Stress intensity factor computation using the method of fundamental solutions: mixed‐mode problems

The method of fundamental solutions is applied to the computation of stress intensity factors in linear elastic fracture mechanics. The displacements are approximated by linear combinations of the fundamental solutions of the Cauchy–Navier equations of elasticity and the leading terms for the displacement near the crack tip. Two algorithms are developed, one using a single domain and one using domain decomposition. Numerical results are given. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Self-Renewal and Cancers of the Gastric Epithelium: An Update and the Role of the Lectin TFF1 as an Antral Tumor Suppressor

In 2020, gastric cancer was the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths globally. About 90% of gastric cancers are sporadic and the vast majority are correlated with Helicobacter pylori infection; whereas familial clustering is observed in about 10% of cases. Gastric cancer is now considered to be a disease originating from dysregulated self-renewal of the gastric glands in the setting of an inflammatory environment. The human stomach contains two types of gastric units, which show bi-directional self-renewal from a complex variety of stem cells. This review focuses on recent progress concerning the characterization of the different stem cell populations and the mainly mesenchymal signals triggering their stepwise differentiation as well as the genesis of pre-cancerous lesions and carcinogenesis. Furthermore, a model is presented (Lectin-triggered Receptor Blocking Hypothesis) explaining the role of the lectin TFF1 as an antral tumor suppressor possibly regulating Lgr5⁺ antral stem cells in a paracrine or maybe autocrine fashion, with neighboring antral gland cells having a role as niche cells.     

Development and Characterization of a Factor V-Deficient CRISPR Cell Model for the Correction of Mutations

Factor V deficiency, an ultra-rare congenital coagulopathy, is characterized by bleeding episodes that may be more or less intense as a function of the levels of coagulation factor activity present in plasma. Fresh-frozen plasma, often used to treat patients with factor V deficiency, is a scarcely effective palliative therapy with no specificity to the disease. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing, following precise deletion by non-homologous end-joining, has proven to be highly effective for modeling on a HepG2 cell line a mutation similar to the one detected in the factor V-deficient patient analyzed in this study, thus simulating the pathological phenotype. Additional CRISPR/Cas9-driven non-homologous end-joining precision deletion steps allowed correction of 41% of the factor V gene mutated cells, giving rise to a newly developed functional protein. Taking into account the plasma concentrations corresponding to the different levels of severity of factor V deficiency, it may be argued that the correction achieved in this study could, in ideal conditions, be sufficient to turn a severe phenotype into a mild or asymptomatic one.     

Analysis of non-loading carrying fillet welds joint using SGBEM

Fatigue failure is probably the most common type of failure in welded construction. It is usually initiates at a stress concentration area within the structure. The fatigue behavior of non-load carrying cruciform fillet welded joint has been studied extensively using boundary element method. The symmetric boundary element method for multiple cracks problem is derived using Betti's reciprocal theorem in auxiliary fictitious state. High order element is proposed to solve the double integrals. The analysis demonstrates that symmetrical Galerkin boundary element method (SGBEM) can be used effectively for analyzing non-load carrying fillet welded cruciform joints containing any number of surface and embedded cracks. The stress intensity factor and the magnification factors M _k are analyzed. General formulation for this kind of fatigue life estimation is derived for engineering design purpose. The fatigue life estimate results are consistent with the code of practice and those of other researchers. This can provide a good method for engineering design under fatigue loading conditions.     

Dempster-Shafer证据理论在目标意图预测中的应用

为了准确对目标意图进行预测,以便我方及时合理地作出战术决策,采用D-S证据理论对目标意图进行预测。首先提取出影响目标意图预测的各个态势因素,然后分析每个因素的影响效果。在此基础上建立目标意图预测的数学模型,利用D-S合成法则将所有因素的影响进行综合,并计算出各个可能命题的概率赋值并给出相应决策。最后,通过仿真实例验证了该方法在目标意图预测中的可行性和实用性。     

基于文本挖掘的WUI火灾致灾因子网络构建及特征分析

为预防和减少WUI火灾的发生, 挖掘WUI火灾关键致灾因子, 厘清致灾因子间的作用机制. 本文首先基于本文挖掘技术从WUI火灾事故案例中得到致灾因子, 使用Apriori算法得到致灾因子之间的关联规则. 然后使用复杂网络理论构建WUI火灾致灾因子网络, 计算网络拓扑特征参数, 探析WUI火灾致灾因子网络特征. 最后引入WUI火灾致因链风险度指标, 挖掘出高风险连边, 并提出断链措施. 结果表明: WUI火灾致灾因子网络具有小世界特性, 高温、强风、干旱等对其他致灾因子影响较大. 燃烧废弃物、植物起火、应急响应速度、人为纵火、强风在不同致灾因子转换中具有重要作用, 应加强管控. 网络中风险度最高的边是燃烧废弃物→植物起火, 通过颁布禁止擅自燃烧废弃物等规定, 即可切断该风险链, 实现对WUI火灾的预防和主动控制.     

