Search Results (1,152)

To improve the directional propagation of blasting-induced cracks in sandstone and reduce over-excavation, under-excavation, and surrounding-rock damage caused by conventional circular blastholes, circular and V-shaped slotted blasthole models were established in LS-DYNA. The ALE fluid–solid coupling algorithm was adopted to investigate the effects of slot angle on the effective stress field, crack propagation pattern, and crack control index. The stress field theory at the tip of the V-shaped slot was further used to explain the directional cracking mechanism. On this basis, a two-hole V-slotted blasting model is established to analyze the influence of hole spacing on crack penetration. The results show that the V-shaped slot can form an obvious stress concentration at the tip, which changes the crack from approximately isotropic extension to directional extension along the direction of the slots. Under the present two-dimensional homogeneous sandstone model with simultaneous initiation, the 60° slot angle corresponds to the highest peak effective stress and crack control index. For the synchronized two-hole model, when the hole spacing is 70–90 cm, namely the ratio of hole spacing to blasthole diameter is approximately 14–18, the inter-hole crack penetration effect is better, and the proportion of effective cracks along the slot direction is about 80%. These results provide baseline numerical references for sandstone-controlled blasting parameter design under the modeling conditions of this study. Full article

To address safety hazards such as line damage and operational instability caused by icing on high-voltage overhead transmission lines, this study conducts numerical simulation research on wire vibration de-icing based on the ANSYS finite element platform. Using a 100 m span transmission line as the research model, 49.8 m ice-covered sections are set on both sides of the line, and the 0.4 m range in the middle is designated as the concentrated excitation force area of the vibration motor. By applying intermittent harmonic loads in the excitation stage, the process of mechanical vibration de-icing is accurately reproduced. At the same time, life and death element technology is introduced to remove ice-covered units with stress exceeding the critical failure threshold, accurately realizing the dynamic simulation of the entire process of ice-covering cracking and detachment. This study selects resonance frequency bands that are suitable for the structural characteristics of the transmission line through static analysis, modal analysis, and harmonic response analysis, and preliminarily locks in candidate excitation frequencies. Combined with transient dynamics simulation, the optimal excitation frequency for vibration de-icing of transmission lines is determined by comprehensively considering the efficiency of de-icing and the safety constraints of conductor dancing. A method for determining the optimal de-icing frequency based on multi-step finite element analysis has been developed, which can provide theoretical support and simulation reference for the structural design, frequency matching, and operational parameter optimization of mechanical vibration de-icing devices for high-voltage transmission lines and overhead cables. Full article

Giardia duodenalis (synonyms G. lamblia and G. intestinalis) and Blastocystis sp. are prevalent zoonotic intestinal protozoans with significant public health and economic importance. Both parasites infect various hosts, including humans and most livestock. G. duodenalis can cause infections ranging from asymptomatic carriage to clinical manifestations such as acute diarrheal disease, growth stunting and malabsorption, whereas Blastocystsi sp. infection is often asymptomatic and its pathogenicity remains debated. Following the rapid expansion of modern equine industries (horse racing, equestrian sports, production, and tourism), concern about the spread of parasitic diseases caused by human–horse contact has gradually increased. In this study, 631 horse fecal specimens were collected from three geographical localities in Shanxi Province, North China. The prevalence and genetic characteristics of the two parasites were determined by amplification of multiple genetic loci (tpi, triosephosphate isomerase; gdh, glutamate dehydrogenase; bg, beta-giardin) for G. duodenalis and the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene for Blastocystis sp. Overall, the prevalence of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis sp. in horses in Shanxi Province was 7.9% and 0.8%, respectively. Sequence analysis identified three assemblages (A, B, and E) of G. duodenalis and two subtypes (ST1 and ST5) of Blastocystis sp. in horses; assemblage B and subtype ST1 were detected more frequently than the other types (subtypes) in this data set. This study is the first to report G. duodenalis and Blastocystis sp. infections in horses in Shanxi Province, and these findings provide baseline molecular epidemiological data for horses in Shanxi Province and support continued hygiene management to reduce potential zoonotic transmission. Full article

