Scorpion venom heat-resistant protein decreases immunoreactivity of OX-42-positive microglia cells in MPTP-treated mice

BACKGROUND： Microglia function as the immune surveyors of the brain under normal physiologica conditions. However, microglia become activated in response to brain injuries and immunological OBJECTIVE： To explore the influence of scorpion venom （SV） heat-resistant protein on frontal cortex and hippocampal microglia cells in a mice model of Parkinson＇s disease. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Randomized, controlled, cellular immunity study. The experiment was performed at the Physiology Department Laboratory in Dalian Medical University between June 2005 and July 2008. MATERIALS： Ninety-six healthy, C57B1/6 mice; 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） from Sigma, USA; SV heat-resistant protein （Experimental Base Institute in Dalian Medical University）. The mice were randomly divided into four groups （n = 24）： normal control, negative control, model, and SV heat-resistant protein. METHODS： Mice in the model and SV heat-resistant protein groups were subcutaneously injected with MPTP （20 mg/kg） to model Parkinson＇s disease, while the normal control and negative control groups were injected with physiological saline in the neck for 8 successive days. In addition, mice in the model and normal control groups were intraperitoneally injected with physiological saline 2 hours following administration, while SV heat-resistant protein and negative control groups were injected SV heat-resistant protein （0.01 mg/kg）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： lmmunoreactivity of microglia cells in MPTP-treated mice. RESULTS： Compared with normal control mice, MPTP-treated mice displayed increased OX-42 expression in the brain. However, in the SV heat-resistant protein-treated mice, OX-42 expression was decreased, compared to the model group. In the model mouse group, the number of OX-42-positive microglia was increased in the frontal cortex, caudatum, and hippocampal hilus, compared to the normal control mice （P 〈 0.01）. However, in the SV heat-resistant protein-treated mice, the number of OX-42-positive microglia significantly decreased in the frontal cortex, caudatum, and hippocampal hilus, compared to the model group （P 〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： SV heat-resistant protein inhibited MPTP-induced microglial activation in the mouse frontal cortex and hippocampus, resulting in reduced microglial activation in the brain.

Zonal method solution of radiative heat transfer in a one-dimensional long roller-hearth furnace in CSP

A radiative heat transfer mathematical model for a one-dimensional long furnace was set up in a through-type roller-hearth furnace （TTRHF） in compact strip production （CSP）. To accurately predict the heat exchange in the furnace, modeling of the complex gas energy-balance equation in volume zones was considered, and the heat transfer model of heating slabs and wall lines was coupled with the radiative heat transfer model to identify the surface zonal temperature. With numerical simulation, the temperature fields of gas, slabs, and wall lines in the furnace under one typical working condition were carefully accounted and analyzed. The fundamental theory for analyzing the thermal process in TI＇RI-IF was provided.

Numerical and experimental study on coke size distribution in bell-type charging in the CDQ shaft

The mechanism of coke size segregation in the radial direction of pre-chamber in coke dry quenching （CDQ） shaft was investigated by experiment and numerical analysis. The experimental apparatus was a cold three-dimensional semicircle model for bell-type charging, which was used to study the influences of different kinds of bells and different stock line levels on the radial distribution of coke size in the radial direction of a pre-chamber. A mathematical model was used, which is capable of estimating the radial average size distribution as well as the radial deposit distribution of each particle size for multiple size coke with a few fixed parameters. The calculated results agree well with the experimental data, which proves the reliability of both experimental study and numerical analysis.

Clinical study of different immune induction and BK virus infection after renal transplantation

Objective:To monitor the incidence of BK virus infection in hematuria of renal transplant recipients induced by different immunizations.Methods:A total of 109 patients who underwent renal transplantation in Baogang Hospital of Inner Mongolia from January 2019 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively.The results of BK virus DNA detection in urine and blood were observed after operation.They were divided into three groups according to different immunosuppressive induction regimens;35 patients in group A,42 patients in group B,and 32 patients in group C(basiliximab).To explore the effect of different immune induction regimens on BK virus infection in renal transplant recipients.Results:The positive rate of urine BK virus in all patients in 1 month after operation was 10.09%(11/109),which was significantly higher than that of blood BK virus 0%(0/109),and the difference had a statistical significance(p<.05).The positive rate of urine BK virus in all patients in 6 months after operation was 31.19%(34/109),which was significantly higher than that of blood BK virus 3.67%(4/109),and the difference had a statistical significance(p<.05).The positive rate of urine BK virus in all patients in 12 months after operation was 35.79%(39/109),which was significantly higher than that of blood BK virus 5.50%(6/109),and the difference had a statistical significance(p<.05).The urinary BK virus infection rate was increased significantly from 1 month to 6 months after operation,but was not increased significantly from 6 months to 12 months after operation.There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups(p<.05).The BK virus infection rate in renal transplant recipients induced by basiliximab within the first month was significantly lower than that in patients using polyclonal antibodies,but the urinary BK virus infection rate after one year was not significantly different from that in patients using polyclonal antibodies.Conclusions:There are slight differences in BK virus infection after early renal transplantation with different immune induction therapies,but there is no significant difference in the long-term.It is recommended to strengthen the early monitoring of BK virus after renal transplantation,timely adjust immunosuppressive regimens to achieve the early detection and early treatment.

