Long-Term Performance and Microstructural Characterization of Dam Concrete in the Three Gorges Project

This study investigates the long-term performance of laboratory dam concrete in different curing environments over ten years and the microstructure of 17-year-old laboratory concrete and actual concrete cores drilled from the Three Gorges Dam.The mechanical properties of the laboratory dam concrete,whether cured in natural or standard environments,continued to improve over time.Furthermore,the laboratory dam concrete exhibited good resistance to diffusion and a refined microstructure after 17 years.However,curing and long-term exposure to the local natural environment reduced the frost resistance.Microstructural analyses of the laboratory concrete samples demonstrated that moderate-heat cement and fine fly ash(FA)particles were almost fully hydrated to form compact micro structures consisting of large quantities of homogeneous calcium(alumino)silicate hydrate(C-(A)-S-H)gels and a few crystals.No obvious interfacial transition zones were observed in the microstructure owing to the longterm pozzolanic reaction.This dense and homogenous microstructure was the crucial reason for the excellent long-term performance of the dam concrete.A high FA volume also played a significant role in the microstructural densification and performance growth of dam concrete at a later age.The concrete drilled from the dam surface exhibited a loose microstructure with higher microporosity,indicating that concrete directly exposed to the actual service environment suffered degradation caused by water and wind attacks.In this study,both macro-performance and microstructural analyses revealed that the application of moderate-heat cement and FA resulted in a dense and homogenous microstructure,which ensured the excellent long-term performance of concrete from the Three Gorges Dam after 17 years.Long-term exposure to an actual service environment may lead to microstructural degradation of the concrete surface.Therefore,the retained long-term dam concrete samples need to be further researched to better understand its microstructural evolution and development of its properties.

Long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS

The application of reclaimed asphalt pavement(RAP)and reclaimed asphalt shingles(RAS)on asphalt pavement can reduce the asphalt paving cost,conserve energy and protect the environment.However,the use of high contents of RAP and RAS in asphalt pavement may lead to durability issues,especially the fatigue cracking and thermal cracking.It is necessary to conduct a series of analyses on asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS,and seek methods to enhance their long-term performance.This paper provides a comprehensive over-view of the long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high contents of RAP and RAS.The findings in this research show that rutting resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures is not a concern,whereas their resistance to fatigue and thermal cracking is not conclusive.Recycling agents can be used to improve the thermal cracking resistance of high recycled asphalt mixtures.An optimum decision on recycling agents will improve the durability properties of high recycled asphalt mixtures.It is recommended that to use a balanced mixture design approach with testing of the blended asphalt binders will provide better understanding of long-term performance of recycled asphalt mixtures containing high RAP and RAS.

Energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures based on dynamic environmental simulation test

Dynamic environmental testing is an effective means to study the energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures. Southeast University is designing and building a large-scale dynamic environment simulation testing facility. It can simuhaneously and dynamically simulate temperature, relative humidity, infrared solar radiation, UV radiation, and precipitation. A transformation is needed to predict the energy and long-term hygrothermal performance of building enclosures under real service conditions using data obtained from accelerated tests.

Technical development and long-term performance observations of long-life asphalt pavement: A case study of Shandong Province

Based on the investigation of long-life asphalt pavement at home and abroad,the development of long-life asphalt pavement technology in Shandong Province,China is reviewed in this paper.The structural combination char-acteristics of typical long-life asphalt pavement in Shandong Province and their popularization and application are introduced.The application effect of combined base long-life asphalt pavement,which has been widely promoted,is evaluated.At the same time,taking the Binda perpetual pavement test road in Shandong Province as an example,the dynamic response and long-term performance evolution of long-life asphalt pavement are analyzed over a period of more than 17 years.Sections S1,S2,and S3 present information about full-depth asphalt pavement.Section S4 describes combined base asphalt pavement.The results show that the maximum strain of S1–S4 is within the endurance strain limit.S1,S2,S3 and S4 are all expected to be long-life asphalt pavements.In the current study,Sections S1–S4 were maintained in good condition during a service period of more than 17 years with no structural cracks and good deflection,rutting,and IRI indexes.The deflection index was stable without growth,and the IRI was also relatively stable following the opening to traffic.The rutting depth un-derwent a slight cumulative increase within 8 years of opening,and then stabilized.The average rutting depth over the 17-year period was less than 15 mm.Therefore,S1–S4 meet the design standards required for use as long-life pavements.From the perspectives of resource saving,energy saving,and emission reduction and service performance,full-depth asphalt pavement can be considered to represent a new generation of green and durable pavement structures with great future promotion potential.

