Phase Equilibria of the Aqueous Systems Containing Lithium and Carbonate Ions

1 Introduction Alkaline lakes are widely distributed in the area of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Most of the salt lakes are famous for their high concentration of lithium,potassium,magnesium,boron(Ma,2000).In recent years,as a new energy material,lithium and its compounds are widely used in the new area,such as aerospace industry,nuclear

STUDY ON THE ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOR OF ION EXCHANGE MEMBRANE IN PREPARING POTASSIUM CARBONATE

This investigation describes the one step preparation of potassium carbonate by electrolysis of potas-sium chloride solution in electrolyzers with various Nation membranes.Potassium bicarbonate solution wasfed to the cathode compartment,where it was converted into carbonate by reaction with the hydroxideformed at cathode.Because of the low OH^- concentration in the cathode compartment,the back migrationof OH^- through the membrane was almost negligible,resulting in a higher current efficiency,say 90% or more.In this study,electroconductivity,mass transfer,current efficiency and cell voltage were measured.Thefeasibility of the process was discussed and the optimal conditions examined.

Simulated Microgravity Conditions and Carbon Ion Irradiation Induce Spermatogenic Cell Apoptosis and Sperm DNA Damage

Objective To investigate the effect of simulated microgravity and carbon ion irradiation （CIR） on spermatogenic cell apoptosis and sperm DNA damage to the testis of male Swiss Webster mice, and assess the risk associated with space environment. Methods Sperm DNA damage indicated by DNA fragmentation index （DFI） and high DNA stainability （HDS） was measured by sperm chromatin structure assay （SCSA）. Apoptosis of spermatogenic cells was detected by annexin V-propidium iodide assay. Bax （the expression levels of p53） and proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNAI were measured by immunoblotting; p53 and PCNA were located by immunohistology. Results HDS, DFI, apoptosis index, and the expression levels of p53 and Bax were detected to be significantly higher in the experimental groups （P〈0.05） compared with those in the control group, however, the PCNA expression varied to a certain degree, p53- and PCNA- positive expression were detected in each group, mainly in relation to the spermatogonic cells and spermatocytes. Conclusion The findings of the present study demonstrated that simulated microgravity and CIR can induce spermatogenic cell apoptosis and sperm DNA damage. Sperm DNA damage may be one of the underlying mechanisms behind male fertility decline under space environment. These findings may provide a scientific basis for protectint~ astronauts and space traveler＇s health and safety.

PhaseⅠ/Ⅱtrial evaluating concurrent carbon-ion radiotherapy plus chemotherapy for salvage treatment of locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background: After deinitive chemoradiotherapy for non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC), more than 10% of patients will experience a local recurrence. Salvage treatments present signiicant challenges for locally recurrent NPC. Surgery, stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy, and brachytherapy have been used to treat locally recurrent NPC. However, only patients with small-volume tumors can beneit from these treatments. Re-irradiation with X-ray—based intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMXT) has been more widely used for salvage treatment of locally recurrent NPC with a large tumor burden, but over-irradiation to the surrounding normal tissues has been shown to cause frequent and severe toxicities. Furthermore, locally recurrent NPC represents a clinical entity that is more radioresistant than its primary counterpart. Due to the inherent physical advantages of heavy-particle therapy, precise dose delivery to the target volume(s), without exposing the surrounding organs at risk to extra doses, is highly feasible with carbon-ion radiotherapy(CIRT). In addition, CIRT is a high linear energy transfer(LET) radiation and provides an increased relative biological efectiveness compared with photon and proton radiotherapy. Our prior work showed that CIRT alone to 57.5 Gy E(gray equivalent), at 2.5 Gy E per daily fraction, was well tolerated in patients who were previously treated for NPC with a deinitive dose of IMXT. The short-term response rates at 3–6 months were also acceptable. However, no patients were treated with concurrent chemotherapy. Whether the addition of concurrent chemotherapy to CIRT can beneit locally recurrent NPC patients over CIRT alone has never been addressed. It is possible that the beneits of high-LET CIRT may make radiosensitizing chemotherapy unnecessary. We therefore implemented a phase I/II clinical trial to address these questions and present our methodology and results.Methods and design: The maximal tolerated dose(MTD) of re-treatment using raster-scanning CIRT plus concurrent cisplatin will be determined in the phase I, dose-escalating stage of this study. CIRT dose escalation from 52.5 to 65 Gy E(2.5 Gy E × 21–26 fractions) will be delivered, with the primary endpoints being acute and subacute toxicities. Eicacy in terms of overall survival(OS) and local progression-free survival of patients after concurrent chemotherapy plus CIRT at the determined MTD will then be studied in the phase II stage of the trial. We hypothesize that CIRT plus chemotherapy can improve the 2-year OS rate from the historical 50% to at least 70%.Conclusions: Re-treatment of locally recurrent NPC using photon radiation techniques, including IMXT, provides moderate eicacy but causes potentially severe toxicities. Improved outcomes in terms of eicacy and toxicity proile are expected with CIRT plus chemotherapy. However, the MTD of CIRT used concurrently with cisplatin-based chemotherapy for locally recurrent NPC remains to be determined. In addition, whether the addition of chemotherapy to CIRT is needed remains unknown. These questions will be evaluated in the dose-escalating phase I and randomized phase II trials.

