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Tropical Cyclones (TCs) are devastating natural disasters. Analyzing four decades of global TC data, here we find that among all global TC-active basins, the South China Sea (SCS) stands out as particularly difficult ocean for TCs to intensify, despite favorable atmosphere and ocean conditions. Over the SCS, TC intensification rate and its probability for a rapid intensification (intensification by ≥ 15.4 m s−1 day−1) are only 1/2 and 1/3, respectively, of those for the rest of the world ocean. Originating from complex interplays between astronomic tides and the SCS topography, gigantic ocean internal tides interact with TC-generated oceanic near-inertial waves and induce a strong ocean cooling effect, suppressing the TC intensification. Inclusion of this interaction between internal tides and TC in operational weather prediction systems is expected to improve forecast of TC intensity in the SCS and in other regions where strong internal tides are present.

The cement industry accounts for 8% of global energy- and process-related greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve global net-zero emission targets by 2050, the need for commercially ready low-carbon construction materials is becoming increasingly urgent. The fixation of captured carbon dioxide in concrete through CO₂ sequestration is a crucial area of study to reduce concrete embodied carbon. This paper discusses the development of a low-carbon ready-mix concrete (RMC) with aqueous CO2 sequestration, and the synergy between carbon dioxide and other constituent materials. The effectiveness of this approach was evaluated through mineralogical composition analysis using TGA, and the mechanical and rheological properties of various concrete mixes were studied. Aqueous CO2 sequestration using carbonated mixing water can stably fix up to 0.84% of CO2 by weight of cement within the cement matrix as CaCO3. The poor workability and incompatibility with GGBS that results from this approach were addressed by the inclusion of RCA as an external source of alkalinity and lubrication. This mix of low-carbon RMC has similar strength and rheological properties to conventional RMC and achieved an embodied carbon reduction of approximately 47%.

Xu Huang,1 Mingxiao Han,2 Fei Jin,3 Zhichen Zhu,2 Haifang Zhang2 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Haifang Zhang, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, 1055 Sanxiang Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 512 67783550 ; +86 18896808917, Email haifangzhang@suda.edu.cnAbstract: We report our clinical exploration experience treating a 6-year-old girl with a postoperative central nervous system (CNS) infection of prolonged invasion with Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) co-resistant to carbapenems and polymyxin B. Although rational antibiotic therapy and effective source control measures were applied, the infection was not controlled eventually. To understand the mechanism of infection, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to explore the resistance mechanism, and the susceptibility test was used to observe the efficacy of ceftazidime–avibactam (CAZ-AVI) in vitro. It is currently uncertain whether CAZ-AVI could be used as a salvage therapy for pediatric CNS infection. Therefore, we hope to share this case to seek medical help worldwide to treat pediatric CNS infection.Keywords: central nervous system, co-resistant to carbapenems and polymyxin B, Klebsiella pneumoniae, whole-genome sequencing, ceftazidime–avibactam

Xiaohui Zhang,1,2,&ast; Fei Jin,1,2,&ast; Yanfei Lu,1,2 Fang Ni,1,2 Yuqiao Xu,1,2 Wenying Xia1,2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2Branch of National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yuqiao Xu; Wenying Xia, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Street No. 300, Guangzhou, 210029, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8625-6830-6146 ; +8625-6830-6287, Fax +8625-8372-4440, Email joe8165@163.com; xiawenying21106891@163.comPurpose: This study aimed (i) to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors related to in-hospital mortality in patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and (ii) to compare the differences in three age groups.Methods: A total of 240 IE cases diagnosed using the modified Duke criteria between January 2016 and December 2019 were included and retrospectively studied. Patients were stratified into three age groups: < 50 y, 50– 65 y, and > 65 y.Results: The mean age of the patients was 51 ± 14 y, and 154 patients (64.2%) were male. In addition, 136 (56.7%) patients with IE had no previous cardiac disease. Congenital heart disease (CHD, 21.3%) was the most common underlying heart disease, followed by rheumatic heart disease (RHD, 8.8%). Streptococcus was found in 55 (22.9%) patients and was the most common causative pathogen, comprising 52.9% of all positive blood cultures. Echocardiography showed the presence of vegetations in 88.3% of cases and the predominant involvement of the left heart valves. Fever and cardiac murmur were the most frequent presentations, with no significant differences among age groups. Compared with younger patients, elderly patients had a lower operation rate and higher in-hosp

