Impact of typical environments in China’s western mountainous areas on the durability of railway concrete:a review

Purpose–This study aims to analyze the impact mechanism of typical environments in China’s western mountainous areas on the durability of railway concrete and propose measures to improve durability.Design/methodology/approach–With the continuous promotion of infrastructure construction,the focus of China’s railway construction has gradually shifted to the western region.The four typical environments of large temperature differences,strong winds and dryness,high cold and low air pressure unique to the western mountainous areas of China have adverse effects on the durability of typical railway structure concrete(bridges,ballastless tracks and tunnels).This study identified the characteristics of four typical environments in the western mountainous areas of China through on-site research.The impact mechanism of the four typical environments on the durability of concrete in different structural parts of railways has been explored through theoretical analysis and experimental research;Finally,a strategy for improving the durability of railway concrete suitable for the western mountainous areas of China was proposed.Findings–The daily temperature difference in the western mountainous areas of China is more than twice that of the plain region,which will lead to significant temperature deformation and stress in the multi-layered structure of railway ballastless tracks.It will result in cracking.The wind speed in the western plateau region is about 2.5 to 3 times that of the plain region,and the average annual rainfall is only 1/5 of that in the plain region.The drying effect on the surface of casting concrete will significantly accelerate its cracking process,leading to serious durability problems.The environmental temperature in the western mountainous areas of China is generally low,and there are more freeze-thaw cycles,which will increase the risk of freeze-thaw damage to railway concrete.The environmental air pressure in the western plateau region is only 60%of that in the plain region.The moisture inside the concrete is more likely to diffuse into the surrounding environment under the pressure difference,resulting in greater water loss and shrinkage deformation of the concrete in the plateau region.The above four issues will collectively lead to the rapid deterioration of concrete durability in the western plateau region.The corresponding durability improvement suggestions from theoretical research,new technology development and standard system was proposed in this paper.Originality/value–The research can provide the mechanism of durability degradation of railway concrete in the western mountainous areas of China and corresponding improvement strategies.

Durability evaluation for existing railway engineering: a review

Purpose – This study aims to analyze the factors, evaluation techniques of the durability of existing railwayengineering.Design/methodology/approach – China has built a railway network of over 150,000 km. Ensuring thesafety of the existing railway engineering is of great significance for maintaining normal railway operationorder. However, railway engineering is a strip structure that crosses multiple complex environments. Andrailway engineering will withstand high-frequency impact loads from trains. The above factors have led todifferences in the deterioration characteristics and maintenance strategies of railway engineering compared toconventional concrete structures. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the key factors that affect thedurability of railway structures and propose technologies for durability evaluation.Findings – The factors that affect the durability and reliability of railway engineering are mainly divided intothree categories: material factors, environmental factors and load factors. Among them, material factors alsoinclude influencing factors, such as raw materials, mix proportions and so on. Environmental factors varydepending on the service environment of railway engineering, and the durability and deterioration of concretehave different failure mechanisms. Load factors include static load and train dynamic load. The on-site rapiddetection methods for five common diseases in railway engineering are also proposed in this paper. Thesemethods can quickly evaluate the durability of existing railway engineering concrete.Originality/value – The research can provide some new evaluation techniques and methods for thedurability of existing railway engineering.

Cryo-ET Workflow for Understanding Ion Channels Localization on the Nodes of Ranvier

The localization of ion channels on myelinated axon is closely related with the saltatory conduction of action potential (AP). Abnormal changes in these channels contribute to multiple mental diseases. The development of cryo-Electron Tomography (cryo-ET) has provided a promising prospect for peering into ion channels in their native environment at high resolution. Previous achievements are reviewed here on cryo-ET. Accordingly, a cryo-ET workflow is designed for understanding ion channels localization in myelinated axon, especially nodes of Ranvier, which are significant for the saltatory conduction involved in the propagation of high-speed AP. The workflow is divided into six parts: the preparation of neural cultures with myelin, antibodies and immunofluorescence staining, frozen-hydrated sample preparation, cryo-ET imaging, cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) imaging, three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and refinement. The purpose is to conceive a possible solution for the problems related to ion channel compounds including localization, conformation dynamics, accessory structures of ion channel and transient regulatory factors, and thus provide insights into treating neurological diseases caused by abnormal ion channels activity.

