In this study, low density and high porosity aerogels were produced through freeze drying of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) dispersions with 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 wt% concentration and modified via chemical ...vapor deposition (CVD) of hexadecyltrimethoxylan (HDTMS) to absorb and remove oil and organic pollutants from the water. Aergels were evaluated by density and porosity measurement, BET analysis, scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, oil absorption capacity and mechanical tests. The densities of unmodified and modified aerogels were in the range of 8.0–13.8 and 11–17.5 mg cm
−3
, respectively. The porosities of aerogels, before and after modification, were 99.1–99.5 and 98.8–99.3%, respectively. The porous structure formation via successful self assembling of CNF was also evidenced by the scanning electron microscopy images. All of the modified aerogels, regardless of the initial CNF concentration, had contact angle values greater than 90° and were classified as hydrophobic materials. The 0.6% sample revealed the highest adsorption capacities of 78.8 and 162.4 g g
−1
for motor and cooking oils, respectively and the 1.2% aerogel exhibited the maximum values of stress and Young’s modulus in compression test. The results of this investigation indicated that ultra-light, hydrophob and superabsorbent materials based on chemically modified cellulosic aerogels with this type of silanated material were successfully produced.
Graphical abstract
Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been accepted rapidly attributed to its superior mechanical performance and the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) is being widely utilized to evaluate the ...dynamic compressive properties of UHPC. Numerous studies have been performed on the dynamic behaviour of UHPC, however, a systematic summary and analysis on the dynamic compressive properties of UHPC tested by SHPB is still missing. The review starts by introducing the advantages, deficiencies and improvement methods of SHPB system. Dynamic compressive properties including dynamic compressive strength, peak strain, stress-strain relationship and dynamic elastic modulus are analyzed. The effects of steel fiber (content, type, orientations and hybrid), temperature condition, coarse aggregate, nanomaterials, size effect and loading rate on the dynamic characteristics of UHPC are comprehensively discussed. Dynamic increase factor, energy absorption characteristics and their models are summarized. Then, the dynamic constitutive model and the dynamic failure pattern are evaluated. Based on the analysis, prediction models of dynamic strength and energy absorption are proposed by considering the strain rate and volume of steel fiber, further, a new failure mechanism of UHPC under different strain rates is proposed. Finally, the topics requiring further study are highlighted. It is expected that this paper can provide references for prospective research on dynamic characteristics of UHPC.
Low-velocity impacts are common in the civil engineering field. Ultra-High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) is a promising material to resist these impacts. When a UHPFRC beam is under ...low-velocity impacts, the damage in its distant region caused by the reflected tensile waves is far more serious than that in the impacted region caused by compression. This damage distribution and the more significant effects of steel fibers on the tensile properties of UHPFRC inspire the concept of applying a layered structure with different fiber amounts at different regions of the beam. This study investigates the dynamic resistance of layered UHPFRC under repeated low-velocity drop-weight impacts. The results show that the double-layered UHPFRC achieves a superior resistant capacity compared to its single-layered counterpart, e.g. an approximate 28% enhancement of the absorbed impact energy is obtained by the double-layered beam U0.6h–1.6h than that of the corresponding single-layered UHPFRC with an identical fiber amount. Further, a new model to estimate the absorbed energy of the layered UHPFRC under multiple drop-weight impacts is developed and validated using the experimental results. By separating the contributions of the matrix and the fiber, the model confirms the important effects of the steel fibers on the beam absorbed impact energy, as well as the improved fiber utilization efficiency of the double-layered beam. This study contributes to improving the dynamic performance of UHPFRC under low-velocity impacts, and promotes the potential utilization of layered UHPFRC composite in civil engineering.
The heat-treated apricot shell can be utilized as coarse aggregates for producing sustainable bio-based lightweight concrete with good compressive strength but poor tensile strength. In order to ...improve the tensile properties of apricot shell concrete (ASC), the effects of polypropylene (PP) fibre, glass (G) fibre and basalt (B) fibre at various volume fractions (
V
f
) (0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%) on the performance of ASC were investigated. The results indicated that the fibre type had no significant effect on the physical properties of ASC such as slump, density, water absorption and permeable porosity. However, the slump of ASC decreases with an increase in fibre content. The B fibre has a better improvement in mechanical properties than the PP fibre and G fibre thanks to the better elastic modulus and tensile strength. When the
V
f
was 0.5%, the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity of ASC reinforced with B fibre were increased by 16.7%, 29.1%, 29.2%, and 18.1%, respectively, compared to ASC without any fibres. The magnesium sulfate attack results showed that the incorporation of the B fibre decreased the mass loss and compressive strength of ASC exposed to a MgSO
4
solution for 6 months because the fibre arrested the microcracks caused by the expansive stress. It is concluded that the mechanical properties of bio-based ASC and its resistance to magnesium sulfate attack can be significantly improved by incorporating 0.5% B fibre.
