Due to the involvement of hazardous materials and the potential serious accidents that may occur in petrochemical plants, it is of great significance to develop real-time state evaluation methods offering high performance. Data-driven methods have received widespread attention following the development of advanced condition-monitoring systems. However, scarce training samples evaluated under multiple operating conditions are available because of the high stability and reliability requirements of petrochemical plants. In this paper, a real-time state evaluation method based on the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is proposed, which circumvents dependence on data samples. First, the positive and negative ideal solutions of TOPSIS are determined using expert experience and the process index control limits of process cards. Then, fixed-value and fixed-interval indices are proposed to address the interval-optimal parameters. Subsequently, a new combine... [more]

Administration through the respiratory tract can be advantageous, with high drug bioavailability, limited enzymatic activity, reduced dose requirements compared to oral, and potentially diminished side effects. Among the different types of drugs studied for pulmonary delivery, genetic material delivery has gained favorable scientific interest, using polymer-, lipid-, inorganic-, or vector-based nanocarriers. As pulmonary drug delivery has been associated with challenges, including physiological barriers and lung metabolism, the delivery of sensitive molecules such as nucleic acids can exacerbate these challenges. While short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been extensively reported as suitable ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi) candidates for pulmonary delivery, discussion on micro-RNA (miR) pulmonary delivery is limited despite their significant therapeutic potential. Recently, these non-coding RNAs have been explored in targeted or non-targeted pulmonary administration against vario... [more]

Phytoecdysteroids are a group of naturally occurring ecdysteroid hormones found in certain plant families and used for centuries for their adaptogenic, tonifying, and antioxidant properties. Ecdysterone and turkesterone are the dominant phytoecdysteroids found in the plant species Rhaponticum carthamoides Willd., Cyanotis arachnoidea C.B.Clarke and Ajuga turkestanica (Regel) Briq., and have been recognized for their adaptogenic potential and ability to enhance physical performance. However, over the past few years, supplementation with ecdysterone by professional athletes has raised some concerns about its safety and quality, leading to its inclusion in the World Anti-Doping Agency monitoring program. This study proposes a simple and reliable method for quality control of ecdysterone- and turkesterone-containing products using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The HPLC method is based on reversed-phase chromatography and gradient elution to achieve a superior sepa... [more]

Silicon is considered to have significant potential for anode materials in lithium−ion batteries (LIBs) with a theoretical specific capacity of 4200 mAh g−1. However, the development of commercial applications is impacted by the volume shift that happens in silicon when charging and discharging. In this paper, a yolk−shell−structured Si@void@C anode material has been developed to address this problem. The silicon nanoparticle yolk material is obtained by recycling kerf loss (KL) Si waste from the process of slicing silicon block casts into wafers in the photovoltaic industry; the carbon shell is prepared by a hydrothermal method with glucose, and the sacrificial interlayer is Al2O3. The produced material is employed in the production of anodes, exhibiting a reversible capacity of 836 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles, accompanied by a Coulomb efficiency of 71.4%. This study demonstrates an economical way of transforming KL Si waste into materials with an enhanced value for LIBs.

The application of liquid−liquid chromatography principles to solvent extraction processes in hydrometallurgy can greatly simplify rare earth metal separation technologies by separating multicomponent mixtures in one technological operation. In this study, the chromatographic separation of rare earth elements (REEs) in multistage extraction columns was experimentally studied under conditions of impulse sample injection—single and multiple loading of large volumes of metal salt solution into the installation. The results obtained showed the feasibility of operating sieve plate extraction columns in the liquid−liquid chromatography mode. A closed-loop recycling technology is proposed for the separation of rare earth elements in multistage extraction columns operating in the liquid−liquid chromatography mode. For further development and industrial implementation of this technology, experimental studies should be conducted on intensified multistage extraction columns, such as sectioned col... [more]

