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A multicircle order acceptance strategy was proposed to decide whether to accept customer requests for specific last-mile delivery modes (including attended home or reception box delivery) and time slots. The strategy was composed of initializing acceptable time slot allocations, reallocating acceptable time slots, matching reference sites, and assessing time slot deviations. A strategy-oriented insertion algorithm for dynamic vehicle routing problems with hard time windows was constructed, thereby showing the proposed strategy achieves a better balance between revenue and distance than the “first come and first served” strategy. Always accepting global optimization result is not significantly better than adopting the result conditionally or based on simulated annealing theory. The distance and revenue gradually increase with the number of reference sites, while revenue/distance ratio decreases. The vehicles are available to serve more attended home delivery orders with a gradual increase in time slot interval, thereby leading to an increase of AHD and total revenue.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been a long-time public health problem impacting people's heath and challenging healthcare professions because of its poor prognosis and high lethality. More and more evidence indicated the important role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in carcinogenesis and cancer metabolism in a variety of cancer types. In this study, we found that FIRRE, a recently identified cancer-associated lncRNA located on chromosome X, is highly expressed in HCC cell lines and tissue samples, and its expression is positively correlated with poor HCC prognosis. In vitro and in vivo functional analyses showed that FIRRE could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC. As for the potential mechanism, FIRRE specifically binds to the splicing factor MBNL3 to affect the expression of PXN to regulate the pathological characteristics of HCC cells. In summary, our study showed that the lncRNA FIRRE is a cancer promoting factor and may be a potential biomarker for the prognosis and drug target for the treatment of HCC.

Solution processible organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted much attention as one of the most promising candidates for sustainable energy techniques over the past two decades. So far, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of OSCs has reached over 18% and increasingly closed the gap with inorganic and hybrid solar cells, which exceeds the requirement in efficiency towards commercial application. Low cost is generally labeled as one of the potential advantages of OSCs, compared with other photovoltaic technologies. However, currently most of the high-performance materials need tedious synthetic steps and/or suffer from relatively high cost. In addition, halogenated solvents which are highly toxic and expensive are widely used during processing; besides, they are not environmentally friendly, which would bring about extra expense for management and disposal. Thus, the development of low-cost high-performance materials, and cheap and “green” processing for OSCs is the imperative and urgent issue to be solved towards industrial-scale production. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in low-cost materials and eco-friendly processing for OSCs from the aspects of the synthetic method, photoactive materials, interfacial materials and processing solution. We hope that this review affords an overview and deep understanding of low-cost materials and processing solutions for OSCs. Finally, we will provide our perspectives on possible directions and challenges to further reduce the material cost of OSCs.

Two FREAs, IUIC-O and IUIC-T, based on an undecacyclic core were developed. IUIC-T having a higher extinction coefficient affords aligned energy levels with PBDB-T, finer nanoscale morphology and more orderly molecular stacking, thus achieving more efficient exciton dissociation and charge transport. Therefore, the PBDB-T:IUIC-T based OSC gains a higher PCE of 13.05%.

The high trap density (generally 10

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a familiar protein and often used as a model drug to test the adsorption efficiency of material, while the cytotoxicity of hybrid is overlooked. In this study, we synthesized hierarchical mesoporous flower-like Mg-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) microspheres through anion surfactant mediated hydrothermal method. The scanning electron microscopic images demonstrated that 10S-LDH and 100S-LDH samples possessed a porous surface and the porosity structure were affected by the concentration of anionic surfactant, i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfonate (SDS). By being immersed in the BSA/phosphate buffer solution (PBS) solution, the 100S-LDH had a loading capacity about 44.6 mg/g. Compared to 1S-LDH and 10S-LDH, the SDS intercalated in 100S-LDH could form the hydrogen bond with BSA molecules and promote the adsorption efficiency. In the cytotoxicity test towards Raw264.7 cells, the hybrid of BSA and xS-LDH showed a superior biocompatibility to the raw LDH materials. The SDS intercalated Mg-Al LDH is expected to be used in the bioactive molecules delivery. © World Scientific Publishing Company

