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To improve effectiveness of competitive advantage analysis algorithm of emerging industry innovation union, a kind of competitive advantage analysis method of emerging industry innovation union based on constriction factor particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed. Firstly, competitive advantage evaluation model of emerging industry innovation union is constructed aimed at uncertain influence factor existing in evaluation to strategic emerging industry; secondly, particle swarm optimization is introduced, and to avoid premature convergence problem existing in particle swarm optimization and realize rapid convergence of particle to global optimal solution, constriction factor and two operators, i.e. "attraction" and "diffusion", are introduced in this paper so that diversity of particle swarm is kept and better convergence rate is possessed. Finally, through empirical analysis to strategic emerging industry evaluation of an area, feasibility and rationality of the method are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Large H 2 O/MgCl 2 molar ratio is good to the soundness of magnesium oxychloride cement (MOC), but detrimental to its strength development. In this paper, the addition of H 3 PO 4 was used to prepare MOC with high H 2 O/MgCl 2 molar ratio (≥20) and desirable strength development. It was revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) that the primary hydrate of MOC with high H 2 O/MgCl 2 molar ratios was Mg(OH) 2, and the primary hydrate in MOC became 5MgO·MgCl 2 ·8H 2 O (phase 5) in the presence of small amount of H 3 PO 4. The reaction type of MgO with MgCl 2 and the formation conditions of phase 5 of MOC with high H 2 O/MgCl 2 molar ratios were both modified by H 3 PO 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Percutaneous transfacet screw fixation (pTSF) is a minimally invasive posterior fixation technique supplementing oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) for lumbar spinal disorders. Accurate screw insertion is difficult to achieve and technically demanding under 2‐D fluoroscopy. Recently developed robot‐assisted spinal surgery demonstrated a high level of accuracy of pedicle screw insertion and a low complication rate. No published study has reported this combination technique. The aim of our study was to evaluate the accuracy and safety properties of the combination of both minimally invasive techniques: robot‐assisted pTSF supplementing the OLIF procedure. Methods: This was an experimental and prospective study. Selected consecutive patients with lumbar degenerative disorders received robot‐assisted pTSF supplementing the OLIF procedure using the TianJi Robot system operated by one senior surgeon from March to October 2018. The accuracy of screw insertion and perioperative screw‐related complications were evaluated. Assessment of the accuracy of screw insertion included intraoperative robotic guidance accuracy and incidence of screw encroachments. Intraoperative robotic guidance accuracy referred to translational and angular deviations of screws, which were assessed by comparing the planned and actual screw trajectories guided by the robot on reconstructed images using TianJi Robot Planning Software. Screw encroachments were evaluated on postoperative CT images and classified by a grading system (A, excellent; B, good; C, poor). Screw‐related complications including intraoperative pin skidding, screw malposition and adjustment, together with postoperative neurological symptoms that correlated with screw malposition were recorded. Results: Ten patients, with an average age of 60.2 years, were selected and recruited in this study. All cases were degenerative lumbar spinal disorders, out of which there were 6 cases of Meyerding Grade I degenerative spondylolisthesis. Twenty‐four transfacet screws were inserted by robotic assistance. Instrumented levels included nine segments at L4–5 level and three segments at L3–4 level. Two patients had both L4–5 and L3–4 level fixation. The average surgical time was 3.3 h (SD, 0.8 h). The mean blood loss was 90 mL (SD, 32 mL). Intraoperative guidance accuracy showed 1.09 ± 0.17 mm (ranging from 0.75 to 1.22 mm) translational deviation and 2.17° ± 0.39° (ranging from 1.47° to 2.54°) angular deviation. The gradings of screw encroachment were: 17 screws (71%) with Grade A, 6 screws (25%) with Grade B, and 1 screw (4%) with Grade C. Only one pin skidding occurred intraoperatively and revised subsequently. No postoperative neurological complications were found. Conclusion: Our preliminary study of robot‐assisted pTSF supplementing the OLIF procedure showed a high level of accuracy for screw insertion and this minimally invasive combination technique was found to be a feasible and safe procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Rheological properties have a good relation with the absorption of SAP. • The thixotropy shows the effect of SAP absorption behavior compared with plastic viscosity and maximum shear stress. • Large SAP's particles led to a high absorption rate and a long absorption time. Abstract Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is an important internal curing agent for concrete with low or ultra-low water-to-binder ratio (w/b). When SAP is added, it will absorb water from fresh concrete fast. Thus, water absorption of SAP will affect the rheological properties of cement-based materials, especially at low w/b. Moreover, SAP with different particle size has a different absorption rate which will also affect the rheological properties. In this paper, two SAPs with different particle size are used to investigate its effects on the maximum shear stress, yield stress, plastic viscosity and thixotropy of cement-based materials within 80 min. Basic w/b of 0.18 was specified as reference values. Rheological results show that the absorption of SAP changed the evolution of yield stress, plastic viscosity and thixotropy of fresh mortar with time. Large SAP's particles led to a high absorption rate and a long absorption time which increased the yield stress and plastic viscosity. The above effects of SAP are closely related to the availability of water near SAP in cement mortar which causes to be a nonlinear relationship between the amounts of SAP and extra water required. In addition, the amount of extra water should be adjusted according to particle size of SAP and the addition level of SAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In order to improve the effectiveness of research on the evaluation system of emerging industry, a competitive analysis model of industry innovation alliance based on the simultaneous evaluation of fractional T-S fuzzy system is proposed. Firstly, considering the relevant requirements of industry transformation and upgrading, establish a structural evaluation model for the competitiveness of emerging industry innovation alliance; secondly, give the T-S fuzzy prediction and prove the asymptotic stability theorem of prediction system, and on this basis, prove the asymptotic stability of the fractional T-S fuzzy error system, and give the selection method of the gain matrix, to achieve effectiveness of the structural evaluation model for the competitiveness of the industry innovation alliance; finally, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is verified by empirical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biodegradable beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) particle reinforced magnesium metal matrix composites (Mg-MMC) have attracted increasing interest for application as implant materials. This investigation was conducted to study the effect of cooling rate on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of a biodegradable β-TCP/Mg-Zn-Ca composite. The composite was fabricated under a series of cooling rates using a wedge-shaped casting mold. The microstructure of the composite was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy, and the corrosion behavior was investigated using an electrochemical workstation and immersion tests in a simulated body fluid (SBF). Faster cooling rates were shown