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The mineral matter contained in feedstocks has a generally limiting impact on the process design of high-temperature conversion processes. In the present study, the composition, mineral phases, and process-relevant properties of ashes are investigated by different experimental and modeling methods, which were reviewed in the literature regarding the frequently applied methods. Various analyses are exemplarily performed for the ashes of a high-sodium coal from China, generated at temperatures of 150–950 °C. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, microwave-assisted inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (MW-ICP-OES), and the same technique with electrothermal vaporization (ETV-ICP-OES) are applied to analyze the chemical composition of the bulk material. The chemical composition of the near-surface region is studied by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Mineral phases are analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermochemical calculations. The process-relevant ash fusion behavior is studied by a common ash fusion test (AFT) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and supported by thermochemical calculations. The different ashing temperatures have a recognizable impact on the composition, formation and transformation of mineral phases, and resulting ash fusion behavior, while each property is monitored by at least two different methods. For this purpose, a detailed analysis of the results achieved by the individual methods is performed. Finally, the results obtained by different methods for the same ash property are compared for monitoring the validity of the results and, for example, extracting about the gas phase transfer of selected ash components.

Aims The purpose of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) via left bundle branch pacing (LBBP-CRT) compared with optimized biventricular pacing (BVP) with adaptive algorithm (BVP-aCRT) in heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% (HFrEF) and left bundle branch block (LBBB). Methods and results One hundred patients with HFrEF and LBBB undergoing CRT were prospectively enrolled in a non-randomized fashion and divided into two groups (LBBP-CRT, n = 49; BVP-aCRT, n = 51) in four centres. Implant characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were accessed at baseline and during 6-month and 1-year follow-up. The success rate for LBBP-CRT and BVP-aCRT was 98.00% and 91.07%. Fused LBBP had the greatest reduced QRS duration compared to BVP-aCRT (126.54 ± 11.67 vs. 102.61 ± 9.66 ms, P Conclusions The feasibility and efficacy of LBBP-CRT demonstrated better electromechanical resynchronization and higher clinical and echocardiographic response, especially higher super-response than BVP-aCRT in HFrEF with LBBB.

Background The C2HEST score (C2: coronary artery disease [CAD] / chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] (1 point each); H: Hypertension; E: Elderly (Age≥75, doubled); S: Systolic heart failure (doubled); T: Thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism)) has been validated to predict incident atrial fibrillation (AF). Its performance in the hospital-based Chinese population has never been evaluated. Methods Risk factors for incident AF were investigated in a hospital-based population. Comparison of the C2HEST score and other clinical scores with the capacity of predicting incident AF was conducted using area under the curves (AUC), net reclassification index (NRI), integrated discriminative improvement (IDI), and decision curve analysis (DCA). An age-stratified criterion was used to refine the C2HEST score to form a modified C2HEST score (mC2HEST). The performance of the mC2HEST score was also evaluated. Results A total of 23,523 patients entered the study with 520 developed AF during 2.84 ± 3.56 years of follow-up. Risk factors for incident AF included age, male sex, hypertension, CAD, COPD, previous ischemic stroke, hyperthyroidism, and heart failure. Age ≥65 years has significantly increased the risk of AF, which was considered as the age cutoff for a modified C2HEST score (mC2HEST). The risk of AF increased by 89% per one-point increase of the mC2HEST score. The mC2HEST score showed better predictive performance (AUC of 0.809) compared with the original C2HEST (AUC of 0.752), CHA2DS2-VASc (0.756), HATCH (0.722), and HAVOC (0.758) scores, also as estimated by IDI, NRI and DCA. Among those enrolled after 2012, the mC2HEST score had numerically higher AUC (0.849) compared with the C2HEST score (0.826) and the other scores. Conclusion In a hospital-based Chinese population, by refining the age strata of the original C2HEST score, the mC2HEST score had significantly increased predictive accuracy and discriminative capability for incident AF. The clinical benefits of the application of novel mC2HEST score needs further validation in multiple settings.

Flow property of coal ash and slag is an important parameter for slag tapping of entrained flow gasifier. The viscosity of slag with high contents of calcium and iron exhibits the behavior of a crystalline slag, of which viscosity sharply increases when temperature is lowered than temperature of critical viscosity (TCV). The fluctuation in temperature near the TCV can cause an accumulation of slag inside the gasifier. In order to prevent slag blockage, it is necessary to adjust the ash composition by additive to modify the flow property of coal rich in calcium and iron. Main components of coal gangue are Al2O3 and SiO2, which is a potential additive to modify the ash flow properties of these coals. In this work, we investigated the ash flow properties of a typical coal rich in calcium and iron by adding coal gangue with different SiO2/Al2O3 ratio. The results showed that the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) firstly decreased, and then increased with increasing amount of coal gangue addition. Chemical composition of coal ash rich in calcium and iron moved from gehlenite primary phase to anorthite, quartz and corundum primary phases. The slags with coal gangue addition behaved as a glassy slag, of which the viscosity gradually increased as temperature decreased. Besides, a high SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of coal gangue was beneficial to modify the slag viscosity behavior. Addition of coal gangue with a high SiO2/Al2O3 ratio impeded formation of crystalline phases during cooling. This work demonstrated that coal gangue addition was an effective way to improve the ash flow properties of the coal rich in calcium and iron for the entrained flow gasifier.

The thermokinetics and gaseous products of Jurassic coals collected from northern Shaanxi, China at four different heating rates were determined via thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy experiments. The results showed that the trends of thermogravimetric pyrolysis and oxidation curves were divided into three stages and five stages, respectively, and presented the same variations. As the heating rate increased, their curves moved the high temperature. In addition, the characteristic temperatures indicated that the coal samples had a relatively significant spontaneous combustion tendency. In the stage of water evaporation and gas desorption, the rates of formation of CO and CO2 went up promptly, and gaseous water produced during the oxidation reaction began to increase, but its generation rate was lower than that in the stage of oxygen absorption and mass increase. The apparent activation energy (Ea) showed a characteristic jump with increasing temperature, and the optimal mechanism function was chosen by integration and differentiation. Moreover, the relationship between Ea and lnA was linear, which indicated that there was a kinetic compensation effect.

Low temperature pyrolysis behavior of four low-rank coals from the biggest deposits of Mongolia were studied using a fixed-bed reactor and Gray-King retort. The coal samples and resultant chars were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR) to explore the structure changes and thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS) was used to investigate the pyrolysis reactivity of coal during thermal decomposition process. The results showed that the aliphatic structure in coal was significantly reduced and the carboxyl groups almost completely decomposed during pyrolysis process at 600 °C. The tar yield of Gray-king test is higher than that obtained from the fixed-bed reactor. The gaseous evolution measured by TG-MS during pyrolysis showed that the maximum peaks of evolution of CH4, H2, C2H2, C2H5, CO, and CO2 gases were well corresponded to the maximum rate of weight loss in the range 428–445 °C.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent cardiac arrhythmia characterized by atrial remodeling. Complement C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3) is one of the adipokines associated with obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. The association between plasma CTRP3 levels and AF is uncertain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma CTRP3 concentrations were correlated with AF. Our study included 75 AF patients who underwent catheter ablation at our hospital and 47 sinus rhythm patients to determine the difference in plasma CTRP3 concentrations. Blood samples before the ablation were collected, and ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of CTRP3. Plasma CTRP3 concentrations were significantly lower in AF patients compared with control group ( 366.9 ± 105.2 ng / ml vs. 429.1 ± 100.1 ng / ml , p = 0.002 ). In subgroup studies, patients with persistent AF had lower plasma CTRP3 concentrations than those with paroxysmal AF ( 328.3 ± 83.3 ng / ml vs. 380.0 ± 109.2 ng / ml , p = 0.037 ). The concentrations of plasma CTRP3 in the recurrence group after radiofrequency catheter ablation of AF were lower than those in the nonrecurrence group ( 337.9 ± 77.3 ng / ml vs. 386.6 ± 108.1 ng / ml , p = 0.045 ). Multivariate regression analysis revealed the independent correlation between plasma CTRP3 level and AF. Plasma CTRP3 concentrations were correlated with the presence of AF and AF recurrence.

