Calcium Treatment Research Articles

Effect of Foliar Calcium Fertilization on Fruit Quality, Cell Wall Enzyme Activity and Expression of Key Genes in Chinese Cherry

ABSTRACT Chinese cherries are early flowering and early fruiting, with both edible and ornamental values. This study aims to explore the effects of pre-harvest spraying with different concentrations of CaCl2, amino acid calcium, and sugar alcohol calcium on the quality of Chinese cherry and the expression of genes related to cell wall softening. The goal is to identify suitable calcium-based agents for pre-harvest spraying on Chinese cherry. The results of the study demonstrated that all three exogenous calcium treatments significantly increased the mineral content compared to the control group. Moreover, these treatments also led to a significant increase in various fruit quality parameters such as hundred fruit weight, firmness, soluble solid, soluble sugar, titratable, vitamin C, soluble protein, β-Carotene content and superoxide dismutase, peroxidase activities. Additionally, they were found to effectively reduce rot rate, polyphenol oxidase activity, malondialdehyde content and relative conductivity. The activity of pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase, cellulase and β-galactose was reduced by amino acid calcium and sugar alcohol calcium. All three types of exogenous calcium down-regulated the expression of PME and ChCaBP1. Additionally, amino acid calcium and sugar alcohol calcium decreased the expression of PG, Cx, and BGal. Exogenous calcium reduces the size of stomata in the fruit epidermis, leading to a decrease in both fruit respiration rate and transpiration. Of the three calcium preparations, amino acid calcium and sugar alcohol calcium were more effective than CaCl2, with 0.12 g·L−1sugar alcohol calcium and 0.06 g·L−1 amino acid calcium being the most effective.

Effect of Prohexadione Calcium Application Timing and Rate on Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Growth and Yield in Mississippi

Excessive vegetative growth in peanut can lead to decreased harvest efficiency. Peanut vegetative growth is often managed with the plant growth regulator prohexadione calcium. Although application of prohexadione calcium is recommended at 50% and 100% canopy closure (CC) as defined by lateral vines touching, research on the optimal application timing and rate has been minimal. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of prohexadione calcium application timing and rate based on percent canopy closure. Experiments were conducted at 6 different sites in Mississippi over 2 years. Treatments in 2020 included prohexadione calcium applied at 50% CC + one application at 100% CC (recommended by product label), two applications in one week at 100% CC, and three applications in one week at 100% CC. In 2020, all prohexadione calcium applications were made at 140 g a.i./ha. Treatments in 2021 included application timings at 50% and 100% CC and multiple application rates at each timing including 70 g a.i./ha, 140 g a.i./ha, and 280 g a.i./ha. Peanut response was evaluated based on pod weight after digging, pod count after digging, dry plant weight, pod loss, and peanut yield. Dry plant weight, pod loss, and pod weight were unaffected by prohexadione calcium application. Peanut yield ranged from 6200 kg/ha to 7300 kg/ha across years, locations, and prohexadione calcium treatments. Yields following all prohexadione calcium application timings and rates were similar to those following applications at the recommended timings and rate. With the exception of two applications in one week at 100% CC, yield response following prohexadione application was similar to that of the untreated check. Therefore, prohexadione calcium application timings and rates are likely more flexible than the labelled recommendation with respect to vegetation management; however, yield enhancement following application was inconsistent.

Heat Stress Alleviation by Exogenous Calcium in the Orchid Dendrobium nobile Lindl: A Biochemical and Transcriptomic Analysis.

