Abstract In this paper, the penetration resistance of 6061 aluminum plates to explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) at the incidence angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45° was studied. The penetration process was roughly divided into three typical stages—the plastic flanging stage of the target, the righting stage of the projectile, and the plug formation stage of the target. Through the energy analysis, the energy consumption of the aluminum plate increased with the increase in the incidence angle during the entire penetration process. Through the microscopic analysis of the perforated wall surface of the aluminum plate, it was found that there were distinct boundaries and differences between the plastic reaming zone and the punching plug fracture zone.. Overall, four kinds of classification modes were proposed for the damage of the aftereffect plate, which provides a method to evaluate the aftereffect of EFP oblique penetration into 6061 aluminum plates.

Abstract To investigate the effect of polyurea on the protective performance of a steel target plate under the combination of shock wave and fragments, the failure characteristics, damage process and micro mechanism of the polyurea coated steel plates with different coating methods under the combination of explosion shock waves and fragments were analyzed through experiments and numerical simulations. The results showed that single-sided coatings aggravated the damage of target plate when the coating thickness was 2 mm. While the polyurea thickness greater than 4 mm could significantly reduce the damage degree of the steel plate. When the polyurea was coated on the double sides, it would aggravate the damage, no matter how thick the polyurea was. Through microscopic research, it was found that the front coated polyurea was severely ablated by detonation products, which greatly reduce its energy absorption efficiency. The polyurea coated on the back underwent tensile fracture under the influence of tensile stress wave. The breaking of intramolecular hydrogen bond of polyurea was the key to the energy absorption of polyurea.

Abstract In this paper, LS-dyna software was used to simulate the charging process of cylindrical shell when EFP has different angles, and some interesting phenomena and laws were found. Cylindrical elastic wave σr was generated when the cylindrical shell was impacted by EFP. The cylindrical elastic wave σr was correlated with the time required for the cylindrical shell charge to be successfully detonated. When the EFP warhead penetration Angle θ ranges from 0° to 10°, the σr increases linearly with (cosθ)-1/2. With the increase of θ, the tangential velocity vy had an obvious effect on the impact of EFP on the cylindrical shell, and the linear relationship between the elastic wave σr and (cosθ)-1/2 does not change. When the θ was greater than 45°, EFP could not successfully impact and detonate the cylindrical shell charge. The EFP velocity was measured by velocity measurement method with an error of 1.3%. The experimental results have strong similarity with the simulation results, indicating that the parameters of the numerical simulation model have good reliability.

Abstract Rosa roxbughii Tratt (RRT) is a welcome medicinal and edible fruit with unique functions and nutrients in China. In the past decades, extensive research including chemical constituents and bioactivities of RRT were reported. A total of small 78 small molecules, such as flavonoids, organic acid, triterpenes, etc. and 11 polysaccharides have been isolated from RRT. Its antioxidant, anti-tumor and other pharmacological effects were also discovered. This paper reviews the progress of those information for the R&D of RRT in the future.

Abstract In the current study the incidence of food impaction between implant-supported fixed dental prostheses and adjacent teeth was determined and the factors that influence food impaction were identified. Seven hundred seventy-nine implant prosthetic crowns and 879 adjacent sites from a pool of 489 patients were retrospectively studied. Food impaction existed in 16.6% of patients with implant restorations at the follow-up evaluations. Food impaction occurred more frequently on the mesial aspect of the implant prosthesis and the molar area. Among the factors that affected food impaction, proximal contact loss was shown to be the major cause (78.6%), while the incidence of food impaction on the mesial and distal aspects was 58.0% and 20.6%, respectively. Based on single-factor analysis of variance, gender, implant location, mesial and distal aspects of the prosthesis, and lost time before implant restoration were the factors that influenced proximal contact loss in patients (P < 0.05). In conclusion, proximal contact loss was shown to be highly associated with food impaction. Thus, gender, the molar area, the mesial aspect of the prosthesis, and the lost time before implant restoration should be fully considered. Guidance on the proper use and maintenance of prostheses is essential to achieve an optimal outcome.

