Aiming at the problems of high-power consumption and insufficient kneading and cutting of roughage in the total mixed ration mixer. In this paper, licorice stems were taken as experimental objects, the horizontal twin-shaft TMR mixer was used to carry out the experimental study. It should be as brief as possible and concise. Through the kneading and cutting process power analysis, determine the influencing factors of kneading and cutting power consumption. The auger speed, processing time and blade type were taken as experimental factors, with standard straw length rate and power consumption as indicators, Box–Behnken test with three factors and three levels was carried out, analysis of variance was performed on the test results, the results show that the significant effect of each factor on the standard grass length is processing time, blade type and auger speed in descending order. The significance of the influence on power consumption from large to small is auger speed, processing time and blade type. The response surface analysis and parameter optimization were carried out, the results show that the auger speed is 20 r/min, the processing time is 29 min, and the blade type is quincunx blade. At this time, the standard straw length was 82.634%; Power consumption 4525.815 kJ, TMR mixer performance reached the best. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent research and development of TMR mixer. Full article

Mesoporous Al/MCM-41 was synthesized by extracting silicon carbide sludge and granite sludge as the sources of silicon and aluminum. Different concentrations of aminosilane (2.5, 5, 7.5 vol.%) were used to reflux the grafted NH₂-Al/MCM-41 with amine functional groups (NH₂-Al/MCM-41). The physical and chemical characteristics were analyzed. The results confirmed that silicon carbide sludge and granite sludge can effectively synthesize Al/MCM-41 with low cost and environmental protection. Reflow grafted amine functional groups can effectively improve the surface properties of NH₂-Al/MCM-41. The moisture adsorption and desorption capacity of grafted NH₂-Al/MCM-41 with amine functional groups was also studied. Based on moisture adsorption and desorption capacity, the surface properties of NH₂-Al/MCM-41 were studied. When 5 vol.% of NH₂-Al/MCM-41 amine functional groups is added, the moisture adsorption and desorption capacity is best. When the relative humidity = 95%, the equilibrium moisture content is 39.4 kg/kg, which complies with the standard of Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS A 1475). Therefore, the use of waste derived from the industry to replace expensive commercial materials was simple and environmentally friendly, and the grafted NH₂-Al/MCM-41 with amine functional groups can be utilized in multiple applications, particularly as moisture regulation materials in building engineering. Full article

To improve the thermal stability of pectate lyase for ramie degumming, we modified the novel pectate lyase gene (pelG403) derived from the Dickeya dadantii DCE-01 high-efficiency ramie degumming strain by site-directed mutagenesis. Twelve mutants were acquired, wherein a prospective mutant (A129V) showed better enzyme activity and thermal stability. Compared with the wild type (PelG403), the specific enzyme activity and the optimal reaction temperature of A129V in the fermentation broth increased by 20.1%, and 5 °C, respectively. Under the conditions of 55 °C and pH 9.0, the weightlessness rate of ramie raw materials of A129V increased by 6.26%. Therefore, this study successfully improved the enzyme activity and heat resistance of PelG403 in an alkaline environment, which may contribute to the development of enzyme preparations and the elucidation of the mechanism for ramie bio-degumming. Full article

This study investigated the effects of different proportions (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%) of bulking agent (vinasse, mushroom bran, and tobacco powder) on maturity and gaseous emissions in chicken manure composting. The results showed that all of the treatments reached the standard of harmless disposal. With the exception of the control treatment, the CH₄, N₂O, and NH₃ emissions in the treatments that had been prepared using the addition of mixed bulking agents were effectively reduced by 2.9–30.6%, 8.30–80.9%, and 37.3–26.6%; their compost maturity also met the Chinese national standard. Specifically, 10% mushroom bran combined with 5% tobacco powder was the optimal combination for simultaneously improving the maturity and reducing greenhouse gas emission in chicken manure composting. Full article

The article describes the initial conditions for the development of universal mechanization means for the process of mixing dry and liquid components. The essence of the method is to study the motion of a particle with different constructive and physical properties of the medium. The mathematical model of particle motion is based on theoretical mechanics and hydraulics. In this case, the main purpose of the study is to find the optimal design parameters for the installation. At the beginning, a theoretical analysis of the installation was carried out using the methods of classical mechanics and hydraulics. Experimental studies were carried out in several stages. At the beginning, one-factor experiments were conducted, followed by allocating the main factors and determining their interaction. Then, using the methods of planning the experiment, we obtained the regression equations and further optimized the parameters to summarize the main findings of the article. Modern installations should have versatility in any technological line; for example, an installation is presented that can not only mix, but further transport the mixture like a conventional pump, while providing a dosing device that is necessary for the feeding of dry components. Theoretical studies have been carried out in which the design of the impeller is substantiated at various speeds. Experimental studies to determine the design parameters of the installation are in continuous operation. The degree of homogeneity was Θ = 74%, with β2 = 80 … 100° and βst = 65 … 102°, while the value of the consumption of electrical energy is equal to Eel = 0.265 … 0.28 kWh/t. Full article