The growth of Dendrobium nobile is sensitive to heat stress. To find an effective method for enhancing heat tolerance, this study investigated the relieving effect of exogenous calcium at different concentrations (0 mmol/L, 5 mmol/L, 10 mmol/L, 15 mmol/L, 20 mmol/L CaCl2) on heat stress in D. nobile. Principal component analysis was used to screen the optimal exogenous calcium concentration, and transcriptome analysis was used to reveal its possible heat tolerance mechanism. The results showed that compared with the T0, a 10 mmol/L calcium treatment: increased the average leaf length, leaf width, plant height, and fresh matter accumulation of D. nobile by 76%, 103.39%, 12.97%, and 12.24%, respectively (p < 0.05); significantly increased chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), carotenoids(Car), ascorbic acid (ASA), glutathione (GSH), and flavonoids by 15.72%, 8.54%, 11.88%, 52.17%, 31.54%, and 36.12%, respectively; and effectively enhanced the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system, increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) by 1.38, 1.61, and 2.16 times, respectively (p < 0.05); At the same time, the treatment can effectively reduce the yellow leaf rate and defoliation rate of D. nobile under heat stress. The principal component analysis method and membership function were used to calculate the D value to rank the relief effects of each calcium treatment group, and the results also showed that 10 mmol/L CaCl2 had the best relief effect. Transcriptomics testing identified 7013 differentially expressed genes, of which 2719 were upregulated, and 294 were downregulated. Among them, genes such as HSPA1s, HSP90A, HSPBP1, ATG8, COMT, REF1, E1.11.1.7, along with transcription factors such as MYB, bHLH, WRKY, and NAC, formed the network of tolerance to heat stress in D. nobile. This study provides new insights for improving the cultivation techniques of D. nobile.

Effect of calcium spray at flowering combined with post-harvest 1-MCP treatment on the preservation of grapes

These tests were carried out to find out how calcium and 1-MCP treatment affected the preservation of grapes, as grapes are highly susceptible to decay during post-harvest storage. The grapes were treated with 5 g/L calcium at the flowering stage, followed by 1 μL/L 1-MCP treatment after harvesting.When grapevines were treated with a combination of calcium and 1-MCP, the marketable fruit rate (At day 56 of storage, the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treatment group was still 93%, an increase of 29.03% compared to the control group.) and quality improved (At day 28 of storage, the VC content of the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group was 4.35 mg/100g, an increase of 25.01% compared to the control group.), while the fruit weight loss rate decreased (At day 56 of storage, the weight loss of the control group was 6.97%, an increase of 39.43% compared to the 1-MCP + Ca2+ treated group.).According to the experimental results, there are several reasons for this. First, in the early stages of fruit storage, the concentration of soluble pectin and soluble fiber, as well as the activities of pectinase and cellulase (related gene levels) were decreased. Secondly, the activity of antioxidant enzymes was increased, while MDA content was decreased. Third, during fruit storage, the respiratory intensity and ethylene release rate were reduced, as was the activity of energy metabolism enzymes. As a result, the aging and deterioration of the fruit during storage were delayed. Principal component analysis revealed that the calcium and 1-MCP combination therapy slowed the decline in grape berry quality, followed by the calcium-treated and 1-MCP-treated fruits. In contrast, grape berry quality declined the most rapidly in the control group.

Effects of saline water with different concentrations of calcium and magnesium ions on emitter clogging in drip irrigation integrated water–fertilizer system

AbstractThe application of saline water in drip irrigation is severely constrained due to its high salt content, which causes precipitation and emitter clogging. Therefore, the effects of calcium and magnesium ions at 100, 150 and 200 mg/L in saline water coupled with humic acid nitrogen fertilizer on emitter clogging were studied. Compared with ground saline water, all treatments significantly increased the emitter clogging risk. In the calcium and magnesium ion treatment groups, clogging fouling increased by 23.94–58.35 and 14.55–51.21 mg/cm2, the discharge variation ratio (Dra) decreased by 22%–59% and 14%–49%, and the Christiansen coefficient of uniformity (CU) decreased by 29%–79% and 15%–74%, respectively. Higher ion concentrations caused more clogging. Saline water with a high calcium content caused more clogging. Under similar concentration conditions, the Dra and CU in high magnesium saline water were 9%–32% and 8%–51% higher, respectively. In addition, the increase in magnesium ion concentration changed the crystal form of carbonate, slowed the formation rate of precipitated dirt and significantly reduced the carbonate content by 19%–40%. Our results provide support for the popularization of saline water drip irrigation systems.

Stunting and wasting in neurological Wilson disease: Role of copper, zinc, and insulin-like growth factor-I.

Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) are important trace elements for the growth and development of children. In Wilson disease (WD), impaired Cu metabolism may affect growth. This study was conducted to evaluate the height and weight of children with neurological WD and correlate these with serum Cu, Zn, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). This prospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching institute. Children with neurologic WD were included. The height, weight, and body-mass index of each child were measured and categorized according to the revised national growth chart. Serum Cu, Zn, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, albumin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and urinary-Cu were measured. Serum IGF-1 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between height and weight with trace elements and IGF was analyzed using parametric or non-parametric tests. There were 52 children (5-18 years) with neurologic WD. Thirty-six (69.2%) children had normal height, 12 (23.1%) were tall, and 4 (7.7%) were stunted. Forty-six (88.5%) children had normal weight and six (11.5%) children were underweight. IGF-1 correlated with height, weight, duration of treatment, and serum Zn level. About 15.4% of children had stunting and/or wasting, which was associated with low levels of serum IGF-I, Zn, and calcium. Stunting and/or wasting occurs in 15.4% of children with neurologic WD and is associated with reduced serum IGF-I, Zn, and calcium concentration. Adjunctive Zn and calcium treatment may help in achieving normal growth.

Foliar Application of Chelated Sugar Alcohol Calcium Improves Photosynthesis and Tuber Quality under Drought Stress in Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Drought stress is a major threat to sustainable crop production worldwide. Despite the positive role of calcium (Ca2+) in improving plant drought tolerance in different crops, little attention has been paid to its role in mitigating drought stress in potatoes. In the present study, we studied the effect of foliar chelated sugar alcohol calcium treatments on two potato cultivars with different drought responses applied 15 and 30 days after limiting soil moisture. The results showed that the foliar application of calcium treatments alleviated the SPAD chlorophyll loss of the drought-sensitive cultivar 'Atlantic' (Atl) and reduced the inhibition of photosynthetic parameters, leaf anatomy deformation, and MDA and H2O2 content of both cultivars under drought stress. The Ca2+ treatments changed the expression of several Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase (StCDPK) genes involved in calcium sensing and signaling and significantly increased antioxidant enzyme activities, average tuber weight per plant, and tuber quality of both cultivars. We conclude that calcium spray treatments improved the drought tolerance of both potato cultivars and were especially effective for the drought-sensitive cultivar. The present work suggests that the foliar application of calcium is a promising strategy to improve commercial potato yields and the economic efficiency of potato production under drought stress conditions.

Gene co-expression network analysis identifies hub genes associated with different tolerance under calcium deficiency in two peanut cultivars

BackgroundPeanut is an economically-important oilseed crop and needs a large amount of calcium for its normal growth and development. Calcium deficiency usually leads to embryo abortion and subsequent abnormal pod development. Different tolerance to calcium deficiency has been observed between different cultivars, especially between large and small-seed cultivars.ResultsIn order to figure out different molecular mechanisms in defensive responses between two cultivars, we treated a sensitive (large-seed) and a tolerant (small-seed) cultivar with different calcium levels. The transcriptome analysis identified a total of 58 and 61 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within small-seed and large-seed peanut groups under different calcium treatments, and these DEGs were entirely covered by gene modules obtained via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the blue-module genes in the large-seed cultivar were mainly enriched in plant-pathogen attack, phenolic metabolism and MAPK signaling pathway, while the green-module genes in the small-seed cultivar were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism including glycerolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolisms. By integrating DEGs with WGCNA, a total of eight hub-DEGs were finally identified, suggesting that the large-seed cultivar concentrated more on plant defensive responses and antioxidant activities under calcium deficiency, while the small-seed cultivar mainly focused on maintaining membrane features to enable normal photosynthesis and signal transduction.ConclusionThe identified hub genes might give a clue for future gene validation and molecular breeding to improve peanut survivability under calcium deficiency.

Effects of essential mineral elements deficiency and supplementation on serum mineral elements concentration and biochemical parameters in grazing Mongolian sheep.

