Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Geopolymer-Based PFSS Synthesized from Excavated Loess.

Pre-mixed fluidized solidified soil (PFSS) has the advantages of pumpability, convenient construction, and a short setting time. This paper took the excavated loess in Fuzhou as the research object and used cement-fly-ash-ground granulated blast furnace slag-carbide slag as a composite geopolymer system (CFGC) to synthesize PFSS. This study investigated the fluidity and mechanical strength of PFSS under different water-solid ratios and curing agent dosages; finally, the microstructure of the composite geopolymer system-pre-mixed fluidized solidified soil (CFGC-PFSS) was characterized.

Influence of Modified PVA Fiber on Ultra-High Performance Concrete and Its Enhancing Mechanism.

In this study, the properties of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) were enhanced by adding modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers. The specimens with different curing ages were evaluated in various aspects to investigate the effects of different dosages, lengths, and surface treatments of PVA fibers on the performance of UHPC. The performance was compared with that of steel fiber-reinforced UHPC with the same ratio and multiple dosages.

Enhancing Mechanical Properties and Microstructures of Mass-Manufactured Sand Concrete by Incorporating Granite Powder.

The production of manufactured sand and stone processing can cause dust pollution due to the generation of a significant amount of stone powder. This dust (mainly granite powder) was collected and incorporated as a cement replacement into mass-manufactured sand concrete in order to enhance the mechanical properties and microstructures. The heat of the hydration was measured by adding the granite powder into the cementitious material system.

Seawater intrusion-triggered high fluoride groundwater development on the eastern coast of China.

High-fluoride groundwater is commonly found in coastal areas worldwide, while its formation mechanism remains elusive. Herein, a comprehensive study was performed to identify the major controlling factor of high-fluoride groundwater occurrence along the eastern coast of China. Hydrogeochemical methods were employed to examine the distribution patterns of seawater intrusion and fluoride concentration and the impact of seawater intrusion on the fluoride concentration.

Mechanical, Electrical, and Tensile Self-Sensing Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Enhanced with Sugarcane Bagasse Ash.

Although sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) possesses favorable cementitious properties, previous research has primarily focused on improving the mechanical performance of conventional concrete- or cement-based composites. Limited attention has been given to ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with SCBA, especially regarding its tensile -sensing properties. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of SCBA on the mechanical, electrical, and tensile self-sensing properties of UHPC.

Purification and characterization of a glycoprotein from Sipunculus nudus and its immune-enhancing activity to RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Sipunculus nudus, an edible marine invertebrate, has long been used as traditional Chinese medicine in folk remedies. In order to assess the immunoregulatory activity of glycoproteins in Sipunculus nudus and conduct a structure-activity relationship, a glycoprotein (SGP1) with molecular mass of 9.26 kDa was purified from Sipunculus nudus, and its chemical structure as well as immune-enhancing activity was investigated in this study.

Tensile Performance Mechanism for Bamboo Fiber-Reinforced, Palm Oil-Based Resin Bio-Composites Using Finite Element Simulation and Machine Learning.

Plant fiber-reinforced composites have the advantages of environmental friendliness, sustainability, and high specific strength and modulus. They are widely used as low-carbon emission materials in automobiles, construction, and buildings. The prediction of their mechanical performance is critical for material optimal design and application.

Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater in Guangxi coastal areas, China.

Groundwater is a main source of water supply in Guangxi Province, China. The urbanization expansion and ocean dynamic may change the groundwater quality, which is an important issue due to its effects on human health. In this paper, the influence of seawater intrusion and anthropogenic activity on the Guangxi coastal aquatic environment was assessed by geochemical and multivariate statistical methods.

Paradoxical Changes of Cutaneous Microcirculation and Sympathetic Fibers of Rat Hind Limbs after Sciatic Nerve Compression.

Background: Recent studies show evidence that surgical nerve decompression could improve cutaneous blood flow (CBF), which might benefit ulcer healing. However, the change of CBF and sympathetic fibers after nerve compression is poorly understood. In the current study, a unilateral sciatic nerve compression model was created in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Effects of High-Voltage Atmospheric Cold Plasma Treatment on Microbiological and Quality Characters of Tilapia Fillets.

Cold plasma (CP) has become an alternative to conventional thermal processing of food products. In this study, the effect of cold plasma treatment time on the inactivation and quality of tilapia fillets was investigated. The surfaces of tilapia fillets were inoculated with Salmonella enteritis (S.

Identifying the characteristics and potential risk of seawater intrusion for southern China by the SBM-DEA model.

Seawater intrusion (SWI) seriously affects the economic development of coastal areas in southern China, and understanding its mechanisms is the basis for effective control of SWI. Hydrogeochemical methods and slack-based measurement data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) are used to study the characteristics and potential risk of SWI in coastal cities of southern China. Types and distribution of SWI, coastal groundwater evolution, geological-geographic and economic threatens of SWI, potential SWI risk, and environmental management recommendations are explored.

Effects of high voltage atmospheric cold plasma treatment on microbial diversity of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fillets treated during refrigeration.

Fresh tilapia fillets are susceptible to perish due to the microbial contamination during storage. High voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP), a non-thermal technology, can effectively inactivate various microorganism. The aim of this study was to identify the microorganism amount and diversity changes of fresh tilapia fillets during refrigerator storage after HVACP treatment.

Effect of Sulfate Concentration on Chloride Diffusion of Concrete under Cyclic Load.

The existence of chloride ions, sulfate ions, and vehicle dynamic loads may lead to a shortened service life and premature failure of the road and bridge structures in northwestern China. Immersed in a dual-salt solution while simultaneously applying cyclic flexural loads, the free chloride ion concentration and erosion depth in concrete specimens were measured. The influence of the sulfate concentration on the apparent surface chloride concentration () and apparent diffusion coefficient () was studied.