The Role of Polymorphisms at the Interleukin-1, Interleukin-4, GATA-3 and Cyclooxygenase-2 Genes in Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

Periodontitis is a multifactorial disease. The aim of this explorative study was to investigate the role of Interleukin-(IL)-1, IL-4, GATA-3 and Cyclooxygenase-(COX)-2 polymorphisms after non-surgical periodontal therapy with adjunctive systemic antibiotics (amoxicillin/metronidazole) and subsequent maintenance in a Caucasian population. Analyses were performed using blood samples from periodontitis patients of a multi-center trial (ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00707369","term_id":"NCT00707369"}}NCT00707369=ABPARO-study). Polymorphisms were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR. Clinical attachment levels (CAL), percentage of sites showing further attachment loss (PSAL) ≥1.3 mm, bleeding on probing (BOP) and plaque score were assessed. Exploratory statistical analysis was performed. A total of 209 samples were genotyped. Patients carrying heterozygous genotypes and single-nucleotide-polymorphisms (SNP) on the GATA-3-IVS4 +1468 gene locus showed less CAL loss than patients carrying wild type. Heterozygous genotypes and SNPs on the IL-1A-889, IL-1B +3954, IL-4-34, IL-4-590, GATA-3-IVS4 +1468 and COX-2-1195 gene loci did not influence CAL. In multivariate analysis, CAL was lower in patients carrying GATA-3 heterozygous genotypes and SNPs than those carrying wild-types. For the first time, effects of different genotypes were analyzed in periodontitis progression after periodontal therapy and during supportive treatment using systemic antibiotics demonstrating a slight association of GATA-3 gene locus with CAL. This result suggests that GATA-3 genotypes are a contributory but non-essential risk factor for periodontal disease progression.     

Novel Insights into Factor D Inhibition

Complement-mediated diseases or complementopathies, such as Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), cold agglutinin disease (CAD), and transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA), demand advanced complement diagnostics and therapeutics be adopted in a vast field of medical specialties, such as hematology, transplantation, rheumatology, and nephrology. The miracle of complement inhibitors as “orphan drugs” has dramatically improved morbidity and mortality in patients with otherwise life-threatening complementopathies. Efficacy has been significantly improved by upstream inhibition in patients with PNH. Different molecules may exert diverse characteristics in vitro and in vivo. Further studies remain to show safety and efficacy of upstream inhibition in other complementopathies. In addition, cost and availability issues are major drawbacks of current treatments. Therefore, further developments are warranted to address the unmet clinical needs in the field of complementopathies. This state-of-the-art narrative review aims to delineate novel insights into factor D inhibition as a promising target for complementopathies.     

Production of Lacto-N-biose I Using Crude Extracts of Bifidobacterial Cells

Lacto-N-biose I (LNB) is supposed to represent the bifidus factor in human milk oligosaccharides, and can be practically produced from sucrose and GlcNAc using four bifidobacterial enzymes, 1,3-β-galactosyl-N-acetylhexosamine phosphorylase, sucrose phosphorylase, UDP-glucose-hexose 1-phosphate uridylyltransferase, and UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, recombinantly produced by Escherichia coli. Here the production of LNB by the same enzymatic method without using genetically modified enzymes to consider the use of LNB for a food ingredient was reported. All four enzymes were produced as the intracellular enzymes of Bifidobacterium strains. The mixture of the crude extracts contained all four enzymes, with other enzymes interfering with the LNB production, namely, phosphoglucomutase, fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase, and glycogen phosphorylase. The first two interfering enzymes were selectively inactivated by heat treatment at 47 °C for 1 h in the presence of pancreatin, and glycogen phosphorylase was disabled by hydrolyzing its possible acceptor molecules using glucoamylase. Finally, 91 % of GlcNAc was converted into LNB in the 100-mL reaction mixture containing 300 mM GlcNAc.     

喷射式凝汽器传热性能影响因素分析

空冷机组是解决富煤贫水地区电力工业发展问题的有效措施,近年来在国内外发展迅速。作为海勒式间接空冷系统的关键设备,喷射式凝汽器的性能与整个空冷机组的性能直接相关。介绍了国内外喷射式凝汽器的研究现状,分析了影响喷射式凝汽器传热性能的主要因素。