Strong Retention Research Articles

Study on the influence mechanism of activated coal gangue powder on the properties of filling body

Coal gangue is a common solid waste which largely produced during coal mining, and its large discharge has caused great pollution and damage to the environment. The objective of this paper is to improve the resource utilization rate of coal gangue, and study the influence mechanism of activated coal gangue powder (CGP) on the working performance, mechanical properties and water resistance of Coal Gangue-based Green Cemented Filling Body (CGGCFB) through macro and micro experiments. The results indicate the following: (1) The properties of CGGGCFB can be significantly improved by adding an appropriate activated CGP content. (2) Considering the economy, it is suggested that the replacement rate of activated CGP should be between 50%∼75%. (3) The micro-morphology effect and micro aggregate effect of activated CGP weaken the “micro-pump water absorption”, “water storage” and surface particle friction of coal gangue aggregate, so that it has strong hydrophilicity, water fixation and water retention, thus the working performance is improved. (4) The pozzolanic effect and micro-aggregate filling effect of activated CGP not only increase the number and types of hydration products and bond energy in the filling body, make a large number of pores tend to be “spherical” or “arch” stress characteristics and enhance the stress characteristics of internal pores, but also restrain the extension of the original micro-cracks formed by the “material attribute defects” of coal gangue, thereby resulting in improvement of filling body strength and water resistance greatly. The research results of this paper can further improve the resource utilization rate of coal gangue resources, give full play to its advantages of regionalization and resource utilization, and provide theoretical reference for the research and application of coal gangue in mine filling.

Assessment of the value of regional water conservation services based on SWAT model.

The quantitative evaluation of water conservation in the Luoyang area can provide a basis for decision-making on regional water resources development and utilization, ecological environmental protection, and economic development planning. Based on the SWAT model and alternative engineering method, the water conservation and its service value in Luoyang region from 2009 to 2018 were assessed and the reasons for their spatial and temporal changes were analyzed. The results show that during the period of 2009-2018, the total water connotation and its service value reached the highest in 2014, with 16,927,100 m3 and 103 million yuan, respectively; the total water connotation and its service value reached the lowest in 2011, with 7,073,500 m3 and 43,224,000 yuan, respectively. Forest ecosystems have a strong water retention and storage capacity, and the highest water conservation and service value. Precipitation is the most important factor influencing water conservation and service value. The value of water-supporting services per unit area of ecosystem in Luoyang area is forest, grassland, arable land, and urban in descending order.

Polyethyleneimine-filled sepiolite nanorods-embedded poly(2,5-benzimidazole) composite membranes for wide-temperature PEMFCs

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) that operate from room temperature to high temperatures (e.g., 200 °C) are desired for fuel cells used in vehicles and combined heat and power systems. In this work, polyethyleneimine-filled sepiolite nanorods ([email protected])-embedded poly(2,5-benzimidazole) composites (ABPBI/[email protected]) were synthesized in-situ to enhance their proton conductivity and minimize phosphoric acid (PA) leaching. They were then applied in PEMFCs between room temperature and 200 °C. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties of the composite membranes were characterized. The composite membranes showed enhanced thermal, oxidative, and dimensional stability and achieved proton conductivities above 0.01 S/cm from 40 to 200 °C at a relative humidity of 0–100%. This performance was attributed to abundant hydrogen bonds between PA, ABPBI, and PEI, and the strong retention of bound water within sepiolite nanorods (SNRs). The maximum power density of the cell based on the PA-doped ABPBI/[email protected] composite membrane reached 0.16 W/cm2 at 80 °C and 0.27 W/cm2 at 180 °C and an anhydrous environment, which were respectively 2.2 and 1.5 times higher than those of the PA-doped ABPBI membrane. The cell performance was much better than previously reported zeolite-embedded polybenzimidazole membrane-based PEMFCs, indicating that the composite membranes have good application prospects in PEMFCs operating over a wide temperature range.