An innovative cutoff wall backfill consisting of reactive MgO, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), bentonite and local clayey sand (MSB) was developed recently for land remediation applications. This paper investigates the engineering characteristics (e.g. strength and permeability) and reaction mechanisms of the MSB backfills with various MgO-activated GGBS (i.e., the binder) and bentonite contents. A series of analytical techniques are employed to identify the hydration products in this complex system. The engineering properties are tested via the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and flexible-wall permeation test. Results show that UCS and dry density decrease with increasing bentonite content, while the opposite trends are observed when increasing the binder content. The UCS values increase with curing time and become plateaued after ∼90 days. Meanwhile, the hydraulic conductivity (k) decreases distinctly with the increase of the binder content and bentonite content. All backfills reach UCS of >100 kPa UCS and k < 10−8 m/s at 28 days while curing for 90 days leads to increase of UCS by > 1.5 times and reduction of k by nearly one order of magnitude. The major hydration products of MSB backfills are identified as hydrotalcite-like phases (Ht), calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), monosulfate (AFm) and portlandite (CH). The hydration products, binding adjacent soil particles, filling pores, together with the swelling of bentonite, contribute to the mechanical performance and impermeability of the backfills.

Originating in the equatorial Pacific, the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has highly consequential global impacts, motivating the need to understand its responses to anthropogenic warming. In this Review, we synthesize advances in observed and projected changes of multiple aspects of ENSO, including the processes behind such changes. As in previous syntheses, there is an inter-model consensus of an increase in future ENSO rainfall variability. Now, however, it is apparent that models that best capture key ENSO dynamics also tend to project an increase in future ENSO sea surface temperature variability and, thereby, ENSO magnitude under greenhouse warming, as well as an eastward shift and intensification of ENSO-related atmospheric teleconnections — the Pacific–North American and Pacific–South American patterns. Such projected changes are consistent with palaeoclimate evidence of stronger ENSO variability since the 1950s compared with past centuries. The increase in ENSO variability, though underpinned by increased equatorial Pacific upper-ocean stratification, is strongly influenced by internal variability, raising issues about its quantifiability and detectability. Yet, ongoing coordinated community efforts and computational advances are enabling long-simulation, large-ensemble experiments and high-resolution modelling, offering encouraging prospects for alleviating model biases, incorporating fundamental dynamical processes and reducing uncertainties in projections.

Xiaohui Zhang,1,2,* Yanfei Lu,1,2,* Huimin Qian,3 Genyan Liu,1,2 Yaning Mei,1,2 Fei Jin,1,2 Wenying Xia,1,2 Fang Ni1,2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 2National Key Clinical Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; 3Key Laboratory of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology of Ministry of Health, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Wenying Xia; Fang NiDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Province Hospital, Guangzhou Street No. 300, 210029, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +8625-6830-6287Fax +8625-8372-4440Email xiawenying21106891@163.com; 13813972378@163.comAbstract: Non-O1, non-O139 Vibrio cholerae (NOVC) does not agglutinate with O1 and O139 antisera and can cause intestinal and extraintestinal infections in immunocompromised individuals. NOVC bacteremia has the highest mortality among NOVC infections, and the number of reports has increased in recent years. Nevertheless, some clinicians are poorly informed about this disease. Herein, we describe a documented case of NOVC bacteremia in a male patient with impaired liver function. Blood cultures revealed the presence of V. cholerae, but this strain showed self-coagulation on the serum agglutination test. To our knowledge, this phenomenon is unreported among cases of NOVC infections. This pathogen was finally confirmed as NOVC via PCR. Because the patient worked as a garbage transporter, he was likely infected after contact with contaminated water through a foot wound. The patient developed septic shock shortly after admission and ultimately died from the illness. This paper reviews 23 cases of NOVC bacteremia from 2015 to  2019. To improve the accuracy of identifying NOVC and analyze its v

