•We tested three mortise-tenon jointed timber frames by lateral cyclic loading.•We analyzed the envelope curves, rate of degradation, and dissipated energy.•We quantified the threshold and ...development of the contribution of the frame infill.
Mortise-tenon jointed timber frames with wood panel infill are commonly used in traditional timber structures of East Asian countries as the primary shear resisting component. This paper presents the test results of three 1:2 scaled Chinese traditional mortise-tenon jointed beam-column frames, one as bare frame, one with partial panel infill accommodating a wide window opening, and the third with full panel infill, considering translational cyclic loading and constant vertical loading. The failure modes, stiffness and strength (including rate of degradation), and energy dissipation capacity of the frames were discussed to quantify the contribution of the panel infill. The results indicated that the frames behaved nonlinearly with good ductility (e.g., 9.72 of the bare frame). The frames with panel infill (with or without a window opening) exhibited higher load carrying capacity (up to 35.3% increase in the peak loads), secant stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. All three frames maintained at least 65% of the peak load of the primary cycles during the trailing cycles, indicating a good endurance against damage accumulation. It was also found that the lateral drift threshold for the panel infill to make a solid contribution to the frames is around 1/70 of the column height. A linear contribution can then be maintained up to 1/30 of the column height, covering the general drift limit for collapse prevention (1/50).
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•We obtained the vertical compressive behavior of eccentrically aligned dou-gong connections.•We tested the racking performance of three 1:3.4 scaled eccentrically aligned dou-gong connections by ...combined vertical compression and lateral cyclic loading.•By comparative analysis we quantified the influence of the composite action effect and vertical compression loading.
This paper presents an experimental study on the compressive and racking performance of eccentrically aligned dou-gong connections used in Chinese traditional timber structures. Four 1:3.4 scaled specimens were fabricated and tested with static compressive and cyclic lateral loading. The damage modes and load–displacement (or hysteresis) curves of the dou-gong connections as well as the influence of the composite action effect and vertical compression loading were discussed. It was found that the load–displacement curve of an eccentrically aligned dou-gong connection was nearly bilinear and the change of the vertical stiffness took place when the cap block cracked and loosened the lateral constraint on the overturning of the connection. The vertical initial compressive stiffness was nearly 70% of a concentrically aligned dou-gong connection according to a predictive formula established based on concentrically aligned dou-gong connection test results. The initial stiffness, yield load and maximum load of double dou-gong connections were found to be 262%, 332% and 373% of those of a single dou-gong connection, respectively. The composite action from the interlocked straight beams (by shear keys) and infill panel can increase the lateral stiffness by more than 55% and the energy dissipation capacity by more than 70%, though such composite action decreases with the worn out of the contact surfaces of the straight beams and the plastic deformation of the shear keys. The vertical load improved the stiffness and energy dissipation capacity of the connections mostly by the friction force. Specifically, an increase of 120% in the vertical compression load can lead to more than 50% increase in the lateral stiffness and up to 130% increase in the energy dissipation capacity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•Shaking table tests of a scaled three-story indoor substation were conducted.•Two different isolation techniques were applied and corresponding isolation effect were discussed.•Influence of the ...far-field earthquake and near-fault earthquake was investigated.•Scaled electrical equipment was also prepared and the influence of the equipment-structure interaction were discussed.
In order to investigate the seismic performance of indoor RC substations with combined base isolation technique under far-field earthquakes and near-fault earthquakes, a 1/4 scaled three-story RC frame model was prepared for shaking table tests. Three different model configurations were considered, namely the non-isolated model (control model), the mono-isolated model (model with lead rubber bearings), and the combined isolated model (model with lead rubber bearings and viscous dampers). Scaled transformers and GISs were also installed on the model floors to consider the influence of the electrical equipment. Typical far field and near fault seismic waves, in this study the El Centro wave and the ChiChi wave, respectively, up to a PGA of 0.44 g were used as excitations. It was found that LRBs worked desirably for the RC model under the El Centro wave while less effective under the ChiChi wave. The acceleration responses (roof), the inter-story shear force (1F) and the inter-story drift (2F) were reduced by use of the LRBs at most by 21%, 51% and 26%, respectively, with respect to the non-isolated model under the El Centro wave. However, under the ChiChi wave irregular torsional behavior was observed and the isolation layer displacement reached 88% of the limit value. Combined use of LRBs and VDs effectively reduced the seismic responses of the RC model under the ChiChi wave. In particular, the isolation layer displacement was reduced by 15% and the torsional displacement ratio was reduced to less than 1.15, with respect to the model with LRBs only. Considerable equipment-structure interaction was found in the RC indoor substations and increased the acceleration and the displacement responses by up to 21% and 22%, respectively, given the position and mass of the equipment in this study. Besides, the LRBs and VDs were found to be effective to reduce the equipment-structure interaction.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
•We tested the bond behavior of carbon nanotube modified concrete and steel bars.•We considered small concrete cover to bar diameter ratios.•We determined the initial bond strength, peak bond stress ...and other parameters.•We proposed a time-dependent model of bond slip behavior of carbon nanotube modified young concrete.