This study investigated the effects of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) expression on liver function classification, serum tumor markers and liver function of patients with liver cancer. A total of 63 patients with primary liver cancer treated in Xiangya Hospital (Changsha, China) were retrospectively analyzed. The difference in the PTEN expression levels in normal liver cells and liver cancer cells was compared via immunohistochemistry. According to the expression level of PTEN in the patient's pathological report, patients were divided into PTEN-positive and PTEN-negative groups. The expression level of each tumor marker in serum of patients was observed, and the association of PTEN expression level with the serum tumor markers was analyzed. Moreover, the changes in liver function and inflammatory factors before and after chemotherapy were compared. Finally, the relationship between the PTEN expression level and Child-Pugh grading of the liver function was detected. Compared with that in normal liver cells, the positive expression rate of PTEN protein in liver cancer cells was significantly decreased (P

The purpose of this study is to develop semi-transparent perovskite solar cells using graphene electrodes for high-efficiency tandem application. Two layers of graphene was considered optimum for perovskite solar cells, and this was confirmed by evaluating the optical and electrical performance. The tandem cells were further studied by controlling the thickness of perovskite films using different spin speeds, and 3000 rpm was considered the optimum speed. The bandgap of Cl-doped perovskite thin films was 1.59 eV. Measurement of morphology and crystal structure confirmed a good level of crystallinity. This study also examined both the optical and electrical performance of the semi-transparent perovskite solar cells, to optimize the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the tandem application using silicon solar cells. To the best of our knowledge, the tandem cells demonstrated a total PCE of 18.1%, which is the highest value among those of other cells that have the same structure as that of tandem cells.

In this work, we report systematic studies on improving the optical and electrical properties of four-terminal perovskite/c-Si tandem solar cells. Light harvesting power of the device is significantly enhanced due to the complementary absorption spectra of the perovskite and c-Si absorber materials. To obtain high power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the device, careful engineering of optoelectronic properties of the devices are accomplished through: 1. Oxygen annealing treatment for reducing defect density of perovskite materials; 2. Optical engineering of the transparent electrode (MoO3/Au/MoO3) to obtain high transmission at long wavelengths for the tandem solar cell applications; and 3. Enhancement of light harvesting power achieved by using the novel biomimicking elastomeric petals as the light trapping layer. The individual perovskite solar cell (PSC) with MoO3/Au/MoO3 electrode with or without light trapping layer yields an average PCE of 16.6% and 16.0% respectively. By combining c-Si bottom cell with perovskite top cell mechanically, an overall PCE of 22.4% is achieved for the averaged value, which is a promising result for future development of perovskite based tandem solar cells.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and ERK signaling have been implicated in various human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of ERK1/2 in the regulation of TGF-β’s promoting and suppressive activities in HCC cells. Our data showed that treatment with TGF-β1 enhanced invasion and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC HepG2 cells, accompanied with increased MMP9 production and activation of Smad2/3 and ERK1/2, but inhibited tumor cell proliferation. These effects were eliminated by treatment with SB431542, a TGF-β inhibitor. Afterward, treatment with the MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 reduced the TGF-β1-induced invasion and vimentin and MMP9 secretion in HepG2 cells, without affecting the inhibitory effects of TGF-β1 on HepG2 cell proliferation. Moreover, inhibition of Smad2/3 expression attenuated TGF-β1-induced cell invasion, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and MMP9 production in HepG2 cells. However, knockdown of Slug only reduced cell invasion but did not affect ERK1/2 activation and MMP9 secretion in HepG2 cells. These data indicate that TGF-β1 activates ERK1/2 in HepG2 cells through the Smad2/3 pathway but not the Slug pathway. In summary, our study demonstrates that inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling attenuates the promoting effects of TGF-β1 on the metastatic phenotypes of HCC cells without affecting its suppressive effects on HCC cell proliferation. Therefore, we suggest that ERK1/2 may be used as a molecular target for the treatment of TGF-β-responsive HCC.

