Candidate Genes and Favorable Haplotypes Associated with Iron Toxicity Tolerance in Rice.

Iron (Fe) toxicity is a major issue adversely affecting rice production worldwide. Unfortunately, the physiological and genetic mechanisms underlying Fe toxicity tolerance in rice remain relatively unknown. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide association study using a diverse panel consisting of 551 rice accessions to identify genetic mechanisms and candidate genes associated with Fe toxicity tolerance. Of the 29 quantitative trait loci (QTL) for Fe toxicity tolerance detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 5, and 12, five (qSH_Fe5, qSFW_Fe2.3, qRRL5.1, qRSFW1.1, and qRSFW12) were selected to identify candidate genes according to haplotype and bioinformatics analyses. The following five genes were revealed as promising candidates: LOC_Os05g40160, LOC_Os05g40180, LOC_Os12g36890, LOC_Os12g36900, and LOC_Os12g36940. The physiological characteristics of rice accessions with contrasting Fe toxicity tolerance reflected the importance of reactive oxygen species-scavenging antioxidant enzymes and Fe homeostasis for mitigating the negative effects of Fe toxicity on rice. Our findings have clarified the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying Fe toxicity tolerance in rice. Furthermore, we identified valuable genetic resources for future functional analyses and the development of Fe toxicity-tolerant rice varieties via marker-assisted selection.

Perioperative outcomes of transvaginal specimen extraction laparoscopic total gastrectomy and conventional laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) has emerged as a promising alternative compared to conventional laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) for treating gastric cancer (GC). However, evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of NOSES for GC surgery is limited. This study aimed to compare the safety and feasibility, in addition to postoperative complications of NOSES and LATG. AIM: To discuss the postoperative effects of two different surgical methods in patients with GC. METHODS: Dual circular staplers were used in Roux-en-Y digestive tract reconstruction for transvaginal specimen extraction LATG, and its outcomes were compared with LATG in a cohort of 51 GC patients with tumor size ≤ 5 cm. The study was conducted from May 2018 to September 2020, and patients were categorized into the NOSES group (n = 22) and LATG group (n = 29). Perioperative parameters were compared and analyzed, including patient and tumor characteristics, postoperative outcomes, and anastomosis-related complications, postoperative hospital stay, the length of abdominal incision, difference in tumor type, postoperative complications, and postoperative survival. RESULTS: Postoperative exhaust time, operation duration, mean postoperative hospital stay, length of abdominal incision, number of specific staplers used, and Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire score were significant in both groups (P < 0.01). In the NOSES group, the postoperative time to first flatus, mean postoperative hospital stay, and length of abdominal incision were significantly shorter than those in the LATG group. Patients in the NOSES group had faster postoperative recovery, and achieved abdominal minimally invasive incision that met aesthetic requirements. There were no significant differences in gender, age, tumor type, postoperative complications, and postoperative survival between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The application of dual circular staplers in Roux-en-Y digestive tract reconstruction combined with NOSES gastrectomy is safe and convenient. This approach offers better short-term outcomes compared to LATG, while long-term survival rates are comparable to those of conventional laparoscopic surgery.

Prediction of the bioaccessibility and accumulation of cadmium in the soil-rice-human system based on optimized DGT and BCR coupled models.

Cadmium, as a typical heavy metal, has the potential to induce soil pollution and threaten human health through the soil-plant-human pathway. The conventional evaluation method based on the total content in soil cannot accurately represent the content migrated from the food chain to plants and the human body. Previous studies focused on the process of plant enrichment of heavy metals in soil, and very few studies directly predicted human exposure or risk through the labile state of Cd in soil. Hence, a relatively accurate and convenient prediction model of Cd release and translocation in the soil-rice-human system was developed. This model utilizes available Cd and soil parameters to predict the bioavailability of Cd in soil, as well as the in vitro bioaccessibility of Cd in cooked rice. The bioavailability of Cd was determined by the Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films technology and BCR sequential extraction procedure, offering in-situ quantification, which presents a significant advantage over traditional monitoring methods and aligns closely with the actual uptake of heavy metals by plants. The experimental results show that the prediction model based on the concentration of heavy metal forms measured by BCR sequential extraction procedure and diffusive gradients in thin-films technique can accurately predict the Cd uptake in rice grains, gastric and gastrointestinal phase (R2=0.712, 0.600 and 0.629). This model accurately predicts Cd bioavailability and bioaccessibility across the soil-rice-human pathway, informing actual human Cd intake, offering scientific support for developing more effective risk assessment methods.