MgO-coated watermelon rind biochar (MWRB) is a potentially highly-effective waste-derived material in environmental applications. This research aims to provide valuable insights into the optimization of the production of MWRB for superior environmental performance. It was found that the Mg content of the MWRB could be easily controlled by adjusting the Mg/feedstock mass ratio during excessive impregnation. The BET surface area was found to first increase and then decrease as the Mg content of the MWRB (produced at 600 °C) increased from 1.52% to 10.1%, with an optimal surface area of 293 m2/g observed at 2.51%. Similarly, an optimum pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C was observed in the range of 400–800 °C for a maximum surface area of the MWRB at a fixed Mg/feedstock ratio of 0.48% (resulting in MWRBs with Mg contents of 1.89–2.51%). The Pb removal capacity of the MWRB (produced at 600 °C) increased with increasing Mg content, with a greatest Pb removal capacity of 558 mg/g found for the MWRB with the highest Mg content (10.1%), an improvement of 208% over the 181 mg/g Pb removal capacity of unmodified WRB produced at 600 °C. The Pb removal capacity of the MWRB (produced with 1.89–2.51% Mg) was also discovered to increase from 81.7 mg/g (at 400 °C) to 742 mg/g (at 700 °C), before dropping to 368 mg/g at 800 °C. These findings suggest that the MWRB can be more efficiently utilized in soil and water remediation by optimizing its synthesis conditions.

Production temperature significantly affects biochar properties and consequently the removal mechanisms of heavy metals. In this study, rice straw biochars were produced at 300, 500 and 700 °C (RSB300, RSB500 and RSB700). The influence of production temperature on the adsorption characteristics and removal mechanisms of lead on this set of rice straw biochars were investigated by batch adsorption tests, micro-structural analyses and sequential metal extractions. Biochars produced at higher temperatures had significantly higher pH values and surface areas, resulting in higher metal removal capacities and faster uptake kinetics. Precipitation was a key mechanism for lead removal from solution for all biochars: lead oxalate was precipitated on RSB300, and hydrocerussite was precipitated on RSB500 and RSB700. The immobilized lead fraction on the biochars could be divided into exchangeable, acid soluble and non-available fractions. RSB300 had 11.34% of the total immobilized Pb attributed to the exchangeable fraction, whereas for RSB500 and RSB700, it was <1%. Immobilized Pb on RSB500 and RSB700 was almost exclusively attributable to the acid soluble and non-available fractions (>99%). Based on our results, RSB500 and RSB700 are likely much more appropriate for soil remediation of Pb as compared with RSB300.

Based on the “waste-treat-waste” concept, biochars were produced from cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice straw (CRSBs) at 300, 500, and 700 °C (CRSB300, CRSB500, and CRSB700). The risks of the Cd remaining in CRSBs were evaluated and the optimal biochar pyrolysis temperature for Cd removal was investigated. It was observed that 41% of the total Cd in the raw rice straw was exchangeable, which may pose significant risks to crops and humans. Pyrolyzing at 300 °C did not significantly alter the Cd fractions, while the exchangeable fraction of Cd greatly dropped to 5.79% at 500 °C and further to 2.12% at 700 °C. Increasing the highest pyrolysis temperature resulted in CRSBs with higher pH values, greater surface area, and smaller pore sizes, thus providing more rapid and efficient removal of Cd from aqueous solutions. For Cd removal tests, increasing pyrolysis temperature (300–700 °C) increased the total (24.8–55.1 mg/g) and non-exchangeable (18.9–52.8 mg/g) Cd concentrations immobilized on the CRSBs and significantly decreased the exchangeable Cd fraction (23.7%–4.85%). It is suggested based on the study from aqueous solutions that CRSB700 was the most suitable for the remediation of Cd contaminated soil on site due to the lowest risks of remained Cd from feedstock, fastest and highest Cd removal, and most stable immobilization of Cd. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Hai-Lan Yu,1,2 Xu-Dong Ma,1,2 Jin-Fei Tong,1,2 Jian-Qiong Li,1,2 Xiao-Jing Guan,1,2 Jian-Hua Yang1,21Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Reproductive Dysfunction Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: The Wilms’ tumor suppressor WT1 is reported to work in a range of physiological processes at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. WT1-associating protein (WTAP), a nuclear protein co-localized with splicing factors, also plays a vital role in cellular function and cancer progression. However, little is known about the role of WTAP in ovarian cancer and the underlying mechanism.Materials and methods: To evaluate the expression of WTAP, multiple means were applied in clinical tissues, including immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR), and Western blot. Two representative ovarian cancer cell lines (3AO and SKOV3) were used to assess the malignant influence of WTAP on proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. To explore its function, WTAP was additionally down-regulated by lentivirus.Results: High expression of WTAP in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) predicted a shorter overall survival (P<0.01). Furthermore, WTAP expression was higher in HGSOC, compared with that in normal ovary group (P<0.01), benign ovarian tumor group (P<0.01), and non-HGSOC group (P<0.05). In HGSOC, high expression of WTAP was significantly related with the lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). In ovarian cancer cell lines, cell proliferation and migration were considerably reduced after WTAP was down-regulated, while apoptotic rate was increased. Moreover, the effect of WTAP in 3AO and SKOV3 might be relevant with MAPK and AKT signaling pathways.Conclusion: WTAP is highly expressed in HGSOC

