Jute Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Tube-Confined Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete Waste.

In this study, the compressive performance of sisal fiber-reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (SFRAC) composite, confined with jute fiber-reinforced polymer (JFRP) tube (the structure was termed as JFRP-SFRAC) was assessed. A total of 36 cylindrical specimens were tested under uniaxial compression. Three major experimental variables were investigated: (1) the compressive strength of concrete core (i.e., 25.0 MPa and 32.5 MPa), (2) jute fiber orientation angle with respect to the hoop direction of a JFRP tube (i.e., ß = 0°, 30° and 45°), and (3) the reinforcement of sisal fiber (i.e., 0% and 0.3% by mass of cement). This study revealed that the prefabricated JFRP tube resulted in a significant enhancement of the compressive strength and deformation ability of RAC and SFRAC. The enhancements in strength and ultimate strain of the composite columns were more pronounced for concrete with a higher strength. The strength and ultimate strain of JFRP-confined specimens decreased with an increase in fiber orientation angle ß from 0° to 45°. The sisal fiber reinforcement effectively improved the integrity of the RAC and reduced the propagation of cracks in RAC. The stress-strain behaviors of JFRP-RAC and JFRP-SFRAC were predicted by the Lam and Teng's model with the revised ultimate condition equations.

Efficacy and Safety of Direct Oral Anticoagulants for Secondary Prevention of Cancer-Associated Thrombosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Prospective Cohort Studies.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common complication in patients with cancer. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have been proved to be effective on anticoagulation therapy in many diseases. However, the efficacy and the safety of DOACs in the secondary prevention of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) remain unclear. To assess the value of DOACs in patients with CAT, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies. Methods: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from their earliest date through to June 2018. Two investigators independently assessed eligibility. Data were extracted by one investigator and verified by the second investigator. The efficacy outcome of this study was recurrent VTE, whereas the safety outcome was major and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding. Relative risks (RRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined. To pool the results, the Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effects or random-effects models were used. Results: A total of nine articles (six randomized controlled trials and three prospective studies) involving 2,697 patients with CAT who were prescribed DOACs (apixaban, edoxaban, rivaroxaban, or dabigatran) and 2,852 patients who were prescribed traditional anticoagulants [vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), dalteparin, or enoxaparin] were compared. VTE recurrence in the DOAC group was significantly lower than that observed in the traditional anticoagulant group (RR: 0.60; 95%CI: 0.49-0.75; I 2: 0%; p < 0.00001). No significant difference in bleeding risk between both groups was found (RR: 0.95; 95%CI: 0.67-1.36; I 2: 75%; p = 0.79). Conclusions: Our findings showed that anticoagulant therapy with DOACs may be more effective than traditional anticoagulants to prevent recurrent VTE in patients with CAT, while the safety of DOACs may be equal to that of traditional anticoagulants. These findings support the use of DOACs as the first-line therapy for secondary prevention of CAT in most cancer patients.

An improved SELEX-Seq strategy for characterizing DNA-binding specificity of transcription factor: NF-κB as an example.

SELEX-Seq is now the optimal high-throughput technique for characterizing DNA-binding specificities of transcription factors. In this study, we introduced an improved EMSA-based SELEX-Seq strategy with several advantages. The improvements of this strategy included: (1) using a FAM-labeled probe to track protein-DNA complex in polyacrylamide gel for rapidly recovering the protein-bound dsDNA without relying on traditional radioactive labeling or ethidium bromide staining; (2) monitoring the specificity of SELEX selection by detecting a positive and negative sequence doped into the input DNAs used in each round with PCR amplification; (3) using nested PCR to ensure the specificity of PCR amplification of the selected DNAs after each round; (4) using the nucleotides added at the 5' end of the nested PCR primers as the split barcode to code DNAs from various rounds for multiplexing sequencing samples. The split barcode minimized selection times and thus greatly simplified the current SELEX-Seq procedure. The reliability of the strategy was demonstrated by performing a successful SELEX-Seq of a well-known transcription factor, NF-κB. Therefore, this study provided a useful SELEX-Seq strategy for characterizing DNA-binding specificities of transcription factors.

