Kinetics and mechanism of the oxidation process of two-component Fe-Al alloys

The oxidation process of two-component Fe-Al alloys containing up to 7.2% Al and from 18 to 30% Al was studied. Kinetic measurements were conducted using the isothermal gravimetric method in the range of 1073-1223 K and 1073-1373 K for 50 hours. The methods used in studies of the mechanism of oxidation included: X-ray microanalysis, X-ray structural analysis, metallographic analysis and marker tests

Fibrosis and cardiac function in obesity: a randomised controlled trial of aldosterone blockade

Objectives: As myocardial fibrosis might be an important contributor to the association of obesity with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and heart failure, we investigated the effects of spironolactone on LV function and serological fibrosis markers (procollagen type III N-terminal propeptide (PIIINP) and procollagen type I C-terminal propeptide (PICP)) in patients with obesity and abnormal LV performance. Design: A prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Setting: A university hospital. Patients: and intervention 113 patients (mean±SD age 58±8 years) with body mass index≥30, without any comorbidities, with impaired early diastolic mitral annular velocity, randomised to spironolactone 25 mg/day or placebo for 6 months. Main outcome measures: Echocardiographically derived indices of LV systolic (strain and strain rate) and diastolic (E velocity, tissue e and E/e ratio) function, myocardial reflectivity (calibrated integrated backscatter (IB)), and serum PICP and PIIINP. Results: In the spironolactone group, significant improvements in myocardial deformation, peak early diastolic velocity (Em), E/e and IB were noted with a simultaneous decrease in PICP and PIIINP. No corresponding alterations were found with placebo. Improvement in LV systolic function (increase in strain) was independently associated with baseline strain (β=-0.43,