Microstructure and water-swelling mechanism of red-bed mudstone in the Xining region,Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

This paper examines the effect of the microstructure and electrical conductivity(EC)on the swelling ratio and pressure in red-bed mudstone sampled from arid areas in the Xining region in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.A series of laboratory tests,including swelling experiments,X-ray diffraction(XRD),and scanning electron microscope(SEM),was carried out for mechanical and microstructural analysis.The coupled influence of the EC and microstructural parameters on the expansion ratio and pressure was investigated,and the weight coefficients were discussed by the entropy weight method.The results revealed an increasing exponential trend in EC,and the maximum swelling speed occurred at an EC of approximately 10 μS/cm.In addition,a method for predicting the expansion potential is proposed based on the microstructure,and its reliability is verified by comparing with swelling experimental results.In addition,according to the image analysis results,the ranges of the change in the clay minerals content(CMC),the fractal dimension(FD),the average diameter(AD)of pores,and the plane porosity(PP)are 23.75%-53%,1.08-1.17,7.53-22.45 mm,and 0.62%-1.25%,respectively.Moreover,mudstone swelling is negatively correlated with the plane porosity,fractal dimension and average diameter and is linearly correlated with the clay mineral content.Furthermore,the weight values prove that the microstructural characteristics,including FD,AD,and PP,are the main factors influencing the expansion properties of red-bed mudstones in the Xining region.Based on the combination of macro and micro-analyses,a quantitative analysis of the swelling process of mudstones can provide a better reference for understanding the mechanism of expansion behavior.

Tracking direct and indirect impact on technology and policy of transformative research via ego citation network

Purpose:The disseminating of academic knowledge to nonacademic audiences partly relies on the transition of subsequent citing papers.This study aims to investigate direct and indirect impact on technology and policy originating from transformative research based on ego citation network.Design/methodology/approach:Key Nobel Prize-winning publications(NPs)in fields of gene engineering and astrophysics are regarded as a proxy for transformative research.In this contribution,we introduce a network-structural indicator of citing patents to measure technological impact of a target article and use policy citations as a preliminary tool for policy impact.Findings:The results show that the impact on technology and policy of NPs are higher than that of their subsequent citation generations in gene engineering but not in astrophysics.Research limitations:The selection of Nobel Prizes is not balanced and the database used in this study,Dimensions,suffers from incompleteness and inaccuracy of citation links.Practical implications:Our findings provide useful clues to better understand the characteristics of transformative research in technological and policy impact.Originality/value:This study proposes a new framework to explore the direct and indirect impact on technology and policy originating from transformative research.

^(60)Co-γ射线辐射聚合制备含硅聚合物及其陶瓷转化研究

采用γ-甲基丙烯酰氧基丙基三甲氧基硅烷(KH570)的乙醇溶液在^(60)Co-γ射线作用下进行辐射聚合,探讨了辐射剂量对聚合反应程度和产物分子量的影响,进一步研究了聚合产物的陶瓷化性能和裂解产物结构。结果表明,当辐射剂量为40 kGy时,KH570的聚合程度最高,制得的含硅聚合物分子量达到38.7×10^(4),多分散系数为8.24。含硅聚合物具有良好的水解活性,其固化树脂在氮气氛围下经1000℃裂解,残余质量分数为38.8%。裂解产物为具有明显光泽的纯黑色Si—O—C无定型陶瓷,其硅、氧和碳元素的含量分别为40.05%、43.65%和16.30%。

