The modifications in the low ash fusion temperature (AFT) of Xiangyang coal (XY) were investigated by blending it with three high AFT coals Jincheng coal (JC), Sunjiahao coal (SJH), and Shajuzi coal ...(SJZ), respectively. These three coals all improved XY AFT effectively. With the JC mass ratio varying from 0 to 50%, the AFT of XY/JC gradually increased. The AFT of XY/SJH increased significantly (0–30%), slowly (30–40%), and rapidly (40–50%) with increasing SJH content. For SJZ, the AFT of XY/SJZ increased quickly (0–30%) and very slowly (30–50%). For XY entrained-flow gasification, the appropriate blending ratios of JC, SJH, and SJZ were 40–50%, 30–40%, and 20–40%, respectively. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and FactSage thermodynamic calculation were applied to investigate the effects of mineral transformation on AFT. Quartz (SiO
2
), anorthite (CaAl
2
Si
2
O
8
), diopside (CaMgSi
2
O
6
), and hedenbergite (CaFeSi
2
O
6
) were detected in XY ash at 1100 °C. As the mass ratios of high AFT coals increased, the obvious increase in anorthite content led to the rise in the AFT of XY/JC; mullite (Al
6
Si
2
O
13
); and corundum (Al
2
O
3
) with a high melt point formed in ashes causing the increase in the AFTs of XY/SJH and XY/SJZ, respectively.
The synthetic cytokinin 6-benzyladenine (6-BA) regulates plant growth and prevents the negative consequences of various forms of abiotic stress, including waterlogging in crop plants. The present ...study aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous 6-BA on the growth, oxidative stress, and ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle system in the inbred SY-MY13 (waterlogging-resistant) and SY-XT1 (waterlogging-sensitive) seedlings of waxy corn in conditions of waterlogging stress. The results demonstrated that waterlogging stress causes chlorosis and necrosis in waxy corn leaves, inhibiting growth and leading to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induces oxidative stress and, in turn, reduces membrane lipid peroxidation and the disruption of membrane homeostasis. This is specifically manifested in the increased concentrations of superoxide anion radicals (
O
2
-
), hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
), and malondialdehyde (MDA), in addition to increased relative electrical conductivity (REC%) values. The SY-MY13 strain exhibited growth superior to that of SY-XT1 when waterlogged due to its excellent waterlogging resistance. Thus, exogenous 6-BA was found to be effective in enhancing the growth of plants stressed by waterlogging in terms of the weight of the shoots and roots, shoot height, and leaf area. In addition to this, exogenous 6-BA also reduced the accumulation of
O
2
-
, H
2
O
2
, and MDA, increased ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) activity, and enhanced ascorbic acid (AsA), and reduced glutathione (GSH) concentration through the regulation of the efficiency of the AsA-GSH cycle system in maize plants. Hence, the application of exogenous 6-BA can alleviate waterlogging-induced damage and improve waterlogging tolerance in waxy corn via the activation of the AsA-GSH cycle system and the elimination of ROS.
The co-gasification of coal and textile dyeing sludge (TDS) is an effective way to handle the huge production volumes of TDS and its associated problems. In this study, the influence of TDS on the ...fusion behavior of Yongcheng anthracite coal (YC) was investigated using an ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) analyzer under a reducing atmosphere. The regulating mechanisms of mineral transformations, aggregation degree of the aluminosilicate network, and liquid phase content were investigated by X-ray diffractometery, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Slag and network theory calculations and FactSage thermodynamic software calculations were also performed. The results showed that the AFTs of YC decreased upon increasing the TDS mass ratio, and the flow temperature decreased to 1643.15 K when the TDS content reached 20%. The formation of feldspar minerals (anorthite, albite, hercynite, etc.) and the low-temperature eutectic were the main reasons for the decrease in the AFTs. The bridging oxygen bonds of the mixed ashes network were destroyed by metal ions (i.e., Fe
2+
, Ca
2+
, Na
+
) from the TDS. The presence of non-bridging oxygen bonds was confirmed, and the peak strengths of Si–O-Si and Si–O-Al bonds decreased. The intensity of Si–O-M(M: Ca
2+
, Fe
2+
, or Na
+
) vibrational gradually increased. The proportion of four configurations of Si–O bonds also increased upon increasing the TDS content, which promoted the depolymerization of the silicate melt and decreased the AFTs. FactSage calculations were in good agreement with the experimental ash fusion behavior.
