Restoration Capacity Research Articles

Resilience assessment of offshore structures subjected to ice load considering complex dependencies

Offshore structures in arctic and subarctic regions are subjected to various natural hazards. These structures need to be designed to withstand these natural hazards and to recover quickly after an undesirable event occurs. Ice load is a significant natural hazard for structures in these regions. The magnitude of ice load depends on the ice drifting velocity, which is influenced by other environmental conditions such as wind speed and wave activity. Most studies in the literature assume independence among these influencing environmental parameters, although they have significant dependence. In addition, there are a limited number of studies focused on analyzing the capacities of offshore structures to resist ice loads. This paper investigates an offshore structure's response to an ice load, using the concept of resilience. Resilience is quantified by considering absorptive, adaptive, and restorative capacities. Dependence between wind velocity and wave height is considered in the analysis; the Gumbel-Frank Type-1 Copula function is used to model relationships between these influencing variables. The study highlights that a mono-pile vertical structure shows resilience in terms of absorptive capacity. An offshore structure in arctic conditions needs to be designed considering both absorptive and adaptive capacities.

A Feature-Enriched Deep Convolutional Neural Network for JPEG Image Compression Artifacts Reduction and its Applications.

The amount of multimedia data, such as images and videos, has been increasing rapidly with the development of various imaging devices and the Internet, bringing more stress and challenges to information storage and transmission. The redundancy in images can be reduced to decrease data size via lossy compression, such as the most widely used standard Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG). However, the decompressed images generally suffer from various artifacts (e.g., blocking, banding, ringing, and blurring) due to the loss of information, especially at high compression ratios. This article presents a feature-enriched deep convolutional neural network for compression artifacts reduction (FeCarNet, for short). Taking the dense network as the backbone, FeCarNet enriches features to gain valuable information via introducing multi-scale dilated convolutions, along with the efficient 1 ×1 convolution for lowering both parameter complexity and computation cost. Meanwhile, to make full use of different levels of features in FeCarNet, a fusion block that consists of attention-based channel recalibration and dimension reduction is developed for local and global feature fusion. Furthermore, short and long residual connections both in the feature and pixel domains are combined to build a multi-level residual structure, thereby benefiting the network training and performance. In addition, aiming at reducing computation complexity further, pixel-shuffle-based image downsampling and upsampling layers are, respectively, arranged at the head and tail of the FeCarNet, which also enlarges the receptive field of the whole network. Experimental results show the superiority of FeCarNet over state-of-the-art compression artifacts reduction approaches in terms of both restoration capacity and model complexity. The applications of FeCarNet on several computer vision tasks, including image deblurring, edge detection, image segmentation, and object detection, demonstrate the effectiveness of FeCarNet further.

Relationship between religion and redress relief among Japanese American World War II incarceration survivors.

Soon after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II, more than 110,000 Japanese Americans (two-thirds U.S. citizens) were rounded up and ordered into desolate incarceration (internment) camps based only on their ethnic heritage. More than 40 years later, the U.S. government acknowledged that the Japanese American incarceration was unjustified and provided a formal apology and monetary award to surviving incarcerees. The present study investigates the relationship between religious affiliation (Buddhist and Christian) and subsequent perceptions of relief associated with the government's belated redress. Based on a national sample of U.S.-born Japanese American former incarcerees (N = 454), Buddhist incarcerees reported greater relief from receiving redress than Christians. Across religious affiliations, older incarcerees and those with lower income reported more relief. Both Buddhist and Christian respondents who perceived more Japanese American incarceration-related physical suffering, and those who believed in a just world, experienced greater relief. In addition, Buddhists who more strongly believed their lives are controlled by unpredictable fate/fortune, and Christians who more strongly believed their lives were controlled by powerful others experienced greater redress relief. Findings suggest the role of religious frameworks in shaping the restorative capacity of belated reparative acts following historical racial trauma. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficiency of high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites as a retrofit material for fire-damaged concrete