The involvement of people and technical devices is a characteristic feature of technological processes in agriculture. Human access to modernized and more efficient technical equipment determines the differentiation of the proportions of the contributions of human labor and technical equipment to the implementation of production technology on farms. Taking into account the data on manual and machine work inputs, the methodology of determining the technological index level (T_L) was presented. The aim of the present study was to present the scope of use of the technological index level to assess the effects of technological progress in the dairy production system, with particular emphasis on cow milking. For the value range of the technological index level (0–100%), changes in the milkman’s work efficiency were presented based on research carried out on farms equipped with milking equipment at different levels of technical advancement. Moreover, the course of changes in electricity and water consumption per liter of milk was determined in association with the technological index level. The issue of simultaneous implementation of various forms of progress was developed based on the example of milking cows with a milking robot. Five categories (ranges) of cows’ milk yield were distinguished and compared with the current yields of cows in the European Union. On this basis, a discussion was initiated on the factors that facilitate and limit the implementation of technical and technological progress in dairy production. Full article

Riblets with an appropriate size can effectively restrain turbulent boundary layer thickness and reduce viscous drag, but the effects of riblets strongly depend on the appearance of the fabric that is to be applied and its operating conditions. In this study, in order to improve the aerodynamic performance of a low-pressure fan by using riblet technology, sawtooth riblets on NACA4412 airfoil are examined at the low Reynolds number of 1 × 10⁵, and the airfoil is operated at angles of attack (AOAs) ranging from approximately 0° to 12°. The numerical simulation is carried out by employing the SST k–ω turbulence model through the Ansys Fluent, and the effects of the riblets’ length and height on aerodynamic performance and flow characteristics of the airfoil are investigated. The results indicate that the amount of drag reduction varies greatly with riblet length and height and the AOA of airfoil flow. By contrast, the riblets are detrimental to the airfoil in some cases. The most effective riblet length is found to be a length of 0.8 chord, which increases the lift and reduces the drag under whole AOA conditions, and the maximum improvements in both are 17.46% and 15.04%, respectively. The most effective height for the riblet with the length of 0.5 chord is 0.6 mm. This also improves the aerodynamic performance and achieves a change rate of 12.67% and 14.8% in the lift and drag coefficients, respectively. In addition, the riblets facilitate a greater improvement in airfoil at larger AOAs. The flow fields demonstrate that the riblets with a drag reduction effect form “the antifriction-bearing” structure near the airfoil surface and effectively restrain the trailing separation vortex. The ultimate cause of the riblet drag reduction effect is the velocity gradient at the bottom of the boundary layers being increased by the riblets, which results in a decrease in boundary thickness and energy loss. Full article

Cracks in reinforced concrete are preferential ingress paths for aggressive substances such as chlorides. As soon as a critical amount of chlorides has reached the steel reinforcement, corrosion will occur. Therefore, crack healing is of utmost importance. However, manual crack repair is very labour intensive. Therefore, the potential of self-healing through the release of a water repellent agent from embedded capsules was compared with the effectiveness of applying this agent on the concrete surface before or after cracking and the effectiveness of injection of the agent into a crack. From the electrochemical corrosion measurements, it was shown that only uncracked samples were able to withstand 135 weekly cycles of exposure to a 33 g/L chloride solution without corrosion initiation of the reinforcement. While samples with manually injected and autonomously healed cracks resisted the exposure conditions for about 50 cycles or more, samples for which the water repellent agent was applied onto the surface after cracking resisted the exposure conditions for 5–42 cycles, while samples for which the agent was applied onto the surface before cracking showed an immediate corrosion initiation similar as was noted for the untreated cracks. From a visualization of the chloride ingress front and determination of the chloride content in the vicinity of the crack, it was noticed that none of the crack treatment techniques performed as well as the uncracked series. Visual inspection of the corroded rebars and determination of the corroded volume of the rebars through computed tomography and macro-cell corrosion current measurements proved again that the uncracked series outperformed the other series. While the corroded volume of the rebars from the uncracked series was almost zero, this value ranged from 15–95 mm³ for the rebars of the other series. However, the latter investigations also showed that release of the agent into the crack, whether this was done in a manual way or autonomously through release from embedded capsules, resulted in a delayed corrosion initiation and lower corrosion propagation rate compared to the application of a water repellent agent onto the surface. This is a beneficial outcome for the further implementation of self-healing approaches, more specifically though the release of encapsulated water repellent agent, in the market. Full article