to refine the secondary phase and grain size, and produce a more homogenous microstructure. The refined microstructure resulted in a more uniform distribution of β-TCP particles, which is believed to be beneficial in the formation of a stable and compact corrosion product layer, leading to improved corrosion resistance for the composite. Highlights • 1β-TCP/Mg-2Zn-0.5Ca composites prepared by a high shear solidification technology • The cooling rate had a strong impact on the grain size and secondary phase particles. • The composite solidified at faster cooling rates exhibited improved corrosion resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the modification of rheological behavior of fresh cement paste by in situ polymerization, the rheological properties of fresh in situ polymerization modified cement (IPMC) pastes with various acrylamide (AM) monomer dosages and resting time were investigated by rheology test in this paper. The interaction mechanism between inorganic-organic components of IPMC paste and its influence on rheology are also discussed. The results revealed that the yield stress and plastic viscosity of fresh IPMC paste decreased as the AM dosage increased, and rose rapidly with the resting time when the AM dosage was more than 5%. The time-dependent rheological properties of IPMC paste were associated with various periods of AM polymerization reaction. This paper also found that the dispersing effect produced by the AM adsorption and the flocculating effect generated from the polyacrylamide (PAM) microgels bridging would jointly impact the structural buildup of IPMC paste; the former improved the rheological properties and fluidity, while the latter acted contrary. Our results provide the underlying insights needed to guide the dynamic regulation of rheological properties of cement-based materials by in situ polymerization modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional two-wheeled self-balancing robot can travel quickly in a flat road environment, and it is easy to destabilize and capsize when passing through a bumpy road. To improve the passing ability of a two-wheeled robot, a new wheel-legged two-wheeled robot is developed. A seven-link leg structure is proposed through the comprehensive design of mechanism configuration, which decouples the balanced motion and leg motion of the robot. Based on the Euler–Lagrange method, the dynamic model of the system is obtained by applying the nonholonomic dynamic Routh equation in the generalized coordinate system. The robot's state space is divided according to the robot's height, and the Riccati equation is solved in real-time by the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method to complete the balance and motion control of the robot. The robot leg motion control is achieved based on the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) way. A robot simulation model is built on Recurdyn to verify the algorithm's feasibility, and then an experimental prototype is built to demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness. The experimental results show that the control method based on LQR and ADRC can make the robot pass through the bumpy road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive Optics (AO) technology is an effective means to compensate for wavefront distortion, but its inherent delay error will cause the compensation wavefront on the deformable mirror (DM) to lag behind the changes in the distorted wavefront. Especially when the change in the wavefront is higher than the Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWS) sampling frequency, the multi-frame delay will seriously limit its correction performance. In this paper, a highly stable AO prediction network based on deep learning is proposed, which only uses 10 frames of prior wavefront information to obtain high-stability and high-precision open-loop predicted slopes for the next six frames. The simulation results under various distortion intensities show that the prediction accuracy of six frames decreases by no more than 15%, and the experimental results also verify that the open-loop correction accuracy of our proposed method under the sampling frequency of 500 Hz is better than that of the traditional non-predicted method under 1000 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To date, there is no consensus on the surgery strategies of cranioplasty (CP) and ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement. This meta‐analysis aimed to investigate the safety of staged and simultaneous operation in patients with comorbid cranial defects with hydrocephalus to inform future surgery protocols. Methods: A meta‐analysis of PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from the inception dates to February 8, 2023 adherent to PRISMA guidelines was conducted. The pooled analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. The outcomes included postoperative infection, reoperation, shunt obstruction, hematoma, and subdural effusion. Results: Of the 956 studies initially retrieved, 10 articles encompassing 515 patients were included. Among the total patients, 193 (37.48%) and 322 (62.52%), respectively, underwent simultaneous and staged surgeries. The finding of pooled analysis indicated that staged surgery was associated with lower rate of subdural effusion (14% in the simultaneous groups vs. 5.4% in the staged groups; OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.04–5.49, p = 0.04). However, there were no significant differences in overall infection (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 0.74–4.97, p = 0.18), central nervous system infection (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.68–3.31, p = 0.31), cranioplasty infection (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 0.50–5.00, p = 0.44), shunt infection (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 0.38–4.52, p = 0.67), reoperation (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 0.38–6.00, p = 0.55), shunt obstruction (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.25–2.16, p = 0.57), epidural hematoma (OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 0.62–7.86, p = 0.22), subdural hematoma (OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.10–14.19, p = 0.88), and intracranial hematoma (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.42–4.07, p = 0.64). Moreover, subgroup analysis failed to yield new insights. Conclusions: Staged surgery is associated with a lower rate of postoperative subdural effusion. However, from the evidence of sensitivity analysis, this result is not stable. Therefore, our conclusion should be viewed with caution, and neurosurgeons in practice should make individualized decisions based on each patient's condition and cerebrospinal fluid tap test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural build-up is of great importance in many concrete applications, such as formwork pressure, multi-layers casting, slip form paving, stability, and 3D printing. In this paper, the growth of static yield stress (τ s ) and thixotropic area were used to characterize the structural build-up of cement paste. The effects of different mineral admixtures, i.e. silica fume (SF), ground slag (GS), fly ash (FA), attapulgite (AG), nano calcium carbonate (NC), and nano silica (NS) on the structural build-up of cement pastes were studied. Calorimetric curves, zeta potential and conductivity of the pastes were also measured. Results showed that thixotropic behavior characterized by the growth of τ s and thixotropic area gave different ranking on cement pastes with various mineral admixtures. NS, AG, NC and SF increased the growth of τ s over 120 min, and NS was the most effective one. FA and GS decreased the growth of τ s over 120 min. Hydration of cement played a dominant role in the structural build-up of cement paste. However, high hydration rate didn’t always lead to high structural build-up rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A set of propylene‐tethered isatin dimmers 2a–i was synthesized via click chemistry and screened for their in vitro antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Rv