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Buildings close to the ground treated by the resonance- free vibratory hammer method are often vulnerable to excessive vibrations. An in situ test of an urban soft site was carried out to investigate the resonance-free vibratory hammer induced vibration effects during construction. Vibration pickups were set at the positions with distances of 15 m, 30 m, 50 m, and 100 m away from the vibration source. On the basis of the results obtained from this investigation, vibration effects of the resonance-free vibratory hammer and safe construction distances were systematically analyzed. The testing results indicate that the vibration in the vertical direction is stronger than that in the other two horizontal directions. The vertical vibration should be the main reference quantity for the foundation treatment by using the resonance-free vibratory hammer method. The predominant frequency of each measuring point in the same direction decreased with an increase of the distance from the vibration source (DFTVS). In terms of the measuring point with a DFTVS of 30 m, the peak values of velocity in all directions were within 5 mm/s, which meet the requirements of the allowable limit of building vibration. According to the in situ testing results, a model for calculating the acceleration exponent of the vibration caused by the resonance-free vibratory hammer technology was established by comprehensively considering the amplitude of acceleration, the attenuation coefficient of THE DFTVS, and the vibration correction factor. Finally, the reliability of the calculation model was verified through the comparison between the calculated results and field vibration experimental results, in which all the correlation coefficients of validation example were above 0.9.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the coagulation difference in patients with either rivaroxaban or enoxaparin as thromboprophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty (THA) regarding thromboelastography (TEG) and routine coagulation tests. Patients and methods: Two hundred and twenty-eight patients undergoing primary THA were recruited in this study. They were divided into two groups according to a computer-generated random sequence. Patients in the rivaroxaban group received 10 mg of rivaroxaban orally once daily. Patients in the enoxaparin group received 4000 AxaIU (0.4 mL) of enoxaparin subcutaneously once daily. Rivaroxaban and enoxaparin were started 6–8 h after surgery. The administration of the anticoagulant prophylaxis was lasted for a minimum of 14 days. TEG and routine coagulation tests were performed on the day before the operation and 1 day and 7 days after the operation. Results: No difference was observed in the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) between the two groups. There was no significant difference with regard to prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (PTT), international normalized ratio (INR), and thrombin time (TT) between the two groups. However, while considering TEG, R time of the rivaroxaban group was significantly higher than that of the enoxaparin group ( p = 0.003), whereas the maximum amplitude (MA) ( p = 0.036) value and coagulation index (CI) ( p = 0.002) value were significantly lower than those of the enoxaparin group. Conclusion: With regard to TEG analysis, there was coagulation difference in patients with rivaroxaban and those with enoxaparin as thromboprophylaxis after THA. Under recommended dose of rivaroxaban and enoxaparin, patients undergoing THA were in hypercoagulability on 7days postoperative.

In the current study, the effects of steam blanching, saline immersion, and ultrasound pretreatment on the drying time, three-dimensional (3D) appearance, quality characteristics, and microstructure of potato slices were investigated. All the pretreatment methods enhanced the drying kinetics relative to the untreated potato slices. The 3D appearance was evaluated by reconstructed 3D images, shrinkage, and curling degree. The reconstructed images could well reproduce the appearance changes in the potato slices during drying. All the three pretreatment methods reduced the shrinkage during the drying process relative to the untreated potatoes. The curling degree was evaluated by the height standard deviation (HSD) of the material surface. The results showed that saline immersion inhibited the curling of the potato slices during the drying process, while ultrasound aggravated the curling of the potato slices. The potatoes treated by blanching obtained a lower total color difference (ΔE), higher total polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity compared with the samples treated with saline immersion and ultrasound pretreatments. The observation of the microstructure by scanning electron microscope (SEM) verified the effects of the pretreatments on the drying time and appearance deformation. Therefore, it is of great significance to regulate the 3D appearance and quality characteristics of agricultural products during the drying process by an appropriate pretreatment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the attenuation effect of the pile barrier in blocking seismic surface waves by using theoretical and numerical methods. First, we derive the dispersion characteristics of pile barriers embedded in soil from the perspective of periodicity theory to explain that such periodic barriers can attenuate seismic surface waves when the main frequencies fall into the band gaps of the pile barrier. Second, the dispersion characteristics of periodic barriers composed of different inclusions are discussed, and it is suggested preliminarily that scatters with low stiffness and low density are more conductive to mitigate low-frequency surface waves. Third, a three-dimensional transmission calculation model is also developed to illustrate that the attenuation zone of a finite number of piles is consistent with the surface wave band gap. Finally, transient analysis of the periodic pile barriers is performed to validate the block effects on seismic surface waves. The numerical results show that the frequency band gaps of multi-row pile barriers are in accordance with the frequency band gaps of the surface wave in theory, which can greatly mitigate surface ground vibration. The pile spacing, number of piles, and pile length are the key parameters that can affect the width of attenuation zones of the periodic barriers by an appropriate design.