Arthroscopic Medial Bi-portal Extra-articular Debridement for Recalcitrant Medial Epicondylitis.

Medial epicondylitis, or golfer's elbow, is characterized by pain and tenderness at the tendon insertion points of the pronator teres and flexor carpi radialis. Conservative treatment is sufficient for most patients, whereas surgical treatment is the best choice for intractable medial epicondylitis. With open surgery or arthroscopic surgery, good clinical results have been reported. However, there is still no consensus on which surgical technique is more ideal. We describe our technique of arthroscopic medial bi-portal extra-articular debridement, which is a safe and effective technique that allows more accurate debridement and maximum protection of the ulnar nerve while reducing surgical scars, relieving postoperative pain, reducing the probability of elbow infection and ankylosis, and shortening the recovery time.

IFI16 Positively Regulates RIG-I-Mediated Type I Interferon Production in a STING-Independent Manner.

Previous studies have shown that interferon gene-stimulating protein (STING) is essential for IFN-γ-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) as the DNA sensor and RNA sensor to induce transcription of type I interferon (IFN-I) and is essential for IFI16 to synergize with DNA sensor GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase (cGAS) in induction of IFN-I transcription. While other and our previous studies have shown that IFI16 enhanced retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-, which was an RNA sensor, and mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS)-, which was the adaptor protein of RIG-I, induced production of IFN-I, so we wonder whether IFI16 regulates the signal pathway of RNA-RIG-I-MAVS-IFN-I in a STING-dependent manner. We used HEK 293T cells, which did not express endogenous STING and were unable to mount an innate immune response upon DNA transfection and found that IFI16 could enhance RIG-I- and MAVS-mediated induction of IFN-I in a STING-independent way. Furthermore, we found that upregulation of the expression of NF-kappa-B essential modulator (NEMO) by IFI16 was not the mechanism that IFI16 regulated the induction of IFN-I. In conclusion, we found that IFI16 regulated the signal pathway of RNA-RIG-I-MAVS-IFN-I in a STING-independent manner.

Reduced expression of semaphorin 3A in osteoclasts causes lymphatic expansion in a Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) mouse model. / ç ´éª¨ç»†èƒžä¸­ä¿¡å·ç´ 3Aè¡¨è¾¾çš„å‡å°‘å¯¼è‡´å°é¼ GSDæ¨¡åž‹ä¸­æ·‹å·´ç®¡æ‰©å¼ .

Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a sporadic chronic disease characterized by progressive bone dissolution, absorption, and disappearance along with lymphatic vessel infiltration in bone-marrow cavities. Although the osteolytic mechanism of GSD has been widely studied, the cause of lymphatic hyperplasia in GSD is rarely investigated. In this study, by comparing the RNA expression profile of osteoclasts (OCs) with that of OC precursors (OCPs) by RNA sequencing, we identified a new factor, semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), which is an osteoprotective factor involved in the lymphatic expansion of GSD. Compared to OCPs, OCs enhanced the growth, migration, and tube formation of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), in which the expression of Sema3A is low compared to that in OCPs. In the presence of recombinant Sema3A, the growth, migration, and tube formation of LECs were inhibited, further confirming the inhibitory effect of Sema3A on LECs in vitro. Using an LEC-induced GSD mouse model, the effect of Sema3A was examined by injecting lentivirus-expressing Sema3A into the tibiae in vivo. We found that the overexpression of Sema3A in tibiae suppressed the expansion of LECs and alleviated bone loss, whereas the injection of lentivirus expressing Sema3A short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into the tibiae caused GSD-like phenotypes. Histological staining further demonstrated that OCs decreased and osteocalcin increased after Sema3A lentiviral treatment, compared with the control. Based on the above results, we propose that reduced Sema3A in OCs is one of the mechanisms contributing to the pathogeneses of GSD and that expressing Sema3A represents a new approach for the treatment of GSD.

