The effects of CO₂-water-rock interactions on the mechanical properties of shale are essential for estimating the possibility of sequestrating CO₂ in shale reservoirs. In this study, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests together with an acoustic emission (AE) system and SEM & EDS analysis were performed to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructural changes of black shales with different saturation times (10 days, 20 days and 30 days) in water dissoluted with sub-/super-critical CO₂. According to the experimental results, the values of UCS, Young’s modulus and brittleness index decrease gradually with increasing saturation time in water with sub-/super-critical CO₂. Compared to intact samples, 30-days’ saturation causes reductions of 56.43% in UCS and 54.21% in Young’s modulus for sub-critical saturated samples, and 66.05% in UCS and 56.32% in Young’s modulus for super-critical saturated samples, respectively. The brittleness index also decreases drastically from 84.3% for intact samples to 50.9% for samples saturated in water with sub-critical CO₂, to 47.9% for samples saturated in water with super-critical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂). SC-CO₂ causes a greater reduction of shale’s mechanical properties. The crack propagation results obtained from the AE system show that longer saturation time produces higher peak cumulative AE energy. SEM images show that many pores occur when shale samples are saturated in water with sub-/super-critical CO₂. The EDS results show that CO₂-water-rock interactions increase the percentages of C and Fe and decrease the percentages of Al and K on the surface of saturated samples when compared to intact samples.

A single geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage within salinity aquifer as a paramount stratagem in the context of forthcoming CO2 sequestration initiatives. Within the expansive tapestry of terrestrial salinity aquifers in China, replete with nuances in mineral composition and structural diversity, a paradigm distinct from the marine sedimentary basins of North America, a labyrinthine stratigraphic environment of elevated complexity unfolds. Consequently, conspicuous lacunae and insufficiencies manifest within the existing knowledge reservoir pertaining to CO2-water-rock (mineral) reaction mechanisms. Notably, a conspicuous dearth of insights prevails concerning the dissolution kinetics inherent to individual minerals embroiled in these reactions. The present investigation undertakes a scrupulous exploration into the dissolution and erosive processes manifest within four emblematic terrestrial minerals in conjunction with CO2. Furthermore, the study meticulously scrutinizes the evolution of ionic composition and pH within the formation water throughout the trajectory of the geochemical reactions. To accomplish this, a simulation apparatus is configured to emulate conditions germane to temperature, pressure, and mineralization characteristics characteristic of a prototypical salinity aquifer reminiscent of the Daqing oilfield in China. The findings that emerge from this scrutiny reveal that the erosive action of CO2 fluid begets varying degrees of dissolution within the four minerals under investigation. Moreover, our meticulous inquiry lays bare that, in the terminal phases of the reaction process, feldspar precipitates secondary minerals, characterized primarily by dawsonite, in response to the aquatic milieu typifying the profound salinity stratum of terrestrial sedimentation. This milieu is notably enriched with Na+ ions and NaHCO3. This phenomenon suggests that feldspar, under these specific conditions, assumes the mantle of a mineral amenable to carbon sequestration, thus enriching the reservoir for CO2 mineralization within the salinity stratum of terrestrial sedimentation.

Laboratory experiments were performed to measure the supercritical CO2 (scCO2) storage ratio (%) of the conglomerate and sandstone in Janggi Basin, which are classified as rock in Korea available for CO2 storage. The scCO2 storage capacity was evaluated by direct measurement of the scCO2 amount replacing pore water in a reservoir rock core. The scCO2 sealing capacity of the cap rock (i.e., tuff and mudstone), was also compared by measuring the initial scCO2 seepage pressure (Δp) into the rock core. The measured average scCO2 storage ratio of the conglomerate and the sandstone in Janggi Basin was 30.7 % and 13.1 %, respectively, suggesting that the scCO2 storage capacity is greater than 360,000 metric tons in the Janggi Basin. The initial scCO2 seepage pressure of the tuff in the Janggi Basin was 15 bar and continuous scCO2 injection into the tuff core occurred at Δp higher than 20 bar. For the mudstone, the initial scCO2 seepage pressure was higher than 150 bar (10 times higher than that of the tuff), demonstrating that the mudstone is more suitable than the tuff to shield scCO2 leakage from the reservoir rock in the Janggi Basin.

We evaluated the transcriptional response of interferon (IFN)-related genes in rock bream iridovirus (RBIV)-infected rock bream under high-, low-, or no-mortality conditions induced by different stocking water temperatures. Under the high susceptibility condition (group A, water temperature 26 °C, 100% mortality), only the Mx gene was expressed early, with prolonged expression, and with heavy viral loads of approximately 106–107 major capsid protein gene copies/μL from 4 to 10 days post infection (dpi). However, IRF1, IRF3, IRF8, STAT1, ISG15, PKR, Viperin, GVIN1, IFI44, and ISG56 were activated at later time points (8 dpi) and then quickly decreased (10 dpi). For the low susceptibility condition, the water temperature was set at 23 °C for 7 days (group B) and then reduced to 17 °C. Group B exhibited a 28% mortality rate, in which persistent and effective antiviral responses were observed for long periods of time. In particular, at 20 and 22 dpi, when virus replication was peaked at approximately 107/μL, the expressions of most of the IFN-related genes (IRF1, IRF3, IRF8, Mx, STAT1, ISG15, PKR, Viperin, GVIN1, IFI44, and ISG56) were significantly higher in group B than in the control group. Moreover, prolonged and higher levels of IRF3 (at least 30 dpi), IRF8 (at least 30 dpi), ISG15 (at least 30 dpi), PKR (at least 28 dpi), Viperin (at least 30 dpi), and IFI44 (at least 30 dpi) were also observed in the recovery stage of infection. Under the no-susceptibility condition at 17 °C (0% mortality), significantly elevated levels of IRF3, Mx, ISG15, and PKR were observed mostly until 20 dpi. The findings indicate that RBIV infection can induce an efficient IFN-mediated antiviral immune response in low- and no-susceptibility conditions. The findings could be valuable for effective control of viral pathogens in fish.

Rocks are materials with a wide variety of structures and properties. These can be unprocessed conglomerates of conglomerated minerals as well as crystallized outcrop or metamorphic rocks. Their processing, especially shaping, poses many technological difficulties. Therefore, it is very important to answer the question of how these natural materials yield to high-pressure water jet and abrasive water. It is equally important to determine the effect of key process parameters such as pressure, water nozzle diameter and feed rate on cutting efficiency. The first two parameters determine the water output and power of the jet, while the third determines the jet erosion time per unit volume of material. Their interdependence, using appropriate evaluation indicators, allows to determine the energy intensity of processing and directions for its minimization.

Based on the analysis of hydrochemical data of 18 samples of shallow groundwater around Hancheng mining area in Guanzhong Basin, Gibbs semi-logarithmic diagram and Piper diagram were used to study the hydrogeochemical behavior of shallow groundwater around Hangcheng mining area in Guanzhong Basin. Chemical composition analysis showed that most of the groundwater was SO₄ · Cl-Ca · Mg type, accounting for 61.1 %. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope data show that groundwater in the study area is recharged by modern precipitation. The main chemical components of most groundwater are Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO₃^-, Cl^-and SO₄^2-. Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and HCO₃^- are mainly dolomite, calcite, and gypsum dissolution precipitation results. Na⁺ and Cl^- originate from the dissolution of halite. The main ion chemistry of shallow groundwater in this area is controlled by rock weathering, and pyrite oxidation is an important factor affecting SO₄^2-concentration. The research results will help analyze the formation mechanism of chemical components and provide some basic data for the evolution of mine water in this area in the future.

The increase in carbon dioxide emissions has a significant impact on human society and the global environment. As the most abundant and cheap C1 resource, the conversion and utilization of carbon dioxide has received extensive attention from researchers. In many methods of carbon dioxide conversion and utilization, the reverse water gas conversion reaction is considered to be one of the most effective ways. In this paper, the research progress of reverse water gas conversion reaction in recent years is introduced.

This study investigated the physical properties of section-restoration mortar with calcium nitrite and carbon dioxide (CO2) nanobubble mixing water to develop materials and methods for the repair and reinforcement of cracks in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. As the calcium nitrite content increased, the generation rate and generated amount of nitrite-based hydration products increased, owing to the rapid reaction between NO2- ions in calcium nitrite and C3A(Al2O3). Further, the reaction with C3S and C2S was accelerated, thereby increasing the generation rates of Ca(OH)2 and C-S-H. Further, the large amount of Ca2+ ions in these hydration products reacted with CO32- ions in CO2 nanobubble water, thereby increasing the generation of calcite-based CaCO3 in the cement matrix. This appears to have affected the strength development and durability improvement via the densification of the structure. These results suggest that the performance of polymer cement mortar for repairing concrete structures can be improved if calcium nitrite and CO2 nanobubble water are properly combined and applied.

With the rapid development of urbanization, the chemical evolution of groundwater is significantly affected by human activities. However, the driving mechanisms of groundwater chemical evolution at different stages of urbanization remain unclear, severely impacting the implementation of groundwater protection. This study investigated the driving mechanisms of groundwater chemical evolution based on the long-term series (from 1985 to 2015) of hydrochemical data from 19 groundwater monitoring sites in rapidly urbanizing areas (Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China). The results show that the concentrations of various chemical components in groundwater gradually increase with the acceleration of urbanization process, especially NO3-, which has increased from 13.7 mg/L in the primary stage of urbanization (PSU) to 65.1mg/L in the advanced stage of urbanization (ASU), exceeding the WHO drinking water standard (50mg/L), indicating that the groundwater chemistry has been significantly affected by human activities. It is interesting to find that the main hydrochemical types have changed from HCO3•SO4-Ca•Mg type water in the PSU to SO4•HCO3-Ca•Mg type water in the ASU. It is worth noting that there were obvious differences in driving factors of groundwater chemical evolution at different urbanization stages. In the PSU, the driving factors of groundwater chemical evolution were carbonate and rock salt dissolution, cation exchange, and industrial activities. However, in the intermediate stage and advanced stage, the driving factors of groundwater chemical evolution were changed to carbonate and gypsum dissolution, groundwater over-exploitation, agricultural fertilization, and domestic sewage. Based on the above conclusions, it is suggested that future groundwater management should control the amount of agricultural fertilizers, apply scientific fertilization, and prohibit the discharge of various types of non-compliant sewage, while strengthening the supervision of groundwater extraction to reduce the impact of urbanization development on the groundwater chemical evolution process.

Manual measurement of rock discontinuities is time-consuming and subjective according to the experience of the surveyor. This work proposes a three-dimensional laser scanning-based method for the semi-automatic identification of rock discontinuities. Multisite cloud scanning is performed with real-time kinematic (RTK)-assisted orientation to estimate the rock fracturing degree; then, discontinuity orientations are extracted with the man–machine interactive method or automatic method. The proposed method was applied to actual examples to illustrate its accuracy at identifying rock discontinuities. The sensitivity of the identification accuracy to different parameters was investigated.

In order to study the acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under the action of the high temperature-water cooling cycle, the RMT-150B electro-hydraulic servo rock test system and the DS-5 acoustic emission detection and analysis system were used to conduct a single analysis of the sandstone after the high temperature-water cooling cycle. Experimental study on acoustic emission characteristics under axial compression, analyzing the deformation, strength and acoustic emission characteristics of sandstone under different temperatures and cycles. The results of the study show that the high temperature-water cooling action causes changes in the physical properties of the sandstone. The expansion rate of the rock sample decreases first and then increases when the temperature rises, and the strength first increases and then decreases. The number of cycles has little effect on the physical properties of the rock sample; sandstone acoustic emission ringing count increases with the increase of temperature and cycle times, acoustic emission activities become more frequent with the loading process; with the increase of cycle times and temperature, acoustic emission ringing counts and accumulative acoustic emission energy appear earlier The rock sample enters the elastic deformation stage ahead of schedule, the yielding period increases, and the rock sample presents a trend of transition from brittle failure to ductile failure; the ringing count and cumulative energy increase with the increase in temperature and cycle times, and the high-energy ringing count and cumulative energy increase. The simultaneous sharp increase of the rock sample is the harbinger of the failure and instability of the rock sample.

Over the years, various models have been developed in the stages of the mining process that have allowed predicting and enhancing results, but it is the breakage the variable that connects all the activities of the mining process from the point of view of costs (drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, crushing and grinding). To improve this process, we come up with an idea to develop a breakage prediction model; on the basis of the main variables involved in the drilling and blasting process. For this purpose, we design a computer model based on an Artificial Neuronal Networks (ANN), built by using the most representative variables that come into play with drilling and blasting, such as: the properties of the explosives, the geomechanical parameters of the rock mass, and the design parameters of drilling-blasting. For its experimentation and validation, we have taken the data from a copper mine as reference located in the north of Chile, because of we have the dataset of that ore deposit, which is valid and reliable to evaluate prediction problems based on ANN applied to copper mines. The ANN architecture was of the supervised type, feedforward, with 3 layers and 13 neurons in the only hidden layer, trained with the input data using a dataset with the previously mentioned variables, which then were compared with the breakage results. The model was feed backed in its learning process until it becomes perfected, and is a prediction option that can be used in future blasting of ore deposits with similar characteristics using the same representative variables. Therefore, this is a valid alternative for predicting rock breakage, given that it has been experimentally validated, and has achieved moderately reliable results, providing higher correlation coefficients than traditional models, and with the additional advantage that an ANN model provides, due to its ability to learn and recognize compiled dataset patterns. In this way, using this computer model we can obtain satisfactory results that allow us to predict breakage, providing an alternative for evaluating the costs that this entails.

