Distributions of and environmental risks posed by Cr and Zn when co-treating solid waste in different kilns.

In order to dispose solid waste reasonably and provide reference data for solid waste co-treatment in industrial kilns, coal chemical products were co-treated in a pulverized coal furnace and refuse-derived fuel was co-treated in a gasifier-coupled pulverized coal furnace system. The distribution and environmental risks of Cr and Zn in different kilns were compared and analyzed. The Cr and Zn distributions in the solid products from the pulverized coal furnace tests were similar. Fly ash contained > 80% of the Cr and Zn. In the gasifier, cyclone dust and gasification gas contained only âˆ¼ 60% of the Cr and Zn, and gasification slag contained > 40% of the Cr and Zn. The gasification gas contained âˆ¼ 33% of the Cr and Zn volatilized. The pulverized coal furnace temperature was > 1,500 °C. Most of the Cr and Zn volatilized and then condensed, so became enriched in the fly ash. The gasifier temperature was âˆ¼ 750 °C, so less volatilization occurred and Cr and Zn became enriched in the gasification slag. The Cr and Zn concentrations in leachates of the solid products were lower than the limits of "GB 5085.3-2007". However, the Cr and Zn concentrations in the gasification slag and cyclone dust leachates were close to the limits and tens to hundreds of times higher than the concentrations in the pulverized coal furnace fly ash and slag leachates. The low temperatures and low-oxygen environments of gasifiers are not conducive to heavy metals being stable in the solid products, and the environmental risks posed by heavy metals in the solid products are high. The risks to the environment are less serious for co-treating solid waste in pulverized coal furnaces than gasifiers.

Characteristics of migration and speciation of trace elements during co-processing of antibiotic residues in a circulating fluidized bed.

In order to study the emission characteristics of the products during the blending of antibiotic residues in coal-fired power plants, blending tests were performed on a 140 t/h circulating fluidized bed boiler. It was found that during combustion, 64 to 87.6% of Cr, As, and Pb are concentrated in the fly ash, and 11.4 to 35% are concentrated in the bottom ash. Only a small amount of these elements are captured by the desulfurization system or enter the environment. During the material distribution of the desulfurization system, trace elements are mostly concentrated in gypsum. In the desulfurization system, the proportion of Cr, As, Pb, Be, Mn, Co, Ni, Se, and Mo in the gypsum range from 82.8 to 99.9%, and the content has reached the level of ppm. When the blending ratio is controlled within 7%, the blending of antibiotic residues has little effect on the elemental composition of coal. The contents of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ba in the products increased by 9.5 to 22.3%. This may mean when the blending ratio is increased, it will be harmful to the environment.

The enhanced SO3 formation by alkali-metal sulfates from ash in the post-flame region during the combustion of high-alkali coal.

High alkali-metal sulfate contents in ash from high-alkali coal are a result of the alkali metals' strong sulfur-capturing capacity. In this work, the effects of sulfates in ash on SO3 formation were investigated by adding alkali-metal sulfates (Na2SO4 and K2SO4) to ash and performing experiments to simulate SO3 formation. The results show that Na2SO4 and K2SO4 addition significantly increased SO3 formation and the formation rate increased with increasing temperature. The formed SO3 concentration increased by 6.8 ppm (adding Na2SO4) and 6.3 ppm (adding K2SO4) at 1000 °C. These increases are the result of SO3 release from sulfate during the formation of aluminosilicates such as NaAlSi3O8 (albite), NaAlSiO4 (nepheline), KAlSiO4 (kalsilite), and KAlSi3O8 (feldspar) with the SiO2 and Al2O3 in the ash. This was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermodynamic calculation. In addition, increasing the SO2 concentration increased the SO3 concentration and decreased the SO3 conversion ratio. Graphical abstract Note: This data is mandatory.

Industrial disposal processes for treatment of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash.

Hazardous waste disposal is a serious environmental concern in China. Therefore, in this study, industrial trials were conducted in a low-temperature thermal degradation facility, a tunnel kiln, and a shaft kiln to effectively treat dioxins in municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) fly ash. The results indicated that the low-temperature thermal degradation facility efficiently decomposed polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in the MSWI fly ash. Additionally, the concentrations of dioxins in the treated fly ash and exhaust gas were lower than the suggested standard limits and the degradation ratio of dioxins was ∼99%. Therefore, treated fly ash characterized by acceptable dioxin risks could be utilized for the production of non-fired building materials. The results from the tunnel kiln indicated complete decomposition of the dioxins in the firing and insulating sections. However, the addition of fly ash in the tunnel kiln increased the concentration of dioxins in the flue gas. This can be primarily attributed to the heterogeneous catalytic synthesis reaction in the low-temperature section of the tunnel kiln. The results from the shaft kiln indicated degradation of at least 22% of the dioxins in the ash. The dioxin concentration in the flue gas was lower than the national standard while that in the clinker was within a reasonable limit. Furthermore, the environmental risks were significantly reduced at fly ash addition ratios lower than 3%.