USF2 activates RhoB/ROCK pathway by transcriptional inhibition of miR-206 to promote pyroptosis in septic cardiomyocytes.

Septic cardiomyopathy (SCM) is one of the most serious complications of sepsis. The present study investigated the role and mechanism of upstream stimulatory factor 2 (USF2) in SCM. Serum samples were extracted from SCM patients and healthy individuals. A murine model of sepsis was induced by caecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. Myocardial injury was examined by echocardiography and HE staining. ELISA assay evaluated myocardial markers (CK-MB, cTnI) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-18). Primary mouse cardiomyocytes were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate sepsis in vitro. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used for analyzing gene and protein levels. CCK-8 assay assessed cell viability. NLRP3 was detected by immunofluorescence. ChIP, RIP and dual luciferase reporter assays were conducted to validate the molecular associations. USF2 was increased in serum from SCM patients, septic mice and primary cardiomyocytes. USF2 silencing improved the survival of septic mice and attenuated sepsis-induced myocardial pyroptosis and inflammation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, USF2 could directly bind to the promoter of miR-206 to transcriptionally inhibit its expression. Moreover, RhoB was confirmed as a target of miR-206 and could promote ROCK activation and NLRP3 inflammasome formation. Moreover, overexpression of RhoB remarkably reversed the protection against LPS-induced inflammation and pyroptosis mediated by USF2 deletion or miR-206 overexpression in cardiomyocytes. The above findings elucidated that USF2 knockdown exerted a cardioprotective effect on sepsis by decreasing pyroptosis and inflammation via miR-206/RhoB/ROCK pathway, suggesting that USF2 may be a novel drug target in SCM.

Hydration Heat Control of Mass Concrete by Pipe Cooling Method and On-Site Monitoring-Based Influence Analysis of Temperature for a Steel Box Arch Bridge Construction.

The steel box arch bridge in this study will be subjected to various temperature effects from the construction to the operation stage, including the cement hydration heat effect and the sunshine temperature effect caused by an ambient temperature change. Therefore, it is very important to control the temperature effect of steel box arch bridges. In this study, the newly built Dafeng River Bridge is selected as the steel box arch bridge. This study aims to investigate the temperature effect including hydration heat and the sunshine temperature effect of the construction process of a rigid frame-tied steel box arch bridge. The manuscript presents that the heat dissipation performance of concrete decreases with the increase in the thickness of a mass concrete structure. The average maximum temperature values of layer No. 3 are about 1.3, 1.2, and 1.1 times the average maximum temperature value of layer No. 1 for the mass concrete of the cushion cap, main pier and arch abutment, respectively. The higher the molding temperature is, the higher the maximum temperature by the hydration heat effect is. With each 5 °C increase in the molding temperature, the maximum temperature at the core area increases by about 4~5 °C for the mass concrete. The pipe cooling method is conducive to the hydration heat control effect of mass concrete. Based on the monitored temperature change and displacement change, the influences of daily temperature change on the steel lattice beam and arch rib are analyzed. A temperature rise will cause the structure to have a certain camber in the longitudinal direction, and the longitudinal or transverse displacement caused by the sunshine temperature change is no less than the vertical displacement. Due to the symmetrical construction on both sides of the river, the arch rib deformation on both sides presents symmetrical synchronous changes. Based on 84 h of continuous temperature monitoring on-site, the changing trends of the arch back temperature and ambient temperature are consistent and their difference is small during 1:00~4:00 in the morning, which is determined as the appropriate closure time for the newly built Dafeng River Bridge.

