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Climate warming is a critical environmental issue affecting rice production. However, its effects on cooked rice texture and rice thermal properties remain unstudied in China. To address this gap, we conducted a two-year multi-site field warming experiment using free-air temperature increase facilities across three major Chinese rice cropping systems. Interestingly, warming had a minimal impact on the hardness of cooked rice, while it significantly increased stickiness by an average of 16.3% under warming conditions. Moreover, compared to control treatments, rice flour exhibited a significant increase in gelatinization enthalpy, onset, peak, and conclusion temperatures under warming conditions, with average increments of 8.7%, 1.00 °C, 1.05 °C, and 1.17 °C, respectively. In addition, warming significantly declined the amylose content, remarkedly elevated the protein content and relative crystallinity, and altered the weight distribution of the debranched starch. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between cooked rice stickiness, rice flour thermal properties, amylose content, protein content, and partial starch structures. Therefore, warming-induced alterations in rice composition and starch structure collectively enhanced cooked rice stickiness and rice thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the high temperature (130 °C), high pressure (30 MPa), and high salinity (2.5 × 105 mg/L) of formation water conditions in the target block of the Tarim Basin Oilfield in northwest China, dodecyl hydroxy sulfobetaine surfactant was evaluated for its foaming performance, thermal stability, adsorption performance. The evaluation results showed that the surfactant exhibited good foaming ability and thermal stability than the general carboxy betaine under the above harsh conditions. The static adsorption of the surfactant on the surface of quartz sand particles was less than 1 mg/g with a concentration of less than 0.4%, which met the requirement for foaming agent adsorption. Moreover, the results of core displacement experiments indicated that, when simultaneously injecting 0.4% foaming agent and gas at a volume ratio of 3:7 into the cores of 38 mD, 161.4 mD, and 478.7 mD, foam with low mobility of less than 2 mD/cP could be generated; in the 57.3 mD Berea core, the resistance factor of foam generated by 8 cycles of injecting gas-liquid alternately with gas-liquid volume ratio ranging from 0.2:0.1 to 0.4:0.1 was nearly 20, and the residual resistance factor was greater than 5 after 5 PV of continuous gas injection. The results of the study can guide the selection of foaming agents for gas mobility control in high-temperature and high-salinity sandstone reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development limits the living quality of rural residents. In particular, the residential buildings in northern China generally have poor thermal comfort in winter, which affects the physical and mental health of residents. Because of the separation of rooms, residents who live in cave dwellings often have to enter and leave rooms in the course of their daily lives, which leads to worse thermal feelings in winter. Because of the low price and the wind insulation and heat storage, sunrooms are widely used in renovations of rural houses. The traditional purpose of the addition of a sunroom is to provide a buffer room between outdoor and indoor spaces. This manuscript focuses on improving the degree of thermal comfort by means of a sunroom connecting all rooms. This study selected two families with the same number of members and similar daily activities as the study cases. One of the families had a sunroom built to connect its bedroom, living room, and washroom. The household's air temperature and human comfort were measured both on holidays and on workdays. It is demonstrated that adding a sunroom can significantly stabilize the thermal environment and increase the air temperature in both the bedroom and the living room. Adding a sunroom can increase the air temperature of a cave dwelling's main room by 1.0 °C on workdays and 4.3 °C on holidays. A cave dwelling with a sunroom can also provide residents with a decent level of human comfort for 24.4% of their daily time on workdays and 39.1% of the time during holidays. This research demonstrates that a sunroom can not only increase the air temperature in cave dwellings but also enhance the stability of human comfort. The conclusion provides new renovation ideas for improving the living comfort of cave dwellings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of information, energy, and materials industries in China, the demand for high-performance polymers is gradually increasing. Photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) has emerged as an ideal choice for high-performance optoelectronic materials due to its outstanding thermal stability, mechanical strength, and low dielectric constant. In particular, bio-based photosensitive polyimide prepared from bio-based chemicals, as a green polymer material, not only reflects the advantages of environmental protection and resource efficiency but also contributes to carbon neutrality. However, how to improve the photolithography efficiency while maintaining the thermodynamic performance and environmental friendliness and how to balance the pros and cons of low-molecular-weight matrixes are still challenges in the research. This review systematically summarizes the synthesis and performance characteristics of photosensitive polyimides, bio-based polyimide, and bio-based photosensitive polyimides and further explores the future application prospects of bio-based polyimides in the field of high-performance optoelectronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protamine is a cationic peptide derived from fish sperm and has several important functional properties: antibacterial properties, acting as a carrier for injectable insulin and as a heparin antagonist, combatting fatigue, etc. Thus, it has been widely used in medicinal applications and food products. Cultured Takifugu flavidus is a type of pufferfish with a delicious taste that is popular in China, and its production is increasing significantly. Therefore, protamine was extracted via acid extraction from the sperm of Takifugu flavidus and further isolated and purified via sephadex gel chromatography, ion exchange chromatography, and desalination chromatography. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of protamine were investigated. The results showed that the sperm of the cultured T. flavidus were non-toxic, and the extracted and purified protamine had high contents of arginine (36.90%) and lysine (27.02%), respectively. The secondary structure of protamine was mainly β-folded and irregularly curled. Additionally, protamine exhibited high thermal stability with a denaturation temperature of 176 °C. This study would provide a theoretical basis for the structural analysis, bioactivity, and resource development of pufferfish protamine and help to promote the development of the pufferfish industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In oil-displacement processes, a compound surfactant system is used to reduce the crude oil–water interfacial tension (IFT) via the synergistic effect of multiple surfactants. To the best of our knowledge, however, since there is no systematic quantitative comparison tool for the intermolecular effects of surfactants, the synergistic mechanisms of surfactant systems have not been analyzed in depth. This paper proposes the use of intermolecular scission energy as a quantitative tool to analyze the synergistic mechanism of surfactants, mitigating the aforementioned issues. As a case study, this paper focuses on the Y-1, K-1, and K-2 blocks of Shengli Oilfield, China. Based on the intermolecular scission energies of the crude oil IFT-reducing agents of each block, along with the fact that they have the same composition, the co-surfactant amide betaine was added to a conventional alkanolamide–hydroxysultaine system to form a common surfactant system suitable for use in all three blocks. This new system achieved ultra-low IFTs—that is, ∼10−3 mN/m—for all three oils at a concentration of only 0.05%. The surfactant system can effectively reduce the oil–water IFT for 125 days under 90 °C formation conditions, with good thermal stability. After flowing in the formation for 30 days, the concentration of the system is still maintained at about 95%, and it is not easily adsorbed. In the visualization of the oil displacement test, the total oil recovery of a surfactant–polymer system (SP system)—composed of a surfactant system and a polymer—was found to be over 62%, an increase of more than 20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Chestnut has recently attracted attention because of its exceptional functional properties, which are mainly influenced by the