BACKGROUND: Massive occurrences of interstitial loss of heterozygosity (LOH) likely resulting from gene conversions were found by us in different cancers as a type of single-nucleotide variations (SNVs), comparable in abundance to the commonly investigated gain of heterozygosity (GOH) type of SNVs, raising the question of the relationships between these two opposing types of cancer mutations. METHODS: In the present study, SNVs in 12 tetra sample and 17 trio sample sets from four cancer types along with copy number variations (CNVs) were analyzed by AluScan sequencing, comparing tumor with white blood cells as well as tissues vicinal to the tumor. Four published "nontumor"-tumor metastasis trios and 246 pan-cancer pairs analyzed by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and 67 trios by whole-exome sequencing (WES) were also examined. RESULTS: Widespread GOHs enriched with CG-to-TG changes and associated with nearby CNVs and LOHs enriched with TG-to-CG changes were observed. Occurrences of GOH were 1.9-fold higher than LOH in "nontumor" tissues more than 2 cm away from the tumors, and a majority of these GOHs and LOHs were reversed in "paratumor" tissues within 2 cm of the tumors, forming forward-reverse mutation cycles where the revertant LOHs displayed strong lineage effects that pointed to a sequential instead of parallel development from "nontumor" to "paratumor" and onto tumor cells, which was also supported by the relative frequencies of 26 distinct classes of CNVs between these three types of cell populations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that developing cancer cells undergo sequential changes that enable the "nontumor" cells to acquire a wide range of forward mutations including ones that are essential for oncogenicity, followed by revertant mutations in the "paratumor" cells to avoid growth retardation by excessive mutation load. Such utilization of forward-reverse mutation cycles as an adaptive mechanism was also observed in cultured HeLa cells upon successiv

© The Author(s), 2018. This is the author's version of the work and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 33 (2018): 104-113, doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2018.04.003., Increased natural and anthropogenic stresses have threatened the Earth’s ability to meet growing human demands of food, energy and water (FEW) in a sustainable way. Although much progress has been made in the provision of individual component of FEW, it remains unknown whether there is an optimized strategy to balance the FEW nexus as a whole, reduce air and water pollution, and mitigate climate change on national and global scales. Increasing FEW conflicts in the agroecosystems make it an urgent need to improve our understanding and quantification of how to balance resource investment and enhance resource use efficiencies in the FEW nexus. Therefore, we propose an integrated modeling system of the FEW nexus by coupling an ecosystem model, an economic model, and a regional climate model, aiming to mimic the interactions and feedbacks within the ecosystem-human-climate systems. The trade-offs between FEW benefit and economic cost in excess resource usage, environmental degradation, and climate consequences will be quantitatively assessed, which will serve as sustainability indicators for agricultural systems (including crop production, livestock and aquaculture). We anticipate that the development and implementation of such an integrated modeling platform across world’s regions could build capabilities in understanding the agriculture-centered FEW nexus and guiding policy and land management decision making for a sustainable future., This study has been supported by National Key R & D Program of China (no. 2017YFA0604702), CAS STS Program (KFJ-STS-ZDTP-010-05), SKLURE Grant (SKLURE2017-1-6), National Science Foundation (1210360, 1243232), NOAA Grants (NA16NOS4780207, NA16NOS4780204), and AU-OUC Joint Center Program., 2020-05-28

