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The mining of extra-thick coal seams features severe deformation of the stoping roadway and section coal pillars due to the large mining thickness of the coal seams and the intense movement of the overlying strata. The adjacent goaf and secondary mining disturbance in the current working face further challenge the roadway deformation control. This study explores the effect of the overlying strata structural evolution in the fully mechanized caving face of the extra-thick seam on the failure of section roadway and coal pillars. Physical analog modeling was carried out. A MatchID non-contact full-field displacement- and strain-measuring system was used to determine the evolutionary characteristics of the overlying strata breakage in the extra-thick coal seam, including the displacement variation pattern and stress/strain distribution in coal pillars. The results indicated that following the primary mining disturbance in the adjacent working face, the section roadway and coal pillars underwent initial deformation due to the primary mining-induced stress. As the mining of the current working face continued, the section roadway and coal pillars were subjected to secondary mining disturbance to the effect that the structure of the broken overlying strata gradually formed a triangular support structure. Thus, the overlying strata tilted downwards and subsided, forming a layered hanging roof structure. The additional load was then imposed on the stoping roadway and upper part of the section coal pillars. Meanwhile, the overlying strata failure caused a significant increase in the stress within the section coal pillars. Following the secondary mining disturbance, the peak stress reached a maximum of 33.62 KPa, leading to deformation and instability failure of the section roadway and coal pillars. Finally, distinctive evolutionary features of the overlying strata structure in the extra-thick and ordinary coal seams were identified, and their effect on the deformation and failure of the section roadway and coal pillars were analyzed in detail. These findings are considered instrumental in substantiating the deformation control of the stoping roadway and coal pillars in the extra-thick coal seams.

Shearer is an indispensable and important equipment for coal mining and the mining efficiency of shearer depends on the performance of pick to a great extent. In this paper, we conducted a series experiments of single pick cutting on the coal and rock cutting testbed. Simultaneously, we built the single pick cutting coal seam model, based on which, considering the strength condition of coal seam and coal–rock interface, the rotary cutting mechanical model of pick cutting coal seam with coal–rock interface is established. According to the crushing theory of coal and rock interface, this paper analyzed stress strain and strength condition of the area surround the interface, which ensured the basics for the further research. The data of picking force in the cutting process under different experimental conditions was collected by the sensor installed on the drum, a phenomenon appeared in the amplitude domain analysis of the data that the bigger force arising along with the greater compressive strength difference between coal seam and coal–rock interface, which means the force is positively correlated with the compressive strength. The results of time domain analysis shown that some basic properties of the cutting load changes over times.

Considering the failure mechanism of pick cutting coal & rock, combined with the cutting load test, the single pick load of cutting coal & rock is obtained and analyzed,​ based on the load of single coal & rock caving load change process in time domain analysis, establish the fold catastrophe theory model of cutting load, qualitative analysis, the change rule of cutting load and provide theoretical basis for the further study of cutting load. The single fracture load equation in cutting was obtained by numerical fitting, the load characteristics and change rule were analyzed by catastrophe theory, the coal–rock cutting system dynamics model was established. The mutation characteristics of coal and rock breaking process for pick pressing into the coal and rock until spallation are revealed, and the mutation mechanical model taking the load as disturbance factor is established. The stiffness of the cutting system plays an important role in cutting. The dynamic crushing load change process of coal–rock cutting mechanical system can be well described by catastrophe theory.

Parabolic trough collectors may be used to increase the temperature of a heat transfer fluid flowing inside absorber tubes. A method of solar-aided power generation in thermal power plants is using heat transfer from the high-temperature heat transfer fluid for feed water heating. In doing so, less steam is extracted from steam turbine, and power output is increased. This paper investigates an alternative method of solar-aided power generation that uses direct steam generating parabolic trough collectors for feed water heating in a small biomass power plant. Such a power plant consists of an open feed water heater, which is more commonly known as deaerator due to its capability to remove dissolved gases from feed water. Feed water heating by solar energy in this power plant is more easily implemented by using parabolic trough collectors with direct steam generation than parabolic trough collectors with a heat transfer fluid. The proposed integration of parabolic trough collectors into a biomass power plant requires the supply of saturated steam from parabolic trough collectors to the deaerator. The steam quality reaches the maximum value when the direct normal irradiance is maximum. The performance of this system depends on the average value of effective direct normal irradiance. Simulation results show that there exists the optimum extracted steam pressure, which results in the maximum electrical energy generated by the power plant.

In this study, the authors discover the phenomenon of folding during the process of zone melting and purification of aluminum in a protective atmosphere, for the first time, and these surface folds tend to affect the purity and crystal growth of aluminum. Compared with zone melting purification under a protective atmosphere, when zone melting under vacuum is used, interfacial folding is reduced, and accordingly, the aluminum purity is improved and grain size is increased. Results show that when the vacuum is controlled at 0.1Pa, the aluminum samples show perfect purity and large crystal particles.

