The development of concrete technology results in a new generation of cement-based concrete such as high-performance concrete, self-compacting concrete and high-performance, self-compacting concrete. These concretes are characterised by better parameters not only in terms of strength and durability but also rheology of the mixtures. Obtaining such properties requires the adoption of a different composition and proportion of ingredients than ordinary concrete. The greater share of cement in these concretes causes an increase in the energy consumption and emissions (per unit of concrete volume) at the production stage. However, use of new generation concrete allows for a reduction of overall dimensions of a structural element, due to the increased strength parameters. Such a solution may finally result in lower consumption of resources and energy, as well as a decrease of gas emissions. The article presents the results of a comparative environmental analysis of ordinary and new generation concrete structures. Sustainable development requires a balance between the social, environmental and economic aspects for economic processes. Continuous development of technologies  should fulfil the requirements of the market, trying to maintain the above-mentioned balance at the same time; therefore any implemented solutions must be evaluated and compared in respect of many different criteria including environmental  with compressive strength above 60 MPa, self-compacting concrete (SCC) and their resultant, high-performance, self-compacting concrete (HPSCC) are an alternative to ordinary concrete. To obtain such properties, it is necessary to adopt the specific composition and proportion of ingredients (including the greater consumption of cement), which ultimately leads to impression that new generation concretes are less environmentally friendly.Previously conducted research in the field of environmental assessment of structural and material solutions including concrete  including output compositions of concrete mixtures of the assessed solutions (“Composition of concrete mixtures” section), selected environmental indicators and their weights , and the used method of establishing eco-indicators (“Eco-indicator” section). The “Description of the analysed structure” section includes information on the type, geometry, burdens and climate conditions of the analysed structural elements that are the type of functional equivalent of a building. In the “Results and discussion” section, the results of environmental analyses of the selected structural and material solutions were collected and the most favourable solution regarding the analysed criteria and assumed weights was indicated. General conclusions of these analyses are presented in the “Conclusions” section.During the last few decades, new generation concretes have appeared  of semi-products of concrete mixtures were used EN . By mean3) and water-binder ratio (0.32) were constant. The composition of the mixtures was developed based on own experiences and work guidelines (Neville and Aitcin The study was performed for ordinary concrete (NSC), HPC and HPSCC mixtures in which the amount of silica fume was changed , while the binder content  ts and EU-28: Transport, small truck  ts., assuming transport at the distance of 100 km, capacity use indicator 85% and fuel consumption at the level of 1.7 l/100 t km. Adopted transport distance results from the assumption that at such a distance (borderline) transport of the mixture by concrete truck is more logistically effective than the implementation of the concrete mixing plant at the construction site.Environmental indicators for the processes of transport were determined in GaBi software, using i is the categories of impact, Nistandardized result, Si characteristic value of environmental impact, and Ri reference value .For the purpose of assessment of environmental impacts, the Ecopoint unit was used Mundy , where tReference values for GWP, FW, ODP, AP, EP, ADPE, POCP, ADPF and NHWD were adopted on the basis of BRE , Mundy  and AymaThe weights of impact indicators come from surveys and expert interviews carried out in 2015 by Abbe and Hamilton . Indicatp) was calculated according to the following formula:Ni is the standardized result of environmental impact for ith category, wi the weight of ith category.After standardization and weighing of the values of the selected environmental indicators, the value of Ecopoint  will be made of the following types of concrete:Use of high-class concrete in the analysed building allowed for a reduction of concrete amounts compared to ordinary concrete, in particular for the structural elements. This reduction mostly concerns the columns as, due to the character of their work, they eccentrically transfer compressing forces. Any significant reduction in thickness of slabs of higher class concrete was not observed. This results from the bidirectional work of slabs within their total area and the significant impact of bending moment on their load capacity. It should be noted that the calculations were made assuming constant reinforcement ratio in the particular cases.Due to the different character of work of columns and slabs, Table In the first stage, the standardized and weighed environmental indicators of the concrete mixtures were analysed. Studies prove that, in terms of assumed model parameters, the construction process of concrete building impacts worsens the ecosystem quality to the greatest extent by the phenomenon of global warming , use of freshwater (22.65% t.i.) and acidification (6.80% t.i.). A large total impact is also attributed to radioactive waste (5.99% t.i.) of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), mainly coming from solid fuel burning in the process of energy production.Converting into a volume unit, and within the analysed modules of A1–A5, ordinary concrete (NSC) showed the least impact on the environment Ep = 1.23) from all the analysed materials. Comparing the environmental impacts of the other variants, it is observed that with the decrease in the amount of cement in the concrete mixtures and the simultaneous increase in the environmentally friendly substitute material, the Ecopoint values decrease. In the case of HPSCC1-4 mixtures, it was found that replacing 10 kg of cement with silica fume reduces the Ecopoint value by approx. 1.7% (including the corresponding increased share of the superplasticizer)  and the technology of cement production. However, one should be aware that direct emissions of cement come from chemical process called calcination, which involves the calcium carbonate breaking down into calcium oxide and CO2. This process accounts for 50% of all emissions from cement production.Considering the above, in order to reduce the negative impact of concrete structure on the environment in terms of both high-performance concrete and normal strength concrete, substitution of cement with alternative binders, such as silica fume, fly ash, should be taken into account. While the total EU production of concrete is 224 million m3 ERMCO , substitOf equal importance for the environment is the issue of concrete mix and semi-finished products transport. Among the parameters influencing the environmental efficiency, the type of transport means and the transport distance should be mentioned. The transport distance of raw materials and semi-products is often related to the location of the rock deposit. In the case of large distances, an effective solution is partial substitution of natural crushed coarse aggregate with coarse recycled aggregate, limiting the transport distance of debris from locally demolished objects. According to  ranges from 10 to 30 km .The last stage of analysis included calculation of total impact of main structural elements (columns and slabs). On this basis, material optimisation in the discussed structure was made regarding the environmental issue. The high resistance to compression of high-performance concrete allowed for a reduction of columns’ volume by 32.36%, and slabs’ volume only by 9.35%—this was caused by the character of the work of the structure. Its result was that columns made of HPSCC4 were the most favourable solution, and the use of any concrete of the new generation concrete group is more beneficial than the use of ordinary concrete (NSC) for these purposes Fig. . HoweverObtained results confirm the findings received by other researchers . The analysis proves that HPSCC4 requires the lowest level of reduction (at 8.9%), while HPSCC1 needs the highest level at 18.7%, which is caused by the cement proportion in a mixture.Therefore, a general conclusion can be made stating that the level of reduction of construction material in a given element is a key parameter regarding the structure’s impact on the environment. Figure The conducted studies included the environmental assessment of structural- and material-related solutions in the technologies of ordinary and high-performance concrete within the modules of A1–A5. The results prove the necessity to assess materials in building engineering regarding their widespread use. The values of indicators of new generation concrete total impact, calculated in a volume unit of concrete mix, can lead to erroneous conclusions on their negative impact on the environment. The use of new generation concrete of high resistance allows a reduction of total environmental impact of the structure by means of a reduction of the geometrical dimensions of the structure, what is particularly observed in compressed elements (columns) rather than bending elements (slabs). Compared to ordinary concrete, for the analysed high-performance concrete mixtures, a reduction of structural dimensions from 8.9 to 18.7% is required, depending on the amount of cement in the concrete mix. The high indicator of total impact of ordinary concrete on the environment is caused by the effect of global warming , use of freshwater (22.65% t.i.), acidification (6.80% t.i.) and emission of radioactive waste (5.99% t.i.). This is mainly caused by the processes of cement production. Participation of this semi-product in the ordinary concrete mixture on environment total impact equals 82.71%. Since the proportion of cement is higher in the high-performance concrete mixtures than in ordinary concrete, the reduction of cement amounts by means of use of silica fume provides additional opportunities to reduce the Eco-indicator (up to 11% in the studies).Therefore, preparing different variants of materials and calculation of total impact of the structure based on the environmental profile of material, as well as characteristics of the work of the structure, is a favourable approach to structural design.The presented approach and the obtained results may become a useful tool for designers implementing the postulate of integrated life cycle design of structures, detailed in The International Federation for Structural Concrete A 2030 climate and energy framework).The obtained results are therefore not timeless and universal, but the presented approach shows the possible direction of reducing the environmental impact of the construction sector, through the structural and material optimization, which should also lead to an economic and environmental compromise. The legal requirement to carry out these optimizations within the construction sector could become an element of the political strategy in pursuit of EU objectives for the coming years (e.g.


