Revisiting factors contributing to the strength of cemented backfill support system:A review

This paper provides a review of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of cemented tailings backfill(CTB).The consideration is that once CTB is poured into underground stopes,its strength is heavily influenced by factors internal to the CTB as well as the surrounding mining environments.Peer-reviewed journal articles,books,and conference papers published between 2000 and 2022 were searched electronically from various databases and reviewed.Additional sources,such as doctoral theses,were obtained from academic repositories.An important finding from the review is that the addition of fibers was reported to improve the UCS of CTB in some studies while decrease in others.This discrepancy was accounted to the different properties of fibers used.Further research is therefore needed to determine the“preferred”fiber to be used in CTB.Diverging findings were also reported on the effects of stope size on the UCS of CTB.Furthermore,the use of fly ash as an alternative binder may be threatened in the future when reliance on the coal power declines.Therefore,an alternative cementitious by-product to be used together with furnace slag may be required in the future.Finally,while most studies on backfill focused on single-layered structures,layered backfill design models should also be investigated.

Comment“Asymptomatic small intestinal ulcerative lesions:Obesity and Helicobacter pylori are likely to be risk factors”

There are many causes of anemia.It is unreasonable to simply associate anemia with asymptomatic ulcers in the small intestine.

Pernicious anemia: New insights from a gastroenterological point of view

Pernicious anemia （PA） is a macrocytic anemia that is caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, as a result of intrinsic factor deficiency. PA is associated with atrophic body gastritis （ABG）, whose diagnosis is based on histological confirmation of gastric body atrophy. Serological markers that suggest oxyntic mucosa damage are increased fasting gastrin and decreased pepsinogen I. Without performing Schilling＇s test, intrinsic factor deficiency may not be proven, and intrinsic factor and parietal cell antibodies are use- ful surrogate markers of PA, with 73% sensitivity and 100% specificity. PA is mainly considered a disease of the elderly, but younger patients represent about 15% of patients. PA patients may seek medical advice due to symptoms related to anemia, such as weak-ness and asthenia. Less commonly, the disease is suspected to be caused by dyspepsia. PA is frequently associated with autoimmune thyroid disease （40%） and other autoimmune disorders, such as diabetes mellitus （10%）, as part of the autoimmune polyen-docrine syndrome. PA is the end-stage of ABG. Long- standing Helicobacter pylori infection probably plays a role in many patients with PA, in whom the active infectious process has been gradually replaced by an autoimmune disease that terminates in a burned-out infection and the irreversible destruction of the gastric body mucosa. Human leucocyte antigen-DR genotypes suggest a role for genetic susceptibility in PA. PA patients should be managed by cobalamin replacement treatment and monitoring for onset of iron deficiency. Moreover, they should be advised about possible gastrointestinal long-term consequences, such as gastric cancer and carcinoids.

Lack of specific association between gastric autoimmunity hallmarks and clinical presentations of atrophic body gastritis

AIM： To investigate the possible relationships between gastric autoimmune phenomena and clinical presentations of this disorder, in consecutive atrophic body gastritis patients. METHODS： A total of 140 atrophic body gastritis patients, diagnosed as consecutive outpatients presenting with macrocytic or iron deficiency anemia, or longstanding dyspepsia underwent gastroscopy with antral and body biopsies, assay of intrinsic factor, parietal cells and Helicobacter pylori （ H pylon） antibodies. Gastritis was assessed according to Sydney System. RESULTS： Parietal cell antibodies were equally distributed in all clinical presentations, whereas the positivity of intrinsic factor antibodies （49/140, 35%） was significantly higher in pernicious anemia patients （49.2%） than in iron deficiency （21.1%） and dyspeptic patients （27.8%）. No specific pattern of autoantibodies was related to the clinical presentations of atrophic body gastritis. A positive correlation was obtained between the body atrophy score and the intrinsic factor antibody levels （r=0.2216, P=0.0085）. Associated autoimmune diseases were present in 25/140 （17.9%） patients, but the prevalence of autoimmune diseases was comparable, irrespective of the clinical presentations. CONCLUSION： The so-called hallmarks of gastric autoimmunity, particularly in intrinsic factor antibody cannot be usefully employed in defining an autoimmune pattern in the clinical presentations of ABG.

Microbial degradation of various types of dissolved organic matter in aquatic ecosystems and its influencing factors

Interactions between chemodiverse dissolved organic matter(DOM)and biodiverse microbes are governed by a myriad of intrinsic and extrinsic factors which are not well understood.Here,we update and bridge the gap of this interdisciplinary theme comprehensively.At an ecosystem level,aquatic ecosystems dominated by algae-sourced DOM(e.g.,eutrophic lake or coastal upwelling areas)harbor more biolabile DOM,such as directly assimilable monomers and readily hydrolysable biopolymers.However,other ecosystems prevailed by DOM supply from soil and vascular plants(e.g.,river or wetland)have more biorefractory DOM,such as low molecular weight(LMW)residue of aliphatic C skeletons and geopolymers.A variety of heterotrophic bacteria,archaea,fungi,phagotrophic protists,and even photoautotrophic phytoplankton shows genomic and/or culturing experimental evidence of being able to process a diverse type of organics.The various biodegradable organics have different chemical structures and chemical bonds such as carbohydrates,amino acids,proteins,lignins,lipids,carboxylic acids,humic acids,hydrocarbons,and nanoplastics.Meanwhile,bio-production of metabolism intermediates and/or biorefractory organics(e.g.,carboxyl-rich alicyclic molecules,CRAM)is observed despite general decay of bulk dissolved organic carbon(DOC)during bioassay experiments.In particular,emerging evidence shows that archaea contribute significantly to biomass in the marine mesopelagic zone and subsurface environments and their abundance often increases with depth in sediments.Furthermore,not only intrinsic factors(e.g.,DOM composition and structure),but also extrinsic ones(e.g.,sunlight and dissolved oxygen)play important roles in interplays between DOM and microbes.

