Influence of coupled effect among flaw parameters on strength characteristic of precracked specimen: Application of response surface methodology and fractal method

Hydraulic slotting is an effective method for enhanced coalbed methane (ECBM) recovery, and it has been widely employed in China. Although there have been many studies of this technique, the influence of slot parameters on the strength characteristic of the coal, which is an important factor that affects the permeability enhancement effect, has rarely been studied. Thus, only limited information is available regarding the pressure relief and permeability enhancement mechanisms of this technique. In the current study, the influence of flaw parameters on the compressive strength of a precracked sample under biaxial compression is discussed. The results indicate that an increase in the flaw length and width has a negative effect on the compressive strength, whereas an increase in the flaw inclination angle has a positive effect on the compressive strength. The results of the response surface methodology (RSM) indicate that the interactions among the flaw parameters have a significant influence on the compressive strength. The propagation patterns of cracks are quantified by the fractal dimension, which is used to explore the mechanism of compressive strength variation with changes in the flaw parameters. The study results indicate that the variation in the flaw parameters changes the propagation pattern of cracks, resulting in different compressive strengths. In addition, an opposite variation trend of the compressive strength and fractal dimension with flaw parameters is also observed. The research results are expected to guide the field application of hydraulic slotting

Novel integrated techniques of drilling-slotting-separation-sealing for enhanced coal bed methane recovery in underground coal mines

Coal bed Methane (CBM), a primary component of natural gas, is a relatively clean source of energy. Nevertheless, the impact of considerable coal mine methane emission on climate change in China has gained an increasing attention as coal production has powered the country's economic development. It is well-known that coal bed methane is a typical greenhouse gas, the greenhouse effect index of which is 30 times larger than that of carbon dioxide. Besides, gas disasters such as gas explosive and outburst, etc. pose a great threat to the safety of miners. Therefore, measures must be taken to capture coal mine methane before mining. This helps to enhance safety during mining and extract an environmentally friendly gas as well. However, as a majority of coal seams in China have low-permeability, it is difficult to achieve efficient methane drainage. Enhancing coal permeability is a good choice for high-efficiency drainage of coal mine methane. In this paper, a modified coal-methane co-exploitation model was established and a combination of drilling–slotting-separation–sealing was proposed to enhance coal permeability and CBM recovery. Firstly, rapid drilling assisted by water-jet and significant permeability enhancement via pressure relief were investigated, guiding the fracture network formation around borehole for high efficient gas flow. Secondly, based on the principle of swirl separation, the coal–water–gas separation instrument was developed to eliminate the risk of gas accumulation during slotting and reduce the gas emission from the ventilation air. Thirdly, to improve the performance of sealing material, we developed a novel cement-based composite sealing material based on the microcapsule technique. Additionally, a novel sealing–isolation combination technique was also proposed. Results of field test indicate that gas concentration in slotted boreholes is 1.05–1.91 times higher than that in conventional boreholes. Thus, the proposed novel integrated techniques achieve the goal of high-efficiency coal bed methane recovery

Variation in the Pore Structure of Coal after Hydraulic Slotting and Gas Drainage

The integration of hydraulic slotting and gas drainage techniques has become a mainstream technique for enhancing permeability in coal seams with low permeability. However, the mechanism of action of this process is unclear. In this paper, field experiment and laboratory tests are described that aim at elucidating this process. Given the sensitivity and accuracy of test methods and their corresponding determination principles, a combination of mercury intrusion porosimetry and nitrogen gas adsorption was proposed as a complementary technique and the pore-size distribution (PSD) was obtained. It is shown that the proportion of minipores decreases remarkably, whereas that of the macropores gradually increases with the decrease in the distance from the slotted borehole. By contrast, the mesopores and micropores present insignificant changes. Meanwhile, the adsorption pore and the seepage pore show a similar variation in tendency with the minipores and macropores, respectively. Moreover, the specific surface area decreases substantially with the decrease in borehole distances. The integration of hydraulic slotting and gas drainage can lower the gas-adsorption properties and enhance the gas-seepage capacity within the disturbed zone significantly. The paper highlights the guiding factors for improving the enhanced coal bed methane recovery

Effect of high-voltage thermal breakdown on pore characteristics of coal

High-voltage thermal breakdown has great potential application in permeability enhancement of coal seam. The characteristics of the breakdown channel, coal element, porosity and microscopic coal petrography of coal under high-voltage electric load were experimentally studied. The coal interior left apparent tracks due to electric current burning with high temperature. The percentage of C, O, Al, Fe, and Si had slightly decreased, while the content of element N increased obviously. Low-pressure nitrogen gas adsorption (LP-N2GA) and mercury intrusion analysis showed that coal porosity increased. The increases of micropores and mesopores are beneficial to promotion of the ability of gas storage, and the increase of macropores could enhance the gas seepage and migration. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) show that there are many exogenous fractures in coal, which is also beneficial to gas seepage and migration. The results lay a theoretical foundation for application of high-voltage thermal breakdown in coal mines. Keywords: High-voltage thermal breakdown, Permeability enhancement, Porosity, Fracture, Gas adsorptio