Background The aim of this in vitro study was to measure the enhanced anticancer effects of Res (resveratrol) on PA (paclitaxel) in HepG2 human liver cancer cells. Methods The MTT (thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide), flow cytometry, qPCR (real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and western blot assay were used for cells growth inhibitory effects, cells apoptosis (DNA content of sub-G1), mRNA and protein expressions, respectively. Results The 10 μg/mL of Res had no growth inhibitory effect on Nthy-ori 3–1 normal cells or HepG2 cancer cells meanwhile the 5 or 10 μg/mL of PA also had no growth inhibitory effect on Nthy-ori 3–1 normal cells. Where as PA-L (5 μg/mL) and PA-H (10 μg/mL) had the growth inhibitory effects in HepG2 cancer cells, and Res increase these growth inhibitory effects. By flow cytometry experiment, after Res (5 μg/mL) + PA-H (10 μg/mL) treatment, the HepG2 cells showed the most apoptosis in cells as compared to other treatments groups, and after additionally treated with Res, both the apoptosis cells of two concentrations PA were raised. As PA raised it also raised the mRNA and protein expressions of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bax (Bcl-2 assaciated X protein), p53, p21, IκB-α (inhibitor of NF-κB alpha), Fas (factor associated suicide), FasL (factor associated suicide ligand), TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1), TIMP-2 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2) and decrease Bcl-2 (B cell leukemia 2), Bcl-xL (B cell leukemia extra large), HIAP-1 (cIAP-1, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1), HIAP-2 (cIAP-2, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2), NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa B), COX-2 (cyclooxygenase 2), iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase), MMP-2 (metalloproteinase 2), MMP-9 (metalloproteinase 9), EGF (epidermal growth factor), EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), Fit-1 (VEGFR-1, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1). Meanwhile, the 5 μg/mL of Res could enhance these mRNA expressions changes as compared to the control cells. Conclusion From these results, we can conclude that Res could raise the anticancer effects of PA in HepG2 cells, Res could be used as a good sensitizing agent for PA.

The transition metal-oxide thin films of WO 3 have been prepared by thermal evaporation at a low deposition rate. The material characterization shows that the thin films have stoichiometric composition and the tungsten ions were fully oxidised into W 6+ . The surface of the WO 3 thin films became smoother when the thickness increased. The results show that the deposition of WO 3 thin film follows island growth. The flatband voltage of WO 3 /Si was extracted. The values on n-Si and p-Si were about 0.75 eV and 0 eV, respectively. It was also found that large amounts of negative charges were accumulated at the interface of WO 3 /n-Si because of electron transfer.

A new family of diffractive lenses, three-component Thue-Morse zone plates, generated with a three-component Thue-Morse sequence is proposed in this paper. The focusing properties and the evolution of transverse diffraction pattern for the proposed zone plates have been analytically investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The results demonstrate that the new kind of zone plates has a remarkable reduction of chromatic aberration compared with other aperiodic zone plates, e.g., Thue-Morse zone plates. The proposed three-component Thue-Morse zone plates will be promising in optical imaging.

As a new-style solar cell, copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cell owns excellent characteristics of solar energy absorption, and it is one of the widely used thin-film solar cells. This paper mainly focuses on the research progress of this type of solar cell. Firstly, its theoretical principles are briefly described. Then, its cell materials, configuration and fabrication procedure are introduced. Subsequently, the remarkable research work about CIGS solar cell are reviewed. Finally, its commercial status is illustrated, followed by the critical issues and future perspectives.

Structural damage detection method based on modal strain energy usually requires information at every degree of freedom. Due to the limited number of sensors and the difficulty in measuring rotational vibration, modal expansion is often adopted to match the degrees of freedom between the analytical and experimental models, which introduces errors. A novel modal strain energy–based structural damage detection approach is proposed in which the elemental modal strain energy is reformulated with strain modes. The method is introduced on an Euler–Bernoulli beam with uniform cross section. Only strain data are adopted in the newly proposed method and no rotational information of the structure is required. The numerical simulations and experimental validations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method has a better performance than the modal strain energy–based structural damage detection approach with displacement mode and modal expansion technique.

