Search

[Display omitted] • Isothermal prediction based on model-free method was established. • Kinetic parameters form model-free and model-fitting method were compared. • Gasification mechanism was revealed from carbon and pore structure evolution. • The fractal dimension D 1 was related with amorphous structure. • Mesopore SSA increased by hundred times whereas active sites changed insignificantly. Biomass gasification integrated with leaching pretreatment can be conducive to the sustainable energy system. In this work, the biochar gasification was studied from structure to reactivity with the consideration of leaching pretreatment. The biochar was prepared from raw and leached corn straw (CS) and corncob (CC) in a fixed bed reactor. The gasification was performed in thermogravimetric analyzer with the emphasis on kinetic parameters comparison and reactivity prediction. The carbon and pore structure were investigated to reveal gasification mechanism. The prediction procedure based on model-free method was proposed. From the results, compared with CS, leaching pretreatment reduced gasification reactivity of CC considerably according to reactivity index and reactivity prediction. The random pore model showed the best fitting performance. Furthermore, the leaching pretreatment reduced inorganics (mainly K) in CS and CC, and removed water-soluble organics (pectin) in CC. The active sites and surface roughness in leached biochar decreased accordingly. The CO 2 gasification can activate initial biochar after pyrolysis. Specifically, the specific surface area of mesopore increased by hundred times and more active sites were also generated. However, as the gasification proceeding, the active sites and the fractional dimensions changed insignificantly for both raw and leached biochar. The leaching pretreatment mainly promoted the micropore development during gasification. The pore structure evolution was consistent with the carbon structure, which appeared to be correlated with the kinetic analysis. The research gives new insight into structure-performance correlation of biomass gasification and provides the implication for sustainable energy system based on gasification technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In a previous paper [Ding et al., J. Membr. Sci. 276 (2006) 232], we have investigated the performance in microfiltration of mineral suspensions of a novel filtration pilot consisting in overlapping ceramic membranes disks rotating at same speed on two parallel shafts. In this paper, we investigate a modification of this concept in which the ceramic disks of one shaft were replaced by non-permeating metal disks of same size rotating at a speed different from that of membranes. We also operated the pilot without disks on the 2nd shaft in order to eliminate membrane overlapping. When using metal disks with radial vanes, permeate fluxes were found to be 50–60% higher than those obtained in the same conditions with the previous design using only ceramic disks. By comparing permeate fluxes in different configurations, membranes on both shafts, membranes on the 1st shaft with and without metal disks on the 2nd shaft, we showed that, at a feed concentration of 200gL−1, the effect on permeate flux J, of shear rate increment due to membrane overlapping, could be completely offset by the high concentration increase between two adjacent and overlapping membranes. Raising the ceramic disks rotation speed N c had a larger effect on J than increasing the metal disks speed N m. For N c =32.16Hz (1930rpm) and N m =2.4Hz (144rpm), J reached 1790Lh−1 m−2 at 310kPa, versus 1100Lh−1 m−2 for N c =12.3Hz (738rpm) and N m =22.26Hz (1336rpm) (for the same total sum N c + N m). Measurements of electrical power consumed by friction on rotating disks showed that the energy spent per m3 of permeate was lowest when using metal disk with vanes rotating at low speed and ceramic disks rotating at high speed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates a new design of dynamic filtration system which has become recently available. The pilot unit tested contains 12 ceramic membrane disks with 0.2μm pores, 9.0cm in diameter, mounted on two parallel shafts rotating in the same direction at the same speed and surrounded by a steel housing. The fluid is sheared between overlapping disks. The differential speed (DVn) between two adjacent disks has been shown to be uniform in the overlapping region and 51% higher than the azimuthal rim speed of a disk. Test fluids were CaCO3 suspensions at various concentrations ranging from 100 to 280gL−1 and 24°C. Permeate fluxes obtained at 1930rpm (DVn =13.47ms−1) and 200kPa were very high, ranging from 880Lh−1 m−2 at 100gL−1 to 720Lh−1 m−2 at 280gL−1. At 738rpm (DVn =5.25ms−1), these fluxes were respectively, 690 and 430Lh−1 m−2. When a system with rotating membranes is operated at a fixed inlet pressure, its permeate flux rises with increasing speed until it reaches a maximum and decreases at higher speed, due to build-up of permeate pressure caused by centrifugal forces, which reduces the transmembrane pressure. In our pilot, this phenomenon was only observed at low inlet pressures. Rotation speeds at which a maximum flux occurred were 800rpm at 40kPa and 1600rpm at 75kPa. A comparison with a single rotating disk module, using an identical stationary ceramic membrane and the same test fluids, has shown that, for the same disk azimuthal rim velocity, permeate fluxes in this case were about half of those with the two-shaft pilot. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this work is to compare the effects of various hydrodynamic parameters (transmembrane pressure, shear rate, fluid viscosity and solute concentration) on the permeate flux provided by two different dynamic filtration systems using same membrane material and same fluids. Tested systems were two rotating disk modules designed in our laboratory and a VSEP pilot with a circular vibrating membrane. Tests fluids consisted of baker’s yeast microfiltration (MF) at 0.2 μm and of UHT skim milk ultrafiltration (UF) at 50 kDa. The characteristic shear rate was taken to be the maximum one (γm) at the membrane outer rim in each module. It was varied by changing the rotation speed of the disk or by changing the vibration frequency of the VSEP. The highest permeate fluxes were obtained with rotating disks equipped with vanes because they generated the largest shear rates. But in MF, when the disk speed was adjusted to produce the same maximum shear rate as in the VSEP, permeate fluxes variations with time in both modules were identical at the same TMP and yeast concentration. Flux variations with TMP were also very close in this case. In concentration tests by MF at constant speed or frequency, permeate fluxes (J) in L h-1 m-2 provided by the two rotating disks (with and without vanes) and the VSEP were well correlated by a single equation, J = 4.3 × 10-6γm1.46, where the shear rate was varied by the concentration change. Permeate fluxes were also similar in UF of milk for the VSEP and rotating disk when shear rates were matched. The variation of permeate flux with shear rate at constant concentration for the two rotating disks systems with and without vanes was correlated by a single equation J = 0.136γm0.594, while the corresponding equation for the VSEP was J = 0.110γm0.587. Our data suggest that, in these devices, the flux is mainly governed by the maximum shear rate and not by details of internal flow and can be increased to very high levels by increasing rotation speed or vibration amplitude or by equipping the disk with large vanes. This information can be used for scaling up industrial systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) decreases apoptosis of BMSCs by activating AKT signaling. • Plasma-derived EVs promotes angiogenesis in MI rats. • Plasma-derived EVs ameliorates myocardial remodeling in MI rats. • Plasma-derived EVs promotes improves cardiac function in MI rats. This study aimed to investigate whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted in myocardial infarction (MI) plasma could protect against apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) following hypoxia or serum deprivation in vitro and improve cardiac function following MI in vivo. The plasma samples were taken from female rats 24 h after MI. EVs were obtained and co-cultured with BMSCs. We found that EVs could be taken up by BMSCs. Co-culturing with EVs attenuated hypoxia-induced apoptosis of BMSCs in EVs in a dose-dependent manner, which was reversed by the pharmacological inhibition of AKT signaling. Co-culturing with EVs improved transplantation efficiency and blunted MI-induced apoptosis of BMSCs in vivo. Furthermore, transplantation of BMSCs together with EVs can effectively promote the increase in capillary density both at the border and central zone of myocardium and ameliorate myocardial remodeling in MI rats. BMSCs and EVs transplantation treatment exhibited significant improvements in ejection fraction, fraction shortening, left ventricular end-diastolic dimensions, and left ventricular end-systolic dimensions, as evaluated by echocardiography four weeks after MI in rats. Finally, levels of differentiation- and apoptosis-related microRNAs expression in EVs that may mediate these effects were also identified by microarray and quantitative real-time PCR. In conclusion, the present results suggest a potential role of plasma-derived EVs in decreasing apoptosis of BMSCs by activating AKT signaling, promoting angiogenesis, ameliorating myocardial remodeling, and improving cardiac function in MI rats. EV application may be a novel option to ameliorate the therapeutic efficiency of BMSCs to improve cardiac function following MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel series of three-dimensional structures coordination polymers: [Ln(C 2 O 4)(CH 3 COO)(H 2 O)] n (Ln = Gd, Eu, Tb) featuring three-dimensional (3D) structure were synthesized with light-weighted ligands. • 1Gd owing to the higher magnetic density based on the large mass ratio (metal/ligands) and 3D structures, shows excellent MCE with −Δ S m max = 39.5 J kg−1 K−1. • 2Tb and 3Eu express admirable luminescence properties. Three 3D structures coordination polymers: [Ln(C 2 O 4)(CH 3 COO)(H 2 O)] n (Ln = Gd, Eu, Tb) featuring a three-dimensional (3D) structure were synthesized with light-weight ligands. 