Due to the increase in human population, habitat destruction, and the close interaction between humans, animals and the environment, these dynamic changes are a threat to the health of human, animal and environment. Therefore, we required intervention consisting of medical, veterinary, environment and other relevant disciplines and sectors in combination. If biological and environmental health is supposed to be optimum, cooperation and coordination is necessary between the multi-sectoral stakeholders responsible for the efforts. It not limits to a region or country on a worldwide scope. One Health encourages a collaborative, coordinated, and multidisciplinary approach to ensure the health and wellbeing of humans, animals, and the environment across different spatial levels, it aims to optimal health for lives and the environment, and recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment. This review discussed the essential to integrate One Health in the areas of infectious diseases, food safety, antimicrobial resistance, ecological environment, and chronic diseases etc., and discuss the practice of One Health in each area with some examples, hoping that One Health will serve as a framework to solve the challenges and issues facing China.

This chapter discusses current developments and latest applied solid–liquid separation technologies and equipment used for coal. It commences with a classification of the different solid–liquid separation technologies used and pre-treatment applied, such as thickening, coagulation and flocculation. It then describes all types of commonly used filters, including vacuum and pressure types, centrifuges such as vibrating basket, screen scroll, screen bowl and solid bowl types with their applications for different coal size fraction or coal tailings. An overview of non-mechanical technologies such as coal drying is given before the chapter closes with a discussion on the emerging and future trends in solid–liquid separation within the coal industry.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the various factors influencing the ratio between the total amount of soil nutrients and the plant-available fraction. The chemical soil analysis or soil testing is a rapid and inexpensive process of obtaining information on nutrient availability in soils as a basis for recommending fertilizer application. Soil testing uses a range of conventional extraction methods involving different forms of dilute acids, salts, or complexing agents, as well as water. Weak extractants such as water or sodium bicarbonate reflect the intensity of supply (concentration in soil solution), whereas strong extractants primarily indicate the capacity of the soil to supply nutrients to the soil solution. Although a high root density and long root hairs are important factors in the uptake of nutrients supplied by diffusion, the relationship between root density and uptake rate is not always linear. In such cases, inter-root competition plays an important role in relating root density to their contribution to nutrient supply. In dry climates, nutrient availability in the topsoil declines during the growing season as the low soil water content becomes a limiting factor for nutrient delivery to the root surface, and the nutrient uptake is further decreased by impaired root growth in dry soil. Soil structure plays an important role in determining the amounts of nutrients that are available for uptake by roots. In structured soils not all roots have complete contact with the soil matrix, and in nonmycorrhizal plants the degree of root–soil contact at various positions along the root axis may vary from 0 to 100%. In soils with high bulk density, limitation of root penetration through the soil matrix is accompanied by increased proportion of roots in macropores that have increased organic matter content, enhanced nutrient availability, and increased abundance of microorganisms.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are lipophilic chemicals that are normally formed as by-products of fossil fuel combustion and residues of coal processing. They are ubiquitous as contaminants from petroleum and coal utilization and are of environmental and occupational health concern because of their toxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic properties.

Steam is the most energy efficient, reliable and flexible way to transfer heat within most food processing operations. This chapter discusses the differences between plant, filtered and clean steam and the various issues that affect their quality and purity. It summarises the best practices in steam system design, operation and maintenance that will help prevent contamination problems affecting food quality in the future. Food manufacturers should take pains to identify and control potential steam system contamination.

In order to operate in a safe manner, nuclear reactors should operate such that when small naturally occurring random power perturbations occur during operation, the reactor passively responds with corresponding reactivity changes that act to suppress the growth of the perturbations. While it is possible to control reactors, where this is not the case, quite a robust active control system is required to operate safely. Such reactor configurations are generally not desirable and should be avoided if possible. In a nuclear rocket engine, power perturbations manifest themselves through temperature changes in various portions of the reactor. It is possible that some portions of the reactor act to add reactivity when the temperature increases and other portions of the reactor act to decrease the reactivity when the temperature increases. As long as the overall reactivity change is such that the power decreases with increases in temperature, the reactor should be stable during operation.

Soil type is a vital determinant of soil fertility because of its characteristic biological, chemical, and physical properties. However, the soil fertility of upland soil is probably changed by different agricultural management practices regardless of soil type. This study investigated the features of soil fertility (bacterial biomass, total carbon (TC), and total nitrogen (TN)) in upland fields in Japan. One thousand soil samples from different soil types were collected from upland fields located on 36 prefectures in Japan. The soil fertility was analyzed using the Soil Fertility Index (SOFIX). There were six soil types included in this study: Organic soils (B), Andosols (D), Lowland soils (F), Red-yellow soils (G), Stagnic soils (H), and Brown Forest soils (I). Of these, the soil types D and F occupied the largest percentage of samples. The values of bacterial biomass, TC, and TN varied greatly, regardless of soil type. The soil fertility does not seem to be characterized by the soil type in upland soils in Japan. The correlations between bacterial biomass and TC (r = 0.23, p < 0.01) and bacterial biomass and TN (r = 0.16, p < 0.01) were relatively weak. Conversely, the correlation between TC and TN (r = 0.68, p < 0.01) was moderate. In soil type D, up to 40% of samples had no bacterial biomass detected and 17% possessed a low bacterial biomass. The effect of the soil types may not be a critical factor in soil fertility in the upland fields.

