Stability analysis of heterogeneous infinite slopes under rainfall-infiltration by means of an improved Green-Ampt model

Rainfall infiltration analysis has a great significance to the mitigation and risk assessment of rainfall-induced landslides. The original Green-Ampt (GA) model ignored the fact that a transitional layer exists in infiltration regions of soils under the rainfall permeation, therefore it cannot effectively analyze the rainfall-infiltrated heterogeneous slope considering the spatial variability of saturated hydraulic conductivity (ks). In this paper, an improved GA model is proposed for the rainfall-infiltration analysis of heterogeneous slopes. Four common slope cases are investigated to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. An infinite slope model is taken as an illustrative example to investigate the distributions of volumetric water content and slope stability under the rainfall infiltration. The results show that the distributions of volumetric water content and factors of safety (Fs) obtained from the proposed model are in very good agreement with the numerical results of Richards equation. In contrast, the modified GA model obtains biased distributions of volumetric water content and smaller Fs for the same cases. The results show that the proposed GA model can accurately identify the location of critical slip surface of the slope, and as such it provides an efficient method for risk control analysis of slopes susceptible to landslide

Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy Versus Para-aortic Field Radiotherapy to Treat Para-aortic Lymph Node Metastasis in Cervical Cancer: Prospective Study

Aim To compare dosimetry, efficacy, and toxicity of intensity- modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with para-aortic field radiotherapy in patients with para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis of cervical cancer. Methods This prospective study examined 60 patients with cervical cancer with PALN metastasis who underwent whole-pelvis radiotherapy followed by brachytherapy between November 1, 2004 and May 31, 2008. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, patients were serially allocated into two groups and treated with IMRT or para-aortic field RT at doses of 58-68 Gy and 45-50 Gy, respectively. Treatment response was evaluated and toxicities were assessed. Patients in the IMRT group were treated with both para-aortic field RT and IMRT in order to compare the exposure dose of organs at risk. Results In the IMRT group, the mean dose delivered to the planning target volume was 67.5 Gy. At least 99% of the gross tumor volume received effective coverage and radical dose (median, 63.5 Gy; range, 54.5-66) during treatment. IMRT plans yielded better dose conformity to the target and better sparing of the spinal cord and small intestine than para-aortic field RT. The IMRT patients experienced less acute and chronic toxicities. The IMRT group also had higher 2- and 3-year survival rates than the para-aortic RT group (2-year, 58.8% vs 25.0%, P = 0.019; 3-year, 36.4% vs 15.6%, P = 0.016). However, no significant difference was found in 1-year survival (67.7% vs 51.3%, P =0.201). The median survival in the IMRT group was 25 months (range, 3 to 37 months). The actuarial overall survival, disease-free survival, and locoregional control rates at 2 years were 67%, 77%, and 88%, respectively, in the IMRT group. Conclusions IMRT provides better clinical outcomes than para-aortic field radiotherapy in patients with PALN metastasis. However, cervical local and distal recurrence remain a problem. Long-term follow-up and studies involving more patients are needed to confirm our results

Targeting the Vasculature of Colorectal Carcinoma with a Fused Protein of (

Purpose. Truncated tissue factor (tTF) fusion protein targeting tumor vasculature can induce tumor vascular thrombosis and necrosis. Here, we generated (RGD)3-tTF in which three arginine-glycine-aspartic (RGD) targeting integrin αvβ3 and tTF induce blood coagulation in tumor vessels. Methods. The bioactivities of (RGD)3-tTF including coagulation activity, FX activation, and binding with integrin αvβ3 were performed. The fluorescent labeled (RGD)3-tTF was intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice and traced in vivo. The tumor growth, volume, blood vessel thrombosis, tumor necrosis, and survival time of mice treated with (RGD)3-tTF were evaluated. Results. The clotting time and FX activation of (RGD)3-tTF were similar to that of TF (P>0.05) but different with that of RGD (P<0.05). (RGD)3-tTF presented a higher binding with αvβ3 than that of RGD and TF at the concentration of 0.2 μmol/L (P<0.05). (RGD)3-tTF could specifically assemble in tumor and be effective in reducing tumor growth by selectively inducing tumor blood vessels thrombosis and tumor necrosis which were absent in mice treated with RGD or TF. The survival time of mice treated with (RGD)3-tTF was higher than that of mice treated with TF or RGD (P<0.05). Conclusion. (RGD)3-tTF may be a promising strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer

Sentinel lymph node biopsy as guidance for radical trachelectomy in young patients with early stage cervical cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) detection using 99mTc phytate in predicting pelvic lymph nodes status for radical abdominal trachelectomy (RAT) in patients with early stage cervical cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-eight women with stage IA2-IB1 cervical cancer and scheduled to undergo fertility-sparing surgery enrolled in this study. 99mTc-labeled phytate was injected before surgery. Intraoperatively, SLNs were identified, excised, and submitted to fast frozen section. Systematic bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and/or para-aortic lymph node dissection was performed. Then RAT was performed in patients with negative SLNs. All nodes were sent for routine pathological examination and immunostained with anti-cytokeratin antibody to detect micrometastases. Outcomes of follow up and fertility were observed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SLNs were identified in 64 of 68 patients (94.1%). Of these, SLNs of 8 patients (11.8%) were positive on frozen sections and proved to be metastasis by final pathologic examination. The sensitivity, accuracy, and false negative rates were 100%, 100%, and 0%, respectively. All 60 patients with negative SLN underwent RAT successfully. Two relapses occurred and no one died of tumor progression during follow-up. Five of the 15 patients with procreative desire conceived 8 pregnancies (3 term delivery, 2 premature birth, 1 spontaneous abortion, and 2 were still in the duration of pregnancy) after surgery.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The identification of SLN using 99mTc-labeled phytate is accurate and safe to assess pelvic nodes status in patients with early cervical cancer. SLNs biopsy guided RAT is feasible for patients who desire to have fertility preservation.</p

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Variations in Songs of Brownish-flanked Bush-Warblers ( Cettia fortipes ) Within a Single Habitat

Many studies have indicated that there are geographic or even microgeographic variations in songs of a single bird species. We investigated whether it is possible for song variations to exist in one species within a single habitat. From March to June in 2005, the songs of Brownish-flanked Bush-Warblers within one habitat of 85 ha in Xiaoheshan Forest Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province were recorded using a SHARP-CE-15l recorder (frequency response 30-l4 000 Hz) and super uni-directional electric condenser microphone (frequency response 40-14 000 Hz). The song phrase patterns and sonogram structures were compared, and the time domain, frequency domain and short-time energy have been analyzed using a computer sound spectrum analysis system. The results showed that Brownish-flanked Bush-Warblers sing six different songs within this small habitat. Those songs significantly varied in tone, structure and other acoustic features, which may imply breeding competition in Brownish-flanked Bush-Warblers

Bayesian Approach for Sequential Probabilistic Back Analysis of Uncertain Geomechanical Parameters and Reliability Updating of Tunneling-Induced Ground Settlements

This paper proposes a new sequential probabilistic back analysis approach for probabilistically determining the uncertain geomechanical parameters of shield tunnels by using time-series monitoring data. The approach is proposed based on the recently developed Bayesian updating with subset simulation. Within the framework of the proposed approach, a complex Bayesian back analysis problem is transformed into an equivalent structural reliability problem based on subset simulation. Hermite polynomial chaos expansion-based surrogate models are constructed to improve the computational efficiency of probabilistic back analysis. The reliability of tunneling-induced ground settlements is updated in the process of sequential back analyses. A real shield tunnel project of No. 1 Nanchang Metro Line in China is investigated to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The proposed approach is able to infer the posterior distributions of uncertain geomechanical parameters (i.e., Young’s moduli of surrounding soil layers and ground vehicle load). The reliability of tunneling-induced ground settlements can be updated in a real-time manner by fully utilizing the time-series monitoring data. The results show good agreement with the variation trend of field monitoring data of ground settlement and the post-event investigations

Probabilistic assessment of 3D slope failures in spatially variable soils by cooperative stochastic material point method

Accurate assessment of slope failures and their large deformations is critical for effective landslide mitigation. This study introduces the new Cooperative Stochastic Material Point Method (CSMPM), addressing challenges in probabilistic characterization of slope large deformations considering three-dimensional (3D) soil heterogeneities. The method employs an enhanced Karhunen-Loève (KL) expansion to model 3D soil spatial variability efficiently. By using rough and refined grids, derived through the enhanced KL expansion, the study achieves computational efficiency without compromising accuracy. By combining the computational advantages of the rough grid with the precision of the refined grid, the CSMPM enables efficient probabilistic analysis of 3D heterogeneous slopes. The results demonstrate its capability to identify slope large deformation failure modes and quantify the associated failure probability. Notably, the shallow failure mode exhibits fan-shaped horizontal diffusion, introducing uncertainty, while the compound failure mode presents challenges in landslide prevention. The progressive failure mode poses the highest hazard. Horizontal heterogeneities significantly influence both large deformation likelihood and failure modes, emphasizing the importance of 3D soil spatial variability in geotechnical reliability assessments. The CSMPM, with its innovative approach, proves to be a practical tool for enhancing our understanding of geohazards and associated uncertainties, as well as large deformations. It provides valuable insights for improving risk assessment of slope hazards