[DNA-binding profiles of mammalian transcription factors].

The differential gene expression is the molecular base of development and responses to stimuli of organisms. Transcription factors (TFs) play important regulatory roles in this kind of differential gene expression. Therefore, to elucidate how these TFs regulate the complex differential gene expression, it is necessary to identify all target genes of them and construct the gene transcription regulatory network controlled by them. DNA binding is a key step for TFs regulating gene transcription. Therefore, in order to identify their target genes, it is indispensable to identify all possible DNA sequences that can be recognized and bound by TFs at the molecular level of their interactions with DNA, i.e., construction of the DNA-binding profiles of TFs. In recent years, along with the development of DNA microarray and high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques, there appeared some revolutionary new techniques for constructing DNA-binding profiles of TFs, which greatly promotes studies in this field. These techniques include ChIP-chip and ChIP-Seq for constructing in vivo DNA-binding profiles of TFs, dsDNA microarray, SELEX-SAGE, Bind-n-Seq, MMP-SELEX, EMSA-Seq, and HiTS-FLIP for constructing in vitro DNA-binding profiles of TFs. This paper reviewed these techniques.

[Effect of intermittent irrigation in paddy fields on mosquito control].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of intermittent irrigation in paddy fields on mosquito control and the impact on growth and yield of rice. METHODS: The paddy fields were divided into an experimental group and a control group. In the same context of other measures, the experimental group was performed with intermittent irrigation and the control group with conventional irrigation. The densities of larvae of Anopheles sinensis and Culex tritaeniorhynchus were surveyed by the suction trapping method. The plant traits, leaf age process, tiller dynamics, yield structure and actual rice production were observed. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the average densities of larvae of Anopheles sinensis and Culex tritaeniorhynchus were reduced of 10.32/m2 and 13.93/m2 respectively in the experimental group, the control rates were 79.84% and 72.14% respectively, the average yield increased of 22.5 kg/667 m2, water conservation was 187.4 m3/667 m2, and the increased revenue was 75.78 yuan/667 m2. CONCLUSIONS: The intermittent irrigation in paddy fields not only can control mosquito larva breeding effectively, but also save water and electricity, and increase the harvest.

In vitro DNA-binding profile of transcription factors: methods and new insights.

The DNA-binding specificity of transcription factors (TFs) has broad impacts on cell physiology, cell development and in evolution. However, the DNA-binding specificity of most known TFs still remains unknown. The specificity of a TF protein is determined by its relative affinity to all possible binding sites. In recent years, the development of several in vitro techniques permits high-throughput determination of relative binding affinity of a TF to all possible k bp-long DNA sequences, thus greatly promoting the characterization of DNA-binding specificity of many known TFs. All DNA sequences that can be bound by a TF with various binding affinities form their DNA-binding profile (DBP). The DBP is important to generate an accurate DNA-binding model, identify all DNA-binding sites and target genes of TFs in the whole genome, and build transcription regulatory network. This study reviewed these techniques, especially two master techniques: double-stranded DNA microarray and systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment in combination with parallel DNA sequencing techniques (SELEX-seq).

[Health education needs for malaria control in rural residents in Hai'an County].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) and health education needs for malaria prevention and treatment of rural residents in Hai'an County. METHODS: Hai'an County was divided into three regions of east, south and north, and the primary and secondary students and residents were selected with the multi-stage sampling method and investigated with questionnaire for the status of KAP and the health education needs of malaria control. The results were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: The awareness rates of malaria transmission, symptoms, prevention knowledge in the residents were significantly higher than those in the students (P < 0.05). The awareness rates of malaria prevention knowledge in the residents had significant differences among the residents with different education levels (P < 0.05), and the education levels were positively correlated with the awareness rates of malaria prevention knowledge. The main ways of rural residents to get their knowledge of malaria control were radio, newspapers, the village doctors, public health bulletin, posters, students, and television caption in order; the main ways of students to get their knowledge of malaria control were television, newspapers, public health bulletin, teachers, radio, and flyers in order. CONCLUSIONS: We should pay full attention to the advantages of mass media to carry out the extensive health education on malaria prevention and control, and should also take into account the different characteristics of the audience.