Autoantibodies against interferon-γ (IFN-γ) can inhibit IFN-γ-dependent signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 phosphorylation and thus increase the risk of infection with intracellular ...pathogens, such as Talaromyces marneffei (TM), nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). Here, we report a rare case of triple infection caused by TM, NTM, and TB in a human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient.
A middle-aged female was admitted to our hospital after experiencing recurrent rash, cough, and expectoration for 4 months. She was successively diagnosed with NTM, TM, and TB infections without conventional immunosuppression-associated factors. However, after effective anti-infective treatment, the patient was confirmed to have allergic conjunctivitis and was successfully treated with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. The most conspicuous characteristics were recurrent infection and immune disorders.
High-titer anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies are strongly associated with severe and disseminated infections, such as NTM, TM, and TB. It is characterized by persistently high degree of inflammation and high immunoglobin levels.
Background
Gastric cancer remains one of the major causes for tumor‐related deaths worldwide. Our study aimed to provide an understanding of primary gastric cancer and prompt its clinical diagnosis ...and treatment.
Methods
We integrated the expression profiles and overall survival information of primary gastric cancer in TCGA and GEO database and estimated the stromal score of each sample by the estimate R package. Stromal score and clinicopathologic characteristics associated with overall survival were analyzed by using Cox regression and the Kaplan‐Meier method. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and KEGG analysis were performed to explore the potential molecular mechanism in TCGA dataset. The relationship between immunotherapy‐associated markers or immune cell types and stromal score was explored by using Pearson correlation analysis.
Results
A total of 796 samples were collected for the analysis. Patients with stromal score‐high showed poor overall survival (P < .01, HR: 1.407, 95% CI: 1.144‐1.731) and identified as an independent prognostic factor. KEGG analysis revealed that stromal score actively involved in diverse tumor‐associated pathways. GSEA analysis also revealed stromal score associated with diverse immune‐related biological processes. Furthermore, stromal score was related with immunotherapy‐associated markers and multiple immune cells.
Conclusion
Our results showed that stromal score could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in primary gastric cancer and play an important role in the recognition, surveillance, and prognosis of gastric cancer.
Our study had shown that Stromal score could serve as a biological biomarker for primary gastric cancer and an independent prognostic factor. The prognosis mechanism of stromal score was associate with gene mutation, TMB, MATH, immunity and multiple signaling pathways. These findings may prompt the clinical diagnosis and treatment of primary gastric cancer.
The tension between the non-recyclable nature of mineral wool wastes (MWW) and the scarcity of landfill space emphasizes the imperative to explore sustainable ways to valorize these wastes. In this ...work, the potential of utilizing MWW as both co-precursor and fiber reinforcement in Class F fly ash geopolymer is investigated. The phase composition and microstructure are systematically learned by multiscale physicochemical analysis, followed by the determination of macro properties and high temperature behavior. Results indicate that the ion dissolution and dimension of MWW have a synergetic effect on the microstructural formation and macro performance of the hybrid geopolymer. The inclusion of MWW, particularly in fine particle form, accelerates the geopolymerization process, leading to enhanced gel formation and increased Al uptake in the N-A-S-H gel. With increasing MWW content (0–12 wt%), a denser gel forms, but greater macropore formation increases porosity, subsequently reducing compressive strength. The desired pore structure with optimal MWW substitution significantly reduces drying shrinkage and enhances flexural properties. At elevated temperatures, MWW poses a healing effect on the matrix, achieving a 98.5% increase in compressive strength with MWW-m incorporation. While a drastic thermal shrinkage arises from the substantial mass loss and partial melting of MWW.
Background
Melanoma is a potentially fatal malignancy with poor prognosis. Several recent studies have demonstrated that combination therapy of BRAF and MEK inhibition achieved better curative effect ...and appeared less toxic effects. We conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety between BRAF inhibition plus MEK inhibition combination therapy and BRAF inhibition monotherapy in melanoma patients.
