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MicroRNA (miRNA) critically controls gene expression in many biological processes, including lung growth and pulmonary surfactant biosynthesis. The present study was conducted to investigate whether miR‐20a‐5p had such regulatory functions on alveolar type II (AT‐II) cells. To accomplish this, miR‐20a‐5p–overexpressed and miR‐20a‐5p–inhibited adenoviral vectors were constructed and transfected into cultured AT‐II cells that were isolated from rat foetal lungs of 19 days' gestation. Transfection efficiency was confirmed by observing the fluorescence of green fluorescent protein (GFP) carried by the viral vector, whereas miR‐20a‐5p levels were verified by real‐time PCR. The CCK‐8 assay was used to compare the proliferation ability of AT‐II cells that had over‐ or underexpressed miR‐20a‐5p. The expression of surfactant‐associated proteins (SPs) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was measured by real‐time PCR and Western blotting. In AT‐II cells, transfection resulted in over‐ or under‐regulation of miR‐20a‐5p. While overexpression of miR‐20a‐5p promoted pulmonary surfactant gene expression, its underexpression inhibited it. Consistent with its role in negatively regulating the pulmonary surfactant gene, an opposite pattern was observed for miR‐20a‐5p regulation of PTEN. As a result, when miR‐20a‐5p was rendered overexpressed, PTEN was down‐regulated. By contrast, when miR‐20a‐5p was underexpressed, PTEN was up‐regulated. Neither overexpression nor underexpression of miR‐20a‐5p altered the cell proliferation. miR‐20a‐5p plays no role in proliferation of foetal AT‐II cells but is a critical regulator of surfactant gene expression. The latter appears to be achieved through a regulatory process that implicates expression of PTEN.

The rational allocation of chiller group plays an important role in the efficient operation of generating units. In this paper, the running characteristics of chiller group under full load are studied. Through the construction of the operation model of the chiller group, the relationship between the start and stop collocation and the operation characteristics of the unit group was explored, and the influence of the unit capacity configuration and the number of table number configuration on the running energy consumption characteristics was studied. The results showed that: the greater the difference of host capacity in the group, the lower the energy consumption under full load. In this example, the difference of energy consumption can reach 8%. At the same time, through the increase in the number of generating units, the difference in host capacity within the group had less impact on energy consumption at full load. For a unit group with the same host capacity, the more the number of units was configured, the lower the operating energy consumption. It provided theoretical support for the selection, collocation and operation management of chillers in practical projects.

3D porous carbon networks with highly dispersed SiOx have been successfully prepared by molecular-scale engineering with 1D molecular-brush precursors. Benefiting from the high-porosity interconnected structure and the lithiophilic SiOx nanodomains, the as-obtained composites show great advantages as 3D hosts to achieve stable Li plating/stripping.

Nonstoichiometric silicon oxide (SiOx) with high theoretical capacity is a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, volume changes and poor electronic conductivity of SiOx are major impediments to its practical application. The modification of SiOx with carbonaceous materials to accommodate volume variations and improve conductivity is a valuable strategy. Nanonetwork-structured (NNS) carbons have been paid great attention because of their unique three-dimensional structure, and high electronic and ionic conductivity. Incorporating SiOx with well-designed NNS carbons is a promising method to prepare high quality electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. In this work, a fabrication approach is developed to synthesize a 3D carbon network composed of carbonaceous hybrid nanotubes with well-dispersed SiOx nanodomains (CNT@SiOx–C) from 1D gelable bottlebrushes as network building blocks based on molecular-scale interface engineering technology. Herein, nano-sized SiOx particles are embedded into the carbonaceous matrix to prevent their volume change during cycling. The experimental results indicated that the CNT@SiOx–C presents high reversible capacity, remarkable cycle life and high rate capability due to the high dispersion of nano-sized SiOx and conductive 3D carbon nanonetwork.

