In order to investigate the potential application of low-grade hard asphalt in high-temperature and high-altitude areas, various tests were conducted to analyze the performance and high-temperature rheological properties of 30#, 50#, and 70# matrix asphalt under thermo-oxidative aging and ultraviolet aging. The tests utilized for analysis included the examination of basic asphalt properties, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), dynamic shear rheology (DSR), and multi-stress creep recovery (MSCR). The results indicate a progressive decrease in asphalt performance with increasing aging time. Prolonged exposure to thermal oxygen aging and ultraviolet irradiation significantly diminishes the plasticity of asphalt. The carbonyl index and sulfoxide index of asphalt increase after thermal oxygen aging and ultraviolet aging. Notably, 30# asphalt demonstrates greater resistance to aging compared to 50# and 70# asphalt under long-term high ultraviolet radiation. The LMS% of 30#, 50#, and 70# asphalt increases by 14%, 15%, and 16%, respectively. Following photothermal oxidative aging, a larger proportion of lighter components in the asphalt transforms into resins and asphaltenes. The high-temperature rheological properties of the three types of asphalt rank as 30# > 50# > 70#, while within the same type of asphalt, the high-temperature rheological properties rank as PAV > UV3 > UV2 > UV1 > RTFOT > virgin. Elevating temperature, stress level, and stress duration negatively impact the high-temperature stability of asphalt. In general, low-grade asphalt demonstrates superior anti-aging ability and high-temperature rheological properties during the aging process.
Deconvolution is the most commonly used image processing method to remove the blur caused by the point-spread-function (PSF) in optical imaging systems. While this method has been successful in deblurring, it suffers from several disadvantages including being slow, since it takes many iterations, suboptimal, in cases where experimental operator chosen to represent PSF is not optimal. In this paper, we are proposing a deep-learning-based deblurring method applicable to optical microscopic imaging systems. We tested the proposed method in database data, simulated data, and experimental data (include 2D optical microscopic data and 3D photoacoustic microscopic data), all of which showed much improved deblurred results compared to deconvolution. To quantify the improved performance, we compared our results against several deconvolution methods. Our results are better than conventional techniques and do not require multiple iterations or pre-determined experimental operator. Our method has the advantages of simple operation, short time to compute, good deblur results and wide application in all types of optical microscopic imaging systems. The deep learning approach opens up a new path for deblurring and can be applied in various biomedical imaging fields.
Reutilising waste argillaceous gangue (AG) in road engineering is crucial to reducing its environmental pollution. To effectively control settlement and long-term performance of subgrade filled with AG, the effects of humidification and loading on the particle crushing evolution of AG were investigated. The effects of dry-wet cycles, compaction work, and initial coarse grain content (CGC) on the breakage characteristics were evaluated. The relationship among fractal dimension D and compaction work, initial CGC, and breakage index Bg was established. The results show that the initial CGC and compactness are essential factors affecting the breakage characteristics of AG. It is recommended that the CGC be controlled at 50% when AG is used as subgrade filler. The fractal dimension increases logarithmically with the increase of compaction work and decreases linearly with the rise of CGC. Fractal dimensions D and Bg can effectively evaluate the breaking process of AG and the gradation after compaction.
An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.
Both parathyroid hormone (PTH) and mechanical signals are able to regulate bone growth and regeneration. They also can work synergistically to regulate osteoblast proliferation, but little is known about the mechanisms how PTH and mechanical signals interact with each other during this process. In this study, we investigated responses of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts to PTH and oscillatory fluid flow. We found that osteoblasts are more sensitive to mechanical signals in the presence of PTH according to ERK1/2 phosphorylation, ATP release, CREB phosphorylation, and cell proliferation. PTH may also reduce the osteoblast refractory period after desensitization due to mechanical signals. We further found that the synergistic responses of osteoblasts to fluid flow or ATP with PTH had similar patterns, suggesting that synergy between fluid flow and PTH may be through the ATP pathway. After we inhibited ATP effects using apyrase in osteoblasts, their synergistic responses to mechanical stimulation and PTH were also inhibited. Additionally, knocking down P2Y2 purinergic receptors can significantly attenuate osteoblast synergistic responses to mechanical stimulation and PTH in terms of ERK1/2 phosphorylation, CREB phosphorylation, and cell proliferation. Thus, our results suggest that PTH enhances mechanosensitivity of osteoblasts via a mechanism involving ATP and P2Y2 purinergic receptors.
“All-in-one” carrier-free-based nano-multi-drug self-delivery system could combine triple advantages of small molecules, nanoscale characteristics, and synergistic combination therapy together. Researches have showed that dual-acting small-molecular methotrexate (MTX) could target and kill the folate-receptor-overexpressing cancer cells. Inspired by this mechanism, a novel collaborative early-phase tumor-selective targeting and late-phase synergistic anticancer approach was developed for the self-assembly of chemotherapeutic drug–drug conjugate, which showed various advantages of more simplicity, efficiency, and flexibility over the conventional approach based only on single or combination cancer chemotherapy. MTX and 10-hydroxyl camptothecin (CPT) were chosen to conjugate through ester linkage. Because of the amphiphilicity and ionicity, MTX-CPT conjugates as molecular building blocks could self-assemble into MTX-CPT nanoparticles (MTX-CPT NPs) in aqueous solution, thus notably improving the aqueous solubility of CPT and the membrane permeability of MTX. The MTX-CPT NPs with a precise drug-to-drug ratio showed pH-/esterase-responsive drug release, sequential function “Targeting–Anticancer” switch, and real-time monitoring fluorescence “Off–On” switch. By doping with a lipophilic near-infrared (NIR) cyanine dye (e.g., 1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide, DiR), the prepared DiR-loaded MTX-CPT NPs acted as an effective probe for in vivo NIR fluorescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) dual-modal imaging. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that MTX-CPT NPs could specifically codeliver multidrug to different sites of action with distinct anticancer mechanisms to kill folate-receptor-overexpressing tumor cells in a synergistic way. This novel, simple, and highly convergent self-targeting nanomulti-drug codelivery system exhibited great potential in cancer therapy.
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