The Effect of Acidity Coefficient on the Crystallization Properties and Viscosity of Modified Blast Furnace Slag for Mineral Wool Production

The crystallization and viscosity of modified blast furnace slag are key factors in fiber forming conditions. In this paper, the crystallization behavior of modified blast furnace slag under continuous cooling conditions was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, and its crystallization kinetics with different acidity coefficients were established. On this basis, the evolution law of the crystallization phase and the influence of crystallization on the viscosity of modified blast furnace slag with different acidity coefficients were analyzed. The results indicated that the crystallization phases of slag with acidity coefficients of 1.05 and 1.20 were, respectively, Melilite and Anorthite. During the cooling process at the acidity coefficient of 1.05, the critical rates of precipitation of Melilite and Anorthite were 50 °C/s and 20 °C/s, respectively, while they were 20 °C/s and 15 °C/s, respectively, at the acidity coefficient of 1.20. With the increase of the acidity coefficient, the crystal growth mode of slag changed from two-dimensional and three-dimensional mixed crystallization to surface nucleation and one-dimensional crystallization. The crystallization activation energy of slag with acidity coefficients of 1.05 and 1.20 were 698.14 kJ/mol and 1292.50 kJ/mol, respectively. In addition, the change trend of viscosity was related to crystal size and content.     

A Novel Preparation of Special-Shaped Phosphors-in-Glass by Gel Casting with Isobam for High-Power WLEDs Lighting

Phosphors-in-glass (PiGs) regarded as a promising phosphor-converter for white light emitting diodes (WLEDs) is being researched widely. However, there are few reports on the effect of changing the shape of PiGs on the color rendering index (CRI) and heat dissipation of WLEDs. In this paper, gel casting with Isobam was first attempted in preparing special-shaped PiGs successfully. It exhibited that 76 wt.% was the optimum solid content based on the rheological properties of slurry and the shrinkage of green bodies. The sintering rate should be kept at a low speed and glass transition temperature (Tg) of glass powders must be higher than sublimation temperatures (Ts) of APS and Isobam. The CRI of PiGs was increased by about 27% after changing the shape of PiGs from cylinder to dome. Most importantly, operating temperature also reduced effectively the increase of the surface area of PiGs. Therefore, changing the shape of PiGs by gel casting with Isobam is a creative way for high-power WLEDs lighting.     

先天性巨结肠中miR-939靶向调控SOX4表达抑制肠神经嵴前体细胞功能表型的实验研究

目的 检测MicroRNA-939(miR-939)和性别决定区相关HMG族盒蛋白4(Sry-related HMG box 4,SOX4)在先天性巨结肠(Hirschsprung's disease,HSCR)中的表达水平,评估miR-939在SOX4调控肠神经嵴前体细胞(enteric neural crest c...     

Predictive value of postoperative serum prealbumin levels for early detection of anastomotic leak after esophagectomy: A retrospective study

The impact of serum prealbumin in patients with esophageal carcinoma after undergoing esophagectomy remains unclear, we speculated that serum prealbumin is associated with anastomotic leak (AL) after surgery, low serum prealbumin level may lead to AL. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between serum prealbumin levels and AL after esophagectomy, to explore the value of serum prealbumin as an early predictor of AL after esophagectomy.Between January 2014 and December 2018, 255 patients were enrolled in this study, their basic characteristics and perioperative serum prealbumin levels were retrospectively analyzed. Statistical analysis by t test, nonparametric test and logistic regression were used to analyze data for patients with and without AL. Based on a receiver operator characteristic curve, a cut-off value for serum prealbumin levels as a predictor of AL was determined.Among the 255 patients, 18 patients were diagnosed with AL. The overall AL rate was 7.0% (18/255) including 12 cases of intrathoracic AL and 6 cases of cervical AL. By univariate analysis, we identified postoperative serum prealbumin level as a risk factor for AL (P < .001). Multivariate analysis also demonstrated postoperative serum prealbumin level (P = .028) to be an independent risk factor for AL. The best cut-off value of postoperative serum prealbumin level was 131 mg/L for predicting AL, with 83.3% sensitivity and 72.2% specificity.Postoperative serum prealbumin level was significantly associated with AL. it may help the early prediction of postoperative AL.     

IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 participates in the modulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) occur frequently in the digestive system and are associated with high mortality. This current study examined the regulatory relationship between interleukin (IL)-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1), NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes, and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the growth and metastasis of HCC.MethodsThe expression of IRAK1 and NLRP3 was assessed in tissues and cells via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Immunohistology was performed to detect the macrophage markers CD68, CD163, and CD168 in tumor tissues. Small interfering (si)RNA targeting IRAK1 (si-IRAK1) was designed to silence IRAK1 expression. Following si-IRAK1 transfection and/or co-culture with TAMs, HCC cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as the expression of NLRP3 and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1 β, IL-18, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) were assessed.ResultsHCC tissues showed elevated expression of IRAK1 and NLRP3, as well as increased expression of the macrophage markers CD68, CD163, and CD168, compared to adjacent healthy tissues. Silencing of IRAK1 expression in HepG2 and Huh7 cells resulted in suppression of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and also reduced expression of NLRP3 and the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, and MCP-1. Moreover, TAMs promoted HepG2 and Huh7 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and elevated the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18, and MCP-1. Furthermore, IRAK1 silencing reversed the effects of TAMs on HepG2 and Huh7 cells.ConclusionsThe expression of IRAK1 was associated with HCC growth and metastasis, as well as NLRP3 inflammasome activation. The ability of TAMs to promote HCC growth and metastasis may be activated by NLRP3 inflammasomes and regulated by IRAK1.     

