Lowering ash slagging and fouling tendency of high-alkali coal by hydrothermal pretreatment

High-alkali species in coal are notorious for causing ash slagging and fouling incidents.In this paper,four high-alkali coals were individually subject to hydrothermal pretreatment(HTP),within a batch-type autoclave at 300 -C for 1 h,and the treated coals were analyzed,along with the oxygen-containing functional groups determined by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FT-IR).Then the alkali species and other components in the coal ash were quantified by X-ray fluorescence(XRF)for evaluating the ash slagging and fouling tendency.Apart from this,FactSage was adopted to simulate the occurrence and transformation of alkali species during coal thermal conversion ending at various temperatures.The findings indicate that the treated coals are superior to the parent ones in terms of certain remarkable changes via HTP.The moisture,oxygen and sulfur of the hydrothermally treated coals decline obviously,while the calorific value rises sharply.HTP could reduce the alkali species to less than 2%(%,by weight,equivalent to Na2O in dry ash),with a maximum removal ratio of 88.9%,lowering the ash slagging and fouling tendency.The proposed mechanism of HTP was that the alkali species in coal matrix became released due to the breakage of the coal functional groups and micropores during HTP.

Insulin plus incretin:A glucose-lowering strategy for type 2-diabetes

There are many advantages of combining incretin therapy[glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1)receptor agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4(DPP-4)inhibitors]with insulin therapy as a glucose-lowering strategy in type2 diabetes.One important advantage is the complementary mode of the mechanistic action of incretin and insulin therapy.Another advantage is the reduction in risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain when adding incretin therapy to insulin.Several clinical trials have studied the addition of GLP-1 receptor agonists[exenatide BID(twice daily),lixisenatide,albiglutide]or DPP-4inhibitors(vildagliptin,sitagliptin,saxagliptin,alogliptin,linagliptin)to ongoing insulin therapy or adding insulin to ongoing therapy with a GLP-1 receptor agonist(liraglutide).These studies show improved glycemia in the presence of limited risk for hypoglycemia and weight gain with the combination of incretin therapy with insulin.This article reviews the background and clinical studies on this combination.

Curcuminoids Target Decreasing Serum Adipocyte-fatty Acid Binding Protein Levels in Their Glucose-lowering Effect in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Whether supplementation of curcuminoids decreases serum adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein（A-FABP） level and whether this decrease benefits glucose control is unclear.One-hundred participants（n=50 administered curcuminoids,n=50 administered placebo） from our previous report on the effect of curcuminoids on type 2 diabetes in a 3-month intervention were assessed for levels of serum A-FABP,oxidative stress,and inflammatory biomarkers.Curcuminoids supplementation led to significant decreases in serum A-FABP,C-reactive protein（CRP）,tumor necrosis factor-α,and interleukin-6 levels.Curcuminoids supplementation also significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase（SOD） activity.The change in serum A-FABP levels showed positive correlations with changes in levels of glucose,free fatty acids（FFAs）,and CRP in subjects supplemented with curcuminoids.Further stepwise regression analysis showed that A-FABP was an independent predictor for levels of FFAs,SOD,and CRP.These results suggest that curcuminoids may exert anti-diabetic effects,at least in part,by reductions in serum A-FABP level.A-FABP reduction is associated with improved metabolic parameters in human type 2 diabetes.

Plasma apo CⅢ Levels in Relation to Inflammatory Traits and Metabolic Syndrome in Patients not Treated with Lipid-lowering Drugs Undergoing Coronary Angiography