Protective Effects of Shikonin on Brain Injury Induced by Carbon Ion Beam Irradiation in Mice

Radiation encephalopathy is the main complication of cranial radiotherapy. It can cause necrosis of brain tissue and cognitive dysfunction. Our previous work had proved that a natural antioxidant shikonin possessed protective effect on cerebral ischemic injury. Here we investigated the effects of shikonin on carbon ion beam induced radiation brain injury in mice. Pretreatment with shikonin significantly increased the SOD and CAT activities and the ratio of GSH/GSSG in mouse brain tissues compared with irradiated group （P〈0.01）, while obviously reduced the MDA and PCO contents and the RO$ levels derived from of the brain mitochondria.

Carbon ion irradiation-induced DNA damage evokes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via the pRb/E2F1/c-Myc signaling pathway in p53-deficient prostate cancer PC-3 cells

Carbon ion radiotherapy has the advantages of better therapeutic effect and fewer side effects compared with those of X-rays in many kinds of tumors,including prostate cancer,and thus is an attractive treatment approach for prostate cancer.However,the biological effects and underlying mechanisms of carbon ion irradiation in prostate cancer are not yet fully understood.Therefore,this study systematically compared the effects of carbon ion irradiation with those of X-ray irradiation on DNA damage response and found that carbon ion irradiation was more effective than X-ray irradiation.Carbon ion irradiation can induce a high level of DNA double-strand break damage,reflected by the number of y-H2 A histone family member X foci,as well as by the foci lasting time and size.Moreover,carbon ion irradiation exhibited strong and long-lasting inhibitory effect on cell survival capability,induced prolonged cell cycle arrest,and increased apoptosis in PC-3 cells.As an underlying mechanism,we speculated that carbon ion irradiation-induced DNA damage evokes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via the pRb/E2 F1/c-Myc signaling pathway to enhance the radiosensitivity of p53-deficient prostate cancer PC-3 cells.Collectively,the present study suggests that carbon ion irradiation is more efficient than X-ray irradiation and may help to understand the effects of different radiation qualities on the survival potential of p53-deficient prostate cancer cells.

Carbon ion radiotherapy for bladder cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Radical cystectomy is considered the first choice for the treatment of muscleinvasive bladder cancer.However,for some patients who have lost the indications for surgery,external beam radiotherapy is a non-invasive and effective treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 76-year-old patient with bladder cancer who had serious comorbidities and could not tolerate surgery or chemotherapy came to the Wuwei Heavy Ion Center.He received carbon ion radiotherapy(CIRT)with a whole-bladder dose of 44 GyE and tumor boost of 20 GyE.When he finished CIRT,his bladder cancer-related hematuria completely disappeared,and computed tomography examination showed that the tumor had obviously decreased in size.At the 3-mo follow-up,the tumor disappeared,and there were no acute or late adverse events.CIRT was well tolerated in this patient.CONCLUSION CIRT may allow for avoiding resection and was well tolerated with curative outcomes.