Long-term Performance of Moderate Heat Portland Cement with Double-expansive Sources

The long-term performance of moderate heat Portland cement with double-expansive sources （DE cement） in the system of high MgO clinker and gypsum was studied by XRD, SEM/EDAX and test methods for strength and expansion of cement. Results indicate that the periclase particle, whose size was 5-7.5μm in DE cement clinker containing 4.8 % MgO, existed individually. The periclase hydration in hardened DE cement paste started at about 60 days and completed up to 2 000 days, and ettringite in the paste was stable from 3 days to 2 000 days. Under the conditions of 4.5%-5.0 % MgO in clinker and 2.8%-3.4 %SO3 in cement, ettringite expansion and brucite expansion in DE cement paste had a continuity, entirety and stability. At the ages of 90, 365,730 and 2 000 days the expansion of the paste reached 0.07%-0.11%, 0.16%-0.21%, 0.21%-0.27 %, and 0.29%-0.38%, respectively. The results suggest that by using this cement in mass concrete it may compensate its temperature shrinkage and autogenous shrinkage to some extent.

Curling of New Concrete Pavement and Long-Term Performance

Curling results from the temperature differential across the concrete slab thickness and may induce undue stresses in newly placed slab. This study deals with the finite element （FE） analysis of curling, curling stresses, field measurement of curling on a newly built jointed plain concrete pavement, and comparison of its long-term performance using both Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide （MEPDG） and HIPERPAVII software. The FE analysis was performed with a software program, ANSYS. The test section was modeled as a three-layer system with 300 mm concrete slab, 100 mm treated drainable base, and 150 mm lime-treated subgrade. All layers were assumed to be linear elastic. Temperature data was collected at five different depth locations across the concrete slab with digital data loggers. Curling was measured on five different days with a simple setup. The effect of temperature nonlinearities across the slab thickness was also examined. The results show that both upward and downward curling increase as the temperature differential increases. The maximum stress resulting from the combined effect of curling and traffic loading due to positive temperature differential is higher than that due to the negative temperature differential of the same magnitude. Since temperature differential has a significant influence on curling, both curling and curling stresses can be mitigated at an early age with temperature control, namely via enhanced curing. Both MEPDG and HIPERPAVII showed approximately the same performance for the PCC thickness ranging from 215 mm to 300 mm for this project. Performance prediction from HIPERPAVII is very sensitive to the change in PCC thickness less than 230 mm whereas MEPDG prediction is not as sensitive to the thickness change as with HIPERPAV 1I.

Full-scale multi-functional test platform for investigating mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems of high-speed railways

Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper,and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples.Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways,namely the CRTS I,the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks,the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track,the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways.Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed,including the real bogie loading,multi-point loading and the impact loading.Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement,acceleration,pressure,structural strain and deformation,etc.Utilizing this test platform,both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated,being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways.As examples,three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways.Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform,which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.

Mechanisms by which fibroblast growth factor 20 improves motor performance in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

Genome-wide studies have reported that Parkinson’s disease is associated with abnormal expression of various growth factors. In this study, male C57 BL/6 mice aged 10 weeks were used to establish Parkinson’s disease models using an intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. 28 days later, 10 or 100 ng fibroblast growth factor 20 was injected intracerebroventricularly. The electrophysiological changes in the mouse hippocampus were recorded using a full-cell patch clamp. Expression of Kv4.2 in the substantia nigra was analyzed using a western blot assay. Serum malondialdehyde levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The motor coordination of mice was evaluated using the rotarod test. The results showed that fibroblast growth factor 20 decreased A-type potassium current in neurons of the substantia nigra, increased long-term potentiation amplitude in the hippocampus, and downregulated Kv4.2 expression. A high dose of fibroblast growth factor 20 reduced serum malondialdehyde levels and enhanced the motor coordination of mice. These findings confirm that fibroblast growth factor 20 has a therapeutic effect on the toxicity induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine, and its mechanism of action is associated with the inhibition of A-type K+ currents and Kv4.2 expression. All animal procedures were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, China in 2017(approval No. KYLL-2017-0012).

