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Existing studies have focused on the behavior of the retaining wall equipped with expanded polystyrene (EPS) geofoam inclusions under semi-infinite surcharge loading rather than limited surcharge loading. In this paper, the failure mode and the earth pressure acting on the rigid retaining wall with EPS geofoam inclusions and granular backfills (henceforth referred to as EPS-wall), under limited surcharge loading are investigated through two- and three-dimensional model tests. The testing results show that different from the sliding of almost all the backfill in the EPS-wall under semi-infinite surcharge loading, only an approximately triangular backfill slides in the wall under limited surcharge loading. The distribution of the lateral earth pressure on the EPS-wall under limited surcharge loading is non-linear, and the distribution changes from the increase of the wall depth to the decrease with the increase of the limited surcharge loading. An approach based on the force equilibrium of a differential element is developed to predict the lateral earth pressure behind the EPS-wall subjected to limited surcharge loading, and its performance was fully validated by the three-dimensional model tests.

This paper presents experimental studies on a compacted expansive soil, from Nanyang, China for investigating the at-rest lateral earth pressure σL of expansive soils. The key studies include (i) relationships between the σL and the vertical stress σV during soaking and consolidation, (ii) the influences of initial dry density ρd0 and moisture content w0 on the vertical and lateral swelling pressures at no swelling strain (i.e. σV0 and σL0), and (iii) evolution of the σL during five long-term wetting-drying cycles. Experimental results demonstrated that the post-soaking σL-σV relationships are piecewise linear and their slopes in the passive state (σL > σV) and active state (σL

Background: Endometritis seriously affects maternal reproductive health and fertility. Natural compounds have the characteristics of high efficiency and low residue in disease treatment. We aimed to discover and reveal the pharmacological effects of naringin, which is widely present in food and plants, on endometritis.Methods: Based on network pharmacology, the potential targets and pathways of naringin’s actions on endometritis were predicted. Animal in vivo experiments were conducted to examine the inflammatory response of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) in uterine tissue and the therapeutic effect of naringin. An in vitro primary bovine endometrial epithelial cell inflammation and drug treatment model was constructed. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured using DCFH-DA, and the effect of naringin on LPS-induced endometritis was evaluated using HE staining, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence staining methods.Results: Naringin alleviated LPS-induced inflammatory injury and oxidative stress in the endometrium of mice and bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs). Furthermore, in vitro studies were carried out to reveal the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of naringin based on network pharmacology. We found that naringin significantly inhibited LPS-stimulated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related gene and protein expression, thus reducing the unfolded protein response (UPR). Furthermore, treatment of naringin attenuated the autophagic flux induced by ERS. In a further study, we observed that PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors or ERS inducers partially reverse naringin’s inhibition of autophagy and cell apoptosis.Conclusion: It is demonstrated that naringin suppresses autophagy by directly inhibiting the ERS-PI3K/AKT axis and exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in endometritis. These findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of endometritis, highlighting potential therapeutic targets of traditional herbs and compounds.

Abstract Wildlife is reservoir of emerging viruses. Here we identified 27 families of mammalian viruses from 1981 wild animals and 194 zoo animals collected from south China between 2015 and 2022, isolated and characterized the pathogenicity of eight viruses. Bats harbor high diversity of coronaviruses, picornaviruses and astroviruses, and a potentially novel genus of Bornaviridae. In addition to the reported SARSr-CoV-2 and HKU4-CoV-like viruses, picornavirus and respiroviruses also likely circulate between bats and pangolins. Pikas harbor a new clade of Embecovirus and a new genus of arenaviruses. Further, the potential cross-species transmission of RNA viruses (paramyxovirus and astrovirus) and DNA viruses (pseudorabies virus, porcine circovirus 2, porcine circovirus 3 and parvovirus) between wildlife and domestic animals was identified, complicating wildlife protection and the prevention and control of these diseases in domestic animals. This study provides a nuanced view of the frequency of host-jumping events, as well as assessments of zoonotic risk.

