ABSTRACT Candida is one of the most frequent pathogens of bloodstream infections, which is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Rapid immunological detection methods are essential in the early diagnosis of candidemia. Anti-mannan is one of host-derived biomarkers against cell wall components of Candida. We conducted this study to evaluate the diagnostic performance of two anti-mannan assays (IgM, IgG) for candidemia through the analysis of 40 candidemia patients, 48 participants with Candida colonization and 213 participants with neither Candida colonization nor Candida infections (13 patients with other bloodstream infections, 145 hospitalized patients and 55 healthy controls). The performance of the two assays were evaluated by calculating their sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity ranged from 0.78 to 0.80 for the IgM assay and 0.68 to 0.75 for the IgG assay. The specificity ranged from 0.97 to 0.98 for the IgM assay and 0.91 to 0.94 for the IgG assay. The diagnostic performance of the anti-mannan IgM assay was better than that of IgG, with higher sensitivity and specificity. Combining the two assays (positive results of single or both assays are both considered as positive) could improve the sensitivity up to 0.93 (0.79-0.98) and only slightly reduce the specificity (0.93(0.89-0.95)). The anti-mannan IgM, IgG assays are rapid and cost-effective assays that may be probably useful in the diagnosis of candidemia.

The effect of annealing process on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg/Al composite plates fabricated by cast-rolling was investigated in this study. The results show that the interfacial transition zone can be divided into three regions: a Mg transition region, an Al transition region, and an intermediate region, respectively. The microhardness of the interfacial transition zone is higher than that of AZ31B and A356.When the annealing temperature is 250 ºC, the thermodynamic and kinetic conditions required for the formation of new intermetallic compounds have been met. While, for an annealing temperature at, or above, 300 ºC, the width of the interfacial transition zone, annealing temperature, and time follow model: ∆ X 2 = 2 . 07 × 10 4 exp − 60407 RT t − 11 . 54 exp 21211 RT. The shear strength reaches a maximum value of 116 MPa when the annealing temperature is 200 ºC. Cleavage fracture occurs at the side of the AZ31B alloy and quasi-cleavage fracture at the side of the A356 alloy.

The microstructure of the thixoformed ZA27 alloy naturally aged for 5 years has been observed and analyzed. The results indicate that most of the original β + η laminar eutectics have changed into the structures that small α particles uniformly distribute in η phase matrix. Both the β phase and α’ phase have also decomposed. It is suggested that a continuous or dot-line α phase first precipitates in the β phase close to the eutectic η phase layer. Then eutectoid η phase nucleates or directly grows up from the eutectic η phase, which promotes the nucleation of eutectoid α phase or the direct growth of the α phase from the existing α phase. Subsequently, the resulting α + η phases grow towards the β phase inside, forming the regular laminar α + η structures. The laminar structures always continuously grow across the center α’ phase, which leads the α’ phase also to transform into regular α + η laminar structures. The laminar structures may crack possibly due to internal stress. The eutectoid η phase lamellae have a tendency of changing from laminar shape to particle form, resulting in the formation of non-laminar structures.

The effects of processing parameters, such as the punch speed, reheating duration and reheating temperature, on microstructure and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of thixoformed AM60B magnesium alloy have been investigated. The results indicate that low punch speed, short reheating duration or low reheating temperature often produces the defect of cold shuts or shrinkage porosities. On the contrary, gas pores can easily form. In addition, the reheating duration or temperature also has obvious effects on the primary particle size, fraction and morphology. The three parameters can significantly affect the UTS due to their effects on the formation of pores (cold shuts, shrinkage porosities and gas pores). But they can not alter the fracture path during tensile testing and the path is always along the secondarily solidified structures between the primary particles. The effect of pore amount on the UTS is lager than that of the primary particle size, fraction or morphology. In view of their effects on the microstructure compactness and the resultant UTS, the optimized parameters are reheating for 130 minutes at 610 °C and punch speed of 3 m/s.

In this work, Microsilica, one kind of industry solid waste material, was utilized firstly to prepare a carbon-Microsilica composite adsorbent from a partial carbonization, mixture and sulfoxidation process and was proposed for the removal of Cr(VI) from solutions. The surface chemistry characteristics of the prepared adsorbent were analysis by XPS and FT-IR. The characterization results indicated that an abundant of oxygen functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl and sulfonic groups, were introduced into the surface of the prepared composite adsorbent. Meanwhile, the adsorption characteristics of Cr(VI) onto the adsorbent in aqueous solutions was studied as a function of solution pH, ionic strength, contact time, and temperature. The results showed that Cr(VI) adsorption onto the adsorbent is strongly dependent on pH and, to a lesser extent, ionic strength. Kinetics data were found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model while the adsorption data corresponded to L-shape adsorption isotherm which corresponds to the classification of Giles. Activation thermodynamic parameters, such as activation enthalpy (ΔH*), activation entropy (ΔS*), activation Gibbs free energy (ΔG*) and activation energy (E), have been evaluated and the possible adsorption mechanism also was suggested.

The microstructural evolution and corresponding phase transformations have been investigated during partial remelting of AZ91D magnesium alloy refined by Al-Ti-B master alloy. The effect of heating temperature on semisolid microstructure has also been discussed. The results indicate that the microstructural evolution process includes four stages, the initial rapid coarsening, structure separation, spheroidization accompanied by coarsening and the final coarsening. Two or more equiaxed dendrites in the as-cast microstructure evolve into one spheroidal primary particle in the semisolid microstructure through the former three stages. The initial rapid coarsening results from the reaction of β→α, the structure separation is due to the α + β→L and α→L, the spheroidization is attributed to the α→L and the final coarsening is ascribed to the two reverse reactions of α→L and L→α. Rising the heating temperature during partial remelting is beneficial for obtaining small and spheroidal primary particles.

The grain refining technique of AZ91D magnesium alloy by MgCO3 has been investigated. The refining mechanism and tensile properties of the resulting alloy have also been discussed. The results indicate that MgCO3 can decrease its grain size from 311 to 53µm. Correspondingly, the tensile properties are obviously improved. The higher the cooling rate from addition temperature to pouring temperature or the higher the addition temperature, the finer the grains. The melt treated by MgCO3 should be poured as soon as possible because the inoculation fading is quite quick. The microstructure sensitivity to the diameter of a cast rod is relatively high and the microstructures of the rods with large diameters are quite inhomogeneous. The refining mechanism of MgCO3 belongs to heterogeneous nucleation and the nucleant substrates are believed to be the Al4C3 particles formed from the reactions between the MgCO3 and the molten alloy.

Methemoglobin (Hb-M) is a rare hemoglobinopathy in China. We hereby report on a family living in Yantai, East China, with congenital cyanosis due to Hb-M mutation. The proband, a 65-year-old female, presented 63% oxygen saturation. Both Hb-M concentration and arterial oxygen saturation remained unchanged, even following intravenous treatment with methylene blue. There was also no change in blood-color (chocolate-brown) after adding 0.1% KCN. A fast-moving band (Hb-X) in hemolysates was found by cellulose acetate electrophoresis, the Hb-X/Hb-A ratio exceeding 10%. GT transition at 131nt of exon 2, although present in one of the α2-globin alleles, was not found in α1-globin alleles as a whole. This mutation leads to the aspartic acid to tyrosine substitution (Asp76Tyr). In this family, the novel mutation in the α2-globin gene resulted in a rare form of congenital cyanosis due to Hb-M. This hemoglobin was named Hb-M Yantai.