静电纺PLGA-g-PVP/I_(n)^(-)多孔抗菌纤维膜的制备及其性能研究

抗菌复合膜是修复皮肤损伤和预防皮肤感染的重要医用材料。采用^(60)Co-γ射线辐照接枝聚合法将N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮(NVP)单体接枝到聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物(PLGA)上,形成聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物接枝聚乙烯基吡咯烷酮(PLGA-g-PVP)链,通过碘和聚乙烯基吡咯烷酮(PVP)的络合反应,将聚碘化物固定在PLGA表面,得到聚乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物接枝聚乙烯基吡咯烷酮/聚碘化物(PLGA-g-PVP/I_(n)^(-))复合物。将复合物溶于二氯甲烷和N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)溶液中,采用静电纺丝技术制备了多孔抗菌纤维膜。通过凝胶渗透色谱仪、电感耦合等离子体质谱仪、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪、拉曼光谱仪、全自动物理吸附仪和扫描电子显微镜等分析手段对多孔抗菌纤维膜进行微观结构和成分分析,用金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌评价其抗菌活性。结果表明,金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌浓度为2.1×10^(4)CFU/mL和4×10^(4)CFU/mL时,该材料具有良好的抑菌效果,且对L929细胞有良好的生物相容性,细胞毒性为0级,可以作为恢复皮肤损伤和防止感染的医用材料。

Subconjunctival trypsin injection for anterior chamber fibrin exudates in eyes with globe rupture following vitrectomy

AIM:To compare the safety and clinical outcomes of subconjunctival trypsin and dexamethasone(DEX)injections in the treatment of anterior chamber fibrin exudates in eyes with globe rupture following primary wound repair and vitrectomy.METHODS:A retrospective analysis included 42 males and 10 females(mean age 46.0±6.0y,range 34 to 58y)who underwent primary wound sutures and vitrectomy for globe rupture.Patients with pupil-covered fibrinous exudate or/and membrane in the anterior chamber were treated.On the first postoperative day,subconjunctival injections of either 5000 units(0.4 mL)of trypsin solution(n=25)or 0.5 mL(1 mg)DEX(n=27)were administered to accelerate exudate absorption.Efficacy was assessed by observing break time and partial absorption of the fibrin exudate membrane.Safety and comfort were evaluated by monitoring intraocular pressure(IOP),allergy,pain,and foreign body sensation.RESULTS:Both groups achieved 1/3 absorption of the anterior chamber fibrin exudate membrane,but the trypsin group exhibited shorter break time and partial absorption time compared to the DEX group(P<0.05).Trypsin treatment was also less irritating to patients.No adverse reactions were reported,and IOP remained stable.Visual acuity improved in both groups without statistical difference.CONCLUSION:Compared to DEX,trypsin demonstrates a shorter absorption time for the fibrin exudate membrane with a more comfortable process in treating pupil-covered fibrinous exudate or/and membrane after vitrectomy for globe rupture.

地下管道抢险对轨道高架桥梁的影响研究

某地下管网抢险工程下穿运营的轨道线路,为研究地下管网抢险对轨道高架桥的影响。在充分对现场资料进行分析的基础上,提出了采用钢便桥方案对地下管网进行临时抢险保通,同时采用顶管方案恢复地下管网的永久服务功能。为探明地下管道抢险的实施引起顶管结构、管涵围岩、城市主干路以及轨道高架桥的变形规律,通过有限元分析模型分析了其变形规律,研究结果表明:城市主干路及轨道高架桥位于顶管施工扰动区;顶管结束后,城市主干路路面变形较小,满足变形控制要求;顶管结构应力值小于规范规定的设计值;轨道高架桥的桥墩沉降差及竖向位移均满足轨道运营要求。研究成果对于顶管施工安全、轨道高架桥和城市主干路的正常运营具有重要意义,同时相关研究成果也为类似地质工况条件下分析研究提供借鉴。

高压旋喷型圆形复合支护桩在深厚填土质斜坡工程中的应用及探讨

以某市政道路项目为实例,阐述了普通圆形支护桩在深厚填土质斜坡实施过程中遇到的刚度不足及塌孔等问题,提出了一种较为稳定可靠的高压旋喷圆形复合支护桩。该结构主要由高压旋喷复合土及钢筋混凝土圆形支护桩组成,为桩土复合支护结构,由高压旋喷固结体及圆形支护桩一起承担水平土压力,具有防止垮孔,提高支护桩刚度及桩周土体物理力学指标等优点。在分析复合型支护桩受力特征基础上,通过理论推导,得到桩截面刚度提高公式。应用结果表明:采用高压旋喷型圆形复合支护桩可以有效提高桩身刚度,减小支护桩使用阶段水平位移,同时解决了桩基施工过程中垮孔问题,对填土斜坡上的支护桩有一定的普适性。

