•TGA reduction of hematite (Fe2O3) in CO (5–20%) was conducted at temperatures from 750 to 900°C.•A single reaction scheme was applied to the reduction data.•The reaction is first-order.•The reaction ...rate increases with temperature and CO concentration.
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the reduction behavior of hematite by using continuous streams of 5%, 10%, and 20% CO concentrations in N2 was conducted at temperatures ranging from 750 to 900°C over ten cycles. The reduced hematite was then oxidized using dry air. The rate of reduction was determined by the sample weight loss. Analysis of the data indicated that the reduction behavior can be described by single rate-determining step and it was controlled by the chemical reaction at the particle surface. The mass spectroscopy analysis of product gas indicated that no carbon deposition was found when operating at these temperature ranges (750–900°C). The analysis of reduction showed that two reduction steps (Fe2O3→Fe3O4, Fe3O4→FeO) proceed simultaneously. The activation energy was estimated to be 19.0±0.14kJ/mole.
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the pleotropic effects of telmisartan against the metabolic derangement, and the maturation of the inflammasome (interleukins 1β and 18) that associated ...with NAFLD. Methods: This open label clinical trial was carried in the Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine at University of Sulaimani in cooperation with the Shar Hospital in the Sulaimani-Iraq. A total number of 51 NAFLD patients were recruited and grouped randomly into Group I (n=25) treated with placebo and Group II (n=26) treated with telmisartan (20 mg single oral dose, daily) for 8 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, fasting lipid profile and glucose levels, hematological indices, hepatic-fibrosis assessment, and inflammatory (including interleukins 1β and -18) markers were determined. Results: Telmisartan significantly reduced the waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride-glucose index, and aspartate transaminase enzyme. A significant high value of hepatic fibrosis in Group I patients compared with Group II patients was observed. Telmisartan significantly reduced the inflammasome markers, granulocyte number and without producing a significant effect against platelet count. Conclusions: Short-term therapy with low dose telmisartan can suppresses the maturation of inflammasome manifested by significant low levels of serum IL-1β and IL-18. This effect associated with improvement of the metabolic derangement and decreasing the liver fibrosis in NAFLD.
•TGA reduction of hematite (Fe2O3) in CH4 (15–35%) was conducted at temperatures from 700 to 825°C.•A parallel reaction scheme was applied to the reduction data.•One reaction is first-order and the ...other follows the Avrami equation for nucleation and growth.•The reaction rates for both reactions increase with temperature and methane concentration.
Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) has emerged as a promising technology for fossil fuel combustion which produces a sequestration ready concentrated CO2 stream in power production. A CLC system is composed with two reactors, an air and a fuel reactor. An oxygen carrier such as hematite (94%Fe2O3) circulates between the reactors, which transfers the oxygen necessary for the fuel combustion from the air to the fuel. An important issue for the CLC process is the selection of metal oxide as oxygen carrier, since it must retain its reactivity through many cycles. The primary objective of this work is to develop a global mechanism with respective kinetics rate parameters such that CFD simulations can be performed for large systems. In this study, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the reduction of hematite (Fe2O3) in a continuous stream of CH4 (15%, 20%, and 35%) was conducted at temperatures ranging from 700 to 825°C over ten reduction cycles. The mass spectroscopy analysis of product gas indicated the presence of CO2 and H2O at the early stage of reaction and H2 and CO at the final stage of reactions. A kinetic model based on two parallel reactions, (1) first-order irreversible rate kinetics and (2) Avrami equation describing nucleation and growth processes, was applied to the reduction data. It was found, that the reaction rates for both reactions increase with, both, temperature and the methane concentration in inlet gas.
Sulfonic acid based mesostructures (SAMs) have been developed in recent years and have important catalytic applications. The primary applications of these materials are in various organic synthesis ...reactions, such as multicomponent reactions, carbon–carbon bond couplings, protection reactions, and Fries and Beckman rearrangements. This review aims to provide an overview of the recent developments in the field of SAMs with a particular emphasis on the reaction scope and advantages of heterogeneous solid acid catalysts.
Sulfur lining: Sulfonic acid‐based mesostructures (SAMs) have been developed in recent years and have important catalytic applications. The primary applications of these materials are in various organic synthesis reactions such as multicomponent reactions, carbon–carbon bond couplings, protection reactions, and Fries and Beckman rearrangements. This Review aims to provide an overview of the recent developments in the field of SAMs with a particular emphasis on the reaction scope and advantages of heterogeneous solid acid catalysts.
Different methods of reducing the viscosity of heavy crude oil to enhance the flow properties were investigated. Experimental measurements were conducted using RheoStress RS100 from Haake. Several ...factors such as shear rate, temperature and light oil concentration on the viscosity behavior have been studied. This study shows that the blending of the heavy crude oil with a limited amount of lighter crude oil provided better performance than the other alternatives. Experimental measurements in terms of shear stress
τ–shear rate
γ
˙
,
and yield stress
τ
0 were conducted on the mixture of heavy crude oil–light crude oil (O-light). The results showed a significant viscosity reduction of 375
mPa
s at a room temperature of 25
°C. This study shows that the heavy crude oil required a yield stress of 0.7
Pa, whereas no yield stress was reported for the heavy crude oil–light crude oil mixture.