Nickel-rich ternary cathode materials (NRTCMs) have high energy density and a long cycle life, making them one of the cathode materials of LIB that are currently receiving much attention. However, it has shortcomings such as poor cycling performance (CP) and a high-capacity decay rate. Because of this, the study analyzed the modification effect of WO3 on NRTCM lithium batteries by preparing WO3-modified poly-crystal and single-crystal NCM622 materials under the existing conditions of better original cathode materials as reference samples. The results showed that in the morphology and structure testing, with the increase of WO3 addition, the c/a values of all NCM622-WO3 samples were greater than 4.95. In the analysis of cycling and rate performance (CRP), as W increased, the rate performance (RP) of the NCM622-W4.0 sample had a discharge specific capacity ratio of 86.2% at 10.0 C/1.0 C. In cyclic voltammetry testing, when the addition amount of WO3 was 1.0%, the polarization degree of S... [more]

This study presents a comprehensive material balance equation (MBE) to estimate the reserve of shale gas reservoirs including free and adsorbed gas volume. The presented material balance equation takes into account the effect of stress change, matrix shrinkage, water volume production and influx, and critical desorption pressure. The material balance equation is converted into a linear relationship between the reservoir production and expansion parameters used during the derivation procedures that include rock-fluid properties and production history data. The proposed straight line reserve evaluation technique yields a slope of original free and absorbed gas in organic matrix, while the y-intercept yields the volume of original free gas in the in-organic matrix. A field case study of shale gas located in Australia is presented. Results show that the proposed MBE and the corresponding straight line reserve evaluation technique are rational and competent in estimating the free gas and ad... [more]

This study investigates the Hagen−Poiseuille pipe flow of viscoplastic fluids, focusing on analytical predictions of concrete pumping using the shear-stress-dependent parabolic model, extending analytical studies to a nonlinear rheological model with easily accessible experimental parameters. Research novelty and highlights encompass solving the steady laminar pipe flow for viscoplastic fluids described by the parabolic model, presenting detailed results for the two-fluid parabolic model, and introducing a computational app implementing theoretical findings. The parabolic model outperforms linear models, such as the Bingham model, in accuracy by accounting for the nonlinearity in the flow curves (i.e., shear stress and shear rate relations) of pumped concrete. The influence of rheological parameters on these relations is analyzed, and their versatility is demonstrated by a Wolfram Mathematica-based application program. The analytical approach developed in this work is adaptable for oth... [more]

In this study, an ultrasonic-assisted electrochemical grinding (UAECG) system was designed to improve the low efficiency and tool wear in conventional grinding of hard and tough materials. In this system, multiple-field energy consisting of ultrasonic, electrochemical and mechanical grinding was used. The processing mechanism was investigated to determine the interaction mechanism between ultrasonic, grinding and electrochemical processing. The established theoretical model showed that the processing efficiency was affected by the ultrasonic amplitude, ultrasonic frequency, electrolyte conductivity and other parameters. In verifying the feasibility of UAECG machining and the effect of machining elements on machining, a series of corresponding machining experiments was conducted. Experiments showed that the machining efficiency can be improved by machining through the UAECG system. The material removal rate of W18Cr4V machining was 2.7 times higher than that of conventional grinding and... [more]

The stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and the corresponding pharmaceutical formulations are nowadays of great importance in pharmaceutical research and technology. The quality of an API or of finished pharmaceutical products (FPPs) is time dependent under the influence of several parameters, such as light and air exposure, temperature, and humidity. Additionally, the stability profile of an API is influenced by the formulation composition, due to the presence of excipients or by the characteristic of the packaging materials. In this sense, the main objective of this study was to analyze the degradation kinetics of the antihypertensive drug moxonidine as a pure ingredient (MOX) and in two different solid mixtures, one corresponding to a pharmaceutical formulation (MOXTAB) and the other to an enriched pharmaceutical formulation in MOX (MOXMIX). As investigation techniques, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy and TG/DTG/HF analysis were employed, while the t... [more]