Effects of periodic drought with severe exhaust exposure on particle retention capacity and physiological responses of Photinia × fraseri Dress

Urban plants are regarded as an effective agent to control particulate matter (PM) pollution by absorbing PM. Repeated PM and drought stress in urban areas often cause morphological and physiological damage to plants, resulting in lower ecological benefits. Nevertheless, knowledge in PM retention capability, morphology and physiology of plants under repeated stress and cross stress has been barely available. In order to investigate changes in these aspects under repeated stress, we applied periodic drought with severe exhaust exposure on Photinia × fraseri Dress (a common urban tree species with strong PM retention ability). The study was carried out in a six-period scenario, with a duration of 10 days for each period: initial value (R0), initial stress period (S1), initial recovery period (R1) second stress period (S2), second recovery period (R2) and final stress period (S3). The results are as follows: In terms of periodic factor, PM retention of tail gas stress group (P) and cross stress group (PD) in S2 decreased by 10.00 μg/cm2 and 12.60 μg/cm2 respectively compared with those during S1 (p > 0.05). During S3, the total amount of PM on leaf surface in both P and PD demonstrated a significant decrease (p < 0.05). The retention capacity of P. fraseri may be dramatically limited under multi-period stress. In this experiment, we attribute the decrease of PM retention to the morphological changes (shedding of mature leaves, smaller leaf area and thinner wax layer) and physiological responses (an increase in gas exchange) under multi-period stress. In terms of cross-stress factor, the total retained PM on leaf surface in PD was higher than that in P, especially during S3, and the interaction between drought and PM reached a significant level (p < 0.01, η2 = 0.808), which indicated that drought reduced the loss of dust under PM stress. Changes in morphology and gas exchange indicated that the mechanisms for the high dust retention rate on the leaf surface of PD group varied in the three stress periods. In addition, except the chlorophyll relative value, the alleviated accumulation of MDA and intense production of soluble sugar with PD showed favorable responses to disturbance compared with those in P under the repeated stress. Therefore, we infer that, under multi-period stress of drought and tail gas, P. fraseri may better maintain PM retention ability and resistance than under single stress.

Effect of Ca(II) on U(VI) and Np(VI) retention on Ca-bentonite and clay minerals at hyperalkaline conditions - New insights from batch sorption experiments and luminescence spectroscopy

In deep geological repositories for radioactive waste, interactions of radionuclides with mineral surfaces occur under complex geochemical conditions involving complex solution compositions and high pH resulting from degradation of cementitious geo-engineered barriers. Ca2+ cations have been hypothesized to play an important role as mediators for the retention of U(VI) on Ca-bentonite at (hyper)alkaline conditions, despite the anionic character of both the mineral surface and the aqueous uranyl species. To gain deeper insight into this sorption process, the effect of Ca2+ on U(VI) and Np(VI) retention on alumosilicate minerals has been comprehensively evaluated, using batch sorption experiments and time-resolved laser-induced luminescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). Sorption experiments with Ca2+ or Sr2+ and zeta potential measurements showed that the alkaline earth metals sorb strongly onto Ca-bentonite at pH 8–13, leading to a partial compensation of the negative surface charge, thereby generating potential sorption sites for anionic actinyl species. U(VI) and Np(VI) sorption experiments in the absence and presence of Ca2+ or Sr2+ confirmed that these cations strongly enhance radionuclide retention on kaolinite and muscovite at pH ≥ 10. Concerning the underlying retention mechanisms, site-selective TRLFS provided spectroscopic proof for two dominating U(VI) species at the alumosilicate surfaces: (i) A ternary U(VI) complex, where U(VI) is bound to the surface via bridging Ca cations with the configuration surface ≡ Ca – OH – U(VI) and, (ii) U(VI) sorption into the interlayer space of calcium (aluminum) silicate hydrates (C-(A-)S-H), which form as secondary phases in the presence of Ca due to partial dissolution of alumosilicates under hyperalkaline conditions. Consequently, the present study confirms that alkaline earth elements, which are ubiquitous in geologic systems, enable strong retention of hexavalent actinides on clay minerals under hyperalkaline repository conditions.