and multidrug‐resistant TB. In spite of all dimmers (minimum inhibitory concentration: 25– > 128 μg/mL) only exhibited weak to moderate activities against the tested MTB H37Rv and multidrug‐resistant TB, the structure–activity relationship was enriched and the results warrant further development of the anti‐TB properties of this kind of dimmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten propylene‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazole‐4‐methylene‐tethered isatin‐moxifloxacin hybrids 5a–j were synthesized via Cu‐promoted azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reaction, and screened for their in vitro anti‐mycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis. The results showed that all the synthesized hybrids [minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): 0.25–4.0 μg/mL] displayed considerable activities against the tested two strains, but all less active than the parent moxifloxacin (MIC: 0.10 and 0.12 μg/mL). The resistance index of the most targets was around 1, suggesting this kind of hybrids could reduce the cross–resistance to some extent. Among them, hybrid 5 g was found most active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv with MIC of 0.39 μg/mL, which was comparable with rifampicin (MIC: 0.39 μg/mL), while conjugate 5a (MIC: 0.25 μg/mL) was 128– > 512 times more active than rifampicin (MIC: 32 μg/mL) and isoniazid (MIC: >128 μg/mL) against multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new class of isatin‐1,2,3‐triazole‐moxifloxacin (MXFX) hybrids 5a–j was designed, synthesized, and screened for their in vitro antimycobacterial activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv and MDR‐TB. All the synthesized hybrids (MIC: 0.10–0.78 μg/mL) exhibited excellent activities against MTB H37Rv and MDR‐TB, in spite of none of them were more potent than the parent MXFX (MIC: 0.10 and 0.12 μg/mL). Against MTB H37Rv, the most active 5f (MIC: 0.10 μg/mL) was comparable with MXFX and 4 times more potent than RIF (MIC: 0.39 μg/mL). Against MDR‐TB, all hybrids were more active than RIF (MIC: 32 μg/mL) and INH (MIC: >128 μg/mL). In particular, hybrid 5e (MIC: 0.10 μg/mL) was comparable with MXFX and 256 and >1,024 times more potent than RIF and INH. Both conjugates 5e and 5f warrant further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and wide-spread of drug-resistant bacteria including multi-drug resistant and pan-drug resistant pathogens which are associated with considerable mortality, represent a significant global health threat. 4-Quinolones which are exemplified by fluoroquinolones are the second largest chemotherapy agents used in clinical practice for the treatment of various bacterial infections. However, the resistance of bacteria to 4-quinolones develops rapidly and spreads widely throughout the world due to the long-term, inappropriate use and even abuse. To overcome the resistance and improve the potency, several strategies have been developed. Amongst them, molecular hybridization, which is based on the incorporation of two or more pharmacophores into a single molecule with a flexible linker, is one of the most practical approaches. This review aims to summarize the recent advances made towards the discovery of 4-quinolone hybrids as potential antibacterial agents as well as their structure-activity relationship (SAR). The enriched SAR may pave the way for the further rational development of 4-quinolone hybrids with excellent potency against both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight novel 1 H-1,2,3-triazole-tethered ciprofloxacin (CPFX) isatin conjugates 5a- h with greater lipophilicity compared with CPFX were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro anti-mycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Rv. The preliminary results showed that all hybrids (MIC: 12.5-100 μg/mL) exhibited considerable activity against M. smegmatis, but less active than the parent CPFX (MIC: 6.25 μg/mL) and the reference INH (MIC: 0.78 μg/mL). Against MTB H37Rv, all hybrids displayed excellent inhibitory activity with MICs ranging from 1.56 to 25 μg/mL, particularly, 5h (MIC: 1.56 μg/mL) was twofold more active CPFX (MIC: 3.12 μg/mL), warrant further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria, in particular infection with P. falciparum (the most lethal of the human malaria parasite species, responsible for nearly one million deaths every year), is one of the most devastating and common infectious disease throughout the world. Beginning with quinine, quinoline containing compounds have long been used in clinical treatment of malaria and remained the mainstays of chemotherapy against malaria. The emergence of P. falciparum strains resistant to almost all antimalarials prompted medicinal chemists and biologists to study their effective replacement with an alternative mechanism of action and new molecules. Combination with variety of quinolines and other active moieties may increase the antiplasmodial and antimalarial activities and reduce the side effects. Thus, hybridization is a very attractive strategy to develop novel antimalarials. This review aims to summarize the recent advances towards the discovery of antiplasmodial and antimalarial hybrids including quinoline skeleton to provide an insight for rational designs of more active and less toxic quinoline hybrids antimalarials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deferoxamine mesylate can cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce iron accumulation in nervous tissue; moreover, it has a variety of neuroprotective functions in addition to complexing with iron ions. Such iron chelators are expected to become a new treatment option for intracerebral hemorrhage. This study evaluated the effects of deferoxamine mesylate on hematoma and edema absorption after traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (TICH), and it provides clinical evidence for TICH treatment with deferoxamine mesylate. Patients with isolated TICH, confirmed by head computed tomography, were enrolled prospectively from January 2013 to December 2016. Patients were divided non-randomly into an experimental or control group as decided by the attending neurosurgeon. Patients in the experimental group received intravenous deferoxamine mesylate (20 mg/kg daily) from the day of admission for 5 consecutive days. We evaluated the impact of deferoxamine mesylate on the change in edema volume and the absorption of hematoma volume using a propensity score-matched analysis. In total, 190 patients were included. After matching, 94 patients were included in the final analysis (47 per group); no variable differed significantly between the two groups. The hematoma volume on the 7th day in the control group was higher than that at the same time-point in the experimental group (9.4 ± 7.2 vs. 5.2 ± 4.8 mL; p = 0.001). There was no difference in hematoma volume on Day 1 (12.6 ± 7.8 vs. 12.8 ± 6.4 mL; p = 0.896), Day 3 (12.4 ± 7.4 vs. 11.4 ± 4.9 mL; p = 0.442), and Day 14 (3.2 ± 3.0 vs. 2.5 ± 2.6 mL; p = 0.215) between the groups. The absorption of hematoma volume between the 1st and 3rd days and the 1st and 7th days in the experimental group was higher than that during the same periods in the control group. The edema volumes on the 3rd, 7th, and 14th days in the control group were higher than those at the same time-points in the experimental group. There was no difference in edema volume on the 1st day. The changes in edema volume between the 1st and 3rd days, the 1st and 7th days, and the 1st and 14th days in the control group were higher than those during the same periods in the experimental group. Deferoxamine mesylate may accelerate hematoma absorption and inhibit edema after TICH; however, further investigation is required to reach definitive conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement asphalt composite is a porous material with various connected and closed pores, and pore structure is the major factor affecting its strength. In this paper, the pore structure of cement asphalt composites with different asphalt contents were analyzed by the combination