Gold(I) complexes with phosphine ligands—[Au(TrippyPhos)Cl] (1) (TrippyPhos = 1-[2-[bis(tert-butyl)phosphino]phenyl]-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole), [Au(BippyPhos)Cl]0.5CH₂Cl₂ (2) (BippyPhos = 5-(di-tert-butylphosphino)-1${}^{\prime }$, 3${}^{\prime }$, 5${}^{\prime }$-triphenyl-1${}^{\prime }$H-[1,4${}^{\prime }$]bipyrazole), and [Au(meCgPPh)Cl] (3) (meCgPPh = 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-6-phenyl-2,4,8-trioxa-6-phosphaadamantane—were investigated as types of bioactive gold metallodrugs. Complexes (1)–(3) were characterized using IR, ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry (FAB-MS). Complexes of (1) and (2) exhibited substantial in vitro cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ = 0.5–7.0 $\mathsf{\mu }$M) against both the cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant variants of the A2780 human ovarian carcinoma cell line, as well as against the A549 human lung carcinoma, K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia, and HeLa (human cervix carcinoma) cells. However, among the compounds studied, complex (2) showed the most promising biological properties: the highest stability in biologically relevant media, selectivity towards cancer cells over the non-cancer cells (HUVEC, human umbilical vein endothelial cells), and the highest inhibitory effect on cytosolic NADPH-dependent reductases in A2780 and A2780cis cells among the gold complexes under analysis. Full article

Direct interaction with the neuronal cells is a prerequisite to deciphering useful information in understanding the underlying causes of diseases and functional abnormalities in the brain. Precisely fabricated nanoelectrodes provide the capability to interact with the brain in its natural habitat without compromising its functional integrity. Yet, challenges exist in terms of the high cost and complexity of fabrication as well as poor control over the chemical composition and geometries at the nanoscale, all imposed by inherent limitations of current micro/nanofabrication techniques. In this work, we report on electrochemical fabrication and optimization of vertically oriented TiO₂ nanotube arrays as nanoelectrodes for neural interface application. The effects of zinc, strontium, and copper doping on the structural, electrochemical, and biocompatibility properties of electrochemically anodized TiO₂ nanotube arrays were investigated. It was found that doping can alter the geometric features, i.e., the length, diameter, and wall thickness, of the nanotubes. Among pure and doped samples, the 0.02 M copper-doped TiO₂ nanotubes exhibited superior electrochemical properties, with the highest specific storage capacitance of 130 F g⁻¹ and the lowest impedance of 0.295 KΩ. In addition, regeneration of Vero cells and neurons was highly promoted on (0.02 M) Cu-doped TiO₂ nanotube arrays, with relatively small tube diameters and more hydrophilicity, compared with the other two types of dopants. Our results suggest that in situ doping is a promising method for the optimization of various structural and compositional properties of electrochemically anodized nanotube arrays and improvement of their functionality as a potential nanoelectrode platform for neural interfacing. Full article

This review aims to present the effects of cold plasma technology on the nutritional quality of fruits and fruit juices. This review focuses on the chemical changes induced by plasma on several bioactive compounds, such as sugars, starch, lipids, vitamins, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. The main plasma-reacting species that reacts with fruit compounds are presented and discussed. The review presents the mechanisms that lead to the improvement and degradation of the main compounds, showing both the advantages and disadvantages of cold plasma technology. Full article

Although the culture of VERO cells in bioreactors is an important industrial bioprocess for the production of viruses and vaccines, surprisingly few reports on the analysis of the flux distribution in the cell metabolism have been published. In this study, an attempt is made to fill this gap by providing an analysis of relatively simple metabolic networks, which are constructed to describe the cell behavior in different culture conditions, e.g., the exponential growth phase (availability of glucose and glutamine), cell growth without glutamine, and cell growth without glucose and glutamine. The metabolic networks are kept as simple as possible in order to avoid underdeterminacy linked to the lack of extracellular measurements, and a unique flux distribution is computed in each case based on a mild assumption that the macromolecular composition of the cell is known. The result of this computation provides some insight into the metabolic changes triggered by the culture conditions, which could support the design of feedback control strategies in fed batch or perfusion bioreactors where the lactate concentration is measured online and regulated by controlling the delivery rates of glucose and, possibly, of some essential amino acids. Full article