The effect of different carbon nanotube (CNT) dosage, concrete cover thickness, steel bar diameter on bond behavior between steel bars and CNT modified concrete was experimentally studied. Beam specimens were prepared and tested for better simulation of the stress state of concrete in the vicinity of steel bars in real structures. The test results indicated that the initial bond strength, defined at a slippage of 0.01 mm, and the peak bond stress can be increased by approximately 37.2% and 49.7% at a CNT dosage of 0.1 wt% and 0.15 wt%, respectively. It was also found that the peak bond stress increased nearly linearly with the ratio, c/d, of the concrete cover thickness to the reinforcing bar diameter, and for a given c/d ratio, varied with the CNT dosage synchronously with the uniaxial tensile strength of concrete. The bond slip corresponding to the peak bond stress and the two shape parameters of the ascending and descending branches of the bond slip curve remained nearly constant over different CNT dosages and c/d ratios. Based on the synchronousness between the peak bond stress and the tensile strength, a time dependent bond slip model for CNT modified early-age concrete was proposed. The generated knowledge can be used for cracking control of young concrete members.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Differentially expressed microRNAs were identified in the peripheral blood of first-onset schizophrenia patients and controls.•MiR-22-3p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-137 could be used in combination as a ...biomarker for schizophrenia.•The target genes of miR-22-3p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-137 are associated with synaptic structure and function.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous and non-coding single-stranded RNAs with length of about 22 nucleotides, and many are evolutionarily conserved. Although postmortem brain samples provide direct evidence of miRNA dysregulation within the brain, peripheral tissue samples can be obtained from living subjects and have the potential to yield biomarkers that could be used as diagnostic tools. To verify and detect additional miRNAs differentially expressed in peripheral blood and further explore their diagnostic value and function for schizophrenia, we performed a next-generation sequencing approach in combination with a literature search to select appropriate miRNAs. We then used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to identify miRNAs expressed aberrantly in schizophrenia. Binary regression analysis identified miR-22-3p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-137. Analysis of receiver operating characteristics (ROC) indicated that these three miRNAs could be used in combination as a biomarker for schizophrenia. Bioinformatic analyses of these genes and gene ontology (GO) enrichment revealed that the combination of miR-22-3p, miR-92a-3p, and miR-137 was closely associated with synaptic structure and function, which play important roles in the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
In this paper, the differences of the impact toughness and microstructure of specimens with (IA specimen) and without intercritical annealing (OIA specimen) after welding thermal simulation were ...compared to illustrate the effect of intercritical annealing. The results show that after welding thermal simulation, the impact energy of IA specimen is 96.6 J, which is much higher than 5.7 J of OIA specimen. This is because after welding thermal simulation, the high-angle (≥45°) grain boundary density of IA specimen is 0.079 μm−1, which is nearly twice as high as that of OIA specimen. On the other hand, the small-sized M-A constituents (maximum 1 μm) and more retained austenite in IA specimen can effectively deflect or prevent the propagation of the crack, helping to obtain high impact toughness.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Cervical cancer (CC), the fourth most prevalent type of cancer among women worldwide, is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Due to the long period of latency in CC, most patients ...are already in the middle to late stages when initially diagnosed, which greatly reduces the clinical cure rate and quality of survival, thus resulting in poor outcomes. In recent years, with continuous exploration in the fields of bioinformatics and molecules, it has been found that ncRNAs, including miRNAs and lncRNAs, without the ability to translate proteins are capable of activating or inhibiting certain signaling pathways by targeting and modulating the level of expression of proteins involved in these signaling pathways. ncRNAs play important roles in assisting with diagnosis, drug administration, and prediction of prognosis during CC progression. As an entry point, the mechanisms of interaction between miRNAs, lncRNAs, and signaling pathways have long been a focus in basic research relating to CC, and numerous experimental studies have confirmed the close relationship of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and signaling pathways with CC development. Against this background, we summarize the latest advances in the involvement of lncRNA- and miRNA-related signaling pathways in the development of CC to provide guidance for CC treatment.