Ethylene Emission as a Potential Indicator of Fuji Apple Flavor Quality Evaluation Under Low Temperature

Fuji apple(Malus×domestica Borkh.)is a popular fruit cultivar and occupies an important position in the fruit market due to its excellent flavor and storage quality.Ethylene emission can induce respiration,which would reduce postharvest quality and increase storage losses.In order to maintain fruit quality and extend shelf life,apples are usually stored in a low-temperature environment after harvest to reduce the formation of ethylene.Volatile aroma components are regarded as one of the most important aspects of flavor quality and a key factor for apple quality grading and customer satisfaction.Ethylene emission and its relationship with volatile aromas during low temperature,however,have not been determined.In this study,the dynamic changes of volatile aroma compounds of Fuji apples stored at 4°C were detected and analyzed for 42 days.The variation of ethylene released from Fuji apple was studied correspondingly.The results showed that ethyl butyrate,ethyl caproate,ethyl 2-methylbutyrate and 2-methylbutyl acetate were the main aroma components of Fuji apple.The change in ethylene emission and the normalized peak area of volatile aroma compounds exhibited a similar tendency that increased significantly from the 3rd day to the peak on the 14th day and then decreased;there was a positive linear correlation between them with a correlation coefficient of 0.79(P<0.05).Therefore,ethylene release can be used as a potential indicator for evaluation of volatile aroma compounds in apples.Using ethylene emission as an indicator could reduce the difficulty and complexity of volatile aroma evaluation,which could be a new non-destructive inspection choice for apple flavor quality assessment.

Subclinical atherosclerosis in northern and southern China： the Chinese paradox

Background The incidence of coronary heart disease （CHD） is higher in Northern than that in Southern China, however differences in traditional CHD risk factors do not fully explain this. No study has examined the differences in subclinical atherosclerosis that may help explain the differences in incidence. This study examined these differences in subclinical atherosclerosis using coronary computed tomography （CT） for calcification between the Northern and Southern China. Methods We selected a random sample of participants in a large multi-center ongoing epidemiologic study for coronary calcium scanning in one northern city （North） （Beijing, n = 49） and in two southern cities （South） （Shanghai, n = 50, and Guangzhou, n = 50）. Participants from the three field centers （mean age 67 years） underwent coronary risk factor evaluation and cardiac CT scanning for coronary calcium measurement using the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis scanning protocol. Results Adjusted log-transformed coronary artery calcium score in North China （Beijing） was 3.1 ±0.4 and in South China （Shanghai and Guangzhou） was 2.2 ＋_ 0.3 （P = 0.04）. Mean calcium score for the northern city of Beijing was three times higher than that of the southern city of Guangzhou （P = 0.01） and 2.5 times higher than for the southern city of Shanghai （P = 0.03）. Conclusions The extent of subclinical atherosclerosis is significantly higher in the northern city of Beijing than that in the two southern cities of Guangzhou and Shanghai, even after adjusting for standard cardiac risk factors. This finding suggests that standard risk factors do not fully explain north south differences in clinical CHD incidence.

A new triterpenoid saponin from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L.

One new triterpcnoid saponin, quinquenoside L17 （1）, was isolated from the leaves and stems of Panax quinquefolium L., and its structure was elucidated as 20-O-[（β-D-xylopyranosyl-（1-6）-O-β-D-glucopyranosy）]-6-O-β-D-glucopyranosy1-dammar-24-ene- 3,6,12,20-tetraol, by the combination analysis of one-dimensional NMR and two-dimensional NMR, mass spectrometry, CD spectrum and chemical evidences.

