Search

To investigate the impact of curing environments on the mechanical properties of coal gangue cementation (CGC), various curing methods were established, including standard bag curing, standard curing, natural sealing curing, natural curing, water curing, and varying curing ages. By examining the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and stress–strain relationship of CGC by applying axial loads, the influence mechanism was analyzed in terms of both physical and chemical reactions. Furthermore, a mechanistic structural model was established to illustrate the impact of the curing environment on the mechanical properties of CGC. The primary substances and reasons affecting the mechanical properties of CGC were analyzed through the use of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. Evaluation of influence factors on CGC mechanical properties by grey correlation degree. The findings indicate that curing temperature, humidity, and carbonization are the principal factors influencing the UCS. Maintaining constant temperature and humidity while isolating CO2 is conducive to improving the UCS. The hydration products, such as needle-like ettringite and white fibrous calcium silicate hydrogel, fill the internal voids of CGC and are the primary substances affecting UCS. The hydration products formed during standard curing and natural curing of CGC can undergo carbonation with CO2 to form CaCO3, which interacts with ettringite and hydrated calcium silicate to provide strength support for CGC. However, beyond a certain age, CO2 will progressively diminish the UCS; the larger the contact area and the longer the exposure time to the gel materials in CGC, the faster the UCS decreases.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on the fatty acid metabolism and meat quality of small-tailed Han sheep. A total of 24 three-month-old small-tailed Han sheep in good body condition and with body mass of (28.85 ± 2.01) kg were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group was fed a basal diet (a typical corn-soybean diet), and the Clostridium butyricum group was fed the basal diet supplemented with Clostridium butyricum with a viable count of 5 × 108 CFU/g at a dose of 5 g/d. The feeding period lasted for 90 days. After slaughter, rumen fluid was collected for metagenomic analysis, and Longissimus dorsi muscle was harvested to determine its eating quality, fatty acid composition, and gene expression associated with fatty acid metabolism by gas chromatography (GC) and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results showed that feeding Clostridium butyricum significantly improved the brightness value (L*), redness value (a*), pH24 h, and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05), and reduced the shear force of lamb meat (P < 0.05). In addition, the relative contents of palmitic acid and stearic acid were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and the relative contents of oleic acid, α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid were significantly higher in Longissimus dorsi from the Clostridium butyricum group than the control group (P < 0.05). qPCR results showed that dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum significantly increased the gene expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein 1C (SREBP-1C), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) (P < 0.05). Metagenomic analysis showed that dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum increased the abundance of Firmicutes, Clostridium, and Fibrobacters (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Butyrivibrio, and Parabacteroides in rumen fluid (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the relative abundance of Ruminobacter, Prevotella, and Lactobacillus were significantly positively correlated with unsaturated fatty acids relative contents (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of Clostridium butyricum to the diet can change the microbial composition of the rumen, leading to an increase in the gene expression of SREBP-1C, SCD, PPARγ, and ACC to promote fatty acid deposition, and finally improving the eating quality and nutritional value of small-tailed Han sheep meat.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and prognostic significance of lateral lymph node dissection (LPLND) in patients with lateral lymph node (LPLN) metastasis. Methods The clinicopathological data of rectal cancer patients who underwent total mesorectal excision (TME) combined with LPLND and pathologically confirmed as LPLN metastasis after operation were retrospectively analyzed. The clinicopathological characteristics and metastasis rules of patients with LPLN metastasis were discussed, and the survival prognosis after LPLND was analyzed. Results A total of 102 rectal cancer patients with pathologically confirmed LPLN metastasis were included. The common sites of LPLN metastasis were internal iliac vessels lymph nodes (n=68, 66.7%), followed by obturator lymph nodes (n=44, 43.1%), and common iliac vessels or external iliac vessels lymph nodes (n=12, 11.8%). There were 10 patients (9.8%) with bilateral LPLN metastases, and the mean number of LPLN metastases was 2.2±2.4, among which 16 patients (15.7%) had LPLN metastases number≥2. The 3-year OS (66.8% vs. 7.7%, P < 0.001) and DFS (39.1% vs. 10.5%, P=0.012) of patients with LPLN metastases to the external iliac or common iliac lymph node were significantly lower than those with metastases to the internal iliac or obturator lymph node. The multivariate analysis showed that LPLN metastasis to external iliac or common iliac lymph node was an independent risk factor both for OS (HR=3.53; 95%CI: 1.50-8.31; P=0.004) and DFS (HR=2.40; 95%CI: 1.05-5.47; P=0.037). Conclusion LPLN mainly metastasizes to the internal iliac or obturator lymph node areas. The survival of patients with metastasis to the external iliac or common iliac lymph node cannot be improved by LPLND, and thus systemic comprehensive treatment is often the optimal treatment option.