This research addresses the characteristics of soft soil subgrades treated by soilbags filled with excavated clayey soil. We evaluated of the strength and deformation modulus of soilbags containing excavated soil using unconfined compression tests. In addition, the drainage consolidation characteristics of soilbag-treated subgrades were investigated via model consolidation tests. Furthermore, a practical application included the construction of a 100 m-long rural road subgrade with these soilbags. The field test and numerical simulation results included the surface settlement and pore water pressure during and after construction to validate the effectiveness of the soilbag treatment for soft soil subgrade. The results show that the soilbags significantly enhanced both the strength and deformation modulus of the soft soil, which met the design requirements after the soilbag treatment. The drainage attributes of the soilbag treatment were also found to support the consolidation process of the soft soil subgrade effectively. Notably, the pore water pressure diminished rapidly during the construction interval, which is beneficial to reducing the post-construction settlement. The settlement uniformity of the subgrade is good verification of the superiority of the soilbag-treated subgrades.

The earth pressure acting on soilbag-reinforced retaining structures subjected to surcharge loads under non-limited states is crucial for designing these structures. In this study, mode tests on soilbag-reinforced retaining walls were conducted to the earth pressure of the wall subjected to surcharge loads. The findings from these tests reveal a non-linear distribution of lateral earth pressure on the wall when subjected to surcharge loads in non-limited states, with an observed escalation in pressure corresponding to increased surcharge loads. Insights from the tests facilitated the development of a predictive method for estimating lateral pressure on soilbag-reinforced retaining walls under similar conditions, and its performance was fully validated by the model tests. Furthermore, the impact of the geometric dimensions and material properties of the soilbags on the earth pressure distribution was examined using the proposed method.

A series of ring shear tests were conducted to investigate the ultimate particle size distribution of a carbonate sand. The tests were carried out under different stress levels, on three types of specimens: 1) uniformly graded specimens made of dry natural sand 2) remoulded specimens of the crushed sand after first shearing to large strains 3) specimens made of natural sand grains but with the same grading as in (2). The first series of tests on type (1), carried out to very large strains, led to apparently stable gradings, distinct for each stress level. Only limited additional particle breakage could be induced by remoulding the specimens after shearing (type (2)) and subjecting them to more shearing. Tests on specimens created at the apparently stable gradings (type (3)) but from the intact sand particles however led to significantly greater breakage. For the three types a stable, fractal grading was achieved. Analyses of the soil particles’ shape showed that the aspect ratio, sphericity and circularity reach a steady value at large strains, in parallel to reaching a stable grading. The mobilized angle of shearing resistance however was not significantly different in the different types of samples, suggesting the final grading dominates the behaviour.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms and molecular characterisation of one strain (HPS412) of Haemophilus parasuis, which exhibited high MICs of antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods: A total of 113 H. parasuis strains isolated from pigs suffering from polyserositis, pneumonia or meningitis in China and screened them for antimicrobial susceptibility. Susceptibility testing of the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) was determined in fastidious medium consisting of tryptone soya broth (TSB) containing 5% bovine serum and 10 μg/mL NAD in 96-well microtiter plates. The genomic DNA was completely sequenced by combining PacBio RS II and Illumina HiSeq 4000 platforms. Gene prediction was performed using Glimmer v.3.02 with Hidden Markov models. Results: One strain (HPS412) exhibited high MICs of sulfamethoxazole (256 μg/mL), tetracycline (128 μg/mL), streptomycin (128 μg/mL), gentamicin (128 μg/mL), amoxicillin (128 μg/mL), chloramphenicol (64 μg/mL), penicillin (64 μg/mL) and cefaclor (64 μg/mL). Sequence analysis showed that numerous drug-resistance genes including tet(B), blaROB-1, sul2, catIII, aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id and aph(3′)-Ia were present in a chromosomal gene island as adjacent duplicate copies and the rep-orf3-blaROB-1 structure most likely had a direct plasmid origin. The tet(B) and blaROB-1 were flanked on one or both by ISApl1 elements. Conclusions: The acquisition of blaROB-1 and the other antibiotic resistance genes was related to the presence of ISApl1. ISApl1 plays important roles in the horizontal transmission of antibiotic resistance genes.