To study the dynamic mechanical properties and fracture law of concrete after thermal treatment and reveal its mechanism, the impact compression test was carried out on different thermal-treated (400–800 °C) concrete specimens using a split Hopkinson pressure bas (SHPB) system. By using ANSYS/LS-DYNA, the finite element numerical simulation of the test process was illustrated. The research showed that under passive confining pressure, the more the loading rate is increased, the more obvious the effect of the passive confining pressure on the concrete specimen, as well as the more significant the improvement of the peak stress compared with the uniaxial test. On the other hand, as the temperature damage effect is enhanced, the increase in the material strength at different loading rates is reduced. Numerical simulations showed that in a uniaxial test, as the impact rate increases, the crack initiation time advances, and the degree of fracture increases at the same rate as that of the loading time. In the case of confining pressure, the stress gradually decreases to the edge from the center, and has a significant circumferential diffusion characteristic. The circumferential restraint of the passive confining pressure limits the radial deformation ability of the material to a certain extent, thereby increasing the axial compressive strength. In the analysis of the crushing process of concrete specimens, it was found that the fracture form showed a strong rate dependence. When the loading rate is low, the fracture form is a cleavage-like failure. As the loading rate increases, the fracture form changes to crush failure. The research results provide the necessary theoretical basis for the safety assessment, reinforcement, and maintenance of concrete structures after fire. As a widely used economical and practical building material, concrete plays an important role in civil construction, transportation and water conservancy construction, and underground engineering construction. Whether for civil engineering or national defense engineering, the concrete structure will be subjected to a quasi-static load, that is, a normal design load. Moreover, concrete structures are often subjected to violent dynamic loads such as impact loads or blast loads. In the safety assessment, reinforcement, and maintenance of concrete structures after fire or explosion, it is necessary to master the dynamic mechanical response law and fracture law of concrete after high temperature treatment in a complex stress state. Therefore, it is particularly important to carry out in-depth research on this. However, concrete materials are typical heterogeneous brittle materials, including cement colloids, coarse and fine aggregates, and other microcracks, holes, weak media, etc., and materials are often affected by many external factors, such as temperature, moisture content, confining pressure, loading rate, etc. In addition, the impact loading test and analysis methods considering the confining pressure are limited. Therefore, there are still many problems to be solved in the study of the influence of multiple factors on the performance of concrete materials.At present, the test system used to study the dynamic mechanical properties of materials mainly includes split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB), the drop-weight test, and other test systems. Among them, the SHPB test is the most widely used . Gong 22,3 first−1 and a confining pressure of 69 MPa. The experimental results showed that the dynamic strength of basalt increases by 30% compared with quasi-static strength under confining pressure. Rome and Nemat-Nassei [The conventional SHPB test device needs to be modified for use in triaxial impact compression tests. Christensen et al.  improvedt-Nassei  improvedt-Nassei  used thet-Nassei  studied t-Nassei  carried However, the SHPB experiment can only study the macroscopic mechanical properties of the material. The microscopic laws of the stress, strain distribution, and crack propagation of the specimen need to be studied by numerical simulation. Bertholf and Karnes  used twoThe current research in this area is mainly for the uniaxial test and numerical analysis of the room temperature specimens. The comparative study on the passive confining pressure test and numerical simulation of the concrete after thermal treatment is relatively rare, and at the same time, there have been relatively few studies on the specimen crushing process and crushing law. Therefore, this study uses the combination of experiment and numerical simulation to analyze the impact mechanical properties and dynamic failure of different loading rates under the passive confining pressure of concrete after thermal treatment. Concrete specimens with a uniaxial compressive strength of 35 MPa are most commonly used as test materials. Its main ingredients are common Portland cement, pebbles with diameters of 5 to 20 mm, medium sand (containing about 10% of the mud), fly ash, mineral powder (steel slag powder), and other additives (water reducing admixture). The specific mixing ratios and gradation ranges are shown in 3, and the maximum heating temperature was 1300 °C. Since the concrete strength does not change significantly within 400 °C [The temperature-controlled heating device used in the experiment is an artificial intelligence temperature measuring and controlling device of the AI-518 model . The effective size of the furnace was 400 × 200 × 160 mmn 400 °C , the tarThe compression bar of this experiment apparatus is shown in In order to reduce the influence of the stress wave on the steep slope and the high-frequency oscillation at the peak, after several tests, a copper disc with a thickness of 1.5 mm and a diameter of 40 mm was determined as a waveform shaper . The passive confining device was made of No. 45 steel and was made into a sleeve with an inner diameter of 100 mm, an outer diameter of 120 mm, and a height of 200 mm see . The modTwo channels for collecting pulse signals are added to the sidewall of the passive confining sleeve, which is for measuring the hoop strain on the outside of the sleeve. According to the solution method of elastic mechanics, the friction between the sleeve and specimen can be neglected. The confining pressure value can be calculated by the measured value of the strain gauge on the sleeve outer wall. The calculation equation is as follows :(1)σ=. Through the comparative analysis of the stress–strain curves obtained by the test and numerical simulation, the parameters of the HJC model used were calibrated to prove the feasibility of the establishment of the numerical model and the selection of material parameters. Based on this, the crack initiation time, crack development process, stress–strain redistribution, and fracture characteristics of concrete specimens under different temperatures and loading rates were analyzed.The HJC model is used in ANSYS/LS-DYNA finite element software. The model considers the damage of the material, the strain rate effect, and the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the yield stress. The HJC model includes three aspects: a strength model, a damage model, and an equation of state .A is the normalized cohesive strength, B is the normalized pressure hardening coefficient, N is the pressure hardening exponent, and SMAX is the normalized maximum strength. C is the strain rate coefficient, and D is the damage variable , and (1) The expression of the yield surface equation of the HJC model  is:(2)σ*EFMIN is the finite amount of plastic strain to fracture the material, and: (2) The HJC damage model is shown in (3) The HJC model equation of state is shown in μ ≤ P is the hydrostatic pressure, The first region is linear elastic  is:E is the elastic modulus and The expression of The value of C, SMAX, EFMIN, and The value of The parameter values after different high-temperature treatment are shown in A is a scale factor of the damage term. The value of A controls the proportion of the damage term in the yield surface equation, and its value has a large influence on the peak stress of the stress–strain curve. The value of B affects the proportion of the hydrostatic pressure term in the yield surface equation. Its value has little effect on the overall shape of the stress–strain curve, but it has a certain influence on the peak stress. The value of N will change the shape of the yielding section of the curve. Therefore, the above three parameters will be inverted according to the stress–strain curve (in curve  obtainedThe axial propagation of stress in the sleeve under passive confining pressure is shown in The numerical simulation method can analyze the results that are difficult to obtain in the test, such as the development of cracks, the stress–strain redistribution, and the fracture characteristics of the specimen. The final fracture morphology of the concrete specimens at 20 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, and 800 °C with loading rates of 14.23 m/s and 18.36 m/s are shown in The concrete impact failure process is the propagation process of stress waves from the impact end to another end, and the microcracks expand and merge to form macroscopic cracks, resulting in the final complete destruction of the specimen. It can be seen from the figure that the form of concrete fracture under a low impact rate and a high impact rate is very different. At a low impact rate, the energy generated by the impact is small, the stress level is low, the time for the existing microcracks to expand and grow is relatively long, and the newly generated cracks require more energy, so fewer new cracks appear. Moreover, the mutual influence of microcracks is small, the damage of the specimen is lighter, and the concrete is broken into blocks. However, under the action of a high impact rate, the stress level is high, and many microcracks expand almost at the same time, and the mutual influence between the microcracks is strong. At the same time, a large number of new cracks appeared. Finally, the damage of the specimen is serious, the specimen is broken more thoroughly, and the broken pieces are smaller. At the initial stage of loading, regardless of the impact rate, the fracture of the specimen does not damage at both the front and rear end faces of the specimen, but cracks appear at the side of the specimen, which develop rapidly, eventually causing the sample to break.At the same loading rate, when the temperature is low, the fracture shape consists of mostly strip-shaped, large, and medium-sized block-shaped fragments. When the temperature is high, it consists of a mostly uniform and fine particle powder. This is because, at low temperatures, the internal crack of the specimen is less, and it spreads directly to the original position under the action of the dynamic load, causing a small degree of fracture and a cleavage-like failure. As the heating temperature increases, the axial and transverse crack distribution increases. Under the action of dynamic load, it loses stability quickly and cuts the specimen into fine particles. The specimen is thus broken and causes the crushing damage.It can be seen from the above figures and Under the condition of passive confining pressure, the crack propagation and cracking state of concrete specimens subjected to impact compression with different loading rates and treatment temperatures are shown in Under the action of passive confining pressure, it can be seen from the above figure that when the loading rate is low, the range of the confining pressure on the specimen is small, and the degree of fracture is circularly diffused, and the closer to the center of the specimen, the higher the degree of fracture. Since the center of the specimen is far away from the sleeve, it is less affected by the confining pressure constraint, and the edge of the specimen is greatly affected by the confining pressure due to the proximity of the sleeve. Therefore, the confining pressure reduces the degree of fracture of the edge of the specimen and improves the strength of the concrete. When the loading rate is increased, the confining pressure is higher. At this time, the influence range of the confining pressure has spread throughout the specimen. For high temperature-treated concrete specimens, due to excessive temperature damage, the compressive strength is seriously reduced. Therefore, the existence of high confining pressure has a positive impact on the degree of damage of concrete specimens. The concrete specimens are more uniformly destroyed, which enhances the degree of fracture of the specimens, but the degree of fracture still has obvious annular diffusion characteristics. In particular, after a high loading rate impact, the number of the simulated failure units at the center of the circle increased when the specimens were treated at 600 °C and 800 °C, resulting in a blank.The effects of loading rate and thermal treatment on concrete strength under uniaxial and passive confining pressures were studied by a combination of tests and numerical simulations. Using numerical simulation to analyze the fracture process and fracture state of the concrete specimen, the conclusions of the research are as follows.The uniaxial impact compression test shows that the compressive strength of concrete increases with the increase of a certain loading rate at the same temperature. At the same loading rate, the compressive strength of concrete increases slightly with the increase of low heating temperatures. When the temperature exceeds 400 °C, the compressive strength decreases sharply as the temperature increases.The passive confining pressure test shows that with the increase of the loading rate, the passive confining pressure of the concrete is obviously enhanced, and the increase range is 3.29 MPa to 4.31 MPa. The effect of the thermal treatment temperature on the passive confining pressure is not obvious. The sleeve effect of the passive confining pressure significantly improves the deformability of the concrete and increases the compressive capacity of the concrete by 12% to 41%. However, the increase in the strength of the material with the temperature damage effect is reduced, and is particularly obvious above 600 °C and with a high loading rate.From numerical simulation, it can be found that the fracture form has a strong rate dependence in the crushing process. When the loading rate is low, the fracture form is that of a cleavage-like failure. As the loading rate increases, the fracture form changes to crush failure. In a uniaxial test, as the impact rate increases, the crack initiation time advances, and the degree of fracture increases at the same loading time. The fracture is from the edge to the center, and the core of the specimen remains intact. In the case with confining pressure, the stress gradually decreases toward the diameter edge at the center, and the damage at the center is obvious.