Abstract 207: MET inhibition enhances the effect of radiation in MET mutated non-small cell lung cancer brain metastasis patient derived xenografts

Abstract Objective: The MET receptor is mutated in 3-4% and amplified in 1-6% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The most common MET mutation is in exon 14, which results in deletion of the intracellular juxtamembrane domain of the receptor, leading to enhanced signaling. Mutation at Asp-1000 in the juxtamembrane region has also been reported and can lead to inhibition of apoptosis and cell proliferation. MET is involved in multiple pathways associated with radiation response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of inhibiting MET in combination with radiation in two preclinical non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastasis patient derived xenograft (PDX) models. Methods: Surgically obtained tissue was implanted subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice. Histology and DNA loci were compared between original tumor and PDX. DNA sequencing was performed on tumors for mutation analysis. In vivo growth responses to the MET inhibitor capmatinib or savolitinib with and without radiation were assessed. Radiation was delivered in 10 daily fractions of 2 Gy. Drug was administered by oral gavage daily 1 hour prior to radiation at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg for savaolitnib or 20 mg/kg for capmatinib for 10 days. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to evaluate MET signaling and proliferation. Results: PDXs were successfully established from two patients with MET mutated NSCLC brain metastases: a lung adenocarcinoma with a MET exon 14 skipping mutation and a lung sarcomatoid carcinoma with adenocarcinoma component with an Asp-1000 frameshift mutation. Morphologically, strong retention of cytoarchitectural features was observed between original patient tumors and PDXs. Short tandem repeat analysis confirmed 100% matching of alleles between patient tumors and PDXs. DNA sequencing confirmed METex14 and MET Asp-1000 frameshift mutation. In the METex14 PDX, savolitinib alone significantly inhibited tumor growth with a growth inhibition value of 46% (p&amp;lt;0.01). Combination of savolitinib and radiation significantly delayed growth compared to vehicle control, savolitinib alone or radiation alone (p&amp;lt;0.001). The absolute growth delay was 42.4 days for savolitinib plus radiation treatment compared to 9.3 days for savolitinib alone and 28.2 days for irradiation. In the MET Asp-1000 PDX, capmatinib and radiation significantly delayed growth compared the other treatment arms (p&amp;lt;0.01). IHC demonstrated inhibition of phospho-MET and pS6 and a decrease in Ki67 with MET inhibition. Conclusion: Inhibition of MET enhanced the effect of radiation in our two preclinical in vivo MET mutated NSCLC brain metastasis models. Additional studies are currently underway evaluating the mechanisms of radiation sensitization and the efficacy of this combination in MET amplified PDX models. Citation Format: Kwangok P. Nickel, Shrey Ramesh, Saahil Javeri, Nitin Somasundaram, Nan Sethakorn, Randall J. Kimple, Andrew M. Baschnagel. MET inhibition enhances the effect of radiation in MET mutated non-small cell lung cancer brain metastasis patient derived xenografts [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 207.

Multi-Intensity Optimization-Based CT and Cone Beam CT Image Registration

Cancer is a highly lethal disease that is mainly treated by image-guided radiotherapy. Because the low dose of cone beam CT is less harmful to patients, cone beam CT images are often used for target delineation in image-guided radiotherapy of various cancers, especially in breast and lung cancer. However, breathing and heartbeat can cause position errors in images taken during different periods, and the low dose of cone beam CT also results in insufficient imaging clarity, rendering existing registration methods unable to meet the CT and cone beam CT registration tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-intensity optimization-based CT and cone beam CT registration method. First, we use a multi-weighted mean curvature filtering algorithm to preserve the multi-intensity details of the input image pairs. Then, the strong edge retention results are registered using and intensity-based method to obtain the multi-intensity registration results. Next, a novel evaluation method called intersection mutual information is proposed to evaluate the registration accuracy of the different multi-intensity registration results. Finally, we determine the optimal registration transformation by intersection mutual information and apply it to the input image pairs to obtain the final registration results. The experimental results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed method, meeting the requirements of image-guided radiotherapy.

Characteristics of Lithofacies in Deep Shale Gas Reservoirs in the Southeast Sichuan Basin and Their Influence on Pore Structure

