Establishment of Fungal Decomposition Model Based on OLS and Logistic Model

By using the OLS model, an equation for the rate of decomposing wood by a variety of fungi was established. We analyzed the effects of various fungi in the experimental data under different temperature and humidity. Based on the growth performance of different fungi at different temperatures and humidity, we use the method of systematic cluster to divide the fungi into 5 categories, and introduce competition levels as the viability of different species of fungi. We have established a logistic model that introduces competition levels to obtain a fungal habitat model. The fungal habitat model includes predictions about the relative advantages and disadvantages for each species and combinations of species likely to persist, and do so for different environments including arid, semi-arid, temperate, arboreal, and tropical rain forests

The Influences of Iron Ore Tailings as Fine Aggregate on the Strength of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

The present study looks for the feasibility of preparing UHPC with iron ore tailings (IOT for short) as fine aggregate. To enhance outstanding high performances, some influences on UHPC mortars were investigated such as different kinds of sands, different mix ratio of sands, and different largest particle size of fine aggregate. The results show that IOT have negligible poorer aggregate performance than silica sands but better than river sands. The strength of UHPC reaches the highest point when silica sands were instead 60% by IOT. As the largest particle size of fine aggregate is decreasing, the strength and frost resistance of UHPC were improved, but the liquidity was decreased. Micropowder of IOT affects the strength and the optimal content was 4%

Impact of hepatic steatosis on treatment response of autoimmune hepatitis: A retrospective multicentre analysis

BackgroundThere is a paucity of data on whether steatosis impacts autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) treatment response. We aimed to evaluate the influence of baseline steatosis on the biochemical response, fibrosis progression, and adverse longterm outcomes of AIH.MethodsSteatosis was diagnosed by a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) ≥ 248 dB / m. Only patients who underwent immunosuppressive therapy with available liver histological material at diagnosis and qualified CAP within seven days of the liver biopsy were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were subsequently conducted.ResultsThe multicentre and retrospective cohort enrolled 222 subjects (88.3% female, median age 54 years, median follow-up 48 months) in the final analysis, and 56 (25.2%) patients had hepatic steatosis. Diabetes, hypertension, and significant fibrosis at baseline were more common in the steatosis group than in the no steatosis group. After adjusting for confounding factors, hepatic steatosis was an independent predictor of insufficient biochemical response (OR: 8.07) and identified as an independent predictor of long-term adverse outcomes (HR: 4.07). By subgroup multivariate analysis (different degrees of steatosis, fibrosis, and prednisone dose), hepatic steatosis independently showed a relatively stable correlation with treatment response. Furthermore, in contrast to those without steatosis, a significant increase in liver stiffness (LS) was observed in patients with steatosis (4.1%/year vs. -16%/year, P < 0.001).ConclusionsConcomitant hepatic steatosis was significantly associated with poor response to treatment in AIH patients. Routine CAP measurements are therefore essential to guide the management of AIH

Impacts of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Knockout in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium on Choroidal Neovascularization

PURPOSE. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 is a key oxygen sensor and is believed to play an important role in neovascularization (NV). The purpose of this study is to determine the role of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-derived HIF-1a on ocular NV. METHODS. Conditional HIF-1a knockout (KO) mice were generated by crossing transgenic mice expressing Cre in the RPE with HIF-1a floxed mice, confirmed by immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis, and fundus fluorescein angiography. The mice were used for the oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) and laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) models. RESULTS. HIF-1a levels were significantly decreased in the RPE layer of ocular sections and in primary RPE cells from the HIF1a KO mice. Under normal conditions, the HIF-1a KO mice exhibited no apparent abnormalities in retinal histology or visual function as shown by light microscopy and electroretinogram recording, respectively. The HIF-1a KO mice with OIR showed no significant difference from the wild-type (WT) mice in retinal levels of HIF-1a and VEGF as well as in the number of preretinal neovascular cells. In the laser-induced CNV model, however, the disruption of HIF-1a in the RPE attenuated the over expression of VEGF and the intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and reduced vascular leakage and CNV area. CONCLUSIONS. RPE-derived HIF-1a plays a key role in CNV, but not in ischemia-induced retinal NV. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

Graphic loans: East Asia and beyond

The national languages of East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese) have made extensive use of a type of linguistic borrowing sometimes referred to as a 'graphic loan'. Such loans have no place in the conventional classification of loans based on Haugen (1950) or Weinreich (1953), and research on loan word theory and phonology generally overlooks them. The classic East Asian phenomenon is discussed and a framework is proposed to describe its mechanism. It is argued that graphic loans are more than just 'spelling pronunciations', because they are a systematic and widespread process, independent of but not inferior to phonological borrowing. The framework is then expanded to cover a range of other cases of borrowing between languages to show that graphic loans are not a uniquely East Asian phenomenon, and therefore need to be considered as a major category of loan