structural properties of chestnut starch (CS). In this study, ten varieties of chestnut from the northern, southern, eastern, and western regions of China were selected, and their functional properties, including thermal properties, pasting properties, in vitro digestibility, and multi‐scale structural characteristics were characterized. The relationship between structure and functional properties was clarified. RESULTS: In the varieties that were studied, the pasting temperature of CS was in the range of 67.2–75.2 °C and the pastes displayed diverse viscosity characteristics. Slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS) of CS were in the range of 17.17–28.78% and 61.19–76.10%, respectively. Chestnut starch from north‐eastern China exhibited the highest RS content of 74.43–76.10%. Structural correlation analysis revealed that smaller size distribution, fewer B2 chains, and thinner lamellae thickness contributed to higher RS content. Meanwhile, CS with smaller granules, more B2 chains, and thicker amorphous lamellae displayed lower peak viscosities, stronger resistance to shear, and higher thermal stability. CONCLUSION: Overall, this study clarified the relationship between the functional properties and the multi‐scale structure of CS, revealing the structural contributions to its high RS content. These findings provide significant information and basic data for use in the creation of nutritional chestnut food. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The present paper aimed to provide a basis for the recycling of nutrient resources of organic solid waste in urban and rural areas of China and the rational application of compost.[Method] The organic carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) characteristics of four organic waste composts, i.e., food waste (FW), garden waste (GW), chicken manure (ChM) and cattle manure composts (CaM), were systematically analyzed by Hedley P sequential fractionation method, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. [Result] The obvious differences in the content and fraction of P and the content and composition of organic C among four composts were observed. The total and labile P content of animal manure composts (ChM and CaM) were significantly higher than those of plant-derived organic waste compost (FW and GW), in which the highest content of water extracted P (H2O-P) and NaHCO3 extracted P (NaHCO3-P) was observed in ChM and CaM composts, respectively. FW compost had high total organic C (TOC), but low humification index (i.e., humic C/fulvic C = 0.09) . Meanwhile, FW compost had the highest content of labile organic C (LOC), i.e., dissolved organic C (DOC), light molecular organic acids (LMOA) and amino acids (AA), the lower degree of aromatization with more carboxylic acids and polysaccharide structures, and the lowest thermal stability. GW compost had the highest content of readily oxidizable organic C (ROC) and humic substances C (HSC), and a high aromatized structure and thermal stability. Animal manure compost had the lowest HSC content and the medium DOC content. ChM compost had the highest free AA content and rich LMOA species, while the CaM compost contained a certain amount of AA and oxalic acid. Two animal manure composts had a similar aromatization degree and thermal stability, which was between FW and GW. [Conclusion] Manure composts with high P content and labile organic C can be used as a good P source to completely or partially replace chemical fertilizer. FW compost had low P content but high LOC content, which can improve the availability of P fertilizer via promoting P by C. GW compost with low P content and high stable organic C, in the long run, can improve soil fertility, which in turn can enhance soil P availability. Thus, rational application of composts according to their C and P characteristics or combined application of different composts or compost with chemical fertilizers can realize the C and P synergy and the highly efficient recycling of P nutrient resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) fertilization affects grain quality in common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench). But the effects of N fertilizer on various buckwheat protein parameters are not fully understood. This study aimed to investigate the synthesis, accumulation, and quality of buckwheat protein under four N application rates in the Loess Plateau, China. Optimal N application (180 kg N ha-1 ) improved yield, agronomic traits, and N transport and increased protein yield and protein component accumulation. Prolamin and glutelin accumulation first increased and then decreased with increasing N application. The relationships between the contents of protein components and the amount of applied N generally followed quadratic functions. Nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activities first increased and then decreased with increasing N levels. Optimal N fertilizer increased the waterholding capacity and thermal stability of buckwheat protein and reduced its emulsification capacity, but negligibly changed its oil-absorption capacity. Hydrophobic amino acids and glutelin content were the main factors affecting protein quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production strategies and parameters control the efficiency of geothermal energy extraction related to the thermal stability and economic benefits of a geothermal system. The optimization strategies of geothermal energy extraction play a critical role in engineering and are generally determined through a numerical simulation approach. Considering the correlation among production parameters, numerical simulation requires numerous runs and manual adjustments, resulting in lower calculation efficiency and limited or local optimizations. This study proposes a high-efficiency network based on a three-dimensional heterogeneity model in the Gonghe Basin in China to achieve a high-efficiency and high-precision production strategy. The neural network was successfully established as a surrogate of the numerical model for the repetitive forward simulation. Meanwhile, the neural network is integrated with the Harris Hawks algorithm to optimize extraction strategies for sustainable heat extraction. This paper focuses on the effects of human-controlled operational parameters on geothermal systems. Results indicated that the maximum electrical power can be guaranteed 5.2 MW during a 50-year production period at an injection temperature of 60°C, an injection rate of 39 kg/s , and a well spacing of 380 m. The study provides important operational guidance for sustainable utilization in the Gonghe Basin. This simulation-optimization approach can be applied to other geothermal sites for sustainable energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop sustainable functional fibers and expand their novel applications, the large-clustered dendrocalamus sinicus (DS) and the dendrocalamus giganteus (DG) planted in the southwest of China were effectively isolated by steam explosion (SE). The fine and uniform bamboo microfibers of DS and DG corresponding to the smallest average widths of 18.24 μm and 17.16 μm were obtained, respectively. The relative content of cellulose in two bamboo species had a marked increase after SE but a decrease for hemicellulose and lignin without any introduction of toxic chemical reagents. The SE treatment improved the thermal stability, the crystallinity, and the surface hydrophilicity of bamboo samples with their morphologies varying from rod-shaped strips to fibrous filaments. The degrees of crystallinity for DS and DG increased from 57.63% and 57.53% to 73.67% and 74.10%, respectively. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, and hydrophobicity of bamboo microfibers derived from DS were superior to those of DG, which showed a higher maximum decomposition temperature (5.24°C), tensile strength (181 MPa), elongation at break (1.1%), and water contact angle (7.8°). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2013, H7N9 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have caused more than 1,500 human infections and the culling of millions of poultry. Despite large-scale poultry vaccination, H7N9 AIVs continue to circulate among poultry in China and pose a threat to human health. Previously, we isolated and generated four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from humans naturally infected with H7N9 AIV. Here, we investigated the hemagglutinin (HA) epitopes of H7N9 AIV targeted by these mAbs (L3A44, K9B-122, L4A-14, and L4B-18) using immune escape studies. Our results revealed four key antigenic epitopes at HA amino acid positions 125, 133, 149, and 217. The mutant H7N9 viruses representing escape mutations containing an alanine-to-threonine substitution at residue 125 (A125T), a glycine-to-glutamic acid substitution at residue 133 (G133E), an asparagine-to-aspartic acid substitution at residue 149 (N149D), or a leucine-to-glutamine substitution at residue 217 (L217Q) showed reduced or completely abolished cross-reactivity with the mAbs, as measured by a hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay. We further assessed the potential risk of these mutants to humans should they emerge following mAb treatment by measuring the impact of these HA mutations on virus fitness and evasion of host adaptive immunity. Here, we showed that the L4A-14 mAb had broad neutralizing capabilities, and its escape mutant N149D had reduced viral stability and human receptor binding and could be neutralized by both postinfection and antigen-induced sera. Therefore, the L4A-14 mAb could be a therapeutic candidate for H7N9 AIV infection in humans and warrants further investigation for therapeutic applications. IMPORTANCE Avian influenza virus (AIV) H7N9 continues to circulate and evolve in birds, posing a credible threat to humans. Antiviral drugs have proven useful for the treatment of severe influenza infections in humans; however, concerns have been raised as antiviral-resistant mutants have emerged. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been studied for both prophylactic and therapeutic applications in infectious disease control and have demonstrated great potential. For example, mAb treatment has significantly reduced the risk of people developing severe disease with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In addition to the protection efficiency, we should also consider the potential risk of the escape mutants generated by mAb treatment to public health by assessing their viral fitness and potential to compromise host adaptive immunity. Considering these parameters, we assessed four human mAbs derived from humans naturally infected with H7N9 AIV and showed that the mAb L4A-14 displayed potential as a therapeutic candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Food Science & Technology is the property of Editorial Office of Modern Food Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The current society is experiencing serious problems in terms of energy and environmental pollution. Environmentally friendly and renewable sources such as phase change materials have been employed as a reliable and effective source of energy storage. Phase change materials (PCMs) are known to absorb or release sizeable amount of energy during melting and solidification process. PCMs have been employed in both thermal protection and energy storage systems, more in active as well as passive cooling applications. However, PCMs are associated with low thermal conductivity, which hinders the process of heat rate exchange during the melting/solidification cycles. To improve the thermal conductivity of PCMs, various conductive fillers have been incorporated to such systems. Thermal cycle test is done to verify the stability of PCMs in thermal energy storage systems. This review emphasizes on the morphology, preparation methods and thermal cycle of various types of PCMs in the presence of conductive filler. Furthermore, the bibliometric analysis based on key research areas, top ten leading countries, and citations by country on phase change materials for energy storage research are reported in this review paper. The bibliometric analysis shows the dominance of the People's Republic of China on PCMs for energy storage research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study investigated the effects of dry‐ageing time on physicochemical quality and protein properties of porcine longissimus lumborum within 48 h of postmortem ageing. Results showed that appropriately prolonged dry‐ageing time (24 and 36 h) had a positive effect on the tenderness, water‐holding capacity, thermal stability and gel properties of meat, as evident from the decrease of shear force, dripping loss, cooking loss, T2 relaxation time, enthalpy value and the increase in storage and loss modulus. Nevertheless, the excessive extension of ageing (48 h) increased the degree of protein oxidation and degradation by maintaining the lowest total sulfhydryl but the highest carbonyl content, and producing more small molecular weight protein chains (35.4, 20 and 19.6 KDa). Chemometric analysis further clarified the appropriate ageing time of desirable meat. In conclusion, dry ageing 24 and 36 h were suggested as the reasonable postmortem ageing time for porcine longissimus lumborum in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional historical buildings carry the culture and spirit of China for thousands of years and have a unique charm that modern buildings do not have. However, traditional historical buildings have gradually declined over time, and their restoration not only takes time and materials but also causes certain harm to the environment. Therefore, this paper has aimed to explore how traditional historical buildings can develop in a sustainable and ecologically adaptive image in modern times. For traditional historical buildings, this paper has taken traditional cave dwellings in northern Shaanxi as an example to analyze their ecological adaptability, and based on the analysis results, traditional cave dwellings have been transformed. Specifically, this paper has taken the comfort of residential houses as the evaluation standard and has selected the thermal stability of the building and the energy consumption of heat supply as indicators to compare and analyze the traditional cave dwellings and the renovated cave dwellings. The experimental results of this paper have found that the traditional historical buildings are the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancients for thousands of years. However, due to the limitation of technology, the lighting and thermal stability of traditional cave dwellings are not high. After scientific design, the lighting and thermal stability of the transformed cave are 100% and 30% higher than those of the traditional cave, respectively, and the heating energy consumption is reduced by 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron spin resonance (ESR) method has been successfully applied to dating hydrothermal barite; however, there have been few studies of modern continental barite, such as that generated by fault movement or in sedimentary deposits. To better understand the geological processes involved in the formation of continental barite, its thermal characteristics and age firstly need to be defined. In this study, one fault barite sample and two sedimentary barite samples were obtained from continental sites in China for ESR signal thermal stability experiments. Microwave-power experiments indicate that 0.5 mW produces the maximum ESR signal intensity and the highest signal-to-noise ratio. Stepwise-heating results reveal that ESR signal intensities remain stable below 100 °C then show an increasing trend that peaks at ∼180 °C, following which they decrease rapidly between 180 and 320 °C and disappear at ∼380 °C. Isothermal heating results show that ESR signal intensities remain stable within a temperature range of 100–200 °C but show a decreasing trend for temperatures of 240–320 °C. These results indicate that the thermal decay of the ESR signal intensity for the three studied continental barites follows second-order decay kinetics. The thermal lifetimes calculated for the three samples are 6.3 × 108, 7.5 × 107, and 8.7 × 106 a, respectively. Thus, barite ESR dating can be used to date related geological events since early Pleistocene. • 0.5 mW gives the max measured ESR signal intensity. • ESR signal disappear at ∼380 °C for 15 min. • Thermal decay follows second-order decay kinetics. • Date modern continental barite for more than 15,000 ka. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous in-depth development of oil and gas resources, unconventional oil and gas resources show great potential. In recent years, 70% of the proven oil and gas resources in China are unconventional oil and gas resources. Therefore, the development of unconventional oil and gas resources has a huge impact on the increase in the production capacity of the oil and gas resources in China. Staged fracturing of horizontal wells is the main technical measure to improve unconventional oil and gas production stimulation. In the fracturing process, the soluble bridge plug technology can not only effectively solve the problems of large investment in drilling and grinding of composite bridge plugs, high risks, self-locking of oil, casing deformation, etc., causing the bridge plug to be unable to be drilled and remove and affect subsequent production but also can successfully make up for the problems of subsequent production. The large-diameter bridge plug cannot achieve the full diameter of the wellbore and cannot carry out operations such as postproduction logging and refracturing, which can ensure the integrity of the wellbore to the greatest extent. In this paper, HNBR was used to modify MPU to prepare HNBR/MPU soluble rubber, and the effect of blending ratio on the vulcanization characteristics, mechanical properties, compatibility, thermal stability, and degradation behavior of composites was studied. The results showed that with the increase in the amount of HNBR, the degree of cross-linking of the composite material decreased gradually, and the mechanical properties decreased slightly. With the increase in the amount of HNBR, the thermal stability of the material decreases. The use of HNBR greatly reduced the degradation rate of MPU. When the amount of HNBR was changed from 20 phr to 40 phr, the tensile strength retention rate of the composite after soaking increased from 14.73% to 39.72%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural and functional properties of starch from purple yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is investigated, and starches from other three yam varieties grown in China are used for comparison. The yam starches show a variety of shapes from oval to elongated or irregular. The amylose content of four yam starches is in the range of 28.3–37.9%. The D. alata L. starch exhibits a typical B‐type X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern with a higher relative crystallinity compared with other three yam starches, which show a C‐type XRD pattern. The D. alata L. starch has the higher proportion (20.6%) of long branch chain (Degree of polymerization (DP) ≥ 37) and the lower proportion (11.8%) of short branch chains (DP 6–12), which accounts for its higher thermal stability and lower in vitro enzymatic digestibility. This study provides useful information on the properties of purple yam starch, which would be of use for their application in preparation of foods with low enzymatic digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The applicabilities of three typical coal slags as storage materials are evaluated. • Thermophysical properties of three slags and other storage materials are compared. • Effects of coal types and slag morphology on the storage performances are analyzed. Refractory materials are considered as the most suitable high-temperature sensible heat storage materials due to their excellent thermo-mechanical resistance and superior thermophysical properties. Unfortunately, refractories are usually too expensive. To reduce the cost of energy storage materials, the recycling of refractory industrial solid wastes into storage materials is becoming increasingly prevalent. The paper innovatively proposes to use the slags from a liquid slagging furnace of a coal-fired power plant in China as packed bed sensible heat energy storage materials. This paper characterizes the chemical compositions and thermophysical properties of three typical coal slags (Fukang coal slag, Fukang coal granulated slag, Hongshaquan coal granulated slag) and evaluates their potentials as storage materials. The results show that the three kinds of coal slags have good thermophysical properties. At 380 °C, the energy storage densities per unit volume of the three materials are 1037 MJ/m3, 986 MJ/m3 and 920 MJ/m3, respectively. Fukang coal slag has good thermal stability and durability and can be directly used for ultra-high temperature energy storage at 1000 °C. Due to the low crystallization degree, the two granulated slags have poor thermal durabilities and need to be processed at high temperatures before using them for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well Songke−2 is the main hole of the Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Songliao Basin, China, and its bottom hole temperature is estimated to exceed 240°C in the fourth spud at the well depth of 5800 m. To ensure that the drilling fluid could meet the demand of high temperature resistance, different components, including clay, filtration reducers and anti−collapse additives, of the high–temperature drilling fluid system were optimized through thermal stability tests. Comprehensive test results suggested that the optimal bentonite content to be 4% (w/v). Compared with other materials of the same type, polymer filtration reducers SO−1 and HLW−1, as well as sulfonation additive LOCKSEAL were demonstrated to have stronger resistance to high temperature. The proposed high temperature drilling fluid formula exhibited good thermal stability, rheological behaviour, anti−contamination capacity and shale inhibition property. Finally, a great success of the formula was practically obtained in the field application during the following−up core drilling project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A path model of trap oil cracking was established. • Oil-bearing inclusions indicate the existence of paleo-oil reservoirs. • Oil cracking is followed by unstable, major components, deasphalting and coking. • Escape of wet gas and TSR alteration form the dry gas reservoir. Deep strata are extremely rich in hydrocarbon resources, and trap oil has undergone a long-term and multistage geological evolution that results in thermal cracking. However, compared with controlled experimental conditions, studies on the thermal cracking process of trapped oil under subsurface geological conditions are relatively scarce. Therefore, the major aim of this study is to reconstruct the oil reservoir cracking process based on an evolutionary study of a typical Ediacaran gas reservoir in China. By evaluating the detailed reservoir petrology, natural gas composition, isotopes, residual solid bitumen (SB) characteristics, fluid inclusion analysis, and in situ U–Pb dating of dolomite, this study combined an oil cracking kinetic model with actual geological elements and evolution to recover the four stages of trap oil cracking. Mutual verification of the forward model and inversion demonstrated that a suitable oil cracking kinetic model can be extrapolated to geological conditions. With an increase in the thermal evolution of the reservoir, the most unstable component in the oil first cracks, and a small amount of gaseous products are preferentially dissolved in the liquid oil. The major components of petroleum undergo thermal cracking and conversion to produce short-chain liquid hydrocarbons and wet gases. A large amount of wet gas generates an abnormally high fluid pressure. Wet gas usually escapes from potential channels (i.e., caprock microfractures and unconformity surfaces), thus dynamically maintaining the energy balance of the trap system and weakening the impact of high pressure on oil cracking. The wet gas products precipitate asphaltene in the oil, thus adjusting the composition and properties of the trap oil. The escape of the initial wet gas products, accompanied by a thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) reaction with residual oil, C 2 H 6 , and other wet gases as reactants, led to the formation of CH 4 -rich natural gas with a high drying coefficient in the trap of the highly over-mature evolution stage. Precipitated asphalt and the asphalt directly produced by oil cracking, coke rapidly under high temperatures and pressures to form SB with abnormally high reflectivity. Under geological conditions, oil cracking behavior is generally controlled by a combination of temperature history, tectonic history, fluid pressure background, trap preservation conditions, secondary alteration (e.g., TSR), and oil type, among which the reservoir temperature history remains the most important. Other factors should not be underestimated in a specific region. This study revealed a pathway model for the thermal cracking of trapped oil under real geological conditions, providing references for similar studies and other pathway models in different regions worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiji-1 is China's first in-orbit technology validating satellite related to spaceborne gravitational wave (GW) detection. The satellite was launched at 600km sun synchronized orbit on 31 August 2019. It has accomplished its mission goals while all subsystems have validated their key technologies in orbit. The subsystems include optical metrology system (OMS), drag-free attitude control system (DFACS), thermal control subsystem, high-quality microgravity satellite platform and so on. This paper presents system architecture of Taiji-1 analyzing in-orbit experimental results of thermal stability, reaction wheel vibration contributing to the noise of gravitational reference sensor (GRS) measurement noise, and the center-of-mass (CoM) of GRS calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two fly ash-based continuous fibers were prepared exhibit good tensile strength. • The tensile strength of CFMF and CFMPF increase 115% and 28.3% than the reported. • Thermal action make the Q3, Q2, and Q1 transfer to Q4(3Al), Q4(2Al), Q4(1Al). • AlO 6 octahedron was destroyed and converted into AlO 5 and Al[SiO] 3. • Not all Al atom contribute to the tensile strength of fibers. A large number of industrial solid waste resources urgently need to