By definition, a cell is the smallest unit of biological life. This means that every living thing can be fundamentally narrowed down to a composition of cells working together for the furtherance of that being in existence. With the dawn dawn of the evolutionary theory that bespeaks of life commencing some 〜3.8 billion years ago with RNA strands that underwent evolution to become DNA, which led to what we have now as life in the world, or with the Panspermia hypothesis, assuming that life on Earth was seeded from space, what is being considered in this work pertains to the origin of life. In addition to the plethora of intuitive stances that concern the origin story of life, this work will only add to the these. The major hypothesis in this work is that the continuity of life, as pertaining to its procession from parent to offspring provides fundamental links to the origin of life and this is the major consideration that will be given. It is thus apparent that the cells that would be considered are germ cells and not somatic cells. A cursory look at the continuity of life, should give us clues as regards how life originated. We nonetheless, take into consideration the fact that some features due to its non-use have gone extinct, thus taking with them the needed knowledge to breaking even as regards our inquiry. Even at that, we propose that conjectures, hypothetically, can be made based on the physical evidence that is available to us today.

Karakoram highway (K.K.H.) the only road link between two countries China and Pakistan. This road network is essential for two countries due to its strategic location and socioeconomic. The highway is more vulnerable due to landslide disasters, especially in rain and snow melting seasons, and different kinds of mass movement activities have occurred along K.K.H., such as rockfall, debris flow, and snow avalanche. The slope stability problems are widespread along with Karakorum (K.K.H.) between Besham city and the Dasu area because of the high seismic zone, rainfall, snow melting, and complex geology slope geometry, week, and adverse discontinuities sets. The detailed fieldwork was done along the Karakorum highway to minimize the risk of slope stability and for planning purposes in Besham to Dasu area and selected nine road-cut slopes. However, in these nine selected roadcut slopes, three slopes were already failed, four slopes are partially stable, and two slopes were stable. Both kinematic and empirical approaches are applied on all these nine road cut slopes and their discontinuities. The kinematic result has shown that all kinds of mode failure such as Toppling, Planar, and Wedge failure mode occurred in these slopes. The RMRb result has shown that all discounters lie in between fair to good rock. Both discrete and continuous (S.M.R.) results show that all discontinuity sets lie between the unstable, partially stable, and stable conditions.

The utilization for water resource has been of great concern to human life. To assess the natural water system in Kangding County, the integrated methods of hydrochemcial analysis, multivariate statistics and geochemical modelling were conducted on surface water, groundwater and thermal water samples. Surface water and groundwater were dominated by Ca-HCO₃ type, while thermal water belonged to Ca-HCO₃ and Na-Cl type. The analyzing results concluded the driving factors that affect hydrochemical components. Following the results of the combined assessments, hydrochemcial process was controlled by the dissolution of carbonate and silicate minerals with slight influence from anthropogenic activity. The mixing model of groundwater and thermal water was calculated using silica-enthalpy method, yielding cold-water fraction of 0.56-0.79 and estimated reservoir temperature of 130-199 ^oC, respectively. δD and δ¹⁸O isotopes suggested surface water, groundwater and thermal springs were of meteoric origin. Thermal water should have deep circulation through the Xianshuihe fault zone, while groundwater flows through secondary fractures where it recharges with thermal water. Those analytical results were used to construct a hydrological conceptual model, providing a better understanding of the natural water system in Kangding County.

Well placement optimization in a given geological setting for a fractured geothermal reservoir is a prerequisite for enhanced geothermal operations. High computational cost associated in the framework of fully coupled thermo-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes in a fractured reservoir simulation, makes the well positioning as a missing point in developing a field scale investigation. Here, in this study, we shed light on this topic through examining different injection-production well (doublet) position in a given real fracture network. Water and CO2 are used as working fluids for geothermal operations and importance of well positions are examined using coupled THM numerical simulations for both the fluids. Results of this study are examined through the thermal breakthrough time, mass flux and the energy extraction potential to assess the impact of well position in a two-dimensional reservoir framework. Almost ten times of the difference between the final amount of heat extraction is observed for different well position but with the same well spacing and geological characteristics. Furthermore, stress field is be a strong function of well position that is important with respect to the possibility of unwanted stress development. As part of the MEET project, this study recommends to perform similar well placement optimization study for each fracture set in a fully coupled THM manner before a field well drilling.

The study of mechanical properties of rock mass can be effectively carried out through rock-like material model test. The similarity of mechanical properties between rock-like material and protolith is dependent on the appropriate selection of composition and content of rock-like materials. In this research, X-Ray diffraction test was conducted to analyze the composition of deep rock, which confirmed silica, quartz, and dolomite as the primary components of deep sandstone. An orthogonal design test was used to execute the ratio test of rock-like material. River sand was used as an aggregate, cement as a binder, gypsum powder as a regulator, and polystyrene foam (EPS) as rock damage simulation material. The influencing factors considered in the orthogonal mechanical tests were the proportion of aggregate and binder, ratio of binder and regulator, quantity of damage simulation material, and size of damage simulation material. Three levels were set for each factor, and mechanical parameters such as compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, axial strain, and Poisson's ratio were tested for each group of samples. The changes of those parameters with the levels of the above four factors were studied. The study revealed that adjusting the size of polystyrene foam (EPS) can adjust the values of elastic modulus, tensile strength, and Poisson's ratio of rock-like material. Similarly, changing the ratio of binder and regulator can adjust the values of axial strain and compressive strength of rock-like material. The rock-like material developed in the study can simulate the mechanical properties of different rock masses such as granite, sandstone, shale, and limestone.

Coffee production around the world is under threat due to climate variability and change, and drought stress will increase in many coffee regions, nutrient management practices could enhance the adaptation capacity of coffee production. Considering that coffee is a sensitive crop to boron (B) deficiency, this research investigated how B nutrition improves resistance to drought stress in coffee under controlled conditions as well how with interaction with calcium (Ca+2) influences productivity, seed compositions, and soil fertility during a production cycle of 5 year. Under controlled conditions for seven months, coffee plants were submitted to water stress with and without B nutrition. In the field, coffee plantation was submitted to two B rates (0,6 and 1,1 kg. ha-1-year-1) with fixed calcium (Ca+2) rate and, a control without Ca+2 and B. After 9 months of growth and seven months of water deficit, under controlled conditions, the application of B significantly (p<0,05) reduced the negative effect of water stress on coffee growth. Under field conditions, after a production cycle of 5 years, the application of 0,6 kg B and 77 kg CaO. ha-1. year-1 yielded 14% more than the control without B and Ca+2. An increase of the B rate to 1.1 kg.ha-1.year-1 with the same Ca+2 rate increased the productivity significantly (p<0,05) by 37% compared to the control. B application also improved significantly (p<0,05) the B content in the soil at 0-30 cm. The B treatments influenced the biochemical composition of the green coffee beans, with a significant (p<0,05) inverse correlation between the B content of the green coffee beans with caffeine, and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) mainly, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids which are considered negative descriptors of the coffee quality.

Current problem facing researchers globally is microplastics as well as toxic chemical pollution of the ecosystem. Microplastics carry toxic chemicals in the ecosystem.serving as a vector for transport. In this study, a review of the literature has been conducted with the following objectives: (1) to summarise the concentrations of toxic chemicals such heavy metals and hydrophobic organic contaminants sorped on microplastics; (2) to evaluate their spatial distribution regarding adsorbed contaminant (3) to discuss plausible mechanism by which microplastics adsorp or desorp toxic chemicals in the environment; (4) to discuss implications of their occurrence in air, water and soil media; and (5) to discuss the impact of ingested microplastics to human health. Microplastics are ubiquitous environmental contaminant. Concentrations of sorped toxic chemical varied with location which represents a local problem; industrialized areas (especially areas experiencing crude oil related activities or have history of crude oil pollution) have higher concentrations than less industrialized areas. Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine and soil organisms as well as edible plants, thus possible contaminating the base of the food-web. Potential health effect to human is by particle localization, chemical toxicity and microbal toxins. We conclude by highlighting the gap in knowledge and suggesting key future areas of research for scientists and policymakers.

Towards better understanding of factors controlling carbon (C) exchange between inland waters and atmosphere, we addressed inorganic carbon cycle in semi-arid lakes of Central Eurasia, subjected to strong impact of on-going climate change. For this, we assessed the hydrochemical vari-ability and quantified its control on formation of authigenic carbonate minerals, occurring within the upper layer of sediments in 43 semiarid lakes located in the southwest of Western Siberia (Central Eurasia). Based on measurements of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), cationic and anionic composition, dissolved organic and inorganic C, as well as textural and mineralogical characterization of bottom sediments using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrate that lake water pH and TDS are primarily controlled by both lithological and climatic context of the lake watershed. We have not revealed any direct relationships between lake morphology and water chemistry. The most common authigenic carbonates scavenging atmospheric CO2 in the form of insoluble minerals in lake sediments were calcite, aragonite, Mg-calcite, dolomite and hydro-magnesite. The calcite was the most common component, aragonite mainly appears in lakes with sediments enriched in gastropod shells or artemia cysts, while hydromagnesite was most common in lakes with high Mg/Ca molar ratios, as well at high DIC concentrations. The relationships between mineral formation and water chemistry established in this study can be generalized to a wide suite of arid and semi-arid lakes in order to characterize current status of inorganic C cycle and predict its possible modification under on-going climate warming such as water temperature rise and change of hydrological connectivity, primary productivity and nutrient regime.

Due to increasing concerns about global warming and energy crisis, intensive efforts have been made to explore renewable and clean energy sources. Single-atom metals and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted extensive attention in the fields of energy and environment because of their unique electronic structures and excellent properties. In this review, we sum-marize the state-of-art progress on the single-atom metal supported at 2D MoS2 (single-atom metal/2D MoS2) for electrochemical CO2 reduction and water splitting. First, we introduce the advantages of single-atom metal/2D MoS2 catalysts in the fields of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting, followed by the strategies for improving electrocatalytic performances of single-atom metal/2D MoS2 hybrid nanomaterials and the typical preparation methods. Further, we discuss the important applications of the nanocomposites in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction and water splitting via some typical examples, particularly focusing on their synthesis routes, modification approaches, and physiochemical mechanisms for improving their electrocatalytic performances. Finally, our perspectives on the key challenges and future directions of exploring high-performance metal single-atom catalysts are presented based on recent achievements in the development of single-atom metal/2D MoS2 hybrid nanomaterials.

In rock blasting for mining production, stress waves play a major role in rock fracturing along with explosion gases. Better energy distribution improves fragmentation and safety, lowers production costs, increases productivity, and controls ore losses and dilution. Blast outcomes vary significantly with the choice of the explosive and the properties of the rock mass encountered. This study analyzes the effects of rock mass and explosives properties on the blast outcomes through numerical simulation using data from the case study and later validates the simulation results from the field blast fragmentation. The outcomes suggest that, for a given set of rock properties, the choice of explosive has a major influence on the resulting fragmentation. Strong explosives favor large fracture extents in hard rocks, while less strong explosives offer a better distribution of explosive energy and fractures. The presence of rock structures such as rock con-tacts and joints influences the propagation of stress waves and fractures depending on the structures' material properties, intensity and orientations, and the direction and strength of the stress wave. To achieve effective fragmentation, the blast design should mitigate the effect of variability in the rock mass by ensuring adequate energy distribution within the limits of geo-metrical design.

This paper aims to investigate the coal thickness change area of the combined rock strata energy accumulation law. The method of connecting a uniaxial compression experiment with a theoret-ical analysis is used in this work. We employ a combination of coal and rock to carry out our studies. We investigate how different lithologies and ratios of coal-rock height affect the me-chanical properties of the mixture and the law governing energy accumulation. We have deter-mined the following facts: (1) The combination's peak strength and elastic modulus exceed that of coal and are inferior to that of rock but are nearer to that of coal. (2) When the coal-rock height ratios are dissimilar, the peak strength and modulus of elasticity of the combination show a negative correlation with the coal-thickness share, and the pre-peak energy accumulation and impact energy index of the combination shows a positive correlation with the coal-thickness share. (3) For the combination with the same coal-rock height ratio, the peak strength, elastic modulus, pre-peak energy accumulation, and impact energy index all increase with greater rock strength and elastic modulus. The presence of a hard rock layer affects the accumulation of pre-peak energy. ( 4 ) The stress in the surrounding rock gradually decreases as the coal thick-ness increases. In the area where coal thickness declines, the stress in surrounding rock is higher than that in the region where it thickens. The energy stored in the surrounding rock is directly proportional to the coal in the zone. Conversely, areas with thinner coal deposits exhibit a lower energy storage capacity in the surrounding rock than those with thicker coal deposits. The stress distribution of surrounding rock in coal thickness change is abnormal; substantial energy accu-mulation can swiftly initiate dynamic disasters, such as rock bursts. This study has important reference significance for preventing and controlling rock burst in coal thickness change areas.