Methods
We performed the search in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from January 2010 to January 2019. Inclusion and exclusion of studies, assessment of quality, outcome measures, data extraction, and synthesis were independently accomplished by two reviewers. Revman 5.3 software was used for the meta‐analysis.
Results
Totally, seven randomized controlled trials involving 3146 patients met our inclusion criteria. Comparing the results of combination therapy and monotherapy, combination therapy significantly improved OS (RR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08, 1.19; P < 0.00001), ORR (RR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.28, 1.45; P < 0.00001), PFS (RR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.52, 0.63; P < 0.00001) and reduced deaths (RR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.69, 0.88; P < 0.0001). Skin‐related adverse events such as hyperkeratosis, cutaneous squamous‐cell carcinoma were less compared with monotherapy. However, gastrointestinal events like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting were at a higher frequency.
Conclusion
Doublet BRAF and MEK inhibition achieved better survival outcomes over single‐agent BRAF inhibition and occurred less skin‐related events, but gastrointestinal events were more in combination therapy.
We conducted a meta‐analysis to compare chemotherapy in melanoma with combination of BRAF inhibition and MEK inhibition or BRAF inhibition monotherapy. A total of 3146 patients with histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma were included in our meta‐analysis and we found a better overall survival and treatment response. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that combination therapy was related to a more frequent incidence of pyrexia and gastrointestinal events and BRAF inhibition alone was at a high risk of dermatologic diseases.
•Effect of heat-treated bio-aggregate on the hydration of cement is investigated.•Thermal insulation and durability of bio-based concrete are investigated.•Heat-treated bio-aggregates significantly ...improve the mechanical strength.•Heat-treated bio-aggregates have positive effects on the durability.
The organic matter, surface properties and biodegradation of bio-based aggregates are the main factors for their poor performance of bio-based lightweight concrete. In the present study, heat-treatment is applied to bio-aggregates for reducing their negative impacts on cement hydration and performance of thermal insulating bio-based lightweight concrete. The results show that heat-treated bio-aggregates have reduced negative impacts on cement hydration by the decomposition of organic matter and increase of the pH of the leachate, and significantly improves the mechanical strength of concrete. The 28-day compressive strength and flexural strength of heat-treated apricot shell (HAS) concrete increase by 50.2% and 87.7%, respectively, compared to the untreated apricot shell (AS) concrete. The bio-based lightweight concrete in this study has an excellent thermal insulation property, and the thermal conductivity varies from 0.56 W/m·K and 1.25 W/m·K. Moreover, the heat-treated bio-based aggregate significantly reduces the drying shrinkage of concrete. At 108 days, the drying shrinkage of concrete containing heat-treated aggregates reduces by 29.2%-36.1%. Besides, the heat-treated bio-based aggregate enhances the resistance to freeze–thaw cycles, attributed to the reduced micro-cracks and porosity of concrete. Therefore, heat treatment can improve the properties of bio-based aggregates and significantly increase the durability of thermal insulating bio-based lightweight concrete.
Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei), a dimorphic fungus, causes local or disseminated infection in humans. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival outcomes ...of patients with T. marneffei infection and compare the differences between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative subgroups.
We retrospectively analyzed 241 patients with T. marneffei infection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between January 2012 and January 2022. The overall population was stratified into HIV-positive (n = 98) and HIV-negative (n = 143) groups according to HIV status. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression models were used to determine the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
With a median follow-up time of 58.9 months, 120 patients (49.8%) experienced disease progression and 85 patients (70.8%) died. The 5-year rates of OS and PFS were 61.4% (95% CI 55.0-68.6%) and 47.8% (95% CI 41.5-55.1%), respectively. As an independent factor, patients who were HIV positive had better PFS (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31-0.82; p < 0.01) than patients who were HIV negative. Compared with patients who were HIV positive, patients who were HIV negative were older and had more probabilities of underlying diseases, chest involvement, bone destruction, and higher count of neutrophils (all p < 0.05). Hemoglobin (PFS: HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.39-1.00; p < 0.05; OS: HR 0.45; 95% CI 0.22-0.89; p = 0.02) and lymphocyte count (PFS: HR 0.06; 95% CI 0.01-0.26; p < 0.01; OS: HR 0.08; 95% CI 0.01-0.40; p < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS in patients who were HIV negative.
Patients with T. marneffei infection have a poor prognosis. Patients who are HIV positive and HIV negative have relatively independent clinical characteristics. Multiple organ involvement and disease progression are more common in patients who are HIV negative.
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