The characteristics of lithofacies in the shale reservoir of the Wufeng and Longmaxi formations located in the Luzhou gas field were studied using the three-end-member method (mineralogical components). In addition, the microscopic characteristics and pore genesis of different lithofacies were studied and compared using TOC, FESEM, and digital core images. The results of the present study showed the development of five lithofacies: 1) quartz-rich argillaceous shale; 2) quartz/clay-mixed shale; 3) calcareous/clay-mixed shale; 4) calcium-rich argillaceous shale; and 5) clay-rich siliceous shale. The degree of pore development between lithofacies was highly heterogeneous. In addition, data indicated that total shale porosity increased with the increase in TOC. Thus, the pores were mainly related to organic matter. The enrichment of framboidal pyrite in quartz-rich shale (S1, S-3) and mixed shale facies (M-2, M-3) is essential during the formation of high-quality reservoirs. On the other hand, the content of organic matter in clayey shale was low, which does not favor the development of high-quality reservoirs. The differences in lithofacies pore structures are controlled by the sedimentary environment. The strong retention and reduction environment are the most favorable features for the formation of organic-rich siliceous shale lithofacies, which promote the preservation of organic matter and the development of reservoirs.

A Seasonal Model with Dropout to Improve Forecasts of Purchase Levels

Predicting future purchase levels is an important and constant challenge for marketing professionals, as purchase patterns often vary over time and across customers. Moreover, purchases often follow individual and cross-sectional seasonal patterns, which affect forecasts of purchase propensity and customer dropout. The authors develop the hierarchical Bayesian seasonal model with dropout (HSMDO), which captures the interrelation between individual and cross-sectional seasonality, purchase, and dropout rates, with the aim of improving forecast accuracy at specific points in time. They perform (1) a parameter recovery analysis with synthetic data; (2) an empirical validation on three noncontractual retail data sets; (3) an analysis of different model variants to isolate the effects of dropout, seasonality, and hierarchical seasonality; and (4) a comparison with several probabilistic models from the marketing literature. The results demonstrate that the HSMDO provides increased forecast accuracy and that tracking errors decrease further with data exhibiting strong seasonality and high customer retention. The HSMDO yields a measure of individual seasonality that has high discriminative power even with sparse data sets and is useful to customer relationship management analysts for customer segmentation, portfolio management, and improvement in the timing of marketing actions.

Considerations Before Selecting a Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Trial Design for a Practice Improvement Study.

Despite the growing popularity of stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials (SW-CRTs) for practice-based research, the design's advantages and challenges are not well documented. The objective of this study was to identify the advantages and challenges of the SW-CRT design for large-scale intervention implementations in primary care settings. The EvidenceNOW: Advancing Heart Health initiative, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, included a large collection of SW-CRTs. We conducted qualitative interviews with 17 key informants from EvidenceNOW grantees to identify the advantages and challenges of using SW-CRT design. All interviewees reported that SW-CRT can be an effective study design for large-scale intervention implementations. Advantages included (1) incentivized recruitment, (2) staggered resource allocation, and (3) statistical power. Challenges included (1) time-sensitive recruitment, (2) retention, (3) randomization requirements and practice preferences, (4) achieving treatment schedule fidelity, (5) intensive data collection, (6) the Hawthorne effect, and (7) temporal trends. The challenges experienced by EvidenceNOW grantees suggest that certain favorable real-world conditions constitute a context that increases the odds of a successful SW-CRT. An existing infrastructure can support the recruitment of many practices. Strong retention plans are needed to continue to engage sites waiting to start the intervention. Finally, study outcomes should be ones already captured in routine practice; otherwise, funders and investigators should assess the feasibility and cost of data collection.VISUAL ABSTRACT.

In vitro evaluation of modified pericardium for cardiovascular applications

The growing prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is leading to an increase in required cardiovascular implants. Pericardial tissues have been used for bioprosthetic manufacture due to advantage in availability and excellent mechanical properties. Porcine pericardium is considered to be suitable for prosthetic fabrication. In this study, porcine pericardium was decellularized and cross linked with 0.05% glutaraldehyde. The modified pericardium was characterized by histology staining, FTIR, mechanical properties and suture retention. In vitro degradation of the modified pericardium was determined via the remaining dry weight and hydroxyproline assay after incubation in collagenase solution. The modified membrane was evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity and supporting human endothelial progenitor cell attachment and proliferation. Trichrome staining and FTIR examination revealed the crosslinking effect of glutaraldehyde with more tight internal collagen fibers structure and slight shift of amide II group. In comparison to the decellularized sample, the modified membrane showed a strong mechanical and suture retention strength. Significant resistance to enzymatic digestion was also recorded. The modified pericardium did not cause toxicity to the fibroblast and supported an appropriate adhesion and proliferation of human endothelial progenitor cells. These results indicated that the modified pericardium could be utilized as a potential natural scaffold for cardiovascular applications.