β-dicalcium silicate (β-Ca₂SiO₄, or β-C₂S in cement chemistry notation) is one of the most important minerals in cement. An improvement of its hydration rate would be the key point for developing environmentally friendly cements with lower energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding on the water/β-C₂S surface interactions. In this work we aim to evaluate the water adsorption on three β-C₂S surfaces at the atomic scale using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our results indicate that thermodynamically favorable water adsorption takes place in several surface sites, with a broad range of adsorption energies (−0.78 to −1.48 eV), depending on the particular mineral surface and adsorption site. To clarify the key factor governing the adsorption, the electronic properties of water at the surface were analyzed. The partial density of states (DOS), charge analysis, and electron density difference analyses suggest a dual interaction of water with β-C₂S (100) surface: a nucleophilic interaction of the water oxygen lone pair with surface calcium atoms, and an electrophilic interaction (hydrogen bond) of one water hydrogen with surface oxygen atoms. Despite the elucidation of the adsorption mechanism, no correlation was found between the electronic structure and the adsorption energies.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channels widely distributed in living organisms and involved in many pathophysiologies as well as in cell volume regulations (CVR). In the present study, based on the structural homology existing between mineralocorticoids receptors (MR), glucocorticoids receptors (GR), cholesterol consensus motif (CCM) and the extra-cellular vestibules of AQPs, we investigated the binding of corticosteroids on AQP family through in silico molecular dynamics simulations of AQP2 interactions with cortisol. We propose for the first time a putative AQPs corticosteroids binding site (ACBS) and discussed its conservation through structural alignment. Corticosteroids can mediate non-genomic effects, nonetheless, the transduction pathways involved are still misunderstood. Moreover, a growing body of evidence is pointing out toward the existence of a novel membrane receptor mediating part of these rapid corticosteroids effects. Our results suggest that the naturally produced glucocorticoid cortisol inhibits channel water permeability. Based on these results, we propose a detailed description of a putative underlying molecular mechanism. In this process, we also bring new insights on the regulatory function of AQPs extra-cellular loops and on the role of ions in tuning the water permeability. Altogether, this work brings new insights into corticosteroids non-genomic effects through the proposition of AQPs as membrane receptor of this family of regulatory molecules. This original result is the starting point for future investigations to define more in depth and in vivo the validity of this functional model.

The water-rich liquid layer immobilized on the surface of the polar stationary phases is critical to the retention of polar compounds in hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). Although the presence of the adsorbed water layer has been investigated and confirmed by multiple techniques, there is a lack of quantitative measure that can be easily determined and linked to chromatographic parameters. This study proposes a simple measure termed volume ratio (the ratio of the adsorbed water layer volume and the mobile phase volume) that provides a relative, but quantitative information on the adsorbed water layer and may be linked to the phase ratio. The volume ratio can be easily determined using toluene elution volume. The volume ratio values are measured in 25 polar stationary phases in various mobile phase conditions. In addition to the acetonitrile content in the mobile phase, ammonium acetate concentration in the mobile phase and column temperature also have significant influences on the volume ratio and the adsorbed water layer.

Decomposition of natural and synthetic polymeric materials (peat, humates, biochar, strongly swelling hydrogels and other soil conditioners) in a biologically- and chemically- active soil environment inevitably leads to their degradation and ability to improve the structure, water-retention, absorptive capacity and actual fertility of artificial soil constructions in urbanized ecosystems and agro landscapes (constructozems). Quantitative assessment of the biodegradation process using field and laboratory incubation experiments, as well as mathematical modeling, showed the possibility of significant (up to 30-50% per year) losses of organic matter of constructozems and a corresponding deterioration in their quality. Incubation experiments with the analysis of carbon dioxide emission for polymeric materials under given thermodynamic conditions allow to estimate the potential rates of their decomposition (half-life) and their dependence on the dose of inhibitors of microbial activity. Special nomographs provide an opportunity to determine the optimum depth of the arrangement of organic components in soil constructions to ensure their stable functioning during a fixed operating time in urban conditions. The results of the study are useful for geo-engineers and landscaping practitioners.

The binding of actinide ions (Am(III) and U(VI)) in aqueous solutions by hybrid silica-hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) nanoparticles (NP) and xerogels (XG) has been studied by means of batch experiments at different pH values (4, 7 and 9) under ambient atmospheric conditions. Both materials present relatively high removal efficiency at pH 4 and pH 7 (> 70%) for Am(III) and U(VI). The lower removal efficiency for the nanoparticles is basically associated with the compact structure of the nanoparticles and the lower permeability and access to active amine groups compared to xerogels, and the negative charge of the radionuclide species formed under alkaline conditions (e.g. UO2(CO3)34- and Am(CO3)2-). Generally, the adsorption process is relatively slow due to the very low radionuclide concentrations used in the study and is basically governed by the actinide diffusion from the aqueous phase to the solid surface. On the other hand, the adsorption is favored with increasing temperature assuming that the reaction is endothermic and entropy-driven, which is associated with increasing randomness at the solid-liquid interphase upon actinide adsorption. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on hybrid silica-hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) nanoparticle and xerogel materials used as adsorbents for americium and uranium at ultra-trace levels. Compared to other adsorbent materials used for binding americium and uranium ions, both materials show far higher binding efficiency. Xerogels could remove both actinides even from seawater by almost 90%, whereas nanoparticles could remove uranium by 80% and americium by 70%. The above, along with their simple derivatization to increase the selectivity towards a specific radionuclide and their easy processing to be included in separation technologies, could make these materials attractive candidates for the treatment of radionuclide/actinide contaminated water.

CO2 injection into geological formations is considered one way of mitigating the increasing levels of carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and its effect on and global warming. In regard to sequestering carbon underground, different countries have conducted projects at commercial scale or pilot scale and some have plans to develop potential formations for carbon dioxide storage. In this study, pure CO2 injection is examined on a model with the properties of bunter sandstone and then sensitivity analyses were conducted for some of the important parameters. The results of this study show that the extent to which CO2 has been convected in the porous media in the reservoir plays a vital role in improving the CO2 dissolution in brine and safety of its long term storage. We conclude that heterogeneity plays a crucial role on the saturation distribution and can increase or decrease the amount of dissolved CO2 in water. Furthermore, the value of absolute permeability controls the effect of the Kv/Kh ratio on the CO2 dissolution in brine. In other words, as the value of vertical and horizontal permeability decreases (i.e. tight reservoirs) the impact of Kv/Kh ratio on the dissolved CO2 in brine becomes more prominent. Additionally, reservoir engineering parameters, such as well location, injection rate and scenarios, also have a high impact on the amount of dissolved CO2.

The present review paper aims at collecting and discussing the research work, numerical and experimental, carried out in the field of Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) in one-dimensional (1D) pressurized transient flow in the time-domain approach. Background theory and basic definitions are provided for the proper understanding of the assessed literature. A novel frame of reference is proposed for the classification of FSI models based on pipe degrees-of-freedom. Numerical research is organized according to this classification, while an extensive review on experimental research is presented by institution. Engineering applications of FSI models are described and historical accidents and post-accident analyses documented.

The surrounding rock during the coal mine excavation is prone to significant engineering disasters such as considerable deformation and rockbursts. Pressure release can improve the stress field of a deep rock mass and prevent the occurrence of dangers such as roadway collapse and coal and gas outbursts. This paper uses the ANSYS/LS-DYNA finite element software to simulate the crush area and fracture zone of a detonation charge with different diameters under in-situ stress. The stability of the surrounding rock was analyzed based on the impact stress and velocity, and was verified by field tests. The research results show that the blasting load primarily affects the damaged area near the borehole, while the in-situ stress affects the far-field crack propagation. The crack propagates in the direction of high surrounding rock pressure. When the uncoupling index is 1.5, the impact pressure of the 60 mm diameter cartridge is 8 times that of the 20 mm diameter cartridge. The impact speed can reach 2 times that of the 20 mm diameter cartridge. The high-energy event of the roof is transferred to the front of the working face, the distribution is no longer concentrated, and a better blasting pressure relief effect is achieved. The research results can help guide the prevention and control measures of rock bursts and other mining disasters.

The paper presents the main experimental capabilities of the automatic system for the study of the interaction between porous media and atmosphere. This system is one of the possible variants of patent 2-241-477. The paper shows the result of a drying and wetting study of a tailings sample. The sample is 32 cm in height and 29 cm in diameter. The saturation and drying process was carried out at 26 degrees Celsius at the sample surface, an air velocity of 2 m/s and a relative humidity of 60%. The recharge applied to the column surface was 0.3 cm3/cm2/minute. The results show the effectiveness of the system in controlling the spatial-temporal variation of different physical properties of the porous medium in the vertical and surface profile. The controlled variables include volumetric water content, suction, relative humidity, sample weight variation due to recharge or drying, shrinkage, temperature, etc. The experiment shows how the tailings saturate very quickly but dry very slowly. Tailings consolidation occurs in the drying and wetting processes, being higher in the first one.

In this study the effects of three different main preparatory tillage operations [ploughing at 0.4 m (P40) and 0.20 m (P20) depth and minimum tillage at 0.20 m depth (MT) each of them carried out at two different soil water contents (WC) [low, 58% (LH) and high, 80% (HH) of field capacity] were investigated. The results obtained in this research show high values of soil strength in term of Penetration resistance (CI) and shear strength (SS) particularly in deeper soil layers at lower water content. Fossil-fuel energy requirements both for P40 LH and P20 LH were 25 and 35% higher with respect to the HH treatments and tractor slip were very high (P40 LH = 32.4%) with respect to the P40 HH treatment (16%). Therefore soil water content had significantly influenced tractor performance during soil ploughing, particularly at 0.40 m depth while MT was not influenced at all. A significant correlation between grain yield and soil penetration resistance was found highlighting how soil strength may be good indicator of its productivity. Obtained results during these field tests allowed considering MT and P20 treatments more suitable for this type of soil in climate change scenarios.

Fractures are present in hydrocarbon reservoirs of different porosity ranges. Seismic anisotropy has been widely used in fracture characterization and shown to be sensitive to background matrix porosities in theoretical studies. An understanding of the effects of background porosity on seismic anisotropy could improve seismic characterization in different fractured reservoirs. Based on synthetic rocks with controlled fractures, we conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the influence background porosity has on P wave anisotropy and shear wave splitting. A set of rocks containing the same fracture density (0.06) with varying porosities of 15.3%, 22.1%, and 30.8% were constructed. P and S wave velocities were measured at 0.5 MHz as rocks were water saturated. Results show that when porosity increased from 15.3% to 22.1%, P wave anisotropy and shear wave splitting exhibit slight fluctuations. However, when porosity continued to increase to 30.8%, P wave anisotropy declined sharply while shear wave splitting stayed nearly constant. The measured results were compared with predictions from equivalent medium theories. Qualitative agreements were found between theoretical predictions and measured results. In Eshelby-Cheng model, the increase of porosity reduces the fracture-induced perturbation in the fracture normal direction, resulting in a lower P wave anisotropy. In Gurevich(2003) model, the increase of porosity can reduce the compressional stiffness in parallel direction to a larger extent than that in perpendicular direction, thus leading to lower P wave anisotropy.

Rock salt is characterized by specific geomechanical and rheological properties. Layers of rock salt on depth over 900 m cause problems with shaft lining deformation. Methods of shaft lining protection used so far (e.g. in Sieroszowice mine) have not been effective enough. The research presents a patented and copyright protected concept of a shaft lining construction that can be used in rock masses with strong rheological properties and susceptible to leaching. In the case of salt layers, especially at significant depths the relative convergence of the heading contour may be about 40 ‰/year. That results in the fact that any other method of securing the shaft lining, e.g. by making it flexible, is not sufficient to ensure the stability of the shaft guidance geometry. In the new shaft lining concept, the excessive rock creep into the outbreak inside the shaft diameter is removed by local and controlled leaching of the shaft cheeks by means of fresh water through a porous medium at the contact layer behind the watertight tubing lining. The article presents the methodology of performing tests on a special device and the test results.

Abstract: Measures to counteract AMD generation need to start at the mineral surface, inhibiting mineral-oxidizing, acidophilic microbes. Laboratory and long-term field tests with pyrite-containing mining wastes, where Carbonaceous Phosphate Mining Waste (CPMW) was added, resulted in low acidity, and near neutral drainage. The effect was reproducible, nd confirmed by several independent research groups. This was shown to involve an organic coating, likely a biofilm. The biofilm formation was confirmed when CPMW was added to lignite coal waste with an initial pH of 1. Forty five days after the addition, the coal waste was dominated by heterotrophic microorganisms in biofilms. A review of the scientific literature supports that CPMW has physical and chemical characteristics which are capable of inducing a strong inhibitory effect on sulphide oxidation by forming an organic coating over the mineral surface. CPMW characteristics appear to provide the cornerstone of a new technology for the reduction of sulphide oxidation in mine wastes. An hypothesis for testing this technology is presented which could result in an economical and sustainable approach to mine waste and water management.

Soil water content (SWC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) are two important factors to consider when revegetation in degraded land of arid and semiarid areas. Knowing the response of SWC and SOC to vegetation restoration as well as their coupling interaction is important for sustainability of vegetation restoration. In this study, three common plantations of the same recovery years were selected on China’s Loess Plateau, which included Pinus sylvestris, Pinus tabuliformis and Populus simonii, to evaluate the response of SWC and SOC to vegetation restoration as well as their interactions, and then revealed the influencing factors of SWC and SOC variations. Results showed that compared to the grassland, three plantations all exacerbated the deficit of deep soil water, but Populus simonii increased the SOC, while the rest all decreased the SOC. And tradeoff of Populus simonii had the lowest root mean squared error (RMSD). Therefore, Populus simonii was identified as representing a suitable revegetation technique for this region. There was strong interaction between SWC and SOC for shallow soil layers. Land use type (LUT) has an important effect on deep SOC variations, while SOC and soil texture for deep SWC variations. The results were helpful to the sustainable development of artificial forests in this region as well as other similar arid and semiarid areas.

