Mixed oxides containing zinc and lanthanum were prepared by coprecipitation in alkaline medium, followed by calcination at 400 °C. The initial precipitation product and the calcined form were characterized by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method adsorption of nitrogen at −196 °C, Scanning Electron Microscopy/Electron-Probe Microanalysis (SEM/EPM), Ultraviolet—Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-DRS) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The band gap slightly changes from 3.23 eV to 3 eV by calcination. The photocatalytic performance of the solids were investigated in diluted aqueous medium, by using clofibric acid (CA), a stable and toxic molecule used as precursor in some pesticides and drugs, as test compound, possibly found in the wastewaters in low concentrations. The effects of the degradation extent, determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and total organic carbon (TOC) measurements, were investigated at different initial concentrations of CA. Within about 60 min the CA degradation is almost total at low concentration values (3 ppm) and reaches over 80% in 180 min for an initial concentration of 50 ppm. Moreover, the CA removal performance of photocatalyst remains excellent after three cycles of use: the removal yield was practically total after 60 min in the first two cycles and reached 95% even in the third cycle.  Tituation ,2,9,10.2 [2 [The most used material in photocatalysis nowadays is titanium dioxide. However, a high number of studies are dedicated for obtaining also other materials with higher activity, stability, possibility of reuse or other advantages with regard to TiO2 . In this2 ,13. As a2 [2 . In rece2 [2 ,9.There are seldom studies concerning the use of lanthanum in the formulations of semiconductive oxides used as photocatalysts ,15,16.Despite its high band gap value in pure bulk state (about 5.5 eV), the use of lanthanum for doping other semiconductive oxides led to the improvement of the photocatalytic behavior due to the band gap decrease in the nanoparticle size range ,18,19. TIn this work, we report an extremely simple and cheap preparation method for obtaining of Zn-La mixed oxide, by the coprecipitation of a mixture of soluble salts of zinc and lanthanum, by using NaOH solution, at a constant pH value of 10. Part of the resulted product (labeled Zn4La) was subjected to slow heat treatment at 400 °C, to obtain the corresponding mixed oxide (labeled Zn4La400). Both solids were fully characterized by different methods such as diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DR) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) for the surface analysis, pure nitrogen adsorption at −196 °C (BET) for the investigation of the porous structure and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to highlight the solid morphology. The Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) was used to show the homogeneity of the chemical composition of the samples. Subsequently, the two solids were used for the first time as photocatalytic materials for the degradation of clofibric acid (CA), a toxic compound which can reach the wastewaters either from applications in agriculture for controlling the plants-growing process (produces grow inhibition) or from the transformation of the drug clofibrate (a cholesterol lowering agent) in the human body.Both solids have quite high photocatalytic activity. The calcined product is superior to the as-synthesized precipitated sample, therefore, a detailed study of its photocatalytic activity was carried out. A special attention was paid to the investigation of the effects of some relevant process parameters such as the initial pollutant content and catalyst load, as well as to the evaluation of its photocatalytic performance by reusing the same solid in several reaction cycles.The used chemicals were of analytical grade and were employed as received. Zinc nitrate, lanthanum acetate and sodium hydroxide from Sigma-Aldrich  were used. The preparations were made using distilled water and 500 mL of precursor salts solution were prepared by mixing individual solutions of the two salts such to contain an overall metals concentration of 0.5 mol/L and a Zn/La molar ratio of 4/1 . This soThe X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra were obtained on a Shimadzu D6000 device , in the range 20–80°, using CuKα radiation (λ = 1.5406 Å). The IR spectra were traced on Jasco FT/IR-6100 spectrometer . The porosity analysis was investigated by BET adsorption of pure nitrogen at −196 °C on a Quantachrome machine Nova 2200e ; the dedicated software was employed to determine the BET surface area, free pore volume determination and BJH pore size distribution. The sample morphology characterization was done on a scanning electron microscope  equipped with an EDS detector. For these measurements, an acceleration voltage of 10 kV was used.2). Each day the CA solutions were prepared by simple dissolution of proper amounts of CA in ultrapure water. Before the irradiation, the adsorption-desorption equilibrium was let to settle, by agitating the aqueous suspension of photocatalyst and CA in dark for 30 min. For the photocatalytic process, irradiation time durations of up to 180 min were employed. Suspension samples were withdrawn at certain reaction time values, separated by filtration through filters with 0.45 µm porosity attached to a syringe, for complete separating of the solid before measuring the CA content. The photocatalytic assays were run in a cylindrical glass reactor of 1 L equipped with a central quartz tube a mercury vapor lamp  9W, presenting a maximum emission at 365 nm), under magnetic stirring (450 rpm). The reactions occurred at ambient temperature, at the native pH of the CA solution and at the maximal irradiation conditions . The mobile phase was a mixture of 60% acetonitrile and 40% ultrapure water. The detection consisted on the measurement of the absorbance at 227 nm; the retention time for CA was around 6.4 min. The CA mineralization level was expressed as the total organic carbon (TOC), performed on a Shimadzu TOC-5000-A instrument . The average value of three measurements was recorded in the presented data.The CA concentrations from the solutions were measured by HPLC  on a WATERSC0 and tC are, respectively, the CA concentrations at time zero and at time t.The degree of CA degradation was calculated according to the relation: TOC (mg C/L) of the aqueous solution and TOC in mg C/L at measured after a reaction time For the determination of the extent of mineralization of clofibric acid during the photocatalytic process the following equation was used:3 phase by the presence of peaks at 20 and 28°, due to (100) and (101) planes and of the La2O3 highlighted by the peak from 30.4°, assigned to the (101) plane  plane .The same allure of the XRD spectra was obtained by Maninkidan et al.  on ZnO dThe SEM images of Zn4La and Zn4La400 are shown in The morphology of the samples consists of platelets or flakes more or less compact, sometimes stacked as packing of lamellas. This morphology is quite similar to that of layered double hydroxides containing divalent and trivalent ions of hydrotalcite type ,25. For The Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of the solids was performed to investigate the incorporation extent of lanthanum in the precipitation product and the method delivers information about the situation from the external layer of the solids. The EDS spectra of the samples as well as the Zn to La ratios are presented in The initial precipitation mixture of salts contained Zn:La in a 1:0.25 ratio, while in the surface of the as-synthesized form, the ratio of Zn:La reached only 1:0.138. It shows that the La ions precipitation extent was not as high as the Zn incorporation in the product. The Zn: La ratio further decreased by the calcination procedure, showing that some of the La from the surface diffused inside the solid particles. Since the lanthanum-containing phases are only barely seen in the XRD patterns and however the La proportions highlighted by the EDS were a lot higher than those from the work of Maninkandan , it resu2/g (Zn4La) and 26.34 m2/g (Zn4La400) and the corresponding free pore volumes, determined at the highest value of the P/Po value are, respectively, of 0.104 cm3/g (Zn4La) and 0.084 cm3/g (Zn4La400). These data are in line with the results reported in literature for oxides similarly prepared [The porous structure of the solids was investigated by the adsorption of pure nitrogen at −196 °C. The values of the specific surface obtained by applying the BET model (proper for multilayer physic-sorption) were, respectively, of 56.04 mprepared ,28,29,30The shapes of the adsorption isotherms resemble to a certain extent to the isotherm type II, according to the IUPAC classification ,32 indicThe pore size distribution, calculated by using the BJH model  revealed−1 attributed to the OH groups from the La(OH)3. The wide band centered at about 3450 cm−1 is assigned to the water molecules incorporated in the solid (νH2O) and coexists with the deformation band (δH2O) from 1567 cm−1 which disappears by heating/annealing at 400 °C. The bands located at 1485 cm−1, 855,662 cm−1 correspond to the formation of La2O3 mixed with LaO (OH) [−1, the modification of the bands from 1417 and 695 cm−1, which become less intense and suffer modifications of the aspect. The presence of ZnO is confirmed by the broad band located in the range 500–400 cm−1 [The Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of the obtained samples are shown in LaO (OH) ,36. This400 cm−1 .•, responsible for initiating the oxidation reactions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). A relevant characteristic of a semiconductive oxide endeavored to be used as photocatalyst is the value of the band gap energy necessary to promote the electron jump from the valence band to the conduction band. This process is the key for the formation of an electron-hole pair in the structure of a semiconductive material, each of the two ionic entities being able to initiate reactions with water and oxygen and form hydroxyl radicals HOBG) is possible using the diffuse reflectance spectra, by extrapolating of the linear portion of the spectrum up to cross the x axis and convert the corresponding wavelength (nm) in energy, by using the relation:The measurement of the band gap value 1/n ∝(hν—BG), where α is the adsorption coefficient of the material, h the Planck’s constant, ν the frequency of activating light and Eg is the band gap energy. The value of n depends on the electronic nature of the band gap, having values corresponding to the possible transitions types as follows: 3 for indirect forbidden (IF), 2 for indirect allowed (IA), 3/2 for direct forbidden (DF) and 1/2 for direct allowed (DA) transitions, respectively [2 versus hν (the electron energy) for direct transition of electrons allows to determine the BG value, by extrapolating the Tauc function till crossing the x-axis  pollutant elimination was achieved in the presence of Zn4La400 after an irradiation time of 90 min, while only 73% were degraded with Zn4La, proving the considerably higher photocatalytic activity of the calcined material. In addition, it was found that the synthesized materials exhibit a higher reactivity compared to pure ZnO confirming the positive role of La doping on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO materials, as well as the efficiency of the coprecipitation method employed for their synthesis. A similar effect was previously found by Nguyen et al. and Sakir et al. for lanthanum doped nanoparticles in the degradation of methyl orange and paracetamol, respectively ,16.