As is widely known, the issue of freshwater scarcity affects practically all people, and all are looking for innovative and workable ways to attempt to solve this issue. In this work, a novel method of desalination is proposed. The proposed system consists of a solar collector (PTSC), evacuated pipe (EP), condenser (CU), and separation unit (SU). The working principle of the system is heating the feed saline water using the PTSC and EP and controlling the water flow rate to control the output conditions of the EP. The produced vapor is therefore separated from salty water using the SU. In addition, the generated steam is condensed into the CU to produce a freshwater distillate. Consequently, the effect of solar radiation on the affecting temperatures was tested. In addition, the effect of using different water flow rates (6, 7.5, 10, 20, 40, and 60 L/h) inside the EP on the system productivity was investigated. The primary findings of this work may be highlighted in relation to the exp... [more]

Traditional wastewater treatment methods, such as reverse osmosis, adsorption, desalination, and others, are outweighed by the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Ferrites are prominent photocatalysts due to their tunable band gaps, surface areas, and magnetic properties, which render photodegradation economical. Ferrites and their nanocomposites have been reported as promising visible light active photocatalysts. The photocatalytic system is heavily reliant on a number of factors that influence the photodegradation of organic effluents. This review demonstrates various parameters such as substrate concentration, pH of solution, photocatalyst quantity, photocatalyst surface area, metal and non-metal ion doping, light intensity, irradiation time, quenchers, etc. affecting the photocatalytic degradation of organic effluents by ferrite nanoparticles and their nanocomposites in detail. The photodegradation efficiency of the ferrite nanoparticles alters with the change in the... [more]

For tunnel-support engineering, the bed separation of surrounding rock has a great influence on the support performance of bolts. In order to reveal the mechanical properties of the full-grouted prestressed bolt under the influence of bed separation, three typical working conditions of single-separation, multi-separation and different separation positions were set up, and theoretical models and numerical models were established. Furthermore, the characteristics of bolt axial force and anchorage−interface shear stress were analyzed by numerical method, and the sensitivity based on an orthogonal test was studied by means of range analysis and variance analysis. The results showed that: (1) under the single-separation condition, the separation value has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of the bolt, and with the increase in the separation value, the sliding failure unit of the bolt increases; (2) for multi-separation conditions, if the total separation value is the same, t... [more]

We present five new sorbents for the evaluation of the pre-concentration of L-carnitine. The sorbents were obtained from copolymerization between butylmethacrylate (BuMA) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA), which were physically modified on their surface by each one of the five synthetized resorcinarenes of variable chain length studied, with long-chain resorcinarenes exhibiting better fixation on the copolymer. The characterization of the synthesized resorcinarenes was done using FTIR-ATR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry, while characterization of the sorbents was done using FTIR-ATR and scanning electron micrography (SEM). The molecular interaction between L-carnitine and the synthesized resorcinarenes was studied in DMSO via 1H-NMR spectroscopy and, in the gas phase, via electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The results showed that the short-chain resorcinarenes underwent a stable interaction with the neurotransmitter. Once the sorption of resorcinarenes on the... [more]

The influence of oligosaccharides (α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin), and a polysaccharide, sodium hyaluronate (NaHy), on the diffusion of aqueous solutions of cobalt and chromium chlorides has been investigated. Cobalt and chromium are constituents of metal alloys for biomedical use, including dental prostheses. Thus, the release of these ions in the human body can lead to harmful biological effects. The interaction of metal ions with saccharides might have information on the role of mouthwashes in preventing these effects. This interaction has been assessed by measuring multicomponent intermolecular diffusion coefficients at 298.15 K. It has been found that β-cyclodextrin has the highest interaction towards cobalt and chromium ions. This work will contribute to unveiling the mechanisms responsible for transport by diffusion in aqueous solutions, and, therefore, mitigating the potential toxicity inherent to those metal ions.