Peripheral Circulating Exosomal-miRNAs Potentially Mediate the Sensitivity to Interferon Treatment in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Patients.

Pegylated interferon alfa-2b (Peg-IFN α-2b), a first-line treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, can significantly achieve HBsAg clearance in clinic. However, only 30-40% of patients had achieved HBsAg clearance after Peg-IFN α-2b administration. The biological targets and the underline mechanisms that distinguish sensitive and insensitive populations to interferon therapy are still unclear. In the present study, only 33.33% of patients achieved HBsAg loss after 48 weeks of Peg-IFN α-2b therapy. Thirty-six exosomal-microRNAs (miRNAs) in the sensitive group were identified that might induce sensitivity specifically, whereas 32 exosomal-miRNAs in the insensitive group were identified that might induce insensitive specifically. Among these miRNAs, five miRNAs (miR-425-5p, miR-8485, miR-619-5p, miR-181a-5p, and miR-484) might increase the sensitivity to Peg-IFN α-2b therapy by regulating key genes GSK3B, KRAS, FLT1, or GRB2, whereas, 13 miRNAs (miR-195-5p, miR-215-5p, miR-9-5p, miR-130a-3p, miR-214-3p, miR-149-5p, miR-429, miR-200b-3p, miR-200c-3p, miR-16-2-3p, miR-141-3p, miR-200a-3p, and miR-218-5p) might decrease the sensitivity to Peg-IFN α-2b therapy by regulating key genes, FGF2, GSK3B, PDGFRA, FGFR1, KRAS, FLT1, MYC, TGFB2, EFNA1, MAPK9, or GRB2. Furthermore, seven novel miRNAs, namely Novel_352, Novel_459, Novel_527, Novel_677, Novel_717, Novel_749, and Novel_801 were found to be downregulated specifically in the sensitive group, whereas, Novel_142 and Novel_664 were found to be downregulated specifically in the insensitive group. Our data indicate that the serum exosomal-miRNAs could be involved in regulating the sensitivity of chronic HBV (CHB) patients to Peg-IFN α-2b therapy, which might suggest potential novel therapeutic biomarkers and standard options for CHB patients. Clinical Trials.gov ID: NCT04035837.

Developing a deep learning model to predict epilepsy recurrence in patients with focal cortical dysplasia type III.

Background: A sizable number of patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type III-related refractory epilepsy continue to experience seizures postsurgically. Deep learning models can automatically assess complex medical image characteristics and predict prognosis with higher efficiency. This study sought to determine whether T2-weighted fluid attenuated inversion recovery (T2W FLAIR) images could predict prognosis of FCD type III-related refractory epilepsy using a deep learning approach. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images of 266 patients with FCD type III diagnosed between 2015 and 2019 were included in this retrospective analysis. A deep learning algorithm utilizing a convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained to classify T2W FLAIR images according to Engel's classification. The preprocessed original image and the region of interest (ROI) outlined by clinicians were input into our neural network separately and then together. Precision, sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were computed as part of the statistical analyses of the network performance with varied inputs of the network model assessed. Results: The overall performance met the following metrics when the original image only was input: AUC of 96.22%, sensitivity of 84.47%, and specificity of 97.21%. The metrics were as follows when the ROI only was input: area under the ROC curve of 94.76%, sensitivity of 84.92%, and specificity of 96.24%. For the combined inputs, the metrics were as follows: AUC of 97.17%, sensitivity of 90.86%, and specificity of 96.63%. Conclusions: Deep learning used with conventional MRI can effectively predict the recurrence conditions of epilepsy. Artificial intelligence may help the design of clinical management and enable more precise and individualized prediction for postsurgical prognosis of FCD type III-related refractory epilepsy.

Development and future perspectives of natural orifice specimen extraction surgery for gastric cancer.

