Research on application of different particle sizes of cordierite on castable refractory

Effect of different particle sizes of cordierite on properties of castable refractory by different heat treatment temperatures were investigated respectively with mullite and bauxite as raw materials,calcium aluminate cement as binders.After 24 h curing in mould and another 24 h curing at 110 ℃ after demoulding,the specimens were heat treated at 1 000 ℃,1 300 ℃ and 1 500 ℃ for 3 h,respectively.The bulk density(BD),permanent linear change(PLC),modulus of rupture(MOR)and clod crushing strength(CCS),thermal expansion coefficient and thermal shock resistance were examined.The results show that there is no obvious effect on adjusting permanent linear change and bulk density of castables by adding different particle sizes of cordierite at low temperature and intermediate temperature.Modulus of rupture of castable increase with the decreasing of the particle sizes of cordierite after heat treated by 1 000 ℃ and 1 300 ℃.In this experiment,thermal shock resistance of the castable with cordierite whose particle size is 0~1 mm is the best.     

CD38 is critical for social behaviour by regulating oxytocin secretion

CD38, a transmembrane glycoprotein with ADP-ribosyl cyclase activity, catalyses the formation of Ca2+ signalling molecules, but its role in the neuroendocrine system is unknown. Here we show that adult CD38 knockout (CD38-/-) female and male mice show marked defects in maternal nurturing and social behaviour, respectively, with higher locomotor activity. Consistently, the plasma level of oxytocin (OT), but not vasopressin, was strongly decreased in CD38-/- mice. Replacement of OT by subcutaneous injection or lentiviral-vector-mediated delivery of human CD38 in the hypothalamus rescued social memory and maternal care in CD38-/- mice. Depolarization-induced OT secretion and Ca2+ elevation in oxytocinergic neurohypophysial axon terminals were disrupted in CD38-/- mice; this was mimicked by CD38 metabolite antagonists in CD38+/+ mice. These results reveal that CD38 has a key role in neuropeptide release, thereby critically regulating maternal and social behaviours, and may be an element in neurodevelopmental disorders.     

Prediction of slope failure due to earthquake

The earthquake-triggered landslides and slope failures are common phenomena during strong earthquakes and have drawn more attention from the world because of severe hazards they induced. These hazards usually cannot be prevented by current mitigating measures, thus, it becomes more and more important to develop a precise technique for the risk assessment of earthquake-induced failures in the mountainous area. The application of discrimination analysis method is proved to be successful and effective in the prediction of earthquake-triggered landslides and slope failures in the region of Imokawa Basin in Japan. Discriminant score can be used to assess the relative risk of slope failures, as the score increases, the possibility of slope failures occurrence increases accordingly. At the same time, the variables in the judgement formula, such as slope gradient, slope curvature and seismic peak ground acceleration, are easy to obtain. This advantage makes this method more practical and manipulable than others at present. In order to apply this method more effectively, there are still several problems to resolve.     

WAVE2 is required for directed cell migration and cardiovascular development

WAVE2, a protein related to Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein, is crucial for Rac-induced membrane ruffling, which is important in cell motility. Cell movement is essential for morphogenesis, but it is unclear how cell movement is regulated or related to morphogenesis. Here we show the physiological functions of WAVE2 by disruption of the WAVE2 gene in mice. WAVE2 was expressed predominantly in vascular endothelial cells during embryogenesis. WAVE2-/- embryos showed haemorrhages and died at about embryonic day 10. Deficiency in WAVE2 had no significant effect on vasculogenesis, but it decreased sprouting and branching of endothelial cells from existing vessels during angiogenesis. In WAVE2-/- endothelial cells, cell polarity formed in response to vascular endothelial growth factor, but the formation of lamellipodia at leading edges and capillaries was severely impaired. These findings indicate that WAVE2-regulated actin reorganization might be required for proper cell movement and that a lack of functional WAVE2 impairs angiogenesis in vivo.