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) has been prevalent in swine herds in China since 2002, causing severe economic loss to the pig industry. The number of live pigs in southeast China is > 20 million. Since information on the genetic variation of PCV2 in the Fujian province is limited, the objective of the present work was to investigate the epidemiological and evolutionary characteristics of PCV2 in southeast China from 2013 to 2017. Of the 685 samples collected from 90 different swine herds from 2013 to 2017, 356 samples from 84 different swine herds were positive for PCV2. PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2d, and PCV2e co-existed in the Fujian province, with PCV2d being the predominant circulating strain in swineherds and PCV2e being reported for the first time in China. Strikingly, PCV2-FJ-water DNA comes from contaminated river water and not infected animals. Sequence comparison among all isolates indicated that 95 isolates shared approximately 78.7%–100% nucleotide identity and 74.5%–100% amino acid identity for open reading frame 2 (ORF2). Amino acid alignment showed that the Cap protein of PCV2e differed markedly from those of PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2c, and PCV2d. These results indicated that various PCV2 genotypes exist in China, and that PCV2 is continuously evolving, leading to rapid emergence of new variant stains.

Correlation between machined surface alterations and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of austenitic stainless steels is investigated. The machining-induced residual stress, roughness, micro-hardness and dislocation density were characterized and the surface/subsurface cracks were examined after SCC tests in boiling magnesium chloride solution. The results showed SCC crack initiation and early propagation were highly related to the machining-induced alterations. By establishing a quantitative relationship between the surface characteristics and surface crack density, the comprehensive impact of the residual stress, surface roughness as well as the dislocation density on SCC susceptibility is revealed. The predicted crack density is in good agreement with the measured data. As a result, the SCC susceptibility of the machined surface is described by the surface integrity properties.

ABSTRACT Background: Pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) is the most common conservative management for urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP). We performed this meta-analysis to investigate whether PFME during the entire perioperative period, including before and after RP, can significantly improve the recovery of postoperative UI. Methods: We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCT) from PubMed, Medline, web of science, Cochrane library, and clinicalitrials.com prior to October 2022. Efficacy data were pooled and analyzed using Review Manager Version 5.3. Pooled analyses of urinary incontinence rates 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively were conducted, using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We included a total of 15 RCT studies involving 2178 patients received RP. Postoperative UI could be improved after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months, and the OR were 0.26 (95%CI:0.15-0.46) 0.30 (95%CI: 0.11-0.80) 0.20 (95%CI: 0.07- 0.56) in postoperative PFME group compared to no PFME group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in 12 months after surgery, and the OR was 0.85(95%CI: 0.48,1.51). There were similar results in perioperative PFME group compared to no PFME group with the OR of 0.35 (95%CI: 0.12, 0.98) and 0.40 (95%CI: 0.21, 0.75) in 1 and 3 months after surgery. Our results indicated no significant difference between perioperative PFME group and postoperative PFME group. The OR was 0.58 (95%CI: 0.20-1.71) 0.58 (95%CI:0.20-0.71) and 0.66 (95%CI: 0.32-1.38) in 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Conclusion: Application of PFME after RP significantly reduced the incidence of early postoperative UI, and additional preoperative PFME had no significant improvement on the recovery of UI.