1Gd owing to the higher magnetic density based on the large mass ratio (metal/ligands) and 3D structures, shows good MCE with −Δ S m max = 39.5 J kg−1 K−1 at 2 K and Δ H = 7 T. Meanwhile, the luminescence properties and luminescence decay of 2Tb and 3Eu were investigated, the results showed that 2Tb and 3Eu present characteristic emissions of EuIII and TbIII ions. Using light-weighted ligands, three-dimensional structures coordination polymers: [Ln((C 2 O 4)(CH 3 COO)(H 2 O)] n (Ln = Gd, Eu, Tb) featuring three-dimensional (3D) structure were synthesized. 1Gd owing to the higher magnetic density based on the large mass ratio (metal/ligands) and 3D structures, shows excellent MCE with −Δ S m max = 39.5 J kg−1 K−1 at 2 K and Δ H = 7 T and 2Tb and 3Eu express admirable luminescence properties [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cementation and FT cycles reduce soils' water retention capacity. • Moisture sensitivity of M R , q u , E 1% , S u1% reduce upon cementation and FT cycles. • Proposed equations to predict the M R for cementation and FT influenced soils. This study evaluates the effects of post-compaction wetting–drying (WD) process, freeze–thaw (FT) cycles and cement content (CC) on the microstructure, volumetric strain (ε v), soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC), resilient modulus (M R), unconfined compressive strength (q u), and reloading modulus (E 1%) and axial stress (S u1%) at 1% strain level of a cement-stabilized expansive soil. The specimens compacted with different CC (i.e. 0%, 2%, 4% and 6%) were subjected to different number of FT cycles (i.e. N FT = 0, 1, 3 and 10). They were then dried or wetted to different moisture contents before the determination of the (i) SWCC using filter paper method, (ii) M R from cyclic triaxial tests, and (iii) q u , E 1% , and S u1% from unconfined compression tests. The microstructural changes in the test specimens were determined using mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscope tests. Experimental results reveal that cement stabilization and cracks induced during FT cycles cause a significant reduction in the specimen's water retention capacity and the scale of volumetric strain upon moisture content fluctuation. The M R , q u , E 1% and S u1% typically decrease with N FT but increase with CC. However, their variation with moisture content changes is less significant after stabilization or FT cycles. Performance of several empirical models for predicting the M R , q u , E 1% or S u1% was examined. Similar trends in behavior were found for M R - q u , M R - E 1% and M R - S u1% relationships for the specimens tested with different CC, N FT and water content. A simple hyperbolic model proposed in this study for predicting these relationships is validated. The studies presented in this paper are helpful for the design and analysis of stabilized expansive soils used as pavement subgrade considering the influence of complex environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on the (i) microstructure, (ii) soil water characteristics, and (iii) sensitivity of the volumetric strain and mechanical properties to moisture content for a compacted clay. The mechanical properties herein include resilient modulus (M R), unconfined compression strength (q u), and reloading modulus (E 1%) and stress (S u1%) at 1% strain. Specimens were compacted at optimum moisture content and subjected to different FT cycles (i.e. 0, 1, 3, and 10 cycles). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) were performed to reveal the evolution of the microstructure during FT cycles. Specimens were then wetted or dried to different suction (s) and degree of saturation (S r) values to obtain the (i) soil water characteristics using filter paper method and (ii) M R , q u , E 1% , and S u1% using cyclic and static triaxial tests. Experimental results demonstrate that FT cycles induce cracks that are tens of microns in dimension, which reduce specimens' water retention capacity and the volumetric strain upon wetting and drying. Mechanical properties also reduce significantly and become less sensitive to the s and S r after FT cycles. A model was used to predict the variation of the M R , q u , E 1% and S u1% with s and S r for specimens subjected to different FT cycles. An attenuation coefficient χ FT was proposed to describe the FT-induced degradation in the q u , E 1% , S u1% , and M R. It was found that the χ FT for different mechanical properties are consistent. The evolution of their χ FT with FT cycles can be described by a uniform empirical equation. The study presented in this paper is useful for the rational understanding and prediction of the hydromechanical behaviors of compacted clay taking account of the influence of FT cycles. • Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles generate cracks that are tens of microns in dimension. • FT cycles reduce soils' water retention capacity and mechanical properties. • Mechanical properties are less sensitive to moisture changes after FT cycles. • Models were proposed to predict mechanical properties considering FT influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Production of regenerable CO 2 adsorbent from bagasse fly ash and chicken manure. • Application of hydrothermal carbonization for nitrogen fixation on fly ash. • Use of statistical analysis model to predict the adsorbent's performance. The high cost of commercial CO 2 capture material is one of the issues hindering the widespread adaptation of the technology. This study explored efficient ways of utilizing waste material in the form of bagasse fly ash (BFA) as CO 2 adsorbent through thermochemical preparations of physical activation, and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). The activation of BFA using flue gas was able to produce an adsorbent with good CO 2 adsorption capacity, with similar results to the CO 2 activation. The second approach using co-HTC of BFA with chicken manure (CM) optimized using Box-Behnken design of experiment was able to produce an adsorbent with CO 2 adsorption capacity nearly on-par with commercial adsorbents. It was also found that the model was able to accurately predict the experiment outcome when verified with the additional experiments. Material characterizations showed that the increase of the CO 2 adsorption capacity of the adsorbent might have been achieved through the formation of secondary amines deposited on the BFA. The results of this study showed that the utilization of waste in the form of BFA and CM could contribute to the advancement of circular and low-cost CO 2 capture medium from waste materials, which could increase the adaptation and involvement of sugar industry and poultry farm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coconut shell (CS) can be efficiently utilized by coupling hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) pretreatment with pyrolysis to meet the goal of global green development. In-situ Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) were adopted to investigate the structural evolutions and reaction kinetics characteristics of hydrochar during the pyrolysis process. According to the results, the intensity of peak D and peak G in Raman spectrum decreased with increasing hydrothermal degree. Mild HTC treatment (≤200 °C) led to an increase in I D /I G , indicating the formation of large aromatic rings through small ring condensation. In contrast, severe HTC treatment (≥220 °C) reduced the I D /I G ratio, indicating an increased polycondensation of aromatic compounds and a higher degree of aromatization, resulting in larger molecules sizes. The spectral area below 400 °C reduced with increasing pyrolysis temperature due to the reduction of oxygen-containing functional groups and thermal radiation. Above 400 °C, the total area remains stable as the Raman spectrum scattering ability increases due to char formation and aromatization reactions. HTC-200 exhibited an increase in I D /I G from 0.54 to 0.72 and I D /I (Me + Ke + GL) from 0.58 to 0.68 with increasing pyrolysis temperatures. The activation energy during pyrolysis ranged from 194.50 to 238.34 kJ/mol for CS and 217.51–259.51 kJ/mol for HTC-200. Hydrothermal carbonization had a significant effect on pyrolysis behavior of hydrochar, as it was found that the mild HTC hydrochar followed D-type diffusion models when conversion rate was less than 0.65, and transitioned to higher reaction order in the late-stage of pyrolysis. [Display omitted] • Carbon structure in pyrolysis of coconut shell hydrochar is characterized in-situ. • A thorough evaluation of the pyrolysis kinetic was performed by model-free method. • Mild hydrochar changed from diffusion to higher reaction order model in pyrolysis. • Improved hydrochar properties showed high potential of HTC for alternative energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A soot formation mechanism of the NC-POX process is proposed. • The O 2 /CH 4 ratio should be greater than 0.6 to reduce soot generation. • The evolution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in precursor was analyzed in detail. • The increase in the O 2 /CH 4 ratio reduces the graphitization degree of soot. Non-catalytic partial oxidation (NC-POX) process is a promising technology for hydrogen and syngas production, but the generation of soot hinders its development. In this study, the yields of soot and its precursors under different working conditions are quantified by experiments. When the O 2 /CH 4 ratio is more than 0.6, the soot yield can be controlled below 1.07% from 2.53%. The soot precursor evolution mechanism in NC-POX is analyzed through the quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. It is found that hydrogen abstraction vinyl radical addition (HAVA*) and methyl addition cyclization (MAC) are the main growth pathways of PAHs. The concentrations of H 2 O, CO 2 , and oxygenated hydrocarbons increase with O 2 /CH 4 , which further inhibit the soot generation reactions and reduce the degree of graphitization of soot particles through surface reactions. A soot formation mechanism is proposed. This study provides a quantified reference for soot modeling and the elimination of soot in industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 1–3 and 2–2 types Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3–CoFe2O4 (PZT–CFO) composite films with controllable