One of the crucial issues in modern ash chemistry is the realization of efficient and clean coal conversion. Industrially, large-scale coal gasification technology is well known as the foundation to improve the atom economy. In practice, the coal ash fusibility is a critical factor to determine steady operation standards of the gasifier, which is also the significant criterion to coal species selection for gasification. Since coal behaviors are resultant from various evolutions in different scales, the multi-scale understanding of the ash chemistry is of significance to guide the fusibility adjustment for coal gasification. Considering important roles of molecular simulation in exploring ash chemistry, this paper reviews the recent studies and developments on modeling of molecular systems for fusibility related ash chemistry for the first time. The discussions are emphasized on those performed by quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics, the two major simulation methods for microscopic systems, which may provide various insights into fusibility mechanism. This review article is expected to present comprehensive information for recent molecular simulations of coal chemistry so that new clues to find strategies controlling the ash fusion behavior can be obtained.

To explore the micromechanism of the structural changes of anthracite due to heat accumulation by water and pyrite, during oxidation, anthracite with coal samples was selected in this work from Baijiao Coalmine, Sichuan, China. The samples were added with water of 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mass % and pyrite of 1, 2, 4, and 6 mass % and were conducted to experimented torts. As compared with the raw coal sample, the effects of water and pyrite on the microstructure of anthracite were studied. The results indicate that the oxygen-containing functional group of coal increases with the addition of water. The content of the aromatic structure in coal was thought to be due to water and pyrite synergistic effects. The synergistic effect of water and pyrite accelerates the oxidation process of seven types of active groups in coal samples. The water content was 10-15 mass %, and the associated pyrite content was 2-4 mass %; the contribution to the oxidation activity of the main active groups of coal was the largest under oxidizing conditions.

Spontaneous combustion of coal has become an important disaster that threatens the safety of coal mines. FeS2 is the main component of pyrite, which is suspected to be a major contributor to coal spontaneous combustion (CSC). So, it has important significance to FeS2 on the characteristics of coal oxidation for prevention and treatment. This study used coal samples mixed with different proportions of FeS2 (2.0 mass%, 4.0 mass%, and 6.0 mass% mass percentage) were tested to investigate the characteristics of spontaneous combustion, as compared with the fresh sample. The CO and CO2 production rates, critical temperature, and dry cracking temperature during oxidation were analyzed. The temperature-programmed experiments was conducted to simulate low-temperature oxidation processes realistically. In-situ infrared spectroscopy was used to appraise the evolution of low-temperature (

Coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) has become a safety topic and has been widely debated. This study investigated the inhibiting effect on CSC by using a series of novel ionic liquids (ILs) as chemical inhibitors. The microstructure and thermokinetic characters were observed and evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and synchronous thermal analyser. The results indicated that ILs could destroy reactive groups on relatively active coal surfaces, such as OH, aliphatic C H, and O-containing groups. However, as aromatic CH is the main chain of coal molecule, damaging it is difficult. Different anions and cations found in ILs exhibited different abilities for destroying the groups on the surface of coal molecules. The damage was caused by the properties of anions and cations by affecting the chain length, number of chains of the anion and cations, and electronegativity strength. The changes in microstructure increased the physical adsorption capacity of inhibitive coal samples during low-temperature oxidation, which changed the characteristic temperature points. In stages of water evaporation and desorption mass loss (stage 2) and the thermal decomposition (stage 3), the apparent activation energy of coal samples increased. The kinetic characteristics of the obstructed coal sample were predicted using the Flynn–Wall–Ozawa method. The development ability was delayed and the risk level was reduced of CSC in stages 2 and 3. Therefore, ILs should be utilised at relatively low-temperatures (

In an entrained-flow coal gasifier, gasification slag derived from the melting of mineral matter in coal flows along the refractory wall and is tapped out. The refractory of spallation and dissolut...

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a key histone methyltransferase and EMT inducer, is overexpressed in diverse carcinomas, including breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of EZH2 dysregulation in cancers are still largely unknown. Here, we discover that EZH2 is asymmetrically dimethylated at R342 (meR342-EZH2) by PRMT1. meR342-EZH2 was found to inhibit the CDK1-mediated phosphorylation of EZH2 at T345 and T487, thereby attenuating EZH2 ubiquitylation mediated by the E3 ligase TRAF6. We also demonstrate that meR342-EZH2 resulted in a decrease in EZH2 target gene expression, but an increase in breast cancer cell EMT, invasion and metastasis. Moreover, we confirm the positive correlations among PRMT1, meR342-EZH2 and EZH2 expression in the breast cancer tissues. Finally, we report that high expression levels of meR342-EZH2 predict a poor clinical outcome in breast cancer patients. Our findings may provide a novel diagnostic target and promising therapeutic target for breast cancer metastasis.

The interaction between coal and biomass has been widely investigated. However, the mechanism is always proposed based on physicochemical structure and reactivity of char mixture. In this work, char mixture after co-pyrolysis of anthracite and biomass was separated based on different shape and size, and then structure and reactivity of the coal char were analyzed to reveal mechanism of coal-biomass interaction. Anthracite char samples with different corn straw (CS) blending ratios were prepared by pyrolysis in a fixed bed reactor at 600 and 900°C. The AAEM concentration and microcrystalline structures of coal char were examined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) system and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The gasification reactivity of char sample after separation was analyzed by TGA under CO2. The results show that concentration of active K and Mg in coal char samples gradually increased and more disordered carbon structure formed as the CS proportion in the blending increased from 0 to 80%. The coal char in the blending captured more AAEM species by volatile-char interactions instead of escaping with volatile from biomass during co-pyrolysis process. Meanwhile, higher pyrolysis temperature led to volatilization and inactivation of K and Na, and also decrease in graphitization degree. Moreover, both addition of CS and low pyrolysis temperature could promote gasification reactivity of coal char sample. Furthermore, a satisfactory linear correlation (R2=0.9009) between alkali index AI and R0.5 of the char samples was established. This indicated that AAEMs performed the dominate effect to enhance gasification reactivity of coal char during co-gasification of coal and biomass.

This study was aimed to analyze the effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin and different lipid-lowering intensity treatments on exercise tolerance in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).A retrospective analysis was conducted in 549 patients with CHD who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) from February 2014 to August 2018. The CPET results of patients taking different types and doses of statins were compared from baseline to follow-up.No significant difference was found in baseline VOThe exercise tolerance improvement was more considerable for patients with CHD taking rosuvastatin compared with those taking atorvastatin. The lipid-lowering intensity of statins was not independently associated with changes in exercise tolerance in patients with CHD.

