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Water inrush disasters in karst areas have caused great losses to underground engineering construction, so it is urgent to control water gushing disasters in karst pipelines. In this paper, solution polymerization is used to prepare a grouting and sealing expanded matrix material to control disasters. Noncovalent weak interactions were used to improve the surface properties of the expanded matrix material, the effects of the natural polymer content on the properties of the matrix material were studied, and a modified expanded matrix material with an optimal response rate was prepared. A cross-linked curing agent (CCA) was developed and synthesized, and a new cross-linked expansive grouting and sealing material (WIS grouting material) with various particle sizes was synthesized with noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, static electricity, van der Waals forces, etc. The results showed that a 4 % solution polymer content (accounting for the particle mass of the expanded matrix) was the optimal dosage, and the optimal ratio of the modified expansion matrix material to the crosslinking curing agent was 1:1. The early compressive strength exceeded 0.2 MPa, and the water absorption rate reached 170 times. There was a power function relationship between the water absorption rate and time, and the rate was controlled by adjusting the particle sizes. The mechanism through which the WIS grouting material underwent expansion and crosslinking was explained at the microscopic level. The gel formed in response to water resisted dispersion in dynamic water and rapidly sealed karst pipe water gushers. This paper proposes a novel approach to utilizing the expansion characteristics of polymer chemical synthetic materials for crosslinking to seal karst pipe water gushers, effectively addressing the issue of poor resistance to dynamic water dispersion in traditional grouting materials used in karst areas. These results provide a scientific basis for the development and application of new materials to control water inrush in karst pipes.

The tensile behavior of two and a half-dimensional (2.5D) woven fabric reinforced Al matrix composites involving residual stress was investigated experimentally and numerically. The residual stress and subsequent tensile behavior of the composites were predicted by multiscale finite element modeling. And the correctness of numerical simulation is verified by residual stress, tensile curve, surface strain diagram and fracture morphology. The results show that the inhomogeneous residual stress leads to the damage of the matrix and interface in the interweaving area of yarns. During the tensile process, the surface strain exhibits an obvious periodic distribution characteristic, which is related to the arrangement of yarns. With the increase of tensile strain, local matrix and interface damage accumulate and expand leading to the weft yarn cracking, matrix failure and interface debonding successively. The abrupt fracture of the composite can be attributed to the axial fracture of warp yarn, which exhibits obvious fiber fracture and pull-out characteristic.

Additive manufactured titanium alloys are generally characterized by columnar grain structures along the vertical direction (VD), thereby causing a relative lower plasticity in the horizontal direction (HD) than that in the VD direction. However, herein we report that such columnar grain structures in the Ti–6Al–4V alloy produced by electron beam direct energy deposition (EB DED) can induce a superior uniform elongation in the HD direction than that in the other loading directions (22.5°,45°, 67.5° and VD directions). Besides the orientation of α laths with a favorable soft and hard match when the loading direction is along the HD, such anisotropic plasticity also can be attributed to the columnar grain structures which can also effectively prevent dislocation slip and suppress the necking of the HD sample, thereby triggering a greater work-hardening rate and strain hardening exponent in the stage of uniform deformation, and increasing the uniform elongation in the HD. The greater total elongation in the VD is mainly reflected in its higher non-uniform elongation, rather than uniform elongation, which is mainly caused by the α laths possessing easily activated basal slip system inducing strain softening. As for the 22.5° and 45° samples, most of the α laths under such loading directions present hard orientation, thereby leading to both lower non-uniform elongation and total elongation. The above information offers a deeper understanding about anisotropic plasticity in additive manufactured titanium alloys, thereby providing a theoretical basis for optimizing the consistency of mechanical properties.

The application of microwave de-icing technology in road engineering is constrained by its low energy utilization rate, which can be attributed to low heat production rates and ineffective heat dissipation to the underlying pavement. In this work, asphalt mixtures are designed as an upper layer (heating layer) and a lower layer (thermal-resistance layer). Magnetite slag was selected as a microwave-sensitive source for generating heat, and expanded perlite powder was incorporated into the lower layer as a thermal resistance material. Structural layer optimization and thermal-resistance layer design of the asphalt mixture were carried out by changing the thickness of the upper and lower layers to further improve the heat production rates. The design effectiveness is comprehensively evaluated by factors such as the changing law of the average surface temperature of mixtures, ice-melting time, and cost-effectiveness analyses. The results show that EP possesses better thermal stability, lower microwave energy conversion ability and more excellent heat-resistance potential compared with mineral powder. The heat-resistance layer with EP can prevent heat from being conducted to the lower layer and promote it to concentrate on the specimen surface, which can endow the microwave heating efficiency of specimens to be further improved by up to 26.97% and the de-icing time reduced by 10%, ascribed to the heat-resistance design. Furthermore, the collaborative design of the structural layer optimization and heat-resistance layer can increase energy utilization efficiency and save microwave-absorbing materials while ensuring excellent microwave de-icing efficiency.

Salt freezing damage has severe impacts on durability of cement-based materials (CBMs). Calcined layered double hydroxide (CLDH), as an efficient environmental-friendly adsorption material, can impart excellent salt freezing resistance to CBMs. In this work, salt freezing resistance improvement of CBMs incorporated with CLDH was experimentally evaluated by chloride binding capacity, mass loss rate, relative dynamic elastic modulus, setting time, compressive strength, and micro structure tests. Beside these, the salt freezing damage model was established to effectively express the quantitative relationship between influencing factors and evaluation indexes of the salt freezing resistance of CBMs. Results show that CLDH can reconstruct its original layered structure to form reconstructed layered double hydroxide (RLDH). RLDH combines with chloride ions to form RLDH-Cl recrystallization, which can improve chloride binding capacity and pore structures of CBMs to relieve the salt freezing damage. The salt freezing damage model indicates that the suitable CLDH content can evidently alleviate the salt freezing damage, which facilitates the quantitative analysis of the effect of CLDH on the salt freezing resistance of CBMs.