Although promising, clinical and experimental efforts at in utero hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation currently are limited by minimal donor cell engraftment and lack of early donor cell ...expression after transplantation. We reasoned that cotransplantation of stromal elements (ST) might condition the fetal microenvironment for the engraftment of donor HSC and facilitate precocious bone marrow (BM) hematopoiesis. In this study we cotransplanted sheep ST, derived from adult or fetal BM, with either adult or fetal HSC, into preimmune fetal sheep. We analyzed donor cell chimerism in BM and peripheral blood and compared levels of chimerism achieved with recipients of HSC alone. In all experimental groups, stromal cotransplantation markedly increased the level of peripheral blood donor cell expression at 60 days after transplantation relative to controls. Adult BM-derived stroma cotransplanted with adult HSC provided the highest levels of circulating donor cells, whereas fetal-derived stroma was less effective. In addition, ST cotransplantation resulted in increased donor cell engraftment in the BM and led to significantly increased levels of donor hematopoiesis for over 30 months after transplant. Cotransplantation of stroma may represent a valuable clinical strategy for optimal application of in utero HSC transplantation.
Non-schistosomiasis related-squamous cell carcinoma of urinary bladder (NSR-SCCUB) is a rare tumor subtype distinct from urothelial carcinoma (UC). Studies assessing molecular biomarkers in bladder ...cancer have generally focused on UC, and genomic data of NSR-SCCUB is limited. We aim to provide additional insight into the molecular underpinnings of this rare entity.
NSR-SCCUB patients were identified retrospectively at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre between 2002 and 2017. Demographics, disease characteristics, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes were collected. Tissue samples were interrogated using the Oncomine Comprehensive Assay v3 (ThermoFisher). Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the disease-free survival and overall survival (OS).
Overall, 11 patients with NSR-SCCUB were identified between 2002 and 2017 with adequate tissue samples. Median age was 71 years (45-86), predominantly male (63.6%). At time of diagnosis, 9 patients (81.8%) had muscle-invasive disease, 1 (9.1%) had non-muscle invasive, and 1 (9.1%) had advanced disease. Nine (81.8%) patients had radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph nodes dissection. Eight (72.7%) patients had pT3 or pT4 with N0, and 5 (45.5%) were grade 3. Median OS was 12.5 months (95% CI 7.7-17.2 months). Single nucleotide variants or insertion/deletions were identified in TP53, TERT, PIK3CA, PTEN, CREBBP, FBXW7, and FGFR3. Amplifications were found in CCND1, and EGFR.
NSR-SCCUB has potentially actionable genomic alterations with anticancer agents and many of these aberrations are also seen in UC. The recruitment of NSR-SCCUB patients harboring such mutations should be considered in biomarker driven urinary bladder cancer studies.
Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aerosol remains contentious. Importantly, whether cough or breath-generated bioaerosols can harbor viable and replicating virus remains largely unclarified. We ...performed size-fractionated aerosol sampling (Andersen cascade impactor) and evaluated viral culturability in human cell lines (infectiousness), viral genetics, and host immunity in ambulatory participants with COVID-19. Sixty-one percent (27/44) and 50% (22/44) of participants emitted variant-specific culture-positive aerosols <10μm and <5μm, respectively, for up to 9 days after symptom onset. Aerosol culturability is significantly associated with lower neutralizing antibody titers, and suppression of transcriptomic pathways related to innate immunity and the humoral response. A nasopharyngeal Ct <17 rules-in ~40% of aerosol culture-positives and identifies those who are probably highly infectious. A parsimonious three transcript blood-based biosignature is highly predictive of infectious aerosol generation (PPV > 95%). There is considerable heterogeneity in potential infectiousness i.e., only 29% of participants were probably highly infectious (produced culture-positive aerosols <5μm at ~6 days after symptom onset). These data, which comprehensively confirm variant-specific culturable SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol, inform the targeting of transmission-related interventions and public health containment strategies emphasizing improved ventilation.
Background: Drug‐induced immune thrombocytopenia (DITP) can be confirmed by the demonstration of drug‐dependent platelet antibodies in vitro; however, laboratory testing is not readily accessible and ...test methods are not standardized. Objective: To identify drugs with the strongest evidence for causing DITP based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Patients/Methods: We developed a grading system to evaluate the quality of DITP laboratory testing. The ‘DITP criteria’ were: (i) Drug (or metabolite) was required for the reaction in vitro; (ii) Immunoglobulin binding was demonstrated; (iii) Two or more laboratories obtained positive results; and (iv) Platelets were the target of immunoglobulin binding. Laboratory diagnosis of DITP was considered definite when all criteria were met and probable when positive results were reported by only one laboratory. Two authors applied the DITP criteria to published reports of each drug identified by systematic review. Discrepancies were independently adjudicated. Results: Of 153 drugs that were clinically implicated in thrombocytopenic reactions, 72 (47%) were associated with positive laboratory testing. Of those, 16 drugs met criteria for a definite laboratory diagnosis of DITP and thus had the highest probability of causing DITP. Definite drugs were: quinine, quinidine, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, vancomycin, penicillin, rifampin, carbamazepine, ceftriaxone, ibuprofen, mirtazapine, oxaliplatin and suramin; the glycoprotein IIbIIIa inhibitors abciximab, tirofiban and eptifibatide; and heparin.Conclusions: We identified drugs with the strongest evidence for an association with immune thrombocytopenia. This list may be helpful for ranking potential causes of thrombocytopenia in a given patient.
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