This paper investigates the effect of recycled coarse aggregate incorporation on the relationship between 150 mm cubic and Փ 150 mm cylindrical compressive strength (the reference strength of standards) by comparing data from recycled and natural aggregate concrete compositions in which both cubes and cylinders were tested. A conversion factor from cubic to cylindrical strength is proposed in two versions: A deterministic and a probabilistic one. Such factor has not been studied before and researchers have been converting cubic data as if natural aggregate concrete were tested. The probabilistic factor is intended for reliability analyses on the structural behaviour of recycled aggregate concrete using data from laboratory cube tests. It was found that the incorporation of recycled coarse aggregates sourced from concrete waste significantly decreases the expected value of the factor but the factor’s scatter is relatively unaffected. In the last decades, the viability of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) structural elements has been extensively investigated, especially in what concerns the incorporation of recycled aggregates (RA) sourced from concrete waste. Most of these studies are laboratory experiments following standardized procedures, with few applications in actual concrete industry environments ,2,3. StaIn some countries  the compressive strength is commonly tested on 150 mm cubic specimens; in others  on cylinders (either Փ 100 mm × 200 mm or Փ 150 mm × 300 mm). Structural codes  and RA differ in elastic and inelastic properties from natural aggregates (NA) ,11, the Evaluate the suitability of the cubic to cylindrical NAC conversion factors of Eurocode 2 and EN-206 for RAC with recycled aggregates (RA) sourced from concrete waste;Propose a conservative deterministic factor for RAC cube to cylinder strength conversions;Propose a probability distribution suitable for RAC strength conversions allowing the use of data from RAC cubic specimens for reliability analyses, including RAC code calibrations.This study appraises compressive strength test data on natural aggregate concrete (NAC) and analogue RAC specimens, intending to:Future research on RAC should concern its acknowledgment as a structural material . This inConcrete under uniaxial compression follows an approximately elastic stress-strain relationship until stresses of about 30%–40% of the peak stress. Until then, damage is concentrated on the initial micro cracks of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between coarse aggregates and the cementitious matrix. Afterwards, micro cracks start developing from the ITZ towards the cementitious matrix and concrete stiffness decreases . Stress-Micro crack development happens mostly in the fracture process zone, whose size is non-negligible compared to that of the concrete element . This reStatistical size effects also contribute to geometry dependence: since the fracture process zone is a localized region that limits strength, the larger the specimen size, the most likely a weak region is to be found .The natural consequence of shape and size effects is that the concrete’s compressive behaviour is a structural property, rather than a material one ,21,22, hThe friction between the specimen and the plates of the testing equipment caused by Poisson effects in the secondary loading directions puts the specimen under a multiaxial stress-state and is also a cause for shape effects. Specimens with lower slenderness have higher peak stresses, because they benefit the most from this confinement .K) depends on the compressive strength and varies from 0.78 to 0.83). A constant K of 0.80 has been used widely to convert 150 mm cubic to Փ 150 cylindrical strength [There is no consensus for NAC conversion factors . Neverthstrength .Since shape and size effects are dependent on material heterogeneity and fracture properties, RAC conversion factors may differ from those used for NAC. RA are more heterogeneous than NA, have different interfacial transition zones (ITZ) , and difThe higher heterogeneity of the RA may contribute to higher fracture energies in low to medium strength concrete (when compared to NAC with the same compressive strength), since aggregate heterogeneity is related to tortuous fracture surfaces ;The lower stiffness of the RA results in higher strains at peak stress , changinThe lower stiffness of the RA also results in lower E of RAC, increasing the friction between the test plates and the specimen (the reason for the higher confinement of cubes in comparison to cylinders) ;For the same compressive strength of NAC, the relative strength of the ITZ of RAC is higher, since the hydration products of the ITZ tend to be denser and “nailed” to the attached mortar of the RA ,30, as lThese aspects may change the pattern of damage during uniaxial compression described in the background section, since they are related to micro crack, damage development, and stress-paths:Supporting the fourth claim, Carpenteri et al.  argued iIn the investigation of Guo et al. , the devK: the values of K for NAC were in the range of 0.81–0.92, whilst those of RAC varied between 0.71 and 0.84. Kheder and Al-Windah [K is best related to the Young’s modulus than to the compressive strength, but studying and/or defining K in terms of the Young’s modulus is not practical. Since code predictions of the Young’s modulus based on the compressive strength have a high scatter [K assessments based on the Young’s modulus would require the specific testing of this property.The only study known to the authors that specifically investigates the relationship between the compressive strength of RAC cubes and cylinders was performed by Kheder and Al-Windah . The autl-Windah  found th scatter , reliablThis study concerns the conversion of the compressive strength of 150 mm cubes to Փ 150 mm × 300 mm cylinders only. Despite the comprehensive state-of-the-art on the compressive strength of RAC, research on the compressive strength of RAC specimens with other sizes and shape lacks a sample size that would allow a proper statistical evaluation. Also, because of sample size, only RAC data concerning the full incorporation of coarse aggregates sourced from concrete waste (CRA) was collected.Comparing datasets having concrete mixes with different mix design, materials, and execution conditions ;Including NAC tests that would not be paired with RAC experiments performed with the same testing equipment and protocols, such factors such as different roughness of test plates (which influences specimen/plate friction), cylinder capping method, and mould material.All data on NAC came from studies where CRAC was also evaluated , minimizing possible causes of bias. Including NAC mixes from investigations where CRAC was not tested would result in:As seen in K) of each mix was calculated using Equation (1). Most authors tested 3 to 5 specimens of each shape.The 150 mm cube to Փ 150 mm cylinder conversion factor  is very close to 0.80, the commonly used value in cubic to cylindrical concrete strength conversions. Full CRA incorporation reduces the average of K to 0.77. CRAC has lower standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CoV) than NAC, because NAC data include coarse aggregates from several origins  and 0.36 (CRAC).The influence of mix design on K includes factors such as the influence of plate roughness and hardness and of cylinder capping on specimen/plate friction , and the effect of mould type, conservation state, and cleanliness on the specimen’s quality, geometry, and surfaces. Since these factors are not quantifiable, their influence on the value of K was disregarded.Coefficient K. This was calculated after Equation (1) and assuming that concrete with cubic strength between two strength classes would be covered by the factor of the lower class .K of EN206/Eurocode 2 and actual data of both NAC and CRAC is observed. From Significant scatter between the The significant scatter reported for NAC is justified by a fundamental aspect of the codes: Overly complicated calculations are error-prone and cumbersome; thus, codes are intended to be as simple as possible.K and the code assumptions are plotted and the median and minimum of δ of strength classes below the C35/45 are consistently lower for CRAC.Since RA incorporation decreases the concrete’s compressive strength, the CRAC data of K values of CRAC in comparison to NAC:The premature micro cracking of CRAC  limits sAjdukiewicz & Kliszczewicz  found thSince RA are more heterogeneous than NA , statistThree arguments are put forward for the lower These arguments lose relevance when the strength class increases because the relative difference between cylindrical and cubic concrete compressive strengths decreases due to higher brittleness and failure will comprise trans-aggregate fractures for RAC and NAC ,33,48.K is suitably modelled by normal distributions (Probability goodness-of-fit tests were performed and it was found that ibutions .t-test [K’s of NAC and of CRAC are statistically different.The statistical difference between the NAC and CRAC datasets was evaluated by the Welch t-test . The twoK for different cylinder strength classes. To ensure proper sample sizes, the strength classes were grouped two-by-two.Since K factors, as is well known for NAC high-strength concrete [K factor for all strength classes is proposed due to practicability. Moreover, K may be taken as independent of the compressive strength since:The NAC and CRAC statistics of K of K of When the expected values of Higher compressive strengths result in higher average concrete . HoweverK are presented: A conservative deterministic version for design and strength assessment; and a probabilistic factor for probabilistic calculations with data coming from tests on 150 mm cubes, including reliability analyses. Both versions of K are shown in K is the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval of its expected value. If a concrete composition deviates significantly from the strength ranges or mix design parameters shown in Two versions of The relationship between the compressive strength of 150 mm cubes and Փ 150 mm × 300 mm cylinders of recycled aggregate concrete was investigated and a conversion factor proposed for full recycled coarse aggregate incorporation of aggregates sourced from concrete waste. A conversion factor for analogue compositions of natural aggregate concrete was also presented. The reasoning for different size and shape effects of recycled aggregate concrete in comparison to conventional concrete was argued for and it was statistically found the conversion of the compressive strength of recycled aggregate concrete from cubic to cylindrical specimens requires a specific conversion factor.Both the factor for natural aggregate concrete and the factor for recycled aggregate concrete are appropriately modelled by normal distributions. The factors for conventional concrete and for recycled aggregate concrete were compared with EN206/Eurocode 2 assumptions of concrete strength classes. Below cubic compressive strengths of 50 MPa, EN206/Eurocode 2 conversions overestimate most of the cylinder strength data, especially in the case of recycled aggregate concrete and the proposed factor addresses this overestimation.Deterministic and probabilistic versions of the factor were proposed, the first for practical conversions of tests data, and the second for reliability analyses, including code calibration. Since the actual conversion factor is dependent on concrete properties, and the concrete mix designs and materials appraised were diverse, additional tests to confirm the validity of the proposed factor are recommended. Moreover, if an unmistakeable standard compressive strength estimation is necessary, the authors recommend that the compressive strength is tested on cylinders.