Traditional sheep grazing is the pillar industry and the main source of income for local herders in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. However, grazing sheep often suffer from mineral deficiency. In the present study, the feeding experiment was performed on 84 grazing Wu Ranke sheep. After being divided into calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se) treatment groups, they were fed with a mineral deficient diet for 60 days and then a mineral supplement diet for 41 days. Serum samples were collected three times, 10 concentrations of essential mineral elements and 15 concentrations/activity of biochemical parameters were measured to assess the effects of mineral deficiency and supplementation on the physical health of sheep. The results revealed that the sheep showed mineral Ca, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se deficiencies after feeding their respective mineral deficient diet. Deficiency in dietary Ca, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se may adversely affect the liver, myocardium and pancreas of sheep. The prompt supplementation of dietary Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se may alleviate the damage caused to the liver, myocardium and pancreas, while that of dietary Ca improved energy generation. In conclusion, the adequate supplementation of dietary Ca, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se is essential for avoiding the impairment caused to the liver, myocardium and pancreas function of sheep by the deficiency in essential dietary minerals.

Spectroscopic investigation of phase transformation of calcium oxalate dehydrates (renal calculi) using acidic Bryophyllum pinnatom powder

Urolithiasis is one of most common renal disorders, characterized by the formation of kidney stones (renal calculi) through the crystallization process within the urinary system. The frequently observed renal calculi are calcium oxalate renal calculi and treatment is done by shock wave method or lithotripsy which is harmful for other cells of the internal system. The objective of this work was to evaluate in vitro diagnosis of calcium oxalate kidney stones in the aqueous solution of Bryophyllum pinnatum. The B. pinnatum powder was mixed in apple cider vinegar and lemon juice separately to make solution 1 and 2 respectively. Apple cider vinegar and lemon juice were used as solvents due to their acidic and body compatible nature. Two surgically removed stones was dipped in solution 1 and 2. After two weeks, kidney stone of weight 2.7 g is completely dissolved in solution 2 while a considerable weight reduction of other kidney stone has been observed in solution 1. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results show the presence of two strong absorption peaks at 610 and 912 (cm−1) in both solutions after dissolution of urinary stones are related to calcium oxalate dehydrate (COD). Raman spectra further confirm the dissolution of COD in solution having Raman shifts at 504 and 910 (cm−1). Cluster formation and aggregation of particles has been observed in scanning electron microscopy images. This in vitro study proves that a mixture of Bryophyllum pinnatum powder and lemon juice is a best remedy to remove kidney stones.

Effect of Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) on Post Harvest Quality of Apple Fruit (Malus domestica) cv. Gala

The study investigated the effects of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) on the post-harvest quality of Gala apple fruit (Malus domestica). The apples were stored under controlled refrigerated conditions for 90 days, and eight different treatment combinations were tested: 0.5% CaCl2, 1.0% CaCl2, 900ppm CO2, 1000ppm CO2, 0.5% CaCl2 + 900ppm CO2, 0.5% CaCl2 + 1000ppm CO2, 1.0% CaCl2 + 900ppm CO2, and 1.0% CaCl2 + 1000ppm CO2. Various quantitative and quality parameters were evaluated throughout the experiment, including fruit weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), pH, titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid, and sensory evaluation at 30, 60, and 90 days of post-harvest storage. The results demonstrated that fruit weight loss was significantly in the treatments with calcium and carbon dioxide compared to the control group. Furthermore, the calcium and carbon dioxide treatments led to an increase in pH and total soluble solids, and causing a decrease in firmness, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid during the 90-day cold storage at 0 to 2°C. The findings also indicated that the calcium and carbon dioxide treatments influenced the production of ethylene to the control group. Overall, the experiment revealed that post-harvest calcium treatments prevented fruit softening and minimized weight losses. The application of 1.0% CaCl2 + 1000ppm CO2 showed superior results compared to other treatments, effectively controlling weight loss, maintaining firmness, and minimizing fruit decay. In conclusion, storing Gala apples under controlled atmosphere conditions with the application of calcium chloride and carbon dioxide successfully inhibited fungal growth, maintained firmness, minimized weight loss, and extended the shelf life compared to the control group. These findings have significant implications for the apple industry, as they provide a means to improve fruit quality and increase the shelf life of apples. Future research may build upon these results to refine treatment conditions, gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and explore the application of these techniques to other apple varieties and different fruits. Ultimately, these experimental findings have the potential to contribute to the development of practical strategies for enhancing the shelf life of apple fruits, ensuring better quality and reduced post-harvest losses.