In this paper, high performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCC) confinement jackets were proposed to investigate its effectiveness in retrofitting and strengthening fire-damaged concrete (FDC) cylinders. Sixteen normal strength concrete (NSC) cylinders were heated at 600 °C for 2 h. Six mixtures, three with different water-binder (w/b) ratios and three with varying fiber contents by volume, were engineered to provide 40 mm HPFRCC jackets round the FDC specimens and examined under axial compression load. The laboratory findings show that the w/b ratio and fiber content significantly affect the strength restoration of retrofitted specimens. It was observed that the specimens with the highest fiber content and lowest w/b obtained the maximum restoration capacity by 335% and with better ductility performance in all retrofitted specimens. It was also observed that the core FDC lateral strain decreased with increment in volume of steel fiber at the same axial strain level, suggesting increased deformability with energy absorption of retrofitted specimens. The study observation indicates the tremendous promise of using HPFRCC as a retrofit material for structural members, particularly columns damaged by fire.

Transcriptomic and physiological analyses of Miscanthus lutarioriparius in response to plumbum stress

Soil plumbum (Pb) contamination has become a global environmental issue, which threaten soil quality, food security and human health. Miscanthus species have exhibited high tolerance and restoration capacity to heavy metals stress. However, the mechanisms of Pb resistance in Miscanthus species have not been fully elucidated. In the current report, transcriptome changes of Miscanthus lutarioriparius response to different Pb treatment time were analyzed to investigate the key genes and pathways involved in Pb uptake patterns. Based on the assembled transcriptome data, totally 19332 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), in which 200–11313 DEGs in each comparison group were identified respectively. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis found that different expression genes under Pb stress are predominantly involved in the pathways of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and metabolism, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, photosynthesis and metal ion transporters. The results in the current study could serve as a ground work for future studies to determine the exact expression of genes in plants under heavy metal stress, the processes involved and how they can be efficiently utilized to improve plant tolerance to toxic metals and facilitate the remediation process.

Neuroprotective Effect of Sovateltide (IRL 1620, PMZ 1620) in a Neonatal Rat Model of Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Therapeutic hypothermia with modest results is the only treatment currently available for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Endothelin B (ETB) receptors in the brain are shown to have neural restorative capacity. ETB receptors agonist sovateltide alone or as an adjuvant therapy may enhance neurovascular remodeling in HIE. Sprague-Dawley rat pups were grouped based on treatments into (1) Control; (2) HIE + Vehicle; (3) HIE + Hypothermia; (4) HIE + sovateltide; and (5) HIE + sovateltide + hypothermia. HIE was induced on postnatal day (PND) 7, followed by sovateltide (5 µg/kg) intracerebroventricular injection and/or hypothermia. On PND 10, brains were analyzed for the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), ETB receptors, oxidative stress and cellular damage markers. Vehicle-treated animals had high oxidative stress level as indicated by an increase in lipid peroxidation factor, malondialdehyde, and decreased antioxidants, reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase, compared to control. These effects were reversed in sovateltide alone (p < 0.001) or in combination with the therapeutic hypothermia (p < 0.001), indicating that ETB receptor activation reduces oxidative stress injury following HIE. Animals receiving sovateltide demonstrated a significant (p < 0.0001) upregulation of ETB receptor, VEGF, and NGF expression in the brain compared to vehicle-treated animals. Additionally, sovateltide alone or in combination with therapeutic hypothermia significantly (p < 0.001) reduced cell death when compared to vehicle or therapeutic hypothermia alone, demonstrating that sovateltide is neuroprotective and attenuates neural damage following HIE. These findings are important and merit additional studies for development of new interventions for improving neurodevelopmental outcomes after HIE.

