Vibrations induced by tunnel boring machine in urban areas: In situ measurements and methodology of analysis

Excavation with tunnel boring machine(TBM)can generate vibrations,causing damages to neighbouring buildings and disturbing the residents or the equipment.This problem is particularly challenging in urban areas,where TBMs are increasingly large in diameter and shallow in depth.In response to this problem,four experimental campaigns were carried out in different geotechnical contexts in France.The vibration measurements were acquired on the surface and inside the TBMs.These measurements are also complemented by few data in the literature.An original methodology of signal processing is pro-posed to characterize the amplitude of the particle velocities,as well as the frequency content of the signals to highlight the most energetic bands.The levels of vibrations are also compared with the thresholds existing in various European regulations concerning the impact on neighbouring structures and the disturbance to local residents.

A Computational Analysis of the Influence of Anastomosis Angle on Stenosis-Prone Locations during Radio-Cephalic Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation

In dialysis treatment, the radio-cephalic arteriovenous fistula (RCAVF) is a commonly used fistula, yet its low maturation rate remains a challenge. To enhance surgical outcomes, the relationship between stenosis-prone locations and RCAVF anastomosis angle is studied during maturation by developing two sets of RCAVF models for early (non-mature) and mature RCAVFs at five anastomosis angles. The impact of hemodynamics and wall shear stress (WSS) is examined to determine optimal anastomotic angles. Results indicate that acute angles produce more physiological WSS distributions and fewer disturbed regions, with early stenosis-prone regions located near the anastomosis that shift to the bending venous segment during remodeling. A pilot study comparing clinical and numerical results is conducted for validation.

Vibration-based bearing fault diagnosis of high-speed trains:A literature review

Due to the advantages of comfort and safety,high-speed trains are gradually becoming the mainstream public transport in China.Since the operating speed and mileage of high-speed trains have achieved rapid growth,it is more and more urgent to ensure their reliability and safety.As an important component in the bogies of highspeed trains,the health state of the bearing directly affects the operational safety of the trains.It is therefore necessary to diagnoze the faults of bearings in the bogies of high-speed trains as early as possible.In this paper,the bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been systematically summarized with their challenges and perspectives.First,it briefly introduces the structure of bearings in the bogies as well as the fault characteristic frequencies.Then,a brief review of the research on vibration-based signal processing methods and machine learning methods has been provided.Finally,the challenges and future developments of vibrationbased bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been analyzed.

Molecular mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards osteoblasts

Bone is a dynamic tissue that is constantly renewed by the coordinated action of two cell types, i.e., the bone-resorbing osteoclasts and the bone-forming osteoblasts. However, in some circumstances, bone regeneration exceeds bone self repair capacities. This is notably often the case after bone fractures, osteolytic bone tumor surgery, or osteonecrosis. In this regard,bone tissue engineering with autologous or allogenic mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) is been widely developed. MSCs can be isolated from bone marrow or other tissues such as adipose tissue or umbilical cord, and can be implanted in bone defects with or without prior amplification and stimulation. However, the outcome of most pre-clinical studies remains relatively disappointing. A better understanding of the successive steps and molecular mechanisms involved in MSC-osteoblastic differentiation appears to be crucial to optimize MSC-bone therapy. In this review, we first present the important growth factors that stimulate osteoblastogenesis. Then we review the main transcription factors that modulate osteoblast differentiation, and the microRNAs(miRs)that inhibit their expression. Finally, we also discuss articles dealing with the use of these factors and miRs in the development of new bone MSC therapy strategies. We particularly focus on the studies using human MSCs, since significant differences exist between osteoblast differentiation mechanisms in humans and mice for instance.

Cytomegalovirus and ulcerative colitis:Place of antiviraltherapy

The link between cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection and inflammatory bowel diseases remains an important subject of debate. CMV infection is frequent in ulcerative colitis(UC) and has been shown to be potentially harmful. CMV reactivation needs to be diagnosed using methods that include in situ detection of viral markers by immunohistochemistry or by nucleic acid amplification techniques. Determination of the density of infection using quantitative tools(numbers of infected cells or copies of the genome) is particularly important. Although CMV reactivation can be considered as an innocent bystander in active flareups of refractory UC, an increasing number of studies suggest a deleterious role of CMV in this situation. The presence of colonic CMV infection is possibly linked to a decreased response to steroids and other immunosuppressive agents. Some treatments, notably steroids and cyclosporine A, have been shown to favor CMV reactivation, which seems not to be the case for therapies using anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs. According to these findings, in flare-ups of refractory UC, it is now recommended to look for the presence of CMV reactivation by using quantitative tools in colonic biopsies and to treat them with ganciclovir in cases of high viral load or severe disease.