CONSORT-Characteristics and metabolic phenotype of gut microbiota in NAFLD patients

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have symptoms of a gut microbiota disorder with abnormal amino acid and glycolipid metabolism. This study was designed to analyze the characteristics of gut microbiota in patients with NAFLD, predict the gut microbiota phenotype, explore its role in the diagnosis of NAFLD, and establish its significance in disease progression.The characteristics of the gut microbiota in NAFLD patients (n = 28, 45.8 ± 14.2 years, male/female = 18/10) and healthy subjects (n = 20, 49.6 ± 4.8 years, male/female = 14/6) during March–May 2020 were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing technology and the phenotypes with large differences were predicted using the Tax4Fun method. The metabolites in the fecal samples of the patients were analyzed using mass spectrometry, and their correlation with different microorganisms was examined. The accuracy of the gut microbiota in diagnosing NAFLD was investigated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.We found that the microbial diversity and Bacteroides/Firmicutes (BF) ratio changed significantly (P < .05) in the feces of NAFLD patients. Phenotypic prediction showed that there were significant differences in the phenotypes of amino acid, glucose, and lipid metabolism of gut microbiota in the NAFLD group (P < .05). receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that combination of Bacteroides and the BF ratio resulted in 88% and 100% sensitivity and specificity, respectively, when used for NAFLD diagnosis. Metabolomics and bioinformatics analysis revealed changes in the metabolism of nicotinate, nicotinamide, and pyrimidine; signaling pathways of calcium and oxytocin; pancreatic secretion with metabolites such as uracil, xanthine, and biliverdin; and enzymes such as xanthine dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase (P < .05).Therefore, the phenotypic changes may be a potential marker for NAFLD and we considered that a combined analysis of Bacteroides and BF ratio had good diagnostic accuracy for NAFLD.     

Extracellular ATP promotes angiogenesis and adhesion of TNBC cells to endothelial cells via upregulation of CTGF

Our previous works have indicated that extracellular ATP is an important prometastasis factor. However, the molecular mechanism involved needs to be further studied. We demonstrated that extracellular ATP treatment could upregulate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in both triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and endothelial cells (ECs). Extracellular ATP stimulated the migration of TNBC cells and ECs, and angiogenesis of ECs via the P2Y2––YAP‐CTGF axis. Furthermore, we demonstrated that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) stimulated TNBC cell adhesion to ECs and transmigration through the EC layer via CTGF by upregulation of integrin β1 on TNBC cells and VCAM‐1 on ECs. Both apyrase (ATP‐diphosphohydrolase) and CTGF shRNA treatments could inhibit the metastasis of inoculated tumors to lung and liver in a mouse model, and these treated tumors had fewer blood vessels. Collectively, our data indicated that extracellular ATP promotes tumor angiogenesis and the interactions between TNBC cells and ECs through upregulation of CTGF, thereby stimulating TNBC metastasis. The pleiotropic effects of ATP in angiogenesis and cell adhesion suggest that extracellular ATP or CTGF could be an effective target for TNBC therapy.     

EGDM方案对ICU呼吸衰竭机械通气患者睡眠质量及获得性衰弱风险的影响

目的 探讨早期目标导向活动（EGDM）方案对重症监护病房（ICU）呼吸衰竭机械通气患者睡眠质量及获得性衰弱（ICU-AW）风险的影响。方法 前瞻选取广州市红十字会医院2019年3月～2021年3月96例ICU收治的行机械通气的呼吸衰竭患者,采用随机数表法分为观察组与对照组,各50例。对照组给予ICU常规干预,观察组在对照组基础上实施EGDM方案。观察两组干预3和7 d后医学研究委员会（MRC）评分、Barthel指数（BI）评分及ICU-AW发生率,统计两组机械通气时间、ICU住院时间和总住院时间,测定两组干预前、干预7 d后呼吸力学相关指标[气道阻力（Raw）、肺顺应性（Cl）、内源性呼气末正压（PEEPi）]及睡眠进程参数[睡眠总时间、睡眠潜伏期、快速动眼期（REM）期睡眠时间、觉醒时间、睡眠效率]。结果 干预7 d后观察组MRC评分、ICU-AW发生率与本组干预3 d后比较,差异均无统计学意义（P> 0.05）,干预7 d后观察组BI评分显著低于本组干预3 d后,差异有统计学意义（P <0.05）,干预7 d后对照组MRC评分、BI评分显著低于本组干预3 d后,ICU...     

Morphology,Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of S32101 Duplex Stainless-Steel Joints in K-TIG Welding

In this paper, the {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"S32101","term_id":"422005","term_text":"pir||S32101"}}S32101 duplex stainless steel welded joints were produced by a K-TIG welding system. The weld geometry parameters under different welding speeds were analyzed by combining the morphological characteristics of the keyhole. The microstructure and impact toughness of the base metal and weld metal zone under different welding speeds were studied. The experiment results show that the welding speed has quite an effect on the geometry profile of the weld. In addition, the characteristic parameters of the keyhole can effectively predict the geometry profile of the weld. The test results prove that the microstructure, Σ3 coincidence site lattice grain boundary, and phase boundary of ferrite and austenite have an effect on the impact property of the weld metal zone. When the proportion of the austenite, Σ3 coincidence site lattice grain boundary and random phase boundary increased, the impact property of the weld metal zone also increased.