Thermodynamic simulation of stepwise precipitation of NH_4VO_(3)and NaHCO_(3)from carbonating Na_(3)VO_(4)solution

Thermodynamic simulation was conducted to design a new process of stepwise precipitating NH_4VO_(3)and NaHCO_(3)from regulating the CO_(2)carbonation of Na_(3)VO_(4)solution.Firstly,a new V(V)speciation model for the aqueous solution containing vanadate and carbonate is established by using the Bromley-Zemaitis activity coefficient model.Subsequently,thermodynamic equilibrium calculations are conducted to clarify the behavior of vanadium,carbon,sodium,and impurity species in atmospheric or high-pressure carbonation.To ensure the purity and recovery of vanadium products,Na_(3)VO_(4)solution is initially carbonated to the pH of 9.3-9.4,followed by precipitating NH_4VO_(3)by adding(NH_4)_(2)CO_(3).After vanadium precipitation,the solution is deeply carbonated to the final pH of 7.3-7.5 to precipitate NaHCO_(3),and the remaining solution is recycled to dissolve Na_(3)VO_(4)crystals.Finally,verification experiments demonstrate that 99.1%of vanadium and 91.4%of sodium in the solution are recovered in the form of NH_4VO_(3)and NaHCO_(3),respectively.

Impact of immunotherapy on liver metastasis

This editorial discusses the article“Analysis of the impact of immunotherapy efficacy and safety in patients with gastric cancer and liver metastasis”published in the latest edition of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.Immunotherapy has achieved outstanding success in tumor treatment.However,the presence of liver metastasis(LM)restrains the efficacy of immunotherapy in various tumors,including lung cancer,colorectal cancer,renal cell carcinoma,melanoma,and gastric cancer.A decrease in CD8+T cells and nature killer cells,along with an increase in macrophages and regulatory T cells,was observed in the microenvironment of LM,leading to immunotherapy resistance.More studies are necessary to determine the best strategy for enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with LM.

急性淋巴细胞性白血病患儿甲氨蝶呤相关的药物代谢酶和转运体基因多态性研究进展

甲氨蝶呤(MTX)是儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病治疗的重要药物。MTX相关的药物代谢酶及转运体基因多态性与MTX疗效及不良反应密切相关。尽管近年来化疗方案在不断改进,MTX的毒副反应仍可能影响患儿的生存质量,甚至危及生命。检测MTX相关代谢酶及转运体基因多态性,可增加临床治疗的安全性,有助于为临床合理用药和个体化治疗提供理论依据。

A novel process for the recovery of iron,titanium,and vanadium from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite:sodium modification–direct reduction coupled process

A sodium modification–direct reduction coupled process was proposed for the simultaneous extraction of V and Fe from vanadium- bearing titanomagnetite. The sodium oxidation of vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate and the transformation of iron oxides to metallic iron were accomplished in a single-step high-temperature process. The increase in roasting temperature favors the reduction of iron oxides but disfavors the oxidation of vanadium oxides. The recoveries of vanadium, iron, and titanium reached 84.52%, 89.37%, and 95.59%, respectively. Moreover, the acid decomposition efficiency of titanium slag reached 96.45%. Compared with traditional processes, the novel process provides several advantages, including a shorter flow, a lower energy consumption, and a higher utilization efficiency of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite resources. © 2017, University of Science and Technology Beijing and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Connective tissue growth factor is overexpressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma and promotes cell invasion and growth

AIM:To determine the expression characteristics of connective tissue growth factor(CTGF/CCN2) in human hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in histology and to elucidate the roles of CCN2 on hepatoma cell cycle progression and metastasis in vitro.METHODS:Liver samples from 36 patients(who underwent hepatic resection for the first HCC between 2006 and 2011) and 6 normal individuals were examined for transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) or CCN2 mRNA by in situ hybridization.Computer image analysis was performed to measure integrated optimal density of CCN2 mRNA-positive cells in carcinoma foci and the surrounding stroma.Fibroblast-specific protein-1(FSP-1) and E-cadherin were examined to evaluate the process of epithelial to mesenchymal transition,α-smooth muscle actin and FSP-1 were detected to identify hepatic stellate cells,and CD34 was measured to evaluate the extent of vascularization in liver tissues by immunohistochemical staining.CCN2 was assessed for its stimulation of HepG2 cell migration and invasion using commercial kits while flow cytometry was used to determine CCN2 effects on HepG2 cell-cycle.RESULTS:In situ hybridization analysis showed that TGF-β1 mRNA was mainly detected in connective tissues and vasculature around carcinoma foci.In comparison to normal controls,CCN2 mRNA was enhanced 1.9-fold in carcinoma foci(12.36 ± 6.08 vs 6.42 ± 2.35) or 9.4-fold in the surrounding stroma(60.27 ± 28.71 vs 6.42 ± 2.35),with concomitant expression of CCN2 and TGF-β1 mRNA in those areas.Epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype related with CCN2 was detected in 12/36(33.3%) of HCC liver samples at the edges between carcinoma foci and vasculature.Incubation of HepG2 cells with CCN2(100 ng/mL) resulted in more of the cells transitioning into S phase(23.85 ± 2.35 vs 10.94 ± 0.23),and induced a significant migratory(4.0-fold) and invasive(5.7-fold) effect.TGF-β1-induced cell invasion was abrogated by a neutralizing CCN2 antibody showing that CCN2 is a downstream mediator of TGF-β1-induced hepatoma cell invasion.CONCLUSION:These data support a role for CCN2 in the growth and metastasis of HCC and highlight CCN2 as a potential novel therapeutic target.

