The biological macromolecule Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton as an avenue for cell-based immunotherapy.

Promoting the antitumor effects of cell-based immunotherapy for clinical application remains a difficult challenge. Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton (N-CWS) is an immunotherapeutic agent for cancers that have been proven to possess the ability to activate immune response without showing toxicity. However, its effects on immune cells that are derived from tumor patients and cultured in vitro remain unclear. As expected, N-CWS can enhance the proliferation and viability of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer (NK) cells. The maturation of DCs and specific cytotoxicity against NK cells and CIK cells were consistently promoted. The TUNEL-staining and the Annexin V/propidium iodide assay revealed that after treatment with N-CWS, the stimulated CIK/NK cells could induce DNA breaks in tumor cells. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis showed upregulation of proapoptotic biomarkers (caspase-3 and caspase-9) and a downregulation of the antiapoptotic biomarker Bcl-2 in the tumor cells of the N-CWS-treated group, indicating that N-CWS could induce hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis via CIK/NK cells. Finally, CIK/NK cells could notably suppress the invasion and migration of tumor cells in the presence of N-CWS. Our study provides evidence that N-CWS could significantly increase the growth of CIK cells, DCs, and NK cells, particularly due to its robust antitumor activities by inducing apoptosis, and attenuate the invasion and migration of tumor cells.

Study on Vertical Bearing Capacity of Pile Foundation with Distributed Geopolymer Post-Grouting on Pile Side.

To study the applicability of the new geopolymer grouting material for super-long and large-diameter post-grouting bored piles in silty fine sand geology, this paper compares the bearing capacity of two grouting materials, geopolymer and normal Portland cement, and different grouting volume pile side-distributed grouting piles in silty fine sand based on field model tests are analyzed through the diffusion forms of the two materials in silty fine sand through the morphology of the grouted body after excavation. The results show that the ultimate bearing capacities of P0 (ungrouted pile), P1 (8 kg cement grouted pile), P2 (6 kg geopolymer-grouted pile), P3 (8 kg geopolymer-grouted pile) and P4 (10 kg geopolymer-grouted pile) are 5400 N, 8820 N, 9450 N, 11,700 N and 12,600 N, respectively, and that the ultimate bearing capacity of the grouted pile is improved compared with that of the ungrouted pile since, under the same grouting amount, the maximum bearing capacity of the pile using geopolymer grouting is increased by 133% compared with that of the pile with cement grouting. This further verifies the applicability of the geopolymer grouting material for the post-grouting of the pile foundation in silty fine sand. Under the action of the ultimate load, the pile side friction resistance of P1, P2, P3 and P4 is increased by 200%, 218%, 284% and 319% compared with that of P0. In addition, the excavation results show that the geopolymer post-grouting pile forms the ellipsoidal consolidation body at the pile side grouting location, which mainly comprises extrusion diffusion with a small amount of infiltration diffusion, and the cement grouting pile forms a sheet-like consolidation body at the lower grouting location, which primarily comprises split diffusion. This study can provide a reference basis for the theoretical and engineering application of post-grouting piles using geopolymers.

The Development of a Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogel Encapsulating Tobramycin-Loaded Gelatine Microspheres as an Antibacterial System.

Bacterial infection contributes to the bioburden of wounds, which is an essential factor in determining whether a wound can heal. Wound dressings with antibacterial properties that can promote wound-healing are highly desired for the treatment of chronic wound infections. Herein, we fabricated a simple polysaccharide-based hydrogel dressing encapsulating tobramycin-loaded gelatine microspheres with good antibacterial activity and biocompatibility. We first synthesised long-chain quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) by the reaction of tertiary amines with epichlorohydrin. The amino groups of carboxymethyl chitosan were then conjugated with QAS through the ring-opening reaction and QAS-modified chitosan (CMCS) was obtained. The antibacterial analysis showed that both QAS and CMCS could kill E. coli and S. aureus at relatively low concentrations. QAS with 16 carbon atoms has a MIC of 16 µg/mL for E. coli and 2 µg/mL for S. aureus. A series of formulations of tobramycin-loaded gelatine microspheres (TOB-G) were generated and the best formulation was selected by comparing the characters of the microspheres. The microsphere fabricated by 0.1 mL GTA was selected as the optimal candidate. We then used CMCS, TOB-G, and sodium alginate (SA) to prepare physically crosslinking hydrogels using CaCl2 and investigated the mechanical properties, antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility of the hydrogels. In summary, the hydrogel dressing we produced can be used as an ideal alternative for the management of bacteria-infected wounds.

Research and Application Progress of Vegetation Porous Concrete.

