Material recycling of blast furnace slag by phase separation of glass

A novel recycling process of blast furnace slag was developed in order to obtain colorless silica-rich solids by using phase separation of borosilicate glass. B(2)O(3) was added to blast furnace slag to promote the phase separation. The slag glasses were heat-treated above glass transition temperatures. The slag glass prepared from blast furnace slag gelled after the heat treatment and the subsequent three types of acid treatment. The ratios of SiO(2) component in the gels were 40 – 60mass%. On the other hand, phase separation was observed on the surface of the slag glasses prepared from pre-treated slag by 2.5N HCl after the heat treatment. After soaking in acid, they did not gel and changed to insoluble colorless solids. According to compositional analyses, it was found that the insoluble colorless solids contained 70 - 90mass% SiO(2). No colored ions such as Cr, Mn, and Fe were confirmed in the remaining insolubles by optical absorption measurement. Therefore, the colorless silica-rich solids were successfully obtained in the present process. The end products obtained in the present process are expected as material of glass

Chemical recycling of inorganic wastes by using phase separation of glass

A chemical recycling process using phase separation of glass was applied to a granulated blast furnace slag with high CaO content. Glasses were prepared by adding B(2)O(3) to the slag in order to promote phase separation, and the glasses were heat-treated above glass transition temperature. In the subsequent acid-treatment, however, gelation due to the elution of SiO(2) phase containing CaO occurred, not obtaining high SiO(2) solids. Then, pretreatment was introduced to reduce CaO content in slag, where the raw slag was briefly washed in acid. The slag glasses prepared from the pretreated slag were commonly phase-separated by heat-treatment regardless of B(2)O(3) content. After subsequent acid-treatment, colorless insoluble solids were successfully recovered. The end products consist of 70-90 mass% SiO(2), and coloring ions such as Mn, Fe and Cr were almost completely removed from the slag glasses. Reutilization as raw materials for glass is expected

Discutindo a educação ambiental no cotidiano escolar: desenvolvimento de projetos na escola formação inicial e continuada de professores

A presente pesquisa buscou discutir como a Educação Ambiental (EA) vem sendo trabalhada, no Ensino Fundamental e como os docentes desta escola compreendem e vem inserindo a EA no cotidiano escolar., em uma escola estadual do município de Tangará da Serra/MT, Brasil. Para tanto, realizou-se entrevistas com os professores que fazem parte de um projeto interdisciplinar de EA na escola pesquisada. Verificou-se que o projeto da escola não vem conseguindo alcançar os objetivos propostos por: desconhecimento do mesmo, pelos professores; formação deficiente dos professores, não entendimento da EA como processo de ensino-aprendizagem, falta de recursos didáticos, planejamento inadequado das atividades. A partir dessa constatação, procurou-se debater a impossibilidade de tratar do tema fora do trabalho interdisciplinar, bem como, e principalmente, a importância de um estudo mais aprofundado de EA, vinculando teoria e prática, tanto na formação docente, como em projetos escolares, a fim de fugir do tradicional vínculo “EA e ecologia, lixo e horta”.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

IGF-II Producing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Sorafenib: Metabolic Complications and a Foresight to Molecular Targeting Therapy to the IGF Signal

Hypoglycemia is a rare paraneoplastic manifestation of patients with neoplasms. Hypoglycemia can be induced by several causes, including an aberrant increase of hypoglycemic agents and adrenal insufficiency. Sorafenib is the first agent to demonstrate a survival benefit in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This small molecule inhibits serine/threonine kinase RAF in tumor cells and tyrosine kinases VEGFR/PDGFR in tumor vasculature and decreases tumor growth and angiogenesis. In this paper, we report a case of HCC who was treated with sorafenib and showed severe hypoglycemia. This hypoglycemia might be induced by two causes, both adrenal insufficiency as an adverse effect of sorafenib and activation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signal by excessive secretion of incompletely processed precursors of IGF-II. Although the IGF signal is suggested to be involved in aberrant growth of HCC in some cases, there is no other report showing the influence of sorafenib on HCC with active IGF signal. Unfortunately, the effect of sorafenib was limited in the present case. However, emerging drugs that directly inhibit the IGF signal can be expected to be highly effective in the treatment of HCC with hypoglycemia

Changes in risk of immediate adverse reactions to iodinated contrast media by repeated administrations in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To elucidate whether repeated exposures to iodinated contrast media increase the risk of adverse reaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 1,861 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who visited authors' institution, a tertiary referral center, between 2004 and 2008. We analyzed cumulative probability of adverse reactions and risk factors. We categorized all symptoms into hypersensitivity reactions, physiologic reactions, and other reactions, according to the American College of Radiology guidelines, and evaluated each category as an event. We estimated the association between hazard for adverse reactions and the number of cumulative exposures to contrast media. We also evaluated subsequent contrast media injections and adverse reactions. RESULTS: There were 23,684 contrast media injections in 1,729 patients. One hundred and thirty-two patients were excluded because they were given no contrast media during the study period. Adverse reactions occurred in 196 (0.83%) patients. The cumulative incidence at 10(th), 20(th), and 30(th) examination was 7.9%, 15.2%, and 24.1%, respectively. Presence of renal impairment was found to be one of risk factors for adverse reactions. The estimated hazard of overall adverse reaction gradually decreased until around 10(th) exposure and rose with subsequent exposures. The estimated hazard of hypersensitivity showed V-shaped change with cumulative number of exposures. The estimated hazard of physiologic reaction had a tendency toward decreasing and that of other reaction had a tendency toward increasing. Second adverse reaction was more severe than the initial in only one among 130 patients receiving subsequent injections. CONCLUSION: Repeated exposures to iodinated contrast media increase the risk of adverse reaction