| 1. |
- Cao, Da-fu, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of prestress losses in prestressed concrete specimens subjected to freeze–thaw cycles
- 2016
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In: Structure and Infrastructure Engineering. - Abington, UK : Taylor & Francis. - 1573-2479 .- 1744-8980. ; 12:2, s. 159-170
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Prestressed concrete structures are considered to be reliable and durable. However, their long-term performance when subjected to frost attack is still unclear. In this work, experiments were carried out to evaluate the prestress losses in post-tensioned prestressed concrete specimens subjected to freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs). Two cases were considered: in one case, a series of specimens were prepared and tested in a freeze–thaw chamber; in the second case, the same series of specimens were tested in an indoor environment (outside the chamber). The difference between the prestress losses of the specimens inside the freeze–thaw chamber and those outside the chamber equalled the prestress losses due to FTCs. When using mathematical models to predict the prestress losses due to the FTCs, it was found that they were relatively small when the concrete was slightly damaged. However, they increased rapidly when the FTCs were repeated. The eccentricity of the prestress wires led to larger prestress losses when subjected to FTCs. Moreover, the same cross section and eccentricity resulted in similar prestress losses due to the FTCs, and the relatively high-strength concrete could withstand more FTCs.
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| 2. |
- Gu, Shi-Ran, et al.
(author)
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Phylogeny and re-circumscription of Cheniella (Leguminosae: Cercidoideae) based on plastome data and morphology, with description of three new species
- 2024
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In: TAXON. - 0040-0262 .- 1996-8175. ; 73:2, s. 475-502
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Subfamily Cercidoideae is an early-diverging lineage of Leguminosae, within which the number and classification of genera have been controversial. Cheniella is a recently described genus in the Cercidoideae which requires revision and testing of its monophyly and circumscription. Here we infer the phylogenetic position and infrageneric relationships of Cheniella as well as the intergeneric relationships of Cercidoideae using 48 newly sequenced plastid genomes, including 34 individuals representing all species of Cheniella. Our phylogenetic analyses yield a well-resolved tree of Cercidoideae with robust support at most nodes. We also present morphological studies through field work and herbarium studies to re-assess the classification and circumscription of the genus. Based on the results of molecular analyses and morphological studies combined with distribution data, we broaden the circumscription of Cheniella to comprise a total of 15 species and 3 subspecies, including three new species (C. hechiensis, C. longistaminea, C. pubicarpa), one new combination (C. tianlinensis) and one new status and combination (C. longipes).
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Li, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Non-lab and semi-lab algorithms for screening undiagnosed diabetes : A cross-sectional study
- 2018
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In: EBioMedicine. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 2352-3964. ; 35, s. 307-316
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: The terrifying undiagnosed rate and high prevalence of diabetes have become a public emergency. A high efficiency and cost-effective early recognition method is urgently needed. We aimed to generate innovative, user-friendly nomograms that can be applied for diabetes screening in different ethnic groups in China using the non-lab or noninvasive semi-lab data. Methods: This multicenter, multi-ethnic, population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in eight sites in China by enrolling subjects aged 20-70. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics were collected. Blood and urine samples were obtained 2 h following a standard 75 g glucose solution. In the final analysis, 10,794 participants were included and randomized into model development (n - 8096) and model validation (n = 2698) group with a ratio of 3:1. Nomograms were developed by the stepwise binary logistic regression. The nomograms were validated internally by a bootstrap sampling method in the model development set and externally in the model validation set. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess the screening performance of the nomograms. Decision curve analysis was applied to calculate the net benefit of the screening model. Results: The overall prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes was 9.8% (1059/10794) according to ADA criteria. The non-lab model revealed that gender, age, body mass index, waist circumference, hypertension, ethnicities, vegetable daily consumption and family history of diabetes were independent risk factors for diabetes. By adding 2 h post meal glycosuria qualitative to the non-lab model, the semi-lab model showed an improved Akaike information criterion (AIC: 4506 to 3580). The AUC of the semi-lab model was statistically larger than the non-lab model (0.868 vs 0.763, P < 0.001). The optimal cutoff probability in semi-lab and non-lab nomograms were 0.088 and 0.098, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 76.3% and 81.6%, respectively in semi-lab nomogram, and 72.1% and 673% in non-lab nomogram at the optimal cut off point. The decision curve analysis also revealed a bigger decrease of avoidable OGTT test (52 per 100 subjects) in the semi-lab model compared to the non-lab model (36 per 100 subjects) and the existed New Chinese Diabetes Risk Score (NCDRS, 35 per 100 subjects). Conclusion: The non-lab and semi-lab nomograms appear to be reliable tools for diabetes screening, especially in developing countries. However, the semi-lab model outperformed the non-lab model and NCDRS prediction systems and might be worth being adopted as decision support in diabetes screening in China.
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| 5. |
- Qin, Xiao-Chuan, et al.
