transcript levels of genes related to Cd uptake and translocation but stronger gene expression for Cd detoxification. On the basis of this experiment, it is concluded that M. baccata (Mb) is superior to other three apple rootstocks to be used as rootstock in Cd contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sandwich-type noncompetitive electrochemical immunosensor was successfully developed for detecting diethylstilbestrol (DES). First, a novel label (EV/PtNPs-DES Ab) was fabricated by immobilizing numerous platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and antibody of DES (DES Ab) on the EnVision™ polymerase chelate (EV). Because DES has two symmetrical phenol groups in the formula, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) modified on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was used to be combined with one phenol group of DES, then forming a host-guest inclusion complex on GCE. Since other structure analogues of DES which has phenol group in food samples could also react with β-CD, thus the signal tag (EV/PtNPs-DES Ab) with DES’s antibodies was used to further conjugated with another phenol group of DES to form a sandwich-type immunocomplex (β-CD/DES/EV/PtNPs-DES Ab) on the sensor. This immunocomplex can trigger significant electro-catalytic current derived from the reduction of H 2 O 2 for quantification of DES. Through two-step recognition of DES by β-cyclodextrin and antibody in labels, a sandwich-type noncompetitive and signal-on immunoassay for DES was achieved. Moreover, the larger amount of PtNPs coupled with HRP on the label could significantly amplify the current and enhance sensitivity. Based on the optimal conditions, this sensor had a good linearity range of 1.00–100 pg mL − 1 and a low detection limit of 0.30 pg mL −1 for DES ( S / N = 3). The assay was employed for detecting trace DES in milk samples. The results were consistent with that of conventional HPLC method. This implies that this non-competitive immunoassay has potential applications in detection of other small organic molecules in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for nonlinear analysis of a rigid pile under lateral load at the crest of clay slope. It is assumed that the ultimate soil resistance in front of the pile and behind the pile vary nonlinearly with depth. The modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction in front of the pile and behind the pile vary nonlinearly with the pile displacement at ground surface. The horizontal shear resistance at the pile base is considered and a bilinear relationship between the shear resistance and the displacement is used. Three distribution patterns of the soil resistance along a pile are also considered. Based on the force and moment equilibrium, the system equations are derived for a laterally loaded rigid pile in sloping ground with different soil resistance distribution patterns. The proposed method is validated by comparing its results with those from field tests, finite element analyses and a theoretical method. Finally, the method is used to analyze the effect of slope angle, pile-soil adhesion factor, height above ground surface of point of load application, pile diameter and embedded length on the lateral response of rigid piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This trial aimed to assess the effects of exenatide, a GLP-1RA, on renal outcomes in patients with T2DM and DKD. Methods: We performed a randomized, parallel study conducted in 4 general hospitals. T2DM patients with an eGFR≥30mL/min/1.73m2 and macroalbuminuria, defined as 24h-urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UAER) >0.3g/24h, were randomized 1:1 to receive exenatide twice daily plus glargine or lispro insulin plus glargine for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was percentage change in 24h-UAER after 24 weeks of intervention comparing to baseline measurement. The secondary outcomes included the percentage change in urinary ACR, change in 24h-UAER, ACR, HbA1c, FPG, body weight and blood pressure. The safety outcomes include rates of hypoglycemia, adverse events and change in eGFR during the follow up. Results: Between March 2016 and April 2019, 92 patients were randomized and took at least one dose of study drug. The mean age of the participants was 56 years. At baseline, the median 24h-UAER was 1512.0 mg/24h (IQR 782.5-2818.0), and mean eGFR was 70.4 mL/min/1.73 m2 (SD 23.4). After 24 weeks, exenatide reduced the percentage change of the 24h-UAER (difference between groups was 29.7%, p=0.0255), the percentage change of ACR (difference between groups was 28.4%, p=0.0395) and the absolute change of ACR (difference between groups was 607.8 mg/g, p=0.0209) but had no significant difference on the absolute change of 24h-UAER than the control group. Meanwhile, the body weight declined by 1.3kg with exenatide (difference between groups was 2.7kg, p=0.0001). There was no difference between two groups on the change in HbA1c, FPG, blood pressure or eGFR. Comparing to the control group, lower frequency of hypoglycemia as well as more gastrointestinal adverse events were in intervention group. Conclusions: Exenatide twice daily plus glargine for 24 weeks resulted in significant reduction of albuminuria in T2DM patients with DKD. Disclosure: X. Wang: None. Q. Zhang: None. M. Guan: None. S. Sheng: None. W. Mo: None. M. Zou: None. J. Li: None. J. Bi: None. X. Tang: None. J. He: None. G. Xu: None. P. Li: None. H. Zhang: None. Y. Xue: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]