Shuanghuanglian oral liquid (SHL) is widely used in companion animals and poultry, but its molecular mechanism in pneumonia–myocarditis comorbidity and heart–lung inflammatory crosstalk remains largely unclear. This computational study investigated the conserved AKT1/HIF1A-mediated immunoregulatory mechanism of SHL and its cross-species translational potential in veterinary medicine. Network pharmacology was integrated with GO, KEGG, and Reactome enrichment analyses, protein–protein interaction network construction, ADMET evaluation, cross-species sequence homology analysis (human, dog, cattle, and pig), molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. A total of 61 active compounds, 251 putative targets, and 52 common targets associated with pneumonia and myocarditis were identified. These targets were mainly enriched in inflammation- and immune-related pathways, including TNF, IL-17, AGE–RAGE, and PPAR signaling. AKT1 and HIF1A showed high sequence conservation across species (85–98%). Key compounds exhibited favorable binding affinity to AKT1, and molecular dynamics simulation suggested the stability of the Baicalein–AKT1 complex. ADMET analysis suggested favorable pharmacokinetic properties and low predicted toxicity. These findings suggest that SHL may potentially alleviate pneumonia and myocarditis through modulation of the conserved AKT1/HIF1A axis and support its potential as a complementary therapeutic approach for managing heart–lung inflammatory diseases in multiple livestock species. This entirely computational study highlights promising mechanisms that should be further validated in vivo. Full article

Excessive fertilizer use threatens soil quality and the sustainability of grain production, making improvements in fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) essential. This study examines how conservation tillage (CT) practices affect FUE in China’s wheat–maize rotation system using survey data from 1528 farm households in Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces of China. We estimate FUE using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and identify the treatment effects of tillage choices using a multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model to correct for self-selection. Three tillage practices are compared: conventional rotary tillage with straw returning (CTS), no-tillage with straw returning (NTS), and deep tillage with straw returning (DTS). The results show that the average FUE of farmers in grain production in the sample area is 0.5045 and displays a bimodal distribution. Relative to CTS, NTS significantly improves farmers’ FUE, whereas DTS significantly reduces it. Mechanism analysis indicates that NTS improves FUE through both reduced fertilizer input and increased yield, while DTS mainly increases yield without reducing fertilizer input. Threshold analysis further shows that farm size conditions these effects. The findings suggest that CT policies should promote NTS more actively and apply DTS selectively according to farm size and local production conditions. Full article

Understanding regional ecological resilience is important for mitigating ecological risks, safeguarding ecological security, and optimizing territorial spatial planning. From the perspective of ecological resilience, this study constructed an ecological management zoning framework based on three dimensions: “resistance–adaptability–recovery”. This framework was used to comprehensively interpret the ecological characteristics of the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province and to further develop ecological management zoning. The main results are as follows: (1) The five ecosystem services remained generally stable during the study period. CS and WR increased slightly, whereas HQ, CY, and SC declined. High-value areas were mainly concentrated in mountainous regions such as the Lüliang, Taiyue, and Zhongtiao Mountains, while low-value areas were mainly distributed in the central basins. The OWA-based multi-scenario simulation showed that Scenario 3 achieved a better balance between representing the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem services and maintaining a balanced weight allocation among services. (2) Landscape indices showed no obvious fluctuations during the study period. SHDI increased slightly, COHESION remained consistently high, and PD changed only marginally. (3) Ecological recovery exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. Low-recovery areas were mainly concentrated in the Taiyuan and Yuncheng Basins, while relatively high-recovery areas were mainly distributed in the northern Lüliang Mountains and along parts of the Qinhe River. The mean ecological recovery decreased from 0.254 in 2010 to 0.242 in 2015 and further to 0.237 in 2020. (4) Based on the integrated analysis of ecological resistance, ecological adaptability, and ecological recovery, the study area was divided into three ecological management zones: Ecological Restoration Zones, Development Trade-off Zones, and Comprehensive Regulation Zones. Differentiated ecological governance strategies were then proposed for each zone. Overall, this study developed a multidimensional ecological management zoning framework from the perspective of ecological resilience, which can improve the targeting and adaptability of regional ecological governance and provide scientific support for ecological protection, spatial optimization, and coordinated sustainable governance in the Yellow River Basin in Shanxi Province. Full article

