Material tests of 316L austenitic stainless-clad steel at elevated temperatures

[EN] Mechanical properties of stainless-clad (SC) steel plates at elevated temperatures are key parameters for fire resistant design and numerical simulation analysis of SC steel structures. Compared with pure stainless steel and pure ordinary steel, SC steel not only combines advantages of the two component metals, but may also balance the performance and cost; however, it behaves quite differently in terms of material properties. In order to quantify this performance, tension coupon tests at room as well as elevated temperatures are conducted on the SC steel plate. Based on the test results, failure modes of the tension coupons are analysed, and full-range stress-strain curves are obtained; material properties are accordingly determined and described herein, and analyses are performed on several properties including yield strength, ultimate tensile stress, elastic modulus and elongation after fracture. It is found that with an increase of the temperature, both the elastic modulus and strengths are reduced remarkably. For determining these material properties quantitatively and developing robust constitutive models of the SC steel at elevated temperatures, more test data are needed, and the incorporation of the effects of the clad ratio on the material properties at both room and elevated temperatures is also necessary. The present research outcomes may provide valuable reference for fire design and calculations of the SC steel.This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51608300, 51778329), which are gratefully acknowledged.Bai, R.; Ban, H.; Chung, K.; Bai, Y. (2018). Material tests of 316L austenitic stainless-clad steel at elevated temperatures. En Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel-Concrete Composite Structures. ASCCS 2018. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 851-855. https://doi.org/10.4995/ASCCS2018.2018.7011OCS85185

Drug discovery from Chinese medicine against neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's and vascular dementia

Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia are two major diseases associated with dementia, which is common among the elderly. While the etiology of dementia is multi-factorial and complex, neurodegeneration may be the major cause of these two diseases. Effective drugs for treating dementia are still to be discovered. Current western pharmacological approaches against neurodegeneration in dementia develop symptom-relieving and disease-modifying drugs. Current integrative and holistic approaches of Chinese medicine to discovering drugs for neurodegeneration in dementia include (1) single molecules from the herbs, (2) standardized extracts from a single herb, and (3) herbal formula with definite composition. This article not only reviews the concept of dementia in western medicine and Chinese medicine but also evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches

Research progress on material properties of clad steel

[EN] Clad steel possesses benefits of the both component metals in terms of mechanical performance, corrosion resistance, sustainability and lower full lifecycle cost, etc. As a result, it has been more and more widely used in the petroleum, chemical, marine, shipbuilding and metallurgical industries, including stainless-clad steel and titanium clad steel. Such clad steel has also great potential for application in building and bridge structures. For better understanding material properties of such clad steel, a review of research progress available in the literature is conducted herein, as well as recent research undertaken by the authors’ group at Tsinghua University. It can be found that very limited research reported in the literature mainly concerns static material properties of the clad steel, and primary relations between clad ratio and strength are suggested. The authors carried out material tests on both titanium and stainless-clad steel plates, with different clad ratios being incorporated. For the stainless-clad steel tests, both material and butt welded connections are tested, and various elevated temperatures are considered. In addition, tension coupon tests under cyclic loadings are also briefly introduced herein. Primary constitutive relations developed by the authors are reviewed in this paper. All the research findings and proposed formulae may provide an essential basis for future structural analysis, and may promote its application in structural engineering.This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51778329, 51608300), which are gratefully acknowledged.Ban, H.; Bai, R.; Chung, K.; Zhu, J.; Bai, Y. (2018). Research progress on material properties of clad steel. En Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel-Concrete Composite Structures. ASCCS 2018. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 653-658. https://doi.org/10.4995/ASCCS2018.2018.7010OCS65365

Lycium barbarum Extracts Protect the Brain from Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption and Cerebral Edema in Experimental Stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ischemic stroke is a destructive cerebrovascular disease and a leading cause of death. Yet, no ideal neuroprotective agents are available, leaving prevention an attractive alternative. The extracts from the fruits of Lycium barbarum (LBP), a Chinese anti-aging medicine and food supplement, showed neuroprotective function in the retina when given prophylactically. We aim to evaluate the protective effects of LBP pre-treatment in an experimental stroke model. METHODS: C57BL/6N male mice were first fed with either vehicle (PBS) or LBP (1 or 10 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. Mice were then subjected to 2-hour transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) by the intraluminal method followed by 22-hour reperfusion upon filament removal. Mice were evaluated for neurological deficits just before sacrifice. Brains were harvested for infarct size estimation, water content measurement, immunohistochemical analysis, and Western blot experiments. Evans blue (EB) extravasation was determined to assess blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption after MCAO. RESULTS: LBP pre-treatment significantly improved neurological deficits as well as decreased infarct size, hemispheric swelling, and water content. Fewer apoptotic cells were identified in LBP-treated brains by TUNEL assay. Reduced EB extravasation, fewer IgG-leaky vessels, and up-regulation of occludin expression were also observed in LBP-treated brains. Moreover, immunoreactivity for aquaporin-4 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were significantly decreased in LBP-treated brains. CONCLUSIONS: Seven-day oral LBP pre-treatment effectively improved neurological deficits, decreased infarct size and cerebral edema as well as protected the brain from BBB disruption, aquaporin-4 up-regulation, and glial activation. The present study suggests that LBP may be used as a prophylactic neuroprotectant in patients at high risk for ischemic stroke.published_or_final_versio

Ten Years’ Research on a Cardiovascular Tonic: A Comprehensive Approach—From Quality Control and Mechanisms of Action to Clinical Trial

Objective. Mortality arising from cardiovascular pathologies remains one of the highest. Maintenance of cardiovascular health therefore remains a universal concern. Interventional therapies and medications have made impressive advances, but preventive measures would be of the same importance. Method. Ten years’ search for a simple herbal formula has resulted in a two-herb combination, consisting of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Puerariae Lobatae Radix. The formula has been studied extensively on cardiovascular biological platforms and then put on three clinical trials. Results. In the laboratory, the formula was found to have the biological effects of anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-foam cell formation on vascular endothelium, and vasodilation. Clinical trials using ultrasonic carotid intima thickness as a surrogate marker showed very significant benefits. No significant adverse effects were encountered. Conclusion. It is therefore recommended that the herbal formula could be used as an adjuvant therapy in cardiac patients under treatment or as a preventive agent among the susceptible

The Aqueous Extract of Rhizome of Gastrodia elata

This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effect of the rhizome of Gastrodia elata (GE) aqueous extract on beta-amyloid(Aβ)-induced toxicity in vivo and in vitro. Transgenic Drosophila mutants with Aβ-induced neurodegeneration in pan-neuron and ommatidia were used to determine the efficacy of GE. The antiapoptotic and antioxidative mechanisms of GE were also studied in Aβ-treated pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that GE (5 mg/g Drosophila media)-treated Drosophila possessed a longer lifespan, better locomotor function, and less-degenerated ommatidia when compared with the Aβ-expressing control (all P<0.05). In vitro studies illustrated that GE increased the cell viability of Aβ-treated PC12 cells in dose-dependent manner, probably through attenuation of Aβ-induced oxidative and apoptotic stress. GE also significantly upregulated the enzymatic activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase, leading to the decrease of reactive oxidation species production and apoptotic marker caspase-3 activity. In conclusion, our current data presented the first evidence that the aqueous extract of GE was capable of reducing the Aβ-induced neurodegeneration in Drosophila, possibly through inhibition of apoptosis and reduction of oxidative stress. GE aqueous extract could be developed as a promising herbal agent for neuroprotection and novel adjuvant therapies for Alzheimer’s disease