Study on Strength, Water Stability, Shrinkage, and Microstructure of CFB Slag Modified Cement Stabilized Clay

Circulating fluidized bed slag (CFBS) is an industrial waste produced by coal combustion in power plants. To explore the application of CFB slag in cement-stabilized bases, this paper studies the influence of different dosage of CFBS on the mechanics, water stability, and shrinkage of cement-stabilized soil using laboratory experiments. The hydration activity and interface morphology of CFBS in cement-stabilized clay were observed using XRD and SEM. The improvement mechanism of CFBS on the performance of cement-stabilized clay was revealed. The results indicated that, compared with cement-stabilized clay, cement–CFBS-stabilized clay exhibited better mechanical and water stability, and significantly inhibited the shrinkage deformation of cement-stabilized clay. When the addition of CFBS was 70%, cement–CFBS-stabilized clay had the best mechanics and durability. Microscopic tests show that CFBS contains more active silicon aluminum oxide, which is easily dissolved and the hydration of which produces more gel products, so the mixture structure is denser, the strength is improved, and water does not easily evaporate; it has the characteristics of micro expansion which compensates for dry shrinkage deformation

Studies on the Volumetric Stability and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Fly-Ash-Stabilized Steel Slag

The stability of steel-slag road materials remains a critical issue in their utilization as an aggregate base course. In this pursuit, the present study was envisaged to investigate the effects of fly ash on the mechanical properties and expansion behavior of cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag. Strength tests and expansion tests of the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag with varying additions of fly ash were carried out. The results indicate that the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag exhibited good mechanical properties. The expansion rate and the number of bulges of the stabilized material reduced with an increase in the addition. When the addition of fly ash was 30–60%, the stabilized material was not damaged due to expansion. Furthermore, the results of X-CT, XRD and SEM-EDS show that fly ash reacted with the expansive component of the steel slag. In addition, the macro structure of the stabilized material was found to be changed by an increase in the concentration of the fly ash, in order to improve the volumetric stability. Our study shows that the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag exhibits good mechanical properties and volumetric stability with reasonable additions of fly ash

Studies on the Volumetric Stability and Mechanical Properties of Cement-Fly-Ash-Stabilized Steel Slag

The stability of steel-slag road materials remains a critical issue in their utilization as an aggregate base course. In this pursuit, the present study was envisaged to investigate the effects of fly ash on the mechanical properties and expansion behavior of cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag. Strength tests and expansion tests of the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag with varying additions of fly ash were carried out. The results indicate that the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag exhibited good mechanical properties. The expansion rate and the number of bulges of the stabilized material reduced with an increase in the addition. When the addition of fly ash was 30–60%, the stabilized material was not damaged due to expansion. Furthermore, the results of X-CT, XRD and SEM-EDS show that fly ash reacted with the expansive component of the steel slag. In addition, the macro structure of the stabilized material was found to be changed by an increase in the concentration of the fly ash, in order to improve the volumetric stability. Our study shows that the cement-fly-ash-stabilized steel slag exhibits good mechanical properties and volumetric stability with reasonable additions of fly ash

Study on Strength, Water Stability, Shrinkage, and Microstructure of CFB Slag Modified Cement Stabilized Clay

Circulating fluidized bed slag (CFBS) is an industrial waste produced by coal combustion in power plants. To explore the application of CFB slag in cement-stabilized bases, this paper studies the influence of different dosage of CFBS on the mechanics, water stability, and shrinkage of cement-stabilized soil using laboratory experiments. The hydration activity and interface morphology of CFBS in cement-stabilized clay were observed using XRD and SEM. The improvement mechanism of CFBS on the performance of cement-stabilized clay was revealed. The results indicated that, compared with cement-stabilized clay, cement–CFBS-stabilized clay exhibited better mechanical and water stability, and significantly inhibited the shrinkage deformation of cement-stabilized clay. When the addition of CFBS was 70%, cement–CFBS-stabilized clay had the best mechanics and durability. Microscopic tests show that CFBS contains more active silicon aluminum oxide, which is easily dissolved and the hydration of which produces more gel products, so the mixture structure is denser, the strength is improved, and water does not easily evaporate; it has the characteristics of micro expansion which compensates for dry shrinkage deformation