Correlation between aggregation structure and tailing mineral crystallinity

Direct reduction is an emerging technology for the utilization of refractory iron ore. With this technology, iron oxides in the ore can be reduced to recoverable elemental iron. The structure of granular aggregates in direct reduction products was investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that iron is mainly generated as a shell in the outer edge of the aggregates. The thermal conductivity of the iron shell is higher than that of other minerals. Thus, minerals close to the iron shell cool faster than those in the inner shells and do not crystallize well. These minerals mainly become stage 2 tailings. Hence the XRD intensity of stage 2 tailings is lower than that of stage 1 tailhags. When iron is mainly generated in the interior of the aggregates, the crystallinity of stage 2 tailings will be higher than that of stage 1 tailings. This indicates that the crystallinity of tailings can be used as a marker for the aggregate structure.

Biodesulfurization of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates and pH control of bioleaching solution

Vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite concentrates were desulfurized with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans （A. ferrooxidans）. The sulfur content of the concentrates was reduced from 0.69wt% to 0.14wt% after bioleaching for 15 d with a 10% pulp density at 30℃. Maintaining a stable pH value during biodesulfurization was critical because of high acid consumption, resulting from a combination of nonoxidative and oxidative dissolution of pyrrhotite in acid solution. It is discovered that the citric acid-disodium hydrogen phosphate buffer of pH 2.0 can control the solution pH value smoothly in the optimal range of 2.0-3.0 for A. ferrooxidans growth. Using the buffer in the volume fraction range of 5.0%-15.0% stimulates A. ferooxidans growth and improves the biodesulfurization efficiency. Compared with the buffer-free control case, the maximum increase of biodesulfurization rate is 29.7% using a 10.0vol% buffer. Bioleaching provides an alternative process for desulfurization of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite ores.

Numerical modelling of the dynamic process of oil displacement by water in sandstone reservoirs with random pore structures

The study aims to identify a suitable site for open and bore well in a farmhouseusing ground magnetic survey in south India.It also aims to define depth to granitoid and structural elements which traverse the selected area.Magnetic data(n=84)measured,processed and interpreted as qualitative and quantitatively.The results of total magnetic intensities indicate that the area is composed of linear magnetic lows trending NE-SW direction and circular to semi-circular causative bodies.The magnetic values ranged from-137 nT to 2345 nT with a mean of 465 nT.Reduction to equator shows significant shifting of causative bodies in the southern and northern directions.Analytical signal map shows exact boundary of granitic bodies.Cosine directional filter has brought out structural element trending NE-SW direction.Results of individual profile brought to light structurally weak zone between 90 m and 100 m in all the profile lines.Sudden decrease of magnetic values from 2042 nT to 126 nT noticed in profile line 6 between 20 m and 30 m indicates fault occurrence.Magnetic breaks obtained from these maps were visualized,interpreted and identified two suitable sites for open and bore well.Radially averaged power spectrum estimates depth of shallow and deep sources in 5 m and 50 m,respectively.Euler method has also been applied to estimate depth of granitoid and structural elements using structural indexes 0,1,2,and 3 and found depth ranges from<10 m to>90 m.Study indicates magnetic method is one of the geophysical methods suitable for groundwater exploration and site selection for open and borewells.

Occult colon cancer with sepsis as the primary manifestation identified by bone marrow puncture:A case report

BACKGROUND Bone marrow metastasis is common in liver and lung cancer,but there are few reports on bone marrow metastasis in colon cancer.To date,there are no such reports from China's Mainland,and reports of bone marrow metastasis with septic shock as the main manifestation are even rarer.CASE SUMMARY A 71-year-old woman with sepsis as the first symptom presented with high fever,low blood pressure and high inflammation indicators.Computed tomography(CT)examination revealed mild inflammation of the lungs and no obvious abnormalities in the abdomen.Blood culture suggested Escherichia coli,Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas caviae infection.Antibiotic treatment significantly improved the patient’s sepsis symptoms;however,her thrombocytopenia(TCP)could not be corrected despite repeated platelet transfusions.Many malignant cells were ultimately found following a bone marrow puncture smear,and further positron emission tomography/CT(PET/CT)examination confirmed that the malignant tumor in the ascending colon was accompanied by multiple metastases,including the liver and bones.Colon adenocarcinoma was confirmed by autopsy.CONCLUSION Patients with advanced colon cancer may not have typical clinical symptoms,and sepsis may be the first symptom.When patients have severe TCP that cannot be explained by sepsis of intestinal origin,it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of bone marrow metastasis of intestinal tumors.As such patients often cannot tolerate endoscopy,bone marrow biopsy smears or biopsy tests for specialized cells can help obtain a diagnosis,especially in less developed countries where PET/CT is scarce.

Commentary: A nearly forgotten class of anti-inflammatory lipid molecules in central nervous system

Lipids are the major components of cells in the central nervous system(CNS) and are essential for the brain development and homeostasis. Several studies have demonstrated that impaired lipid metabolism is closely related to neurological diseases among the elderly^(1). Lipidomics can serve us well in identifying and quantifying lipid molecules in cells, tissues, and organisms at the system level. However, finding out biologically meaningful lipids from the massive lipidomics data is not straightforward.

Recovery of iron and copper from copper tailings by coal-based direct reduction and magnetic separation

A technique comprising coal-based direct reduction followed by magnetic separation was presented to recover iron and copper from copper slag flotation tailings.Optimal process parameters,such as reductant and additive ratios,reduction temperature,and reduction time,were experimentally determined and found to be as follows：a limestone ratio of 25%,a bitumite ratio of 30%,and reduction roasting at 1473 Kfor 90 min.Under these conditions,copper-bearing iron powders（CIP）with an iron content of 90.11% and copper content of 0.86%,indicating iron and copper recoveries of87.25% and 83.44%respectively,were effectively obtained.Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy of the CIP revealed that some tiny copper particles were embedded in metal iron and some copper formed alloy with iron,which was difficult to achieve the separation of these two metals.Thus,the copper went into magnetic products by magnetic separation.Adding copper into the steel can produce weathering steel.Therefore,the CIP can be used as an inexpensive raw material for weathering steel.