PurposeThe basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor (bHLH) transcription factor Twist1 plays a key role in embryonic development and tumorigenesis. p53 is a frequently mutated tumor suppressor in cancer. Both proteins play a key and significant role in breast cancer tumorigenesis. However, the regulatory mechanism and clinical significance of their co-expression in this disease remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression patterns of p53 and Twist1 and determine their association with patient prognosis in breast cancer. We also investigated whether their co-expression could be a potential marker for predicting patient prognosis in this disease.MethodsTwist1 and mutant p53 expression in 408 breast cancer patient samples were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier Plotter was used to analyze the correlation between co-expression of Twist1 and wild-type or mutant p53 and prognosis for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and nomograms were used to explore the independent prognostic factors in disease-free survival (DFS) and OS in this cohort.ResultsOf the 408 patients enrolled, 237 (58%) had high mutant p53 expression. Two-hundred twenty patients (53.9%) stained positive for Twist1, and 188 cases were Twist1-negative. Furthermore, patients that co-expressed Twist1 and mutant p53 (T+P+) had significantly advanced-stage breast cancer [stage III, 61/89 T+P+ (68.5%) vs. 28/89 T-P- (31.5%); stage II, 63/104 T+P+ (60.6%)vs. 41/104 T-P- (39.4%)]. Co-expression was negatively related to early clinical stage (i.e., stages 0 and I; P = 0.039). T+P+ breast cancer patients also had worse DFS (95% CI = 1.217–7.499, P = 0.017) and OS (95% CI = 1.009–9.272, P = 0.048). Elevated Twist1 and mutant p53 expression predicted shorter RFS in basal-like patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis identified three variables (i.e., lymph node involvement, larger tumor, and T+P+) as independent prognostic factors for DFS. Lymph node involvement and T+P+ were also independent factors for OS in this cohort. The total risk scores and nomograms were reliable for predicting DFS and OS in breast cancer patients.ConclusionsOur results revealed that co-expression of mutant p53 and Twist1 was associated with advanced clinical stage, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype, distant metastasis, and shorter DFS and OS in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, lymph nodes status and co-expression of Twist1 and mutant p53 were classified as independent factors for DFS and OS in this cohort. Co-evaluation of mutant p53 and Twist1 might be an appropriate tool for predicting breast cancer patient outcome.

Background: Metabolic activities of tumor cells lead to a depletion of nutrients within the tumor microenvironment, which results in the dysfunction of infiltrating T cells. Here, we explored how glutamine (gln) metabolism, which is essential for biosynthesis and cellular function, can affect the functions of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Methods: Activated CTLs were co-cultured with hepatoma cells. Western blot was used to analyze changes of proteins and ELISA was used to analyze changes of effector. RNA-sequencing was used to detect differentially expressed genes in CTLs. The status of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was investigated using transmission electron microscopy experiments. Results: Co-culturing CTLs and hepatoma cells revealed that CTLL-2 cells in the co-culture group expressed high levels of PD-1 (Programmed cell death protein 1), TIM-3 (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein-3), GRP78 (Glucose regulated protein 78), and P-PERK (phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-activated-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase) and secreted low levels of Granzyme B and perforin. Additionally, the substructure of the ER was severely damaged. When CTLs were treated with an inhibitor of ER stress, their functions were restored. Next, complete medium without Gln was used to culture cells, causing CTLs to display dysfunction and ER stress. WB results revealed decreased expression levels of GLS2 and SLC1A5 (Solute carrier family 1 member 5) in CTLs in the co-culture group. Subsequently, glutaminase (GLS) inhibitors were added to the cultures. As expected, CTLs treated with a GLS2 inhibitor had increased protein content of PD-1 and TIM-3, decreased secretion of Granzyme B and perforin, and an enhanced ER stress response. Conclusions: In summary, CTLs are functionally downregulated induced by hepatoma cells through the Gln-GLS2-ERS pathway.

The optothermal manipulation of micro-objects is significant for understanding and exploring the unknown in the microscale word, which has found many applications in colloidal science and life science. In this work, we study the transverse forces of an optothermal trap in front of a gold film, which is an absorbing reflective surface for the incident laser beam. It is demonstrated that optothermal forces can be divided into two parts: optical force of a standing-wave trap, and thermal force of a thermal trap. The optical force of the standing-wave trap can be obtained by measuring the optical trapping force close to a non-absorbing film with same reflectance. The thermal force can be obtained by subtracting the optical force of the standing-wave trap from the total trapping force of the optothermal trap close to the gold film. The results show that both optical and thermal trapping forces increase with laser power increasing. The optical trapping force is larger than the thermal trapping force, which is composed of convective drag force and thermophoretic force. Further experiment is run to study the composition of thermal force. The result shows that the convective flow is generated later than the thermophoretic flow. The results proposed here are useful for enabling users to optimize optothermal manipulation method for future applications.

