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Hypertrophic scar (HS), which results from prolonged inflammation and excessive fibrosis in re‐epithelialized wounds, is one of the most common clinical challenges. Consequently, sophisticated transdermal transfersome nanogels (TA/Fu‐TS) are prepared to control HS formation by synergistically inhibiting inflammation and suppressing fibrosis. TA/Fu‐TSs have unique structures comprising hydrophobic triamcinolone acetonide (TA) in lipid multilayers and hydrophilic 5‐fluorouracil in aqueous cores, and perform satisfactorily with regard to transdermal co‐delivery to macrophages and HS fibroblasts in emerging HS tissues. According to the in vitro/vivo results, TA/Fu‐TSs not only promote macrophage phenotype‐switching to inhibit inflammation by interleukin‐related pathways, but also suppress fibrosis to remodel extracellular matrix by collagen‐related pathways. Therefore, TA/Fu‐TSs overcome prolonged inflammation and excessive fibrosis in emerging HS tissues, and provide an effective therapeutic strategy for controlling HS formation via their synergy of macrophage phenotype‐switching and anti‐fibrosis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal infection is a leading cause of gut diseases attracting global health concerns. The emerging antimicrobial resistance in enteric pathogens drives the search of viable and renewable alternatives to antibiotics for the health of both human beings and animals. Spore-forming probiotic Bacillus have received extensively interests for their multiple health benefits, including the restoration of microbiota dysbiosis and the reduction of drug-resistant pathogens. These promising benefits are mainly attributed to the activity of structurally diverse Bacillus-derived metabolites, such as antibacterial compounds, short-chain fatty acids, and other small molecules. Such metabolites show the capacity to directly target either the individual or community of bacterial pathogens, and to potentiate both host cells and gut microbiota. The better understanding of the mechanisms by which probiotic Bacillus and the metabolites modulate the metabolism of hosts and microbiota will advance the screening and development of probiotic Bacillus. In this review, we discuss the interaction among probiotic Bacillus, microbiota and host, and summarize the Bacillus-derived metabolites that act as key players in such interactions, shedding light on the mechanistic understanding of probiotic Bacillus against enteric bacterial infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was a non-negligible problem in the reserve of section coal pillar in coal mining. Reasonable section coal pillar width and support parameters can not only ensure the stability of surrounding rock of roadway but also produce more coal resources and save support cost. In this paper, the mining of 9106 workface of Linfen Tianyu Hengsheng Coal Industry of Wanbei Coal Power Group was taken as the research engineering background. FLAC3D numerical simulation software was used to simulate and analyze the laws of deformation failure of 6 m, 7 m, 8 m, 9 m, and 10 m coal pillars and surrounding rock of roadway along goaf without support conditions during the mining of 9106 workface. On this basis, the deformation failure law of 7 m and 8 m coal pillars and surrounding rock of roadway along goaf under different supporting conditions (bolt and cable with different row spacing) were further simulated and analyzed. The results showed that when 7 m coal pillars were reserved in 9106 roadway along goaf, the optimal bolt row spacing was 800 mm. When 8 m coal pillars were reserved, the bolt row spacing was preferred to be 900 mm. At this time, the width of coal pillar and support parameters can ensure the stability of roadway surrounding rock during the mining process of 9106 workface and can produce more coal resources and save support cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Degenerative disk disease (DDD) remains the leading incentive of severe lumbago. DDD is mainly caused by degeneration of cartilage endplate (CEP). Cartilage endplate stem cells (CESCs) are essential in chondrogenesis and osteogenesis of CEP. This study investigated the mechanism of miR-637 inhibiting osteogenic differentiation of human CESC by regulating WNT5A. Methods: The degenerative CEP (N = 10) and non-degenerative CEP (N = 6) were obtained from patients undergoing disk fusion surgery. CESCs were examined for surface stem cell markers, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, osteogenic differentiation, osteogenic genes (Runx2, COL1), and chondrogenic gene (COL2). The miR-637 expression in CESCs was detected. The targeting relationship of miR-637 and WNT5A was confirmed. After miR-637 overexpression/WNT5A down-regulation, the action of miR-637/WNT5A on osteogenic differentiation of CESCs was evaluated. After simultaneous overexpression of miR-637/WNT5A, the effect of miR-637 on osteogenic differentiation of CESCs was assessed. Results: miR-637 was down-expressed in degenerative CESCs (D-CESCs), and miR-637 overexpression inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of D-CESCs, while inhibition of miR-637 promoted the osteogenic differentiation ability of D-CESCs. miR-637 targeted WNT5A and down-regulation of WNT5A inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of D-CESCs. Up-regulated WNT5A partially annulled the inhibitory action of miR-637 overexpression on osteogenic differentiation of D-CESCs. Conclusion: miR-637 inhibited osteogenic differentiation of D-CESCs via targeting WNT5A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of generating radiotherapy treatments demands a rigorous quality assurance (QA) process to ensure patient safety and to avoid clinically significant errors. Machine learning classifiers have been explored to augment the scope and efficiency of the traditional radiotherapy treatment planning QA process. However, one important gap in relying on classifiers for QA of radiotherapy treatment plans is the lack of understanding behind a specific classifier prediction. We develop explanation methods to understand the decisions of two automated QA classifiers: (1) a region of interest (ROI) segmentation/labeling classifier, and (2) a treatment plan acceptance classifier. For each classifier, a local interpretable model-agnostic explanation (LIME) framework and a novel adaption of team-based Shapley values framework are constructed. We test these methods in datasets for two radiotherapy treatment sites (prostate and breast), and demonstrate the importance of evaluating QA classifiers using interpretable machine learning approaches. We additionally develop a notion of explanation consistency to assess classifier performance. Our explanation method allows for easy visualization and human expert assessment of classifier decisions in radiotherapy QA. Notably, we find that our team-based Shapley approach is more consistent than LIME. The ability to explain and validate automated decision-making is critical in medical treatments. This analysis allows us to conclude that both QA classifiers are moderately trustworthy and can be used to confirm expert decisions, though the current QA classifiers should not be viewed as a replacement for the human QA process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this current era, the field of robotics has made much advancement and has also produced novelties than any other advanced research areas. The usage of robots has become an imperative part of the defense-oriented applications. The missions which are difficult to be performed by human beings can certainly be accomplished by the robots nowadays. The most crucial part for an industrial- and defense-based robot is to perform pose movements accurately for optimal usage of robotics as a replacement of human beings. This paper proposes a comprehensive introduction to the proposed hybrid approach PSO–RL which uses reinforcement learning (RL) and Particle swarm optimization (PSO). It summarizes the usage of proposed PSO-RL for pose measurement of robots in defense and industrial manufacturing systems. The hybrid PSO–RL is a promising technique for measuring poses in robots with accuracy and for optimizing obstacle avoidance error. In this paper, robot's core movements are analyzed; speed of movements is given importance, and an attempt is made to provide more accurate moves with high precision. In order to optimize the efficiency of robotic operations, a full freedom pose measurement method based on PSO–RL is proposed. By using the characteristics of two-wheel independent driving industrial robot, the performance of the robot in three moving modes is evaluated. The experimental results show that the proposed PSO-RL method has the advantages of high accuracy, high measurement efficiency, high success rate of grabbing and avoiding obstacles. It outperforms the existing methods such as