Quantitative records of paleotemperature in Qarhan Salt Lake, Qaidam Basin and its relationship with potassium deposits.

Qarhan Salt Lake, located in the Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwestern China, is the largest potash production base in China. The main potash deposit in Qarhan Salt Lake is a comprehensive deposit in which the liquid potassium resources dominated by potassium-rich and lithium-rich brine coexist with the low-grade solid potassium salt deposit composed of solid potash minerals (polyhalite, carnallite, sylvite). Polyhalite is one of the representative potassium minerals, widely distributed in the Bieletan area of Qarhan Salt Lake, coexisting with halite, and its deposition indicates that the paleo-temperature of brine in this area once fluctuated obviously. Twenty core samples from two boreholes in the Bieletan area of the Qarhan Salt Lake were subjected to fluid inclusions thermometry, and homogenization temperatures reflecting the brine temperatures during the precipitation of evaporite minerals in the Salt Lake were obtained, ranging from 12.4 to 28.9 °C and 9.2 to 19.8 °C, respectively. By scanning electron microscopy, acicular polyhalite and pompom-like aggregate of polyhalite have been identified in the sampling layer, indicating that evaporite deposition have reached the stage of potassium salt deposition. The temperature fluctuations of the fluid inclusions and the elemental chemical data are compared vertically, and the sections with significant temperature fluctuations are close to the layers where polyhalite were deposited. It shows that the paleo-temperature fluctuation impact the sedimentary environment of brine, and then affected the polyhalite deposition of Qarhan Salt Lake.

Macrothrombocytopenia with leukocyte inclusions in a patient with Wilson disease: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in ATP7B. Clinical manifestations primarily involve liver and nervous system lesions, with rarely observed hematologic manifestations. CASE PRESENTATION: In the present case, a patient with WD presented with thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and Döhle-like cytoplasmic inclusions in the leukocytes. Initially, the May-Hegglin anomaly was considered; however, whole-exome sequencing did not reveal any mutation in the MYH9 gene but a heterozygous mutation was found in (C.2804 C > T, p.T935M) in the ATP7B gene. After two years, the patient developed tremors in his hands, lower limb stiffness, and foreign body sensation in the eyes. Additionally, Kayser-Fleischer rings in the corneal limbus were detected by slit-lamp examination. Copper metabolism test indicated a slight decrease in serum ceruloplasmin. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the inclusion bodies of leukocytes were swollen mitochondria. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that the copper levels were almost 20-fold higher in the leukocytes of the patient than in those of the control group. Based on the Leipzig scoring system, a diagnosis of WD was confirmed. Zinc sulfate treatment ameliorated the patient's symptoms and enhanced platelet, serum ceruloplasmin, and albumin levels. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this case represents the first documented instance of WD presenting as thrombocytopenia, giant platelets, and Döhle-like cytoplasmic inclusions in the leukocytes. Excessive cellular copper accumulation likely underlies these findings; however, understanding precise mechanisms warrants further investigation.

Transparency-changing elastomers by controlling of the refractive index of liquid inclusions.

Complex materials that change their optical properties in response to changes in environmental conditions can find applications in displays, smart windows, and optical sensors. Here a class of biphasic composites with stimuli-adaptive optical transmittance is introduced. The biphasic composites comprise aqueous droplets (a mixture of water, glycerol, and surfactant) embedded in an elastomeric matrix. The biphasic composites are tuned to be optically transparent through a careful match of the refractive indices between the aqueous droplets and the elastomeric matrix. We demonstrate that stimuli (e.g., salinity and temperature change) can trigger variations in the optical transmittance of the biphasic composite. The introduction of such transparency-changing soft matter with liquid inclusions offers a novel approach to designing advanced optical devices, optical sensors, and metamaterials.

Crack Initiation in Compacted Graphite Iron with Random Microstructure: Effect of Volume Fraction and Distribution of Particles.