Effects of New Galantamine Derivatives in a Scopolamine Model of Dementia in Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss and cognitive functions decline, is a leading cause for dementia and currently ranked as the sixth foremost cause of death. As of present, treatment of AD is symptomatic without convincing therapeutic benefits and new, effective, therapeutic agents are pursued. Due to massive loss of cholinergic neurons and decreased acetylcholine levels, cholinesterase inhibitors like galantamine, remain the backbone of pharmacological treatment of the disease. In the present study, using behavioral and biochemical methods, four newly synthesized galantamine derivatives, Gal 34, Gal 43, Gal 44, and Gal 46, were evaluated for a beneficial effect in a scopolamine model of dementia in mice. They were designed to have all the advantages of galantamine and additionally to inhibit β-secretase and exert favorable effects on plasma lipids. Behavioral tests included step-through inhibitory avoidance, T-maze, and the hole-board test, whereas biochemical evaluations involved assessment of acetylcholinesterase activity, brain monoamines levels, lipid peroxidation, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities along with measurement of total glutathione. Results show that Gal 43, Gal 44, and, in particular, Gal 46 are especially effective in improving both short- and long-term memory and in the case of Gal 46 having a significant effect on exploratory activity as well. Although Gal 34 did not show behavioral effects as convincing as those of the other three galantamine derivatives, it demonstrated persuasive antioxidant and restorative capacities, making all four galantamine derivatives promising AD treatment agents and prompting further research, especially that in many of our studies they performed better than galantamine.

Subacute exposure to aluminum chloride causes prolonged morphological insults in the ventral male prostate and in the female prostate of adult gerbils.

Aluminum (Al) is a widespread metal in the environment, and is found in fresh or processed foods, household utensils, packaging, and medicines. In addition to its high toxicity, Al can also have estrogenic agonistic effects on target organs. Considering that the Al effects on the prostate are little known, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of aluminum chloride (AlCl3 ) subacute exposure on the morphophysiology of the male ventral prostate and the female prostate of adult gerbils. Furthermore, the glandular restoration capacity in face of the Al insults was evaluated in gerbils that were submitted to 30 days of recovery. Male and female gerbils were orally exposed to AlCl3 (10mg/kg) for 30 consecutive days. The animals were euthanized 1day (Al1D) or 30 days (Al30D) after the end of treatment. Prostates were dissected out and processed for structural, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical analyses. Male ventral prostates and female prostates of the Al1D group showed increased cell proliferation, glandular hyperplasia, increased secretory activity and greater androgen receptor immunoreactivity. In males, Al withdrawal (Al30D) allowed a partial recovery of the prostate, as the glandular secretory activity, and frequency of androgen receptor positive cells were similar to the control group. In females, the recuperation interval (Al30D) was not enough to restore the prostatic morphology, since the gland remained hyperplastic, proliferative, and with greater androgen and estrogen receptor immunoreactivity. These data alert to the importance of avoiding Al exposure, since this metal can have a harmful and prolonged action on the prostate.

Australian native seed sector characteristics and perceptions indicate low capacity for upscaled ecological restoration: insights from the Australian Native Seed Report

The Australian Native Seed Sector survey was conducted in 2016–2017 under the auspices of the Australian Network for Plant Conservation. Respondents self‐selected into a seed supply (Seed Collector, Seed Production Area Grower) or seed demand (Seed Purchaser, Other User) group category. Issue statements facing the sector with respect to limiting opportunities for ecological restoration were presented to survey respondents who ranked them in order of importance. Findings revealed that the order of statement importance varied depending on the primary role (Group) of the respondent in the sector. When combined across groups, the issues of most importance were: future seed demand will be difficult to meet from wild harvest; the seed market is unwilling to pay for the true cost of seed collection/seed production; there is a lack of available seed from a broad range of species; and demand for seed is inconsistent and/or unpredictable. The survey also revealed that the native seed sector is underpinned by a remarkably small and underresourced workforce, composed primarily of sole or small operators, which presents a clear concern to all users of native seed, not only in terms of current capacity for ecological restoration, but also to meet any large and rapid increases in future demand.

Contributions of Industry 4.0 to supply chain resilience

PurposeThis study aims at identifying the contribution of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) integration into supply chains (SCs) to the enhancement of SC resilience.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review was conducted so that the relevant literature on SC resilience, and I4.0 integrated into SC management was examined.FindingsThe authors summarize the main findings from existing research and propose three research directions: (1) empirical validation of the contribution of I4.0 ICTs to SC resilience; (2) explore the role of processing-actuation technologies in enhancing restorative capacity; and (3) integration between I4.0 ICTs and omni-channel strategy as a means to resilience development at consumer and retail levels. The literature on the design of resilient smart SCs is far outnumbered by works reporting applications of I4.0 ICTs at different SC tier levels. However, the authors’ scoping review organizes the information available on these themes, setting the ground for the development of new theoretical propositions.Originality/valueThe integration of digital technologies from I4.0 can fundamentally change the SC management, acting as enablers of a more effective response to disruptions. However, the digital transformation of SCs is still incipient, and literature is particularly sparse when considering the contribution of I4.0 to the resilience of SCs.