A single paragraph Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic relationships with many crops. These soil microbiotas improve the soil fertility through the soil physical, chemical and biological properties. extending the root absorbing area. In return, the symbiont receives plant carbohydrates for the completion of its life cycle. AMF also helps plants to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses such as extreme temperature, heavy metal, diseases, and pathogens. For soil physical properties, the mechanisms used by AMF are the production of a glycoprotein, glomalin, which creates a high quality of soil macro-aggregations. These macro-aggregations control soil erosion, nutrients and organic matter losses. For soil chemical properties, AMF produce acids and an enzyme called phosphatase. This enzyme hydrolyzes the inorganic phosphorus and the rock phosphate (RP) hence making P available in the soil for plant uptake. AMF also are involved in soil nitrogen, carbon and trace element cycling. Regarding the biological component of the soil, AMF influence the composition, diversity and activity of microbial communities in the hydrosphere. They also work in synergy with others soil microorganisms to improve soil fertility, plant growth and resistance against some diseases. In this review, we present the contribution of AMF on soil fertility and importance in polluted soils.

Uranium isotopes actively investigated as mechanistic or time scale tracers of natural processes. This paper describes the occurrence and redistribution of U in the Vendian aquifer of the paleo valley at NW Russia. Forty-four rock samples were collected from boreholes, and twenty-five groundwater samples. The U, Fe concentration, and 234U/238U activity ratio were determined in the samples. We estimated the 14C and 234U-238U residence time of groundwater in an aquifer. It has been established that the processes of chemical weathering of Vendian deposits led to the formation of a strong oxidation zone, developed above -250 m.a.s.l. The inverse correlation between the concentrations of uranium and iron is a result of removal of U from paleo valley slopes in oxidizing conditions and accumulation of U at the bottom of the paleo valley in reducing conditions, and accumulation of Fe on the slopes and removal from bottom. Almost all U on the slopes replaced by a newly formed hydrogenic U with a higher 234U/238U activity ratio. After that dissolution and desorption of hydrogenic U was occurred from the slopes during periods without any glaciations and marine transgressions. Elevated concentrations of U preserved in not oxidized lenses at the paleo valley bottom.

Although total nett CO₂ atmospheric flow can be estimated with reasonable accuracy, the contributing gross fluxes between the atmosphere and the earth's surface are poorly understood. This paper presents a method, driven by the objective of simplicity, by which the global outflow and inflow of CO₂ between atmosphere and a globally equivalent "mixing reservoir" can be estimated, using the isotopes ¹⁴C and ¹³C as tracers. It has been asserted that the isotopic carbon in CO₂ cannot be directly used as a tracer in flow studies because it is not subject to the Revelle factor. Evidence is provided showing that this view is mistaken. The model contains 7 key parameters which are used to create synthetic records of Δ¹⁴C and d¹³C spanning 200 years or more, including during the period of atmospheric weapons testing and its decay known as the "bomb pulse". By optimising the fit between these computed values and the historical records of d¹³C and Δ¹⁴C, all seven key parameters are determined. The effective "mixing reservoir" is thereby determined to have a size around six times that of the atmosphere, with global outflux rising from 39.7 GTC yr-1 in 1750 to 58.9 GTC/yr in 2020, this figure probably not including annually cycled carbon.

The changing dynamics in climate is the primary and important determinant of agriculture productivity. The effects of this changing climate on overall productivity in agriculture can be understood when we study the effects of individual components contributing to the changing climate on plants and crops. Elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) and drought due to high variability in rainfall is one of the important manifestations of the changing climate. There is a considerable amount of literature that addresses climate effects on plant systems from molecules to ecosystems. Of particular interest is the effect of increased CO₂ on plants in relation to drought and water stress. As it is known that one of the consistent effects of increased CO₂ in the atmosphere is increased photosynthesis, especially in C₃ plants, it will be interesting to know the effect of drought in relation to elevated CO₂. The potential of elevated CO₂ ameliorating the effects of water deficit stress is evident from literature suggesting that these two are agents are brothers in arms protecting the plant from stress rather than partnering in crime, specifically water deficit when in isolation. The possible mechanisms by which this occurs will be discussed in this minireview. Interpreting the effects of short-term and long-term exposure of plants to elevated CO₂ in the context of ameliorating the negative impacts of drought will show us the possible ways by which there can be effective adaption to crops in the changing climate scenario.

This paper presents a new implementation of a 2-box absolute flow model, enabling the calculation of CO₂ transfer between the atmosphere and a mixing reservoir representing the combined effect of the terrestrial and ocean regions. The model uses published values of anthropogenic CO₂ fossil fuel emissions (CO2ff), atmospheric CO₂ mixing ratio and nuclear weapons bomb yields, to compute atmospheric d¹³C and Δ¹⁴C time-series. The level of agreement between the calculated values and the accepted values for d¹³C is within ± 0.05 ‰, and for Δ¹⁴C is within ± 3‰, spanning 200 years. The model contains only seven internal parameters; these are varied to optimize the fit, leading to reasonable parameter values, indicating the validity of the method. In addition, the model shows how a rising CO₂ exchange influx fluctuating with surface temperature is compatible with a nett atmospheric CO₂ sink. The study demonstrates that a single CO₂ residence time applies to both the ¹⁴C bomb pulse and the anthropogenic flux, contrary to the conventional view that "bomb radiocarbon and anthropogenic CO₂ do not behave identically." [Joos 1994 Nature 370, 181–182]. It is shown that the difference in behaviour, claimed to be due to seawater chemistry, is not significant in practice since fluctuating bulk carbon dominates fluctuating isotopic ratio. A new analysis of the airborne fraction indicates that the assumption of a time-dependent exchange influx results in a similar residence time for bulk CO₂ as for ¹⁴C in the nuclear bomb pulse, reinforcing the view that the ¹²C, ¹³C and ¹⁴C carbon isotopic forms of CO₂ behave similarly in the carbon cycle.

Special preparation of SBA-15 materials has been carried out for creating adsorbents exhibiting an enhanced and selective adsorption toward CO2. This creation starts from an adequate conditioning of the silica surface, via a thermo-alkaline treatment to increase the population of silanol species on it. CO2 adsorption is only reasonably achieved when the SiO2 surface becomes aminated after put in contact with a solution of an amino alkoxide compound in the right solvent. Unfunctionalized and amine-functionalized substrates were characterized through X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption, Raman spectroscopy, electron microscopy, 29Si solid-state NMR, and NH3 thermal programmed desorption. These analyses proved that the thermo-alkaline procedure desilicates the substrate and eliminates the micropores (without affecting the SBA-15 capillaries), present in the original solid. NMR analysis confirms that the hydroxylated solid anchors more amino functionalizing molecules than the unhydroxylated material. The SBA-15 sample subjected to hydroxylation and amino- functionalization displays a high enthalpy of interaction, a reason why this solid is suitable for a strong deposition of CO2 but with the possibility of observing a low-pressure hysteresis phenomenon. Contrastingly, CH4 adsorption on amino-functionalized, hydroxylated SBA-15 substrates becomes almost 5 times lesser than the CO2 one, thus giving proof of their selectivity toward CO2.

High-efficiency rock breaking by hydraulic jetting is the key to radial horizontal drilling technology. In order to improve the drilling efficiency of hydraulic jet rock breaking in radial horizontal wells, based on LS-Dyna display dynamics, a numerical simulation model of single nozzle jet rock breaking is established to analyze the influence of different nozzle parameters on rock breaking effect. Then, the numerical simulation model of the spin multi-nozzle jet bit is established, and the influence of different rotation speeds on the rock breaking effect of the jet bit is analyzed. Finally, the rock breaking drilling characteristics of the spin multi-nozzle jet bit and the conventional multi-nozzle jet bit are compared and analyzed. The results show that when the jet impacts the rock surface, the larger the inclination angle is, the larger the rock breaking width formed by the jet is. The smaller the dip angle, the greater the rock breaking depth. When the inclination angle is greater than 60 °, it is difficult to meet the needs of reaming. The width and depth of the nozzle gradually increase with the increase of the diameter. When the nozzle diameter is greater than 1.3mm, the growth rate of rock breaking depth begins to decrease. The optimum nozzle diameter is 1.3 mm. When v = 50m / s, the damage caused by the jet to the rock surface is very small, because the condition of rock fracture is not reached at this time. This shows that there is a critical value of the water jet impact velocity, and only when the velocity is reached, the rock will break. When the velocity is v = 150m / s, v = 200m / s, v = 250m / s, v = 300m / s, the rock breaks. At the same time, the higher the speed, the higher the degree of rock fracture, the greater the fracture depth, the greater the fracture area, the better the fracture effect. The tangential and radial velocity of the jet increases the shear and tensile failure rate of the sample, and improves the rock breaking efficiency of the jet, which has certain guiding significance for improving the rock breaking drilling efficiency of radial horizontal well drilling.

Site environments and instrumental characteristics of carbon dioxide (CO₂) measurements operated by local governments in the Kanto Plain, the center of which is Tokyo were summarized for this study. The observation sites were classified into environments of three types: urban, suburban, and woodland. Based on a few decades of accumulated hourly data, the diurnal and seasonal variations of CO₂ concentrations were analyzed as a composite of anomalies from annual means recorded for each site. In urban areas, the highest concentrations appear before midnight in winter. The second peak corresponds to the morning rush hour and strengthening of the inversion layer. Suburban areas can be characterized as having the highest concentration before dawn and the lowest concentration during the daytime in summer in association with the activation of respiration and photosynthesis of vegetation. In these areas, concentration peaks also appear during the morning rush hour. Woodland areas show background features, with the highest concentration in early spring: higher than the global background by about 5 ppmv.

Abstract The expression patterns of microRNAs (small non-coding RNAs) are altered in many biological processes such as myogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of predicted miR-202, its target genes Akt2 and Rock-1 as a potential regulator of myoblast in the myocyte differentiation process using the C2C12 cell line. After confirmation of the differentiation process induced by 3% horse serum, the expression level of miRNA and its targets were evaluated. In the following, a luciferase assay was conducted to approve the effect of miRNA on its target. Our results indicated that miR-202 and Akt2 were significantly up-regulated during differentiation, while Rock-1 was downregulated. Co-transfection of miRNA with psiCHECK2-Rock-1 significantly presented that Rock-1 was directly targeted by miR-202. On the contrary, miR-202 has failed to enforce its inhibitory effect on Akt2 expression. In particular, miR-202 seems to be a regulator of muscle differentiation pathway thought targeting Rock-1.

The formation of rock fractures in nature has a certain relationship with water seepage. In order to analyze the shape of rock fracture, we propose a rock deformation theoretical model in three-dimensional space considering with the condition of seepage water pressure, and establish the mass conservation equation, seepage equation, surrounding rock displacement equation, so as to deduce the rock deformation control equation under seepage pressure action. The numerical analysis of the nonlinear quadratic partial differential equation obtains the fracture deformation distribution in the example, and verifies with the calculated fracture morphology. And we further use this principle to analyze the fracture morphology in nature and prove the rationality of the theory.

This paper concerns the effect of proppant embedment related with hydraulic fracturing treatment. This phenomenon occurs if the strength of the reservoir rock is lower than proppant grains. The aim of the research is laboratory determining the loss of width of the proppant pack built of light ceramic grains. The laboratory simulation of the embedment phenomenon was carried out for a shale rock on a hydraulic press, in a specially prepared for this purpose a heated embedment chamber. Tests were conducted at high temperature and axial compressive stress conditions. The surfaces of the cylindrical core plugs (fracture faces) were imaged under an optical microscope equipped with 3D software. The fracture faces were examined and compared before and after the embedment phenomenon. The analysis of the obtained images of the fracture face were made based on the research method of the embedment phenomenon developed at Oil and Gas Institute-NRI. On the basis of laboratory tests, the parameters characterizing the embedment phenomenon were collected and discussed. In addition, the percentage reduction in the width of the proppant pack was determined.

Cemented rock fill (CRF) is commonly used in cut-and-fill stoping operation in underground mining. This allows for the maximum recovery of ore. Backfilling can improve stope stability in underground workings, and then improve ground stability of the whole mine site. Backfilling step scenarios vary from site to site. This paper presents the investigation of five different backfilling step scenarios and their impacts on the stability of stopes at four different mining levels. A comprehensive comparison of displacements, major principal stress and stress concentration factor (SCF) was conducted. The results show that different backfilling step scenarios have little influence on the final displacement for displacement in the stopes. Among the five backfilling scenarios, the major principal stress and stress concentration factor (SCF) have almost the same final results. The backfilling scenario SCN-1 is the optimum option among these five backfilling scenarios. It can immediately prevent the increase of the displacement and reduce the sidewall stress concentration, thereby preventing possible failures. Using the same strength of CRF can achieve same effects among the four mining levels. Applying backfilling CRF of the same strength at different mining depths is acceptable and feasible to improve the stability of the stopes.