Objective: To evaluate the magnetic resonance (MR) signal intensity changes in the sacrococcygeal region of patients with uterine fibroids treated with high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).Materials and Methods: Two hundred and sixty-seven patients with uterine fibroids treated with HIFU between January and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent enhanced pre- and post-HIFU MRI. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the relationship between the factors and the signal intensity changes in the sacrum and the soft tissue adjacent to the sacrum.Results: Among the 267 patients, 122 (46%) had MR signal intensity changes in the sacrum and/or the soft tissue adjacent to the sacrum after HIFU. Multivariate analysis showed that the position of the uterus, the distance from the dorsal side of the fibroid to the sacrum, and the ablation efficiency were significantly correlated with MR signal intensity changes in the sacrum and the soft tissue adjacent to the sacrum. Further analysis showed a significant relationship between the location of the MR signal intensity changes and uterine size, the enhancement degree of the uterus. Leg pain was only seen in patients with MR signal intensity changes both in the sacrum and the soft tissue adjacent to the sacrum.Conclusions: The location of the uterus, the distance between the dorsal side of the fibroids to the sacrum, and ablation efficiency have a significant relationship with the MR signal intensity changes. The size of the uterus and the degree of enhancement are related to the locations of MR signal changes.

Nanodiamonds (NDs) as drug delivery vehicles are of great significance in anticancer therapy through enhancing drug retention. However, the major barrier to clinical application of NDs is insufficient tumor penetration owing to their strong aggregation and low passive penetration efficiency. Herein, the core-crosslinked pullulan carrier, assembled using the visible light-induced diselenide (Se–Se) bond crosslinking method for encapsulating nanodiamonds-doxorubicin (NDX), is proposed to improve monodispersity. Furthermore, the core-crosslinked diselenide bond provides the nanosystem with redox-responsive capability and improved structural stability in a physiological environment, which prevents premature drug leakage and achieves tumor site-specific controlled release. What's more, ultrasound (US) is utilized to promote nanosystem intratumoral penetration via enlarged tumor vascular endothelium cell gaps. As expected, the nanosystem combined with ultrasound can enhance anti-tumor efficacy with deep penetration and excellent retention performance in a HepG2 xenograft mouse model. This study highlights the ability of the integrated therapeutic paradigm to overcome the limitation of nanodiamonds and the potential for further application in cancer therapy.

INTRODUCTION Several automatic algorithms have developed to optimize the timing cycle setting in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The present study aims to investigate whether the novel device-based SyncAV algorithm could elicit better synchrony and acute hemodynamic response. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty five patients undergoing CRT implantation were prospectively studied. The device was programmed to three biventricular (BiV) pacing modes sequentially after the procedure: QuickOpt algorithm (mode I), SyncAV algorithm with default 50 ms offset (mode II), and SyncAV algorithm with optimized offset minimizing QRS duration (QRSd) (mode III). After each setting, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic data were collected. As a result, QRSd was reduced from 172.8 ± 17.9 ms during intrinsic conduction to 153.1 ± 15.9 ms in mode I, further narrowed to 140.5 ± 16.7 ms in mode II, and reached shortest (134.8 ± 16.1 ms) in mode III (P .05). Mode I presented significantly higher aortic velocity time integral than intrinsic conduction (21.0 ± 6.4 cm vs 18.4 ± 5.5 cm; P

BackgroundDyskeratosis congenita 1 (DKC1) is dysregulated in several cancers. However, the expression and function of DKC1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) is rarely reported.MethodsTissue microarrays (TAMs) including 411 cases of CRC tissues and corresponding paracancerous tissues were used to examine the DKC1 expression. The correlations between the DKC1 expression and clinicopathological or survival characters were further analysed. The functions and molecular mechanism of DKC1 in CRC were investigated through a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments.ResultsThe result showed that DKC1 expression was increased in CRC tissues. Increased DKC1 expression was associated with high grade of TNM stage, additional lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis of patients with CRC. Multivariate COX analysis indicated that DKC1 can act as an independent prognostic factor for patients with CRC. DKC1 also facilitated the CRC angiogenesis and metastasis by increasing HIF-1α and VEGF expression levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay demonstrated that DKC1 facilitated HIF-1α expression by regulating HIF-1α promoter activity.ConclusionDKC1 appears to regulate CRC angiogenesis and metastasis through directly activating HIF-1α transcription. DKC1 can serve as an accurate indicator in predicting the prognosis of patients with CRC and act as a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

INTRODUCTION Left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) has recently been reported to be a new physiological pacing strategy with clinical feasibility and safety. The present study aims to investigate depolarization-repolarization measures including QT interval, QT dispersion (QTD), and Tpeak-end interval (Tp Te ) in this novel LBBAP strategy. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 131 pacing-indicated patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized to the LBBAP group (n = 66) and right ventricular septum pacing (RVSP) group (n = 65). LBBAP was successfully achieved in 61 subjects with stable lead performance and comparable complications (ie, pocket hematoma, lead perforation, and dislodgement) compared with RVSP. Of the 61 patients with successful LBBAP, the mean LV peak activation time was 67.89 ± 6.80 ms, with the LBB potential mapped in 46 cases (75.4%). Electrocardiogram (ECG) indices were compared between these two groups before and after implantation. As a result, LBBAP yielded a narrower paced QRS duration (121.49 ± 9.87 ms vs 145.62 ± 8.89 ms; P

To investigate the effects of ionic liquids (ILs) on the oxidative combustion characteristics of coal, the oxidation characteristics of ILs on coal, such as characteristic temperature, thermal mass loss rate, and oxidation kinetics characteristic parameters, were determined. The results the [BMIm][I]-treated coal samples increased cracking temperature (T1), maximum oxidization mass gain (T2), ignition temperature (T3), burnout temperature (T4), minimum thermal rate (Ta), maximum thermal energy (Tb), and maximum thermal rate (Tc) by 33.2, 29.3, 20.7, 42.8, 11.4, 23.0, and 27.9 °C, respectively. The increase mass ratio of coal samples treated with ILs increased and decreased at the water evaporation and thermal decomposition stages, respectively. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of coal samples treated with ILs increased, and the mechanism function also changed accordingly. These showed that the ILs improved the thermal stability of the coal samples in the stages of absorbing oxygen and increased mass, and the loss of combustion. The ILs caused damage to the molecular structure of the coal and ultimately effected changes in the combustion performance. In addition, the [BMIm][BF4] hardly weakens the inhibitory effectiveness of the coal sample over time; coal spontaneous combustion could be effectively inhibited.