Thanks to the distinctive morphology of graphite particles in its microstructure, compacted graphite iron (CGI) exhibits excellent thermal conductivity together with high strength and durability. CGI is extensively used in many applications, e.g., engine cylinder heads and brakes. The structural integrity of such metal-matrix materials is controlled by the generation and growth of microcracks. Although the effects of the volume fraction and morphology of graphite inclusions on the tensile response of CGI were investigated in recent years, their influence on crack initiation is still unknown. Experimental studies of crack initiation require a considerable amount of time and resources due to the highly complicated geometries of graphite inclusions scattered throughout the metallic matrix. Therefore, developing a 2D computational framework for CGI with a random microstructure capable of predicting the crack initiation and path is desirable. In this work, an integrated numerical model is developed for the analysis of the effects of volume fraction and nodularity on the mechanical properties of CGI as well as its damage and failure behaviours. Finite-element models of random microstructure are generated using an in-house Python script. The determination of spacings between a graphite inclusion and its four adjacent particles is performed with a plugin, written in Java and implemented in ImageJ. To analyse the orientation effect of inclusions, a statistical analysis is implemented for representative elements in this research. Further, Johnson-Cook damage criteria are used to predict crack initiation in the developed models. The numerical simulations are validated with conventional tensile-test data. The created models can support the understanding of the fracture behaviour of CGI under mechanical load, and the proposed approach can be utilised to design metal-matrix composites with optimised mechanical properties and performance.

Late Paleocene paleoclimate recorded in fluid inclusion of halite in Subei basin, East China.

Salt deposits are indicative of relatively extreme climate events. However, due to insufficient independent temperature proxies, paleotemperature records obtained from salt deposition are still lack. The Paleocene evaporite sequence deposited in the Hongze Depression of Subei Basin of eastern China provides an important terrestrial sediment record during this period. In this study we present total of 488 homogenization temperature (Th) data of halite fluid inclusions from drilling core with different stratigraphic depth after detailed petrological observation. The obtained Th ranged from 17.7 °C to 52.3 °C, with the mean Th value of 34.1 °C that in good agreement with the previous studies of climatic proxies. Our study shows that primary fluid inclusions of halite can serve as a robust tool to construct the ancient earth surface temperature.

A deep learning approach for automatic recognition of abnormalities in the cytoplasm of neutrophils.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to develop and evaluate NeuNN, a system based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) and generative adversarial networks (GAN) for the automatic identification of normal neutrophils and those containing several types of inclusions or showing hypogranulation. METHODS: From peripheral blood smears, a set of 5605 digital images was obtained with neutrophils belonging to seven categories: Normal neutrophils (NEU), Hypogranulated (HYP) or containing cryoglobulins (CRY), Döhle bodies (DB), Howell-Jolly body-like inclusions (HJBLI), Green-blue inclusions of death (GBI) and phagocytosed bacteria (BAC). The dataset utilized in this study has been made publicly available. The class of GBI was augmented using synthetic images generated by GAN. The NeuNN classification model is based on an EfficientNet-B7 architecture trained from scratch. RESULTS: NeuNN achieved an overall performance of 94.3% accuracy on the test data set. Performance metrics, including sensitivity, specificity, precision, F1-Score, Jaccard index, and Matthews correlation coefficient indicated overall values of 94%, 99.1%, 94.3%, 94.3%, 89.6%, and 93.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed approach, combining data augmentation and classification techniques, allows for automated identification of morphological findings in neutrophils, such us inclusions or hypogranulation. The system can be used as a support tool for clinical pathologists to detect these specific abnormalities with clinical relevance.

Detection of giant cytoplasmic inclusions in a pediatric patient with recurrent infections: a case report.

