A method for predicting failure load of masonry wall panel based on structural stress state

This paper proposed a method for predicting failure loads of masonry wall panels subject to uniformly distributed lateral loading based on a concept of structural stress state. Firstly, the characteristics of the structural stress state of masonry wall panels subjected to uniform distributed lateral loading were investigated through experimental results. Then, a new parameter was proposed to characterize the structural stress state. Next, the relation of the failure loads between a specified base wall panels and other wall panel was established using the proposed parameter. In this way, a method (called a ST method) based on a structural stress state parameter to predict the failure load of masonry wall panel from the base wall panel was established. The following case studies validated the ST method by comparing the predicted failure load with the experimental results, as well as those predicted from the existing yield line theory (YLT), the FEA method and the GSED-based cellular automata (CA) method. The ST method provided an innovative way of structural analysis on the basis of structural stress state

siRNA directed against c-Myc inhibits proliferation and downregulates human telomerase reverse transcriptase in human colon cancer Colo 320 cells

The c-Myc and human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene (hTERT) gene are frequently deregulated and overexpressed in malignancy. hTERT activity is induced by c-Myc and strategies designed to inhibit c-Myc expression in cancer cells may have considerable therapeutic value. We designed and used a short hairpin RNA to inhibit c-Myc expression in Colo 320 cells and validated its effect on cell proliferation. In this study, four c-Myc-shRNA expression vectors were constructed and introduced into Colo 320 cells. The effects of c-Myc silencing on tumor cell growth was assessed by soft agar assay and DNA synthesis experiments. The expressions of c-Myc and hTERT were also assessed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Upon transient transfection with plasmid encoding shRNA, it was found that expression of c-Myc and hTERT decreased in shRNA-transfected cells. The downregulation of c-Myc and hTERT inhibited cell growth, shortened telomere lengths, and suppressed telomerase activity. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that shRNA of c-Myc can inhibit the DNA replication in Colo 320 cells effectively and reduce telomere length and telomerase activity, therefore, it could be used as a new potential anticancer tool for therapy of human colon cancer

Mapping cracking pattern of masonry wall panel based on two-step criterion for matching zone similarity

This paper puts forward an innovative criterion in the cellar automata (CA) technique for both matching zone similarity and mapping failure pattern of masonry wall panel. The criterion proposed in this paper is a two-step matching method. Firstly, calculate the state values of the cells in the base and unseen panels using the CA technique. Then, the first step of the criterion is to take a cell and its eight neighbourhoods as a data block and choose all the best-match blocks within the base panel corresponding to a data block within the unseen panel, according to a proposed minimum risk principle. Finally, map cracking patterns of unseen panels use the criterion for mapping cracking pattern. The cracking patterns of unseen panels are mapped using the tested cracking patterns of several simply-supported base panels and the methods developed above. The mapped results are verified by the corresponding experimental results. The proposed criterion for matching zone similarity can greatly improve the existing CA technique for mapping the cracking pattern of an unseen panel; particularly, the convergence of the improved CA technique obtains a great improvement. Also, this mapping task is realized on the basis of the fine CA cell lattices of the panels, using the proposed method

MicroRNA319-mediated gene regulatory network impacts leaf development and morphogenesis in poplar

MicroRNA319 (miR319) has been implicated in leaf development in a number of plant species. Here we study the roles of miR319a and its regulated network in leaf development in poplars. Over-expression of miR319a in Populus alba × Populus glandulosa caused dwarf statures, narrow leaf blades and serrated leaf margins. The vascular bundles and bundle sheaths in transgenic leaves had more layers of cells than those in the leaves of control plants, indicating enhanced lignification in these cells. Among the 93 putative targets of miR319a predicted with the psRNATarget tool, only three genes, TCP (TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN BINDING FACTOR), were differentially expressed in the leaves of MIR319a-over-expression transgenic lines. With the RNA-seq data sets from multiple MIR319a over-expression transgenic lines, we built a three-layered gene regulatory network mediated by miR319a using Top-down graphic Gaussian model (GGM) algorithm that is capable of capturing causal relationships from transcriptomic data. The results support that miR319a primarily regulates the lignin biosynthesis, leaf development and differentiation as well as photosynthesis via miR319-MEE35/TCP4, miR319-TCP2 and miR319-TCP2-1 regulatory modules

BEL1-like Homeodomain Protein BLH6a Is a Negative Regulator of CAl5H2 in Sinapyl Alcohol Monolignol Biosynthesis in Poplar

Lignin is one of the major components of xylem cell walls in tree stems. The lignin in the wood of most flowering plants (dicotyledonous angiosperms) is typically polymerized from three monolignol precursors, coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, and p-coumaroyl alcohol, resulting in guaiacyl (G), syringyl (S), and hydroxyphenyl (H) subunits, respectively. In this study, we focus on the transcriptional regulation of a coniferaldehyde 5-hydroxylase (CAld5H2) gene, which encodes a key enzyme for sinapyl alcohol biosynthesis. We carried out a yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) screen to identify candidate upstream transcription factors (TFs) regulating CAld5H2. We obtained 12 upstream TFs as potential regulators of CAld5H2. One of these TF genes, BLH6a, encodes a BEL1-like homeodomain (BLH) protein and negatively regulated the CAld5H2 promoter activity. The direct regulation of CAld5H2 promoter by BLH6a was supported by chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP–qPCR) and dominant repression of BLH6a in transgenic plants. Luciferase complementation imaging analyses showed extensive protein–protein interactions among these 12 TFs. We propose that BLH6a is a negative regulator of CAld5H2, which acts through combinatorial regulation of multiple TFs for sinapyl alcohol (S monolignol) biosynthesis in poplar

Cellular automata method for mapping cracking patterns of laterally loaded wall panels with openings

This study presents a cellular automata (CA) method to map the cracking patterns of laterally loaded masonry wall panels with openings. Firstly, the central point displacement of each CA cell is calculated from the finite element method (FEM). Then, the displacements are normalized to form the CA state value mode of the wall panel. Next, a maximum correlation coefficient criterion is proposed to match the zone similarity between the base (tested) and new (analyzed) wall panels. Finally, the criterion for judging cracking zone is adopted to map the cracking pattern of the new wall panel. The case studies indicate that the mapped cracking patterns of wall panels agree well with the testing results, which verify the validity of the criterion for matching zone similarity

A linear cellular automation technique for predicting dynamic failure mode of a single-layer shell

This paper presents a linear cellular automation (LCA) method for predicting the dynamic failure (DF) mode of both single-layer latticed shell and single-layer cylindrical latticed shell subjected to ground motions. The LCA model of the shell obtains the state values of cells/nodes including the nodal displacements state value and the nodal domain logarithmic strain energy density (NDLSED) state value through its finite element analysis (FEA). Meanwhile, the concepts of nodal domain and nodal domain similarity are derived based on the qualitative analysis of shells. Then, similar nodal domains between two shells are matched through the proposed criterion. Finally, the DF mode of an object shell is mapped using the criterion for projecting the formative values of a base shell to similar nodal domains in the object shell. Case studies show that the LCA method could be used for predicting the DF mode of an object shell. Consequently, the LCA method would explore an LCA application in analyzing shells, which costs much less time than the FEA method for calculating the DF shell mode

MRI signal intensity differentiation of brainstem encephalitis induced by Enterovirus 71: a classification approach for acute and convalescence stages

Additional file 3. After tick the segment region, Medflovan show the segmentation region of lesion