High-iron coal is widely distributed throughout China and could be used as the feedstock for slagging gasifiers. To enable cleaner, efficient, large-scale use of high-iron coal by the slagging gasifier, a solid understanding of coal ash fusion behaviour is required. In this study, we investigated the fusion behaviour of synthetic high-iron coal ash (SiO2-Al2O3-Fe2O3-CaO) using an ash fusion temperature (AFT) analyser, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermodynamic modelling. We found that AFTs decreased with increasing α values (CaO/(SiO2 + Al2O3), mass ratio) due to the formation of low-melting-point minerals. AFTs also decreased with increasing S/A (SiO2/Al2O3, mass ratio), attributed to massive generation of the amorphous phase. The ash fusion process is described with three stages, namely, the mineral transformation, formation of the initial liquid phase, and melting of the residual solid phase. In the first stage, the mineral species was considered as the key parameter, and the increase in α and S/A favoured the formation of mineral with a low melting point. S/A also significantly influenced the second stage, with greater S/A ratios correlating with lower temperature and higher content of the initial liquid phase. In contrast, the third stage was accelerated by intense mass transfer, as the viscosity of the liquid phase dropped dramatically with increasing α value. The fusion heat corresponding to the melting of minerals at high temperature showed a negatively linear correlation with the flow temperature of synthetic coal ash, which may provide an alternative method of predicting the flow temperature of real coal ash.

Efficient utilization of mild liquefaction solid product (MLS) of Hami coal is critical to improve energy efficiency of the whole process, which accounts for >30 wt% of raw coal. In this work, the structure features of MLS were characterized by the solid-stage 13C NMR (SS-NMR) and its pyrolysis behavior was measured by a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) coupled with a mass spectrometer (MS). Additionally, the chars of MLS were prepared in a quartz tube fixed-bed reactor at different temperatures. Then the physico-chemical structure and CO2 gasification reactivity of the MLS chars were measured by multiple methods, including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TGA. According to the SS-NMR analysis, the aromaticity of MLS is relatively high even though it contains ca. 47.90% aliphatic carbon. The evaporation of hexane soluble fraction (HS) and cleavage of Cal Cal and Car Cal bonds are dominant in the process of MLS pyrolysis according to the TGA-MS analysis. With the increase of final pyrolysis temperature, the yield of char and H/C atomic ratio gradually decrease from 69.4% to 54.9% and from 0.664 to 0.110, respectively. In addition, the side chains and functional groups of char gradually reduce, the char becomes dense and dim, and the degree of ordering of char increases. Well quantitative linear relationships (R2 > 0.95) between gasification reactivity, carbon crystalline stacking layer number (n) and H/C atomic ratio are established, which could be used to finely evaluate the CO2 gasification reactivity of MLS and pyrolysis chars.

Ash fusibility is the key parameter related with ash slagging in gasifier. The ash fusibility of coal blended with petroleum coke is significantly influenced by vanadium and nickel from petroleum coke. The effects of vanadium (V) and nickel (Ni) on iron-rich ash, such as coal ash with ferrum-based flux addition, are lack of study. This study investigates the effect of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), nickel monoxide (NiO) and VNiO (V2O5 and NiO) on iron-rich ash fusibility under a reducing atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to study the mineral transformation, surface morphology and valence state of vanadium in ash and slag at high temperatures. The results show that high-melting coulsonite (FeV2O4) is generated in slag with the increasing V2O5 content, and FeV2O4 transforms into the karelianite (V2O3) at 1400 °C. The content of iron in liquid slag is reduced for the formation of coulsonite and V-rich spinel in the primary fusion stage. These cause the continuously linear increase of AFTs with the increasing V2O5 content. NiO in ash is reduced to metallic Ni, which promotes metallic Fe precipitation and forms Fe-Ni alloy to agglomerate into spherical particles. The precipitation of Fe reduces the content of iron into liquid slag, leading to increase AFTs slowly. The AFTs also increase significantly with the increase of VNiO content. The interaction between V-containing matter and metallic Ni is not found, and there is not obvious synergistic effect of V2O5 and NiO on AFTs. Besides, the good linear relationships are shown between the AFTs and the contents of V2O5, NiO and VNiO, and R2 of the fitting lines is as high as 0.99. These can be used to guide co-gasification of petroleum coke and iron-rich coal.

The effects of ionic liquids (ILs) on the macrostructures and characteristic parameters of coal samples during low-temperature oxidation (30.0–200.0 °C) were investigated. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy results clearly illustrated that the destruction of functional groups in the coal molecular structure was prominent, and that the benzene rings in the coal molecular structure were barely affected. Therefore, it can be inferred that ILs played a primary role in the destruction of functional groups in the side chain of the coal molecular structure; thus, the aromatic ring was barely affected. Moreover, the inhibition of the functional group at high temperatures by the ILs was also barely effective. The analysis results of the temperature-programmed testing system indicated that the CO concentration and the production rate of CO by coal samples treated with the ILs presented decreasing trends. This result was in sound agreement with the FTIR results for the quantity of carbonyl groups in oxidation stage. The oxygen consumption rate of the sample treated with the ILs gradually decreased beyond the cracking temperature. Moreover, the difference between the thermal release intensity of coal samples treated with the ILs and that of raw coal gradually increased beyond the critical temperature. The inhibiting effect of [Bmim][BF4] appeared to be greater than that of other ILs, and [Bmim][I] and [Emim][BF4] exerted a slight influence on the low-temperature oxidation process of coal samples. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive comparison of the inhibiting effect of four ILs on bituminous coal during low-temperature oxidation and found that the ILs can be listed in the following order on the basis of their inhibiting effect: [Bmim][BF4] > [Bmim][NO3] > [Emim][BF4] > [Bmim][I].

The gasification of direct coal liquefaction residue (DCLR) enhances the overall economy of the direct coal liquefaction process. However, the DCLR ash is rich in iron due to pyrite as the catalyst during liquefaction. Coal blending plan with DCLR for gasification should consider the possibility of metallic iron crystallization and agglomeration ahead of suitable viscosity range. In this study, the iron behavior in the DCLR slag in the gasification condition was discussed by the thermodynamic modelling of SiO2-Al2O3-Fe2O3-CaO-MgO-TiO2-Na2O-K2O. Results show that the metallic iron forms only in the dry feed entrained flow gasifier for the high content of reducing gases. The metallic iron crystallizes when Fe2+ of the liquid phase fails to be stabilized by -Si-O. The competition reaction with -Si-O between Ca2+ and Fe2+ and the formation of calcium aluminum-silicate also contribute the metallic iron crystallization. In the gasification condition, the metallic iron crystallization can be inhibited by decreasing the iron content/α value (α = CaO/(SiO2 + Al2O3), mass ratio) or by increasing S/A (S/A = SiO2/Al2O3, mass ratio) of DCLR ash. Finally, the DCLR blends with 3.5 wt% sand/8.0 wt% mullite/50.0 wt% Dalai Nur coal/90.0 wt% Duolun coal is the feasible feedstock for pulverized coal gasifier, because the temperature of iron crystallization is below the tapping temperature of 1350 °C and the viscosity is less than 25 Pa·s.

Preheating stage is of significance for direct coal liquefaction process, especially for the low-rank coals, with high reactivity and suitable for direct coal liquefaction. Properties of solvents used in preheating stage could greatly affect structure of coal and conversion of its oxygen-containing functional groups. In this work, the preheating process of one Chinese Yunnan lignite (YN lignite) was conducted in tetralin (THN) and 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) to figure out the interactions between YN lignite and nonpolar aromatic solvents. In-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformation (DRIFT) technique coupled with curve-fitting analysis and ion-exchange titration analysis and solid-state 13C NMR were used to investigate the structural changes of YN lignite when preheated in different solvents at different temperatures. Additionally, swelling ratio determination and density function theory (DFT) calculation were employed to evaluate the strength of interactions existing between YN lignite and THN or 1-MN. The results show that, the decrease of oxygen-containing functional groups and increase of aromaticity occur when YN lignite are preheated in THN and 1-MN, and these changes are intensified with temperature rising. Moreover, THN and 1-MN have different effects on variation of YN lignite, especially for phenolic hydroxyl groups, which are more likely to be decomposed in THN, while carboxyl groups break down more easily in 1-MN at 200–300 °C. DFT calculation and swelling ratio results show that stronger noncovalent interactions (OH π hydrogen bonds in particular) between THN and YN lignite result in weaker O H bond in phenolic hydroxyl groups and subsequently decomposition of more phenolic hydroxyl groups compared to 1-MN.

