Yang Sun

To consider the influence of material parameter uncertainty on the structural deformation of a dam effectively and to establish a reasonable and reliable safety monitoring index for the displacement of a rockfill dam, a method for determining the displacement monitoring index of a rockfill dam based on stochastic finite element analysis is proposed in this paper. Firstly, uncertainty in the mechanical parameters of the rockfill material is simulated via the correlation log-normal random field, and the statistical characteristics of the dam displacement under the stability of the resultant distribution are obtained through several structural analyses, thus constructing a stochastic finite element method-based monitoring model (SFEMM model); subsequently, the boundary values of the water pressure component are determined based on the statistical characteristics of the displacement at different water levels, and the displacement monitoring index is determined by inputting it into the SFEMM model. Finally, the index is applied to the actual panel rockfill dam project. Finally, the method is applied to the actual concrete-face rockfill dam project. The results show that the SFEMM model achieves higher prediction accuracy and stability than other monitoring models, with the relative error lower than 4.7% and the correlation coefficient higher than 0.96, and the monitoring index is accurate and reasonable. This method provides a scientific and reliable new idea for the safety monitoring of rockfill dams.

Background: Postoperative nursing can improve the quality of life (QoL) and functional prognosis for lung cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of high-quality nursing on inflammation and prognosis in postoperative patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 372 patients with NSCLC were enrolled between the May 2014 and June 2016. Patients were randomly received high-quality nursing (n = 192) or normal nursing (n = 180). Symptom management, QoL, hospital stay, inflammatory score, survival time, recurrence rate, symptoms, anxiety, depression scale and psychological distress were assessed at baseline and 5-year follow up. Results: High-quality nursing significantly shortened hospital stay, improved postoperative inflammation, symptom management, QoL compared to patients received normal nursing. Compare with normal nursing, high-quality nursing decreased anxiety, depression scale and psychological distress for postoperative patients with advanced NSCLC. Outcomes showed that high-quality nursing increased the survival time and decreased recurrence rate for postoperative patients with advanced NSCLC. Conclusion: In conclusion, data in the current study indicate that high-quality nursing can decrease inflammation and improve prognosis for the postoperative patients with NSCLC.

Curcumin, a natural compound derived from the turmeric rhizome Curcuma longa Linn, has anticancer and chemoresistance reduction biological activities. We evaluated the efficacy of curcumin in sensitizing chemotherapy drugs through regulation of Bcl-2-mediated apoptosis in breast cancer stem-like cells (BCSCs). Cell survival was measured using MTT assay. Apoptosis-related proteins were observed using western blot analysis. Apoptosis was detected with flow cytometric analysis and by Hoechst 33258 staining. The mitochondrial membrane potential was observed with flow cytometric analysis. The ability of BCSCs to propagate decreased gradually along the passages and was completely lost at the fifth passage [0.1 μmol/L mitomycin C (MMC) with 5 μmol/L curcumin in MCF-7 and 0.5 μmol/L MMC with 5 μmol/L curcumin in MDA-MB-231 cells]. Curcumin combined with MMC treatment significantly decreased the levels of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-w expression, increased the levels of proapoptotic Bax, Bak, Bad, Bik, and Bim expression, and activated caspase-3 and caspase-9 in MCF-7 BCSCs. In the presence of Bcl-2 siRNA, the apoptosis rate increased by 15% in cells treated with curcumin and MMC. The mitochondrial membrane potential decreased by approximately 20% in MCF-7 BCSCs undergoing the combination treatment of curcumin and MMC. The combination-induced decrease in Bcl-2 was regulated by the presence of the Wnt-specific inhibitor PFK115-584 and PI3k inhibitor LY294002. Our study indicates that curcumin might represent a novel therapeutic agent for treating breast cancer chemoresistance induced by MMC.