[en] Objective: To study the clinical significance of the changes of levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) after treatment in children with bronchial asthma. Methods: Serum TNF-α and GM-CSF levels were measured with RIA in 32 patients with bronchial asthma both before and after treatment as well as in 30 controls. Results: Before treatment the serum TNF-α and GM-CSF levels in patients were significantly higher than those in the controls (P<0.01). After ten days of treatment, the levels were not significantly different from those in controls (P >0.05 ). Conclusion: Changes of serum TNF-α and GM-CSF levels contents after treatment might be of prognostic importance in children with bronchial asthma. (authors)

[en] A full range of control method for water quality is employed in the practices of secondary loop water control and management at Ningde nuclear plant unit 1, namely equipment maintenance and washing during commissioning, chemical control during outage, complete rinsing and cleaning of the secondary loop in the process of start, and water regulation and control during operation. These have obtained significant performance. Water quality analyses have shown that the secondary loop and steam generator have good water quality, resulting in reduced equipment corrosion to a larger extent. (authors)

[en] LiNi_0_._8Co_0_._1_5Al_0_._0_5O_2 (NCA) microspheres covered by a nanoscale Li_2TiO_3-based shell were synthesized by a facile strategy based on a solvothermal pre-coating treatment combined with a post-sintering lithiation process. The morphology, structure and composition of the Li_2TiO_3-coated NCA samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscope (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Owing to the complete, uniform and nanoscale Li_2TiO_3 coating shell, the resultant surface-modified NCA microspheres used as Li-ion battery cathode materials manifest remarkably enhanced cycling performances, attaining 94% and 84% capacity retention after 200 and 400 cycles at 0.5 C, respectively, which is much better than the pristine NCA counterpart (60% retention, 200 cycles). More impressively, the surface-modified NCA also shows an intriguing storage stability. After being stored at 30 °C for 50 days, the coated NCA-based cells are subjected to be cycled both at room and elevated temperatures, in which the aged cells can still remain 84% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 25 °C and 77% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 55 °C, respectively. All these results demonstrate that the Li_2TiO_3-coated LiNi_0_._8Co_0_._1_5Al_0_._0_5O_2 microsphere is a promising cathode material for Li-ion batteries with long lifespan. - Graphical abstract: Nanoscale Li_2TiO_3-based shell encapsulated LiNi_0_._8Co_0_._1_5Al_0_._0_5O_2 (NCA) microspheres are fabricated through a solvothermal pre-coating treatment combined with post-lithiation process. The surface-coated NCA as cathode materials shows a remarkably enhanced cycling performance and storage stability for long lifespan Li-ion batteries. - Highlights: • Li_2TiO_3 is used as coating materials for layer structured LiNi_0_._8Co_0_._1_5Al_0_._0_5O_2 cathode. • Solvothermal coating strategy is employed to strengthen surface coating. • Coating layer improves the velocity of Li"+ migration on electrode surface. • Erosion from the HF and CO_2 on electrode is greatly suppressed.

[en] During normal operation, a malfunction of equipment or improper operation sometimes results in a turbine trip or reactor scram or even cold shutdown. Because present chemical control strategy and programs aimed at the situation of normal operation and planed refueling outage, no integrate emergency program of radiochemical and chemical control had been developed to focus on this urgent and unexpected situation. After many years of practice and experience feedback, chemists have created an emergency collaborative program of radiochemical and chemical control which aims at these unexpected situations such as unplanned unit down power, turbine trip, or reactor scram. The program defines different radiochemical and chemical control measures and steps during different status to monitor primary loop dose rate variation, fuel assembly integrity and water chemical excursion to prevent components from corrosion. (author)