least square method and micro-displacement cyclic correction method with respect to maximum error, RMSE score and time complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of porosity on the effective thermal conductivities calculation for continuous SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiC f /SiC) was studied in this work by finite element modeling. A three-dimensional representative volume element (RVE) containing detailed geometric features (fibers, matrix, fiber coatings and pores) was generated to rebuild the microstructure of SiC f /SiC and used to numerically calculate the effective transversal and longitudinal thermal conductivities of SiC f /SiC. Markworth model and parallel model were chosen as theoretical models to calculate the transversal and longitudinal thermal conductivities respectively. The numerical results obtained by RVE models were validated by comparison with the theoretical and experimental results. The results highlight the existing theoretical models cannot well predict the transversal thermal conductivity of SiC f /SiC with the existence of pores. In the analysis of the effect of porosity, real pore structure in SiC f /SiC was investigated to revel the relationship between porosity and the effective thermal conductivities. In the case of longitudinal thermal conductivity, the parallel model plus the linear term of porosity can still be used to predict the longitudinal thermal conductivity. As for the transversal thermal conductivity, a more proper Markworth model for SiC f /SiC transversal thermal conductivity calculation calibrated by incorporating porosity is proposed to efficiently calculate the transversal thermal conductivity at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the anisotropic deformation and fracture mechanisms of a typical physical vapor deposited TiN/ZrN multilayer, employing novel nanoindentation and micropillar compression techniques. The results highlight a stronger nanoindentation response of the multilayer when loaded perpendicular (90°) to the layer orientation, and the deformation was mainly controlled by the plasticity of ZrN layers. In comparison, at parallel (0°) orientation, the kink banding and the induced cracking may weaken the constraint beneath the indenter, thus leading to degraded hardness. By considering the anisotropic deformation mechanisms, nanoindentation finite element modeling was further performed to give reliable predictions on the strength at the inclined orientation. The modeling results suggest a dominant deformation mechanism that occurred mainly in the ZrN layers, with minor contribution from the stiff TiN layers. As a result, a minimized hardness was predicted at 45° loading direction with respect to layer orientation. Finally, the micropillar compressions show a brittle nature of both 90° and 0° oriented micropillars, and a higher fracture strain was obtained at 90°, due to the observed crack termination mechanism at this orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotic products containing living microorganisms are gaining popularity, increasing the importance of their taxonomic status. A Bacillus -like isolate, 70 b, cultured from a probiotic feed additive, was ambiguity in taxonomic assignment and could be a novel member of Bacillus cereus group. The results of colony and cellular morphology, physiological and biochemical analysis mainly including growth performance, carbon source utilization, and rMLST and MLST were not conclusive. Fatty acids profile and molecular genetic analysis especially ANI, DDH, and core genome SNPs-based phylogenetic tree confirmed 70 b as one novel species of B. cereus group and proposed as Bacillus pfraonensis sp. nov. Comparative genomic analysis revealed the genetic differences between 70 b and other species of B. cereus group. Pseudomycoicidin was identified in 70 b. 70 b was active against multidrug-resistant pathogenic strains MRSA. The findings support 70 b is a novel species with low cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity, and provides a better understanding of its unique characteristics and probiotic potential, and exploration of bioactive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture toughness (KIC) of Mode I cracked sandstone exposed to sodium sulfate was investigated in this study. The uniaxial behavior of sandstone specimens soaked in different sodium sulfate solutions was determined for different strain rates. The results revealed that the strain rate has a significant and positive influence on the deformation and strength characteristics of sandstone. Compression strength gradually increased with strain rate at an increased slope, but peak strain decreased gradually with an increase in strain rate. The physical–mechanical characteristics and brittleness of sandstone gradually declined with increasing immersion time under sodium sulfate attack, but its plasticity increased significantly. There were holes and pitting corrosions in specimen surfaces exposed to sodium sulfate attack, and the edges and corners were somewhat weakened. Chemical damage variables were proposed to analyze the damage degree of sandstone, based on the change in porosity. Based on the testing results, regression analysis was conducted to determine the relations between ion concentrations (Ca2+ and Mg2+) in corresponding sodium sulfate solutions and for corresponding degrees of damage, and indirectly realize correlations between physical–mechanical characteristics, damage degree, and ion concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We developed a novel electrochemiluminescence (ECL) ethanol biosensor based on and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) immobilized by graphene/bovine serum albumin composite film. The graphene film was directly formed on a glassy carbon electrode surface via an in situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and was immobilized during its formation. The graphene film acted as both a decorating agent for immobilization of and a matrix to immobilize bovine serum albumin (BSA), meanwhile BSA not only acted as a reductant to reduce GO, but also provided a friendly environment for ADH immobilization. Furthermore, ADH was separated from by the electron-conductive graphene/BSA composite film to retain its enzymatic activity. The experimental results indicated that the biosensor had excellent electrochemical activity, ECL response to ethanol and stability. Such a design of –graphene/BSA film to modify electrode holds a great promise as a new biocompatible platform for the development of enzyme-based ECL biosensors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A rapid and efficient dual preconcentration method of on-line single drop liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (SD-LLLME) coupled to sweeping micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) was developed for trace analysis of three antihistamines (mizolastine, chlorpheniramine and pheniramine) in human urine. Three analytes were firstly extracted from donor phase (4mL urine sample) adjusted to alkaline condition (0.5M NaOH). The unionized analytes were subsequently extracted into a drop of n-octanol layered over the urine sample, and then into a microdrop of acceptor phase (100mM H3PO4) suspended from a capillary inlet. The enriched acceptor phase was on-line injected into capillary with a height difference and then analyzed directly by sweeping MEKC. Good linear relationships were obtained for all analytes in a range of 6.25×10−6 to 2.5×10−4 g/L with correlation coefficients (r) higher than 0.987. The proposed method achieved limits of detections (LOD) varied from 1.2×10−7 to 9.5×10−7 g/L based on a signal-to-noise of 3 (S/N=3) with 751- to 1372-fold increases in detection sensitivity for analytes, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of three antihistamines in human urine after an oral administration. The results demonstrated that this method was a promising combination for the rapid trace analysis of antihistamines in human urine with the advantages of operation simplicity, high enrichment factor and little solvent consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A facile, low-cost and effective electrochemiluminescence (ECL) sensor based on Ru(bpy)3 2+ immobilized by graphene film without any auxiliary medium had been developed for the first time. The graphene film was directly formed on a glassy carbon electrode surface via an in situ wet-chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO). It had fast electron-transfer rate and excellent stability for immobilizing Ru(bpy)3 2+ via π–π interaction. The cyclic voltammetry result indicated that the ECL sensor had high electrochemical activity. Moreover, ECL behaviors of this sensor were investigated in details using tripropylamine as the model. And the experimental results indicated that the sensor had excellent ECL efficiency and long-term