Forms of Occurrence of Selected Metals in Metallurgical Slags in Comparison with their Geochemical Properties

Badania składu chemicznego żużli hutniczych pochodzących zarówno z bieżącej produkcji, jak i składowanych przez wiele lat na zwałowiskach wykazały, że są one bardzo zróżnicowane. Żużle zawierają znaczne ilości metali, w tym metali ciężkich, obok pierwiastków z grupy niemetali i lantanowców. W artykule na podstawie badań mineralogiczno-chemicznych żużli stalowniczych oraz żużli po produkcji stali i rud Zn-Pb, scharakteryzowano formy występowania i powiązania ze składnikami fazowymi wybranych metali: żelaza, manganu, cynku, ołowiu i in. Stwierdzono, że metale w żużlach hutniczych mogą występować w postaci drobnych kropli nie oddzielonych od żużla w procesie hutniczym, tworzyć skupienia polimetaliczne, własne fazy (zwłaszcza tlenkowe) oraz ukrywać się w strukturach faz krzemianowych. Znaczna ilość metali jest rozproszona w szkliwie i substancji amorficznej. Prowadzone badania dostarczają informacji na temat występowania metali w żużlach hutniczych, co jest szczególnie istotne podczas wykonywania prac związanych z gospodarczym wykorzystaniem żużli. Dotyczy to zwłaszcza coraz częściej podejmowanych prób pozyskiwania pierwiastków z żużli hutniczych. Działania te determinują konieczność analizy składu chemicznego i fazowego żużli, gdyż mogą stanowić ważną wskazówkę np. przy opracowywaniu odpowiedniej technologii odzysku pierwiastków.Research of metallurgical slags chemical composition, originating both from current production as well as gathered in dumping grounds formany years, show that they are very diversified. Slags contain substantial amounts of metals, including heavy metals, apart from elements from groups of non-metals and lanthanoids. In the article occurrence forms and relations with phase components of selected metals (iron, manganese, zinc, lead and others) on the basis of mineralogical and chemical research on slags after steel and ore Zn-Pb production were characterized. It was stated that metals may occur in metallurgical slags as fine drops not separated from slag during a metallurgical process, may form polymetallic aggregates, their own phases (especially oxide ones) and hide in structures of silicate phases. A considerable amount of metals is dissipated in glaze and amorphous substance. The conducted research delivers information on the occurrence of metals in metallurgical slags, which is extremely important during work connected with economic exploitation of slags. It especially refers to increasing attempts of acquiring elements from metallurgical slags. These activities determine the necessity of analyzing chemical and phase composition of slags because they may be an important indication, for instance while working on a proper technology of elements recovery

MALT1 Protease Activation Triggers Acute Disruption of Endothelial Barrier Integrity via CYLD Cleavage

Microvascular endothelial cells maintain a tight barrier to prevent passage of plasma and circulating immune cells into the extravascular tissue compartment, yet endothelial cells respond rapidly to vasoactive substances, including thrombin, allowing transient paracellular permeability. This response is a cornerstone of acute inflammation, but the mechanisms responsible are still incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that thrombin triggers MALT1 to proteolytically cleave cylindromatosis (CYLD). Fragmentation of CYLD results in microtubule disruption and a cascade of events leading to endothelial cell retraction and an acute permeability response. This finding reveals an unexpected role for the MALT1 protease, which previously has been viewed mostly as a driver of pro-inflammatory NF-κB signaling in lymphocytes. Thus, MALT1 not only promotes immune cell activation but also acutely regulates endothelial cell biology, actions that together facilitate tissue inflammation. Pharmacologic inhibition of MALT1 may therefore have synergistic impact by targeting multiple disparate steps in the overall inflammatory response

Autophagy inhibition by targeting PIKfyve potentiates response to immune checkpoint blockade in prostate cancer

Multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MTKIs) have thus far had limited success in the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Here, we report a phase I-cleared orally bioavailable MTKI, ESK981, with a novel autophagy inhibitory property that decreased tumor growth in diverse preclinical models of CRPC. The anti-tumor activity of ESK981 was maximized in immunocompetent tumor environments where it upregulated CXCL10 expression through the interferon gamma pathway and promoted functional T cell infiltration, which resulted in enhanced therapeutic response to immune checkpoint blockade. Mechanistically, we identify the lipid kinase PIKfyve as the direct target of ESK981. PIKfyve-knockdown recapitulated ESK981's anti-tumor activity and enhanced the therapeutic benefit of immune checkpoint blockade. Our study reveals that targeting PIKfyve via ESK981 turns tumors from cold into hot through inhibition of autophagy, which may prime the tumor immune microenvironment in advanced prostate cancer patients and be an effective treatment strategy alone or in combination with immunotherapies

Transparent and Flexible Mn 1−

Control over the fabrication of state-of-the-art portable pseudocapacitors with the desired transparency, mechanical flexibility, capacitance, and durability is challenging, but if resolved will have fundamental implications. Here, defect-rich Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ ultrathin films with controllable thicknesses (5–627 nm) and transmittance (≈29–100%) are fabricated via an electrochemical chronoamperometric deposition using a aqueous precursor derived from end-of-life nickel-metal hydride batteries. Due to percolation impacts on the optoelectronic properties of ultrathin films, a representative Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ film with 86% transmittance exhibits an outstanding areal capacitance of 3.4 mF cm−2, mainly attributed to the intercalation/de-intercalation of anionic O2− through the atomic tunnels of the stratified Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ crystallites. Furthermore, the Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ thin-film device exhibits excellent capacitance retention of ≈90% after 16 000 cycles. Such stability is associated with intervalence charge transfer occurring among interstitial Ce/La cations and Mn oxidation states within the Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ structure. The energy and power densities of the transparent flexible Mn1−x−y(CexLay)O2−δ full-cell pseudocapacitor device, is measured to be 0.088 μWh cm−2 and 843 µW cm−2, respectively. These values show insignificant changes under vigorous twisting and bending to 45–180° confirming these value-added materials are intriguing alternatives for size-sensitive energy storage devices.</p