Mass transfer intensification between fluidizing gas and Geldart-B nonmagnetizable particles in magnetized fluidized bed

This work aimed to intensify the mass transfer between fluidizing gas and Geldart-B nonmagnetizable particles by simultaneously introducing magnetizable particles and applying the magnetic field. The mere addition of magnetizable particles hardly affected the interphase mass transfer. Moreover, such mass transfer was not improved by the subsequent application of the magnetic field under the magnetization-LAST operation mode. However, the mass transfer was significantly enhanced by the magnetic field in the magnetic stabilization and transition flow regimes under the magnetization-FIRST operation mode. Apparently, the mass transfer intensification depended not only on the magnetic field intensify (H) but also on the operation mode. The gas-solid contact performance in the magnetic stabilization flow regime was always comparable to that in fixed beds. Hence, further increases in H could not raise the magnitude of intensification but only increase the operating range and stability of the magnetic stabilization, which was in metastable equilibrium

A Data Encryption and Approximate Recovery Strategy Based on Double Random Sorting and CGAN

The measurement data in the power system may be attacked and tampered during the transmission. For this problem, a data encryption and approximate recovery strategy based on double random sorting and CGAN is proposed. The double random sorting encryption algorithm is proposed based on the form of measurement data in plaintext. The randomness of pseudo-random number, random sequence and random sequence insertion will ensure the uncertainty of data block number, sorting order and insertion location of random sequence, which will definitely improve the security of measurement data. Besides, an approximate recovery strategy used to approximately recovery abnormal samples is proposed on the base of CGAN, which can ensure the accuracy of decryption. Finally, the feasibility, and effectiveness of the proposed method are analyzed on wind power and photovoltaic power historical dataset

Paraplegia after Gastrectomy in a Patient with Cervical Disc Herniation: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Paraplegia is a rare postoperative complication. We present a case of acute paraplegia after elective gastrectomy surgery because of cervical disc herniation. The 73-year-old man has the medical history of cervical spondylitis with only symptom of temporary pain in neck and shoulder. Although the patient’s neck was cautiously preserved by using the Discopo, an acute paraplegia emerged at about 10 hours after the operation. Severe compression of the spinal cord by herniation of the C4-C5 cervical disc was diagnosed and emergency surgical decompression was performed immediately. Unfortunately the patient showed limited improvement in neurologic deficits even after 11 months

Seed-Mediated Electroless Deposition of Gold Nanoparticles for Highly Uniform and Efficient SERS Enhancement

A seed-mediated electroless deposition (SMED) approach for fabrication of large-area and uniform gold nanoparticle films as efficient and reproducible as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates was presented. This approach involved a seeding pretreatment procedure and a subsequent growth step. The former referred to activation of polylysine-coated glass slides in gold seed solution, and the latter required a careful control of the reactant concentration and reaction time. With the aid of gold seeds and appropriate reaction conditions, a large-area and uniform nanofilm with evenly distributed gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) was formed on the surface of the substrates after adding a mixed solution containing ascorbic acid and trisodium citrate. The morphology of the Au nanofilm was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The size evolution of Au NPs on the surface of the substrates was analyzed in detail. The nanofilm substrate was prepared by reaction conditions of the seeded activation process: 10 mL ascorbic acid and trisodium citrate mixture and 30 min of soaking time, which exhibited an excellent uniformity and reproducibility of SERS enhancement with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of less than 8% (particularly, a RSD value of 3% can be reached for the optimized measurement). Compared to the common electroless deposition, the seed-mediated electroless deposition possessed inherent advantages in controllability, reproducibility, and economic benefit

Catalytic Hydrogenation of rice straw to bio-oil over heterogeneous catalysis MoS₂ and CoS₂/MoS₂ under mild conditions

<p>Lignocellulose, having great potential to become substitute for fossil fuels, can sustainably produce fuels and chemical resources. So far, the main techniques used to generate fuels and high value-added chemicals from lignocellulose have been catalytic hydrolysis and hydrogenation. In this study, MoS₂ and CoS₂/MoS₂ catalysts were used in the hydrogenation of rice straw. In the obtained bio-oil it was detected that the main components were esters and phenols, which was the important part of transportation fuels and chemicals. The results of our study demonstrated that the MoS₂ and CoS₂/MoS₂ samples could be used as effective catalysts for degrading lignocellulose to obtain important chemicals.</p

