This paper presents a comparative study on the effect of steel and polyoxymethylene fibers on the characteristics of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC). Firstly, based on the modified Andreasen & ...Andersen packing model, a UHPC with ultra-low cement content is produced. Then, the steel fibers and polyoxymethylene (POM) fibers are added into this UHPC matrix separately and together. The obtained experimental results show that the addition of POM fiber has limited contribution to the compressive strength of UHPC, while it has a positive influence on its flexural strength and high temperature resistance. The results of nanoindentation indicate that POM fiber can slightly disturb the packing skeleton of UHPC and enlarge the ITZ between matrix and fibers. Based on the nanoindentation results, it can be found that the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is about 50 μm in the case of UHPC with only steel fibers, while this value gradually increase to about 60 μm when POM fiber is added individually. This results further demonstrate that the POM fiber can slightly disturb the packing skeleton of UHPC and enlarge the ITZ between matrix and fibers. Therefore, to efficiently apply the POM fiber in UHPC, it is suggested to combine it with steel fibers and its optimal content should be around 1% (vol.). It can be concluded that it is difficult for POM fiber to fully replace steel fiber in referencing UHPC, while the hybrid fibers should be a good choice to produce excellent UHPC composite.
•A new impact resistant concrete is developed in this study.•Pottery sand is included into low water/binder cementitious composites (LWBCC).•The fractal dimension of the crack pattern for the new ...composite is detailed analyzed.•Nanoindentation is employed to clarify the ITZ between pottery sand and matrix.•Comparison between the newly developed material and others is presented.
Impact resistance is an important index of durability of concrete materials. As a kind of porous aggregate, pottery sand has the ability to absorb impact energy, which can be used to improve the impact resistance of cement-based composites. This study intends to use macro and micro method to analyze the influence of pottery sand on the impact resistance of low water/binder cementitious composites (LWBCC). Firstly, a series of mix proportions are designed according to the characteristics of each raw material and pottery sand. Then, the compressive strength and impact resistance of the test blocks are tested and the cracks of the test block are further analyzed. The results show that the incorporation of pottery sand can significantly improve the impact resistance of the test blocks. The fractal dimension of the crack pattern shows a decreasing trend after an initial increase with the increase of the pottery sand content. Finally, the micro-structures of pottery sand and river sand LWBCC samples are further analyzed by nanoindentation and SEM. The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the LWBCC matrix and pottery sand is proved to be better compared with that between the matrix and river sand. It is established that the incorporation of pottery sand as fine aggregates can effectively improve the impact resistance of concrete materials.
Graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) are suitable building blocks for high-performance electrical biosensors, because graphene inherently exhibits a strong response to charged biomolecules on ...its surface. However, achieving ultralow limit-of-detection (LoD) is limited by sensor response time and screening effect. Herein, we demonstrate that the detection limit of GFET biosensors can be improved significantly by decorating the uncovered graphene sensor area with carbon dots (CDs). The developed CDs-GFET biosensors used for exosome detection exhibited higher sensitivity, faster response, and three orders of magnitude improvements in the LoD compared with nondecorated GFET biosensors. A LoD down to 100 particles/μL was achieved with CDs-GFET sensor for exosome detection with the capability for further improvements. The results were further supported by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fluorescent microscopy measurements. The high-performance CDs-GFET biosensors will aid the development of an ultrahigh sensitivity biosensing platform based on graphene for rapid and early diagnosis of diseases.
Biosensors based on graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) have the potential to enable the development of point-of-care diagnostic tools for early stage disease detection. However, issues with ...reproducibility and manufacturing yields of graphene sensors, but also with Debye screening and unwanted detection of nonspecific species, have prevented the wider clinical use of graphene technology. Here, we demonstrate that our wafer-scalable GFETs array platform enables meaningful clinical results. As a case study of high clinical relevance, we demonstrate an accurate and robust portable GFET array biosensor platform for the detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in patients’ plasma through specific exosomes (GPC-1 expression) within 45 min. In order to facilitate reproducible detection in blood plasma, we optimized the analytical performance of GFET biosensors via the application of an internal control channel and the development of an optimized test protocol. Based on samples from 18 PDAC patients and 8 healthy controls, the GFET biosensor arrays could accurately discriminate between the two groups while being able to detect early cancer stages including stages 1 and 2. Furthermore, we confirmed the higher expression of GPC-1 and found that the concentration in PDAC plasma was on average more than 1 order of magnitude higher than in healthy samples. We found that these characteristics of GPC-1 cancerous exosomes are responsible for an increase in the number of target exosomes on the surface of graphene, leading to an improved signal response of the GFET biosensors. This GFET biosensor platform holds great promise for the development of an accurate tool for the rapid diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
and
are commonly used probiotics. This study aimed to identify the effect of live combined
R0179 and
R0026 (LCBE) on obesityassociated hyperlipidemia and gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice. Forty male ...C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: normal group (N group), model group (M group), low-dose group (L group), and high-dose group (H group). Mice were gavaged with LCBE at 0.023 g/mice/day (L group) or 0.23 g/mice/day (H group) and fed with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. In vitro
R0026 showed an ability to lower the low-concentration of cholesterol by 46%, and the ability to lower the highconcentration of cholesterol by 58%. LCBE significantly reduced the body weight gain, Lee index, brown fat index and body mass index of mice on a high-fat diet. Moreover, LCBE markedly improved serum lipids (including serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and highdensity lipoprotein) while also significantly reducing liver total cholesterol. Serum lipopolysaccharide and total bile acid in L and H groups decreased significantly compared with M group. PCR-DGGE analysis showed that the composition of gut microbiota in the treatment groups was improved.
was found in H group. The PCA result indicated a similar gut microbiota structure between LCBE treatment groups and normal group while the number of bands and Shannon diversity index increased significantly in the LCBE treatment groups. Finally, qPCR showed
spp. increased significantly in H group compared with M group, LCBE alleviated liver steatosis and improved brown adipose tissue index.