In recent years, natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES), a novel minimally invasive surgical technique, has become a focus in the surgical field, and has been initially applied in gastric surgery in many national medical centers worldwide. In addition, this new surgical technique was launched in major hospitals in China. With an increasing number of patients who have accepted this new surgical technique, NOSES has provided new prospects for the treatment of gastric cancer (GC), which may achieve a better outcome for both patients and surgeons. More and more experts and scholars from different countries and regions are currently paying close attention to NOSES for the treatment of GC. However, there are only a few reports of its use in GC. This review focuses on the research progress in NOSES for radical gastrectomy in recent years. We also discuss the challenges and prospects of NOSES in clinical practice.

Plasmacytic Pleural Effusion as a Major Presentation of Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma is one of the peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Reactive plasma cells can occasionally be observed in AITL patients' peripheral blood and bone marrow. Plasmacytic pleural effusion as the presentation of AITL has not been reported before. The mechanisms of plasmacytic pleural effusion are not fully understood. Here we present an 82-year-old male with exuberant plasma cells in his pleural effusion in addition to his peripheral blood and bone marrow aspiration. By presenting this case, we would like to expand the spectrum of disease presentations in AITL and discuss the significance of flow cytometry in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion. To our knowledge, this is the first case report in the literature, which will be crucial to assist the hematopathologist in accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Risk Factors for Pulmonary Metastasis in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Patients and the Significance of Changes in Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 and microRNA-142 Levels.

This work aims to explore the risk factors of lung metastasis (LM) in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) (LM-DTC) and the effect of treatment and to detect the relationship between LM-DTC and the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) and micro ribonucleic acid (RNA)-142 (miR-142) in peripheral blood. The data of 420 patients with DTC who are admitted from March 2020 to December 2021 are collected and divided into a non-metastasis group (non-LM group) of 400 cases and metastasis group (LM group) of 20 cases according whether the mung metastasis is found. In addition, risk factors of LM-DTC are analysed and compared. The results of multivariate logistic analysis show that age, disease course, and imaging timing are independent influencing factors of the radionuclide treatment effect. Follicular carcinoma, abnormal expressions of MMP-13, and miR-142 can increase the risk of LM-DTC. MMP-13 and miR-142 can be undertaken as auxiliary diagnostic biological indicators.

Identification and verification of YBX3 and its regulatory gene HEIH as an oncogenic system: A multidimensional analysis in colon cancer.

The novel gene YBX3 is important for regulating translation and RNA catabolism and encodes a protein with a highly conserved cold-shock domain. However, its pathogenic roles across cancers (e.g., colon cancer) and its regulation remain unclear. We identified the pathogenic roles of YBX3 and its regulatory lncRNA HEIH in various cancers and investigated their effects on tumor progression in colon cancer. Methods including RNA pull-down, MS, and TMA of 93 patients, qPCR of 12 patients with diverse clinicopathologic stages, and western blotting were performed. The pancancer analysis showed that YBX3 expression varies significantly among not only cancer types but also molecular and immune subtypes of the same cancer. Furthermore, its expression in colon cancer is clinically significant, and there is an obvious negative regulatory association between HEIH and YBX3. Among various cancers, especially colon cancer, YBX3 is more related than HEIH expression to the clinical features and prognosis of subgroups. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that HEIH and YBX3 have similar predictive capacity in various cancers. The analysis of differentially expressed genes in colon cancer revealed that they have similar hub gene networks, indicating an oncogenic system with a strong overlap. The results also suggest that YBX3 is associated with tumor immune evasion via different mechanisms involving T-cell exclusion in different cancer types and by the tumor infiltration of immune cells. Interestingly, scRNA-seq revealed that HEIH inhibits this phenomenon. Our results also suggest that YBX3 expression is associated with immune or chemotherapeutic outcomes in various cancers, and YBX3 exhibited a higher predictive power than two of seven standardized biomarkers for response outcomes and overall survival of immune checkpoint blockade subcohorts. In colon cancer cell lines, lncRNA-HEIH and YBX3 associate. MS confirmed that YBX3 was pulled down with HEIH, and western blot showed that HEIH knockdown disinhibited YBX3. This study strongly suggests that lncRNA-HEIH/YBX3 is a pancancer immune-oncogenic system and could serve as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis and as a therapeutic target, especially in colon cancer.

