Buurshaffer9988

Experimental studies of shear reinforced beams with GFRP stirrups and GFRP headed bars were carried out. This allowed a direct comparison of the shear behavior of beams reinforced with standard GFRP stirrups and a new type of shear reinforcement GFRP headed bars. Experimental studies demonstrated that GFRP headed bars could be used as shear reinforcement in concrete beams. Unlike GFRP stirrups, these bars allow stress redistribution in bars cut by a diagonal crack.This work focuses on the coupling effect of molecular chain displacement and trap characteristics on direct current (DC) breakdown properties of high density/low density polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE) blend insulation. Frequency domain spectroscopy (FDS) and isothermal discharge current (IDC) are used to characterize the dielectric relaxation and trap characteristics of HDPE/LDPE blends. A DC breakdown model is proposed to reveal the mechanisms of the molecular chain displacement and carrier trap on the DC breakdown strength. The dielectric relaxation α and δ present segmental motions and thermal ion polarization behaviours of HDPE/LDPE blends, respectively. α dielectric relaxation strength ( Δεα) increases as the amount of HDPE increases from 0 to 5 wt%, and then declines with a further increase of HDPE content to 20 wt%. According to the velocity equation, the increase of Δεα will increase the molecular chain displacement, resulting in a larger free volume, which will provide electrons with larger free path λ to form hot electrons. A positive correlation exists between the activation energy of the dielectric relaxation process δ and trap density, and the increase of δ dielectric relaxation strength (Δεδ) will adversely affect the breakdown strength of the specimen. HDPE/LDPE blends with 15 wt% HDPE content have lower Δεα and lowest Δεδ, which decreases the mean free path λ of molecular chain and thermal ion polarization. At the same time, it has the highest deep trap density, thus increasing the probability of hot electrons being captured and improving the DC breakdown strength. It is concluded the breakdown of the dielectric is synergistically affected by the molecular chain displacement and carrier trap.Decellularized membranes (DM) were obtained from bovine amniotic membranes (BAM) using four different decellularization protocols, based on physical, chemical, and mechanical treatment. The new material was used as a biological scaffold for in vitro skin cell culture. The DM were characterized using hematoxylin-eosin assay, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The in vitro cytotoxicity of DM was evaluated using MTT. The efficacy of decellularization process was assessed through DNA quantification and electrophoresis. All the used protocols showed a high effectiveness in terms of elimination of native cells, confirmed by DNA extraction and quantification, electrophoresis, and SEM, although protocol IV removes the cellular contents and preserve the native extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture which it can be considered as the most effective in terms of decellularization. FTIR-ATR and DSC on the other hand, revealed the effects of decellularization on the biochemical composition of the matrices. There was no cytotoxicity and the biological matrices obtained were a source of collagen for recellularization. The matrices of protocols I, II, and III were degraded at day 21 of cell culture, forming a gel. The biocompatibility in vitro was demonstrated; hence these matrices may be deemed as potential scaffold for epithelial tissue regeneration.Studies on organic acid metabolism have been mainly concentrated on the fruit, whereas, few have focused on the mechanism of high organic acids content in the fruit of Actinidia eriantha. Fruits of 'Ganmi 6' harvested at eleven developmental periods were used as materials. The components and content of organic acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, the activities of the related enzyme were detected, and gene expression levels were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Components of ascorbic acid (AsA) and eight kinds of organic acids were detected. These results showed that quinic acid and citric acid were the main organic acids in the fruit of 'Ganmi 6'. Phlorizin purchase Correlation analysis showed that NADP-Quinate dehydrogenase (NADP-QDH), NADP-Shikimate dehydrogenase (NADP-SDH), and Cyt-Aconitase (Cyt-Aco) may be involved in regulating organic acids biosynthesis. Meanwhile, the SDH gene may play an important role in regulating the accumulation of citric acid. In this study, the activities of NADP-SDH, Mit-Aconitase (Mit-Aco), and NAD-Isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD-IDH) were regulated by their corresponding genes at the transcriptional level. The activity of Citrate synthase (CS) may be affected by post-translational modification. Our results provided new insight into the characteristics of organic acid metabolism in the fruit of A. eriantha.(1) Background The etiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is multifactorial. Dietary composition has been implicated as a factor modulating intestinal barrier and could affect disease severity. The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary intake and markers of intestinal permeability in patients with NAFLD. (2) Methods We enrolled 63 patients with NAFLD and compared them to age-matched controls. (3) Results body mass index (BMI) and leptin to adiponectin ratio-the latter being an indicator of abdominal fat accumulation-correlated with the degree of hepatic steatosis being accompanied with rising levels of fasting insulin. Furthermore, endotoxin plasma levels and markers of inflammation were significantly higher in NAFLD compared to controls and increased with the severity of hepatic steatosis. Despite comparable intake of total energy and macronutrients, intake of fiber was lower in all patients with NAFLD compared to controls and were negatively related to disease severity. (4) Conclusions Taken together, results of the present study suggest that fiber intake in patients is negatively related to steatosis degree and bacterial endotoxin levels, further suggesting that dietary fiber intake may be a target in NAFLD treatment (NCT 02366052 and 03482284).