B-cell lymphoma-2 downregulation is a useful feature supporting a neoplastic phenotype in mature T-cell lymphomas

Normal T cells express high levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) protein, and data regarding BCL2 expression status and its diagnostic utility in T-cell lymphoma are scarce. We evaluated BCL2 expression in a series of mature T-cell lymphoproliferations (TCLs) including indolent and more recently recognized entities (follicular helper T-cell [TFH] lymphomas). Sixty-six neoplastic biopsies (60 patients) representing mature nodal, extranodal, and leukemia T-cell neoplasms were collected from three institutes (2 US and 1 Japan) and were compared with reactive T cells in 8 benign tissues/blood and 9T cell-rich B-cell proliferations. BCL2 immunostaining was performed and scored based on intensity-weighted H-score (0-300). Next-generation sequencing (NGS; 5 cases), BCL2 gene sequencing, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR; 3 cases) were conducted. Association of H-score with overall survival (using proportional hazards modeling) was assessed in nonleukemic TCLs. Most TCLs showed significantly downregulated median BCL2 H-score (125, range: 18-300) with the exception of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia and hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, both of which showed uniform strong retention of BCL2 as did the 8 reactive tissues (median H-score: 280; p=0.000). Notably all TFH lymphoma CD4 neoplastic T cells, subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, CD8 adipocyte-rimming T cells, and T-cell large lymphocyte leukemia with pathogenic STAT5B and TP53 mutation showed BCL2 downregulation. No BCL2 mutations were observed by NGS or sequencing with decreased BCL2 mRNA transcripts by real-time PCR. BCL2 downregulation is pervasive among many TCLs and unrelated to any mutations. There is utility for BCL2 immunostaining in some challenging situations as discussed in this article.

Model of inner-sphere adsorption of oxyanions in goethite - Why is phosphate adsorption more significant than that of sulfate?

Phosphorus availability in soils is low due to its strong retention by inner-sphere complexation on minerals in the clay fraction with pH-dependent charges, such as goethite. On the other hand, sulfur has greater availability because it is retained mainly by electrostatic attraction. We evaluated the intensities of the inner-sphere complexation of orthophosphate and sulfate (H2PO4-/HPO42- and SO42- – generically treated as PO4 and SO4) under different experimental conditions (pH, goethite purity, and contact times) on synthetic goethite samples to [...]

Facility-based care of small and sick newborns: experiences with establishing a neonatal special care unit in Somaliland

Background The goal of the United Nations is a global neonatal mortality rate (NMR) lower than 12/1000 by 2030. In stark contrast, facility-based care of small and sick newborns is limited and substandard in many low-income countries (LIC). There is a need to identify broad packages of high-quality and low-cost, sustainable interventions suitable for scale-up in fragile states and high burden countries. This article describes the process, output, and experience of establishing a neonatal special care unit (NSCU) at a governmental hospital in Somaliland. Methods We collected data from administrative documents, staff experiences, patient registries, and primary caretaker interviews covering 164 admissions through 5 months and systematized the findings within the 6 building blocks of the health care system (WHO). Results Running an NSCU in a Somali context is both possible and feasible when implementers are willing to bridge gaps on all health systems building blocks simultaneously. A verified NSCU survival rate of 85% within the first year was achieved - in line with reputable neonatal wards in the wider Eastern Africa. General caretaker satisfaction was rated as “good.” Major challenges were lack of a national regulatory framework, including an effective funding allocation; staff unfamiliarity with detailed guidelines, protocols, and job descriptions; and poor availability of medicines and other neonatal disposables. For less than US$175 in running cost per patient, including staff salaries and major equipment replacements, 75% of small and sick newborns received admission-to-discharge curative care. Public demand for facility-based newborn care was quickly growing during the implementation phase. Neonatal nurses quickly drift to nongovernmental and urban employers without a persistent and deliberate overcapacity in training courses and a strong public retention policy. A 100% service coverage in Somaliland will require dedicated wards (NSCU) with equipment at all hospitals with a labor ward, and training and deployment of about 400 neonatal nurses. Conclusions The described package of interventions may have the potential for further scale-up to district hospitals in Somaliland. Policymakers and hospital administrators should strive for a stronger national regulatory, administrative, and technical framework in neonatal curative care, facilitating the simultaneous development of all of WHO’s 6 health systems building blocks. We expect many of the findings to be transferable to the wider Somalia and other fragile LIC.