[en] Ni-rich ternary layered oxides, (LiNi_x [M]_1_−_xO_2, x ≥ 0.5, M = Co and Mn), have become one of the mainstream cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to their high capacity and cost efficiency compared with LiCoO_2. However, the high-voltage operation of the Ni-rich oxides (>4.3 V) required for high capacity is inevitably accompanied with a rapid capacity decay over numerous cycles. In this work, we reported a surface coating of LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 with Li_2Si_2O_5via a facile and efficient synthetic approach, which involves the employment of silicic acid (H_2SiO_3) as remover to react with the surface residual lithium compounds (e.g. Li_2CO_3 and LiOH) of LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 and consequent formation of a robust and complete Li"+-conductive Li_2Si_2O_5 protective coating layer. The structure and morphology of the coated cathode materials are fully characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared with the pristine LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2, coating with the Li"+-conductive Li_2Si_2O_5 is found to be very effective for improving the rate capability of the LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 when evaluated at a high cut-off voltage up to 4.5 V. Specifically, 1 wt. % H_2SiO_3-treated LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 electrode exhibits high discharge specific capacities of 213.9 and 121.6 mAh g"−"1 at 0.1 and 10 C, respectively, whereas the pristine electrode only shows 196.8 and 92.1 mAh g"−"1. Besides, the surface-modified LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 electrode also manifests an enhanced long-term cycling stability (67% capacity retention after 200 cycles at 5 C), much better than the pristine electrode (52% retention) due to the robust protective effect of the Li_2Si_2O_5 coating layer. All these results indicate that the Li_2Si_2O_5-coated LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 will be a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries with fascinating electrochemical energy storage capabilities. - Graphical abstract: Silicic acid is used as a remover to react with lithium residues (LiOH and Li_2CO_3) on the surface of LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 and subsequently generate an ion-conductive coating layer of Li_2Si_2O_5 after heat treatment. The surface-coated cathode materials show a remarkably enhanced rate capability, discharge specific capacities, and cycling performance for Li-ion batteries. - Highlights: • H_2SiO_3 is used as a remover to react with lithium residues on LiNi_0_._6Co_0_._2Mn_0_._2O_2 surface. • A surface coating layer of Li"+-conductive Li_2Si_2O_5 is formed. • Coating layer improves the velocity of Li"+ migration on electrode surface. • Erosion from the HF and CO_2 on electrode is greatly suppressed.

[en] By combining a 1030W total carbon analyzer and a 3180 liquid scintillation counter, a method for measuring ^l4C in NPP liquid effluents was established. It was achieved by using the total carbon analyzer to have the carbon in sample acidized and oxidized to carbon dioxide, which was then absorbed with a sodium hydroxide solution, and succeeded by liquid scintillation measurement. The method can effectively eliminate interference from other radionuclides, and can accurately determine ¹⁴C activity in the sample. The results show that its overall average recovery was 96.91%, detection limit was 2.07 Bq/L, and, the precision (relative standard deviation) and accuracy (relative error) of measurement results was less than ±5% respectively. (authors)

[en] The optimization and application of a domestic online sipping device are described in this paper. By optimizing and resetting key parameters, analyzing the threshold counting rate data in the form of chart, using ²⁴¹Am radioactive source to help locate the 81 keV position, we optimized the device state and sought out the failed fuel elements successfully during refueling outages. (authors)

[en] The E895 collaboration has undertaken a systematic and exclusive study of Au+Au collisions between 2-8A GeV. We present preliminary results on collective flow observables as a function of beam energy. Data are compared with theoretical predictions. (orig.)

[en] Chemical method to, by addition of H₂O₂, remove hydrogen dissolved in the water was discussed for its practicality at PWR plant. The successful application of this method in the Ningde nuclear power plant was summarized in the paper. It has been shown to be able to improve the efficiency of unit shutdown and optimize unit shutdown mode, suitable for dissolved hydrogen removal at PWR nuclear power plant. (authors)

[en] In order to improve the quality of discharged water from Ningde Nuclear Power Plant and avoid the negative impacts on the public members and the environment, defoaming agent tests were launched in April 2013 at Ningde Nuclear Power Plant. The paper mainly introduces the defoaming system's technical parameters suitable for Ningde Nuclear Power Plant, which may be used in design of the formal defoaming system. (authors)