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Background and purpose Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease caused by antibody mediated impairment in the neuromuscular junction. Seronegative MG (SNMG) without antibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) by routine assays accounts for about 20% of all MG patients. Methods Plasma from 81 Chinese MG patients previously found to be seronegative was tested by routine assays for AChR and MuSK antibodies. These samples were screened by (i) a novel, highly sensitive radioimmunoassay for AChR antibodies; (ii) cell-based assays for clustered AChR, MuSK and lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4) antibodies; (iii) a radioimmunoassay for titin antibodies. Results Antibodies to AChR, MuSK, LRP4 and titin were found in 25% (20/81), 4% (3/81), 7% (6/81) and 6% (5/78) of SNMG patients, respectively. In total, 37% of SNMG patients were found to be positive for at least one of the tested antibodies. AChR antibody positive patients had more severe disease (P = 0.008) and a trend towards fewer remissions/minimal manifestations than AChR antibody negative patients. The four patients with coexistence of antibodies had more severe disease, whilst the seronegative patients had milder MG (P = 0.015). Conclusions Detection of multiple muscle antibodies by more sensitive assays provides additional information in diagnosing and subgrouping of MG and may guide MG treatment.

COREX is one of the commercialized smelting reduction ironmaking processes. It mainly includes two reactors: a reduction shaft and a melter gasifier (MG). Lump coal is used in the MG to generate reducing agents, and hence its distribution plays an important role in determining the temperature distribution and the reduction of iron ores. To understand the formation of burden profiles, a three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) model is established and validated against experimental tests. The effects of key operational parameters such as the chute angle and the rotational speed are investigated, and the underlying mechanisms in the formation of an asymmetrical pile are analyzed. The results show that the asymmetrical pile is intrinsic to the discharge system due to the outward motion of lump coal. The results also reveal a significant size segregation of lump coal along the radial direction. Small particles tend to accumulate in the inner side of the pile while the large ones have large fractions in the outer side. The effect of the rotational speed is minor within the range from 3 to 12 rpm. These findings are helpful for the control and optimization of the MG to improve its energy efficiency.

The Lakange porphyry Cu–Mo deposit within the Gangdese metallogenic belt of Tibet is located in the southern–central part of the eastern Lhasa block, in the Tibetan Tethyan tectonic domain. This deposit is one of the largest identified by a joint Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau geological survey project undertaken in recent years. Here, we present the results of the systematic logging of drillholes and provide new petrological, zircon U–Pb age, and molybdenite Re–Os age data for the deposit. The ore-bearing porphyritic granodiorite contains elevated concentrations of silica and alkali elements but low concentrations of MgO and CaO. It is metaluminous to weakly peraluminous and has A/CNK values of 0.90–1.01. The samples contain low total REE concentrations and show light REE/heavy REE (LREE/HREE) ratios of 17.51–19.77 and (La/Yb)N values of 29.65–41.05. The intrusion is enriched in the large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depleted in the HREE and high field-strength elements (HFSE). The ore-bearing porphyritic granodiorite yielded a Miocene zircon U–Pb crystallization age of 13.58 ± 0.42 Ma, whereas the mineralization within the Lakange deposit yielded Miocene molybdenite Re–Os ages of 13.20 ± 0.20 and 13.64 ± 0.21, with a weighted mean of 13.38 ± 0.15 Ma and an isochron age of 13.12 ± 0.44 Ma. This indicates that the crystallization and mineralization of the Lakange porphyry were contemporaneous. The ore-bearing porphyritic granodiorite yielded zircon eHf(t) values between −3.99 and 4.49 (mean, −0.14) and two-stage model ages between 1349 and 808 Myr (mean, 1103 Myr). The molybdenite within the deposit contains 343.6–835.7 ppm Re (mean, 557.8 ppm). These data indicate that the mineralized porphyritic granodiorite within the Lakange deposit is adakitic and formed from parental magmas derived mainly from juvenile crustal material that partly mixed with older continental crust during the evolution of the magmas. The Lakange porphyry Cu–Mo deposit and numerous associated porphyry–skarn deposits in the eastern Gangdese porphyry copper belt (17–13 Ma) formed in an extensional tectonic setting during the India–Asia continental collision.

Aim: To explore the mechanism of topiramate-induced weight loss in epilepsy children by monitoring metabolism indices. Methods: Children with epilepsy were treated with topiramate at their first clinical visit. Metabolism indices including body mass index (BMI) and its SD scores, leptin, adiponectin, leptin/adiponectin (L/A), lipid profile-insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessments (HOMA) index were collected before and after treatment. Results: Topiramate treatment significantly reduced L/A (t = 2.156, p = 0.031), and markedly increased the serum level of adiponectin (t = 3.124, p = 0.002). Moreover, there were no relationships between the metabolism indices and dosages of topiramate (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our studies find that topiramate treatment in epilepsy children increases energy metabolism, resulting in weight loss. It has been demonstrated that adiponectin play a significant role in metabolic regulations.

The COREX melter gasifier (MG) is a reduction reactor applied to produce liquid iron from non-coking coal and directly reduced iron. The burden distribution in its operation plays an important role in achieving high stability and energy efficiency. This work establishes a 1/7.5 scale experimental model to study the burden distribution with a mixed charging. First, the relationship between the angle of distributor and the burden falling point is investigated. Then, the effects of the initial burden surface profile and the descending burden are discussed in terms of the radial ore-to-coal ratio and voidage distribution. The results show that the burden flow widths of coal and pellet increase along the radial direction, and the burden flow width of coal is larger than that of coal in a modern blast furnace. The ore-to-coal ratio near the wall is significantly larger than that of the center, possibly leading to worse reduction of burden near the wall. Compared to results with a horizontal initial burden surface, the results under the conditions of a naturally-formed initial burden surface and a descending burden are more realistic helpful for the operation of the MG.