Mn-promoted bulk iron catalysts with high specific surface area (82-211 m2.g-1) were synthesized by coprecipitation followed by drying under supercritical conditions. The catalysts were tested in the CO2 hydrogenation reaction. The Mn-promoted iron catalysts showed better textural properties than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst, allowing better dispersion of the active phase, easier reduction of iron oxide, better carburization of iron oxides and higher catalytic activity than the bare Fe2O3 catalyst. The best activity results were obtained by catalyst promotion with a very low amount of Mn (Mn/Fe ratio of 0.05). Upon steady-state conditions (T=340 ºC, total pressure of 20 bar and H2/CO2=3), this catalyst showed high CO2 conversion (44.2%) and selectivity to C2-C4 hydrocarbons (68%, olefin to paraffin ratio of 0.54), while the selectivity to C5+ hydrocarbons, CH4 and CO was about 3.2, 38.5 and 5%, respectively. A close correlation was found between catalyst textural properties and CO2 conversion. The most active MnFe-0.05 catalyst shows high stability during 72 h of reaction related to low amount of soft coke formation and catalyst activation through the formation of χ-Fe5C2 phase during the on-stream reaction.

Biogas contains more than 40% CO2 that can be removed to produce high quality CH4. Recently, CH4 production from CO2 methanation has been reported in several studies. In this study, CO2 methanation of biogas was performed over a 20 wt% Ni-Mg-Al catalyst, and the effects of CO2 conversion rate and CH4 selectivity were investigated as a function of CH4, O2, H2O, and N2 compositions of the biogas. At a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 30,000/h, the CO2 conversion rate was ~79.3% with a CH4 selectivity of 95%. In addition, the effects of the reaction temperature (200–450 °C), GHSV (21,000–50,000/h), and H2/CO2 molar ratio (3–5) on the CO2 conversion rate and CH4 selectivity over the 20 wt% Ni-Mg-Al catalyst were evaluated. The characteristics of the catalyst were analyzed using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The catalyst was stable for approximately 200 h at a GHSV of 30,000/h and a reaction temperature of 350 °C. CO2 conversion and CH4 selectivity were maintained at 75% and 93%, respectively, and the catalyst was therefore concluded to exhibit stable activity.

1) Background: Climate change may subject forests to climate conditions to which they are not adapted. Elevated temperatures reduce net photosynthesis by increasing respiration rates and increasingly long droughts dramatically increase morbidity. CO₂ enrichment enhances productivity, but it is not clear to what extent CO₂ enrichment can offset the negative effects of elevated temperatures and longer droughts. 2) Methods: We used a mechanistic landscape model to conduct controlled simulation experiments manipulating CO₂ concentration, temperature, drought length and soil water capacity. 3) Results: We found that elevated CO₂ stimulates productivity such that it dwarfs the negative effect caused by elevated temperature. Energy reserves were not as strongly mitigated by elevated CO₂, and mortality of less competitive cohorts increased. Drought length had a surprisingly small effect on productivity measures, but had a marked negative effect on mortality risk. 4) Conclusions: Elevated CO₂ compensated for the negative effect of longer droughts in terms of productivity measures, but not survival measures.

As the major greenhouse gas, CO2 gas emission has been noticeably increased over the past decades resulting in global warming and climate change. As a result, it is imperative to reduce the excess CO2 in the atmosphere to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C (ideally 1.5°C) above pre-industrial levels set by the Paris Agreement on climate change. Among many ways, CO2 capture technology is considered as the most promising technology among the available technologies. Porous materials such as carbons, silica, zeolites, hollow fibers, and alumina are widely used as CO2 sorbents. However, among the available porous sloid sorbents, porous silica-based materials grabbed a significant attention due to their unique properties including high surface area, pore volume, good thermal and mechanical stability, and low cost. Therefore, development of porous silica materials as a promising CO2 absorbent is a continuously expanding research area in the current moment. Herein, we aim to visualize a full picture of the porous silica-based materials for CO2 capture. This review presents a comprehensive study of existing CO2 capture techniques and highlights the recent progress of different porous silica materials and synthesis processes. CO2 adsorption capacities of unmodified porous silica materials are less effective as compared with functionalized silica materials. Various research activities have been reported about functionalization of pours silica using amine groups. Therefore, in this review, different synthesis routes of amine-functionalized porous silica materials, CO2 adsorption capacities, gas selectivity and reusability were discussed. Moreover, the research challenges associated with the porous silica materials and future research directions are summarized.

The issue of monitoring and early warning of rock instability has received increasing critical attention in the study of rock engineering. To investigate the damage evolution process of granite under triaxial compression tests, acoustic emission (AE) tests were performed simultaneously. This study firstly introduced two novel parameters, i.e., the coefficient of variation (CoV) of the information entropy and correlation dimension of the amplitude data from the AE tests, to identify the precursor of the failure of granite. Then the relationship between the changes in these parameters and the stress-time curve was compared and analyzed. The results of this study show that: (1) There is a strong correlation between the CoV of the information entropy and the failure process of granite. The granite failed when the CoV curve raised to a plateau. (2) The fluctuation of the correlation dimension indicates the different stages of the loading process, i.e., the initial compaction stage, the linear elastic stage, the yield stage, and the failure stage. Each stage contains a descending and a rising process in the correlation dimension curve, which indicates that this parameter could be used to identify the precursor of the failure as well. (3) The combined analysis of the two can improve the accuracy of rock instability prediction. This study provides new insights into the prediction of rock instability, which has theoretical implications for the stability of subsurface engineering rock masses.

Poor survival of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) following freezing, thawing, or passaging hinders maintenance and differentiation in stem cell research. Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs) play a crucial role in hPSC survival. To date, a typical ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, has been the primary agent used in hPSC research. Here, we report that another ROCK inhibitor, fasudil, can be used as an alternative. Fasudil increased hPSC growth due to survival rather than proliferation following thawing and passaging, similar to Y-27632. It did not affect pluripotency and genetic integrity including mitochondrial genome (mtDNA). Notably, the genes related to metabolism, mTORC1, and TP53 have mainly displayed a faster recovery pattern with ROCK inhibitors than control. Furthermore, fasudil was confirmed as useful for the single dissociation of hPSCs and for aggregation. It also increased retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) differentiation and the survival of neural crest cells during differentiation. These findings suggest that fasudil can replace Y-27632 for use in stem cell research.

The use of salt rock for underground radioactive waste disposal facilities requires a comprehensive analysis of creep-damage process in salt rock. A computer-controlled creep setup is employed to carry out a creep test of salt rock lasted as long as 359 days under a constant uniaxial stress. The AE space-time evolution and energy releasing characteristics during creep test are studied in the meantime. A new creep-damage model is proposed on the basis of fractional derivative by combining the AE statistical regularity. It indicates that the AE data in non-decay creep process of salt rock can be divided into three stages. Furthermore, the parameters of new creep-damage model are determined by Quasi-Newton method. The fitting analysis suggests that the creep-damage model based on fractional derivative in this paper provides a precise description of full creep regions in salt rock.

This study explores the stability of electrodeposited copper catalysts utilized in electrochemical CO2 reduction (ECR) across various amine media. The focus is on understanding the influence of different amine types, corrosion ramifications, and the efficacy of pulse ECR methodologies. Employing a suite of electrochemical techniques including potentiodynamic polarization, linear resistance polarization, cyclic voltammetry, and chronopotentiometry, the investigation reveals useful insights. The findings show that among the tested amines, CO2-rich monoethanolamine (MEA) exhibits the highest corrosion rate. However, in most cases the rates remain within tolerable limits for ECR operations. Primary amines, notably monoethanolamine (MEA), show enhanced compatibility with ECR processes, attributable to their resistance against carbonate salt precipitation and sustained stability in potential over extended durations. Conversely, tertiary amines such as methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) present challenges due to the formation of carbonate salts during ECR, impeding their effective utilization. The study highlights the effectiveness of pulse ECR strategies in stabilizing ECR. A noticeable shift in cathodic potential and reduced deposit formation on the catalyst surface through periodic oxidation underscores the efficacy of such strategies. These findings offer insights for optimizing ECR in amine media, thereby providing promising pathways for advancements in CO2 emission reduction technologies.

A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic system based on a low-temperature proton exchange membrane (Sterion) was developed for the gas phase electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to liquid fuels. This system achieved gas-phase electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 at low temperatures (below 90 ºC) over a Cu cathode by using water electrolysis-derived protons generated in-situ on an IrO2 anode. Three Cu-based cathodes with varying metal particle sizes were prepared by supporting this metal on an activated carbon at three loadings (50, 20, and 10 wt%; 50%Cu-AC, 20%Cu-AC, and 10%Cu-AC, respectively). The cathodes were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption, temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) whereas their performance towards the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 was subsequently studied. The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) containing the cathode with the largest Cu particle size (50%Cu-AC, 40 nm) showed the highest CO2 electrocatalytic activity per mole of Cu, with methyl formate being the main product. This higher electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the lower Cu–CO bonding strength over large Cu particles. Different product distributions were obtained over 20%Cu-AC and 10%Cu-AC, with acetaldehyde and methanol being the main reaction products, respectively. The CO2 consumption rate increased with the applied current and the reaction temperature.

There is need to accurately design pipelines to transport the expected increase of CO₂ captured from industrial processes after the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. This paper reviews several aspects of CO₂ pipeline design with emphasis on pressure drop and models for the calculation of pipeline diameter. Two categories of pipeline equations were identified. The first category is independent of pipeline length and has two different equations. This category is used to specify adequate pipeline diameter for the volume of fluid transported. The optimum economic pipe diameter equation (Eq. 17) with nearly uniform resultant velocity values at different flow rates performed better than the standard velocity flow equation (Eq. 20). The second category has four different equations and is used to calculate pipeline pressure drop or pipeline distance for the installation of booster stations after specifying minimum and maximum pipeline pressures. The hydraulic equation is preferred because it gave better resultant velocity values and the closest diameter value obtained using Aspen HYSYS (V.10) simulation. The effect of impurities on the pressure behaviour and optimal pipeline diameter and pressure loss due to acceleration were ignored in the development of the models. Further work is ongoing to incorporate these effects into the models.

As the need to minimize environmental impact continues to rise, it is essential to incorporate, advance, and adopt renewable energy sources and materials to attain climate neutrality. It is established that economic growth is built upon infrastructure where cement industry plays a crucial role. However, it is also known that this industry is actively looking for ways to transition towards low-carbon practices to encourage sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. To this end, the use of refused derived fuels to substitute fossil fuels is very appealing, as these present the potential to lower the clinker production costs and CO2 emissions. Bearing this in mind, the primary objective of this work is to gain insights of the combustion behavior in an industrial rotary kiln, studying real-life scenarios and assessing the potential of substituting alternative fuels for fossil fuels to reduce CO2 emissions. A 3D CFD turbulent combustion model was formulated in Ansys® considering a Pillard NOVAFLAM® burner, where refused derived and petcoke fuels were used and different secondary air mass flows were considered. From the obtained results it was possible to conclude that the outcome of the combustion process is greatly influenced by the fuel-to-air ratio. Increasing the secondary air mass flow promotes the occurrence of a complete and efficient combustion process, leading to an enhanced fuel conversion and decreased formation of pollutants as CO, soot, and unburnt hydrocarbons.

A new process is reported for the incorporation of a fluoropolymer into a solid perovskite film. Poly(trifluoroethyl methacrylate) [CH2C(CH3)(CO2CH2CF3)]n was delivered to methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3PbI3) perovskite films by crystallizing the film in supercritical carbon dioxide/ethanol containing the dissolved fluoropolymer. The surface was characterized before and after fluoropolymer exposure using scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. The results indicate that the fluoropolymer was incorporated into the perovskite film during the supercritical fluid crystallization process.

Carbon capture and storage has gotten increased attention during the last decade, and several full-scale projects are currently being planned. This requires transportation of large quantities of CO2 from the capturing plant to the end point. From economic and public acceptance point of view it is important to ensure that the transportation system is operated in a safe manner. Thus, avoiding threats like corrosion or formation of particles are important. It is therefore required to monitor that the transported CO2 fulfils the required specifications, and in practice this means that the impurity content of the CO2 must be analysed. CO2 will in most cases be transported in the liquid or supercritical state (high pressure), which makes the practicalities around chemical analysis more difficult. Phase transition from liquid or supercritical state to gaseous state may also introduce several physiochemical effects that may affect the analysis. This paper discusses technical and practical challenges with such types of analysis. Most of this work is based on experience that was gained during development of analytical system for dense phase CO2 in a joint industry project that studied corrosion and chemical reactions in a simulated CO2 transport system.

