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Background/Objective: This is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of Chinese herbal Fufang Xian Ling Gu Bao (XLGB) with antiadipogenic compounds for the prevention of corticosteroid (CS)-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). Methods: Patients of both genders, aged between 18 and 65 years, with diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, nephrosis, dermatosis and rheumatoid arthritis indicated for CS treatment and who did not show magnetic resonance imaging of ONFH at baseline were recruited into the study and then randomised into either XLGB group (n = 129) with daily oral administration of XLGB or placebo group (n = 146). Results: Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a total of 30 ONFH cases at 6 months after CS treatment, with 6.98% (9 of 129 cases) and 14.4% (21 of 146 cases) in the XLGB group and placebo group, respectively, (p

Background: Investigate into the medical expenditures of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients through path analysis method of three consecutive years within a Grade-A tertiary hospital in Beijing to conduct the main influencing factors in diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) grouping of the diagnosis, and reassess the present grouping process to provide information and reference on cost control for hospitals and medical management departments. Methods: Eight hundred and fifty-five inpatient cases whose first diagnosis were defined as CKD in the year 2014–2016 within the hospital were selected as the sample of the study, multiple linear regression and path analysis method were adopted in DRGs grouping process to investigate the main influencing factors of total medical expenditures and DRGs grouping process. Results: The maximum proportion of the medical costs within CKD patients was the costs on treatment, with the highest of 35.3% on the year 2014, the second was the costs on drug, which accounted for

Tailoring the crystallization process to realize targeted material texture/porosity is a major challenge in zeolite synthesis, which facilitates the practical application of zeolites. In the present work, core–shell structured ZSM-5 zeolites were successfully synthesized through a graphene oxide (GO)-assisted hydrothermal method and characterized by XRD, SEM, NH3-TPD and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. GO sheets have dual roles in the formation of core–shell structured ZSM-5 zeolites. GO nanosheets attached to the outer surface of large ZSM-5 crystal cores not only tailor the growth of crystal planes but also induce the formation of ZSM-5 nanocrystal layers. Compared to the conventional ZSM-5 zeolite, due to the c-axis oriented ZSM-5 cores and unique core–shell structure, the core–shell structured ZSM-5 zeolites expose more accessible acidic sites and shorten the diffusion path for molecules, leading to an enhanced catalytic activity for the o-methylation of cyclohexanone with methanol.

This paper examines the development of the bond-slip models for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates externally bonded to steel substrates where debonding failure occurs in the adhesive layer. Thirteen single-shear bonded joints were tested to investigate the effects of the adhesive properties and the adhesive thickness on the bond-slip behavior of the interfaces. The test results showed that the bond-slip relationship for the bonded joints with the Sikadur-30 adhesive was approximately triangular, whereas that with the Araldite-2015 adhesive can be simplified to a trapezoidal shape. Based on a careful analysis of a database of CFRP-to-steel bonded joints, expressions were formulated for the key parameters employed in the triangular and trapezoidal bond-slip models, including the interfacial fracture energy G f , the peak interfacial shear stress τ max , and the relative slip indexes s 1 , s 2 and s f . The influences of the adhesive properties and the adhesive thickness were accounted for in the proposed models. The comparisons between the predicted and test results showed that the predicted results have good agreement with the collected test data and that the proposed models have reasonable accuracy. The proposed bond-slip models are expected to be useful in the theoretical modeling of CFRP plate-strengthened steel members.

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates can effectively enhance the fatigue life of steel structures. However, few studies have investigated the influence of crack-induced debonding in the CFRP-steel interface on the CFRP strengthening efficiency and the relationship of crack propagation and debonding development. This study experimentally and numerically – with the boundary element method (BEM) – investigated crack propagation and debonding development in CFRP-strengthened cracked steel (Q345, Q460, and Q690) plates. The fatigue test specimens were subjected to a maximum stress of 50% steel yield stress and a stress ratio of 0.1, during which real-time changes in CFRP strain distribution were recorded by digital image correlation (DIC). The CFRP strain gradient calculations showed that crack-induced debonding was crack length-dependent. The numerical fatigue life results were in good agreement with the experimental data when considering debonding and overestimated the experimental data without considering debonding, demonstrating the necessity of considering crack-induced debonding in calculation and design. Furthermore, a relationship was obtained between crack propagation and debonding development.

Toughening of Fe-based amorphous coatings meanwhile maintaining a good corrosion resistance remains challenging. This work reports a novel approach to improve the toughness of a FeCrMoCBY amorphous coating through in-situ formation of amorphous carbon reinforcement without reducing the corrosion resistance. The Fe-based composite coating was prepared by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying using a pre-mixed Fe-based amorphous/nylon-11 polymer feedstock powders. The nylon-11 powders were in-situ carbonized to amorphous carbon phase during thermal spraying process, which homogeneously distributed in the amorphous matrix leading to significant enhancement of toughness of the coating. The mechanical properties, including hardness, impact resistance, bending and fatigue strength, were extensively studied by using a series of mechanical testing techniques. The results revealed that the composite coating reinforced by amorphous carbon phase exhibited enhanced impact resistance and nearly twice-higher fatigue strength than that of the monolithic amorphous coating. The enhancement of impact toughness and fatigue properties is owed to the dumping effect of the soft amorphous carbon phase, which alleviated stress concentration and decreased crack propagation driving force.