C1QTNF6 (CTRP6), a member of the CTRP family, has recently been implied to play a role in the tumorigenesis of for a variety of cancer types. However, the role of C1QTNF6 in oral squamous cell ...carcinoma (OSCC) and its potential molecular remains unclear.
C1QTNF6 expression was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. Lentiviral vectors were constructed to knockdown C1QTNF6 in CaL27 and SCC-9 human OSCC cell lines. Cell viability, cell cycle and cell apoptosis analyses were performed by MTT assay, PI/Annexin V staining, and flow cytometry. The effect of C1QTNF6 knockdown on in vivo tumorigenicity of OSCC cells in vivo was evaluated using nude mouse xenograft tumor model. Downstream signaling mechanisms were identified by microarray and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.
Immunohistochemistry of OSCC tissue and data from TCGA demonstrate that C1QTNF6 was overexpressed in OSCC tissues, and that cellular proliferation was significantly decreased after C1QTNF6 was knockdown in CaL27 and SCC-9 cell lines. Knockdown of C1QTNF6 also resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and enhanced cell apoptosis in in CaL27 and SCC-9 cell lines. Furthermore, knockdown of C1QTNF6 in Cal-27 cells inhibited tumor growth of OSCC in vivo. Microarray analysis revealed that C1QTNF6 silencing resulted in significant alterations of gene expression, with the Acute Phase Response signaling pathway significantly activated following C1QTNF6 silencing.
These results suggest that C1QTNF6 plays an important role in promoting OSCC tumorigenesis, which indicates that C1QTNF6 may comprise a promising therapeutic target for OSCC treatment.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background Lily Bulb and Rehmannia Decoction (LBRD), is a traditional Chinese formula that has been shown to be safe and effective against depression; however, its material basis and pharmacological ...mechanisms remain unknown. Methods Here, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to identify the chemical spectrum and qualitatively identify the major active ingredients in the LBRD standard decoction, respectively. Subsequently, we assessed the behavior, neuronal function and morphology, neurotransmitter levels, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis associated hormones, inflammatory cytokine levels, and miRNA/mRNA expression alterations in an in vitro/vivo depression model treated by the LBRD standard decoction. Finally, miRNA/mRNA regulatory networks were created through bioinformatics analysis, followed by functional experiments to verify its role in LBRD standard decoction treatment. Results A total of 32 prototype compounds were identified in the LBRD standard decoction, and the average quality of verbascoside in the fresh lily bulb decoction, fresh raw Rehmannia juice, and the LBRD standard decoction were 0.001264%, 0.002767%, and 0.009046% (w/w), respectively. Administration of the LBRD standard decoction ameliorated chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression-like phenotypes and protected PC12 cells against chronic corticosterone (CORT)-induced injury. The levels of neurotransmitter, cytokine, stress hormones and neuronal morphology were disrupted in the depression model, while LBRD standard decoction could work on these alterations. After LBRD standard decoction administration, four differentially expressed miRNAs, rno-miR-144-3p, rno-miR-495, rno-miR-34c-5p, and rno-miR-24-3p, and six differentially expressed mRNAs, Calml4, Ntrk2, VGAT, Gad1, Nr1d1, and Bdnf overlapped in the in vivo/vitro depression model. Among them, miR-144-3p directly mediated GABA synthesis and release by targeting Gad1 and VGAT, and miR-495 negatively regulated BDNF expression. The LBRD standard decoction can reverse the above miRNA/mRNA network-mediated GABA and BDNF expression in the in vivo/vitro depression model. Conclusion Collectively, the multi-components of the LBRD standard decoction altered a series of miRNAs in depression through mediating GABAergic synapse, circadian rhythm, and neurotrophic signaling pathway etc., thereby abolishing inhibitory/excitatory neurotransmitter deficits, recovering the pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine levels and regulating the HPA-axis hormone secretion to achieve balance of the physiological function of the whole body. Keywords: Lily bulb and rehmannia decoction, Bioactive ingredients, miRNA/mRNA regulatory network, GABAergic synapse, Neurotrophic signaling pathways, Homeostasis
This paper presents results of a study on the stability capacity and lateral bracing force of wood beam-columns subjected to biaxial eccentric compression loading. A numerical analysis model based on ...the column deflection curve method was developed. The model considers nonlinear parallel-to-wood-grain stress–strain relationship, size and stress distribution effects of wood strength, shear deformation, and the P-Delta effect of compression load. Material property tests and biaxial eccentric compression tests of wood beam-columns were conducted to provide input parameters and verification for the model. Good agreement was achieved. The adequacy of the 2% rule of thumb was also studied.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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