Experimental and numerical study of the effects of the reversal hot rolling conditions on the recrystallization behavior of austenite model alloys

The experimental and numerical study of the effects of the recrystallization behavior of austenite model alloys during hot plate rolling on reverse rolling is the main goal of the paper. The computer models that are currently applied for simulation of reverse rolling are not strain-path-sensitive, thus leading to overestimation of the processing parameters outside the accepted process window (e.g., deformation in the partial austenite recrystallization region). Therefore, in this work, a particular focus is put on the investigation of strain path effects that occur during hot rolling and their influence on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of microalloyed austenite. Both experimental and numerical techniques are employed in this study, taking advantage of the integrated computational material engineering concept. The combined isotropic–kinematic hardening model is used for the macroscale predictions to take into account softening effects due to strain reversal. The macroscale model is additionally enriched with the full-field microstructure evolution model within the cellular automata framework. Examples of obtained results, highlighting the role of the strain reversal on the microstructural response, are presented within the paper. The combination of the physical simulation of austenitic model alloys and computer modeling provided new insights into optimization of the processing routes of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS)

The benefit of minocycline on negative symptoms of schizophrenia in patients with recent-onset psychosis (BeneMin):a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

BACKGROUND: The antibiotic minocycline has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that could prevent or reverse progressive neuropathic changes implicated in recent-onset schizophrenia. In the BeneMin study, we aimed to replicate the benefit of minocycline on negative symptoms reported in previous pilot studies, and to understand the mechanisms involved.METHODS: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we recruited people with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder that had begun within the past 5 years with continuing positive symptoms from 12 National Health Service (NHS) trusts. Participants were randomly assigned according to an automated permuted blocks algorithm, stratified by pharmacy, to receive minocycline (200 mg per day for 2 weeks, then 300 mg per day for the remainder of the 12-month study period) or matching placebo, which were added to their continuing treatment. The primary clinical outcome was the negative symptom subscale score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales (PANSS) across follow-ups at months 2, 6, 9, and 12. The primary biomarker outcomes were medial prefrontal grey-matter volume, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation during a working memory task, and plasma concentration of interleukin 6. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN49141214, and the EU Clinical Trials register (EudraCT) number is 2010-022463-35I.FINDINGS: Between April 16, 2013, and April 30, 2015, we recruited 207 people and randomly assigned them to receive minocycline (n=104) or placebo (n=103). Compared with placebo, the addition of minocycline had no effect on ratings of negative symptoms (treatment effect difference -0·19, 95% CI -1·23 to 0·85; p=0·73). The primary biomarker outcomes did not change over time and were not affected by minocycline. The groups did not differ in the rate of serious adverse events (n=11 in placebo group and n=18 in the minocycline group), which were mostly due to admissions for worsening psychiatric state (n=10 in the placebo group and n=15 in the minocycline group). The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal (n=12 in the placebo group, n=19 in the minocycline group), psychiatric (n=16 in placebo group, n=8 in minocycline group), nervous system (n=8 in the placebo group, n=12 in the minocycline group), and dermatological (n=10 in the placebo group, n=8 in the minocycline group).INTERPRETATION: Minocycline does not benefit negative or other symptoms of schizophrenia over and above adherence to routine clinical care in first-episode psychosis. There was no evidence of a persistent progressive neuropathic or inflammatory process underpinning negative symptoms. Further trials of minocycline in early psychosis are not warranted until there is clear evidence of an inflammatory process, such as microgliosis, against which minocycline has known efficacy.FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) programme, an MRC and NIHR partnership.</p

The benefit of minocycline on negative symptoms in early-phase psychosis in addition to standard care - extent and mechanism (BeneMin):study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Negative symptoms of psychosis do not respond to the traditional therapy with first- or second-generation antipsychotics and are among main causes of a decrease in quality of life observed in individuals suffering from the disorder. Minocycline, a broad-spectrum tetracyclic antibiotic displaying neuroprotective properties has been suggested as a new potential therapy for negative symptoms. In the two previous clinical trials comparing minocycline and placebo, both added to the standard care, patients receiving minocycline showed increased reduction in negative symptoms. Three routes to neuroprotection by minocycline have been identified: neuroprotection against grey matter loss, anti-inflammatory action and stabilisation of glutamate receptors. However, it is not yet certain what the extent of the benefit of minocycline in psychosis is and what its mechanism is. We present a protocol for a multi-centre double-blind randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial entitled The Benefit of Minocycline on Negative Symptoms of Psychosis: Extent and Mechanism (BeneMin).METHODS: After providing informed consent, 226 participants in the early phase of psychosis will be randomised to receive either 100 mg modified-release capsules of minocycline or similar capsules with placebo for 12 months in addition to standard care. The participants will be tested for outcome variables before and after the intervention period. The extent of benefit will be tested via clinical outcome measures, namely the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score, social and cognitive functioning scores, antipsychotic medication dose equivalent and level of weight gain. The mechanism of action of minocycline will be tested via blood screening for circulating cytokines and magnetic resonance imaging with three-dimensional T1-weighted rapid gradient-echo, proton density T2-weighted dual echo and T2*-weighted gradient echo planar imaging with N-back task and resting state. Eight research centres in UK and 15 National Health Service Trusts and Health Boards will be involved in recruiting participants, performing the study and analysing the data.DISCUSSION: The BeneMin trial can inform as to whether in minocycline we have found a new and effective therapy against negative symptoms of psychosis. The European Union Clinical Trial Register: EudraCT 2010-022463-35 with the registration finalised in July 2011. The recruitment in the trial started in January 2013 with the first patient recruited in March 2013.</p