This study examined the combustion characteristics and kinetics of coal samples treated with imidazole-based ionic liquids (ILs), namely, [Emim][BF4], [Bmim][BF4], [Bmim][NO3], and [Bmim][I], under oxidation. The oxidation of the coal samples was investigated using thermogravimetry (TG) at heating rates of 4.0, 6.0, 8.0, and 10.0 °C·min−1. The results for the IL-treated samples revealed that the composite index S (representing the ignition, combustion, and burnout properties) decreased and Hf (representing the rate and intensity of the combustion process) increased with high correlation coefficients. The characteristic temperatures of the maximum oxidization mass gain (T2), ignition point (T3), maximum mass loss rate (T4), and burnout point (T5) increased by 13.1 ± 0.5, 9.2 ± 0.5, 21.5 ± 0.5, and 35.9 ± 0.5 °C, respectively. At T3 and the maximum mass loss rate, the release of CO and CO2 was further altered, suggesting that the C O functional groups were damaged or oxidized. The results of the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall kinetic equation used to determine the apparent activation energy (Ea) of coal samples revealed that the Ea of the treated samples increased. The reaction rate constant characterizes the effect of Ea and pre-exponential factors (A), and the results showed that ILs can weaken the reaction process at low temperatures (

Coal ash slag viscosity is the most important parameter for the design and the stable running of entrained flow gasifier. Iron serves as the most abundant variable-valence element in coal ash slag, but the effects of iron in coal ash slag on viscosity and slag crystallization under the gasification conditions are not available. In this research, the iron transformation behaviors are discussed, and predictive models for iron transformation based on the ash chemical composition, atmosphere, slag residence time and temperature are established. In the fully liquid slag, Fe2+/Fe3+ increases with SiO2/Al2O3 (mass ratio) and temperature, but it decreases with the increasing iron content, α value (α = CaO/(SiO2+Al2O3), mass ratio), and oxygen partial pressure. The equilibrium and kinetic model considering CO and H2 diffusion is built for prediction of Fe2+/Fe3+ in slag at given temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and residence time. The model is applied to predict the Fe2+/Fe3+ of Yanzhou coal and it is found that Fe2+ in Shell slag is higher than that in Texaco slag. In partial crystalline slag, the iron transformation is sensitive to the variations of SiO2+Al2O3 and SiO2/Al2O3 because of the formations of melilite and spinel. The prediction models for melilite and spinel transformation are also built, but the result has not been validated due to lack of in-situ results in the commercial gasifier. The above models offer the guidance for the prediction and adjustment of slag behavior in the gasifier, especially for the iron-rich coal.

Normal pregnancy is associated with dramatic increases in uterine blood flow to facilitate the bidirectional maternal–fetal exchanges of respiratory gases and to provide sole nutrient support for fetal growth and survival. The mechanism(s) underlying pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation remain incompletely understood, but this is associated with elevated estrogens, which stimulate specific estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent vasodilator production in the uterine artery (UA). The classical ERs (ER\(\alpha\) and ER\(\beta\)) and the plasma membrane-bound G protein-coupled ER (GPR30/GPER) are expressed in UA endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, mediating the vasodilatory effects of estrogens through genomic and/or nongenomic pathways that are likely epigenetically modified. This chapter aims to summarize the literature on UA ERs with a focus on their roles in mediating the local UA production of vasodilators by estrogens and pregnancy and to deliberate on the potential clinic implications of dysregulated ER-mediated estrogen signaling in hypertensive pregnancy complications. The activation of these three ERs by estrogens enhances the endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO), which has been shown to play a key role in uterine vasodilation during pregnancy. However, the local blockade of NO biosynthesis only partially attenuates estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation, suggesting that mechanisms other than NO exist to mediate uterine vasodilation. We summarize here the literature on the role of NO in ER-mediated mechanisms controlling estrogen-induced and pregnancy-associated uterine vasodilation and our recent work on a “new” UA vasodilator hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that has dramatically changed our view of how estrogens regulate uterine vasodilation in pregnancy.

Background: Although left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) has emerged as a novel physiological pacing strategy with a low and stable threshold, its safety has not been well-documented. In the present study, we included all the patients with procedure-related complications at our centre to estimate these LBBP cases with unique complications.Methods: We enrolled 612 consecutive patients who received the procedure in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 2018 and July 2020. Regular follow-ups were conducted (at 1, 3, and 6 months in the first year and every 6–12 months from the second year), and the clinical data of the patients with complications were collected and analyzed.Results: With a mean follow-up period of 12.32 ± 5.21 months, procedure-related complications were observed in 10 patients (1.63%) that included two postoperative septum perforations (2/612, 0.33%), two postoperative lead dislodgements (2/612, 0.33%), four intraoperative septum injuries (4/612, 0.65%), and two intraoperative lead fractures (2/612, 0.33%). Pacing parameters were stable during follow-up, and no major complications were observed after lead repositioning in the cases of septum perforation and lead dislodgement.Conclusion: The incidence of procedure-related complications for LBBP, namely postoperative septum perforation, postoperative lead dislodgement, intraoperative septum injury, and intraoperative lead fracture, were low. No adverse clinical outcomes were demonstrated after successful repositioning of the lead and appropriate treatment.

The kidney is vital in maintaining fluid, electrolyte, and acid–base balance. Kidney-related diseases, which are an increasing public health issue, can happen to people of any age and at any time. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are endogenous RNA that are produced by selective RNA splicing and are involved in progression of various diseases. Studies have shown that various kidney diseases, including renal cell carcinoma, acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease, are linked to circRNAs. This review outlines the characteristics and biological functions of circRNAs and discusses specific studies that provide insights into the function and potential of circRNAs for application in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney-related diseases.

Tripartite motif-containing 21 (Trim21) is mainly involved in antiviral responses and autoimmune diseases. Although Trim21 has been reported to have a cancer-promoting or anticancer effect in various tumours, its role in renal cell cancer (RCC) remains to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that Trim21 is downregulated in primary RCC tissues. Low Trim21 expression in RCC is correlated with poor clinicopathological characteristics and short overall survival. Moreover, we illustrate that Trim21 inhibits RCC cells glycolysis through the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of HIF-1α, which inhibits the proliferation, tumorigenesis, migration, and metastasis of RCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings show that Trim21 may become a promising predictive biomarker for the prognosis of patients with RCC.