be recycled, so, fast-expanding the utilization area of these waste resources is a pressing task in today's China. The production of various slag wool fibers is an effective way due to the huge demand of thermal insulation materials. Besides, the preparation of slag continuous fibers is also a good choice because of its wide application fields. Two fly ash-based continuous fibers were successfully prepared by fly ash and magnesium slag, or add less feldspar, through melting at high temperature, following spinning into continuous fibers. Their samples were treated at different temperatures from 100 to 700 °C, and then investigate tensile strength and thermal resistance. As the same fly ash-based fibers, the tensile strength of two fibers in this study increase 115% and 28.3% than the fibers previously reported. Their utilization rates of solid waste resources are up to 100% and 80%, and far higher than 45% of the same fiber reported. FT-IR, SEM, Solid-state NMR analysis indicates that thermal action makes the 29Si structure without Al(Q3,Q2, and Q1) transfer to 29Si structure containing Al(Q4(3Al),Q4(2Al), Q4(1Al)), meanwhile, AlVI (AlO 6 octahedron) was destroyed completely and converted into AlV (AlO 5) and AlIV (Al[SiO] 3). Only some Al atoms participated in the formation of network structure in fiber, they contributed to the strength of fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many highways and railways in western China are built on permafrost roadbed. Frost heave and thaw settlement might cause diseases to frozen soil roadbed, such as deformation and cracking. For long-term operation, frozen soil roadbed should be kept stable and durable. Therefore, this paper analyzes the distribution law of temperature field of roadbed in permafrost regions, under the effect of thermal stability. Based on the thermodynamic properties of permafrost, the authors analyzed the influence of engineering geological factors, roadbed structural factors, and natural environmental factors on the thermal stability of frozen soil roadbed. Next, the antifreeze mechanism of frozen soil roadbed was described, together with the calculation methods for the relevant parameters. Afterwards, the temperature field of the roadbed with low thermal conductivity insulation material was analyzed by two methods, namely, steady-state thermal analysis and transient thermal analysis, and the solving process of roadbed temperature field was explained in details. The proposed analysis method and solving algorithm were proved valid through experiments. The research results provide a reference for the reasonable design of frozen soil roadbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Botanical Research is the property of Bulletin of Botanical Research Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, our objective is to propose a stability concept within the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) that does not require knowledge about preferences of other decision makers (DMs) in the conflict and is flexible to analyze the conflict with variable horizon. For that we propose the use of the maximin decision rule within the GMCR. More specifically, we consider a GMCR with two DMs and introduce the concept of Maximinh stability with horizon h for a given DM. The Maximinh stability concept was inspired by the notion of limited-move stability with horizon h present in the GMCR literature and it is adequate for modeling cautious DMs in conflicts where they have no knowledge about the other DM’s preferences. We establish what is the relationship among the Maximinhstabilities for different horizons and the relationship among Maximinh stability and other GMCR stability concepts. Finally, we present an application to illustrate the proposed stability concept, namely, a neuroscience technological selection conflict in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a hierarchical deep learning machine (HDLM) to efficiently achieve both quantitative and qualitative online transient stability prediction (TSP). For the sake of improving its online efficiency, multiple generators’ fault-on trajectories as well as the two closest data-points in pre-/post-fault stages are acquired by PMUs to form its raw inputs. An anti-noise graphical transient characterization technique is tactfully designed to transform multiplex trajectories into 2-D images, within which system-wide transients are concisely described. Then, following the divide-and-conquer philosophy, the HDLM trains a two-level convolutional neural network (CNN) based regression model. With stability margin regressions hierarchically refined, it manages to perform reliable and adaptive online TSP almost immediately after fault clearance. Test results on the IEEE 39-bus test system and the real-world Guangdong Power Grid in South China demonstrate the HDLM's superior performances on both stability status and stability margin predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mohe-Daqing oil pipeline (MDOP) of China-Russia crude oil pipeline (CRCOP) goes through a 441 km permafrost in high-latitude regions. Construction technology, oil temperature, and global warming effect cause the increase of ground temperature and accelerate the degradation of permafrost. The influence of geohazards on the existing CRCOP and its accompanying road was investigated in this study, which showed that the current engineering had been affected by freezing-thawing. In view of this problem, the permafrost thermal stability of the oil pipe and accompanying road was simulated based on the MDOP, considering different oil temperatures, global warming, thermal insulation, and different distances between the two. The numerical results indicate that the oil temperature had considerable influence on the thawing rate of permafrost. Placing the thermal insulation material around the oil pipe can effectively mitigate or even control the degradation of permafrost. With this measurement, the thaw depth has remained stable after 5 years of construction and had been controlled within 3.0 m when the thermal insulation thickness reached 8.0 cm. The larger the distance between the oil pipe and accompanying road, the lesser the thermal disturbance. Therefore, the thermal stability of MDOP can positively adopt a suitable oil temperature for thermal insulation thickness, along with an optimized distance away from the accompanying road as well. This study would also provide an essential theoretical and technological support for the design of oil pipeline in other permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Waterlogging decreased starch granule size. • Waterlogging increased the proportion of long-chains and high-molecular-weight molecules in amylopectin. • Ordered structure of waterlogged starch decreased peak and breakdown viscosities. The grain formation stage is a critical stage that affects grain starch quality and frequently overlaps the rainy season in southern China for waxy maize production. Two waxy maize varieties were grown under control and waterlogging conditions during grain formation (1–15 days after pollination) to probe the effects of oversaturated soil moisture on starch structural and functional characteristics. Results indicated that waterlogging during grain formation decreased the size of starch granule, proportion of large granule (d > 15 μm) and ratio of medium-length chains (DP 10–24) in amylopectin, whereas the percentage of high-molecular-weight molecules were increased. Compared with the control, the percentage of ordered starch was increased by waterlogging for both varieties. The changes in starch internal structure under waterlogging had no influence on thermal stability, increased the maximum thermal decomposition ratio and pasting temperatures, and reduced pasting viscosity characteristics in both varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: How the stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) is affected by soil erosion is still not clear. The main purpose of this study was to characterize how SOC stability is affected by erosion and assess the effects of different soil properties on SOC stability. Materials and methods: Soils from eroding and depositional sites in a typical small watershed in subtropical China were collected, and soil samples from four different depths (0–5, 5–10, 20–30, and 120–150 cm) were selected to represent the profile. Soil physicochemical properties as well as soil organic matter (SOM) chemical structure were measured. Thermal analysis and mineralization incubation experiments were performed to study the SOM stability. The effects of the soil properties on the SOM stability were evaluated via redundancy analysis. Results and discussion: The results showed that the eroding and depositional sites had different SOC contents but had similar organic functional groups. Furthermore, the OC in the eroded soils was more stable than that in the deposited soils, but