• radicals) by the irradiation was the success key in the photocatalytic process. Indeed, the easier and more effective formation of the electron-hole pair reflected by the lower band gap value of Zn4La400 sample was also retrieved in its better behavior in the reaction.It should be noticed that the comparative investigation of both materials conducted in dark to check the adsorption effect on the elimination of CA showed only a very low variation in the pollutant concentration (data not shown). It is very important to underline that from the point of view of the specific surface area values, in connection with the adsorption of CA and its transformation on the surface, we could expect that the Zn4La behaves better than Zn4La400 since its specific surface is more than double, which was in contradiction with the practical obtained results. It is thus very important to observe that even the lower specific surface of the Zn4La400 sample is attactive enough to ensure a saturation with adsorbed CA and that the superior ability of this solid to form oxidant species  to assess the elimination of CA during this process and to determine the contact time necessary to achieve the adsorption-desorption equilibrium. According to the results, a very low sorption affinity of Zn4La400 towards the target molecule was found for all the investigated conditions. For comparison purpose, only the results corresponding to the test conducted at 3 mg/L of pollutant and catalyst content of 500 mg/L are presented in In a photocatalytic process, the catalyst loading is a key aspect to be considered, because of its effect on the pollutant oxidation rate. In addition, this parameter dictates the economic viability for a possible future process implementation ,50. For Such a behavior is specific for the photocatalytic systems, because the increase of catalyst content increases the number active sites available at the catalyst surface which determines the photons absorption and thus the photodegradation efficiency . AnotherThe results obtained in our study indicate that for the concentrations range employed in the experiments, the best values in the case of Zn4La400 were obtained at a dose of 500 mg/L. Since the differences in CA degradation yields at photocatalyst doses between 120 and 500 mg/L are not very large, we could not expect spectacular improvements at higher doses. Moreover, increasing the dose brings a decay of the economical value of the process envisaged, due to the cost of the photocatalyst. Also, the literature mentions situations when an excedent of solid in suspension during the photocatalytic reaction decreases the degree of radiation absorption due to the too level of turbidity in the system. Therefore, the value of 500 mg/L was chosen to be used for the next photocatalytic tests.® and ZnO and UV-A irradiation conditions. However it should be noticed that a real comparison of these data in terms of photodegradation efficiency is difficult because of the existing difference between the operating conditions , reactor geometry and irradiation source. On the other hand, it should be highlighted that in terms of clofibric acid photocatalytic degradation to the best of our knowledge the literature data is relatively scarce.Another parameter which can affect the photocatalytic activity of the considered catalyst is the initial pollutant concentration. Thus, the oxidation of the target molecule over the Zn4La400/UV-A system as a function of the initial clofibric acid concentration was also considered in this work. The behviour observed in our study may be attributed to the fact that for a given catalyst loading and incident light irradiation, a nearly constant concentration of photogenerated active species will be generated in the solution and, in function of the initial pollutant content in the reaction mixture, they will or not be a limiting factor for the photocatalytic process . The datThe results collected in our study demonstrated the photocatalytic activity of the considered catalyst and the target compound degradation. The pollutant concentration was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and was detected at 227 nm. The pollutant elimination during the photocatalytic reaction was really confirmed by the decrease of the chromatographic peaks of the samples collected during the photocatalytic process. For illustration purposes, 2 and inorganic ions. For this reason, in order to check the photocatalytic efficiency of Zn4La400 catalyst a special attention was paid to the evaluation of its mineralization performance. It should be noticed that photocatalysis is today recognized as one of the most effective strategies for water purification. The main interest of this process consists in its mineralization ability because of the reactive species generated during the photocatalytic reaction. Because of their high oxidation potential, these species are able to transform and mineralize different organic molecules into COThe mineralization efficiency decreases for 44% to 30% with the increase of initial pollutant concentration from 10 to 50 mg/L, respectively. However, these values are much lower than the degradation yields determined by HPLC, because of the high content of reaction intermediates render more difficult to complete the mineralization. In some works, such a behavior is explained by the fact that, for a low pollutant amount, the active sites which are present at the catalyst surface are in excess for both accommodating the pollutant molecules and remain free for radiation capture and radicals generation. On the contrary, when the initial pollutant concentration increases, less reactive radicals are generated, because under these conditions the catalyst surface remains occupied by more molecules of pollutant and reaction byproducts and, thus, fewer sites remain available for the generation of the highly active oxidants ,58.The results obtained in our study are very promising in terms of pollutant degradation and mineralization, providing that designed mixed oxides can be considered as an interesting catalyst for future potential photocatalytic applications.In order to check the potential use of a catalyst in a photocatalytic process, other fundamental aspects such as the catalyst longevity in the reaction and its recovery are necessary to be considered in addition of its photocatalytic activity ,60,61. I® titania. Some researchers claimed similar results for the photocatalyst stability in the degradation of different organic molecules using other catalytic supports [In the second cycle, the photocatalytic activity of Zn4La400 remains unchanged and only a slightly loss of its activity (6%) was noticed after the third photocatalytic cycle after 60 min of reaction. These results are in line with the ones reported previously  for the supports ,58.The observed slight decrease in the photocatalytic activity of Zn4La400 can be attributed to a loss of material during the catalyst separation or washing steps, as well as to the blokage of some of the active sites by the remaining fragments resulted during the degradation during the oxidation reactions. In conclusion, these findings reveals that the used catalyst preserved almost totally its photocatytic activity in the degradation of a highly stability molecule, which makes it quite promising in real applications.A mixed oxide material containing zinc and lanthanum in oxide form was prepared by the coprecipitation from a solution containing salts of both metals dissolved in ultrapure water, at a constant pH of 10, by using NaOH solution (1 M). The resulted solid was characterized by XRD, SEM/EDAX, IR, UV-DR and BET adsorption of pure nitrogen. The as-synthesized product consisted of a mixture of zinc oxide, lanthanum hydroxide and lanthanum oxide. Upon calcination at 400 °C, the lanthanum hydroxide was transformed in lanthanum oxide and the outer layer became poorer in lanthanum, due to its diffusion inside the particles. This transformation brought the diminution of the specific surface two times and a slight decrease of the band gap value.The photocatalytic properties of the fore-mentioned samples were tested in the removal of clofibric acid (CA), from diluted solutions to evaluate their activity. Despite the decrease of the specific surface area value, the calcined sample displayed much better photocatalytic performance, revealing that the formation of the oxidant species promoted by the lower band gap value exerts a much consistent influence on the overall process than the opportunities of adsorption connected to high specific area values. The formation of the reactive oxidizing species from promoted electrons and/or holes and water proves to be the determining reaction step, the availability of adsorbed molecules being easier-to-reach.Detailed investigations concerning the photocatalytic performance were performed on the calcined sample. The most advantageous photocatalyst dose was found to be or 500 mg/L. The decomposition yield strongly depends on the CA concentration. At a 3 mg/L CA, the decomposition was complete in 60 min and furthermore, the activity was almost totally preserved after three cycles of use of the same solid. The results obtained at more concentrated CA solutions also revealed that the solid is very active: more than 93% yield was obtained after 150 min starting from 10 mg/L, while almost 80% was degraded in 180 min from a solution of 50 mg/L.The mineralization degree measured by TOC fallen between 72% from the CA solution of 3 mg/L and of 29.5% from 50 mg/L, after 180 min of photocatalysis.These results recommend this photocatalyst as suitable especially for the advanced removal of trace concentrations of persistent organic compounds from water.