A Review on the Durability of Recycled Asphalt Mixtures Embraced with Rejuvenators

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has received much attention recently due to its increased use in hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements to enhance pavement sustainability. The use of aged asphalt in RAP, which is highly oxidised and has lost its properties due to exposure to traffic loads and climatic conditions throughout its lifespan, can cause asphalt mixtures to stiffen and embrittle, thus negatively affecting the behaviour of asphalt mixtures. This issue may be resolved by including rejuvenating agents that can restore both physical and rheological properties of aged asphalt by increasing maltene fractions and decreasing asphaltene. However, the high restoration capacity of any kind of rejuvenating agent does not assure the durability of restored aged asphalt. This study explored the performance and durability of rejuvenated asphalt mixtures embedded with several types of rejuvenators identified from the extensive literature review. The study serves as a significant reference to predict future challenges in rejuvenating aged asphalt.

Where to start? A new citizen science, remote sensing approach to map recreational disturbance and other degraded areas for restoration planning

This UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration highlights the capacity of restoration to mitigate trends in biodiversity loss and land degradation. However, many managers lack the tools they need to systematically and comprehensively identify degraded sites to prioritize restoration efforts given limited resources. We developed a novel, inexpensive, low‐tech approach for training and engaging citizen scientists to identify recreational impacts and other degraded areas within a defined unforested area. The mapping process follows four phases: (1) Landscape scans by citizen scientists using Google Earth Pro imagery; (2) A second scan of all marked sites based on high resolution aerial photography; (3) Compilation of basic information about the degraded sites; (4) Addition of associated soil type and plant communities. In the 12,375 ha McDowell Sonoran Preserve (Scottsdale, Arizona), we detected 67 new sites not previously identified by land managers, using an estimated 305 citizen scientist hours and only 30 staff hours. Each site has accompanying information including distance from nearest access point, cause of degradation, and plant and soils detail. After completion, we conducted independent field visits of 33% of the detected sites and verified degradation in all cases. We found that the remotely sensed approach provided better perspective to accurately measure the scale and original source of degradation compared with field visits. The approach can be conducted over a short period of time using citizen scientists, allows managers to undertake landscape level restoration prioritization and planning, and, if repeated, can be used to monitor changes in degradation and restoration over time.

Resilient cooling strategies – A critical review and qualitative assessment

The global effects of climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as heatwaves and power outages, which have consequences for buildings and their cooling systems. Buildings and their cooling systems should be designed and operated to be resilient under such events to protect occupants from potentially dangerous indoor thermal conditions.This study performed a critical review on the state-of-the-art of cooling strategies, with special attention to their performance under heatwaves and power outages. We proposed a definition of resilient cooling and described four criteria for resilience—absorptive capacity, adaptive capacity, restorative capacity, and recovery speed —and used them to qualitatively evaluate the resilience of each strategy.The literature review and qualitative analyses show that to attain resilient cooling, the four resilience criteria should be considered in the design phase of a building or during the planning of retrofits. The building and relevant cooling system characteristics should be considered simultaneously to withstand extreme events. A combination of strategies with different resilience capacities, such as a passive envelope strategy coupled with a low-energy space-cooling solution, may be needed to obtain resilient cooling. Finally, a further direction for a quantitative assessment approach has been pointed out.

Resilience-based approach to safety barrier performance assessment in process facilities

The performance assessment of safety barriers is essential to find vulnerable elements in a safety barrier system. Traditional performance assessment approaches mainly focus on using several static indicators for quantifying the performance of safety barriers. However, with the increasing complexity of the system, emerging hazards are highly uncertain, making it challenging for the static indicators to assess the performance of safety barriers. This paper proposes a resilience−based performance assessment method for safety barriers to overcome this problem. Safety barriers are classified according to their functions first. The dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) is then introduced to calculate the availability function under normal and disruption conditions. The ratio of the system's availability, when affected by the disruption, to the initial availability, is used to determine the absorption capacity of the system. The ratio of the quantity of availability recovery to the total quantity of system represents the adaptation and restoration capacity of the system. The system's resilience is represented by the sum of absorption, adaptation, and restoration capacities. The wax oil hydrogenation process is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology.