Altered Cerebellar-Cerebral Functional Connectivity in Geriatric Depression

Although volumetric and activation changes in the cerebellum have frequently been reported in studies on major depression, its role in the neural mechanism of depression remains unclear. To understand how the cerebellum may relate to affective and cognitive dysfunction in depression, we investigated the resting-state functional connectivity between cerebellar regions and the cerebral cortex in samples of patients with geriatric depression (n = 11) and healthy controls (n = 18). Seed-based connectivity analyses were conducted using seeds from cerebellum regions previously identified as being involved in the executive, default-mode, affective-limbic, and motor networks. The results revealed that, compared with controls, individuals with depression show reduced functional connectivity between several cerebellum seed regions, specifically those in the executive and affective-limbic networks with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and increased functional connectivity between the motor-related cerebellum seed regions with the putamen and motor cortex. We further investigated whether the altered functional connectivity in depressed patients was associated with cognitive function and severity of depression. A positive correlation was found between the Crus II–vmPFC connectivity and performance on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised delayed memory recall. Additionally, the vermis–posterior cinglate cortex (PCC) connectivity was positively correlated with depression severity. Our results suggest that cerebellum–vmPFC coupling may be related to cognitive function whereas cerebellum–PCC coupling may be related to emotion processing in geriatric depression

Reduction of the impact of emissivity on high temperature measurements in non-contact thermometric devices

Non-contact measurements of high temperature, accomplished with the use of infrared cameras and pyrometers, are utilized in many fields of science and industry. However, in order to obtain reliable measurement results from aforementioned devices, one should take account of the emissivity value of a thermal source the temperature of which is being measured. This is due to the necessity of calibration of non-contact thermometric devices in relation to emission characteristics of a blackbody, which is an ideal source with the maximum emissivity value. In order a non-contact temperature measurement was made possible without the necessity of taking into account the emissivity value, an original concept of the measurement method was developed, taking the advantage of thermal radiation laws – Planck’s law and Wien displacement law. The basic idea of the accepted method is the departure from amplitude recording (as in “conventional” pyrometry and thermovision) for linking of temperature recording with a maximum position in Planck’s curve. This article presents a novel approach that was used in the development of an original algorithm of temperature determination for performance of non-contact measurements of high temperature. The algorithm will enable to perform measurements without the necessity of introducing the emissivity value of a radiation source into a measurement instrument and will limit the impact of radiation absorption via the medium in which a measurement is being performed on the results of measurements. The applied methodology will allow conducting non-contact temperature measurements at a distance without the necessity of calibration the measuring device with regard to a blackbody

Temperature measurements in the underground coal gasification process

Proces podziemnego zgazowania węgla (PZW), pozwala na pozyskanie gazu o własnościach użytkowych bezpośrednio w złożu węglowym, in situ. Istotnym czynnikiem wpływającym na skład i kaloryczność otrzymanego gazu są warunki termodynamiczne panujące w georeaktorze, w tym temperatura. Kontrola i sterowanie warunkami temperaturowymi, w jakich przebiega proces pozwolą na uzyskanie gazu procesowego o pożądanych własnościach użytkowych, dla konkretnych zastosowań i przyczynią się do wykorzystania procesu PZW na skalę przemysłową. W związku z tym, na całym świecie, prowadzone są prace badawcze nad rozwojem urządzeń i metod pomiaru temperatury w georeaktorze. W niniejszym artykule przedstawiono efekty badań literaturowych, dotyczących monitoringu temperatury w procesie PZW, pokrótce opisano dotychczas wykorzystywane przyrządy i metody pomiarowe, takie jak: pirometry optyczne, termopary, światłowodowe czujniki rozłożone, termometrię izotopową, wyznaczanie temperatury na podstawie określania stopnia pęcznienia skały stropowej, pomiaru koncentracji radonu oraz symulacji komputerowej. Detekcja temperatury realizowana była w reaktorach in situ (w warunkach naturalnego pokładu węglowego) oraz ex situ (w reaktorach powierzchniowych symulujących pokład węglowy). Wykonany przegląd literaturowy stanowi punkt wyjścia dla opracowania, autorskiej metody i urządzenia do pomiaru temperatury w procesie PZW.The underground coal gasification process (UCG) is used to obtain a gaseous product of functional properties directly from the coal deposit in situ. The main parameter that affects the gas composition and heat value are thermodynamic conditions in the georeactor, for instance the temperature. Operation and control of temperature conditions, in which the process is performed, allow to obtain the process gas with the desired properties for specific application. Thus, it will be possible to use this process on an industrial scale. Therefore, all over the world, there is a need for the development of novel methods and equipment for detecting temperature in the UCG process. This paper presents the effect of a review of various methods and equipment applied for temperature measurements in the georeactor through different research. It shows a brief description of devices and methods of measurements, such as: optical pyrometers, thermocouples, distributed optical fiber temperature sensors, isotope thermometry, determination of temperature based on the degree of caprock swelling, radon concentration measurement or computer simulation. Furthermore, temperature detection was carried out in in situ (in natural coal seam) and ex situ (in reactor which simulates natural coal seam) reactors. This review of literature is a starting point to develop the author’s method and device for measuring the temperature in the UCG process