In order to simulate the on-site compaction conditions of a Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) mixture, The Vertical Vibration Testing Method (VVTM), Superpave Gyratory Compactor (SGC), and Marshall method are used to test the SMA-13 mixture, and the physical and mechanical properties of the asphalt mixture designed by these three methods are tested. Subsequently, the influences of the molding method on the mechanical properties are compared. The influence of vibration compaction time on the volume parameters of the SMA mixture is studied. Following the heavy traffic compaction standards, the vibration compaction time of the SMA mixture is determined. The results show that the densities of the heavy Marshall specimen, VVTM specimen, and SGC specimen are 1.018 times, 1.019 times, and 1.015 times greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen, respectively. The passing rate of the 4.75 mm aggregate of the standard Marshall specimen is 29.9%, and that of the VVTM specimen and SGC specimen is 31.1% and 30.5%, respectively, while that of the heavy Marshall specimen is 34.5%. The mechanical strength of the specimen can be greatly improved as the density increases. On the other hand, by the same compaction work, the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimens can be increased by at least 7% compared with the heavy Marshall specimen. The mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen is increased by at least 22% compared with the standard Marshall specimen. The results also show that under the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio and the same compaction work, the compressive strength and shear strength of the VVTM specimens are increased by at least 6% and 9%, respectively, compared with the Marshall specimens. In summary, the performance of the asphalt mixture designed by the VVTM is superior, providing a wider choice for future asphalt mixture design. The Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) has excellent road performance, such as rut resistance, crack resistance, skid resistance, and durability; thus it has been widely used worldwide . Owing tThe asphalt used in this test was Styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified asphalt from South Korea Shuanglong, and its technical properties are listed in The mineral aggregate gradation  compositC), the splitting strength (RT), and the shear strength (τd).The mechanical evaluation indicators in this study include four aspects, the Marshall Stability (MS), the compressive strength  , a cylinC was evaluated by the uniaxial compression test of the asphalt mixture. According to the Standard Test Methods of Bitumen and Bituminous Mixtures for Highway Engineering (JTG E20-2011) [C value.R20-2011) , a cylinT is an index to evaluate the low-temperature crack resistance of asphalt mixtures. According to the Standard Test Methods of Bitumen and Bituminous Mixtures for Highway Engineering (JTG E20-2011) [T value of the specimen was calculated.R20-2011) , a cylind is an index to evaluate the resistance of the asphalt mixture to shear sliding. The uniaxial penetration test was used to evaluate the τd of the asphalt mixture. In the test, the loading rate was controlled by the electronic universal testing machine, and then the required data were obtained by the machine. The test parameters are as follows: the test temperature was 60 °C; the loading rate was 1 mm/min; the pressure head diameter was 38 mm [τas 38 mm ,33,34,35g is the vertical compressive stress of the mixture, P is the maximum load to damage the specimen, τd is the shear strength of the mixture, and d is the diameter of the penetration rod.The shear strength of the asphalt mixture is calculated according to Equations (1) and (2).The VVTM is based on the volume design concept. The main differences between the Marshall method and the VVTM are the compaction method and the volume parameter requirements of the specimens. The VVTM is more similar to the on-site construction situation, and the volume parameters of the VVTM are in line with the heavy traffic compaction standards and are particularly suitable for the rapid growth of China’s traffic volume.In consideration of the operability of indoor instruments, combined with the current internal vibratory vibrator structure of the vibratory roller , the VerThe adjustable parameters of the VVTE include the static eccentricity, upper system quality, and lower system quality. The parameters were selected to simulate as much as possible the actual compaction effect of the asphalt pavement; the stability and durability of the instrument itself had to be considered. The standard configuration of the VVTE instrument parameters was determined to be in accordance with the related literature ,29 and iThe final density of the SMA asphalt pavement under modern heavy load traffic is much greater than its design standard density. By using the current technology domestically and abroad, our research group proposes the heavy traffic compaction standard of 1.02 × Marshall density based on the current construction level .The relationship between the SMA mixture density and vibration time is shown in As can be seen in The preheated test mold and block were taken from the oven, and the SMA mixture that had been well mixed was added into the test mold. Then, a poker was inserted and vibrated evenly along the mold wall 15 times with 10 blows in the middle while adding the materials, and the surface of the mixture after insertion should be arc-shaped and convex. Next, we installed the test specimen (and gasket) of the forming test piece on the VVTE and vibrated the SMA mixture for 65 s. After the compaction was complete, we quickly removed the oil-absorbing paper from the upper and lower surfaces of the specimen and measured the height of the test piece to ensure that the height of the specimen met the specified requirements. After standing for 12 h, a demolding machine was used to remove the specimen.ρ75) was 155 .As is well known, for the same raw materials, mineral aggregate gradation, and asphalt-aggregate ratio, the SMA mixture’s properties are affected by the density and aggregate arrangement. The density is related to the compaction work, and the aggregate arrangement is related to the test method. Therefore, it was necessary to evaluate the test method in depth at the same density of the SMA mixture. As shown in We analyzed the influence of the standard Marshall method (75 double-sided compactions), heavy Marshall method (155 double-sided compactions), SGC method (100 blows of compaction with rotation), and VVTM (65 s vibration) on the mechanical strength and mineral aggregate grading of the SMA-13 mixture at a 5.7% asphalt-aggregate ratio and in the middle of the SMA-13 standard gradation range, then evaluated the VVTM of the SMA-13 mixture.The volume parameters of the SMA-13 mixture obtained by different methods are provided in As presented in The performance of the mineral aggregate gradation had a significant impact on the SMA-13 mixtures. The gradation of the SMA-13 mixture before and after testing by different methods is presented in According to the results presented in (1) After testing by different methods, the SMA-13 minerals were crushed to varying degrees, mainly manifested in an increase in the pass rate of the 4.75 mm coarse aggregate. Zulkuf Kaya et al.  found th(2) The 4.75 mm passing rate of the VVTM and SGC specimens was slightly greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen. This is due to the greater compaction work of the VVTM and SGC specimens, but this had little effect.(3) Although the density of the heavy Marshall specimen was basically the same as that of the VVTM and SGC specimens, the 4.75 mm passing rate of the heavy Marshall specimen was significantly increased, which indicated that the vibration testing method was superior to the Marshall method. This is because Marshall compaction relies on impacts to compact the mixture specimen. During the compaction process, it is relatively difficult for the mineral particles to move. Therefore, the coarse aggregate is easily crushed, showing that both ends of the Marshall specimen are broken. SGC is a rotary compaction method that sets a certain pressure and compaction angle so that the mixture of particles can fully move and rearrange during the compaction process, which can effectively reduce the crushing of the coarse aggregate particles during the compaction process; the VVTM increases the movement of minerals in the SMA mixture by generating vibration pressure waves, especially that of coarse aggregate particles, which reduces the friction between the aggregates, making the SMA mixture denser and the grading of the mineral material less broken.RM, RZM, RS, and RV represent the mechanical strength of the standard Marshall specimen, heavy Marshall specimen, SGC specimen, and VVTM specimen, respectively.The mechanical properties and comparison of the SMA-13 mixtures tested by different methods are given in According to the results presented in ZM − RM)/RM); that is, the mechanical strength of the specimen can be greatly improved as the density increases.(1) The impact of compaction work (density): With the same testing method, the heavy Marshall specimen had about a 1.018 times greater density than the standard Marshall specimen, and its mechanical strength increased by at least 14% ((R(2) The impact of the testing method: With the same compaction work (density), the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen was at least 7% greater than that of the heavy Marshall test piece, and the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen was slightly greater than the SGC specimen, while its density was about 1.004 times greater than that of the SGC specimen. The results showed that the effects of the VVTM and SGC method were basically equivalent, and they were both better than the Marshall method. This is also consistent with the relevant research conclusions of the research group ,13.(3) The impact of the compaction work and testing method: Compared with the standard Marshall specimen, the mechanical strength of the VVTM specimen was improved by at least 22%, and the density was approximately 1.019 times greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen, which verified that the testing method and compaction work both had significant impacts on the mechanical properties.The raw materials and gradation of the SMA-13 mixture remained unchanged, and the asphalt-aggregate ratio was 4.8%, 5.1%, 5.4%, 5.7%, 6.0%, and 6.3%.The molding method adopted the Marshall method, VVTM method, and SGC method; and the compaction work adopted the Marshall double-sided compaction of 50 times (MS50), 75 times (MS75), and 155 times (MS15), vibration testing of 10s (VVTM10) and 65s (VVTM65), and rotary compaction of 50 times (SGC50), 65 times (SGC65), and 130 times (SGC130) from , to studThe relationship between the density and compaction times of the SGC specimen is shown in c and 60 °C τd.Under the specific conditions of the raw material and mineral aggregate gradation, the mechanical properties of the compacted SMA-13 mixture specimen were a function of the compaction method, compaction work, and asphalt content. Its mechanical parameters included 25 °C R(1) Compressive strength:c of the SMA-13 mixture is shown in c and asphalt-aggregate ratio under three kinds of compaction work, and (d) is the value of normalizing the Rc peak value of the VVTM and SGC specimens with the Marshall method under each compaction work.The influence of the compaction methods on the Rc of the mixture specimens all changed into convex curves, and when the compaction work was the same, the Rc of the VVTM and SGC molding specimens was higher than that of the Marshall method.It can be seen from c. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 5.7%, the VVTM10, SGC65, and MS75 showed the peak Rc. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 6%, the VVTM65, SGC130, and MS155 showed the peak Rc. This indicates that the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio corresponding to the peak Rc is a function of the compaction work. The greater the compaction work, the smaller the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio is.When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 6%, the MS50 and SGC50 specimens showed the peak Rc of the SGC50 specimen improved by 0.35%~11.5% compared to the MS50 specimen, with an average of 4.5%. At the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 4%.When the compaction work was the same, the Rc of the SGC65 specimen increased by 7~14% compared with the MS75 specimen, with an average of 10%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 7%. The Rc of the VVTM10 specimen increased by 5~15% compared to the MS75, with an average of 9%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 6%.The Rc of the SGC130 specimen increased by 5~9% compared with the MS155 specimen, with an average of 6%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, Rc increased by 5%. The Rc of the VVTM65 specimen increased by 6~9% compared with the MS155 specimen, with an average of 7%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, Rc increased by 9%.The R(2) Shear strength:d of SMA-13 mixture is shown in d and asphalt-aggregate ratio under three kinds of compaction work, and (d) is the value of normalizing the τd peak value of VTM and SGC specimens with Marshall method under each compaction work.The influence of compaction methods on the τd of the asphalt mixture specimens changed into a convex curve as the asphalt-aggregate ratio increased, and under the same compaction work, the τd of the VVTM specimen was higher than Marshall specimen and SGC specimen.It can be seen from d. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 5.7%, the VVTM10, SGC65, and MS75 showed the peak τd. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 5.4%, the VVTM65, SGC130, and MS155 showed the peak τd. This indicates that the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio corresponding to the peak dτ is a function of the compaction work. The greater the compaction work, the smaller the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio is.When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was about 5.8%, the MS50 and SGC50 specimens showed the peak τd of the SGC50 specimen improved by 5%~15% compared to the MS50 specimen, with an average of 10%. At the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 13%.When the compaction work was the same, the τd of the SGC65 specimen increased by 2%~13% compared with the MS75 specimen, with an average of 8%. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was greater than 6.0%, the τd of the SGC65 specimen was slightly less than the MS75 specimen. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, the τd of the SGC65 specimen increased by 6% compared to the MS75 specimen. The τd of the VVTM10 specimen increased by 2%~20% compared to the MS75, with an average of 12%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 9%.When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was less than 6.0%, the τd of the SGC130 specimen was slightly less than the MS155 specimen. When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was greater than 4.8%, the τd of the SGC130 specimen increased by 4~9% compared with the MS155 specimen, with an average of 7%. In the case of the respective optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 10%. The τd of the VVTM65 specimen increased by 8~15% compared with the MS155 specimen, with an average of 11%. In the case of the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio, it increased by 14%.When the asphalt-aggregate ratio was 4.8%, the τ(1) Compressive strength:c of the SMA-13 mixture under different compaction methods is shown in The influence of the compaction work and asphalt-aggregate ratio on the Rc of the specimen increased linearly.It can be seen from c increased by 5~10%, with an average of 9%. The compactness of the MS155 increased by an average of 2.76%; the Rc increased by 18~38%, with an average of 30%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The Rc of the Marshall method specimen increased by 13%.Compared with the MS50 specimen, under different asphalt-aggregate ratios, the compactness of the MS75 increased by an average of 0.60%; the Rc increased by 9%~18%, with an average of 14%. The compactness of the SGC130 increased by an average of 3.00%, and the Rc increased by 22~44%, with an average of 27%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The Rc of the SGC method specimen increased by 15%.Compared with the SGC50 specimen, under different asphalt-aggregate ratios, the compactness of the SGC65 increased by an average of 0.64%, and Rc increased by 12~26%, with an average of 18%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The Rc of the VVTM specimen increased by 8%.Compared with the VVTM10 specimen, the VVTM65 increased by an average of 2.12%, and the R(2) Shear strength:d of SMA-13 mixture under different compaction methods is shown in The influence of the compaction work and asphalt-aggregate ratio on the τd of the specimen increased linearly.It can be seen from d increased by 18~29%, with an average of 22%. The compactness of the MS155 increased by an average of 2.76%; τd increased by 43~87%, with an average of 68%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The τd of the Marshall method specimen increased by 31%.Compared with the MS50 specimen, under different asphalt-aggregate ratios, the compactness of the MS75 increased by an average of 0.60%; τd increased by 11~21%, with an average of 17%. The compactness of the SGC130 increased by an average of 3.00%, and τd increased by 47~80%, with an average of 61%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The τd of the SGC method specimen increased by 23%.Compared with the SGC50 specimen, under different asphalt-aggregate ratios, the compactness of the SGC65 increased by an average of 0.64%, and τd increased by 26~47%, with an average of 36%, that is the compactness increased by 1%. The τd of the VVTM specimen increased by 17%.Compared with the VVTM10 specimen, the VVTM65 increased by an average of 2.12%, and the τIn the research, the relationship between the vibration density and the vibration time of SMA-13 mixture was studied. The physical properties and mechanical properties of the mixture designed by the VVTM, Marshall method, and SGC method were studied and compared. The following conclusions can be drawn:(1) The VVTM vibration time was 65 s, and the VVTM specimen density was about 1.02 times greater than that of the standard Marshall specimen.(2) Due to the different compaction principles, different compaction methods had different degrees of crushing effect on the aggregate in the SMA-13 specimen; this is also consistent with Zulkuf Kaya’s research results; the passing rates proved that the crushing effect of the VVTM on the aggregates was less than that of the Marshall method with the same compaction work.(3) Under the same compaction method, the mechanical strength of the specimen can be greatly improved as the density increases; this point is consistent with the results of the corresponding experiments conducted by the research group on other types of mixtures. The effects of the VVTM and SGC method were basically equivalent, and they both were better than the Marshall method.c and τd of the VVTM specimens were similar to the SGC specimens, while the average Rc and τd of the VVTM specimens increased by at least 4% and 9%, respectively, compared with the Marshall specimens.(4) The mechanical properties of the asphalt mixtures increased as the asphalt-aggregate ratio increased at the early stage until the peak was reached, then it decreased gradually. Under the optimal asphalt-aggregate ratio and the same compaction work, the Rc and τd of the Marshall specimens increased by 13% and 31%, respectively. Those of the SGC specimens increased by 15% and 23%, respectively. Those of the VVTM specimens increased by 8% and 17%, respectively.(5) When the same method of compaction was used, the mechanical properties of the specimen increased linearly as the compactness increased. The compactness increased by 1%. The R


HTLV-1 was the first described human retrovirus and was soon found to be associated with severe clinical diseases, including a devastating lymphoma/leukemia and other inflammatory diseases. Although HTLV-2 is not usually pathogenic, it is widely distributed among native Indian populations in Brazil, particularly in the Amazon region of the country. Presently, HTLV spreads mainly by the sexual route and from mother to child, and virus persistence is an active biological factor aiding its transmission. Recently, the use of illicit drugs has been shown to be an additional risk factor, showing the influence of new habits on the epidemiology of HTLV in the region. Despite the detection of the virus in several different populations in the Amazon region of Brazil for almost 30 years, the exact prevalence of HTLV-1/2 is not well defined. The original biases in sampling and the selection of epidemiologically unsuitable populations were commonly repeated in most prevalence studies, generating unreliable and conflicting figures that do not represent the actual prevalence of HTLV. The improvements in clinical and laboratory facilities have resulted in the description of several clinical manifestations that were previously unknown in the region. The extent of the spread of the virus must be defined in this region, which is the largest geographical area of the country. As prophylaxis advances toward the use of vaccines against HTLV-1, it is important to determine who is at risk of being infected and developing a disease to successfully implement preventive measures, particularly as proposals are made to eradicate the virus among humans. Retroviridae, genus Deltaretrovirus [Human T cell lymphotropic viruses 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) are medium-sized virus particles 80–120 nm) belonging to the family trovirus  and fourtrovirus –8. Two o0–120 nm trovirus  as examptrovirus , 11.Retroviruses share similar biological and replicative properties, including the evolutionary aspect of viral and cell nucleic acid integration, viral persistence, viral latency and vertical transmission to the offspring. HTLV integrates the transcribed RNA as a DNA provirus into the cell nucleic acid –16, and HTLV is an ancient infection in humans and alternates between persistence and productive cycles, which favors an effective mechanism involving vertical and horizontal transmission. According to the geographical environment and behavioral risk factors, the increased risk of transmission of the virus increases the prevalence and incidence of infection and disease , 28–32.Viral dispersion in the human body leads to the infection of several biological fluids, including the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, and milk and results in its vertical transmission from mother to child , the injection of drugs, the transfusion of blood and its components, the transplantation of organs and the engagement in sexual relations , 33–38. Vertical transmission is common and is probably the most important route for the maintenance of HTLV within epidemiologically closed communities, as seen with HTLV-2c among Indians communities in the Amazon area of Brazil and in urban areas , 42–44. The geographical distribution of the virus is influenced by the transmission route used. In North America, HTLV-2 was probably spread from American Indians to injection drug users (IDUs), which resulted in the transmission of the virus to other IDU communities in Europe and was the most likely route that carried HTLV to Vietnam, during the war in 1960–1970 –49. In tSexual transmission is certainly the most important transmission route for HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 and serves as an efficient mechanism for the spread of HTLV-2c among native Indian groups , 28, 56.The description of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 soon led to seroepidemiological studies based on the detection of antibodies against HTLV, which is the usual approach to determine the initial prevalence rates of HTLV according to geographical locations, age and sex, among other variables. Few studies have been conducted strictly with controlled populations to verify the published information from the 1980s and 1990s. Consequently, there have been few attempts to establish the trends in prevalence and incidence rates and the spread of HTLV in Brazil and, particularly in the Amazon region of the country.HTLV-1 was described in 1980, and HTLV-2 was described in 1982 –62. SoonHTLV-2, however, showed a distribution limited to intravenous drug users in the USA, Europe, Southeast Asia and among American Indians from North America to South America as well as in the Pygmy tribes in Central Africa , 66–72. In the Amazon region of Brazil, HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections were primarily described , 84–86, HTLV human infections in the Amazon region of Brazil have been recorded by several studies that considered widely different populations, including blood donors, pregnant women, urban familial aggregates and native indigenous people. These investigations comprise the epidemiological picture in the North region of the country and