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Traditional methods of producing Xiaochaihu (XCH) capsules, a traditional Chinese medicine, are time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive, which is not conductive to modernizing TCM. To address the challenges, new fluid-bed granulation and drying processes with water as the binder were developed and optimized guided by the principles of Quality by Design (QbD) in this study. Ishikawa diagram was applied to conduct a preliminary risk assessment, followed by 6-factor definitive screening design (DSD) serving as a QbD statistical tool to develop and optimize the new processes. Multiple potential factors and interactions were studied with a small number of experiments using the DSD. This study identified critical process parameters (CPPs), established quadratic regression models to reveal CPP-critical quality attributes (CQAs) connections within the DSD framework, and defined a dependable design space. Processes conducted by parameter combinations in the design space produced qualified granules with production yield and raw material utilization higher than 90% and moisture content lower than 4%. Furthermore, quantitative analysis of baicalin of all the granules ensured qualified contents of active pharmaceutical ingredient. The newly developed processes for XCH capsules, with advantages of shorter time, environmental friendliness, and decreased cost, exemplify the effective application of QbD and design of experiments (DoE) methodologies in the modernization of TCM manufacturing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research interest in plant essential oils has increased significantly due to their natural properties and consumer demand for safer methods of food preservation. Plants produce large amounts of secondary metabolites, which have potential activity against fungal pathogens. This study aimed at screening essential oils for their antifungal effects on citrus against Penicillium digitatum, morphological effect and finally determine which essential oils are the most effective. Results: The EC50 of seven selected cinnamon (0.424 μL/mL), patchouli (0.513 μL/mL), vetiver (0.612 μL/mL), dill (1.597 μL/mL), origanum (1.971 μL/mL) and ylang (2.214 μL/mL) was determined. In addition, cinnamon substantially reduced sporulation (100%) followed by patchouli (86.02%), vetiver (82.73%), and chamomile (79.04%), respectively. Our GC–MS result determined variance in concentration of essential oils compound composition. The total compound composition in all seven essential oils > 1% was found to be 3 in cinnamon, 5 in dill, 10 in origanum, 13 in ylang, 11 in patchouli, 9 in chamomile and 16 in vetiver. Addition of essential oils significantly altered fungal morphology by scanning electron cryomicroscopy. Patchouli and origanum showed broken hyphae while there was an indication of severe deformation and collapse of spores in cinnamon and chamomile. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we report that these essential oils could potentially be applicable in controlling P. digitatum with reduced concern for human health, environmental contamination and possibly replacement of synthetic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the increased frequency of extreme weather, landslides induced by extremely heavy rainfall pose a major threat to human lives and property safety. In July 2020, a landslide occurred in the strongly weathered Laoshan Scenic Spot in Qingdao, China, and a short period of heavy rainfall was the main factor inducing the landslide. Method: Based on the similarity criterion, three groups of laboratory model tests under different extreme rainfall conditions were conducted using a large landslide model test box. The rainfall infiltration responses under different rainfall intensities, deformation processes, and failure modes of the slope were analyzed. The inducing mechanism and rainfall disaster process of granite landslides induced by extreme rainfall in strongly weathered areas were summarized. Result: The results showed that (1) a completely weathered granite landslide induced by rainfall had four stages, i.e., infiltration erosion, surface deformation, damage deepening, and overall instability, and the landslide was characterized by "sheet slip". (2) With greater rainfall intensities, the rainfall infiltration rate was higher, the changes in soil pressure, pore water pressure, water content, and matrix suction were faster, and the hysteresis effect was weaker. (3) A certain spatial distribution pattern was observed between slope deformation/damage and rainfall infiltration, and the research results could provide references for landslide warning and treatment in strongly weathered granite areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essential oil (EO) of Thymus serpyllum and thymol were evaluated for their insecticidal activity against the housefly (Musca domestica) larvae and pupae. Contact toxicity and fumigation bioassays were used. Chemical composition analysis of T. serpyllum EO by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that thymol (41.6%), p-cymene (21.9%), and γ-terpinene (19.2%) were the major components. For larval assays, the LC50 value of T. serpyllum EO was 0.4 μl/cm2 for contact toxicity and 20.9 μl/l for fumigation toxicity. For thymol, the contact toxicity LC50 value was 0.035 μl/cm2 and the fumigation LC50 value was 2.0 μl/l. For the pupal assay, T. serpyllum EO had a percentage inhibition rate (PIR) value of 100% for both contact toxicity (1.0 μl/cm2) and fumigation toxicity assay (25 