Significant enhancement in local thermal conductivity of erythritol at interface with nanoparticles due to their interaction

When nano-fillers are used to enhance the thermal conductivity of organic phase change materials(PCMs),the naturally formed interface is considered to hinder thermal transport of the composite PCMs.However,the effect of the interface on the thermal properties of surrounding PCM has not been fully studied.In this paper,three composite PCMs(Ery@SiC,Ery@SiO_(2) and Ery@Si_(3)N_(4))were prepared by melt-blending method.The local thermal conductivity and reduced Young’s modulus(E^(*))of the erythritol at the interface and far away from the interface in the composite PCMs were simultaneously measured by scanning thermal microscopy(SThM).The results revealed significant enhancement in local thermal conductivity of erythritol at the interface and its obvious positive correlation with E^(*).For different composite PCMs,molecular dynamics(MD)simulations suggested that the increase in intrinsic thermal conductivity and E^(*)of erythritol is attributed to the increase in interaction energy between erythritol and nanoparticles,as more erythritol phonon vibrations transform from localized mode to delocalized mode and erythritol has a higher density at the interface.These findings will provide new ideas for the design of PCM for energy storage.

A harmonic-wave bio-thermal method for continuous monitoring skin thermal conductivity and capillary perfusion rate

The revelation of thermal energy exchange mechanism of human body is challenging yet worthwhile,because it can clearly explain the changes in human symptoms and health status.Understanding,the heat transfer of the skin is significant because the skin is the foremost organ for the energy exchange between the human body and the environment.In order to diagnose the physiological conditions of human skin without causing any damage,it is necessary to use a non-invasive measurement technique by means of a conformal flexible sensor.The harmonic method can minimize the thermal-induced injury to the skin due to its low heat generating properties.A novel type of computational theory assessing skin thermal conductivity,blood perfusion rate of capillaries in the dermis,and superficial subcutaneous tissues was formed by combining the multi-medium thermal diffusion model and the bio-thermal model(Pennes equation).The skins of the hand back of six healthy subjects were measured.It was found that the results revealed no consistent changes in thermal conductivity were observed across genders and ages.The measured blood perfusion rates were within the range of human capillary flow.It was found that female subjects had a higher perfusion rate range(0.0058-0.0061 s^(-1))than male subjects(0.0032-0.0049 s^(-1)),which is consistent with invasive medical studies about the gender difference in blood flow rates and stimulated effects in relaxation situations.

Research prospects of graphene-based catalyst for seawater electrolysis

Seawater has obvious resource reserve advantages compared to fresh water,and so the huge potential advantages for large-scale electrolysis of hydrogen production has been paid more attention to;but at the same time,electrolysis of seawater requires more stable and active catalysts to deal with seawater corrosion problems.Graphene-based materials are very suitable as composite supports for catalysts due to their high electrical conductivity,specific surface area,and porosity.Therefore,the review introduces the problems faced by seawater electrolysis for hydrogen production and the various catalysts performance.Among them,the advantages of catalysis of graphene-based catalysts and the methods of enhancement the catalytic performance of graphene are emphasized.Finally,the development direction of composite catalysts is prospected,hoping to provide guidance for the preparation of more efficient electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis.