Dimensionality regulation in tin halide perovskite solar cells: Toward high performance and stability

Tin halide perovskites(THPs)have received extensive attention due to their low toxicity and excellent optoelectronic properties,and are considered to be the most promising alternatives to develop efficient lead-free perovskite solar cells.However,due to the unique and inherent characteristics of Sn^(2+)being easily oxidized to Sn^(4+)and fast crystallization,tin perovskite solar cells(TPSCs)show relatively poor performance and stability,compared to the lead counterparts.Recently,the introduction of bulky organic spacers into three-dimensional(3D)THPs for dimensional regulation can not only prevent the intrusion of water and oxygen,but also inhibit the self-doping effect and ion migration.In this review,we will detail how dimensional regulation enables TPSCs with high performance and superior stability.First,we summarize the intrinsic properties of THPs and analyze the root causes of their poor performance and instability.Next,we discuss the specific structure and types of the dimensional regulation strategy.Then,the mechanism of dimensional regulation is discussed in detail,mainly from inhibiting the Sn^(2+)oxidation,optimizing crystallization,passivating defects,and improving energy level alignment.Finally,future challenges and prospects for dimensional regulation are elaborated to help researchers develop more efficient and stable TPSCs.

Analysis of Economic Performance in Mergers and Acquisition

Based on the methods of financial analysis, the direct earnings in mergers and acquisition M&A, profit or loss from stock price fluctuation, influence on the earning per stock(EPS) and revenue growth after M&A were analyzed in detail. And several quantitative models were established in relevant part accordingly. It can be useful to improve the present low efficiency in the M&A performance in Chinese capital market.

Motivation and Performance Analyses of Suning’s Acquisition of Carrefour

In the new era of China’s retail business transformation,retail enterprises have launched online and offline omni-channels,developed all-category business models,and taken the step toward merger and acquisition expansion.This paper studies and analyzes the motivation and performance of Suning’s merger and acquisition of Carrefour China through literature research,case study,the financial index method,non-financial index method,and comparative analysis method.Based on the analysis,this merger and acquisition has improved Suning’s management efficiency but reduced its profitability and increased its risks,mainly due to the pressure of traditional business sales,the unstable operating channels,and the fact that the integration of the two parties has not achieved the desired results.

Geothermal extraction performance in fractured granite from Gonghe Basin,Qinghai province,China:Long-term injection and production experiment

The efficient exploitation of geothermal energy through enhanced geothermal systems(EGS)has been a relevant topic for hot dry rock(HDR)geothermal resources.When cryogenic fluid is injected into a thermal reservoir,improving heat exchange efficiency is key to achieving the optimal exploitation of HDR.In this paper,granite outcrops from Gonghe Basin were used as the testing sample.The natural fractures in the granite samples were relatively well developed.To simulate long-term injection and production from multi-wells in situ,physical ex-periments were performed in a newly-developed,in-house large-scale true triaxial experimental system.Geothermal extraction performance of an HDR was simulated for long-term injection and production operations.Simultaneously,the mode of one-injection and multiple-production wells was represented.In the paper,the ef-fects of the production-injection well spacing,the number of production wells and the injection rate on the production temperature and flow rate are discussed.The results show that,during long-term injection and pro-duction,there are two stages of production temperature variation,namely stabilization and attenuation.When the number of the production wells is increased,the heat extraction efficiency is accelerated.Moreover,competitive diversion of fluid among fractures occurred due to different conductivities.Furthermore,under different pro-duction modes,the production flow rate contributed differently to the heat extraction.Finally,the effect of the production-injection wells spacing on the heat exchange performance was analyzed;this is mainly reflected in the change of the effective heat exchange area between the rock and the injected fluid.The results emphasize the importance of designing an appropriate production mode and optimizing the injection-production parameters to ensure efficient HDR exploitation.