PLZF (promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger) is a transcription factor acting as a global regulator of hematopoietic commitment. PLZF displays an epigenetic specificity by recruiting chromatin-modifying factors but little is known about its role in remodeling chromatin of cells committed toward a given specific hematopoietic lineage. In murine myeloid progenitors, we decipher a new role for PLZF in restraining active genes and enhancers by targeting acetylated lysine 27 of Histone H3 (H3K27ac). Functional analyses reveal that active enhancers bound by PLZF are involved in biological processes related to metabolism and associated with hematopoietic aging. Comparing the epigenome of young and old myeloid progenitors, we reveal that H3K27ac variation at active enhancers is a hallmark of hematopoietic aging. Taken together, these data suggest that PLZF, associated with active enhancers, appears to restrain their activity as an epigenetic gatekeeper of hematopoietic aging. Transcription factors (TFs) play important roles during hematopoiesis, from stem cell maintenance to lineage commitment and differentiation ,2. It isPLZF, also known as Zbtb16, is a master transcriptional regulator with effects on growth, self-renewal and differentiation with a well-recognized role in hematopoietic, spermatogonial, mesenchymal and neural progenitor cells . Within PLZF has a recognized epigenetic function; it is probably through its chromatin activity that PLZF finely and precisely regulates transcriptional programs that mediate its biological functions. However, it remains unclear how PLZF causes changes in the existing epigenetic landscape . PLZF biHere, we reveal a new chromatin function of PLZF in myeloid progenitors. By analyzing epigenomic landscape variations upon PLZF expression or inactivation, we discovered that PLZF inhibits acetylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27ac) at enhancer regions that are already active. Moreover, the de-repression of the enhancer regions observed in PLZF-mutated granulocytic-monocytic progenitors (GMPs) is also observed in old GMPs. Thus, we propose that PLZF limits some aging features by restricting enhancer activity of genes involved in metabolic processes.lu/luZbtb16 was previously described in Vincent-Fabert et al. (lu/luZbtb16 mutation increases the GMP compartment after regenerative stress we performed bone marrow (BM) reconstitution of lu/luZbtb16 and WT mice. For reconstitution 2 millions of total BM were transplanted in lethally irradiated (8–8.5 Gy) C57BL/6 Cd45-1 mice. Reconstitution was monitored every 4 weeks and mice were sacrificed for GMP purification at 16 weeks post transplantation. Young (∼2 months) and aged (∼18 months) C57BL/6-Cd45.1 mice were purchased from Charles River Laboratories. B6-Cd45.1/Cd45.2 mice were bred and maintained in the CRCM mouse facility in accordance with our institutional guidelines for the use of laboratory animals and approved by the French authority (authorization number: MESR#5645).The mouse model C57BL/6 Cd45-2 t et al. . As the −, Cd45+, C-Kit+, Sca-1−, Cd34+, FcγR+), LK , LSK  were purified using the FACS Aria III cell sorter (Beckman Dickinson). Antibodies used for GMP staining are described in supplemental materials.Tibias and femurs were crushed in PBS containing 3% of fetal calf serum (FCS). Red blood cells were lysed using ACK buffer (Gibco). Bone marrows were depleted in mature cells, expressing the lineage markers Cd5, B220, Cd11b, Gr-1, Ter-119 or 7-4, using the lineage cell depletion kit (Miltenyi Biotec). GMPs (LineageThe 416b murine myeloid cell line expressing the surface marker Cd34 (a generous gift from B. Göttgens) was maintained at exponential growth in RPMI 1640, 10% FCS and 1% penicillin/streptomycin. Cells were transduced with PLZF-FLAG-GFP or empty-FLAG-GFP lentiviral particles, 30 min at 2000 rpm, 32°C. After 48 h, GFP positive cells were purified on the FACS-ARIA II cell sorter (Beckman Dickinson).® Cell Line Nucleofactor® kit C (Lonza), U937 program, with 2 μg of RENILLA Luciferase control reporter and 4 μg of CD47 enhancer-Firefly vectors. CD47 enhancer-FIREFLY vector was generated from the previously described construct CD47-E5 . cDNA was synthesized with the Transcriptor High Fidelity cDNA Synthesis Kit (Roche). PCR was done using Taqman probes  and Taqman Universal PCR Master Mix (Life Technologies) on the Fast 7500 Real-Time PCR system (Applied Biosystem). Relative expression levels were determined by the 2Total proteins were extracted using the cell lysis and fractionation kit (ThermoFisher) or RIPA buffer. Proteins were dosed using the BCA methods, separated under denaturation conditions on SDS-PAGE, blotted on nitrocellulose membrane and incubated with different primary antibodies listed in supplemental experimental procedure. For Flag and Tubulinα detection, ECL prime™  was applied. PLZF was detected using more sensitive ECL .For histone mark ChIP-seq, purified GMPs or 416b cells were fixed with 1% of formaldehyde for 8 min. Reaction was quenched by adding 2 mM of glycine. ChIP procedures are developed in supplemental experimental procedure. ChIP-seq libraries were generated using the MicroPlex Library Preparation Kit (Diagenode) following the manufacturer's instructions and analyzed on a 2100 Bioanalyzer system (Agilent) prior sequencing.® Green Supermix (BIO-RAD) with the CFX PCR system (Bio-Rad). For enrichment quantification, Input Ct values were subtracted to ChIP Ct values and converted into bound value by 2(–(Input Ct – ChIP Ct)). Data are expressed as % of bound/input. Primer sequences are shown in supplemental materials.Quantification of immunoprecipated DNA was performed by quantitative real time PCR (qPCR). qPCR was performed using SsoAdvanced™ Universal SYBRFor normalization of ChIP-qPCR, Spike-in Drosophila Chromatin and Spike-in Antibody (Active Motif) were added to the ChIP reaction as a minor fraction of the IP reaction according to the manufacturer's instructions. The immunoprecipitated Drosophila chromatin was quantified using Drosophila Positive Control Primer Set Pbgs (Active Motif), allowing the attribution of a spike-in factor to each sample, used for normalization.2, 0.1% IGEPAL CA-630). The same amount of cells was used for input preparation. Transposition and library preparation were done using the Nextera DNA Library Prep Kit (Illumina) according to the manufacturer's instruction. Size selection was performed using the Blue Pippin™ system.ATAC-seq was performed on 30 000 cells. Cells were washed twice with cold PBS and suspended in lysis buffer . GMPs cDNA synthesis and library preparation were done by Beckman Coulter Genomics using a TruSeq Stranded Total RNA with Ribo Zero Gold kit (Illumina). 416b cDNA was synthesized using a SMART-Seq v3 Ultra Low Input RNA kit for Sequencing (Clontech). ds-cDNA was fragmented using S220 Focused ultrasonicator (Covaris) and libraries were generated using a NEBNext Ultra DNA Library Prep kit (New England Biolabs).For GMPs, ChIP-sequencing was performed with a Next-seq500 sequencer (Illumina) using a 75-nt single-end protocol, at the Paoli Calmettes Institute Sequencing Facility  and RNA-sequencing with a Next-seq500 sequencer (Illumina) using a 100-nt paired-end protocol, at Beckman Coulter Genomics. For 416b cells, ChIP and RNA sequencing was performed with a HiSeq1500 sequencer (Illumina) using a 61-nt single-end protocol at Chiba University, Japan. Computational analyses are developed in supplemental experimental procedure. Profiles of histone ChIPseq and ATAC-seq signals were obtained by processing normalized bigwig files through the deepTools suite (v2.2.4)  compute. All seqP-value <0.05 and by taking into account a background. For enhancers named ‘K27ac de novo’, ‘K27ac up’, ‘K27ac unchanged’  the background used was all active enhancer-associated genes contained in the 416b PLZF-Flag and 416b Empty vector conditions. For enhancers named ‘common’  . The sam’ Figure , the bact-test. Density plot profile P-values were obtained by performing paired Welch's t-test on computeMatrix averaged signal matrices. Concerning Venn diagram analysis, overlap significances were computed by hypergeometric tests . Concerning ChIP-qPCR and Luciferase assay, Mann–Whitney test was used.For two group analyses, we first check the normal distribution of each group (Shapiro-Wilk test) and then performed Welch's To better understand PLZF activity in mouse myeloid cells, we generated an over PLZF-expressing mouse model by transducing the murine myeloid 416b cell line with lentivirus containing PLZF-Flag. The 416b cell line is a cellular model for Cd34-positive progenitors that express, albeit at low level, PLZF Figure .This stable cell line was first used to profile PLZF genomic occupancy using Flag antibody. In PLZF-Flag 416b cells, PLZF binds mostly intragenic regions (63.6%) with preference for intronic sequences and TSS regions, in accordance with previously reported genomic localization in the KG1 human myeloid cells (CD34 positive cell line)  Figure . PresencHdac1 or Kat2b) or indirectly  involved in acetylation machinery . This suggests that, in addition to its direct effect on acetylation, PLZF may indirectly regulate histone acetylation.Next, we analyzed the effect of PLZF overexpression on chromatin state. We performed differential analyses on histone signal in 416b in the presence (PLZF-Flag) or absence (empty vector) of PLZF. Upon PLZF expression, H3K27ac and H3K4me3 ChIP-seq signals decrease, while H3K27me3 and H3K4me1 signals slightly increase Figure , suggestH3K27ac is an activating mark found at promoters and marks active enhancer regions . Thus, wIn order to evaluate the consequence of PLZF chromatin binding at enhancer regions, we measured chromatin accessibility by ATAC-seq and gene expression levels by RNA-seq in the absence and upon PLZF expression. First, ATAC-seq experiments showed that PLZF globally reduces chromatin accessibility . By analyzing PLZF-bound enhancer