Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Method of fabricating artificial rock specimens based on extrusion free forming(EFF)3D printing

Three-dimensional(3D)printing technology has been widely used to create artificial rock samples in rock mechanics.While 3D printing can create complex fractures,the material still lacks sufficient similarity to natural rock.Extrusion free forming(EFF)is a 3D printing technique that uses clay as the printing material and cures the specimens through high-temperature sintering.In this study,we attempted to use the EFF technology to fabricate artificial rock specimens.The results show the physico-mechanical properties of the specimens are significantly affected by the sintering temperature,while the nozzle diameter and layer thickness also have a certain impact.The specimens are primarily composed of SiO_(2),with mineral compositions similar to that of natural rocks.The density,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),elastic modulus,and tensile strength of the printed specimens fall in the range of 1.65–2.54 g/cm3,16.46–50.49 MPa,2.17–13.35 GPa,and 0.82–17.18 MPa,respectively.It is capable of simulating different types of rocks,especially mudstone,sandstone,limestone,and gneiss.However,the simulation of hard rocks with UCS exceeding 50 MPa still requires validation.

Time-dependent safety of lining structures of circular tunnels in weak rock strata

Following tunnel excavation and lining completion,fractured surrounding rock deforms gradually over time;this results in a time-dependent evolution of the pressure applied to the lining structure by the surrounding rock.Thus,the safety of the tunnel lining in weak strata is strongly correlated with time.In this study,we developed an analytical method for determining the time-dependent pressure in the surrounding rock and lining structure of a circular tunnel under a hydrostatic stress field.Under the proposed method,the stress–strain relationship of the fractured surrounding rock is assumed to conform to that of the Burgers viscoelastic component,and the lining structure is assumed to be an elastomer.Based on these assumptions,the viscoelastic deformation of the surrounding rock,the elastic deformation of the lining structure,and the coordinated deformation between the surrounding rock and lining structure were derived.The proposed analytical method,which employs a time-dependent safety coefficient,was subsequently used to estimate the durability of the lining structure of the Foling Tunnel in China.The derived attenuation curve of the safety coefficient with respect to time can assist engineers in predicting the remaining viable life of the lining structure.Unlike existing analytical methods,the method derived in this study considers the time dependency of the interaction between the surrounding rock and tunnel lining;hence,it is more suitable for the evaluation of lining lifetime.

Computational implementation of a GIS developed tool for prediction of dynamic ground movement and deformation due to underground extraction sequence

In the last century, there has been a significant development in the evaluation of methods to predict ground movement due to underground extraction. Some remarkable developments in three-dimensional computational methods have been supported in civil engineering, subsidence engineering and mining engineering practice. However, ground movement problem due to mining extraction sequence is effectively four dimensional （4D）. A rational prediction is getting more and more important for long-term underground mining planning. Hence, computer-based analytical methods that realistically simulate spatially distributed time-dependent ground movement process are needed for the reliable long-term underground mining planning to minimize the surface environmental damages. In this research, a new computational system is developed to simulate four-dimensional （4D） ground movement by combining a stochastic medium theory, Knothe time-delay model and geographic information system （GIS） technology. All the calculations are implemented by a computational program, in which the components of GIS are used to fulfill the spatial-temporal analysis model. In this paper a tight coupling strategy based on component object model of GIS technology is used to overcome the problems of complex three-dimensional extraction model and spatial data integration. Moreover, the implementation of computational of the interfaces of the developed tool is described. The GIS based developed tool is validated by two study cases. The developed computational tool and models are achieved within the GIS system so the effective and efficient calculation methodology can be obtained, so the simulation problems of 4D ground movement due to underground mining extraction sequence can be solved by implementation of the developed tool in GIS.

Renal Expression and Clinical Significance of High Mobility Group Box 1 in Lupus Nephritis

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) expression in nephridial tissues of lupus nephritis (LN). Methods: Sixty-three patients with active LN and 15 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (combined without LN) were included. Renal biopsies were performed in the two groups. The biopsies were evaluated according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification and renal disease activity was estimated using the British Isles lupus assessment group (BILAG) index. Serum levels of HMGB1 were analyzed by western blot. HMGB1 expression in renal tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry in the two groups. The correlation between HMGB1 and renal active index (AI), chronicity index (CI), pathological type of LN was analyzed. Results: LN biopsies showed WHO class III, IV or V and all patients had high renal disease activity (BILAG A/B). The HMGB1 expression was higher in the LN groups than the control groups (t = 9.263, P < 0.05). It showed positive correlation between HMGB1 expression and SLE DAI classification (r = 0.579, P P < 0.05) and renal tubule interstitial (TIL) classification (r = 0.815, P < 0.05), and negative correlation between HMGB1 expression and CI classification (r = 0.582, P < 0.05). In all patients, serum levels of HMGB1 increased only slightly in the patients only with SLE;however, in patients with LN WHO class IV a significant decrease was observed (P = 0.02). Immunostaining revealed a pronounced extranuclear HMGB1 expression predominantly outlining the glomerular endothelium and in the mesangium. There were significant differences in HMGB1 expression between LN and control biopsies and it existed with apparent association to histopathological classification and clinical outcome. Conclusions: Renal tissue expression and serum levels of HMGB1 were elevated in LN. The unusual elevation of HMGB1 in serum and tissue in LN may reflect persistent inflammatory activity, which clearly indicates a role for HMGB1 in pathogenesis of LN.

Dynamic Analysis of Geared Rotor System with Hybrid Uncertainties

Current research on the dynamics and vibrations of geared rotor systems primarily focuses on deterministic models.However,uncertainties inevitably exist in the gear system,which cause uncertainties in system parameters and subsequently influence the accurate evaluation of system dynamic behavior.In this study,a dynamic model of a geared rotor system with mixed parameters and model uncertainties is proposed.Initially,the dynamic model of the geared rotor-bearing system with deterministic parameters is established using a finite element method.Subsequently,a nonparametric method is introduced to model the hybrid uncertainties in the dynamic model.Deviation coefficients and dispersion parameters are used to reflect the levels of parameter and model uncertainty.For example,the study evaluates the effects of uncertain bearing and mesh stiffness on the vibration responses of a geared rotor system.The results demonstrate that the influence of uncertainty varies among different model types.Model uncertainties have a more significant than parametric uncertainties,whereas hybrid uncertainties increase the nonlinearities and complexities of the system’s dynamic responses.These findings provide valuable insights into understanding the dynamic behavior of geared system with hybrid uncertainties.