of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and modified image analysis methods. The former one mainly detects the smaller and open pores, and the latter one mainly measures the larger and spherical closed pores. The total porosity is the sum of open and closed porosities. A model, based on Griffith theory and complete pore structure, was developed to predict the compressive strength of cement asphalt composites with high and low asphalt contents. It is demonstrated that the proposed models predict the compressive strength of cement and asphalt composite quite well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural build-up of cement-based materials is often characterized by the determination of the evolution of static yield stress with time. This property is crucial to many applications of concrete. However, the measurement of static yield stress may disturb the structure of cement-based material. As a consequence, the true structural build-up of the materials may not be detected. In this paper, the evolution of static yield stress and storage modulus (G′) determined by small amplitude oscillatory test was determined to characterize the evolution of the structural build-up of cement pastes. Results showed that G′ and static yield stress developed similarly with time. When the tests were carried out on the same sample, the measurement of static yield stress disturbed the structure of cement paste and had a significant effect on the following measurement of G′, but a slight effect on the following measurement of static yield stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is a lift-threatening chronic deadliest infectious disease caused predominantly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) which affects primarily the lungs (pulmonary TB) apart from other vital organs. The emergence of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and the recently cases of totally drug resistant (TDR) towards currently accessible standard drugs was increased up to alarming level in the recent decades. In pursuit of searching new anti-TB agents, numerous of derivatives have been synthesized and screened for their anti-TB activity. Coumarins are one of the most important classes of natural products that exhibited various biological activities, and their derivatives regarded as a new class of effective anti-TB candidates owing to their potential anti-TB activity. Thus, coumarin skeleton has attracted great interest in the development of new anti-TB agents. This review outlines the advances in the application of coumarin-containing derivatives as anti-TB agents and the critical aspects of design and structure-activity relationship of these derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The influence of time intervals and curing ages on the bonding strength of the composite specimens was studied. • The failure mode and microstructure of the composite specimens were analyzed. • The bond strength prediction model was proposed and verified. The issue of concrete vibration in the continuous beam 0# block is resolved by using a combination of self-compacting concrete (SCC) and ordinary concrete (OC). As a consequence of the multi-layer casting technique, SCC-OC structures consist of two layers and a bonding interlayer, so the bonding performance is crucial to guarantee the reliability of the structure. This paper studies the bonding performance between distinct layers of SCC and OC and attempts to establish the relationship between the two parameters (i.e., casting time interval and curing age) and the bonding strength (i.e., spitting strength and shearing strength). The results indicate that the casting time interval between SCC and OC has a stronger effect on the failure mode than that of curing age, and the shearing test can better characterize the weakly bonded interface than the splitting test. A shorter casting time interval and a longer curing age lead to higher bonding strength. Based on the bonding micro-mechanism and failure modes of SCC-OC interfaces, a mechanical model is proposed to predict the shear strength of the SCC-OC composite. The innovative approach of combining SCC and OC is promising to solve the problem of concrete vibration in the continuous beam 0# block at a low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel stranded steel (SS) fiber was first proposed and realized by simply cutting the commercial steel strands. • The SS fiber had a superior anchoring capacity than the hooked-end and straight fibers. • Cementitious composites reinforced by SS fiber demonstrated remarkably superior mechanical performance as any other types of steel fiber. Reinforced materials with helically twisted geometries have been successfully applied in the concrete structures, owing to their superior mechanical properties and anchoring capabilities. Helically twisted types materials with diameters less than 1.0 mm might be an ideal type of fiber for cement-based materials reinforcing. In this article, a novel stranded steel (SS) fiber was first proposed and realized by simply cutting the commercial steel strands. The fiber–matrix interfacial properties and mechanical performance of steel fiber reinforced cementitious composites (SFRCC) were investigated. It was found that the SS fiber-cement matrix interface demonstrated superior interfacial bonding performance, as compared to those for the interface between hooked-end/straight fibers and cement matrix. For the mechanical properties of SFRCC, cementitious composites reinforced by SS fiber exhibited strikingly outstanding mechanical property as any other types of steel fiber with the same fiber amount. In conclusion, SS fiber may be more suitable for cementitious composite reinforcement than hooked-end and straight fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been long recognized that low air pressure (AP) affects the moisture transfer in concrete, and thus its microstructure and bulk property, but less is known about the thermodynamic mechanism. This research investigated the microstructure evolution of young white Portland cement paste during wetting or drying at different APs (i.e. 101 kPa, 60 kPa, 20 kPa), the experimental and numerical analyses reveal the moisture transfer changes at low APs, which matters for the microstructural features of hardened cement paste. It was found that low APs increase the water vapor diffusion and convective mass transfer coefficients, and the intrinsic permeability of cement paste sample, which results in higher water contents within cement paste during wetting at 98 % RH but more rapid water losses during drying at 43 % RH. Owing to the distinct moisture transfer behaviors, the C-S-H structures were linked with water contents within confined pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional two-wheeled self-balancing robot can travel quickly in a flat road environment, and it is easy to destabilize and capsize when passing through a bumpy road. To improve the passing ability of a two-wheeled robot, a new wheel-legged two-wheeled robot is developed. A seven-link leg structure is proposed through the comprehensive design of mechanism configuration, which decouples the balanced motion and leg motion of the robot. Based on the Euler–Lagrange method, the dynamic model of the system is obtained by applying the nonholonomic dynamic Routh equation in the generalized coordinate system. The robot's state space is divided according to the robot's height, and the Riccati equation is solved in real-time by the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) method to complete the balance and motion control of the robot. The robot leg motion control is achieved based on the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) way. A robot simulation model is built on Recurdyn to verify the algorithm's feasibility, and then an experimental prototype is built to demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness. The experimental results show that the control method based on LQR and ADRC can make the robot pass through the bumpy road. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB), which has been a scourge of humanity for thousands of years, is a worldwide pandemic disease caused mainly by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). The emergence of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and totally drug-resistant TB (TDR-TB) increase the challenges to eliminate TB worldwide. Isoniazid ( INH ), a critical frontline anti-TB drug, is one of the most effective drugs used to treatment of TB infection for more than 60 years. Unfortunately, bacterial strains resistant to INH are becoming common which mainly due to the long-term widely use even abuse. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel anti-TB agents. Numerous efforts have been undertaken to develop new anti-TB agents, but no new drug has been introduced for more than 5 decades. It has been suggested that the incorporation of lipophilic moieties into the framework of INH can increase permeation of the drug into bacterial cells, thereby enhancing the anti-TB. Therefore, INH derivatives with greater lipophilicity are emerging as one of the most potential anti-TB agents. Indeed, the INH derivative LL-3858 is in initial stages of phase II clinical trial for the treatment of TB and may be approved to treat TB in the near future. This review aims to summarize the recent advances made towards the discovery anti-TB agents holding INH as a nucleus including INH hybrids and INH hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of quantum entropy, energy, and entanglement is studied for various initial states in an important spectroscopic Hamiltonian of bent triatomic molecules H2O, D2O, and H2S. The total quantum correlation is quantified in terms of the mutual information and the entanglement by the concurrence borrowed from the theory of quantum information. The Pauli entropy and the intramolecular energy usually used in the theory of molecules are calculated to establish a possible relationship between both theories. Sections of two quantities among these four quantities are introduced to visualize such relationship. Analytic and numerical simulations demonstrate that if an initial state is taken to be the stretch- or the bend-vibrationally localized state, the mutual information, the Pauli entropy, and the concurrence are dominant-positively correlated while they are dominantly anti-correlated with the interacting energy among three anharmonic vibrational modes. In particular, such correlation is more distinct for the localized state with high excitations in the bending mode. The nice quasi-periodicity of those quantities in D2O molecule reveals that this molecule prepared in the localized state in the stretching or the bending mode can be more appreciated for molecular quantum computation. However, the dynamical correlations of those quantities behave irregularly for the dislocalized states. Moreover, the hierarchy of the mutual information and the Pauli entropy is explicitly proved. Quantum entropy and energy in every vibrational mode are investigated. Thereby, the relation between bipartite and tripartite entanglements is discussed as well. Those are useful for the understanding of quantum correlations in high-dimensional states in polyatomic molecules from quantum information and intramolecular dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small molecule named DRBDTCO based on benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene (BDT) with an asymmetric side chain and its dimer, dDRBDTCO, with the octamethylene connector were designed and synthesized as donor materials for solution-processed bulk heterojunction solar cells. The optimized power conversion efficiency of a DRBDTCO-based device was 8.18% under AM 1.5 G irradiation (100 mW cm-2), which is higher than that of its dDRBDTCO-based device. Both molecule-based devices exhibited high fill factors of >73%, which are attributed to their optimized morphologies with a feature size of 15-20 nm, highly efficient charge collection, less bimolecular recombination, and well-balanced charge transport properties. The results demonstrate that the asymmetric BDT unit could be a promising building block for donor materials with high efficiencies and high fill factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Factor VII (FVII) plays a key role in the initiation of the coagulation cascade and, in clinical situations, recombinant human activated FVII (rFVIIa) effectively prevents progressive hemorrhaging after a brain contusion. However, it remains unclear whether decreases in FVII activity directly lead to progressive hemorrhaging and, moreover, the precise mechanisms underlying this process are not yet known. The present study demonstrated that decreased FVII activity directly led to progressive hemorrhaging of the cerebral contusions. Administration of FVII prevented the progression of hemorrhaging from cerebral contusions by protecting microvessel endothelial cells in the penumbra of the contusion. The present study also showed that the ternary TF–FVIIa–FXa complex cleaved endogenous protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) on endothelial cells, activated the p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascade, and inhibited p65 nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling. Furthermore, exposure to ternary TF–FVIIa–FXa protected endothelial cells from thrombin- or inflammatory cytokine-induced apoptosis. Although activation of the p44/42 MAPK signaling pathway is endothelial cell protein C receptor (EPCR)-dependent, inhibition of the p65 NF-κB signaling pathway is EPCR-independent; thus, the regulation mechanism underlying the effects of TF–FVIIa–FXa in vascular endothelial cells appears to be multiple signaling pathways. In summary, the present findings demonstrated that FVIIa prevented the progressive hemorrhaging of brain contusions by protecting microvessel endothelial cells via the formation of the ternary TF–FVIIa–FXa complex. These findings are novel and of great clinical significance because FVIIa is used to prevent the progressive hemorrhaging of brain contusions in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement asphalt (CA) mortar, a porous and organic-inorganic composite, has been widely used in high-speed rail. Since the high content of asphalt and its low strength, mercury intrusion porosity (MIP) may not be applicable to measure the complete pore structure of cement asphalt (CA) mortar. In this paper, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry method was used to measure the pore structure of CA mortar with various water-to-cement (W/C) ratio and asphalt to cement (A/C) ratio. The porosity obtained by MIP under the pressure of 0–0.4 MPa was used to infer the surface relaxivity which is a key parameter for the calculation of pore size in NMR relaxometry method. Results showed that a value of 40 μm/s can be adopted as the surface relaxivity of CA mortar. Pore size distribution of CA mortars presented three peaks. The peaks did not shift with w/c ratios, but got higher with the increase in W/C ratios. Low A/C ratio leads to coarser pore structure of CA mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple loss-of-function mutations in TRIAD3 (a.k.a. RNF216) have recently been identified in patients suffering from Gordon Holmes syndrome ( GHS), characterized by cognitive decline, dementia, and movement disorders. TRIAD3A is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that recognizes and facilitates the ubiquitination of its target for degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system ( UPS). Here, we demonstrate that two of these missense substitutions in TRIAD3 (R660C and R694C) could not regulate the degradation of their neuronal target, activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated protein (Arc/Arg 3.1), whose expression is critical for synaptic plasticity and memory. The synaptic deficits due to the loss of endogenous TRIAD3A could not be rescued by TRIAD3A harboring GHS-associated missense mutations. Moreover, we demonstrate that the loss of endogenous TRIAD3A in the mouse hippocampal CA1 region led to deficits in spatial learning and memory. Finally, we show that these missense mutations abolished the interaction of TRIAD3A with Arc, disrupting Arc