Effect of foliar calcium and nitrogen treatments on yield and fruit quality of table grapes cv. ‘Cardinal‘

The foliar fertilization has been used as an important agrotechnical measure to avoid deficiencies and to improve quality. During the three consecutive years, a study has been performed on Vitis vinifera L. (cv. ‘Cardinal’) to examine whether a yield and grape berry quality have been affected by the foliar application of Ca and N fertilizers. A liquid mineral fertilizer containing 40% Ca(NO₃)₂ as Variant I and 31% N with 0,015 % Fe-chelate; 0,01 % Mg – chelat as Variant II (in text) has been sprayed four times during the growing period (before and after blooming, buckshot berries, and verasion). Results showed that foliar application of calcium and nitrogen increased the yield of table grapes in all three years of research, in comparison with a control variant. The highest yields of grapes in all three years of investigations were achieved in Variant II – 4.57 kg/vine (14.85 t/ha). During the tree years of investigations, the largest mass of grape bunch and berries were recorded in Variant II (382g and 368.68g), while the lowest cluster weight was in the control variant (344g and 330.92g). With a reference to the mechanical properties of the grape berries, the highest resistance to pressure (2229.70g) and breaking resistance (364.52g) were found in Variant I, treated with Ca fertilizer. The foliar application significantly affects the mechanical properties (resistance of the berry to pressure and breaking), especially in Variant I. The application of different types of foliar fertilizers did not have any significant effect on sugar contents and total acids, compared with the control variant.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the mechanism of calcium-reduced quality deterioration in mechanically injured green pepper fruit

Green pepper is regarded as one of the globally essential commercial crops with bright color and rich nutrition. However, green pepper is susceptible to mechanical injuries as a result of vibration, compression and impact events during postharvest handling and transportation. These injuries can induce physiological and biochemical abnormalities in fruit, thus accelerating fruit senescence and leading to economic losses. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) treatment is a safe, effective and economical method to maintain fruit quality during postharvest storage. Here, the impact of calcium treatment on the fruit quality of mechanically injured green pepper was investigated. The results indicated that calcium treatment maintained the sensory quality and hardness of green pepper fruit, inhibited redness development and elevation in the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). The combination of transcriptomics, metabolomics and assay for transposase accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) revealed treatment effects of the expression of key genes related to fruit color change, fruit softening, active oxygen metabolism and hormone response, as well as changes of metabolites concentrations, and chromatin accessibility changes. A construction of regulatory network model of calcium treatment on post-harvest mechanical injury of green pepper fruit was developed based on these effects. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the impact of mechanical injury on fruit after harvest and its amelioration by calcium.

Inverse Regulation of Cartilage Neogenesis at Physiologically Relevant Calcium Conditions by Human Articular Chondrocytes and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Elaborate bioreactor cultivation or expensive growth factor supplementation can enhance extracellular matrix production in engineered neocartilage to provide sufficient mechanical resistance. We here investigated whether raising extracellular calcium levels in chondrogenic cultures to physiologically relevant levels would provide a simple and inexpensive alternative to enhance cartilage neogenesis from human articular chondrocytes (AC) or bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC). Interestingly, AC and BMSC-derived chondrocytes showed an opposite response to a calcium increase from 1.8 mM to 8 mM by which glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II production were elevated during BMSC chondrogenesis but depressed in AC, leading to two-fold higher GAG/DNA values in BMSC-based neocartilage compared to the AC group. According to control treatments with Mg2+ or sucrose, these effects were specific for CaCl2 rather than divalent cations or osmolarity. Importantly, undesired pro-hypertrophic traits were not stimulated by calcium treatment. Specific induction of PTHrP mRNA and protein by 8.0mM calcium only in AC, along with negative effects of recombinant PTHrP1-34 on cartilage matrix production, suggested that the PTHrP pathway contributed to the detrimental effects in AC-based neocartilage. Altogether, raising extracellular calcium levels was discovered as a novel, simple and inexpensive stimulator for BMSC-based cartilage neogenesis without the need for special bioreactors, whereas such conditions should be avoided for AC.