Biosorption of cadmium(II) and lead(II) ions from aqueous solutions onto dried activated sludge

The removal of heavy-metal ions from aqueous solutions by using dried activated sludge has been investigated in batch systems. Effect of solution pH, initial metal ion concentration, and temperature were determined. The results of the kinetic studies showed that the uptake processes of the two metal ions（Cd（Ⅱ） and Pb（Ⅱ）） followed the pseudo-second-order rate expression. The equilibrium data fitted very well to both the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models. The FT-IR analysis showed that the main mechanism of Cd（Ⅱ） and Pb（Ⅱ） biosorption onto dried activated sludge was their binding with amide I group.

The inhibitory effects on adult male reproductive functions of crude garlic （Allium sativum） feeding

Aim： To investigate the effects of crude garlic on adult male rat reproductive functions. Methods： Thirty male rats were divided into five groups： group 1 （untreated） and groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were fed for 30 days with 5%, 10%, 15% and 30% crude garlic, respectively. Testes and accessory organs were weighed and some markers were assessed. Light and electron microscopy observations were also performed. Results： A significant decrease was observed in the body weight of groups 4 （14%; P 〈 0.01） and 5 （20%; P 〈 0.01）; of the prostate weight in group 5 （29.1%; P 〈 0.05） and of seminal vesicle weight in groups 3 （14.4%; P 〈 0.01）, 4 （18.3%; P 〈 0.01） and 5 （27.3%; P 〈 0.01）. In contrast, testis and epididymis weights were unchanged. In epididymis tissue, the alpha glucosidase activity and the spermatozoa density were unchanged. The treatment resulted in a significant decrease in testosterone serum levels in groups 3 （77.3%; P 〈 0.01）, 4 （77.3%; P 〈 0.01） and 5 （90.9%; P 〈 0.01）, associated with a significant increase in LH serum levels （P 〈 0.01）. Testicular histology showed a dose-dependent increase in the percentage of empty seminiferous tubules. Moreover, testicular function was affected; a significant decrease in phosphatase acid activity （P 〈 0.01） and testosterone （P 〈 0.05） contents were observed. Conclusion： Crude garlic consumption during 1 month reduced testosterone secretion and altered spermatogenesis at 10%, 15% and 30% doses.

Predictors of Clostridium difficile infection severity in patients hospitalised in medical intensive care

AIM:To describe and analyse factors associated with Clostridium difficile infection(CDI)severity in hospitalised medical intensive care unit patients.METHODS:We performed a retrospective cohort study of 40 patients with CDI in a medical intensive care unit(MICU)at a French university hospital.We include patients hospitalised between January 1,2007and December 31,2011.Data on demographics characteristics,past medical history,CDI description was collected.Exposure to risk factors associated with CDI within 8 wk before CDI was recorded,including previous hospitalisation,nursing home residency,antibiotics,antisecretory drugs,and surgical procedures.RESULTS:All included cases had their first episode of CDI.The mean incidence rate was 12.94 cases/1000admitted patients,and 14.93,8.52,13.24,19.70,and8.31 respectively per 1000 admitted patients annually from 2007 to 2011.Median age was 62.9[interquartile range(IQR)55.4-72.40]years,and 13(32.5%)were women.Median length of MICU stay was 14.0d(IQR 5.0-22.8).In addition to diarrhoea,the clinical symptoms of CDI were fever(>38℃)in 23 patients,abdominal pain in 15 patients,and ileus in 1 patient.The duration of diarrhoea was 13.0(8.0-19.5)d.In addition to diarrhoea,the clinical symptoms of CDI were fever(>38℃)in 23 patients,abdominal pain in 15 patients,and ileus in 1 patient.Prior to CDI,38patients(95.0%)were exposed to antibiotics,and 12(30%)received at least 4 antibiotics.Fluoroquinolones,3rdgeneration cephalosporins,coamoxiclav and tazocillin were prescribed most frequently(65%,55%,40%and 37.5%,respectively).The majority of cases were hospital-acquired(n=36,90%),with 5 cases(13.9%)being MICU-acquired.Fifteen patients had severe CDI.The crude mortality rate within 30 d after diagnosis was 40%(n=16),with 9 deaths(9 over 16;56.3%)related to CDI.Of our 40 patients,15(37.5%)had severe CDI.Multivariate logistic regression showed that male gender[odds ratio(OR):8.45;95%CI:1.06-67.16,P=0.044],rising serum C-reactive protein levels(OR=1.11;95%CI:1.02-1.21,P=0.021),and previous exposure to fluoroquinolones(OR=9.29;95%CI:1.16-74.284,P=0.036)were independently associated with severe CDI.CONCLUSION:We report predictors of severe CDI not dependent on time of assessment.Such factors could help in the development of a quantitative score in ICU’s patients.