Graphical abstract
Adjuvant neuroprotective therapies for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) have demonstrated benefit in animal studies, albeit without human translation. We investigated the safety and efficacy of high-flow ...normobaric oxygen (NBO) after endovascular recanalization in anterior circulation stroke. This is a prospective randomized controlled study. Eligible patients were randomized to receive high-flow NBO by a Venturi mask (FiO
2
50%, flow 15 L/min) or routine low-flow oxygen supplementation by nasal cannula (flow 3 L/min) after vessel recanalization for 6 h. Patient demographics, procedural metrics, complications, functional outcomes, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and infarct volume were assessed. A total of 91 patients were treated with high-flow NBO. NBO treatment revealed a common odds ratio of 2.2 (95% CI, 1.26 to 3.87) favoring the distribution of global disability scores on the mRS at 90 days. The mortality at 90 days was significantly lower in the NBO group than in the control group, with an absolute difference of 13.86% (rate ratio, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13–0.93). A significant reduction of infarct volume as determined by MRI was noted in the NBO group. The median infarct volume was 9.4 ml
versus
20.5 ml in the control group (beta coefficient, − 20.24; 95% CI, − 35.93 to − 4.55). No significant differences were seen in the rate of sICH, pneumonia, urinary infection, and seizures between the 2 groups. This study suggests that high-flow NBO therapy after endovascular recanalization is safe and effective in improving functional outcomes, decreasing mortality, and reducing infarct volumes in anterior circulation stroke patients within 6 h from stroke onset.
To establish a simple method predicting ash fusion temperature (AFT) using FactSage calculation, the deformation temperature (DT) or flow temperature (FT) of coal ashes were measured by AFT analyzer ...and ash compositions were measured by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The method to predict the DT and FT was proposed based on the liquid-phase content and its variation trend with increasing temperature using linear fitting method. The deviations of predicted-DT or -FT were smaller than that of three previous published models.
Members of the WRKY transcription factor (TF) family are unique to plants and serve as important regulators of diverse physiological processes, including the ability of plants to manage biotic and ...abiotic stressors. However, the functions of specific WRKY family members in the context of maize responses to fungal pathogens remain poorly understood, particularly in response to Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda (U. maydis), which is responsible for the devastating disease known as corn smut. A systematic bioinformatic approach was herein employed for the characterization of the maize WRKY TF family, leading to the identification of 120 ZmWRKY genes encoded on 10 chromosomes. Further structural and phylogenetic analyses of these TFs enabled their classification into seven different subgroups. Segmental duplication was established as a major driver of ZmWRKY family expansion in gene duplication analyses, while the Ka/Ks ratio suggested that these ZmWRKY genes had experienced strong purifying selection. When the transcriptional responses of these genes to pathogen inoculation were evaluated, seven U. maydis-inducible ZmWRKY genes were identified, as validated using a quantitative real-time PCR approach. All seven of these WKRY proteins were subsequently tested using a yeast one-hybrid assay approach, which revealed their ability to directly bind the ZmSWEET4b W-box element, thereby controlling the U. maydis-inducible upregulation of ZmSWEET4b. These results suggest that these WRKY TFs can control sugar transport in the context of fungal infection. Overall, these data offer novel insight into the evolution, transcriptional regulation, and functional characteristics of the maize WRKY family, providing a basis for future research aimed at exploring the mechanisms through which these TFs control host plant responses to common smut and other fungal pathogens.
Mineral behaviors were investigated on the basis of the characteristics of three slag samples derived from pressurized ash agglomerate fluidized-bed gasification of Jincheng Anthracite (JC). ...Examination of the ash fusion temperature (AFT) shows that the AFTs of the slag samples in a reducing atmosphere (1:1 CO sub(2)/H sub(2), volume ratio) increase in the order slag formed on the inner face (S sub(I)) < slag on the distribution plate (S sub(D)) < slag on the central tube (S sub(C)). Comparison of surface morphologies of slags indicates that a small part of the S sub(I) surfaces are molten and smooth. In S sub(D), only particles attached to aggregates composed mostly of low-melting-point eutectics are molten, whereas S sub(C) contains few molten particles. Anorthite is present in S sub(I) and S sub(D), and hercynite is present in all three slag samples. In the reducing atmosphere at 1100 degree C, hercynite and anorthite form in JC ash, and most of the calcium and iron form amorphous matter at 1200 degree C. Formation mechanisms of the three kinds of slag are discussed.