(author)
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Evaluation of freeze-thaw damage on concrete material and prestressed concrete specimens
- 2016
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In: Construction and Building Materials. - : Elsevier. - 0950-0618 .- 1879-0526. ; 125, s. 892-904
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The pore structure of the hardened concrete and the microscopic changes of a few selected pores throughout the freeze-thaw test were investigated by a method combining RapidAir and digital metalloscope. Traditional tests were also performed to evaluate the macroscopic change caused by freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs). The investigation shows that the concrete material, of which the spacing factor is 0.405 mm and the air content is 2.38%, can still withstand more than 300 FTCs. Severe microscopic damages occurred after approximately 200 FTCs and the freeze-thaw damage were gradually aggravated afterwards. Prestress forces have a remarkable impact on the failure pattern under FTCs. It was further found that the compressive strength as an indicator is more reliable than the relative dynamic modulus of elasticity in evaluating the freeze-thaw damage on concrete material. In addition, the test and analysis show that the measured prestress losses of bonded specimen are larger than that of unbounded specimen under the attack of FTCs due to the duct grouting effect. The ultimate freeze-thaw prestress loss is about 5% of σconσcon for both the bonded and unbonded specimens because the grouting cement paste will eventually be completely destroyed.
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| 6. |
- Tang, Ting-Ting, et al.
(author)
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Impaired thymic export and apoptosis contribute to regulatory T-cell defects in patients with chronic heart failure.
- 2011
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In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203 .- 1932-6203. ; 6:9, s. e24272-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Animal studies suggest that regulatory T (T(reg)) cells play a beneficial role in ventricular remodeling and our previous data have demonstrated defects of T(reg) cells in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the mechanisms behind T(reg-)cell defects remained unknown. We here sought to elucidate the mechanism of T(reg-)cell defects in CHF patients.
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| 7. |
- Tu, Chien Ming, et al.
(author)
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Helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy of topological insulator S b2 T e3 thin films
- 2017
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In: Physical Review B. - 2469-9950. ; 96:19
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on helicity-dependent terahertz emissions that originate from the helicity-dependent photocurrents in topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin films due to ultrafast optical excitation. The polarity of the emitted terahertz radiation is controlled by both the incident angle and the helicity of optical pulses. Using an unprecedented decomposition-recombination procedure in the time domain, the signals of the Dirac fermions are fully separated from bulk contributions. These results provide insights into the optical coupling of topological surface states and open up opportunities for applying helicity-dependent terahertz emission spectroscopy in spintronics.
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| 8. |
- Tu, Chien Ming, et al.
(author)
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Helicity-dependent terahertz radiation from topological insulator Sb2Te3 thin film by femtosecond optical excitation
- 2016
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In: 41st International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter and Terahertz Waves, IRMMW-THz 2016. - 9781467384858
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on terahertz radiation from topological insulator (TI) Sb2Te3 thin film under ultrafast optical excitation with different helicity. Polarity-reversals of the emitted THz radiation were observed as the helicity of optical pulses reversed. The observed phenomena are coincident with the characteristics of the helicity-dependent photocurrent on TIs. Our work demonstrates the potential applications of surface photocurrents on TIs for opto-spintronics devices.
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| 9. |
- Xu, An, et al.
(author)
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Rewired m6A epitranscriptomic networks link mutant p53 to neoplastic transformation
- 2023
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Nature. - 2041-1723. ; 14:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- N6-methyladenosine (m6A), one of the most prevalent mRNA modifications in eukaryotes, plays a critical role in modulating both biological and pathological processes. However, it is unknown whether mutant p53 neomorphic oncogenic functions exploit dysregulation of m6A epitranscriptomic networks. Here, we investigate Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS)-associated neoplastic transformation driven by mutant p53 in iPSC-derived astrocytes, the cell-of-origin of gliomas. We find that mutant p53 but not wild-type (WT) p53 physically interacts with SVIL to recruit the H3K4me3 methyltransferase MLL1 to activate the expression of m6A reader YTHDF2, culminating in an oncogenic phenotype. Aberrant YTHDF2 upregulation markedly hampers expression of multiple m6A-marked tumor-suppressing transcripts, including CDKN2B and SPOCK2, and induces oncogenic reprogramming. Mutant p53 neoplastic behaviors are significantly impaired by genetic depletion of YTHDF2 or by pharmacological inhibition using MLL1 complex inhibitors. Our study reveals how mutant p53 hijacks epigenetic and epitranscriptomic machinery to initiate gliomagenesis and suggests potential treatment strategies for LFS gliomas.
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| 10. |
- Zhao, Xin, et al.
(author)
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Discovery of Highly Potent Pinanamine-Based Inhibitors against Amantadine- and Oseltamivir-Resistant Influenza A Viruses
- 2018
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In: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0022-2623 .- 1520-4804. ; 61:12, s. 5187-5198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Influenza pandemic is a constant major threat to public health caused by influenza A viruses (IAVs). IAVs are subcategorized by the surface proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), in which they are both essential targets for drug discovery. While it is of great concern that NA inhibitor oseltamivir resistant strains are frequently identified from human or avian influenza virus, structural and functional characterization of influenza HA has raised hopes for new antiviral therapies. In this study, we explored a structure-activity relationship (SAR) of pinanamine-based antivirals and discovered a potent inhibitor M090 against amantadine-resistant viruses, including the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strains, and oseltamivir-resistant viruses. Mechanism of action studies, particularly hemolysis inhibition, indicated that M090 targets influenza HA and it occupied a highly conserved pocket of the HA(2) domain and inhibited virus-mediated membrane fusion by "locking" the bending state of HA(2) during the conformational rearrangement process. This work provides new binding sites within the HA protein and indicates that this pocket may be a promising target for broad-spectrum anti-influenza A drug design and development.
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