Investigation into geological storage of CO2 is underway at the Technology Development Plant (TDP) at Hontomín (Burgos, Spain), the only current onshore injection site in the European Union. The storage reservoir is a deep saline aquifer located within Low Jurassic Formations (Lias and Dogger), formed by fractured carbonates with low matrix permeability. Understanding the processes involved in CO2 migration within this kind of low-primary permeability carbonates influenced by fractures and faults is key to ensure safe operation and reliable plume prediction. During the hydraulic characterization tests, 2300 tons of liquid CO2 and 14000 m3 of synthetic brine were co-injected on site in various sequences to characterize the pressure response of the seal-storage pair [de Dios et al, 2017] The injection tests were analyzed with a compositional dual media model which accounts for both temperature effects (as the CO2 is liquid at the bottom of the wellbore) and multiphase flow hysteresis (to effectively simulate the alternating brine and CO2 injection tests that were performed). The pressure and temperature responses of the storage formation were history-matched mainly through the petrophysical characteristics of the fracture network [Le Gallo et al, 2017]. The dynamic characterization of the fracture network dominates the CO2 migration while the matrix does not appear to significantly contribute to the storage capacity. This initial modeling approach was improved using the characterization workflow developed within the European FP7 CO2ReMove project for sandstone fractured reservoirs [Ringrose et al., 2011; Deflandre et al., 2011]. Fractured reservoirs are challenging to handle because of their high level of heterogeneity that conditions the reservoir behaviour during the injection. In particular, natural fractures have a significant impact on well performance [Ray et al, 2012]. Furthermore, the understanding of the processes involved in CO2 migration within relatively low-permeability storage influenced by fractures and faults is essential for enabling safe storage operation [Iding and Ringrose, 2010]. As part of the European H2020 ENOS project, the site geological model is updated by integration of the recently acquired data such as the image log interpretations from injection and observation wells. The geological model is generated through the analysis and integration of data including borehole images and well test data. Following a methodology developed for naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs [Ray et al., 2012], the image log analysis identified two sets of diffuse fractures. A Discrete Fracture Network [Bourbiaux et al., 2005] was built around both wells which encompass the caprock, storage and underburden formations. The fracture characteristics of the two sets of diffuse fractures, such as orientations, densities and conductivities, are calibrated upon the interpretation of the injection tests [Le Gallo et al, 2017]. For each facies, the DFN characteristics were then upscaled and propagated to the full-field reservoir simulation model as 3D fracture properties (fracture porosity, fracture permeability and equivalent block size).

A framework for the review of existing water management systems and their transformation into robust water sharing systems is offered. The framework focuses on the need to develop efficient and equitable ways to manage water scarcity and plan to deal with the tensions scarcity imposes on any community. The framework identifies a way to bring together traditional community-managed systems with those typically used to allocate water to large water users and more commonly found in developed countries. So that use can be kept within sustainable limits while optimizing use, the framework includes mechanisms that enable the reallocation of water as demand and supply conditions change. Non-consumptive uses are recognized and environmental objectives can be delivered efficiently. Compliance with well-established accounting and hydro-logical concepts. Ways to increase the value of existing entitlements, encourage innovation and protect investments are included as options. It is recognized that the governance and legal arrangements necessary to underpin successful implantation are context specific.

Identification and segmentation of rock particles is very important in geology, mining, engineering construction, and environmental monitoring. Traditional methods for recognizing the rock particle characteristics are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and limited by the geographical scope of the sampling sites, which makes it more difficult to represent the spatial distribution of the rock particles accurately. Recent advancements in deep learning techniques offer promising solutions to automate this process. This study aims at utilizing state-of-the-art (SOTA) Mask R-CNN deep learning algorithm from the Detectron2 framework, to capture global features of rocks that will enable the recognition of rock particles more efficiently, just from having the rock images. These images are subject to image processing techniques such as a Gaussian filter, to denoise and smoothen the image, and an Illumination Adaptive Transformer (IAT) framework, to adjust the lighting exposure; all of which add to improve the quality of the image dataset. Afterward, the Mask R-CNN and Detectron2 models are utilized in training the images using transfer learning. Experimental results from evaluating the performance of the proposed algorithms showcase the effectiveness of the approach, thereby highlighting its potential to revolutionize rock particle segmentation across various domains.

In order to study the influence of falling rock shape on its rolling characteristics and realize the optimization of falling rock protection design, the following research was carried out. Design model experiments to explore the rolling characteristics of different shapes of rockfalls. Based on the experimental results, it was found that the slenderness ratio, center of gravity, and rotational inertia of the rockfalls can affect their rolling characteristics, leading to swaying and changing the rolling axis during the rolling process, thereby affecting their rolling speed. On this basis, the formation mechanism of rolling resistance is analyzed, and the main cause of energy loss is the rolling resistance arm formed with the rolling surface during rockfall rolling, and a shape parameter to quantify the rolling resistance is proposed. The parameters are substituted into the kinematic formula, in which the influence of the rockfall shape, slope and slope roughness on the rolling speed is considered. Combined with the offset and initial position of the rockfall, the formula can be used to calculate the rolling speed and impact energy in the rolling region and any position in the region. The calculation formula was validated using model experimental data, and the results showed that the error between the experimental and calculated values was small. The error was corrected based on the experimental data. After on-site testing and verification, it can provide reference for the management of rockfall disasters.

The study seeks to unravel the intricate operational sequence involved in preparing prehistoric pigments for rock art within the Puerto Roque rock art shelter. Sixteen pigment samples, identified as Lab Code Puerto_1 to Puerto_16, were meticulously collected from specific figurative representations. Additionally, three ochre samples (Puerto_17, Puerto_18, and Puerto_19) were sourced from the shelter's soil. Employing a comprehensive multi-analytical approach, including Raman microspectroscopy, X-ray microfluorescence (EDxrf), Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), all nineteen samples underwent thorough analysis. The research unveiled a spectrum of distinct red pigments within the rock art depictions. The sampling strategy for the 16 panels in the Puerto region was meticulously designed to capture the diverse array of rock art manifestations, each presenting unique characteristics that warranted detailed scientific investigation. The selection of these panels was guided by the recognition of various artistic techniques employed in the creation of the paintings, the nuanced hues exhibited, prevalent erosion issues, potential effects of sunlight exposure, and the intriguing hypothesis of distinct chronological periods due to several superimpositions detected. Notably, darker pigments in samples Puerto_02, Puerto_10, and Puerto_19 revealed a composition of hematite with the added presence of carbon. Meanwhile, Puerto_08 exhibited an orange hue primarily composed of goethite. Bright red pigments in samples Puerto_01, Puerto_03, Puerto_05, Puerto_07, Puerto_09, and Puerto_11 were predominantly characterised by hematite, as confirmed by Raman analysis. EDxrf analysis demonstrated an elemental composition akin to the three ochre pieces examined. Furthermore, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy suggested the potential influence of a heating process in enhancing red coloration, corroborated by spectral results from specific samples. This finding aligns with prior research, underscoring the technological sophistication embedded in early artistic endeavours. The detailed understanding of pigment types and their preparation methods provides insights into the artistic choices and technological adeptness of prehistoric communities. Beyond the archaeological implications, these findings contribute significantly to the ongoing conservation efforts of rock art sites. The amalgamation of diverse analytical techniques showcased their efficacy in elucidating the intricate world of pigment preparation. Recognizing the unique microclimates at each rock art site that influence pigment preservation, this localised approach aids informed decisions in safeguarding these invaluable cultural resources. In essence, this study not only unravels the artistic past but also advocates for the sustainable conservation of our shared cultural heritage.

The recognition of coal-rock interface is very crucial for the research in the intelligent production of coal mine. This study investigates the application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in the recognition of coal-rock interface, including the identification of coal-rock and coal-rock mixtures, as well as the accurate characterization of coal seam thickness. Terahertz detection was used to obtain the optical parameter information of the pressed pellets prepared by mixing two different kinds of coal and two kinds of rock. Based on the experiment results, the database was established for the identification of coal-rock interfaces in coal mining machines. The terahertz detection was performed on 10 different kinds of sheet anthracite with different thickness, and the terahertz spectra of coal seams with different thickness were simulated and calculated by using simulation software, which can accurately obtain the thickness of coal seams and provide effective mining thickness parameters for coal seam mining. Through the experiment and simulation, the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy technology has a promising application prospect in the identification of coal-rock interface.

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) refers to the various techniques used to increase the amount of crude oil that can be extracted from an oil field. These techniques are used after the primary and secondary recovery methods have been depleted. There are three main types of EOR: thermal, gas injection, and chemical. EOR techniques can be expensive and complex, but they can help to recover additional oil that would otherwise be left in the reservoir. EOR can also extend the life of an oil field and increase the overall production from a given field. The parameters affecting oil recovery are a major concern in EOR systems, and these parameters need more consideration with the factors affecting them. In this study, the influence of permeability variations on fluid flow in a sandstone reservoir was explored, as well as an up-to-date description of three states of EOR with thorough explanations of the methods utilized and the mechanisms driving their oil recovery application. The difficulties encountered in the use of the different standard EOR Mechanisms were noted, and solutions to these difficulties were proposed. Furthermore, the contemporary trend of adding nanotechnology and its synergistic effects on the stability and efficiency of traditional chemicals for EOR were examined and analysed. Finally, laboratory findings and field initiatives were discussed. The review went into detail about the transport of nanoparticles across reservoirs, as well as the evaluation of EOR, mobility ratio, and fluid displacement efficiency. This review provides thorough information on the uses of improved oil recovery mechanisms for sustainable energy production.

The rock strata movement deformation generated by the mining process of the mine will inevitably lead to surface subsidence and a series of environmental hazards, so it is particularly important to monitor the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence in the goaf area. With the development of surface subsidence monitoring technology, InSAR technology has been widely used in the research of surface subsidence in mining areas with the advantages of high precision and wide monitoring. In this paper, by obtaining the image data of 59 Sentinel-1A scenes in the mining area, the obtained PS points were analyzed and processed by ArcGIS difference analysis by PS-InSAR technology, and the surface deformation cloud map and settlement curve of the mining area in various periods were obtained, and the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence law of the goaf before treatment and after different treatment methods were studied by influencing factors such as stope layout and mining depth. The results show that the rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence degree of the goaf under different treatment methods are different due to different influencing factors, and their positions also change dynamically with time. Applying InSAR technology to study rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence can provide an important basis for mine safety mining, goaf treatment, rock strata movement deformation and surface subsidence monitoring.

For the Altai mountainous region, especially the arid south-eastern part, the history of glacier fluctuations in Pleistocene and Holocene is still poorly known. The key plots were located in the Kargy valley (2288-2387 m a. s. l.) that is not currently affected by glaciations. The relative dating method was applied to define Pleistocene moraine chronology and configuration in the Kargy valley. Taking into account that relative dating methods are primarily based on weathering pat-terns, the mineralogy, porosity, and specificity of biological colonization as an agent of weath-ering were obtained for the moraine samples. Three moraine groups of different age (presumably MIS 6, MIS 4, and MIS 2) were identifies based on detailed investigation of morphological features. The moraine age was indirectly confirmed by the mesostructure of the moraine samples repre-sented by fine-grained shale: the older sample is characterized by a more developed fractal sur-face than the younger one. The growth of biota (crustose lichen and micromycetes) leads to initial biomass accumulation and subsequent rock disintegration. The accumulation of autochthonous fine earth on the rock surface was considered the initial stage of fine earth formation affected by biota.

Given the imperative of security, sustainability of supply, strategic considerations, and energy independence, there is a widely acknowledged need to persist in utilizing coal as the primary fuel for electricity generation in power plants. However, in order to combat the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, it is crucial to advance the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that enable fossil fuel power plants to achieve zero emissions. These technologies play a pivotal role in capturing and effectively storing CO2, thus ensuring that coal-based power generation can continue while significantly reducing its environmental impact. By implementing CCS solutions, fossil fuel power plants can transition towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future.The utilization of chemical solvents for CO2 absorption, coupled with long-term storage, presents an intriguing and commercially viable technology for CO2 capture. However, the significant energy demands of the solvent regeneration process necessitate optimization, particularly in large-scale power plants. While the current cost of CO2 capture stands at approximately #55,000.00(Naira) per ton of CO2, the objective is to reduce this cost to below #25,000.00(Naira) per ton of CO2. This reduction in cost is essential to ensure the economic feasibility and widespread adoption of CO2 capture technologies in power generation.This research paper explores various approaches to address the energy demands associated with amine scrubbing integration in a commercial power plant. It provides a comprehensive analysis, both technically and economically, of the performance of these different approaches. While some of the proposed schemes may result in minor efficiency reductions, the key objective is to calculate the specific cost per ton of CO2 captured. The primary focus is on identifying the most suitable configuration to implement large-scale, cost-effective schemes that can serve as a foundation for CO2 capture demonstration projects. By determining the optimal configuration, this research aims to pave the way for the successful implementation of efficient and economically viable CO2 capture technologies in the power generation sector.

Roadway accidents significantly contribute to intermittent congestion and increased CO2 emissions on freeways. This research introduces a statistical approach designed to predict the rise in CO2 emissions resulting from traffic disturbances or jams triggered by such incidents. It also assesses the influence of varying levels of accident management effectiveness in different situations. To construct these scenarios, the study employs VISSIM, a traffic modeling software, incorporating diverse factors such as traffic volume, vehicle types, incident durations, and freeway lane counts. It then produces traffic flow characteristics in the form of vehicle paths. The emission estimates are derived by correlating these simulated vehicle paths with emission rates from the MOVES model. The study then applies a regression analysis to examine the connection between the increase in emissions and various influencing factors. The findings indicate that this approach efficiently reflects the impact of variables like accident duration, vehicle mix, and traffic volume on CO2 emissions across different lane configurations. The accuracy of these predictions is also confirmed. The outcomes suggest the model's potential usage in guiding efforts to lower emissions and determining the optimal duration of incident management, particularly in terms of lane closure, to mitigate emission impacts. This paper also discusses the limitations of the model and the future improvement direction.