The purpose of this work is to investigate the passivating and conducting layers of crystalline silicon solar cells. The Al 2 O 3 /Ag/Al 2 O 3 stack was chosen because of the free carrier injection effect of this structure. A resistivity as low as 2.81 × 10 − 5 Ω cm was achieved with a 16 nm Ag interlayer. The current-voltage measurements indicate that the current density increases with the increasing thickness of the Ag layers. The passivation properties of the stacks were examined by effective minority carrier lifetime measurements. The annealing process was applied to study the thermal stability of the thin film stacks. The best sample yielded an effective surface recombination velocity of approximately 50 cm/s and a resistivity of approximately 3.0 × 10 − 5 Ω cm. Moreover, the fixed charges of the investigated structures varied according to the thickness of the Ag layers. The experimental results demonstrated the promising potential of Al 2 O 3 /Ag/Al 2 O 3 stacks as passivating and conducting layers for crystalline silicon solar cells.

Along with the continuous development of our society and economy, the process of urbanization has been pushed forward. As one of the indispensable links in urbanization construction, the gas pipeline has brought great convenience to the life of urban residents, while has some potential safety hazards and brings certain risks to the life, property and safety of urban residents. The management status of the urban gas pipeline and safety risk prevention measures are mainly analyzed in this paper.

Platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and 4-aminobenzoic acid (4-ABA) were used to modify nitrogen-doped diamond-like carbon (N:DLC) film electrode by electrodeposition and cyclic voltammetry. The bare, PtNPs-, 4-ABA-, 4-ABA/PtNPs alternately-modified N:DLC film electrodes were obtained, respectively. Various analysis technologies, such as atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy, have been used to study surface morphology, chemical composition and bonding structure of the film electrodes. Linear sweep voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed to study the relationship between the interfacial structure of the chemically modified N:DLC film electrodes, as well as their electrochemical sensing properties toward hydrazine sulfate. Acquired results indicate that an outermost layer modified by 4-ABA or PtNPs behaved differently.

In this study, investment casting is used as the manufacturing methodfor an exhaust manifold of modified-HF stainless steel, and the filling and solidification process is simulated by Procast software. The simulated results of the preliminary design show that the porosity defects exist in the exhaust manifold and the casting yield is only 38.8%, which is in good agreement with the actual casting product. Based on the technical requirements, an optimal design is proposed by enlarging the size of the riser and decreasing the size of the downsprue. The simulated results of the optimized design show that there is almost no porosity defect in the product and the casting yield is increased from 38.8% to 49.1%, which is confirmed by real production testing. Therefore an exhaust manifold with better casting quality and higher yield can be successfully produced by applying the optimized design.

We get a model of the amount of waste water related to time and space, which improve the model of process of mixing water with different temperature and process of heat loss of tub. In order to keep the water temperature close to the initial temperature, we need to continue adding hot water to the bathtub to make up the heat loss of system. We analyzed the natural cooling process of the bathtub full of water. Then we develop a model of the condition of bathtub with water flows in. In the problem of mixing hot water and cold water, the mathematical model, which controls the temperature of hot spring water, describes the energy conversion and the relationship between water temperature and time. Our model considers the first and last state to analysis energy conversion during the process. Considering actual condition, it includes the distribution of temperature in space and influences surface area of tub makes on condition of heat loss. If the volume of tub is fixed, the total amount of overflow water is a p...

Given current fast-changing market conditions and difficulty in obtaining financing for small- and medium-sized enterprises, this paper studies the robust inventory financing model under partial information, that is, where the demand distribution is partly known. Two demand information cases are discussed: (1) the mean and variance and (2) the support of the demand distribution. In this setting, the robust method that maximizes the worst-case profit and minimizes the firm’s maximum possible regret of not acting optimally would be used to formulate the optimal sales quantity. We show that the approach used in this paper is tractable, and we provide an explicit expression for the robust optimal policy. We then use numerical examples to compare the firm’s losses under two demand information cases with those occurring under demand certainty. More importantly, the numerical examples indicate that our robust inventory financing model can obtain a robust but not conservative solution.