Objectives: Giant inclusions in leukocytes is a common feature that can be observed in some infections but can be also related to rare genetic disorders such as Chédiak-Higashi syndrome (CHS). A differential diagnosis between these groups of diseases has to be performed using specific genetic tests. Clinical and pathological history is relevant for a diagnostic orientation due to the difficulty and specificity of the diagnostic confirmation. Case presenation: We present the case of a 3-years-old male patient with recurrent respiratory infections. It is important to highlight the presence of a lock of white hair on the front of the head and some hypopigmentation of the skin. In the blood smear, the presence of big cytoplasm granules in all the leukocytes, especially in neutrophils. Conclusions: CHS is an uncommon genetic disorder caused by the mutation in the LYST gene situated in chromosome 1q42.3 which codified for LYST protein. Molecular genetic testing also can be done to detect the biallelic variants in the LYST gene. It is essential to perform peripheral blood smears in the presence of changes in quantitative and/or qualitative values in the complete blood count as a first step in the diagnosis algorithm.

Investigation on the control of inclusions and tensile strength in Ce-treated P110-grade oil casing steel.

This research added rare Earth elements Ce to the P110-grade oil casing steel to reveal their influence on the inclusions and tensile properties. The content of cerium in the steel varied from 0 to 452 ppm. Based on the classical thermodynamic calculation, the predominance diagram of Re-containing inclusions in P110-grade steel was obtained. The evolution route of the inclusions composition with the increasing cerium content in the steel was xCaO⋅yAl2O3 → Al2O3-CeAlO3 → Ce2O3-CeAlO3 → Ce2O3-Ce2O2S → Ce2O2S, which agreed well with the thermodynamic analysis. As the cerium content at 235 ppm, the size of Ce containing inclusions has a minimal size at 2.82 µm. Suitable Ce content can modify the big-size xCaO⋅yAl2O3 inclusions into small-size Re-containing inclusions. The results demonstrate that the tensile performance of this steel can be improved as the cerium content increases from 0 to 235 ppm. However, once the cerium content exceeds 235 ppm, further increases in cerium content led to a decline in performance. The experimental results shows that the presence of large-sized Ce2O2S inclusions and the change of microstructure, will lead to the decrease in tensile performance.

Variations in orientation relationships between rutile inclusions and garnet host relate to magmatic growth zoning.

Rutile inclusions in almandine-spessartine garnet from a peraluminous pegmatoid from the Moldanubian zone (Bohemian Massif, AT) show distinct changes in aspect ratio, shape preferred orientations (SPO) and crystallographic orientation relationships (COR) along the transition between microstructurally different growth zones in the garnet core and rim. For identification of the COR characteristics we pool specific CORs based on their common axial relationship into three COR groups: Group 103R/111G, Group 001R/111G and Group 001R/100G. The rutile inclusions in the garnet core domains are elongated along the four Grt ⟨ 111 ⟩ directions and are dominated by COR Group 103R/111G. The garnet rim zone additionally contains rutile needles elongated along Grt ⟨ 100 ⟩ . Here, Group 001R/111G and 001R/100G are more abundant than in the garnet core. Needle-shaped rutile in the rim shows a systematic correlation between SPOs and CORs as needles elongated parallel to Grt ⟨ 111 ⟩ are dominated by Group 103R/111G and 001R/111G, whereas those needles elongated parallel to Grt ⟨ 100 ⟩ exclusively pertain to CORs of 001R/100G. Furthermore, the frequency of each particular SPO in the garnet rim clearly depends on the local growth direction of the particular Grt{112} sector. Facet-specific variations in rutile SPO frequencies in different sectors and growth zones of garnet were observed even between equivalent directions, indicating that the microstructures and textures of rutile inclusions reflect varying parameters of garnet growth. The characteristic differences in COR groups of different garnet growth zones are referred to compositional changes in the bulk melt or compositional boundary layer, associated with magmatic fractional crystallisation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00410-024-02146-9.

A novel mouse model for investigating α-synuclein aggregates in oligodendrocytes: implications for the glial cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple system atrophy.