In-situ study of the hydrogen peroxide photoproduction in seawater on carbon dot-based metal-free catalyst under operation condition

Hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))photoproduction in seawater with metal-free photocatalysts derived from biomass materials is a green,sustainable,and ultra environmentally friendly way.However,most photocatalysts are always corroded or poisoned in seawater,resulting in a significantly reduced catalytic performance.Here,we report the metal-free photocatalysts(RUT-1 to RUT-5)with in-situ generated carbon dots(CDs)from biomass materials(Rutin)by a simple microwave-assisted pyrolysis method.Under visible light(λ≥420 nm,81.6 mW/cm^(2)),the optimized catalyst of RUT-4 is stable and can achieve a high H_(2)O_(2)yield of 330.36μmol/L in seawater,1.78 times higher than that in normal water.New transient potential scanning(TPS)tests are developed and operated to in-situ study the H_(2)O_(2)photoproduction of RUT-4 under operation condition.RUT-4 has strong oxygen(O_(2))absorption capacity,and the O_(2)reduction rate in seawater is higher than that in water.Metal cations in seawater further promote the photo-charge separation and facilitate the photo-reduction reaction.For RUT-4,the conduction band level under operating conditions only satisfies the requirement of O_(2)reduction but not for hydrogen(H2)evolution.This work provides new insights for the in-situ study of photocatalyst under operation condition,and gives a green and sustainable path for the H_(2)O_(2)photoproduction with metal-free catalysts in seawater.

Nuclear translocation of OsMFT1 that is impeded by OsFTIP1 promotes drought toleranee in rice

Drought is the leading environmental threat affecting crop productivity,and plants have evolved a series of mechanisms to adapt to drought stress.The FT-interacting proteins(FTIPs)and phosphatidylethanola mine.binding proteins(PEBPs)play key roles in developmental processes,whereas their roles in the regulation of stress response are still largely unknown.Here,we report that OsFTIP1 negatively regulates drought response in rice.We showed that OsFTIP1 interacts with rice MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1(OsMFT1),a PEBP that promotes rice tolerance to drought treatment.Further studies discovered that OsMFT1 interacts with two key drought-related transcription factors,OsbZIP66 and OsMYB26,regulating their binding capacity on drought-related genes and thereby enhancing drought toleranee in rice.Interestingly,we found that OsFTIP1 impedes the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of OsMFT1,implying that dynamic modulation of drought-responsive genes by the OsMFT1-OsMYB26 and OsMFT1-OsbZIP66 complexes is integral to OsFTIP1-modulated nuclear accumulation of OsMFT1.Our findings also suggest that OsMFT1 might act as a hitherto unknown nucleocytoplasmic trafficking signal that regulates drought tolerance in rice in response to environmental signals.

The OsFTIP6-OsHB22-OsMYBR57 module regulates drought response in rice

Plants have evolved a sophisticated set of mechanisms to adapt to drought stress.Transcription factors play crucial roles in plant responses to various environmental stimuli by modulating the expression of numerous stress-responsive genes.However,how the crosstalk between different transcription factor families orchestrates initiation of the key transcriptional network and the role of posttranscriptional modification of transcription factors,especially in cellular localization/trafficking in response to stress in rice,remain still largely unknown.In this study,we isolated an Osmybr57 mutant that displays a drought-sensitive phenotype through a genetic screen for drought stress sensitivity.We found that OsMYBR57,an MYB-related protein,directly regulates the expression of several key drought-related OsbZ/Ps in response to drought treatment.Further studies revealed that OsMYBR57 interacts with a homeodomain transcription factor,OsHB22,which also plays a positive role in drought signaling.We further demonstrate that OsFTIP6 interacts with OsHB22 and promotes the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of OsHB22 into the nucleus,where OsHB22 cooperates with OsMYBR57 to regulate the expression of drought-responsive genes.Our findings have revealed a mechanistic framework underlying the OsFTIP6-0sHB22-0sMYBR57 module-mediated regulation of drought response in rice.The OsFTIP6-mediated OsHB22 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and OsMYBR57-0sHB22 regulation of OsbZIP transcription ensure precise control of expression of OsLEA3 and Rab21,and thereby regulate the response to water deficiency in rice.

