Patent lifetime prediction using LightGBM with a customized loss.

Patent lifespan is commonly used as a quantitative measure in patent assessments. Patent holders maintain exclusive rights by paying significant maintenance fees, suggesting a strong correlation between a patent's lifespan and its business potential or economic value. Therefore, accurately forecasting the duration of a patent is of great significance. This study introduces a highly effective method that combines LightGBM, a sophisticated machine learning algorithm, with a customized loss function derived from Focal Loss. The purpose of this approach is to accurately predict the probability of a patent remaining valid until its maximum expiration date. This research differs from previous studies that have examined the various stages and phases of patents. Instead, it assesses the commercial viability of individual patents by considering their lifespan. The evaluation process utilizes a dataset consisting of 200,000 patents. The experimental results show a significant improvement in the performance of the model by combining Focal Loss with LightGBM. By incorporating Focal Loss into LightGBM, its ability to give priority to difficult instances during training is enhanced, resulting in an overall improvement in performance. This targeted approach enhances the model's ability to distinguish between different samples and its ability to recover from challenges by giving priority to difficult samples. As a result, it improves the model's accuracy in making predictions and its ability to apply those predictions to new data.

An entropy trap model of thermodynamic anomalies for dual-amorphous water undergoing liquid-liquid phase transition.

Water displays numerous anomalously thermodynamic behaviors. However, the working principles behind these anomalies are not well understood, and the liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) is often regarded as the potential reason. In this study, we developed an entropy trap model to characterize the thermodynamic LLPT in dual-amorphous water, i.e. having both low-density and high-density liquid water. From the Adam-Gibbs model and free-volume theory, thermodynamic behaviors of water have been described using the proposed model, in which the constitutive relationships among density, heat capacity, thermal expansivity and glass transition temperature have been formulated. Moreover, the glass transition and its connection to thermodynamic behaviors were also investigated for dual-amorphous water. Finally, experimental data reported in the literature were used to verify effectiveness of the proposed model. This study is expected to provide a physical insight into the anomalous thermodynamics of dual-amorphous water undergoing the LLPT.

Design and rationale of the ATTRACTIVE trial: a randomised trial of intrAThrombus Thrombolysis versus aspiRAtion thrombeCTomy during prImary percutaneous coronary interVEntion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with high thrombus burden.

INTRODUCTION: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with high thrombus burden is associated with a poor prognosis. Manual aspiration thrombectomy reduces coronary vessel distal embolisation, improves microvascular perfusion and reduces cardiovascular deaths, but it promotes more strokes and transient ischaemic attacks in the subgroup with high thrombus burden. Intrathrombus thrombolysis (ie, the local delivery of thrombolytics into the coronary thrombus) is a recently proposed treatment approach that theoretically reduces thrombus volume and the risk of microvascular dysfunction. However, the safety and efficacy of intrathrombus thrombolysis lack sufficient clinical evidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The intrAThrombus Thrombolysis versus aspiRAtion thrombeCTomy during prImary percutaneous coronary interVEntion trial is a multicentre, prospective, open-label, randomised controlled trial with the blinded assessment of outcomes. A total of 2500 STEMI patients with high thrombus burden who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention will be randomised 1:1 to intrathrombus thrombolysis with a pierced balloon or upfront routine manual aspiration thrombectomy. The primary outcome will be the composite of cardiovascular death, recurrent myocardial infarction, cardiogenic shock, heart failure readmission, stent thrombosis and target-vessel revascularisation up to 180 days. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial was approved by Ethics Committees of China-Japan Friendship Hospital (2022-KY-013) and all other participating study centres. The results of this trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05554588.

A phase transition model in dual-amorphous water undergoing liquid-liquid transition.

An in-depth understanding of liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) in condensed water will gain insight into anomalous behaviors of dual-amorphous condensed water. Despite numerous experimental, molecular simulation, and theoretical studies, it is yet to achieve a widely accepted consensus with convinced evidence in the condensed matter physics for two-state liquid-liquid transition of water. In this work, a theoretical model is proposed based on the Avrami equation, commonly used to describe first-order phase transitions, to elucidate complex homogeneous and inhomogeneous condensation from high-density liquid (HDL) water to low-density liquid (LDL) water for both pure and ionic dual-amorphous condensed water. This model unifies the coupling effects of temperature and electrolyte concentration based on the new theoretical framework. The Adam-Gibbs theory is then introduced to characterize the synergistic motion and relaxation behavior of condensed water. Variations in the configurational entropy under electrostatic forces are further explored, and an analytical 2D cloud chart is developed to visualize the synergistic effect of temperature and electrolyte concentration on the configurational entropy of ionic water. The constitutive relationships among viscosity, temperature, and electrolyte concentration are derived to analyze their synergistic effects under different condensation fractions of LDL and HDL. The Stokes-Einstein relation and free volume theory are further used to analyze diffusion coefficients and densities (or apparent density) during both pure and ionic LLPT. Finally, theoretical results obtained from these models are compared with experimental results reported in literature to validate the accuracy and applicability of the proposed models, which offer significant benefits and advancements in effectively predicting physical property changes of dual-amorphous condensed water.

Ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel for coronary microvascular dysfunction in patients with STEMI: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: Approximately half of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients who undergo revascularization present with coronary microvascular dysfunction. Dual antiplatelet therapy, consisting of aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor (e.g., clopidogrel or ticagrelor), is recommended to reduce rates of cardiovascular events after STEMI. The present study performed a pooled analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare effects of ticagrelor and clopidogrel on coronary microcirculation dysfunction in STEMI patients who underwent the primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases were searched for eligible RCTs up to September 2022, with no language restriction. Coronary microcirculation indicators included the corrected thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) frame count (cTFC), myocardial blush grade (MBG), TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG), coronary flow reserve (CFR), and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR). Results: Seven RCTs that included a total of 957 patients (476 who were treated with ticagrelor and 481 who were treated with clopidogrel) were included. Compared with clopidogrel, ticagrelor better accelerated microcirculation blood flow [cTFC = -2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.38 to -1.41, p < 0.001] and improved myocardial perfusion [MBG = 3, odds ratio (OR) = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.35 to 2.93, p < 0.001; MBG ≥ 2, OR = 2.57, 95% CI: 1.61 to 4.12, p < 0.001]. Conclusions: Ticagrelor has more benefits for coronary microcirculation than clopidogrel in STEMI patients who undergo the primary percutaneous coronary intervention. However, recommendations for which P2Y12 receptor inhibitor should be used in STEMI patients should be provided according to results of studies that investigate clinical outcomes.

[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Water of Different Functional Parks in Guilin].

The water environment capacity of urban parks is small, and their self-purification ability is poor. They are also more likely to be affected by microplastics (MPs), which cause an imbalance of the water micro-ecosystem. Based on the functional characteristics of parks (comprehensive park, community park, and ecological park), this study investigated the distribution characteristics of MPs in the water of Guilin parks through spot sampling, microscopic observation, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In addition, the pollution risk index and the pollution load index were used to evaluate the pollution risk of MPs.The results showed that the abundances of MPs in the park surface water and sediments ranged from 104.67-674.44 n·m-3 and 95.57-877.78 n·kg-1, respectively. There were four main shape types of MPs:fragments, fibers, films, and particles. MPs were dominated by fragments and fibers with small sizes (<1 mm). The polymers of MPs were polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. There were significant differences in the abundance of MPs in the water of different functional parks, and the abundance of MPs in comprehensive parks was the highest. The abundance of MPs in park water was closely related to the function of the park and the number of people entering the park. The pollution risk of MPs in the surface water of Guilin parks was low, whereas the pollution risk of MPs in sediments was relatively high. The results of this study indicated that tourism was an important source of MPs pollution in the water of Guilin City parks. The pollution risk of MPs in the water of Guilin City parks was mild. However, the pollution risk of MPs accumulated in small freshwater waters of urban parks requires continued attention.

The triglyceride glucose index is associated with future cardiovascular disease nonlinearly in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the association between triglyceride glucose index and cardiovascular disease (CVD) development in the Chinese middle-aged and elderly population using the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study dataset 2011-2018. METHODS: Basic characteristics of participants, including sociodemographic information, and health conditions, were acquired. Logistic regression analyses and restricted cubic spline regression analyses were conducted to investigate the association between the triglyceride glucose index and future CVD risks. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate potential interaction. RESULTS: Seven hundred fifty-three of 6114 (12.3%) participants have developed CVD in 2018 over an approximately 7-year follow-up. The logistic regression analysis exhibited that compared to the lowest triglyceride glucose index group, the multivariable OR for future CVD was 0.985 (95%CI 0.811-1.198) in the T2 triglyceride glucose index group and 1.288 (95%CI 1.068-1.555) in the T3 TyG index (P for trend 0.006). The restricted cubic spline regression analysis showed the nonlinear association between triglyceride glucose index and CVD incidence; the cut-off values were 8.07 and 8.57, respectively, after total adjustment. Gender, fast blood glucose, and triglycerides interacted with triglyceride glucose index and CVD except for BMI. CONCLUSION: The triglyceride glucose index was nonlinearly related to the risk of future cardiovascular disease in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese population.

Evaluating the predictive value of diabetes mellitus diagnosed according to the Chinese guidelines (2020 edition) for cardiovascular events.

OBJECTIVE: Chinese diabetes society has published the new diagnostic criteria for diabetes in China (2020 edition). We aimed to investigate the predictive value of new diabetes-diagnosed criteria for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). METHODS: A total of 5884 individuals from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 and 2018 were enrolled. Baseline characteristics and outcome data were compared. The association between diabetes diagnosed by two criteria and future CVD was identified by Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox regression analyses, and receiver-operating characteristic analyses. Delong's test was conducted to compare the predictive value for future CVD between diabetes diagnosed by the 2020 edition and diabetes diagnosed by the previous version. RESULTS: After multivariate adjustment, both diabetes diagnosed by the 2020 edition and diabetes diagnosed by the previous edition is associated with CVD (HR 1.607, 95% CI 1.221-2.115, P < 0.001; HR 1.244, 95% CI 1.060-1.460, P = 0.007, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that diabetes patients have more cardiovascular risk (log-rank P<0.001). Moreover, diabetes diagnosed in the 2020 edition illustrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.673 for predicting CVD, while diabetes diagnosed in the previous edition showed an AUC of 0.638 (DeLong's test P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Diabetes diagnosis criteria (2020 edition) in China had better performance in predicting cardiovascular diseases than the previous edition.

An extended Stokes-Einstein model for condensed ionic water structures with topological complexity.

'What is the structure of water?' This has been a perplexing question for a long time and water structure with various phases is a great topic of research interest. Topological complexity generally occurs because hydrophilic ions strongly influence the size and shape of condensed water structures owing to their kosmotropic and chaotropic transitions. In this study, an extended Stokes-Einstein model incorporating Flory-Huggins free energy equation is proposed to describe the constitutive relationship between dynamic diffusion and condensed water structure with a topological complexity. The newly developed model provides a geometrical strategy of end-to-end distance and explores the constitutive relationship between condensed ionic water structures and their dynamic diffusion behaviors. A free-energy function is then formulated to study thermodynamics in electrolyte aqueous solution, in which the condensed ionic water structures undergo topologically complex changes. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed model is verified using both molecular dynamics simulations and experimental results reported in literature.

Association between kaolin-induced maximum amplitude and slow-flow/no-reflow in ST elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with a high thrombus burden have a relatively high slow-flow/no-reflow risk. However, the association between kaolin-induced maximum amplitude (MAthrombin) and slow-flow/no-reflow has been scarcely explored. METHODS: STEMI patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were retrospectively enrolled from January 2015 to December 2019 at China-Japan Friendship Hospital. MAthrombin levels were measured using thromboelastography before the PCI procedure. The patients were divided into two groups according to thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade after primary PCI: the normal flow group (TIMI flow grade = 3) and slow-flow/no-reflow (TIMI flow grade ≤ 2). The logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline regression (RCS) were used to analyze the predictive value of MAthrombin for slow-flow/no-reflow. All patients were followed up after discharge and observed the adverse cardiovascular events between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 690 patients were enrolled, with 108(15.7%) having slow-flow/no-reflow. The multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that MAthrombin level was an independent risk factor for slow-flow/no-reflow. The RCS analysis showed a nonlinear relationship between MAthrombin levels and slow-flow/no-reflow. The cut-off value of MAthrombin levels for predicting slow-flow/no-reflow was 68 mm. During a median follow-up time of 4.4 years, slow-flow/no-reflow (hazard ratio 1.93, 95% confidence interval 1.27-2.93, P = 0.002) and MAthrombin levels (hazard ratio 1.06, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.08, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for predicting the long-term of adverse clinical cardiovascular events. CONCLUSION: MAthrombin was an independent risk factor for predicting slow-flow/ no-reflow in STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI.

Triglyceride glucose index exacerbates the risk of future cardiovascular disease due to diabetes: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS).

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the effect of the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index on the association between diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: Data from 6,114 individuals were extracted and analyzed from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2018. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between diabetes and CVD across the various TyG index groups. The statistical method of subgroup analysis was used to determine the correlation between diabetes and CVD for each TyG index group by sex, history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, smoking, and drinking. RESULTS: Diabetes was positively associated with CVD risk after adjustment in 2011(odds ratio (OR) 1.475, 95% CI 1.243-1.752, P < 0.001). There was a gradient increase in the OR for new-onset CVD in 2018 due to diabetes at baseline across the value of the TyG index based on a fully adjusted model (P for trend < 0.05). The ORs of diabetes at baseline for CVD in 2018 were 1.657 (95% CI 0.928-2.983, P = 0.098), 1.834(95% CI 1.064-3.188, P = 0.037) and 2.234(95% CI 1.349-3.673, P = 0.006) for T1, T2 and T3 of the TyG index respectively. The gradient of increasing risk of CVD still existed among those with hypertension and nondrinkers in the subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: Elevated TyG index strengthens the correlation between diabetes mellitus and CVD in middle-aged and elderly Chinese adults.

Predictive Value of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score for Mortality in Hospitalized Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have a high prevalence of coronary artery disease and a high risk of cardiovascular events. The present study assessed the value of the CHA2DS2-VASc score for predicting mortality among hospitalized acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with CKD. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study that included CKD patients who were hospitalized for ACS from January 2015 to May 2020. The CHA2DS2-VASc score for each eligible patient was determined. Patients were stratified into two groups according to CHA2DS2-VASc score: <6 (low) and ≥6 (high). The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 313 eligible patients were included in the study, with a mean CHA2DS2-VASC score of 4.55 ± 1.68. A total of 220 and 93 patients were assigned to the low and high CHA2DS2-VASc score groups, respectively. The most common reason for hospitalization was unstable angina (39.3%), followed by non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (35.8%) and ST-elevation myocardial infarction (24.9%). A total of 67.7% of the patients (212/313) received coronary reperfusion therapy during hospitalization. The median follow-up time was 23.0 months (interquartile range: 12-38 months). A total of 94 patients (30.0%) died during follow-up. The high score group had a higher mortality rate than the low score group (46.2 vs. 23.2%, respectively; p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of all-cause death was higher in the high score group than in the low score group (Log-rank test, p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that CHA2DS2-VASc scores were positively associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 2.02, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-3.27, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The CHA2DS2-VASc score is an independent predictive factor for all-cause mortality in CKD patients who are hospitalized with ACS. This simple and practical scoring system may be useful for the early identification of patients with a high risk of death.

Phase transition of supercooled water confined in cooperative two-state domain.

The question of 'what is the structure of water?' has been regarded as one of the major scientific conundrums in condensed-matter physics due to the complex phase behavior and condensed structure of supercooled water. Great effort has been made so far using both theoretical analysis based on various mathematical models and computer simulations such as molecular dynamics and first-principle. However, these theoretical and simulation studies often do not have strong evidences of condensed-matter physics to support. In this study, a cooperative domain model is formulated to describe the dynamic phase transition of supercooled water between supercooled water and amorphous ice, both of which are composed of low- and high-density liquid water. Free volume theory is initially employed to identify the working principle of dynamic phase transition and its connection to glass transition in the supercooled water. Then a cooperative two-state model is developed to characterize the dynamic anomalies of supercooled water, including density, viscosity and self-diffusion coefficient. Finally, the proposed model is verified using the experimental results reported in literature.

Empagliflozin inhibits coronary microvascular dysfunction and reduces cardiac pericyte loss in db/db mice.

Background: Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a pathophysiological feature of diabetic heart disease. However, whether sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors protect the cardiovascular system by alleviating CMD is not known. Objective: We observed the protective effects of empagliflozin (EMPA) on diabetic CMD. Materials and methods: The mice were randomly divided into a db/db group and a db/db + EMPA group, and db/m mice served as controls. At 8 weeks of age, the db/db + EMPA group was given empagliflozin 10 mg/(kg⋅d) by gavage for 8 weeks. Body weight, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure were dynamically observed. Cardiac systolic and diastolic function and coronary flow reserve (CFR) were detected using echocardiography. The coronary microvascular structure and distribution of cardiac pericytes were observed using immunofluorescence staining. Picrosirius red staining was performed to evaluate cardiac fibrosis. Results: Empagliflozin lowered the increased fasting blood glucose levels of the db/db group. The left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, E/A ratio and E/e' ratio were not significantly different between the three groups. CFR was decreased in the db/db group, but EMPA significantly improved CFR. In contrast to the sparse and abnormal expansion of coronary microvessels observed in the db/db group, the number of coronary microvessels was increased, and the capillary diameter was decreased in the db/db + EMPA group. The number and microvascular coverage of cardiac pericytes were reduced in the db/db mice but were improved by EMPA. The cardiac fibrosis was increased in db/db group and may alleviate by EMPA. Conclusion: Empagliflozin inhibited CMD and reduced cardiac pericyte loss in diabetic mice.

Blood Group O Protect End-Stage Renal Disease Patients With Dialysis From Coronary Artery Disease.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to investigate the role of the ABO blood group in the development and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with dialysis. METHODS: A total of 408 ESRD patients with dialysis between January 2010 and December 2020 were enrolled including 204 patients diagnosed with CAD undergoing coronary angiography for the first time, and baseline characteristics as well as Gensini score (GS) were collected. Logistic regression analysis and linear regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relation of ABO blood types to the risk and severity of CAD, respectively. RESULTS: Blood group O frequency was significantly low in dialysis ESRD patients with CAD (25 vs. 38.24%) compared with the non-CAD patients and multivariable logistic regression showed blood group O was negatively associated with the risk of CAD [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.19-0.60, p < 0.001] as well as the GS tertiles (adjusted OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.11-0.49, p < 0.001) compared with A blood group. Blood group A, B, and AB were positively associated with the high Gensini tertile compared with O blood group (adjusted OR = 4.26, 95% CI = 2.03-8.93, p < 0.001; adjusted OR = 2.39, 95% CI = 1.11-5.13, p < 0.05; adjusted OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 1.40-13.35, P < 0.05). Similarly, multivariable linear regression results revealed O blood type was negatively associated with the GS (ß = -26.129, 95% CI = -40.094 to -12.164, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This case-control study demonstrated that blood group O was a potential independent protective factor for the risk and severity of CAD in ESRD patients with dialysis.

Investigating the Rheological Properties of Carbon Nanotubes/Polymer Composites Modified Asphalt.

The utilization of nanomaterials in the field of binder materials for road paving has attracted researchers' attention in recent years. This study presented the performance properties of a binder modified with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and polyethylene (PE). The rheological properties, adhesion behavior, morphology, and storage stability of the modified asphalt were investigated. Experimental analysis indicated a positive effect of CNT/PE composites on the performance of the binder. The results indicate that the combined use of CNT and PE shows a significant enhancement on complex modulus, viscosity, and creep recovery of the binder at high temperatures and a great decrease in compliance, indicating great resistance to permanent deformation. Meanwhile, only using CNT to improve the high temperature performance of the binder is limited due to high shear mixing. CNT/PE modifiers enhance the cracking resistance at low temperatures and moisture damage resistance. The CNT/PE melt mixing composites endow asphalt with stronger cracking resistance, better resistance to moisture damage and workability. Asphalt with CNT/PE composites formed an even dispersion system. Notably, CNT bridges on the interface between PE phase and asphalt for the two modified asphalts, which reinforces the cohesion of interface. Asphalt with CNT/PE composites showed improved storage stability in comparison with PE modified asphalt.