regions we revealed that when PLZF was expressed, these enhancer regions were reduced in their chromatin accessibility Figure . These ret al., data). Luciferase activity monitoring showed that PLZF repressed the reporter activity under control of the CD47 enhancer  and the other epigenetic marks tested were modestly affected  or was triggering already active enhancers. We showed that PLZF mutation increased H3K27ac at enhancer regions in both situation, when H3K27ac signal was detected in WT GMP  but also when H3K27ac was not detected by our peak calling (K27Ac de novo) . Indeed modulated enhancers were enriched for genes involved in response to stimulus and phosphorylation processes  whereas no significant gene signature was found for unaffected enhancers. To analyse whether changes in the epigenetic landscape would affect gene expression, we performed RNA-seq and compared the transcriptome of lu/luZbtb16 to WT GMPs after BM transplantation. We showed that PLZF inactivation slightly affected gene expression (53 downregulated and 145 upregulated) and that significantly affected (FDR<8%) Up-active enhancer associated genes were found up regulated in absence of PLZF  highlighting an indirect role for PLZF in chromatin acetylation.PLZF is expressed in the immature myeloid compartment of mouse bone marrow (BM) with higher expression in Granulocyte-Monocyte Progenitor (GMP) compartment . Besides, we previously showed that PLZF inactivation increases the GMP compartment after regenerative stress in the se model . To quesd Figure . In accoF Figure . In addiAltogether, these results show that PLZF inactivation results in an increase in H3K27ac at enhancer regions and suggest its important role for chromatin regulation in myeloid progenitors.lu/luZbtb16 GMPs, this increase was significant at active enhancer regions  . As enhancers modulated upon aging appeared to be under the control of PLZF, we monitored by qPCR the expression of PLZF in Young and Old GMPs. We showed that Young and Old GMPs exhibited similar Plzf expression levels , suggesting that aging may alter PLZF chromatin activity rather than its expression level.We previously showed that PLZF limits some of the HSC aging features . Thus, ws Figure . Among ts Figure . Interes) Figure . Remarka) Figure . They we) Figure . Interes) Figure  in compaAltogether, these results show that increase in H3K27ac level at enhancer regions controlling metabolism-related genes may be a hallmark of hematopoietic progenitor aging that is controlled by PLZF activity.PLZF is a transcription factor involved in multiple facets of cell biology. Here we reveal a new molecular function of PLZF in limiting H3K27ac at enhancer regions that may restrict their activity. H3K27ac is a well-defined marker of active enhancers , and it Due to its affinity with Polycomb group proteins ,24, PLZFThis ‘brake’ function on enhancer activity fits well with PLZF hematopoietic function: PLZF has been described to modify chromatin to restrain the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in case of a bacterial infection in bone marrow-derived macrophages . InteresIt is also striking to notice that the strong gain of H3K27ac at enhancer regions in PLZF-mutant GMPs has little repercussion at the transcriptional level. Differential gene expression analyses revealed that only 12 H3K27ac-UP associated genes are more expressed in the PLZF mutant condition. This apparent discrepancy between chromatin structure and gene expression is not without precedent . Chromatvia the study of two deacetylases Sirt1 and Sirt3, was previously shown to play a role under stress conditions in aging mouse HSC  under the accession number GSE124190.ChIP-seq data and RNAseq data (FastQ and Bigwig files) are deposited in the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO; Supplementary DataClick here for additional data file.


Salmonella enterica serovar Newport have been recorded. Study on phages infecting S. Newport may provide new therapeutics or diagnostics for this pathogen.Multiple antimicrobial-resistant strains of  Salmonella enterica serovar Newport have been recorded. Study on phages infecting S. Newport may provide new therapeutics or diagnostics for this pathogen. Here, we describe the complete genome sequence of the T4-like phage Melville that uses S. Newport as one of its hosts.Multiple antimicrobial-resistant strains of  Salmonella enterica serovar Newport as one of the top three Salmonella serotypes associated with human infections  at 37°C with aeration. The phage was isolated and propagated by the soft agar overlay method (http://www.bioinformatics.babraham.ac.uk/projects/fastqc/) trimmed  reads were assembled using SPAdes 3.5.0 (https://cpt.tamu.edu/).Myophage Melville was isolated from a mixed wastewater sample from Austin, TX in August 2016 using y method . Pooled es 3.5.0  into a ces 3.5.0  and Metaes 3.5.0 . Proteines 3.5.0 . Conserves 3.5.0 . All anaes 3.5.0  and WebASalmonella spp. (∼50%) (imm (immunity) gene in Melville indicates the ability to exclude superinfecting phage.The Melville genome  has a G+C content of 37%, a level lower than that of . (∼50%) . Genes eS16virus. Melville encodes homologs of the protector from prophage-induced early lysis genes rIIA and rIIB, as is common among T4-like phages. It shares 93.9% and 90.5% whole-genome DNA sequence identity by BLASTn with the Salmonella phage STML-198 (GenBank accession numbers NC_027344) and Salmonella phage vB_SenMS16 , respectively. As is the case with phage S16, Melville contains a tandem gene duplication of the predicted capsid vertex protein (GenBank accession numbers ATN93139 and ATN93140). The long tail fiber distal subunit of Melville (GenBank accession number ATN93217) has 76% identity with that of phage S16, which recognizes the outer membrane protein OmpC and has an unusually broad host range within the genus Salmonella (Melville is a T4-like phage and belongs to the genus lmonella .MF957259. The associated BioProject, SRA, and BioSample accession numbers are PRJNA222858, SRR8788210, and SAMN11259695, respectively.The genome sequence of phage Melville was deposited under GenBank accession number


Mitochondrial dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLDH) is a redox enzyme involved in decarboxylation of pyruvate to form acetyl-CoA during the cascade of glucose metabolism and mitochondrial adenine triphosphate (ATP) production. Depending on physiological or pathophysiological conditions, DLDH can either enhance or attenuate the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species. Recent research in our laboratory has demonstrated that inhibition of DLDH induced antioxidative responses and could serve as a protective approach against oxidative stress in stroke injury. In this perspective article, we postulated that chronic inhibition of DLDH could also attenuate oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes. We discussed DLDH-involving mitochondrial metabolic pathways and metabolic intermediates that could accumulate upon DLDH inhibition and their corresponding roles in abrogating oxidative stress in diabetes. We also discussed a couple of DLDH inhibitors that could be tested in animal models of type 2 diabetes. It is our belief that DLDH inhibition could be a novel approach to fighting type 2 diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes mellitus, also known as type 2 diabetes, is caused by insulin resistance followed by β-cell dysfunction ,2,3. TheWhen blood glucose is constantly high, there can be a variety of pathophysiological consequences. These include non-enzymatic modifications of proteins by glucose through a process known as glycation ,14,15, eIn this article, we postulate that chronic inhibition of mitochondrial dihydrolipomide dehydrogenase (DLDH) can be explored to manage diabetic oxidative stress in diabetic conditionsMitochondrial dihydrolipomide dehydrogenase (DLDH) is a flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)-containing, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent disulfide-implicated redox enzyme ,29,30,31DLDH is a multifunctional protein. In rat, the brain and the testis appear to have the highest DLDH activity while the lung gives the lowest DLDH activity . When itIn our recent studies, we have found that DLDH can be inactivated by mitochondrial ROS or by reactive nitrogen species (RNS) ,43,44. TA direct consequence of DLDH inhibition is the blockade of dihydrolipoamide conversion to lipoamide. This would induce accumulation of dihydrolipoamide in the cell . As dihyIt should be noted that in mouse studies, loss of 50% DLDH activity does not yield any diseased phenotypes ,53. ThisChronic inhibition of DLDH may also induce accumulation of pyruvate in a cell . PyruvatAnother possibility of pyruvate accumulation is the shift of pyruvate towards oxaloacetate (OAA) production that is catalyzed by pyruvate carboxylase. This reaction is involved in anaplerotic metabolism and production of NADPH  that mayWe have found that in stroke neuroprotection studies, inhibition of DLDH by 5-methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (MICA) was able to activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway that leads to NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) upregulation ,64. ThisCurrently, there are two DLDH inhibitors that have been studied. One is MICA , and theOxidative stress is a major pathological mechanism of type 2 diabetes. DLDH, as a redox-sensitive enzyme, plays a central role in glucose metabolism. As inhibition of DLDH could induce antioxidative responses and enhance cellular antioxidation capacity in oxidative stress conditions, we propose that chronic DLDH inhibition could serve as a protective approach against oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes, thereby leading to diabetes remission. In this sense, DLDH inhibition may elicit antioxidative effects similar to those induced by treatment with antioxidant-like natural products and/or nutrients.