Gas prevention and control have always been the focus of coal mine safety. The pore structure characteristics and gas adsorption characteristics of coal seams are the key factors affecting gas adsorption and diffusion in coal seams. Lvjiatuo Mine has the characteristics of a high gas content when it enters deep mining. In order to clarify the influence of the pore-fracture structure characteristics of main coal seams in the research area on coal seam gas adsorption and diffusion, and to study the differences in gas adsorption and diffusion ability in different coal seams, low-temperature nitrogen adsorption (LT-N2GA), high-pressure mercury intrusion (MIP) and computerized tomography (μ-CT) were used as characterization methods, and methane isothermal adsorption experiments were carried out to systematically study the pore structure characteristics of five groups of coal samples, and the pore-fracture structure characteristics and gas adsorption characteristics of each main coal seam we... [more]

This study investigates pneumatic conveying of four different biomass materials, namely cottonseeds, wood pellets, wood chips, and wheat straw. The performance of a previously proposed model for predicting pressure drop is evaluated using biomass materials. Results indicate that the model can predict pressure with an error range of 30 percent. To minimize the number of trial tests required, an optimization algorithm is proposed. The findings show that with a combination of three trial tests, there is a 60 percent probability of selecting the right subset for accurately predicting pressure drop for the entire range of tests. Further investigation of different training subsets suggests that increasing the number of tests from 3 to 7 can improve the probability from 60% to 90%. Moreover, thorough analysis of all three-element subsets in the entire series of tests reveals that when considering air mass flow rate as the input, having air mass flow rates that are not only closer in value but... [more]

This study introduces a novel methodology to evaluate the behaviour of biomass material by examining the ratio of aeration and deaeration time constants. To this end, a series of tests were conducted on four different materials, namely, cottonseed, wood chips, wood pellets, and wheat straw, in order to investigate their aeration and deaeration behaviours. The study derives the aeration and deaeration pressure drop equations, and discusses the corresponding time constant expression. Subsequently, the four materials were conveyed in 12 m long batch-fed and continuous pneumatic conveying pipelines to examine their behaviour in longer pipelines. The results indicate that the aeration and deaeration time constants increased with an increase in air superficial velocity. However, the ratio of the aeration and deaeration time constants was identified as a unique number, where a value close to 1 indicates a higher likelihood of plug flow. On the basis of the results, cottonseed, with the lowest... [more]

The influence of nanoparticles of hydrated C60 fullerene and its N-monoamino acid derivatives on the oxidative metabolism and growth of the mycelial biomass of basidiomycetes during their submerged cultivation was studied. It was found that the supplementation of culture media with nanoparticles of the studied compounds at their final concentration range of 10−7 to 10−11 M significantly increased the resulting biomass, while the severity of the effect in this concentration range changed slightly. That prompted the use of nanomolar concentrations of compounds as reasonable. The most pronounced stimulating effect (an increase in biomass of about 240% with respect to control) was observed when culturing Laetiporus sulphureus, the intrinsically high level of oxidative metabolism of which was significantly lowered by the presence of the studied additives. It was shown that the growth-enhancing action of nanoparticles of fullerene C60 and its derivatives could not be attributed to photochemi... [more]

Acidic compounds constitute a group of chemicals present in mainstream cigarette smoke, among which organic acids contribute to flavoring. In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the constituents of acidic compounds in both the particulate and gaseous phases of the mainstream smoke of commercial cigarettes, and to delineate the difference between two types of cigarettes, the yields of acidic constituents from nine cigarettes of two commercial brands (L- and M-types) were collected and analyzed in detail by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results identified and quantitatively analyzed 46 compounds, grouped according to the substituent groups. Compositional differences between the two cigarette types were evaluated with statistical approaches. Comparison between individual, grouped, and total acid contents, between the particulate and the gaseous phases, and between the commercial L- and M-type tobaccos were conducted and characterized by the p values obtain... [more]