Primary Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Mucocutaneous Ulcer of Esophagus: A Rare Case Report.

Primary EBV-positive mucocutaneous ulcer (EBVMCU) is a rare and indolent disorder occurring in the oropharynx, skin, and gastrointestinal tract, with remission after removal of the immunosuppressive causes. We present a 69-year-old woman with heartburn, regurgitation of gastric acid, enlarged lymph nodes, and parotid glands. The endoscopic examination showed a circumscribed ulcer in the lower esophagus. A biopsy pathology indicated an esophageal EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder and a parotid gland/lymph node indolent B-cell lymphoma. Interestingly, the patient did not undergo any treatment, but the endoscopic ulcer improved significantly after more than 2 months. The last pathology showed EBV negativity, and EBVMCU was considered in combination with clinical and endoscopic manifestations. We followed up with the patient at 6 months, and the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn had disappeared. Our case demonstrates that EBVMCU may occur in the esophagus with spontaneous regression.

Non-Invasive Prediction of Survival Time of Midline Glioma Patients Using Machine Learning on Multiparametric MRI Radiomics Features.

Objectives: To explore the feasibility of predicting overall survival (OS) of patients with midline glioma using multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Methods: Data of 84 patients with midline gliomas were retrospectively collected, including 40 patients with OS > 12 months (28 cases were adults, 14 cases were H3 K27M-mutation) and 44 patients with OS < 12 months (29 cases were adults, 31 cases were H3 K27M-mutation). Features were extracted from the largest slice of tumors, which were manually segmented on T2-weighted (T2w), T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (T2 FLAIR), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted (T1c) images. Data were randomly divided into training (70%) and test cohorts (30%) and normalized and standardized using Z-scores. Feature dimensionality reduction was performed using the variance method and maximum relevance and minimum redundancy (mRMR) algorithm. We used the logistic regression algorithm to construct three models for T2w, T2 FLAIR, and T1c images as well as one combined model. The test cohort was used to evaluate the models, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, areas under the curve (AUCs), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated. The nomogram of the combined model was built and evaluated using a calibration curve. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical application value of the four models. Results: A total of 1,316 features were extracted from T2w, T2 FLAIR, and T1c images, respectively. And then the best non-redundant features were selected from the extracted features using the variance method and mRMR. Finally, five features were extracted each from T2w, T2 FLAIR, and T1c images, and 12 features were extracted for the combined model. Four models were established using the optimal features. In the test cohort, the combined model performed the best out of all models. The AUCs of the T2w, T2 FLAIR, T1c, and combined models were 0.73, 0.78, 0.74, and 0.87, respectively, and accuracies were 0.72, 0.76, 0.72, and 0.84, respectively. The ROC curves and DCA showed that the combined model had the highest efficiency and most favorable clinical benefits. Conclusion: The combined radiomics model based on multi-parameter MRI features provided a reliable non-invasive method for the prognostic prediction of midline gliomas.

Experimental Investigation of the High-Temperature Rheological and Aging Resistance Properties of Activated Crumb Rubber Powder/SBS Composite-Modified Asphalt.

