Formation mechanism of carbide slag composite sustained-alkalinity-release particles for the source control of acid mine drainage

Acid mine drainage (AMD) has caused serious and long-lasting damage to the environment in many countries. Preventing AMD formation at the source is considered the most direct and effective method of remediation. Carbide slag, an industrial waste, is a potential AMD treatment material due to its strong alkalinity. However, applying carbide slag at the source carries difficulties due to its rapid release of alkalinity. This is the first attempt to mix carbide slag with bentonite to prepare sustained-alkalinity-release particles for source control of AMD. The size of Ca(OH)2 crystallites is decreased from 267 to 211 nm, and the reduced part forms calcium silicate hydrate gel (C–S–H) between the carbide slag and bentonite. C–S–H encapsulated on the surface of the carbide slag, increasing the mechanical strength of the particles, and achieving slow release of alkalinity. The suggested optimum preparation conditions for the particles are as follows: bentonite-to-carbide slag mass ratio of 3:7, Na2CO3 dose of 10 wt%, and calcination temperature of 500 °C for 1 h. The particles can remove 105 mg/g Cu2+ within 12 h, and the loss rate is only 7.4%. The alkalinity release time of the particles is 4 times greater than that of carbide slag.

The Catastrophe of the Niedów Dam—The Causes of the Dam’s Breach, Its Development, and Consequences

Due to extreme rainfall in 2010 in the Lusatian Neisse River catchment area (in Poland), a flood event with a return period of over 100 years occurred, leading to the failure of the Niedów dam. The earth-type dam constructed for cooling the Turów power plant was washed away, resulting in the rapid release of nearly 8.5 million m3 of water and the flooding of the downstream area with substantial material losses. Here we analyze the conditions and causes of the dam’s failure, with special attention given to the mechanism and dynamics of the compound breaching process, in which the dam’s upstream slope reinforcement played a specific and remarkable role. The paper also describes a numerical approach for simulating a combined flood event downstream from the dam with the use of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (MIKE21). Considering the specific local conditions, i.e., wide floodplain, meandering character of the main channel, embankment overtopping, and available data set, an iterative solution of the unsteady state problem is proposed. This approach enables realistic flood propagation estimates to be delivered, the dam breach outflow to be reconstructed, and several important answers concerning the consequences of the dam’s failure to be provided. Finally, the paper presents the reconstruction of the dam that is more resilient to extreme hydrological conditions under changing climate.

Host–Viral Interactions in the Pathogenesis of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is characterized by relapsing and remitting colonic mucosal inflammation. During the early stages of viral infection, innate immune defenses are activated, leading to the rapid release of cytokines and the subsequent initiation of downstream responses including inflammation. Previously, intestinal viruses were thought to be either detrimental or neutral to the host. However, persisting viruses may have a role as resident commensals and confer protective immunity during inflammation. On the other hand, the dysregulation of gut mucosal immune responses to viruses can trigger excessive, pathogenic inflammation. The purpose of this review is to discuss virus-induced innate immune responses that are at play in ulcerative colitis.

Acute Tumor Lysis Syndrome: A Metabolic Emergency in Cancer Patients

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) can be a life-threatening complication that occurs following the onset of chemotherapy treatment, most commonly in association with high-grade lymphoproliferative pathologies such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma. The massive cell lysis caused by cytotoxic therapy leads to the rapid release in the blood of intracelullary products and the onset of severe metabolic and electrolytic complications (hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia and hyperuricemia) upto the acute renal failure. This article describes the incidence and pathophysiological basis of TLS, focusing on the new therapeutic strategies implemented over the last few years, especially with regard to the treatment of hyperuricemia. In particular, it highlights the characteristics of a recent drug, Rasburicase, as a safe and effective alternative, compared to traditional allopurinol therapy, for prophylaxis and treatment of children with hyperuricemia induced by chemotherapy.

Release of Nitrogen from Granulate Mineral and Organic Fertilizers and Its Effect on Selected Chemical Parameters of Soil

The objective of this work was the evaluation of the release patterns of nitrogen from various types of fertilizers and their impact on selected chemical parameters of calcareous soil. Three mineral fertilizers and two organic fertilizers were tested in the laboratory for 35 days. This study showed the rapid release of nitrogen from mineral types. More than 70% of the nitrogen was released from the ammonium granules and 98% from the urea granules. The rate of nitrogen release from pellets of organic origin was much slower than from mineral pellets, the released N was 15–28% of the original amount. Soil pH was altered by incubation. The content of soil N changed significantly due to the incubation of N mineral fertilizers; no changes were observed for organic fertilizers. The EC value of the soil solution was significantly modified under the influence of mineral granules, it reached a maximum of 1147 µS cm−1 on the 10th day, and for organic fertilizers of 944 µS cm−1 on the 35th day. The results of this study characterize each N release pattern, providing data to support a more efficient nutrient management strategy in calcareous soils and the effect of incubated fertilizers on soil chemical parameters.

Co-aggregation and secondary nucleation in the life cycle of human prolactin/galanin functional amyloids

Synergistic-aggregation and cross-seeding by two different amyloid proteins/peptides are well evident in various neurological disorders. However, this phenomenon is not well studied in functional amyloid aggregation. Here, we show Prolactin (PRL) is associated with lactation in mammals and neuropeptide galanin (GAL), which are co-stored in the lactotrophs facilitates the synergic aggregation in the absence of secretory granules helper molecules glycosaminoglycans (GAGS). Interestingly, although each partner possesses homotypic seeding ability, a unidirectional cross-seeding of GAL aggregation can be mediated by PRL seeds. The specificity of co-aggregation by PRL and GAL along with unidirectional cross-seeding suggests tight regulation of functional amyloid formation during co-storage of these hormones in secretory granule biogenesis of female rat lactotrophs. Further mixed fibrils release the constituent functional hormone much faster than the corresponding individual amyloid formed in presence of GAGs, suggesting that co-aggregation of functionally distant hormones might have evolved for efficient storage, synergistic and rapid release of both hormones upon stimulation. The co-aggregation and cross seeding by two different hormones of completely different structures and sequences (PRL and GAL) suggest a novel mechanism of heterologous amyloid formation both in disease and functional amyloids.

Spontaneous reheating of crystallizing lava

We show that recalescence, or spontaneous reheating of a cooling material due to rapid release of latent heat, can occur during disequilibrium crystallization of depolymerized Mg-rich melts. This can only happen at fast cooling rates, where the melt becomes undercooled by tens to hundreds of degrees before crystallization begins. Using a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera, we documented recalescence in pyroxene (Fe, Mg)SiO3 and komatiite lavas that initially cooled at 25–50 °C s–1. Local heating at the crystallization front exceeds 150 °C for the pyroxene and 10 °C for komatiite and lasts for several seconds as the crystallization front migrates through. We determined the latent heat release by differential scanning calorimetry to be 440 J g–1 for pyroxene and 275 J g–1 for komatiite with a brief power output of ~100 W g–1 or ~300 MW m–3. Recalescence may be a widespread process in the solar system, particularly in lava fountains, and cooling histories of mafic pyroclasts should not be assumed a priori to be monotonic.