Renewable resources (e.g., agricultural byproducts) are widely used in the production of commercial activated carbon, but the activation procedures still have serious drawbacks. Here we develop a green, activation-free, top-down method to prepare high-surface-area carbon materials from agricultural wastes through mechanochemistry. The facile mechanochemical process can smash the monolithic agricultural wastes into tiny microparticles with abundant surfaces and bulk defects, which leads to the generation of well-developed hierarchical porous structures after direct carbonization. The as-obtained carbon materials simultaneously present high surface areas (1771 m2 g–1) and large pore volumes (1.88 cm3 g–1), and thus demonstrate excellent electrochemical performances as the interlayer for lithium–sulfur batteries and much superior creatinine adsorption capabilities to the medicinal charcoal tablets. These results provide a new direction for fabricating high-surface-area porous materials without any toxic reag...

The objective of this paper was to study the contribution of shear deformation in reinforced concrete (RC) shear-critical beams. A 2D concrete material model based on smeared fixed crack was presented and incorporated into a commercial finite element (FE) software. A method of calculating shear and flexure deformation separately out of total deformation in the shear span was presented and implemented into the FE analysis. Several experiments of RC shear-critical beams were simulated and good agreement between the experimental and numerical results was obtained in terms of total deformation, flexure deformation, shear deformation and crack patterns. The results show that after shear cracking, the contribution of shear deformation to total deformation increases rapidly. The shear span-to-depth ratio,the longitudinal reinforcement, the shear reinforcement and the load level could be the critical factor to influence the contribution of shear deformation. It appears that for RC shear-critical beams without shear reinforcement, the deformational behaviour is governed by flexure deformation. However, for RC beams with shear reinforcement, the contribution of shear deformation is not negligible after shear cracks develop. Moreover, the measuring method could also affect the measured shear deformation. Finally,future work on experimental investigation into this topic is recommended.

Carbon aerogels and their precursory polymer aerogels are an important class of porous materials, because they have a unique three-dimensional interconnected nanonetwork structure that can minimize diffusive resistance to mass transport. However, production of conventional aerogels in a monolithic form remains problematic, because of risk of explosive polymerization, tedious supercritical/freeze drying steps, extra ball milling, and difficulty in controlling micro/nanostructures. Here we show that novel powdery carbon aerogels and their polymer aerogel precursors have been developed by utilizing shape-persistent nanoparticles as building blocks, followed by hypercrosslinking for forming a well-defined 3D interconnected nanonetwork with numerous interstitial nanopores and intraparticle micropores. The resulting aerogels are in a microscale powdery form. The preparation route is much more feasible for scaling up, due to avoidance of explosive polymerization and facile drying at ambient pressure. By simple carbonization, powdery carbon aerogels can be obtained with a high surface area of 2052 m 2 g −1 . Benefiting from structural advantages, the aerogels demonstrate excellent electrochemical performances in supercapacitors and lithium-sulfur batteries.

3D porous carbon networks with highly dispersed SiOx have been successfully prepared by molecular-scale engineering with 1D molecular-brush precursors. Benefiting from the high-porosity interconnected structure and the lithiophilic SiOx nanodomains, the as-obtained composites show great advantages as 3D hosts to achieve stable Li plating/stripping.

Hypermethylation of the cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites located at the 3′-major capsid protein L1 (3′L1) and the long control region (LCR) of the human papillomavirus (HPV) genome may be associated with the progression of cervical cancer (CC). However, the methylation status of the LCR of HPV type 16 DNA remains to be elucidated in an infected Chinese population. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between methylation of the HPV 16 L1 gene and LCR, and the severity of cervical lesions in infected female patients. Therefore, bisulfite modification, polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing were used to analyze 122 HPV 16-positive clinical cervical swabs obtained from patients in northeastern China. The proportion of methylated samples at each of the 7 CpG sites within the 3′-L1/5′-LCR and 5 CpG sites within the promoter region was significantly increased in patients with CC, compared with that observed in high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and normal tissue/low-grade intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) (χ2 test, P