ubiquitination, and consequently Arc degradation. Our current findings of Arc misregulation by TRIAD3A variants suggest that loss-of-function mutations in TRIAD3A may contribute to dementia observed in patients with GHS driven by dysfunctional UPS components, leading to cognitive impairments through the synaptic protein Arc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of asphalt-to-cement ratio (A/C) and water-to-cement ratio (W/C) on the elastic modulus E c of cement asphalt (CA) binder were studied through measuring the stress-strain curves and phase volume fractions of various CA binder specimens. The results illustrate that the CA binder with high asphalt content (A/C ⩾ 0.6) is a two-phase composite with complicated microstructure formed by both cement hydrates and asphalt agglomerates. The elastic modulus of CA binder decreases with the increase of A/C and W/C, especially A/C. A composite model that describes the CA binder in terms of the properties of asphalt and volume fractions of cement phases is suggested, and E c of CA binder can be predicted by this model according to A/C, W/C and properties of asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of exponential stability for a class of the uncertain singular stochastic systems with discrete and distributed delays are studied. By using a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional approach and terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) and the Leibniz–Newton formula, mean square exponential stability criteria ensuring robust stability of the uncertain singular stochastic systems with discrete and distributed delays are established. New mean square exponential stable criteria for the certain singular stochastic systems with discrete and distributed delays are obtained as well. Finally, the validity of the obtained results is shown by a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The problems of robust stability for a class of the polytopic-type uncertain singular stochastic systems with time-varying delays are studied. By using a delay decomposition approach and terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), robust stability criteria ensuring globally stochastically asymptotic stability of the polytopic-type uncertain singular stochastic systems with time-varying delays are established. New globally stochastically asymptotic stable criteria for the certain stochastic systems with discrete and distributed delays are obtained in terms of linear matrix inequalities and Leibniz–Newton formula as well. Finally, the validity of the obtained results is shown by a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) combined with air-entraining agents (AEAs) were used to improve the frost resistance of mortar pepared under low air pressure in this study. Effects of SAPs combined with AEAs on the pore structure and frost resistance of mortar were investigated. Results showed that the combined use of SAPs and AEAs could improve the frost resistance of mortar made under low air pressure efficiently. This is further clarified by the changes of the pore structure. SAPs had a better performance in air-entraining as well as internal curing under low air pressure than those under a normal atmosphere. In addition, SAPs combined with AEAs could greatly optimize the pore structure of mortar prepared at low air pressure, especially reduce the number of pores larger than 200 nm. Moreover, correlations between pore characteristic parameters and frost resistance were discussed based on the linear fitting method and grey correlation analysis method. Finally, a modified hydraulic pore pressure model considering the influence of air pressure was established, and calculation results showed that the hydraulic pore pressure during freezing decreased due to low air pressure. • Effects of low air pressure on the pore structure and frost resistance of mortar were analyzed. • SAPs combined with AEAs were used to improve the performance of mortar made at low air pressure. • Correlations between pore structure and frost resistance of mortar made at low pressure were investigated. • A modified hydraulic pore pressure model considering the influence of air pressure was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air entrainment in cement-based materials is believed to be affected by low air pressure (AP) which is the atmospheric characteristic in high plateaus, and thus the rheology may be affected. This paper attempts to study rheology and air entrainment of fresh Portland cement mortar in simulated low APs. The results indicate that the rheological responses with the varying AP gradients are relevant to the air entrainments in fresh mortar mixtures. The volume changes of air voids in fresh mortars are linearly related to the varying APs, which is owing to not only the AP difference between the inside and outside air voids but also the additional pressure on the liquid films of air voids stemming from the surface tension changes. Moreover, the Bingham capillary number is calculated to account for the air void deformability. Then rheological parameters are correlated to the content and deformability of air voids in fresh mortars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a model of shale, one part of polycyclic aromatic ring was used to represent the kerogen surface with the structural heterogeneity. The adsorption mechanisms of methane on the surface of the kerogen were investigated by M06-2× functional with D3 dispersion correction. Nine stable adsorption sites and the orientations of methane (CH 4 ) on the surface of the kerogen were systematically considered. Information from different methods lead to the same conclusion that methane prefers to be adsorbed on the sites directly above the carbon atoms of the kerogen rather than above the center of the six-membered rings. The interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen are the van der Waals interactions. The interaction energies with the basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections are around 14 kJ mol −1 at the M06-2×-D3/Jun-cc-pVDZ level. The RDG scatter graphs and the RDG gradient isosurface further illustrate that the interactions between methane and the surface of the kerogen belong to the van der Waals interactions. The weak interactions indicate that the adsorption of methane on the surface of the kerogen is physical adsorption and it slightly depends upon the adsorption sites on kerogen as well as the orientations of methane. These results are helpful for the understanding of the microcosmic mechanism of methane–shale interactions and for the exploitation of shale gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four novel saponins, astraisoolesaponins A 1 –A 3 and B ( 1 – 4 ) were isolated from the stems of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao. Spectroscopic analysis indicated that 1 – 4 are the first example of saponins possessing a 28-methyl-rearranged carbon skeleton. Their absolute configurations were determined by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Both 3 and 4 displayed triglyceride accumulation inhibitory effects in HepG2 cells and glucose uptake increase effects on L6 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sealed-space-filling self-compacting concrete (SSFSCC) is used in China Rail Track System (CRTS) III ballastless slab track of high-speed rail, which has been originally developed in China recently. In this track system, SSFSCC needs to be grouted into a flat, narrow, and sealed space (90 mm × 2500 mm × 5600 mm) which is enclosed by above prefabricated slab and bottom base plate. Good bonding between SSFSCC filling layer and above prefabricated slab has to be secured since these two layers are required to work as a composite plate. SSFSCC presents some special characteristics in comparison with normal SCC. This paper elaborated the property requirements of SSFSCC and the structural characteristics of SSFSCC layer of CRTS III ballastless slab track of high-speed rail. The compositions and mix proportioning of SSFSCC as well as construction technology were briefly introduced. The challenges of the application of this special