Mechanistic study on the promotion of Ca2+ leaching in steel slag through high-temperature solid waste modification.

Indirect carbonation of steel slag is an effective method for CO2 storage, reducing emissions, and promoting cleaner production in the steel industry. However, challenges remain, such as low Ca2+ leaching rates and slag management complexities arising from variations in mineral compositions. To address this, a high-temperature modification process is proposed to alter the mineral composition and facilitate the synergistic utilization of calcium and iron. This study delves into the effects of various solid waste modifications on the leaching of Ca2+ and the total iron content within steel slag. Results show that high-basicity modified slag forms Ca2(Al, Fe)2O5, reducing calcium leaching. Low-alkalinity modified slag produces calcium-rich aluminum minerals and also reduces the leaching of Ca2+ ions. At a basicity of 2.5, coal gangue, fly ash, and blast slag achieve maximum Ca2+ leaching rates of 88.93%, 89.46%, and 90.17%, respectively, with corresponding total iron contents of 41.46%, 37.72%, and 35.29%. Upgraded coal gangue exhibits a 50.02% increase in calcium leaching and a 15.58% increase in total iron content compared to the original slag. This enhances CO2 fixation and iron resource utilization. Overall, the proposed indirect carbonation and iron enrichment modification offer a novel approach for the resource utilization and environmental stability of steel slag.

Efficacy and safety of transarterial chemoembolization combined with lenvatinib and camrelizumab in patients with BCLC-defined stage C hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of combining transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with lenvatinib and camrelizumab in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 141 patients with BCLC stage C HCC: 57 were treated with TACE combined with lenvatinib plus camrelizumab (T + L + C), 41 were treated with TACE combined with camrelizumab (T + C), and 43 were treated with TACE (TACE). The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcomes were the objective response rate (ORR) and adverse events (AEs). Factors that affected survival were identified via Cox regression analysis. Results: Comparison of the three groups revealed a significant difference in the median overall survival (mOS), 19.8 months (95% CI 15.7-23.9) in the T + L + C combined group vs 15.7 (95% CI 13.1-18.3) months in the T + C combined group vs 9.4 (95% CI 6.2-12.5) months in the TACE group (P < 0.001). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) was significantly better in the T + L + C combination group than in the T + C combination group and the TACE group [11.4 (95% CI 7.6-15.3) months vs 8.4 (95% CI 6.2-10.5) months vs 4.8 (95% CI 3.2-6.3) months, respectively, P < 0.001)]. The objective response rate (ORR) (57.9%) and the disease control rate (DCR) (75.4%) patients in the combined T + L + C group were higher than those in the other two groups. More patients in the combined T + L + C group experienced AEs, with 16 (28.1%) patients experiencing AEs of grade 3 or higher. Conclusions: In patients with BCLC stage C HCC, those receiving the T + L + C combination demonstrated a superior survival benefit and acceptable safety profile compared patients receiving either TACE or the T + C combination.

A Magnetic Sensor Based on the Nonlinear Effect of Co-Rich Amorphous Wire.

A DC voltage induced by a DC magnetic field was observed for a coil with a Co-rich amorphous wire (FeCoSiB) as the core when an AC current flowed through the coil. The coil was 40 turns wound around a FeCoSiB amorphous wire with a diameter of 0.1 mm and a length of 8 mm. The magnitude of the DC voltage was determined by the frequency of the AC current, the amplitude of the AC current, and the applied DC magnetic field. When the sine wave current was 78 mA and the frequency was 6.8 MHz, a peak value of about 90 mV/Gauss DC voltage was observed. This phenomenon might have a relationship with the nonlinearity of the coil with the FeCoSiB amorphous wire as the core. A magnetic sensor with only an amplifier and a low-pass filter was developed using this effect.

Comparison of 8spheres polyvinyl alcohol microsphere and gelatin sponge particle efficacy for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in stages A to B patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy and prognostic analysis results of 8spheres polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microspheres (8SM) with gelatin sponge (GS) particles for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with stages A-B hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Data were collected from 172 patients who underwent TACE at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2014 to July 2020. Patients were divided into two groups: TACE group using 8SM plus lipiodol (8spheres PVA group, N = 89) and TACE group using GS particles plus lipiodol (the GS group, N = 83). Subsequently, we compared the liver function, blood count, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and other parameters of patients in each group before and after interventional embolization. We also calculated the patient's progression-free survival and overall survival in these groups. Results: The postoperative liver function indices, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the 8spheres PVA group, were worse than in the GS group. The postoperative median survival time was 19 ± 3.06 months and no significant difference in survival time was observed in GS group (26 ± 3.19 months) (P = 0.509). Multivariate analysis showed that targeted therapy (P = 0.051), maximum tumor diameter <5 cm (P = 0.018), age ≥60 years (P = 0.018), and AFP <120.5 µg/L (P = 0.007) significantly improved the overall survival rate of patients. Conclusion: Postoperative liver function indices of patients with HCC treated with GS particles were better than those treated with 8SM; thus, GS particles are more suitable for patients with poor liver function.