Feline calicivirus (FCV) and Feline herpesvirus type I (FHV-I) are the main pathogens causing upper respiratory tract infections in cats, and some wild animals. These two viruses always coinfection and cause serious harm to pet industry and wild animals protection. Established a rapid and accurate differential diagnosis method is crucial for prevention and control of disease, however, the current main detection method for these two viruses, either is low sensitivity (immunochromatographic strip), or is time-consuming and cannot differential diagnosis (conventional single PCR). Nanoparticle-assisted polymerase chain reaction (Nano-PCR) is a recently developed technique for rapid detection method of virus and bacteria. In this study, we described a dual Nano-PCR assay through combining the nanotechnology and PCR technology, which for the clinical simultaneous detection of FCV and FHV-I and differential diagnosis of upper respiratory tract infections in cats or other animals. Under optimized conditions, the optimal annealing temperature for dual Nano-PCR was 51.5°C, and specificity test results showed it had no cross reactivity to related virus, such as feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), feline Infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) and rabies virus (RABV). Furthermore, the detection limit of dual Nano-PCR for FCV and FHV-I both were 1 × 10−8 ng/μL, convert to number of copies of virus DNA was 6.22 × 103copies/μL (FCV) and 2.81 × 103copies/μL (FHV-I), respectively. The dual Nano-PCR detected result of 52 cat clinical samples, including ocular, nasal and faecal swabs, and (3 FCV-positive samples), was consistent with ordinary PCR and the clinical detection results. The dual Nano-PCR method established in this study with strong specificity and high sensitivity can be used for virus nucleic acid (FCV and FHV-I) detection of clinical samples of feline upper respiratory tract infections feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus while providing support for the early diagnosis of cats that infected by FCV and FHV-I.

Asphalt pavement is susceptible to cracking which affects its service life. And self-healing technology helps to heal micro-cracks in mixture at an early stage, but its mechanism of action at the mesoscale is still unclear. Therefore, the composition of steel slag asphalt mixture (SSAM) was designed, microwave heating performance, healing performance and road performance of SSAM were investigated by laboratory experiments. Finally, the SSAM was scanned using X-ray CT for 3D reconstruction and quantitative analyses. The results show that steel slag has obvious magnetic loss characteristics; the surface temperature of SSAM designed by composition is higher under microwave heating to obtain a better healing rate, and the road performance of SSAM meets the specification requirements. The damage-healing process mainly affects voids in SSAM, and microwave healing can reduce the fractal dimension of voids to reduce the proportion of fissures; from the healing index based on voids, self-healing can reduce the average coordination number and throat number of connected voids, thereby improving the performance of SSAM by reducing permeability. The self-healing performance of SSAM is improved through its compositional design; the mesoscopic model based on void characteristics helps to refine the theory of self-healing of asphalt mixtures under microwave heating.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) PMS2L2 has been reported to participate in endotoxin-induced inflammatory responses. As these types of responses can promote osteoarthritis (OA), it was of interest to ascertain if PMS2L2 may be involved in OA. To explore any potential participation of PMS2L2 in OA, synovial fluid was extracted from both OA patients and healthy controls (n = 62 each) and PMS2L2 expression of each sample determined by RT-qPCR. In addition, as miR-34a has a potential binding site on PMS2L2, hypothetical interactions between PMS2L2 and miR-34a in chondrocytes were analyzed by performing over-expression experiments. Furthermore, the role of PMS2L2 and miR-34a in the regulation of chondrocyte proliferation was analyzed using CCK-8 and BrdU assays. The results showed that PMS2L2 expression in OA patient synovial fluid was lower compared to that in control group fluid, and the extent of this reduction was related to disease stage. In in vitro studies, it was seen that endotoxin treatment of chondrocytes led to decreased PMS2L2 expression. It was found that PMS2L2 over-expression caused increased miR-34a expression in OA patient chondrocytes but not in cells from healthy controls. In contrast, miR-34a over-expression in either cell population did not affect PMS2L2 expression. Lastly, over-expression of both PMS2L2 and miR-34a led to inhibited chondrocyte proliferation. Of note, a combined over-expression of PMS2L2 and miR-34a resulted in stronger effects on proliferation compared to that from either single over-expression. Based on the findings that PMS2L2 is down-regulated during ongoing states of OA, and that changes in PMS2L2 expression can lead to increases in chondrocyte expression of miR-34a – resulting in inhibition of chondrocyte proliferation in OA. From these findings, one may conclude that finding means to regulate PMS2L2 could be a promising new target in the development of regimens for the treatment of OA.

To improve solid waste resource utilization and environmental sustainability, an alkali-activated material (AAM) was prepared using steel slag (SS), fly ash, blast furnace slag and alkali activators in this work. The evolutions of SS content (10–50%) and alkali equivalent (4.0–8.0%) on workability, mechanical strength and environmental indicators of the AAM were investigated. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques were adopted to characterize micromorphology, reaction products and pore structure, and the reaction mechanism was summarized. Results showed that the paste fluidity and setting time gradually increased with the increase in SS content. The highest compressive strength was obtained for the paste at 8.0% alkali equivalent due to the improved reaction rate and process, but it also increased the risk of cracking. However, SS was able to exert a microaggregate filling effect, where SS particles filling the pores increased the structural compactness and hindered crack development. Based on the optimal compressive strength, global warming, abiotic resource depletion, acidification and eutrophication potential of the paste are reduced by 76.7%, 53.0%, 51.6%, and 48.9%, respectively, compared with cement. This work is beneficial to further improve the utilization of solid waste resources and expand the application of environmentally friendly AAMs in the field of construction engineering.

Waterborne epoxy modified emulsified asphalt (EMEA) has the shortcomings of insufficient toughness and poor aging resistance, which limits its application of low-carbon cold-paving technology in plateau zones. To obtain a cold-mix asphalt binder with excellent performance, waterborne polyurethane (WPU) was utilized to modify EMEA in this work. Properties, modification mechanism, action process, environmental benefits, and cost-benefit of composite-modified emulsified asphalt (CMEA) were analyzed. Results show that CMEA had good rutting resistance, low-temperature rheological, tensile toughness, adhesion with aggregate and moisture damage resistance, and aging resistance properties. These were closely related in that WPU was cross-linked with the waterborne epoxy resin (WER) to form an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) structure, when the space network structure of WER and the soft and hard segments of WPU worked together. Based on the above results, it was recommended that EA containing 4.0 wt% WER was modified by 7.5 wt% WPU to achieve the best pavement properties. Furthermore, it was discovered that a physical process by which WER and WPU modified EA, served as a skeleton connection and toughening agent. CMEA has excellent performance and is especially suitable for use in low-temperature and strong aging areas, while can bring good environmental benefits.

