Reductive Catalytic Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass: A New Promising Method of its Integrated Processing

The review discusses the results of recent studies in the promising field of integrated processing of lignocellulosic biomass – the reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF). The effect of catalysts, cocatalysts, solvents, hydrogen sources and features of lignocellulosic feedstock on the selectivity of monomeric products formation from lignin is considered. RCF processes are performed mostly with the heterogeneous catalysts, which allow implementing the reductive depolymerization of lignin to obtain low-molecular compounds and preserve carbohydrate components of biomass. Among the studied catalysts based on platinum group metals and transition metals, the highest activity is observed for the catalysts containing Pd, Pt, Ru and Ni. Features of the metal also affect the composition of the resulting products. Thus, ruthenium catalysts make it possible to obtain 4-propylguaiacol as the main product, while Ni and Pd – 4-propanolguaiacol. Mo-containing catalysts, owing to their lower hydrogenating activity, can be used to obtain monolignols or their etherified derivatives with the preservation of carbohydrate components of lignocellulosic biomass. However, most efficient in RCF processes are the bifunctional catalysts, which have both the acidic and metallic active sites. Acidic sites promote the cleavage of the ether β-O-4 bonds, whereas metallic sites – the reduction of the formed intermediate compounds. An important aspect of choosing the appropriate catalysts for RCF process is the possibility of their repeated application. The use of a ferromagnetic catalyst or a catalyst basket allows separating the catalyst from the products.

Commercializing-based Rural Poverty Alleviation Model (CBRPA Model) and Internal Cycle Growth

This paper explores and brings forth a persistent resilient self-motivated or self-growth-driven rural poverty alleviation model based on the commercializing-based rural poverty alleviation (CBRPA) model. The CBRPA model encompasses systems or mechanisms of integrated contract farming, regional integrated processing, and agricultural association. Although China has made brilliant achievements in rural poverty alleviation since opening-up in 1978, it still lacks a self-growth-driven rural poverty alleviation system or mechanism. Thus, this paper discusses the rural poverty alleviation achievements and policies of China. It explores various solutions, formulates proper structure, and proposes a CBRPA model. Implementation of the CBRPA model requires the establishment of the agricultural association, integrated contract farming companies (ICFCs), and regional integrated processing companies (RIPCs). The paper also discussed the importance and contribution of rural poverty alleviation to economic growth as well as China’s major economic strategy of double cycle growth. As the CBRPA Model generates a self-growth-driven rural poverty alleviation pattern that is implemented all over the country, it makes an important strategy for internal cycle growth to mutually facilitate external cycle growth.

Correction to: Integrated processing of ground- and space-based GPS observations: improving GPS satellite orbits observed with sparse ground networks

The article Integrated processing of ground- and space-based GPS observations: improving GPS satellite orbits observed with sparse ground networks, written by Wen Huang, Benjamin Männel, Pierre Sakic, Maorong Ge & Harald Schuh was originally published electronically on the publisher’s internet portal on [10 October 2020] without open access.

INTEGRATING MULTIBAND PHOTOGRAMMETRY, SCANNING, AND GPR FOR BUILT HERITAGE SURVEYS: THE FAÇADES OF CASTELLO DEL VALENTINO

The conservation of built heritage is a complex process that necessitates co-operative efforts. Holistic, integrated documentation constitutes a crucial step towards conservation by contributing to diagnosis and by extension to the effective decision-making about the required preventive and restorative interventions. It involves the recording of interdisciplinary data to produce objective diagnostical conclusions concerning the state of preservation. Although the developments in close-range sensing techniques allow increasingly accurate and rich data recording for heritage building condition surveys, the problem of combining them (to allow integrated processing) often remains unsolved. This is particularly true when surveys include vastly heterogenous documentation data. This work aims to discuss methodologies and implications of such integrations through a monumental heritage survey case – the Castello del Valentino in Turin (Italy). Visible-spectrum and infrared imagery is combined with photogrammetric techniques, terrestrial LiDAR, and microwave measurements conducted on the historical façades’ surfaces, to examine the comprehensiveness of the data fusion results, as well as conclusions that can be drawn regarding previous interventions and the current condition of the monument.

HOW TECHNOLOGICAL MINERALOGY CAN SOLVE PROBLEMS OF INTEGRATED PROCESSING OF MINERAL RAW

The development of mineral resources of solid mineral resources goes mainly together with problems because of natural factors, which determines current position of modern technological mineralogy. We paid particular attention to problems of mineralogical study of refractory ores of natural and technogenic genesis, associated with technical, technological and economic factors. We showed that many provisions of “Strategy for the development of Russian industry for the processing, utilization and disposal of industrial and consumer wastes for the period up to 2030” are related to the field of technological mineralogy. Intensive development and improvement of physical methods of mineralogical analysis resulted in need for their metrological support. Creation of a strict metrological basis for quality control of mineralogical works ensures the reliability of results of performed researches. The formation of new methods and techniques, both research tools and technologies for studying the composition, structure and properties of solid minerals, contribute to understanding interrelationships of mineral phases and resulting spatial and temporal patterns of coexistence of minerals in rocks, ores and other natural and technogenic formations. We considered achievements, problems and prospects for the development of technological mineralogy, an algorithm for the application of its methods and approaches in the management of complex processing of mineral raw. The main emphasis is placed on the development of scientific and methodological prerequisites for solving problem of rational development of mineral raw, the maximum possible extraction and integrated use of all minerals (both main and accompanying), expansion and strengthening of the mineral resource base in the light of the global challenges of the economic and environmental doctrines of modern civilization. The studies of complex mineral systems increasingly use information technologies “big data”. For the best solution of complex tasks of geological and technological mapping and mineragenic research, methods of remote sensing using the Landsat program are becoming popular. We emphasized importance of interactive forms and methods of teaching mineralogical research for specialists from organizations of different departmental affiliation.