Tursiops truncatus, from the Normanno-Breton Gulf, one of the largest identified coastal population in Europe. Among all the POPs analysed in this study, the ∑NDL-PCBs were the most abundant compounds found in the blubber (mean: 1.33 × 105–0.65 × 105 ng.g−1 lipid weight (lw) for males and females respectively), followed by ∑DDX (1.11 × 104–4.67 × 103 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑DL-PCBs (8.06 × 103–2.62 × 103ng.g−1 lw) > ∑PBDEs (1.95 × 103–0.64 × 103ng.g−1 lw) > dieldrin (1.86 × 103–0.18 × 103 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑endosulfan (405–62 ng.g−1 lw) > HCB (86–52 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑HCHs (47–60 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑chlordane (24–0.97 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑PCDFs (0.3–0.1 ng.g−1 lw) > ∑PCDDs (0.06–0.05 ng.g−1 lw). The T-Hg concentrations were highly variable between individuals . The reported concentrations are among the highest reported for cetaceans. We strongly recommend that the Normanno-Breton Gulf be a special area of conservation (cSAC) candidate because it contains the last large European population of bottlenose dolphins (rare or threatened within a European context) designated under the EC Habitats Directive.The objective of this study was to assess the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (T-Hg) in the blubber and skin, respectively, of the free-ranging bottlenose dolphins,  Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that pose a serious environmental threat to wildlife and humans3. Very recently, a meta-analysis of stranded and biopsied cetaceans in Europe stressed that the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, had markedly elevated PCB concentrations in blubber4. In particular, the “PCB hotspots” included the Strait of Gibraltar, south western Iberia, the Gulf of Cadiz and the Mediterranean Sea. These high PCB concentrations are still a major cause of decline in European cetacean populations2.Most organochlorinated contaminants were banned in developed countries in the 1970s and 1980s. However, their persistent chemical properties favour their long-range transport and remanence in water, air and biota, including the deepest ocean fauna6: The species is widely distributed in estuarine and nearshore waters7, is a long-lived species with a high trophic position in the marine food web and a thick layer of blubber in which lipophilic pollutants accumulate8. Previous risk assessment investigations on the potential effect of PCB exposure demonstrated their likely effects on offspring survival in bottlenose dolphins9, especially reduced first-year survivorship of calves and a reduced annual population growth11.The bottlenose dolphin is a relevant species for examining environmental contamination trends in coastal areas12  in the English Channel18. Therefore, the coastal population of bottlenose dolphins from the NBG is one of the largest identified among dolphin communities in Europe12. Previous studies have shown an interannual site fidelity to the NBG and that this population is genetically isolated from neighbouring populations living off the United Kingdom and Ireland12. The bottlenose dolphins of the NBG are a community that remains poorly known. To date, no toxicological data are available on the bottlenose dolphins from the NBG despite their proximity to urban and industrial activities. Quantifying the baseline concentrations and patterns of POPs and total mercury (T-Hg) in bottlenose dolphin populations is critical for risk assessment and long-term management. These organic chemical substances are classified as persistent organic pollutants by the Stockholm Convention (http://www.pops.int) because of their toxicity, lipophilic properties and widespread global distribution. The Minamata Convention (http://www.mercuryconvention.org/Home/tabid/3360/language/en-US/Default.aspx) on Mercury drew attention to this toxic metal that is released to the atmosphere, water and soil from a variety of anthropogenic sources, which leads to its bioaccumulation in biota.The size of coastal communities of bottlenose dolphins in European waters ranges from approximately 10 to 300 individuals-p-dioxins), PCDFs (polychlorinated dibenzofurans), cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan-sulfate, and dieldrin, in the blubber. T-Hg  was analysed in the skin.Biopsy samples of skin and blubber were collected from 82 bottlenose dolphins from the NBG in the English Channel to assess the concentrations of a large range of industrial compounds, dioxin-related compounds (DRCs) and organochlorinated pesticides: NDL-PCBs and DL-PCBs , PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), DDXs (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and metabolites), HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes), HCB (hexachlorobenzene), PCDDs (polychlorinated dibenzop = 0.0477).The lipid content in the blubber ranged from 2.4 to 22.8% Table . No diffAll the measured compounds were detected at quantifiable levels (>limit of quantification (LOQ)) with the exception of endosulfan-α (below the LOQ), β-HCH (detected in 5 out of 58 samples), BDE 66 (detected in 7 out of 58 samples), three dioxins  and one furan .Among all the persistent organic pollutants analysed in this study (Tables p = 0.0014). The adult males had significantly higher ∑6 NDL-PCBs compared to the adult females and sub-adults . No significant difference was found between the adult females and sub-adults .The ∑6 NDL-PCBs were the major contaminant groups found in the blubber of all the dolphins, with the contribution of the total POPs measured as 91% and 92% for the males and females, respectively. The ∑6 NDL-PCB concentrations were significantly higher in the males than in the females .Among the 6 NDL-PCBs, CB 153 was the predominant congener found in the blubber, with contributions of 51% and 49% of the ∑6 NDL-PCBs in the males and females, respectively Fig. , followe−1, lw) are presented in Tables 19. The toxic equivalency factor (TEF) expresses the toxicity of dioxins, furans and DL-PCBs in terms of the most toxic form of dioxin, 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD20.The dioxin-like PCB (non-ortho and mono-ortho), PCDD and PCDF concentrations and their respective WHO-TEQ values  but were nevertheless the predominant groups of DRCs found in the blubber biopsies of the bottlenose dolphins from the NBG Fig. . The PCDAmong the DL-PCBs, PCB 126 and PCB 118 contributed to the majority of the total TEQ, with contributions of 36% and 31% in the males, respectively, and contributions of 45% and 23% in the females, respectively.The PBDE concentrations represented less than 2% of the total sum of the persistent organic pollutants measured in the blubber biopsies of the bottlenose dolphins from the NBG. BDE 47 was the most predominant congener found in the blubber, with a contribution of 60% of the total ∑PBDEs.The PBDE concentrations occurred in the following order: BDE 47 > BDE 100 > BDE 154 > BDE 153 > BDE 99 > BDE 85 > BDE 28 > BDE 183 > BDE 66 . Our results suggest an age-dependent accumulation for the PBDEs, with adult males having greater concentrations than sub-adult dolphins . The ∑PBDE concentrations were significantly lower in the adult females than in the sub-adults . Compared to the adult males, the adult females showed a lower proportion of BDE 47 and a higher proportion of the highly brominated PBDEs, such as BDE 153 and 154.The concentrations of the PBDE congeners were higher in the males than in the females  was detected at quantifiable levels in all of the skin biopsies of the bottlenose dolphins from Normanno-Breton Gulf. The T-Hg concentrations were highly variable between individuals, ranging from 2.45 × 1013C values in the skin were correlated with the blubber ∑PBDE concentrations . The δ13C and δ15N values were correlated with the T-Hg concentrations in the skin  were the major compounds (ranging from 64 to 80%), followed by the heptachlorobiphenyls (PCB 180). PCB 153, 138 and 180 were the dominant PCBs detected in the marine mammals due to their widespread use, persistence, high lipophilicity and structural resistance to metabolism26. The commercialization and use of PCBs have been prohibited in France since 198727. The Seine is a hotspot for PCBs29, and the NBG, which is close to the Seine estuary, is an environment with high industrial, agricultural and urban activities. Indeed, several studies  the pollution monitoring conducted by the Seine-Normandy Water Agency and the monitoring network (ROCCH) on mussels and oysters along the French coastline (http://www.ifremer.fr), have shown that the Seine is one of the most polluted rivers in the world for PCBs.The PCBs were used mainly as dielectric fluids in industrial capacitors and transformers30. A lower PCB toxicity threshold of 17 mg.kg−1 lw (as Aroclor 1254) was used for the onset of reproductive impairment and immune suppression in marine mammals31 and was calculated to be equivalent to 9.0 mg.kg−1 lw (as ΣPCB)4. A higher PCB toxicity threshold of 77 mg.kg−1 lw (as Clophen 50), which causes reproductive failure in Baltic ringed seals32, was calculated to be equivalent to 41 mg.kg−1 lw (as ΣPCB)4. 57 bottlenose dolphins (out of 58) exceeded the lower thresholds, and 51 bottlenose dolphins (out of 58) exceeded this higher threshold.Recently, toxicology thresholds have been used to evaluate the actual impact of PCBs on porpoise and dolphin populations in European waters33. The threshold was exceeded the least in dolphins (9%) and porpoises (25%) off the coast of Ireland. The authors reported an arithmetic mean PCB concentration of 1.37 × 104 ng.g−1 lw in 36 female common dolphins from the French coast of the English Channel and the Atlantic, which is 4 times lower than the concentration measured in the female bottlenose dolphins from the NBG. The high values observed in the bottlenose dolphins from the NBG reflect their higher exposure, which is linked to their coastal habitat, feeding, and larger body size.The toxicity threshold was exceeded in 50% of the common dolphins sampled in the waters off the French coast35. The PCB accumulation in a bottlenose dolphin population off Sarasota (US) was associated with a reduced annual growth rate of 3.6%11. A recent study linked the decline of the population of killer wales in Europe with their PCB levels, which were likely responsible for reproductive failure2. Our results indicated the important transfer of PCBs by females to their young, which may raise concern for the population. Indeed, the immune system and metabolic capacities are less developed in foetuses and juveniles, making them more sensitive to the adverse effects of PCBs36. The transfer of PCBs and other organohalogenated compounds is a well-described process in cetaceans. Female harbour porpoises pass approximately 50% of the PCB 153 levels in their blubber on to their offspring. The mother is assumed to provide the same amount of milk and nutrients during each single cycle. Therefore, the