Molecule-targeted therapy has become the research focus for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Persistent PI3K-AKT activation is often detected in HCC, representing a valuable oncotarget for treatment. Here, we tested the anti-HCC activity by a potent AKT inhibitor: AKT inhibitor 1/2 (AKTi-1/2). In both established (HepG2 and Huh-7) and primary human HCC cells, treatment with AKTi-1/2 inhibited cell survival and proliferation, but induced cell apoptosis. AKTi-1/2 blocked AKT-mTOR activation, yet simultaneously provoked cytoprotective autophagy in HCC cells. The latter was evidenced by ATG-5 and Beclin-1 upregulation, p62 downregulation as well as LC3B-GFP puncta formation. Autophagy inhibition, via pharmacological inhibitors (3-methyladenine, ammonium chloride, and bafilomycin A1) or Beclin-1 siRNA knockdown, significantly potentiated AKTi-1/2-induced HepG2 cell death and apoptosis. In nude mice, AKTi-1/2 intraperitoneal injection inhibited HepG2 tumor growth. Significantly, its anti-tumor activity in vivo was further sensitized when combined with Beclin-1 shRNA knockdown in HepG2 tumors. Together, these results demonstrate that autophagy activation serves as a main resistance factor of AKTi-1/2 in HCC cells. Autophagy prevention therefore sensitizes AKTi-1/2-induced anti-HCC activity in vitro and in vivo.

Hepatic hemangiomas are the most common benign tumor of the liver. Most hepatic hemangiomas remain asymptomatic and require no treatment. Giant hepatic hemangiomas with established complications, diagnostic uncertainty and incapacitating symptoms, however, are generally considered an absolute indication for surgical resection. We present a case of a giant hemangioma with intestinal obstruction following transcatheter arterial embolization, by which the volume of the hemangioma was significantly reduced, and it was completely resected by a left hepatectomy. A 21-year-old Asian man visited our hospital for left upper quadrant pain. Examinations at the first visit revealed a left liver hemangioma occupying the abdominal cavity, with a maximum diameter of 31.5 cm. Embolization of the left hepatic artery was performed and confirmed a decrease in its size. However, the patient was readmitted to our hospital one month after embolization for intestinal obstruction. A left hepatectomy was completed through a herringbone incision, and safely removed a giant hemangioma of 26.5 cm × 19.5 cm × 12.0 cm in size and 3690 g in weight. Pre-operative arterial embolization is effective for reducing tumor size, but a close follow-up to decide the time for hepatectomy is important.

Perovskite and crystalline silicon (c-Si) with complementary absorption spectra are connected in a 4-terminal-tandem configuration for efficient utilization of the photons from the complete solar spectrum. A highly transparent electrode with low resistivity is developed by the deposition of molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 )/Gold (Au)/ molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) multilayer. The thickness of constituent layer of the electrode is carefully controlled to achieve the highest light transmissivity to enhance the absorption of the bottom cell. Perovskite films with low density of bandgap states are obtained by oxygen postdeposition treatment. A record power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 23.6% for tandem device is achieved comparing to 18.1% and 19.1% of transparent perovskite solar cell and c-Si solar cell operated individually.

Objective: To observe the influence of RNA interference targeting against survivin gene on the biological behaviors of human adenoid cystic cancer (ACC) cells and propose the action mechanism. Method: Specific siRNA (small interfering RNA) was constructed and transfected into ACC-2 cells using liposomes. The expressions of survivin and Caspase-3 in the transfected ACC-2 cells were detected by Western Blot and RT-PCR. Cell apoptosis was detected by transmission electron microscopy, TUNEL method and flow cytometry; ultrastructural changes and cell cycles were observed. Results: Recombinant siRNA interference plasmid specifically targeting against survivin gene was constructed successfully. Survivin protein expression in the transfected ACC-2 cells was downregulated significantly, while Caspase-3 protein and mRNA expressions were upregulated and cell proliferation was inhibited considerably. Conclusion: Recombinant siRNA interference plasmid inhibited survivin mRNA and protein expressions at high efficiency, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of ACC cells.

Semitransparent perovskite solar cells (st-PSCs) have received remarkable interest in recent years because of their great potential in applications for solar window, tandem solar cells, and flexible photovoltaics. However, all reported st-PSCs require expensive transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) or metal-based thin films made by vacuum deposition, which is not cost effective for large-scale fabrication: the cost of TCOs is estimated to occupy ≈75% of the manufacturing cost of PSCs. To address this critical challenge, this study reports a low-temperature and vacuum-free strategy for the fabrication of highly efficient TCO-free st-PSCs. The TCO-free st-PSC on glass exhibits 13.9% power conversion efficiency (PCE), and the four-terminal tandem cell made with the st-PSC top cell and c-Si bottom cell shows an overall PCE of 19.2%. Due to the low processing temperature, the fabrication of flexible st-PSCs is demonstrated on polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide, which show excellent stability under repeated bending or even crumbing.