Objective Assessment of the comprehensive relationship among apolipoprotein CIII（apoCⅢ） levels, inflammation, and metabolic disorders is rare. Methods A total of 1455 consecutive patients not treated with lipid-lowering drugs and undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. A mediation analysis was used to detect the underlying role of apoCⅢ in the association of inflammation with metabolic syndrome（MetS）. Results Patients with MetS showed higher levels of apoCⅢ [95.1（73.1-131.4） vs. 81.7（58.6-112.4） μg/mL, P 〈 0.001] and inflammatory markers [high sensitivity C-reactive protein, 1.7（0.8-3.4） vs. 1.1（0.5-2.2） mg/L; white blood cell count,（6.48 ± 1.68） vs.（6.11 ± 1.67） × 10~9/L]. The levels of apoCⅢ and inflammatory markers increased with the number of metabolic risk components（all P 〈 0.001）. Furthermore, apoCⅢ levels were associated with virtually all individual MetS risk factors and inflammatory markers（all P 〈 0.05）. Importantly, the prevalence of MetS in each metabolic disorder rose as apoCⅢ levels increased（all P 〈 0.05）. Mediation analysis showed that apoCⅢ partially mediated the effect of inflammation on MetS independently from triglycerides. Conclusion Plasma apoCⅢ levels were significantly associated with the development and severity of MetS, and a role of apoCⅢ in the effect of inflammation on the development of MetS was identified.

Frequency-locking and threshold current-lowering effects of a quantum cascade laser and an application in gas detection field

In this paper,the frequency-locking and threshold current-lowering effects of a quantum cascade laser are studied and achieved.Combined with cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy,the noninvasive detection of H_2 with a prepared concentration of 500 ppm in multiple dissolved gases is performed and evaluated.The high frequency selectivity of 0.0051 cm^-1 at an acquisition time of 1 s allows the sensitive detection of the（1-0） S（l） band of H_2 with a high accuracy of（96.53±0.29）%and shows that the detection limit to an absorption line of 4712.9046 cm^-1 is approximately（17.26±0.63） ppm at an atmospheric pressure and a temperature of 20 ℃.

The influence and explanation of fringing-induced barrier lowering on sub-100 nm MOSFETs with high-k gate dielectrics

The fringing-induced barrier lowering（FIBL） effect of sub-100 nm MOSFETs with high-k gate dielectrics is investigated using a two-dimensional device simulator.An equivalent capacitance theory is proposed to explain the physics mechanism of the FIBL effect.The FIBL effect is enhanced and the short channel performance is degraded with increasing capacitance.Based on equivalent capacitance theory,the influences of channel length,junction depth,gate/lightly doped drain（LDD） overlap length,spacer material and spacer width on FIBL is thoroughly investigated.A stack gate dielectric is presented to suppress the FIBL effect.

Effect of Glucose-lowering of Heteropolytungstogermanate β-K_6H[GeW_9V_3O_(40)]·9H_2O

Preliminary tests in rats have shown that the title complex is an efficient insulin mimic, which may be the first example of polyoxomatalates possessing insulin mimetic activity.

Analytical model including the fringing-induced barrier lowering effect for a dual-material surrounding-gate MOSFET with a high-κ gate dielectric

By solving Poisson＇s equation in both semiconductor and gate insulator regions in the cylindrical coordinates, an analytical model for a dual-material surrounding-gate （DMSG） metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor （MOSFET） with a high-k gate dielectric has been developed. Using the derived model, the influences of fringing-induced barrier lowering （FIBL） on surface potential, subthreshold current, DIBL, and subthreshold swing are investigated. It is found that for the same equivalent oxide thickness, the gate insulator with high-k dielectric degrades the short-channel performance of the DMSG MOSFET. The accuracy of the analytical model is verified by the good agreement of its results with that obtained from the ISE three-dimensional numerical device simulator.

Modeling of the drain-induced barrier lowering effect and optimization for a dual-channel 4H silicon carbide metal semiconductor field effect transistor

A new analytical model to describe the drain-induced barrier lowering （DIBL） effect has been obtained by solving the two-dimensional （2D） Poisson＇s equation for the dual-channel 4H-SiC MESFET （DCFET）. Using this analytical model, we calculate the threshold voltage shift and the sub-threshold slope factor of the DCFET, which characterize the DIBL effect. The results show that they are significantly dependent on the drain bias, gate length as well as the thickness and doping concentration of the two channel layers. Based on this analytical model, the structure parameters of the DCFET have been optimized in order to suppress the DIBL effect and improve the performance.