will be presented and discussed further in the following sections.2, which represents 60% of the country but is inhabited by approximately 15% of the Brazilian population.The Amazon is a large geographical area involving six countries, and Brazil holds the largest area in the system. The Amazon region of Brazil (ARB) involves nine federative States and an area of 5.1 million kmThere is a large difference in demographic, social, cultural and development between the ARB and the rest of the country, which is evidenced in some commonly used markers related to the health and education of the population and its level of welfare and development. Historically, the ARB was always left behind by policies given that the population of the region represents only 13% of the gross internal revenue of the country, has a higher rate of illiteracy (12.9% vs. 10.2%), a slightly higher infant mortality rate (18.6 vs. 15.9 per 1000) and a lower life expectancy (72 vs. 76 years) in comparison to the other areas of Brazil .On the other hand, the ARB is a unique geographical area, considering the diversity of humans and other living species. Approximately half of the so far undescribed living organisms on earth  reside within the ARB .The history of HTLV is a fascinating one regarding its possible origin in the African continent and its spread in different directions according to human migration routes , and theHuman infections by HTLV in the Amazon region of Brazil have been recorded by several studies involving blood donors , 98–102,The isolation of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 led to the manufacturing of serological assays to detect human antibodies against the viruses, and several studies were immediately performed describing prevalence rates around the world. South American countries reported quite different figures with large variations, including in Argentina (0.07%), Chile (0.73%), Venezuela (6.8%), Colombia, where the prevalence was higher in low geographical areas (4.3%) than in higher areas (0.73%) of the country, and in French Guiana (6.7–13.1%) –110. It In a second round of prevalence studies, a more comprehensive investigation was conducted with national public blood banks , and theThe main issue of concern presented is the large variation obtained by the different investigations conducted in the same geographical area. The data include the states in the North region of the country, but the results are not different from those in the rest of the country. The discrepancy is shown in Table Plasmodium sp. [In Rio Branco (Acre), the investigation of HTLV among blood donors showed that using two enzyme immunoassays, the results were significantly different ; the Western blot results confirmed the presence of antibodies in 8 samples for HTLV-1 and 2 for HTLV-2. PCR results confirmed one HTLV-1 and one HTLV-2 reaction. The study shows the nature of conflicting results when comparing those with later results: 0.09%  and 0.5%dium sp. . Even thIn Manaus (Amazonas State), the results are also conflicting. The initial prevalence was set at 0.08%  and was The presence of the virus in different areas and populations in the State of Amapa has been investigated a few times, and low prevalence rates of infection (0.71%) have been found among blood donors . The virIn Sao Luiz, the capital city of the State of Maranhao, the highest prevalence rate (1%) among blood banks in Brazil was identified , but theThe State of Para has been the site of the majority of epidemiological studies intending to define prevalence rates of antibodies against HTLV-1/2 with a variety of different populations, and several conflicting results have been obtained. The initial figures indicated that the prevalence rates measured by immunoenzymatic assays ranged from 3.6% to more than 30% for HTLV-1, mostly among Indians populations , 85, thaTwo different studies dealt with HTLV/HIV-1 co-infections. The first approach found a prevalence rate of 8% (12/149) for individuals, mostly males (n = 10), positive for HTLV-1 (n = 4) and HTLV-2 (n = 7) . A laterThe initial approach of Japanese immigrants did not result in HTLV reactivity , but latFairly rapid changes in the epidemiology of HTLV-1/2 are occurring in the ARB. A recent and extensive study was performed in the State of Para, which detected an intermediate prevalence of 4.3% with almost the same frequencies of HTLV-1 (n = 25) and HTLV-2 (n = 19) among drug users . Both viEpidemiological studies in the ARB, as in other areas of the country and abroad, have been plagued by imprecise sampling (“grab samples” was common), which generated inadequate and conflicting results among several studies. Groups of sub-populations were consistently chosen, with the equivocal assumption of a general figure for most of the region, leading to a selection bias that rendered untrustworthy results. The selection of blood donors, the selection of diseased population subgroups, and the retrospective collection of data are some of the examples that should be avoided in future prevalence studies. Relevant population groups should be selected and preferably using multiple centers of study working together to increase sample size. It is relevant to stress that confirmatory tests should be always used to make sure the information is not equivocal and the absence of correct information should be put ahead to avoid misinterpretations. Urban populations should be the optimal target to answer important questions such as the following: who is mostly affected by this neglected infection? Who should receive future preventive measures such as vaccines? Which risk factors are relevant for the transmission of the virus?HTLV-1 is an important human pathogen and the only human retrovirus associated with a large array of diseases, including lymphoma/leukemia. However, in the possible event of the development of a vaccine in the near future, health authorities will not be able to immediately define the population at risk who should receive it, either in the ARB or in other areas of the country. New and authoritative epidemiological information should be gathered to gauge the actual need for such a product. Australian aboriginal people are examples of persons at high risk for morbidity and mortality associated with the wide dissemination and high prevalence of HTLV-1. Respiratory diseases recently also described in the ARB  are new Small epidemiologically closed or semi-closed human aggregates are easier with regard to the implementation of preventive measures, although transmission in such communities is further enhanced by the mother to child transmission route in utero, during birth and during breast feeding both perinatal and after birth, which corroborates the formation of familial aggregates. The most recent report from our laboratory has shown that Asurini and Arawete Indian tribes have remained free from HTLV-1/2 infections due to cultural and social isolation from the infected neighboring tribes and villages . Indian It is reasonable to infer that the general prevalence of the virus should be decreasing because of the general policies regarding testing blood donations and some efforts to disseminate general knowledge of the virus, but so far this has not been substantiated, as conflicting prevalence results generate confusion regarding the adequate delivery of information. National associations of HTLV-infected persons are active and give full support to the elimination of the virus, but their messages are not always disseminated through the appropriate channels. Although the existing preventive campaigns are not aggressive, they should receive full official support to attain success in the future, particularly as proposals are being made with regard to virus eradication .


Background: There is still no consensus on the most suitable interventions for exercise practice in breast cancer survivors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a two-year physical activity intervention  on the self-perceived quality of life and physical functionality of female breast cancer survivors. Methods: A randomized, controlled, experimental trial with a sample of 316 women (63 ± 7 years), who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The evaluations were performed using the Rikli & Jones Senior Fitness Test, and the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12). Results: The participants in the strength program showed statistically significant improvements in all the items of the SF-12. The aqua fitness program obtained significant improvements in Physical Functioning and Limitations, Pain and Emotional Limitations, General Health, Vitality, Social Functioning and the physical and mental components of the SF-12. The participants in the aerobic program showed a progressive deterioration of Vitality and Mental Health. Conclusion: When assigning breast cancer survivors to an exercise program, the preferential or predominant activity should include strength exercises. On the other hand, as the second choice, those patients with particularly low levels of Vitality or Physical Limitations will show greater improvement with an aqua fitness program. Breast cancer is among the main causes of morbidity and mortality all over the world, with approximately 14 million new cases and more than 8 million deaths each year . The relAlthough the aim of reaching 100% survival in women with breast cancer is still being pursued , improviThe benefits of practicing physical activity (PA) on the general population at the physical and emotional level have been extensively studied ,8, and cIn addition to the benefits for the physical clinical parameters, it is important to highlight that, since the diagnosis of cancer represents a situation of considerable emotional stress, the benefits of PA practice at the psychological level  are of special interest in cancer patients ,15.However, there is still no consensus on the most suitable interventions and specific training parameters for PA practice in breast cancer survivors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a two-year PA practice program on the self-perceived quality of life and physical functionality of female breast cancer survivors, and to determine the existence of differences between three different interventions .This was a randomized, controlled, experimental trial with a 3 × 3 design. The sample consisted of 316 women (mean age: 63 ± 7 years) from the region of Ourense (Spain), who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, surgically treated, and subjected to chemotherapy, which they had completed in the previous six months. The selection criteria excluded those patients who had heart or coronary diseases that contraindicated the practice of exercise, hypertension, severe anemia, risk of fracture, disabling osteoarticular pathology, diabetes or other disabling diseases. These were distributed in four groups of activity as shown in the flow diagram of The evaluators that recorded data in the different evaluation sessions did not know to which intervention group the participants belonged. Furthermore, during the statistical analysis, the authors who calculated the results also did not know how the intervention groups were categorized.Patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to one of four groups. Blank folders were numbered from 1 to 316, and were given concealed codes for the assigned group, determined by a random-number generator. When a patient was eligible and gave consent to participate, the treating monitor drew the next folder from the file, which determined the group of assignment.All of them signed informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (rev. 2013) and the Data Protection Act 15/1999. This research received ethical approval from the Commission of Ethics of the Faculty of Sciences of Education and Sport of the University of Vigo  (code: 3-0504-16).The evaluations were performed using the Rikli & Jones Senior Fitness Test ,17, whicDuring the investigation, three data points were taken: (a) Pre-test, prior to the start of the program, a doctor checked the health status of the participants and the possible limitations or contraindications to their performance of any of the program’s activities. Then the anthropometric measures of height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were taken. Finally, the Rikli & Jones Senior Fitness Test (SFT) and the SF-12 Questionnaire were applied to the participants; (b) Intermediate test, at 12 months of onset ; (c) Post-test, at 24 months from the beginning, with identical parameters to those employed in the intermediate test. All evaluations were performed by qualified professionals with training in these procedures, who did not know which intervention group each of the participants belonged to. The participants who abandoned the study or missed over 25% of the sessions were removed from the final database.All participants were divided into four groups: one as control  and three activity groups of 79 people each. For the realization of the classes, the groups were divided into subgroups of 17–18 women. All programs consisted of two weekly sessions with two weeks of rest at Christmas, one week of rest at Easter and one month of rest in summer (August). Each year, 45 weeks of training were held and, in total, the women had to attend a minimum of 135 of the 180 sessions held within the intervention period. The different programs were given by monitors, who were graduates in PA and Sports Sciences, and were previously trained for the study.