We investigate a joint pricing and purchasing problem for the dual-channel newsvendor model with the assumption that only the mean and variance of the demand are known. The newsvendor in our model simultaneously distributes a single product through traditional retail and Internet. A robust optimization approach that maximizes the worst-case profit is adapted under the aforementioned conditions to model demand uncertainty and linear clearing functions that characterize the relationship between demand and prices. We obtain a close-form expression for the robust optimal policy. Illustrative simulations and numerical experiments show the effects of several parameters on the optimal policy and on newsvendor performance. Finally, we determine that the gap between newsvendor performance under demand certainty and uncertainty is minimal, which shows that the robust approach can significantly improve performance.

BACKGROUND Abdominal injuries constitute a small proportion of all earthquake-related traumas; however, it often resulted in fatal hemorrhage. Ultrasonography has been described as an effective triage tool in the evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. We aimed to present an overview of the diagnostic accuracy of screening ultrasonography for patients with blunt abdominal trauma admitted to various hospitals during the Wenchuan earthquake in China. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the patients with blunt abdominal trauma who underwent ultrasonography after admission to various hospitals. Ultrasonography findings were considered positive if evidence of free fluid or a parenchymal injury was identified. Ultrasonography findings were compared with the findings of computed tomography, diagnostic peritoneal lavage, repeated ultrasonography, cystography, operation, and/or the clinical course. RESULTS Findings from 2,204 ultrasonographic examinations were evaluated. Findings of 199 ultrasonographic examinations (9.0%) were considered positive. Of the patients, 12 (0.5%) had a false-negative ultrasonographic findings; of this group, 3 (25%) required exploratory laparotomy. Ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 91.9%, specificity of 96.9%, and an accuracy of 96.6% for detection of abdominal injuries. Positive predictive value was 68.3%, and negative predictive value was 99.4%. CONCLUSION Screening ultrasonography is highly reliable in the setting of blunt abdominal trauma after earthquake. It should be used as an initial diagnostic modality in the evaluation of most blunt abdominal trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic study, level III.

Objectives Due to lack of sufficient data it is difficult to understand fully the pattern of abdominal injury after an earthquake. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern of abdominal injury by analysing the data of trauma patients with abdominal injury incurred during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 37 387 inpatients. Among them, 883 (2.36%) cases of abdominal injury were deemed eligible and enrolled for analysis. The data analysed included demographics, category of abdominal injury, associated injury type, cause of injury, treatment and clinical outcome, as well as risk factors for death. Results Abdominal injury was often accompanied with multiple injuries. Injury of the abdominal wall was the most frequent type of earthquake-related abdominal injury (32%). The spleen was the most commonly injured abdominal organ (18%). Of the 883 patients evaluated, 221 cases received operations and 41 cases died. The highest death rate was found in patients with haemorrhagic shock (28/41, 68.3%) caused by intra-abdominal bleeding. Conclusions Abdominal injuries are relatively uncommon in earthquake disasters and often present with associated injuries. A timely and complete diagnosis of both abdominal as well as associated injuries is of primary importance in the treatment of patients with abdominal injuries. Knowledge of different types of abdominal injury, and their relative proportions, prevalence of associated injuries, risk factors and final clinical outcomes observed in this study may be of valuable reference in dealing with major earthquake events in the future.

To observe the change in amount of collagen synthesis under different tension stress patterns in vitro.Human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLF) were harvested and subjected to the cellular mechanical research system for the detection of collagen synthesis under static and dynamic tension stress in different frequency and magnitude with 3H-Proline for 16 h, 24 h and 32 h.Dynamic tension stress group 2(5 kPa-2.5 kPa-5 kPa) could most obviously increase collagen synthesis in HPDLF, and then control group (0 kPa), static tension stress group (5 kPa) and dynamic tension stress group 1(5 kPa-0 kPa-5 kPa) came next in order.Tension stress pattern can affect collagen synthesis in HPDLF. Appropriate dynamic tension stress can increase the amount of collagen synthesis in HPDLF.