The distribution of natural fractures in coal seams and their effect on the anisotropy of the stress sensitivity of permeability are key issues that are commonly encountered in the simultaneous extraction of coal and gas. To fully understand the law of anisotropy of the effective porosity and stress sensitivity of coal permeability, a modified permeability model and the corresponding anisotropic evaluation index of the stress sensitivity were established considering the influence of the natural fracture distribution of coal. Based on anisotropic coal samples obtained from the Tashan coal mine, the effective porosity and permeability in three orthogonal directions under different stress conditions were systematically evaluated, and the anisotropic evolution law of the stress sensitivity of the permeability was quantitatively analyzed. The results show that the natural fracture system of coal exhibits complex heterogeneity, and the compressibility of the fractures in different directions is different, resulting in significant anisotropic permeability and stress sensitivity. The effective porosity sensitivity of the coal permeability exhibits a power relation with the effective porosity, and a higher effective porosity corresponds to a more notable anisotropy of the effective porosity sensitivity. Under a low stress, the coal stress sensitivity in the direction perpendicular to the bedding planes is the largest. When the stress increases to 19 MPa, the dominant direction of the stress sensitivity changes, and the direction parallel to the face cleats experiences the maximum stress sensitivity of permeability at a high stress level. The power index of the correlation between the coal permeability and effective porosity in different directions of the coal samples in the Tashan coal mine ranges from 2.42 to 9.18, and a constant value of 3 is not observed. This result can be attributed to the influence of the pore size, fracture width and difference in the pore–fracture distribution.

Oxy-fuel combustion is considered one of the most effective CO2 emission control technologies, and CO2 has a very important effect on coal pyrolysis. A novel Concentrating Photothermal Thermogravimetric Analyzer was developed to study the effect of CO2 on coal pyrolysis at fast heating rate of 1000 °C/min. Coal conversion characteristics, kinetics and structural evolution of coal/char were analyzed comprehensively and quantitatively. The average mass loss rates at 1000 °C/min under various CO2 atmospheres were about two orders of magnitude higher than those at 10 °C/min. The activation energies calculated by the best-fitted D3 model were 34.52–36.22 kJ/mol under various CO2 atmospheres. CO2 inhibited functional groups transformation, aromatization rate within 500 °C and formation of stable radicals, but promoted coal aromatization at relatively higher temperature and induced gasification.

This paper adopted theoretical derivation and experiments to investigate the stress wave propagation characteristics in rock under water jet impact and fracture response of coal. The evolution model of stress and displacement was presented to analyze the formation, propagation and attenuation of stress wave during rock fragmentation. The rock failure criterion for shear and tensile failure under dynamic impact loads, and crack propagation criterion under quasi-static pressure of water jet were established. And the broken pit range formed by shear component of stress wave and the damage range caused by tensile stress were obtained. Based on scanning electron microscopy and binarization method, experiments on water jet impinging coal under various velocities were conducted to study the failure patterns and fracture characteristics of coal. It is indicated that during the water-hammer pressure and its unloading stage, the radial stress and tangential stress decrease first and then increase, accompanying the occurrences of the radial and tangential tensile stresses peaks and the maximum compression displacement. In the subsequent stagnation pressure stage, the radial and tangential stresses trend to be the stable compressive stress and tensile stress, respectively. The peak values of radial stress and tangential stress at different stages all decay exponentially with the propagation distance. Moreover, the broken pit surrounded with radial and annular cracks is formed on coal when the jet velocity exceeds the threshold value, while the split fracture of coal will occur for the high impact velocity. The rock-breaking specific energy consumption decreases first and then increases with the increasing jet velocity. Besides, the theoretical damage scope is verified and close to the experimental value before the splitting fracture of coal. Combined with fracture morphology of coal debris with different sizes, two microscopic damage-failure modes of coal impacted by water jets are revealed, namely shear failure and tensile failure.

