Analysis Technique on Water Permeability in Concrete with Cold Joint considering Micro Pore Structure and Mineral Admixture

Cold joint in concrete due to delayed concrete placing may cause a reduced shear resistance and increased water permeation. This study presents an analytical model based on the concept of REV (Representative Element Volume) to assess the effect of water permeability in cold joint concrete. Here, OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) concrete samples with cold joint are prepared and WPT (Water Permeability Test) is performed on the samples cured for 91 days. In order to account for the effect of GGBFS (Granulated Ground Blast Furnace Slag) on water permeability, concrete samples with the same W/B (Water to Binder) ratio and 40% replacement ratio of GGBFS are tested as well. Utilizing the previous models handling porosity and saturation, the analysis technique for equivalent water permeability with effective cold joint width is proposed. Water permeability in cold joint increases to 140.7% in control case but it decreases to 120.7% through GGBFS replacement. Simulation results agree reasonably well with experimental data gathered for sound and cold joint concrete

Myrrh Inhibits LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response and Protects from Cecal Ligation and Puncture-Induced Sepsis

Myrrh has been used as an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. However, effect of myrrh on peritoneal macrophages and clinically relevant models of septic shock, such as cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), is not well understood. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effect and mechanism(s) of myrrh on inflammatory responses. Myrrh inhibited LPS-induced productions of inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, and tumor necrosis factor-α but not of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in peritoneal macrophages. In addition, Myrrh inhibited LPS-induced activation of c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) but not of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38, and nuclear factor-κB. Administration of Myrrh reduced the CLP-induced mortality and bacterial counts and inhibited inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, administration of Myrrh attenuated CLP-induced liver damages, which were mainly evidenced by decreased infiltration of leukocytes and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase level. Taken together, these results provide the evidence for the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial potential of Myrrh in sepsis

Pharmacogenomic analysis of patient-derived tumor cells in gynecologic cancers

Background Gynecologic malignancy is one of the leading causes of mortality in female adults worldwide. Comprehensive genomic analysis has revealed a list of molecular aberrations that are essential to tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis of gynecologic tumors. However, targeting such alterations has frequently led to treatment failures due to underlying genomic complexity and simultaneous activation of various tumor cell survival pathway molecules. A compilation of molecular characterization of tumors with pharmacological drug response is the next step toward clinical application of patient-tailored treatment regimens. Results Toward this goal, we establish a library of 139 gynecologic tumors including epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs), cervical, endometrial tumors, and uterine sarcomas that are genomically and/or pharmacologically annotated and explore dynamic pharmacogenomic associations against 37 molecularly targeted drugs. We discover lineage-specific drug sensitivities based on subcategorization of gynecologic tumors and identify TP53 mutation as a molecular determinant that elicits therapeutic response to poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. We further identify transcriptome expression of inhibitor of DNA biding 2 (ID2) as a potential predictive biomarker for treatment response to olaparib. Conclusions Together, our results demonstrate the potential utility of rapid drug screening combined with genomic profiling for precision treatment of gynecologic cancers

Analysis Technique on Water Permeability in Concrete with Cold Joint considering Micro Pore Structure and Mineral Admixture

Cold joint in concrete due to delayed concrete placing may cause a reduced shear resistance and increased water permeation. This study presents an analytical model based on the concept of REV (Representative Element Volume) to assess the effect of water permeability in cold joint concrete. Here, OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) concrete samples with cold joint are prepared and WPT (Water Permeability Test) is performed on the samples cured for 91 days. In order to account for the effect of GGBFS (Granulated Ground Blast Furnace Slag) on water permeability, concrete samples with the same W/B (Water to Binder) ratio and 40% replacement ratio of GGBFS are tested as well. Utilizing the previous models handling porosity and saturation, the analysis technique for equivalent water permeability with effective cold joint width is proposed. Water permeability in cold joint increases to 140.7% in control case but it decreases to 120.7% through GGBFS replacement. Simulation results agree reasonably well with experimental data gathered for sound and cold joint concrete

Assessment of changes in the nasal airway after nonsurgical miniscrew-assisted rapid maxillary expansion in young adults

Objectives: To evaluate changes in the volume and cross-sectional area of the nasal airway before and 1 year after nonsurgical miniscrew-assisted rapid maxillary expansion (MARME) in young adults. Materials and Methods: Fourteen patients (mean age, 22.7 years; 10 women, four men) with a transverse discrepancy who underwent cone beam computed tomography before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 1 year after (T2) expansion were retrospectively included in this study. The volume of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx and the cross-sectional area of the anterior, middle, and posterior segments of the nasal airway were measured and compared among the three timepoints using paired t-tests. Results: The volume of the nasal cavity showed a significant increase at T1 and T2 (P.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the volume and cross-sectional area of the nasal cavity increased after MARME and were maintained at 1 year after expansion. Therefore, MARME may be helpful in expanding the nasal airway

Triplet maintenance therapy of olaparib, pembrolizumab and bevacizumab in women with BRCA wild-type, platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: the multicenter, single-arm phase II study OPEB-01/APGOT-OV4

Abstract In this multicenter, open-label, single-arm, Phase II study with Simon two-stage optimum design (NCT04361370), we investigate the efficacy and safety of triplet maintenance (olaparib, pembrolizumab, bevacizumab) in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer who are wild-type for BRCA 1/2. A total of 44 patients were enrolled, and the median follow-up duration was 22.9 months (interquartile range: 17.4–24.7). The primary outcome was 6-months progression-free survival (PFS), which was 88.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 75.4–96.2), meeting the pre-specified primary endpoint. The secondary outcomes reported here include median PFS, 12-months PFS, and overall survival and safety. The median PFS was 22.4 months (20.4–∞), with a 12-months PFS rate of 84.0% (95% CI 69.3–92.0). The median overall survival was 28.6 months (27.3–∞). The combination demonstrated tolerable toxicity with manageable side effects. Other secondary outcomes include time-to-progression, time to subsequent treatment, time to second treatment and PFS2; however, this data is not reported, as treatment is still ongoing in a majority of patients. Exploratory analysis shows that patients who were homologous recombination deficiency-positive or had a programmed death-ligand 1 combined positive score ≥1 showed a favorable response (P = 0.043 and P < 0.001, respectively). Thus, triplet maintenance shows durable efficacy with tolerable safety in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrence