Flow diverter Combined with Coil Embolization for Acutely Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Extensive research has confirmed the safety and effectiveness of flow diverters in the treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. However, their use in cases of acute rupture remains a subject of debate. METHODS: This study was conducted as a single-center retrospective investigation from January 2018 to January 2022 and included patients with acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms (within three days of rupture) who were treated using the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) with adjunctive coil embolization. Patient demographics, operative procedures, and outcomes were analyzed. Antiplatelet therapy included intra-arterial tirofiban and postoperative dual therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients (5 males, 16 females) diagnosed with acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms were included in this study. The aneurysm types included 7 blood blister-like aneurysms (30.0%), 3 dissecting (14.3%), and 1 fusiform aneurysm (4.8%). Perioperative complications occurred in 2 patients (9.5%), and both cases involved thrombogenesis. Nineteen patients completed digital subtraction angiography during follow-up, with an average follow-up time of 8.7 months (5-18 months). Results showed a complete embolization rate of 94.7% (18/19), with a partial aneurysm still present in 1 patient. A total of 90.4% (19/21) of patients had a favorable prognosis (modified Rankin Scale score = 0-2). CONCLUSION: The PED with adjunctive coil embolization proved to be a viable option for managing acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms, notwithstanding the potential for ischemic complications.

Retreatment with a pipeline embolization device for recanalized aneurysms following stent-assisted coiling embolization.

Background and purpose: Flow diverters have emerged as viable alternatives for the retreatment of recanalized aneurysms following stent-assisted coiling embolization. In this study, we aim to present our experience of retreatment for such aneurysms using the pipeline embolization device (PED). Materials and methods: This case series presents a retrospective single-center analysis of patients with recanalized aneurysms who underwent retreatment using the PED between July 2019 and April 2023, subsequent to stent-assisted coiling embolization. Results: The study includes five female patients, whose relevant clinical data were recorded. All patients had aneurysms located in the internal carotid artery, comprising two blood blister-like aneurysms and two giant aneurysms. Prior to the retreatment, two LVIS stents, two enterprise stents, and one solitaire stent were implanted. Among the five patients, one experienced a fatal post-operative subarachnoid hemorrhage, while two patients achieved complete embolization, and another patient achieved near-complete embolization during the last follow-up. Furthermore, one patient faced challenges during the placement of the PED and was unable to achieve successful deployment. We propose four overlapping relationships between a newly implanted PED and a previously deployed stent: (1) PED covering only the proximal end of the previous stent, (2) PED covering only the distal end of the previous stent, (3) PED covering both the proximal and distal ends of the previous stent, and (4) PED deployed within the previous stent. Antiplatelet therapy at our center involved daily dual therapy with aspirin (100 mg/day) and clopidogrel (75 mg/day) for at least 5 days before PED placement. Intra-arterial bolus administration of tirofiban (5 mcg/kg) was administered during or immediately after PED deployment, followed by a maintenance dose of 0.08 mcg/kg/min IV infusion for at least 24-48 h if necessary. Postprocedural dual antiplatelet therapy included clopidogrel (75 mg/day) for 6 months and aspirin (100 mg/day) for 12 months. Conclusion: The findings of this study support the efficacy of the PED for the retreatment of recanalized aneurysms following stent-assisted coiling embolization.

Use of rocuronium and sugammadex for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is associated with reduced duration of chest tube drainage: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the influence of different neuromuscular blocking agents and reversal agents during anaesthesia on early removal of chest tube drainage after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). METHODS: This retrospective single-centre study included patients who underwent VATS after tracheal intubation under general anaesthesia. Patients received either cisatracurium and neostigmine (n=547) or rocuronium and sugammadex (n=151). Quantitative neuromuscular monitoring was used and one chest tube (size 24 Fr) was inserted. To reduce potential bias, 140 patients from each group were matched by propensity score for sex, age, body mass index and indication for VATS. Primary outcome was duration of chest tube drainage after surgery. RESULTS: Use of rocuronium and sugammadex was associated with a shorter duration of chest tube drainage (2 [1-2] vs 2 [1-3] days; P=0.049) and a 63% reduction in delayed chest tube removal (odds ratio 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.20-0.67; P=0.005). This group also had a lower incidence of postoperative atelectasis (P=0.047) and consolidation (P=0.008). Each 1 h increase in the duration of anaesthesia was associated with a 1.57-fold increase in the delayed removal of the chest tube (95% CI: 1.25-1.96; P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: During general anaesthesia for VATS, compared with cisatracurium and neostigmine, use of rocuronium and sugammadex was associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of postoperative delayed removal of the chest tube, atelectasis, and pulmonary consolidation.

Correction: An epidemiological study of gastrointestinal nematode and Eimeria coccidia infections in different populations of Kazakh sheep.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251307.].

Butyrate ameliorates maternal high-fat diet-induced fetal liver cellular apoptosis.

A maternal high-fat diet (HFD) can impact the offspring's development of liver steatosis, with fetal development in utero being a crucial period. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanism and whether butyrate can rescue liver injury caused by maternal HFD in the fetus. Pregnant female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups, prenatal HFD (58% fat) exposure or normal control diet (4.5% fat). The HFD group was fed an HFD 7 weeks before mating and during gestation until sacrifice at gestation 21 days. After confirmation of mating, the other HFD group was supplemented with sodium butyrate (HFSB). The results showed that maternal liver histology showed lipid accumulation with steatosis and shortened ileum villi in HFD, which was ameliorated in the HFSB group (P<0.05). There was increased fetal liver and ileum TUNEL staining and IL-6 expression with increased fetal liver TNF-α and malondialdehyde expression in the HFD group (P<0.05), which decreased in the HFSB group (P<0.05). The fetal liver expression of phospho-AKT/AKT and GPX1 decreased in the HFD group but increased in the HFSB group (P<0.05). In conclusion that oxidative stress with inflammation and apoptosis plays a vital role after maternal HFD in the fetus liver that can be ameliorated with butyrate supplementation.

Increased Levels of Plasma Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers and Their Associations with Brain Structural Changes and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Cognitively Normal Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyloid deposition in the brain. OSA is further linked to the development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In this study, we analyzed the plasma levels of AD neuropathology biomarkers and their relationships with structural changes of the brain and atherosclerosis. Thirty OSA patients with normal cognition and 34 normal controls were enrolled. Cognitive functions were assessed by the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale third edition and Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument. Plasma Aß-40, Aß-42, and T-tau levels were assayed using immunomagnetic reduction. The carotid intima-media thickness was measured to assess the severity of atherosclerosis. Structural MR images of brain were acquired with voxel-based morphometric analysis of T1 structural images. The OSA patients exhibited significantly elevated plasma levels of Aß-42 and T-tau, as well as increased gray matter volume in the right precuneus. Plasma T-tau level is associated with carotid intima-media thickness and gray matter volume of the precuneus. These findings may indicate early changes that precede clinically apparent cognitive impairment. The measurement of these biomarkers may aid in the early detection of OSA-associated morbidity and possible treatment planning for the prevention of irreversible neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunction.

Association between Serum Total and Specific Immunoglobulin E Levels and Body Height: A Cross-Sectional Study of Children and Adolescents.

Background: The atopy rate in children has increased significantly. Atopy and growth are connected in a multifactorial manner and are important health issues for children around the world. The principal research question in this cross-sectional investigation concerned the association between serum total, specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, and body height (BH)/weight (BW)/body mass index (BMI). Methods: A total of 993 subjects were enrolled for analysis retrospectively with allergic diseases and aged from 6 months to 18 years during the years 2015−2016. A complete panel of 36 allergen-specific IgE was taken from each participant using the MAST allergen test as well as their BH, BW, BMI, and total IgE levels. Results: There was a statistically significant positive association between the total IgE levels with BH (N = 348) and BW (N = 623) in the preschool age group (<6 years old, p-values of 0.009 and 0.034, respectively). In the preschool group, the total IgE levels showed a positive association with house dust (p < 0.001), cockroach mix (p < 0.001), Dermatophagoides farina (p < 0.001), and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (p < 0.001). After performing a general linear model followed by a backward selection of variables with age, sex, specific IgE, and total IgE, egg white sensitization demonstrated a significant negative association with BH (p = 0.009), and Dermatophagoides farina sensitization showed a significant positive association with BH (p = 0.006). The analysis showed that, in this model, the level of total IgE was not associated with BH. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the level of total IgE was not associated with BH in the preschool age group. Future studies are needed to replicate the results in outcome with follow-up allergic cohorts.

The Impact of Do-Not-Resuscitate Order in the Emergency Department on Respiratory Failure after ICU Admission.

(1) Background: It has been hypothesized that a discrepancy exists in the understanding of a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order among physicians. We hypothesized that a DNR order signed in the emergency department (ED) could influence the patients' prognosis after intensive care unit (ICU) admission. (2) Methods: We included patients older than 17 years, who visited the emergency department for non-traumatic disease, who had respiratory failure, required ventilator support, and were admitted to the ICU between January 2010 and December 2016. The associations between DNR and mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), and medical fees were analyzed. Prolonged hospital LOS was defined as hospital stay ≥75th percentile (≥26 days for the study). Patients were classified as those who did and did not sign a DNR order. A 1:4 propensity score matching was conducted for demographics, comorbidities, and etiology. (3) Results: The study enrolled a total of 1510 patients who signed a DNR and 6040 patients who did not sign a DNR. The 30-day mortality rates were 47.4% and 28.0% among patients who did and did not sign a DNR, respectively. A DNR order was associated with mortality after adjusting for confounding factors (hazard ratio, 1.9; confidence interval, 1.70−2.03). It was also a risk factor for prolonged hospital LOS in survivors (odds ratio, 1.2; confidence interval, 1.02−1.44). Survivors who signed a DNR order were charged higher medical fees than those who did not sign a DNR (217,159 vs. 245,795 New Taiwan Dollars, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: Signing a DNR order in the ED increased the ICU mortality rate among patients who had respiratory failure and needed ventilator support. It increased the risk of prolonged hospital LOS among survivors. Finally, signing a DNR order was associated with high medical fees among survivors.

The Impact of Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy on the Risk of Recurrence after Curative Resection in Patients with Hepatitis-C-Virus-Related Early Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background and Objectives: The impact of direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based regimens on the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after successful curative hepatectomy is controversial. Aims: This study aimed to assess the association between DAAs treatment and recurrence risk in HCC after resection. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively assessed 152 cases of early stage (BCLC stage 0/A) hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC (HCV-HCC) that underwent resection with curative intent between 2001 and 2019 at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital; 48 cases achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) by DAA, and 104 cases were not treated with any antiviral therapy (non-treatment group). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) following curative resection was analyzed by using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the factors that impacted RFS and OS. Results: Five patients (10.4%) experienced HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. The cumulative HCC recurrence rate was significantly lower in the DAA group than the non-treatment group (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant difference in RFS between the non-treatment group and DAA group (p = 0.001; hazard ratio (HR), 4.978; 95% CI, 1.976-12.542); liver cirrhosis (p = 0.005; HR, 2.062; 95% CI, 1.247-3.410), microvascular invasion (p = 0.001; HR, 2.331; 95% CI, 1.408-3.860) and AFP > 15 ng/mL (p = 0.022; HR, 1.799; 95% CI, 1.089-2.970) were also independent factors for HCC recurrence. ALBI stage II/III (p = 0.005; HR, 3.249; 95% CI, 1.418-7.443) and microvascular invasion (p < 0.001; HR, 4.037 95% CI, 2.071-7.869) were independent factors for OS; no significant difference in OS was observed between the DAA and no DAA treatment groups. Conclusions: DAA treatment could reduce the risk of recurrence after curative treatment for early stage HCC.

Metabolic Risks Are Increasing in Non-B Non-C Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND: Non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (NBNC-HCC) may be related to metabolic syndrome, and the incidence of this tumor type is increasing annually. The definition of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) proposed in 2020 may help to more accuratelyassess the association between metabolic syndrome and NBNC-HCC. However, this new concept has not yet been applied in NBNC-HCC research. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with NBNC-HCC and CHB-HCC diagnosed between 2009-13 and 2014-18, focusing on metabolic risk factors and the new concept of MAFLD. METHOD: Patients with BCLC-0/A-HCC who received curative hepatectomy between January 2009 and December 2018 were retrospectively assessed; the associations between clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes of NBNC-HCC and CHB-HCC were analyzed by multivariate analysis. RESULT: Compared to patients diagnosed in 2009-13, the frequency of metabolic disorders in NBNC-HCC was significantly higher in 2014-18 [DM (p=0.049), HTN (p=0.004), BMI (p=0.017) and MAFLD (p=0.003)]; there was no significant change in patients with CHB-HCC. Moreover, CHB-HCC was an independent risk factor for HCC recurrence (HR, 1.339; 95% CI, 1.010-1.775, p=0.043) and death (HR, 1.700; 95% CI, 1.017-2.842, p=0.043) compared to NBNC-HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Therisk of MAFLD, obesity, DM, and hypertension in patients with early-stage NBNC have significantly increased in recent years, thus metabolic syndrome should be monitored in this special population. Moreover, NBNC-HCC tend to had a better prognosis than CHB-HCC, probably due to their distinct clinicopathological features.

Concurrent Cholecystectomy Is Associated with a Lower Risk of Recurrence after Curative Resection in Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A 10 Year Observational Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy has been reported to be associated with increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there is little information about the impact of cholecystectomy on the outcome of HCC. AIMS: To evaluate the long-term effect of concurrent cholecystectomy on recurrence and overall survival in HCC after curative hepatectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 857 patients with BCLC stage 0 or A HCC who underwent primary resection from January 2001 to June 2016. The impact of concurrent cholecystectomy on overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed by Cox's proportional hazards models after one-to-one propensity score matching (PSM). RESULTS: Of the 857 patients, 539 (62.9%) received concurrent cholecystectomy (cholecystectomy group) and 318 (37.1%) did not (non-cholecystectomy group). During the mean follow-up period of 75.0 months, 471 (55.0%) patients experienced recurrence, and 321 (37.5%) died. RFS and OS were not significantly different between the groups. After PSM, a total of 298 patients were enrolled in each group. RFS was significantly higher in the cholecystectomy than non-cholecystectomy group (p = 0.044). In multivariate analysis, age (p = 0.022), serum AFP (p = 0.008), liver cirrhosis (p < 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.004), tumor number (p = 0.005), tumor size (p = 0.002), histological grade (p = 0.001), microvascular invasion (p < 0.001) and cholecystectomy (p = 0.021) were independent risk factors for HCC recurrence. However, there were no significant differences in OS between the cholecystectomy and non-cholecystectomy groups. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent cholecystectomy may reduce recurrence in early-stage HCC after curative resection. Further studies are needed to validate our results.

Association between Shock Index and Emergency Department Cardiac Arrest.

BACKGROUND: In the emergency department (ED), early identification of patients at risk of cardiac arrest is paramount, especially in the context of overcrowding. The shock index (SI) is defined as the ratio of heart rate to systolic blood pressure. It is a tool used for predicting the prognosis of critically ill and injured patients. In this study, we have discussed the relationship between SI and cardiac arrest in the ED. METHODS: Patients who experienced cardiac arrest in the ED were classified into two groups, SI ≥ 0.9 and < 0.9, according to their triage vital signs. The association between SI ≥ 0.9 and in-hospital mortality was analyzed in five different etiologies of cardiac arrest, including hypoxia, cardiac cause, bleeding, sepsis, and other metabolic problems. RESULTS: In total, 3,313 patients experienced cardiac arrest in the ED. Among them, 1,909 (57.6%) had a SI of ≥0.9. The incidence of SI ≥ 0.9 in the five etiologies was 43.5% (hypoxia), 58.1% (cardiac cause), 56.1% (bleeding), 58.0% (sepsis), and 65.5% (other metabolic problems). SI was associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5-1.8). The aOR (CI) in the five etiologies was 1.3 (1.1-1.6) for hypoxia, 1.8 (1.6-2.1) for cardiac cause, 1.3 (0.98-1.7) for bleeding, 1.3 (1.03-1.6) for sepsis, and 1.9 (1.5-2.1) for other metabolic problems. CONCLUSION: More than half of the patients who experienced cardiac arrest in the ED had a SI ≥ 0.9. The SI was also associated with in-hospital mortality after cardiac arrest in the ED. SI maybe used as a screening tool to identify patients at risk of cardiac arrest in the ED and a predictor of mortality in those experiencing cardiac arrest in the ED.

Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Serum Adhesion Molecules, and Serum Oxidative Stress in Patients with Acute Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Serum concentrations of adhesion molecules and oxidative stress is thought to participate in the pathobiology of secondary brain injury after acute traumatic brain injury (TBI). We aimed to study the hypothesis that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) both improves the adhesion molecules levels and antioxidant capacity. METHODS: Thirty blood samples from ten patients after acute TBI were obtained after injury and before and after HBOT. Four patients received early HBOT started two weeks after injury, four patients received late HBOT started ten weeks after injury and two patients did not receive HBOT and served as control in this study. The HBOT patients received total 30 times HBOT in six weeks period. RESULTS: Those serum biomarkers in patients with TBI had not significantly difference in glutathione (GSH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), soluble intercellular cell adhesion-molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) concentrations on admission between early HBOT, late HBOT, and control group (p = 0.916, p = 0.98, p = 0.306, and p = 0.548, respectively). Serum GSH levels were higher at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 1.40 µmol/L, 1.16 µmol/L, and 1.05 µmol/L, respectively). Then the serum GSH level was increased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 1.49 µmol/L). However, there was only statistically significant difference at Weeks 18 (p = 0.916, p = 0.463, and p = 0.006, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). Serum TBARS levels were decreased at 10 weeks after injury in the early HBOT group than in the late HBOT group and control group (mean, 11.21 µmol/L, 17.23 µmol/L, and 17.14 µmol/L, respectively). Then the serum TBARS level was decreased at 18 weeks after injury in the late HBOT group (mean, 12.06 µmol/L). There was statistically significant difference after HBOT (p = 0.98, p = 0.007, and p = 0.018, at Week 2, Week 10, and Week 18, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups on sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 levels from Week 2 to Week 18. CONCLUSIONS: HBOT can improve serum oxidative stress in patients after TBI. These molecules may be added as evaluation markers in clinical practice. Perhaps in the future it may also become part of the treatment of patients after acute traumatic brain injury. Further large-scale study may be warrant.

Influence of Mineral Additives on the Efflorescence of Ettringite-Rich Systems.

Efflorescence is aesthetically undesirable to all cementitious materials products and mainly results from the carbonation of hydrates and salt precipitation. Alternative binders without portlandite formation theoretically have much lower efflorescence risk, but in practice, the efflorescence of ettringite-rich systems is still serious. This study reports the impacts of mineral additives on the efflorescence of ettringite-rich systems and the corresponding microstructural evolution. The effects of silica fume, limestone powder, and diatomite on efflorescence and the capillary pore structure of mortars were investigated from a multi-scale analysis. The composition and microstructure of efflorescent phases were revealed by optical microscope (O.M.), in-situ Raman spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Results indicate that the addition of mineral additives can efficiently inhibit the efflorescence of reference, especially with silica fume. Similar to the ettringite-rich system, the efflorescence substances of all modifies are composed of ettringite and CaCO3, indicating that the addition of mineral admixture does not lead to chemical reactions, lower capillary absorption coefficient of mineral additives modified specimen, the denser pore structure and the lower efflorescence degree.

An epidemiological study of gastrointestinal nematode and Eimeria coccidia infections in different populations of Kazakh sheep.

This is an epidemiological study on the gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) and Eimeria coccidia infections in Kazakh sheep and the F1 and F2 generations of Kazakh × Texel sheep crosses. A total of 7599 sheep fecal samples were collected from the Zhaosu County and Nilka County in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the four seasons-spring, summer, autumn, and winter of 2019. The parasite causing the infection was identified by the saturated saline floating method, and the infection intensity was calculated by the modified McMaster method. SPSS19.0 was used to evaluate the differences in the fecal egg count (FEC) of for GIN and the fecal oocyst count (FOC) value of for coccidia per sample. The results showed that there were nine types of sheep GIN infections and Eimeria coccidia in these two counties of Ililocations, with the dominant parasite species of Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus spp., and Ostertagia spp as the predominant parasites in the sheep. Most of the GIN and coccidia infections in these two regions were mild and moderate. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the Zhaosu area was significantly higher than that in the Nilka area, whereas the mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection in Zhaosu was significantly lower than that of Nilka. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection in the four seasons was the highest in spring, followed by in summer, then in autumn, and the lowest in winter. The mean log (FOC) of coccidia infection was the highest in spring, followed by in autumn, and was the lowest in summer and winter. The mean log (FEC) of GIN infection and log (FOC) of coccidia infection of Kazakh sheep was significantly higher than the F1 generation, which was then significantly higher than the F2 generation of summer. A positive correlation was found between the EPG and OPG levels in the sheep. These results showed that the GIN and coccidia infection intensities of the F1 generation sheep of Kazakh ×Texel crosses were significantly lower than that of Kazakh sheep paving the way for marker-based resistance selection.

Properties of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Mortar Modified by Hydroxyethyl Methyl Celluloses with Different Degrees of Substitution.

This paper studies the influence of hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) on the properties of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement mortar. In order to explore the applicability of different HEMCs in CSA cement mortars, HEMCs with higher and lower molar substitution (MS)/degree of substitution (DS) and polyacrylamide (PAAm) modification were used. At the same time, two kinds of CSA cements with different contents of ye'elimite were selected. Properties of cement mortar in fresh and hardened states were investigated, including the fluidity, consistency and water-retention rate of fresh mortar and the compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile bond strength and dry shrinkage rate of hardened mortar. The porosity and pore size distribution were also analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Results show that HEMCs improve the fresh state properties and tensile bond strength of both types of CSA cement mortars. However, the compressive strength of CSA cement mortars is greatly decreased by the addition of HEMCs, and the flexural strength is decreased slightly. The MIP measurement shows that HEMCs increase the amount of micron-level pores and the porosity. The HEMCs with different MS/DS have different effects on the improvement of tensile bond strength in different CSA cement mortars. PAAm modification can improve the tensile bond strength of HEMC-modified CSA cement mortar.

Factors associated with hyperhomocysteinemia in relatively healthy Taiwanese adults: A retrospective medical record study.