stability. Furthermore, the sensor was successfully applied to detect oxalate in urine samples with high selectivity, sensitivity and reliability, which suggested the ECL sensor could be applicable for real sample analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Remote sensing images (RSIs) are widely used in various fields due to their versatility, accuracy, and capacity for earth observation. Direct application of RSIs to harvest optimal results is generally difficult, especially for weak information features in the images. Thus, extracting the weak information in RSIs is reasonable to promote further applications. However, the current techniques for weak information extraction mainly focus on spectral features in hyperspectral images (HSIs), and a universal weak information extraction technology for RSI is lacking. Therefore, this study focused on mining the weak information from RSIs and proposed the deep multi-order spatial–spectral residual feature extractor (DMSRE). The DMSRE considers the global information and three-dimensional cube structures by combining low-rank representation, high-order residual quantization, and multi-granularity spectral segmentation theories. This extractor obtains spatial–spectral features from two derived sequences (deep spatial–spectral residual feature (DMSR) and deep spatial–spectral coding feature (DMSC)), and three RSI datasets (i.e., Chikusei, ZY1-02D, and Pasture datasets) were employed to validate the DMSRE method. Comparative results of the weak information extraction-based classifications (including DMSR and DMSC) and the raw image-based classifications showed the following: (i) the DMSRs can improve the classification accuracy of individual classes in fine classification applications (e.g., Asphalt class in the Chikusei dataset, from 89.12% to 95.99%); (ii) the DMSC improved the overall accuracy in rough classification applications (from 92.07% to 92.78%); and (iii) the DMSC improved the overall accuracy in RGB classification applications (from 63.25% to 63.6%), whereas DMSR improved the classification accuracy of individual classes on the RGB image (e.g., Plantain classes in the Pasture dataset, from 32.49% to 39.86%). This study demonstrates the practicality and capability of the DMSRE method to promote target recognition on RSIs and presents an alternative technique for weak information mining on RSIs, indicating the potential to extend weak information-based applications of RSIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the actual environments of the joint rock in the bank slope of the Three Gorge Reservoir region (in China) as the background and considering the research concept that the effect of sodium sulfates and the dry–wet (D–W) cycle on rocks as interactive and inseparable, a test plan for D–W cycles was designed to study the D–W cycle damage of the mechanical characteristics and their correlations with the strength properties of sandstone with a Mode-I crack exposed to a sodium sulfate attack. Based on the crack's propagation radius and a damage variable reflecting a change in porosity, the degree of D–W cycle mechanical degradation was quantitatively analyzed. The mechanical characteristic of sandstone exhibited obvious damage under sodium sulfate attack and D–W cycles, among which the degree of D–W cycle degradation of the KIC was the greatest, whereas the internal friction angle was relatively the lowest. Meanwhile, apparent consistency was observed between the KIC and compression, and between the KIC and tensile strength of specimen exposed to the sodium sulfates attack under D–W cycles. Moreover, an evident corresponding relationship existed among the deterioration damage of the mechanical properties, corresponding ion concentrations dissolved in sodium sulfate solution, and deterioration degree of the physical characteristics of sandstone. Meanwhile, the correlation relationships among physical and mechanical properties, D–W cycle damage degree, and ion concentration were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep, as one of the mechanical properties for evaluating the resistance of deformation under a persistent stress, is extremely important in the application of metal/ceramic nanolaminates. In this work, the creep behaviors of Al/SiC nanolaminates with layer thickness of 10 nm and 100 nm were studied by means of nanoindentation in the temperature range from 25 °C to 150 °C. It was found that the stress exponent of nanolaminates for layer thickness of 100 nm increased with an increase in temperature. The stress exponent of Al was obtained by inverse methodology based on the finite element simulations, indicating that the creep mechanism changed from dislocation-grain boundary interaction to Coble creep. In the contrary, nanolaminates with layer thickness of 10 nm exhibited temperature-independent creep behaviors. This was rationalized by the co-deformation of Al and SiC layers beneath the indenter, which was dominated in the whole temperature range. In addition, all of these conclusions were further confirmed by the detailed transmission electron microscopic observation, the activation energy and the activation volume analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Evaluation of the potential biological risk of commercial probiotic products. • All 48 Bacillus spp. isolates from products were resistant to lincomycin. • The genotyping showed ces existed in B. cereus 34b with the specific sequence type. Spore-forming probiotic Bacillus spp. have received extensively increasing scientific and commercial interest, but raised the concerns in the potential risks and pathogenesis. In this study, 50 commercial probiotic products were collected from all over the country and Bacillus spp. isolated from products were evaluated for the safety on the aspects of hemolytic activity, contamination profiles, toxin genes, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial resistance, and genotyping. 34 probiotic products (68%) exhibited hemolysis, including 19 human probiotics, 9 animal probiotics, and 6 plant probiotics. 28 products (56%) contained other bacteria not labeled in the ingredients. 48 strains in Bacillus spp. including 17 B. subtilis group isolates, 28 B. cereus , and 3 other Bacillus spp. were isolated from human, food animal, and plant probiotic products. Detection rates of enterotoxin genes, nheABC and hblCDA , and cytotoxin cytK2 in 48 Bacillus spp. isolates were 58%, 31%, and 46%, respectively. Also, one isolate B. cereus 34b from an animal probiotic product was positive for ces, encoding cereulide. 28 of 48 Bacillus spp. isolates were cytotoxic. 19 of 28 B. cereus isolates maintained to exhibit hemolysis after heat treatment. All 48 Bacillus spp. isolates exhibited resistance to lincomycin, and 5 were resistant to tetracycline. The genotyping of commercial probiotic Bacillus spp. reported in this study showed that ces existed in B. cereus 34b with the specific sequence type (ST1066). These findings support the hypothesis that probiotic products were frequently contaminated and that some commercial probiotics consisted of Bacillus spp. may possess toxicity and antimicrobial resistance genes. Thus, the further efforts are needed in regarding the surveillance of virulence factors, toxins, and antibiotic resistance determinants in probiotic Bacillus spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of layer thickness on the mechanical anisotropy of physical vapor deposited Al/SiC nanolaminate was explored by micropillar compressions at directions perpendicular (90°) and parallel (0°) to layer orientations. The role of inherent columnar structure on the fracture mechanism at both loading directions is highlighted. The results show that the Al/SiC micropillar compressed at 90° was strengthened significantly as the layer thickness reduced, due to the constraint of Al plasticity (imposed by stiff SiC layers) and ruptures of SiC layers, both were layer thickness dependent. The constraint was weakened by the ruptures of SiC layers and the inherent columnar structures. Finite element modeling evidences that the latter may trigger early formations of shear bands crossing multiple layers, leading to decreased strain hardening rate and ultimate compressive strength of the Al/SiC micropillar. The strengthening effect was reversed at 0°, with lower strength obtained in thinner layered micropillars. Finite element modeling of micropillar compression suggests that this is mainly a consequence of the inherent columnar structure that weakens remarkably the compressive strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning is an emerging tool, which is regularly used for disease diagnosis in the medical field. A new research direction has been developed for the detection of early-stage gastric cancer. The computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems reduce the mortality rate due to their effectiveness. In this study, we