Modulator-directed assembly of hybrid composites based on metalorganic frameworks and upconversion nanoparticles

Hybrid composites made of metal-organic frameworks(MOFs)and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles(UCNPs)have attracted considerable interest for their synergistically enhanced functions in various applications such as chemical sensing,photocatalysis,anticounterfeiting and nanomedicine.However,precise assembly of MOF/UCNP hybrid composites with tunable morphologies remains a challenge due to the lack of effective synthetic methods and fundamental understanding of the growth mechanisms.Herein,we propose a modulator-directed assembly strategy to synthesize a series of ZIF-8@UCNP composites(ZIF-8=zeolitic imidazolate framework-8).The UCNPs densely paved on the surface of ZIF-8 microcrystals and endowed the composites with intense upconversion blue emission,which were verified by steady-state/transient photoluminescence(PL)spectroscopy and single-particle imaging.Ethylenediamine(EDA)was firstly used as a modulator to fine-tune the predominant MOF facets and realized distinct morphologies of the composites.By adjusting the concentration of EDA from 0 to 25 mmol/L,the morphology of the ZIF-8@UCNP composites was tuned from rhombic dodecahedron(RD)to truncated rhombic dodecahedron(TRD),cube with truncated edges(CTE),cube,and finally a unique form of interpenetration twins(IT).The nucleation and growth process of the ZIF-8@UCNP composites was monitored by time-dependent scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images and the formation mechanism was thoroughly revealed.Furthermore,we demonstrated that the strategy for assembly of morphology-controllable ZIF-8@UCNP composites was generally applicable to various UCNPs with different sizes and shapes.The proposed strategy is expected to open up new avenues for the controllable synthesis of MOF/UCNP composites toward diverse applications.

Computational and Experimental Study of Cooling Process in Coke Dry Quenching Experimental Shaft

Owing to its merits in energy savings, environmental protection and coke quality improvement, the Coke Dry Quenching (CDQ) technology is favorite in coke making industry today. In order to validate the mathematical model developed for the cooling process of real CDQ shaft, the one-seventh scale experimental setup was established. With the air as the working fluid and the coke as the packed bed, the coke and gas temperatures and the pressure drop in the cooling shaft were measured. A mathematical model based on the non-Darcian and non-thermal equilibrium model for the cooling process of the CDQ experimental shaft was presented. The computational results were compared to the experimental data. It was found that most numerical predictions were supported by the measured values.

Simulation of Velocity and Temperature Distributions of Displacement Ventilation System with Single or Double Heat Sources

In order to obtain a better understanding of flow characteristics of displacement ventilation, the three-dimensional numerical models are developed using the CFD technology. The numerical simulation results are verified by experiments, based on this, the velocity and temperature distribution of three-dimensional displacement ventilation system with single and double heat sources are studied. Velocity and temperature fields under two different cases of heat source are analyzed and compared. The numerical results show that there are three layers in vertical temperature fields of displacement ventilation system with single or double heat sources, and the vertical temperature distribution of single heat source is different from that of double heat sources. When indoor load is large, the comfort requirement of people indoor can＇t be satisfied with displacement ventilation system only, thus an additional refrigeration system is necessary. Furthermore, under the condition of two heat sources, the displacement ventilation parameters can＇t be computed simply according to single heat source inlet parameters, therefore the interaction between heat sources should be considered.

Protective effects of nicotine on gamma-aminobutyricacid neurons and dopaminergic neurons in micewith Parkinson disease

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of nicotine on dopaminergic neurons and its mechanisms in mice with Parkinson disease(PD)induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP).C57BL/6J mice were injected with MPTP for 8 days to establish a PD model.Nicotine was given for 10 days in the nicotine therapeutic group.Animals were examined behaviorally with the pole test and traction test.Tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)andγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)were determined by using the immunocytochem-istry(ICC)method.The ultrastructural changes of the caudate nucleus(CN)were observed under electron microscopy.The results showed that pretreatment with nicotine could improve the dyskinesia of PD mice markedly.Simultaneously,TH-positive(P<0.01)neurons and GABA-positive(P<0.05)neurons in the nicotine therapeutic group were significantly more than those in the model group.The ultrastructural injury of the nicotine therapeutic group was also ameliorated.Nicotine has protective effects on theγ-aminobutyric acid neurons and dopaminergic neurons in the MPTP-treated mice.

Numerical Prediction of Turbulent Flow and Heat Transfer with Phase Change in Crystallizer of Inverse Casting

A two-dimensional mathematical model has been undertaken to describe coupled liquid steel’s turbulent flow and heat transfer with solidification in the crystallizer of inverse casting. The solid-liquid phase change phenomena have been modeled by using the continuum formulations and considering the mush zone as porous media. The turbulence flow has been accounted for, using a modified version of the low-Reynolds-number k -ε turbulence model. A well-known numerical procedure, SIMPLE, has been used to solve the control equations. The effects of some main parameters on the solidification behavior have been studied, such as the casting speed, the thickness and the initial temperature of mother sheet the superheat degree of liquid steel.