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The recognition of the geomechanical properties of methane hydrate-bearing soil (MHBS) is crucial to exploring energy resources. The paper presents the mechanical properties of a pore-filled MHBS at a critical state using the distinct element method (DEM). The pore-filled MHBS was simulated as cemented MH agglomerates to fill the soil pores at varying levels of methane hydration (MH) saturation. A group of triaxial compression (TC) tests were conducted, subjecting MHBS samples to varying effective confining pressures (ECPs). The mechanical behaviors of a pore-filled MHBS were analyzed, as it experienced significant strains leading to a critical state. The findings reveal that the proposed DEM successfully captures the qualitative geomechanical properties of MHBS. As MH saturation increases, the shear strength of MHBS generally rises. Moreover, higher ECPs result in increased shear strength and volumetric contraction. The peak shear strength of MHBS increases with rising MH saturation, while the residual deviator stress remains mainly unchanged at a critical state. There is a good correlation between fabric changes of the MHBS with variations in principal stresses and principal strains. With increasing axial strain, the coordination number (CN) and mechanical coordination number (MCN) increase to peak values as the values of MH saturation and ECPs increase, and reach a stable value at a larger axial strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThere is still lack of reliable predictors for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance. Recent studies have shown that the levels of large (LHBs) and medium hepatitis B surface proteins (MHBs) are closely related to antiviral efficacy. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of LHB and MHB levels to predict HBsAg clearance.MethodsAn inactive HBsAg carriers (IHCs) cohort that had received pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) treatment was divided into the HBsAg-cleared group (R group) and the HBsAg non-cleared group (NR group) based on whether HBsAg was cleared at 96 weeks. We detected the levels of LHBs and MHBs to evaluate the possibility of predicting HBsAg clearance.ResultsThere were 39 patients in the R group and 21 in the NR group. The total HBsAg, LHB, and MHB levels at baseline and at 12 weeks were significantly lower in the R group than in the NR group (all p< 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated that LHB and MHB levels at baseline and 12 weeks were independent predictors of HBsAg clearance (OR = 0.435, p = 0.016; OR = 0.136, p = 0.003; OR = 0.137, p = 0.033; OR = 0.049, p = 0.043). The area under the curve (AUC) for the baseline and 12-week LHB and MHB levels was 0.827-0.896, which were greater than that of the total HBsAg level at baseline and 12-week (AUC: 0.654-0.755). Compared with the prediction results of a single indicator, the combination of LHB and MHB levels had better value in predicting HBsAg clearance. The AUCs of combination factor 1, constructed from baseline LHB and MHB, and combination factor 2, constructed from 12-week LHB and MHB, were 0.922 and 0.939, respectively, and the sensitivity (82.05%-100.00%) and specificity (85.71%-100.00%) were both high. The combined indicators based on baseline LHBs ≤ 13.99 ng/mL and MHBs ≤ 7.95 ng/mL predicted HBsAg clearance rate of more than 90%.ConclusionBaseline and 12-week LHB and MHB levels can predict HBsAg clearance obtained by Peg-IFN therapy in IHCs, and the predictive value is higher than that of the total HBsAg levels.

During treatment of chronic HBV infections, loss or seroconversion of the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) is considered a functional cure. HBsAg consists of the large (LHBs), middle (MHBs), and small surface protein (SHBs) and their relative proportions correlate strongly with disease stage. Our aim was to assess the association between HBsAg composition and functional cure during treatment. A total of 83 patients were retrospectively analyzed. HBsAg loss was achieved by 17/64 patients during nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) treatment and 3/19 patients following treatment with pegylated interferon-alfa2a (PEG-IFN) for 48 weeks. Sixty-three patients without HBsAg loss were matched as controls. LHBs, MHBs and SHBs were quantified in sera collected before and during treatment. Before treatment, median MHBs levels were significantly lower in patients with subsequent HBsAg loss than in those without (p = 0.005). During treatment, MHBs and LHBs proportions showed a fast decline in patients with HBsAg loss, but not in patients with HBV e antigen seroconversion only or patients without serologic response. MHBs became undetectable by month 6 of NA treatment in all patients with HBsAg loss, which occurred on average 12.8 ± 8.7 (0–52) months before loss of total HBsAg. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses revealed that the proportion of MHBs was the best early predictor of HBsAg loss before NA treatment (AUC = 0.726, p = 0.019). In patients achieving HBsAg loss with PEG-IFN, the proportions of MHBs and LHBs showed similar kinetics. Quantification of HBsAg proteins shows promise as a novel tool to predict early treatment response. These assessments may help optimize individual antiviral treatment, increasing the rates of functional cure in chronically HBV-infected patients. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is a key serum marker for viral replication. Loss of HBsAg is considered stable remission, which can be achieved with antiviral treatments. We have investigated whether the ratios of the different components of HBsAg, namely the large (LHBs) and medium (MHBs) HBsAg during different treatments are associated with the occurrence of HBsAg loss. We found that LHBs and MHBs decrease earlier than total HBsAg before HBsAg loss and we propose LHBs and MHBs as promising novel biomarker candidates for predicting cure of HBV infection. • Ratios of large (L), medium (M) and small (S) HBsAg varied before and during antiviral treatment in patients achieving or not achieving HBsAg loss. • The proportion of MHBs is a suitable marker for early prediction of HBsAg loss. • Quantification of HBsAg proteins might be a novel tool to predict HBsAg loss early on treatment. • With this tool, treatment approaches may be individualized and HBsAg loss rates increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masculine Honor (MH) describes a set of cultural beliefs by which men are expected to defend against threats, even if this defense requires the use of physical violence (e.g., Cohen & Nisbett, 1994). Previous research has identified what constitutes a threat and how MH moderates perceptions of these threats. However, little research has examined perceptions of men who confront versus fail to confront a threat to their masculinity. In two studies (N = 267) we examined whether MH moderated the relationship between whether a man confronted or walked away from a threat directed at himself ( Study 1 ) and a threat directed at his significant other ( Study 2 ) and perceptions of the man as manly (e.g., strong) and non-manly (e.g., weak). MH was associated with manly perceptions of men who choose to fight and non-manly perceptions of men who choose to walk away from threats. These results are consistent with previous research on MH which predicts that men should respond to threats or insults that are directed at them. And to do so, violence is sometimes necessary. Thus, individuals' adherence to MH predicts how they perceive violence as a tool for defending against threats and building and maintaining masculine reputations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the middle hepatitis B virus surface protein (MHBs) remains to be elucidated. To investigate the biological function of the MHBs protein, the present study performed yeast two-hybrid screening to search for proteins that interact with the MHBs protein in hepatocytes. The bait plasmid expressing the MHBs protein was constructed by cloning the gene of the MHBs protein into pGBKT7, then the recombinant plasmid DNA was transformed into AH109 yeast (a type). The transformed yeast AH109 was mated with yeast Y187 (Α type) containing the liver cDNA library plasmid in 2X yeast peptone dextrose adenine (YPDA) medium. The mated diploid yeast was plated on quadruple dropout medium (SD/-Trp-Leu-His-Ade) containing X-Α-gal for selection and screening. Following extracting and sequencing of the plasmids from positive (blue) colonies, the sequence analysis was conducted and analyzed by bioinformatics methods. Two colonies were selected and sequenced. Among them, one was the human DNA sequence from the clone RP11-490D19 on chromosome 9 and the other was homo sapiens 12 BAC RP11-180M15 (Roswell Park Cancer Institute Human BAC Library). The yeast two-hybrid system is an effective method for identifying hepatocyte proteins that interact with MHBs. The MHBs protein binds with different proteins suggesting that it has multiple functions in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Among individuals with chronic hepatitis B, those with hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis (CHB) can be difficult to distinguish from those with HBeAg-negative chronic HBV infection, also referred to as inactive HBV carriers (ICs), but both require different medical management. The level of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) has been proposed as a marker to discriminate between chronic infection and hepatitis stages. HBsAg consists of large, middle and small HBs. The aim of this study was to determine whether the composition of HBsAg improved the identification of ICs among HBsAg-positive subjects with different phases of HBV infections., Design: HBV large surface proteins (LHBs) and HBV middle surface proteins (MHBs) were quantified in serum samples from 183 clinically well-characterised untreated patients with acute (n=14) HBV infection, ICs (n=44), CHBs (n=46), chronic HBeAg-positive phase (n=68) and hepatitis delta coinfection (n=11) using an ELISA, with well-defined monoclonal antibodies against the preS1 domain (LHBs) and the preS2-domain (MHBs). A Western blot analysis was used to verify the quantitation of the components of HBsAg. Total HBsAg was quantified using a modified commercially available assay (HBsAg V.6.0, Enzygnost, Siemens, Erlangen)., Results: The composition of HBsAg showed specific patterns across different phases of hepatitis B. Individuals in the IC phase had significantly lower proportions of LHBs and MHBs than patients in acute or chronic phases irrespective of their HBV e-antigen status (p<0.0001) or HBsAg level. Both LHBs and MHBs ratios better predicted the IC phase than total HBsAg levels., Conclusion: Quantification of MHBs, particularly LHBs represents a novel tool for the identification of the IC stage., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)