this difference was only observed in the surface layers (0–5 and 5–10 cm). The selected variables (including soil texture, bulk density, pH, SOC, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), iron, soil aggregates, depth, erosion, and deposition) significantly explained the variations in SOC stability. A total of 91.4% of the variation in the thermogravimetry (TG)-T50 (the temperature resulting in 50% of SOM loss) and 98.9% of the variation in the CO2 emissions were explained by these variables. SOC alone contributed to 68% of the variation in the TG-T50, whereas DOC individually contributed 93.9% of the variation in the CO2 emissions. Conclusions: SOC and DOC contents are the most important soil properties influencing SOC stability, and SOC stability affected by soil erosion is mainly by displacing SOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China Low Activation Martensitic (CLAM) steel as one of 9%Cr ferritic-martensitic steels was designed as the structural materials for fusion reactors and lead-based Reactor in China. The long-term thermal stability of precipitated phases in CLAM steel at 550 °C was systematically studied in this paper, including coarsening kinetics, number density and shape stability. Based on large data statistics, the coarsening kinetics of M 23 C 6 carbide, MX carbonitride and Laves phase were analyzed to develop a coarsening model of each precipitated phase, respectively. The results showed that the coarsening rate of Laves phase was about 100 times than that of M 23 C 6 carbide after aging for 20,000 h at 550 °C. The number density of precipitated phases increased firstly and then decreased with increasing of aging time due to a dynamic equilibrium process of the precipitation and dissolution of precipitated phase. The results will help to deep understand degradation mechanisms after thermal aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Natural Gas Geoscience is the property of Natural Gas Geoscience and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim Seed Oil (ZBMSO) is widely distributed in most parts of China, which cannot be edible and extensively consumed due to its high free fatty acids. This paper reports a rational route to utilization of ZBMSO in preparation of nanocomposites which can enhance leather flame retardancy and thermal stability. ZBMSO was synthesized through three-stage process, decoloration, acid reduction and sulfitation to prepare the modified ZBMSO fatliquoring agent (MZBMSO). Then nanocomposites based on MZBMSO and stearate-layered double hydroxide (s-LDH) were prepared via in-situ method. XRD and TEM results indicated that the MZBMSO intercalate into the galleries of s-LDH with uniform dispersion. Compared with MZBMSO, the leather treated by MZBMSO/s-LDH had a remarkable improvement on flame retardancy and superior softness which limiting oxygen index (LOI) increased from 23.6% to 28.0% and smoke density index decreased from 25 to 6. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A rational route to use of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxin seed oil was developed. • We synthesized a halogen-free nanocomposite flame retardant fatliquoring agent. • The flame retardancy of leather was improved by layered double hydroxides. • The flame retardation mechanism of fatliquoring agent was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Clean Coal Technology is the property of Clean Coal Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rainfall significantly impacts the hydrothermal state and thermal stability of the permafrost active layer by modifying surface energy boundary conditions. The quantitative characterization of hydrothermal changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has long been a crucial issue, yet the mechanisms underlying the effects of seasonal rainfall on the hydrothermal state within the permafrost active layer remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of seasonal rainfall variations on the hydrothermal state within the permafrost active layer based on a water-vapour-heat coupled model that optimises the surface energy balance boundary conditions. The results show that regardless of whether the spring rainfall changes or not, the Bowen ratio is >1, indicating that the main energy exchange mode between the atmosphere and surface is sensible heat flux. But following the increase in rainfall in summer and autumn, the Bowen ratio is <1, indicating that the main energy exchange mode is latent heat flux. Meanwhile, increased seasonal rainfall leads to an increase in liquid water flux and a decrease in water vapour flux, whereas decreased seasonal rainfall leads to the opposite trend. Heat conduction, water vapour thermal convection, and water vapour diffusion latent heat decrease with increasing rainfall in various seasons. However, liquid water thermal convection increases with increasing rainfall during various seasons. Seasonal rainfall variations ultimately affect permafrost thermal stability by influencing water-vapour migration and energy changes within the permafrost active layer. Among them, the active layer thickness remains basically unchanged after the spring rainfall increases by 2.0 times, whereas it decreases by 4 and 6 cm after the summer and autumn rainfall increase by 1.5 and 2.0 times, respectively. Additionally, when the rainfall during spring, summer, and autumn decreases by 2.0, 1.5, and 2.0 times, respectively, the active layer thickness increases by 7, 6, and 3 cm, respectively. Therefore, increased seasonal rainfall can alleviate permafrost degradation. Otherwise, it is unfavourable for the preservation of permafrost thermal stability. [Display omitted] • Seasonal rainfall variations significantly affect the energy exchange mode between the surface and atmosphere. • The influence mechanisms of seasonal rainfall variations on the hydrothermal state of the active layer are studied. • The effects of seasonal rainfall variations on the thermal stability of permafrost are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, China has started paying more attention to environmental protection, and the efficient utilization of exhaust gases produced by smelting has emerged as a key problem concern. The silica fume collected from the exhaust gases produced by smelting ferrosilicon or industrial silicon was often used as a cement concrete admixture. Using silica fume as an asphalt modifier can make exhaust gases profitable. In this study, silica fume/SBS composite-modified asphalt mortar was prepared to improve the performance of asphalt. The effects of the silica fume content, temperature, and ratio of filler asphalt on the composite-modified asphalt mortar were studied through the cone penetration, softening point, viscosity, dynamic shear rheological (DSR) test, and bending beam rheometer (BBR) test. The thermal stability of composite-modified asphalt was analyzed through the thermal analysis test. The results showed that with the increase of silica fume content and ratio of filler asphalt, the high-temperature performance of asphalt mortar was improved; the content of silica fume had a great influence on the low-temperature performance of asphalt mortar, the optimum silica fume content was 7%; increasing the ratio of filler asphalt reduced the low-temperature cracking resistance of asphalt mortar; the incorporation of silica fume enhanced the initial decomposition temperature, thermal residual rate, temperature in which the weight loss rate reaches the maximum, and the endothermic peak of maximum temperature and improved the properties of asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The raw coal, cleaned coal, middlings, gangue and slime samples were collected from Guandi coal preparation plant, China. The modes of occurrence and thermal stability of mercury in the samples were characterized by the temperature programmed decomposition-atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (TPD-AFS) technique coupled with acid leaching. The results show that the Hg contents of cleaned coal and middlings are lower than that in raw coal while the Hg content of raw coal is less than that of gangue or slime. HCl-soluble Hg, organic-bound Hg, pyrite-bound Hg and silicate-bound Hg exist in all the samples. However, the distributions of modes of occurrence of Hg in all samples are different. The contents of HCl-soluble Hg and pyrite-bound Hg are in the order of gangue > slime > raw coal > middlings > cleaned coal. The silicate-bound Hg contents are the least and in the order of middlings > gangue > slime > raw coal > cleaned coal. The organic-bound Hg proportion has significant correlation with the organic material content of the samples. For HCl-soluble Hg and pyrite-bound Hg, the thermal stability is similar in all coal samples. The thermal stability of the silicate-bound Hg is highest among all the modes of occurrence of Hg and shows a certain dependency upon mineral in