Artificial neural network (ANN) gets a lot of applications in predicting flow stress of steels at high temperature. However, few studies have been devoted to simultaneously predict flow stress of several steels by ANN. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of ANN on simultaneously predicting flow stress of several steels. Based on the results of previous compression experiments of four types of microalloyed forging steel, using the mass percentage of major chemical composition of the steels, such as as C, Mn, Si and V, and deformation temperature, strain rate and strain as input variables, a three-layers back propagation neural network was established as the constitutive model for them. Standard statistical methods were employed to quantitatively measure the accuracy of predicted results by the model. The calculated correlation coefficient and the average relative error absolute value between the predicted values by the model and experimental values were 0.9982 and 2.4181%, respectively. In addition, the relative error between the two kinds of values was calculated, and for more than 89% samples, the relative error was within ± 5%. The results show that the developed constitutive model can predict the flow stress of the four types of microalloyed forging steel accurately and simultaneously.

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell activated by curcumin (hUC-MSCs-CUR) on Parkinson’s disease (PD). hUC-MSCs can differentiate into many types of adult tissue cells including dopaminergic (DA) neurons. CUR could protect DA neurons from apoptosis induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Therefore, we used the hUC-MSCs activated by CUR for the treatment of PD in an animal model. Methods. The hUC-MSCs-CUR was transplanted into the MPTP-induced PD mouse models via the tail vein. We found that hUC-MSCs-CUR significantly improved the motor ability, increased the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine (DA), and Bcl-2 levels, and reduced nitric oxide synthase, Bax, and cleaved caspase 3 expression in PD mice. The supernatant of hUC-MSCs-CUR (CM-CUR) was used to stimulate the SH-SY5Y cellular model of PD; cell proliferation, differentiation, TH, and neuronal-specific marker microtubular-associated protein 2 (MAP2) expressions were examined. Results. Our data showed that CM-CUR significantly promoted cell proliferation and gradually increased TH and MAP2 expression in SH-SY5Y PD cells. The beneficial effects could be associated with significant increase of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the hUC-MSCs-CUR, which secretes many cytokines and growth factors beneficial for PD treatment. Conclusions. Transplantation of hUC-MSCs-CUR could show promise for improving the motor recovery of PD.

Background: Haemaphysalis longicornis, a vector of various diseases with medical and veterinary importance, is native to eastern Asia, and recently invaded the United States as an emerging disease threat. Methods: We collected multi-source data from field survey, reference book, literature search and related websites. Geographic distribution of H. longicornis and its infected agents was mapped by geographical information system techniques. Hosts of H. longicornis and infection rates of H. longicornis-borne agents were estimated by meta-analysis. Ecological niche model was used to predict potential distribution of H. longicornis around the world. Findings: H. longicornis was broadly distributed in ten countries, predominantly in eastern Asia, the United States, and countries in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The tick was known to feed on a variety of domestic and wild animals. Nearly 60 agents, including spotted fever group rickettsiae, Anaplasmataceae family, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Babesia, Theileria, Francisella, Bartonella, Coxiella, Hepatozoon, Toxoplasma, and viruses were detected in H. longicornis, over half of which were pathogenic to humans. H. longicornis-borne agents were mainly reported in eastern Asia. The predictive modeling revealed that H. longicornis might infest more extensive regions, unexpectedly in Europe, South America, and Africa. Interpretation: H. longicornis is widely distributed in the world, and infected with various pathogens. Authorities and health care workers should be aware of the threat of the tick species to public health and veterinary medicine. Expanding surveillance and further investigations should be enhanced. Funding Statement: This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (81621005) and National Key Research and Development Program of China (2019YFC1200505). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Not required.

Production of sand (rock debris and proppant) during fracturing fluid flowback is a serious problem for low-permeability reservoir. The sand production control techniques mainly includes mechanical and chemical method. In this paper, the main object is to evaluate the proppant production control performance of sand consolidation agent with different types. The sand consolidation agent S has the optimal performance compared with the P and U. The fiber can effectively reduce the proppant flowback quality. The optimal length and concentration of the fiber are 5 mm and 0.5%, respectively. The performance of the mixture of fiber and sand consolidation agent S (Fiber+S) is better than that of sand consolidation agent S and fiber alone. The proppant flowback quality after mixing the Fiber+S was reduced by more than 10 times compared with the case where no sand production control measures were taken. The growth rate of proppant flowback quality after mixing Fiber+S becomes larger when the flowback rate reaches 800 mL/min. The flowback rate is increased by four times compared with the case without sand production control measures. The research results show that the Fiber+S can effectively reduce the proppant flowback quality and greatly increase the fracturing fluid flowback rate.

As to the development characteristics in extra-high water cut period in Lasaxing Oilfield, the injecting, the reservoir and the producing systems are treated as one system in this paper, and the balance of injecting-producing, the production requirements and the adjustment potential are taken into overall consideration in the optimization of the development strategies which leads to the personalized development strategy in each block. The influences of formation pressure on recovery factor and gas-oil ratio are firstly quantitatively analyzed in this paper, and the evaluation method is given considering the field practice. The formula to calculate the lowest BHP in producing well under the given injecting pressure is then presented in this paper based on the oil well performance curve and the theory of mass balance considering the influences of degassing in the pump cylinder, the pump efficiency. And based on the study of reasonable formation pressure and lowest BHP, the producing strategy of each development area is optimized considering the adjustment potential. Studies show that the reasonable formation pressure is greatly affected by the original saturation pressure (SP) and that the lowest formation pressure should be higher than the original SP plus 0.5 MPa in order to diminish the negative influences of degassing on producing. The lowest BHP is affected by the producing-injecting well ratio, injecting pressure, SP, water cut and etc. And the lowest one should be the highest among all kinds of methods related to the degassing in the pump cylinder, the pump efficiency and the injection-production equilibrium, and the reasonable BHP must be larger than the lowest one. And the producing strategy should be optimized based on the pressure limits and the adjustment potentials in the field. As to the present reservoir status in Lasaxing Oilfield, there are mainly 3 types of producing strategies. The method presented in this paper has the characteristic of taking all factors into consideration and the data needed is easy to collect, and it would have significant meaning on the adjustment planning during the extra-high water cut period.