Tassel branch number is an important agronomic trait that is closely associated with maize kernels and yield. The regulation of genes associated with tassel branch development can provide a ...theoretical basis for analyzing tassel branch growth and improving maize yield. In this study. we used two high-generation sister maize lines, PCU (unbranched) and PCM (multiple-branched), to construct an F
2
population comprising 190 individuals, which were genotyped and mapped using the Maize6H-60K single-nucleotide polymorphism array. Candidate genes associated with tassel development were subsequently identified by analyzing samples collected at three stages of tassel growth
via
RNA-seq. A total of 13 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and 22 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) associated with tassel branch number (TBN) were identified, among which, two major QTLs,
qTBN6.06-1
and
qTBN6.06-2
, on chromosome 6 were identified in two progeny populations, accounting for 15.07% to 37.64% of the phenotypic variation. Moreover, we identified 613 genes that were differentially expressed between PCU and PCM, which, according to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, were enriched in amino acid metabolism and plant signal transduction pathways. Additionally, we established that the phytohormone content of Stage I tassels and the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and IAA-glucose were higher in PCU than in PCM plants, whereas contrastingly, the levels of 5-deoxymonopolyl alcohol in PCM were higher than those in PCU. On the basis of these findings, we speculate that differences in TBN may be related to hormone content. Collectively, by combining QTL mapping and RNA-seq analysis, we identified five candidate genes associated with TBN. This study provides theoretical insights into the mechanism of tassel branch development in maize.
The ash fusion behaviors are widely used for coal gasifier selection and operation condition setting. In this work, the synergy effect caused by CaO/MgO (
C/M
) ratio on ash fusion behaviors was ...investigated. The results showed that the ash fusion temperature (AFT) exhibited a “V” shape with increasing
C/M
ratio for high-silicon–aluminum coal. Meanwhile, the ash with the lowest FT (1278 °C) and a higher polymerization degree was obtained when
C/M
ratio was 6/9, which suggested that the synergy between CaO and MgO was closely related to their ratio. The most of Ca element existed in anorthite, while Mg tended to occur in magnesium cordierite. The low-melting eutectic between cordierite and anorthite occurred when the
M
(Cordierites)
/
M
(Anorthite)
was 1.12 and resulted in a synergy effect on AFT, which was supported by the mineral composition and liquid mass fraction diagram. In addition, the calculated
R
-value (
R
= (
Q
0
+
Q
1
)/(
Q
2
+
Q
3
)) presented an opposite relationship with the AFT curve. This indicated that the synergy effect was related to the aluminosilicate structure, resulting in the change from Si–O–Si bonds to weak Si–O–N (N: Ca
2+
or Mg
2+
). Meanwhile, the synergy was believed to accelerate the fusion process due to the reduction in the fusion range.
The combined study of ash fusion temperature (AFT) adjustment and gasification reactivity change provides a valuable reference for biomass utilization. The effects of Jincheng coal fine char (JF) on ...the AFT and CO
2
gasification reactivity of biomass peanut hull (PH) and cotton stalk (CS) were investigated by ash fusion tester and thermogravimetry analyzer, respectively. Furthermore, the AFT change mechanism was explored by X-ray diffraction analysis, and the influences of JF mass ratio and temperature on gasification reactivity were studied. As JF mass ratio varied from 5 to 25%, the JF addition could increase the AFTs of PH and CS effectively; however, the change trends were different due to their different ash yields and ash compositions. The AFT increase was ascribed to the conversions of low melting point (MP) K-containing minerals into high MP kalsilite (KAlSiO
4
) and leucite (KAlSi
2
O
6
). JF exerted adverse effects on the gasification reactivity of PH and CS, and the effects strengthened at high JF ratio and low temperature. JF had less effect on the gasification reactivity of CS because its ash yield and K
2
O content were higher than those of PH. Inhibition effect did not exist during the gasification process of CS/JF mixture with relatively low JF ratio at 950 °C and 1000 °C, because the destructive effect of high-content K
2
O on the order degree of JF carbon structure prevailed over the CO
2
and heat hindrances of JF on CS char particles at high temperature.
Graphical abstract
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