Above- and below-ground species richness of bryophytes in Estonian mires: diversity and differences

ABSTRACT Introduction. In temperate zones, the main peat-forming plants are bryophytes, and the restoration capacity of disturbed peatland depends largely on the availability of suitable bryophyte diaspores. We investigated the species richness of bryophytes in the above-ground flora and diaspore bank of three types of mire common in Estonia and northern Europe: ombrotrophic bogs, poor fen and rich fen. Methods. The above-ground flora was recorded and diaspore bank samples were collected from study sites in eastern Estonia representing bog, poor fen and rich fen (three sites per mire type). For each mire type, the diaspore bank samples from the study sites were blended and placed in a growth chamber for 6 months, and the bryophytes that subsequently emerged were identified. Key results. In total, 54 bryophyte species were found, including six liverworts. Of the three mire types, rich fen had the most species both above and below ground. The number of species in the diaspore bank was lowest in bog (8) and highest in rich fen (27). Three species with conservation value were found: Hamatocaulis vernicosus (in the above-ground flora only) and Meesia longiseta and Splachnum ampullaceum (in the diaspore bank only). The species richness of the bryophyte diaspore bank was similar and significantly related to that of the above-ground bryophyte flora. Conclusion. In temperate-zone mires, the diaspore bank can be a depository of species that have disappeared from the above-ground flora. The local diaspore bank could a valuable source of species richness for the restoration of disturbed mire communities.

FRAMEWORK FOR PLANNING CAPACITIES TO MAXIMIZE THE FEASIBLE RESILIENCE OF NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS

Infrastructures are connected between themselves and their connections form a complex network. Disaster impacted infrastructures have a reduced level of serviceability. The impact of the reduction of serviceability of disaster-affected infrastructures cascades through the entire infrastructure network. The recovery capacity of the network governs the recovery curve of a disaster-impacted infrastructure network system. Moreover, the speed of recovery of the infrastructure network from a post-disaster condition to the pre-disaster condition dictates the resilience of the system. Building these capacities requires spending money. The extent of resilience that can be afforded under a given budget situation is termed as the feasible resilience. This paper presents a framework for planning the capacities so that the feasible resilience of the network can be maximized under a budget situation. To achieve the said objective, the recovery time of a disaster-affected infrastructure network has been minimized. The outcome is the optimal restorative capacities the network needs to have so that the feasible resilience is maximized under a specified budget condition. The outcomes can be used by the decision-makers in natural disaster risk mitigation planning.

Repairing the damage: wishful, defensive, or restorative?

Damage, physically and to the psyche is inevitable. This is whether it is caused unconsciously, through consciously malicious intent, thoughtlessness, as collateral or just through a hostile environment or the warring of internal forces. At the group or social level, the last few years have seen much damage in terms of economic recession, climate change, racial inequalities, and domestic violence. The desire to repair follows such damage. The psychoanalytic focus on reparation sees the process as an attempt by a person to repair perceived damage to another or, more precisely, to an internal image of the other—a loved other. Large groups such as organisations and societies also do damage and sometimes acknowledge this and make attempts to repair—perhaps defensively, simply to restore their own reputation, but perhaps from guilt and remorse. This article will invite readers to think about reparation in terms of either fantasied wishfulness, or defensiveness, or its possible restorative capacity. My exploration rests on the premise that damage is always to the system and that both that which damages and that which is damaged suffer. It is in system restoration that hope re-emerges.