In order to improve the scientificity and efficiency of quality inspection of navigation electronic map, and save the cost of quality inspection, it is necessary to establish the national navigation electronic map quality inspection sample database. In this paper, the construction goal, data acquisition technology process, and database construction method of navigation electronic map quality inspection sample database are described in detail, and the construction content and technical indicators are discussed. The quality test is carried out by combining the in-house verification with the field comparison of the navigation electronic map quality test sample database, and the test results are analyzed and evaluated. The effective application of the sample database in the quality test and evaluation of the internet navigation electronic map in the pilot area is carried out. At the same time, the application of navigation electronic map quality inspection sample database in the research of urban fine management and solid waste recycling economy ecological park planning is prospected.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are important monocytes in the breast cancer microenvironment. They facilitate the distant metastasis of breast cancer. However, the detailed mechanisms of TAM-derived cancer metastasis have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we demonstrate that PRMT1 is essential for TAM-mediated breast cancer cell migration and metastasis. TAMs increase EZH2 stability by stimulating PRMT1-mediated meR342-EZH2 formation through the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) cytokine. Moreover, high expression levels of TAMs are positively correlated with PRMT1, meR342-EZH2, and EZH2 expression in breast cancer patients. Our study presents a novel mechanism of TAM-induced breast cancer metastasis via the IL-6-PRMT1-meR342-EZH2 axis.

Using the improved ray tracing method to improve the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) method, which is used to analyze the infrared radiation (IR) characteristics of the exhaust system, can greatly improve the computational efficiency and accuracy, and the calculation accuracy is improved by more than 8% compared with the RMC using ray tracing algorithm. For a flying wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the influence of the geometry of the double S-shaped nozzles and the single S-shaped nozzles on the internal flow field were analyzed, then the influence of the internal and external flow on the aerodynamic performance of the S-shaped exhaust system, and the IR characteristics of the aircraft with different inlet and exhaust system in the 3μm-5μm and 8μm-14μm bands were studied. The aerodynamic performance of the S-shaped nozzles are studied by numerical simulations. The IR characteristics of the rear hemisphere on the single S-shaped nozzles and the double S-shaped nozzles were obtained, those nozzles have the similar engine matching performance. The double S-shaped nozzle, resulting in a decrease of the radiation intensity of the nozzle by at least 65%, compared to the single S-shaped nozzle in the 3μm-5μm band. The aerodynamic characteristics of the flying wing UAV with the two S-shaped exhaust systems are also compared, and the changes in lift and resistance are analyzed. The forward IR intensity of the flying wing UAV is significantly lower than that of the backward direction, and the upper direction IR intensity is higher than that of the lateral direction and the downward direction. Compared to the flying wing UAV with the single S-shaped exhaust system, the flying wing of the double S-shaped exhaust system has a lower IR intensity, for the peak intensity of the rear hemisphere in the 3μm-5μm band is reduced at least 80%, the maximum value of the locked distance is reduced to 25% of the UAV using the single S curved exhaust system. The ratio of the amount of aircraft skin radiation to the total radiation increases from 30% in the 3μm-5μm band to more than 70% in the 8μm-14μm band. From the results of spectral analysis of UAV from 13μm-14μm, the spectral radiance of the carbon dioxide absorption and emission band in the detector image is significantly less than that of the UAV with a single S-shaped nozzle.

Aims The aim of this study is to prospectively assess the feasibility and safety of left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) when compared with right ventricular pacing (RVP) during mid-long-term follow-up in a large cohort. Methods and results Patients (n = 554) indicated for pacemaker implantation were prospectively and consecutively enrolled and were non-randomized divided into LBBP group and RVP group. The levels of cTnT and N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide were measured and compared within 2 days post-procedure between two groups. Implant characteristics, procedure-related complications, and clinical outcomes were also compared. Pacing thresholds, sensing, and impedance were assessed during procedure and follow-up. Left bundle branch pacing was feasible with a success rate of 94.8% with high incidence of LBB potential (89.9%), selective LBBP (57.8%), and left deviation of paced QRS axis (79.7%) with mean Sti-LVAT of 65.07 ± 8.58 ms. Paced QRS duration was significantly narrower in LBBP when compared with RVP (132.02 ± 7.93 vs. 177.68 ± 15.58 ms, P Conclusion Left bundle branch pacing was feasible in bradycardia patients associated with stable pacing parameters during 18 months follow-up. Paced QRS duration was significantly narrower than that of RVP. Though cTnT elevation was more significant in LBBP within 2 days post-procedure, the complications, and cardiac outcomes were not significantly different between two groups.

The deactivation of Na2CO3, caused by the reaction between Na and Si and Al minerals in coal, is one of the key technical bottlenecks for the large-scale application of catalytic gasification. Ca can inhibit the deactivation of Na, and the binary Na–Ca catalyst shows strong synergistic effects during catalytic gasification. In this study, the deactivation behaviors of Na2CO3 and the inhibition mechanism of Ca were systematically investigated by thermogravimetric, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), model compounds, and FactSage thermodynamic equilibrium. The results show that the Na–Ca catalyst shows synergistic effects and more Na remains active as water-dissolved Na after gasification with Na–Ca addition. The mechanism of the inhibiting effect of Ca on Na2CO3 deactivation at low temperatures ( 1000 °C). At temperatures lower than 1000 °C, Ca inhibits the reaction between Na and Si and Al minerals; as a result, more Na remains acti...

The main aim of this investigation is to present a comprehensive analysis of carbothermal reactions with tobelite at high temperatures under N2. The mixtures with mass ratios of demineralized coal: tobelite = 1:3, 1:5, 1:7, 1:9 were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) up to 1500 °C, the mineral composition and morphology of the product after carbothermal reaction were evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). FactSage equilibrium calculations also used for predicting mineral transformation process. It was found that thermal transformation of the tobelite in demineralized coal includes four stages: stage I (0–200 °C), stage II (200–900 °C), stage III (900–1200 °C), stage IV (1200–1500 °C). The processes of coal devolatilization and tobelite decomposition are independent processes when the temperature is below 1000 °C, the contact mode among minerals and coal matrix affect the thermal behavior of minerals. The carbothermal reactions start at 1200 °C. When coal: tobelite = 3:7, the products include incompletely reacted Al6Si2O13 (mullite), Al2O3, SiC, β-Si3N4 and Al6Si6N8O9; When coal: tobelite = 5:5, the reaction products include SiAl6O2N, Al2O3 and SiC, Al2O3 and SiC are the main phases; When coal: tobelite = 7:3, the composition is Si6AlO6N5, AlN, SiC and SiO2, SiC and AlN are the main phases. Carbon structure may strongly influence the carbothermal reaction. In addition, the formation and disappearance of SiC could releases CO by reaction with carbon during the carbothermal reaction, thus promoting char gasification.

The slagging gasifier is one of the best options for coal utilization to achieve carbon neutral due to high carbon conversion and low contaminative gas emission. The slagging gasifier requires proper ash fusibility to ensure smooth slag tapping, but the knowledge concerning fusion behaviors of coal ash with high sulfur and basic oxides level is unclear, which results in the limited utilization of coal which contains high level of sulfur and alkali in ash. Here, the fusion behaviors of coal ash with high sulfur and basic oxide level with/without additives are characterized by ash fusion temperature (AFT) analyzer and thermal mechanical analysis (TMA), and the underlying mechanism is revealed by combination of thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and thermodynamic calculation. The results demonstrate that standard ashing procedure impacts the transformation of minerals of coal ash with high sulfur and basic oxide level. The influence of volatiles discharging during standard ash preparation on the shrinkage curve depends on the liquid phase sintering behavior. Besides, the performance of additives connects the ability of additives to volatiles retention. Specifically, accumulation of sulfates by additives leads to the AFTs of Neimeng coal ash increase with increasing additives in the range of 0 to 20%, while the retention of Na-containing minerals by kaolinite gives rise to the dropping AFTs of Wucaiwan coal ash. The study can support the utilization of coal which contains high level of sulfur and alkali in coal ash in the slagging gasifier.