Biological Effects of Sunflower Seeds Implanted by Carbon Ion

[ Objective ] This study aimed to investigate the effects of carbon ion implantation and implantation times on growth and genetic variation of sunflowers. [ Method] Carbon ions were implanted into Bakui 138, Bakui i36 and Bakui 118 seeds at dose of 5 - 10is C/cm2, before they were planted. Their Fl-generation seeds were irradiated again. Seeds of the both generations were planted and the growth d the seedlings was observed in field tests. Finally, their genetic variation was analyzed through RAPD. [ Result] The germination rate and several agronomic traits like plant height, stem diameter, leaf number and yields of Bakui 138 of once-irradiated group were significantly improved, while that of twice-irradiated group showed opposite trend. The variation of Bakui 136 and Bakui 118 was insig- nificant. At the molecular level, the genetic distance with the control group of once and twice-irradiated groups was 0. 111 1, 0. 108 7 in Bakui 138; 0. 068 O, O. 030 3 in Bakui 136 and 0.062 5,0.043 5 in Bakui 118. [Conclusion] Carbon ion implantation had a significant effect on the growth and development of Bakui 138, and the effect varied with irradiation times. Moreover, it caused genomic variation in the three sunflower cuhivars.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of C-TiO_2 Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering and Post-carbon Ion Implantation

TiO2 thin films were fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering on titanium substrates and then implanted with different amounts of carbon. The microstructure, valence states and optical characteristics of each sample were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy. Photoelectric property was evaluated under visible light using a xenon lamp as illuminant. The experimental results indicate that the implanting carbon concentration has a significant infl uence on film＇s micro structure and element valence states. The dominant valence states of carbon vary as carbon content increases. Carbon ion implantation remarkably enhances the current density and photocatalytic capability of TiO2 thin films. The optimized implanting content is 9.83×10^17 ion/cm^2, which gives rise to a 150% increased photocurrent and degradation rate.

The roles of graphene in advanced Li-ion hybrid supercapacitors

Lithium-ion hybrid supercapacitors （LIHSs）, also called Li-ion capacitors, are electrochemical energy stor- age devices that combining the advantages of high power density of supercapacitor and high energy density of Li-ion battery. However, high power density and long cycle life are still challenges for the cul~ rent LIHSs due to the imbalance of charge-storage capacity and electrode kinetics between capacitor-type cathode and battery-type anode. Therefore, great efforts have been made on designing novel cathode materials with high storage capacity and anode material with enhanced kinetic behavior for LIHSs. With unique two-dimensional form and numerous appealing properties, for the past several years, the rational designed graphene and its composites materials exhibit greatly improved electrochemical performance as cathode or anode for LIHSs. Here, we summarized and discussed the latest advances of the state- of-art graphene-based materials for LIHSs applications. The major roles of graphene are highlighted as （1） a superior active material, （2） ultrathin 2D flexible support to remedy the sluggish reaction of the metal compound anode, and （3） good 2D building blocks for constructing macroscopic 3D pOFOUS car- bonjgraphene hybrids. In addition, some high performance aqueous LIHSs using graphene as electrode were also summarized. Finally, the perspectives and challenges are also proposed for further develop- ment of more advanced graphene-based LIHSs.