"Hydrogen is an extremely promising energy carrier, poised to become a commercially viable product in the coming years. However, there are significant hurdles that need to be addressed. One such challenge is the high energy consumption during the electrolysis process, which is used to produce hydrogen. Furthermore, the co-production of CO and CO2 during steam hydrocarbon reforming adds to the complexity. Finding innovative solutions to these issues is crucial for the widespread adoption of hydrogen as a clean and efficient energy source." Simultaneously, various industries have the capability to generate hydrogen as a by-product, each with differing levels of purity. For instance, sodium and chlorine production plants have the potential to produce high-purity hydrogen. On the other hand, digester and sewage gas can yield low-purity hydrogen. In both instances, there is an economic incentive to utilize this hydrogen for energy production or to inject it into existing natural gas pipelines A brief estimation of the technical potential of utilizing hydrogen from various sources in Nigeria, specifically for fuel cell usage, has been conducted. Moreover, resource potential visualization maps have been generated to help visualize the availability and distribution of these hydrogen sources throughout the country.

Microbial community succession in raw milk determines its quality and storage period. In this study, carbon dioxide (CO2) at 2000 ppm was used to treat raw milk to investigate the mechanism of extending the shelf life of raw milk by CO2 treatment from the viewpoint of microbial colonies and metabolites. The results showed that the shelf life of CO2-treated raw milk was extended to 16 days at 4 ℃, while that of the control raw milk was only 6 days. Microbiomics analysis identified 221 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) in raw milk, and the alpha diversity of microbial communities increased (P < 0.05) with the extension of storage time. Among them, Pseudomonas, Actinobacteria and Serratia were the major microbial genus responsible for the deterioration of raw milk, with a percentage of 85.7%. A combined metagenomics and metabolomics analysis revealed that microorganisms altered the levels of metabolites, such as pyruvic acid, glutamic acid, 5'- cmp, arginine, 2-propenoic acid, and phenylalanine in the raw milk through metabolic activities, such as ABC transporters, pyrimidine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism, and reduced the shelf life of the raw milk. CO2 treatment prolonged the shelf life of the raw milk by inhibiting the abundance of Gram-negative aerobic bacteria, such as Acinetobacter guillouiae, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Serratia liquefaciens and Pseudomonas simiae.

Air pollution is a global issue, and the transportation sector is recognized as the third-largest contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Vehicles emit a range of chemical compounds as a direct result of the combustion process. The nature and quantity of these emissions depend on the vehicle's characteristics, road, and local weather conditions. As a result, these emissions require special attention due to the adverse effects contributing to global warming and significantly impacting human health. In this regard, diagnosing and monitoring air quality is crucial for understanding the nature and quantity of emissions generated by various sources. However, in developing countries, the necessary inputs, and data for conducting such analyses are not always available. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to estimate emissions specifically generated from road operations. To achieve this, HDM-4 calculation tool is utilized to quantitatively estimate these emissions. This tool was applied in Baja California, Mexico, on the Centinela-La Rumorosa highway. The results obtained show that annually, 372.5 tons of pollutant emissions are generated, composed of HC, CO, CO2, NOx, Par, SO2, and PB, covering a mere 128 kilometers of length within a state road network spanning 11,429 kilometers. This highlights the necessity of implementing strategies to reduce emissions or the environmental impact generated by vehicular operations on roads in developing countries.

In today's society, mankind is confronted with two major problems: the energy crisis and the greenhouse effect. The artificial photosynthesis can use solar energy to convert greenhouse gas CO2 into high-value compounds, which is an ideal solution to alleviate the energy crisis and solve the problem of global warming. The combination of ZnO and polythiophenes (PTh) can make up for each other's drawbacks, thus improving the photoresponse behavior and separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers. PTh layer can transfer photogenerated electrons to ZnO, thereby extending the lifetime of photogenerated charges. The production rate of CH4 from photoreduction of CO2 with ZnO/PTh10 is 4.3 times that of pure ZnO, and the selectivity of CH4 is increased from 70.2% to 92.2%. The conductive PTh can absorb photons to induce π–π* transition, the photogenerated electrons can transfer from LUMO to the conduction band (CB) of ZnO, thus more electrons involve in the reduction of CO2.

ChatGPT is an AI language model trained on vast amounts of text data, including scientific papers, providing a comprehensive understanding of catalysis. However, its reliability in catalysis research is unknown. To evaluate reliability, we compared a ChatGPT-generated review article on heterogeneous catalysts for higher alcohols synthesis by CO₂ hydrogenation to published peer-reviewed papers. Although the ChatGPT review article covers most necessary parts, it lacks sufficient discussion of the reaction mechanism. The core sections are too general, being not specific enough to the topic, and contain errors. The lack of citations further increases unreliability. While ChatGPT can provide much content on catalysis, it is insufficient and inaccurate for research on specific topics.

The increase in global warming due to NOx, CO2, and CH4 harmfully different ecosystems and significantly prejudice world life. A promising methodology in this sense is the pollutant conversion into valuable chemicals from photocatalytic processes by reusable photocatalyst. In this way, the present work aimed to produce a Nb2O5 photocatalyst nanofibers system to convert CO2 by the electrospinning method. Based on the collected data, the nanofibers calcination at 600°C for 2 h resulted in the best condition to obtain a homogeneous surface with an average diameter of 84 nm. As a result, the Nb2O5 nanofibers converted CO2 mostly into CO and CH4, reaching values around 8.5 μmol g−1 and 0.55 μmol g−1, respectively.

In CCS projects, the transportation of CO₂ by ship can be an attractive alternative to transportation using a pipeline, particularly when the distance between source and disposal location is large. However, the energy consumption of the liquefaction process can be significant, making the selection of an energy-efficient design an important factor in the minimization of operating costs. Since the liquefaction process operates at low temperature, its energy consumption will vary with ambient temperature, which could be a factor that influences the trade-off point between pipelines and shipping in different geographic locations. A consistent set of data showing the relationship between energy consumption and cooling temperature is therefore potentially useful to CCS system modelling. This study compares the performance of a wide range of CO₂ liquefaction schemes. It applies a methodical approach to the optimization of process operating parameters and studies performance across a range of operating temperatures. A set of data for the minimum energy consumption cases is presented. The main findings are that open-cycle CO₂ processes often offer minimum energy consumption; NH₃ based schemes often offer better performance at higher ambient temperatures; and that for the cooling temperature range 15 to 50 °C, the energy consumption for the best performing liquefaction process rises by around 40%.

Cardamom is plant of the Zingiberaceae family. It has been used for the treatment of many diseases such as migraine, bronchitis, stomach and intestinal disorders. Cardamom contains triterpenes, resins, starch and fatty compounds. Phytosterols (stigmasterol, campesterol and β-sitosterol) are a group steroid alcohol in plants. They are used food, medicine and cosmetic industry. They are protective effects against some types of cancer too. Phytosterols are found in the vegetable oil such as the spindle, corn and soybean oil. This paper deals with the maximum oil and β-sitosterol yield were investigated by means of the supercritical CO₂ extraction of cardamom. The effect of operating parameters as temperature, pressure and CO₂ flow rate were investigated on oil yield. The amount of β-sitosterol was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) at optimized conditions. The optimized conditions were recorded as temperature of 40^oC, pressure of 200 bar and CO₂ flow rate of 4 L/min. The maximum oil yield and amount of β-sitosterol were found as 74.83 mg oil/g seed and 4.73 mg β-sitosterol/g seed cardamom under these conditions.

Through the process of paradigm change (water as a resource towards water as a common), the authors examine, from a theoretic point of view, the water governability proposed by Agenda del Agua Cochabamba (AdA) – Cochabamba Water Agenda – in the Cochabamba Valley (Bolivia), identifying barriers and drivers to the process that could take place. The rise of Evo Morales in Government in 2006 suggested that policy making would somehow take a fundamental turn resulting in more poor environmental-oriented water policies. However, if that was indeed the case, the implementation of these policies remain controversial as strong power asymmetries still exist at a local level that interfere with national policies shaping the political area. The Cochabamba Water Agenda echoes this debate on the political arena and contributes a politically contested water management through a paradigm change envisaging the difficulties through its implementation. The question remains if this “political” solution to paradigm change in water management may reduce water conflicts.

The degree of ore rock fragmentation of mine blasting is an important index for evaluating the effect of engineering blasting. In order to study the effect of millisecond delayed blasting on the internal fragmentation of the ore rock, LS-DYNA numerical simulation software was used to obtain the damage characteristics of the ore rock in the blasting area using the RHT model. The Mohr-Coulomb strength damage criterion was applied to analyze the internal stress state of the ore rock, and the effects of 25ms, 50ms and 75ms delay time conditions on ore rock fragmentation were studied. The results show that, within a certain range of delay time, the degree of rock fragmentation increases with the increase of delay time. The stress state in the ore rock due to blasting is strengthened with the increase of delay time in the direction of the blast hole, which shows that the stress concentration is strengthened from the excavation face to the interior of the ore rock. The damage and the degree of fragmentation show a characteristic relationship of 25ms＜50ms＜75ms, which is verified by carrying out blasting experiments on site.

The rapid retreat of coastal cliffs poses a profound risk to property, transport infrastructure and public safety both in Ireland and globally. This study combines historical data (maps and orthophotos, 1842 to 2000) with contemporary UAV surveys (2019 to 2023) to quantify cliff top and cliff face retreat along a 250 m wide coastal drumlin at Silverstrand in Galway Bay, Ireland. Retreat rates for the cliff top and cliff face were calculated using 2D mapping and 3D modelling, respectively. Critically, the choice of method appears to have a major impact on apparent rates of cliff top retreat, with output from the 2D mapping approach (0.14 +/- 0.02 m yr-1) being double that of the 3D modelling approach (0.08 +/- 0.02 m year-1). The aperiodic development of a talus cone, which offers temporary protection to the cliff from storm waves, also influences the estimation of cliff retreat. The repeat cycles of talus slope formation and removal in this high wave energy climate suggest that the drumlin transitions between a periodically transport-limited system and supply limited system over short- and long-time periods, respectively, on the continuum of cliff types. These results warrant further research to identify and quantify the rates, patterns, drivers (marine and subaerial processes), and timing of cliff retreat rates in response to climate change.

The wettability of the oil-brine-rock systems is very challenging mainly for the carbonate reservoirs and it plays a significant role to enhance the oil recovery (EOR). Carbonate rocks are mad-up of complex lithology, hence these requires careful treatments in controlling their wetting behavior for enhanced oil recovery. Therefore, it is extremely important to modify their wettability from an oil-wet rock behavior to a water-wet so that the residual oil can be produced efficiently. Thus, the present study has examined the effectiveness of alumina nanofluid as well as a new chemical methyl blue to alter the wettability. The methyl blue is released on massive scale from various industries i.e. pharma, textile and food industry which is a key environmental concern which contaminates the water table. Hence the study, explores the effects of MB and alumina nanofluid on the wettability. The effect of nanofluids formulated via dispersing the alumina nanoparticles in aqueous solutions at various concentration (0. 0.05, 0.3, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 wt. %) were tested for wettability modification under different physio-thermal conditions. Subsequently, the wettability change was examined for the samples treated with different concentrations of MB (10, 15, 30, 50 and 100 mg/L) for 7-days at two different temperatures of (25 and 50 0C). The results showed that hydrophobicity of the SML carbonate rock has significantly reversed while treating with alumina nanofluids and MB. Thus, the wettability modification/reversal via treatment of MB and alumina nanofluid can be an effective mechanism to hydrogen injection and for EOR processes.

In this work, some micro-samples belonging to the open-air rock art site of Cueva de la Vieja (Alpera, Albacete, Spain) were analysed. These samples were collected after and before a desalination treatment carried out with the aim of removing a whitish layer of concretion that affected the painted panel. The diagnostic study was performed to study the conservation state of the panel and then to confirm the effectiveness of treatment. Micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were employed for the characterization of the degradation product as well as that of mineral substrate and pigments. The micro-samples analysis demonstrated that the painted layer was settled on a dolomitic limestone with silicon aggregates and aluminosilicates as well as iron oxides. The whitish crust was composed by sulfate compounds like gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) with minor amount of epsomite (MgSO4.7H2O). An extensive phenomenon of biological activity was demonstrated since, in almost all the samples analysed, the presence of calcium oxalates monohydrate (CaC2O4H2O) and dehydrate (CaC2O42H2O) were found. Probably the presence of both calcium oxalates had favoured the conservation of pictographs. In addition, some carotenoids pigments, scytonemin (C36H20N2O4) and astaxanthin (C40H52O4) were characterized both by Raman spectroscopy and by X-ray diffraction. Hematite was found as a pigment voluntarily used for the painting of the panels used in mix with hydroxyapatite and amorphous carbon. The results of the analyses of the samples taken after the cleaning treatment confirmed a substantial decrease in sulphate patina on the panel surface.

During the last few years, several approaches have been proposed to improve early warning systems for reducing rock-fall risk. In this regard, this paper introduces a Deep learning-and (IoT) based Framework for Rock-fall Early Warning, devoted to reducing the rock-fall risk with high accuracy. In this framework, the prediction accuracy was augmented by eliminating the uncertainties and confusion plaguing the prediction model. In order to achieve augmented prediction accuracy, this framework fused the prediction model-based deep learning with a detection model-based Internet of Things. In order to determine the framework’s performance, this study adopted parameters, namely overall prediction performance measures, based on a confusion matrix and the ability to reduce the risk. The result indicates an increase in prediction model accuracy from 86% to 98.8%. In addition, a framework reduced the risk probability from (1.51 ×10-3) to (8.57 ×10-9). Our results indicate the framework’s high prediction accuracy; it also provides a robust decision-making process for delivering early warning and lowering the rock-fall risk probability.