proposed a new method for feature extraction using a stacked sparse autoencoder to extract the discriminative features from the unlabeled data of breath samples. A Softmax classifier was then integrated to the proposed method of feature extraction, to classify gastric cancer from the breath samples. Precisely, we identified fifty peaks in each spectrum to distinguish the EGC, AGC, and healthy persons. This CAD system reduces the distance between the input and output by learning the features and preserve the structure of the input data set of breath samples. The features were extracted from the unlabeled data of the breath samples. After the completion of unsupervised training, autoencoders with Softmax classifier were cascaded to develop a deep stacked sparse autoencoder neural network. In last, fine-tuning of the developed neural network was carried out with labeled training data to make the model more reliable and repeatable. The proposed deep stacked sparse autoencoder neural network architecture exhibits excellent results, with an overall accuracy of 98.7% for advanced gastric cancer classification and 97.3% for early gastric cancer detection using breath analysis. Moreover, the developed model produces an excellent result for recall, precision, and f score value, making it suitable for clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cracks will be introduced into mortar specimens and embedded copper sheets to simulate fractured concrete according to the designed 20 mm crack lengths and angles. By taking into consideration the actual environment of a hydro-fluctuation belt for a typical bank slope in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region of the Yangtze River, China, a dry–wet cycle testing program will be designed to study the mechanical properties of the fracture mortar specimens immersed in different sulfate solutions. The failure characteristics and modes of the fracture mortar specimens will be measured and analyzed. The tests results show that the strength initially decreased and then increased with an increasing crack angle from 0° to 90°, and this was the smallest for the specimens with a 45° angle. Deterioration occurred in the specimens subjected to dry–wet cycles in different sulfate solutions. The damage extent is expressed as the change in elasticity. A formula for damage evolution of the fracture specimens will be proposed and the relationship between the deformation properties and damage properties of the specimens will be developed for the combined action of dry–wet cycles and sulfate attack. Based on the proposed damage model, the damage evolution equation and elastic damage constitutive model will be derived under the combined action of dry–wet cycles and sulfate attack, and this damage constitutive relation could be used to the study damage evolution for the fracture mortar specimens under the combined effects of dry–wet cycles and sulfate attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fracture toughness of rock is very important in rock cutting, blasting, and hydraulic fracturing for tunnel excavation. To evaluate factors that reduce rock fracture toughness, we emulated the environment of joint rock in the hydro-fluctuation belt of a typical bank slope in the Shanxi Tong Chuan reservoir region. We tested long-term immersion of sandstone samples in different chemical solutions to determine the resulting mechanical characteristics and damage degradation. Variations in the physical and mechanical properties of the samples were analyzed under the effects of the chemical solutions. Experimental results show that the sandstone was significantly damaged by the chemical solutions, but its peak strain increased, and different chemical solutions had distinct influences on the degree of mechanical damage. These differences varied with the acid–base properties of the solutions. Also, there were clear consistencies among the solutions in the degree of their damage to mechanical parameters, physical parameters, and ion concentrations. Therefore, we were able to obtain correlations among the physical and mechanical parameters of the sandstone samples, damage variables, and the ion concentrations of calcium and magnesium. The surfaces of the samples were seriously degraded after being subjected to the corrosive effect of various chemicals; for example, there were different amounts of holes and pitting corrosion. The sizes of the holes and the degree of surface pitting gradually increased with an increase in corrosion time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic on the distribution and antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from the lower respiratory tract of children in our hospital. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on bacteria isolated clinically from the lower respiratory tracts of children in our hospital from 2018 to 2021 by the Kirby–Bauer method and automated systems. Results: From 2018 to 2021, the top three lower respiratory tract clinical isolates in our hospital were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae. These three species showed obvious seasonal epidemic patterns, and their numbers decreased significantly during the COVID-19 epidemic, from 4559 in 2019 to 1938 in 2020. Bacterial resistance to antibiotics also changed before and after the COVID-19 epidemic. The annual proportions of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were 41%, 37.4%, 26.2%, and 29.8%. The resistance rates of Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftriaxone were 40.5%, 51.9%, 35.3%, and 53.3%, and the detection rates of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) were 2.7%, 11.1%, 5.9%, and 4.4%. The detection rates of β-lactamase-producing H. influenzae were 51.9%, 59.2%, 48.9%, and 55.3%. The rate of MRSA, ceftriaxone-resistant K. pneumoniae, CRKP, and β-lactamase-producing H. influenzae decreased significantly in 2020 compared with 2019, whereas that of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii increased. The detection rates of β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant H. influenzae (BLNAR) gradually increased over the 4 years. Conclusions: Protective measures against COVID-19, including reduced movement of people, hand hygiene, and surgical masks, may block the transmission of S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and M. catarrhalis and reduce the detection rate of MRSA, ceftriaxone-resistant K. pneumoniae, CRKP, and β-lactamase-producing H. influenzae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans -splicing of a spliced leader (SL) to the 5′ ends of mRNAs is used to produce mature mRNAs in several phyla of great importance to human health and the marine ecosystem. One of the consequences of the addition of SL sequences is the change or disruption of the open reading frames (ORFs) in the recipient transcripts. Given that most SL sequences have one or more of the trinucleotide NUG, including AUG in flatworms, trans -splicing of SL sequences can potentially supply a start codon to create new ORFs, which we refer to as slORFs, in the recipient mRNAs. Due to the lack of a tool to precisely detect them, slORFs were usually neglected in previous studies. In this work, we present the tool slORFfinder, which automatically links the SL sequences to the recipient mRNAs at the trans -splicing sites identified from SL-containing reads of RNA-Seq and predicts slORFs according to the distribution of ribosome-protected footprints (RPFs) on the trans -spliced transcripts. By applying this tool to the analyses of nematodes, ascidians and euglena, whose RPFs are publicly available, we find wide existence of slORFs in these taxa. Furthermore, we find that slORFs are generally translated at higher levels than the annotated ORFs in the genomes, suggesting they might have important functions. Overall, this study provides a tool, slORFfinder (https://github.com/songbo446/slORFfinder), to identify slORFs, which can enhance our understanding of ORFs in taxa with SL machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of public health measures have been implemented to suppress local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Shenzhen. We examined the effect of these measures on the prevalence of respiratory pathogens in children. Clinical and respiratory pathogen data were collected for routine care from hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections in Shenzhen Children's Hospital from July 2018 to January 2022. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected and respiratory pathogens were detected using standardized clinical diagnostics as part of routine care. Data were analyzed to describe the effects of COVID-19 prevention procedures on other common pathogens. A total of 56,325 children under 14 years of age were hospitalized with an acute respiratory infection during the study period, 33,909 were tested from July 2018 to January 2020 (pre-lockdown), 1168 from February 2020 to May 2020 (lockdown) and 21,248 from July 2020 to January 2022 (post-lockdown). We observed a 37.3% decline of routine care in respiratory infection associated hospital admission in the 19 months' post-lockdown vs. the 19 months' pre-lockdown. There were 99.4%, 16.0% and 1.26% reductions measured for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza virus A and adenovirus, respectively. However, a 118.7% and 75.8% rise was found for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human para-influenza virus (HPIV) during the 19 months' post-lockdown in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. The detection of RSV especially increased in toddlers after the lockdown. Lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant reduction of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, influenza virus A and adenovirus infection. In contrast, RSV and HPIV infection increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damping is a significant dynamic characteristic used to describe rock vibration failures and plays an important role in various seismic engineering applications, specifically for evaluating stability of rock masses under forced vibration loading. In this paper, cyclic loading tests were carried out on sandstone and granite samples to study their damping characteristics. The effect of the selected influential indicators (stress level, strain amplitude and loading frequency) on the damping ratio and damping coefficient was studied. The damping parameters of sandstone and granite were calculated and the variability in the damping parameters as a function of stress level, frequency and strain amplitude were determined. The linear relationship between damping ratio, damping coefficient and strain amplitude was investigated. The results suggest that the relationship between the damping parameters and the strain amplitude could be expressed as a linear function. The influential indicators to the damping parameter of granite were sorted as follows: stress level > strain amplitude > frequency. The influential indicators of sandstone were sorted as follows: strain amplitude > stress level > frequency. Under a fixed-amplitude stress path, the damping ratio of granite was approximately 80% that of the sandstone and the damping coefficient is approximately 200% of that of the sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anticancer treatment is largely affected by the microenvironment of the tumors, which not only resists the tumors to the thermo/chemo-therapy, but also promotes their growth and invasion. In this work, the angiogenesis factor is balanced by combining with the breathing hyperoxygen, for regulating the tumor microenvironment and also for relieving hypoxia and high tissue interstitial pressure, which promote drug delivery to tumor tissues by increasing the in vivo perfusion and reversing the immunosuppressive tumor. In addition, the designed multifunctional nanoparticles have a great potential for applications to the tumor dual-mode imaging including magnetic resonance (MR) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging. This work proposes a promising strategy to enhance the thermo/chemo-therapy efficacy by remodeling the tumor microenvironment, which would provide an alternative to prolong the lifetime of tumor patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term immersion was adopted to explore the damage deterioration and mechanical properties of granite under different chemical solutions. Here, granite was selected as the candidate of parent rocks for nuclear waste storage. The physical and mechanical properties of variation regularity immersed in various chemical solutions were analyzed. Meanwhile, the damage variable based on the variation in porosity was used in the quantitative analysis of chemical damage deterioration degree. Experimental results show that granite has a significant weakening tendency after chemical corrosion. The fracture toughness KIC, splitting tensile strength, and compressive strength all demonstrate the same deteriorating trend with chemical corrosion time. However, a difference exists in the deterioration degree of the mechanical parameters; that is, the deterioration degree of fracture toughness KIC is the greatest followed by those of splitting tensile strength and compressive strength, which are relatively smaller. Strong acid solutions may aggravate chemical damage deterioration in granite. By contrast, strong alkaline solutions have a certain inhibiting effect on chemical damage deterioration. The chemical solutions that feature various compositions may have different effects on chemical damage degree; that is, SO42- ions have a greater effect on the chemical damage in granite than HCO3- ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation of strength and fatigue properties of intact sandstone samples subjected to dynamic cyclic loading in the laboratory. Tests were conducted on sandstone samples with loading frequencies ranging in 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 Hz, loading amplitudes of 1, 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kN, and loading speeds of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kN/s. In this study it was shown that the loading frequency, as well as the amplitude and loading speed, was of great significance and affected the mechanical characteristics of sandstone under dynamic cyclic loading. The fatigue life of sandstone was found to decrease with loading speeds and amplitudes but increase with loading frequencies. It was found that the minimum of the dynamic strength and deformation factor of sandstone was obtained at loading speeds of 2 kN/s but the maximum at loading frequencies of 1 Hz. Finally, it was concluded that the relationship between the fatigue life and loading speed, frequency, and stress amplitude under dynamic cyclic loading would be expressed as the S-N curve, which showed that the fatigue characteristic of sandstone was similar to that of metal materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrical and immune stimulation-based hydrogels sHA/G-GM synergistically realize scarless wound healing. • sHA/G-GM modulate fibroblast activation via amplifying the endogenous electrophysiology. • sHA/G-GM modulate immune microenvironment via promoting macrophage phenotype-switching. Scars are a consequence of the wound healing process, and scarless wound healing remains a substantial clinical challenge. In this study, conductive hydrogels (named sHA/G-GM) were developed to synergistically realize scarless wound healing through electrical and immune stimulation. sHA/G-GM was prepared as high-sulfated hyaluronan (sHA) modified graphene (sHA/G) homodispersing in gelatin methacrylate, and sHA/G was released and absorbed by cytomembranes. In vitro (human scar fibroblasts and mouse primary macrophages) and in vivo (rat wound models and rabbit ear wound models) studies were conducted and demonstrated that sHA/G-GM not only improves conductivity to fibroblast activity regulation but also combines with interleukin-4 to promote macrophage phenotype switching. These results strongly suggest that sHA/G-GM synergistically amplifies endogenous electrophysiological functions and modulates the immune microenvironment to realize scarless wound healing. Therefore, the electrical and immune stimulation-based sHA/G-GM provide an effective approach to synergistically realize scarless wound healing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and high expression levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in wound tissue are two major problems for wound repair and scar inhibition. Modulation of the wound microenvironment is considered to be able to overcome these issues. Two possible solutions include the use of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2) as an enzyme-like ROS scavenger and pirfenidone (PFD) as an anti-fibrotic drug to inhibit the expression of TGF-β. However, CeO2 is easily adsorbed by biological macromolecules and loses its enzyme-like activity. Furthermore, the intracellular delivery of PFD is difficult. Herein, the layer-by-layer method was used to prepare nanocapsules (NCs) with a sophisticated structure featuring PFD at their core and CeO2 in their shell; these NCs were referred to as PFD/CeO2 NCs. PFD/CeO2 NCs were supposed to efficiently achieve intracellular delivery of PFD and successfully scavenged ROS from the microenvironment. Cellular experiments verified that PFD/CeO2 NCs had good biocompatibility, satisfactory cellular uptake, and favorable ROS-scavenging capacity. To be applied directly to the wound, PFD/CeO2 NCs were then adhered to plasma-etched polylactic acid (PLA) fiber membranes to prepare a new wound dressing. Animal experiments further demonstrated that the dressing accelerated the epithelialization of the wound, reduced the levels of ROS and TGF-β, improved