Objective We aimed to evaluate the viral load and integration status of human papillomavirus 58 in women with different grades of cervical lesions to determine whether viral load and integration status are related to malignant transformation in HPV58-infected women. Methods A total of 212 cervical specimens were collected from women in Northeast China who had undergone human papillomavirus genotyping and were HPV58-positive. The HPV58 viral load was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the integration status was discriminated using the ratio of HPV58 E2 gene copy number to E6 gene copy number. Results The median HPV58 viral load in women with normal cervix or cervicitis, low-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesion, high-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesion and cervical cancer was 352.12, 864.21, 1199.75 and 693.04 copies/genome, respectively. High significance was obtained when comparing the viral load of infected women presenting normal/cervicitis with that of the women either with precancerous cervical lesions or cervical cancer (P < 0.05). The HPV58 genome was in the episomal form in 35 samples (16.5%), mixed episomal and integrated forms in 165 (77.8%) samples, and completely integrated into the host genome in 12 (5.7%) samples. The HPV58 E2/E6 copy number ratio in the cervical cancer group was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P < 0.01). Conclusions The HPV58 viral load in patients with precancerous cervical lesions or cervical cancer increases significantly with disease progression. The HPV58 E2/E6 copy number ratio in patients with cervical cancer is lower than that for less severe cervical lesions, suggesting a high degree of viral integration may be a considerable risk factor for cervical cancer.

Nonstoichiometric silicon oxide (SiO

In order to push forward the development of CFRP cable-stayed bridge and accumulate experiences, the study on the application of the first cable-stayed bridge with CFRP cables in China was carried out. The design essentials of main components of the bridge were introduced and its integral performances, including static properties, dynamic properties and seismic response were analyzed using finite element method. A new bond-type anchorage was developed and the processes of fabricating and installing CFRP cables were elaborated. Based on the results of construction simulation, a tension scheme for bridge was propound. During constructing, the stresses and displacement of girder and pylon, as well as the forces and stresses of cables, were tested. The results indicate that all sections of the bridge could meet the requirements of the ultimate bearing capacity and normal service; the performance of the anchorage is good and the stresses in each cable system are similar; the tested values accord well with the calculated values. Further, creep deformation of the resin in anchorages under service load is not obvious. All these results demonstrate that the first application of CFRP cables in the cable-stayed bridge in China is successful.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and patients with NSCLC are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage. This is primarily due to a lack of advanced and sensitive protocols for the detection of early stage NSCLC. Therefore, methods for the accurate diagnosis of early stage NSCLC are urgently required to improve survival rates. The present study investigated the use of contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) combined with a targeted nanoparticle contrast agent (TNCA) to diagnose early-stage NSCLC in a mice xenograft model. The TNCA used was lenvatinib, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1-3, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1-4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase receptor Ret and mast/stem cell growth factor receptor Kit. Xenograft NSCLC mice were established and used to analyze the efficacy of CECT-TNCA compared with CT scanning alone. The TNCA was inhaled with the use of an atomizer. The results demonstrated that CECT-TNCA improved the sensitivity of the diagnosis of early stage NSCLC. In addition, imaging using the TNCA enabled the visualization of nodules in the lung in mice with early stage NSCLC. In addition, lung nodule signal enhancement was increased in CECT-TNCA compared with CT, suggesting a high accurate accumulation of the TNCA in tumor nodules. Mice diagnosed with early stage NSCLC exhibited a higher eradication rate of NSCLC after treatment with cisplatin compared with mice with advanced stage NSCLC. These data indicate that the sensitivity and accuracy of CT imaging for the diagnosis of early stage NSCLC was improved through combination with the liposome-encapsulated TNCA.

Functional nanonetwork-structured polymers and carbons with silver nanoparticle yolks (∼20 nm) were successfully fabricated via hypercrosslinking chemistry. Benefiting from the hierarchical porous nanonetwork structure and high surface areas (up to 566 m2 g-1), the as-prepared nanocomposites demonstrated superior long-term antibacterial performances (e.g., 6 days).

A class of novel N-doped porous carbon nanospheres (PCNSs) with ultrahigh surface areas (e.g., Langmuir surface area = 3219 m2 g-1) and large templated mesopore diameters (up to 18.6 nm) was synthesized based upon a simple yet efficient copolymerization-induced self-assembly process of aniline/pyrrole co-monomers and block copolymer templates. The PCNSs exhibited enhanced adsorption properties towards creatinine and superior lithium-sulfur battery performances.