Mixed Metal-Organic Framework Stationary Phases for Liquid Chromatography.

Strategic design of the stationary phase in liquid chromatography (LC) is crucial for modern separation science. Herein, a design approach using mixed metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as tunable LC stationary phases is proposed. Three MOFs with an isostructural pillared-layer structure are employed, with pore sizes tuned by the systematic design of the constituent ligands, using 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (bdc), 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylate (ndc), and 9,10-anthracenedicarboxylate (adc). Packed columns filled with the MOFs and their mixed-particle/solid-solution stationary phases are prepared and examined for the retention capability of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in LC. While the MOF-packed columns filled with binary mixtures of different MOF particles provide good control of the retention with respect to the particle mixing ratio, the columns filled with mixed-linker solid-solution MOFs show a significant multicomponent effect on the retention behavior. Specifically, mixed-linker solid-solution MOFs consisting of bdc/ndc binary ligands are found to show a strong retention that surpasses even their parent MOFs, namely, pure bdc- and ndc-MOF stationary phases. The retention behavior on the MOF-packed columns is explained by the specific nanostructures of the solid-solution MOFs, which affects the balance between substrate affinity and adsorption kinetics into the MOF pores, dictating the total retention capability. The results provide an extra dimension for stationary phase design using MOFs as a promising recognition medium for LC.

Encapsulation of Alpha-Lipoic Acid in Functional Hybrid Liposomes: Promising Tool for the Reduction of Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity.

In this study, in order to address the drawback of cisplatin (CDDP)-induced ototoxicity, we propose a straightforward strategy based on the delivery of a sulfur-based antioxidant, such as lipoic acid (LA), to HEI-OC1 cells. To this aim, hybrid liposomes (LA@PCGC) with a spherical shape and a mean diameter of 25 nm were obtained by direct sonication of LA, phosphatidylcholine and a gelatin-curcumin conjugate in a physiological buffer. LA@PCGC were found to be stable over time, were quickly (i.e., by 1 h) taken up by HEI-OC1 cells, and guaranteed strong retention of the bioactive molecule, since LA release was less than 20%, even after 100 h. Cell viability studies showed the efficiency of LA@PCGC for stabilizing the protective activity of LA. Curcumin residues within the functional liposomes were indeed able to maintain the biological activity of LA, significantly improving (up to 2.19-fold) the viability of HEI-OC1 cells treated with 5 μM CDDP. Finally, LA@PCGC was incorporated within an alginate-based injectable hydrogel carrier to create a formulation with physical chemical features suitable for potential ear applications.

Deposition of ITER Vacuum Vessel Dust Inside the Pressure Suppression System During a Loss of Coolant Accident: Experimental and Numerical Analyses

Abstract This paper deals with an experimental and numerical analysis of the deposition of International thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) dust simulant inside a reduced scale vacuum vessel pressure suppression system (VVPSS) of ITER. This research, funded by the ITER organization, aims to analyze the dust deposition in a water container in a relevant configuration for the ITER VVPSS, the dust removal by means of robotized apparatuses and their decontamination efficiency. The experimental rig, built at the department of civil and industrial engineering (DICI) of the University of Pisa (Italy), is described and the results of a preliminary experimental test are illustrated. It was measured that two and 82% of the overall injected dust mass was strongly and lightly bound to the water container surfaces, respectively, and 16% were not deposited in the water tank. Furthermore, three numerical analyses were carried out implementing a model of the experimental rig in the Enel code for analysis of radionuclide transport (ECART) to determine the relevance of different parameters on the deposition, resuspension and removal of dust. The numerical simulations allowed to specify dust mass deposition on the different rig components, revealing a strong dust retention (about 66%) in the first part of the injection piping in case of coarse granulometry. Finest lognormal dust distribution was instead able to reach the water container (about 90%). Moreover, the numerical simulations permitted to define more precisely the test matrix and to analyze the experimental results.