Abstract: The combined application of organic and mineral fertilizers is gaining recognition as a viable approach to address the decline of soil fertility in intensive cultivation. A four-year experiment was conducted to study the dynamics of maize growth and analyse environmental changes. Two treatments were designed, (І) mineral fertilizer treatments (MF) that received the optimal fertilization level with 185 kg N/ha, 60 kg P2O5/ha, and 90 kg K2O/ha and (П) the combination of organic and mineral fertilizer treatments (OMF) with the application of 3.75 t/ha organic fertilizer supplemented with 125 kg N ha-1. The results indicated that OMF could improve the maize yield by 9.7-13.6 %, while the aggregate environmental index was reduced by 17 % compared with MF. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that OMF promotes maize growth and yield attributed to the increased N, P and K uptake at the 12-leaf stage and tasseling stage, and the increased urease activity and P uptakes at the harvest stage. Life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis indicated that OMF decreased energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, acidification and aquatic eutrophication compared with MF. The results clearly revealed that organic applied with less mineral fertilizer had a higher maize yield and lower agricultural environmental risk compared to only mineral fertilizer.

Abstract Fiber-matrix interface performance has a great influence on the mechanical properties of fiber reinforced composite. This influence is mainly presented during fiber pullout from the matrix. As fiber pullout process consists of fiber debonding stage and pullout stage which involve complex contact problem, numerical modeling is a best way to investigate the interface influence. Although many numerical research works have been conducted, practical and effective technique suitable for continuous modeling of fiber pullout process is still scarce. The reason is in that numerical divergence frequently happens, leading to the modeling interruption. By interacting the popular finite element program ANSYS with the MATLAB, we proposed continuous modeling technique and realized modeling of fiber pullout from cement matrix with desired interface mechanical performance. For debonding process, we used interface elements with cohesive surface traction and exponential failure behavior. For pullout process, we switched interface elements to spring elements with variable stiffness, which is related to the interface shear stress as a function of the interface slip displacement. For both processes, the results obtained are very good in comparison with other numerical or analytical models and experimental tests. We suggest using the present technique to model toughening achieved by randomly distributed fibers.

Abstract Objective Hand hygiene (HH) is a critical component for controlling hospital-acquired infection (HAI). The present study was designed to develop an intervention approach to improve compliance with HH among healthcare workers in a hospital setting. Methods The HH intervention study was conducted in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China and organized by its Department of HAI Management. It was an observational, prospective, quasiexperimental (before-after intervention) study. The study was divided into two phases: the baseline phase and the intervention phase. The investigative team included clinical monitoring staff and infection control practitioners who received a series of instructions on HH compliance, monitoring skills, and measurement of the use of HH products. Results Based on 27,852 observations in a 17-month period, the rate of compliance with HH improved from 37.78% at baseline to 75.90% after intervention. Significant improvement in compliance and an increase in consumption of HH products was observed after intervention. The per patient-day consumption of alcohol-based hand rub products and handwash agents increased by 4.75 mL and 4.55 mL, respectively. The consumption of paper towels increased 3.41 sheets per patient-day. During the same period, the prevalence rate of HAI decreased 0.83%. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a significant improvement in compliance with HH can be achieved through a systemic, multidimensional intervention approach involving all categories of healthcare workers in a hospital setting, which may result in a decrease of the HAI rate.

Superior mesenteric arteriovenous fistula (SMAVF) is a rare vascular disorder usually following penetrating abdominal trauma or gastrointestinal surgery. Percutaneous endovascular treatment such as embolization, has been widely used to treat this disease. We report a patient, who was presented with melena at the onset of his symptoms, then an acute hematemesis in shock. A SMAVF was diagnosed on an angiogram after a large mesenteric vein was seen on CT. The patient had a successful emergency endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) to stop bleeding. Then the patient received fistula embolization with covered stent.

Abstract Dunaliella salina, a single-celled marine alga with extreme salt tolerance, is an important model organism for studying fundamental extremophile survival mechanisms and their potential practical applications. In this study, two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) was used to investigate the expression of halotolerant proteins under high (3 M NaCl) and low (0.75 M NaCl) salt concentrations. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS) and bioinformatics were used to identify and characterize the differences among proteins. 2D-DIGE analysis revealed 141 protein spots that were significantly differentially expressed between the two salinities. Twenty-four differentially expressed protein spots were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS, including proteins in the following important categories: molecular chaperones, proteins involved in photosynthesis, proteins involved in respiration and proteins involved in amino acid synthesis. Expression levels of these proteins changed in response to the stress conditions, which suggests that they may be involved in the maintenance of intracellular osmotic pressure, cellular stress responses, physiological changes in metabolism, continuation of photosynthetic activity and other aspects of salt stress. The findings of this study enhance our understanding of the function and mechanisms of various proteins in salt stress.