μl/l), whereas thymol had a PIR of 100% for contact toxicity (0.1 μl/cm2) and fumigation assay (5 μl/l). This study shows that T. serpyllum EO and thymol are toxic to housefly larvae and pupae and have the potential for use in the population control of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plutella xylostella L. is a cosmopolitan pest of wild and cultivated crucifer vegetables worldwide. It has developed resistance to almost all commercial chemicals, making them one of the most problematic field pests in China. The natural plant extracts and essential oils (EOs) could be a safe alternative for agricultural pests. The development and production of EOs decrease the negative effects of synthetic chemicals. In the present study, the fumigation activity of 8 pure monoterpenes against P. xylostella was evaluated. Results from fumigation tests revealed that 8 tested compounds exhibited various degrees of toxicity against adults of the diamondback moth. Cuminaldehyde was the most toxic compound based on the 12-h LC50 (0.17 mg/L) and 24-h LC50 (0.12 mg/L) values, respectively. Also for larvae and eggs, cuminaldehyde was the most toxic compound. The 12-h LC50 value for cuminaldehyde to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd instar larvae was 0.10 mg/L, 0.12 mg/L, and 0.55 mg/L, respectively. The 24-h LC50 value for the different instar larvae was 0.07 mg/L, 0.09 mg/L, and 0.35 mg/L, respectively. The 24-h LC50 value for eggs (endpoint hatching rate) was 1.95 mg/L for cuminaldehyde, followed by carvacrol and eugenol (2.05 mg/L and 2.31 mg/L, respectively). Cuminaldehyde was very friendly to the larvae and adults of Harmonia axyridis and did not cause any mortality. Our results indicated that cuminaldehyde had potential insecticidal activity against P. xylostella and could be utilized in the novel biological pesticide development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity of Origanum vulgare essential oil to the housefly Musca domestica L. was evaluated. The major constituents of the O. vulgare essential oil by gas chromatographic mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis were carvacrol (58.13%), p-cymene (17.85%), thymol (8.15%), γ-terpinene (4.96%), and linalool (3.69%). Toxicity of O. vulgare essential oil against larvae and pupae was evaluated using fumigation and contact assays. The contact toxicity (LC50) of O. vulgare essential oil and carvacrol for larvae was 0.23 and 0.03 μL/cm2, respectively. The fumigation toxicity (LC50) of O. vulgare essential oil and carvacrol for larvae was 9.52 and 2.78 μL/L, respectively. Pupal toxicity was evaluated by percentage inhibition rate (PIR). PIR of O. vulgare essential oil at 0.25 μL/cm2 was 90.9% for the contact assay and 100% at 20 μL/L for the fumigation assay. PIR of carvacrol was 29.5% (0.025 μL/cm2) and 81.8% (1.25 μL/L) for the contact toxicity and fumigation assay, respectively. O. vulgare essential oil and carvacrol have significant toxicity to the housefly and are potential insecticides for housefly control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of natural plant extracts and essential oils will help to decrease the negative effects of synthetic chemicals. In the present study, the antifungal activity of individual and combined monoterpenes against Rhizopus stolonifer and Absidia coerulea was evaluated. The results from antifungal tests showed that eugenol, carvacrol, and isoeugenol, among all the tested compounds, exhibited strong antifungal activity against the two tested fungi. Furthermore, carvacrol exhibited the most toxic effects against R. stolonifer and A. coerulea, and the IC50 values of carvacrol for the two fungi were 44.94 μg/ml and 50.83 μg/ml, respectively. The compounds (±)-menthol, b-citronellol, geraniol, 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol, citral, and cuminaldehyde had only strong antifungal activity against R. stolonifer. In addition, the value of the synergistic co-efficient (SR) of a combination of isoeugenol and eugenol (1:1) showed an additive effect against R. stolonifer. The combination of isoeugenol and cuminaldehyde (1:1) showed an antagonistic effect against A. coerulea. Our results indicated that carvacrol and isoeugenol had potential antifungal effects against the two tested fungi and could be utilized in novel biological fungicide development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on direct limits and inverse limits in the category with generalized pseudo-effect algebras (GPEAs for short) as objects and GPEA-morphisms as morphisms. We show that direct limits exist in the category of GPEAs and direct limits of GPEAs satisfy the Riesz decomposition properties whenever the directed systems of GPEAs satisfy the Riesz decomposition properties. Then, we give a condition under which the quotient of a direct limit of GPEAs is a direct limit of quotients of GPEAs. Moreover, we prove that if inverse systems of GPEAs satisfy the Riesz decomposition properties, then inverse limits also satisfy the Riesz decomposition properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural question about the sum of observables on σ-complete MV-effect algebras, which was recently defined by A. Dvurečenskij, is how it affects spectra of observables, particularly, their extremal points. We describe boundaries for extremal points of the spectrum of the sum of observables in a general case, and we give necessary and sufficient conditions under which the spectrum attains these boundary values. Moreover, we show that every bounded observable x on a complete MV-effect algebra E can be