The retention of gel system in porous media results in the reduction of porosity and permeability. However, the length of the current experiment models (sandpack or core sample) are in the range of centimeter scale, which is too short to track the full movement path of gel particles. In this work, a series of gel flooding experiments were conducted on 2.5-m long slim sandpack models. Seven fluid collection/pressure monitoring points were equally distributed along the length of the slim sandpack to track the movement of gel particles during the flooding process. We quantified the adsorption capacity, adsorption velocity, and mechanical shear effect of polymer/cross-linking agent along the flowing direction. In addition, we also employed scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipment to observe the morphology of the gel and the pore structure along the flooding direction, which provides good evidences of the adsorption retention and mechanical shear effects. Results show that most of the polymers and cross-linking agent were adsorbed on the region near the inlet. We emphasized the advantages of using long sandpack/core to track the full movement path of the gel system. In addition, the morphology of the original gel system showed a network characteristic of hexagonal structure, which was dragged to an elongated structure or even totally broke when it was transported through the porous medium. This work provides the fundamental understandings of the dynamic adsorption behaviors of gel system, which could be useful for optimizing the components of gel system, selection of target oil reservoirs and their operational parameters during gel flooding in enhancing oil recovery.

The cooling-induced thermal shrinkage behavior and residual stress in fabrication of 2.5D woven fiber reinforced Al composites were investigated by numerical and experimental approach. A microscale finite element (FE) model was established to determine the transversely isotropic thermal shrinkage of the Al-impregnated yarns. The validated properties were subsequently input into a mesoscale FE model for the composites, in which the temperature-dependent properties of the constituent materials were incorporated. Parallel experiments were carried out to verify the thermal shrinkage behaviors and the residual stresses that were predicted by the FE simulations. The residual stress distribution of the matrix pocket, warp and weft yarns were studied, and their contributions to the local damage of matrix pocket and interface were analyzed. Based on the verified model, the effect of fabric structure on the residual stresses and macroscopic shrinkage properties were parametrically evaluated. The results make a contribution to evaluating the cooling-induced residual stress, local damage, and shrinkage behavior of metal matrix composites reinforced with complex fabric.

Abstract Purpose Extralevator (ELAPE) and abdominoperineal excision (APE) are two major surgical approaches for low rectal cancer patients. Although excellent short-term efficacy is achieved in patients undergoing ELAPE, the long-term benefits have not been established. In this study we evaluated the safety, pathological and survival outcomes in rectal cancer patients who underwent ELAPE and APE. Methods One hundred fourteen patients were enrolled, including 68 in the ELAPE group and 46 in the APE group at the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2011 to November 2020. The baseline characteristics, overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) were calculated and compared between the two groups. Results Demographics and tumor stage were comparable between the two groups. The 5-year PFS (67.2% versus 38.6%, log-rank P = 0.008) were significantly improved in the ELAPE group compared to the APE group, and the survival advantage was especially reflected in patients with pT3 tumors, positive lymph nodes or even those who have not received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that APE was an independent risk factor for OS (hazard ratio 3.000, 95% confidence interval 1.171 to 4.970, P = 0.004) and PFS (hazard ratio 2.730, 95% confidence interval 1.506 to 4.984, P = 0.001). Conclusion Compared with APE, ELAPE improved long-term outcomes for low rectal cancer patients, especially among patients with pT3 tumors, positive lymph nodes or those without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to be important regulators in human malignant tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). While the role circ-ZEB1 played in CRC remains unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the biological function and the underlying mechanism of circ-ZEB1 in CRC. RNAscope was used to analyze the expression and localization of circ-ZEB1 in CRC tissues. Loss of function experiments were conducted, including CCK-8, transwell assays, flow cytometry analysis, and murine xenograft models, so as to detect the effect of circ-ZEB1 on CRC cells. IC50 assay was used to evaluate the influence of circ-ZEB1 on the chemoresistance of CRC cells. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related markers were detected. The relationship between circ-ZEB1 and miR-200c-5p was investigated by FISH, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and RIP assay. We found in our study that circ-ZEB1 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues. Downregulation of circ-ZEB1 inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, as well as cell migration and invasion abilities of CRC cell lines. In vivo experiments indicated that knockdown of circ-ZEB1 suppressed tumorigenesis and distant metastasis of CRC cells in nude mice. What's more, EMT and chemoresistance of CRC cells were also attenuated following circ-ZEB1 knockdown. Mechanistically, we proved that circ-ZEB1 could directly bind with miR-200c and functioned as miR-200c sponge to exert its biological functions in CRC cells. In conclusion, circ-ZEB1 could promote CRC cells progression, EMT, and chemoresistance via acting on miR-200c, elucidating a potential therapeutic target to inhibit CRC progression.

IntroductionAlthough intratumoral chemoablation can obtain an impressive therapeutic effect, there is still incomplete ablation and tumor recurrence in some patients. This could be due to the short retention time of the drug in the tumor, the limited distribution of intratumoral drugs, and, beyond that, the immunotolerance caused by the tumor microenvironment (TME). There is still an urgent need to find an optimal drug sustained-release carrier and figure out the impact of regional injection to TME.MethodsIn this study, we supposed to use polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel as a drug carrier to improve the retention time of the drug to extend the exposure of tumor cells and investigate the feasibility of combination local Epirubicin injection with anti-PD-L1. ResultsThe results revealed obvious tumor suppression based on the tumor volume and the inhibition time of tumor growth in the A549 lung cancer mouse model after local injection. Furthermore, the enhanced antitumor effects of the combination of systematic anti- programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapy with local chemoablation (EPI-GEL/PD-L1) for abscopal tumor reduction in the 4T1 breast model were also observed. Flow cytometry analysis of the tumor and blood samples showed significant variations in the proportions of PD-L1+ and CD3+CD8+PD-1+ cells before and after anti-PD-L1 therapy. On day 4 after local injection of the EPI gel, the expression of PD-L1 in abscopal tumors was upregulated, while the expression of PD-L1 in bilateral tumors in mice was significantly reduced after anti-PD-L1 treatment. The proportion of CD3+CD8+PD-1+ cells in the tumor and circulating blood in the EPI-GEL/PD-L1 group was decreased compared with that in the EPI-GEL (single injection of epirubicin) group.DiscussionThe combination of local injection of the chemoablation agent with anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy may strengthen the antitumor activity, and the use of PEG hydrogel as the drug carrier can extend the retention time of the chemoablation agent around the tumor, maintaining a long-term tumor-killing activity.