Total-Ionizing-Dose-Induced Body Current Lowering in the 130 nm PDSOI I/O NMOSFETs

The body current lowering effect of 130 nm partially depleted silicon-on-insulator (PDSOI) input/output (I/O) n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (NMOSFETs) induced by total-ionizing dose is observed and analyzed. The decay tendency of current ratio of body current and drain current I-b/I-d is also investigated. Theoretical analysis and TCAD simulation results indicate that the physical mechanism of body current lowering effect is the reduction of maximum lateral electric field of the pinch-off region induced by the trapped charges in the buried oxide layer (BOX). The positive charges in the BOX layer can counteract the maximum lateral electric field to some extent.

Study on Response Surface Methodology Optimization for Extraction Process of Cyclocarya paliurus Extract and Its Blood Sugar-lowering Effect

[Objectives]This study was conducted to discuss the mechanism of the blood sugar-lowering effect of Cyclocarya paliurus extract.[Methods]With C.paliurus leaves as the raw material,the ethyl acetate-butyl acetate microwave extraction process of C.paliurus was studied.With the yield of C.paliurus extract as an evaluation index,single-factor experiments were carried out on such 6 factors as the dry C.paliurus leaf powder size,solid-to-liquid ratio,extraction time,microwave frequency,microwave power,and microwave extraction time,and the extraction and purification process was further optimized by response surface analysis.The normal mice and the hyperglycemic mice modeled by alloxan were injected with C.paliurus extract to study the blood sugar-lowering effects of different groups of C.paliurus extract.[Results]The optimal process combination for the extraction of C.paliurus leaves was obtained:dry C.paliurus powder size 90-100 mesh,solid-to-liquid ratio 1∶20(g/ml),extraction time 192 min,microwave frequency 2500 MHz,microwave power 490 W,and extraction time 248 s.Under these conditions,the yield of C.paliurus extract reached the maximum,95.10%,reaching 99.83%of the predicted value.The blood sugar-lowering test on mice showed that the C.paliurus extract had a good effect on lowering blood sugar,indicating that C.paliurus extract can improve the free radical scavenging capacity to a certain extent.[Conclusions]This study provides certain reference for the in-depth study of the physiological effects of C.paliurus extract and the comprehensive development and utilization of C.paliurus extract.

Multi-Scale Organization of the Doumbouo-FokouéBauxites Ore Deposits (West Cameroon): Implication to the Landscape Lowering

Landscape distribution, macroscopic, microscopic, mineral and geochemical characterizations were conducted on the Doumbouo-Fokoué bauxite ore deposit in order to estimate bauxites potential and its implication to general lowering of the relief. Fourteen bauxitic plateaus covering a surface area of 5.7 km2 were identified. Bauxitic pedons show deep weathered profiles (10.0 - 12.0 m) with thick bauxitic mantle (4.0 - 8.0 m). Saprolite and pisolith bauxitic facies own high aluminium (47.5% - 49.5% Al2O3), relatively low iron (20.0% - 22.0% Fe2O3) and low silica contents (1.8% - 7.6% SiO2). Gibbsite is the dominant mineral (49% - 68% of minerals detected by X-ray);meanwhile hematite, goethite and kaolinite occur in small amounts. Bauxitization corresponds to intense allitization with abundant accumulation of gibbsite and development of lateritic iron bearing ortho-bauxites. Bauxite ores yielded bauxite reserves of 9.2 million tons. They occur as old and residual bauxitic mantles representing remnants of the Miocene residual lateritic deposits in West Cameroon referring to the African surface of Valeton [1]. Its mean altitude (1532 - 1590 m als) below the African surface reveals general lowering of the relief.

