Prognostic values of blood urea nitrogen/creatinine and cystatin C in patients with radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma.

Background: To evaluate the prognostic value of blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (BUN/SCr) and cystatin C (Cys C) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) after radical nephrectomy.

Methods: The study analysed 348 patients with RCC who underwent radical nephrectomy. The optimal cut-off was obtained based on the ROC of specific survival outcomes and the maximum Youden index.

Investigation of the Defect Structure of Congruent and Fe-Doped LiNbO₃ Powders Synthesized by the Combustion Method.

Fe-doped LiNbO₃ synthesized by the combustion method to seek new multiferroic materials exhibits room-temperature ferromagnetism, as reported in our previous work [1]. In this work, the defect structure of congruent and Fe-doped LiNbO₃ (0.57-3.

Inclusions properties at 1673 K and room temperature with Ce addition in SS400 steel.

Inclusion species formed in SS400 steel with Ce-addition was predicted by thermodynamic calculation. The analysis of the inclusion morphology and size distribution was carried out by applying Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Nano-FeO particles were also found in cerium-deoxidized and -desulfurized steel and their shapes were nearly spherical.

Thermodynamic Calculation among Cerium, Oxygen, and Sulfur in Liquid Iron.

Thermodynamic calculation has been applied to predict the inclusion formation in molten SS400 steel. When the Cerium addition in liquid iron is 70 ppm and the initial Oxygen and Sulphur are both 110 ppm, the formation of oxides containing Cerium would experience the transformation from CeO to CeO and also the formation of sulfides containing Cerium would experience the transformation from CeS to CeS and then to CeS. Below 2000 K the most thermodynamic stable matter is CeO and the less thermodynamic stable inclusion is CeS.

Effects of Rare Earth Metals on Steel Microstructures.

Rare earth metals are used in semiconductors, solar cells and catalysts. This review focuses on the background of oxide metallurgy technologies, the chemical and physical properties of rare earth (RE) metals, the background of oxide metallurgy, the functions of RE metals in steelmaking, and the influences of RE metals on steel microstructures. Future prospects for RE metal applications in steelmaking are also presented.