(a) Strength group: Participants in this activity had a mean age of 63 ± 7 years. The activity sessions lasted 55–60 min. The work with gym machines had a progression adapted to the tests performed by the participants. During the first six weeks, the sessions consisted of an initial warm-up time of 10 min, performing general mobility exercises and stretching, followed by horizontal training with gym machines of 30–40 min, where the functioning of each muscle machine was progressively taught, which together formed a circuit of 8 exercises that worked the large muscle groups of the upper and lower limbs. Two sets of 12 repetitions with loads of 50–60% of the maximum resistance test (MR) were performed, and the 10 min at the end were dedicated to the stretching of the muscle groups worked during the session. From the seventh week loads increased, and maximum strength tests (MR) were performed to find out the individual work percentages. The strength program was initiated in the seventh week, at 60% of MR, then the repetitions were increased to 20 at weeks 7 and 8, and finally during the last four weeks the participants completed circuits of 3 series between 60% and 80% of the MR, with 10 repetitions per set and 2-minute breaks between each set.(b) Aqua fitness Group: Participants in this activity had a mean age of 62 ± 6 years. The pool used had a depth of 1.4 m at the central area, and 1.75 m at the end. The classes lasted 55 min and the timing of this activity was as follows: An initial period of 2 weeks of low intensity. This initial period served to evaluate the average level of each group. They then went on to an improvement stage, where the repetitions, and then the intensity, were progressively increased between weeks 3 and 12. The basic structure of the sessions consisted of 5 initial minutes of joint mobility and warm-up outside the pool, followed by aerobic and choreographed exercises (25 min), strength-resistance work (10 min) in which the body regions varied according to the purpose of the session , games (10 min), and finally stretches (5 min).(c) Aerobic exercise group: This was formed of participants with a mean age of 64 ± 7 years. These lasted for 55 min, with a minimum warm-up time of 10 min (with choreographed basic aerobic steps focusing on mobility and short displacements), and 5 min of stretches at the end. All sessions also included a central component of 40 min in which mainly choreographed aerobic exercises (performed with a symmetric methodology) and, eventually, some strengthening exercises without loads, were performed (2 sets of 12 repetitions for each large muscle groups of the upper and lower limbs).p > 0.05), and there was homogeneity of variances, determined by applying the Levene test. A factorial, repeated measures ANOVA compared the evolution of each activity group throughout the program, and to compare the effect of the different exercise programs we used the ANOVA statistic with the Bonferroni correction. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05.The statistical package SPSS  was used for the treatment of the data. The variables showed a normal distribution according to the Kolgomorov–Smirnov test (p < 0.05). The results of Social Functioning, Physical and Emotional Limitations and Pain showed a progressive improvement (p < 0.001), which was more pronounced after the second year of the intervention (p < 0.05). Lastly, Global and Mental Health, and the physical and mental components of the SF-12, showed worse results after the first year of the intervention; however, there were significant improvements in these parameters at the end of the intervention, with respect to the initial state of the participants (p < 0.05).The participants in the strength program showed statistically significant improvements in all the items of the SF-12 , except rvention . Physicap < 0.001) (p < 0.001). On the other hand, no improvement was found in the strength of the upper limbs in any of the two re-evaluations. Body weight and BMI were significantly lower after the intervention (p < 0.01).In the SFT, the participants obtained significantly better results relating to the strength of the lower limbs after the intervention (< 0.001) , althoug< 0.001) . The flep < 0.01) (p < 0.01), although they obtained worse results in all of them after the first year of the intervention (p < 0.001), although their upper limb strength decreased significantly (p < 0.001). On the other hand, lower limb strength, body weight and BMI showed no changes after the intervention  . In Genervention . Lastly,rvention .p < 0.001). On the other hand, they obtained a progressive deterioration of Vitality and Mental Health (p < 0.01). Physical Functioning, after the intervention, showed significantly better results (p < 0.05) (p < 0.05). Lastly, General Health, Social Functioning and the physical and mental components of the SF-12 obtained significantly better results after the intervention (p < 0.01), although they showed worse results after the first year.The participants in the aerobic exercise program showed progressive improvements in Emotional Limitations ( < 0.05) , althoug < 0.05) . Physicap < 0.05); however, they showed a decrease in the strength and flexibility of their upper limbs (p < 0.001). The body weight and BMI of these participants increased after the intervention, although not significantly , the prevention of sarcopenia and the reduction of weakness, pain and other side effects derived from medical cancer treatments ,22. RegaIn any case, if the initial valuation of the self-perceived health state of a breast cancer survivor obtains bad results in Vitality, the results of this study indicate that the most adequate intervention is that of aqua fitness. However, in the objective valuation of the physical health state through the SFT, the aqua fitness program only obtained positive results in the flexibility of the limbs, and limb strength did not improve in any case. This may be due to the fact that aquatic exercises are especially recommended to improve fatigue levels  . However, it is important to mention that the mortality of the participants was significantly higher in the aqua fitness group, although this is a multi-factor phenomenon that is beyond the scope of the present investigation.Regarding the limitations of this study, more sensitive and specific objective measurements should have been included (such as cardiovascular and laboratory tests). However, this is the first study to carry out PA interventions comparatively, using a randomized and controlled methodology for a period of time long enough to obtain reliable results that can also be extrapolated to those of other populations of female breast cancer survivors.Considering future research lines, similar studies could be conducted in other populations to improve the evidence of the findings presented in this work, including, if possible, medical laboratory tests, to compare the self-perceived changes of the participants.PA practice in female breast cancer survivors has multiple and considerable health benefits. Strength training programs obtained the best, and the most, benefits in the quality of life related to self-perceived health and general physical state. Other valid strategies for the increase of PA practice for these patients include aqua fitness programs and, as the last option, aerobic exercise programs, unless the patient has especially important afflictions pertaining to physical limitations and social functioning, in which case the practice of aerobic exercise should be the first choice.


Therefore, a lot of attention was paid to the thyroid doses, mainly, the 131I intake varied up to 42 Gy and depended on the age of the person, the region where a person was exposed, and their cow’s milk consumption habits. Population-average thyroid doses among children of youngest age reached up to 0.75 Gy in the most contaminated area, the Gomel Oblast, in Belarus. Intake of 131I was the main pathway of exposure to the thyroid gland; its mean contribution to the thyroid dose in affected regions was more than 90%. The mean thyroid dose from inhalation of 131I for early Chernobyl cleanup workers was estimated to be 0.18 Gy. Individual thyroid doses due to different exposure pathways varied among 1,137 cleanup workers included in the epidemiological studies up to 9 Gy. Uncertainties associated with dose estimates, in terms of mean geometric standard deviation of individual stochastic doses, varied in range from 1.6 for doses based on individual-radiation measurements to 2.6 for “modelled” doses.Individual thyroid doses due to 131I was the most radiologically important radionuclide that resulted in radiation exposure to the thyroid gland and cause an increase in the of rate of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in population exposed after the Chernobyl accident.The  An incrin utero , 17. StuI intake –20.Since the main health effect of the Chernobyl accident is an increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases, a lot of efforts have been devoted to the assessment of radiation thyroid doses. The main purpose of this paper is to summarize the methods and results of reconstruction of radiation doses to the thyroid of the population exposed to the Chernobyl accident.131I. In brief, the radionuclides, which were released into atmosphere during the accident, deposited on the ground surface, and contaminated the pasture grass and leafy vegetables covering the ground. The grazing cows ate contaminated grass and some fraction of the radioactivity was transferred to their milk. The consumption of fresh cow’s milk contaminated with 131I was the main pathway of thyroid exposure while the 131I intake with leafy vegetables and inhaled contaminated air playing a minor role. The radiation dose due to 131I intake is the highest for the thyroid gland as iodine accumulates in this organ. Thyroid doses in children are higher than that of adults is because of the smaller size of the thyroid gland in children. Since the half-life of 131I is 8.02 days, radiation exposure to the thyroid gland occurred during the first two months after the accident when the activity of 131I in the environment became negligible.In the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, the radiation absorbed dose to the thyroid gland for the members of the general public resulted mainly from intake of 132I, 133I, 135I, 131mTe, and 132Te); (2) external irradiation from gamma-emitted radionuclides deposited on the ground; and (3) internal irradiation resulting from intake of long-lived 134Cs and 137Cs.In addition, there were other contributors to the thyroid exposure, which were typically rather small for most individuals, but relatively important for those with no or little milk consumption: (1) internal irradiation due to intake of short-lived radioiodine and radiotellurium isotopes  an individual dose for a specified person that takes into account (i) information on individual whereabouts and consumption history collected, typically, by means of personal interview and (ii) individual-based radiation measurements, if available; and (2) a population-average dose for an unspecified individual that is estimated using generic values of dosimetry models. Estimates of individual dose are required for radiation epidemiological studies while the population-average doses are used for the radiation protection of population by comparing of exposure levels in population groups of different ages living in different territories.Radiation thyroid doses are also classified as “instrumental” doses, which are estimated using individual-based radiation measurements, and ‘modelled’ doses, which are estimated using dosimetry models.The following information was available to reconstruct radiation doses to the population in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia:131I thyroidal activity that were derived from gamma-spectrometric and radiometric measurements  made