the arrangement and proportion of collagen fibers, and finally, achieved satisfactory wound-repairing and anti-scarring effects. These results provide a new concept for promoting wound repair and preventing scar formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The radius of the plastic zone and the radial stress is introduces into the stress-intensity ratio. A new rockburst criterion is proposed to predict the rockburst classification. The certain relationship between the rockburst rating and the radius of the plastic zone and radial stress is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biosensor based on DNA hybridization holds great potential to get higher sensitivity as the optimal DNA hybridization efficiency can be achieved by controlling the distribution and orientation of probe strands on the transducer surface. In this work, an innovative strategy is reported to tap the sensitivity potential of current electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensing system by dispersedly anchoring the DNA beacons on the gold nanoparticles (GNPs) array which was electrodeposited on the glassy carbon electrode surface, rather than simply sprawling the coil-like strands onto planar gold surface. The strategy was developed by designing a “signal-on” ECL biosensing switch fabricated on the GNPs nanopatterned electrode surface for enhanced ultra-sensitivity detection of Hg2+. A 57-mer hairpin-DNA labeled with ferrocene as ECL quencher and a 13-mer DNA labeled with Ru(bpy)3 2+ as reporter were hybridized to construct the signal generator in off-state. A 31-mer thymine (T)-rich capture-DNA was introduced to form T–T mismatches with the loop sequence of the hairpin-DNA in the presence of Hg2+ and induce the stem-loop open, meanwhile the ECL “signal-on” was triggered. The peak sensitivity with the lowest detection limit of 0.1nM was achieved with the optimal GNPs number density while exorbitant GNPs deposition resulted in sensitivity deterioration for the biosensor. We expect the present strategy could lead the renovation of the existing probe-immobilized ECL genosensor design to get an even higher sensitivity in ultralow level of target detection such as the identification of genetic diseases and disorders in basic research and clinical application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The effect of SARS-CoV-2 on existing respiratory pathogens in circulation remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the prevalence of respiratory pathogens among hospitalized children. Methods: This study enrolled hospitalized children with acute respiratory infections in Shenzhen Children's Hospital from September to December 2019 (before the COVID-19 epidemic) and those from September to December 2020 (during the COVID-19 epidemic). Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected, and respiratory pathogens were detected using multiplex PCR. The absolute case number and detection rates of 11 pathogens were collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 5696 children with respiratory tract infection received multiplex PCR examination for respiratory pathogens: 2298 from September to December 2019 and 3398 from September to December 2020. At least one pathogen was detected in 1850 (80.5%) patients in 2019, and in 2380 (70.0%) patients in 2020; the detection rate in 2020 was significantly lower than that in 2019.The Influenza A (InfA) detection rate was 5.6% in 2019, but 0% in 2020. The detection rates of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Human adenovirus, and Human rhinovirus also decreased from 20% (460), 8.9% (206), and 41.8% (961) in 2019 to 1.0% (37), 2.1% (77), and 25.6% (873) in 2020, respectively. In contrast, the detection rates of Human respiratory syncytial virus, Human parainfluenza virus, and Human metapneumovirus increased from 6.6% (153), 9.9% (229), and 0.5% (12) in 2019 to 25.6% (873), 15.5% (530), and 7.2% (247) in 2020, respectively (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Successful containment of seasonal influenza as a result of COVID-19 control measures will ensure we are better equipped to deal with future outbreaks of both influenza and COVID-19.Caused by virus competition, the detection rates of Human respiratory syncytial virus, Human parainfluenza virus, and Human metapneumovirus increased in Shenzhen,that reminds us we need to take further monitoring and preventive measures in the next epidemic season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic wounds remain a challenging clinical problem, which requires further treatment development. Published data showed that dermis-derived stem/progenitor cells (DSPCs) display superior wound healing in vitro. The beneficial effects of DSPCs are mediated through paracrine secretion, which can be obtained from conditioned medium (CM). Hyaluronic acid (HA) is especially suitable for skin regeneration and delivering bioactive molecules in CM. This study investigated the effect of human foreskin-derived dermal stem/progenitor cell (hFDSPC)-CM combined with HA on a diabetic mouse model and relevant mechanism in vitro. Methods: hFDSPCs and human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) were identified, and the respective CM was prepared. PBS, HA, hFDSPC-CM combined with HA, or hADSC-CM combined with HA was topically applied to mice. HE, CD31, CD68, CD86, and CD206 staining was performed to evaluate gross wound condition, angiogenesis, and inflammation, respectively. Masson and Picrosirius red staining was performed to evaluate collagen deposition and maturation. The effects of hFDSPC-CM and hADSC-CM on human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT) and fibroblasts were evaluated in vitro using CCK-8 and EdU assays to determine cell viability and proliferation, respectively. The scratch assay was performed to evaluate cell migration. Tube formation assay was performed on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to confirm angiogenesis. Extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolic balance-related genes and proteins, such as collagen I (COL 1), collagen III (COL 3), fibronectin (FN), α-SMA, matrix metalloproteinases 1 (MMP-1), matrix metalloproteinases 3 (MMP-3), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), were analysed. Results: hFDSPC-CM combined with HA showed superior wound closure rate over hADSC-CM. Histologically, the hFDSPC-CM combined with HA group showed significantly improved re-epithelialisation, angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, collagen regeneration, and maturation compared to hADSC-CM combined with HA group. In vitro assays revealed that hFDSPC-CM displayed significant advantages on cell proliferation, migration, and ECM regeneration through a TGF-β/Smad signalling pathway compared with hADSC-CM. Conclusions: hFDSPC-CM combined with HA was superior for treating diabetic wounds. The underlying mechanism may promote proliferation and migration of epidermal cells with fibroblasts, thus leading to ECM deposition and remodelling. Reduced inflammation may be due to the above-mentioned mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The rapid identification of living cancer cells is highly crucial for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. However, it is a great challenge to develop an effective way for rapid identification and imaging of cancer cells in a living state. Moreover, synthesis of monodisperse nanoparticles (NPs) with high sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity is also a tough work. Herein, we creatively reported a convenient method to synthesize the novel NPs as the substrate of SERS sensors, which possessed a gold nanobipyramid core and silver nanorod shell. These gold nanobipyramid core and silver nanorod shell NPs (Au NBP@Ag NRs) were further modified with 4-mercaptobenzoicacid (4-MBA, Raman reporter molecule) and then conjugated with reduced bovine serum albumin (rBSA) and folic acid (FA) on their surfaces, to finally acquire Au NBP@Ag NR-MBA-rBSA-FA nanoprobes. In this system, With the enhancement factor (EF) of Au NBP@Ag NRs was about 4 × 107, it could significantly enhance Raman signal for Raman reporter molecules, and 4-MBA molecules performed high SERS signals based on their structures; the nanoprobes have favorable specificity and biocompatibility owing to the modification of rBSA which effectively avoided the nonspecific attachment of non-targeted cells. Moreover, the obtained SERS nanoprobes have excellent sensitivity for gastric cancer cells (MGC-803 cells) due to the conjugation of folic acid. Thus, the finally obtained Au NBP@Ag NR-MBA-rBSA-FA nanoprobes possess excellent detection efficiency for living MGC-803 cells. Therefore, our synthesized nanoprobes exhibit ultrasensitive SERS-activity, excellent specificity and superior cancer cells targeting ability, which could be applied for rapid identification and Raman imaging of living cancer cells via the SERS signal detection of the nanoprobes. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • A convenient method to synthesize Au NBP@Ag NRs was developed. • Au NBP@Ag NRs could significantly enhance signal of Raman reporter molecules. • Au NBP@Ag NR-MBA-rBSA-FA have favorable specificity and biocompatibility. • The synthesis strategy could be applied for detection of other cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterization of jointed rock masses and evaluation of their mechanical properties are challenging tasks in rock engineering. This paper presents an experimental investigation of the response characteristics of drilling energy to the discontinuity of rock mass using a drilling method. The linear relationship between the drilling energy and discontinuity frequency is revealed, which only depends on the rock type, and is independent of calculation units. A new empirical method for determining the rock quality designation (RQD) versus the variation of drilling energy is proposed based on the discontinuity frequency. Comparison between the prediction and in situ investigation results demonstrates that the RQD can be estimated from this empirical method. The E m / E r (modulus ratio) and σ cm / σ c (strength ratio) versus RQD relations are modified for the determination of rock mass strength and deformation modulus in order to consider the continuous variation of E m / E r and σ cm / σ c with the model parameter η , which is related to the drilling energy and modulus of elasticity of intact rock and the variation of drilling energy for rock mass. The results show that the modified E m / E r (σ cm / σ c) versus RQD relations can give proper values compared with the field test results as well as compared with the various proposed relations from RMR, Q and GSI. The modified relations can provide a practical, fast and easy-to-use method for the estimated rock mass strength and deformation modulus, but they are only a first approximation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Damage evolution salt rock under fatigue loading at different stress amplitudes, loading frequencies, and loading rates was investigated in the laboratory. Under conditions of fatigue loading, damage of salt rock can be divided into three stages: initial damage, constant-velocity damage, and accelerated damage. The results of the fatigue tests indicate that higher stress amplitudes, higher loading frequency, and higher loading rate lead to decreased fatigue lifetime. Based on the experiments, a model for the prediction of fatigue life versus stresses, frequency, and loading rate was proposed. Comparison between the model and the experimental results shows that fatigue lifetime can be estimated and predicted from this model. Based on the three-stage damage trend, the cumulative fatigue damage is numerically predicted by considering a double term power damage model. The proposed model captures the characteristics of damage evolution in salt rock under fatigue loading, with the parameters of the model obtained from experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue test for rock salt is conducted under different stress amplitudes, loading frequencies, confining pressures and loading rates, from which the evaluation rule of the dissipated energy is revealed and analysed. The evolution of energy dissipation under fatigue loading is divided into three stages: the initial stage, the second stage and the acceleration stage. In the second stage, the energy dissipation per cycle remains stable and shows an exponential relation with the stress amplitude; the failure dissipated energy only depends on the mechanical behaviour of the rock salt and confining pressure, but it is immune to the loading conditions. The energy dissipation of fatigued rock salt is discussed, and a novel model for fatigue life prediction is proposed on the basis of energy dissipation. A simple model for evolution of the accumulative dissipated energy is established. Its prediction results are compared with the test results, and the proposed model is validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of plasmonic-enhanced Raman imaging of cancer cells and drug delivery is gaining momentum. Here, we propose a new theranostic strategy based on an efficient plasmonic-tunable Raman/Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy imaging, to simultaneously evaluate the anticancer drug scattering cellular imaging and the Raman scattering molecular vibration signals in living cells. This technique allows to monitoring the drug release throughout the cell cycle and in vivo biodistribution and biocompatibility with low dose drug therapy (200 μg/mL) and low toxicity effect. This system can directly track in real-time the delivery and release of an anticancer drug (mitoxantrone, MTX) from gold nanostars in single living cells and in mice (healthy and lung cancer mice models), revealing a strong accumulation in the heart of healthy mice 5 min after administration and infiltration in the tumor site of lung cancer mice 5 h after systemic injection. This in vivo SERS detection method holds a great promise for application in image-guided cancer chemotherapy or as a nonspecific anti-inflammatory therapy for patients with cardiovascular diseases or chronic heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio of rock are the main indicators that reflect the dynamic characteristics of rock masses under seismic and dynamic action. The multistage cyclic triaxial compression test is performed on granite and red sandstone under different confining pressures with two stress paths. To reasonably describe the dynamic characteristics of rock, a modified Hardin hyperbolic model is proposed to describe the backbone curve. The relationship between the dynamic shear modulus, damping ratio and cyclic shear strain is analysed under different confining pressure conditions with variable and same amplitude. Furthermore, an empirical formula is established for estimating the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio. The obtained results show that with increasing shear strain, the damping ratio of red sandstone and granite decreases and then increases under the condition of variable amplitude. When the shear strain is constant, the damping ratio of red sandstone and granite is less affected by the confining pressure. Under the same amplitude conditions, as the shear strain increases, the dynamic shear modulus under different confining pressures shows an increasing trend. The two established empirical formulas can be used to predict the dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio under multistage cyclic loading. This has important reference significance for studying the dynamic characteristics of rock. • The multistage cyclic triaxial compression test is carried out on rock under different confining pressures with two stress paths. • A modified Hardin hyperbolic model is proposed to describe the backbone curve. • The relationship between dynamic shear modulus, damping ratio and cyclic shear strain is analysed. • An empirical formula for estimating dynamic shear modulus and damping ratio was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which investigated the link between cleaved lymphocytes from peripheral blood smear and the diagnosis of pertussis in children. Topics explored include the demographic and laboratory characteristics of patients included in the study, results of the Mann-Whitney test performed in both case and control groups, and the general presence of cleaved lymphocytes in infants with respiratory tract infections.