samples. The organic-bound Hg is complex and its thermal stability is different with different samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Learning-based method continuously controls energy management system. • Soft actor-critic retrenches hyperparameter adjustment of energy management. • On-line health and thermal models of fuel cell and battery are incorporated into reward. • Fuel economy and health increments of fuel cell and battery. • Temperatures of fuel cell and battery can be effectively regulated. Temperature can significantly affect the water equilibrium, electrochemical kinetics and mass transmission in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack, meanwhile it also impacts the lifespan and safety of a lithium-ion battery (LIB). Yet, energy management strategy (EMS) is rarely to synchronously study the durability performances of the LIB and PEMFC stack with their thermal effects in fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) under real-world driving scenarios. Thus, this study proposes a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based EMS to minimize transient costs of the LIB and PEMFC stack, which include their state-of-health (SOH) descents and overtemperature penalties. Meanwhile, the transient costs are incorporated into the overall cost, which comprises the hydrogen consumption rate of the PEMFC stack, and penalty of maintaining the LIB state-of-charge (SOC). Moreover, the soft actor-critic (SAC) is applied to the DRL-based EMS due to its advantage of stability across different random environments and no meticulous hyperparameter calibration. Specifically, the proposed EMS intelligently allocates the direct current (DC) bus power of FCVs in real time to maximize a multi-objective reward in accordance with FCV states, in which the reward is the negative overall cost. Then, long-term real-world driving scenarios in Chongqing city, China, are used for off-line training and real-time control to advance the adaptability of the proposed EMS. The results show that in comparison with the deep Q-network (DQN)-based EMS considering the powertrain temperature and durability, and the SAC-based EMS neglecting the powertrain temperature and durability, the proposed strategy can actualize overall SOH increments of the powertrain up to 14.01 % and 3.45 %, respectively, and restrict the maximum temperatures of the PEMFC stack and LIB. In addition, the generalization of the proposed EMS is verified, in which the trained model of the proposed EMS is tested in other FCV and driving cycles, and it can acquire similar effectiveness. Thus, the proposed strategy can enforce the lifespan durability and thermal stability of the powertrain system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking a power reactor in China as the object, the simulated actinides basaltic glasses were prepared by the solid-state melt method using Nd, Ce and La to simulate the actinides Am, Np and U. The XRD, SEM-EDX, XPS, Raman and DSC results show that the loading of the simulated actinides in basaltic glass can be up to 36 wt.%, and excess simulated actinides lead to oxyapatite crystals precipitation in the glasses; about half of Ce4+ in basaltic glasses is reduced to Ce3+; the simulated actinides may break Si-O bonds in glass networks, but overall there were no serious effects; the thermal stability of the basaltic glasses with the simulated actinides content increased first, and reduce when the content of more than 25 wt.%. All the samples have good leaching resistance and the leaching rates of Nd, Ce and La are 4 orders of magnitude lower than Si and Na. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term continuous cropping affects the biochemical quality of soil organic matter (SOM), but whether the effects are relevant with their thermal stability is less clear. In northeast China, long-term continuous cropping occurred frequently owing to higher yield and economic interest requirement. To verify the thermal stability properties of SOM affected by the long-term continuous cropping, the study focused on 23-yr continuous cultivated maize and soybean plots, where the effect of cropping is likely to be detected. Bulk soils sampled in 1991 and 2014 were studied by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed typical bimodal peaks in DSC curve in bulk Mollisols. A labile fraction peak was observed at 354-366 °C low-temperature zone and recalcitrant fraction one at high temperature of 430-438 °C. Energy density (J mg OM) was greater in soybean plots compared to maize plots; in contrast, long-term continuous maize cultivation also increased energy density, in reverse in soybean plots after 23-yr cultivation. The DSC-T, temperature at which half of energy release occurred, typically showed larger responses to long-term cultivation than crop species. Results obtained support the hypothesis of a potential link between long-term continuous cropping and the thermal stability of SOM, and a correlation with crop species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As unique ecological systems, glaciers are characterized by low temperatures and low nutrient levels, which allow them to be considered as 'living fossils' for the purpose of researching the evolution of life and the environmental evolution of the earth. Glaciers are also natural microbial 'reservoirs'. In this work, a lytic cold-active bacteriophage designated MYSP06 was isolated from Janthinobacterium sp. MYB06 from the Mingyong Glacier in China, and its major characteristics were determined. Electron microscopy revealed that bacteriophage MYSP06 had an isometric head (74 nm) and a long tail (10 nm in width, 210 nm in length). It was classified as a Siphoviridae with an approximate genome size of 65-70 kb. A one-step growth curve revealed that the latent and burst periods were 95 and 65 min, respectively, with an average burst size of 16 bacteriophage particles per infected cell. The bacteriophage particles (100 %) adsorbed to the host cells within 10 min after infection. Moreover, the pH value and thermal stability of bacteriophage MYSP06 were also investigated. The maximum stability of the bacteriophage was observed at the optimal pH 7.0, and the bacteriophage became completely unstable at the extremely alkaline pH 11.0; however, it was comparatively stable at the acidic alkaline pH 6.0. As MYSP06 is a cold-active bacteriophage with a lower production temperature, its characterization and its relationship with its host Janthinobacterium sp. MYB06 deserve further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten years of ground temperature data (2003-2013) indicate that the long-term thermal regimes within embankments of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) vary significantly with different embankment structures. Obvious asymmetries exist in the ground temperature fields within the traditional embankment (TE) and the crushed-rock basement embankment (CRBE). Measurements indicate that the TE and CRBE are not conducive to maintaining thermal stability. In contrast, the ground temperature fields of both the crushed-rock sloped embankment (CRSE) and the U-shaped crushed-rock embankment (UCRE) were symmetrical. However, the UCRE gave better thermal stability than the CRSE because slow warming of deep permafrost was observed under the CRSE. Therefore, the UCRE has the best long-term effect of decreasing ground temperature and improving the symmetry of the temperature field. More generally, it is concluded that construction using the cooling-roadbed principle meets the design requirements for long-term stability of the railway and for train transport speeds of 100 km h. However, temperature differences between the two shoulders, which exist in all embankments shoulders, may cause potential uneven settlement and might require maintenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Comprehensive thermal stability sequence of hopane compounds is presented. • C 35 H/C 34 H ratio shows limited validity within peak oil window. • C 31 22R/C 30 H ratio shows limited validity within peak oil window. • Ts/C 29 Ts ratio was proposed as novel maturity indicator in lacustrine shale system. Molecular compositions extracted from source rocks offer direct indicator of the organic matter input, depositional redox conditions and thermal maturity levels that source rock has experienced, however, the application of such technique commonly encounters difficulty in highly mature system. A suite of twenty-eight organic-rich lacustrine shale samples from the Eocene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression, East China were geochemically investigated, aiming to obtain a comprehensive thermal stability sequence of hopanes and the validity of various molecular parameters. By means of systematic comparisons on compound ratios and concentrations, the thermal stability of hopanes is presented as follows: [C 35 hopane (H) < (C 33 H, C 32 H) < C 