Control of Oxygen Potential and Its Effect on Dephosphorization of Ferromanganese

The relation of Lp(the ratio P content in slag to P content in ferromanganese) and L,(the ratio Mn content in slag to Mn content in ferromanganese) with C content[C]in ferromanganese were tested by means of the equilibrium experiments of P and Mn between ferromanganese and BaO-BaF-MnO slag system.The results show that there exists in ferromanganese an optimum C content[C]* corresponding to maximum Land minimum L> which is closely related to oxygen potential in the system and the activity of P in the alloy.The control limits of oxygen potential in dephosphorization of ferromanganese are then analyzed.The theoretical limits and measures to improve ferromanganese dephosphorization with BaO-based slag are studied comprehensively based on previous research.

Effects of oxygen potential and flux composition on dephosphorization and rephosphorization of molten steel

The dephosphorization experiments of low phosphorus containing steel by CaO-based and BaO-based fluxes were carried out. The effects of the oxygen potential in molten steel and the BaO content in the slag on dephosphorization and rephosphorization of molten steel were analyzed. The results showed that the dephosphorization ratio of more than 50% and the ultra-low phosphorus content of less than 0.005% in steel were obtained by the three kinds of dephosphorization fluxes as the oxygen potential of molten steel higher than 400×10^-6. Rephosphorization of molten steel was serious as the oxygen content of molten steel lower than 10×10^-6. BaO-based fluxes can improve the dephosphorization effect and reduce the phosphorus pick-up effectively under the condition of weak deoxidization of molten steel （the oxygen potential is about 100×10^-6）, but can not prevent rephosphorization under the condition of deep deoxidization of molten steel （the oxygen potential less than 10×10^-6）.

Oxygen Potentials and Oxygen-potential Diagrams for Buffer Gas System at Normal Pressure

The principles of chemical equilibrium were used to derive a new set of formulae representing the oxygen potentials for five buffer gas mixtures at normal pressure.Various sorts of classical formulae for them are on- ly a particular representation under ignoring the effects of oxygen,thereby being unavailable for accurate cal- culation of oxygen potentials.In this paper,the oxygen potentials set by CO_2-H_2 gas mixtures and the mis- takes and errors of the classical expressions for them were discussed emphatically.The deviation in partial pressures of oxygen in some of previous experiments under the oxygen potentials controlled by CO_2-H_2 gas mixtures was explained quantitatively.The oxygen-potential diagrams predicting the equilibrated gas com- positions from the initial conditions have been also given.

EFFECT OF OXYGEN CONTENTS ON OXYGEN POTENTIALS OF H_2O-H_2 AND H_2O-H_2-INERTS GAS MIXTURES

By taking the effect of oxygen contents into account,a new set of formulae which represents the oxygen potentials of H_2O-H_2 and H_2O-H_2-inerts gas mixtures has been derived.Classi- cal representation is only a particular case of it.Some of the variables affecting equilibrium atmosphere when trace oxygen is present and optimum preparation of the gas mixtures to min- imize errors have been discussed.The reliability of some of previous equilibrium experiments under the oxygen potentials controlled by H_2O-H_2 or H_2O-H_2-inerts gas mixtures has also been criticized.

Pigment epithelium-derived factor protects retinal ganglion cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction

AIM： To investigate the potential of pigment epitheliumderived factor（PEDF） to protect the immortalized rat retinal ganglion cells-5（RGC-5） exposed to Co Cl2-induced chemical hypoxia. METHODS： After being differentiated with staurosporine（SS）, RGC-5 cells were cultured in four conditions： control group cells cultured in Dulbecco ＇s modified eagle medium（DMEM） supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 100 μmol/m L streptomycin and penicillin（named as normal conditions）; hypoxia group cells cultured in DMEM containing 300 μmol/m L Co Cl2; cells in the group protected by PEDF were first pretreated with 100 ng/m L PEDF for 2h and then cultured in the same condition as hypoxia group cells; and PEDF group cells that were cultured in the presence of 100 ng/m L PEDF under normal conditions. The cell viability was assessed by MTT assay, the percentage of apoptotic cells was quantified using Annexin V-FITC apoptosis kit, and intra-cellar reactive oxygen species（ROS） was measured by dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate（DCFH-DA） probe. The mitochondria-mediated apoptosis was also examined to further study the underlying mechanism of the protective effect of PEDF. The opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores（m PTPs） and membrane potential（Δψm） were tested as cellular adenosine triphosphate（ATP） level and glutathione（GSH）. Also, the expression and distribution of Cyt C and apoptosis inducing factor（AIF） were observed.RESULTS： SS induced differentiation of RGC-5 cells resulting in elongation of their neurites and establishing contacts between outgrowths. Exposure to 300 μmol/m L Co Cl2 triggered death of 30% of the total cells in cultures within 24 h. At the same time, pretreatment with 100 ng/m L PEDF significantly suppressed the cell death induced by hypoxia（P〈0.05）. The apoptosis induced by treatment of Co Cl2 was that induced cell death accompanied with increasing intracellar ROS and decreasing GSH and ATP level. PEDF pretreatment suppressed these effects（P〈0.05）. Additionally, PEDF treatment inhibited the opening of m PTPs and suppressed decreasing of Δψm in RGC-5 cells, resulting in blocking of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.CONCLUSION： Pretreatment of RGC-5 cells with 100 ng/m L PEDF significantly decreases the extent of apoptosis. PEDF inhibits the opening of m PTPs and suppresses decreasing of Δψm. Moreover, PEDF also reduces ROS production and inhibits cellular ATP level＇s reduction. Cyt C and AIF activation in PEDF-pretreated cultures are also reduced. These results demonstrate the potential for PEDF to protect RGCs against hypoxic damage in vitro by preventing mitochondrial dysfunction.

Thermal and chemical analysis of massive use of hot briquetted iron inside basic oxygen furnace

The integrated steelmaking cycle based on the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace（BOF）route plays an important role in the production of plain and ultra-low carbon steel,especially for deep drawing operations.BOF steelmaking is based on the conversion of cast iron in steel by impinging oxygen on the metal bath at supersonic speed.In order to avoid the addition of detrimental chemical elements owing to the introduction of uncontrolled scrap and in order to decrease environmental impact caused by the intensive use of coke for the production of cast iron,HBI（hot briquetted iron）can be used as a source of metal and a fraction of cast iron.Forty industrial experimental tests were performed to evaluate the viability of the use of HBI in BOF.The experimental campaign was supported by a thermal prediction model and realized through the estimation of the oxidation enthalpy.Furthermore,the process was thermodynamically analyzed based on oxygen potentials using the off-gas composition and the bath temperature evolution during the conversion as reference data.

Psorinum 6× triggers apoptosis signals in human lung cancer cells

OBJECTIVE： To provide in vitro evidence of Psorinum treatment against cancer cells in a controlled study. METHODS： Effects of homeopathic Psorinum 6× on cell viability were initially determined in several cancer cell lines, including A549, Hep G2 and MCF-7, using 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and an ethanol 6× control. The cell line that exhibited highest inhibition was selected and used in the following experiments. A range of Psorinum 6× doses was used to explore treatment effects on cell cycle arrest, cell death（apoptosis）, generation of reactive oxygen species（ROS） and change in mitochondrial membrane potential（MMP） using fl ow cytometry and fl uorescence microscopy, respectively. Expression of several signal proteins related to apoptosis and cell survival were quantified with Western blotting and confocal microscopy. Further, circular dichroism（CD） spectroscopy was used to determine possible drug-DNA interactions, as well as the induction of conformational changes. RESULTS： Treatment of cancer cell lines with Psorinum showed greater anticancer effects in A549 cells than in others. In A549 cells Psorinum treatment inhibited cell proliferation at 24 h after treatment, and arrested cell cycle at sub-G1 stage. It also induced ROS generation, MMP depolarization, morphological changes and DNA damage, as well as externalization of phosphatidyl serine. Further, increases in p53 expression, Bax expression, cytochrome c release, along with reduction of Bcl-2 level and caspase-3 activation were observed after Psorinum 6× treatment, which eventually drove A549 cells towards the mitochondria-mediated caspase-3-dependent pathway. CD spectroscopy revealed direct interaction of Psorinum with DNA, using calf thymus-DNA as target.CONCLUSION： Psorinum 6× triggered apoptosis in A549 cells via both up- and down-regulations of relevant signal proteins, including p53, caspase-3, Bax and Bcl-2.