Effect of stabilizer on flutter stability of truss girder suspension bridges

An aerodynamic optimization measure of the flutter stability of long-span suspension bridges with truss girder is presented in this paper. At first, the improvement of several kinds of central stabilizers and horizontal stabilizers on flutter stability is examined through series of section model and full aeroelastic model wind tunnel tests. Subsequently, the flutter derivatives of the truss girder with and without stabilizer are identified based on two degrees of freedom coupling free vibration method. Furthermore, based on the identified flutter derivatives, the critical flutter velocities of the truss girder section with and without stabilizer are analyzed through two dimensional flutter analysis method and the critical flutter velocities of the full bridge with and without stabilizer are analyzed through three dimensional method. Afterwards, the influence of each flutter derivative on the flutter stability of the truss girder is investigated. The results indicate that central upper stabilizer can effectively increase the critical flutter velocity of the truss girder. In contrast, the central lower stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer have less influence. Setting up central upper stabilizer leads to an obvious decrease in the value of the flutter derivatives A2* and H2*, while the flutter derivatives H1*, H4*, A1* and A3* are little influenced. The two dimensional and three dimensional flutter analysis results agree well with the sectional model and full model wind tunnel test results respectively

ROLE OF OSTEOCLASTS IN THE BIOCORROSION OF METAL IMPLANTS

poster abstractMini implants (MIs), typically composed of stainless steel (SS) or titanium alloy (Ti), have recently emerged as superior alternatives to traditional dental and orthopedic implants. When a metal implant is inserted into bone, a process called bone remodeling is triggered near the implant. Bone remodeling involves the activity of osteoblasts (OBs), which produce new bone tissue, and osteoclasts (OCs), which degrade and digest bone. OCs degrade bone by acidifying the extracellular environment and secreting hydrolytic enzymes that degrade the extracellular matrix. However, the acidification of the extracellular environment can potentially lead to the biological corrosion of metal implants after implantation. This may have important consequences such as cell toxicity, decreased osseointegration of the implant, and implant loosening. The objective of this study is to determine if implants made from Ti are more resistant to OC-mediated biocorrosion than stainless steel (SS) implants. We hypothesize that biocorrosive activity by OCs will be greater on SS than titanium. To assess the biocorrosive effects of OCs on SS and Ti, the top face of 150 µm thick sections of each metal were scanned using a Proscan 2000 Scantron to provide accurate three dimensional surface measurements of the metals before introduction of OCs. OC precursors were isolated from the bone marrow of C57/bl6 mice and differentiated with macrophage colony stimulating factor and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand for 7 days in the presence of either SS or Ti metals. The metals discs were then removed and rescanned with the Proscan Scantron and changes in the surface measurements before and after OC growth was calculated. OCs were fixed and stained for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, a marker of mature OCs, and counted. Our preliminary findings revealed that the surface roughness of SS was reduced to a greater extent than Ti metals. OC number was also reduced in cultures containing SS compared with Ti. These findings suggest SS may be more susceptible to OC-mediated biocorrosion than Ti-based metal implants. Although the physiological implications are unclear, we speculate that sustained corrosion of SS can negatively affect the long-term stability of implants in vivo

Induction of CCL8/MCP-2 by mycobacteria through the activation of TLR2/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Pleural tuberculosis (TB), together with lymphatic TB, constitutes more than half of all extrapulmonary cases. Pleural effusions (PEs) in TB are representative of lymphocytic PEs which are dominated by T cells. However, the mechanism underlying T lymphocytes homing and accumulation in PEs is still incompletely understood. Here we performed a comparative analysis of cytokine abundance in PEs from TB patients and non-TB patients by protein array analysis and observed that MCP-2/CCL8 is highly expressed in the TB-PEs as compared to peripheral blood. Meanwhile, we observed that CCR5, the primary receptor used by MCP-2/CCL8, is mostly expressed on pleural CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Furthermore, we found that infection with either Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv induced production of MCP-2/CCL8 at both transcriptional and protein level in Raw264.7 and THP-1 macrophage cells, mouse peritoneal macrophages as well as human PBMC monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs). The induction of MCP-2/CCL8 by mycobacteria is dependent on the activation of TLR2/PI3K/Akt and p38 signaling pathway. We conclude that accumulation of MCP-2/CCL8 in TB-PEs may function as a biomarker for TB diagnosis

Treatment of vulval condyloma with a combination of paiteling and cryotherapy, and its effect on late recurrence

Purpose: To study the clinical effectiveness of a combination of Paiteling and cryotherapy in the treatment of vulval condyloma acuminatum (VCA), and its effect on late recurrence. Methods: Eighty-six VCA patients were chosen as research subjects, and were randomized into group A and group B. Group A patients were treated with combination of Paiteling and cryotherapy, while group B patients received cryotherapy only. The clinical effects of the two treatment methods on VCA were evaluated by measuring area of damaged skin, levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as degree of recurrence of VCA in the two groups, before and after treatment. Results: Total clinical treatment effectiveness in group A was significantly higher compared with group B (p < 0.05). After treatment, the area of damaged skin, and levels of IL-6 and CRP were markedly lower in group A than in group B (p < 0.001). After 6 months of treatment, disease control was higher in group A than in group B (p < 0.05). There was also a lower incidence of adverse reactions in group A than in group B (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicate that the combination of Paiteling and cryotherapy is more effective than cryotherapy alone in improving treatment effectiveness and reducing late recurrence of VCA. Therefore, the combined treatment has potentials clinical application in the management of VCA