Accumulating evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A), which directly regulates mRNA, is closely related to multiple biological processes and the progression of different malignancies, including breast cancer (BC). Studies of the aberrant expression of m6A mediators in BC revealed that they were associated with different BC subtypes and functions, such as proliferation, apoptosis, stemness, the cell cycle, migration, and metastasis, through several factors and signaling pathways, such as Bcl-2 and the PI3K/Akt pathway, among others. Several regulators that target m6A have been shown to have anticancer effects. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) was identified as the first m6A demethylase, and a series of inhibitors that target FTO were reported to have potential for the treatment of BC by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. However, the exact mechanism by which m6A modifications are regulated by FTO inhibitors remains unknown. m6A modifications in BC have only been preliminarily studied, and their mechanisms require further investigation.

Due to material multiplicity, rigid-flexible hybrid and environmental variations, and so forth, the properties of the tracks will be inevitably changed due to the cyclic loads temporally and spatially. In this paper, a theoretical study is conducted to clarify the influence of the longitudinal inhomogeneity of track stiffness on system responses and then a general state estimation method is proposed to inversely predict the parametric distribution of the tracks. To achieve these purposes, a 3D nonlinear vehicle-track coupled model is firstly constructed, where track systems are established by the finite element method with random parameters. Based on this dynamic model, the distribution characteristics of system responses due to random parametric excitations are properly revealed. The numerical studies show that the longitudinal inhomogeneity of track supporting stiffness has significant effects on system responses; besides, the response distributions are varied against different parametric distributions. Finally, a representative example is demonstrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed track state estimation method.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, is an aggressive tumor with a high mortality rate because of the limited systemic and locoregional treatment modalities. The development and progression of HCC depend on epigenetic changes that result in the activation or inhibition of some signaling pathways. The mTOR signaling pathway is essential for many pathophysiological processes and is considered a major regulator of cancer. Increasing evidence has shown that epigenetics plays a key role in HCC biology by regulating the mTOR signaling pathway. Therefore, epigenetic regulation through the mTOR signaling pathway to diagnose and treat HCC will become a very promising strategy.

Nearly 70% of breast cancers express the estrogen receptor (ER) and are hormone-dependent for cell proliferation and survival. Anti-estrogen therapies with aromatase inhibitors (AIs), selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) or selective estrogen receptor down regulators (SERDs) are the standard endocrine therapy approach for ER positive breast cancer patients. However, about 30% of patients receiving endocrine therapy will progress during the therapy or become endocrine resistance eventually. The intrinsic or acquired endocrine resistance has become a major obstacle for endocrine therapy. The mechanism of endocrine resistance is very complicated and recently emerging evidence indicates dysregulation of Notch signaling pathway contributes to endocrine resistance in breast cancer patients. The potential mechanisms include regulation of ER, promotion of cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype and mesenchymal cell ratio, alteration of the local tumor microenvironment and cell cycle. This review will summarize the latest progress on the investigation of Notch signaling pathway in breast cancer endocrine resistance.

Microbubbles have important applications in optofluidics. The generation and growth of microbubbles is a complicated process in microfluidic channels. In this paper, we use a laser to irradiate light-absorbing particles to generate microbubbles in capillary tubes and investigate the factors affecting microbubble size. The results show that the key factor is the total area of the light-absorbing particles gathered at the microbubble bottom. The larger the area of the particles at bottom, the larger the size of the microbubbles. Furthermore, the area is related to capillary tube diameter. The larger the diameter of the capillary tube, the more particles gathered at the bottom of the microbubbles. Numerical simulations show that the Marangoni convection is stronger in a capillary tube with a larger diameter, which can gather more particles than that in a capillary tube with a smaller diameter. The calculations show that the particles in contact with the microbubbles will be in a stable position due to the surface tension force.

The yield performances and failure mode of reinforced concrete (RC) columns, which are critical structural performances to the design and research of engineering structures, have a significant impact on the dynamic response, the performance level, and the design of seismic ductility. The traditional empirical theoretical method used to predict the yield performances and failure mode leads to large dispersions in most cases. To better estimate the yield performances and failure mode of RC columns, this paper developed a novel neural network method. Empirical theoretical models are used to determine the input parameters of the neural network by analyzing the factors that affect the yield performance and failure mode of RC columns, and the rationality of these parameters is verified by sensitivity analysis. The back-propagation (BP) neural network method was adopted. The influence of the number of hidden neurons was studied to improve the model accuracy. Comparative analysis revealed that the prediction results of the neural network are in good agreement with the experimental results and are more accurate than other traditional empirical theoretical models. The initial parameters were optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO), which has been proven to be superior to the genetic algorithm (GA) and sparrow search algorithm (SSA) optimization methods in terms of effectiveness and computation time. The high generalization ability of the prediction model was calibrated using the test and validation sets and another eight additional sets of experimental data. The proposed method provides a new way to predict the structural performance under seismic actions when experimental data are insufficient.