Mass Spectrometry Analysis to Identify Ubiquitylation of EYFP-tagged CENP-A (EYFP-CENP-A).

Studying the structure and the dynamics of kinetochores and centromeres is important in understanding chromosomal instability (CIN) and cancer progression. How the chromosomal location and function of a centromere (i.e., centromere identity) are determined and participate in accurate chromosome segregation is a fundamental question. CENP-A is proposed to be the non-DNA indicator (epigenetic mark) of centromere identity, and CENP-A ubiquitylation is required for CENP-A deposition at the centromere, inherited through dimerization between cell division, and indispensable to cell viability. Here we describe mass spectrometry analysis to identify ubiquitylation of EYFP-CENP-A K124R mutant suggesting that ubiquitylation at a different lysine is induced because of the EYFP tagging in the CENP-A K124R mutant protein. Lysine 306 (K306) ubiquitylation in EYFP-CENP-A K124R was successfully identified, which corresponds to lysine 56 (K56) in CENP-A through mass spectrometry analysis. A caveat is discussed in the use of GFP/EYFP or the tagging of high molecular weight protein as a tool to analyze the function of a protein. Current technical limit is also discussed for the detection of ubiquitylated bands, identification of site-specific ubiquitylation(s), and visualization of ubiquitylation in living cells or a specific single cell during the whole cell cycle. The method of mass spectrometry analysis presented here can be applied to human CENP-A protein with different tags and other centromere-kinetochore proteins. These combinatory methods consisting of several assays/analyses could be recommended for researchers who are interested in identifying functional roles of ubiquitylation.

Effects of Composite Warm Mix Additive (CAR) on the Physical and Rheological Performance of Bitumen and the Pavement Performance of Its Concrete.

Warm mix asphalt received increasing attention in recent years, and this technology aims to increase the fluidity of bitumen in the process of mixing and construction. To characterize the physical and rheological properties of bitumen and the pavement performance of bituminous mixtures, it was modified by a composite additive Rediset. Rediset consists of both the cationic surfactants and organic additive-based rheology modifiers. Commonly used materials such as Pen 60/80 bitumen and bituminous concrete (AC-20) were selected. The results show that Rediset can improve the penetration and softening point of the bitumen, making the bitumen stiffer and harder. All Rediset-modified bituminous concretes are in the same low-temperature performance grade (PG) as the bitumen without Rediset. Although Rediset can decrease the rutting and crack resistance of Rediset-modified bituminous concrete, all the Rediset-modified bituminous concrete with less than 2% Rediset still satisfied the requirement of the maximum bending strain being higher than 2000 µÎµ, and the dynamic stability of Rediset-modified bituminous concrete with 3% Rediset was still higher than 1000 cycles/mm. The cationic surfactants in the Rediset can play the role of an anti-stripping agent and improve the adhesion between the interfaces of the aggregate and bituminous binder, which enhances the moisture resistance of Rediset-modified bituminous concrete.

Proteomic analysis of the response to NaCl stress of Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Lactobacillus bulgaricus is commonly used in dairy products as a starter culture. Its viability during freeze-drying is of commercial interest. Here a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in survival rate of L. bulgaricus ATCC 11842 was achieved during freeze-drying when it was prestressed with 2 % (w/v) NaCl for 2 h in the late growth phase. To understand the mechanism of this stress-related viability improvement in L. bulgaricus, protein synthesis was analyzed by 2D difference gel electrophoresis. Nine protein spots were significantly altered by NaCl and were subsequently identified by peptide mass fingerprinting. The functions of the proteins included stress-related protein synthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, nucleotide biosynthesis, sugar metabolism, transport systems, and vitamin biosynthesis. These findings provide a considerable background regarding the NaCl stress response of L. bulgaricus.