Hydrogen-rich water ameliorates neuropathological impairments in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease through reducing neuroinflammation and modulating intestinal microbiota

Hydrogen exhibits the potential to treat Alzheimer's disease. Stereotactic injection has been previously used as an invasive method of administering active hydrogen, but this method has limitations in clinical practice. In this study, triple transgenic(3×Tg) Alzheimer's disease mice were treated with hydrogen-rich water for 7 months. The results showed that hydrogen-rich water prevented synaptic loss and neuronal death, inhibited senile plaques, and reduced hyperphosphorylated tau and neurofibrillary tangles in 3×Tg Alzheimer's disease mice. In addition, hydrogen-rich water improved brain energy metabolism disorders and intestinal flora imbalances and reduced inflammatory reactions. These findings suggest that hydrogen-rich water is an effective hydrogen donor that can treat Alzheimer's disease. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee of Shenzhen University, China(approval No. AEWC-20140615-002) on June 15, 2014.

Therapeutic potential of dental pulp stem cell transplantation in a rat model of Alzheimer’s disease

Dental pulp stem cells are dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells that originate from the neural crest.They exhibit greater potential for the treatment of nervous system diseases than other types of stem cells because of their neurogenic differentiation capability and their ability to secrete multiple neurotrophic factors.Few studies have reported Alzheimer’s disease treatment using dental pulp stem cells.Rat models of Alzheimer’s disease were established by injecting amyloid-β1–42 into the hippocampus.Fourteen days later,5×106 dental pulp stem cells were injected into the hippocampus.Immunohistochemistry and western blot assays showed that dental pulp stem cell transplantation increased the expression of neuron-related doublecortin,NeuN,and neurofilament 200 in the hippocampus,while the expression of amyloid-βwas decreased.Moreover,cognitive and behavioral abilities were improved.These findings indicate that dental pulp stem cell transplantation in rats can improve cognitive function by regulating the secretion of neuron-related proteins,which indicates a potential therapeutic effect for Alzheimer’s disease.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Harbin Medical University,China(approval No.KY2017-132)on February 21,2017.

Pore structure evolution during the coke graphitization process in a blast furnace

Pore structure is an important factor influencing coke strength,while the property of coke is essential to maintaining gas and liquid permeability in a blast furnace.Therefore,an in-depth understanding of the pore structure evolution during the graphitization process can reveal the coke size degradation behavior during its descent in a blast furnace.Coke graphitization was simulated at different heating temperatures from 1100 to 1600℃ at intervals of 100℃.The quantitative evaluation of the coke pore structure with different graphitization degree was determined by vacuum drainage method and nitrogen adsorption method.Results show that the adsorption and desorption curves of graphitized coke have intersection points,and the two curves did not coincide,instead forming a“hysteresis loop.”Based on the hysteresis loop analysis,the porous structure of the graphitized coke mostly appeared in the shape of a“hair follicle.”Furthermore,with an increase in heating temperature,the apparent porosity,specific surface area,total pore volume,and amount of micropores showed good correlation and can divided into three stages:1100-1200,1200-1400,and 1400-1600℃.When the temperature was less than 1400℃,ash migration from the inner part mainly led to changes in the coke pore structure.When the temperature was greater than 1400℃,the pore structure evolution was mainly affected by the coke graphitization degree.The results of scanning electron microscopy,energy dispersive spectrometry,and ash content analyses also confirmed that the migration of the internal ash to the surface of the matrix during the graphitization process up to 1400℃ contributed to these changes.

Splenic artery trunk embolization reduces the surgical risk of liver transplantation

BACKGROUND： Portal hypertension is one of the most im- portant clinical conditions that cause intraoperative intensive hemorrhage in cirrhotic patients undergoing liver transplan- tation. Pre-transplant portal decompression may reduce the intraoperative bleeding during liver transplantation.

Progress in research on correlation between prognosis indicators of pancreatic cancer

Objective:Pancreatic cancer is one of the highly malignant tumors of the digestive tract. The pathogenesis is still unclear. The clinical manifestations are mainly upper abdominal pain, jaundice, weight loss and fatigue, and even mental and neurological disorders. However, these symptoms did not manifest in the early stage,leading to early detection, early diagnosis, early treatment, and poor prognosis. Therefore, research on clinical indicators of pancreatic cancer has become a hot topic, such as Tumor marker, albumin/globulin ratio and neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio, collagen type VI α1 chain, constitutive photomorpho-genesis 9 signaloSome,Soluble UL16-binding protein 2 etc.These indic- ators are one of the commonly used diagnostic methods after pathology and imaging diagnosis.This article reviews and analyzes the indicators related to pancreatic cancer in recent years and reports the following.