Inhibition of SUV39H1 reduces tumor angiogenesis via Notch1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Targeting tumor angiogenesis is an important approach in advanced tumor therapy. Here we investigated the effect of the suppressor of variegation 3–9 homolog 1 (SUV39H1) on tumor angiogenesis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The GEPIA database was used to analyze the expression of SUV39H1 in various cancer tissues. The expression of SUV39H1 in OSCC was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the correlation between SUV39H1 and Notch1 and microvascular density (MVD) was analyzed. The effect of SUV39H1 inhibition on OSCC was investigated in vivo by chaetocin treatment. The migration and tube formation of vascular endothelial cells by conditioned culture-medium of different treatments of oral squamous cell cells were measured. The transcriptional level of SUV39H1 is elevated in various cancer tissues. The transcription level of SUV39H1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher than that in control. Immunohistochemistry result showed increased SUV39H1 expression in OSCC, which was significantly correlated with T staging. The expression of SUV39H1 was significantly correlated with Notch1 and CD31. In vivo experiment chaetocin treatment significantly inhibit the growth of tumor, and reduce SUV39H1, Notch1, CD31 expression. The decreased expression of SUV39H1 in OSCC cells lead to the decreased expression of Notch1 and VEGF proteins, as well as the decreased migration and tube formation ability of vascular endothelial cells. Inhibition of Notch1 further enhance this effect. Our results suggest inhibition of SUV39H1 may affect angiogenesis by regulating Notch1 expression. This study provides a foundation for SUV39H1 as a potential therapeutic target for OSCC

Preparation of Highly Substituted Sulfated Alfalfa Polysaccharides and Evaluation of Their Biological Activity

Alfalfa polysaccharides (AP) receive wide attention in the field of medicine, because of their anti-inflammatory property. However, AP has high molecular weight and poor water solubility, resulting in low biological activity. We wanted to obtain highly bioactive alfalfa polysaccharides for further research. Herein, we successfully synthesized highly substituted sulfated alfalfa polysaccharides (SAP) via the chlorosulfonic acid (CSA)-pyridine (Pyr) method, which was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Under the best reaction conditions, that is, the reaction temperature, time, and ratio of CSA to Pyr being 55 °C, 2.25 h, and 1.5:1, respectively, the maximum degree of substitution of SAP can reach up to 0.724. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy also confirmed the existence of sulfonic acid groups on SAP. Despite the increased average molecular weight of SAP, its water solubility is improved, which is beneficial for its biological activity. Further in vitro results showed that SAP exhibited better antioxidant activity and antibacterial ability than AP. Besides, the former can efficiently enhance the viability of oxidatively stressed intestinal epithelial cells compared with the latter. Furthermore, SAP has the potential to inhibit obesity. It is concluded that sulfation modification could improve the antioxidant, antibacterial, bovine intestinal epithelial cells’ proliferation-promoting, and the obesity inhibition abilities of AP. The improvement of AP biological activity may provide references for the utilization of plant extracts that have weaker biological activity

Effects of different vegetation types on ecosystem respiration in semiarid Loess Hilly Region, Central Gansu Province, China

The principal channel of carbon export from ecosystems to the atmosphere, and an important connection in carbon exchange between land and atmosphere, is ecosystem respiration (ER). It has a significant impact on the global carbon cycle and the rate of CO2 increase in the atmosphere. The effects of different vegetation types [Medicago sativa grassland (MS); Xanthoceras sorbifolium forestland (XS); Caragana korshinskii bushland (CK); Hippophae rhamnoides shrubland (HR); and Stipa bungeana grassland (SB)] on ecosystem respiration fluxes in Loess Hilly Region (LHR) were studied via the static chamber technique. The results showed that different vegetation types had significant effects on ER fluxes, and the decreasing order of the cumulative fluxes was HR > MS > SB > CK > XS. Throughout the study period, the largest value of ER occurred in the summer and the lowest value occurred in the winter. Temperature (air temperature, soil temperature) and soil moisture were both significantly and positively linked with ER. For the temporal change of ER, the joint effect of soil temperature and moisture was a key regulating factor. The temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration varies greatly between vegetation types and seasons. In the process of LHR vegetation restoration, the ER, carbon sequestration capacity and ecological benefits of different plant types should be considered in order to select the vegetation type that is most conducive to reducing the greenhouse effect