SCC were also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses for the first time on the static analysis of sandwich plates with functionally graded faces and homogeneous core by an nth-order shear deformation theory and meshless global collocation method. The meshless global collocation method approximates the solutions of governing differential equations based on the nth-order shear deformation theory using all nodes in the problem domain. The deflection and stress of a simply supported sandwich plates under sinusoidal load are calculated to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the present theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective antitumor immune responses are dependent on coordinate interaction of various effector cells. Thus, the combination of adoptive immunotherapy and target gene therapy is capable of efficiently generating a productive antitumor immune response. We investigated whether combination of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells adoptive immunotherapy and CCL21/IL15 armed oncolytic adenovirus could induce the enhanced antitumor activity. The CCL21/IL15 co-expression oncolytic adenoviruses were constructed by using the AdEasy system, which uses homologous recombination with shuttle plasmids and full length Ad backbones. This conditionally replicating adenoviruses CRAd-CCL21-IL15 could induce apoptosis in TERTp-positive tumor cells for viral propagation, but do not replicate efficiently in normal cells, because the E1A promoter was replaced by telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (TERTp). Our results showed that the combination of CIK cells and CRAd-CCL21-IL15 could induce higher antitumor activity than either CIK cells or CRAd-CCL21-IL15 alone. This combined treatment could induce the tumor specific cytotoxicity of CTLs (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) in vitro. Moreover, the treatment of established tumors with the combined therapy of CIK cells and CRAd-CCL21-IL15 resulted in tumor regression. This study suggests that the combined treatment by adoptive immunotherapy and gene therapy is a promising strategy for the therapy of tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Genetic variations in dystrobrevin binding protein 1 ( DTNBP1 or dysbindin-1) have been implicated as risk factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The encoded protein dysbindin-1 functions in the regulation of synaptic activity and synapse development. Intriguingly, a loss of function mutation in Dtnbp1 in mice disrupted both glutamatergic and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic transmission in the cerebral cortex; pyramidal neurons displayed enhanced excitability due to reductions in inhibitory synaptic inputs. However, the mechanism by which reduced dysbindin-1 activity causes inhibitory synaptic deficits remains unknown. Methods We investigated the role of dysbindin-1 in the exocytosis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from cortical excitatory neurons, organotypic brain slices, and acute slices from dysbindin-1 mutant mice and determined how this change in BDNF exocytosis transsynaptically affected the number of inhibitory synapses formed on excitatory neurons via whole-cell recordings, immunohistochemistry, and live-cell imaging using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. Results A decrease in dysbindin-1 reduces the exocytosis of BDNF from cortical excitatory neurons, and this reduction in BDNF exocytosis transsynaptically resulted in reduced inhibitory synapse numbers formed on excitatory neurons. Furthermore, application of exogenous BDNF rescued the inhibitory synaptic deficits caused by the reduced dysbindin-1 level in both cultured cortical neurons and slice cultures. Conclusions Taken together, our results demonstrate that these two genes linked to risk for schizophrenia (BDNF and dysbindin-1) function together to regulate interneuron development and cortical network activity. This evidence supports the investigation of the association between dysbindin-1 and BDNF in humans with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Shear wave elastography (SWE) accurately and sensitively evaluates arterial wall stiffness by quantifying the elastic modulus (EM); however, the absence of reference values has precluded its widespread clinical application. This prospective cohort study aimed to establish reference values for the carotid EM using SWE; investigate the main determinants of the EM; and evaluate EM changes in coronary slow flow (CSF), which is characterized by delayed coronary opacification without evident obstructive lesion in epicardial coronary artery on angiography.Method: This study enrolled 169 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with CSF. The carotid maximum EM (EMmax), mean EM, and minimum EM were measured using SWE. CSF was diagnosed by thrombolysis in the myocardial infarction frame count during coronary angiography.Results: No differences were found in the EM between the left and right carotid arteries and between men and women. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age was independently correlated with the EMmax, which progressively increased with age. Moreover, smoking had an independent influence on the EM after adjusting for age; smokers had higher EM than non-smokers. Age-specific reference values for the carotid EM were established. The EM was higher in patients with CSF than in controls after adjusting for age and smoking status.Conclusions: This study first established the reference values for the carotid EM using SWE. Age and smoking status were the main determinants of the EM. Patients with CSF had high EM. SWE can effectively and noninvasively evaluate arterial stiffness in patients with CSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper elucidated the temperature dependence of cement setting by comparing the storage modulus (Gʹ) evolutions under different temperatures ranging from 10 to 55 °C. The temperature-induced changes in cement hydration and colloidal interaction were also explored to reveal the underlying physio-chemical effects. It was found that the increase in temperature significantly accelerates the growth of Gʹ in all the stages of setting process, which mainly arises from the promotion of forming "calcium silicate hydrates (C–S–H) bridges" and compressing the electrical double layer of particles. For the same hydration degree, the rise of temperature leads to a greater Gʹ of cement paste. It was attributed to the diminution of the electrostatic repulsive force between particles caused by not only the direct effect of rising temperature but also the higher SO 4 2-/Ca2+ concentration ratio of interstitial solution in the paste cured at the higher temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Estimated the temperature and stress development of the early-age concrete in base plate. • Predicted the early-age cracking risk of base plate concrete. • Introduced various measures to mitigate the early-age cracking risk of base plate concrete. Early-age cracking of base plate may result in safety and durability problems for slab ballastless track. However, very limited studies are available on the mechanisms of early cracking of the base plate of the CRTS III slab ballastless track which is quite common in practice. In this study, a thermal–mechanical model was developed to investigate the cracking behavior of early-age concrete in base plate. The influences of curing method, demolding age, demolding temperature, the diameter of the steel bar, and the longitudinal continuous length were taken into account. It was found that the most unfavorable stress conditions in the early-age base plate were located at the corners between base plate and position-limitation recess, and the stress level at the middle point is the highest at longitudinal directions. This has been validated by field experiences. Furthermore, various measures were introduced to mitigate the early-age cracking risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Correlation analyses are conducted based on VIF, KBRV, CCC. • TSA-GRU-Attention network model