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is driven by the coordinated actions of core autophagy-related (Atg) proteins. Atg8, the core Atg protein generally considered acting most downstream, has recently been shown to interact with other core Atg proteins via their Atg8-family-interacting motifs (AIMs). However, the extent, functional consequence, and evolutionary conservation of such interactions remain inadequately understood. Here, we show that, in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Atg38, a subunit of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) complex I, interacts with Atg8 via an AIM, which is highly conserved in Atg38 proteins of fission yeast species, but not conserved in Atg38 proteins of other species. This interaction recruits Atg38 to Atg8 on the phagophore assembly site (PAS) and consequently enhances PAS accumulation of the PtdIns3K complex I and Atg proteins acting downstream of the PtdIns3K complex I, including Atg8. The disruption of the Atg38-Atg8 interaction leads to the reduction of autophagosome size and autophagic flux. Remarkably, the loss of this interaction can be compensated by an artificial Atg14-Atg8 interaction. Our findings demonstrate that the Atg38-Atg8 interaction in fission yeast establishes a positive feedback loop between Atg8 and the PtdIns3K complex I to promote efficient autophagosome formation, underscore the prevalence and diversity of AIM-mediated connections within the autophagic machinery, and reveal unforeseen flexibility of such connections. Abbreviations: AIM: Atg8-family-interacting motif; AP-MS: affinity purification coupled with mass spectrometry; Atg: autophagy-related; FLIP: fluorescence loss in photobleaching; PAS: phagophore assembly site; PB: piggyBac; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; PtdIns3K: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; PtdIns3P: phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate.

Using in situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements, the thermal behavior of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) and 1H, 1H, 2H, and 2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PTES) monolayers on SiO2 substrates has been investigated. OTS is thermally stable up to 573 K with vacuum annealing, whereas PTES starts decomposing at a moderate temperature between 373 K and 423 K. Vacuum annealing results in the decomposition of CF3 and CF2 species rather than desorption of the entire PTES molecule. In addition, our UPS results reveal that the work function (WF)of OTS remains the same after annealing; however WF of PTES decreases from ~5.62 eV to ~5.16 eV after annealing at 573 K.

Constructing high capacitance active materials and three-dimensional (3D) conductive networks inside textile yarn frames is a promising strategy to synthesize yarn supercapacitor electrodes. In this study, growing NiCo

There are many kinds of potentially undesirable teeth. At present, surgical extraction is the most efficient way to eliminate these teeth, but it's very complex and invasive. In this study, we investigated the effects of bleomycin (BLM) on dental follicle and tooth eruption as a potential conservative therapy for undesirable teeth. Our data showed that local injection of 0.2 U/kg BLM had no significant effects on tooth eruption compared to the control group in Wistar rats. With higher dose of BLM (0.5 or 2 U/kg), the eruption of treated teeth was interrupted and their root formation failed until 4 weeks postnatal without significant systemic toxicity. Additionally, those effects were not depending on the toxicity of overdose evidenced by TUNEL assay. In summary, injecting BLM into dental follicle at an early stage could interrupt tooth development and eruption, and may prevent the potentially clinical problems resulting from undesirable teeth instead of surgical removal.

In this paper, a series of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-steel single-shear specimens was manufactured to investigate the effects of the adhesive types and loading rates on the bond behavior of CFRP-steel interfaces. The main properties of the bonded joints were examined under loading rates of 0.01 mm/s, 10 mm/s and 100 mm/s, including the failure mode, the ultimate load, the load-slip curve, the CFRP strain distribution and the bond-slip relationship. The experimental results showed that the main mechanical properties of CFRP plate and adhesives increased with increases in the loading rate. The ultimate load of the CFRP-steel joint with adhesive sikadur-30 (CN) increased with increasing loading rate, while the ultimate load of the interface with adhesive sikadur-30 substantially decreased as the loading rate increases from 0.01 mm/s to 10 mm/s. Finally, the bilinear bond-slip parameter model was proposed by analyzing the influence of loading rate on key parameters.

Purpose This paper aims to obtain fire resistance of semi-rigid joints for concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) composite frames and temperature filed distribution of composite joints in fire. Design/methodology/approach The temperature filed model of semi-rigid joints to CFST columns with slabs was made by using ABAQUS finite element (FE) software, in considering temperature heating-up stage of fire modelling. The effects of composite slab, fire type and construction location were discussed, and the model was verified by the test results. The temperature distribution of composite joint under three-side or four-side fire condition was studied by the sequentially coupled thermal analysis method. The temperature versus time curves and temperature distribution of various construction and location were analyzed. Findings The paper provides FE analysis and numerical simulation on temperature field of semi-rigid joints for CFST composite frames in fire. The effects of composite slab, fire type and construction location were discussed, and the model was verified by the test results. It suggests that the temperature distribution of composite joint in three- or four-side fire condition showed a different development trend. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen FE analysis approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications The research results will become the scientific foundation of mechanical behavior and design method of semi-rigid CFST composite frames in fire. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study the temperature field distribution of the semi-rigid joints to CFST columns and investigate the mechanical behavior of the semi-rigid CFST joints in fire.