Pernicious anemia: What are the actual diagnosis criteria?

A gastric intrinsic factor output under 200 U/h after pentagastrin stimulation (N > 2000 U/h) is specific for pernicious anemia. The other findings are either variable or non specific. Serum intrinsic factor antibodies, considered as specific in general practice, are present only in half of the patients with pernicious anemia. In their absence, since the disappearance of the Schilling tests, the gastric tubage currently used for the study of gastric acid secretion, is obligatory for the simultaneous study of intrinsic factor output. This study is important to eliminate another disease much more frequent than pernicious anemia, the protein bound to cobalamin malabsorption was observed in achlorhydric simple atrophic gastritis in the presence of intrinsic factor secretion.

Modeling and analysis of silicon-on-insulator elliptical microring resonators for future high-density integrated photonic circuits

We propose a novel resonator containing an elliptical microring based on a silicon-on-insulator platform. Simu- lations using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain method show that the novel elliptical microring can efficiently enhance the mode coupling between straight bus waveguides and resonator waveguides or between adjacent resonators while preserving relatively high intrinsic quality factors with large free spectral range. The proposed resonator would be an alternative choice for future high-density integrated photonic circuits.

The Video-Making Project： Why Students Love It？

It has been proven that ICT （information and communication technologies） affect the teaching and learning of a language, be it positive or negative. One of the examples of ICT that is used to enhance learners＇ creativity is the use of video. Although the use of ICT is encouraged in the learning and teaching of a language, it is still minimally applied in UMS （University Malaysia Sabah）, especially in the teaching and learning of a language. In this study, video-making is used as one of the assessments to measure learners＇ proficiency in the target language, which in this case, the Spanish Language. The video-making project was found to be able to improve learners＇ communication skills and knowledge building capabilities, as well as enhances learners＇ interest in the learning of the Spanish Language. It is found that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, nature of the course, lecturers＇ positive support as well as students＇ positive determination to obtain good grades are among the factors contributing to the students＇ positive performance in the Spanish Language.

Mechanisms and clinical implications in renal carcinoma resistance:narrative review of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC)is the most common histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma.The prognosis for patients with ccRCC has improved over recent years with the use of combination therapies with an anti-programmed death-1(PD-1)backbone.This has enhanced the quality of life and life expectancy of patients with this disease.Unfortunately,not all patients benefit;eventually,most patients will develop resistance to therapy and progress.Recent molecular,biochemical,and immunological research has extensively researched antiangiogenic and immune-based treatment resistance mechanisms.This analysis offers an overview of the principles underpinning the resistance pathways related to immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).Additionally,novel approaches to overcome resistance that may be considered for the trial context are discussed.

Elemental Substitution Effects in High-T_c Superconductor YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ)*

This paper reports the experimental results of the investigation on elemental substitution effects in YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) and the new physical ideas deduced comprehensively. It is shown that all the orthorhombic crystalline structure, oxygen content, oxidation valence of Cu atoms, and metal-semiconductor (insulator) transition are only the extrinsic factors deter mining the T_c of the systems, and there are two mechanisms of substitution effects, namely the mechanism of the substitution effects outside the CuO_2 planes and that within the CuO_2 planes. We suggest that the mobile carrier concentration and the dynamic, short-range antiferromagnetic correlation between Cu(2) atoms on the CuO_2 planes are the two intrinsic factors determining the high T_c superconductivity.

Anthropometrics,flexibility and training history as determinants for bicycle configuration

Intrinsic factors such as leg length,arm length,flexibility and training history are factors that may be relevant to the optimisation of the individual bicycle configuration process.Bike fitting methods do not always take all these variables into account,and as yet there have been limited studies examining how these variables can affect the cyclist's position on the bicycle.The main aims of this study were to establish how individual anthropometrics,training history and flexibility may influence cyclists'freely chosen bicycle configuration,and to determine the full-body static flexion angles chosen by cyclists on the bicycle.Fifty well-trained male cyclists were recruited for the study.A multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to predict the four main configurations of a bicycle(saddle height,saddle setback,handlebar reach and handlebar drop)based on individual anthropometrics,flexibility and training history.Average joint kinematic ranges for the knee(36°±7°)and elbow(19°±8°)joint supported previous recommendations.Hip(77°±5°)and shoulder(112°±7°)joint angles should be determined as true clinical joints.Trochanteric leg length(p<0.01),Knee Extension Angle test(p<0.01)and mSchober test(p=0.04)were significant predictors for determining saddle height.Hamstring flexibility can be used to predict handlebar drop(p=0.01).A cyclist who wishes to adopt a more aerodynamic position with an increased handlebar drop should aim to improve their hamstring flexibility.