Effects of IκBα and its mutants on NF-κB and p53 signaling pathways

AIM： To study the effects of IκBα and its mutants （IκBαM, IκBα3N, IκBαM44C） on NF-κB, p53 and their downstream target genes. The relationship of NF-κB, p53, and IκBα was further discussed. METHODS： pECFP-IκBα, pECFP-IκBαM （amino acides 1-317, Ser32, 36A）, pECFP-IκBα243N （amino acides 1-243）, pECFP-IκBα244C （amino acides 24±317）, pEYFP-p65 and pp53-DsRed were constructed and transfected to ASTC-α-1 cells. Cells were transfected with pECFP-Cl as a control. 30 h after the transfection, location patterns of NF-κB, p53 and IκBα（IκBαM, IκBα243N, IκBα224C） were observed by a laser scanning microscope （LSM510/ConfoCor2, Zeiss）. RNA extraction and reverse transcription were performed in cells transfected or co-transfected with different plasmids. Effects of IκBα and its mutants on the transprition level of NF-κB, NF-κB downstream target gene TNF-α, p53 and p53 downstream target gene Bax were observed by real time QT-PCR. In all experiments β-actin was reference. Results are expressed as the target/reference ratio of the sample divided by the target/reference ratio of the control. Different transfected cells were incubated with CCK-8 for 2 h in the incubator. Then the absorbance at 450 nm was measured by using a microplate reader. RESULTS： Cells that were transfected with p53- DsRed revealed a predominant nuclear localization. YFP-p65 mainly existed in the cytoplasm. Cells were transfected with CFP-IκBα, CFP-IκBαM, and CFP-IκBα243N respectively and revealed a predominant cytosolic localization. However, cells transfected of CFP-IκBα244C revealed a predominant nuclear localization. The rnRNA levels of p65, TNF-α, p53 and Bax in CFP-IκBα transfected cells did not change significantly, while in YFP-p65/CFP-IκBα co-transfected cells, IκBα decreased the transcription of p65 downstream gene TNF-α （2.24 ± 0.503） compared with the YFP-p65/ CFP-C1 co-transfected cells （5.08 ± 0.891） （P 〈 0.05）. Phosphorylation defective IκBα （IκBαM） decreased the transcription levels of all the four genes compared with the control （P 〈 0.05）. The N terminus of IκBα（IκBα243N） increased the transcription of NF-κB （1.84 ± 0.176） and TNF-α （1.51 ± 0.203） a little bit. However, the C terminus of IκBα（IκBα244C） increased the transcription of NF-κB, TNF-α, p53 and Bax significantly （8.29 ± 1.662, 14.16 ± 2.121, 10.2 ± 0.621, 3.72 ± 0.346） （P 〈 0.05）. The CCK-8 experiment also showed that IκBα244C and p53 synergistically mediate apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS： IκBα and its mutants （IκBαM, IκBα243N, IκBαM244C） have different effects on NF- KB and p53 signaling pathways, according to their different structures. IκBαbounds with NF-KB and p53 in cytoplasm steadily, and inhibits both of the two signaling pathways, p53 and IκBα244C may be co-factor in inducing apoptosis. The C terminal of IκBαnhanced cell death, which suggests that it may be a pro-apoptotic protein existed in cells.

Lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA interference of CENPK inhibits growth of colorectal cancer cells with overexpression of Cullin 4A