NS codoped carbon nanorods as anode materials for high-performance lithium and sodium ion batteries

NS codoped carbon nanorods（NS-CNRs） were prepared using crab shell as template and polyphenylene sulfide（PPS） as both the C and S precursor, followed by carbonization in NH_3. The as-obtained NS-CNRs had a diameter of ~50 nm, length of several micrometers, and N and S contents of 12.5 at.% and 3.7 at.%,respectively, which can serve as anodes for both lithium-ion batteries（LIBs） and sodium ion batteries（SIBs）. When serving as an anode of LIB, the NS-CNRs delivered gravimetric capacities of 2154 mAh g^（-1）at current densities of 0.1 A g^（-1）and 625 mAh g^（-1）at current densities of 5.0 A g^（-1）for 1000 cycles.When serving as an anode of SIB, the NS-CNRs delivered gravimetric capacities of 303 mAh g^（-1）at current densities of 0.1 A g^（-1）and 230 mAh g^（-1）at current densities of 1.0 A g^（-1）for 3000 cycles. The excellent electrochemical performance of NS-CNRs could be ascribed to the one-dimensional nanometer structure and high level of heteroatom doping. We expect that the obtained NS-CNRs would benefit for the future development of the doped carbon materials for lithium ion batteries and other extended applications such as supercapacitor, catalyst and hydrogen storage.

Microstructure and hardening effect of pure tungsten and ZrO2 strengthened tungsten under carbon ion irradiation at 700℃

Microstructure evolution and hardening effect of pure tungsten and W-1.5%ZrO_(2) alloy under carbon ion irradiation are investigated by using transmission electron microscopy and nano-indentation.Carbon ion irradiation is performed at 700℃ with irradiation damages ranging from 0.25 dpa to 2.0 dpa.The results show that the irradiation defect clusters are mainly in the form of dislocation loop.The size and density of dislocation loops increase with irradiation damages intensifying.The W-1.5%ZrO_(2) alloy has a smaller dislocation loop size than that of pure tungsten.It is proposed that the phase boundaries have the ability to absorb and annihilate defects and the addition of ZrO_(2) phase improves the sink strength for irradiation defects.It is confirmed that the W-1.5% ZrO_(2) alloy shows a smaller change in hardness than the pure tungsten after being irradiated.From the above results,we conclude that the addition of ZrO_(2) into tungsten can significantly reduce the accumulation of irradiated defects and improve the irradiation resistance behaviors of the tungsten materials.

The Experimental Measurement of the Relative Biological Effectiveness of Carbon Ions with Different Qualities

The relative biological effectiveness （RBE） of carbon ions with linear energy transfer （LET） of 172 keV/μm and 13.7 keV/μm were determined in this study. The clonogenic survival and premature terminal differentiation were measured on normal human fibroblasts AG01522C and NHDF after exposure of the cells to 250 kV X-rays and carbon ions with different qualities. RBE was determined for these two biological end points. The results showed that the measured RBE10 with a survival fraction of 10% was 3.2 for LET 172 keV/μm, and 1.33 for LET 13.7 keV/μm carbon ions. RBE for a doubling of post-mitotic fibroblasts （PMF） in the population was 2.8 for LET 172 keV/μm, and 1 for LET 13.7 keV/μm carbon ions. For the carbon ion therapy, a high RBE value on the Bragg peak results in a high biological dose on the tumour. The tumour cells can be killed effectively. At the same time, the dose on healthy tissue would be reduced accordingly. This will lighten the late effect such as fibrosis on normal tissue.

Carbon Ion Irradiation Induces Reduction of β-tubulin in Sperm of Pubertal Mice

Microtubules are involved in a variety of cellular functions such as cell division, intracellular transport, maintenance of cell polarity and flagella and ciliary motility. The heterogeneity of tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins is responsible for these different microtubule functions. Many studies have confirmed that the structure and function of the different α-tubulin and β-tubulin subunits can affect the microtubule. The sperm axoneme microtubule has linear fiber filaments which are polymerized by heterodimeric a and β-tubulin, each with a molecular mass of approximately 50 kD[1].

The Level and Distribution of Chromosomal Aberration of Tomato Seeds at Different Penetration Depths of Carbon Ions

The relationship between the penetration depth and the level and distribution of chromosomal aberration of the root tip cells were investigated by exposure of the superposed tomato seeds to 80 MeV/u carbon ions. The results showed that on the entrance of the beam the chromosomal aberration level was low. Damage such as breaks aud gaps were dominant. At the Bragg peak~ the chromosomal aberration level was high. The yields of dicentrics~ rings and disintegrated small chromosomes increased but the yields of breaks and gaps decreased. These results are consistent with the distribution of tile physical depth dose profile of carbon ions. It is effective to deposit the Bragg peak on the seeds to induce hereditary aberration in the mutation breeding with heavy ions.