Accurate measurement of coal seam gas content forms the core foundation for coal mine disaster prevention and coalbed methane resource development. However, as coal mining in China extends into deeper strata, multi-component gases (CH₄, CO₂, N₂, etc.) exhibit competitive adsorption effects and dynamic differentiation characteristics. These behaviors pose significant challenges to traditional measurement standards based on the “single methane-dominated system” assumption. This study systematically analyzes the competitive adsorption mechanisms of multi-component gases. By integrating gas data from major coal-producing provinces in China (such as Guizhou, Anhui, and Xinjiang), we reveal the heterogeneous distribution characteristics of gas components and their controlling factors, including coalification degree, burial depth, and maceral components. Case studies from Henan and Shanxi provinces demonstrate that neglecting the strong adsorption hysteresis of CO₂ and the rapid desorption characteristics of N₂ induces a systematic error exceeding 25% in total gas content measurements within areas high in non-methane components. To address these issues, we propose a “hierarchical measurement and real-time correction” framework for multi-component gas content. This framework categorizes gas measurement into four levels—ranging from single-component to all components—based on the complexity of geological conditions. It combines differentiated measurement with dynamic correction to improve the accuracy of gas content evaluation under complex geological conditions. This research provides a more reliable theoretical basis for gas pressure prediction and mine gas grade identification, offering substantial theoretical significance and engineering value for enhancing safety guarantees in deep coal mining. Full article

Accurate monitoring of mining-induced three-dimensional surface deformation is critical for safety and environmental protection. Conventional InSAR often loses coherence in high-deformation areas and provides only one-dimensional measurements, while the Probability Integral Model (PIM) suffers from low accuracy at subsidence edges, caused by premature numerical convergence of its error-function-based mathematical formulation—the model prediction rapidly drops to zero and fails to capture subtle real-world deformations in marginal zones. This study developed a fusion method integrating multi-source InSAR (Sentinel-1A and SAOCOM), PIM, and the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES). Applied in the Yinying Mining Area, Shanxi Province, the approach combined ascending and descending SAR data processed via SBAS-InSAR, used CMA-ES to optimize PIM parameter inversion, and employed a zonal fusion strategy to reconstruct complete deformation fields. The method demonstrated substantial improvement in monitoring accuracy, with mean absolute errors in the vertical, north–south, and east–west directions reduced by more than 86% compared with the standalone PIM model in edge zones. The fusion approach effectively captured both large-magnitude center deformations and subtle edge displacements. Multi-source data fusion with intelligent optimization algorithms significantly enhances the accuracy of 3D deformation monitoring in mining areas, providing reliable technical support for safety management and environmental protection. Full article

In the context of the increasingly deepening concept of sustainable development, the coupling coordination between the digital economy (DE) and high-quality cultural tourism development (HQCTD) has become an important pathway for promoting the sustainable growth of Shanxi Province’s digital cultural tourism industry. Based on an in-depth analysis of the coupling relationship between the DE and HQCTD, and using panel data from 11 prefecture-level cities in Shanxi Province from 2014 to 2023, the entropy weight method and the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model were employed to investigate the relationship between the two systems, while the obstacle degree model and geographic detector were applied to identify the internal and external obstacle factors. The results indicate that both the DE and HQCTD in Shanxi Province experienced slight fluctuations under the impact of COVID-19, and significant spatial differences were observed in the comprehensive development levels of the two systems. The CCD between the DE and the HQCTD in Shanxi Province remains at a good level, with the spatial distribution having evolved from “a single-center pattern” to a “southward extension of the center”. The core obstacle factor for the DE is public budget expenditure, while the main obstacle factor for HQCTD is the number of students enrolled in higher-education institutions. The primary external driving factors at the single-factor level are industrial structure, opening up, and transportation accessibility, while the dominant interaction factors are Z2∩Z4, Z4∩Z6, Z1∩Z6, and Z1∩Z4, respectively. Based on these findings, development strategies are proposed. Full article