Physico-Chemical and Thermal Characterization of Some Lignocellulosic Fibres: <i>Ananas comosus</i>(AC), <i>Neuropeltis acuminatas</i>(NA) and <i>Rhecktophyllum camerunense</i>(RC)

This paper focuses on the study of the physical, biochemical, structural, and thermal properties of plant fibres of Rhecktophyllum camerunense (RC), Neuropeltis acuminatas (NA) and Ananas comosus (AC) from the equatorial region of Cameroon. The traditional use of these fibres inspired researchers to investigated their properties. This study aims at improving the state of knowledge with a view to diversifying applications. The fibres are extracted by retting. Then, their apparent density was measured following the ASTM D792 standard and their water moisture absorption and moisture content were also evaluated. Their molecular structure was studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. A quantitative analysis of the biochemical composition was performed according to the analytical technique for the pulp and paper industry (TAPPI). A TGA/DSC analysis was also performed. The results reveal that the AC, NA and RC fibres have densities of 1.26 ± 1.06, 0.846 ± 0.13 and 0.757 ± 0.08 g·cm-3 respectively. They are also hydrophilic with a water absorption rate of 188.64 ± 11.94%, 276.16% ± 8.07% and 198.17% ± 20%. They have a moisture content of 12.21%, 10.36% and 9.37%. The studied fibres exhibit functional groups that are related to the presence of hemicellulose, pectin, lignin and cellulose. The cellulose crystallinity index was found to be 67.99%, 46.5% and 59.72% respectively. The fibres under study have the following chemical composition: an extractive content of 3.07%, 14.77% and 8.74%;a pectin content of 4.15%, 7.69% and 3.45%;a hemicellulose content of 4.90%, 15.33% and 7.42%;a cellulose content of 68.11%, 36.08% and 65.15%;a lignin content of 12.01%, 25.15% and 16.2%;and an ash content of 0.27%, 1.53% and 0.47% respectively. The thermal transitions observed on the thermograms correlate with the TAPPI chemical composition. It is observed that these fibres are thermally stable up to temperatures of 200°C, 220°C and 285°C. These results make it possible to envisage uses similar to those of sisal, hemp and flax fibres.

Efficacy of seed extracts of Annona squamosa and Annona muricata(Annonaceae) for the control of Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus(Culicidae)

Objective:To evaluate the potential efficacy of seed extracts of Annona squamosa and Annona muricata used as natural insecticides to control adult and larvae of the vectors Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus under laboratory conditions.Methods:Aqueous and oil extracts of the two plants were prepared from dried seeds.Preliminary identifications of the chemical components of each seed extracts were performed using microreactional and GCP techniques.Larvae and adults of Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus were collected from the breeding sites in coastal and highlands regions of Madagascar.WHO standardized tests of susceptibility for larvae and imaginal stage of mosquitoes were realized to determine mortality and LC_(50) of mosquitoes.Results:Chemical identifications showed that these extracts contain alkaloids and flavonoids compounds that probably confer their biological insecticidal proprieties.CPG analysis showed also the presence of various fatty acids.On adult mosquitoes,significant insecticidal effects were observed with both aqueous and oil extracts of the two plant seeds compared to mortality induced by deltamethrin,an insecticide used as reference.Extracts of Annona muricata induced high mortality rate to both species of mosquito compared to extracts of Annona squamosa at all concentrations tested.The LC_(50) of seed extracts ranged from 1%to 5%for adults and 0.5%to 1%for larvae.Conclusions:The seed extracts of these two plants may be used as mosquito controlling agents and offer a new approach to a less costly,practical and environmentally friendly control of vector borne diseases.