In order to select a suitable banker plant to culture Aphidius gifuensis Ashmead in mass as a biological control agent, the reproductive potential of A. gifuensis parasitizing Schizaphis graminum Rondani reared on wheat, barley or oat was measured by the way of two-sex life table. Results showed that the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and net reproductive rate (R 0) of A. gifuensis reared on S. graminum that was fed wheat (0.4257 days−1 and 235.1 progeny per female) or barley (0.4117 days−1 and 193.1 progeny per female) were significantly greater than oat (0.3878 days−1 and 143.9 progeny per female). In conclusion, among the three cultivars that were tested in this study, A. gifuensis performed better on S. graminum fed on wheat and barley, and these two plants could serve as a suitable banker plant for rearing A. gifuensis in biological control programs.

The bond–slip behavior between carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates and steel is crucial for predicting the structural behavior of CFRP-strengthened steel members. In this paper, the CFRP-to-steel bonded joints with different bond lengths and adhesive thicknesses were tested to investigate the bond–slip behavior of CFRP-to-steel bonded interfaces. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to measure the displacement and strain data. The test results, including the failure mode, ultimate load, displacement distribution, and CFRP strain distribution, are presented and discussed. The non-linear bond–slip curves of CFRP-to-steel bonded interfaces are determined by a fitting procedure for CFRP strain distributions. A bilinear bond–slip relationship is further proposed to simplify the non-linear bond–slip curve. The test results indicate that the adhesive thickness has an influence on the failure mode, ultimate load, and bond–slip behavior. Similar to a CFRP-to-concrete bonded interface, an effective bond length also exists for a CFRP-to-steel bonded interface. The development of the interfacial shear stress is analyzed based on the determined non-linear and bilinear bond–slip curves. Finally, two theoretical models are employed for the prediction of the ultimate load, effective bond length and bond–slip curve. This study shows that the DIC method is suitable for investigating the bond–slip behavior of CFRP-to-steel bonded joints.

In the past decades, a lot of studies have been focused on the amalgamation between the Indian and Eurasian continents in the Tibetan Plateau during the Cenozoic. However, little attention was paid to the Precambrian evolution of the Tibetan Plateau though it has the same important scientific significance to those of the Cenozoic. Numerous Precambrian rocks occur in the Lhasa terrane such as the Nyainqentanglha and Nyingchi Groups, and they are commonly considered to be the Precambrian basement of the Lhasa terrane.

Amifostine is a cytoprotective drug that was initially used to control and treat nuclear radiation injury and is currently used to provide organ protection in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Clinical studies have also found that amifostine has some efficacy in the treatment of cytopenia caused by conditions such as myelodysplastic syndrome and immune thrombocytopenia, both of which involve megakaryocyte maturation defects. We hypothesized that amifostine induced the differentiation of megakaryocytes and investigated this by exposing the human Dami megakaryocyte leukemia cell line to amifostine (1 mmol/L). After 12 days of amifostine exposure, optical microscopy showed that the proportion of Dami cells with diameters >20 μm had increased to 24.63%. Transmission electron microscopy identified the development of a platelet demarcation membrane system, while flow cytometry detected increased CD41a expression and decreased CD33 expression on the Dami cell surface. Ploidy analysis found that the number of polyploid cells with >4N DNA content increased to 27.96%. We did not detect any elevation in the mRNA or protein levels of megakaryocytic differentiation‐associated transcription factors GATA‐binding factor 1 (GATA‐1) and nuclear factor, erythroid 2 (NF‐E2), but nuclear import assay revealed an increased nuclear translocation of these proteins. These findings indicate that amifostine induced the differentiation of Dami cells into mature megakaryocytes via a mechanism involving increased nuclear translocation of the transcription factors, NF‐E2 and GATA‐1.

Hemicelluloses isolated from triploid poplar were subjected to hydrothermal degradation at 180–340 °C. The detailed physicochemical characteristics of hydrothermal degradation products including monosaccharide and XOS, molecular weight, inhibitory and organic compounds were detected by HPAEC, GPC, HPLC, and GC–MS, respectively. An increase in temperature led to a significant decrease in molecular weight and an increase in C2–C5 organic alcohols and acids. More importantly, besides two well-known routes that hemicelluloses are hydrolyzed to monosaccharide, followed by further degraded to furfural, a series of reaction routes was proposed to clarify and explain the mechanisms of the hydrothermal degradation of hemicelluloses from triploid poplar, which involved: (i) a predominant route of fragmentation; (ii) side reactions such as oxidation, dehydration, isomerization/rearrangement, and self-lactonization; (iii) larger molecular fragments from sugars by deoxydation or/and oxidation, followed by self-lactonization; and (iv) very few extensive re-polymerization including esterification and condensation among hemicelluloses and lignin fragments.

The bond-slip model of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)-steel bonded interface is crucial for predicting the bond behavior of CFRP-strengthened steel structures. CFRP delamination failure is often encountered in existing studies on the bond behavior between CFRP plates and steel plates. However, this failure mode has been investigated by few scholars, especially regarding the interfacial bond-slip model based on CFRP delamination failure. In this paper, a total of 16 single-shear joints were manufactured to investigate the effects of the adhesive types, the adhesive thicknesses and the CFRP types with different inter-laminar shear properties on CFRP-steel bonded interfaces. Strains and displacements on the surface of the CFRP-steel joint were measured by three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) technology. The bond-slip model based on CFRP delamination failure was established for the first time by introducing the inter-laminar shear strength, the inter-laminar shear modulus and the inter-laminar shear energy dissipation of the CFRP plate. The results showed that the adhesive thickness and the inter-laminar shear properties of the CFRP plate had a significant effect on the bond-slip model based on CFRP delamination failure. Finally, the accuracy of the model was verified by comparison with experimental data.