between 26 April and 30 June 1986 among the population resided in contaminated areas , measured in some locations  in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia , 11,732 individuals in the Belarusian-American (BelAm) cohort and 13,204 individuals in the Ukrainian-American (UkrAm) cohort  cohort . The Belin utero, 2,965 and 2,582 individuals in Belarus and Ukraine, respectively  of this distribution characterized the uncertainty of dose estimates.In the BelAm and UkrAm studies, thyroid doses due to tainties , 45. In in utero cohorts received thyroid doses less than 0.05 Gy. Individual thyroid doses varied widely from 0 to 39, 42, 15, and 3.2 Gy in the BelAm, UkrAm, Belarusian and Ukrainian in utero cohorts, respectively.individual stochastic doses were characterized by the GSDs from 1.3 to 5.1 with (an arithmetic mean (AM) of 1.8, a geometric mean (GM) of 1.7) for the BelAm cohort, and from 1.3 to 10.6  for the UkrAm cohort. The uncertainties in thyroid doses were mainly defined by sources of unshared  errors: the derivation of 131I activity in the cohort member’s thyroid from direct thyroid measurements and the values of thyroid mass  and thyroid doses derived from direct thyroid measurements done among individuals of different ages . The uncertainties in thyroid doses were defined by the shared (Berkson) errors in parameters of the model and by unshared  errors related to the estimates of thyroid-mass values  vs. 0.28 Gy and 1.2, respectively, for evacuees from Ukrainian villages  intake of short-lived radioiodine and radiotellurium isotopes ; (2) external irradiation from gamma-emitting radionuclides deposited on the ground ; and (3) intake of long-lived 134Cs and 137Cs. The methods used to estimate thyroid doses from these pathways are described elsewhere  contributed about 30% to the total thyroid dose due to inhalation  short-lived radioiodine and radiotellurium isotopes as well as from (d) intake of 131I during residence  a study nested within cohorts of Belarusian, Russian, and Baltic  cleanup workers that was coordinated by the IARC and included 530 subjects ; and (2)esidence . A dosim131I intake during cleanup mission and residence. The thyroid doses during residence were not calculated for Russian and Baltic States cleanup workers as 131I deposition densities in their locations of residence were negligible compared to those of Belarusian and Ukrainian cleanup workers.individual stochastic doses due to external irradiation varied from 1.1 to 5.8 with a mean of 1.9, while for the thyroid doses due to 131I intake during residence, the GSDs varied from 1.9 to 2.5 with a mean of 2.2 , Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


We have observed that RT4 cells show an activated oxidative phosphorylation, 5637 cells depend mostly on glycolysis to grow, while RT112 cells show a mixed metabolic state. Our results reveal the relative importance of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in the growth and maintenance of different UBC cell lines, and the relationship with their genomic signatures. They suggest that cell lines associated with a low risk of progression present an activated oxidative metabolic state, while those associated with a high risk present a non-oxidative state and high glycolytic activity.Urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is the most common tumor of the urinary system. One of the biggest problems related to this disease is the lack of markers that can anticipate the progression of the cancer. Genomics and transcriptomics have greatly improved the prediction of risk of recurrence and progression. Further progress can be expected including information from other omics sciences such as metabolomics. In this study, we used  Bladder cancer, of which urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) represents 90% of all diagnosed cases , is the One possible strategy for understanding at the metabolic level what happens during UBC progression is to use urothelial bladder cancer cell lines (UBCcls). They constitute very useful and simple models of the disease, although it is always important to consider that they cannot fully reflect the genetic and phenotypic diversity of primary tumors. In order to correctly extrapolate the results obtained with the cells to predict what is happening at the tumor level, it is necessary to carefully choose those lines that can best explain the specific biological question. Traditionally, UBCcls were classified taking into account the pathological grade, the staging system, and the clinical prognosis of the tumors from which they were isolated. However, often tumors with similar pathologies exhibit different biological behaviors, therefore making the use of additional information such as genomic-based molecular classification indispensable . Using a1H-NMR to measure the exo-metabolic profile of the three UBCcls. Unlike traditional cell metabolomics, which measures the relative concentrations of metabolites within the cell, exo-metabolomics investigates variations in concentrations in the culture medium and provides information on the nutrient consumption and excretion of metabolic products. It probably represents the simplest method to understand the role of major pathways in cell line metabolism.In this study, we have metabolically characterized these three cell lines, with the purpose of understanding if the genotypes that were associated to different risks of recurrence and progression  determin−1) than RT4 cells (μ = 0.02 h−1)  . In a ty1H-NMR spectroscopy, we have followed the daily variation of the concentration in the extracellular medium of 35 metabolites. They included amino acids (66%), organic acids and derivatives (17%), carbohydrates (6%), and others (11%)  . The assMq, in pmol/cell. The second normalization takes into account the relative molar weight of the variation of a metabolite with respect to the appropriate sum of all other compounds that are consumed (Sw) or excreted (Pw). These two normalization schemes help to understand the role of a compound in the cell metabolism from two different points of view. Mq measures the degree of upregulation of the exchange between the compound and the extracellular medium or of the metabolic pathway in which it is involved. The Sw value can be interpreted as the weight of a nutrient on the total “diet” of a cell, although it does not necessarily reflect the degree of activation but the relative participation of the related pathway in the total metabolism of the cell. The analysis of the normalized variations shows that 40% of the metabolites were only consumed, 11% were only excreted, and 49% showed a complex pattern . In the first one, the rate of variation of a metabolite is divided by the rate of cell growth, obtaining the specific rate of variation,  pattern . Among tThen, a multivariate model was calculated to determine the degree of exo-metabolome differentiation of the three UBCcls including data from all daily variations. The corresponding supervised model ) showed a significant separation among the three classes . The varMq values for glucose and lactate of the three lines were very similar  concentration, stimulating mitochondrial respiration and tumor growth [The genomic signature of RT4 cells shows a fusion between ed F3-T3 ,21. It wr growth  and acetr growth . Likewisr growth ,24. The r growth .FGFR3 and TP53 provide them with a mixed metabolic character. The mutation in TP53 results in a higher weight of lactate in the excretion profile than that of RT4 cells. F3-T3 fusion results in higher mitochondrial activity than 5637 cells, which in turn increases the consumption of glutamine and BCAAs. However, the lower activity of OxPhos with respect to RT4 cells, due to the decreased activity of PDH and the lower expression of SCO2, has an effect on the serine’s catabolism, explaining the lower excretion of formate and glycine. This makes these cells an interesting test bed to measure the effect of two co-existing genotypic alterations with opposite consequences on the phenotype.In the case of the RT112 cells, the coexistence of alterations in The metabolic diversity that we have found between these cell lines is clearly reflected in the dependence on glucose or glutamine for growth that they have shown in a previous experiment. 5637 cells do not grow without glucose in the medium, but their proliferation is normal without glutamine , which iTP53 altered cells, and another with an active oxidative metabolism coupled to normal mitochondrial function, which is represented by cells with the FGFR3 genomic signature. A further validation of our metabolic analysis could be achieved by altering the balance between OxPhos and glycolysis with pharmacological inhibitors or by silencing genes involved in these pathways. In addition, the activity of the enzymes responsible for these metabolic changes can be measured to further sustain these observations. All these experiments are in progress and will be the subject of future studies.We are presenting the first evidence that OxPhos can significantly contribute to the metabolism of certain bladder cancer cells. The upregulation of this state was generically observed in tissue extracts from UBC patients , but it However, it is important to remember that cell lines often do not accurately reflect the genetic and phenotypic diversity of primary tumors, because other important players, such as stromal and inflammatory components, are not represented in the experiments . MoreoveUBCcls were grown in 12 mL of RPMI containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). In a typical experiment, cells were grown for 1, 2, and 3 days in separate T75 flaks. At the end of each period, 2 mL of medium were collected from the corresponding flaks. This allowed measurement of the variation in metabolite concentration after each time period using each cell culture as a time point reference for the next while maintaining a constant total amount of culture medium for each condition. A total of 4 to 5 replicates of these experiments were performed, obtaining a total of 38 samples. Samples of RPMI medium were collected under the same experimental conditions and for each time point. These samples were used in all cases as references to discriminate whether the variation in metabolite concentrations was due to the cellular metabolic action or to chemical instability or enzymatic action of the serum. Then, the collected samples were centrifuged at 1400 rpm for 5 min at 4 °C, and the supernatant solutions were stored at −80 °C until the NMR analysis.2HPO4/NaH2PO4 640 mM, NaN3 12.8 mM, pH 7.4, 10% D2O), which contained 14.4 mM of 3-(Trimethylsilyl) propionic-2,2,3,3-d4 acid (TSP) as the internal standard. The final solution was transferred to a 5 mm NMR tube.Samples for NMR analysis were prepared by thawing and centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 10 min at 4 °C. First, 500 mL of the supernatant were added to 100 mL of phosphate buffer  using 2048 × 600 data points and 36 transients.NMR spectra were acquired with a Bruker Avance 700 MHz spectrometer  equipped with a Triple resonance TXI probe and a SampleXpress Lite autosampler. Each spectrum was acquired using a noesypr1d pulse sequence for water suppression with saturation pulses before and during the mixing time and with the addition of a CPMG filter to reduce broad signals from proteins and lipids. Presaturation pulses contained in the sequence reduce the intensity of exchangeable protons such as NH or OH, but their integrals were not used to determine the absolute concentration of the metabolites. Experiments were performed at 298K, with 100 ms of mixing time, 14 ms of CPMG filter, 12 ppm of spectral width, 2 s of acquisition time, a relaxation delay of 3 s, and 128 transients. The total duration of each experiment was 1 h and 48 min. 1H-1H TOCSY and 1H-13C HSQC experiments.The assignment of the resonances and the quantification of the concentration of the different metabolites was done using Chenomx NMR Suite 8.5. The use of the spectra database contained in this software allows performing a manual deconvolution of the different signals and thus determining the concentration of the compounds that form the mixture. The spectra were processed using a 0.5 Hz line broadening followed by manual phase and baseline corrections. For each spectrum, the linewidth of the signals was carefully measured to allow the best deconvolution fitting. The chemical shifts used in the assignment of the metabolites were corroborated using i-metabolite in the k sample, with k = 1, 2, or 3 indicating the total time of cell growth in days. The reference medium is codified by k = 0 and represents RPMI.We have calculated the daily consumption or excretion of all quantified metabolites, For the slope analysis to determine the lactate/alanine ratio, we have calculated the variations with respect to the culture medium:Variations in metabolite concentrations in the extracellular medium depend, in addition to intrinsic metabolism, on the number of cells contributing to consumption or excretion. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain a normalization of the data when working with cell lines that grow at different rates. This can be done by calculating the variation per cell, considering the ratio between the rate of consumption or excretion and the rate of cell proliferation. In this work, we have applied a second type of normalization that uses the ratio between the variation of the concentration of a compound and the sum of all the concentration variations that show the same sign for 2Y, predicted percentage of the response; R2X, variation of X explained by the model and Q2, goodness of prediction. R2 varies between 0 and 1, and Q2 varies between −1 and 1.The multivariate analysis of the data was carried out using SIMCA-P . The classification model was built using Orthogonal PLS Modeling (OPLS)  in the dA model is considered predictive when Q2 is greater than 0.5. The influence on Y variation of every variable, called Variable Importance in the Projection (VIP), was used to select those metabolites involved in class discrimination. Anova tests of the cross-validated residual (CV-ANOVA) were performed to check if the OPLS-DA model has a significantly smaller cross validated predictive residuals than just the variation around the global average. All these parameters were calculated using SIMCA-P.FGFR3 alteration. The cells related to a high risk of progression and mutation in TP53 depend more on glycolysis, but in the presence of sufficient quantities of oxygen, this higher non-oxidative activity is the consequence of a downregulation of OxPhos and not of an activation of glucose uptake. We can envisage that these preliminary observations can be translated in the future, after in vivo validation, into clinical practice, and they could also open new avenues to better understand the mechanisms driving cancer progression and to identify potential biomarkers for an effective and affordable monitoring of this neoplasia.Three UBC cell lines representative of low, intermediate, and high tumor progression risks were metabolically characterized by measuring nutrient intake and product excretion over three days. Our results indicate that the low risk of tumor progression is associated with an oxidative metabolic state of the cells, while the high risk of progression is associated with an elevated use of glycolysis. These different metabolic states, and even an intermediate one, are a reflection of the different genotypes of the studied cells. Our observations represent the first evidence of UBC cell lines relying fundamentally on an active OxPhos, which is caused by an


Previous studies have revealed positive effect of Topping-off technique on upper adjacent segment after fusion surgery, while for the cases with fusion surgery on L5-S1 segment, owning maximal range of motion, and preexisting degenerated upper adjacent disc, it is necessary to clarify the superiority of Topping-ff technique and the effect exerted on the lumbar spine.A young healthy male volunteer was selected for thin-slice CT scanning. Then the image information was imported into the computer to establish the whole lumbar spine model as the health model. The medium degeneration model of intervertebral disc was established by changing the material properties of L4-S1 disc on the basis of the health model, and the fusion model and Topping-off model were respectively established on the basis of the degenerated model. The variation trend of ROM of L2-L5 and the stress changes of L4-L5 intervertebral disc, nucleus pulposus and facet joints were calculated respectively.The L4-L5 ROM of fusion model increased significantly but the ROM of L2-L3 and L3-L4 segments did not change significantly. Compared with the degenerated model, L4-L5 activity of the Topping-off model decreased, and ROM of the L2-L3 and L3-L4 increased to some extent in the flexion and extension positions. The stress on the disc, nucleus pulposus and facet joint of the fusion model L4-L5 increased in four positions of flexion, extension, rotation and bending compared with the degenerated model, while the fiber stress on the Topping-off model decreased significantly in all four positions.Topping-off technology can decrease the stress and ROM of the adjacent upper degenerated segment, and increase the ROM of other upper segments, thereby protecting the degenerated upper adjacent segments and compensating the lumbar spine mobility. In recent years, clinicians have paid more attention to the adjacent segment degeneration(ASDeg) being secondary to lumbar fusion. It is now generally accepted that increasing the fusion length promotes the occurrence of ASDeg –3. In orSeveral previous studies have revealed biomechanical characteristics after fusion on L3-L5 –10 basedComputed tomography scans of intact lumbar spine at 1-mm intervals were obtained from a healthy 25-years-old male volunteer, who was randomly selected and signed the informed consent. The FE program, ANSYS Inc. , was used to model the spinal segments. Ligaments including ligamenta supraspinal, ligamenta interspinalia, capsular ligament, ligamentum flavum, ligamenta longitudinale posterius, ligamenta longitudinale anterius and ligamenta intertransversaria, and intervertebral disc were reconstructed according to anatomy data. The intervertebral disc and nucleus pulposus were meshed directly based on their facial meshes. The cortex was inwardly expanded by 1 mm, and then the inner side of the cortex was identified by Findface function to mesh the cancellous bone by the tetramesh function. The interface of Zygapophyseal joint was set as surface-to-surface contact with a friction coefficient of 0.1. The disc was consisted of nucleus pulposus, fibrous ring matrix and annulus fibrosus. The nucleus pulposus accounted for about 50% of the disc area and the thickness was set to 1 cm. Then the nucleus pulposus and fibrous ring matrix were both set as hyperelastic material, and the nucleus pulposus was incompressible liquid unit, while the annulus fibrosus was composed of fibrous ring matrix and collagen fiber which was simulated by two-node link elements with resistance tension only, and embedded in the fiber ring matrix with 8 layers and angles of positive-negative 30°to the end plate. The end plate with the thickness of 1 mm covered the upper and lower surface of the vertebrae. Meanwhile, the posterior facet space was set to 0.5 mm. Finally, the model was simulated according to the parameters reported in the current literature, and the specific data is shown in Table Based on the healthy group model, we constructed moderate degenerated model by changing properties of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus in L4-L5and L5-S1 segment . SpecifiThe geometric figure of pedicle screws, rods and cage were developed in Rhinoceros 5.0  according to their parameters, and meshed with hypermesh Fig. . Then thThe appropriate Coflex model with the same material properties with the screw-rod system was inserted into L4–5 interspinous space of fusion model, as shown in Fig. The fixed boundary condition restrained the inferior surface of the S1 segment in these models. A compressive load of 400 N and 10 Nm of momentum, rather than displacement on the most upper part of the spine models to simulate physiological activity, were applied on the superior surface of the L1 to generate compression, flexion, extension, rotation and lateral bending. In this study, range of motion (ROM) of each segment, intradiscal pressures and facet joints contact force of L4/L5 segment were examined in those 4 motions generated. Stress collection was mainly done by collecting the stress values of every node on the disc and nucleus pulposus of each segment in various positions and then calculating the average values. The variation of ROM was evaluated by the angular displacement. That is to say, the angle variation of superior surface line was confirmed according to the coordinate changes of the two nodes on the endplate of midsagittal view in states with 400 N compressive load and compressive load of 400 N + 10 Nm of momentum respectively. Each ROM was calculated three times, and finally the average value was collected. The formula is as follows:These models were validated before analysis of the result Table . The stiCompared with the healthy model, the ROM of the total lumbar spine of the rest three models all decreased in the postures of anterior flexion, posterior extension, left bending, and left rotation. [see Additional file The non-fusion surgery can minimize the influence on adjacent segments by preserving the motion of the lesion segments to prevent the occurrence of ASDeg. However, when faced with severe clinical situation of lumbar instability, osteoporosis and severe spinal stenosis, fusion is usually needed , 13, 18.Limited to the fact that the internal mechanical environment of the human body cannot be measured directly, the three-dimensional finite element analysis method is used to simulate the internal mechanical environment of the human body through the establishment of effective lumbar spine models. The biomechanical analysis of the entire lumbar after Topping-off were performed in the lumbosacral junction region where the biomechanical environment of lumbosacral region changed into a rigid lever consisted of pelvis, sacrum and L1-L5 segments together after L5-S1 fusion and then the stress and mobility of upper segments increased due to the relative stability of the pelvis and sacrum. There are a few studies on the changes of mechanical environment after Topping-off technique at present, nevertheless, the changes of mechanical environment of lumbosacral junction region with relatively concentrated stress and the influence of topping-off on the whole lumbar mechanical environment have rarely been referred. In addition, This study showed that, compared with the healthy model, the stress of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus of L4-L5 in degenerated model increased in flexion, extension, axial rotation and bending position, while the ROM of each segment and the stress of posterior joints decreased. So, early disc degeneration may result in a change in the biomechanical state of the corresponding segments. Therefore, in order to study the effects of lumbar fusion and Topping-off on the superior segments, it was rational that the fusion model and Topping-off model were created based on the degenerated model, and then compared with the degenerated model. Previous studies have shown that the degeneration of discs mainly lies in the decrease of proteoglycan concentration and collagen fibrosis, resulting in an increase in the hardness of discs , 25. So,Those results showed an significant increase in ROM of L4-L5 in the fusion model under different positions, especially in flexion, but no significant changes were observed in other segments. Therefore, the compensatory effect of lumbar motion after fusion mainly focused on the L4-L5 segment. Excessive activity results in the change of rotation center in the corresponding segment, which may not only tend to impair the annular fiber and endplate and lead to poor blood supplying, lower nutrition diffusivity and hydraulic permeability, but also influence the resulting forces in the facet joints, making for the resultant apoptosis and accelerated degeneration –29. SeveIn the lumbosacral junction region where the stress is relatively concentrated, increased disc and facet joints stress of the superior adjacent segment after L5-S1 fusion may lead to changes of biomechanical environment and structural disorders of disc, and make the intervertebral space narrow gradually, especially for the disc that has already degenerated . Facet jThe results of the present models predict the effect of Topping-off surgery on the reduction of disc and facet joints stress and hyperactivity of the upper adjacent segment, and the ability of distributing the compensatory effect of lumbar spine motion to the upper segments after fusion. Thus it may protected the upper adjacent degenerated disc from progress to symptomatic degeneration. This study has some deficiencies which should combine with cadaveric experiments and incorporate simulation of paravertebral muscles, the role of which in maintaining stability of the spine can not be neglect, in the future studies.Additional file 1. Stress and displacement of four models under different physiological loads.