ABSTRACT: Elevated homocysteine levels have been proposed as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate factors associated with hyperhomocysteinemia in relatively healthy Taiwanese adults.A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the health examination database in a medical center located in southern Taiwan. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as a plasma homocysteinemia level >15 µmol/L. Factors associated with hyperhomocysteinemia were evaluated using univariate and multiple stepwise logistic regression analyses.A total of 817 adults with a mean age of 55.5 years were included in the present study, and of them, 67 (8.2%) had hyperhomocysteinemia. Results from multiple logistic regression analysis showed that male sex (Odd ratio [OR] = 12.28, 95% CI = 2.94-51.27, P  = .001), advanced age (OR = 1.37 per 10 years, 95% CI = 1.06-1.77, P = .017), triglycerides (OR = 1.02 per 10 mg/dL, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04, P = .010), and uric acid (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.09-1.49, P = .004) were significantly and independently associated with hyperhomocysteinemia.In this retrospective medical record study, male sex, advanced age, higher plasma level of triglyceride, and uric acid were significantly associated with hyperhomocysteinemia in relatively healthy Taiwanese adults.

Effect of Mineral Composition and w/c Ratios to the Growth of AFt during Cement Hydration by In-Situ Powder X-ray Diffraction Analysis.

AFt is one of the major products at the early stage of cement hydration. It is an important product that influences the performance of the fresh and hardened cement pastes such as the setting time. However, there is a lack of detailed investigation on the growth of AFt in the cement pastes with a long-time scale. In this work, we reported a detailed analysis by using in-situ powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) on the growth of AFt in the cement pastes during hydration. Samples of the hydrated ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and another locally produced Portland cement with very high tricalcium silicate (C3S) content with different water-cement (w/c) ratios were investigated continually till they were hydrated for about 270 days by powder XRD. The work shows that during Portland cement hydration, the AFt reaches its maximum content with very high speed within about 24 h, which is influenced by the content of C3S in the raw cement samples and the w/c ratios of the cement pastes. Once the maximum content of AFt was reached, it decreases very fast within the following couple of days, and then decreases slowly and finally reaches a stable level at the late stage of hydration. The results also present that a lower w/c ratio is beneficial to the formation of AFt and the conversion of AFt to AFm as well. While higher w/c ratios are favorable for the AFt to remain stable in the hardened cement pastes.

Exploring the construction and infiltration strategies of social bots in sina microblog.

Nowadays, millions of people use Online Social Networks (OSNs) like Twitter, Facebook and Sina Microblog, to express opinions on current events. The widespread use of these OSNs has also led to the emergence of social bots. What is more, the existence of social bots is so powerful that some of them can turn into influential users. In this paper, we studied the automated construction technology and infiltration strategies of social bots in Sina Microblog, aiming at building friendly and influential social bots to resist malicious interpretations. Firstly, we studied the critical technology of Sina Microblog data collection, which indicates that the defense mechanism of that is vulnerable. Then, we constructed 96 social bots in Sina Microblog and researched the influence of different infiltration strategies, like different attribute settings and various types of interactions. Finally, our social bots gained 5546 followers in the 42-day infiltration period with a 100% survival rate. The results show that the infiltration strategies we proposed are effective and can help social bots escape detection of Sina Microblog defense mechanism as well. The study in this paper sounds an alarm for Sina Microblog defense mechanism and provides a valuable reference for social bots detection.

Water Retention Mechanism of HPMC in Cement Mortar.

In this paper, the effect of HPMC (hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether) on the cement mortar water retention (WR) and composition was studied. The relationship between the plastic viscosity and water retention of cement mortar was revealed. The results showed that HPMC formed a colloidal film with a 3D network structure in water, which changed the ability of water to migrate. The HPMC colloid adsorbed on the surface of cement and sand particles and played a bridging role due to the influence of the spatial network structure of the thin film. Fine particles formed a grid-like distribution, and the hydration products formed a unique fibrous tree-like structure. A positive correlation was observed between the plastic viscosity and the water holding capacity of cement mortar. Finally, the mechanism responsible for the improved water retention of cement mortar by HPMC was analyzed using the changing water migration capacity, migration channels, and mortar cohesion.