This study aims to analyze how hail pit damage on aircraft wing surfaces affects flight safety after hail impact, characterize the aerodynamic performance degradation, and establish a quantitative evaluation method. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed using a three-dimensional wing model, and the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model is adopted for numerical simulation. The effects of hail pits with different numbers (0–50) and diameters (10–20 mm) on the aerodynamic performance of the wing are investigated under various Mach numbers (0.7–2.0) and angles of attack. By analyzing lift, drag and lift-to-drag ratio and introducing a decay rate for quantitative analysis, it is found that the attenuation of aerodynamic performance exhibits distinct nonlinear characteristics. The maximum performance variation rate does not appear under the condition with the largest number of hail pits. Instead, it peaks at ten pits, and the maximum lift–drag ratio variation rate reaches 33.7% at the transonic Mach number of 1.3. As the number of pits continues to increase, the extent of aerodynamic performance variation does not intensify concurrently but enters a slowly growing plateau stage. Simulation results reveal that intense flow separation and consequent drastic variation in aerodynamic performance are observed for airfoils with sparse hail pits under transonic conditions. As the number of pits increases, densely distributed pits restrain severe flow separation and drive aerodynamic performance degradation toward saturation, and the relevant mechanism is tentatively attributed to surface roughening and flow turbulization effects. As a parametric engineering CFD study, the present findings can serve as preliminary engineering references for similar parametric CFD analyses, as well as for aircraft release assessment and pilot operational decision-making when in-flight hail damage occurs. Full article

Against the backdrop of global climate change and the “dual carbon” goals, the issue of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions has garnered increasing attention. As a major grain and oilseed crop in China, carbon emissions from soybean production have a significant impact on the green and low-carbon development of agriculture. Although research on agricultural carbon footprints has grown in recent years, existing studies have largely focused on single regions or specific stages of crop production, and analyses of the carbon footprint of production systems in China’s major soybean-producing regions remain relatively limited. This study employs the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to calculate and analyze the carbon footprint of soybean production systems across China’s 10 major soybean-producing provinces, utilizing agricultural input data from 2014 to 2023. The study establishes a carbon footprint accounting system based on two key aspects: carbon emissions from agricultural inputs and soil N₂O emissions. It further analyzes the temporal trends, regional variations, and contribution characteristics of each component within the carbon footprint. The results indicate that the average carbon footprint of soybean production in China is approximately 528 kg CO₂eq/ha (ranging from 273 to 855) and 0.25 CO₂eq/kg of soybean (ranging from 0.13 to 0.46). Specifically, the carbon footprint per unit of area and yield declined simultaneously, indicating a continuous improvement in the low-carbon efficiency of soybean production. Spatially, there are significant regional differences in the carbon footprint of soybean production. Henan, Anhui, and Inner Mongolia have relatively low carbon footprints, while Shaanxi and Shanxi have relatively high levels. In terms of composition, chemical fertilizer inputs and soil N₂O emissions are the primary sources of the carbon footprint in soybean production, with chemical fertilizer inputs being the largest source, accounting for approximately 40–60%, and soil N₂O emissions being the second major source. Overall, differences among regions in natural conditions, agricultural input structures, and production methods result in distinct regional characteristics in the carbon footprint composition. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for the low-carbon transition of China’s soybean production system and serve as a reference for the formulation of policies related to green agricultural development. Full article

To clarify the effects of pond excavation and field elevation combined with biochar application on soil improvement and maize growth in cold-soaked fields in northern China, a two-year field experiment was conducted using maize as the test crop under five biochar application rates: 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, and 30 t/ha. The effects of biochar application on soil water characteristics, maize root development, plant growth, and yield formation were investigated. The results showed that, under the pond excavation and field elevation treatment, the application of 22.5 t/ha biochar (B3) achieved the best overall improvement effect and significantly improved soil moisture conditions. At the heading stage, the soil water content in the 0–90 cm soil layer under the B3 treatment increased by 6.18% and 27.72% in the two experimental years, respectively, compared with the 0 t/ha biochar treatment (B0). In 2025, compared with the B0 treatment, root length density, root surface area density, and root volume density under the B3 treatment increased by 38.56%, 109.31%, and 65.35%, respectively, while the average diameter of maize fine roots decreased by 8.50%. Meanwhile, the leaf area index, plant height, stem diameter, kernels per ear, 100-kernel weight, and maize yield were all significantly increased, with grain yield reaching 13,991.10 kg/ha in 2025. Correlation analysis showed that the biochar application rate was significantly positively correlated with maize plant height, stem diameter, leaf area index, root morphological traits, and grain yield, indicating that biochar application promoted maize growth and yield by optimizing canopy structure and root architecture. These results demonstrate that pond excavation and field elevation combined with an appropriate biochar application rate can effectively improve cold-soaked fields in northern China and achieve stable and high maize yields, thereby providing technical support for the management of medium- and low-yield farmlands. Full article