By coupling the treatment of municipal sewage sludge (MSS) with large coal-fired units not only does it overcome the shortcomings of difficult combustion and the low calorific value of sludge, but it can also use the existing exhaust emission treatment devices of power plants to treat toxic gases and various pollutants discharged in the combustion process. It is a competent method for treating MSS, which has been more frequently used in coal-fired power plants in China in recent years. In this paper, raw coal, municipal sludge, fly ash and slag are sampled and analyzed from three full-scale power plants which are actually mixed with MSS. The melting characteristics and composition of ash obtained from raw coal and MSS at different mixing ratios and various temperatures are analyzed by ash fusion point determination meters, XRF and XRD, and the mineral evolution is simulated by Factsage. The results of the lab-scale study indicate that the ash melting characteristic temperature of MSS in three power plants is obviously lower than that of pulverized coal, and with an increase in the mixing ratio, the ash melting characteristic temperature of the mixed samples gradually decreases. The higher iron content in MSS is the main reason why the ash melting characteristic temperature of MSS and mixed samples is lower than that of coal, and hematite formed from the process is a common fluxing mineral. The analysis results for the slag and ash from three full-scale power plants co-firing MSS indicate that the main composition of slag and ash is mullite, and that co-firing MSS has little effect on the ash melting characteristics. The experimental results can provide reference for practical coal-fired power plants in reasonable mixing sludge, avoiding slagging and improving boiler efficiency.

The impurities in coal can cause serious ash-related problems at high temperature, threatening the stable operation of the coal gasifier. The effect of iron on the ash fusion properties is still unclear due to its multiple valences (Fe3+, Fe2+ and Fe0). In this study, we investigated the effect of iron valence on the fusion behavior of synthetic coal ash by the metallic iron addition. The ash fusibility was characterized by the ash fusion temperature (AFT) analyzer and thermomechanical analysis (TMA), and the corresponding ash fusion mechanism was revealed from the crystallized phase evolution, heat change, and the thermodynamic modelling. Results demonstrated that the initial deformation temperature of coal ash fails to reflect the initial ash shrinkage/melting event. The addition of metallic iron leads to the formation of Fe2+-containing minerals which facilitates the low-temperature eutectic reaction, decreasing the initial melting temperature of ash. However, the initial shrinkage temperature depends on the liquid content and is influenced by the CaO content. For the low-calcium ash, the metallic iron addition results in the formation of Fe2+ which advantages the eutectic reaction of Si-Fe-O system. The initial shrinkage temperature of low-calcium ash decreases for the massive formation of liquid. In contrast, the abundant calcium of high-calcium ash prevents the transition of Fe3+ to Fe2+, and combined with Fe2+ to form hedenbergite, retarding the eutectic reaction of both Si-Al-Ca-O system and Si-Fe-O system. Therefore, the initial shrinkage temperature of high-calcium ash increases with the metallic iron addition. Finally, the initial melting temperature can be correlated with the initial liquid temperature which is obtained by thermodynamic modelling, potentially acting as the guide to predict the initial ash melting event.

The ash fusibility, usually investigated and evaluated by the ash chemical composition, is widely used for guiding the coal utilization in boiler and gasifier. The ratio of basic and acidic oxides (B/A) in coal ash is the most important parameter for ash fusibility evaluation. While the coal ash has the identical B/A ratio, SiO2/Al2O3 and CaO/Fe2O3 ratio also show significant influence on the ash fusibility. However, the researches on CaO/Fe2O3 on ash fusibility are rare. In order to quantify the influence of CaO/Fe2O3 on the ash fusibility, thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) is applied to investigate the ash fusion behavior of coal ash with various CaO/Fe2O3 ratios. XRD, FactSage and DSC are combined to explore the ash fusion characteristics and mechanisms. The results showed that AFTs increased with the increasing of CaO/Fe2O3 ratio, which was attributed to variation of Fe2O3 content and iron valence. However, the ash with low CaO/Fe2O3 ratio trended to form mullite, increasing AFTs. Hence, the optimal CaO/Fe2O3 ratio for fluxing effect existed to balance the mineral component and iron valence. The different shrinkage curves were attributed to the different fusion events and different mechanism. The fusion process of ash (CaO/Fe2O3 = 0.25) exhibited as the behavior of a pure substance, which has the narrow fusion range. And the fusion range was dominated by the low temperature eutectics including spinel, quartz, corundum, and anorthite, which were beneficial for preventing ash sintering. Meanwhile, the fusion process of ash sample (CaO/Fe2O3 = 4) occurred step by step, and it had a wide fusion range. The low-melting point minerals such as wollastonite, clinopyroxene, calcium silicate induced and manipulated the fusion process. These ash samples with the wide fusion range were favored for slagging process. Besides, the shrinkage rate of ash was mainly determined by the slag formation rate when viscosity was low, but it was dependent on slag formation rate as well as viscosity for the high viscosity slag. Two correlated relations between shrinkage rate and ratio of liquid phase formation rate and viscosity for ash with CaO/Fe2O3

CUL1 is an essential component of SCF (SKP1-CUL1-F-box protein) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. Our previous study has showed that CUL1 is positively associated with poor overall and disease-specific survival of breast cancer patients. Here, we further explored its roles in breast cancer metastasis. Our data showed that CUL1 significantly promoted breast cancer cell migration, invasion, tube formation in vitro, as well as angiogenesis and metastasis in vivo. In mechanism, the human gene expression profiling was used to determine global transcriptional changes in MDA-MB-231 cells, and we identified autocrine expression of the cytokines CXCL8 and IL11 as the target genes of CUL1 in breast cancer cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. CUL1 regulated EZH2 expression to promote the production of cytokines, and finally significantly aggravating the breast cancer cell metastasis and angiogenesis through the PI3K–AKT–mTOR signaling pathway. Combined with the previous report about CUL1, we proposed that CUL1 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for breast cancer metastasis.

The entrained flow gasification is becoming a predominant and efficient way for coal clean utilization. And the smooth operation of entrained gasifiers strongly depends on steady and reliable removal of the ash slag. In order to reduce the additive amount of flux and improve gasification efficiency, the influence of CaO/Na2O (weight ratio) at constant total content of CaO/Na2O on the viscosity-temperature behavior was studied in this work. Slag structure at high temperatures, and crystallization behavior of the coal ash slag with different CaO/Na2O were investigated in detail. As the CaO/Na2O of the slag decreased, the viscosity increased at same temperatures. Meanwhile, the slag viscosity which exhibited a rapid increase in viscosity transformed into the behavior of a glassy slag, of which the viscosity gradually increases as the temperature decreased. The slag structure depended on network polymerization degree and charge compensation effect of Na+ on Al3+. The polymerization degree of the slag was intensified with the decreasing CaO/Na2O, and the charge compensation effect of Na2O on Al3+ was promoted by CaO. The formation of anorthite was attributed to the rapid increase of viscosity at higher CaO/Na2O, while the decrease of CaO/Na2O was not favor of anorthite crystallization during cooling. In addition, the best ratio of CaO/Na2O in the slag was 6:4, and the slag viscosity behavior was suitable for the smooth operation of the entrained flow gasifiers.