Buildings designed with floors suspended on mega supporting structures (core tubes/frames) are referred to as suspended buildings. Such buildings can meet some practical requirements such as the gaining of large open spaces. Some aspects, including seismic performance and structural stability, however, are not completely understood by the engineering community. This motivated an investigation into the performance of suspended buildings subjected to gravity and ground earthquake motion. The stability of suspended floors and their mega supporting structures is discussed in relation to P-delta effect. A suspended-floor section is able to gain stiffness from gravity, but the stability of its mega supporting structure may be a problem due to the up-shifted gravity. This leads to a discussion of the storey-based stability method for assessing the critical load multipliers to be applied to the supporting frames. In view of the pros and cons of suspended buildings, a passive control system with three-performance levels is presented using pendulum floors and connection dampers to dissipate energy and avoid pounding. Optimal control system parameters were studied in order to help with the selection of connection stiffnesses and damping coefficients during the design of suspended buildings. Initial results show that, as opposed to a pendulum TMD, the large suspended-floor masses themselves play a key role in reducing the seismic response, and buildings are able to be designed as types of suspended systems which are effective against strong earthquake motion combined with gravity.

A method is presented in this paper to analyze the dynamic response behavior of suspended building structures. The effect of semi-rigid connections that link suspended floors with their supporting structure on structural performance is investigated. The connections, like the restrains in non-structural suspended components, are designed as semi-rigid to avoid pounding and as energy dissipation components to reduce structural response. Parametric study is conducted to assess the dynamic characteristics of suspended building structures with varying connection stiffness and suspended mass ratios. Modal analysis is applied to identify the two distinct sets of vibration modes, pendulum and bearing, of a suspended building structure. The cumulative modal mass is discussed to ensure the accuracy in applying the method of response spectrum analysis by SRSS or CQC modal combination. Case studies indicate that a suspended building having semi-rigid connections and proper suspended mass ratios can avoid local pounding failure and reduce seismic response.

Beam deflections in cases of diagonal and bending cracking of reinforced concrete (RC) beams can be attributed equally to shear and flexural deformations. However, the extent of contribution by shear deformation is hard to quantify and is often underestimated in practical design. To address this, a quantitative analysis of the effect of shear deformation was conducted, considering the effect of tension stiffening after diagonal cracking, and a formula to derive effective shear stiffness is proposed. Five RC beams, comprising of three RC T-section beams with thin web and two RC rectangular beams, were tested to verify the theoretical models with minimum crack angle and total deflection as key points of comparison. The fully cracked responses were analyzed using truss model analogies while exact models applied depended on the crack angle. Results show that shear contribution to the total deflection in the diagonally cracked RC beam is significant.

The interplay between the host and Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) plays a pivotal role in the outcome of an infection. HCMV growth in endothelial and epithelial cells requires expression of viral proteins UL128, UL130, and UL131 proteins (UL128-131), of which UL130 is the largest gene and the only one that is not interrupted by introns.Mutation of the C terminus of the UL130 protein causes reduced tropism of endothelial cells (EC). However, very few host factors have been identified that interact with the UL130 protein. In this study, HCMV UL130 protein was shown to directly interact with the human protein Snapin in human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells by Yeast two-hybrid screening, in vitro glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down, and co-immunoprecipitation. Additionally, heterologous expression of protein UL130 revealed co-localization with Snapin in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of HEK293 cells using fluorescence confocal microscopy. Furthermore, decreasing the level of Snapin via specific small interfering RNAs decreased the number of viral DNA copies and titer inHCMV-infected U373-S cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Snapin, the pUL130 interacting protein, has a role in modulating HCMV DNA synthesis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) 52 is an oncogenic HPV type prevalent in Asia. The aim of the study was to analyze HPV 52 genetic variations in women from Northeast China. To explore the intratypic variants of HPV 52, the genomic regions of L1, E6, E7 and long control region (LCR) of HPV 52, which have been identified in women from Northeast China by HPV GenoArray test, were analyzed. Twenty-five mutations were identified in the regions examined. Of the mutations found in the L1 gene, three novel nonsynonymous mutations of C5640T, A5641T and G5642A were located within the region that encodes the binding domain of neutralizing antibodies against HPV 52. Although four variations were identified in HPV 52 E6 and E7 genes, no significant association was found between the mutations and the cytological lesion of the patients. Eight mutations, including a novel CTT7681–7683 deletion, found in the LCR of HPV 52 encompassed the known transcription binding sites, which may possibly affect the transcription of the oncogenic genes of E6 and E7. The most prevalent HPV 52 variant in women from northeastern China belongs to clade L1-LN-A. The genetic variations of HPV 52, including three novel nonsynonymous mutations of C5640T, A5641T and G5642A in the L1 gene and a novel CTT7681–7683 deletion in the LCR, were first documented in strains from women in Northeast China. The statistical result showed no associations between the variants and the severities of the infected women. These findings provide new data regarding gene variations of HPV 52.