Background/Purpose: Lacto-vegetarians (LVs) tend to have vitamin B12 deficiency (B12D). This study assessed whether 140 female LVs, including 16 B12D/LVs and 124 non-B12D/LVs, had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, macrocytosis, and of blood hemoglobin (Hb), red blood cell (RBC), and serum vitamin B12 deficiencies than 140 healthy control subjects (HCSs). Methods: The complete blood count and serum vitamin B12 level in 140 female LVs and 140 female HCSs were measured and compared. Results: We found that 8.6%, 4.3%, 22.9%, 20.0%, and 11.4% of 140 LVs had microcytosis, macrocytosis, and blood Hb, RBC, and serum vitamin B12 deficiencies, respectively. The 140 LVs, 16 B12D/LVs, and 124 non-B12D/LVs had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis as well as blood Hb and RBC deficiencies than 140 HCSs (all P-values

Aphanamixis polystachya may be a natural, renewable resource against antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The antibacterial activity of A. polystachya leaf and bark extracts was investigated against three antibiotic-resistant bacterial species and one fungus. Methanolic leaf extract showed only limited antibacterial activity but both methanolic and aqueous bark extract showed high antimicrobial activity. In an antioxidant activity test, leaf and bark extracts exhibited 50% free radical scavenging at a concentration of 107.14 ± 3.14 μg/mL and 97.13 ± 3.05 μg/mL, respectively, indicating that bark extracts offer more antioxidative activity than leaf extracts. Bark extracts also showed lower toxicity than leaf extracts. This suggests that bark extracts may offer greater development potential than leaf extracts. The molecular dynamics were also investigated through the simulated exploration of multiple potential interactions to understand the interaction dynamics (root-mean-square deviation, solvent-accessible surface area, radius of gyration, and the hydrogen bonding of chosen compounds to protein targets) and possible mechanisms of inhibition. This molecular modeling of compounds derived from A. polystachya revealed that inhibition may occur by binding to the active sites of the target proteins of the tested bacterial strains. A. polystachya bark extract may be used as a natural source of drugs to control antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In response to the increasingly complex causes of coal mine accidents, a system analysis method — Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) is used in the analysis of major accidents in coal mines. Based on a comparative analysis of multiple causation models, this paper will use STAMP model to control coal mine safety system from many aspects of coal mine accident cause level. Finally, the causes of such accidents are summarized and compared with the existing analytical conclusions. The results demonstrate that using the STAMP model to analyse major accidents in coal mines can lead to more comprehensive conclusions than that of traditional causal models. In addition to equipment defects and illegal operations by workers, the fundamental reason underlying accidents is that the elimination or delay of the feedback loop between the layers in the layered control structure of the system after changes occur in the system’s external environment.

Coal is one of the most important energy sources in China, and bituminous coal accounts for 80% of China's total coal. However, there are still some deficiencies in the previous understanding of the failure and mechanical characteristics of bituminous materials under external loads of different strain rates (especially high strain rates). To investigate the tensile and fracture mechanical properties of bituminous coal at different strain rates, the GCTS multifunctional rock mechanical loading device and Hopkinson bar dynamic loading system were employed. The crack extension process and crack distribution after damage of bituminous coal specimens were also analyzed by high-speed camera and CT scanning instrument. The results show that the peak stress distribution of the Brazilian disc (BD) bituminous coal samples ranged from 3.5 MPa to 5 MPa. The main crack expansion path of the internal splitting is not straight due to the non-homogeneity of the coal sample itself. And the secondary cracks of the specimen are more developed and mostly located in the middle region with transverse spreading. The average peak load of the notched semicircular bending (NSCB) coal samples tends to decrease with increasing depth of the notch. In addition, dynamic crack initiation toughness of NSCB bituminous coal specimen decreases continuously as the initiation time increases. The relationship between fracture toughness and crack initiation time is an approximate exponential function. The normalized dynamic fracture toughness test value of bituminous coal is higher than that of steel material, but lower than that of granite.

Recently, the demand for biodegradable, eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives has been on the increase. Although numerous biopolymers such as cellulose, starch, plants proteins and polylactic acid, etc., have been used to produce bioplastics, the outcomes need more improvement to suit different applications. This paper comprehensively maps the expanding academic territory using lignin as a reinforcement material to improve biopolymers-based materials' properties. A brief discussion on the chronological development of lignin, types, isolation, physical and chemical modifications was presented. Also, the role of lignin in biopolymeric blends such as starch, polylactic acids, plants proteins, polyhydroxy butyrate and polyamides was reviewed. Finally, the review extensively and critically discusses the current findings on lignin/biopolymers blends in various industrial applications, including wood adhesives, adsorbent for toxic heavy metal removal, production of carbon materials, dispersant medium, flame retardant and storage materials, etc., and highlighted the possible applications of lignin in biofuel, hydrocarbon, lubricant, renewable chemical, and smart materials.

Cariogenic bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus, are main pathogens responsible for human dental caries. Pu'er tea is empirically observed to prevent tooth decay. Besides caffeine and catechins commonly found in oolong tea, strictinin is also found as an abundant phenolic compound in Pu'er tea. Infusion of Pu'er tea as well as single compound, strictinin, caffeine or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was examined for its inhibitory effects on S. mutans and S. sobrinus. Relatively weak inhibition of bacterial growth was observed for these Pu'er tea constituents. However, biofilm formation of S. mutans or S. sobrinus was strongly prevented by the infusion of Pu'er tea as well as by strictinin or EGCG, but not caffeine. Relatively, strictinin showed a higher potency than EGCG to prevent biofilm formation. Anti-caries effect of Pu'er tea seems to be resulted from the prevention of biofilm formation of cariogenic bacteria mainly by strictinin and catechins.