microstructures, consisted by CFO nanopillar embedded in PZT matrix and PZT–CFO gratings respectively, have been fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by combining lithography technology and pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction confirms that the films are well crystallized under optimized postannealing conditions. Scanning electron microscope reveals that the periodic microstructures can be well controlled. Especially, intrinsic room temperature ferroelectric and ferrimagnetic behaviors are observed simultaneously. The structure–properties relationship is discussed. Our results may provide an alternative method to design and prepare multiferroic composite films with controllable microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a pedestrian detection method by leveraging multispectral images which consist of color and thermal image information. Our method is based on the observation that a multispectral image enables us to overcome inherent limitations for pedestrian detection under challenging situations, e.g., insufficient illumination, small size pedestrian instances and occlusion. In order to detect pedestrian under such conditions, we apply deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for effectively combining color and thermal image information in multispectral images. We present a novel multispectral network that is built from the region-based fully convolutional networks (R-FCN) network model. A network-in-network (NIN) is employed to fuse these information across different modalities. Experimental results on KAIST benchmark demonstrate that our method surpasses the baseline method R-FCN and other proposed architectures. • We designed a network that integrates two sub-networks to handle different scales of pedestrians. • We exploit the NIN fusion strategy in our network model and propose a novel fusion R-FCN networks. • Our model surpasses the latest method on KAIST multispectral pedestrian dataset (KAIST). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have investigated the extraction of oligosaccharides produced by enzymatic degradation of a bacterial polysaccharide obtained by fermentation of Sinorhizobium meliloti bacteria. We have used a cascade of ultrafiltrations and nanofiltrations with a rotating disk module in order to separate oligoglucuronans of degrees of polymerisation between 3 and 7, which have interesting medical properties. This work confirms the high performance of rotating disk system for the fractionation of complex biotechnological solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Migration behavior of heavy metals and nutrients is critically discussed. • The effect of nutrients on ash behavior is discussed. • Additives (oxides and acids) play key role in enhancing fully utilization of sludge. • Leaching or toxicity potential of phosphorus must be focused in future research. • Temperature and inorganics play key role for efficient recovery of nutrients. Due to rapid increase in urbanization generation rate of sludge is expected to reach over 60 million tonnes hence its proper management has become necessary more than ever. Although, sludge is a complex mixture substance having high moisture content, low energy density and possesses several pollutants but it is also a carbon rich material having potential of resource utilization which attracts many thermochemical techniques to convert it into high value product. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) is an efficient pre-treatment technique of converting moisture waste material to high value product with low energy consumption. Phosphorus and nitrogen are major nutrients for agriculture and due to HTC, they can be recovered from hydrochar (HC) as well as process water depending on various conditions. Secondly, the presence of heavy metals is limiting the applicability of sludge-derived HC as soil conditioner and they can be easily transferred to human beings via crops. High ash content in sludge-derived HC is disadvantageous for using it as a fuel. Therefore, this review paper critically discusses transforming mechanism and speciation of nutrients and heavy metals (HMs) for fully utilization of sludge through HTC and how additives (oxides, acids and inorganics) are affecting behavior of nutrients and HMs is systematically discussed. In the end, future perspectives have been discussed for its efficient utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal dechlorination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is primarily performed in stainless-steel reactors prone to chlorine-induced pitting corrosion, contaminating the reaction media with Fe2+, Ni2+, and Cr2+ possibly triggering shifts in the degradation chemistry. This study investigated the single and synergistic effects of Fe2+ and Ni2+ on urea-assisted hydrothermal dechlorination of PVC under mild conditions. Significant improvement in dechlorination degree was observed at 210 °C when 5 mmol/L Fe2+ or 10 mmol/L Ni2+ was added. Furthermore, positive interaction between the cations was confirmed when the simultaneous use of 1 mmol/L Fe2+ and 0.25 mmol/L Ni2+ achieved the same catalytic performance. The presence of these ions prevented adhesive contact of PVC particles, thus limiting the mass-transfer resistance and autocatalytic effect. The experimental design revealed that dechlorination and its improvement were temperature-dependent (p < 0.0001). Ni2+ and Fe2+ exerted quadratic and linear effects, respectively, on dechlorination. The highest catalytic activity occurred in the temperature range of 217.5–222.5 °C. The results show that total concentrations of as low as 1.08 mmol/L accelerated dechlorination, indicating the inappropriateness of using steel reactors for determining intrinsic PVC degradation chemistry. However, Fe–Ni composites have the potential to be used as catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new approach of response stability based for visual object tracking is developed. This approach proposes a response stability criterion to measure the tracking quality and fuse tracking results of multiple layers of a convolutional neural network (CNN). Inspired by recent detection based methods for visual tracking, the detection capability of EdgeBoxes is investigated, and proposes to re-detect target when tracking failure occurs. In addition, 3D locally adaptive regression kernels (LARK) feature is employed in correlation filter based tracking framework. Extensive experimental results and performance compared with state-of-the-art tracking algorithms on challenging benchmark datasets show that our method is more accurate and robust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and accurately predicting grain yield before harvest is of great importance for rice production management and grain trade. Numerous methods based on remote sensing (RS) technology have explored to estimate rice grain yield. However, in most cases, these methods are negatively affected by the mixed pixels of RS images due to the effect of background and panicles. To resolve such issues, the abundance information of leaves, soil and water background and rice panicles were extracted from the multispectral images of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) method. Based on the analysis of contribution of vegetation index (VI) and abundance (ABD) to rice grain yield, a rice grain yield prediction model was developed by combining multi-stage time-series, ABD and VI. Results showed that MESMA can mitigate endmember variability in the estimation of rice yield, and achieve higher accuracy than conventional spectral mixture analysis (SMA). The NDRE and the sum of leaf and panicle abundance (ABD L+P) can be well correlated to grain yield before heading stage (R2 = 0.75) and at heading stage (R2 = 0.72), respectively. In comparison to them, the multi-stage time-series model consisted of VI and ABD [∑(VI&ABD)] produces the highest correlation (R2 = 0.80). It could also resolve the issues about the underestimation of yield using different datasets from various multi-spectral camera in comparison to the single-parameter models ∑VI and ∑ABD, and produce the good validation accuracy with R2 = 0.73, RRMSE= 0.22 and R2 = 0.75, RRMSE= 0.15, respectively. This study suggests that the combination of UAV multi-temporal VI and ABD data can achieve accurate prediction of rice grain yield. This method effectively utilizes the optical information of leaves and rice panicles and reduces background effects, which provides a new idea for accurate rice yield prediction. • A multi-stage time-series GY prediction model combining VI and EM abundance. • MESMA method solves the problem of spectral variability in rice fields. • GY response is contributed by both leaves and panicles. • The model used NDRE at booting and ABD from heading to initial filling can give the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental studies on the effect of equivalence ratios to the acid gas (H 2 S and CO 2) combustion in the pure oxygen atmosphere was presented in a coaxial jet double channel burner. Three equivalence ratios (Φ = 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5) are examined to analyze the distribution of the flame temperature and gas composition in the normal and inverse diffusion flame along central axial (R = 0.0) and axial line at 3 mm (R = 0.75) in radial direction. The results revealed that acid gas combustion mainly occurred chemical decomposition of H 2 S and oxidation of H 2 S and H 2 at R = 0.0, while mainly occurred H 2 S and H 2 oxidation at R = 0.75 in the normal diffusion flame. Reducing Φ increased the flame temperature and it is higher at R = 0 than that at R = 0.75 because of heat loss. It also increased the volume fraction of CO, H 2 and COS in the flame combustion area, while decreased downstream reactor because of occurring oxidation. CO was formed by the reaction of CO 2 and H, and H 2 primarily derived from chemical decomposition of H 2 S. COS was generated by the reaction of CO 2 with SH, H 2 S and S as well as the reaction of CO with SO and SH at R = 0.0, while was mainly formed by the reaction of CO with SO and SH at R = 0.75. H 2 S mainly occurred the oxidation in the inverse diffusion flame. The temperature at R = 0.0 was still higher than that at R = 0.75, and it was higher than that in the normal diffusion flame in the combustion area. Increasing Φ promoted the formation of CO, H 2 and COS, and each gas under Φ of 1.5 was higher significantly. The Φ had no significant effect on the distribution of SO 2 compared to the normal diffusion flame, but changed the distribution of CO, H 2 and COS. It can be inferred that the content of CO, H 2 and COS will be more higher under Claus condition in the inverse diffusion flame. • Combustion of acid gas with pure oxygen was studied in a non-premixed flame. • The inverse diffusion flame promoted the formation of CO and H 2 in rich fuel flame. • The inverse diffusion flame improved the conversion of H 2 S in rich fuel flame. • The presence of CO 2 and CO triggered the formation of COS in the flame zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a detection strategy based visual object tracking algorithm. We employ multiple trackers using layers of deep convolutional neural network (CNN) features. Each tracker which is correlation filter based tracking framework tracks an object forwardly and then backwardly. By analyzing the forward and backward trajectories, we measure the robustness of tracking results. A detection strategy which is based on locally adaptive regression kernels (LARK) feature is carried out according to the robustness of tracking result. Target can be located from the provided candidates. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed method improves the accuracy and robustness of tracking, achieving state-of-the-art results on several recent benchmark datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the influences of the gasification temperatures (1000–1150 °C) and blended ratios (3:1, 1:1, 1:3) on the co-gasification reactivity and synergy of petroleum coke (PC) and municipal solid waste (MSW)-derived hydrochar (HTC) were studied using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). Chemical fractionation analysis (CFA) coupled with an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) was adopted for quantitatively investigating the active alkali/alkaline earth metal (AAEM) transformation (i.e., active AAEM content variation) during co-gasification in order to correlate the synergy mechanism of co-gasification. The results indicated that the co-gasification reactivity of the blended chars was enhanced with increasing gasification temperatures and HTC char proportions. The variations of the synergy behaviour on co-gasification reactivity at different conversions showed continuously enhanced synergistic effect at early co-gasification stage and decreased synergistic effect with further co-gasification. Moreover, higher gasification temperatures and HTC char proportions were more favourable for the continuous enhancement of the synergistic effect as co-gasification conversions increased. The overall synergistic effect on co-gasification reactivity was more obvious at higher HTC char proportions and lower gasification temperatures. The relative transformation ratio ( P ) was proposed to characterize the active AAEM content variation during co-gasification. P was negative when more active AAEM remained in blended chars, meaning that there was inhibition effect on the active AAEM transformation. It was found that the inhibition effect on the active Ca/K transformation was first enhanced and then weakened whereas the promotion effect on the active Na transformation showed an opposite trend with increasing conversion of co-gasification, which well correlated the synergy behaviour variations during PC-HTC blended char co-gasification. This work not only revealed synergy mechanism of petroleum coke and MSW-based hydrochar co-gasification but also provided reference data for the design and operation of industrial gasification units consuming mixture of petroleum coke and waste biomasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The purpose of our study was to analyse cancer risk factors for 64 in-patients diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Methods 64 in-patients were diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in Guang’anmen Hospital. They were divided into two groups: 42 cases had no detectable dysplasia and 22 had low-grade dysplasia. The patients’ personal data, clinical symptoms, colonoscopy performance, and histopathological features were analysed retrospectively. Immunohistochemistry was performed using monoclonal antibodies for p53 and Ki-67 and with polyclonal antibodies for KRAS and APC. 10 cases with normal mucosa were used as a positive control and 11 cases with colorectal cancer as a negative control. Findings The sex ratio of the two groups was 5:2 and 15:7, respectively. The average age was 47 ± 15 years for those without dysplasia and 43 ± 17 years for those with low-grade dysplasia; the average duration of ulcerative colitis was 50 ± 64 months for those without dysplasia and 43 ± 64 months for those with. 16.7% patients had ulcerative colitis for more than 10 years in group without dysplasia; 13.6% of those with low-grade dysplasia had ulcerative colitis for 10 years or more. Each group had one patient with early-onset ulcerative colitis. None of the 64 cases had primary sclerosing cholangitis simultaneously. Five patients (11.9%) had pancolitis in the group without dysplasia as did two (9.1%) in group with it. 25 cases (59.5%) of those without dysplasia and 12 cases (54.5%) with it had chronic relapsing or chronic persistent disease. Colonoscopy showed polypoid hyperplasia in five (11.9%) patients in the group without low-grade dysplasia and 11 (50%) patients with low-grade dysplasia ( p < 0.01). No patient had flat hyperplasia. Positive immunohistochemistry for p53 was noted in two (4.8%) cases of those without low-grade dysplasia and six (27.3%) of those with low-grade dysplasia, staining weakly to moderate positive ( p < 0.05). A negative KRAS staining pattern was detected in all patients with normal mucosa, ulcerative colitis without low-grade dysplasia, ulcerative colitis with low-grade dysplasia. 36.4% of patients with colorectal cancer were KRAS-positive. Similar results were noted with APC staining. Patients with normal mucosa and patients with ulcerative colitis without low-grade dysplasia had a positive stain for Ki-67 in the lower half of crypt. The positive expression rate of Ki-67 in the upper half of the crypt was 13.6% for patients with ulcerative colitis with low-grade dysplasia and 100% in patients with colorectal cancer. Interpretation Patients with ulcerative colitis and low-grade dysplasia have a higher rate of intestinal polypoid hyperplasiaintestinal epithelial p53 overexpression, and epithelial hyperplasia. Patients with low-grade dysplasia had more cancer risk factors and should undergo regular follow-up and colonoscopy screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GRK2 participated ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy in H9c2 cells. • GRK2 inhibition reduced oxidative stress and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. • GRK2/Nrf2 pathway was involved in ISO-induced cardiac hypertrophy in H9c2 cells. In cases of heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy may be caused by the upregulation of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2). Both NLRP3 inflammasome and oxidative stress contribute to cardiovascular disease. In this study, we clarified the effect of GRK2 on cardiac hypertrophy in H9c2 cells induced by isoproterenol (ISO) and examined the underlying mechanisms. We randomly categorized H9c2 cells into five groups: an ISO group, a paroxetine plus ISO group, a GRK2 small-interfering RNA (siRNA) plus ISO group, a GRK2 siRNA combined with ML385 plus ISO group, and a control group. To determine the effect of GRK2 on cardiac hypertrophy induced by ISO, we carried out CCK8 assays, RT-PCR, TUNEL staining, ELISA assay, DCFH-DA staining, immunofluorescence staining, and western blotting. By using paroxetine or siRNA to inhibit GRK2, we significantly decreased cell viability; reduced the mRNA levels of ANP, BNP, and β-MHC; and limited the apoptosis rate and protein levels of cleaved caspase-3 and cytochrome c in H9c2 cells treated with ISO. We also found that oxidative stress induced by ISO could be mitigated with paroxetine or GRK2 siRNA. This result was validated by decreased activities of the antioxidant enzymes CAT, GPX, and SOD and increased MDA levels and ROS production. We observed that the protein expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 and the intensity of NLRP3 could be inhibited by paroxetine or GRK2 siRNA. Both paroxetine and GRK2 siRNA were able to abolish the increase in GRK2 expression induced by ISO. They also could increase protein levels of HO-1, nuclear Nrf2, and Nrf2 immunofluorescence intensity; however, they could not change the protein level of cytoplasmic Nrf2. By combining treatment with ML385, we were able to reverse GRK2 inhibition on H9c2 cells treated with ISO. According to the results of this study, GRK2 participated in cardiac hypertrophy induced by ISO by mitigating NLRP3 inflammasome and oxidative stress through the signaling of Nrf2 in H9c2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reaction characteristics of a single coal particle flame for different coal ranks were studied. • Flame structures for three coal ranks at different oxygen concentration (X i,O2) were obtained. • Na* and K* in single coal particle flames with different reaction stages were analyzed. • Alkalis alkali metal spectral intensity was feasible to calculate flame temperature. In this work, the combustion progress and alkali metals radiation characteristic of the different coal ranks (NaoMaoHu (NMH) lignite coal, YangChangWan (YCW) bituminous coal and SiHe (SH) anthracite coal) are studied in a visualization drop tube furnace (VDTF) by a high-speed camera and a hyper-spectral camera. The effects of different coal ranks on the alkali metal (Na*, K*) radiation characteristics in the volatile and char reaction stage are explored at the oxygen concentration (X i,O2) ranging from 0.2 to 1.0. In addition, the flame temperature of the different coal ranks is further calculated by alkali metal spectral intensity. The results show that in the volatile reaction stage, the NMH Coal is homogeneously ignited and the coal particle shows the fragmentation behavior. The YCW coal shows a hetero-homogeneous ignition, and SH Coal particles are heterogeneously ignited with a black spot in the center