Crumb rubber could form the active groups on the surface by interrupting the crosslinking bond to improve the compatibility with asphalt. While styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS)-modified asphalt has excellent comprehensive properties, it has poor anti-aging performance and a high cost. To explore the influence of composite modification of activated crumb rubber powder (ACR) and SBS on asphalt, modified asphalt samples with different modifiers and SBS contents were prepared. Conventional physical properties tests, a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), and the thin-film oven test (TFOT) were used to study the conventional physical properties, high-temperature rheological properties, and aging resistance of asphalt. In addition, the action forms and distribution of modifiers in asphalt were observed by an optical microscope to characterize the micro-morphology of ACR/SBS composite-modified asphalt. Test results showed that after adding SBS, the softening point, ductility, and elastic recovery of ACR/SBS asphalt could be significantly improved, but the viscosity and softening point difference were also larger. At the same time, according to the complex shear modulus, phase angle, and rutting factor, SBS can effectively improve the high-temperature deformation resistance of ACR/SBS asphalt. The modified asphalt (ACR/SBS-2) had good high- and low- temperature performances, as well as an appropriate viscosity and low softening point difference, as a research object of aging. After short-term aging, the changes in the high- and low-temperature performances and workability of ACR/SBS asphalt were reduced. Taking the softening point as the target performance, the softening point of ACR/SBS asphalt was less affected by aging time and temperature, indicating that ACR/SBS asphalt was not sensitive to aging temperature and had good stability and aging resistance. From the micrograph by microscope, it was found that ACR/SBS asphalt could maintain a relatively stable polyphase structure for aging resistance.

Preliminary Exploration of Economic Polypropylene-Fiber-Reinforced ECC with Superfine River Sand (SSPP-ECC) Applied to a Bridge Pavement Leveling Overlay.

In response to the current common disease of concrete leveling overlays of bridge pavement in China, the feasibility of using an economic SSPP-ECC with local waste superfine sand as an alternative material for a leveling overlay was proposed in this study. To evaluate the interface bonding property in the girder between the SSPP-ECC and concrete, a slant shear test and split tensile test were designed to study the interfacial shear and tensile properties of the ordinary concrete/ordinary concrete (OC/OC) and ordinary concrete/SSPP-ECC (OC/ECC), where the results showed that SSPP-ECC could significantly improve the interface shear stress and split tensile strength compared to ordinary concrete. Furthermore, the damage status of OC/ECC no longer involved fracturing along the interface; instead, each of the two substrates was partially destroyed, which revealed that OC/ECC had a high bonding effect. Moreover, a restrained shrinkage test was carried out to evaluate the shrinkage property of SSPP-ECC, where the result showed that the shrinkage strain of SSPP-ECC was slightly lower than concrete, where the average cracking time for SSPP-ECC was far longer than for ordinary concrete under the same ambient drying conditions; furthermore, the stress rate for SSPP-ECC revealed that it was a low-cracking-risk material. Meanwhile, the crack width of SSPP-ECC was only 0.1 mm after 35 d, which showed that SSPP-ECC had a more substantial crack width control capacity relative to concrete. The test results initially verified the feasibility and great potential of economic SSPP-ECC applied in a bridge pavement leveling overlay.

A Nomogram for Predicting Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis: A Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need for non-invasive methods for predicting portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG). This study aims to develop and validate a non-invasive method based on clinical parameters for predicting PHG in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). METHODS: The overall survival (OS) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-free survival were evaluated in LC patients, both with and without PHG. A prediction model for PHG was then constructed based on a training dataset that contained data on 492 LC patients. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the predicting nomogram were assessed using the C-index, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis. Internal validation was conducted using a bootstrapping method, and further external validation using data on the 208 other patients. RESULTS: LC patients with PHG had a worse prognosis compared with those without PHG. A nomogram was constructed using clinical parameters, such as age, hemoglobin content, platelet count and Child-Pugh class. The C-index was 0.773 (95% CI: 0.730-0.816) in the training cohort, 0.761 after bootstrapping and 0.745 (95% CI: 0.673-0.817) in the validation cohort. The AUC values were 0.767, 0.724, and 0.756 in the training, validation and total cohorts, respectively. Well-fitted calibration curves were observed in the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful at a threshold of 15%. CONCLUSION: The nomogram constructed to predict the risk of developing PHG was found to be clinically viable. Furthermore, PHG is an independent risk factor for OS of LC, but not for the occurrence of HCC.