concentrations of PCBs will decrease. As a result, the firstborn will be more contaminated than the last born. High PCB contamination of the calves combined with their insufficient metabolism at younger ages leaves this group vulnerable36.The male bottlenose dolphins displayed higher NDL-PCB concentrations than the females. These results are consistent with the general pattern previously reported in which females offloaded a large proportion of PCBs to their young during gestation and more specifically during lactation, while males continue to bioaccumulate PCBs throughout lifeThe NDL-PCBs were the most abundant compounds in terms of their concentrations, but they were clearly not the only ones: other toxic organohalogenated compounds were detected in the blubber of bottlenose dolphins from the NBG in the following order: ∑DDX > ∑DL-PCBs > ∑PBDEs > dieldrin > ∑endosulfan > HCB > ∑HCHs > ∑chlordane > ∑PCDFs > ∑PCDDs. The combined effects of this cocktail of pollutants may be more complex than that anticipated using toxicity models.Similar to the PCBs, the female bottlenose dolphins from the NBG displayed lower concentrations of flame retardants (PBDEs), organochlorinated pesticides  and some DRC congeners (PCDFs and mon-ortho PCBs), meaning that all these compounds (1) can reach very high concentrations in older male bottlenose dolphin and that (2) female dolphins offload a significant portion of this cocktail to their offspring during gestation and lactation, placing foetuses and newborns at a higher risk.37. DRCs exert their toxic effects through their interaction with the Ah receptor, an intracellular protein38. Exposure to DRCs has been associated with a multitude of adverse health effects. Reproductive system and immunotoxicity effects appear to be among the most sensitive responses38. The TEQ values result from the concentrations of the different DRCs as well as from the ability of each compound to induce the Ah-receptor-mediated response39.DRCs are produced by various processes such as the synthesis of some pesticides and PCBs and paper bleaching as well as the burning of vegetation and wasteSotalia guianensis) from the highly contaminated Guanabara Bay in Brazil, where the DL-PCBs represented 98.8% of the total TEQ40. The DL-PCBs represented 81% and 65% of the total TEQs analysed in the bottlenose dolphins from the lower Florida Keys and the Florida coastal Everglades, respectively6.DL-PCBs in the bottlenose dolphins from the NBG represented the most important contribution (94%) for the toxicity equivalences of the DRCs (expressed as the TEQ). Our results were similar to the results found for Guiana dolphins . Their conservation requires the creation of special areas of conservation (Annex II) and the need for strict protection (Annex IV).43. Bottlenose dolphins have declined in the northeast Atlantic44. The historic stranding data in Europe suggest that coastal bottlenose dolphins became locally extinct or depleted in the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, including those in the UK45 and the Dutch coast46. The last member of a resident bottlenose dolphin population in Arcachon, France, died in 200147, and the small resident bottlenose dolphins group in Portugal (Sado Estuary) declined over several decades due to low calf survival over several decades15.Despite this European directive, human activities are increasing in the Normanno-Breton Gulf; the potential threats include pollutants, noise pollution, particularly construction noise, disturbance by tourism activities and bycatch3, there is an urgent need to review the methods of PCB mitigation in the marine environment in Europe; in compliance with the Stockholm Convention, the goal is to drastically reduce the PCB input of the marine environment by 2028. PCB mitigation measures include i.e. a destruction of PCB stocks and PCB-containing equipment/buildings, and a limitation of PCB mobilization in marine sediments4.As recently emphasized by Jepson and LawWe strongly recommend the Normanno-Breton Gulf as a special area of conservation (cSAC) candidate because it contains the last large European population of bottlenose dolphins (rare or threatened within a European context) designated under the EC Habitats Directive.A detailed methodology can be found in the supporting information.Biopsy samples from individual bottlenose dolphins were collected during boat surveys in the Normanno-Breton Gulf from 2010 to 2012 (French ministry permit No. 09/115/DEROG) Fig. .Figure 643.From a total of 82 bottlenose dolphins biopsied, we obtained 79 blubber biopsies and 69 skin biopsies ; the ΣHCH is the sum of α-HCH, β-HCH and γ-HCH; the ΣDDXs is the sum of p,p’DDT, o,p’-DDT, p,p’-DDE, o,p’DDE, p,p’-DDD and o,p’DDD. For the stable isotope analysis, the δ13C and δ15N values analysed previously43 were integrated into the present manuscript.The Σ 6 NDL-PCB congeners  were chosen as the priority compounds for the POP analysis by the Scientific Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain of EFSA (CONTAM Panel)13C labelled analogues49. Twenty-one blubber biopsies were selected for the analysis of the chlorinated pesticides cis-chlordane, trans-chlordane, α-endosulfan, β-endosulfan, endosulfan-sulfate, and dieldrin. The total mercury analysis was performed on the skin samples from 69 bottlenose dolphins, as was previously described6.Blubber samples were analysed for non-dioxin-like (NDL) PCB congeners , dioxin-like (DL) PCB congeners , 17 WHO PCDD/Fs, PBDEs  and organochlorinated pesticides .Non-parametric statistics were used because the assumptions of normality (Shapiro test) and homoscedasticity (Bartlett test) of the data were not met, even after a log-transformation. Significant differences between the contaminant concentrations in the sex and marking levels were assessed using the Mann-Whitney Supplementary Information


Globally, concrete is the most widely used construction material. The composition of concrete plays an important role in controlling its overall performance. Concrete is composed of approximately 70%–80% aggregates, by volume. Therefore, it is mandatory to investigate the effect of aggregates on the performance of concrete. For this purpose, this study investigated the effect of three different coarse aggregates on the mechanical properties, durability, and microstructure of concrete. Concrete specimens were made using aggregates obtained from three regions with different mineralogies. The specimens were also made by replacing cement with silica fume. The specimens were analyzed in terms of compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strengths, chloride penetration, carbonation, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrate that the specimens made with rougher coarse aggregates and silica fume had enhanced performance in comparison to those made with smoother aggregates. Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world. Around 10 billion tons of concrete are produced annually worldwide . The comAggregates occupy approximately 70% of the total volume of concrete. Therefore, the properties of aggregates play an important role in the overall performance of cementitious composites  investigIt is evident that coarse aggregates play an important role in controlling the overall performance of concrete. In addition, the microstructure of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is significantly affected due to the surface characteristics and quality of coarse aggregates . It can This study investigates the influence of different aggregate types and the addition of silica fume on the mechanical properties, durability, and microstructure of concrete. For this purpose, concrete specimens were made using aggregates obtained from three regions with different mineralogies and silica fume as cement replacement material. The specimens were analyzed in terms of compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, chloride penetration, carbonation, freeze–thaw resistance, and scanning electron microscopy.Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in compliance with ASTM C150  was used3 of cement, 675 kg/m3 of fine aggregate, and 1125 kg/m3 of coarse aggregate. A water:binder ratio of 0.4 was used for all mixes. Silica fume was used to replace cement at a dosage level of 10% by weight of cement. The specimens made with only cement as binder were represented with the acronyms CG, CQ, and CB, while those containing silica fume were named SFG, SFQ, and SFB. Initially, the ingredients were dry-mixed in a laboratory-scale concrete mixer; then water was added. After mixing, concrete specimens were cast and placed at room temperature for 24 h. Concrete cylinders (ϕ100 × 200 mm3) and concrete beams (100 × 100 × 400 mm3) were made. The molds were sealed with plastic sheets to avoid water loss due to evaporation. After 24 h, the specimens were removed from the molds and placed in water until the testing age was reached. At the desired test age, three replicates for each mix were used for investigating the desired parameters. The basic mix proportions used to make concrete specimens were 450 kg/m3 following ASTM C 39 [A compressive strength test was carried out on the cylindrical specimens with dimensions ϕ100 × 200 cmSTM C 39 . Three r3) following ASTM C597 [Ultrasonic pulse velocity is an effective non-destructive testing method used to estimate the internal structure of the specimens. This test uses pulse waves, which are transmitted from one end and received at the other end of the specimen with the help of transducers. This test is applied to investigate the quality of the specimen in terms of the presence of voids and cracks . This teSTM C597 . Three rnssm—non-steady-state migration coefficient, ×10−12 m2/s; U—absolute value of the applied voltage, V; T—average value of the initial and final temperatures in the anolyte solution, °C; L—thickness of the specimen, mm; The specimens for the chloride migration test were obtained following the procedure described in NT BUILD 492 . The spe2 concentration. At the desired age, the specimens were removed from the chamber, split in half, and sprayed with 1% phenolphthalein solution in order to measure the depth of carbonation. A total of ten depth measurements were made for each specimen, and the average value is reported.The concrete specimens of dimensions ф 100 × 50 mm were obtained from the cylinder specimens and placed in an accelerated carbonation chamber at 23 °C, 65% relative humidity, and 5% COThe resistance of concrete to freezing and thawing was measured following ASTM C 666A . After cThe samples for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive electron microscopy (EDS) analysis were obtained from the portions of concrete cylinders used for the compressive strength test . A scannCompressive strength tests were conducted on the concrete specimens after 3, 7, 28, and 56 days of curing in water, as shown in Chiaia et al. , ProkopsThe incorporation of silica fume caused an increase in the compressive strength of the specimens, irrespective of the type of the