Bi-Enzymatic Conductometric Biosensor for Detection of Heavy Metal Ions and Pesticides in Water Samples Based on Enzymatic Inhibition in <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>

An original bi-enzymatic biosensor was designed by immobilizing Arthrospira platensis cells, called Spirulina, on gold interdigitated transducers. Phosphatase and esterase activities were inhibited, respectively, by heavy metals and by pesticides. Inhibition activities were observed with different mixtures of pesticides + heavy metals. The quantification limits for Cd2+ and Hg2+ are 10-20 M in mixture and in pure solution. The quantification limits of parathion-methyl, paraoxon-methyl and triazine are respectively 10-20 M, 10-18 M and 10-20 M in mixture and pure solutions. These results show that there is no synergistic effect between the two families of pollutants. Qualitative contamination of effluent samples and their purification after passing through a municipal wastewater treatment plant were observed by our bi-enzymatic biosensor and confirmed by classical analytical techniques for heavy metal ions.

Validation of a conductometric bienzyme biosensor for the detection of proteins as marker of organic matter in river samples

This article describes a conductometric bi-layer based bienzyme biosensor for the detection of proteins as a marker of organic matter in rivers. Proteins were chosen to be used as indicators of urban pollution. The working mechanism of the bienzyme biosensor is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins into several fractions （peptides and amino acids）, which results in a local conductivity change depending of the concentration of proteins. In this work, we began with the optimization of biosensor response using bovine serum albumin （BSA） as standard protein. For this objective seven enzymatic biosensors were prepared： four enzymatic sensors with only one layer of enzyme （proteinase K, trypsin, pronase or protease X） and three other enzymatic sensors with two layers （first layer： membrane containing proteinase K; second layer： one of the three other enzymes： trypsin, pronase or protease X）. The biosensors were obtained through the deposition of enzymatic layers and the cross-linking process between enzymes and BSA in saturated glutaraldehyde vapour. The response of the various biosensors, described previously, were compared with the values of total organic carbon （TOC）, and those of organic nitrogen （No~）, as determined by the laboratory accredits （CEMAGREF of Lyon） using the traditional method of analysis （NF EN 1484, infrared spectroscopy） and （NF EN 25663, mineralization/colorimetry assay） respectively for each water sample obtained from different sites in Lyon （France）. The linear correlations obtained with the response of the seven biosensors showed the most important indices of correlations for the biosensor with two enzymatic layers： proteinase K ＋ pronase （pkp）. The optimum conditions for the preparation of the pkp biosensor increased the sensitivity and gave a limit of quantification of 0.583 μg/L for TOC and 0.218 μg/L for Norg in water samples. This sensor shows good reproducibility （2.28%）, a capacity to be used at temperatures range 10-- 30℃ （depending on the season） and moreover a long lifetime （5 weeks）.

Recurrent hyphema after trabeculectomy: an atypical case of Swan syndrome

Dear Editor,Trabeculectomy is the gold standard surgery for treatment of glaucoma. Early complications include wound leaks, responsible for ocular hypotony and serous choroidal detachment, and bleb fibrosis. Postoperative hyphema is also a well-known complication, most frequently induced by iris bleeding from the peripheral iridotomy. In most cases, bleeding occurs in the first months after surgery.

Effect of Lead-Rubber Bearing Isolators in Reducing Seismic Damage for a High-Rise Building in Comparison with Normal Shear Wall System

Seismic earthquakes are a real danger for the construction evolution of high rise buildings.The rate of earthquakes around the world is noteworthy in a wide range of construction areas.In this study,we present the dynamic behavior of a high-rise RC building with dynamic isolators(lead-rubber-bearing),in comparison with a traditional shear wall system of the same building.Seismic isolation has been introduced in building construction to increase the structural stability and to protect the non-structural components against the damaging effects of an earthquake.In order to clarify the influence of incorporating lead rubber bearing isolators in the seismic response and in reducing seismic damages;a comparative study is performed between a fixed base system(shear wall system)and an isolated base system(Lead Rubber Bearing)on an irregular high rise reinforced concrete(RC)building located in Beirut consisting of 48 storeys almost asymmetric orthogonally.For this purpose,a non-linear analysis of a real earthquake acceleration record(EI Centro seismic signal)is conducted,so that the mode shapes,the damping ratio and the natural frequencies of the two models are obtained using ETABS software.The results prove a substantial elongation of the building period,as well as a reduction in the building displacement,the roof acceleration,the inter-storey drift ratio and the base shear force of isolated building relative to fixed-base building.This study proves that this technology is applicable to high rise buildings with acceptable results.