Coal rank exerts a fundamental control on the distribution of elements during density-based separation, yet this influence remains poorly understood. The primary objective of this study is to elucidate how coal rank governs the enrichment and partitioning of major, trace, and rare earth elements (REY) in float–sink products, and to assess the implications for clean coal utilization and critical metal recovery. To achieve this, three Late Paleozoic bituminous coals of different ranks from Shanxi Province, China, were subjected to density fractionation (1.3–1.8 g/cm³) combined with proximate and ultimate analyses, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and coal petrography. The results show that coal rank fundamentally governs element distribution and enrichment patterns. With increasing rank, the dominant inorganic minerals shift from clay minerals to carbonates, leading to pronounced differentiation in elemental affinities. In medium- to high-rank bituminous coals, chalcophile elements (e.g., As, Mo, Tl) associated with sulfides are significantly enriched in high-density fractions, whereas in high-rank bituminous coals, carbonate-related elements (e.g., Sr, Ca, Mg) show marked enrichment. Rare earth elements are primarily hosted in clay and phosphate minerals. Light rare earth elements dominate in medium- to high-rank coals, while middle rare earth elements increase in high-rank coals due to carbonate influence. Density-based separation effectively concentrates hazardous elements (e.g., As, Pb, Cd) in high-density tailings, demonstrating substantial potential for mitigating environmental risks. Meanwhile, critical metals such as lithium (Li), strontium (Sr), and REY are enriched in medium- to high-density products, with Li hosted in clay minerals and Sr strongly enriched in carbonate-rich high-rank coal (up to 1525 μg/g), indicating recoverable resources from coal processing wastes. Full article

Improving highway accessibility to tourist attractions is critical for promoting social sustainability and reducing regional disparities in tourism development. However, existing accessibility optimization often ignores the resource scarcity of tourist attractions and lacks fairness considerations, leading to biased investment allocation and perpetuating such disparities. Here, this study introduces a TF-IDF-based scarcity measure of tourist attractions and formulates a fairness-oriented optimization model to reduce these spatial disparities. The results of the case study in Shanxi Province show that after applying the scarcity measure, 77 northern and western counties experience increased travel cost, while 40 southern counties see decreases, revealing a pronounced scarcity penalty. The fairness-oriented optimization allocates over 80% of the budget to counties with high-scarcity attractions and reduces the variance of accessibility by 55.8%. At the county level, the investment–accessibility improvement correlation reaches an R² of 0.85, confirming that fairness-driven investment reliably translates into measurable accessibility improvements. In contrast, the weaker OD-pair level correlation (R² = 0.50) confirms that aggregated county-level indicators are more appropriate for assessing the effectiveness of fairness-driven investment. This study quantifies tourism resource scarcity and demonstrates that fairness-driven optimization effectively reduces spatial disparities, laying a foundation for transport infrastructure planning and investment that enhances accessibility and promotes equity in tourist attractions. Full article

Background: As the most lethal neuroendocrine tumor, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) can drive its progression by hijacking neuronal mechanisms. At the core of this neural integration is the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) complex. However, its pan-cancer expression and clinical significance in SCLC remain poorly understood. Methods: We characterized NMDAR transcriptomic profiles across human cancers to develop the NMDAscore, and analyzed three independent European and Asian SCLC cohorts to identify prognostic biomarkers. Furthermore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of GRIN2A and evaluated the efficacy of GluN2 inhibitors. Results: The developed NMDAscore exhibited significant prognostic correlations in ACC, COAD, KIRC, UVM, KIRP, OV, PCPG, UCS, THCA, THYM, HNSC, KICH, LGG, and PAAD. Focusing on the SCLC cohorts, we identified GRIN2A (encoding the GluN2A subunit) as a statistically relevant prognostic biomarker associated with poor survival. Mechanistically, GRIN2A upregulation correlates with the activation of neuro-synaptic signaling, metabolic reprogramming, genomic instability, and an immune-cold microenvironment characterized by CD8⁺ T cell exclusion. Pharmacological inhibition of GluN2 using dizocilpine and the FDA-approved antagonist memantine suppressed SCLC proliferation and tumorigenicity in vitro, in 3D tumor spheroids and in vivo xenograft models. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings establish GRIN2A as a prognostic biomarker, linking synaptic hijacking, metabolic plasticity, immune evasion, and drug resistance, and identify the therapeutic potentials of the GluN2 inhibitors dizocilpine and memantine for SCLC. Full article