Background: Transforming growth factor-ß receptor II (TGFBR2) is a key component of TGF-ß signaling pathway. TGFBR2 can be detected in the generation of heart. The mouse embryos of TGFBR2 gene knockout exhibited congenital heart defects. Methods: We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between TGFBR2 gene polymorphisms and congenital heart defects in Han Chinese population. 125 patients with congenital heart defects and 615 unrelated controls were recruited. Two tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (tagSNPs) in 5’ upstream of TGFBR2 gene (rs6785358, -3779A/G; rs764522, -1444C/ G) were selected and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. Results: A significant difference was seen in the distribution of genotypes between patients with congenital heart defects and controls for SNP rs6785358 (P=0.043). For SNP rs6785358 the carrier of the G allele (AG/GG genotype) showed a significantly higher risk of congenital heart defects compared with AA homozygotes (OR=1.545, 95% CI: 1.013-2.356). Further analysis by sex stratification indicated that individuals carrying G allele (AG/GG genotype) for SNP rs6785358 have a higher susceptibility to congenital heart defects (OR=2.088, 95%CI: 1.123-3.883, P=0.019) in males, but not females (OR=1.195, 95%CI: 0.666-2.146, P=0.55). No statistical significance was detected in the distribution of genotypes and allele frequencies for SNP rs764522 between patients and controls. Conclusion: Our result suggested that SNP rs6785358 of TGFBR2 gene was associated with increased risk of congenital heart defects in Han Chinese men and further research would be warranted.

Antecedentes: Factor de crecimiento transformante ß receptor II (TGFBR2) es un componente clave de la via de señalización de TGF-ß. TGFBR2 puede ser detectado en la generación de corazón. Los embriones de ratón de TGFBR2 gene knockout mostraron defectos congénitos del corazón. Métodos: Hemos realizado un estudio de casos y controles para investigar la asociación entre polimorfismos del gen TGFBR2 y defectos congénitos del corazón en la población china han. 125 pacientes con defectos congénitos del corazón y 615 unrelated controles fueron reclutados. Marcado de dos polimorfismos de nucleótido único (tagsnps) en 5 ‘aguas arriba del gen TGFBR2 (rs6785358, - 3779a / g; rs764522, - 1444c / g) fueron seleccionados y genotipados por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) - polimorfismos de longitud de fragmentos de restricción (RFLP) de ensayo. Resultados: Se observó una diferencia significativa en la distribución de genotipos entre pacientes con defectos congénitos del corazón y controles para SNP rs6785358 (P = 0043). La SNP rs6785358 el porteador del alelo G (AG / GG genotipo) mostraron un importante crecimiento y mayor riesgo de defectos congénitos del corazón en comparación con AA homocigotos (OR = 1.545, IC del 95%: 1.013-2.356). Más análisis por sexo estratificación indicó que los individuos con alelo G (AG / GG genotipo) para SNP rs6785358 tienen una mayor susceptibilidad a defectos congénitos del corazón (OR = 2.088, IC del 95%: 1.123-3.883, p = 0.019) en machos, pero no en las mujeres (OR = 1.195, IC del 95%: 0.666-2.146, p = 0.55). No hay significación estadística fue detectado en la distribución de los genotipos y frecuencias de alelos de SNP rs764522 entre pacientes y controles. Conclusión: Nuestros resultados sugieren que el SNP rs6785358 de gen TGFBR2 se asoció con un mayor riesgo de defectos congénitos del corazón en los chinos han hombres y más investigación estaría justificada.

This work suggests a computational model that takes account of effective fibers on toughening in FRC at an early stage of crack formation. We derived the distribution of pressure provoked by a random inclined fiber in the matrix and calculated stresses through integrating the pressure and tangent stress along the fiber/matrix interface with the Kelvin's fundamental solution and the Mindlin's complementary solution. The evolution of spalling in the matrix was traced. The percentages of effective fibers were evaluated with variations in strength, interface resistance, diameter and elasticity modulus. The main conclusion is that low elasticity modulus combined high strength of fibers raises dramatically the effective fibers, which would benefit toughening.