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Scutellaria Linn., which belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is a commonly used medicinal plant for heat clearing and detoxification. In particular, the roots of S. baicalensis and the entire herb of S. barbata have been widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. The main active components of Scutellaria, including: baicalein, wogonin, norwogonin, scutellarein, and their glycosides have potential or existing drug usage. However, the wild resources of Scutellaria plants have been overexploited, and degenerated germplasm resources cannot fulfill the requirements of chemical extraction and clinical usage. Metabolic engineering and green production via microorganisms provide alternative strategies for greater efficiency in the production of natural products. Here, we review the progress of: pharmacological investigations, multi-omics, biosynthetic pathways, and metabolic engineering of various Scutellaria species and their active compounds. In addition, based on multi-omics data, we systematically analyze the phylogenetic relationships of Scutellaria and predict candidate transcription factors related to the regulation of active flavonoids. Finally, we propose the prospects of directed evolution of core enzymes and genome-assisted breeding to alleviate the shortage of plant resources of Scutellaria. This review provides important insights into the sustainable utilization and development of Scutellaria resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural, glass, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites are currently being replaced conventional materials due to their lower specific weight and superior strength properties. Natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites (NFRPCs) have grown in importance in real world applications recently due to a growing focus on the environmental and sustainability elements of engineering materials. The difficulty of machining FRP composites, which results in dimensional errors, poor product quality, and material damage, is due to their inhomogeneity, ease of deformation, and anisotropic nature. Moreover, this review gives an insight regarding recent developments and challenges that will help for upcoming researchers. The nonhomogeneous properties and insufficient ductility of natural and synthetic fiber-reinforced composites have produced fracturing and discontinuous chips during the machining operations. The machinability of FRP composites depends on the constituents present in the composites. More delaminations were found in the natural fiber composites due to improper bonding and less compatibility with the polymer matrices, also the lower heat resistant property of the natural fibers causes serious problems during the machining process. Hence more studies are needed to decrease the thrust force and delamination damages in carbon, glass, and natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

They offer a comprehensive look at the implementation of JESSICA in Poland and their effects in Polish cities, also pinpointing their shortcomings at the level of implementation and the regulatory framework. Cities and metropolitan areas are widely recognised as the engine of economic growth and development, and the driving force behind the development of regions and countries. In the introduction the authors set out the main objective of the book I 'to determine whether the JESSICA initiative as a revolving financing instrument is an effective tool for supporting urban regeneration activities and contributes to achieving sustainable urban development i ' (pp. 5-6). [Extracted from the article]

It is important to find pollution-free, eco-friendly solvents to replace traditional organic solvents. As a new class of medium, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) provide a source of breaking through the green engineering barrier and bring new opportunities for extraction using green chemistry. In this research, the methods of polyphenol extraction from Lilium davidii var. unicolor Salisb with different types of DESs such as choline chloride, betaine, and tetrabutyl ammonium chloride-based DESs were investigated. Compared with traditional extraction solvent systems using methanol, DESs, which are composed of choline chloride and citric acid, have a higher extractive yield. The extraction conditions of polyphenol from Lilium davidii var. unicolor Salisb were studied; moreover, macroporous adsorptive resin was shown to be an efficient way in which to recover polyphenolic compounds. Recovery and reuse of DESs were also analyzed. DESs as "green and designed" solvent can be used to extract polyphenolic compounds from natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study illustrates enhanced removal of methylene blue (MB) and malachite green (MG) from water using alkali-activated coconut fiber (ACF) as adsorbent. Alkali activation effectively reduces the lignocellulosic components present within coco-fiber which in turn reinforces the coco-fiber to become more water-stable. The material was characterized by FTIR, SEM-EDS, BET, XRD, and pHZPC. BET surface area was found to be 10.901 m2 g−1, whereas pHZPC of the material is 6.05. FESEM images reveal rod-like morphology. Batch experiments were optimized with respect to contact time (0–120 min), temperature (288–308 K), pH (3–10), dose (1–5 g) and input dye concentration (10–50 mg L−1). The maximum adsorption coefficient was found to be 133.11 and 110.74 mg g−1 for MB and MG respectively. Adsorptions are best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics (kMB = 1.712, R2 = 0.999; kMG = 1.399, R2 = 0.999) and Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.999). Thermodynamic data suggests a spontaneous (ΔG, −14 kJ mol−1) and feasible process. Spent material could be regenerated by using 0.5 M HCl. Up to 50% retention of activities was seen after five cycles. It can be concluded that alkali-activated coconut fiber is an economic and sustainable choice for dye removal. Novelty statement: Spent coconut was converted into an effective biosorbent by simple alkali activation under ambient conditions to increase the hydrophobicity of the fibers by reducing the lignocellulosic components. Two cationic dyes; methylene blue and malachite green have been efficiently removed with adsorption capacities of 133.11 and 110.74 mg g−1. The operation is simple, economically viable, and partially fulfills the principles of green engineering. Comparing with contemporary adsorbents, this material offers higher adsorption capacities with multi-cycle reusability and enhanced water stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short wool fibers are unsuitable for most of the high value fiber applications but have excellent thermal insulation and other properties. Previous studies have developed composites with a low proportion of wool, flame-retarding additives which increase the cost and are therefore not sustainable. In this study, low-cost wool-polypropylene (PP) composites containing up to 90% wool fibers with PP fibers as the matrix was compression molded and compared against commercially available false ceiling tiles. The composites had the best flame retardancy of V0, thermal conductivity in the range of 0.058–0.083 W/mK and noise absorption co-efficient of up to 0.86. Wool-PP composites had excellent thermal stability until 250°C with a weight loss as low as 1.2%. The highest water absorption of the sheep wool-PP composites after 24 h was 34% (w/w) as opposed to 84% for the gypsum board. Potential applications of wool-PP composites include automotive, building interior and other end-uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 4 SP th sp International Conference on Recent Advancements in Chemical, Environmental, and Energy Engineering (RACEEE 2019) was organized by academics and researchers belonging to various scientific areas of chemical engineering and its allied fields. The theme of the RACEEE 2019 conference was to I "Ignite, i Inspire and Innovate Novel Technology in Chemical, Environmental and Energy Engineering for Sustainable Future Development", and to promote young minds and their research abilities by providing an International platform to interact with the experts in the field of Chemical, Environmental, and Energy Engineering. [Extracted from the article]