Magmatic rocks preserve a lot of information about the formation and evolution of continental crust, and they play an important role in understanding the growth and reworking of ancient continent. Cretaceous magmatic rocks occurring in the Lhasa terrane are a window to investigate magmatic processes and continental evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we report zircon U Pb ages and Hf isotopic data, as well as whole-rock major and trace elemental compositions for Early Cretaceous magmatic rocks, including andesite and dacite from the Zenong Group, and associated diorite and granite in the Xinji area, north-central Tibetan Plateau. Zircon from andesite and dacite yielded weighted-mean 206Pb/238U ages of 120–108 Ma and variable zircon eHf(t) values between −12.3 and +2.2. Geochemical compositions suggested that they both displayed high-K calc-alkaline features. Andesite was probably formed by mixing between crust- and mantle-derived melts, whereas dacite was most likely generated by partial melting of ancient crust with input of mantle-derived material. Dioritic and granitic intrusions were intruded into the Precambrian strata and Zenong Group, respectively. Zircon from diorite gave a weighted-mean 206Pb/238U age of ca. 116 Ma and zircon eHf(t) values of −0.5 to +7.3. Diorite displayed medium-K calc-alkaline series signatures and was most likely formed by partial melting of mantle wedge peridotite accompanied by crustal assimilation. Granite yielded zircon weighted-mean 206Pb/238U ages of 107–104 Ma, and positive zircon eHf(t) values of +1.5 to +6.7, indicating a major source of juvenile crust. Granitic samples show irregular REE distribution with variable Ce anomalies, which were probably inherited from subducted pelagic sediments. The Early Cretaceous magmatic rocks in the Xinji area records distinct formation processes involved partial melting of mantle, re-melting of crust, and mixing between mantle and crust. Such processes, however, had a complicated source from mantle, ancient and juvenile continental crust, and recycled pelagic sediments, suggesting simultaneous crustal growth and reworking of the Lhasa basement during the Early Cretaceous.

Knowledge of the early Paleozoic tectonic framework of the northern margin of Gondwana continent is critical for reconstructions of the Gondwana supercontinent. Early Paleozoic leucogranite and gneissic granite units within the South Qiangtang Terrane, northern Tibetan Plateau, can constrain the timing and geological processes that occurred along the northern margin of Gondwana continent at this time. Here, we present new field, petrological, zircon geochronological, geochemical, and Nd–Hf isotopic data for this suite of granitic rocks, and use these data to provide insights into the evolution of this Gondwanan margin. Zircon U–Pb dating yielded two groups of ages at 469–453 and 486–473 Ma. All of the granitic rocks in the Gemuri area are high-K calc-alkaline and peraluminous, and record the fractionation of variable amounts of plagioclase, K-feldspar, and biotite. These leucogranites formed from magmas generated by the dehydration melting of muscovite within Paleoproterozoic–Mesoproterozoic metapelites under relatively low-temperature conditions (TZr = 616 °C–695 °C). In contrast, the protoliths of the Duguer gneissic granite formed from magmas generated by the partial melting of Paleoproterozoic–Mesoproterozoic metapelites contaminated by mantle-derived material under relatively high-temperature conditions (TZr = 730 °C–884 °C). The coeval nature and linear distribution of the igneous rocks within the northern Gondwanan margin, and the fact that the granites in the Gemuri area are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g., Rb and K) and depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Zr, Nb, Ta, and Ti), suggest that this magmatism occurred in an active continental margin setting involving the formation of arc-type rocks. The presence of an early Paleozoic suprasubduction zone-type ophiolite within the South Qiangtang Terrane provides evidence of the southward subduction in the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean at this time, suggesting that the two stages (i.e., the Gemuri leucogranites and Duguer gneissic granites) of arc-type magmatism in the Gemuri area may both be related to this subduction event.

The Xigatze fore-arc basin, one of the well-preserved fore-arc basins worldwide, consists of interesting nearly E-W trending dike swarms of basaltic to granitic compositions. Mid-Miocene more felsic dikes to the responses of fore-arc lithosphere provide important records to the post-collisional processes. Miocene (~15–11 Ma, zircon U Pb ages) high Sr/Y magmatic rocks from the Xigatze area in this study are characterized by (1) rich in Na as compared with K contents (Na2O/K2O = 1.75–5.62) and high Al2O3 content (> 16 wt%); (2) high Sr but low Y contents, thus high Sr/Y (>81.0) ratios, resembling those of adakites; (3) enrichment in LREE and depletion in HREE with weakly negative or no Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu⁎ = 0.80–1.02); (4) small range in 87Sr/86Sr(t) (0.705080–0.706031) and eNd(t) (−3.1 − +0.4) values, indicating that the Xigatze Miocene magmatic rocks are derived from partial melting of juvenile lower crust with minor contributions from the ancient crust in the Lhasa terrane; (5) thickened crust with a crustal thickness of ~52–69 km estimated from (La/Yb)N values. As compared with those in the Gangdese high Sr/Y suite, the Xigatze ones have lower SiO2 and K2O contents, but higher Na2O/K2O, Sr/Y, and K/Rb ratios, the higher Sr/Y and K/Rb ratios implying a weaker effect by amphibole either as a residual in the source or as a fractionation phase during the magma ascent than that in the Gangdese suite.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell activated by curcumin (hUC-MSCs-CUR) on Parkinson's disease (PD). The hUC-MSCs-CUR was transplanted into the MPTP-induced PD mouse models via the tail vein. We found that hUC-MSCs-CUR significantly improved the motor ability, increased the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine (DA), and Bcl-2 levels, and reduced nitric oxide synthase, Bax, and cleaved-caspase 3 expression in PD mice. The supernatant of hUC-MSCs-CUR (CM-CUR) was used to stimulate the SH-SY5Y cellular model of PD; cell proliferation, differentiation, TH, and neuronal-specific marker microtubular associated protein 2 (MAP2) expressions were examined. Results showed that CM-CUR significantly promoted cell proliferation and gradually increased TH and MAP2 expression in SH-SY5Y PD cells. The beneficial effects could be associated with significant increase of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the hUC-MSCs-CUR, which secrete many cytokines and growth factors beneficial for PD treatment. Therefore, transplantation of hUC-MSCs-CUR could show promise for improving the motor recovery of PD. Funding Statement: This study was supported by Shangdong province nature and science funding, ZR2019MH065. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests. Ethics Approval Statement: All the animal experiments described in this study and umbilical cord tissue collection were approved by the Ethics Committee of the 148th Hospital and the second affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University.