of the particle. During the char reaction stage, the three coal particles are ignited heterogeneously. As the reaction proceeds, the flame size and brightness of the three coal particles first increase and then decrease. The Na* and K* peak intensity and volatile reaction time of the different coal ranks have the relationship that NMH Coal > YCW Coal > SH Coal, because the volatile content of YCW Coal and SH Coal is lower than that of NMH Coal. Besides, the trend of flame temperature variation agrees with the alkali metal spectral intensity for different coal ranks. When X i,O2 is 0.2, only one release peak of Na* and K* occurs, and the flame temperature varies from 1600 K to 1950 K. When X i,O2 is greater than 0.4, the three coal particles show two Na* release peaks and the flame temperature varies from 1650 K to 2100 K. This paper provides insight on the effects of flame temperature and alkali metals radiation characteristics on reaction process of different coal ranks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass tar is an unavoidable side product in the biomass direct chemical looping process. It is necessary to eliminate tar as it may cause operational problems, such as fouling and blocking in the downstream equipment. Innovative in-situ tar removal through oxidation and catalysis of oxygen carrier is attractive because it can decrease the decomposition temperature and simplify the process components. This work studied the decomposition enhancement of biomass tar (toluene as tar compound) using low concentration copper-doped hematite. Both experiments and simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of copper concentration on toluene conversion. The main finding was that low concentration (1–3 mol%) of copper-doped hematite could significantly enhance the tar conversion, which was elevated by up to 200% and 142% at 600 and 700 °C, respectively; whereas the copper concentration played an insignificant role, thus 1% copper-doped one was recommended for practical application. Furthermore, this result was partially supported by comparing oxygen vacancy formation energy in density functional theory calculations. • Tar cracking using copper doped hematite was studied in direct chemical looping. • Low concentration copper doped hematite could drastically improve tar conversion. • Using 1% copper doped hematite was recommended in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metabolomics analysis was performed for control, T1DM, MODY2 and MODY3 patients. • Four metabolites showed promising diagnostic value to distinguish MODY and T1DM. • The metabolite profile provides evidence for the pathogenesis of MODY. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) patients have unique clinical manifestations and need individualized treatments. We identified novel serum metabolic biomarkers to distinguish MODY and explore the possible mechanism of the clinical manifestation and complications of MODY. Fasting serum samples were collected from MODY3 (n = 17), MODY2 (n = 33), type 1 diabetes (T1DM) (n = 34) and healthy individuals (n = 30), and were analyzed using the ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) metabolomic platform. 4 metabolites were found significantly fluctuated between groups, including glycerophosphocholine, LysoPC(18:2(9Z,12Z)), sphinganine and l -Phenylalanine. Glycerophosphocholine was selected as a diagnostic biomarker. The the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for distinguishing MODYs from healthy controls and differentiating MODY3 from T1DM reached 1.0. The combination of metabolites also gained good diagnostic value. The AUC of the combination of LysoPC(18:2(9Z,12Z)), sphinganine and l -Phenylalanine for discriminating MODY3 from T1DM was 0.983. Besides, the combination of clinical indices and metabolites helped to better differentiate the 2 MODY subtypes. We identified the metabolic profiles of MODY2 and MODY3 and found promising biomarkers for distinguishing MODY from T1DM, which provides evidence for the pathogenesis and characteristic clinical manifestations of patients with MODY2 and MODY3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising remedies for various inflammatory disease including pulmonary fibrosis (PF). However, the properties of MSCs in PF pathological microenvironment remain unclear. In this study, the efficacy of autophagy in placental mesenchymal stem cells of fetal origin (fPMSCs) in either IL-1β treatment or BLM induced pulmonary fibrosis mice model was examined. The characteristic of fPMSCs was identified by morphological observation, flow cytometry and differentiation potential. In vitro experiments, fPMSCs were stimulated with IL-1β, to mimic inflammatory microenvironment of pulmonary fibrosis. The immunosuppressive properties and autophagic function in fPMSCs treated with IL-1β were evaluated by both macrophage cells THP-1 activation and the expression of CD200 situation, autophagy marker and MAPK signaling pathway. The in vivo anti-fibrotic activity of fPMSCs interfering autophagy was evaluated by using BLM induced pulmonary fibrosis mice model. fPMSCs belonged to CD73+CD90+CD105+/CD14- CD34-CD45-HLA-DR- cells, and capable differentiation to adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic cells. In addition, immunoinhibitory activity of fPMSCs for macrophage was restrained by IL-1β treatment in CD200 dependent manner. Suppression of autophagy by sh-Atg5 lentivirus increased the expression of CD200 and ratio of CD200 positive fPMSCs, and enhanced fPMSCs immunosuppression for THP-1 activation. Mechanistically, IL-1β induced autophagy regulated by p38 signaling cascade. In vivo, autophagy inhibition induced by Atg5 knockdown in fPMSCs resulted in strengthening antifibrotic effects on PF mice model. Collectively, autophagy derived from inflammatory microenvironment hampered the immunoinhibitory properties of MSCs. Based on this, adjustment of autophagy may be a valid approach to facilitate their immunomodulatory and anti-fibrotic efficacy. • IL-1βinhibits the expression of CD200 in fPMSCs. • IL-1βrestricts immunosuppressive function of fPMSCs for macrophage activation. • Autophgy induced by IL-1βdetermined CD200 expression level. • IL-1βinduces autophagy via activation of p38 signaling. • Inhibiting autophagy enhance therapeutic efficacy of fPMSCs for PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles are considered to be a potential threat to the hydro-mechanical behavior of subgrade soils in seasonal frozen regions. Enhancing the resistance of the soils to FT cycles therefore becomes a pressing problem that needs to be solved. This paper developed a durable polyacrylate intercalated bentonite superabsorbent polymer (BT-SAP) employing the solution polymerization method, which is a novel hybrid polymer material with the function of reducing the sensitivity of subgrade soils to FT cycles. To evaluate the effects of BT-SAPs on the hydro-mechanical behavior of subgrade silts experiencing FT cycles, the 3D pore structure, volumetric strain (ε v), soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC), and resilient modulus (M R) of the soil modified with BT-SAPs were determined using a series of laboratory tests. Specimens with three BT-SAP contents (BC) compacted at their respective optimum moisture content and maximum dry density were first subjected to different numbers of FT cycles (N FT). Then, they were dried or wetted to specific moisture contents (w) before the determination of (i) SWCCs using the filter paper method and (ii) M R from cyclic triaxial tests. Finally, the 3D pore structure of specimens after FT cycles was measured by X-ray μ-CT. Experimental results show that the viscous and micro-swelling effects of the generated BT-SAP-water-gels can inhibit the emergence and development of larger pores and cracks inside the soil after FT cycles. The addition of BT-SAPs significantly reduces the sensitivity of the soil's volume and water retention capacity to FT cycles. The M R decreases with N FT but increases with BC. The important finding is that an optimal BT-SAP content of 0.25% was determined suitable for fine-grained subgrade soils. In addition, an artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed using 1200 sets of the M R measurements obtained in this study and well predicts the M R considering several factors such as BC, N FT , w , dry density, and stress levels. This study provides useful guidelines for the application of BT-SAP materials in subgrade engineering in seasonal frozen regions. • Developed a novel hybrid polymer (BT-SAP), which has the function of reducing the sensitivity of soils to FT cycles. • The mechanism of BT-SAP-water-gels inhibiting the development of large pores in the soil after FT cycling was studied. • The effect of BT-SAPs on the soil's volumetric and water retention capacity after FT cycles was evaluated. • Established an ANN model to predict the M R considering the influences of BC, N FT , w , ρ d , σ c , and σ d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CCD-RSM was used to determine the effects of parameters during HTC process. • A thorough evaluation of the optimize process was based on overall desirability. • 200 ℃-0 min was determined to be the optimal processing condition in HTC of CS. • Improved hydrochar properties showed high potential of HTC for upgrading biomass. The utilization of biomass energy is desirable to achieve carbon neutrality in the world. Hydrothermal carbonization of coconut shell was performed using center composite design with an aid of response surface methodology to determine the individual effects and combined effects of parameters on responses. The experimental design incorporates two variables and three responses. More specifically, the effects of temperature (180–220 °C) and hold time (0–60 min) on hydrochar yield, higher heating value (HHV) and energy yield were investigated. According to the results, hydrochar yield varies monotonically with temperature and hold time. With increasing temperature and hold time, hydrochar yield was dropped gradually. The highest hydrochar yield of 75.67 % was obtained at 180 °C-0 min and the lowest hydrochar yield of 63.13 % was achieved at 220 °C-60 min. HHV showed opposite trend to hydrochar yield, reaching a maximum value of 29.39 MJ/kg at 220 °C-60 min. The change in energy yield was influenced by the variation of hydrochar yield