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is characterized by its notably poor prognosis and high mortality rate, underscoring the critical need for advancements in its diagnosis and therapy. Gold nanoparticles ...(AuNPs), with their distinctive physicochemical characteristics, demonstrate significant application potential in cancer therapy. For example, upon exposure to lasers of certain wavelengths, they facilitate localized heating, rendering them extremely effective in photothermal therapy. Additionally, their extensive surface area enables the conjugation of therapeutic agents or targeting molecules, increasing the accuracy of drug delivery systems. Moreover, AuNPs can serve as radiosensitizers, enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy by boosting the radiation absorption in tumor cells. Here, we systematically reviewed the application and future directions of AuNPs in the diagnosis and treatment of PC. Although AuNPs have advantages in improving diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy, as well as minimizing damage to normal tissues, concerns about their potential toxicity and safety need to be comprehensively evaluated.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract, accounting for the second most common cause of gastrointestinal tumors. As one of the intestinal barriers, gut bacteria ...form biofilm, participate in intestinal work, and form the living environment of intestinal cells. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of the gut bacteria in a large number of CRC patients has been established, enabling specific microbial signatures to be associated with colorectal adenomato-carcinoma. Gut bacteria are involved in both benign precursor lesions (polyps),
growth and metastasis of CRC. Therefore, the term tumorigenic bacteria was proposed in 2018, such as
,
,
, etc. Meanwhile, bacteria toxins (such as cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), Colibactin (Clb),
toxin) affect the tumor microenvironment and promote cancer occurrence and tumor immune escape. It is important to note that there are differences in the bacteria of different types of CRC. In this paper, the role of tumorigenic bacteria in the polyp-cancer transformation and the effects of their secreted toxins on the tumor microenvironment will be discussed, thereby further exploring new ideas for the prevention and treatment of CRC.
Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium are commonly used probiotics. This study aimed to identify the effect of live combined Bacillus subtilis R0179 and Enterococcus faecium R0026 (LCBE) on ...obesityassociated hyperlipidemia and gut microbiota in C57BL/6 mice. Forty male C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: normal group (N group), model group (M group), low-dose group (L group), and high-dose group (H group). Mice were gavaged with LCBE at 0.023 g/mice/day (L group) or 0.23 g/mice/day (H group) and fed with a high-fat diet for 8 weeks. In vitro E. faecium R0026 showed an ability to lower the low-concentration of cholesterol by 46%, and the ability to lower the highconcentration of cholesterol by 58%. LCBE significantly reduced the body weight gain, Lee index, brown fat index and body mass index of mice on a high-fat diet. Moreover, LCBE markedly improved serum lipids (including serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and highdensity lipoprotein) while also significantly reducing liver total cholesterol. Serum lipopolysaccharide and total bile acid in L and H groups decreased significantly compared with M group. PCR-DGGE analysis showed that the composition of gut microbiota in the treatment groups was improved. Akkermansia muciniphila was found in H group. The PCA result indicated a similar gut microbiota structure between LCBE treatment groups and normal group while the number of bands and Shannon diversity index increased significantly in the LCBE treatment groups. Finally, qPCR showed Bifidobacterium spp. increased significantly in H group compared with M group, LCBE alleviated liver steatosis and improved brown adipose tissue index.
Lead and cadmium are foodborne contaminants that threaten human and animal health. It is well known that lead and cadmium produce hepatotoxicity; however, defense mechanisms against the co-toxic ...effects of lead and cadmium remain unknown. We investigated the mechanism of autophagy (defense mechanism) against the co-induced toxicity of lead and cadmium in rat hepatocytes (BRL-3A cells). Cultured rat liver BRL-3A cell lines were co-cultured with 10, 20, 40 μM lead and 2.5, 5, 10 μM cadmium alone and in co-culture for 12 h and exposed to 5 mM 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), 10 μM rapamycin (Rapa), and 50 nM Beclin1 siRNA to induce cellular autophagy. Our results show that treatment of BRL-3A cells with lead and cadmium significantly decreased the cell viability, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential levels, and induced apoptosis, which are factors leading to liver injury, and cell damage was exacerbated by co-exposure to lead-cadmium. In addition, the results showed that lead and cadmium co-treatment induced autophagy. We further observed that the suppression of autophagy with 3-MA or Beclin1 siRNA promoted lead-cadmium-induced apoptosis, whereas enhancement of autophagy with Rapa suppressed lead-cadmium-induced apoptosis. These results demonstrated that co-treatment with lead and cadmium induces apoptosis in BRL-3A cells. Interestingly, the activation of autophagy provides cells with a self-protective mechanism against induced apoptosis. This study provides insights into the role of autophagy in lead-cadmium-induced apoptosis, which may be beneficial for the treatment of lead-cadmium-induced liver injury.
In order to improve the accuracy of free flight conflict detection and reduce the false alarm rate, an improved flight conflict detection algorithm is proposed based on Gauss-Hermite particle ...filter（GHPF）. The algorithm improves the traditional flight conflict detection method in two aspects：（i） New observation data are integrated into system state transition probability, and Gauss-Hermite Filter（GHF） is used for generating the importance density function.（ii） GHPF is used for flight trajectory prediction and flight conflict probability calculation. The experimental results show that the accuracy of conflict detection and tracing with GHPF is better than that with standard particle filter. The detected conflict probability is more precise with GHPF, and GHPF is suitable for early free flight conflict detection.
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