A new oleanane triterpenoid, 2

To explore the relationship between HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 gene polymorphism and aplastic anemia （AA）of 65 cases in Northern China.The high resolution genotyping of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 alleles in 65 AA patients and 772 healthy controls was performed with polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO), the relationship between HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 gene polymorphism and aplastic anemia was analyzed by Pearson Chi-square，Continuity Correction， Two-sided Fisher's Exact Test and Odds Ratio.The HLA-B*1302（10% vs 4.21%）, B*3501（7.69% vs 3.89%）, DRB1* 0701（10% vs 4.73%）, DRB1*0901（19.23% vs 7.58%）, DQB1*0202（9.23% vs 3.76%） gene frequency in AA patients was higher than those in health controls, the difference was statistically significant (P0.05), the χThe polymorphism of HLA-A, -B, -DRB1, -DQB1 alleles is associate with AA in these patient cases, the HLA-B*1302, HLA-B*3501, HLA-DRB1*0701, HLA-DRB1*0901 and HLA-DQB1*0202 may be sensitive genes to AA, while the HLA-A*3303 and HLA-DQB1*0302 may be protective genes on AA.

A chemical investigation on the 70% EtOH extract of the aerial parts of Lycopodiastrum casuarinoides led to the isolation of six novel lycodine type alkaloids, lycocasuarines A-F (1–6). The structures of the isolated compounds were established based on 1D and 2D (1H 1H COSY, HMQC, and HMBC) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. The isolated alkaloids were tested in vitro for cytotoxic potentials against seven malignant melanoma cell lines as well as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrocholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitory activities. As a result, alkaloids 1 and 3 exhibited significant cytotoxic activities against all the tested tumor cell lines with IC50 values

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is the critical transcriptional factor in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). NF-κB regulates the expression changes of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). In a previous study we showed that decompression sickness (DCS) caused by simulated unsafe fast buoyancy ascent escape (FBAE) could result in ALI, which was characterized by expression changes of inflammatory factors in rat lung tissue. The purpose of the present work was to study the roles of NF-κB and TNF-α in the process of DCS-induced rat lung injury caused by simulated unsafe FBAE. The research methods aimed to detect the rat lung tissue messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein level variations of NF-κB, inhibitory ×B (I×B), TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13 by using pretreatment of the NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and TNF-α antibody (Ab). Our experimental results demonstrated that PDTC could improve the survival rate of the rats with DCS caused by unsafe FBAE more effectively than TNF-α Ab. However, the inhibition of TNF-α Ab on the nuclear translocated protein expression of NF-κB was more effective than PDTC. Both PDTC and TNF-α Ab can abrogate the increment of the rat lung tissue mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and protein levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β effectively and increase the rat lung tissue content of I×B significantly. In conclusion, TNF-α-mediated NF-κB signaling may be one of the critical signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of DCS-induced rat lung injury caused by simulated unsafe FBAE. PDTC may ameliorate this type of injury partly through inhibiting the NF-κB pathway.

This paper presents a theoretical and numerical study on the stress intensity factors for double-edged cracked steel plates strengthened with fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) plates. Based on the stress intensity factor solution for infinite center-cracked steel plates strengthened with FRP plates, expressions of the stress intensity factors were proposed for double-edged cracked steel plates strengthened with FRP plates by introducing two correction factors: &beta, and f. A finite element (FE) simulation was carried out to calculate the stress intensity factors of the steel plate specimens. Numerous combinations of the specimen width, crack length, FRP thickness and Young&rsquo, s modulus, adhesive thickness, and shear modulus were considered to conduct the parametric investigation. The FE results were used to investigate the main influencing factors of the stress intensity factors and the correction factor, &beta, The expression of the correction factor, &beta, was formulated and calibrated based on the FE results. The proposed expressions of the stress intensity factors were a function of the applied stress, the crack length, the ratio between the crack length and the width of the steel plate, the stiffness ratio between the FRP plate and steel plate, the adhesive thickness, and the shear modulus. Finally, the theoretical results and numerical results were compared to validate the proposed expressions.

Linkage mechanisms, among which most are four-bar linkage mechanisms or six-bar linkage mechanisms, are major parts of robotic gait rehabilitation systems. The dimensional synthesis and optimization of a six-bar linkage mechanism for human gait rehabilitation is described in this paper. The relationship between the limiting position characteristics of linkages and gait trajectory phases need to be analyzed due to the timing requirements of gait training. The process includes (1) path transformation from ankle trajectory to the desired objective path curve, (2) the new dimensional synthesis of the proposed mechanism, (3) optimization and simulation of the proposed mechanism. The coupler curve generated by the mechanism designed with this process and the desired objective pattern are shown to match well with each other, illustrating the feasibility of the presented method.