The aggregated alpha-synuclein (αsyn) in oligodendrocytes (OLGs) is one of the pathological hallmarks in multiple system atrophy (MSA). We have previously reported that αsyn accumulates not only in neurons but also in OLGs long after the administration of αsyn preformed fibrils (PFFs) in mice. However, detailed spatial and temporal analysis of oligodendroglial αsyn aggregates was technically difficult due to the background neuronal αsyn aggregates. The aim of this study is to create a novel mouse that easily enables sensitive and specific detection of αsyn aggregates in OLGs and the comparable analysis of the cellular tropism of αsyn aggregates in MSA brains. To this end, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing human αsyn-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion proteins in OLGs under the control of the 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNP) promoter (CNP-SNCAGFP Tg mice). Injection of αsyn PFFs in these mice induced distinct GFP-positive aggregates in the processes of OLGs as early as one month post-inoculation (mpi), and their number and size increased in a centripetal manner. Moreover, MSA-brain homogenates (BH) induced significantly more oligodendroglial αsyn aggregates than neuronal αsyn aggregates compared to DLB-BH in CNP-SNCAGFP Tg mice, suggestive of their potential tropism of αsyn seeds for OLGs. In conclusion, CNP-SNCAGFP Tg mice are useful for studying the development and tropism of αsyn aggregates in OLGs and could contribute to the development of therapeutics targeting αsyn aggregates in OLGs.

Mitigation of TDP-43 toxic phenotype by an RGNEF fragment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis models.

Aggregation of the RNA-binding protein TAR DNA binding protein (TDP-43) is a hallmark of TDP-proteinopathies including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). As TDP-43 aggregation and dysregulation are causative of neuronal death, there is a special interest in targeting this protein as a therapeutic approach. Previously, we found that TDP-43 extensively co-aggregated with the dual function protein GEF (guanine exchange factor) and RNA-binding protein rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RGNEF) in ALS patients. Here, we show that an N-terminal fragment of RGNEF (NF242) interacts directly with the RNA recognition motifs of TDP-43 competing with RNA and that the IPT/TIG domain of NF242 is essential for this interaction. Genetic expression of NF242 in a fruit fly ALS model overexpressing TDP-43 suppressed the neuropathological phenotype increasing lifespan, abolishing motor defects and preventing neurodegeneration. Intracerebroventricular injections of AAV9/NF242 in a severe TDP-43 murine model (rNLS8) improved lifespan and motor phenotype, and decreased neuroinflammation markers. Our results demonstrate an innovative way to target TDP-43 proteinopathies using a protein fragment with a strong affinity for TDP-43 aggregates and a mechanism that includes competition with RNA sequestration, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for TDP-43 proteinopathies such as ALS and FTD.

The Role of Metallurgical Features in the Microbially Influenced Corrosion of Carbon Steel: A Critical Review.

Microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) is a potentially critical degradation mechanism for a wide range of materials exposed to environments that contain relevant microorganisms. The likelihood and rate of MIC are affected by microbiological, chemical, and metallurgical factors; hence, the understanding of the mechanisms involved, verification of the presence of MIC, and the development of mitigation methods require a multidisciplinary approach. Much of the recent focus in MIC research has been on the microbiological and chemical aspects, with less attention given to metallurgical attributes. Here, we address this knowledge gap by providing a critical synthesis of the literature on the metallurgical aspects of MIC of carbon steel, a material frequently associated with MIC failures and widely used in construction and infrastructure globally. The article begins by introducing the process of MIC, then progresses to explore the complexities of various metallurgical factors relevant to MIC in carbon steel. These factors include chemical composition, grain size, grain boundaries, microstructural phases, inclusions, and welds, highlighting their potential influence on MIC processes. This review systematically presents key discoveries, trends, and the limitations of prior research, offering some novel insights into the impact of metallurgical factors on MIC, particularly for the benefit of those already familiar with other aspects of MIC. The article concludes with recommendations for documenting metallurgical data in MIC research. An appreciation of relevant metallurgical attributes is essential for a critical assessment of a material's vulnerability to MIC to advance research practices and to broaden the collective knowledge in this rapidly evolving area of study.

Physical Model of Inclusions Removal at Static Steel-Slag Interface.