decomposed into the sum x=x~+x′, where x~ is the greatest sharp observable less than x and x′ is a meager and extremally non-invertible observable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of natural plant extracts and essential oils will assist to decrease the negative effects of synthetic chemicals. Many plant extracts and essential oils contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and aliphatic compounds. In the present study, the fumigation activity of 42 pure monoterpenes against housefly, Musca domestica, was evaluated. Results from fumigation tests revealed that ρ-cymene, terpinolene, (±)-menthol, thymol, carvacrol, (−)-carvone, (+)-camphor, (+)-pulegone, (−)-menthone, citral, (±)-citronellal, cuminaldehyde, and citronellyl acetate exhibited strong fumigation activity against M. domestica. Specifically, the compounds of (+)-pulegone, cuminaldehyde, citral, and ρ-cymene had a highest toxicity toward M. domestica with LC values of 0.26, 0.60, 0.64, and 0.77 μl/L, respectively. The present results indicated that (+)-pulegone, cuminaldehyde, citral, and ρ-cymene are promising toxicants against M. domestica and could be useful in the search for new natural insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the unitizations of symmetric-generalized pseudo-effect algebras, we investigate the relationships between the maximal compatible sets in a prelattice symmetric-generalized pseudo-effect algebra and the maximal compatible sets in its unitization. We also prove that a symmetric-generalized pseudo-effect algebra is a symmetric-generalized pseudo MV-effect algebra if and only if its unitization is a symmetric pseudo MV-effect algebra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One kind of generalized measures called quantum measures on finite effect algebras, which fulfil the grade-2 additive sum rule, is considered. One basis of vector space of quantum measures on a finite effect algebra with the Riesz decomposition property (RDP for short) is given. It is proved that any diagonally positive symmetric signed measure $$\lambda $$ on the tensor product $$E\otimes E$$ can determine a quantum measure $$\mu $$ on a finite effect algebra $$E$$ with the RDP such that $$\mu (x)=\lambda (x\otimes x)$$ for any $$x\in E$$ . Furthermore, some conditions for a grade-2 additive measure $$\mu $$ on a finite effect algebra $$E$$ are provided to guarantee that there exists a unique diagonally positive symmetric signed measure $$\lambda $$ on $$E\otimes E$$ such that $$\mu (x)=\lambda (x\otimes x)$$ for any $$x\in E$$ . At last, it is showed that any grade- $$t$$ quantum measure on a finite effect algebra $$E$$ with the RDP is essentially established by the values on a subset of $$E$$ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An n-perfect pseudo effect algebra means that it can be decomposed into n+1 comparable slices. We show that such a pseudo effect algebra satisfying a Riesz Decomposition Property type corresponds to the lexicographic product of a cyclic group $\frac{1}{n}\mathbb{Z}$ with some po-group. The analogous result will be proved for strong $\mathbb{Q}$-perfect pseudo effect algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give sufficient and necessary conditions to guarantee that a pseudo-effect algebra admits an ( n + 1)-valued discrete state. We introduce n-perfect pseudo-effect algebras as algebras which can be split into n + 1 comparable slices. We prove that the category of strong n-perfect pseudo-effect algebras is categorically equivalent to the category of torsion-free directed partially ordered groups of a special type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the properties of the super quantum measures are studied. Firstly, the products of Dirac measures are discussed; Secondly, based on the properties of Dirac measures, the structures of super quantum measures are characterized; At last, we prove that any super quantum measure can determine a unique diagonally positive strongly symmetric signed measure. This result verifies the conjecture which was proposed by Gudder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of E-perfect effect algebras is introduced, and their structure is studied. We study the lexicographical product of an effect algebra with any upwards directed partially ordered Abelian group, and we show that every E-perfect effect algebra is isomorphic with such a kind of the lexicographical product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the relationships between effect algebras with the Riesz Decomposition Property and partially ordered groups with interpolation. We show that any σ-orthocomplete atomic effect algebra with the Riesz Decomposition Property is an MV-effect algebras, and we apply this result for pseudo-effect algebras and for states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

noncommutative generalizations of effect algebras, we introduce weak commutative pseudoeffect algebras. In this paper, we prove that the generalized pseudoeffect algebras can be unitized if and only if they are weak commutative. Then we discuss the relationships between weak commutative pseudoeffect algebras and weak commutative generalized pseudoeffect algebras. We prove that the category of weak commutative pseudoeffect algebras is a reflective subcategory of weak commutative generalized pseudoeffect algebras. Similarly, we introduce weak commutative pseudodifference posets and show the relationships between weak commutative pseudoeffect algebras and weak commutative pseudodifference posets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]