Parent materials and the fertility levels of paddy soils are highly variable in subtropical China. Bacterial diversity and community composition play pivotal roles in soil ecosystem processes and functions. However, the effects of parent material and fertility on bacterial diversity and community composition in paddy soils are unclear. The key soil factors driving the changes in bacterial diversity, community composition, and the specific bacterial species in soils that are derived from different parent materials and have differing fertility levels are unknown. Soil samples were collected from paddy fields in two areas with different parent materials (quaternary red clay or tertiary sandstone) and two levels of fertility (high or low). The variations in bacterial diversity indices and communities were evaluated by 454 pyrosequencing which targeted the V4–V5 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The effects of parent material and fertility on bacterial diversity and community composition were clarified by a two-way ANOVA and a two-way PERMANOVA. A principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), a redundancy analysis (RDA), and multivariate regression trees (MRT) were used to assess changes in the studied variables and identify the factors affecting bacterial community composition. Co-occurrence network analysis was performed to find correlations between bacterial genera and specific soil properties, and a statistical analysis of metagenomic profiles (STAMP) was used to determine bacterial genus abundance differences between the soil samples. The contributions made by parent material and soil fertility to changes in the bacterial diversity indices were comparable, but soil fertility accounted for a larger part of the shift in bacterial community composition than the parent material. Soil properties, especially soil texture, were strongly associated with bacterial diversity. The RDA showed that soil organic carbon (SOC) was the primary factor influencing bacterial community composition. A key threshold for SOC (25.5 g kg–1) separated low fertility soils from high fertility soils. The network analysis implied that bacterial interactions tended towards cooperation and that copiotrophic bacteria became dominant when the soil environment improved. The STAMP revealed that copiotrophic bacteria, such as Massilia and Rhodanobacter, were more abundant in the high fertility soils, while oligotrophic bacteria, such as Anaerolinea, were dominant in low fertility soils. The results showed that soil texture played a role in bacterial diversity, but nutrients, especially SOC, shaped bacterial community composition in paddy soils with different parent materials and fertility levels.

Micaceous soils are common in many tropical countries and regions, and in some locations with moderate climate. The soils are spongy and unstable when loaded and are not considered suitable as construction material in earth structures. To resolve the issue, this work examined performance of micaceous soil reinforced with a combination of jute fibers, hydrated lime or slag-lime. A total of 28 sample sets were prepared at various dosages. Unconfined compression tests were conducted on the samples cured for 7 d and 28 d, respectively. The test results suggested that the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and material stiffness were increased with the inclusion of up to 1% fiber and decreased if additional fibers were used. The ductility was improved consistently with up to 1.5% fiber content. The inclusions of fibers combined with hydrated lime or slag-lime further enhanced strength and stiffness of micaceous soil, and the improvement depended on the dosages used. For the dosages examined, jute fibers outweighed lime and slag in gaining ductility, and the optimal fiber content was 1% where strength and ductility were considered.

Visual Abstract, Highlights • Because autophagy and Nox2 activation were identified as possible mechanisms for preservation of vessel integrity, they could be useful biomarkers to predict risk of aneurysm rupture by detecting the presence of a subclinical aneurysm or monitoring their growth. • Biomarkers such as molecules involved in autophagic machinery or Nox2 activation may help to explain pathological processes involved in TAA development and expansion, thereby opening up novel potential therapeutic strategies, such as the use of natural activators of autophagy or molecules that inhibit Nox2 activation, in the setting of aneurysmatic pathology. • Formation of aortic aneurysmal disease is multifactorial. Among the mechanisms involved, there is endothelial damage, oxidative stress, as well as an autophagy process, that seem to play a key role in TAA. Therefore, to identify the molecular mechanisms of these processes in TAA patients could lay the groundwork for defining strategies for preventing and slowing the progression of TAA., Summary Thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) pathogenesis and progression include many mechanisms. The authors investigated the role of autophagy, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction in 36 TAA patients and 23 control patients. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed. TAA patients displayed higher oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction then control patients. Autophagy in the TAA group was reduced. The association of oxidative stress and autophagy with aortic disease supports the role of these processes in TAA. The authors demonstrate a putative role of Nox2 and autophagy dysregulation in human TAA. These findings could pinpoint novel treatment targets to prevent or limit TAA progression.