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide.The identification of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC is a key research imperative.Immunohistochemical analysis has revealed high expression of centromere protein K(CENPK)in CRC.However,the role of CENPK in the progression of CRC is not well characterized.AIM To evaluate the effects of knockdown of CENPK and overexpression of Cullin 4A(CUL4A)in RKO and HCT116 cells.METHODS Human colon cancer samples were collected and tested using a human gene expression chip.We identified CENPK as a potential oncogene for CRC based on bioinformatics analysis.In vitro experiments verified the function of this gene.We investigated the expression of CENPK in RKO and HCT116 cells using quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR),western blot,and flow cytometry.The effect of short hairpin RNA(shRNA)virus-infected RKO cells on tumor growth was evaluated in vivo using quantitative analysis of fluorescence imaging.To evaluate the effects of knockdown of CENPK and overexpression of CUL4A in RKO and HCT116 cells,we performed a series of in vitro experiments,using qPCR,western blot,MTT assay,and flow cytometry.RESULTS We demonstrated overexpression of CENPK in human colon cancer samples.CENPK was an independent risk factor in patients with CRC.The downstream genes FBX32,CUL4A,and Yesassociated protein isoform 1 were examined to evaluate the regulatory action of CENPK in RKO cells.Significantly delayed xenograft tumor emergence,slower growth rate,and lower final tumor weight and volume were observed in the CENPK short hairpin RNA virus infected group compared with the CENPK negative control group.The CENPK gene interference inhibited the proliferation of RKO cells in vitro and in vivo.The lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference of CENPK inhibited the proliferation of RKO and HCT116 colon cancer cells,with overexpression of the CUL4A.CONCLUSION We indicated a potential role of CENPK in promoting tumor proliferation,and it may be a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CRC.

Comments on validation of conventional non-invasive fibrosis scoring systems in patients with metabolic associated fatty liver disease

To evaluate and predict liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),several non-invasive scoring systems were built and widely used in the progress of diagnosis and treatment,which showed great diagnostic efficiency,such as aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index,fibrosis-4 index,body mass index,aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase ratio,diabetes score and NAFLD fibrosis score.Since the new concept of metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)was proposed,the clinical application value of the non-invasive scoring systems mentioned above has not been assessed in MAFLD.The evaluation of the diagnostic performance of these non-invasive scoring systems will provide references for clinicians in the diagnosis of MAFLD.

The chemistry,distribution,and metabolic modifications of fruit flavonols

Fruits are considered as healthy foods because they provide a rich source of vitamins,antioxidants and other nutrients,including a range of essential bioactive flavonoid compounds.Flavonols,with diverse chemical properties and biological activities,are the most ubiquitous flavonoids that occur naturally in fruits and they are nutritionally important to animals and humans.Numerous investigations have emphasized that significant intake of dietary flavonols is associated with lower incidences of degenerative diseases.Here,we review current knowledge concerning the molecular structures,composition and distribution,regulation,and structural modification of fruit flavonols.In addition,we consider biotechnological approaches to enhance the levels of flavonols in plants or microorganism.An understanding of the factors determining production of flavonols in fruit crops will improve breeding programs and facilitate the production of fruits or bio-products with desirable contents of bioactive flavonols of benefit to humans.

Pomolidomide for relapsed/refractory light chain amyloidosis after resistance to both bortezomib and daratumumab:A case report

BACKGROUND Immunoglobulin light chain(AL)amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by deposition of ALs essentially in any organ or tissue,with cardiac involvement being very frequent(61%).Early diagnosis is of high importance because early initiation of treatment in AL amyloidosis may improve outcomes.Despite the administration of immunotherapeutic agents,in particular bortezomib and daratumumab,which have improved the outcomes of AL amyloidosis,antiplasma cell therapy remains suboptimal for some patients.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 55-year-old man presenting with heart failure who was diagnosed with cardiac AL amyloidosis by an endomyocardial biopsy.He experienced a short-term hematological remission with no organ response after being administered a bortezomib-daratumumab containing regimen.The treatment was switched to pomolidomide due to pulmonary involvement and progressive pleural effusion,in which flow cytometry analysis showed abnormal plasma cells.After two cycles of this regimen,the pleural effusion was controlled effectively with no recurrence.CONCLUSION This case emphasizes the crucial role of endomyocardial biopsy in early diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis and suggests that pomolidomide may be an effective treatment for patients with AL amyloidosis that is relapsed/refractory to both bortezomib and daratumumab.

