Exploring N/S-Based Polymers for Synergistic Inhibition of Multiple Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants during Iron Ore Sintering

The iron ore sintering process is a major source of unintentional persistent organic pollutants (UP-POPs). Although challenging, it is important to develop effective and economical methods suitable for practical application to control these highly toxic pollutants. In this study, three novel N/S-based macromolecular compounds, i.e., urea-formaldehyde resin (UFR), thiosemicarbazone-formaldehyde resin (TSCFR), and thiourea-formaldehyde resin (TUFR), were synthesized and investigated for their inhibitory effects on chlorinated benzene (CBz), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) formation in iron sintering fly ash. TUFR exhibited the highest inhibitory efficiency among the three inhibitors for CBzs (97.6%), PCBs (97.1%), and international toxic equivalent quantity PCDD/Fs (99.9%) with 2.0 wt % addition. Variation of UP-POP homolog profiles indicated that the reaction of N and Cl mainly occurs in the gas phase, while S acts mainly in the solid phase during the inhibition process. The gas–solid phase homolog distribution of UP-POPs indicates that sulfur compounds were the dominant inhibitor and were easily reacted with copper chloride, which was confirmed by density functional theory calculations. TUFR showed 46.9% CBz, 82.9% PCB, and 58.8% PCDD/F reduction efficiencies in a pilot-scale sintering system, indicating that TUFR is an appropriate technique for reducing UP-POP emissions in a full-scale iron ore sintering process

Table_1_Triglyceride-glucose index for the detection of subclinical heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with type 2 diabetes.docx

ObjectivesThe triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index has been identified as a reliable and simple surrogate of insulin resistance. In this study, we sought to determine the association between TyG index and cardiac function among asymptomatic individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without history of any cardiovascular disease.Materials and methodsThe cross-sectional study enrolled 180 T2DM patients without cardiac symptoms. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) was defined as Heart Failure Association (HFA)-PEFF score ≥ 5 points.ResultsA total of 38 (21.1%) diabetic patients were identified with HFpEF. Compared with the low-TyG group (TyG index ConclusionThe TyG index showed a positive correlation with the risk of subclinical HFpEF in patients with T2DM, providing a new marker to predict and treat HFpEF in diabetes.</p