Joint Deep Matching Model of OCT Retinal Layer Segmentation

Optical Coherence Tomography(OCT)is very important in medicine and provide useful diagnostic information.Measuring retinal layer thicknesses plays a vital role in pathophysiologic factors of many ocular conditions.Among the existing retinal layer segmentation approaches,learning or deep learning-based methods belong to the state-of-art.However,most of these techniques rely on manual-marked layers and the performances are limited due to the image quality.In order to overcome this limitation,we build a framework based on gray value curve matching,which uses depth learning to match the curve for semi-automatic segmentation of retinal layers from OCT.The depth convolution network learns the column correspondence in the OCT image unsupervised.The whole OCT image participates in the depth convolution neural network operation,compares the gray value of each column,and matches the gray value sequence of the transformation column and the next column.Using this algorithm,when a boundary point is manually specified,we can accurately segment the boundary between retinal layers.Our experimental results obtained from a 54-subjects database of both normal healthy eyes and affected eyes demonstrate the superior performances of our approach.

Bioremediation in Water Environment: Controlled Electro-Stimulation of Organic Matter Self-Purification in Aquatic Environments

This review describes a new means of control and stimulation of microorganisms involved in the bioremediation of sediments and waterlogged soils. This emerging technology is derived from sedimentary microbial fuel cells, and consists in ensuring aerobic respiration of aerobic microbial populations in anaerobic conditions by means of a fixed potential anode in order to evacuate the electrons coming from the microbial respiratory chains. This review describes the conceptual basis of the electro-bioremediation, the material devices used (electrode set-ups and spacing), and finally studies the various devices published since the bench tests until the scarce in-field implementations.

Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pets,captive non-human primates and farm animals in Central Africa

It has been reported that the host of SARS-CoV-2 can be extremely wide due to the conservation of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in mammals[1].Several studies have reported natural or experimental infection with SARS-CoV-2 in pets,farm and captive wild animals[2-4].However,to the best of our knowledge,there was no published study assessing virus circulation among domestic or captive animals in Central,West and East Africa.In this study,we assessed the presence and circulation of SARS-CoV-2 or other betacoronaviruses in pets,livestock and animals kept in captivity in conservation centers in Haut-Ogoouéprovince,southeastern Gabon.

An Electrochemical Nitrite Sensor Based on a Multilayer Film of Polyoxometalate

In this work, we have developed an electrochemical sensor for nitrite detection, based on a polyoxometalate (POM) namely mono-lacunary keggin anion [SiW11O39]8﹣ cited as (SiW11). Electrochemical characterization of SiW11 shows two-step reduction processes, with formal potentials of ﹣0.5 V (I) and ﹣0.68 V (II). Oppositely charged polyelectrolyte (poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)) and (SiW11) were assembled alternately to modify glassy carbon electrode. The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode was studied in detail using cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results showed that SiW11/PAH/GC electrode present good electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of nitrite. The sensor showed a dynamic range from 100 μM to 3.6 mMof nitrite and no interference from other classical anions. Experimental factors that affect electron-transfer rate in these films, such as pH effect and layers number, were systematically analyzed.

High Prevalence of Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Community Associated <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>in a Tertiary Care Indian Hospital

We have studied the nature of ciprofloxacin resistance in methicillin sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus among patients in a tertiary care hospital in Bengaluru, South India. All the isolates were highly resistant to ciprofloxacin. Molecular characterization of these samples performed using Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome typing and multilocus sequence typing showed that 37.5% of total isolates and 59% of MRSA were sequence type (ST)772 and the rest were other STs. This indicates high prevalence of CA-MRSA in this tertiary care hospital serving the Indian community. Mutations responsible for ciprofloxacin resistance among these isolates in DNA gyrase (gyrA and gyrB) and topoisomerase IV (grlA and grlB) were analyzed by PCR amplification of specific fragments and sequencing. We found that for ST772 and five other STs present in this collection, single mutation in the gyrA gene, Ser-84→Leu, was sufficient for the high resistance. In vitro generation of ciprofloxacin resistance in two sensitive ST772 isolates by exposure to increasing antibiotic concentrations also resulted in the same single mutation of gyrA. The factors responsible for high ciprofloxacin resistance are varied and are dependent on the genetic background of the isolates and the environment. This is the first report on the mechanism of ciprofloxacin resistance among the most prevalent Indian CA-MRSA.