Exogenous calcium improves growth and physiological responses of pistachio rootstocks against excess boron under salinity

Although boron (B) is necessary for plant growth and development, excessive concentrations of it can be harmful. Toxicity due to boron can occur naturally in the soils of arid and semiarid areas. Soluble forms of Ca were applied as foliar sprays at 1.1 and 2.2 g L−1 on three pistachio rootstocks, namely Pistacia vera L. ‘Ghazvini’, P. vera L. ‘Badami-Riz’ and P. atlantica subsp. Atlantica. Effects of the foliar sprays were assessed on growth and physiological responses of the three rootstocks while an excess of B was added to the irrigation water under saline soil (ECe ≅12 dS/m). Four-month plants were irrigated with water containing B as boric acid (20 and 40 mg L−1). Calcium treatments occurred either as aminochelate or chloride, and were sprayed on the foliage once a week. The experiment lasted for 12 wk and terminated when 50% of the plants showed symptoms of B toxicity. Excess B retarded growth and affected physiological parameters including plant height, leaf number, leaf area, leaf dry weight, stem diameter, shoot dry weight, root length, root dry weight, leaf proline content, SPAD value and RWC. Boron concentrations increased in the plant tissues, due to the boric acid in the irrigation water, while foliar sprays of calcium reduced B content in the leaves, stems and roots. Applications of Ca-Chelate and CaCl2 (2.2 g L−1 each) significantly improved growth and physiological responses of all rootstocks. The Ca-Chelate was more effective than CaCl2 in ameliorating B toxicity. In terms of rootstock tolerance to B toxicity, ‘Ghazvini’ and ‘Atlantica’ were more tolerant than ‘Badami’. The results indicate that foliar sprays of Ca are effective in mitigating excess boron symptoms in pistachio rootstocks grown under saline conditions.

Preharvest calcium treatment enhanced lenticels breakdown at an environmental-dependent manner

It has been demonstrated that postharvest calcium application enhanced lenticels breakdown (LB), occurring after storage. In this study, we examined whether preharvest in-orchard calcium foliar application can also enhances lenticels breakdown. Calcium foliar application was examined on fruit harvested separately from northern and southern sides of the trees in two orchards. Four in-orchard treatments were applied: No treatment (Control), CaCl2, Ca(NO3)2 and KCl. The orchards were located in regions with different climatic conditions. LB damage was higher in the low humidity orchard in comparison to that in the higher humidity orchard. Moreover, LB was enhanced by preharvest calcium application only in apples from the northern side of the trees, located in the lower relative humidity orchard. Preharvest calcium application reduced the peel thickness of apples from both tree sides in the high relative humidity orchard, and only in the northern side of the low humidity orchard. Hence, in-orchard calcium foliar application can enhance LB only under specific field climate conditions. Reduced peel thickness by calcium in the northern side of the low relative humidity orchard, might have led to a higher post storage LB. Nevertheless, the status of open lenticels at harvest can only partially explain the postharvest LB. In addition, the force needed to puncture the peel does not explain LB results. In conclusion, this study supports the finding that calcium increases LB, but only under certain environmental conditions.

Calcium-Treated Steel Cleanliness Prediction Using High-Dimensional Steelmaking Process Data

Control of calcium treatment in steel is challenging due to the reactivity of Ca and difficulty of measuring total oxygen of steel in-process to make actionable decisions. In this work, a method combining statistics and process engineering are developed using partial least squares regression (PLS) to predict non-metallic inclusion content (oxides and CaS) and composition at the end of ladle treatment and in the tundish using extensive process data and SEM/EDS-based non-metallic inclusion analysis. Total oxygen at the end of the ladle treatment can be predicted to an accuracy of 7 ppm, and the Mg/(Mg+Al) ratio in inclusions to an accuracy of 3at% providing enough data to recommend Ca addition based on a thermodynamic calculation for the Ca liquid window. Alternatively, the model can predict total inclusion fraction to 20 ppm accuracy, and accurately predict average CaS content and Ca/Al ratio of inclusions in the tundish. Model interpretability is hindered by high dimensionality and multicollinearity of the data. Non-metallic inclusion compositions correspond to the expected composition at the onset of CaS formation based on steel composition.