Effect of lipid lowering mixture on blood lipid metabolism, LDL oxidation susceptibility and blood viscosity and coagulation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats

Objective:To investigate the effect of lipid lowering mixture on blood lipid metabolism, LDL oxidative susceptibility and blood viscosity and coagulation in experimental hyperlipidemia rats.Method: Select 60 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups, ten rats in each group were recorded as low as lipid-lowering mixture, high dose group and simvastatin group, model group and control group. Patients in control group were treated with basic feed for feeding, other groups of rats are used high fat diet were fed to establish hyperlipidemia rat model, in the process of modeling and prophylactically, determination of rats after 10 weeks of lipid metabolism and susceptibility of LDL to oxidation and blood viscosity concentration coagulation state.Result: Antioxidant capacity of the model group rat's serum LDL-C decreased significantly, and simvastatin group and three groups of lipid-lowering mixture group rats serum LDL antioxidant capacity were significantly enhanced;and high lipid mixture, LDL antioxidant ability in middle dose group rats were significantly higher than those of the Jiangzhi Decoction low dose group rats (P<0.05). Lipid mixture of high, middle dose group rats of EET and ETA P, ETA B (high, medium and low shear), IED, HCT, the role of the IEA was significantly higher in Jiangzhi Decoction low dose group rats (P<0.05 or P<0.05).Conclusion:Lipid-lowering mixture on experimental hyperlipidemia rats blood lipid metabolism and blood viscosity concentration coagulation state has a good regulatory role, and lipid-lowering mixture on blood lipid and blood flow abnormalities lipid-lowering mixture can also play a good regulation and therapeutic effect.

The concept of gene therapy for glaucoma:the dream that has not come true yet

Gene therapies,despite of being a relatively new therapeutic approach,have a potential to become an important alternative to current treatment strategies in glaucoma.Since glaucoma is not considered a single gene disease,the identified goals of gene therapy would be rather to provide neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells,especially,in intraocular-pressure-independent manner.The most commonly reported type of vector for gene delivery in glaucoma studies is adeno-associated virus serotype 2 that has a high tro pism to retinal ganglion cells,res ulting in long-term expression and low immunogenic profile.The gene thera py studies recruit inducible and genetic animal models of optic neuropathy,like DBA/2J mice model of high-tension glaucoma and the optic nerve crush-model.Reported gene therapy-based neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells is targeting specific genes translating to growth factors(i.e.,brain derived neurotrophic factor,and its receptor TrkB),regulation of apoptosis and neurodegeneration(i.e.,Bcl-xl,Xiap,FAS system,nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2,Digit3 and Sarm1),immunomodulation(i.e.,Crry,C3 complement),modulation of neuroinflammation(i.e.,e rythropoietin),reduction of excitotoxicity(i.e.,Com KIlα)and transcription regulation(i.e.,Max,Nrf2).On the other hand,some of gene therapy studies focus on lowering intra ocular pressure,by impacting genes involved in both,decreasing aqueous humor production(i.e.,aquaporin 1),and increasing outflow facility(i.e.,COX2,prostaglandin F2a receptor,RhoA/RhoA kinase signaling pathway,MMP1,Myocilin).The goal of this review is to summarize the current stateof-art and the direction of development of gene therapy strategies for glaucomatous neuropathy.

Assessment of post-myocardial infarction lipid levels and management:Results from a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan

BACKGROUND Lipid treatment practices and levels in post-acute myocardial infarction(AMI)patients,which are crucial for secondary prevention.AIM To evaluate the lipid treatment practices and lipid levels in post-myocardial infarction(MI)patients at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.METHODS In this cross-sectional study,we analyzed patients who had experienced their first AMI event in the past 3 years.We assessed fasting and non-fasting lipid profiles,reviewed statin therapy prescriptions,and examined patient compliance.The recommended dose was defined as rosuvastatin≥20 mg or atorvastatin≥40 mg,with target total cholesterol levels set at<160 mg/dL and target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)at<55 mg/dL.RESULTS Among 195 patients,71.3%were male,and the mean age was 57.1±10.2 years.The median duration since AMI was 36(interquartile range:10-48)months and 60% were diagnosed with ST-segment elevation MI.Only 13.8% of patients were advised to undergo lipid profile testing after AMI,88.7% of patients were on the recommended statin therapy,and 91.8% of patients were compliant with statin therapy.Only 11.5% had LDL-C within the target range and 71.7% had total cholesterol within the target range.Hospital admission in the past 12 months was reported by 14.4%,and the readmission rate was significantly higher among non-compliant patients(37.5%vs 5.6%).Subsequent AMI event rate was also significantly higher among non-compliant patients(43.8%vs 11.7%).CONCLUSION Our study highlights that while most post-AMI patients received the recommended minimum statin therapy dose,the inadequate practice of lipid assessment may compromise therapy optimization and raise the risk of subsequent events.