MiR-7-5p suppresses tumor metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by targeting NOVA2.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Distant metastasis is thought to be one of the most important factors responsible for the failure of NSCLC therapy. MicroRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) has been demonstrated to be a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma, prostate cancer and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, its role in NSCLC is still not fully understood. This study evaluated the role of miR-7-5p in the progression of NSCLC and explored the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS & METHODS: The quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), MTT, migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate the effects of miR-7-5p on the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and SPCA-1 cells. A tumor xenograft model was created to determine the effects of miR-7-5p on metastasis in vivo. The dual-luciferase reporter gene, neuro-oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2) overexpression and western blotting assays were performed to explore the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: MiR-7-5p is downregulated in NSCLC tissues and lung cancer cell lines. It suppresses proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT marker expression in vitro and in vivo. Further study showed that miR-7-5p suppresses tumor metastasis of NSCLC by targeting NOVA2. Overexpression of NOVA2 attenuates the miR-7-5p-mediated inhibitory effect on lung cancer cells. CONCLUSION: MiR-7-5p suppresses NSCLC metastasis. Targeting miR-7-5p may contribute to the success of NSCLC therapy.

The ideal methods for the management of rib fractures.

The clinical treatment choices for multiple rib fractures and flail chest are controversial. For example, among conservative treatment and surgical treatment, different studies have different conclusions and recommendations. Furthermore, early clinical research was mainly focused on the treatment of flail chest due to its severity. Nowadays, the treatment for multiple rib fractures patients without a flail chest is drawing an increased clinical interest. However, we are facing many challenges for the treatment of rib fractures, such as insufficient understanding of the available treatment options, lack of clinical research, lack of the internationally recognized clinical indication for the surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF), and the constant controversies and debates in terms of treatment options, surgery timing, and surgical techniques. All these challenges make it difficult to select the most appropriated clinical decisions for the proper treatment of a rib fracture, resulting in a seriously hindered development of novel rib fractures treatment choices. The concepts and ideas for traditional rib fractures treatment are relatively old, and even have some misunderstandings or errors. With the emergence of more and more research, the understandings of the rib fractures treatment has gradually improved; for example, the benefits provided to patients under the open reductions and internal fixation of fractures treatment. In this article, we outlined the new concepts in rib fractures treatment, which mainly included four parts, damage control, pain management, fixation selection, and quality of life. We hope these concepts help practitioners better manage rib fracture patients.

Enhanced effects of ash and slag on SO3 formation in the post-flame region.

The effects of slag, fly ash (formed in boiler above 1500 °C), and experimental ash (formed in muffle furnace at 815 °C) on the formation of sulfur trioxide (SO3) were studied in a fixed bed rector. The results showed that the slag had the best catalytic effect on SO3 formation, the effect of fly ash was second, and the effect of experimental ash was the worst. The reason may be that the forms of iron in different samples were different. Iron in the experimental ash all existed in the form of Fe2O3. Iron in the fly ash mainly existed in the form of composite iron oxides, such as Fe0.3Mg0.7SiO3, Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3, and MgFe2O4. Iron in the slag also mainly existed in the form of composite iron oxides, such as CaFe2O4, MgFe2O4, and CaMgO0.88Fe0.12SiO4. The different forms of iron had different effects on SO3 formation. Composite iron oxides could produce more oxygen vacancies owing to lattice defects. This likely promoted the migration and regeneration of lattice oxygen and thus better promoted the formation of SO3 than Fe2O3. Moreover, MgFe2O4 and Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3 could better promote SO3 formation than CaMgO0.88Fe0.12SiO4 and Fe0.3Mg0.7SiO3. In addition, increasing the SO2 concentration and O2 concentration increased the SO3 concentration but increasing the SO2 concentration decreased the SO3 formation ratio.

Arsenic migration during co-processing of secondary residues from ammonium paratungstate production in cement kiln.

To reduce the environmental pollution caused by ammonium paratungstate (APT) production in the Ganzhou area in China, simulated experiments in laboratory and field experiments in cement kilns were performed. The migration characteristics of As in secondary residues (thermometallurgy and hydrometallurgy residues) from APT production in cement kilns were similar, and As in the residues existed in the form of sulfides. When the residues were fed at the kiln inlet, the As in the residues was completely distributed in the clinker after a new mass balance of As was reestablished in a very short time. When the residues were fed at the raw mill, the total input rate of As was far higher than the total output rate. Therefore, a part of As was circulated in the cement kiln, and only a small part of As was distributed in the clinker. In addition, the As concentration in the flue gas and the leaching concentration of As in the clinker were far below the limit value in the Chinese standard. For feeding rates below that are used in the field experiment, co-processing of secondary residues in a cement kiln fed at the kiln inlet is environmentally safe. However, if the secondary residues are consistently fed at the raw mill, the As concentration in the flue gas may gradually increase.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 interaction with miR-429 regulates the proliferation and EMT of lung adenocarcinoma cells through RhoA.

Homo sapiens metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (LncRNA MALAT1) plays an important role in many types of cancer, but its role in human lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is still unclear. In this paper, we found that LncRNA MALAT1 had high expression in human LAC tissues (vs. paracancerous normal tissue) and human lung adenocarcinoma cells (vs. human normal lung tissue cells). The expression of lncRNA MALAT1 was significantly associated with human lung adenocarcinoma tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM staging, and was negatively correlated with miR-429 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. In vitro, LncRNA MALAT1 could block human LAC cells in the G1 phase to inhibit proliferation by reducing the expression of cyclin D1 protein. LncRNA MALAT1 could inhibit the invasion and migration of human LAC cells by decreasing the expression of MMP-9 and vimentin and increasing the expression of E-cadherin. We also found that Malat1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-429 and directly suppressed the expression of RhoA protein. RhoA knockout and transfection of miR-429-mimic could play the same function which is to decrease the expression of cyclin D1, MMP-9, and vimentin proteins and increased E-cadherin protein expression. These results suggested that LncRNA Malat1 could promote the proliferation and EMT of human lung adenocarcinoma cells by competing with RhoA for binding to miR-429.

Destruction and formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans during pretreatment and co-processing of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash in a cement kiln.

During a three-day industrial trial, municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (FA) was co-processed in a cement kiln after water-washing pretreatment for waste-to-resource conversion. All inputs and outputs were sampled to obtain the dioxin fingerprints. During washing, the relative contents of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in FA, washed FA and sludge were basically the same and only a simple physical migration resulted. During drying, only physical processes resulted, which included volatilization and migration. Minimal dioxins residue remained in the clinker, cement kiln dust and flue gas, and the dioxins degraded completely. Through co-processing, the dioxins degraded obviously. The main compounds synthesized include 1,2,3,4,7,8-hepta-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetra- chlorodibenzofuran and octa-chlorodibenzofuran. A comparison of dioxins fingerprints in the clinker, cement kiln dust and flue gas under baseline and co-processing conditions showed that co-processing had no effect on the cement kiln production. The baseline sample also contained a certain amount of dioxins, possibly because of the 'memory effect' and heterogeneous formations. The dioxins concentrations in the clinker and FA were far lower than the national standards. Thus, no environmental risk results during co-processing.

Long noncoding RNA CASC9.5 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulatory factors in tumor development and progression. The lncRNA CASC9.5 is located on chromosome 8 and has a total length of 1316 bp. CASC9.5 plays a tumor-promoting role in the development and progression of brain tumor and colon cancer; however, limited research has been conducted on the role of this lncRNA in lung adenocarcinoma. The present study analyzed 44 lung adenocarcinoma specimens and 2 lung cancer cell lines. It was found that CASC9.5 expression levels were significantly higher in lung cancer tissues and cells compared with normal lung tissues. In addition, the expression level of CASC9.5 was closely related to the TNM (tumor, node and metastasis) stage of lung adenocarcinomas, tumor size, tumor metastasis and tumor metabolism. Moreover, results of the in vivo and in vitro experiments all demonstrated that CASC9.5 promoted lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and metabolism by regulating the expression levels of cyclin D1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and ß-catenin. In summary, the present study demonstrated that high levels of CASC9.5 expression promote the proliferation, metastasis and metabolism of lung adenocarcinoma cells and might serve as a prognostic indicator. The present study provides novel findings regarding the diagnosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Subcostal thoracoscopic extended thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis.

BACKGROUND: Extended thymectomy is indicated for patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) when drug-resistance or dependence is seen. We have employed a technique for subcostal thoracoscopic extended thymectomy (STET) on patients with MG. METHODS: Clinical data of 15 eligible patients who underwent STET in our department from February 2015 to November 2015 by the same surgical team were retrospectively analyzed. The operation time, blood loss, duration of postoperative hospital stay, thoracic drainage periods were concerned. RESULTS: All the surgeries were finished successfully without conversion to sternotomy. Mean operation time was 157.53±40.31 min (range, 73-275 min). Mean blood loss was 56.33±7.07 mL (range, 10-200 mL). Mean pleural drainage volume in the first 24 hours was 72.67±17.68 mL (range, 0-250 mL). Mean postoperative thoracic drainage periods were 1.20±0.71 days (range, 0-3 days). Mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 6.13±0.71 days (range, 3-22 days). CONCLUSIONS: This procedure showed satisfactory results for patients with MG. Moreover, the STET approach is more easily for surgeons to fully reveal the bilateral phrenic nerve and the upper thymic poles. We believe that STET is a satisfactory procedure for performing extended thymectomy in well selected patients.

Effects of gas temperature on NO(x) removal by dielectric barrier discharge.

The purpose of this investigation is to discuss the effect of gas temperature on NO(x) removal by dielectric barrier discharge. The Boltzmann equation was used to analyse the electron distribution function in the reactor, and experiments were conducted to find out the effects of different temperatures. The calculation results show that, with a rise in the temperature, E/N increases, increasing the ionization rate. When the ratio of electric field strength to total gas density (E/N) rises from 50 to 150 Td, the ionization rate and electron mean energy increase by 2.0 x 10(5) and 2.3, respectively. The experiments show that in the NO/N2 system, when the temperature increases to 1 30 degrees C and the applied voltage is 11.1 kV, the discharge power is 44.7 W, which is higher than the discharge power of 35.4 W found at 25 degrees C; in the NO/O2/N2 system, an increase in the temperature increases the decomposition of active O3 species, producing a negative effect on NO oxidation; in the NO/O2/N2/C2H4 system, when the temperature increases, the quantity of active species HO2 increases and the NO removal reaction rate increases, reflecting an obvious improvement in the NO removal; and in the NO/O2/N2/C2H4/H2O system, at 25 degrees C, 90 degrees C, and 130 degrees C, when the energy density is 239.7 J L(-1), the NO removal efficiencies are 52.8%, 66.4%, and 71.0%, respectively.

[Pore structure and desulfurization characteristics of organic calcium].

Calcination of oganic calcium was carried out in fixed bed, pore structure of tested sample was analyzed with auto-adsorption analyzer, and desulfurization experiment was studied by intelligent sulfur determination analyzer. Specific surface area of calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) was 46.6 m2/g after calcination at 900 degrees C, almost four times of that of limestone. Specific surface area of calcium acetate (CA) were mainly made up of pore of diameter less than 5 nm, and those of CMA was chiefly contributed by middle pore of diameter about 5 nm. Agglomeration of CA occurred in pore of diameter less than 5 nm, while CMA was sintered in whole range of pore size distribution. Agglomeration of organic calcium were slighter. Desulfurization efficiency of organic calcium ranged from 62.28% to 75.55% at 1000 degrees C as calcium/sulfur ratio being one, which was one time more than that of limestone. Perfect pore structure of organic calcium contributes to higher desulfurization efficiency.

[Desulfurization characteristic of organic calcium at high temperature].

Aim to control the emission of SO2 during coal combustion, desulfurization characteristic of organic calcium was studied by intelligent sulfur determination analyzer. Sulfur releasing curve changed from two "peak value" to one for addition of organic calcium, with velocity of SO2 release decreasing. Efficiency of sulfur reduction was double when organic calcium was used under 1 000 degrees C compared to limestone, and reduction efficiency of calcium magnesium acetate was 73.84%. Sulfur content, furnace temperature, calcium/sulfur ratio and paticle's diameter were important factors as for desulfurizing rate. Sulfur removal efficiency was improved with coal's sulfur content increasing or particle's diameter decreasing. Decreasing degree of reduction efficiency lowered with sulfur content increasing as temperature improved. Efficiency remained high level as 59.08% by calcium magnesium acetate at 1 200 degrees C. Perfect efficiency could be reached as calcium/sulfur ratio being one and augmentation degree was inapparent with more calcium addition. Therefore organic calciums are excellent absorbent for desulfurization and calcium magnesium acetate has best sulfur removal efficiency.

[Fluorine removal efficiency of organic-calcium during coal combustion].

Effectiveness of calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) and calcium acetate(CA) as feasible HF capture were studied by means of fixed bed tube furnaces. The effects of temperature, particle diameter and Ca/S molar ratio on the fluorine removal efficiency were studied. By contract with CaCO3 at the same condition, we find that the HF capture effectiveness of those sorbents is superior to CaCO3, especially at high temperature. At 1 000 - 1 100 degrees C, the efficiency of fluorine removal during coal combustion of CMA is 1.68 - 1.74 times as that of CaCO3; the efficiency of fluorine removal during coal combustion of CA is 1.28 - 1.37 times as that of CaCO3.