Upcycling Steel Slag in Producing Eco-Efficient Iron–calcium Phosphate Cement

In the present study, steel slag powder (SSP) was utilized as the raw material to prepare iron-calcium phosphate cement (ICPC) by reacting with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP). The influences of the raw materials (SSP/ADP) mass ratios ranging from 2.0 to 7.0 on the properties and microstructures of ICPC pastes were investigated. The compressive strengths of ICPC pastes at all ages firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of SSP/ADP, and the SSP/ADP of 6.0 gave the highest strength. Crystalline mundrabillaite and amorphous phases [i.e. Fe(OH)3, Al(OH)3 and H4SiO4] were formed as the dominant binding phases through the reactions of the calcium-containing compounds (brownmillerite, monticellite and srebrodolskite) in the steel slag and ADP. Further, ADP could also react with the free FeO contained in the steel slag to yield amorphous iron phosphate phase. BSE analysis indicated that the hydration products formed and growed on the surface of steel slag particles and connect them to form the continuous, dense microstructure of ICPC paste. The utilization of high-volume steel slag as the base component will potentially bring great economic and environmental benefits for the manufacture of phosphate cement

A Novel Iron Phosphate Cement Derived from Copper Smelting Slag and its Early Age Hydration Mechanism

Copper slag (CS), a by-product of copper smelting, is normally stockpiled, leading to wastes of resource and space as well as environment pollution. It has not been massively reutilized as a supplementary cementitious material in Portland cement due to its low reactivity. In the present study, CS is for the first time utilized as the base component to prepare an iron phosphate cement (IPC) by reacting with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) at room temperature. The influence of the raw materials mass ratio (CS/ADP) on the microstructure and performance of IPC pastes are investigated. It is found that the compressive strength of IPC pastes at all ages is not a monotonic function of CS/ADP, and the paste with CS/ADP of 2.0 gives the highest strengths, i.e., 26.8, 38.9 and 47.5 MPa at 1, 3 and 28 d, respectively. The crystalline phases including FeH2P3O10·H2O and FePO4 are formed as the main reaction products to bind the unreacted CS particles. The early age hydration of IPC is found to be a multi-stage process, involving the initial dissolution of ADP and iron-containing phases of CS, the formation of FeH2P3O10·H2O, the initial generation of FePO4, and the attainment of the hydration reaction equilibrium. Unlike the magnesium phosphate cement, a redox reaction of Fe(Ⅱ) into Fe(Ⅲ) occurs due to the suitable range of pH and oxidation-reduction potential of the IPC system during the hydration reaction

Influence of Phosphorus Sources on the Compressive Strength and Microstructure of Ferronickel Slag-Based Magnesium Phosphate Cement

Electric furnace ferronickel slag (EFS) is a typical magnesium-rich industrial by-product discharged from the manufacture of nickel and iron-nickel alloys. The approach to use it as the raw material for the preparation of magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) has potential and proves effec-tive. In this study, three different phosphorus sources (PS) including phosphoric acid (H3PO4, PA), sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2 PO4, SDP) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2 PO4, PDP) were used to react with EFS to prepare the EFS-based MPC (EMPC), and the effects of raw material mass ratio (EFS/PA, EFS/SDP, EFS/PDP) on the compressive strength, early hydration temperature and microstructure of EMPC pastes were investigated. Results showed that the compressive strength of EMPC paste is significantly impacted by the type of phosphorus source and the raw materials mass ratio. When the EFS/PDP ratio is 4.0, the compressive strength of the MPC paste reaches up to 18.8, 22.8 and 27.5 MPa at 3, 7 and 28 d, respectively. Cattiite (Mg3(PO4 )2·22H2 O), K-struvite (KMgPO4·6H2O) and/or Na-struvite (NaMgPO4·6H2O) were identified as the main hydration products of EMPC. The development of EMPC mainly involves the dissolution of a phosphorus source, MgO and Mg2SiO4, formation of hydration product as binder, and combination of the unreacted raw materials together by binders to build a compact form

Influence of Phosphorus Sources on the Compressive Strength and Microstructure of Ferronickel Slag-Based Magnesium Phosphate Cement

Electric furnace ferronickel slag (EFS) is a typical magnesium-rich industrial by-product discharged from the manufacture of nickel and iron-nickel alloys. The approach to use it as the raw material for the preparation of magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) has potential and proves effec-tive. In this study, three different phosphorus sources (PS) including phosphoric acid (H3 PO4, PA), sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH2 PO4, SDP) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2 PO4, PDP) were used to react with EFS to prepare the EFS-based MPC (EMPC), and the effects of raw material mass ratio (EFS/PA, EFS/SDP, EFS/PDP) on the compressive strength, early hydration temperature and microstructure of EMPC pastes were investigated. Results showed that the compressive strength of EMPC paste is significantly impacted by the type of phosphorus source and the raw materials mass ratio. When the EFS/PDP ratio is 4.0, the compressive strength of the MPC paste reaches up to 18.8, 22.8 and 27.5 MPa at 3, 7 and 28 d, respectively. Cattiite (Mg3 (PO4 )2·22H2 O), K-struvite (KMgPO4·6H2 O) and/or Na-struvite (NaMgPO4·6H2 O) were identified as the main hydration prod-ucts of EMPC. The development of EMPC mainly involves the dissolution of a phosphorus source, MgO and Mg2 SiO4, formation of hydration product as binder, and combination of the unreacted raw materials together by binders to build a compact form

Exploiting gender-based biomarkers and drug targets: advancing personalized therapeutic strategies in hepatocellular carcinoma

This review systematically examines gender differences in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), identifying the influence of sex hormones, genetic variance, and environmental factors on the disease’s epidemiology and treatment outcomes. Recognizing the liver as a sexually dimorphic organ, we highlight how gender-specific risk factors, such as alcohol consumption and obesity, contribute differently to hepatocarcinogenesis in men and women. We explore molecular mechanisms, including the differential expression of androgen and estrogen receptors, which mediate diverse pathways in tumor biology such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA repair. Our analysis underscores the critical need for gender-specific research in liver cancer, from molecular studies to clinical trials, to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic effectiveness. By incorporating a gender perspective into all facets of liver cancer research, we advocate for a more precise and personalized approach to cancer treatment that acknowledges gender as a significant factor in both the progression of HCC and its response to treatment. This review aims to foster a deeper understanding of the biological and molecular bases of gender differences in HCC and to promote the development of tailored interventions that enhance outcomes for all patients

Dissecting and tracing the gut microbiota of infants with botulism: a cross sectional and longitudinal study

BackgroundInfant botulism is caused by botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), which is mainly produced by Clostridium botulinum. However, there is a lack of longitudinal cohort studies on infant botulism. Herein, we have constructed a cross-sectional and longitudinal cohort of infants infected with C. botulinum. Our goal was to reveal the differences in the intestinal microbiota of botulism-infected and healthy infants as well as the dynamic changes over time through multi-omics analysis.MethodsWe performed 16S rRNA sequencing of 20 infants’ stools over a period of 3 months and conducted whole genome sequencing of isolated C. botulinum strains from these laboratory-confirmed cases of infant botulism. Through bioinformatics analysis, we focused on the changes in the infants’ intestinal microbiota as well as function over time series.ResultsWe found that Enterococcus was significantly enriched in the infected group and declined over time, whereas Bifidobacterium was significantly enriched in the healthy group and gradually increased over time. 18/20 isolates carried the type B 2 botulinum toxin gene with identical sequences. In silico Multilocus sequence typing found that 20\u00B0C. botulinum isolates from the patients were typed into ST31 and ST32.ConclusionDifferences in intestinal microbiota and functions in infants were found with botulism through cross-sectional and longitudinal studies and Bifidobacterium may play a role in the recovery of infected infants

Upcycling Steel Slag in Producing Eco-Efficient Iron-calcium Phosphate Cement

In the present study, steel slag powder (SSP) was utilized as the raw material to prepare iron-calcium phosphate cement (ICPC) by reacting with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP). The influences of the raw materials (SSP/ADP) mass ratios ranging from 2.0 to 7.0 on the properties and microstructures of ICPC pastes were investigated. The compressive strengths of ICPC pastes at all ages firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of SSP/ADP, and the SSP/ADP of 6.0 gave the highest strength. Crystalline mundrabillaite and amorphous phases [i.e. Fe(OH)3, Al(OH)3 and H4SiO4] were formed as the dominant binding phases through the reactions of the calcium-containing compounds (brownmillerite, monticellite and srebrodolskite) in the steel slag and ADP. Further, ADP could also react with the free FeO contained in the steel slag to yield amorphous iron phosphate phase. BSE analysis indicated that the hydration products formed and growed on the surface of steel slag particles and connect them to form the continuous, dense microstructure of ICPC paste. The utilization of high-volume steel slag as the base component will potentially bring great economic and environmental benefits for the manufacture of phosphate cement

Sequential vigilance is unpredictable in reproductive Black-necked Cranes

Abstract Background Vigilance refers to the behavior of animals scanning their surroundings with a main purpose of anti-predation. Whether vigilance can serve the function of anti-predation depends on its unpredictability, meaning instantaneous randomness, sequential randomness, and independence, the three assumptions from Pulliam model (J Theor Biol 38:419, 1973). Here we tested two of these three assumptions in reproductive Black-necked Cranes (Grus nigricollis) in Tibetan Plateau: instantaneous randomness and sequential randomness. Methods Observations were carried out in July and September of 2014, July and August in 2017 in Selincuo National Nature Reserve, Tibet, with the help of focal sampling method. For instantaneous randomness, we used Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for its negative exponential distribution; for sequential randomness, we used Run test, correlation analysis, and generalized linear model to see if an inter-scan and its previous scan were correlated. Results Not similar to some recent studies, we did not find a significant predictable vigilance in this crane. Most inter-scan intervals (86/100, 86.0%) passed negative exponential distribution test, meaning vigilance sequences with instantaneous randomness; most inter-scan intervals (91/100, 91.0%) passed sequential random test, showing vigilance sequences were random organized. Conclusion Our results suggest that keeping a vigilance pattern with unpredictability is beneficial to the survival of the Black-necked Cranes, which are facing with both cruel natural environments and high predation risks

Bipartite Consensus of Heterogeneous Multiagent Systems with Diverse Input Delays

This paper investigates the bipartite consensus problem of heterogeneous multiagent systems with diverse input delays. Based on the systems composed of first-order and second-order agents, the novel control protocols are designed. Using frequency-domain analysis and matrix theory, the corresponding upper bounds of the allowable delays are obtained under the undirected topology and directed topology, respectively. Finally, simulation examples are given to verify the theoretical analysis