A numerical case study on the long-term seismic assessment of reinforced concrete tunnels in corrosive environments

The paper investigates the long-term seismic behaviour of an underground reinforced concrete(RC)metro tunnel in Santiago,Chile,considering the combined effects of chloride-induced corrosion and cumulative,low-amplitude seismic shaking on the structure’s performance.The soil-tunnel response is evaluated with the aid of transient,nonlinear finite element analysis using a two-dimensional(2D)plane strain numerical model that adopts advanced nonlinear models for the simulation of soil and concrete plasticity and the dynamic stiffness behaviour.The effects of corrosion deterioration are demonstrated in terms of time-dependent loss of rebar area and cover concrete stiffness and strength.The study illustrates the influence of ageing and repeated seismic shaking on lining deformation,crack development,and the modal characteristics of the intact and degrading systems.The results indicate that multiple lowamplitude events drive the non-degrading RC tunnel beyond its elastic regime without significant structural response consequences.A noticeable impact of corrosion deterioration on the structure’s seismic performance is revealed,increasing with the number and intensity of earthquake events.Two different tunnel embedment depths are comparatively assessed.The analyses demonstrate larger coseismic section convergence in the case of the deeper tunnel,yet a less pronounced effect of ageing and successive seismic loading compared to the shallow section,which is evident in the RC lining cracks at the end of shaking.

Long-term survival of more than 3 years among patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with chemotherapy

AIM: To evaluate the prognostic factors of long-term survival of more than 3 years in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 474 patients with advanced ⅢB/Ⅳ NSCLC who received chemotherapy as initial treatment between September 2002 and March 2007.RESULTS: The median survival time(MST) was 12.5 mo and the 3 year and 5 year survival rates were 14.6% and 5.3%, respectively. Long-term survival of more than 3 and 5 years was observed in 65 and 16 patients, respectively. The MST for the 65 patients was61.5 mo(range, 60.1-81.0 mo). In the 474 patients, a good performance status(PS), female sex, non-smoking status and adenocarcinoma histology were significantly associated with a favorable outcome. Furthermore, female sex, a good PS, non-smoking status and adenocarcinoma histology were significantly correlated with longterm survival of more than 3 years and most of these patients(89.2%, 58/65) received epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors as any line treatment. Survival analysis of long-term survivors showed that a PS of 0 was an independent prognostic factor for predicting favorable outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a good PS and adenocarcinoma histology play an important role in long-term survival of more than 3 years. A PS of 0 was an independent prognostic factor for predicting favorable outcomes in patients with advanced NSCLC who survived for more than 3 years.

Performances and long-term stability of the LHAASO-KM2A prototype array

A prototype array for the LHAASO-KM2A, which consists of 42 detector units and fully overlaps the ARGO-YBJ experiment, was set up at the Yangbajing cosmic ray observatory and has been in stable operation since Octoter 2010. The resulting performances of the KM2A electromagnetic particle detector prototypes fully meet the design requirements. Through hybrid observation of cosmic ray showers with the ARGO-YBJ experiment, the performances and long-term stability of the prototype array are tested and the results are consistent with expectation. The cosmic ray moon shadow observed by the prototype array is also presented.

Suitable lithium polysulfides diffusion and adsorption on CNTs@TiO_(2)-bronze nanosheets surface for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries

The shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides(UPSs)in lithium-sulfur batteries(LSBs)has been hampered their commercialization.Metal oxides as separator modifications can suppress the shuttle effect.Since there is no direct electron transport between metal oxides and UPSs,absorbed UPSs should be diffused from the surface of metal oxides to the carbon matrix to go through redox reactions.If diffusivity of UPSs from metal oxides surface to carbon substrate is poor,it would hinder the redox reactions of LiPSs.Nevertheless,researchers tend to focus on the adsorption and overlook the diffusion of UPSs.Herein,same morphology and different crystal phase of TiO_(2) nanosheets grown on carbon nanotubes(CNTs@TiO_(2)-bronze and CNTs@TiO_(2)-anatase)have been designed via a simple approach.Compared with CNTs and CNTs@TiO_(2)-anatase composites,the battery with CNTs@TiO_(2)-bronze modified separator delivers higher specific capacities and stronger cycling stability,especially at high current rates(~472 mAh·g^(-1) at 2.0 C after 1,000 cycles).Adsorption tests,density functional theory calculations and electrochemical performance evaluations indicate that suitable diffusion and adsorption for LiPSs on the CNTs@TiO_(2)-B surface can effectively capture LiPSs and promote the redox reaction,leading to the superior cycling performances.