Down-Regulation of Protein Kinase C-ε by Prolonged Incubation with PMA Inhibits the Proliferation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Background/Aims: Phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) exerts a pleiotropic effect on the growth and differentiation of various cells. Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) plays a central role in mediating the effects of PMA on cells. The present study investigated whether the down-regulation of protein kinase C-ε (PKC-ε) is involved in the inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation caused by prolonged PMA incubation. Methods: Using cell counting, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and EdU incorporation assay on VSMCs, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of prolonged incubation of PMA, of lentiviruses carrying the short-hairpin RNAs (shRNA) of PKC-ε and of the PKC-ε inhibitor peptide on the proliferation and viability of cells. The effect of PKC-ε down-regulation on growth of rat breast cancer SHZ-88 cells was also measured. Results: The prolonged incubation of VSMCs with PMA for up to 72 hours resulted in attenuated cell growth rates in a time-dependent manner. The expression of PKC-ε, as assessed by Western blotting, was also decreased accordingly. Notably, the number of EdU-positive cells and the cell viability of VSMCs were decreased by shRNA of PKC-ε and the PKC-ε inhibitor peptide, respectively. The proliferation of rat breast cancer SHZ-88 cells was also attenuated by lentivirus-induced shRNA silencing of PKC-ε. Conclusions: Prolonged incubation of PMA can inhibit the expression of PKC-ε. The effect results in the inhibition of VSMC proliferation. PKC-ε silencing can also attenuate breast cancer cell growth, suggesting that PKC-ε may be a potential target for anti-cancer drugs

Metformin Ameliorates Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction through Regulation of the AMPK/SIRT1 Pathway

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a common postoperative complication in elderly patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism through which metformin improves postoperative cognitive function. Methods: In the in vivo experiment, 18-month-old Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12 in each group): the control, metformin, operation, and operation plus metformin groups. The animals were pretreated with metformin by gavage once daily for two weeks. The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to measure cognitive ability. In the in vitro experiment, BV2 cells were divided into five groups: the control, metformin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS plus metformin, and LPS plus metformin plus compound C groups. We stimulated microglia with LPS (500 ng/mL). Immunofluorescence and Western blotting were used to assess ROS (reactive oxygen species) levels, autophagy-associated protein levels and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) signaling pathway activity in the rat cortex and microglial cells. Results: In the MWM test, the metformin-pretreated rats spent a higher proportion of time in the target quadrant. Immunofluorescence showed that the fluorescence intensity of LC3 in the cortex was increased in rats pretreated with metformin. Western blotting indicated that metformin upregulated the expression of autophagy-related and AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway-related proteins in the cortex after surgery. By activating the AMPK/SIRT1 signaling pathway in vitro, metformin reduced microglial activation and oxidative stress and promoted autophagy. Conclusions: Through the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway, metformin can boost autophagy and reduce oxidative stress in cortical microglia in older rats, in turn improving postoperative cognitive function

FTIR Study of White and Green Broad Beans Based on Curve-fitting

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study two kinds of broad beans with white and green cotyledons respectively. The results show that the infrared spectra of the two kinds of broad beans are similar and mainly made up of the absorption bands of protein, and polysaccharides. The second derivative infrared spectra amplified the differences and revealed that there were some obvious differences in the range of 1 800-700cm-1 and 1 200-700cm-1. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used for the discrimination of the two kinds broad beans based on the second derivative spectral data in the region of 1 611-1 100cm-1, and yielded 88.9 % accuracy. The spectra in the range from 1700 to 1600cm-1 were used to perform Fourier self-deconvolution and curve fitting, which obtained nine peaks. The ratios of relative areas of the bands at α-helix, β-sheet, β-turn and the unordered structure of protein in white beans were 67.71%, 35.6%, 35.6% and 21.09% respectively, while the ratios in green beans were 8.02%, 31.59%, 37.12% and 23.27% respectively. The results indicate that the secondary structure of protein was different in the two kinds of broad beans