Rationale: Isolated dissection of the celiac artery (IDCA) is one of isolated visceral artery dissection, which can occur alone, and can also be complicated with superior mesenteric artery dissection and splenic artery pseudoaneurysm. This disease is very rare in clinic. The exact pathogenesis of IDCA remains unknown. At present, no consensus has yet been reached on the best treatment strategy for this rare disease. In the present study, the clinical data of one IDCA patient diagnosed and treated in our hospital was retrospectively analyzed, and related literatures were reviewed, in order to improve the understanding of the disease. Patient concerns: The patient was a 49-year-old male, who was admitted in our hospital because of “pain of subxyphoid area for one month”. One month before, the patient presented with persistent pain in the subxyphoid area after he had a cold, on paroxysmal exacerbation occurred. After taking “stomach drug”, the subjective symptoms eased slightly, but the disease attacked again two hours later. Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed with “isolated dissection of the celiac artery” by enhanced CT. Interventions: The patient was interventionally treated with bare stent implantation. Outcomes: The symptom of the patient disappeared after interventional therapy. Lessons: In the present study, the clinical symptoms and treatment process of one patient with IDCA were described. The clinical symptoms of IDCA are often atypical, and its incidence is extremely low, therefore it is extremely easily misdiagnosed. The definite diagnosis depends on imaging examination. Interventional therapy is the first choice for treating this disease due to its advantages of small trauma and good curative effect.

Linkage mechanisms are major parts of robotic gait rehabilitation systems. Four-bar linkage mechanisms are the basic forms of linkage mechanisms synthesized for human gait path generation. The relationship between the limiting position characteristics of linkages and gait trajectory phases need to be analyzed due to the timing requirements of gait training. However, it is seldom mentioned among the available literatures. A new synthesis method and genetic algorithms based optimization of the basic linkage mechanism is presented in this paper, which contains: (1) the desired human gait path curve, (2) the new synthesis method of the basic linkage mechanism, (3) optimization and simulation of the basic linkage mechanism. The coupler curve generated by the mechanism designed with this process is shown to match well with the desired gait trajectory, illustrating the feasibility of the presented method.

AIM To detect the expression of type I inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3RI) in the kidney of rats with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). METHODS One hundred and twenty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups to receive an intravenous injection of D-galactosamine (D-GalN) plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS; group G/L, n = 50), D-GalN alone (group G, n = 25), LPS alone (group L, n = 25), and normal saline (group NS, n = 25), respectively. At 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after injection, blood, liver, and kidney samples were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining of liver tissue was performed to assess hepatocyte necrosis. Electron microscopy was used to observe ultrastructural changes in the kidney. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR were performed to detect the expression of IP3RI protein and mRNA in the kidney, respectively. RESULTS Hepatocyte necrosis was aggravated gradually, which was most significant at 12 h after treatment with D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide, and was characterized by massive hepatocyte necrosis. At the same time, serum levels of biochemical indicators including liver and kidney function indexes were all significantly changed. The structure of the renal glomerulus and tubules was normal at all time points. Western blot analysis indicated that IP3RI protein expression began to rise at 3 h (P < 0.05) and peaked at 12 h (P < 0.01). Real-time PCR demonstrated that IP3RI mRNA expression began to rise at 3 h (P < 0.05) and peaked at 9 h (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION IP3RI protein expression is increased in the kidney of HRS rats, and may be regulated at the transcriptional level.

In order to study the stress distribution in the deep hard coal seam roadway environment, the gas seepage law under the stress of the surrounding rock is analyzed. The self-made triaxial infiltration apparatus is used to simulate the damage deformation, gas seepage flow, seepage velocity and axial pressure curve, then we establish the segmented simulation equation .The dynamic simulation of coal seam excavation area and the data of gas seepage in the heading face are measured and collated by using FLAC3D software. The results of laboratory measurement of wall stress and gas flow velocity are in good agreement with the measured data. The gas seepage velocity of different parts of hard coal seam roadway area is difference under deep surrounding rock stress. It is found that the gas infiltration velocity has the characteristic of segmentation, that is, the velocity characteristic of gas seepage velocity in the top, bottom and roadway of coal roadway are different from those of roadway. At the same time, we establish the mathematical model. The discovery of the gas migration characteristics of the deep coal seam under the action of the deep surrounding rock stress can guide the coal roadway working face gas control.

Thermogravimetric (TG) techniques are widely used in thermal characteristic studies of microalgae combustion and pyrolysis. Ash content is an important parameter for evaluating the cultivation efficiency of photosynthetic microalgae. In this study, microalgal ash content was determined using an optimized protocol that included a heating rate of 20 °C/min from room temperature to 600 °C; a temperature of 600 °C was then maintained for 30 min under an air atmosphere for TG analysis. At temperatures over 600 °C, the ash content was reduced due to the loss of relatively volatile minerals. Four species of microalgae with selectively enriched carbohydrate, protein or lipid contents under different culture conditions were identified via derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) graph analysis, for which characteristic DTG fitting peaks for carbohydrates, protein and lipids were used as reference peaks. Therefore, a qualitative or semi-quantitative analysis of the carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in microalgae based on TG analysis, which concomitantly determines ash content, can be easily performed using only 5–10 mg of sample. The proposed method is rapid and easy, providing composition information for strain screening and physiological studies during microalgae cultivation.