El Niño events are characterized by surface warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean and weakening of equatorial trade winds that occur every few years. Such conditions are accompanied by changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation, affecting global climate, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, fisheries and human activities. The alternation of warm El Niño and cold La Niña conditions, referred to as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), represents the strongest year-to-year fluctuation of the global climate system. Here we provide a synopsis of our current understanding of the spatio-temporal complexity of this important climate mode and its influence on the Earth system.

Fused-pentagons results in an increase of local steric strain according to the isolated pentagon rule (IPR), and for all reported non-IPR clusterfullerenes multiple (two or three) metals are required to stabilize the strained fused-pentagons, making it difficult to access the single-atom properties. Herein, we report the syntheses and isolations of novel non-IPR mononuclear clusterfullerenes MNC@C76 (M=Tb, Y), in which one pair of strained fused-pentagon is stabilized by a mononuclear cluster. The molecular structures of MNC@C76 (M=Tb, Y) were determined unambiguously by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, featuring a non-IPR C2v(19138)-C76 cage entrapping a nearly linear MNC cluster, which is remarkably different from the triangular MNC cluster within the reported analogous clusterfullerenes based on IPR-obeying C82 cages. The TbNC@C76 molecule is found to be a field-induced singlemolecule magnet (SMM).

Tropical Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies influence the atmospheric circulation, impacting climate far beyond the tropics. The predictability of the corresponding atmospheric signals is typically limited to less than 1 year lead time. Here we present observational and modelling evidence for multi-year predictability of coherent trans-basin climate variations that are characterized by a zonal seesaw in tropical sea surface temperature and sea-level pressure between the Pacific and the other two ocean basins. State-of-the-art climate model forecasts initialized from a realistic ocean state show that the low-frequency trans-basin climate variability, which explains part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation flavours, can be predicted up to 3 years ahead, thus exceeding the predictive skill of current tropical climate forecasts for natural variability. This low-frequency variability emerges from the synchronization of ocean anomalies in all basins via global reorganizations of the atmospheric Walker Circulation.

Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2015. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 96 (2015): 921–938, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-13-00117.1., El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a naturally occurring mode of tropical Pacific variability, with global impacts on society and natural ecosystems. While it has long been known that El Niño events display a diverse range of amplitudes, triggers, spatial patterns, and life cycles, the realization that ENSO’s impacts can be highly sensitive to this event-to-event diversity is driving a renewed interest in the subject. This paper surveys our current state of knowledge of ENSO diversity, identifies key gaps in understanding, and outlines some promising future research directions., AC acknowledges support from the National Science Foundation for this study., 2015-12-01

Rui Tian,1,* Hong Xun Ye,2,* Bao Guo Zhang,3 Dong Ying Gu,3 Bing Wen Zhang,1 Zhi Pan Teng,1 Mao Yong Jin,4 Jin Fei Chen,3 Jian Wei Qi1 1Department of E.N.T., Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 2Department of Oncology, The People’s Hospital of Taixing, Taixing, 3Department of Oncology, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 4Department of Technology, Nanjing Delta Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Nanjing, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Purpose: Taxane-containing induction chemotherapy (IC) regimens in combination with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) have been compared with non-taxane-containing IC combined with CCRT in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in Chinese patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate their clinical efficacy and safety profiling in this ethnic population.Methods: The electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, and Chinese Biomedical Database, were searched for eligible studies. The outcomes included overall response rate (ORR), 1-year survival rate, and different types of adverse events. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to evaluate the strength of the associations.Results: A total of 12 RCTs (representing 835 patients) were identified. The pooled analysis showed that taxane-containing regimens had a significant improvement in ORR for nasopharyngeal lesion (OR =4.57, 95% CI =1.14–18.30, P=0.032, z=2.15) but not in cervical lymph nodes (OR =1.23, 95% CI =0.65–2.36, P=0.532, z=0.64) and in 1-year survival rates (OR =1.19, 95% CI =0.10–14.82, P=0.893, z=0.13) compared with non-taxane-containing regimens. Regarding the adverse events and toxicities, grade 3–4 leukopenia and neutropenia were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.001) in favor of the non-taxane-containing regimens, but grade 3