Abstract Background The expression of circular RNA (circRNA) may affect tumor progression. However, there have been no systemic meta-analysis for cancer diagnosis by using circRNAs in clinical till now. Herein, we aimed to collect and examined all the evidence on the potential role of circRNA as novel biomarker in human cancers. Methods A comprehensive search strategy was used to search relevant literatures in the databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Web of Science from 2015 to August 2017. The correlation between circRNA expression and the diagnostic accuracy of tumor markers was analyzed. The methodological quality of each study was assessed by quality assessment for the diagnostic accuracies of the eligible studies (QUADAS-2). Statistical analysis was performed by applying the STATA (version 12.0) software. Results The present meta-analysis included 1752 patients with circRNA expression data of tumor and paired adjacent non-tumorous tissues from 17 publications (19 studies). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios (PLR), negative likelihood ratios (NLR), and diagnostic OR (DOR) with their 95% confidential intervals (95%CIs), and AUC values were 0.72 (0.67–0.76), 0.74 (0.69–0.78), 2.80 (2.40–3.10), 0.38 (0.33–0.44), 7.00 (6.00–9.00), and 0.79, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the expression of circRNA in tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) group was more prone to be detected than other tumor types, with a high values of the specificity, DOR, and AUC. Conclusions circRNAs might be suitable as diagnostic biomarkers for tumors, especially in HCC diagnosis. Further prospective studies on the diagnostic value of circRNAs from the different tumors are needed in the future.

Fretting wear is one of the most important failure forms of alloy 690 heat exchanger tubes in nuclear power plants. The key to understanding the fretting wear of alloys lies in the friction process, especially at the atomic scale. In this study, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on alloy 690 to investigate the nanoscale friction behavior and its influencing factors, laying a foundation for further understanding the fretting wear mechanism of alloy 690. The friction processes of a single-asperity (probe) on a smooth polycrystalline surface (matrix) were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations at the atomic scale, and the variation law of friction force during the friction process was calculated. The factors that affected the friction force were discussed, including the pressing depth, temperature, and sliding speed of the probe, and the friction force was positively correlated with the pressing depth and sliding speed of the probe, while the temperature had little effect on the friction force. Observations of the generation and evolution of dislocations during the friction process and related factors such as grinding grooves and wear debris were also reported.

Abstract Background Tup1 is a general transcriptional repressor of diverse gene families coordinately controlled by glucose repression, mating type, and other mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several functional domains of Tup1 have been identified, each of which has differing effects on transcriptional repression. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of Tup1 and its domains in maltose metabolism of industrial baker’s yeast. To this end, a battery of in-frame truncations in the TUP1 gene coding region were performed in the industrial baker’s yeasts with different genetic background, and the maltose metabolism, leavening ability, MAL gene expression levels, and growth characteristics were investigated. Results The results suggest that the TUP1 gene is essential to maltose metabolism in industrial baker’s yeast. Importantly, different domains of Tup1 play different roles in glucose repression and maltose metabolism of industrial baker’s yeast cells. The Ssn6 interaction, N-terminal repression and C-terminal repression domains might play roles in the regulation of MAL transcription by Tup1 for maltose metabolism of baker’s yeast. The WD region lacking the first repeat could influence the regulation of maltose metabolism directly, rather than indirectly through glucose repression. Conclusions These findings lay a foundation for the optimization of industrial baker’s yeast strains for accelerated maltose metabolism and facilitate future research on glucose repression in other sugar metabolism.

Glutamine synthetase (GS), which catalyzes the production of glutamine, plays essential roles in most biological growth and biofilm formation, suggesting that GS may be used as a promising target for antibacterial therapy. We asked whether a GS inhibitor could be found as an anti-infective agent of Staphylococcus xylosus (S. xylosus). Here, computational prediction followed by experimental testing was used to characterize GS. Sorafenib was finally determined through computational prediction. In vitro experiments showed that sorafenib has an inhibitory effect on the growth of S. xylosus by competitively occupying the active site of GS, and the minimum inhibitory concentration was 4 mg/L. In vivo experiments also proved that treatment with sorafenib significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in breast tissue from mice mastitis, which was further confirmed by histopathology examination. These findings indicated that sorafenib could be utilized as an anti-infective agent for the treatment of infections caused by S. xylosus.