34 H < C 30 H < C 31 H < C 29 H < 17α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorhopane (Tm) < 18α (H)-30-norneohopane (C 29 Ts) < C 30 diahopane (D) < 18α(H)-22,29,30-trisnorneohopane (Ts), from the least stable to the most stable]. Limited validity of the paleoenvironment and organic matter input parameters such as C 35 H/C 34 H and C 31 22R/C 30 H ratios in mature source rocks is caused by the preferential decomposition of C 35 H and C 30 H compounds during thermal maturation. Therefore, application of molecular parameters derived from hopanes need to be exercised with extra caution. Their validity varies with maturity levels and most hopane related parameters will lose their effectiveness at peak oil generation stage. Meanwhile, a novel maturity parameter (Ts/C 29 Ts ratio) derived from thermal stability difference of hopanes was proposed herein, supported by strong correlations with vitrinite reflectance and other two reliable maturity parameters. Upon further calibration, this novel maturity parameter can be deemed as a reliably alternative indicator and is expected to have wide application in highly mature source-rock/oil maturity assessment, especially for the shale oil system. The findings of this study may help for better understanding of limited validities of molecular indicators during thermal evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the national vaccination program was implemented with the H5/H7 bivalent vaccine in poultry in September 2017, the prevalence of H7N9 avian influenza viruses (AIVs) has been controlled effectively in China. However, highly pathogenic H7N9 viruses still exist, causing sporadic outbreaks especially in some regions of northern China. During our routine surveillance in poultry in 2020, we isolated two strains of H7N9 subtype AIV from breeder layer farms in northern China. We found that these two chicken-origin H7N9 isolates were both highly pathogenic (HP) with a four-amino-acid (KRTA) insertion and an I326V mutation (H3 numbering) in the cleavage site of HA to make the motif PEVPKRKRTAR↓GLF. Molecular markers associated with antigenic drift and enhanced pathogenicity in mammals and interspecies transmission were detected in both isolates. Remarkably, both strains gained the F102V and N157D mutations in their HA genes, which have never been reported before. Solid-phase direct binding assay showed that these two isolates both had dual-receptor binding characteristics, while thermal and acid stability assays indicated that they were relatively stable in high-temperature or acidic conditions. In addition, the animal experiments demonstrated that both strains were highly pathogenic to chickens but low pathogenic to mice. These results suggested that the evolution of H7N9 subtype AIV is still continuing, and they pose a potential threat to poultry and public health. Thus, attention should be paid to the importance of continual surveillance of the H7N9 AIVs. • Two highly pathogenic antigenic variant H7N9 strains were isolated from chickens in 2020. • Both strains possessed dual-receptor binding characteristics and were thermal and acid stable. • F102V and N157D mutations in HA (H3 numbering) were novelly detected in H7N9 viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to systematically evaluate the anti-corrosion property of N, N-bis(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine (IDB), which is a novel good thermal stabilized inhibitor in acidic medium. Results obtained from electrochemical tests and corrosion surface morphology analyses reveal that IDB performs excellently as corrosion inhibitor for Q235 steel in 1 mol/L hydrochloric acid corrosive solution. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements show that IDB inhibits both the anodic and cathodic processes of corrosion and exhibits as a mixed-type inhibitor. Besides, the inhibiting efficiency (IE%) and consequently the degree of surface coverage ( θ) increase with the inhibitor concentration rising. And when the concentration is 20 × 10−5 mol/L, the corrosion inhibition effect is best to reach 96.39%. The adsorption of inhibitor on Q235 steel is found to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm, and the calculated Gibbs free energy demonstrates that IDB spontaneously adsorbs and forms a protective chemisorbed film on Q235 steel to restrain its corrosion. Hereby, IDB will become a promising corrosion inhibitor in further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organosolv lignins from sesame capsules and stalks were investigated. [Display omitted] • Organosolv lignins were extracted from black and white sesame capsules and stalks. • Capsules consistently yielded more lignin than stalks. • All the sesame lignins belong to the GSH type and had S/G ratio > 2.0. • Black sesame stalk lignin showed the highest thermal stability. • Lignins from white sesame biomasses had better antioxidant activities. Sesame is an industrial crop widely planted in China. Sesame capsules and stalks are by-products of sesame oil production. The production of these byproducts is large, but their utilization rate is low. As lignocellulosic biomass, sesame stalks and capsules contain plentiful amounts of lignin. In this study, the ethanol organosolv method was used to isolate lignin from black sesame capsules (BSL-1) and stalks (BSL-2), and white sesame capsules (WSL-1) and stalks (WSL-2). In order to promote full utilization of these lignins, their structural features and chemical composition were investigated and are here reported for the first time; antioxidant capacities were also analyzed. Among the four lignin fractions, the yield of BSL-1 was highest (53.94%). Capsules (47.04%-53.94%) consistently yielded more lignin than stalks (40.23%–40.90%). The predominant monosaccharides associated with BSL-1, WSL-1, and WSL-2 (i.e., all except BSL-2) were glucose. BSL-2 showed the highest thermal stability with the highest molecular weight. A similar composition ratio of linkages (β -O-4', β - β ', and β -5') was observed in BSL-1 and WSL-1, and in BSL-2 and WSL-2. All the lignins belong to the GSH type and had S/G ratio values (2.36–3.05) greater than 2.0. Antioxidant studies showed that BSL-1 had the highest DPPH scavenging activity (RSI = 3.31), WSL-2 had the highest ABTS scavenging activity (RSI = 16.31), and WSL-1 had the highest reducing power values. The current study advances understanding of the structural differences of organosolv lignin from sesame capsules and stalks and should promote their future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tetra- and penta- methylnaphthalenes (TeMPs, PMNs) are thermally unstable at high maturity level. • Dibenzothiophene (DBT), MDBT and benzo[ b ]naphthothiophenes (BNTs) are thermally stable. • Ratios of TeMNs/DBT and PMNs/MDBTs were better thermal maturity indicators than TeMNr and PMNr. • Ratios of BN21T/BN12T and BN21T/(BN12T + BN23T) were proposed as novel parameters. Sediments of a natural thermal evolution sequence from the Upper Carboniferous marine-continental transitional depositional environment in the Qaidam Basin, NW China and an artificially matured series in a semi-open pyrolysis system have been analyzed for bulk and molecular geochemical compositions. Thermal stability of compound pairs of tetramethylnaphthalenes (TeMNs) and dibenzothiophene (DBT), pentamethylnaphthalenes (PMNs) and methyldibenzothiophenes (MDBTs), and tetramethylphenanthrenes (TeMPs) and benzo[ b ]naphthothiophenes (BNTs) were assessed using their chromatogram appearances and concentrations. Dibenzothiophene, methyldibenzothiophenes and benzo[ b ]naphthothiophenes are much more thermally stable than highly alkylated naphthalenes and phenanthrenes in high maturity sediments (Ro > 1.0%). Ratios of TeMNs/DBT and PMNs/MDBTs decrease systematically with increasing maturity levels or pyrolysis temperature and can serve as novel maturity parameters. TeMNs, PMNs and TeMPs are in very low concentrations or fully removed in highly mature sediments (Ro > 1.0%). Maturity parameters derived from tetra- or penta- substituted homologues of naphthalene, such as tetramethylnaphthalene ratio (TeMNr) and pentamethylnaphthalene ratio (PMNr), are invalid in mature or overmature sediments. While methylnaphthalene ratio (MNR) and methyldibenzothiophene ratio (MDR) remain valid, the correlation of TeMNs/DBT, PMNs/MDBTs with vitrinite reflectance is better than MNR or MDR by the premise of detectable abundance of TeMNs and PMNs. Moreover, benzo[ b ]naphthothiophenes with sulfur incorporated and cyclized as fused aromatic structures show quite high thermal stability at high maturity levels as evidenced by their concentrations, especially for benzo[ b ]naphtho[ 2,1–d ]thiophene (BN21T). Ratios of BN21T/BN12T and BN21T/(BN12T + BN23T) are proposed as another novel parameter type for thermal maturity assessment in highly mature sediments (Ro > 1.0%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]