In order to understand the impact of lithologic heterogeneity of continental mixed fine-grained sedimentary rocks on reservoir brittleness in western Qaidam basin, the mechanical properties of the rocks and their correlation with mineral composition and petrographic characteristics were studied by measns of mineralogy, petrography and triaxial stress test. The results show that the reservoir rocks can be divided into 5 different types according to the mechanical properties of the reservoir (characteristics of stress-strain curves), among them Type I and III belong to similar elastoplastic failure model, type II shows a special pulse failure mode for plastic material, type IV shows a failure mode of mixed characteristics, and type V exhibits a typical plastic failure model. The correlation between minerals and mechanical properties indicates that quartz and feldspar, which are often considered brittle minerals, do not contribute much to the brittleness of continental fine-grained sedimentary rocks. The main minerals affecting reservoir brittleness are dolomite and clay minerals, and their contributions to reservoir brittleness are positive and negative, respectively. The petrographic analysis results prove that the abnormal correlation between rock mechanical properties and quartz and feldspar is caused by the different rock fabrics. When dolomite forms a rock skeleton, it typically exhibits greater strength, brittleness and physical properties than other minerals. Based on the results, a brittleness evaluation standard for continental fine-grained sedimentary rock reservoir is proposed, and the validity of the standard is verified by the spatial correlation between the lithology probability model and the micro-seismic monitoring data, indicating that the spatial heterogeneity of dolomite-rich rock is the main controlling factor for the development of ‘sweet spot’ in the Cenozoic continental fine-grained sedimentary rock reservoir in the Western Qaidam Basin.

The efficacy of predicting geochemical parameters with a 2-chain workflow using spectral data as the initial input is evaluated. Spectral measurements spanning the approximate 400-25000nm spectral range are used to train a workflow consisting of a non-negative matrix function (NMF) step, for data reduction, and a random forest regression (RFR) to predict 8 geochemical parameters. Approximately 175000 spectra with their corresponding chemical analysis were available for training, testing and validation purposes. The samples and their spectral and chemical parameters represent 9399 drillcore. Of those, approximately 20000 spectra and their accompanying analysis were used for training and 5000 for model validation. The remaining pairwise data (150000 samples) were used for testing of the method. The data are distributed over 2 large spatial extents (980 km2 and 3025 km2 respectively) and allowed the proposed method to be tested against samples that are spatially distant from the initial training points. Global R2 scores and wt.% RMSE on the 150000 validation samples are Fe(0.95/3.01), SiO2(0.96/3.77), Al2O3(0.92/1.27), TiO(0.68/0.13), CaO(0.89/0.41), MgO(0.87/0.35), K2O(0.65/0.21) and LOI(0.90/1.14), given as Parameter(R2/RMSE), and demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of predicting the 8 parameters and is stable enough, in the environment tested, to extend beyond the training sets initial spatial location.

Purpose: This study investigated the hypotensive effect of RKI-1447, a Rho kinase inhibitor, in a porcine ex vivo pigmentary glaucoma model. Methods: Twenty-eight porcine anterior chambers were perfused with medium supplemented with 1.67 × 10⁷ pigment particles/mL for 48 hours before treatment with RKI-1447 (n = 16) or vehicle control (n = 12). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was recorded and outflow facility was calculated. Primary trabecular meshwork cells were exposed to RKI-1447 or vehicle control; effects on the cytoskeleton, motility, and phagocytosis were evaluated. Result: Compared to baseline, the perfusion of pigment caused a significant increase in IOP in the RKI-1447 group (P = 0.003) at 48 hours. Subsequent treatment with RKI-1447 significantly reduced IOP from 20.14 ± 2.59 mmHg to 13.38 ± 0.91 mmHg (P = 0.02). Pigment perfusion reduced the outflow facility from 0.27 ± 0.03 at baseline to 0.18 ± 0.02 at 48 hours (P < 0.001). This was partially reversed with RKI-1447. RKI-1447 caused no apparent histological changes in the micro- or macroscopic TM appearance. RKI-1447-treated primary TM cells showed significant disruption of the actin cytoskeleton both in the presence and absence of pigment (P < 0.001) but no effect on TM migration was observed. Pigment-treated TM cells exhibited a reduction in TM phagocytosis, which RKI-1447 reversed. Conclusion: RKI-1447 significantly reduces IOP by disrupting TM stress fibers and increasing TM phagocytosis. These features may make it useful for the treatment of secondary glaucomas with an increased phagocytic load.

Water scarcity is a significant challenge facing Jordan today. It is a challenge in all areas that use water, and it has become certain that water is the critical factor in the population/resources equation. The water resources in Jordan have become limited with the noticeable increase in the population, mostly resulting from forced migrations in neighboring countries because of the wars and until our time. The rising natural population growth rate, along with the massive influx of refugees, has turned into a state of disproportion between the daily consumption of the population and the amount of water available. That Jordan shares most of its surface water resources with neighboring countries has exacerbated the situation. The current use of water already exceeds its renewable supply. Excessive withdrawal from aquifers, which leads to a lowering of the water table and deterioration in water quality, covered the deficit. This paper focuses on assessing the water situation in Jordan, mainly evaluating this problem and the solution being considered, the true basis for a sustainable water solution requires awareness by the population, and several governmental and non-governmental organizations are actively involved in educating residents about water shortages. The most important and 'actionable' elements of comprehensive water solutions are discussed in this paper, and these elements exist, develop extra water supplies, water harvesting, water desalination, proper wastewater reuse in the agricultural sector, and reduce the demand for drinking water. This research provides specific recommendations to address the shortage of water resources in the Kingdom and highlights the importance of water conservation and optimal use.

The growing need for water has pressured society and governments to focus more on preservation, planning and management of this natural resource, in which is fundamental to ecosystems and especially to humans. In this sense, the goal of this study was to analyze the national policy of water resources in Brazil and Italy, figuring out aspects that could promote its improvement, aiming at the preservation of water sources, guaranteeing satisfactory quantity and quality. They were carried out in 2019 by the environmental agencies of both countries, listing the main disciplinary regulations. The results show that although they are countries with different realities, they resemble similarities in managerial aspects of water resources, with legislation addressing qualitative and quantitative aspects of water, with guiding principles, instruments and actions aimed at the defence of this natural resource.

Hydrogen from natural gas reforming can be produced efficiently with a high CO2 capture rate. This can be achieved with oxygen-blown autothermal reforming as core technology combined with pressure-swing adsorption for hydrogen purification and refrigeration-based tail gas separation for CO2 capture and recirculation of residual hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane. The low-temperature tail gas separation section is presented in detail, and to quantify the exergy efficiency of this section, a detailed exergy analysis is conducted. The irreversibilities in 42 different process components are quantified. In order to provide a transparent verification of the consistency of exergy calculations, the total irreversibility rate is calculated by two independent approaches: Through the bottom-up approach, all individual irreversibilities are added to obtain the total irreversibility rate. Through the top-down approach, the total irreversibility rate is calculated solely by the exergy flows crossing the control volume boundaries. The consistency is verified as the comparison of results obtained by the two methods shows a relative deviation of 4·10-7. The exergy efficiency of the CO2 capture process is calculated based on two different definitions. Both methods give a baseline exergy efficiency of 58.38%, which indicates a high degree of exergy utilisation in the process.

Voluntary carbon markets open horizons for private companies, public institutions, and individuals developing CO2 removal projects in peatlands to reduce overall carbon footprint. These steps, however, should be in line with appropriate rewetting targets. To do so, the base line information about the status of area must be assessed. Here we follow the methodology set by the carbon certification program standards which define the necessary steps for reference conditions assessment. In this study we practically test the fulfilment of necessary drained peatland baseline evaluation for paludiculture and carbon certification activities. Estimates on the greenhouse gas emission mitigation potential were summarized to define priorities and propose quantifiable measures with suggested paludiculture implementation. Our hands-on approach shows that it is possible for companies to implement rewetting strategies without large EU level project fundings when the conservation and economic aspects are met, thus boosting climate mitigation actions.

Four different Mn and Re catalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction have been studied by IR spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) in dry acetonitrile. In the case of Mn(apbpy)(CO)3Br (apbpy= 4(4-aminophenyl)-2,2’-bipyridine) SEC suggests that a very slow catalytic reduction of CO2 occurs in acetonitrile also in the absence of proton donors, but at rather negative potentials. On the contrary, the corresponding Re(apbpy)(CO)3Br clearly displays a slow catalytic conversion already at the first reduction potential. Switching to saturated CO2 solutions in a mixture of acetonitrile and 5% of water as proton donor, the SEC of Mn(apbpy)(CO)3Br displays faster catalytic behavior.

Biochar soil amendment along with non-tillage agriculture, are often proposed as a strategy for organic carbon sequestration in soil. How the quality of biochar might influence the priming effect on soil organic matter mineralization and whether the addition of fresh organic matter will affect its stability in soil is still questionable. In the study, six biochars of different biomass origin and three exogenous organic matter sources were added to two distinct arable soils. CO2 emission was monitored for 100 days of incubation and CO2 flux was estimated. Results showed that biochar application increased soil CO2 fluxes. The highest peaks were recorded in treatments with food waste biochars, suggesting that this feedstock serves as sources of labile C fractions to soil microbes. Co-application of raw organic materials (manure and fresh clover biomass) enhanced CO2 emission and estimated carbon losses, especially in sandy soil with low organic carbon content. Biochar properties and content of labile C fractions can stimulate CO2 emission, however in a long-term period this contribution is negligible. Findings of our study showed that more attention should be paid to priming effects caused by addition of exogenous organic matter e.g. fertilizers or cover crops when applied to biochar amended soils.

The scope of this paper is to use plastic waste through the gasification process for producing electricity with low carbon dioxide emissions. Worldwide, plastic production increased, reaching 367 million tons in 2020, compared with 1.5 million tons in 1950. It is known that plastic incineration generates approximately 400 million tons of CO2 annually, and consequently, new solutions for a more efficient plastics reuse in terms of emissions generated are still expected. One method is to use plastic waste in a gasifier unit and the syngas generated in a gas turbine for electricity production. The co-gasification process (plastic waste with biomass) was analysed in different ratios. Gasification was carried out with air for an equivalent ratio (ER) between 0.10-0.45. The volume concentration of CO2 in syngas ranged from 2-12%, with the highest value obtained when poplar content in the mix was 95%. In this study, the option of pre- and post-combustion integration of the chemical absorption process (CAP) was investigated. Thus, CO2 emissions have decreased by 90% compared with the case without CO2 capture. By integrating the capture process, the global efficiency has reduced with 5.5 – 6.1 percentage points in a post-combustion case, according to the plastic content in the mix.

The rapid development of electrochemical CO2 reduction offers a promising route to convert in-termittent renewable energy into products of high value-added fuels or chemical feedstocks. However, low faradaic efficiency, low current density, and a narrow potential range still limited the large-scale application of CO2RR electrocatalyst. Herein, monolith 3D bi-continuous nano-porous Bismuth (np-Bi) electrodes are fabricated via a simple one-step electrochemical dealloying strategy from Pb-Bi binary alloy. The unique bi-continuous porous structure ensures highly effective charge transfer, meanwhile the controllable millimeter-size geometric porous structure enables easy catalyst adjustment to expose highly suitable surface curvatures with abundant reactive sites. This results in a high selectivity of 92.6% and superior potential window (400 mV, selectivity >88%) for electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to formate. Our scalable strategy provides a feasible pathway for mass-producing high-performance and versatile CO2 electrocatalysts.

Excessive CO₂ emissions and alternative energy fuels are two major difficult issues. The utilization of CO₂ into fine chemicals is an optimal route. Diethyl carbonate (DEC) is an extremely versatile chemical intermediate. DEC is used in gasoline, pharmaceutical, chemical and other fields. DEC synthesis from CO₂ and ethanol is a typical green synthetic route. Ni-Cu@Na₃PW₁₂O₄₀ catalysts were synthesized by two novel methods of supported and mixed. The catalyst prepared by mixed method showed nice catalytic performance. It was confirmed that water removal was the key to improving conversion efficiency. In the presence of dehydrating agent of ethylene, ethanol conversion increased from ca. 3% to ca. 40%. Propylene oxide (PO) was participated in the reaction and ethanol conversion continued to reach to ca.90% while DEC selectivity dropped by half. Under optimal conditions, our Ni-Cu@Na₃PW₁₂O₄₀ catalyst effectively solved the two major issues above.

Nowadays, one of the biggest concern of human being is greenhouse gas emission, especially carbon dioxide emission in developed and under-developing countries. In this study, connectionist models including LSSVM (Least Square Support Vector Machine) and evolutionary methods are employed for predicting the amount of CO₂ emission in six Latin American countries, i.e., Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and Uruguay. The studied region is modelled based on the available input data in terms of Million tons including oil (Million tons), gas (Million tons oil equivalent), coal (Million tons oil equivalent), $R_{ew}$ (Million tons oil equivalent), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of billion US dollars.} Moreover, the available patents in the fields of climate change mitigation in six Latin American countries namely Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, and Uruguay has been reviewed and analyzed. The results show that except Venezuela, all other mentioned countries have invested in renewable energy R&D activities. Brazil and Argentina have the highest share of renewable energies which account for 60% and 72% respectively.