Comparative Genomics Provide Insights Into Function and Evolution of Odorant Binding Proteins in Cydia pomonella.

Insect olfaction is vital for foraging, mating, host-seeking, and avoidance of predators/pathogens. In insects, odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are involved in transporting hydrophobic odor molecules from the external environment to receptor neurons. The codling moth, Cydia pomonella, one of the most destructive insect fruit pests, causes enormous economic losses. However, little is known about the number, variety, gains and losses, and evolution of OBP genes in C. pomonella. Here we report the identification of 40 OBPs in C. pomonella, most (75%) of which are classic OBPs, using genomic and transcriptomic analyses. Two OBP genes were lost in C. pomonella relative to possible distant ancestor in Lepidoptera lineage based on an analysis of gene gains and losses. The phylogenetic tree and chromosome location showed that the expansion of OBP genes mainly resulted from tandem duplications, as the CpomGOBP2 gene was duplicated twice along with loss of CpomPBPB. Two positive selection sites of the CpomGOBP1 gene were identified while other OBP genes evolved under purifying selection. Our results provide fundamental knowledge of OBP genes allowing further study of their function in C. pomonella.

Research status and future challenge for CO2 sequestration by mineral carbonation strategy using iron and steel slag.

Mineral carbonation can simultaneously realize the effective treatment of CO2 and iron and steel slag; thus, it is of great significance for the low carbon and sustainable development of iron and steel industry. In this article, the researches of mineral carbonation process using iron and steel slag as feedstock are reviewed, and the carbonation reaction mechanism and the parameters affecting the reaction rate and carbonation degree are analyzed. Furthermore, the effect of different enforcement approaches, such as ultrasonic enhancement, mixed calcination, microbial enhancement, and cyclic coprocessing on mineral carbonation reaction, is introduced. The additional effects of mineral carbonation, such as solving the problem of poor volume stability of steel slag, weakening the leaching of heavy metal ions, and reducing the pH of the leachate, are also illustrated. Moreover, issues related to mineral carbonation technology that should be emphasized upon soon, such as the production of valuable products, use of industrial wastewater, aqueous phase recycling use, multiparameter coupling analysis, and research on the properties of carbonation residues, are also discussed, which contribute some perspectives to the future development of mineral carbonation of iron and steel slag.

Biliary stent combined with iodine-125 seed strand implantation in malignant obstructive jaundice.

BACKGROUND: Malignant obstructive jaundice is mainly caused by cholangiocarcinoma. Only a few patients are indicated for surgical resection, and the 3-year survival rate is < 50%. For patients who are not eligible for surgery, biliary stent placement can relieve biliary obstruction and improve liver function and quality of life. However, restenosis after biliary stents has a poor prognosis and is a clinical challenge. Biliary stent combined with iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation can prolong stent patency and improve survival. AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of biliary stent combined with 125I seed strand implantation in malignant obstructive jaundice. METHODS: We enrolled 67 patients between January 2016 and June 2018 with malignant obstructive jaundice and randomized them into a biliary stent combined with 125I seed strand treatment (combined) group (n = 32) and biliary stent (control) group (n = 35). All patients underwent enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and were tested for biochemical and cancer markers. Twelve patients underwent pathological examination before surgery. All patients were followed up by telephone or clinical visit. Postoperative liver function improvement, postoperative complications, stent patency time, and survival time were compared between the two groups. Prognostic risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all patients in both groups. Postoperative liver function improved significantly in all patients (total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase decreased significantly in all patients, the P values were less than 0.05). There was no significant difference in preoperative or postoperative indexes between the two groups for changes in total bilirubin (P = 0.147), direct bilirubin (P = 0.448), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.120), and aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.387) between the two groups. The median stent patency time of the combined group was 9.0 ± 1.4 mo [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.3-11.8 mo], which was significantly longer than the that of the control group (6.0 ± 0.3 mo, 95%CI: 5.5-6.5 mo, P = 0.000). The median survival time of the combined group was 11.0 ± 1.4 mo (95%CI: 8.2-13.7 mo), which was significantly longer than that of the control group (7.0 ± 0.3 mo, 95%CI: 6.4-7.6 mo, P = 0.000). Location of obstruction and number of stents were independent risk factors affecting prognosis. CONCLUSION: Biliary stent combined with 125I seed strand implantation is safe and effective in malignant obstructive jaundice and improves stent patency time and median survival time.

Low-Temperature Properties of the Magnetic Sensor with Amorphous Wire.

We found that a magnetic sensor made of a coil wound around a 5 f0.1 mm (Fe0.06Co0.94)72.5Si2.5B15 (FeCoSiB) amorphous wire could operate in a wide temperature range from room temperature to liquid helium temperature (4.2 K). The low-temperature sensing element of the sensor was connected to the room-temperature driving circuit by only one coaxial cable with a diameter of 1 mm. The one-cable design of the magnetic sensor reduced the heat transferring through the cable to the liquid helium. To develop a magnetic sensing system capable of operating at liquid helium temperature, we evaluated the low-temperature properties of the FeCoSiB magnetic sensor.

PT-Level High-Sensitivity Magnetic Sensor with Amorphous Wire.

A picotesla (PT) level high-sensitivity magnetic sensor with amorphous wire was developed. The magnetic sensor was composed of a (Fe0.06Co0.94)72.5Si2.5B15 (FeCoSiB) amorphous wire with a coil wound around it. The amorphous wire had a diameter of 0.1 mm and a length of 5 mm. The coil was 30 turns. There was no electrical connection with the amorphous wire. The sensor was biased by an alternating current (AC) of about 1 MHz and a direct current (DC). To increase the sensitivity, a resonant circuit was used, and the signal amplitude of the magnetic sensor was increased 10 times from 10 mV/Gauss to about 100 mV/Gauss. The magnetic field resolution was improved 5 times from 30 pT/√Hz to 6 pT/√Hz. An eddy current testing system with a magnetic sensor was developed, and the artificial defects in an aluminum plate were evaluated.

Chinese multidisciplinary expert consensus: Guidelines on percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy.

Biopsy has been used to diagnose thoracic diseases for more than a century. Percutaneous needle biopsy plays a crucial role in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning for tumors in the lungs, thoracic wall, hilum, and mediastinum. With the continuous improvement in imaging techniques, the range of clinical applications for percutaneous needle biopsy is also expanding. It has become important to improve Chinese professionals' and technicians' understanding of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) in order to standardize operating procedures and to strengthen perioperative management. However, there is currently no Chinese expert consensus that provides systematic standardization and guidance for PTNB in clinical practice. The Committee of Chinese Society of Interventional Oncology (CSIO) of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association (CACA) initiated a Chinese multidisciplinary expert consensus on PTNB. The consensus includes image-guided methods, indications, contraindications, multidisciplinary team recommendations, biopsy procedures, daytime/outpatient biopsy, complications, pathological examination, and management of negative results.

Patterns of sorafenib and TACE treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population: subgroup analysis of the GIDEON study.

To analyze safety and efficacy of patterns of sorafenib and TACE therapy under real-life clinical practice conditions. A total of 338 Chinese patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from the international database of the GIDEON non-interventional trial were included in this analysis. Endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), time to progression (TTP) and safety. Two major patterns in the use of sorafenib observed in current Chinese clinical practice were: sorafenib administration subsequent to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment (n = 226, 66.9%) and sorafenib administration concomitant to TACE (n = 80, 35.4%). Patients receiving TACE prior to sorafenib had worse liver function (43.8% BCLC stage Cat diagnosis and 62.1% BCLC stage C at study entry) than those receiving TACE concomitant to sorefenib (35.0% BCLC stage C at diagnosis and 51.3% BCLC stage three at study entry). For patients undergoing prior TACE and concomitant TACE treatment, median OS time was 354 days vs. 608 days, PFS time was 168 days vs. 201 days, and TTP was 214 days vs. 205 days; and the percentage of patients who experienced drug-related adverse effects after sorafenib therapy in these two groups were 33.3 and 50.0%, respectively. Sorafenib treatment is usually administered in cases of tumor progression or poor liver function status after TACE treatment in China. Under such conditions, patients still gained a relatively satisfactory survival outcome. In addition, the present study suggests that concomitant sorafenib and TACE treatments may lead to a better prognosis, although differences in baseline characteristics may have contributed in part to the better outcomes.

Analyzing large-scale samples highlights significant association between rs10411210 polymorphism and colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western countries. In order to detect common CRC genetic variants, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed and reported some novel CRC susceptibility variants. RHPN2 is located on 9q13.11, which encodes a member of the rhophilin family of Ras-homologous (Rho)-GTPase binding proteins. RHPN2 gene rs10411210 polymorphism was identified to be significantly associated with CRC in European ancestry. GWAS and candidate studies investigate whether rs10411210 polymorphism is associated with CRC risk in European, Asian and American populations. However, most studies reported no association. Evidence shows that RHPN2 rs10411210 variant may be a prognostic biomarker for patients with surgically resected CRC. Here we reevaluated this association using large-scale samples from 15 studies (131580 samples including 53564 CRC cases and 78016 controls) using meta-analysis method by searching the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. We did not identify significant heterogeneity among these 15 studies (P=0.4201 and I(2)=2.8%). Our results showed significant association between rs10411210 and CRC (P=9.17E-14, odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.13). In subgroup analysis, we found significant association between rs10411210 and CRC in European population with P=5.70E-09, OR=1.14, 95% CI 1.10-1.20 and Asian population with P=3.36E-07, OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.07-1.16, but not American population with P=0.0576, OR=1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.09. Collectively, our analysis further highlights significant association between rs10411210 polymorphism and colorectal cancer.

A potential signature of eight long non-coding RNAs predicts survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accumulated evidence suggests that dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may play a critical role in tumorigenesis and prognosis of cancer, indicating the potential utility of lncRNAs as cancer prognostic or diagnostic markers. However, the power of lncRNA signatures in predicting the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not yet been investigated. METHODS: We performed an array-based transcriptional analysis of lncRNAs in large patient cohorts with NSCLC by repurposing microarray probes from the gene expression omnibus database. A risk score model was constructed based on the expression data of these eight lncRNAs in the training dataset of NSCLC patients and was subsequently validated in other two independent NSCLC datasets. The biological implications of prognostic lncRNAs were also analyzed using the functional enrichment analysis. RESULTS: An expression pattern of eight lncRNAs was found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients in the training dataset. With the eight-lncRNA signature, patients of the training dataset could be classified into high- and low-risk groups with significantly different OS (median survival 1.67 vs. 6.06 years, log-rank test p = 4.33E-09). The prognostic power of eight-lncRNA signature was further validated in other two non-overlapping independent NSCLC cohorts, demonstrating good reproducibility and robustness of this eight-lncRNA signature in predicting OS of NSCLC patients. Multivariate regression and stratified analysis suggested that the prognostic power of the eight-lncRNA signature was independent of clinical and pathological factors. Functional enrichment analyses revealed potential functional roles of the eight prognostic lncRNAs in tumorigenesis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the eight-lncRNA signature may be an effective independent prognostic molecular biomarker in the prediction of NSCLC patient survival.

A magnetic sensor with amorphous wire.

Using a FeCoSiB amorphous wire and a coil wrapped around it, we have developed a sensitive magnetic sensor. When a 5 mm long amorphous wire with the diameter of 0.1 mm was used, the magnetic field noise spectrum of the sensor was about 30 pT/ÖHz above 30 Hz. To show the sensitivity and the spatial resolution, the magnetic field of a thousand Japanese yen was scanned with the magnetic sensor.

Dynamic MRI-derived parameters for hot and cold spots: correlation with breast cancer histopathology.

PURPOSE: To identify the dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging features that may predict the outcome of patients with breast cancer. METHODS: DCE-MR images from 87 patients newly diagnosed with primary breast cancer were reviewed. The kinetic parameters (including cold spot, hot spot, and heterogeneity parameters) were derived from the DCE-MRI data. These parameters were used to thoroughly reflect the tumor status. The association of dynamic MR features (including kinetic and morphological features) with established prognostic indicators was evaluated. RESULTS: Malignant tumors with poor histomorphological indicators showed higher values of hot spot parameters (maximal initial Slope [maxSlope(i)] and maximal Washout [maxWashout]), higher values of a heterogeneity parameter- initial slope ratio (Slope(i) ratio) and lower values of a cold spot parameter (minimal initial slope [minSlope(iM)]) than those with favorable prognostic indicators. The heterogeneous internal enhancement pattern and rim-like enhancement pattern were more frequently observed in patients with poor prognostic indicators. Moreover, binary logistic regression analysis showed that kinetic parameters Slope(i) ratio (p=0.021), minSlope(i) (p=0.024), internal homogeneity (p=0.001), and maxSlope(iM) (p<0.001) were independently and significantly associated with histological grade, lymph node status, tumor size, and Ki-67, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that all hot spot, cold spot, and heterogeneity parameters may be useful to noninvasively identify highly aggressive breast carcinomas. More importantly, cold spot and heterogeneity parameters may serve as crucial indicators to predict the outcome of breast cancer.

Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers in Linum usitatissimum.

Thirty-five microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized in Linum usitatissimum using enriched genomic libraries. These loci were screened in eight cultivars from different countries and regions and were found to be polymorphic, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from two to six, and observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.125 to 0.375 (mean 0.013) and from 0.233 to 0.842 (mean 0.601), respectively. These polymorphic new microsatellite loci will be useful for genetic linkage map construction, germplasm classification and identification, gene identification and quantitative trait loci mapping, and marker-assisted selection in breeding in L. usitatissimum.