Comprehensive Assessment of the Safety of Eucommia ulmoides Leaf Extract for Consumption as a Traditional Chinese Health Food

To ensure the export quality of Eucommia ulmoides leaf extract(ELE)and facilitate E.ulmoides leaf inclusion in the directory of traditional Chinese health foods,an overall safety assessment of ELE was performed,including genotoxicity and long-term toxicity,according to the national food safety standards of China.No variations in the reverse mutation number of the nominal bacterial strains were observed under ELE treatment in comparison with the solvent control.Additionally,the micronucleus rates of in vivo mammalian erythrocytes and in vitro mammalian cells under ELE treatment were equivalent to or significantly lower than those of the solvent control.The fold change in the trifluorothymidine resistance mutation frequency of the thymidine kinase gene under ELE treatment was less than three times in comparison with the solvent control,suggesting that ELE did not cause genotoxicity.Moreover,animal experiments showed that the growth performance of rats under ELE treatment was enhanced because the body weights of rats increased.No oxidative injury or inflammatory responses were induced and no histopathological lesions of tissues were detected under ELE treatment.In addition,plasma triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels significantly decreased,and plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels significantly increased with ELE treatment,suggesting that ELE was health-promoting.Furthermore,moderate to excellent antimicrobial activities,a favorable anticancer capacity,and superior antioxidant abilities of ELE were found,implying ELE possesses good bioactivities.Therefore,we affirmed ELE is safe to consume as a traditional Chinese health food.

Flexural failure experiment on cracked PC simply supported box girders

Long-term load and flexural failure experiments are carried out on two prestressed concrete(PC) simply supported box girders. In the long-term load experiment, girder-1(G1) is in an elastic state, while girder-2(G2) is in a cracking state. To investigate the influence of cracking on the flexural behaviors of PC simply supported box beams, the experiment results are analyzed from many aspects, such as load–deflection, load–strain, and failure mode. Experiment results show the following: 1) the shrinkage and creep of concrete have considerable influences on the long-term deflection and strain of the two girders; 2) in the flexural failure experiment, the cracks and ultimate loads of the two girders are close. The rigidity degeneration of G2 is significantly faster than that of G1, and thus G2 shows nonlinear characteristics earlier; 3) to prove the validity and rationality of the current code, the cracking load and ultimate load of the two girders are calculated according to the current code.

Economic Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions

In recent years,the frequent adjustment of the government’s economic policies and the uncertainty of foreign economic situations have made the degree of uncertainty of China’s economic policies rise continuously.The increasing degree of policy uncertainty will inevitably affect the investment and financing decisions of micro enterprises.Then,how does economic policy uncertainty(EPU)affect mergers and acquisitions(M&A)behavior?What’s the mechanism?Based on the above questions,this paper uses the data of non-financial listed companies in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2008 to 2018 as a sample to explore the relationship between EPU and M&A.The study shows that rising EPU will promote corporate M&A behavior,and this effect is more significant in slow-growth companies.The relationship between EPU and M&A is affected by corporate governance,stock price volatility and financing constraints.Specifically,the company’s M&A size is more sensitive to EPU with higher level of corporate governance,higher level of stock price volatility,and lesser financing constraints.Further research shows that the rise of EPU will significantly promote the improvement of M&A performance in the short-term,but this effect does not exist in the long-term.Various robustness checks do not change the empirical results of this paper.

Status and progress of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell: Towards large-scale manufactory and practical applications

Metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells(MS-SOFCs)own advantages of high performance,fast start-up,thermal cycle stability,easy sealing,and reduced material cost.In recent years,significant progress has been made in the development of MS-SOFCs,particularly with respect to improved electrochemical performance,long-term stability,and industrial production.Previous studies have mainly focused on stainless steel-based MS-SOFCs,with an emphasis on the development of low-temperature preparation processes,antioxidant coatings,stable electrodes,and the direct utilization of hydrocarbon fuels.Notably,Ceres Power and GE have successfully commercialized MS-SOFCs and have constant cooperated with several institutions and companies,such as Jülich Research Center,Weichai and Cummins,to promote the performance and expand the market of MS-SOFC.Looking ahead,this review paper provides an outlook on future research directions in this rapidly evolving field.