SUMMARY This paper presents an experimental investigation of a ‘smart’ cable-stayed bridge model that uses the mid-span strain as feedback, and a computer-controlled direct current motor as an actuator. When a load is moved on the ‘smart’ bridge, the deflection of the bridge can be controlled within a permissible range by means of the motor contracting or releasing the middle cable. An adaptive, multilevel, control system is implemented to control the bridge, and a number of static and dynamic tests are carried out. The results illustrate that the proposed adaptive control performance under various moving loads can be achieved within a prescribed motion range and limited control motor speed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A new configuration of Core-tubes with Semi-Flexible Suspension Systems (CSFSS) is presented in this paper. This structure is composed of the primary core-tube, suspended segments regarded as suspension systems, viscoelastic dampers and flexible layers. The configuration, simplified model and the formulation of the multi-degrees of freedom equations of motion for this structure are given. The El Centro 1940 and Kobe 1995 earthquake time histories were employed for dynamic analysis of the system in the time domain. Random seismic response is determined by the complex mode superposition method. Based on the derived formulas, a computer program has been developed and parametric studies, such as the locations of the flexible suspended segment, the damping coefficient and stiffness of viscoelastic dampers, were performed to evaluate the vibration-absorption effectiveness of the primary core-tube, and to identify optimal parameters for the damping devices. Results show that this configuration can reduce seismic responses in the central core-tube and has a larger inter-storey drift in its flexible layers but less inter-storey drift in its suspended segments. Furthermore, there is an optimal damper damping coefficient that leads to a minimum response of the primary core-tube, and the flexible suspended segment located at the top can effectively reduce the earthquake-induced responses of the core-tube.

It is important to accurately estimate creep and shrinkage effects in long-span continuous box girder bridges. Based on the experiments on creep and shrinkage of the plain concrete used in the continuous rigid frame of Sutong Bridge, China, the applicability of ACI 209–82, JTG D62–2004, B3 and GL2000 prediction model for creep and shrinkage on the high-strength concrete is evaluated. Also, a modified model based upon JTG D62–2004 is presented. Results indicate that the accuracy of prediction of creep and shrinkage can be enhanced greatly by carrying out short-term creep and shrinkage measurements on the given concrete and modifying the prediction model parameters accordingly. Furthermore, the presence of steels can have an impact on the time-dependent deformations caused by creep and shrinkage, accordingly, the restraint influence of steels on creep and shrinkage is investigated through the reinforced specimens with different reinforcement ratio. Formulas of influence coefficients of steels on creep and shrinkage are derived, and a good agreement is observed between the calculated values of the influence coefficients of steels on creep and shrinkage and the measured data in each specimen. The reinforced specimens can be also used for calibrating the modified model.

It is important to design structures, systems, and components subjected to earthquake base motions to ensure their structural integrity and secure functionality. This paper presents methods to enforce base excitations for designing structures, qualifying equipment, and assessing seismic fragility against such base motions in seismic analysis. The concept of the large force method is extended from that of the large penalty technique applied in static analysis accounting for displacement boundary conditions. An action exerted on the artificial base block is equivalently enforced by applying the corresponding base motion using the large penalty technique. Depending on the way to solve the equations of motion, the large force method may be expressed as an indirect-enforcing or direct-enforcing method. The indirect-enforcing method is derived by decomposing whole system motion into free structural motion and constrained base motion, with the structural motion divided into two parts to simplify the input of base motion. By contrast, upon applying the large penalty factor, the direct-enforcing method is achieved by directly solving the equations of motion without the breakdown of the system motion. Modal analysis for the direct-enforcing method is conducted to investigate the characteristics of frequency and mode properties in the extreme low/high frequency domains using the Jacobi method and the frequency shift technique. To compare the response results, the Newmark direct integration scheme is applied in the large force method for analyzing structural systems under harmonic and random base excitations. The compatibility of base time histories taken from an earthquake motion database is discussed to avoid errors in using the large force method. Information presented in this paper is useful in adopting a proper way to enforce base motions and interpreting the response in vibration analysis.