Effects of different drying methods on the quality of daylily powder

Daylily is an edible flower in China. Daylily powder is prepared from the flowered or damaged by-products during its processing, which accounts for 10% of the total amount. In order to optimize the drying methods, the powder properties, internal structure, nutrition, and color of daylily powder prepared by natural air drying (ND), hot air drying (HD), vacuum freeze-drying (FD), and spray drying (SD) were studied and compared. The results showed that different drying methods had no effects on the internal structure of daylily powder. The diameter, bulk density, water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, and resting angle of daylily powder treated by four drying methods were significantly different. The nutrient indexes and color of daylily powder were significantly changed after different drying methods. HD prepared daylily powder can keep higher total protein, total sugar, and vitamin C; ND and FD prepared daylily powder had higher amino acid content and better flavor retention, while SD prepared daylily powder had smaller particle size, larger specific surface area, lighter color, and strong water and oil retention, which is more favorable for its use as a food additive. Compared with the other three methods, SD has obvious advantages and can be used as the optimal drying technology of daylily powder. The development and utilization of the waste daylily resources could be improved by using the pulverizing technology. This paper provided theoretical and technical support for the full utilization of daylily resources. The purpose of the study was to grow the daylily industry chain, Putting discarded daylily to comprehensive use. Novelty impact statement Powder processing is currently the best way to make full use of the abandoned damaged and flowered daylily resources and improves the added value.SD has obvious advantages and can be used as the optimal drying technology of daylily powder.

Nano-enabled delivery of EGCG ameliorates silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats

Silicosis is the most serious occupational pulmonary fibrosis caused by excessive inhalation of silica particles, whereas viable therapeutic choices are constrained. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) presents massive health benefits, but unfortunately with stability absence. Here, encapsulation of EGCG in poly(n-butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (EGCG/PBCA-NPs) were fabricated by self-polymerization for gastrointestinal delivery in silicosis fibrosis treatment. The obtained nano-enabled delivery of EGCG was produced using a medical adhesive approved by FDA as carrier, and presented spherical particles with approximate diameter of 160 nm, a narrow PDI value of 0.2, Zeta potential value of 30 mV as well as a high EGCG incorporation (90 %) and loading efficiency (20 %). In evaluating the protect effects of nano-formulations, EGCG/PBCA-NPs shown excellent stability in gastric fluid with pH-triggered release in intestine and strong EGCG gastrointestinal retention against degradation. After daily gastrointestinal administration, EGCG/PBCA-NPs exhibited the superior anti-fibrosis efficacy in silicosis model rats induced by silica, involving lung index decline, hydroxyproline content decrease, histological improvement, collagen accumulation reduction and α-SMA down-regulation in comparison with naked EGCG. These results strongly demonstrated that PBCA-based NPs may be a promising nano-enabled delivery carrier for enhancing the gastrointestinal stability and anti-fibrotic effects of EGCG.

Effects of particle size of glutinous rice flour on the quality attributes of sweet dumplings

The effects of particle size (60–80, 80–100, 100–150, 150–200, 200–300, and >300 mesh) on the properties of glutinous rice flour and sweet dumpling qualities were investigated under the same starch damage. As the particle size decreased, the freeze–thaw stability and loss tangent of rice flour increased, while the elastic and viscous modulus decreased. When the particle size of rice flour was smaller than 150 mesh, the prepared sweet dumplings exhibited dense structure, strong water retention capacity, and low cooking loss rate. However, when the particle size was smaller than 300 mesh, the prepared sweet dumplings showed undesirable quality which was mainly characterized by severe water loss, soft texture, and poor chewiness. Comprehensive consideration, the most suitable particle size of rice flour for sweet dumpling production was 150–200 mesh. The results could provide a reference for the quality evaluation of rice flour in the sweet dumpling industry. Practical applications In the sweet dumpling industry, the rice flour was usually evaluated by making sweet dumplings rather than objective data, which enhanced the difficulty of production and caused the uneven quality of sweet dumplings. To simplify the evaluation of rice flour, this study controlled the damaged starch content and explored the effects of particle size on the rice flour properties and sweet dumpling qualities. The results showed that the appropriate particle size of rice flour for sweet dumpling production is 150–200 mesh. This study provided theoretical guidance for evaluating the quality of rice flour and had important implications in the development of the sweet dumpling industry.