Abstract This study was aimed at explanation of evolution process of bound phenolics from IDF through structural modifications after alkaline hydrolysis along with free phenolics and functional characteristics. SEM results depicted that IDF with bound phenolics exhibited denser, more compact and tubular shape whereas, the surface features of alkali-hydrolyzed residue exhibited clear fragmentation, wrinkling and porosity on outside surfaces. Microstructure changes due to alkaline hydrolysis caused disintegration of linkages among hemicellulose and cellulose microfibers. As evident from the FTIR spectra, both IDF samples (with phenolic) and alkali-soluble residue (IDF without phenolics) exhibited resemblance in FTIR spectral features and characteristics bonds. Overall, the peak positions of IDF samples and alkali-hydrolyzed residue did not show any significant change, which was indicative of the fact that no major alterations were occurred in crystalline structures of IDF due to alkali-hydrolysis treatment. IDF-bound phenolic complexes showed the highest TPC, ABTS and FRAP than SDF. In IDF alkaline extracts, total 6 phenolic compounds were detected through HPLC. The identified phenolic compounds were as; salicylic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, epigallocatechin, p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid. These results demonstrated that higher antioxidant activity of dietary fiber would be related to bound phenolics.

Abstract The numerical modelling for dynamic impact testing of end-anchored rockbolt is established in this paper. The dynamic response of rockbolt under impact loading condition is investigated considering the effects of different impact energy levels, anchoring length, bolt diameter, and material type. The results show that the stress characteristics of the anchoring section in end-anchored rockbolt could be divided into three stages with the impact time: impact initial stage, impact middle stage and impact final stage. The elongation of the rockbolt increases by about 30 mm for every 5kJ increase in impact energy. When the impact energy level increases, the energy absorption rate and maximum plastic strain both increase significantly. The impact energy is mainly dissipated by the plastic deformation of the free section and debonding section of end-anchored rockbolt. The free section plays a buffer role through its elastic deformation when the rockbolt is subjected to impact loading. It is remarkable that the energy absorption rate and anti-impact performance of the end-anchored rockbolt can be improved by increasing the bolt diameter and the bolt material strength.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the impact of Ramipril (RAM) on the expressions of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and renal mesangial matrix (RMM) in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: The Sprague Dawley rats were divided into normal control (NC) group (n = 12), DN group (n = 11), and DN+RAM group (n = 12). The ratio of renal weight to body weight (RBT), fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, 24-h urine protein (TPU), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), renal pathological changes, the levels of IGF-1, fibronectin (FN), type IV collagen (Col-IV), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 were compared among the groups. Results: Compared with NC group, the RBT, FBG, HbA1c, TPU, BUN, Cr, and RMM in DN group were significantly increased (P < 0.05), the IGF-1, FN, and Col-IV were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05), while MMP was significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). Compared with DN group, the indexes except for the FBG and HbA1c in DN+RAM group were significantly improved (P < 0.05), among which IGF-1 exhibited significant positive correlation with TPU(r=0.937), FN(r=0.896) and Col-IV(r=0.871), while significant negative correlation with MMP-2 (r=-0.826) (P<0.05). Conclusion: RAM may protect the kidneys by suppressing IGF-1 and mitigating the accumulation of RMM.

Porous asphalt pavements have been used as an effective technique to overcome road runoff challenges, and to improve efficiency of rainwater utilisation in urban areas. Using porous asphalt pavements with reservoir storage and harvesting facilities is an important consideration for the future. This study monitored changes in water quality indicators, such as pH, conductivity, and concentrations of lead and zinc, for water stored in porous asphalt pavement models with basalt-, limestone- and 'basalt+limestone'-filled reservoir structures. The research discusses findings over a 696-h storage period following artificial rainfall. Total lead and zinc concentrations were remarkably reduced throughout the initial flush, showing, on average, reductions of 90% and 80.5%, respectively. This pattern was consistent throughout the storage period, producing average reductions in lead and zinc of 99.98% and 79%, respectively, over 696 h. Conductivity and pH levels increased in all pavement models after the 696-h storage. The results obtained confirmed the potential of using porous asphalt pavements with reservoir structures to remove heavy metals from road runoff. This can be applied to future research on the removal mechanisms of porous asphalt pavements in relation to heavy metals in road runoff.