Thermodynamic assessment of ZnO-SiO2 system

ZnO-containing slags are common in pyrometallurgical processing of the base metals and steel. This caused the interest to the thermodynamics of the ZnO-SiO2 system. A complete literature survey, critical evaluation of the available experimental data and a thermodynamic optimization of the phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties of the system ZnO-SiO2 at 1.013×105 Pa are presented. The molten oxide was described as an associate solution. The properties of liquid were reassessed and enthalpy term of the Gibbs energy of solid Zn2SiO4 was re-fitted to be compatible with the new data in the willemite primary phase field. The thermodynamic data set agrees well with the recent experimental observations. It can be used for predicting, e.g., the thermodynamic properties and the domains of the phase diagram, like critical point of the liquid miscibility gap, with a better accuracy than using the previous assessments. A set of optimized model parameters were obtained, reproducing the reliable thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data within their experimental errors from 298 K to liquidus temperatures, over the entire composition range. The created database can be used in a Gibbs energy minimization software to calculate the thermodynamic properties and the phase diagram sections of interest.Peer reviewe

Previously reported CCDC26 risk variant and novel germline variants in GALNT13, AR, and MYO10 associated with familial glioma in Finland

Predisposing factors underlying familial aggregation of non-syndromic gliomas are still to be uncovered. Whole-exome sequencing was performed in four Finnish families with brain tumors to identify rare predisposing variants. A total of 417 detected exome variants and 102 previously reported glioma-related variants were further genotyped in 19 Finnish families with brain tumors using targeted sequencing. Rare damaging variants in GALNT13, MYO10 and AR were identified. Two families carried either c.553C>T (R185C) or c.1214T>A (L405Q) on GALNT13. Variant c.553C>T is located on the substrate-binding site of GALNT13. AR c.2180G>T (R727L), which is located on a ligand-binding domain of AR, was detected in two families, one of which also carried a GALNT13 variant. MYO10 c.4448A>G (N1483S) was detected in two families and c.1511C>T (A504V) variant was detected in one family. Both variants are located on functional domains related to MYO10 activity in filopodia formation. In addition, affected cases in six families carried a known glioma risk variant rs55705857 in CCDC26 and low-risk glioma variants. These novel findings indicate polygenic inheritance of familial glioma in Finland and increase our understanding of the genetic contribution to familial glioma susceptibility.Peer reviewe