City-Bus-Route Demand-based Efficient Coupling Driving Control for Parallel Plug-in Hybrid Electric Bus

Recently,plug?in hybrid electric bus has been one of the energy?e cient solutions for urban transportation. However,the current vehicle e ciency is far from optimum,because the unpredicted external driving conditions are di cult to be obtained in advance. How to further explore its fuel?saving potential under the complicated city bus driving cycles through an e cient control strategy is still a hot research issue in both academic and engineering area. To realize an e cient coupling driving operation of the hybrid powertrain,a novel coupling driving control strategy for plug?in hybrid electric bus is presented. Combined with the typical feature of a city?bus?route,the fuzzy logic inference is employed to quantify the driving intention,and then to determine the coupling driving mode and the gear?shifting strategy. Considering the response deviation problem in the execution layer,an adaptive robust controller for electric machine is designed to respond to the transient torque demand,and instantaneously compensate the response delay and the engine torque fluctuation. The simulations and hard?in?loop tests with the actual data of two typical driving conditions from the real?world city?bus?route are carried out,and the results demonstrate that the pro?posed method could guarantee the hybrid powertrain to track the actual torque demand with 10.4% fuel economy improvement. The optimal fuel economy can be obtained through the optimal combination of working modes. The fuel economy of plug?in hybrid electric bus can be significantly improved by the proposed control scheme without loss of drivability.

A method for recovery of iron,titanium,and vanadium from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite

An innovative method for recovering valuable elements from vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite is proposed. This method involves two procedures： low-temperature roasting of vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite and water leaching of roasting slag. During the roasting process, the reduction of iron oxides to metallic iron, the sodium oxidation of vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate, and the smelting separation of metallic iron and slag were accomplished simultaneously. Optimal roasting conditions for iron/slag separation were achieved with a mixture thickness of 42.5 mm, a roasting temperature of 1200°C, a residence time of 2 h, a molar ratio of C/O of 1.7, and a sodium carbonate addition of 70 wt%, as well as with the use of anthracite as a reductant. Under the optimal conditions, 93.67% iron from the raw ore was recovered in the form of iron nugget with 95.44% iron grade. After a water leaching process, 85.61% of the vanadium from the roasting slag was leached, confirming the sodium oxidation of most of the vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium vanadate during the roasting process. The total recoveries of iron, vanadium, and titanium were 93.67%, 72.68%, and 99.72%, respectively.

IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis overlapping with Mikulicz's disease and lymphadenitis:A case report

Autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP)is a form of chronic pancreatitis that is categorized as type 1 or type 2according to the clinical profile.Type 1 AIP,which predominantly presents in a few Asian countries,is a hyper-IgG4-related disease.We report a case of IgG4-related AIP overlapping with Mikulicz’s disease and lymphadenitis,which is rare and seldom reported in literature.A 63-year male from Northeast China was admitted for abdominal distension lasting for one year.He presented symmetric swelling of the parotid and submandibular glands with slight dysfunction of salivary secretion for 6 mo.He had a 2-year history of bilateral submandibular lymphadenopathy without pain.He underwent surgical excision of the right submandibular lymph node one year prior to admission.He denied any history of alcohol,tobacco,or illicit drug use.Serological examination revealed high fasting blood sugar level(8.8 mmol/L)and high level of IgG4(15.2 g/L).Anti-SSA or anti-SSB were negative.Computed tomography of the abdomen showed a diffusely enlarged pancreas with loss of lobulation.Immunohistochemical stain for IgG4 demonstrated diffuse infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in labial salivary gland and lymph node biopsy specimens.The patient received a dose of 30 mg/d of prednisone for three weeks.At this three-week follow-up,the patient reported no discomfort and his swollen salivary glands,neck lymph node and pancreas had returned to normal size.The patient received a maintenance dose of 10mg/d of prednisone for 6 mo,after which his illness had not recurred.