Improvement of Environmental Monitoring Technology on the basis of Carbon Mass Balance during CO2-enhanced Oil Recovery and Storage

AbstractThis study reviewed the emission inventory of carbon injection, production, storage, and emission. Results indicated that only approximately 95% of injected CO2 can be measured. Approximately 92% to 95% of carbon was stored, 0.01% was leaked from soil, and the residual 5% may have come from leak paths or may have leaked from near-surface sources, such as underground water, through biological metabolism. To develop a carbon mass balance model for CO2 enhanced oil recovery projects, the emission part from soil and underground water, as well as the fixation by vegetation, should be carefully measured. The residual 5% that remains unmeasured should be proven, i.e., whether such amount is derived along leak paths or is emitted from near-surface sources. Findings could highlight the fate of carbon, provide some suggestions to guide the selection of environmental monitoring technology, and aid in establishing a common methodology to identify leak risks for carbon storage projects

Whole transcriptome analysis reveals non-coding RNA's competing endogenous gene pairs as novel form of motifs in serous ovarian cancer

Publisher Copyright: © 2022The non-coding RNA (ncRNA) regulation appears to be associated to the diagnosis and targeted therapy of complex diseases. Motifs of non-coding RNAs and genes in the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network would probably contribute to the accurate prediction of serous ovarian carcinoma (SOC). We conducted a microarray study profiling the whole transcriptomes of eight human SOCs and eight controls and constructed a ceRNA network including mRNAs, long ncRNAs, and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Novel form of motifs (mRNA-ncRNA-mRNA) were identified from the ceRNA network and defined as non-coding RNA's competing endogenous gene pairs (ceGPs), using a proposed method denoised individualized pair analysis of gene expression (deiPAGE). 18 cricRNA's ceGPs (cceGPs) were identified from multiple cohorts and were fused as an indicator (SOC index) for SOC discrimination, which carried a high predictive capacity in independent cohorts. SOC index was negatively correlated with the CD8+/CD4+ ratio in tumour-infiltration, reflecting the migration and growth of tumour cells in ovarian cancer progression. Moreover, most of the RNAs in SOC index were experimentally validated involved in ovarian cancer development. Our results elucidate the discriminative capability of SOC index and suggest that the novel competing endogenous motifs play important roles in expression regulation and could be potential target for investigating ovarian cancer mechanism or its therapy.Peer reviewe

National incidence of traumatic fractures in China: a retrospective survey of 512 187 individuals

Background Traumatic fractures place a substantial burden on health-care systems worldwide. Although detailed information about incidence, distribution, and risk factors for traumatic fractures is vital for planning and prevention, in China, national data are unavailable. We aimed to do an up-to-date national survey on the population-weighted incidence of traumatic fractures in China. Methods The China National Fracture Study (CNFS) was a retrospective epidemiological study that recruited a nationally representative sample from eight provinces, 24 urban cities, and 24 rural counties in China using stratified random sampling and the probability proportional to size method. All eligible household members who had lived in their current residence for 6 months or longer were personally interviewed by trained research teams about traumatic fractures of the trunk, arms, or legs (not including the skull, sternum, and ribs) that had occurred in 2014. Telephone surveys were used for participants who were non-contactable after repeated visits. Fracture cases were verified by clinical records, medical history, and radiographs by orthopaedic surgeons and radiologists. We estimated incidence rates for traumatic fractures for the overall population and for subgroups by age and sex, as well as by demographic factors such as ethnic origin, occupation, geographical region, and residency category. We also studied potential associations between fractures and various factors of interest, such as age, ethnic origin, education, smoking, alcohol drinking, sleep time per day, and history of previous fracture. Data were weighted during statistical analysis to ascertain the national incidence rate. This study is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, number ChiCTR-EPR-15005878. Findings Between Jan 19, 2015, and May 16, 2015, 535 836 individuals were selected and invited to participate in the study. Questionnaires from 23 649 (4%) individuals were excluded due to missing items, insufficient responses, or logical errors. Following exclusions, 512 187 (96%) individuals participated in the CNFS, consisting of 259 649 (51%) boys and men and 252 538 (49%) girls and women. Of these individuals, 1763 individuals had experienced traumatic fractures during 2014 (n=1833). The population-weighted incidence rate of traumatic fractures of the trunk, arms, or legs was 3·21 (95% CI 2·83–3·59) per 1000 population in 2014 (3·65, 3·12–4·18 in men and 2·75, 2·46–3·04 in women). For all ages, sleeping less than 7 h per day was identified as a risk factor for traumatic fractures. We identified previous fracture history as a risk factor for adults aged 15 years and older. Alcohol consumption incurred a risk effect for men aged 15 years and older and women aged 15–64 years. Interpretation Our results provide detailed information about fracture incidence, distribution, and risk factors, which can now be used as an up-to-date clinical evidence base for national health-care planning and preventive efforts in China and elsewhere. Specific public health policies that focus on decreasing alcohol consumption, prohibiting drunk driving, promoting smoking cessation, and encouraging individuals to obtain sufficient sleep and maintain a healthy bodyweight should be urgently implemented to help reduce the risk of traumatic fractures