Vine tea has been used as an herbal tea by several ethnic minorities for hundreds of years in China. Flavonoids, a kind of indispensable component in a variety of nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, are identified to be the major metabolites and bioactive ingredients in vine tea. Interestingly, vine tea exhibits a wide range of significant bioactivities including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antidiabetic, neuroprotective and other activities, but no toxicity. These bioactivities, to some extent, enrich the understanding about the role of vine tea in disease prevention and therapy. The health benefits of vine tea, particularly dihydromyricetin and myricetin, are widely investigated. However, there is currently no comprehensive review available on vine tea. Therefore, this report summarizes the most recent studies investigating bioactive constituents, pharmacological effects and possible mechanisms of vine tea, which will provide a better understanding about the health benefits and preclinical assessment of novel application of vine tea., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Vine tea has been consumed as a folk herbal tea for hundreds of years. • Flavonoids were the major bioactive ingredients in vine tea. • Dihydromyricetin and myricetin are major bioactives in vine tea. • Vine tea exhibits a wide range of significant bioactivities. • Vine tea may be a potential, functional herbal tea.

This paper studies the microstructure variation induced by super-absorbent polymer (SAP) to understand the mechanism of macroscopic strength improvement of stabilized soil. The fabric changes of cement–lime stabilized soil were analyzed with respect to the variation of SAP content, water content, lime content and curing time, using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests. It can be observed that the delimitation pore diameter between inter- and intra-aggregate pores was 0.2 μm for the studied soil, determined through the intrusion/extrusion cycles. Experimental results showed that fabric in both inter- and intra-aggregate pores varied significantly with SAP content, lime content, water content and curing time. Two main changes in fabric due to SAP are identified as: (1) an increase in intra-aggregate pores (2 μm) due to the shrinkage of SAP particle during the freeze–dry process of MIP test. Accordingly, the strength gain due to SAP for cement–lime stabilized soil was mainly due to a denser fabric with less inter-aggregate pores. The cementitious products gradually developed over time, leading to an increase in intra-aggregate pores with an increasing proportion of micro-pores (0.006–0.2 μm). Meanwhile, the inter-aggregate pores were filled by cementitious products, resulting in a decrease in total void ratio. Hence, the strength development over time is attributable to the enhancement of cementation bonding and the refinement of fabric due to the increasing cementitious compounds.

Ginseng has long been considered as an herbal medicine. Recent data suggest that ginseng has anti-inflammatory properties and can improve learning- and memory-related function in the central nervous system (CNS) following the development of CNS neuroinflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral ischemia, and other neurological disorders. In this review, we discuss the role of ginseng in the neurovascular unit, which is composed of endothelial cells surrounded by astrocytes, pericytes, microglia, neural stem cells, oligodendrocytes, and neurons, especially their blood-brain barrier maintenance, anti-inflammatory effects and regenerative functions. In addition, cell-cell communication enhanced by ginseng may be attributed to regeneration via induction of neurogenesis and angiogenesis in CNS diseases. Thus, ginseng may have therapeutic potential to exert cognitive improvement in neuroinflammatory diseases such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease., Graphical abstract Image 1

The selection of pretreatment conditions has important meaning for the high-value utilization of lignocellulose. This study explored the influence of different acid-deep eutectic solvent (DES) systems on the extraction of lignin. It was found that the lignin samples extracted with ChCl (Choline chloride)-formic acid (FDES) had a greater degree of damage, and they had a lower molecular weight (Mw 10%) and the structure was less damaged, but with increasing reaction time, the polymerization effect of lignin became more obvious. This research is meaningful for exploring the process of acid DES separation of lignin and the green transformation of biomass.

High-performance conductive hydrogels are desired for the development of flexible wearable sensors. However, it remains a challenge to simultaneously realize high stretchable, freezing tolerance, and attractive conductivity through a simple approach. In this work, we present stretchable, water retention, anti-freezing, and conductive hemicellulose/polypyrrole (H/PPY) composite hydrogels for application in epidermal strain sensors via freezing-thawing method. The composite hydrogels were obtained using hemicellulose as a hydrophilic carrier and polypyrrole as a conductive matrix. The freezing and thawing temperatures of the hydrogels decreased and the conductivity increased benefiting from the introduction of glycerol and NaCl. The hydrogels had good mechanical properties, remodeling ability and water retention after storage for 7 days. In addition, the strain sensors assembled by hydrogels accurately monitored the signals of human motions with good strain sensing durability. It is expected that the as-prepared hydrogels have the potential to be applied in the fields of wearable devices.