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum from hepatic metastatic trophoblastic tumor

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum(SP) is defined as the presence of blood within the peritoneal cavity that is unrelated to trauma.Although there is a vast array of etiologies for SP,primary hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatic adenoma are considered to be the most common causes.Hepatic metastatic tumor associated with spontaneous rupture is rare.SP from hepatic metastatic trophoblastic tumor may initially present with a sudden onset of abdominal pain.Abdominal computed tomography(CT) plays an important role in establishing the diagnosis of SP,indicating its origin and etiology,and determining subsequent management.Herein,we report an uncommon case of hemoperitoneum from spontaneous rupture of a hepatic metastatic trophoblastic tumor in a young female patient.Interestingly,the contrast-enhanced CT findings demonstrated hypervascular hepatic masses with persistent enhancement at all phases,which were completely different from the common appearances of hepatic metastases.For SP resulting from hepatic metastatic tumors,surgical intervention is still the predominant therapeutic method,but the prognosis is very poor.

Removal of zirconium from hydrous titanium dioxide

A method was proposed for removing zirconium （Zr） from hydrous titanium dioxide （HTD） by the NaF solution. The effects of main parameters, i.e. pH values, NaF dosage, temperature and retention time, on the removal of zirconium were stud- ied. The optimal conditions were found as the following： pH value, 〈5.5; molar ratio of NaF to TiQ, 0.6; retention time, 80 min and temperature, 80℃. The removal rate of Zr under the optimized conditions was above 87.7%. The adsorption energy of the preferential absorption of hydrofluoric acid for Zr（OH）2SOt（OH2） on the （001） crystal surface of HTD was determined by theo- retical calculation. The possible mechanism of the removal process was also discussed.

Research progress of interleukin-11 in tumor

Interleukin-11 （IL-11） is a cytokine of IL-6 family that mediates signal transduction through a common signal transduction molecule glycoprotein 130gp130. JAK/STAT, Ras/Erk and PI3K-mediated pathways are involved in the IL-11 signaling pathway. IL-11 has traditionally been thought to be an anti-inflammatory cytokine that has a complex role in the body＇s immune response. Simultaneously, the activation of STAT3 by IL-11 provides a functional link to support the survival and growth of cancer cells. There is also evidence that IL-11 may play a role in promoting liver cancer through wound healing mechanisms. In recent years, studies have found that IL-11 could stimulate the development of tumors via promoting the proliferation and inhibiting the apoptosis of cancer cells, mediating the tolerance of cancer cells to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and mediating the growth and survival of early microtransferred colonies. Sustained activation of JAK-STAT and PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, up-regulating the expression of IL-11 receptor and hypoxia microenvironment mediated by HIF-1a and AP-1 transcription factors are involved in the progression of cancer. Therefore, targeted therapies that treat the over expression of IL-11 or IL-11 receptors and IL-11 signaling pathway such as the JAK 1/2 and STAT3 inhibitor in cancer patients has the potential to completely relieve the tumor, which may provide us a new idea for the treatment of cancer.

含炔键的聚合物给体材料设计合成及在有机太阳能电池中的性能研究

利用结构简单、成本低廉的初始原料,设计合成了主链含炔键的聚合物给体材料PBEA-F和PBEA.由于炔键的强吸电子能力,分子的最高占有轨道能级(HOMO)得以降低,使得聚合物的带隙变宽.同时,引入炔键的聚合物给体材料与受体小分子材料BTP-eC9-4F共混制备有机太阳能电池器件,可实现较低的非辐射能量损失与高的开路电压(open circuit voltage,Voc).最终基于PBEA的器件可得到0.91 eV的Voc、20.70 mA/cm^(2)的短路电流密度(short-circuit current density,Jsc)和10.39%的能量转化效率(power conversion efficiency,PCE),远高于PBEA-F器件的PCE (5.50%).

利用苯并二噻吩基聚合物给体和三芳胺基非稠环电子受体构筑简单高效有机太阳能电池

使用简单的聚合物给体P(Cl)和简单非稠环受体2BTh-2F,构建了低成本的高性能有机太阳能电池.并选用固体添加剂二碘苯(DIB),对共混膜形貌进行精细调控.通过原子力显微镜、高分辨透射电镜以及原位紫外-可见光吸收光谱等手段,深入研究了活性层的成膜过程、共混膜相分离形貌等.最终,基于P(Cl):2BTh-2F的器件获得0.861 V的开路电压(open circuit voltage,V_(OC))、23.18 mA/cm的短路电流密度(short-circuit current density,J_(SC))、71.21%的填充因子(fill factor,FF)以及14.21%的功率转换效率(power conversion efficiency,PCE).