DNA fragmentation in complicated flow fields created by micro-funnel shapes.

Micro-funnels have been widely applied to produce extensionally dominant flows for DNA manipulation, such as DNA extension for DNA mapping and DNA fragmentation for gene sequencing. However, it still lacks a systematic understanding of DNA fragmentation behaviors in complicated flow fields regulated by different funnel shapes with high flow rates. This limits the rational design and application scope of related microfluidic devices.

Effect of silicon-doped calcium phosphate cement on angiogenesis based on controlled macrophage polarization.

Vascularization is an important early indicator of osteogenesis involving biomaterials. Bone repair and new bone formation are associated with extensive neovascularization. Silicon-based biomaterials have attracted widespread attention due to their rapid vascularization.

Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1α Is a Regulator of Autophagy in Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and the autophagic response in osteoarthritic chondrocytes (OA), under inflammatory insult as represented by OA model.

Methods: Human chondrocyte cell line C28/I2 was cultured in both normoxic and hypoxic conditions and treated with interleukin-1β (IL1β) to emulate OA inflammatory insult . Cellular HIF-1α expression was silenced using siRNA transfection and cellular autophagic (P62/LC3II) response and OA chondrocyte damage (COL2A1/MMP13) related proteins were examined using western blotting.

Photo-driven self-powered biosensors for ultrasensitive microRNA detection based on metal-organic framework-controlled release behavior.

We developed a "signal-on" self-powered biosensing strategy by taking full advantage of both photoelectrochemical biofuel cells (PBFCs) and metal-organic framework (MOF)-controlled release behavior for ultrasensitive microRNA assay. PBFC-based self-powered sensors have the unique characteristics of non-requirement of external power sources, simple fabrication process, miniature size, good anti-interference ability and low cost. Furthermore, based on the target microRNA-induced release of the electron donor ascorbic acid and the high catalytic ability of the biocathode to catalyse the oxygen reduction reaction, photo-driven self-powered biosensors for ultrasensitive microRNA detection were successfully realized.

Preparation and Performance of Cement Mortar Reinforced by Modified Bamboo Fibers.

This study aims to prepare bamboo-fiber-reinforced cement composites and provide a solution to the issue of poor interfacial adhesion between bamboo fibers and cement matrix. The original bamboo fibers were modified by three moderately low-cost and easy-to-handle treatments including glycerol, aluminate ester, and silane treatments. The performance of the modified bamboo-fiber-reinforced cement composites was evaluated by a series of mechanical and durability tests, including flexural and compressive strength, water absorption, chloride ion penetration, drying shrinkage, freeze-thaw resistance, and carbonization.

Anomalously Slow Conformational Change Dynamics of Polar Groups Anchored to Hydrophobic Surfaces in Aqueous Media.

Water molecules within a thin hydration layer, spontaneously generated on hydrophobic protein surfaces, are reported to form a poorly dynamic network structure. However, how such a water network affects the conformational change dynamics of polar groups has never been explored, although such polar groups play a critical role in protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. In the present work, we utilized as model protein surfaces a series of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) appended with polar (Fmoc) or ionic (FITC) fluorescent head groups that were tethered via a 1.

Evolution analysis and environmental management of intruded aquifers of the Dagu River Basin of China.

The seawater intrusion in the Dagu River Basin, China, has attracted intensive attention from the government and scholars. Increasing data have become available with the development of data acquisition technology. This situation brings unprecedented opportunities and challenges to the hydrochemical evolution analysis and improvement of seawater intrusion.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation Accelerates Functional Recovery After Nerve Injury.

Electrical muscle stimulation has been demonstrated to facilitate nerve regeneration and functional recovery, but the underlying mechanism remains only partially understood. In this study, we investigated the positive effect of electrical muscle stimulation following nerve injury and its molecular mechanisms of autophagy regulation. The sciatic nerves of Sprague-Dawley rats were transected and immediately repaired.

Microtubule destabilization caused by silicate via HDAC6 activation contributes to autophagic dysfunction in bone mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: Silicon-modified biomaterials have been extensively studied in bone tissue engineering. In recent years, the toxicity of silicon-doped biomaterials has gradually attracted attention but requires further elucidation. This study was designed to explore whether high-dose silicate can induce a cytotoxicity effect in bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the role of autophagy in its cytotoxicity and mechanism.

Role of shortwave and microwave diathermy in peripheral neuropathy.

Objective: This study was performed to review the current evidence for the efficacy of shortwave and microwave diathermy in promoting nerve regeneration after peripheral nerve injuries in both animal models and human patients.

Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted without publication data restrictions. Studies including the intervention and outcome in animal or human models were selected.

High Concentration of Sodium Metasilicate Impairs Autophagic Flux and Induces Apoptosis in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells.

Silicon-doped materials have been widely used in bone regeneration research; however, a consensus on the safety range of silicon ions has not been reached and its toxicity mechanism remains to be further elucidated. This study aims to explore whether high level of sodium metasilicate can induce toxicity effect in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and the role of autophagy and apoptosis in its toxic mechanism. HUVEC was treated with different level of high silicon and then investigated with respect to morphologic change, cell viability, immunofluorescence, the level of autophagy, and apoptosis-related protein.

The Influence of Cellulose Nanocrystals on the Hydration and Flexural Strength of Portland Cement Pastes.

Recent research has shown that cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can be used at low dosage levels (approximately 0.2% by volume of cement) to increase the extent of hydration and to improve the flexural strength of cement pastes. However, the previous work was based on using a CNC made from a single source material and processing technique and was performed using only Type V cement.