Evaluating the post-fire natural regeneration of Mediterranean-type scrublands in Central Spain

We performed a five-year assessment of the natural vegetation restoration capacity following the 2012 fires in Valdemaqueda (Madrid, Spain) via the characterization of the post-fire and residual vegetation and the analysis of soil physico-chemical characteristics. Six pilot-plots were established in the affected site. Forest species, representative of the potential natural vegetation of the area (Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. lagunae and Quercus rotundifolia woodlands) and broom shrubs (Cytisus scoparius, Retama sphaerocarpa) were planted to assess the relationship among the stages of ecological succession, competition, and soil restoration processes following devastating fire events.&#x0D; The fire-driven alteration of the soil’s physico-chemical properties was evident, given the increased pH and reduced C/N ratio in the first years of the study. However, we observed an increased soil enrichment in the last years of study, accompanied by the propagation of herbaceous species, su[1]pporting our seed bank findings, showing a clear difference in the sprouting rate between burnt and control plots (80% vs. 20%, respectively). The establishment of robust, pyrophyte shrub species (Cistus ladanifer, C. laurifolius, Rosmarinus officinalis) rather than natural succession evidenced the clear conversion of the vegetation in burnt areas. These findings in the pilot-plots allowed evidencing the high vulnerability of the natural vegetation to the settling of pyrophytes, given their low survival rate under the strong competitive pressure of these pyrophytic species. The proliferation of these pyrophytes could translate into changes in soil macro- and microbiota, nutrient dynamics, species diversity, and interaction, added to the alteration of fire regimes in the area. Overall, these results highlight the risk for soil impoverishment and possible erosion of the fire-affected sites. Moreover, they underline the importance of the establishment and regeneration of Genisteae species to outcompete pioneer pyrophytic species, favoring the restoration of the area’s potential natural vegetation

Utilizing Developmentally Essential Secreted Peptides Such as Thymosin Beta-4 to Remind the Adult Organs of Their Embryonic State-New Directions in Anti-Aging Regenerative Therapies.

Our dream of defeating the processes of aging has occupied the curious and has challenged scientists globally for hundreds of years. The history is long, and sadly, the solution is still elusive. Our endeavors to reverse the magnitude of damaging cellular and molecular alterations resulted in only a few, yet significant advancements. Furthermore, as our lifespan increases, physicians are facing more mind-bending questions in their routine practice than ever before. Although the ultimate goal is to successfully treat the body as a whole, steps towards regenerating individual organs are even considered significant. As our initial approach to enhance the endogenous restorative capacity by delivering exogenous progenitor cells appears limited, we propose, utilizing small molecules critical during embryonic development may prove to be a powerful tool to increase regeneration and to reverse the processes associated with aging. In this review, we introduce Thymosin beta-4, a 43aa secreted peptide fulfilling our hopes and capable of numerous regenerative achievements via systemic administration in the heart. Observing the broad capacity of this small, secreted peptide, we believe it is not the only molecule which nature conceals to our benefit. Hence, the discovery and postnatal administration of developmentally relevant agents along with other approaches may result in reversing the aging process.

Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Their Relation to Thrombosis in Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria and Aplastic Anemia.

Thrombosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). Multiple factors are responsible for the thrombotic tendency in these patients. Endothelial progenitorcells (EPCs) originate from primitive hematopoietic stem cells. The EPC count is considered indicative of potential damage and restoration capacity in vascular disease; lower EPC counts are deemed as a risk factor in cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the count of circulating EPCs in PNH and aplastic anemia (AA) patients receiving eculizumab treatment or not receiving treatment and their relationship with thrombosis. Seventeen PNH patients, 18 AA patients, and 10 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The CD309, CD133, and CD34 antibodies were used to determine counts of circulating EPCs using flowcytometry. EPC levels were compared between the PNH, AA, and healthy control groups. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U testswereperformedto analyze the quantitative data, while χ2 testing was performed to analyze the qualitative data. Therewasnosignificantdifference in EPC levelsbetweenpatientswithandwithout a history of thrombosis (P > 0.05). Further, therewasnosignificantdifference in thelevels of EPCsbetweenthe AA and PNH groups (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant positive correlation between levels of EPCs and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in multivariate analysis (P < 0.05). The study findings suggest that hemolysis promotes vascular endothelial and new blood vessel formation. Increased EPCs in PNH may indirectly indicatevascular endothelial damage in PNH.