Are treatment options used for adult-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus(equally)available and effective for children and adolescents?

Youth-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM),influenced by an increase in obesity,is a rising problem worldwide.Pathophysiological mechanisms of this early-onset T2DM include both peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance,along with increa-sed hepatic fasting glucose production accompanied by inadequate first and second-phase insulin secretion.Moreover,the incretin effect is reduced.The initial presentation of type 2 diabetes can be dramatic and symptoms may overlap with those of type 1 diabetes mellitus.Therefore,immediate therapy should address hyperglycemia and associated metabolic derangements irrespective of ultimate diabetes type,while further therapy adjustments are prone to patients’pheno-type.New agents with proven glycemic and beyond glycemia benefits,such as Glucagon-like polypeptide 1 receptor agonists and Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors,used in the adult population of T2DM patients,might become increasingly important in the treatment armamentarium.Moreover,metabolic surgery is an option for markedly obese(body mass index>35 kg/m^(2))children and adolescents suffering from T2DM who have uncontrolled glycemia and/or serious comorbidities when lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions fail.In this mini-review,we will discuss the potential of treatment options considering new data available from randomized control trials,including individuals with adult-onset type diabetes mellitus.

Lowering the energy consumption in silicon photonic devices and systems [Invited]

We review current silicon photonic devices and their performance in connection with energy consumption.Four critical issues are identified to lower energy consumption in devices and systems: reducing the influence of the thermo-optic effect, increasing the wall-plug efficiency of lasers on silicon, optimizing energy performance of modulators, and enhancing the sensitivity of photodetectors. Major conclusions are(1) Mach–Zehnder interferometer-based devices can achieve athermal performance without any extra energy consumption while microrings do not have an efficient passive athermal solution;(2) while direct bonded III–V-based Si lasers can meet system power requirement for now, hetero-epitaxial grown III–V quantum dot lasers are competitive and may be a better option for the future;(3) resonant modulators, especially coupling modulators, are promising for low-energy consumption operation even when the power to stabilize their operation is included;(4) benefiting from high sensitivity and low cost, Ge/Si avalanche photodiode is the most promising photodetector and can be used to effectively reduce the optical link power budget. These analyses and solutions will contribute to further lowering energy consumption to meet aggressive energy demands in future systems.

Key chemical composition of walnut(Juglans regia.L)Oils generated with different processing methods and their cholesterol-lowering effects in HepG2 cells

We systematically evaluated fatty acids and triacylglycerol composition,as well as tocopherol,phytosterol,and phenolics,in walnut oil and compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of oil processed with different methods(cold pressing,roast-pressing,hexane extraction,subcritical butane extraction,and supercritical CO_(2) extraction).The different methods did not affect the lipid composition of walnut oil.The tocopherol(41.11 mg/100 g)and total phenolic content(TPC,4.26 mg/100 g)of roast-pressed walnut oil and the phytosterol contents of subcritical butane-extracted walnut oil(106.51 mg/100 g)were higher than those of other tested oils.Walnut oil significantly decreased cholesterol synthesis by downregulating the expression of HMGCR,SREBP-2,and CYP51 genes,and increased cholesterol efflux by upregulating the expression of ABCG1,thus significantly reducing total cholesterol and triacylglycerol.Phytosterols and TPC in walnut oil were responsible for lowering cholesterol;the optimal concentration of phytosterols was 10μg/mL,and that of TPC was 12.5×10^(-3)μg/mL.Through process optimization,a new processing method for walnut oil based on biological evaluation was preliminarily established.