Multiple Ionization of Argon Induced by Carbon Ions at 20-500 keV/u Energies

We measure the multiple ionization cross-section ratios Rk1 of Ar impacted by Cw＋ （q= 1-3） ions in the energy range of 20-500 keV/u. The measured ratios Rkl increase with the projectile energy at lower energies, and reach the maximum at energies of 50-150 keV/u, then decrease for higher energies, We also use the classical over barrier ionization model to calculate the ratios Rk1, and the calculation results are in good agreement with the data, which suggest that the multiple ionization process is described by the sequential over-barrier ionization process,

Evaluation of Patient-Specific Quality Assurance for Carbon Ion Radiotherapy Using Full Energy Scanning Method at QST Hospital

Purpose: Patient-specific QA (PSQA) measurements for carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) are critical components of processes designed to identify discrepancies between calculated and delivered doses. We report the results of PSQA conducted at the QST Hospital during the period from September 2017 to March 2018. Methods: We analyzed PSQA results for 1448 fields for 10 disease sites with various target volumes, target depths and number of energy layers. For the PSQA, all the planned beams were recalculated on a water phantom with treatment planning software. The recalculated dose distributions were compared with the measured distributions using a 2D ionization chamber array at three depths, including 95% of the area of the prescription dose. These recalculated dose distributions were evaluated using the 3%/3mm gamma index with a passing threshold of 90%. Results: The passing rates for prostate, head and neck, and bone and soft tissue were 96.8%, 99.3%, and 91.7%, respectively. Additionally, 94.7% of lung plans with low energy beams passed. Overall, the CIRT in the QST Hospital reached a high passing rate of more than 95%. Although the remaining 5% failed to pass, there was no dependence between measurement depth and disease sites in these failures. Conclusion: Using PSQA measurements, we confirmed consistency between the planned and delivered doses for CIRT using the full energy scanning method.

CARBON MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES

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Research and Application of Sustainable Development of Energy

Based on the analysis and summary of traditional energy ecological footprint （EEF） and its research development at home and abroad, a modified method to measure energy ecological footprint is proposed by combining energy ecological footprint with the area of biological productive forest land from a standpoint of material flow ＂energy consumption - CO2 emissions - woodland absorption＂, and is used to measure the energy ecological footprint and carbon emissions in Tianjin City from 1995 to 2010. The results show that EEF per capita has increased from 1. 739 8 to 3.078 5 ghm2 during 1995 -2010, and has a significant correlation with GDP per capita in annual average growth rate （R~ =0. 877 6, P 〈0.05）. Among the compositions of EEF, the percentage of coal footprint has decreased from 62% to 50%, while the others have increased to some de- gree. Meanwhile, the output value of EEF has increased from 5 687.71 to 23 061.93 yuan/ghm2, and the elastic coefficient of EEF which has in- creased from 0.15 to 0.69 shows approximate cyclical fluctuations. It is indicated that with the adjustment of energy structure in Tianjin in the past 16 years, energy utilization efficiency has been becoming increasingly bigger. However, ecological pressure on the environment is a growing problem in the next few years, so it is urgent to shift energy use patterns and increase energy conservation efforts for Tianjin City.

Spallation Yield of Neutrons Produced in Thick Lead Target by 400 MeV/u Carbon Ions

Measurement of the neutron yield is performed at a primary energy of 400 MeV/u carbons for the Pb target.Water-bath activation-foil method is used in a moderation measurement with Au foils to detect the moderated neutrons. The neutron yield is determined to be 18.4±2.1 per carbon by integrating the neutron flux over the entire water volume. The corresponding simulation values are performed by Geant4 code with three models to compare with the experimental results. The comparison shows that the calculated result with the INCL model is in good agreement with the experimental data.