Properties of Fe-Mn-Al alloys with different Mn contents using density functional theory

The chemical stability,electronic structures,mechanical properties and Debye temperature of Fe-MnAl alloys were investigated using first-principles calculations.The formation enthalpy and cohesive energy are negative for Fe-Mn-Al alloys,showing that they are thermodynamically stable.FeAl has the lowest formation enthalpy,indicating that FeAl is the most stable alloy in the Fe-Mn-Al system.The partial density of states,total density of states and electron density distribution maps were used to analyze the physical properties of the Fe-MnAl alloys.A combination of mainly covalent and metallic bonds exists in these Fe-Mn-Al alloys,resulting in good electronic conductivity,high melting points,and high hardness.These alloys display disparate anisotropy due to the calculated different shapes of the 3D curved surface of the Young's modulus and anisotropic index.FeAl has the highest bulk modulus,shear modulus and Yong's modulus of 187.1,119.8 and 296.2 GPa,respectively.Further,the Debye temperatures and sound velocity of these Fe-Mn-Al compounds were explored.

一种评价页岩油含油性的测井方法——以准噶尔盆地吉木萨尔凹陷为例

吉木萨尔凹陷位于准噶尔盆地东部,是中国陆相页岩油的典型代表区域。凹陷内芦草沟组发育上、下2套页岩油“甜点”段,储层岩性和孔隙结构复杂、物性较差,利用测井方法进行储层含油性评价难度较大。为准确评价储层含油性,有效识别流体性质,综合利用密闭取心饱和度分析结果和总有机碳含量与油的碳含量之间的约束关系,改进了利用核磁共振测井计算含油饱和度的T2截止值确定方法,在此基础上计算含油饱和度及储层可采性指数,并深入分析了含油饱和度、储层可采性指数的关系及含油性评价效果。实际应用结果表明,该方法对于准确评价混积岩型页岩油的含油性具有重要实用价值。

Using highly concentrated chloride solutions to leach valuable metals from cathode-active materials in spent lithium-ion batteries

This study focused on the extraction of valuable metals from the cathode-active materials in spent lithiumion batteries using a high-concentration chloride solution.The effects of the concentrations of ammonium chloride(NH4 Cl),hydrochloric acid(HCl),and reductants such as hydrogen peroxide(H_(2)O_(2))and urea(CO(NH_(2))_(2))on metal extraction and chlorine production were studied experimentally.The leaching mechanism was analyzed,and a leaching model was established.It was found that the addition of solid NH4 Cl to an HCl solution significantly improved the metal extraction capability of the latter and reduced the formation of chlorine gas by 96.0%compared to that only using HCl.The activation energies for leaching Li,Ni,Co,and Mn were determined to be 30.4,38.5,30.6,and 38.2 kJ·mol^(-1),respectively.This study demonstrates an environmentally friendly method for recycling metal resources from cathode-active materials and furthers understanding of how NH4 Cl inhibits chlorine production when leaching with mixed solutions of HCl and NH4 Cl.

Fabrication of Highly Anisotropic and Interconnected Porous Scaffolds to Promote Preosteoblast Proliferation for Bone Tissue Engineering

Mimicking the complex structure of natural bone remains a challenge for bone tissue scaffolds.In this study,a novel processing strategy was developed to prepare the bone-like scaffolds that are featured by highly oriented and fully interconnected pores.This type of biomimetic scaffolds was evolved from solid phase stretching of immiscible polycaprolactone(PCL)/poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)blends with cocontinuous structure and the pore morphology was inherited from selective extraction of water soluble PEO phase.The pore anisotropy was readily tuned by varying the stretching strain without loss of interconnectivity.Significant promotion in preosteoblast proliferation,alkaline phosphatase activity and osteogenic gene expression was observed in the oriented porous scaffolds compared to the isotropic porous counterpart.The oriented architecture provided a topographical cue for aligned growth of preosteoblasts,which activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.The proposed strategy enriches the toolbox for the scaffold design and fabrication for bone tissue engineering.

Quasi-In-Situ EBSD Observation of the Orientation Evolution in Polycrystalline Tantalum During Rolling Deformation

The evolution of crystallographic orientation of polycrystalline tantalum(Ta)during rolling was characterized by electron backscatter diffraction technique in a quasi-in-situ way,and the microstructure and microtexture before and after the deformation were characterized and analyzed,respectively.In the specimen,164 individual grains were exacted singly from the testing region and their corresponding orientations were reconstructed and analyzed,respectively.Results show that the heterogeneous deformation in a grain can be reflected by the accidented surface microstructure.Moreover,the orientations close to{111}orientations came closer to the{111}corner,while the orientation evolution is more complicated for the orientations close{100}corner,indicating that the evolution of these orientations close to{100}corner seemed to be irregular.