Bt cotton (Cry1Ac) has been commercially grown in China since 1997, saving China's cotton production from attack by Bt-target pests and also tremendously reducing pesticide usage. In recent years, however, Bt cotton, with 4.2 million ha of cultivation, has suffered from a secondary target pest, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In China, growers have even had to re-adopt conventional pesticides to control the pest, and this practice has already caused serious pesticide residue. In order to clarify the sublethal effects of chemical pesticide, the responses of a Bt-susceptible and a Bt-tolerant (Bt10) S. exigua strain to three treatment combinations were examined, including Bt toxin, sublethal chlorpyrifos, and Bt + sublethal chlorpyrifos. The susceptible and the Bt10 strain responded differently to dual pressure. Bt toxin + sublethal chlorpyrifos treatment lowered larval mortality and stimulated population increase of the susceptible S. exigua, whereas it delayed growth and development of the Bt10 strain. Under dual pressure, although larvae of the Bt10 strain developed faster than larvae of the susceptible strain, the Bt10 population experienced higher larval mortality, prolonged pupal duration, decreased pupal weight, decreased emergence rate, and shortened adult longevity. Compared with the susceptible strain, the Bt10 strain was deleteriously affected by sublethal chlorpyrifos. The Bt-tolerant/resistant S. exigua population was more vulnerable to chemical pesticides like chlorpyrifos regardless of whether it was exposed to Bt toxin or not. Our study provides a reference for increasing the efficacy of control of S. exigua in Bt-cotton planting areas.

Background The thoracoscope and minimally invasive techniques have been effectively used in cardiac surgery. Methods The study included 27 consecutive patients (aged 24.8±17.6 years), who underwent cardiac surgery from January 2012 to July 2013. Six patients were diagnosed with mitral valve stenosis (MS), 17 patients with atrial septal defects (ADSs), and four with ventricular septal defects (VSDs). All the patients underwent thoracoscope-assisted right vertical infra-axillary mini-incision (TARVAI). Results The procedure was successfully performed in all patients. For the patients with ASDs or VSDs, the times for cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, operating (skin-to-skin), ventilation, ICU stay, postoperative hospital stay were 63±25 min, 28.1±15.5 min, 167.1±35.7 min, 5.2±2.7 h, 25.3±10.5 h, 8.7±3.6 days, and for the patients with MS, these were 143.3±25.2 min, 88.2±15.4 min, 236.5±48.5 min, 7.3±1.5 h, 36.7±9.1 h, and 13.5±4.4 days, respectively. The median postoperative drainage (total) for the ASD/VSD and MS patients was 136.3±54.5 ml and 203.8±94.4 ml, respectively. Conclusions In our institution, the TARVAI approach is feasible and safe in cardiac surgery. It may be particularly useful in young patients with simple congenital heart disease and mitral valve disease.

Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is a leading cause of death in both military and civilian settings. Fluid resuscitation is the most effective way for treating HS, but under and over resuscitation often occur due to the limited medical personal and experience. To improve the situation, we design a smart system and conduct animal experiments in order to verify whether the system is effective than traditional resuscitation method. A hemorrhage-resuscitation dog model is established and eighteen male mongrel dogs are randomly divided into three groups. The control group receives only intubation while the other two experimental groups receive resuscitation either with traditional method (TM) or with the smart resuscitation method (SRM). The results show that the SRM group maintains the target blood pressure for a longer time and has a compelling effect on reducing fluid needs compared with the TM group. The blood gas analysis also shows better in the SRM group. According to the experiments, the system conducts better results for prehospital treatment of HS, especially when medical supplies and expertise is limited or delayed. Therefore, it might play a role for battlefield and civilian occasions.

Farmers' production behaviour is a key to ensuring the safety and quality of their final products, and cooperatives play an important role in shaping that behaviour. This paper aims to explore the determinants of pig farmers' safe production behaviour, giving special focus from the perspective of cooperatives' services. This study adopted cross sectional survey data from 27 pig cooperatives and their 540 farmers in China to test the influence of cooperatives' services on farmers' safe production behaviour. The hypotheses were tested using a logit regression model. The findings indicated that although the number of services is not a key determinant of farmers' safe production behaviour, service quality matters. When a cooperative is strongly capable of involving more farmers in certain services, and provides certain services in more frequency, member farmers behave more safely. The results also show that veterinarian and pig-selling services play an important role in ensuring farmers' safe production behaviour. For this study, the quality of cooperatives' services is implied to have a positive impact on farmers' safe production behaviour. Leaders/managers of cooperatives must try to improve the quality of their services instead of merely attempting to provide a large number of services. For government officials and policy makers, designing policies that encourage cooperatives to improve their service quality is important. This research contributes to the scant literature on how cooperative services could help farmers engage in safer production behaviour, which would improve the safety of pork products in the future.

Acoustic trauma is being reported to damage the auditory periphery and central system, and the compromised cortical inhibition is involved in auditory disorders, such as hyperacusis and tinnitus. Parvalbumin-containing neurons (PV neurons), a subset of GABAergic neurons, greatly shape and synchronize neural network activities. However, the change of PV neurons following acoustic trauma remains to be elucidated. The present study investigated how auditory cortical PV neurons change following unilateral 1 hour noise exposure (left ear, one octave band noise centered at 16 kHz, 116 dB SPL). Noise exposure elevated the auditory brainstem response threshold of the exposed ear when examined 7 days later. More detectable PV neurons were observed in both sides of the auditory cortex of noise-exposed rats when compared to control. The detectable PV neurons of the left auditory cortex (ipsilateral to the exposed ear) to noise exposure outnumbered those of the right auditory cortex (contralateral to the exposed ear). Quantification of Western blotted bands revealed higher expression level of PV protein in the left cortex. These findings of more active PV neurons in noise-exposed rats suggested that a compensatory mechanism might be initiated to maintain a stable state of the brain.

Wearable electronic medical devices can realize non-intrusive and non-invasive monitoring of human body, which has the characters of removable operation, easy to use, long-lasting work, smart display diagnostic results, abnormal physiological condition alarms, wireless data transmission, achieve treatment data remote real-time monitoring and so on. In this paper, we collect information of the development process of wearable medical devices, and make the detailed description of the characteristics and development history about wearable electronic medical systems’ hardware and software design, pointing out the shortcomings and the development direction of existing equipment.