Inclusions are one of the important factors affecting the cleanliness of molten steel. The current optimization of inclusion removal methods mainly focuses on promoting inclusions to float to the slag-steel interface so that the inclusions can be absorbed and removed by the refining slag. However, the research on the floating removal of inclusions cannot be carried out directly in the ladle, so methods such as mathematical models and physical models were developed. This article uses silicone oil to simulate the slag layer; polypropylene particles; and aluminum oxide particles to simulate inclusions to establish a water model experiment. By changing the viscosity of silicone oil and the diameter of particles, the factors affecting the movement of inclusions at the slag-steel interface were explored. Based on the water model, a mathematical model of the floating behavior of inclusions at the slag-steel interface was constructed, and parameters such as particle diameter and interfacial tension in the water model experiment were studied by the mathematical model for calculation. Both the mathematical model and the water model experimental results show that after the viscosity of silicone oil increases from 0.048 Pa·s to 0.096 Pa·s, the dimensionless displacement and terminal velocity of the particles decreases. When the diameter of the same particle increases, the dimensionless displacement and terminal velocity increases. The dimensionless displacement of polypropylene particles of the same diameter is larger than that of aluminum oxide particles, and the terminal velocity is smaller than that of aluminum oxide particles. This is attributed to the better overall three-phase wettability of polypropylene particle. When the liquid level increases, the dimensionless displacement and terminal velocity of particles under the same conditions show only slight differences (less than 10%).

Research on Online Monitoring Technology and Filtration Process of Inclusions in Aluminum Melt.

Online monitoring and real-time feedback on inclusions in molten metal are essential for metal quality control. However, existing methods for detecting aluminum melt inclusions face challenges, including interference, prolonged processing times, and latency. This paper presents the design and development of an online monitoring system for molten metal inclusions. Initially, the system facilitates real-time adjustment of signal acquisition parameters through a multiplexer. Subsequently, it employs a detection algorithm capable of swiftly extracting pulse peaks, with this task integrated into our proprietary host computer software to ensure timely detection and data visualization. Ultimately, we developed a monitoring device integrated with this online monitoring system, enabling the online monitoring of the aluminum alloy filtration process. Our findings indicate that the system can accurately measure the size and concentration of inclusions during the filtration process in real time, offering enhanced detection speed and stability compared to the industrial LiMCA CM (liquid metal cleanliness analyzer continuous monitoring) standard. Furthermore, our evaluation of the filtration process demonstrates that the effectiveness of filtration significantly improves with the increase in inclusion sizes, and the synergistic effect of combining CFF (ceramic foam filter) and MCF (metallics cartridge filter) filtration methods exceeds the performance of the CFF method alone. This system thus provides valuable technical support for optimizing filtration processes and controlling inclusion quality.

An Online Monitoring System for In Situ and Real-Time Analyzing of Inclusions within the Molten Metal.

Traditional methods for assessing the cleanliness of liquid metal are characterized by prolonged detection times, delays, and susceptibility to variations in sampling conditions. To address these limitations, an online cleanliness-analyzing system grounded in the method of the electrical sensing zone has been developed. This system facilitates real-time, in situ, and quantitative analysis of inclusion size and amount in liquid metal. Comprising pneumatic, embedded, and host computer modules, the system supports the continuous, online evaluation of metal cleanliness across various metallurgical processes in high-temperature environments. Tests conducted with gallium liquid at 90 °C and aluminum melt at 800 °C have validated the system's ability to precisely and quantitatively detect inclusions in molten metal in real time. The detection procedure is stable and reliable, offering immediate data feedback that effectively captures fluctuations in inclusion amount, thereby meeting the metallurgical industry's demand for real-time analyzing and control of inclusion cleanliness in liquid metal. Additionally, the system was used to analyze inclusion size distribution during the hot-dip galvanizing process. At a zinc melt temperature of 500 °C, it achieved a detection limit of 21 µm, simultaneously providing real-time data on the size and amount distribution of inclusions. This represents a novel strategy for the online monitoring and quality control of zinc slag throughout the hot-dip galvanizing process.

Eosinophilic globules (syn. hyaline inclusions) and protein crystalloids in the nasal mucosa of rats treated with synthetic amorphous silica, an unspecific chitinase-like-protein-positive background lesion.