Roles of lncRNA in the diagnosis and prognosis of triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that seriously endangers women's lives. The prognosis of breast cancer patients differs among molecular types. Compared with other subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC) has been a research hotspot in recent years because of its high degree of malignancy, strong invasiveness, rapid progression, easy of recurrence,distant metastasis, poor prognosis, and high mortality. Many studies have found that long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) plays an important role in the occurrence, proliferation, migration, recurrence, chemotherapy resistance, and other characteristics of TNBC. Some lncRNAs are expected to become biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of TNBC, and even new targets for its treatment. Based on a PubMed literature search, this review summarizes the progress in research on lncRNAs in TNBC and discusses their roles in TNBC diagnosis, prognosis, and chemotherapy with the hope of providing help for future research.

Advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the localization and diagnostics of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer

Sentinel lymph nodes(SLNs)are the first station of lymph nodes that extend from the breast tumor to the axillary lymphatic drainage.The pathological status of these LNs can predict that of the entire axillary lymph node.Therefore,the accurate identification of SLNs is necessary for sentinel lymph node biopsy(SLNB)to replace axillary lymph node dissection(ALND).The quality of life and prognosis of breast cancer patients are related to proper surgical treatment after the precise identification of SLNs.Some of the SLN tracers that have been identified include radioisotope,nano-carbon,indocyanine green(ICG),and methylene blue(MB).However,these tracers have certain limitations,such as pigmentation,radiation dangers,and the requirement for costly detection equipment.Ultrasound contrast agents(UCAs)have good specificity and sensitivity,and thus can compensate for some shortcomings of the mentioned tracers.This technique is also being applied to SLNB in patients with breast cancer,and can even provide an initial judgment on SLN status.Contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)has the advantages of high distinguishability,simple operation,no radiation harm,low cost,and accurate localization;therefore,it is expected to replace the traditional biopsy methods.In addition,it can significantly enhance the accuracy of SLN localization and shorten the operation time.

Highly Efficient Electroluminescent Materials with High Color Purity Based on Strong Acceptor Attachment onto B-N-Containing Multiple Resonance Frameworks

The development and enrichment of organic materials with narrowband emission in longer wavelength regions beyond 515 nm still remains a great challenge.Herein,a synthetic methodology for narrowband emission materials has been proposed to functionalize multiple resonance(MR)skeletons and generate a universal building block,namely,the key intermediate DtCzB-Bpin,which can be utilized to construct multifarious thermally activated delayed fluorescence(TADF)materials with high color purity through a simple one-step Suzuki coupling reaction.Based on this unique synthetic strategy,a series of efficient narrowband green TADF emitters has been constructed by localized attachment of 1,3,5-triazine and pyrimidine derivatives-based acceptors onto B–N-containing MR frameworks with 1,3-bis(3,6-di-tertbutylcarbazol-9-yl)benzene(DtCz)as the ligand.The precise modulation of the acceptor is an intelligent approach to achieve bathochromic shift and narrowband emission simultaneously.The DtCzB-TPTRZbased organic light-emitting diode(OLED)exhibits pure green emission with Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage(CIE)coordinates of(0.23,0.68),a maximum external quantum efficiency(EQE)of 30.6%,and relatively low efficiency roll-off.

Study on disc cutter chipping of TBM based on field data and particle flow code simulation

Using tunnel boring machines to excavate high-strength intact rock masses is becoming more common.Due to the interactions between disc cutters and rocks,abnormal wear of disc cutters,especially cutter chipping,has become a common phenomenon.Existing research has mainly focused on normal wear of disc cutters without addressing abnormal wear cases.This study used the disc cutter consumption data of a tunnel project in China to investigate the abovementioned problem based on field research.According to the fail-ure patterns and fracture surface characteristics,the cutter chipping patterns were mainly categorized into four types:granule chipping,patch chipping,primary collapse,and secondary collapse.To further simulate the evolution of disc cutter chipping,based on the linear plastic bond model,a new contact model called the modified plastic bond(MPB)model was proposed to solve the metal simulation prob-lem in Particle Flow Code software.To this end,a set of uniaxial tensile and compressive tests were initially conducted to verify the applicability of the MPB model.Then,a series of three-dimensional rock-cutting simulation tests were conducted to reflect the evolu-tionary processes involved in each type of cutter chipping.The cutter chipping mechanism and morphological characteristics were clas-sified and summarized in detail.The results revealed that the cutting speed and penetration growth led to a rising trend in the probability and intensity of the cutter chipping.The presence of initial defects also induced an adverse effect on the service life of the cutter.The results indicated suitable working conditions for the cutter and suggested ways to control tunneling parameters and avoid frequent cutter chipping cases.