Efficacy of immunotherapy is limited in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) because high expression of tumor-derived transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway molecules and interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes (ISGs) promotes tumor immune evasion. Here, we identified a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), VPS9D1-AS1, which was located in ribosomes and amplified TGF-β signaling and ISG expression. We show that high expression of VPS9D1-AS1 was negatively associated with T lymphocyte infiltration in two independent cohorts of CRC. VPS9D1-AS1 served as a scaffolding lncRNA by binding with ribosome protein S3 (RPS3) to increase the translation of TGF-β, TGFBR1, and SMAD1/5/9. VPS9D1-AS1 knockout downregulated OAS1, an ISG gene, which further reduced IFNAR1 levels in tumor cells. Conversely, tumor cells overexpressing VPS9D1-AS1 were resistant to CD8+ T cell killing and lowered IFNAR1 expression in CD8+ T cells. In a conditional overexpression mouse model, VPS9D1-AS1 enhanced tumorigenesis and suppressed the infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Treating tumor-bearing mice with antisense oligonucleotide drugs targeting VPS9D1-AS1 significantly suppressed tumor growth. Our findings indicate that the tumor-derived VPS9D1-AS1/TGF-β/ISG signaling cascade promotes tumor growth and enhances immune evasion and may thus serve as a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Modern electronic information technology has led social life into inevitable electromagnetic pollution, making microwave absorbing materials more and more important. Herein, dielectric-conductive ZnO/C hybrid composite absorbents were prepared by two-step carbonization with ZnO powders and glucose as critical materials. The electrical conductivity, complex permittivity, and reflection loss were analyzed to study the dielectric and microwave absorption properties. Results show that the prepared ZnO/C composite absorbents exist in the form of rod-like ZnO dispersed in the irregular block carbon, and the complex permittivity of the composite absorbents can be adjusted via varying the carbonization temperature. The minimum reflection loss of −25.64 dB is achieved at 1.8 mm thickness for the composite absorbent with 50 wt.% absorbent content as the final carbonization temperature is 750 °C, and the optimum effective absorption bandwidth is 2.21 GHz at 9.64–11.85 GHz. The excellent microwave absorption properties of ZnO/C composite absorbents are attributed to the combination actions of dipole polarization, conductance loss, and interface polarization, which is significant for the purposeful design of superior microwave-absorbing materials with dielectric and conductive absorbents.

Grouting is the most commonly used method to control water inrush in underground engineering. Traditional cement-based materials are easy to dilute and hard to coagulate under the influence of large flow and high-velocity water inrush. To address these deficiencies, a new type of polymer grouting material with an excellent expansion ratio was synthesised. The material quickly absorbs water and has an expansion ratio of 1:300. The material is composed of a superabsorbent polymer (SAP), glycerol, and ethanol. The effects of water quality on the expansion ratio and expansion rate of the material were examined, and the best solid–liquid ratio for the slurry was determined by fluidity measurements. A karst specially designed pipeline water inrush test device showed that 800 g of SAP can achieve 0.6 m/s water flow blockage in the smooth pipeline, demonstrating that the ability of the SAP slurry to block water inrush is superior to those of other materials. This study provides a reference for water inrush plugging, and has important implications for the reduction and control of karst pipeline-type water inrush disasters, ensuring the safety of construction sites and preventing loss of life and damage to property.

AimTo analyze locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients and tumor characteristics during the period of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) and explore the risk factors that may predict poor tumor regression in response to TNT.Materials and methodsThe data of 120 LARC patients who received TNT from December 2016 and September 2019 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The clinicopathological characteristics of patients with different tumor regression responses were compared. Then we divided patients into two groups according to the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) clearance pattern after chemoradiation to explore risk factors that might predict the tumor regression response.ResultsOf 120 LARC patients, 34 (28.3%) exhibited poor regression. Stratified analysis by tumor response showed that patients with poor response to TNT were more likely to obtain elevated CEA during the course of TNT (all P < 0.05). For those with elevated pretreatment CEA, fewer patients with poor response obtained normal CEA after chemoradiation (13.6% vs. 72.7%, P < 0.001). Besides, less patients’ CEA levels in the poor response group decreased by greater than 50% after chemoradiation when compared with that in the good response group (18.2% vs. 60.6%, P = 0.002). Stratified analysis by CEA clearance pattern after chemoradiation showed patients who obtained an elevated pretreatment CEA and decreased by less than 50% after chemoradiation were more likely to have poor response to TNT compared to others (76.2% vs. 18.2%, P < 0.001). Logistic multivariate analysis revealed that cN2 (95% CI 1.553-16.448), larger tumors (95% CI 2.250-21.428) and CEA clearance pattern after chemoradiation (95% CI 1.062-66.992) were independent risk factors for poor tumor regression response.ConclusionApproximately one-fourth of LARC patients with TNT achieved a poor regression response. Here, cN2, larger tumor size before treatment and elevated CEA levels were considered predictive features of a poor response. Active surveillance of CEA levels during the TNT course are potentially important, and CEA levels after chemoradiation might have important implications for the tumor response to TNT.

Although mink enteritis virus (MEV) is an acute, virulent, and highly contagious pathogen in minks, there is currently a lack of a quick diagnostic method. By conjugating colloidal gold nanoparticles with the MEV-specific monoclonal antibody, monoclonal antibody (MAb) 14, we developed a single-step competitive immunochromatographic strip (ICS) assay for simple determination of MEV. The optimal concentrations of the colloidal gold-coupled MAb 14 (coating antibody), the capture protein (MEV VP2 protein), and the goat anti-mouse antibody were 1.0, 0.8, and 1.0 mg/ml, respectively. The limit of detection was approximately 512 hemagglutination units/100 μl of MEV B strain. Other common viruses of mink were tested to evaluate the specificity of the ICS, and the results showed no cross-reactivity for other pathogens. In comparison with the Anigen Rapid canine parvovirus (CPV) Ag Test Kit (BioNote, Korea) in testing 289 samples, the percentage of agreement and relative sensitivity and specificity of the MEV ICS assay were 94.1, 93.2, and 97.1%, respectively. The ICS test was found to be a sufficiently sensitive and specific detection method for the convenient and rapid detection of MEV.