Prediction of the rockburst proneness of rock in the field is an important problem in rockburst research. In this paper, the analytical relationship between the strength ratio (the ratio of the unconfined compressive strength to the ultimate cutting strength) of rock and the friction angle is presented. A new perspective is presented for rockburst proneness considering the strength ratio and friction characteristics of rock materials. The relationships between the residual elastic energy index (the difference between the peak elastic energy density and failure energy density of the postpeak stage) and the strength ratio and friction coefficient are established to determine the rockburst proneness of rock materials. The linear relationship between the strength ratio and residual elastic energy index is obtained. A novel method is proposed to easily predict the rockburst proneness of rock materials in the field. The rockburst proneness values predicted from the proposed method for six types of rock are consistent with those obtained in the laboratory. This result shows the correlation between the rockburst proneness and friction characteristics of rock materials. The variation in the contact friction angle is similar to the variation in the residual elastic energy index along the borehole. This method is successfully applied to predict the rockburst proneness of the surrounding rock of four tunnel sections. [Display omitted] • The analytical relationship between the ultimate cutting strength and friction angle of rock is presented. • The relationships between the rockburst proneness and friction coefficient of rock materials are established. • A novel method is proposed to easily predict the rockburst proneness of rock materials using drilling data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is an attractive method for drug delivery with convenient application, less first-pass effect, and fewer systemic side effects. Among all generations of TDDS, transdermal nanocarriers show the greatest clinical potential because of their non-invasive properties and high drug delivery efficiency. However, it is still difficult to design optimal transdermal nanocarriers to overcome the skin barrier, control drug release, and achieve targeting. Hence, surface modification becomes a promising strategy to optimize and functionalize the transdermal nanocarriers with enhanced penetration efficiency, controlled drug release profile, and targeting drug delivery. Therefore, this review summarizes the developed transdermal nanocarriers with their transdermal mechanism, and focuses on the surface modification strategies via their different functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brittleness is one of the most important mechanical properties of rock, especially in designing an efficient fracturing method for deep production of raw petroleum and shale gas. In this study, triaxial compression tests for sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks are carried out to investigate the relationship between brittleness and yield under different confining pressures. To research the yield property in the deformation and failure process of rock, the referenced brittleness index BIM is adopted to analyze the brittle evolution of rock based on the energy dissipation characteristics. The experimental results show that the BIM following increasing axial strain presents N-shaped variation in the deformation process. The two inflection points are exactly marked as the compaction point and yield point in the rock deformation process. Accordingly, the scientific linear correlation between BIM and yield and peak strength is investigated to obtain the response of brittleness to the corresponding stress values increasing under different confining pressures. Based on this correlation, a new method for determining the yield strength by considering the energy dissipation is proposed. In comparison with the fitting correlation, the estimated BIM max values from other rock strengths are close to the correlation between yield and brittleness (error range within 10%). Accordingly, the proposed method may provide a reliable estimation of rock yield strength. • The relationship between brittleness and energy characteristic of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock is investigated. • The brittle evolution of rock based on the energy dissipation characteristic is analyzed. • The BIM of rock provide a new method to determine the yield strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field drilling can be a continuous, fast, and reliable technology to predict the cohesion, internal friction angle, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of rock in petroleum engineering. Herein, a theoretical model is established in an impregnated diamond bit considering some effective parameters including friction parameter, crushed zone, and bit geometry parameter. A novel method is proposed to determine field strength parameters including the cohesion, internal friction angle, and UCS of four types of rock using drilling logging data. Many drilling experiments in the field are conducted using a drilling process monitoring apparatus to obtain drilling logging data (thrust force, torque, penetration rate, and rotation speed). Experimental results on weak, medium-strong, and strong rock show that drilling with an impregnated diamond core bit includes two fully dependent and simultaneous processes: rock cutting and frictional contact, the dominant role of which is dependent on the cutting point. The cohesion, internal friction angle, and UCS estimated from the proposed method for the four types of rocks are close to those from standard laboratory tests. This practical method can provide practical, fast, and reliable estimation for field strength parameters of rock and should be highly beneficial to field applications in rock engineering. • A theoretical model is established in an impregnated diamond bit considering friction, crushed zone, and bit geometry. • A method was proposed to determine strength parameters including the cohesion, internal friction angle and UCS of rock. • This practical method can provide practical, fast, and reliable estimation for field strength parameters of rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate, fast, and reliable estimation of field rock strength is significant for the assessment of rock mass strength. This paper presents a novel method to continuously estimate the field strength parameters of rock by incorporating a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) technique into the drilling process. A DCNN model is established based on the stochastic pooling method and softmax loss. The proposed CNN model framework includes : (1) collecting drilling performance parameters of intact rock, (2) establishing a strength parameter database via standard laboratory tests , (3) training the proposed CNN model using images created from the dataset of drilling performance parameters and rock strength parameters (unconfined compressive strength (UCS), cohesion, and internal friction angle), and (4) performing a new estimation to evaluate the reliability of the trained CNN model. The experimental results show that the predicted rock strength parameters are within the accepted error range of 10% compared to the results from the conventional standard test. The proposed CNN shows superior performance for UCS estimation of various rock types and achieves higher accuracy than the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. In particular, the proposed method can overcome major limitations of analytical models based on the force limit and energy equilibrium method. This method enables continuous and reliable field measurements of rock strength parameters at a speed several orders of magnitude faster than the standard test. This continuous and practical technique has been applied in an engineering problem in the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Project of China and shows potential for field applications in rock engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the prognosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has dramatically improved, the pathogenesis of CML remains elusive. Studies have shown that sustained phosphorylation of AKT1 plays a crucial role in the proliferation of CML cells. Evidence indicates that in tongue cancer cells, FAM168A, also known as tongue cancer resistance-associated protein (TCRP1), can directly bind to AKT1 and regulate AKT1/NFκB signaling pathways. This study aimed to investigate the role of FAM168A in regulation of AKT1/NFκB signaling pathway and cell cycle in CML.Methods: FAM168A interference was performed, and the expression and phosphorylation of FAM168A downstream proteins were measured in K562 CML cell line. The possible roles of FAM168A in the proliferation of CML cells were investigated using in vitro cell culture, in vivo animal models and clinical specimens.Results: We found that the expression of FAM168A significantly increased in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of CML patients, compared with normal healthy controls. FAM168A interference did not change AKT1 protein expression, but significantly decreased AKT1 phosphorylation, significantly increased IκB-α protein level, and significantly reduced nuclear NFκB protein level. Moreover, there was a significant increase of G2/M phase cells and Cyclin B1 level. Immunoprecipitation results showed that FAM168A interacts with breakpoint cluster region (BCR) -Abelson murine leukemia (ABL1) fusion protein and AKT1, respectively. Animal experiments confirmed that FAM168A interference prolonged the survival and reduced the tumor formation in mice inoculated with K562 cells. The results of clinical specimens showed that FAM168A expression and AKT1 phosphorylation were significantly elevated in CML patients.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that FAM168A may act as a linker protein that binds to BCR-ABL1 and AKT1, which further mediates the downstream signaling pathways in CML. Our findings demonstrate that FAM168A may be involved in the regulation of AKT1/NFκB signaling pathway and cell cycle in CML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]