Postpartum vasculopathy as a rare cause of stroke – what every neurologist should remember

Stroke in pregnancy and the puerperium is a rare condition. The treatment of ischaemic stroke (IS) in pregnancy and the puerperium is difficult and requires the attending physicians to take quick decisions. Postpartum vasculopathy (PV) may be one of the causes of postpartum stroke. The aetiology of PV is not fully understood. It most often occurs in the first week after delivery. The trigger factors include vasoconstrictive substances that are present in the blood of women in the postpartum period. Most frequently, this condition occurs in a subsequent pregnancy, and the primary symptom is a very severe headache. The characteristic feature of PV is the angiographic image of the cerebral vessels, where segmental vasoconstriction and tortuous course of the vessels are visible, which resembles beads impaled on a string. This disease is a monophasic condition and, once the disease has progressed, there are no contraindications for a subsequent pregnancy. No standard management has been established, but most authors agree that acute phase treatment includes cessation of vasoconstrictors using calcium channel antagonists, magnesium intravenously, corticosteroids, and treatment of associated conditions like headache, high blood pressure, cerebral oedema, seizure. It also applies ASA, heparin when it’s needed, we present a women with an IS in the course of PV treated successfully.

Evolution mechanism of inclusions during refining and continuous casting process of 321H stainless steel

ABSTRACT The evolution of inclusions during the refining and casting process was investigated on an industrial scale to clarify the quantity and distribution of non-metallic inclusions for 321H stainless steel. The analyses showed that Al2O3-SiO2-MnO-CaO and Al2O3 as the main types of inclusions at the late of AOD and VOD, respectively. Pure titanium nitride and titanium nitride with oxide as the nuclei dominated the inclusions at the late of LF. The types of inclusions in mold and slab were similar to those obtained at the late of LF, while titanium nitride inclusions in slab were higher in numbers and larger in size. The titanium nitride inclusions precipitating with MgO-Al2O3-CaO-(TiO2) nuclei showed a higher number density and area fraction than other oxide inclusions. The calcium treatment of molten steel was optimized by FactSage software and it was necessary to accurately control the calcium content in molten steel before titanium addition.

P52 DIGEORGE SYNDROME: HYPOCALCEMIC PARALYSIS AND INTERVENTRICULAR DEFECT

Abstract Introduction DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), known as "22q11.2 deletion syndrome" (22q11DS) (MIM#192430#188400), is caused by microdeletion of the long arm of chromosome 22 resulting in impaired development of the pharyngeal pouch. It is the most frequent chromosomal microdeletion syndrome with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 3 in 6,000 live births and approximately 1 in 1,000 fetuses. 22q11DS is the second leading chromosomal cause of congenital heart malformations, after trisomy 21. Patients with DGS may have developmental abnormalities of the craniofacial structures, parathyroid glands, thymus, and cardiac outflow tract. Doctors have been screening infants with conotruncal heart abnormalities for DGS since the late 1990s, before which the diagnosis was only clinical. Clinical case A 48–year–old woman came to our attention for recurrent episodes of tetanus paresis, the worst in her youth, associated with a systolic murmur. Her face was characterized by hypertelorism, thin lips, micrognathia, and low–set ears associated with short stature. Blood chemistry tests showed hypocalcemia during the tetanic crisis, exacerbated also during blood pressure measurement (Trosseau‘s sign with obstetrician‘s hand). The electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm, high QRS voltages and the presence of U wave in some precordial leads (Fig. 1). The echocardiographic examination showed a globular left ventricle with evidence of a subaortic interventricular defect (Fig.2). The patient was sent for genetic evaluation with subsequent evidence of 22q11.2 microdeletion (Di George syndrome) and placed on oral calcium treatment and cardiac surgery evaluation for possible correction of the congenital defect. At the same time, psychological support was guaranteed for adequate coping with the diagnosed disease. Conclusions The presence of multiple stigmata in the same patient, such as typical facies, congenital heart defects and hypocalcemia, must raise the suspicion of syndromic involvement of the patient and consequent genetic evaluation oriented towards diagnosis and adequate counseling.