Estimation of Energy Consumption in COREX Process Using a Modified Rist Operating Diagram

Fuel consumption in the COREX-3000 process run in Baosteel is currently higher than the design index. Therefore, mass and heat balance equations for the COREX process were established using the basic principles in- cluded in the Rist operating diagram for blast furnace （BF） as a reference. Thermodynamic calculations were then used to modify the Rist operating diagram so that it was suitable for the COREX process. The modified Rist operating dia- gram was then applied for the evaluation of metallization rate （MR） and fuel structure to reduce the energy consump- tion in the COREX process. The modified Rist operating diagram for the shaft furnace （SF） provided a nearly ideal value for the restriction point W when the metallization rate was increased, while the point P on the operating line for the melter gasifier （MG） moved upward due to reduction in the heat required in hearth. The feasibility of reduc- ing the energy consumption during the COREX process by changing the fuel structure was also demonstrated.

Effect of w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3)) ratio and basicity on microstructure and metallurgical properties of blast furnace slag

The CaO–SiO_(2)–Al_(2)O_(3)–MgO system is the main component unit in the slag formation process in blast furnace smelting.Its structural changes directly affect the high-temperature metallurgical properties of slag.Molecular dynamics simulations were thus conducted to analyze the microstructure changes of the quaternary slag system under different basicities and w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratios.The changes in w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratio and basicity could affect the stability of each ion-oxygen.Increasing the basicity and w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratio,the average coordination number of O surrounding Si atom only changed a little and remained approximately 4,indicating that Si exists as a stable structure of the[SiO4]4−tetrahedron in the slag structure,while the average coordination number of O surrounding Al atom changed greatly from 4 to 6,which indicated that the Al existence form could be transformed from[AlO_(4)]^(5−) tetrahedron to[AlO_(5)]^(7−) pentahedron and[AlO_(6)]^(9−) octahedron.Also,the diffusion rate of ions was accelerated with the increase in w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratio and basicity.Moreover,the self-diffusion coefficients of each ion were obtained,and the magnitudes were observed to be in the following order:Mg^(2+)>Ca^(2+)>Al^(3+)>Si^(4+).The calculation and analysis of the slag viscosity and activation energy of viscous flow under different basicities and w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratios revealed that the metallurgical properties of slag at high temperature depend on the flow-unit diffusivity and the microstructure stability,simultaneously,the basicity should be controlled between 1.0 and 1.2,and the w(MgO)/w(Al_(2)O_(3))ratio could be controlled between 0.45 and 0.55.

Non-isothermal thermogravimetric investigation on mutual effect between bituminite and anthracite in blends for blast furnace injection

In order to clarify the mutual effect between bituminite and anthracite in blends during industrial combustion, the influence of particle size and heating rate as well as oxygen concentration in atmosphere was analyzed. The results of non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the combustion behavior of blends was of great difference though blends were prepared with the same volatile content of 20%. The catalysis of bituminite to anthracite changed with the thermal and kinetic condition of combustion reaction, and consequently, blends with different collocations were suitable for various combustion environments. Superior combustion properties of some blends were achieved at high heating rates, while others might react faster under high oxygen-enriched atmosphere. Simultaneously, the volume model and unreacted core model as well as random pore model were introduced to fit the experimental data. The kinetic calculation results showed that the combustion of blends at different heating rates all agreed better with that of random pore model in comparison with the other two models, while the apparent activation energy of samples all decreased with the increase in heating rate. The similarity of functional group structure between bituminite and anthracite is closely related to the accordance in com-bustion stage of bituminite and anthracite in blends.

Effect of cerium addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast high grade knives steel

The carbides and mechanical properties of as-cast high grade knives steel with and without cerium(Ce)addition were studied.The as-cast microstructure of the steel,the size of carbide precipitation,carbide morphology,and mechanical properties were systematically studied through optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and X-ray diffraction.Besides,through the Equilib module of the FactSage thermodynamics software,the changes in the precipitation type of the inclusions with Ce during the solidification of the steel were calculated.The results indicate that the rare earth Ce is added into the steel to refine the as-cast microstructure of the steel.The types of inclusions in the steel are changed by the addition of Ce.The precipitated carbide morphology changes from a complex rod shape to a relatively single lamellar shape.The rare earth inclusions formed in steel by a moderate addition of Ce can be severed as the core of heterogeneous nucleation of carbides,which reduce the size of carbide precipitation,promote the uniform distribution of carbide in the as-cast steel,and improve the mechanical properties of the as-cast high grade knives steel.