External confinement of concrete by means of FRP external wrapping can significantly enhance its strength and ductility and result in a large energy absorption capacity. This paper studies the behavior of concrete cylinders confined with hybrid FRP composites. A total of 35 cylindrical specimens with dimensions of 150mm diameter by 300mm length were tested, which included three plain concrete cylinders as control specimens, 12 concrete cylinders confined with one kind of FRP sheet and 20 specimens confined with hybrid FRP sheets. The experimental parameters include the different types of FRP sheets, the number of layers of FRP sheets and the different kinds of hybridization with two or three types of FRP composites. First, the characteristics of the stress—strain curves of hybrid FRP-confined concrete are described based on previous studies. Then, in order to describe the main mechanical features of hybrid FRP-confined concrete cylinders including stress and strain behavior, some simple models are suggested based on a number of empirical equations determined from mechanical tests. Finally, a multi-linear model is proposed to predict the axial stress—strain model of concrete cylinders confined with hybrid FRP composite. The proposed model closely agrees with the experimental results of the present study.

This paper proposed a conceptual design of bascule bridge, which is a new kind of movable bridge with an aim of reducing the weight of superstructure. Compared with the traditional bascule bridge, the light bascule bridge chooses cable-stayed bridge with inclined pylon as its superstructure; therefore, the functions of balance-weight and structure will fuse into one. Otherwise, it adopts moving counterweight to adjust its center of gravity (CG) to open or close the bridge. In order to lighten the superstructure, it uses contact springs to auxiliary retract, and intelligent prestressing system (IPS) to control the main girder\'s deformation. Simultaneously the vibration control scheme of structure is discussed. Starting from establishing the mechanical model of bridge, this article tries to analyze the conditions that the design parameters of structure and attachments should satisfy to. After the design procedure was presented, an example was also adopted to explain the primary design process of this kind bridge.

A good modeling of the stress–strain behavior of FRP-confined concrete prism is necessary for the design of rectangular columns retrofitted with FRP composites. Existing stress–strain models for FRP-confined concrete prisms are mostly presented based on the concept of steel-confined concrete columns. Based on the results of more than one hundred specimens, the mechanical behavior of FRP-confined concrete prisms are studied in this paper. It is found that the stress–strain relationship of FRP-confined prism has either a strain-hardening or a strain-softening response, which mainly depends on the confinement strength of FRP, corner radius of cross-section, etc. Equations to predict the transitional stress and strain of FRP-confined concrete prisms are presented. By reducing the corresponding ultimate strength and strain of equivalent concrete cylinders confined with equivalent FRP, the ultimate strength and strain of FRP-confined concrete prisms can be predicted rationally. Three design-oriented models, which can be applied to various conditions, are suggested. The feature of those models is simple, and they agree well with extensive experimental results.

Based on results from more than 300 specimens of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) confined concrete cylinders covering a wide range of parameters, the confinement effect and failure mechanisms are analyzed. Special attention is given to predict whether FRP-confined concrete cylinder has a strain-hardening or a strain-softening response. In the case of FRP-confined concrete cylinder with a strain-hardening response, it is found that the ultimate Poisson’s ratio of FRP-confined concrete trends to an asymptotic value. Through calculation of the ultimate Poisson’s ratio, and according to strain compatibility, the ultimate strain of FRP-confined concrete can be predicted. Moreover, by comparing with a lot of existing experimental data, the proposed models are quite simple and still accurate enough, which can be applied to the concrete cylinders confined with various types of FRP composites. Besides, for the case of FRP-confined concrete cylinder with a strain-softening response, equations for predicting the maximum strength, peak strain, ultimate strength and ultimate strain are suggested in this paper.