Randomized Algorithm for Determining Stabilizing Parameter Regions for General Delay Control Systems

This paper proposes a method for determining the stabilizing parameter regions for general delay control systems based on randomized sampling. A delay control system is converted into a unified state-space form. The numerical stability condition is developed and checked for sample points in the parameter space. These points are separated into stable and unstable regions by the decision function obtained from some learning method. The proposed method is very general and applied to a much wider range of systems than the existing methods in the literature. The proposed method is illustrated with examples.

Feature Selection for Time Series Modeling

In machine learning, selecting useful features and rejecting redundant features is the prerequisite for better modeling and prediction. In this paper, we first study representative feature selection methods based on correlation analysis, and demonstrate that they do not work well for time series though they can work well for static systems. Then, theoretical analysis for linear time series is carried out to show why they fail. Based on these observations, we propose a new correlation-based feature selection method. Our main idea is that the features highly correlated with progressive response while lowly correlated with other features should be selected, and for groups of selected features with similar residuals, the one with a smaller number of features should be selected. For linear and nonlinear time series, the proposed method yields high accuracy in both feature selection and feature rejection.

Application of T-Wave Alternans in Evaluation of Prognosis in Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Objective: To explore the application value of electrocardiograph (ECG) T-wave Alternans (TWA) anomaly in acute stage of intracerebral hemorrhage patients. Methods: We choose 1175 intracerebral hemorrhage patients whose conventional 12-lead ECG has TWA in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2015, 751 patients without TWA in the same period as the control group, compared the volume of intracerebral hemorrhage, bleeding site and mortality between the 2 groups. Results: In TWA group, 247 cases died, 361 cases with massive intracerebral hemorrhage, 298 cases with brain stem hemorrhage;in TWA negative group (control group), 41 cases died, 93 cases with massive brain hemorrhage, 64 cases with brain stem hemorrhage. There are statistical differences between two groups (P Conclusion: The occurrence of TWA is significantly related to the volume of bleeding, the bleeding site and mortality, and can be used as an important parameter in the prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Intestinal flora and depressive disorders:exploration and prospect of microbial-gut-brain axis

This paper examines the correlation between depressive disorders and intestinal flora.Depression is a common affective disorder characterized by low mood,loss of interest,anhedonia,high incidence,high recurrence rate,high disability rate,and high medical costs.The incidence and harmfulness of depressive disorder are gradually increasing,and its etiology is complex and diverse,among which the abnormal intestinal flora is considered to be one of the causes of depressive disorder.This article reviews the results of several studies that found intestinal flora imbalance in depressed patients,including changes in the type and quantity of flora and changes in metabolic pathways.In addition,antibiotic and probiotic treatments have also been shown to be effective in alleviating depressive symptoms,further indicating the importance of intestinal flora disturbances in the pathogenesis of depression.We also explored the relationship between intestinal flora and the pathogenesis of depressive disorders.Through neuro-immuno-endo-crine-metabolic pathways,intestinal flora can affect the function of the central nervous system,cause changes in the host’s mental behavior,and lead to or aggravate depressive symptoms.Overall,this study not only found differences in the intestinal flora of patients with depressive disorders but also revealed the potential role of intestinal flora in the pathogenesis.Importantly,this provides a new theoretical basis for further clarifying the pathogenesis of depressive disorders and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Research progress on the biological effects of BDNF and proBDNFs in post-traumatic stress disorder

Many people were affected psycho-logically and even traumatized by the outbreak of new coronavirus pneumonia in 2020,which has the potential to lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.Many neuropsy-chiatric illnesses are aided by brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its predecessors.Brain-derived neurotrophic factor precursors have the biological impact of triggering neuronal apoptosis and hindering neural regeneration,and brain-derived neurotrophic factor itself can help increase the growth,survival,and differentiation of central and peripheral nerve cells.This article provides an in-depth study of their biological impacts in post-traumatic stress disorder in an attempt to understand the biological effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its precursor proteins.