Urban agglomerations (UAs), which play a significant role in socioeconomic development and urbanization, are confronted with mounting ecological stress and a profound global imbalance in ecosystem services (ES). Understanding the conflict and coordination of knowledge about ES supply and demand (ESSD) can facilitate more efficacious guidance on the ecological sustainable development of UAs. Nevertheless, the characteristics of the conflict and coordination relationship between ESSD in Chinese UAs remain unclear, and further investigation into the interactive coercive relationship between ESSD is warranted. Consequently, we employed spatial regression and coupled coordination models to elucidate the conflict and coordination relationship between ESSD, utilizing multi-source data on Chinese UAs from 2000 to 2020. We found that ES supply in the UAs decreased, while ES demand increased. Furthermore, the coupling coordination degree between ESSD demonstrated an increase trend. The overall coupling coordination degrees between ESSD in UAs were 0.260, 0.285, and 0.311 in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. The central UAs were identified as stress areas, whereas the peripheral areas were classified as non-stress areas. This study offered valuable insights into the interactive relationship between ESSD in UAs and provided a basis for formulating differentiated policies for the sustainable development of ecosystems and human activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese herbs are a huge treasure trove of natural products and an important source of many active molecules. The theory of traditional Chinese medicine compatibility (TCMC) is widely applied in clinical practice, but its mechanism is still ambiguous. This study aims to open a new window for this predicament by studying the interaction between the main active ingredients from a drug pair. Carrier-free assembly of natural products improves the shortcomings of traditional nanodelivery systems and opens a new path for the development of new nanomaterials. The drug pair "Pueraria and Hedyotis diffusa" has been commonly used in clinical practice, with a predominant therapeutic effect. This study is devoted to the study of the binary small molecule co-assembly of the main active molecules from the drug pair. In this study, we introduce a carrier-free composite gel, formed by the co-assembly of puerarin (PUE) and deacetylasperulosidic acid (DAA) via non-covalent bonds including π–π packing, intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and C=O π interactions. With a strain point 7-fold higher than that of P gel, the P − D gel exhibited favorable rheological properties. The survival rate of SW1990 cells in the P − D group was only 21.39% when the concentration of administration reached 200 μM. It thus demonstrated activity in inhibiting SW1990 cells' survival, suggesting potential in combating pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, this research offers a valuable concept for enhancing the mechanical properties and bioactivity of hydrogel materials through the utilization of a multi-component natural small molecule co-assembly approach. More importantly, this provides new ideas and methods for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and the analysis of traditional Chinese medicine compatibility theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new solar energy and biomass-based distributed energy system using H2O/CO2 hybrid gasification is proposed, and their complementarity to enhance the system's energy efficiency is investigated and shown. In the system, concentrated solar energy is used to provide heat for biomass gasification; two gasifying agents (H2O and CO2) are adopted to enhance syngas yields, and the produced solar fuel is further burned for power production in a combined cycle plant. Results show that CO share in gasification products is remarkably increased with the increment of CO2/H2O mole ratio caused by the boudouard reaction with the consumption of fixed carbon, while the H2 share is decreased; the optimal solar-to-fuel efficiency, 27.88%, is achieved when the temperature and CO2/H2O mole ratio are 1050°C and 0.45, respectively. The emission reduction rate of CO2 in the system under design conditions is reduced by 2.31% compared with that using only H2O agent. The annual power production of the system is increased by 1.39%, and the thermodynamic and environmental performances are significantly improved. Moreover, an economic assessment is conducted to forecast the technical feasibility of the hybrid gasification technology. This work provides a promising route to improving the thermochemical utilization efficiency of solar energy and solid fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]