Vegetation porous concrete is a novel material that integrates concrete technology with plant growth, offering excellent engineering applicability and environmental friendliness. This material is mainly utilized in eco-engineering projects such as riverbank protection, architectural greening, and slope protection along roads. This paper systematically reviews the current research progress of vegetation porous concrete by collecting and analyzing the relevant literature from both domestic and international sources. It covers several aspects including the material components of vegetation porous concrete, such as aggregates, cementitious materials, chemical admixtures, and plant species, as well as aspects like mix design, workability, porosity, pH value, mechanical strength, and vegetative performance. Furthermore, the application of vegetation porous concrete in riverbank protection, slope protection along highways, and urban architecture is discussed, along with a prospective outlook on future research directions for vegetation porous concrete.

Effect of Aggregate Size and Water/Cement on Compressive Strength and Physiological Performance of Planting Concrete.

Planting concrete, an eco-friendly concrete in which plants can grow directly, has been widely used in roof greening and the slopes of rivers. Porosity and compressive strength are important indicators for evaluating the properties of planting concrete. By preparing planting concrete with different aggregate gradations (10-30 mm, 20-40 mm) and water-cement ratios (0.25, 0.27, 0.29, 0.31, 0.33), the effect of aggregate gradation and water-cement ratio on the porosity and compressive strength of the planting concrete was analyzed, the intrinsic relationship between aggregate gradation and plane pore parameters was studied, the strength growth pattern and microscopic strengthening mechanism were studied, the relationship between porosity and compressive strength of the planting concrete were explored, and a tall fescue planting experiment was carried out to evaluate the plantation performance of the planting concrete. The results show that under the same conditions of water-cement ratio, the smaller the particle size of the aggregate, the smaller the porosity of the plane, and the denser the structure. The average diameter of the planting concrete shows an exponential relationship with the porosity of plane. The early growth of the compressive strength of the planting concrete is rapid; the compressive strength has a linear relationship at the ages of 7 days and 28 days. Compared to polynomial and logarithmic functions, the exponential function gives a better insight into the relationship between the porosity and compressive strength of the planting concrete. Tall fescue seeds germinate and grow well; height, cover, and leaf rootstock and element content of plants can be used as indicators to assess the performance of vegetated concrete planting.

Comparative Study on Blast Damage Features of Reinforced Concrete Slabs with Polyurethane Sacrificial Cladding Based on Different Numerical Simulation Methods.

The defense effects of sacrificial cladding have been extensively studied in the field of blast resistance. As a polymer material with a cellular structure, polyurethane also has the potential to act as sacrificial cladding due to its good mechanical properties. The purpose of this study is to compare and select a numerical simulation method that is suitable for exploring the blast damage mitigation effect of polyurethane sacrificial cladding on reinforced concrete slabs. To this end, three numerical models were developed using the Fully Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) method, the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) coupling method, and the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Finite Element Method (SPH-FEM) coupling method, respectively. These three numerical models were used to investigate the damage features of reinforced concrete slabs with polyurethane sacrificial cladding (PU-RCS) under contact explosions. A field test was also carried out to provide a comparison for numerical simulation results. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of the three simulation results and the applicability of the three coupled models were discussed. The results show that compared with the CEL model and the ALE coupling model, the SPH-FEM coupling model can better simulate the damage features of PU-RCS, such as the cracks on the bottom surface of the RC slab and the large deformation failure state of polyurethane sacrificial cladding, while the CEL model and the ALE coupling model can simulate the propagation process of shock waves and have a lower computational cost. In conclusion, the SPH-FEM coupling method is the most applicable method for exploring the blast damage features of PU-RCS in this study.

Nocardia rubra cell-wall skeleton promotes CD4+ T cell activation and drives Th1 immune response.

Several lines of evidences have shown that Nocardia rubra cell wall skeleton (Nr-CWS) has immunoregulatory and anti-tumor activities. However, there is no information about the effect of Nr-CWS on CD4+ T cells. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of Nr-CWS on the phenotype and function of CD4+ T cells. Our results of in vitro experiments showed that Nr-CWS could significantly up-regulate the expression of CD69 and CD25 on CD4+ T cells, promote the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, increase the production of IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-2 in the supernatants, but has no significant effect on the apoptosis and death of CD4+ T cells. Results of in vivo experiments showed that Nr-CWS could promote the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, and increase the production of IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α (Th1 type cytokines). These data suggest that Nr-CWS can enhance the activation of CD4+ T cells, promote the proliferation of CD4+ T cells and the differentiation of CD4+ T cells to Th1 cells.