Background and Objectives: the total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (TNT) includes different strategies, but the most appropriate model remains uncertain. The purpose of this retrospectively study was to evaluate the safety and pathological response in the consolidation chemotherapy model. Methods: patients with cT3/T4 or TxN + M0 rectal cancer that were receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) (50 Gy with oral capecitabine)/TNT (CRT followed by three cycles of CAPOX) during September 2017 to September 2019 in our department were included. All of the patients were recommended to receive radical surgery. Results: a total of 197 patients were included. Eighty-one patients received CRT, while one hundred and sixteen patients received TNT. Nine patients did not undergo surgery because of the distant metastases (one patient (1.2%) in CRT group, two patients (1.7%) in TNT group) or a refusal of resection (two patients in CRT group, four patients in TNT group). The pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 32.7% in TNT compared with 12.8% in CRT (p = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in grade 3 acute toxicities of neoadjuvant treatment and surgical complications between the two groups. Conclusions: the consolidation chemotherapy model is safe for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer and it has a high pCR rate. The long-term follow-up is necessary to be evaluated in a future prospective, randomized trial.

The use of waste tires to prepare rubberized asphalt has been a hot trend in recent years, and the characteristics of adhesion between rubberized asphalt and aggregates are important factors affecting the performance of asphalt pavement. However, there is a lack of uniform results on the adhesion characteristics of rubberized asphalt. Therefore, crumb-rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) with 15%, 20%, and 25% rubber contents was prepared in this work, and the basic rheological parameters and cohesive energy of the rubberized asphalt were characterized by DSR. The adhesion properties between rubberized asphalt and aggregates were characterized based on macroscopic binder bond strength (BBS), surface free energy (SFE) theory, and nanoscale atomic force microscopy (AFM) tests. The results show that crumb rubber (CR) can improve the high-temperature elastic properties of asphalt; secondly, CR can have a negative impact on the maximum tensile strength of asphalt and aggregates. CR can improve the SFE parameter of asphalt. The work of adhesion of rubberized asphalt and limestone is the highest, followed by basalt and, finally, granite. Finally, CR can cause the catanaphase in asphalt to gradually break down and become smaller, and the adhesion of rubberized asphalt can be reduced. Overall, CR can reduce the adhesion performance of asphalt, and this work provides a reference for the application of rubberized asphalt.

Objective: We aimed to compare amyloid deposition at the lobar cerebral microbleed (CMB) sites of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and cognitively normal healthy controls (NC) and to propose a novel diagnostic method for differentiating CAA patients from AD patients with integrated 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB) positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) and assess its diagnostic value.Methods: Nine CAA, 15 AD patients, and 15 NC subjects were enrolled in this study. Each subject underwent an 11C-PIB brain PET/MR examination. Susceptibility weighted imaging was assessed to detect CMB locations, and standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRs) were measured at these sites. Cortical PIB distributions were quantitatively evaluated. Patients with CAA, AD, and NC subjects were compared with global and regional cortical SUVRs at CMB cites. The diagnostic accuracy of MRI, PIB-PET, and PET/MR in differentiating CAA and AD was evaluated.Results: Lobar CMBs were detected in all the CAA patients, eight of the 15 AD patients (53.3%), and four of the 15 NC subjects (26.7%), respectively. The PIB deposition at CMB sites was significantly higher in CAA patients compared with AD patients and NC subjects in terms of SUVR (1.72 ± 0.10 vs. 1.42 ± 0.16 and 1.17 ± 0.08; p < 0.0001). The PIB deposition was associated with CMB locations and was greatest in the occipital and temporal regions of CAA patients. The global cortical PIB deposition was significantly higher in CAA than in NC subjects (1.66 ± 0.06 vs. 1.21 ± 0.06; p < 0.0001) and significantly lower than in AD patients (1.66 ± 0.06 vs. 1.86 ± 0.17; p < 0.0001). In contrast, the occipital/global PIB uptake ratio was significantly increased in CAA (occipital/global ratio, 1.05 ± 0.02) relative to AD patients (1.05 ± 0.02 vs. 0.99 ± 0.04; p < 0.001). PET/MR had a higher accuracy (sensitivity, 88.9%; specificity, 93.3%) than separate PET and MR.Conclusion: Our results indicate that the CMBs occur preferentially at loci with concentrated amyloid. By combining lobar CMBs with regional cortical amyloid deposition, the proposed workflow can further improve CAA diagnostic accuracy compared to each method alone. These findings improve our knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of CMBs and highlight the potential utility of PIB-PET/MR as a non-invasive tool for distinguishing CAA and AD patients.

BackgroundAbnormal accumulation of macrophages in the colon cancer (CC) contribute to its progression. miR-183-5p has been confirmed as an oncogene in CC and this article explores the effect and mechanism of exosomal miR-183-5p enriched by M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) on CC cells.MethodsThe human macrophage THP1 was induced to M2 polarization through IL-4 and IL-13 treatment. Exosomes in THP1 were isolated through ultracentrifugation, and the miR-183-5p expression in macrophages and exosomes was verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The miR-183-5p inhibitors and mimics were applied to down-regulate and upregulate miR-183-5p in macrophages, respectively. Meanwhile, CC cell lines LoVo and SW480 were treated with the macrophage conditioned medium and exosomes, respectively. CC cells’ proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were tested by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry (FCM), Transwell assay, and xenograft assay, respectively. The profiles of thioesterase superfamily member 4 (THEM4), Akt, and NF-κB were compared by Western blotting (WB).ResultsThe miR-183-5p level in M2-TAM and M2-TAM-derived exosomes was significantly increased. Meanwhile, M2-TAM and M2-TAM-derived exosomes significantly facilitated CC cell proliferation and invasion and dampened apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-183-5p in M2-TAM aggravated M2-TAM-mediated promotive effects on CC cells, with down-regulating miR-183-5p reversed M2-TAM-mediated tumor-promotive effects. Mechanically, miR-183-5p targeted THEM4 and inhibited its mRNA and protein expression. Overexpressing THEM4 abated miR-183-5p-mediated carcinogenic effects and inactivates Akt and NF-κB pathways in CC cells. Overall, this article elaborated that exosomal miR-183-5p shuttled by M2-TAM mediated Akt/NF-κB pathway to accelerate CC progression through targeting THEM4.