The present manuscript proposes the use of two different approaches for kinetic modeling to study the thermal decomposition of sulfates: a graphical one (sigmoid) and a stochastic one (particle swarm optimization - PSO). Three scenarios were analyzed: pure potassium alum, pure aluminum sulfate, and a mixture of potassium sulfate and aluminum sulfate using TGA under inert atmosphere (N2). The presence of potassium sulfate reduced the decomposition temperature of aluminum sulfate. The results of both methods agree with each other, despite not yielding the same values. The determined apparent orders were around 1.7 for all cases in the graphical method and varied from 1.02 (pure aluminum sulfate) and around 1.5 (potassium alum and mixture of sulfates) for the PSO method. The activation energies were in the range 209–264 kJ mol−1 for the graphical method and 296–352 kJ mol−1 for the PSO method, with the mixture of sulfates having the lowest activation energy values, and the pure aluminum sulfate having the highest ones.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • A comprehensive review about number of toxins with pharmacological importances. • Toxicological evaluations of several toxins with its targeted protein. • Benchmark of venom peptides with mechanism of action., Venom peptides have been evolving complex therapeutic interventions that potently and selectively modulate a range of targets such as ion channels, receptors, and signaling pathways of physiological processes making it potential therapeutic. Several venom peptides were deduced in vivo for clinical development targeting pain management, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, antimicrobial activity. Several contributions have been detailed for a clear perspective for a better understanding of venomous animals, their venom, and their pharmacological effects. Here we unravel and summarize the recent advances in wide venom peptides across varieties of species for their therapeutics prospects.

The stress and gas pressure in deep coal seams are very high, and instability and failure rapidly and intensely occur. It is important to study the infrared precursor characteristics of gas-bearing coal instability and failure. In this paper, a self-developed stress-gas coupling failure infrared experimental system was used to analyse the infrared radiation temperature (IRT) and infrared thermal image precursor characteristics of gas-free coal and gas-bearing coal. The changes in the areas of the infrared temperature anomalous precursor regions and the effect of the gas on the infrared precursors were examined. The results show that high-temperature anomalous precursors arise mainly when the gas-free coal fails under loading, whereas the gas-bearing coal has high-temperature and low-temperature anomalous precursors. The area of the high-temperature anomalous precursor is approximately 30%–40% under gas-bearing coal unstable failure, which is lower than the 60%–70% of the gas-free coal. The area of the low-temperature abnormal precursor is approximately 3%–6%, which is higher than the 1%–2% of the gas-free coal. With increasing gas pressure, the area of the high-temperature anomalous precursor gradually decreases, and the area of the low-temperature anomalous precursor gradually increases. The high- and low-temperature anomalous precursors of gas-bearing coal are mainly caused by gas desorption, volume expansion, and thermal friction. The presence of gas inhibits the increase in IRT on the coal surface and increases the difficulty of infrared radiation (IR) monitoring and early warning for gas-bearing coal.

Coal gangue is the solid waste from the coal mining process. About 1 billion tons of coal gangue is discharged every year in the world. Coal gangue is usually piled up in the large areas and difficult to be used. Phase transformation and separation of alumina and silica minerals in coal gangue are studied in this paper in order to prompt the resource utilization of coal gangue. The results show that the phase transformation of kaolinite in coal gangue during high-temperature calcination is in the following way: kaolinite → metakaolin → spinel → mullite. Active silica mineral is released during the phase transition process, which can be separated from other minerals by caustic leaching. The optimal calcination temperature of coal gangue is 1050 ± 50 °C while the caustic leaching temperature is 85 °C and the leaching time should be kept between 60 and 80 min. The modulus of the sodium silicate solution can reach 1.0–1.1 and the alumina to silica ratio (A/S) of the desilicated residue can be raised to 1.7.

To modify the thermal properties of pitch by adding polyvinyl chloride (PVC), co-pyrolysis of PVC and coal tar pitch was performed. PVC decomposes into HCl and de-HCl PVC (polyene) above 200 °C, and these substances affect the synthesis behavior of coal tar pitch. It was confirmed that HCl induces cracking, promotes the radical reaction and lowers the polycondensation initiation temperature of coal tar pitch. Furthermore, aromatic components produced by the cyclization reaction of polyene participate in the polycondensation reaction, which increases the molecular weight of the pitch. This leads to an increase in softening point and coking value of pitch. The related mechanisms were assessed using thermal analysis (TGA, DTG, DSC) and molecular weight distribution analysis (MALDI-TOF).

White-rot fungi are thought to hold promise for development of a delignification pretreatment process for wood biorefinery that is less energy-consuming than current processes. However, the reaction must take place over weeks and consumes non-neglectable amounts of saccharides. To establish a biological process for wood biorefinery would first require establishment of an enzymatic approach to delignification. Such an approach has the potential to lower costs and reduce saccharide loss. Here, we attempted enzymatic delignification reactions using manganese peroxidases (MnP), a lignin-degrading enzyme, under several reaction conditions. The delignification rate from beech wood meal (particle size45 μm) of up to 11.0% in 48 h was reached in a MnP reaction supplemented with multiple co-oxidants, glucose, glucose oxidase (GOD) and commercial cellulase. An additional 48-h reaction using fresh MnP/co-oxidants increased the delignification rate to 14.2%. Simultaneous enzymatic delignification and saccharification, which occurs without a need for glucose supplementation, successfully improved the glucose yield to 160% of the reaction without MnP. Development of a more accurate imitation of the mechanisms of delignification that occurs in white-rot fungi has the potential to improve the monosaccharide yield resulting from simultaneous delignification and saccharification.