Rossby wave propagation theory predicts that Rossby waves in a tropical easterly flow cannot escape from the Tropics to the extratropics. Here the authors show that a southerly flow component in the basic state (a southerly conveyor) may transfer a Rossby wave source northward; thus, a forcing embedded in the deep tropical easterlies may excite a Rossby wave response in the extratropical westerlies. It is shown that the southerly conveyor determines the location of the effective Rossby wave source and that the extratropical response is relatively insensitive to the location of the tropical forcing, provided that the tropical response can reach the southerly conveyor. A stronger southerly flow favors a stronger extratropical response, and the spatial structure of the extratropical response is determined by the extratropical westerly basic flows.

A range of factors influencing the extraction and preconcentration efficiency were investigated and the results showed that, at a concentration of hexadecylpyridinium bromide of 0.05 mol/l, an n-octanol content of 30 vol%, an organic-aqueous phase ratio of 1:5, a pH value of 10.5 and a contact time of 5 min, the palladium(II) (less than 70 mg/l) and platinum(II) (less than 60 mg/l) in alkaline cyanide solutions were transferred from the aqueous into the organic phase. Ammonium thiocyanate solution was employed as a stripping agent and the extraction mechanism was elucidated using slope analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Application of the method to the extraction of palladium(II) and platinum(II) from the leaching cyanide liquor of a platinum-palladium flotation concentrate gave an enrichment factor of 15 and a recovery rate of more than 95%., A range of factors influencing the extraction and preconcentration efficiency were investigated and the results showed that, at a concentration of hexadecylpyridinium bromide of 0.05 mol/l, an n-octanol content of 30 vol%, an organic-aqueous phase ratio of 1:5, a pH value of 10.5 and a contact time of 5 min, the palladium(II) (less than 70 mg/l) and platinum(II) (less than 60 mg/l) in alkaline cyanide solutions were transferred from the aqueous into the organic phase. Ammonium thiocyanate solution was employed as a stripping agent and the extraction mechanism was elucidated using slope analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ultraviolet spectroscopy. Application of the method to the extraction of palladium(II) and platinum(II) from the leaching cyanide liquor of a platinum-palladium flotation concentrate gave an enrichment factor of 15 and a recovery rate of more than 95%.

Lime-ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) blends have been widely used in soil stabilization applications. More recently, reactive MgO-GGBS blends were shown to outperform lime-GGBS blends in terms of various engineering properties of the stabilized soils. Although the use of MgO or CaO in blends has been investigated, their combined use with GGBS has not. This paper considers the calcined dolomite as a source of MgO-CaO combination and investigates the use of calcined natural dolomite-GGBS blends in the stabilization of a clayey soil and a clayey silty sand. The influence of the calcination temperature, soil type, dosages of binder and curing period on the properties of the stabilized soils were studied by unconfined compressive strength (UCS), elastic stiffness (E50), XRD analysis and SEM. This initial work revealed that calcined dolomite-GGBS blends are practical and are an effective option for soil stabilization.

The constructions of highway often pass through naturally-deposited liquefiable grounds. Anti-earthquake design is essential for highway engineering practice in east China. Gravel column and dynamic compaction are often adopted for the improvements of such problematical grounds. The stability and settlement of the treated grounds depend much on the construction quality. How to investigate the quality of ground improvement is an important issue in highway engineering practice. In this study, the method of Spectral-Analysis-of-Surface-Waves (SASW) is applied to evaluate the construction quality on ground improvements by vibration gravel piles and dynamic compaction technique. The case studies show that the SASW method is a powerful way for investigating the improvement quality in highway engineering practice. The shear wave velocity measured in SASW has a relative good relationship with the N value measured in standard penetration tests.