Cement asphalt emulsion mixture (CAEM) presents low early-age strength and poor flowability, which limits its application range at a certain degree. In this paper, CAEM with high early-age strength and flowability was proposed. The flowability, compressive strength, flexural strength of CAEM at different periods and 28 days elastic modulus of CAEM were investigated. In addition, evolution of composition and microstructure of CAEM was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results indicated that the compressive strength of CAEM can be enhanced quickly in several hours. It could achieve 17–24 MPa at 6 h and almost reached 79–90% of the 28 days compressive strength. SEM and XRD analysis found that the hydration products in CAEM at different periods were obviously different. The hydration products of 2 h filled the micro pores of the mixture. After 28 days, the hydration products were connected to each other, resulting in a denser structure. The results of MIP analysis showed that the pore cumulative volume of CAEM was similar for 2 h and 28 days samples. These results testified that CAEM had high early-age strength.

Geopolymers are prepared by alkali solution-activated natural minerals or industrial waste materials, which have been widely used as new sustainable building and construction materials for their excellent thermal and mechanical properties. The thermal and mechanical properties of geopolymers at high temperature have attracted great attention from many researchers. However, there are few systematic works concerning these two issues. Therefore, this work reviewed the thermal and mechanical behaviors of geopolymers at high temperature. Firstly, the thermal properties of geopolymers in terms of mass loss, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity after high temperature were explained. Secondly, the mechanical properties of residual compressive strength and stress-strain relationship of fly ash geopolymers and metakaolin geopolymers after high temperature were analyzed. Finally, the microstructure and mineralogical characteristics of geopolymers upon heating were interpreted according to the changes of microstructures and compositions. The results show that the thermal properties of geopolymers are superior to cement concrete. The geopolymers possess few mass loss and a low expansion ratio and thermal conductivity at high temperature. The thermal and mechanical properties of the geopolymers are usually closely related to the raw materials and the constituents of the geopolymers. Preparation and testing conditions can affect the mechanical properties of the geopolymers. The stress-strain curves of geopolymer are changed by the composition of geopolymers and the high temperature. The silicon-type fillers not only improve the thermal expansion of the geopolymers but also enhance mechanical properties of the geopolymers. But, they do not contribute to reducing the thermal conductivity. the different raw materials, aluminosilicate precursor and reinforcement materials, result in different geopolymer damage during the heating. However, phase transitions can occur during the process of heating regardless of the raw materials. The additional performance enhancements can be achieved by optimizing the paste formulation, adjusting the inner structure, changing the alkali type, and incorporating reinforcements.

Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) can be used in highway engineering again by cold recycled technology. Due to the aged asphalt on the surface of RAP, some problems such as poor adhesion between emulsified asphalt and RAP and the low properties of emulsified asphalt recycling mixture are easy to occur. This work aims at analyzing the aging degree of asphalt from RAP surface and improving the poor adhesion between RAP and emulsified asphalt by modifying the surface characteristics of RAP. In this work, a new device was designed to delaminate off the asphalt on the surface of RAP. The aging degree of asphalt at different layers was studied then by physical properties and molecular weight distribution. Slurry of hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2) (S-Ca) and slurry of silane coupling agent (SCA) modified Ca(OH)2 (S-Si-Ca) were used to modify the asphalt on the surface of RAP, respectively. The adhesion between emulsified asphalt and RAP was studied by contact angle and boiling method. Results show that the asphalt on the RAP surface can be successfully stripped into four layers through the self-designed RAP delaminating and stripping device. The aging degree of asphalt wrapped around the surface of the RAP showed a tendency to be gradually severe from outside to inside. However, asphalt at the innermost layer (L4) shows abnormal situation due to the fact that the light components are absorbed by the aggregate. In addition, reasonable dosage of SCA is determined as 3.0% in Ca(OH)2 powder mass. Both S-Ca and S-Si-Ca can effectively reduce the contact angle and thus improve the adhesion between emulsified asphalt and RAP. Moreover, S-Si-Ca possesses the most obvious modification effect attributed to the formation of asphalt-SCA-Ca(OH)2 structure.

Emulsified asphalt needs to be cured for a certain age after demulsification to produce strength, which seriously affects the traffic opening time. In this work, microwave heating technology was applied for emulsified asphalt repair materials. Steel slag with high microwave activity was adopted to improve the performance of emulsified asphalt repair materials by microwave heating. Effects of steel slag sizes and contents on the heating rate, temperature distribution, and thermal performance of emulsified asphalt repair materials were analyzed by close microwave heating, open microwave heating, and repair simulation tests. Results show that the temperature of emulsified asphalt repair materials presents three different heating stages under microwave irradiation. The “critical point of phase transition” in the three stages is gradually advanced with the increase in steel slag content. The core temperature and maximum temperature of emulsified asphalt repair materials with different steel slag sizes are basically the same; however, the heat distribution of emulsified asphalt repair materials is significantly different. In contrast to conventional asphalt mixture, there exists a smaller temperature difference. The temperature of repairing materials can reach above 80°C. The interface area can form an embedded interface structure. Incorporation of steel slag and adoption of microwave heating are effective to improve the performance of emulsified asphalt repair materials.

In order to investigate the influences of emulsifier types on properties of cement bitumen emulsion mortars (CBEM), anionic and cationic emulsifiers were used to prepare CBEM in this work. Influences of anionic and cationic bitumen emulsions on workability, mechanical properties, and viscoelastic property of CBEM were studied. The workability of CBEM was evaluated by fluidity and extensibility tests. The mechanical properties were assessed by compressive strength and flexural strength tests. XRD was used to analyze the phase before and after bitumen emulsion was added. The viscoelastic property was studied by a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The results show that CBEM prepared by cationic bitumen emulsion (CBE) has better workability. The mechanical properties of CBEM are negatively affected by bitumen emulsion. The impact on the compressive strength of CBEM prepared by CBE is higher. Bitumen emulsion can significantly improve the viscoelastic property of CBEM. With the increase of bitumen emulsion dosage, the loss factor of CBEM increases. The viscoelastic property at low frequency is better than that at high frequency. In contrast to CBEM prepared by CBE, CBEM prepared with anionic bitumen emulsion (ABE) possesses better viscoelastic property.