Soil is one of our most important natural resources. Regrettably, the expansion of human activities has resulted in the degradation of the soil resource due to contamination with a myriad of organic and inorganic compounds. The remediation of mixed contaminated soils, i.e. soils contaminated with both organic compounds and metals, is challenging as it requires actions to simultaneously decrease metal-induced risks and organic contaminant concentrations. Here, we evaluated the effect of the addition of zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nanoremediation) and organic amendments (biostimulation) on the rhizoremediation, using Brassica napus plants, of soil simultaneously contaminated with zinc (2500 mg kg(-1)) and lindane (100 mg kg(-1)). We used a factorial design with three factors (amendment, nZVI, plant) to evaluate the impact of the applied remediation actions on lindane and extractable Zn concentrations, as well as on soil health recovery as manifested by the values of different soil microbial indicators. The studied microbial indicators were not negatively affected by nZVI application. The application of nZVI was the most effective factor regarding the targeted reduction in lindane concentration (51% average reduction in nZVI treated soils). The highest reduction in extractable Zn was achieved in the presence of B. napus, nZVI and organic amendments (99 and 95% reduction in horse manure-amended and sewage sludge-amended soils, respectively). The combination of the three factors led to the highest values of soil microbial indicators (although a significant triple interaction was not observed for all parameters), especially when combined with horse manure amendment: in this case, prokaryotic richness increased by 64%, respiration by 376%, eukaryotic abundance by 333%, and prokaryotic abundance by 437%, compared to untreated soils. The combination of remediation approaches (rhizoremediation with B. napus, nanoremediation with nZVI, biostimulation with organic amendments) can help overcome the limitations of each individual strategy. This work was supported by the European Union through Interreg SUDOE Program (Project Phy2SUDOE SOE4/P5/E1021), the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness through NANORRIZORREM-2 (AGL2016-76592-R) and PRADA projects (PID2019-110055RB-C21 and PID2019-110055RB-789 C22), MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE, and Consolidated Research Group of the Basque Government (GV ITO18-16). JH is the recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. We sincerely thank Dr. Fernando Blanco for technical assistance.

In deep coal and rock mass engineering, extensive initial damage problems caused by excavation and unloading are critical to the long-term deformation and stability of underground projects. An innovative initial damage coal sample test method was proposed, and coal samples with different initial damage were prepared by the MTS pressure tester's circular displacement cyclic loading and unloading control. The creep characteristics of coal samples with different initial damages were tested by the staged loading creep test method. With the increase of initial damage, the coal samples’ creep time became shorter, and the rate of accelerated creep damage increased sharply. The relationship between fractional viscosity coefficient and stress was introduced to describe the non-linear relationship of creep strain increase at each stage. The creep model in the acceleration phase was improved by establishing the relationship between the damage variable and the initial damage. Based on the fractional calculus theory, a viscoelastic-plastic model considering the initial damage of coal samples was established, and the fractional order model was verified. The coefficient of correlation between the experimental data and the creep model was higher than 0.95, indicating that the fractional creep model can better describe the creep characteristics of coal samples with initial damage.

To evaluate the coal burst proneness more precisely, a new energy criterion namely the residual elastic energy index was proposed. This study begins by performing the single-cyclic loading-unloading uniaxial compression tests with five pre-peak unloading stress levels to explore the energy storage characteristics of coal. Five types of coals from different mines were tested, and the instantaneous destruction process of the coal specimens under compression loading was recorded using a high speed camera. The results showed a linear relationship between the elastic strain energy density and input energy density, which confirms the linear energy storage law of coal. Based on this linear energy storage law, the peak elastic strain energy density of each coal specimen was obtained precisely. Subsequently, a new energy criterion of coal burst proneness was established, which was called the residual elastic energy index (defined as the difference between the peak elastic strain energy density and post peak failure energy density). Considering the destruction process and actual failure characteristics of coal specimens, the accuracy of evaluating coal burst proneness based on the residual elastic energy index was examined. The results indicated that the residual elastic energy index enables reliable and precise evaluations of the coal burst proneness.

P91 ferritic steel pipes face dual environments during boilers operation: steam-side and fire-side. This P91 steel assessment differs from the dual studies performed to simulate coal-fired boilers -oxyfuel/steam atmospheres- since the fuel source is replaced by natural gas. This research work includes designing a device to reproduce dual corrosion studies at 650 °C and testing times up to 200 h. One coupon face was exposed to combustion gases while the other to steam. As a main result, the duplex's inner layer allowed to state that combustion gases overcome the steam oxidation rate by a factor of 1.6. Besides, we supplied physical-chemistry information about the surface and bulk of oxide layers by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction analysis. Thus, our experiments aimed to obtain data about the P91 early degradation under the simultaneous 72.73N2/8.30CO2/3.37O2/15.60H2O %mol and steam influence. We last for a future work the isolated evaluation of both environments to determine their role on the corrosion rate obtained in the current study.