Ethylene is the most common ripening phytohormone in fruits, and excess ethylene can overripen the fruit. However, the in-field detection of ethylene is still limited. In this work, ultrafine Pd nanoparticles-decorated porous ZnO nanosheets (UPNP ZnO nanosheets) were conveniently synthesized through a facile solvent reduction method. The UPNP ZnO nanosheets were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrum, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ZnO nanosheets were uniformly coated with Pd nanoparticles. The size of the Pd nanoparticle was very small, with a diameter of approximately 2 nm. Due to the unique structure of the porous ZnO nanosheets and the excellent catalytic properties of the ultrafine Pd nanoparticles, the as-prepared samples showed very high sensing performance in ethylene detection. The lowest detection concentration was 10 ppb, which is the lowest detection limit to our knowledge.... [more]

Recently, there has been so much interest in using biomass waste for bio-based products. Nigeria is one of the countries with an extensive availability of palm biomass. During palm oil production, an empty palm fruit bunch (biomass) is formed, and a lot of ash is generated. This study aimed to extract and characterize silica from empty palm fruit bunch (EPFB) ash using the thermochemical method. The results show that EPFB ash contains a large amount of biogenic silica in its amorphous form. It could be extracted for further use via calcination at different temperatures and compared effectively to other biomass materials, such as rice husk ash, sugarcane bagasse, and cassava periderm. The extracted silica was characterized using XRF, XRD, TGA, SEM, and FTIR, revealing the highest silica concentration of 49.94% obtained at a temperature of 800 °C. The XRF analysis showed 99.44 wt.% pure silica, while the XRD spectrum showed that the silica in EPFB is inherently amorphous. As is evident f... [more]

The fractured granite reservoir is well developed in Yongle block, which leads to severe drilling fluid loss-circulation. To solve the technical problem of both plugging and reservoir protection, on the basis of comprehensive literature research and laboratory tests at home and abroad, a polymer with an appropriate molecular weight, an organic crosslinking agent and other auxiliary materials were screened. In addition, a kind of high-temperature resistant loss-circulation plugging gel, which could be formed by timing and self-degradation, was developed. The high-strength gel loss-circulation system can be established by the development of a dynamic covalent borate ester bond crosslinking agent, which can crosslink with polyvinyl alcohol and xanthan gum. This system is of formidable strength and can be used for loss-circulation control in a fractured formation. The dynamic covalent borate ester bond tends to break due to the peroxide glue breaker under low pH levels, which can accelerat... [more]

To achieve high precision, stability, and good surface quality when producing micro-dimple arrays on cylindrical surfaces, we propose a new processing method known as radial ultrasonic rolling electrochemical micromachining (RUREMM) in this study. This method is based on the electrochemical micromachining (EMM) and ultrasonic machining principle. The relevant simulation model was created, and ANSYS researched the flow field characteristics of the electrolyte between the array electrodes and the workpiece. Micro-dimple arrays were created on a SS304 cylindrical surface with the consideration of the effects of the machining parameters, including ultrasonic amplitude and applied pulse voltage. Compared with the EMM, the average width of the micro-dimples is reduced by 24.5%, the aspect ratio of the dimple is increased by 108.0%, and the surface roughness of micro-dimples is decreased by 59.7%. In addition, the localization and the surface quality of micro-dimples by RUREMM can be improved... [more]

The buried depth of coal seams in China gradually increases as shallow resources decrease. The purpose of this article is to reveal the effect of buried depth on gas extraction boreholes. Firstly, we analyzed the shortcomings of the Mohr−Coulomb (M-C) constitutive model for simulating excavation problems and introduced the strain-softening (S-S) model and its advantages. Subsequently, we constructed the gas extraction models with different buried depths based on the S-S model and combined them with the evolution equations for permeability and the equations for gas migration. Then, we studied the difference between the M-C and S-S models using numerical simulations. We found that the influence of the S-S phenomenon in the surrounding rock of boreholes is more significant as the buried depth increases—that is, the strain-softening has a significant buried depth effect. When the buried depths were 300, 500, and 700 m, the maximum ratios of permeability to the initial permeability obtained... [more]