Abstract Background Hypertension is one of the most common comorbid conditions of epilepsy. Hypertension and epilepsy may be related to each other. Qigong Bigu practice induces a similar effect as fasting in the first week. As ketogenesis is induced during ketogenic diet therapy, we hypothesize that ketogenesis is detectable and related body weight loss would occur during the first week of Qigong Bigu practice. Methods During the prospective observational study, 34 healthy adult participants attended the Qigong Bigu practice for one week. The blood pressure, body weight, calorie consumption, blood glucose and beta-hydroxybutyrate level were measured. Results The body weight and body mass index decreased by 2.39 ± 1.34 kg (95%CI 1.92–2.85) and 0.94 ± 0.57 (95%CI 0.73–1.15), respectively, after five days of practice (P

Abstract Background It is a challenging problem to differentiate obstructive hydronephrosis from noninvasive evaluation of renal pelvis and ureteral motility in patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of 640-slice dynamic volume CT (DVCT) in the quantitative measurement of upper urinary tract (UUT) pump function after acute unilateral lower ureteral obstruction in pigs. Methods In this study, a perfusion pig model was constructed by constant pressure perfusion testing of the renal pelvis and left nephrostomy. The perfusion and pressure measuring devices were connected to create a state of no obstruction and acute obstruction of the lower part of the left ureter. After successful modelling, continuous dynamic volume scanning of the bilateral renal excretion phase was performed with 640-slice DVCT, and pump functions of the renal pelvis and part of the upper ureter were calculated and analysed. No obstruction or acute obstruction of the lower part of the left ureter was observed. Pump functions of the renal pelvis and part of the upper ureter were determined. Results The results showed that after LUUT fistulostomy, the time difference between the average UUT volume and positive volume value increased gradually, and the calculated flow velocity decreased, which was significantly different from that of the RUUT. The volume difference of the LUUT increased significantly in mild obstruction. In the bilateral control, the volume change rate of the LUUT increased with mild obstruction and decreased with severe obstruction, and there was a significant difference between the left and right sides. Conclusion The continuous dynamic volume scan and measurement of 640-slice DVCT can obtain five pump function datasets of UUT in pigs with acute lower ureteral obstruction.

The effect of thermal aging at 475 °C and 750 °C of Z3CN20.09M cast duplex stainless steel (CDSS) on microstructure, mechanical and intergranular corrosion properties were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), nano indenter, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and corrosion fatigue test system. The result indicated that the spinodal decomposition and G precipitated were occurred after aged at 475 °C, as well as sigma precipitated at 750 °C. The microstructure degeneration of ferrite was saturated after aged for 2000h and 200 h at 475 °C and 750 °C respectively. The mechanical properties, intergranular corrosion resistance and corrosion fatigue lives were continuing deteriorated with increasing the aging time at both temperatures. The difference of the degeneration mechanisms of Z3CN20.09M CDSS aged at 475 °C and 750 °C was analyzed.

Abstract Background Diabetic bladder disease is common complications of diabetes, its symptoms are diverse, can be due to different stages. In this study we investigate the mechanism of miR-128 targeting CB1 expression to mediate the occurrence of diabetic bladder disease. Methods Bioinformatics analysis predicts related regulatory factors of miR-128 in diabetic bladder disease. Models of diabetic bladder lesions were constructed in male SD rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 65 mg/kg body weight. The expression of miR-128 and CB1 mRNA in bladder tissues of each group was detected by RT-qPCR, and CB1, NF-KB, p-JNK and Bcl2 protein expression was detected by Western Blotting. We tested the function of the bladder by urodynamics, detected the pathological characteristics of the bladder tissue by HE staining, and verified the targeting relationship between miR-128 and CB1 through the prediction of the biological website, dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP. Results miR-128 was highly expressed in the bladder tissue of diabetic rats. Inhibition of miR-128 could improve the occurrence of diabetic bladder lesions in rats. miR-128 could target the inhibition of CB1 expression, and high expression of CB1 could antagonize miR-128 against diabetic bladder. In the diabetic bladder, miR-128 can regulate the expression of NF-KB and p-JNK through CB1 and affect the level of apoptosis. miR-128 regulates NF-KB/p-JNK through CB1, thus affecting the occurrence of diabetic bladder disease. Conclusion The high expression of miR-128 can down-regulate the expression of CB1, promote the activation of NF-KB and p-JNK, increase the level of apoptosis and promote the occurrence of diabetic bladder disease.