Residual char is widely found in the slag from gasifier, which significantly influences the ash fusibility due to carbothermal reaction. Residual char has different graphitization degree owing to the residence time and operating temperature of the gasifier, while the effect of graphitization degree of residual char on ash fusibility and carbothermal reaction is still unknown. In this work, graphite, activated carbon and high temperature demineralized coal char were selected to investigate the effect of graphitization degree of residual char on ash fusibility under an Ar atmosphere. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Siroquant software were used to investigate the mineral transformation of the ashes with residual char at high temperatures. Thermogravimetric combined with mass spectrum and differential thermal analysis (TG-MS-DSC) were used to study the effect of graphitization degree of residual char on mineral and carbothermal reaction during heating. When the ash contains same content of residual char, the ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) increase as the graphitization degree of residual char increases. The influence by residual char is more obvious when the mass fraction exceeds 5%. The increase of graphitization degree of residual char impedes the mineral reaction and the carbothermal reaction. The initial temperature of the mineral reaction increases from 1229.3 °C to 1247.2 °C and 1260.4 °C for the ashes with activated carbon, coal char, and graphite, respectively. The peak temperatures of the carbothermal reaction are 1306, 1319 and 1339 °C. At the temperature below 1300 °C, the increase of AFTs is attributed to the increase in the content of cristobalite, and the decrease in the content of anorthite. Above 1300 °C, the increase of AFTs is caused by the increase of the amount of unreacted residual char. Besides, the residual char benefits the formation of FeSi, which also leads to increases of the AFTs.

Regulatory changes in the EU and Germany, and environmental aspects direct the attention of the agricultural and energy sector towards sewage sludge as a new resource. The present study evaluates the co-gasification of sewage sludge with brown coal in a slagging gasifier. Currently, a lack of experimental data on phosphorous containing ashes and slags under reducing atmospheres limits our understanding of gasification of this fuel. To address this gap, in this study the ash and slag properties of one brown coal and its mixtures with sewage sludge were experimentally investigated under a reducing atmosphere and predicted with FactSage™. An ASPENplus™ simulation of the co-gasification is conducted to evaluate the impact of the changing feedstock characteristics on major process parameters when different mixtures of sewage sludge and brown coal are fed into a Siemens gasifier. The flow temperature of the coal ash can noticeably be reduced if the sewage sludge ash content is increased up to 50 wt%. Thermochemical calculations using FactSage™ are in good agreement with the experimental ash fusion behavior. This paper describes a method to improve the calculation to better fit the experimental values. The elemental liberation of the main ash components are modeled using FactSage™ and experimentally validated. Except for potassium, no significant release into the gas phase was detected in the experiment. This is in contrast to the predicted evaporation of phosphorous. The addition of sewage sludge results in a lower viscosity of the slags of the mixtures in this study. As a result, the studied entrained-flow gasifier can be operated at lower temperatures while staying at an optimal viscosity for slag tapping. On the other hand, it decreases the temperature working range inside a slagging gasifier, where the slag viscosity lies between 2 and 25 Pa s. The resulting implications on the process parameters of entrained flow gasification have been modeled with ASPENplus™. Even low sewage sludge additions to the brown coal allow for lower gasifier temperatures, decreasing the specific oxygen consumption. Moreover, the cold gas efficiency and the H2/CO ratio are increased.

Direct liquefaction of Chinese Hami sub-bituminous coal was conducted with binary mixtures of hydrogen donor solvent tetralin (THN) and non-donor 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) or naphthalene (Nap.). Effects of solvent composition, temperature, atmosphere, and catalyst FeS2 on product distribution and hydrogen consumption were investigated at solvent/coal mass ratio of 2. The results show that oil yield increases from 47.70% to 59.95% with 1-MN/THN ratio changing from 2:1 to 1:2. Hydrogen donating ability of binary solvents increases with the rising ratio of THN. H2 contributes noticeably positive effect on coal conversion in the case of liquefaction with insufficient hydrogen donor solvent. Oil yield obtained during direct coal liquefaction (DCL) with Nap./THN is 58.32%, which is 10.62% higher than that with 1-MN/THN at same solvent ratio of 2:1. This is owing to demethylation effect of 1-MN under liquefaction condition. 1-MN demethylation is induced by active hydrogen and coal radicals, and could consume noticeable hydrogen during DCL. This indicates that the amount of alkylarenes included in liquefaction mixed solvents should be limited, or sufficient hydrogen donor solvent is required to achieve high coal conversion.

To study the effect of ionic liquids (ILs) of the microstructure on the surface of the coal, four ILs ([Emim][BF4], [Bmim][BF4], [Bmim][NO3], and [Bmim][I]) were selected to treat the coal samples. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and synchronous thermal analyzer were employed to conduct the experimental tests. Active functional groups were analyzed when the ILs contained the same anion or cation. The results indicated that the quantity of the hydrocarbyls and the oxygen-containing functional groups for the coal sample treated by [Emim][BF4] was significantly less than the three coal samples by other ILs treated, in which the maximum area ratio of the hydrocarbons and the oxygen-containing functional groups was 0.553 and 1.159, respectively. However, ILs had lesser destructive effects on the aromatic hydrocarbons. The ILs containing [Emim]+ shared stronger destructibility to the coal’s micro-active structure than that containing [Bmim]+. The highest impact was the hydrocarbyl of the coal. While including the same [Bmim]+, the extent of destruction to the hydrocarbyls and the oxygen-containing functional groups of coal was varied in descending order as [NO3]− > [I]− > [BF4]−. The aliphatic hydrocarbons were destroyed by the anion of ILs following the order: [I]− > [BF4]− > [NO3]−. During the low-temperature oxidation stage, the apparent activation energy increased, whereas the reactivity of coal samples by ILs treated decreased in the order: [Bmim][NO3]

Co-pyrolysis of Hami coal mild liquefaction solid product (MLS) and two low rank coals (LRCs), Hami coal (HM) and Hefeng coal (HF) with different blending ratios were conducted on a fixed-bed reactor. The products distributions, gas emission characteristics and product properties during co-pyrolysis were synthetically analyzed by multiple methods, which are conducive to understanding the co-pyrolysis interactions. Results show that two effects simultaneously exist in the co-pyrolysis process. As LRCs ratio is high, the effect of hydrogen supply from LRCs to the volatile free radicals is dominant, resulting in more volatiles being stabilized and lower gas yield. While on the other, as LRCs ratio is low, the mass transfer inhibition caused by the softening and melting of MLS is dominant. This makes it difficult for the volatiles produced during co-pyrolysis to escape from the sample system and intensifying the secondary reactions, which leads to the increase of char yield and decrease of volatile yield. The bonding process of MLS and LRCs during co-pyrolysis is significantly affected by the sample blending ratio. Compared with the chemical and pore structures, AAEMs play a more significant catalytic role on the gasification reactivity of the co-pyrolysis char. Furthermore, the addition of LRCs could reduce the aromaticity of co-pyrolysis tar, increase the substitution degrees of aromatic rings and content of olefin.