and HHV and does not change monotonically with temperature or time. It reaches the maximum value 90.83 % at 200 °C-0 min. Furthermore, to select best operating conditions, a comprehensive evaluation of the experiments was conducted based on the overall desirability. A series of characterization experiments were conducted on selected hydrochar samples. The results of functional group and pore structure changes showed that raw biomass has converted into value-added products with stable structure properties. In conclusion, hydrothermal carbonization as a pretreatment for upgrading coconut shells is a feasible process and can be used for biofuels production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The energy balance of anaerobic digestion with heat pretreatment is summarized. • The energy input calculation is more complex than energy output. • Heat energy assessment is more difficult than electrical energy. • Biogas utilization mode is crucial for the new model construction. • Reported cases are reassessed using the established energy balance models. The performance of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process is remarkably enhanced by heat pretreatment (HPT), while HPT process requires additional energy input, mainly including heat and electrical energy. Thus it is critical to determine whether biogas growth fulfills this energy requirement. Consequently, the energy assessment of HPT is more complex than that of other predominantly power-consuming pretreatment methods, leading to the poor homogeneity and comparability of reported HPT energy balance (EB) analysis methods. In view of this, the current study comprehensively summarizes the relevant reports to explore more universal EB analysis methods for the applying HPT. Based on the summary of previous studies, two EB analysis models were developed for the HPT process in present work. The design difference mainly derives from the fact that biogas is utilized in two different ways in practice: heat production only and cogeneration, and their calculation process is required to be separated from the AD process to improve the accuracy of the results. Finally, a re-evaluation of 15 reported records on HPT revealed that the electrical input of the HPT process is 0.43–5.0% of the heat energy input; only five groups obtained positive EBs under the heat utilization mode of biogas, whereas the EB results under the combined heat and power cogeneration mode showed that all the electrical EBs were positive, and two groups of data reported both positive heat and electrical EBs. Summaries of the current work and the constructed models can better assist users in making decisions regarding process selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Assisted H 2 S-CO 2 mixture combustion was studied. • H 2 S consumption increased by at least 2.86 % at flame core in enhanced combustion. • SO 2 formation was more sensitive to O 2 addition than oxygen-enriched concentration. • Low equivalence ratio combustion advanced COS consumption and H 2 S/SO 2 deviation. • Concentrations of COS and CS 2 raised by 1.73% at flame core in CH 4 -assisted mode. Stabilizing and promoting the temperature of the Claus furnace is important for the continuous conversion of acid gas (H 2 S and CO 2). In this study, the characteristics of three enhanced-combustion modes namely low equivalence ratio, oxygen-enriched and assisted combustion were compared via equilibrium calculation and diffusion flame under the same temperature-promoted condition. Equilibrium calculation was conducted using Gibbs reactor in Aspen Plus software. The flame was interpreted by the axial distributions of the temperature and species concentration. Both equilibrium calculation and experimental results showed enhanced combustion promoted the reactivity of H 2 S and CO 2 and generation of H 2 and CO. The diffusion flame could be classified into three zones namely decomposition, oxidation and complex section, among which decomposition section included H 2 S chemical decomposition and CO 2 reactivity. SO 2 was scarce in the first section and its generation was sensitive to equivalence ratio. COS and CS 2 were generated at flame area while CS 2 was only detected in assisted combustion. However, these combustibles could be consumed especially in sufficient oxygen atmosphere. Enhanced combustion exhibited insignificant impact on solid sulfur product. It was revealed assisted combustion generated more valuable H 2 and CO while producing significant pollutants COS and CS 2. Low equivalence ratio combustion facilitated COS consumption but deviated H 2 S/SO 2 ratio. Overall, oxygen-enriched combustion was considered as the most promising combustion mode for increasing the temperature. This study provided reference for the selection of solutions to improve temperature of acid gas combustion in industrial Claus furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a widespread and multifactorial disorder, and the study of its pathogenesis and treatment remains challenging. Autophagy, an intracellular degradation system that maintains cellular renewal and homeostasis, is essential for maintaining antimicrobial defense, preserving epithelial barrier integrity, promoting mucosal immune response, maintaining intestinal homeostasis, and regulating gut microbiota and microbial metabolites. Dysfunctional autophagy is implicated in the pathological mechanisms of MetS, involving insulin resistance (IR), chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, with IR being a predominant feature. The study of autophagy represents a valuable field of research with significant clinical implications for identifying autophagy-related signals, pathways, mechanisms, and treatment options for MetS. Given the multifactorial etiology and various potential risk factors, it is imperative to explore the interplay between autophagy and gut microbiota in MetS more thoroughly. This will facilitate the elucidation of new mechanisms underlying the crosstalk among autophagy, gut microbiota, and MetS, thereby providing new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of MetS. [Display omitted] • Autophagy is intricately linked to intestinal homeostasis, gut microbiota, and microbial metabolites. • Dysfunctional autophagy is implicated in MetS, involving IR, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and ER stress. • A deeper insight of the crosstalk mechanism among autophagy, gut microbiota, and MetS is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report a microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis method for directly upcycling low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into high-value H 2 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) over a porous ternary composite NiFeAl-T catalyst as a microwave absorber. Moreover, successive cycling tests further demonstrated the potential of continuously recycling plastic waste into H 2 -rich fuel and high-quality MWCNTs, ultimately achieving a high carbon yield of 70.8 wt%. [Display omitted] • The microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis is employed to directly upcycling LDPE into valuable H 2 and MWCNTs. • A porous ternary NiFeAl-T catalyst is synthesized using a polymer-assisted chemical solution method. • NiFeAl-450 catalyst with low calcination temperature and abundant porous structure achieves the best performance, with an H 2 yield of 60.5 mmol g L D P E - 1. Polyolefins, comprising the majority of disposable plastics, face challenges in catalytic upcycling due to their inert saturated C(sp3)-C(sp3) bonds. This work demonstrates microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis, demonstrating the direct conversion of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) into valuable H 2 and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) over a porous ternary NiFeAl-T composite catalyst that serve as a microwave absorber. Optimizing the calcination temperature promoted metal nanoparticle dispersion, leading to enhanced catalytic performance. Specifically, lower temperatures favored metal–metal interactions, inducing porous architectures with superior microwave absorption and energy dissipation capabilities. This facilitated cleavage of C–C and C–H bonds in LDPE during microwave irradiation. An optimal NiFeAl-450 catalyst achieved a maximum H 2 yield of 60.5 mmol g L D P E - 1 , with an H 2 concentration of 85.1 vol% in gas products, alongside high-value MWCNTs. Moreover, successive recycling test displayed stable H 2 and MWCNTs yields from LDPE. This work elucidates a promising pathway for upcycling plastic waste via microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different types of clinical wounds are difficult to treat while infected by bacteria. Wound repair involves multiple cellular and molecular interactions, which is a complicated process. However, wound repair often suffers from abnormal cellular functions or pathways that result in unavoidable side effects, so there is an urgent need for a material that can heal wounds quickly and with few side effects. Based on these needs, hydrogels with injectable properties have been confirmed to be able to undergo self-healing, which provides favorable conditions for wound healing. Notably, as a biopolymer with excellent easy-to-modify properties from a wide range of natural sources, chitosan can be used to prepare injectable hydrogel with multifunction for wound healing because of its outstanding flowability and injectability. Especially, chitosan-based hydrogels with marked biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and bio-adhesion properties are ideal for facilitating wound healing. In this review, the characteristics and healing mechanisms of different wounds are briefly summarized. In addition, the preparation and characterization of injectable chitosan hydrogels in recent years are classified. Additionally, the bioactive properties of this type of hydrogel in vitro and in vivo are demonstrated, and future trend in wound healing is prospected. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing incidence of obesity has led to widespread attention in the exploration of natural ingredients. Ginseng polysaccharides (PGP), the main components from Panax ginseng , have been reported potential effect to attenuate obesity and regulate lipid metabolism. In this study, we found that PGP inhibited the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced weight gain, fat ratio and fat tissue weight after 8-week administration. Serum and liver lipid analysis showed that PGP decreased the levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol, which was mediated by the inhibition of key genes for fatty acid and cholesterol metabolisms. Metabolomics studies showed that the inhibitory effect of PGP on liver lipid accumulation was significantly correlated with its regulation of citric acid cycle and lysine degradation. PGP regulated the expression of genes related to lysine degradation in both liver tissue and hepatocytes. In addition, PGP reshaped the composition of fecal microbiota at the genus and species levels in obese mice. Spearman's correlation analysis demonstrated that Staphylococcus sciuri , Staphylococcus lentus , and Pseudoflavonifractor sp. An85 may be the potential targets that PGP maintains the abundance of l -lysine against obesity. It concluded that PGP can attenuate obesity and liver lipid accumulation by regulating fecal microbiota and hepatic lysine degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed a new method for multi-focus image fusion using hybrid wavelet and classifier. The image fusion process was formulated as a two-class classification problem: in and out-of-focus classes. First, a six-dimensional feature vector was extracted using sub-bands of dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT) coefficients from the source images, which were then projected by a trained two-class support vector machine (SVM) to the class labels. A bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (BFOA) was developed to obtain the optimal parameters of the SVM. The output of the classification system was used as a decision matrix for fusing high-frequency wavelet coefficients from multi-focus source images in different directions and decomposition levels of the DT-CWT. After the high and low-frequency coefficients of the source images were fused, the final fused image was obtained using the inverse DT-CWT. Several existing methods were compared with the proposed method. Experimental results showed that our presented method outperformed the existing methods, in visual effect and in objective evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chemical looping hydrogen production based SNG production route was proposed; • The insights of oxygen carrier splitting was elucidated; • Co-feeding biomass and municipal solid waste improved the yields of hydrogen and SNG; • The levelized cost of SNG faced challenges in competing with fossil natural gas. Synthetic natural gas (SNG) is a promising alternative to conventional fossil natural gas. This study proposes a chemical looping hydrogen production (CLHP)-based route for SNG synthesis and elucidates the insights and necessities of appropriately co-feeding different types of feedstocks to maximize the yields of hydrogen and subsequent SNG. A study employing microalgae (MA) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) as biomass and municipal solid waste representatives demonstrates that blending MA with RDF in a proportion of 40 %:60 % (0.4MA-0.6RDF) eradicates oxygen carrier splitting. This boosts fuel-to-hydrogen efficiency from 74.1 % to 77.8 %, as well as subsequent thermal and exergy efficiencies of SNG production from 59.07 % and 55.8 % to 61.3 % and 57.92 %, respectively, compared to the use of MA alone. Nonetheless, blending fuels does not yield substantial economic advantages, as evidenced by the levelized cost of SNG production using pure MA and the 0.4MA-0.6RDF blend remaining at approximately 0.63 USD/Nm3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, corn straw and rice husk were hydrothermally carbonized at 180 °C and 240 °C. The effect of hydrothermal carbonization on the biomass/hydrochar characteristics, fate of heavy metals such as As, Cr, Pb, Ti, Cd, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Ni, global reactivity of the pyrolysis and gasification of biomass and hydrochar were investigated in a thermogravimetric analyzer, followed by kinetic modeling and reactivity prediction. Results showed that hydrothermal carbonization temperature 180 °C is more suitable for producing solid fuel in terms of low heavy metals content. Higher hydrothermal carbonization temperature (240 °C) decreased O/C content and improved various characteristics of the hydrochar such as coalification degree, carbon content, higher heating value and the specific surface area. While hydrothermal carbonization conducted at lower temperature of 180 °C, was advantageous for obtaining higher energy yield efficiency and hydrochar yield. The gasification reactivity of hydrochar was more sensitive to the heating rate than the pyrolysis process. The activation energy (E a) of the pyrolysis process varied significantly with conversion, whereas the gasification activation energy changes were insignificant. Based on the reactivity prediction, the hydrothermal carbonization effect on corn straw and rice husk was almost similar. The hydrochar generated under severe hydrothermal carbonization temperature (240 °C) showed higher thermal stability during pyrolysis in comparison with gasification. Compared with the gasification of rice husk hydrochar, hydrochar gasification of corn straw had lower E a , hence requires less energy to produce syngas. The results of this research imply that biomass hydrochar is a suitable alternative option to produce pulverized solid fuel. [Display omitted] • Gasification and pyrolysis of Agriculture residues-derived hydrochars were performed. • HTC improved coalification degree and carbon content and higher heating value. • 180 °C provided a higher hydrochar and energy yields with lower HMs content. • Changes of E a variation during pyrolysis and gasification by HTC were compared. • Gasification reactivity of CS was more sensitive to HTC temperature than that of RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gasification phenomena of raw PKS, torrefied PKS, and steam-CO 2 are studied. • Euler-Lagrangian two-dimensional CFD model is used to investigate tar formation by modeling all components in tar together. • The gasification efficiency of torrefied-PKS is up by 29.1 % as compare to the raw-PKS. • The S-CO 2 -R and gasification temperature reduced tar concentration by 21.4 % and 20.5 % respectively. Experimental and numerical evaluation of steam and carbon dioxide gasification on torrefied palm kernel shell in an updraft fixed bed gasifier is studied. Euler-Lagrangian two-dimensional model with 15 kinetic reactions is developed to investigate tar formation in relation to torrefaction temperature, gasification temperature, and steam-to-carbon-dioxide ratio (S-CO 2 -R). The combination of steam and CO 2 had considerable effect on the tar reduction and also influenced the gaseous composition significantly when the varying parameters were compared. The results show that increasing both gasification temperature and S-CO 2 -R do enhance the H 2 production whiles drastically reducing the tar formation. The tar concentration reduced by 21.4 % and 20.5 % by changing the S-CO 2 -R from 0.4 to 2.0 and gasification process temperature from 973 and 1173 K respectively. An increase in hydrogen is also observed, from 55.5 % to 60.84 %, when the S-CO 2 -R is increased to 1.2. Similarly, 29.1 % increase is observed in gasification efficiency as compared to the raw-PKS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon structure in thermochemical conversion of coal is characterized in-situ. • Transition mechanism between amorphous carbon and aromatic carbon is clarified. • Oxygen-containing functional groups are active sites for low temperature oxidation reactions. Thermal conversion is pivotal for clean and efficient coal utilization. Evolution of solid structure profoundly affects the gasification mechanism. However, in-situ study on coal structure evolution during gasification is limited. In this study, in-situ Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the carbon structure evolution during thermal conversion. Results revealed two stages in coal pyrolysis: polycondensation and aromatic ring fusion. During polycondensation, numerous side chain groups break, while aromatic compounds condensed and rings fused in the aromatic ring fusion stage, increasing molecular size. In char gasification, larger particles required more time to achieve stable shrinkage, thus delaying coal char graphitization process. Low temperature oxidation led to decreased order due to oxygen-containing structure formation, evolving into a graphite-like structure as disordered carbon diminished. In addition, oxygen-containing groups acted as active oxidation sites. The insights into real-time structure evolution enhance understanding of the particle behavior during thermal conversion of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical water splitting, metal-air batteries and fuel cells are the representatives of energy storage/conversion technology, which can solve the shortage of traditional fossil energy and environmental issues. However, under neutral conditions, especially in natural seawater, there is still a lack of catalysts with efficient catalytic activity and stability, which hinders the development of hydrogen production. We herein designed a facile strategy to fabricate an efficient and stable multifunctional carbon-based electrocatalyst, PMA@ZIF-67-C-AT, by carbonization and acid treatment of H 3 PMo 12 O 40 @ZIF-67 precursor. It not only performs good catalytic activity for oxygen evolution in 0.2 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and actual seawater, but also exhibits hydrogen evolution overpotential of 650 mV (j = 3 mA/cm2) in PBS and even as low as 570 mV (j = 10 mA/cm2) in seawater. Besides, it also displays excellent catalytic performance for oxygen reduction (E 1/2 at 0.83 V and the Tafel slope of 63 mV/dec). By investigating the composition and morphology of the materials, it was found that acid treatment changed the active components and carbon matrix of the catalysts, thus affecting the catalytic performance. A multifunctional carbon-based electrocatalyst, PMA@ZIF-67-C-AT, was successfully prepared by carbonization and acid treatment of H 3 PMo 12 O 40 @ZIF-67 precursor. It not only exhibits excellent catalytic performance for ORR in alkaline solution, but