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Background: Despite the efficacy of absolute ethanol (EtOH), its radiolucency introduces several risks in interventional therapy for treating vascular malformations. This study aims to develop a novel radiopaque ethanol injection (REI) to address this issue. Methods: Iopromide is mixed with ethanol to achieve radiopacity and improve the physicochemical properties of the solution. Overall, 82 male New Zealand white rabbits are selected for in vivo radiopacity testing, peripheral vein sclerosis [animals were divided into the following 5 groups (n = 6): negative control (NC, saline, 0.250 ml/kg), positive control (EtOH, 0.250 ml/kg), low-dose REI (L-D REI, 0.125 ml/kg), moderate-dose REI (M-D REI, 0.250 ml/kg), and high-dose REI (H-D REI 0.375 ml/kg)], pharmacokinetic analyses (the blood sample was harvested before injection, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min, 40 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 8 h after injection in peripheral vein sclerosis experiment), peripheral artery embolization [animals were divided into the following 5 groups (n = 3): NC (saline, 0.250 ml/kg), positive control (EtOH, 0.250 ml/kg), L-D REI (0.125 ml/kg), M-D REI (0.250 ml/kg), and H-D REI (0.375 ml/kg)], kidney transcatheter arterial embolization [animals were divided into the following 4 groups (n = 3): positive control (EtOH, 0.250 ml/kg), L-D REI (0.125 ml/kg), M-D REI (0.250 ml/kg), and H-D REI (0.375 ml/kg); each healthy kidney was injected with saline as negative control], and biosafety evaluations [animals were divided into the following 5 groups (n = 3): NC (0.250 ml/kg), high-dose EtOH (0.375 ml/kg), L-D REI (0.125 ml/kg), M-D REI (0.250 ml/kg), and H-D REI (0.375 ml/kg)]. Then, a prospective cohort study involving 6 patients with peripheral venous malformations (VMs) is performed to explore the clinical safety and effectiveness of REI. From Jun 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023, 6 patients [age: (33.3 ± 17.2) years] with lingual VMs received sclerotherapy of REI and 2-month follow-up. Adverse events and serious adverse events were evaluated, whereas the efficacy of REI was determined by both the traceability of the REI under DSA throughout the entire injection and the therapeutic effect 2 months after a single injection. Results: The REI contains 81.4% ethanol (v/v) and 111.3 mg/ml iodine, which can be traced throughout the injection in the animals and patients. The REI also exerts a similar effect as EtOH on peripheral venous sclerosis, peripheral arterial embolization, and renal embolization. Furthermore, the REI can be metabolized at a similar rate compared to EtOH and Ultravist® and did not cause injury to the animals' heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys and brain. No REI-related adverse effects have occurred during sclerotherapy of VMs, and 4/6 patients (66.7%) have achieved complete response at follow-up. Conclusion: In conclusion, REI is safe, exerts therapeutic effects, and compensates for the radiolucency of EtOH in treating VMs. Trial registration: The clinical trial was registered as No. ChiCTR2300071751 on May 24 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low temperatures during flowering severely affect crop growth and yield. Methods: This experiment was conducted under potted conditions with LXD 4 and TJH as test materials and pre-sprayed with exogenous ABA at a concentration of 20 mg·L-1 at flowering stage, respectively and then with an average of 15℃ condition for 5 days. Result: The results showed that foliar spraying exogenous ABA effectively inhibited the increase of MDA content and relatively significantly improved the photosynthetic parameters such as Gs and Tr and alleviated the loss of yield factors caused by chilling stress. Compared with spraying water, spraying exogenous ABA can significantly increase the yield per pot of LXD 4 by 6.72~17.77% and TJH by 6.41~37.04% under low temperature conditions. In summary, foliar spraying exogenous ABA ameliorated the effects of chilling stress on the physiological characteristics of adzuki bean leaves and improved yield as a result of improved antioxidant defense mechanisms which impeded lipid peroxidation. Thus, we conclude that foliar spraying exogenous ABA could decelerate the damages caused by chilling stress to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest ovules in the Late Devonian (Famennian) are surrounded by a cupule that is involved in both protection and pollination, and generally have free integumentary lobes. Here we report a new taxon from the Famennian of China, Guazia dongzhiensis gen. et sp. nov. The terminally borne ovule is apparently acupulate (without cupule) and has four radially arranged wing-like integumentary lobes that are extensively fused, and folded lengthwise and inwards. Guazia provides evidence that not all Devonian seeds possess a cupule and it increases their diversity in integumentary lobes. This genus also suggests that the integuments develop new functions, probably including wind dispersal at the expense of the cupules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expansion of the scale of coal mining, the safety problems caused by the reburning of coal are becoming more and more serious. In this paper, the pyrolysis characteristics of gas coal and the exothermic characteristics of reoxidation of residues were studied by using a synchronous thermal analyzer. The functional groups of pyrolysis residues were tested, and the group content and characteristic structural parameters were calculated based on quantum chemistry method. The results show that with the increase of pyrolysis temperature, Volatile maximum separation rate (Vmax) and the change in the residual weight of the coal sample (ΔWvp) increase. The increase of temperature will lead to the decrease of hydroxyl and aliphatic hydrocarbon content in coal, and the increase of aromatic hydrocarbon. With the deepening of pyrolysis, the ignition point temperature of coal samples decreases first and then rises, the combustion intensity and combustion concentration are strengthened. The pyrolysis results show that 462.8°C is the critical temperature for the transition during pyrolysis. The ignition point of the residue is less affected by the pyrolysis conditions, and the ignition temperature of the raw coal and the pyrolysis residue varies within 330.57°C–334.98°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The three‐phase foam consisted of solid, liquid and gas is regarded as a highly effective measure for the underground mine fire prevention. In this study, the three‐phase foam technology is introduced and a visualization platform is established to exhibit the foam flow in a physical goaf. The diffusion rule and extinguishing performance for three‐phase foam are researched. Test results show that the three‐phase foam has a superior heat resistance than expansion foam in the top goaf. The coal heating rate is postponed after the three‐phase foam processing and the active functional groups are suppressed effectively. Increasing the foam expansion ratio is adverse to the three‐phase foam stability. The field application of three‐phase foam was evaluated via the practical extinguishment effect. The marked reduction in the sealed zone temperature and CO concentration proved that the proposed three‐phase foam technology was effective on controlling the concealed goaf fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]