In a 13-week inhalation toxicity study with three recovery periods (3, 6, and 12 months), Crl: WI rats were allocated to nine groups, each containing 25 animals per sex. Eight groups were treated daily by inhalation with the test items at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, or 5.0 mg/m3 (SAS 1 groups 2, 3, 4, or 5, respectively; SAS 2 groups 6, 7, 8, or 9, respectively). Controls (group 1) were treated with air only. In nasal cavities, the major lesions consisted of increased eosinophilic globules and chitinase-3-like-protein-positive crystalloids* in the nasal mucosa, mainly in nasal cavity levels 2-4 up to week 26 of recovery without any further injury in olfactory mucosa, mainly in SAS 1-treated animals. Eosinophilic globules in the rodent nasal cavity are common and increase with age; they represent a particular finding of the rodent nasal mucosa. The relevance of chitinase-3-like protein (Ym1 + Ym2) expression in the rodent nasal mucosa is unknown but is normal in control animals. Both findings developed without any indicator for inflammatory processes. The increase of these unspecific background findings is considered an indicator of minor irritative effects. Due to the clear lack of nasal tissue injury or concurrent changes (degeneration, necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate, dysplasia, and/or neoplasia) following repeated inhalation exposure to SAS, it is deemed that the eosinophilic globules (hyaline inclusions) combined with the formation of eosinophilic protein crystalloids in this study represent an adaptive response.

Cabot rings in a cat with myeloproliferative disease.

A 6-year-old spayed female Scottish Fold cat presented with lethargy and anorexia. A complete blood cell count indicated severe anemia and mild thrombocytopenia. Examination of peripheral blood smears revealed marked changes in the erythroid lineage, including the presence of basophilic stippling and Howell-Jolly bodies as well as an increase in nucleated erythrocytes, polychromatophils, ovalocytes, and schistocytes. Additionally, some erythrocytes contained a ring or figure-eight shaped structure known as a Cabot ring, which were especially observed in polychromatophilic erythrocytes. Hemolytic diseases (Mycoplasma infection and IMHA) were diagnostically excluded, and the cat was treated through prednisolone administration, whole blood transfusion, and administration of vitamins (K2 and B12); however, the anemia progressively worsened. Cabot rings were observed until Day 22 and subsequently disappeared as the number of nucleated RBCs increased, and the erythrocyte lineage shifted to immature population. On Day 42, peripheral blood examination revealed further left shifting and appearance of many rubriblasts. The patient died at home on Day 43. Necropsy revealed neoplastic cells infiltrating the bone marrow and other organs, which were immunopositive to CD71 which is an erythroid lineage marker. In humans, Cabot rings have been observed in megaloblastic anemia, lead poisoning, myelodysplastic syndrome, and myelofibrosis; further, they are thought to be related to stressed bone marrow and dyserythropoiesis. This is the first case report of a cat with Cabot rings, which are suggestive of defects in erythroid lineage production.

Study on Influence of Rare Earth Ce on Micro and Macro Properties of U75V Steel.

Non-metallic inclusions in steel have great influence on the continuity of the steel matrix and the mechanical properties of steel. The precipitation sequence of Ce inclusions in molten steel is predicted by thermodynamic calculations. The results show that Ce content will affect the precipitation sequence of rare earth inclusions in molten steel, and the formation of CeO2, Ce2O3 and CeAlO3 will be inhibited with the increase in Ce content. Our laboratory smelted the test steel without rare earth additive and the test steel with rare earth Ce additive (0.0008%, 0.0013%, 0.0032%, 0.0042%). It was found that the MnS inclusions and inclusions containing Al, Ca, Mg and Si oxides or sulfides in the steel after rare earth addition were modified into complex inclusions containing CeAlO3 and Ce2O2S. The size of inclusion in steel was reduced and the aspect ratio of inclusion was improved. The addition of Ce also improved the grain size of U75V steel and significantly refined the pearlite lamellar spacing. After mechanical property testing of the test steel, it was found that when Ce is increased within 0.0042%, the tensile and impact properties of U75V steel are also improved.