Summary Energy dissipaters constructed in precast structures play an important fuse-type role in concentrating damage and protecting the primary structure. The stable tensile and compressive deformation capacity, easier fabrication method, and relatively lower cost are expected in energy dissipater to further enrich its practical application. In this paper, a new bamboo-shaped fuse-type energy dissipater consisting of an inner bamboo-shaped core with slubs and an outer circular tube was developed with high-precision, all-metal machining, avoiding the adverse effect of grouting and welding. The aluminum alloy was applied to fabricate the proposed energy dissipater to improve the durability. A series of tests, containing 12 specimens, was performed to address the low-cycle fatigue behavior of bamboo-shaped dissipaters, and stable hysteretic curves were obtained without any local and overall buckling. The deformation of the core was evidently affected by slubs, which were restrained by the outer tube. Furthermore, parametric studies on design variables including length of segments, the length of slubs, the number of segments, and the size of gap between the slub and the tube are performed. On the basis of test results of all specimens, aluminum alloy bamboo-shaped dissipaters show a promising future for wide application in new or retrofitted buildings, which require excellent seismic behavior and durability.

This paper is concerned with the design of reinforcement in prestressed concrete beams with openings, based on the application of regression analysis to experimental data. The results, verified by tests and the finite element method, show that a new method described in the paper is simple, convenient and reliable, and can be used in engineering design.

Infection with certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is a risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. HPV type 58 (HPV 58) is prevalent among Chinese women. The intratype sequence variants differ in oncogenic potential and their prevalences vary across geographic regions. The objective of this study was to analyze the variations of HPV 58 E6, E7, L1 genes and long control region (LCR) in a large samples collected from northeastern Chinese women with cervical lesions. A total of 2938 cervical samples were collected and tested for HPV type using a chip hybridization assay. The E6, E7, L1 genes and LCR of HPV 58 strains were amplified and the amplicons were subjected to direct nucleotide sequencing for variation identification. A total of 235 specimens were HPV 58 positive. High proportions of HPV 58 E6 (83.8%), E7 (76.7%), L1 (90.8%) genes and LCR (91.4%) variants were identified in strains from Chinese women. The most frequently observed variations were C307T (52.4%) in E6, T744G (74.9%) in E7, A6014C (56.9%) in L1 genes and C7266T, A7714G (55.2%) in LCR. For the E6 gene, nine nucleotide variations were identified. Among them, the A140G (T11A), A184C (E25D), G266C (V53L) and A313G were novel variations. Sequencing of the E7 gene revealed four typical nucleotide changes: G761A (G63D), G694A (G41R), T803C (V77A) and T744G. In the L1 gene, 39 nucleotide variations and 13 amino acid substitutions were identified. Among these mutations, 21 variations are reported here for the first time. Lineage A of HPV 58 was found in 142 of 174 strains (81.6%). The most prevalent HPV 58 variants in Chinese northeastern women belongs to lineage A. Novel variations in E6 and L1 genes were also reported. These findings provide new data regarding E6 and L1 gene variations of HPV 58 from women in northeast China.

This paper aims to evaluate the CEB-FIP 90 model, which is commonly utilised to predict the creep and shrinkage effects of concrete structures, by comparing it with an extensive compiled database which combines the available data in literature and newly collected data from China. This database considers only concrete specimens with an average 28-day compressive strength between 30 MPa and 80 MPa, and restricts the relative humidity of the experimental environment to a maximum value of 95%. Three statistical methods are applied to evaluate the CEB-FIP 90 model: the residual method, the B3 coefficient of variation method, and the CEB coefficient of variation method. Based on the statistical regression analysis of the shrinkage and creep test data, the CEB-FIP 90 model is revised by modifying the influencing coefficients of the compressive strength of concrete and the time development functions of creep and shrinkage. The modified model is then subjected to evaluation and verification using the residual method, B3 coefficient of variation method and CEB coefficient of variation method. Based on verification with experimental data and corroboration with statistical analysis, the modified model performs better than CEB-FIP 90 model, especially with regards to high strength concrete. Accepted version