FA Samples Research Articles

Charge transport comparison of FA, MA and Cs lead halide perovskite single crystals for radiation detection

We report a systematic comparison of the charge transport and radiation detection properties of inorganic and organic metal bromide single crystal perovskites. We studied the performance of Bridgman-grown CsPbBr3 single crystals, together with solution-grown FAPbBr3 and MAPbBr3 single crystals. Laser time of flight is used to measure the drift mobilities for all samples, and we report a maxium mobility value of 121 ± 10 cm V−1 s−1 for CsPbBr3. Alpha particle measurements were used to assess the mobility-lifetime products, with values recorded in the range of 2 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 to 1 × 10−3 cm2 V−1. Low temperature measurements showed an increase in bulk resistivity at temperatures down to 260 K, but no significant change to the drift mobilities. The overall performance of the Cs, FA and MA samples is compared and their potential for use in gamma spectroscopy measurements is discussed.

Long-term mechanical properties and durability of high-strength concrete containing high-volume local fly ash as a partial cement substitution

High-volume fly ash (HVFA) is a commonly used partial substitution for cement in mortar and concrete production. The present study was developed to examine the potential of using local HVFA as a partial substitution for cement in high-strength concrete (HSC). The effects of FA inclusion on the long-term mechanical properties and durability of concrete were investigated. The HSC samples were prepared with different FA substitution ratios, ranging from 0% to 50% by weight (ratio between FA to total weight of cement and FA) at 10% interval. Long-term properties were evaluated through compressive strength (CS) and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests, while durability was examined through water absorption (WA), drying shrinkage (DS), and rapid chloride ion penetration (RCPT) tests. The results indicate that, at 28 and 56 days, higher FA content was associated with lower HSC performance. However, at 120 days, the 30% FA sample achieved the highest performance of all of the samples in terms of long-term mechanical properties and durability. Moreover, higher FA content was associated with less DS. Also, no significant change in the water absorptivity value of the HSC samples was observed. All of the HSC samples at 28, 56, and 120 days of curing age had UPV values of above 4100 m/s, indicating “very good quality” concrete. In addition, all of the HSC samples exhibited “very low” chloride permeability. Finally, the results of the environmental analysis found that incorporating a high volume of locally sourced FA as a partial substitution for cement in HSC reduced both CO2 emissions (CO2-E) and energy consumption (EC), which may help further promote the sustainability of the construction industry.

Mechanical Properties of Titanium/Nano-Fluorapatite Parts Produced by Laser Powder Bed Fusion

Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) has attracted great interest in recent years due to its ability to produce intricate parts beyond the capabilities of traditional manufacturing processes. L-PBF processed biomedical implants are usually made of commercial pure titanium (CP-Ti) or its alloys. However, both alloys are naturally bio-inert, and thus reduce the formation of apatite as implants are put into the human body. Accordingly, in an attempt to improve the bioactivity of the materials used for making orthopedic implants, the present study decomposed fluorapatite material (FA, (Ca10(PO4)6F2)) into the form of nano-powder and mixed this powder with CP-Ti powder in two different ratios (99%Ti + 1%FA (Ti-1%FA) and 98%Ti + 2%FA (Ti-2%FA)) to form powder material for the L-PBF process. Experimental trials were conducted to establish the optimal processing conditions (i.e., laser power, scanning speed and hatching space) of the L-PBF process for the two powder mixtures and the original CP-Ti powder with no FA addition. The optimal parameters were then used to produce tensile test specimens in order to evaluate the mechanical properties of the different samples. The hardness of the various samples was also examined by micro-Vickers hardness tests. The tensile strength of the Ti-1%FA sample (850 MPa) was found to be far higher than that of the CP-Ti sample (513 MPa). Furthermore, the yield strength of the Ti-1%FA sample (785 MPa) was also much higher than that of the CP-Ti sample (472 MPa). However, the elongation of the Ti-1%FA sample (6.27 %) was significantly lower than that of the CP-Ti sample (16.17%). Finally, the hardness values of the Ti-1%FA and Ti-2%FA samples were around 63.8% and 109.4%, respectively, higher than that of the CP-Ti sample.

Evaluation of pre-treated healthcare wastes during COVID-19 pandemic reveals pathogenic microbiota, antibiotics residues, and antibiotic resistance genes against beta-lactams

The disposal of healthcare waste without prior elimination of pathogens and hazardous contaminants has negative effects on the environment and public health. This study aimed to profile the complete microbial community and correlate it with the antibiotic compounds identified in microwave pre-treated healthcare wastes collected from three different waste operators in Peninsular Malaysia. The bacterial and fungal compositions were determined via amplicon sequencing by targeting the full-length 16S rRNA gene and partial 18S with full-length ITS1–ITS2 regions, respectively. The antibiotic compounds were characterized using high-throughput spectrometry. There was significant variation in bacterial and fungal composition in three groups of samples, with alpha- (p-value = 0.04) and beta-diversity (p-values <0.006 and < 0.002), respectively. FC samples were found to acquire more pathogenic microorganisms than FA and FV samples. Paenibacillus and unclassified Bacilli genera were shared among three groups of samples, meanwhile, antibiotic-resistant bacteria Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus faecalis were found in modest quantities. A total of 19 antibiotic compounds were discovered and linked with the microbial abundance detected in the healthcare waste samples. The principal component analysis demonstrated a positive antibiotic-bacteria correlation for genera Pseudomonas, Aerococcus, Comamonas, and Vagococcus, while the other bacteria were negatively linked with antibiotics. Nevertheless, deep bioinformatic analysis confirmed the presence of blaTEM-1 and penP which are associated with the production of class A beta-lactamase and beta-lactam resistance pathways. Microorganisms and contaminants, which serve as putative indicators in healthcare waste treatment evaluation revealed the ineffectiveness of microbial inactivation using the microwave sterilization method. Our findings suggested that the occurrence of clinically relevant microorganisms, antibiotic contaminants, and associated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) represent environmental and human health hazards when released into landfills via ARGs transmission.

Unraveling the Thermal Oxidation Products and Peroxidation Mechanisms of Different Chemical Structures of Lipids: An Example of Molecules Containing Oleic Acid.

Lipid structures affect lipid oxidation, causing differences in types and contents of volatiles and nonvolatiles in various foods. In this study, the oxidation differences of monoacylglycerol (MAG), triacylglycerol (TAG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylcholine (PC) with oleoyl residues and oleic acid (FA) during thermal treatment were investigated. Volatiles and nonvolatiles were monitored by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive HF-X Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer, respectively. The results showed that the structures of MAG and TAG could delay the chain initiation reaction. The polar heads of PC and PE remarkably influenced the oxidation rate and the formation of the oxidation products probably due to the hydrogen bonds formed with free radicals. Among the volatile oxidation products, aldehydes, acids, and furans with eight or nine carbon atoms accounted for the majority in FA, MAG, TAG, and PC samples, but PE samples mainly generated ketones with nine or 10 carbon atoms. The formation of nonvolatile products in TAG samples possessed significant stage-specific changes. Fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids were only produced in the free fatty acid oxidation model. The activity of chemical bonds participating in the truncation reaction decreased to both sides from the double bond position.

Identification of heavy metal leaching patterns in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash based on an explainable machine learning approach.

The leaching risk of heavy metal (HM) in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI-FA) leads to a big challenge for FA landfilling. In this work, the HM leaching patterns were identified via 6 highly available indices of FA, in which 160 stabilized FA samples were collected from 4 incineration plants in eastern China and an explainable machine learning approach based on boosting and game analysis was conducted to assess the leaching potentials of 6 HMs (Cr, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). We found that, there remained high exceeding risks of Cd and Pb in stabilized FA. In addition, the S-Cl (soluble chlorine) content was the most influential factor of the leaching behaviors of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, more important than pH in regard to Cu, Pb and Zn. We quantified the influence of S-Cl on the HM leaching of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, whereby their leaching concentrations would increase by 223.5%, 215.2%, 216.5% and 222.6%, respectively, for every 0.5mol/L order increase in S-Cl concentration. Finally, a fast determination criterion for the FA landfill was proposed, that is, FA of which S-Cl was less than 0.412mol/L was acceptable.

Effects of curing pathways and thermal-treatment temperatures on the solidification of heavy metal in fly ash by CaCO3 oligomers polymerization

The solidification of the heavy metals (HMs) of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA) by a calcium carbonate polymer is a novel approach. The effects of different curing pathways and thermal-treatment temperatures on the leaching concentrations of the HMs were investigated by conducting different leaching tests and performing an overall pollution toxicity indices (OPTI) analysis of the leaching data, respectively. The results showed that the solidification efficiencies of the Pb and Zn of FA samples, which could form carbonate-bound states, from the fly ash-CaCl 2 ▪2H 2 O wet carbonation pathway were above 99.5%. The samples from the pathway that involved mixing FA with calcium carbonate oligomers (CCOs) had lower leaching concentrations of Cd and Cr (0 and 0.1112 mg▪L −1 ). With the thermal treatment temperature increasing from 105 °C to 500 °C, the treated FA samples had larger particle sizes, fewer pores, and more compact surface structures covering much more calcite , and the solidification efficiencies of Pb and Zn increased from 64.3% to 98.8% and from 60.2% to 98.9%, respectively. The calcium carbonate structure was decomposed in an acidic leaching agent, so the solidification effects were weakened and even negative. In contrast, the treated FA samples achieved effective solidification of HMs by physical packaging and chemical precipitation in the HT/J 557–2010 standard and the OPTI decreased from 8126.39 to 44.88. Therefore, a nonacidic environment is suitable for the storage or resource utilization of FA samples prepared by this method. • Two different curing methods of MSWI fly ash using CaCO 3 polymer were studied. • Inhibition on heavy metals leaching of 500 °C heat treatment was better than 105 °C. • The leaching characteristics of the samples were evaluated by different standards. • Fly ash samples were subjected to comprehensive heavy metal toxicity assessments.

Chemical reactions in the Fe2SiO4-D2 system with a variable deuterium content at 7.5 GPa

Abstract Hydrogen-induced decomposition of fayalite (Fe2SiO4) at high pressure is of considerable interest for a better understanding of the chemical processes occurring in the cores and mantles of icy satellites. At pressures up to 10 GPa and temperatures 250–300 °C (typical of the cores and mantles of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s satellites), a variable amount of hydrogen can react with fayalite contained in their rocks. Volatile compounds that can form via these reactions are usually identified by mass spectroscopy. In our experiments, we used compressed deuterium gas instead of hydrogen to ensure that the volatiles analyzed by mass spectroscopy could only result from the decomposition of fayalite. To study the effect of the amount of deuterium present in the system, the fayalite (Fa) samples were deuterated at P = 7.5 GPa and T = 280 °C with the preset molar ratios D2/Fa = 1, 1.5, 2.2, and 5 in the reaction cell. The deuterated samples were further quenched to the liquid N2 temperature and, after releasing the pressure, removed from the reaction cell and studied by quadrupole mass-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Our results showed that the high-pressure deuteration invariably led to the chemical decomposition of fayalite. The solid products of the reaction varied from a mixture of ferrosilite (FeSiO3) and iron at D2/Fa = 1 to a mixture of silica and iron at D2/Fa = 2.2. The decomposition occurred via breaking the Fe-O bonds and was always accompanied by the formation of water. Applying the observed reactions to the natural conditions of, e.g., the center of Titan or Ganymede, one may infer that fayalite can be dissolved in the hydrogen fluid or replaced by iron, ferrosilite, or silica depending on the molar ratio H2/Fa.

Stress-Induced Differential miR-4633-5p Expression in Thyroid Cancer Health Disparities

Filipino Americans (FA) are known to have higher rates of thyroid cancer incidence and disease recurrence compared to European Americans (EA). FA are also known to be two times more likely to die of thyroid cancer compared to EA. Epidemiological studies in California have shown that thyroid cancer is the second most common cancer among FA women. Currently, there are no studies that demonstrate the mechanism behind these discrepancies. Evidence shows a strong correlation between obesity and more aggressive forms of thyroid cancer; obesity has an increased frequency in FA populations. The exact connection between the mechanisms of obesity and cancer is poorly understood. This epigenetic phenomenon may be due to microRNAs (miRNAs), which post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. Dysregulated miRNA profiles have been associated with various diseases including obesity and cancer. MiRNAs are linked to different types of cancer; tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes are subject to modulation by dysregulated miRNAs. No study elucidates the association of miRNAs to tumor staging or prognosis in thyroid cancer health disparities. In this study, we determined miRNA expression profiles and found significant differences in the miRNA profiles between FA and EA thyroid cancer patients. Our pilot study showed several dysregulated miRNAs, from which we chose to assay dysregulated miR-4633-5p segments that are known to be associated with thyroid cancer signaling. We used QIAGEN’s miRNA extraction kit to obtain high-quality miRNA from paraffin-embedded thyroid tissues. We performed next-generation miRNA sequencing using equal number of FA and EA samples and identified the top ten significantly up- and down-regulated miRNAs from the pool of differentially expressed miRNAs by qPCR assays. Our investigation demonstrated a 1.5-2-fold higher expression of an upregulated miR-4633-5p in FA versus EA miRNA samples (n=70) after normalized to controls. In contrast, miR-323b-3p showed no difference between FA and EA after normalized to controls. For our future work, we plan to analyze multiple up- and down-regulated miRNAs by qPCR, determine whether the miRNA signatures are consistent between samples from FA versus EA, and explore the use of these miRNA signature differentials for affordable and rapid thyroid cancer screening and prognosis.

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Feed Coal and its by-products from a Brazilian Thermoelectric Power Plant

In this study, feed coal (FC) from the Figueira Thermoelectric Power Plant (FTPP), located in the state of Paraná (PR), Brazil was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size distribution analysis by laser diffraction, loss of ignition (LOI), total carbon content (TC), pH and conductivity. FC-derived by-products (CCBs) collected at the FTPP were: bottom ash (BA), fly ash from cyclone filter (CA) and fly ash from bag filter (FA). In addition to the techniques used for feed coal characterization, CCBs were also characterized by total surface area (by using BET method), external surface area (by using laser diffraction), cation exchange capacity (CEC), bulk density, besides leaching and solubilization tests. FC sample contains 72.2% of volatile material, of which 55.3% is total carbon content. LOI, FTIR, TGA and TC analyzes corroborated with these results. The main crystalline phases in the FC sample were found to be quartz, kaolinite and pyrite. The elements As, Cr, Ni and Pb were encountered in the FC sample, indicating that the use of FTPP feed coal should be monitored due to the toxic potential of these elements. The three coal ashes were classified as class F according to ASTM and presented similar chemical composition, with total content of the main oxides (SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3) above 72%. Ashes enrichment factor analysis (EF) showed that As, Zn and Pb concentrate mainly in fly ash from bag filter (FA), whereas the elements K and Mg presented higher enrichment in the bottom ash (BA) . All ashes presented quartz, mullite and magnetite as crystalline phases, as well as the same functional groups, related to the presence of humidity, organic matter and Si and Al compounds. XRD, XRF, TGA, FTIR, LOI and TC techniques were correlated and confirmed the obtained results. Total and external surface area values of CCBs were related to the total carbon content (TC), as well as to the results of particle size distribution and the scanning electron micrographs of the samples. On the other hand the CEC of the ashes showed relation with the particle size distribution and with the external surface area. Leaching and solubilization tests of CCBs showed that FA sample was considered hazardous and classified as class I waste, while CA and BA samples were considered non-hazardous and non-inert wastes and classified as class II-A. FA sample from Figueira power plant must be discarded only after treatment or a stringent disposal criterion must be followed to avoid contamination on site. In this work, feed coal sample was also compared to the CCBs samples generated from it. The results showed the differences between fuel and products through the different characterization techniques. In addition to contributing to the understanding of the relationship between coal and its combustion products, this work can also help to reduce the environmental impacts caused by the CCBs disposal, as well as can also be used to compare the characteristics of CCBs from FTPP with the new wastes that will be generated by the same thermal power plant that will be soon modernized.

Comprehension of heavy metal stability in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash with its compositional variety: A quick prediction case of leaching potential

In the current work, a quick prediction of the heavy metal (HM) leaching potential in municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA) was developed based on the statistical data between the HM leaching behaviors and the compositional variety in FA from China. In the comparison of the surveyed (508 data points) leaching concentrations, Pb and Cd leaching amounts in FA exceeded the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) limits most frequently. Moreover, the chemical compositions (pH and soluble chlorine (S-Cl)) of FA were proposed to have significant linear correlations with the Pb and Cd leaching. This corresponded to the chemical fraction change of the HM (risk assessment code (RAC)), which was relative to the pH of FA and chloride. This suggests that the HM stability can be evaluated by these factors. To verify this hypothesis, principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate the relationship between 5 indices and the leaching concentrations of Pb and Cd in 160 MSWI FA samples after stabilization/solidification from eastern China. It is indicated that pH, S-Cl and free CaO were the critical variables in Pb and Cd leaching. Accordingly, a new index, Φ, combined with the logistic model was proposed to predict the leaching potential. It is revealed that the high risk of the exceeding the limits for HM leaching occurred when Φ was below 12.5. Our results assess the HM stability in MSWI FA with its compositional variety in a statistical way, which gives an approach for the quick prediction of HM leaching potential.

Effect of stress on crystallization behavior in a Fe-based amorphous ribbon: An in situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction study

The microstructure evolution of FeCuNbSiB amorphous alloys during stress nanocrystallization has been investigated by in situ synchrotron XRD and ex situ TEM. It is found that the average grain sizes in the stress-annealed samples (SA) and without stress (FA) are 8.6 nm and 10.9 nm, respectively. The volume fraction of the α-Fe(Si) phase increases from 7% to 64% for the SA sample and from 1% to 62% for the FA sample after the soaking stage of the annealing process. The grain size also decreases with increasing tensile stress for the different stress-annealed samples. These results reveal that the tensile stress during annealing reduces Gibbs free energy which promotes nucleation rate, resulting in significantly smaller crystallite sizes.

Superparamagnetic iron oxides nanoparticles from municipal solid waste incinerators

During their production, management, and landfilling, bottom (BA) and fly (FA) ashes from municipal solid waste incineration may liberate Fe-bearing, ultrafine particles and easily enter different environmental sinks of the biosphere. We aim to explore a collection of BA and FA samples from Italian incinerators to probe magnetic mineralogy and the fraction of harmful superparamagnetic (SP) nanoparticles (d<30nm). X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy observation, temperature- and frequency-dependent magnetometry, and Mossbauer analysis are performed. The integration of information from our rock magnetic and non-magnetic techniques leads us to conclude that the dominant magnetic carrier in our samples is magnetite and its intermediate/impure forms, while sulphides (i.e., monoclinic pyrrhotite) are important ancillary magnetic phases. The SP fraction fluxing from the BA and FA outputs of a single incinerator is detected and estimated in 103tons/year. This work stresses the need to calibrate the current technologies towards a safer management of combustion ashes and certainly to inform the environmental impact assessment by using a combination of different methods.

Comparison of respiratory and Meningitis/Encephalitis viruses detected by FilmArray® multiplex PCR versus real-time PCR

Introduction: Fast and reliable pathogen detection is important for adequate management of infections. Although real-time PCR (rtPCR) is usually the most sensitive method for direct pathogen detection, it requires experienced technicians, includes several working steps and has a turnaround time of multiple hours. Therefore this method is not ideal for emergency diagnostics. The FDA cleared, fully automated sample to answer, FilmArray® (FA) multiplex PCR system (BioFire/bioMerieux) detects a broad spectrum of pathogens in ∼70 min. To optimize our diagnostic services during weekends and off-peak times, we compared the FA Respiratory Panel (RP) and FA Meningitis/Encephalitis (ME) Panel to our routinely used rtPCR assay. The FA panels detect 20 respiratory pathogens (17 viruses, 3 bacteria) in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) and 14 M/E pathogens (7 viruses, 6 bacteria, Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii) in cerebrospinal fluids (CSF). Materials and methods: With FA we tested 84 retrospective samples (23 NPS, 29 broncheoalveolar lavages [BALs], 32 CSF) and 60 prospectively collected NPS that required urgent testing during the 2015/2016 flu season by FA and rtPCR. FA sample input volume was 300 ml for RP and 200 ml for ME. Commercial RP and ME quality control panels (MMQC Inc., Scarborough, USA), containing samples positive and negative for each analyte detected by the FA panels, were tested multiple times. For rtPCR, nucleic acids were extracted from 220 ml of sample and eluted in 55 ml using NucliSENS easyMAG (bioMerieux). Respiratory viruses were analyzed by real-time PCR using a combination of 7 duplex Respiratory Multi Well System r-gene™ (RG) assays (influenza A/B, RSV/hMPV, HRV&EV/cell control, ADV/HBoV, HCoV/HPIV1-4) (Argene/bioMerieux), according to manufacturer's instructions. Additionally, we expanded FA RP testing to include (BALs), by implementing one additional sample preparation step. CSF was analyzed for virus using laboratory developed tests (LDTs) certified by the Swiss authorities. Results: RP and ME quality control panel results were 100% concordant with expected results. For all NPS, both tests, FA RP and RG, identified one or more viruses in 45/83 (54.2%) samples. FA RP and RG results correlated for 42/48 viruses detected (87.5%). FA RP detected an additional 3 HRV/EV and RG detected additionally 1 FluA, 1 ADV and 1 HRV/EV. Positive percent agreement (PPA) between RG (laboratory standard) and FA RP for NPS was 93.3% and negative percent agreement (NPA) was 92.7%. Overall correlation was 93.2%. Results from BALs yielded 92% PPA, 93.1% NPA and overall correlation of 92.4%. For FA ME testing, 31/33 CSF samples had identical FA ME and LDT results with an overall correlation of 94.4%. FA ME did not detect 2 parechovirus low level LDT positive samples (Ct 36.3 and 37.0). Using LDTs as the laboratory standard, FA ME PPA and NPA were 93.9% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: Results obtained with the FilmArray® RP and ME panels were highly concordant with our currently used diagnostic methods, demonstrating excellent performance. The simplicity of the FilmArray® system, requiring less than 5 min of hands-on time, easy to read reports, and low sample volume allows for testing during off shifts and when urgent results are required. The comprehensiveness of the FilmArray® panels is ideal for diagnosing clinical syndromes where there are many potential causes.

THE EFFECT OF WATER HARDNESS ON RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF DOUGH

&lt;p&gt;Flour and water are basic components in dough formation process. The water quality affects the whole breadmaking process and the quality and retention period of bakery products. In bakery, an important role is played by the hardness of water; are preferred water having a hardness by 5 - 10&lt;sup&gt;o&lt;/sup&gt; D (German degrees) and, in some cases, are preferred the waters with 10 – 20&lt;sup&gt;o&lt;/sup&gt; D, depending on the characteristics of gluten. For the experimental determination, presented in this paper, were used samples of FA 650 flour type (white flour) and four kinds of water with different hardness values. To determine the dough rheological characteristics were made measurements according to AACC 54-21 standard method, using the Brabender Farinograph-E model (300 g mixer capacity). &lt;/p&gt;The paper presents the study of rheological characteristics variation of wheat flour dough, depending on the water hardness used in mixing and formation process.

Multicompartment metabolism in papillary thyroid cancer.

In many cancers, varying regions within the tumor are often phenotypically heterogeneous, including their metabolic phenotype. Further, tumor regions can be metabolically compartmentalized, with metabolites transferred between compartments. When present, this metabolic coupling can promote aggressive behavior. Tumor metabolism in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is poorly characterized. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue samples. Papillary thyroid cancer specimens from 46 patients with (n = 19) and without advanced disease (n = 27) were compared to noncancerous thyroid tissue (NCT) and benign thyroid specimens (n = 6 follicular adenoma [FA] and n = 5 nodular goiter [NG]). Advanced disease was defined as the presence of lateral neck lymphadenopathy. Immunohistochemistry was performed for translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (TOMM20), a marker of oxidative phosphorylation, and monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4), a marker of glycolysis. Papillary thyroid cancer and FA thyrocytes had high staining for TOMM20 compared to NCT and nodular goiter (NG) (P < 0.01). High MCT4 staining in fibroblasts was more common in PTC with advanced disease than in any other tissue type studied (P < 0.01). High MCT4 staining was found in all 19 cases of PTC with advanced disease, in 11 of 19 samples with low-stage disease, in one of five samples of FA, in one of 34 NCT, and in 0 of six NG samples. Low fibroblast MCT4 staining in PTC correlated with the absence of clinical adenopathy (P = 0.028); the absence of extrathyroidal extension (P = 0.004); low American Thyroid Association risk (P = 0.001); low AGES (age, grade, extent, size) score (P = 0.004); and low age, metastasis, extent of disease, size risk (P = 0.002). This study suggests that multiple metabolic compartments exist in PTC, and low fibroblast MCT4 may be a biomarker of indolent disease. N/A. Laryngoscope, 126:2410-2418, 2016.

Concentrations and Distributions of Metals Associated with Dissolved Organic Matter from the Suwannee River (GA, USA)

Concentrations and distributions of metals in Suwannee River (SR) raw filtered surface water (RFSW) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) processed by reverse osmosis (RO), XAD-8 resin (for humic and fulvic acids [FA]), and XAD-4 resin (for “transphilic” acids) were analyzed by asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF). SR samples were compared with DOM samples from Nelson's Creek (NLC), a wetland-draining stream in northern Michigan; previous International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) FA and RO samples from the SR; and an XAD-8 sample from Lake Fryxell (LF), Antarctica. Despite application of cation exchange during sample processing, all XAD and RO samples contained substantial metal concentrations. AsFlFFF fractograms allowed metal distributions to be characterized as a function of DOM component molecular weight (MW). In SR RFSW, Fe, Al, and Cu were primarily associated with intermediate to higher than average MW DOM components. SR RO, XAD-8, and XAD-4 samples from May 2012 showed similar MW trends for Fe and Al but Cu tended to associate more with lower MW DOM. LF DOM had abundant Cu and Zn, perhaps due to amine groups that should be present due to its primarily algal origins. None of the fractograms showed obvious evidence for mineral nanoparticles, although some very small mineral nanoparticles might have been present at trace concentrations. This research suggests that AsFlFFF is important for understanding how metals are distributed in different DOM samples (including IHSS samples), which may be key to metal reactivity and bioavailability.

Properties of novel adsorbent produced by hydrothermal treatment of waste fly ash in alkaline solution and its capability for adsorption of tungsten from aqueous solution

Zeolites were produced by hydrothermal treatment of fly ash for 48, 60, and 72h (referred to as FA48, FA60, and FA72) in alkaline solution. Physical and chemical analyses were performed on the FA samples. Moreover, the amount of tungsten adsorbed on the FA samples, derived from the adsorption isotherms under different pH conditions, and the effect of the contact time on the adsorption were evaluated. Parent FA consisted primarily of mullite crystals, whereas the hydrothermally treated FA48, FA60, and FA72 samples consisted of phillipsite, zeolite X, and zeolite A, respectively. The specific surface areas and pore volumes of parent FA were smaller than those of FA48, FA60, and FA72. FA48 generated the largest specific surface area and pore volume. The saturated amount of tungsten adsorbed on FA48 was greater than that of the other FA samples. Tungsten adsorption was more effective (larger amount) at pH 2.0–3.0 than at pH 6.1–6.5 or pH 11.0–12.0. These results suggest that the tungsten was adsorbed on the surface of FA48 through interactions between the electrons of the positively charged FA48 surface and the tungsten anions in solution. Analysis of the equilibrium adsorption data using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations showed that the correlation coefficient of the Freundlich isotherm was higher than that of the Langmuir model. The data obtained in this study fit more adequately to the pseudo-second-order model than the pseudo-first-order model. Collectively, these results suggest that FA48 is prospectively useful for the adsorption of tungsten from aqueous solutions.

Geopolymerization of coal fly ash in the presence of electric arc furnace dust

The results of synthesis of fly ash based geopolymers and the experimental investigations of the geopolymerization of fly ash in the presence of eclectic arc furnace dust were presented. The electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) is a hazardous solid waste formed during remelting processes of iron and steel scrap in an electric arc furnace. In this work, the possibility of immobilization of Zn (as a most abundant toxic metal in EAFD) from EAFD and the influence of EAFD addition and alkaline dosage on the mechanical and microstructural properties of fly ash based geopolymers was investigated. Our result show that the best mechanical properties of FA and FE geopolymers were obtained using 10M NaOH and 10wt.% EAFD. The X-ray phase analysis confirmed the presence of aluminosilicate and oxide phases in investigated samples of FA, EAFD, as well as FA and FE geopolymers. SEM–EDS results have revealed the presence of Zn in an amorphous aluminosilicate phase. This material is considered as mesoporous and the change of porosity is greatly dependent on the alkaline dosage. The efficiency of immobilization of Zn from EAFD was evaluated using TCLP, EN 12457-2 and EPA Method 1313 leaching tests. Results of TCLP and EN 12457-2 tests have shown that the increase of alkaline dosage leads to the more effective immobilization of Zn and other toxic metals present in EAFD. On the other hand, the results of EPA method 1313-pH dependent leaching test have indicated that FE geopolymers are relatively stable in neutral and alkali environment while in a pH range 2–5.5, solubility of Zn and Pb is a concern for this type of materials.

Preparation and characterization of Eu3+-doped fluorapatite nanoparticles by a hydrothermal method

In this study, luminescent Eu3+-doped fluorapatite (Eu3+:FA) was successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal process by using Na2EDTA/citric acid (CA) as the chelating agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were utilized to characterize the obtained nanoparticles. The results showed that Eu3+ ions entered the FA lattice and occupied Ca2+ sites, which resulted in a decrease in the values of the lattice parameters. The as-prepared luminescent samples exhibit sphere-like aggregates that are constructed of small nanospheres and that are well dispersed with a good size distribution. Upon excitation by UV radiation, the Eu3+:FA samples demonstrate the characteristic 5D0–7F1–2 emission lines of Eu3+. Finally, the influence of Na2EDTA/CA on the morphology of Eu3+:FA nanopowder was also discussed.