Abstract Background Staging laparoscopy(SL) is a recommended technique for the staging of Gastric Cancer(GC) and provides the indication for a radical surgery. Considering the medical practice in China, the standardized and regular usage of SL is yet to be spread. However, existing guidelines vary and make an ambiguity of indication for SL. Besides, the specific indication for Chinese patients remains a niche. This study aims to the essential, missing information of Chinese patients and tries to normalize the indication of LS in medical practice in China. Methods The study is a prospective, multicenter cohort study being conducted in China with a total of 450 patients, all diagnosed with locally advanced gastric cancer (cT2-4 N0-3 M0, no evidence of intra-abdominal dissemination) through Computed Tomography(CT) and/or Endoscopic Ultrasonography(EUS). Peritoneal lavage is regularly performed during the SL. Multivariate Cox regression model and receiver-operator characteristic(ROC) analysis will be used to analyze the significant risk factors of intra-abdominal metastasis(including peritoneal dissemination and a positive cytological result). Discussion This confirmatory study will provide us with the specific positive rate of intraabdominal metastasis of GC in China, compared with empirical evidence of 20%. We expect this trial will contribute to our discovery of the specific risk factors of intra-abdominal metastasis of Chinese patients and to the stimulating and performing of minimally invasive surgical procedures. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov : registration number NCT02172690 .

Ti/Ti–Al and SiCf-reinforced Ti/Ti–Al laminated composites were fabricated through vacuum hot-pressure using pure Ti foils, pure Al foils and SiC fibers as raw materials. The effects of SiC fiber and a laminated structure on the properties of Ti–Al laminated composites were studied. A novel method of fiber weaving was implemented to arrange the SiC fibers, which can guarantee the equal spacing of the fibers without introducing other elements. Results showed that with a higher exerted pressure, a more compact structure with fewer Kirkendall holes can be obtained in SiCf-reinforced Ti/Ti–Al laminated composites. The tensile strength along the longitudinal direction of fibers was about 400 ± 10 MPa, which was 60% higher compared with the fabricated Ti/Ti–Al laminated composites with the same volume fraction (60%) of the Ti layer. An in situ tensile test was adopted to observe the deformation behavior and fracture mechanisms of the SiCf-reinforced Ti/Ti–Al laminated composites. Results showed that microcracks first occurred in the Ti–Al intermetallic layer.

Cement-based materials are non-uniform porous materials that are easily permeated by harmful substances, thereby deteriorating their structural durability. In this work, three ionic paraffin emulsions (IPEs) (i.e., anionic paraffin emulsion (APE), cationic paraffin emulsion (CPE), and non-ionic paraffin emulsion (NPE), respectively) were prepared. The effects of incorporation of IPEs into cement-based materials on hydrophobicity improvement were investigated by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission and reflection polarizing microscope (TRPM) tests and correlation analyses, as well as by compressive strength, impermeability, and apparent contact angle tests. Finally, the optimal type and the recommended dose of IPEs were suggested. Results reveal that the impermeability pressure and apparent contact angle value of cement-based materials incorporated with IPEs are significantly higher than those of the control group. Thus, the hydrophobicity of cement-based materials is significantly improved. However, IPEs adversely affect the compressive strength of cement-based materials. The apparent contact angle mainly affects impermeability. These three IPEs impart hydrophobicity to cement-based materials. In addition, the optimal NPE dose can significantly improve the hydrophobicity of cement-based materials.

This study proposes a new cement mortar incorporating damping aggregate (DA) and investigates the mechanical properties and damping property of the cement mortar. Four types of DA were prepared, lightweight aggregate presaturated water and three types of polymer emulsion. Further, the effects of polypropylene fiber and rubber powder on the performance of the cement mortar were studied. The experimental results showed that the damping ratio of specimens containing 70% DA was approximately three times higher than that of the reference mortar, with a slight decrease in the mechanical properties. Adding fiber was more effective than rubber powder in improving the damping ratio of the cement mortar, and the optimal dosage of fiber was 0.5%.

PURPOSE: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects about 75% of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effect of canagliflozin on fatty liver indexes in T2DM patients. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane was conducted up to March 30, 2017. The liver function test and lipid profile were extracted from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the effect of canagliflozin on fatty liver. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) or relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed by using either fixed or random-effects models. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were evaluated. RESULTS: Our results showed that canagliflozin decreased serum concentrations of alanine amino transferase (WMD: -11.68 [95% CI: -18.95, -10.95]; P

This paper investigates the progressive damage and failure behavior of unidirectional graphite fiber-reinforced aluminum composites (CF/Al composites) under transverse and longitudinal tensile loadings. Micromechanical finite element analyses are carried out using different assumptions regarding fiber, matrix alloy, and interface properties. The validity of these numerical analyses is examined by comparing the predicted stress-strain curves with the experimental data measured under transverse and longitudinal tensile loadings. Assuming a perfect interface, the transverse tensile strength is overestimated by more than 180% and the transverse fracture induced by fiber failure is unrealistic based on the experimental observations. In fact, the simulation and experiment results indicate that the interface debonding arising from the matrix alloy failure dominates the transverse fracture, and the influence of matrix alloy properties on the mechanical behavior is inconspicuous. In the case of longitudinal tensile testing, however, the characteristic of interface bonding has no significant effect on the macroscopic mechanical response due to the low in-situ strength of the fibers. It is demonstrated that ultimate longitudinal fracture is mainly controlled by fiber failure mechanisms, which is confirmed by the fracture morphology of the tensile samples.

Aged asphalt can enormously affect the performance of asphalt pavement and cause serious environmental hazards. Microcapsule-modified asphalt is one of the effective means to improve the anti-aging ability of asphalt. In this work, novel sustained-release microcapsules containing rejuvenator were prepared by the solvent evaporation method. The morphology of the microcapsules was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The sustained-release properties of the microcapsules were investigated by static thermogravimetric analysis. The physical properties such as penetration, ductility, softening point, and Brookfield viscosity of the original asphalt and microcapsule-modified asphalt were studied. In addition, the viscoelasticity of the original asphalt and microcapsule-modified asphalt was investigated by means of a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR). The results show that the prepared microcapsules have a smooth surface and a complete encapsulation with an average particle size of 60 μm. After the heating treatment (above 140 °C), a large number of micropores were formed on the shell surface of microcapsules, which provided a structural basis for the sustained-release of rejuvenator. The release rate of the rejuvenator was obviously slowed down by the microcapsules. The aging behavior of sustained-release microcapsules containing rejuvenator-modified asphalt can be greatly improved. The enhanced anti-aging properties of sustained-release microcapsule-modified asphalt are attributed to the functions of the rejuvenator which can be slowly released from the micropores on the microcapsules’ surface, after which the light components lost in the original asphalt can be supplemented.