aggregate. For instance, compressive strengths of 47, 61, 74, and 80 MPa were observed for the specimens made with basalt aggregate and silica fume at 3, 7, 28, and 56 days of curing, respectively. On the other hand, SFQ and SFG specimens demonstrated compressive strengths of 52 and 51 MPa at 3 days; 64 and 61 MPa at 7 days; 73 and 70 MPa at 28 days; 77 and 76 MPa at 56 days of curing, respectively. Interestingly, the specimens made with basalt aggregate and silica fume had improved compressive strength compared to those made with granite and quartzite aggregates and silica fume. This can be attributed to the greater strength of the basalt aggregate compared to those of the other aggregates. The addition of silica fume improved the interfacial transition zone; it is due to this reason the strength of the aggregate governed the mechanical properties of concrete specimens for this case. The results of the study conducted by Kilic et al.  indicateUltimately, the addition of silica fume enhanced the compressive strength due to its highly pozzolanic behavior; the weaker aggregates presented weak planes during compression testing . In addiIn order to examine the microstructure of the concrete specimens, an ultrasonic pulse velocity test was conducted, and the results are reported in The specimens made with silica fume depicted higher UPV values compared to those made without silica fume. For example, UPV values of 3601, 4012, 5138, and 5225 m/s were observed for the concrete specimens made with silica fume and basalt aggregate after 3, 7, 28, and 56 days of curing, respectively. In a similar fashion, SFQ concrete specimens showed UPV values of 3610, 4020, 5145, and 5200 m/s after 3, 7, 28, and 56 days, respectively. After 3, 7, 28, and 56 days of curing, UPV values of 3692, 4135, 5265, and 5350 m/s, respectively, were measured for SFG concrete specimens. Silica fume, being a highly pozzolanic material, consumes calcium hydroxide, resulting in the formation of calcium silicate hydrate. The formation of calcium silicate hydrate improves the microstructure of the cement composites, causing higher UPV values. Gesoglu and Guneyisi made rubberized concretes with silica fume as partial replacement for cement. The results of their study demonstrate that UPV values increased with the addition of silica fume . nssm values compared to those made with granite or quartzite aggregates. For example, the specimens made with basalt, quartzite, and granite aggregates demonstrated Dnssm values of 10.2 × 10−12, 8 × 10−12, and 6.9 × 10−12 m2/sec, respectively. These results followed a linear trend with a R2 value of 0.96. On the other hand, the inclusion of silica fume particles reduced the Dnssm values of all the specimens. For instance, Dnssm values of 8.2 × 10−12, 6.3 × 10−12, and 5.7 × 10−12 m2/sec were measured for SFB, SFQ, and SFG concrete specimens, respectively. A linear trend with R2 value of 0.91 was observed for these results. The concrete specimens were exposed to accelerated chloride and carbonation environments, and results are shown in 2 value of 0.94 was observed for these results. However, the addition of silica fume reduced the carbonation depths. For example, the specimens made with basalt, quartzite, and granite coarse aggregates with silica fume demonstrated carbonation depths of 8.2, 7, and 6.2 mm, respectively. R2 value of 0.98 for these results was noticed. Similar behavior was observed in the results of carbonation tests, as shown in The low resistance of the concrete specimens made with basalt aggregate may be due to the porous nature of the transition zone, which permitted the ingress of chloride ions and carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the transition zone along the granite and quartzite aggregate surfaces were denser compared to that of the basalt aggregate. Moreover, the addition of silica fume improved the overall microstructure of the cement composites, resulting in an enhanced resistance to chloride penetration and carbonation. Gesoglu et al.  produced2 value of 0.96. Apart from this, the addition of silica fume improved the performance of concrete specimens against freezing and thawing. For instance, durability factors of 97%, 104%, and 106% were calculated for SFB, SFQ, and SFG specimens, respectively. A linear trend and R2 value of 0.90 was observed for these results. This is due to the fact that the addition of silica fume densified the microstructure of the cement composites, thus inhibiting the accumulation of freezing water inside the composites. This further improved the performance of the cement composites against freezing and thawing environments. Cwirzen and Penttala [The durability factor was calculated from the results of freeze and thaw tests after 300 cycles, as shown in Penttala  reportedThe microstructure of the concrete specimens was investigated via scanning electron microscopy. Specimens were taken from the portion of the concrete specimens used for the compressive strength test. This study used three kinds of coarse aggregates  to make concrete specimens. Additionally, silica fume was used to replace cement at a replacement level of 10%. The specimens were analyzed in terms of compressive strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, chloride penetration, carbonation, freeze–thaw resistance, and scanning electron microscopy. Based on the results, the following conclusions can be made.Compressive strength increased with the addition of rougher coarse aggregates . On the other hand, the addition of silica fume resulted in an enhanced compressive strength for specimens containing basalt.Pulse velocity test results reveal that comparable UPV values were obtained for the specimens made with different coarse aggregates.An increased resistance to chloride penetration, carbonation, and freeze–thaw was observed for the specimens made with granite and quartzite compared to that made with basalt aggregate. However, the incorporation of silica fume significantly improved the performance of the concrete specimens.The microstructures of the transition zones in the concrete specimens made with granite and quartzite coarse aggregates were denser in comparison to that made with basalt coarse aggregates. In the same way, the addition of silica fume improved the microstructure of all the specimens, irrespective of the aggregate types.It can be concluded that the performance of the concrete can be improved with the addition of coarse aggregates with a rougher surface. Additionally, the incorporation of silica fume can enhance the performance of concrete, with smoother surface coarse aggregates.This study did not consider the chemical interaction of the aggregates and the cement compounds.


Acupuncture is a famous traditional medicine in China, but the complications caused by broken acupuncture needles have been rarely reported. It seems easy to remove the foreign matters usually, but things become difficulty in special issues. Here, we reported a recently encountered case to provide an important teaching point of treating a chronically retained broken needle in retroperitoneum.A 42-year-old man presented with a chronically retained broken needle in his body after acupuncture therapy two years ago. However, due to the discomfort at the left back recently and ordinary inconvenience such as security check, he came to our hospital for minimally invasive surgery. He was introduced to our department because the broken needle had migrated from subcutaneous to adipose tissue in retroperitoneum during the two years. Considering the position of the broken needle, the patient was performed by laparoscopy in general anesthesia. The operation time was about 31 min and there were only three 7 mm incisions in the left lateral abdominal wall. The X-ray exam was performed to confirm that the broken needle was removed integrally. The patients begun normal activity at 6 h after surgery and was discharged on the second day after surgery.Acupuncture is widely used for pain treatment in China, but how to handle the complication of acupuncture needle broken in body are rarely reported. Laparoscopy will be the reasonable choice for treating needles broken in retroperitoneum. Acupuncture is a famous traditional medicine in the world and for most people acupuncture is reputed to be safe . As acupA 42-year-old man was received acupuncture therapy by an acupuncturist in a Chinese medicine clinic for his back pain two years ago. There were no symptoms for him at the time of the accident happening. However, due to the discomfort at the left back recently and ordinary inconvenience such as security check, he came to our hospital, a trauma center in Beijing, to solve the problem. The patient had no special previously medical history, and there was no positive sign in his back. The patient’s laboratory results were unremarkable, without any findings of leukocytosis. Abdominal X-ray showed that an acicular high density shadow at the level of L4 vertebral in left abdomen Fig. . AbdominConsidering the position of the broken needle, he was introduced to our department because the broken needle had migrated from subcutaneous to adipose tissue in retroperitoneum during the two years and urologists are more familiar with the anatomical structure of retroperitoneum. The patient was performed by laparoscopy in general anesthesia with lateral position. After establishing pneumoperitoneum, the retroperitoneal fat was isolated until a tough fibrous stripe appeared Fig. . The strAcupuncture has been used in the treatment of pain and other medical ailments for centuries, and its usage is reportedly increasing in the world . AlthougTraditional Chinese needle is designed to be very thin with the tip being acute, allowing it can be migrated deeper . The migMuch attention should be paid to the education and training of acupuncturist especially inexperience. There have many training on anatomy and continuation courses on the safety of acupuncture practice for acupuncturists. The acupuncturist does not distract attention during treatment to avoid the ignoring details and shallow needling or not retaining needle is preferred, and the process of treatment should be strictly for unconscious patients unable to cooperate.In summary, how to remove the broken needles sometimes is a very tough job for surgeon. We performed a laparoscopy surgery for our patient considering the position of the broken needle in retroperitoneum. After establishing pneumoperitoneum, the side peritoneum was cut by ultrasonic knife to separate descending colon, and the retroperitoneal fat was isolated by blunt dissection until the target appeared. The stripe was completely taken out from the abdomen and the side peritoneum was closed by Hemolok. There were two reasons for us to choose the intraperitoneal route, one was that the operating space was enough ample to find the thin needle, the other was the target was always located on the opposite of operation channel to avoid omitting and separate easily. Hereby, laparoscopy will be a reasonable choice to removal needles broken in abdomen.