Abstract Background Second-line treatment for urothelial carcinoma (UC) patients is used if progression or failure after platinum-based chemotherapy occurs or if patients are cisplatin-unfit. However, there is still no widely accepted treatment strategy. We aimed to analyze the effectiveness and safety of second-line treatment strategies for UC patients. Methods The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that included UC patients who were cisplatin-ineligible or unfit up to April 19, 2019. The primary outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate (ORR). Results Thirteen trials that assessed 3502 UC patients were included. This study divided the network comparisons into three parts. The first part contained studies comparing taxanes and other interventions; the second part assessed investigator’s choice chemotherapy (ICC)-related comparisons; and the third part assessed best support care (BSC). In the OS results of the first part, pembrolizumab (87.5%), ramucirumab plus docetaxel (74.6%), and atezolizumab (71.1%) had a relative advantage. Pembrolizumab also had advantages in ORR and severe adverse effect (SAE) results. Vinflunine and ramucirumab plus docetaxel had a relatively high surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) rank by exploratory cluster analysis. Conclusions This study concluded that atezolizumab and pembrolizumab are superior to other treatments, mainly in OS results, but no treatment confers a significant advantage in PFS. Pembrolizumab still has relative advantages in ORR and SAE results compared to ICC. Due to limitations, more studies are necessary to confirm the conclusions.

Austenitic stainless steels are extensively used in mechanical engineering. The machined surface integrity has an essential influence on the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) performance of stainless steels. In this paper, the effects of multi-pass turning on the SCC susceptibility of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel were investigated by correlating the SCC crack density to the machining-induced surface characteristics in terms of roughness, micro-hardness, and residual stress. In the multi-pass turning, the surface roughness and residual stress were the least after the double pass turning, and the surface micro-hardness was the maximum after the triple-pass turning. The SCC susceptibility was evaluated after SCC tests in boiling MgCl2 solution. The results showed that the weakest SCC sensitivity was observed in double-pass turning 304 stainless steel, while the most susceptible SCC was found in triple-pass turning. Compared with the double-pass turning, the increase in SCC sensitivity of triple-pass turning was attributed to the larger roughness, higher micro-hardness and greater residual tensile stresses.

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-021-02719-3

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the Unites States. The cytokine IL-6 activates several prostate cancer pathways, but its upstream trans-signaling pathway remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the role of IL-6 in PDCD4 gene expression and how the microRNA miR-21 regulates this process in prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and LNCaP. The expression pattern of PDCD4 from samples from human prostate cancer, precancerous lesions, and benign prostatic hyperplasia was investigated by immunohistochemistry. PDCD4 transcription and translation were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, respectively. The targeted modulation of PDCD4 by miR-21 was analyzed in PC-3 and LNCaP cells, and the effect of IL-6 on the expression of PDCD4 was studied in vitro. PDCD4 expression in samples from the 3 tissue types progressively increased, and the expression levels of PDCD4 and prostate-specific antigen were negatively correlated. The levels of PDCD4 mRNA and protein in PC-3 and LNCaP cells transfected with anti-miR-21 constructs were lower than those in control cells. The expression of PDCD4 was inhibited by IL-6, but this effect was weakened in cell lines with low expression of miR-21. Our study demonstrates that the regulation of PDCD4 by miR-21 is targeted and IL-6 inhibits expression of the PDCD4 gene in PC-3 and LNCaP cells through the targeted function of miR-21 on PDCD4. These findings support the feasibility of future efforts for diagnosis and gene therapy for prostate cancer that are based on IL-6, miR-21, and PDCD4.