Leaching characteristics and pollution risk assessment of potentially harmful elements from coal gangue exposed to weathering for different periods of time.

To explore the leaching behavior and potential degree of pollution that can result from the backfilling of goafs with different types of coal gangue (CG), fresh CG from the Hongqi Coal Mine goaf and surface CG (weathered for 1 year) were selected as the research objects in this study. A series of leaching experiments were carried out using the Ordovician limestone karst waters of the mining areas as the soaking solution. A comparative study on the dissolution characteristics of Fe3+, Mn2+, and SO42- and on the traditional water quality parameters of the two types of CG was conducted. The results showed that the soaked, weathered CG displayed a higher ion dissolution value than fresh CG. The ratio of each ion was as follows: Fe3+ was 1, Mn2+ was 2.86 ~ 68.18, and SO42- was 1.34 ~ 2.09. Over time, the ion concentration of water samples that initially contained high ion concentration values showed a decreasing trend after CG was soaked in these waters, but the values were still in the range of high ion release concentrations. The pH and oxidation‒reduction potential (ORP) values of the leachate of both CG types indicated that the leachates were weakly alkaline and weakly oxidizing, and the overall change in total dissolved solids (TDS) was small and consistent with the SO42- trend. SO42- in the leachate of the weathered CG showed a more significant correlation with the pH and TDS of the soaking solution, and it was the major pollutant. According to the geoaccumulation index evaluation, weathered CG had higher pollution potential than fresh CG. Fe3+ presented a slight and moderate risk for contamination.

HLA-A and HLA-B gene polymorphism and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in a Han Chinese population.

UNLABELLED: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive diffuse interstitial lung disease with poor prognosis of unknown etiology that leading ultimately to death. Predisposing factors are thought to have environmental and genetic inputs. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between HLA-A, B gene polymorphism and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a Han Chinese population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The gene frequency of 36 patients with IPF was detected using a PCR-SSP grouping method. These values were compared with those a Bone Marrow Bank (Shanghai, China) of healthy subjects of identical racial origin as the patient group. RESULTS: The gene frequency of HLA-A*3 (3.5%), HLA-B*14 (1.4%), -B*15 (10.2%), and -B*40 (5.0%)of the IPF group increased significantly (Pc < 0.05) compared with that in the control group HLA-A*3 (1.0%), HLA-B*14 (0.1%) and -B*15 (1.1%) and -B*40 (0.8%). Investigation of the link between the HLA-A and -B gene showed the gene frequency of HLA-A2B15 to be 5.0% as well as -A2B40 (4.3%), -A11B15 (5.0%), -A24B48 (2.8%) and -A30B40 (2.8%), which were significantly higher than those of the control group (Pc < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the gene frequency of HLA-A*3, HLA-B*14, -B*15, -B*40, and the linked gene frequency of HLA-A2B15, -A2B40, -A11B15, -A24B58, -A30B40 is associated with IPF pathogenesis.

[A cross-sectional study on periodontal conditions in elderly people in Wuxi city].

PURPOSE: The present study was aimed to investigate the periodontal conditions in elderly people in Wuxi city, and to provide information for prevention of periodontal disease. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 1156 subjects (aged from 65 to 74 years old) were examined. Oral hygiene index-simplified(OHI-S), gingival index(GI), bleeding on probing(BOP), pocket depth (PD) and clinical attachment level(CAL)were measured to evaluate the periodontal condition. The data were analyzed with SPSS12.0 software package for Student's t test and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The oral hygiene index-simplified of elder people in Wuxi City was 3.16±1.48, the gingival index was 1.33±0.54. Among BOP, PD and AL, no significant difference was found between rural and urban district in Wuxi city. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggests that periodontal disease is quite common, poor periodontal conditions were found in elderly people in Wuxi city, great efforts are needed to prevent periodontal disease, and strengthen oral hygiene instruction. Supported by Science and Technology Project of Wuxi City (Grant No.csz00802).