Low atmospheric pressure (LAP) can enormously affect properties of cement concrete in plateau areas. There are fewer studies and attendances on this issue than those of cement concrete in normal atmospheric pressure (AP), because of the limitations of both environmental conditions and instruments. In order to improve properties of cement concrete under LAP, influences of LAP on properties of cement concrete were reviewed in this work. The influence rules and mechanism on properties of cement concrete were summarized. The corresponding mechanism and techniques were put forward for enhancing the properties of cement concrete. The results of researchers show that LAP can significantly reduce the air entraining ability of the air entraining agent (AEA). Air content in concrete linearly decreases with the decrease of AP when other conditions are constant. If the initial air content is high, the decrease rate of air content increases with the decrease of AP. When the initial air content in cement concretes is similar, the greater the slump of cement concrete, the stronger its resistance to the decrease of air content caused by the decrease of AP. In addition, the condition of the bubble characteristics of hardened cement concrete under LAP is worse than that under normal AP. Therefore, the change of concrete properties under LAP is mainly attributed to these bubble characteristics, such as air content, bubble spacing coefficient, bubble radius and bubble specific surface area. In this work, nano-silica (negative charges) with cationic oligomeric surfactants is recommended as a new type of AEA to optimize the bubble characteristics under LAP in plateau areas.

The aging of bitumen seriously affects the service life of bituminous pavements. At present, there are many related researches on bitumen aging, but most of them focus on aging endured in indoor surroundings and conditions. Therefore, the conclusions obtained cannot reflect the actual aging changes of bitumen in bituminous pavements in service. In order to study the comprehensive aging process and mechanism of bitumen under the influence of service, we studied bridge deck, traffic lane, and ramp with bituminous pavement structures in service. The bitumen samples obtained from the core samples in different bituminous pavement structures were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and fluorescence microscope (FM). The aging degree of different bitumen was analyzed, and conclusions were drawn on changes to bitumen aging from different pavement structures. The results showed that the aging degree of bitumen from the upper layer was the most serious, the aging degree of bitumen at the middle layer was weaker than that of bitumen from the upper layer, and the aging degree of bitumen from the bottom layer was the weakest for the different bituminous pavement structures. The aging of bitumen mainly occurred due to oxygen absorption. After aging, viscoelastic components of bitumen changed, and bitumen became harder. The macromolecule of bitumen could be divided into small molecules, and the small molecular weight of bitumen became large. The styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modifier in the modified bitumen became granular after aging, and it appeared as a single phase in bitumen. The aging changes characterized by different analytical methods showed that the aging degree of bitumen from different layers of bituminous pavement structures in service was different. Effective measures should therefore be taken in time to decrease further aging of bitumen from the upper layer of bituminous pavements due to its inevitable early aging in service.

Temperature sensitivity characteristics of bitumen can be evidently influenced by modifier types and natural aging processes. Many types of modifiers have been used to improve the temperature sensitivity performance of bitumen, but their effects are different. Therefore, different bitumen specimens as well as SBS/CRP (Styrene-butadiene-styrene polymer/crumb rubber powder)-modified bitumen were prepared and the temperature sensitivity characteristics of bitumen after different aging processes were analyzed in this study. A dynamic rheological property test and performance test at low temperature were carried out to analyze temperature sensitivity and low temperature rheological properties of bitumen. An infrared spectrum test was adopted to study the effect of functional groups under different aging process on the properties of bitumen. The relationship between macroscopic properties and microstructures of bitumen was analyzed. The results show that SBS/CRP-modified bitumen has a strong anti-aging ability in that its flexibility and structure remain in a good condition after long-term aging. The aging process has no significant effect on SBS/CRP-modified bitumen. SBS/CRP-modified bitumen has an excellent low-temperature relaxation ability and low-temperature crack resistance. In contrast to original bitumen and SBS-modified bitumen, the temperature sensitivity performance of SBS/CRP-modified bitumen is evidently enhanced. The physical blending effect is dominant in the bitumen modified process and there is no evident chemical reaction between bitumen and crumb rubber powder. SBS/CRP-modified bitumen is recommended for wide use in plateau areas with ultraviolet and cold surroundings.

Cement emulsified asphalt mixture (CEAM) is widely used in asphalt pavement for its environmental virtues. However, a CEAM layer can influence fatigue performance of asphalt pavement because of higher air voids of CEAM in contrast to hot mix asphalt (HMA). Therefore, it is common to use HMA and CEAM structure combinations for improving the fatigue performance. In this work, three different thickness structure combinations of HMA (AC-10) and CEAM (AC-16) were designed, in which HMA and CEAM were used as top layer and bottom layer, respectively. The fatigue performance of the three combinations was studied. The fatigue equations of the combinations were established and the rational combination was recommended. The distributions of the internal voids in the combinations were studied with X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT); and the correlation between the fatigue life and the void ratios were analyzed. Artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to predict the fatigue life of each combination. The results show that the fatigue life of the combinations is inversely proportional to the stress ratio level and environment temperature. The optimal combination is the structure with 40 mm HMA and 40 mm CEAM. The internal void ratio of CEAM is higher than that of HMA. A thinner HMA and thicker CEAM structure can result in higher void ratios and lower fatigue life of the combinations. The prediction results of ANN are similar to the experimental results. The obtained results can potentially guide the design of cement emulsified asphalt pavement structures.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNAs can regulate tumorigenesis of various cancers. Dys-regulation of lncRNA-AFAP1-AS1 has not been studied in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). This study was to examine the function involvement of AFAP1-AS1 in tumor growth and metastasis of CRC. METHODS: Relative expression of AFAP1-AS1 in CRC tissues and CRC cells lines was determined using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Functional involvement of AFAP1-AS1 in tumor proliferation and metastasis was evaluated in AFAP1-AS1-specific siRNA-treated CRC cells and in CRC cell xenograft. Expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene expression was determined using western blot. RESULTS: Relative expression of AFAP1-AS1 was significantly elevated in CRC tissues and CRC HCT116 and SW480 cell lines. AFAP1-AS1 knock-down suppressed SW480 cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion. Also AFAP1-AS1 knock-down inhibited tumor metastasis-associated genes expression in terms of EMT. This carcinostatic action by AFAP1-AS1 knock-down was further confirmed by suppression of tumor formation and hepatic metastasis of CRC cells in nude mice. CONCLUSION: lncRNA-AFAP1-AS1 knock-down exhibits antitumor effect on colorectal carcinoma in respects of suppression of cell proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells.