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Experiments on the relationship between temperature and vapor phase composition (T-y curve) of the Cu-Te and Pb-Te binary systems at 5 Pa were carried out, with distillation temperatures in the range of 900–1370 K and 724–920 K, respectively. The experimental results indicate that copper and lead can be satisfactorily removed from crude tellurium. The recovery rate of tellurium is relatively low due to the formation of a high melting point compound in the liquid phase. The activities of Cu and Pb of the Cu-Te and Pb-Te systems were obtained by function fitting and G-D equation, which are used to predict vapor phase composition. The results show good agreement with the experimental data. The activities and T-y curve of the Fe-Te binary system were calculated using the same method and believed to be reliable. A possible high-purity tellurium production cycle combined with vacuum distillation was also discussed. • Experiments of the Cu-Te and Pb-Te binary systems at 5 Pa were carried out. • The activities of components for the Cu-Te, PbTe and Fe-Te systems were correlated with the Gibbs-Duhem equation. • The temperature vs vapor phase composition curves for the three systems are presented. • The effect of high melting point compounds on tellurium evaporation is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play nonnegligible roles in the metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study is aimed at investigating the biological role of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 in NSCLC metastasis and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The expression profiles of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 in different NSCLC cell lines were examined. Then, the biological function of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 in NSCLC metastasis was explored by loss-of-function assays in vitro and in vivo. Further, the protective effect of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 on lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1) was examined using RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Additionally, the role of LEF1 in NSCLC metastasis was investigated. Results indicated that lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 expression was significantly increased in NSCLC cell lines. Functional analysis revealed that knockdown of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 impaired invasion and migration in vitro. Additionally, the ability of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 to promote NSCLC metastasis was also confirmed in vivo. Mechanistically, through direct interaction, lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 maintained LEF1 stability by blocking NARF-mediated ubiquitination. Furthermore, LEF1 knockdown impaired invasion and migration of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data highlight the ability of lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 to promote NSCLC metastasis by stabilizing LEF1 and suggest that lncRNA OXCT1-AS1 represents a novel therapeutic target in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansive soil is characterized by its unique structural morphology and drastic volume change. With infrastructure increasingly constructed in expansive soil areas, engineering problems caused by the properties of expansive soils have attracted more attention. Cyclic wetting-drying and shear testing were accordingly conducted on an expansive soil from Chengdu area in China. Crack development and shear strength change were analyzed using the Mohr–Coulomb equation for shear strength by fitting the experimental data. The results show the following: (1) With the increase in wetting-drying cycles, the crack ratio increases, the shear strength decreases, and the shear strength parameters gradually decrease at the same rate of change. The applied vertical load reduces the weakening effect of the wetting-drying cycles on the soil structure and strength by restraining the expansion and contraction deformation. (2) By analyzing the number of wetting-drying cycles and the crack images, the crack development (length, direction, etc.) of the expansive soil can be predicted and described. (3) There is a specific linear correlation between the crack ratio and strength that approached a limit value with ongoing wetting-drying cycles. The strength of the expansive soil can therefore be obtained based on crack development, improving the ability of designers to account for the behaviour of expansive soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]