Effect and mechanism of nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)additive on compressive strength of calcium aluminate cement at high temperature

Calcium aluminate cement(CAC)is widely used as a binder for refractory materials,and thus the improvement in compressive strength is of vital importance for CAC applied at high temperature.For this purpose,nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)additive with a ratio of 0.5–1.5 mass%was added with the water-cement ratio to be 0.4.X-ray diffraction and isothermal calorimetry analysis demonstrate that nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)additive can shorten the hydration process and promote the formation of main hydrates of CaAl2O4·10H2O(CAH10)and Ca2Al2O5·8H2O(C2AH8).In addition,scanning electron microscopy results suggest that nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)can protect CAH10 and C2AH8 from being destroyed during the calcination,guaranteeing that these thin lamellar crystals are intertwined to form the denser microstructure.Benefited from above effects,nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)can obviously improve the compressive strength of the CAC mortar samples cured for 7 d after calcination at 1100°C,while the improving effect is dependent upon its contents.Especially,compared with the one without the additive,the compressive strength of the sample with 1.0%nano-Ca_(10)(PO_(4))_(6)(OH)_(2)is increased by 14%.

Wetting and corrosion behavior between magnesia-carbon refractory and converter slags with different MgO contents

The influence of MgO content in slag on wetting and corrosion behavior between slag and MgO–C refractory was investigated.It can be known from the high-temperature wetting experiment that as the MgO content in the slag increases,the final contact angle between the slag and the MgO–C refractory gradually increases and the penetration depth of the slag into the refractory gradually decreases from 60.54μm(when the MgO content is 8%)to 28.11μm(when the MgO content is 12%).The CaO and SiO_(2)in the slag penetrate into the MgO–C refractory along the pores or surface cracks formed by carbon oxidation and react with MgO to generate a large amount of low-melting compound CaO–MgO–SiO_(2),which accelerates the corrosion of the refractory.As the MgO content in slag increases,the viscosity of the slag increases and the fluidity becomes worse,so that the mass transfer and diffusion of molecules or ions in the slag are weakened.In addition,the increase in MgO reduces the activity of FeO in the slag,which inhibits the interfacial chemical reaction,thereby weakening the wetting effect caused by the reaction.

Kinetic study on co-combustion of pulverized anthracite and bituminite for blast furnace injection

Combustion behavior of single pulverized coals(PCs)and co-combustion characteristics of anthracite(AT)and bituminite(BT)blends with 20 wt.%volatile were studied by thermogravimetric experiments.The results indicated that reaction characteristics of PCs were closely related to their functional group structure and consequently,the pyrolysis of PCs with highly active functional groups initiated at lower temperatures.It was also noticed that the discrepancy of functional group structures between AT and BT might impair their interaction during combustion.The early exhaust of BT at low temperatures would possibly lead to an independent combustion of volatile and residual carbon and eventually the inefficient combustion of their blend.However,the mixing of AT and BT with similar functional group structures was more likely to achieve blends with superior combustion property.Simultaneously,non-isothermal kinetic analysis mani-fested that the combustion of blends followed random pore model(RPM),and therefore,the parameters calculated by RPM were more accurate to describe their combustion behavior.The kinetic calculation results showed that the activation energy required for decomposition of blends in early combustion stage was much lower owing to the excellent activity of volatile,while residual carbon with stable aromatic hydrocarbon demanded more energy to initiate its combustion.

Thermal analysis and kinetic modeling of pulverized coal combustion accompanied with coke breeze

Pulverized coal injection technique has been widely used as a means of reducing coke consumption during ironmaking process.Owing to the increasing shortage of fossil fuels,other substitutes such as biomass,plastic,and waste tires have been studied in recent years.Coke breeze as one of the by-products of coking industries has been investigated as a substitute for partial pulverized coals.The combustion characteristics of blended fuels were estimated based on the flammability index C and the combustion characteristic index S.For different coke breeze additions,the combustion was divided into two stages,and the apparent kinetic parameters of the two stages were estimated by fitting the experimental data to the shrinkage reaction model and shrinkage diffusion model,respectively.Results showed that with the increase in coke breeze addition from 15% to 60%,the indexes C and S decrease,and the activation energy of the first stage remains almost constant,while that of the last stage increases from 16.89 up to 67.18 kJ mol^(-1),which indicates that adding coke breeze decreases the combustion efficiency of pulverized coal.Comparing the combustion and kinetic parameters under different coke breeze addition conditions,the optimal addition amount is suggested to be within 15%.