also has efficient catalytic activity and stability for HER and OER actual seawater. [Display omitted] • Multifunctional carbon-based catalyst derived from polyoxometalates and MOFs. • Efficient bifunctional catalyst for hydrogen and oxygen evolution in seawater. • Excellent ORR catalytic ability with a Tafel slope smaller than that of Pt/C. • The performance of catalyst is affected by active components and carbon matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its first discovery in December 2019, the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been posing a serious threat to human life and health. Diagnostic testing is critical for the control and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, diagnostic testing at the point of care (POC) has been widely accepted as part of the post restriction COVID-19 control strategy. Lateral flow assay (LFA) is a popular POC diagnostic platform that plays an important role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in industrialized countries and resource-limited settings. Numerous pioneering studies on the design and development of diverse LFA-based diagnostic technologies for the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 have been done and reported by researchers. Hundreds of LFA-based diagnostic prototypes have sprung up, some of which have been developed into commercial test kits for the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19. In this review, we summarize the crucial role of rapid diagnostic tests using LFA in targeting SARS-CoV-2-specific RNA, antibodies, antigens, and whole virus. Then, we discuss the design principle and working mechanisms of these available LFA methods, emphasizing their clinical diagnostic efficiency. Ultimately, we elaborate the challenges of current LFA diagnostics for COVID-19 and highlight the need for continuous improvement in rapid diagnostic tests. [Display omitted] • Lateral flow assay (LFA) is a popular point-of-care diagnostic platform that plays a critical role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. • The latest advances of LFA-assisted rapid COVID-19 diagnosis by targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA, antibodies, antigens, and whole virus were comprehensively reviewed. • The currently available commercial LFA products for the COVID-19 diagnosis are also described. • The clinical performances, challenges and further improvements of current LFA diagnostics for COVID-19 are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most challenging clinical issues. It is characterized by the disruption of neural circuitry and connectivity, resulting in neurological disability. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) serve as a promising source of therapeutic cells for SCI treatment. However, the therapeutic outcomes of direct ADSCs transplantation are limited in the presence of an inflammatory microenvironment. Herein, a cell-adaptable neurogenic (CaNeu) hydrogel was developed as a delivery vehicle for ADSCs to promote neuronal regeneration after SCI. The dynamic network of CaNeu hydrogel loaded with ADSCs provides a cell-infiltratable matrix that enhances axonal growth and eventually leads to improved motor evoked potential, hindlimb strength, and coordination of complete spinal cord transection in rats. Furthermore, the CaNeu hydrogel also establishes an anti-inflammatory microenvironment by inducing a shift in the polarization of the recruited macrophages toward the pro-regeneration (M2) phenotype. Our study showed that the CaNeu-hydrogel‒mediated ADSCs delivery resulted in significantly suppressed neuroinflammation and apoptosis, and that this phenomenon involved the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that the CaNeu hydrogel is a valuable delivery vehicle to assist stem cell therapy for SCI, providing a promising strategy for central nervous system diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Combining wet torrefaction (WT) and pyrolysis for bioresource utilization. • Global reactivity was inhibited whereas local reactivity could be promoted by WT. • WT changed the structure and reactivity of softwood biochar significantly. • WT temperature had limited effect on AAEMs removal efficiency in biochar. • Relationship between X - T - t was determined by model-free method. This study investigated the effect of wet torrefaction (WT) on biochar property derived from softwood (PIW) and hardwood (POW) pyrolysis. The biochar gasification was performed in a thermogravimetric analyzer, followed by kinetic modelling. The biochar structure was analyzed, including inherent metals, pore structure and carbon structure. The results showed that WT affected reactivity and structure of PIW-derived biochar more than that of POW-derived biochar. The critical WT temperature determined the reactivity changes together with kinetic parameters. The WT affected the inorganic and organic component in biochar simultaneously. As results of WT, more than 70 and 50% ion-exchanged AAEMs in PIW-derived biochar and POW-derived biochar were removed. Nevertheless, the organic structure had essential effect on the gasification reactivity. More pronounced structure evolution of PIW-derived biochar was observed, including lower mesopore surface area, more graphite structure and small rings. This research provides new insights into the structure–reactivity correlation for biochar utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of thermogravimetric experiments were conducted to study the gasification kinetics of raw and demineralized coal char. The gasification mechanism was reveled through the kinetic analysis and the structure evolution. The systematic analyses showed that the reactivity of demineralized coal char was more sensitive to the heating rate β. The random pore model was more suitable for both raw and demineralized coal chars, where the pre-exponential factor (A) played the essential role in fitting performance. Moreover, the parameters of kinetic compensation effect were found to have a good linear relationship with ln β , and the variations of kinetic triplet (A , E a and f (X)) with the conversion level could be further explored accordingly. The reactivity predictions employing the integral and differential approaches were compared under the isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. The reactivity of raw coal char was more easily affected by diffusion, and the conversion-effectiveness factors increased with the conversion level at high temperatures. Finally, the local gasification mechanism was analyzed by piecewise comparing different single-step global models. The raw coal char featured the closed-pore reopening according to the distribution pore structure. The ash can act as the nuclei for gasification and affect pore growth and coalescence. [Display omitted] • KCE parameters had a good linear relationship with ln β. • Predications for non-isothermal and isothermal gasification were performed. • The local reaction pathway was analyzed by the piecewise SGMs. • The distribution structure parameter based on TGA was proposed. • The ash content affected the pore growth and coalescence during gasification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of membrane shear rate during nanofiltration of skim milk diluted with two volumes of water representing dairy effluents, using a vibrating VSEP module with a Desal 5 DK membrane, was investigated. This shear rate (γ max) was varied by performing tests at 60.75, 60.2, 60.0 and 59.8Hz. In long-term industrial use, it is necessary to limit the vibration amplitude d of the membrane rim to about 2–2.3cm, against d =3.0cm at the maximum and resonant frequency of 60.75Hz. At a pressure (TMP) of 4000kPa, 45°C and initial concentration, permeate fluxes decreased from 220Lh−1 m−2 at 60.75Hz (with a shear rate of 1.35×105 s−1) to 95Lh−1 m−2 at 59.8Hz (0.64×105 s−1, d =1.5cm). The permeate carbon oxygen demand (COD) due to lactose increased from 20mgO2 L−1 at 60.75Hz to 60mgO2 L−1 at 59.8Hz, remaining much smaller than in the feed (36,000mgO2 L−1). Permeate conductivity increased from 500μScm−1 at 60.75Hz to 800μScm−1 at 59.8Hz, for a feed conductivity of 2000μScm−1. During concentration tests, performed at 4 frequencies, the permeate flux J at various volume reduction ratios of 1, 3 and 7 was given by a single equation , showing that the flux is mainly controlled by shear rate whether this shear rate is lowered by reducing the frequency or increasing the concentration. Tests performed with a real dairy effluent gave a variation of permeate flux and conductivity with TMP similar to the model, up to 3000kPa. Above 3000kPa, the real effluent flux dropped due to higher membrane fouling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the reduction of ionic concentration and carbon oxygen demand (COD) in dairy process waters modelled by one volume of skim milk diluted with two volumes of water using shear-enhanced reverse osmosis. Initial COD and conductivity were, respectively, 36,000mgO2 L−1 and 2000μScm−1. We have compared the performances of a VSEP vibratory pilot and of a single rotating disk-stationary membrane module equipped with the same Desal AG membrane (Osmonics). Membrane shear rates were varied by changing the vibration frequency in the VSEP and the disk rotation speed or adding radial vanes in the other module. In all tests the permeate COD was reduced below 15mgO2 L−1. Permeate fluxes reached a maximum of 180Lh−1 m−2 at a transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 4MPa at initial concentration with the VSEP at its resonant frequency and with the disk equipped with 6mm high vanes rotating at 2000rpm. Permeate conductivity fell from 60μScm−1 at 1MPa to about 18μScm−1 at 4MPa. In concentration tests, corresponding permeate fluxes at the maximum volume reduction ratio reached (VRR=8), were 55Lh−1 m−2 for the VSEP and 60Lh−1 m−2 for the rotating disk at a TMP of 4MPa. Permeate conductivities increased exponentially with VRR from 18 to 210μScm−1 for the rotating disk and to 250μScm−1 for the VSEP. However the mean conductivity of collected permeate varied from 38μScm−1at highest shear rate to 60 at lower shear rates. This study shows that these filtration systems permit to obtain reusable water from this high initial COD model effluent with one single reverse osmosis step. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]