is proposed. • A collaborative cloud-edge-end control system is proposed. • An adaptive weight and genetic operation are designed for ITSA. • ITSA is proposed to optimize hyper-parameters of GRU-Attention model. To improve the machining accuracy of machine tools, a correlation analysis-based thermal error control is realized on the basis of the improved tunicate swarm algorithm-gated recurrent unit-attention (ITSA-GRU-A) model and cloud-edge-physical collaboration framework. The memorizing, non-stationary, and nonlinear behaviors of thermal errors are mathematically and numerically revealed by using the power series solution of the one-dimensional heat transfer equation and the finite element method of the three-dimensional spindle system. To adequately reduce the collinearities among temperatures, the variance inflation factor (VIF) is applied to conduct the grouping and clustering of input temperature variables for the first time. Then the final input is determined by the kernel-based R-vector (KBRV) coefficient and complex correlation coefficient (CCC). Finally, the ITSA-GRU-A model is proposed, and the attention mechanism is introduced to improve the predictive ability. The input variables are selected by the VIF, KBRV, and CCC. The ITSA is proposed to optimize the hyper-parameters of the GRU-A model, and the adaptive weights are introduced into the ITSA to reduce the computation time. The proposed ITSA-GRU-A model has a more powerful predictive performance, generalization ability, and convergence than the GRU, GRU-A, and tunicate swarm algorithm (TSA)-GRU models. Finally, a cloud-edge-physical collaboration framework is proposed. The above algorithms are embedded into the cloud-edge-physical collaboration framework, and then the error control is realized by the collaboration framework and ITSA-GRU-A model. With the implementation of the error control system, the execution time and machining error is reduced significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gypsum has been known to regulate cement setting since more than 100 years, whereas the understanding of the physio-chemical mechanism remains incomplete. Here, we investigated the influence of gypsum on elasticity evolution of fresh tricalcium silicate (C 3 S) paste through small amplitude oscillation shear method. Isothermal calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance, and zeta potential measurements were performed to explore the corresponding changes in hydration, microstructure, and colloidal interaction. It was found that incorporating gypsum is beneficial for inter-particle agglomeration by significantly weakening electrostatic repulsion force between particles, which accelerates elasticity development in the early period of setting. Although the retardation effect of gypsum on C 3 S hydration hinders the further development of elasticity in the later period, the more divergent needle-like calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and the stronger cohesion of the C 3 S particle network in presence of gypsum lead to a higher elasticity at the same hydration degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the excellent capacities on crack-width controlling and deformation, the high strength steel wire mesh reinforced engineering cementitious composites (HSSWM-ECC) have been used as an ideal material in structure strengthening engineering. However, limited literatures are available on the interfacial bond-slip model and the interfacial load carrying capacity between HSSWM-ECC and concrete. In this study, the modified hinged beam tests were carried out on nine groups of typical specimens to investigate the bonding performance at interface between HSSWM-ECC and concrete. A bond-slip model for the interface was proposed to predict the bond-slip performance between HSSWM-ECC and concrete, which was well agreed with the experimental result. Moreover, the micro-segment analysis method was developed considering the stress transfer at interface, accurately describing the mechanical characteristic of the interface. Finally, the analytical models for estimating the effective anchorage length and the interfacial load carrying capacity of the interface were established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between coagulopathy and either isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI) or progressive hemorrhagic injury (PHI) remains controversial. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether isolated TBI induces pronounced coagulopathy, in comparison with non-TBI or TBI in conjunction with other injuries (TBI + other injuries), and to examine whether there is any evidence of a relationship between coagulopathy and PHI in patients who have experienced TBI. The MEDLINE® and Embase databases, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), were trawled for relevant studies. Searches covered the period from the inception of each of the databases to June 2015, and were conducted using appropriate combinations of terms and key words based on medical subject headings (MeSH). Studies were included if they compared isolated TBI with a similar severity of injury to other body regions, or compared PHI with non-PHI, with regard to coagulation tests and the prevalence of coagulopathy. We extracted the means and standard deviations (SD) of coagulation test levels, as well as their ranges or the percentage of abnormal coagulation tests, in both cases and controls. A total of 19 studies were included in our systematic review and meta-analysis. Only the mean fibrinogen (FIB) in isolated TBI was found to be significantly higher than in TBI + other injuries (pooled mean difference [MD] 32.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.92-59.25; p = 0.02); in contrast, it was also significantly higher than in non-TBI (pooled MD 15.44; 95% CI 0.28-30.59; p = 0.05). We identified 15 studies that compared coagulopathy between a PHI group and a non-PHI group. The PHI group had a lower platelet count (PLT) value (pooled MD −19.21; 95% CI: −26.99 to −11.44, p < 0.001) and a higher international normalized ratio (INR) value (pooled MD 0.07; 95% CI: 0.02-0.13, p = 0.006) than the non-PHI group, but no differences were observed in the mean activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT) between the PHI and non-PHI patients. In addition, PHI was significantly associated with a higher percentage of INR >1.2 (pooled OR 3.49 [95% CI 1.97-6.20], p < 0.001), PLT <100 × 109/L (pooled OR 4.74 [95% CI 2.44-9.20], p < 0.001), and coagulopathy (pooled OR 2.52; 95% CI 1.88- 3.38; p < 0.001), compared with non-PHI. The current clinical evidence does not indicate that the prevalence of coagulopathy in TBI is significantly higher than in injuries of similar severity to other areas of the body, or in multiple injuries with TBI. With respect to the association between coagulopathy and PHI, the occurrence of coagulopathy, INR, and PLT was significantly associated with PHI, but APTT and PT were not found to be associated with PHI. In the future, high quality research will be required to further characterize the effects of coagulopathy on TBI and subsequent PHI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the vertical equal strain assumption, there are many consolidation theories of soft soil incorporating vertical drains. Because the influence of many factors is often ignored and the flow of the pore water usually happens in three-dimensional directions, analytical solutions could not be accurate enough. Because of the amount of computer storage and the computing time needed, two-dimensional finite element analysis is used to model the stone column improving the soft foundation. The embankment load is transferred to a column because of the soil arching effect. When the embankment is constructed, the settlement accounts for 64% of the total settlement, which shows that the column can reduce the post-construction settlement. The stone column's bulge is confined to a length about one to two times the diameter of the stone column away from its top, and the column at the toe would bears the shear stress to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]