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One of the trends in sustainable economic development is the transition to circular business models, which aim to optimize goods and material flows by taking into account their cyclical nature at all production stages. Adapting circular business models to mining and mineral processing operations can serve as an impetus for mining companies to upgrade and move to a new level of technological sophistication. This article attempts to develop a conceptual framework for circular business models factoring in the nature of production chains in coal mining, power generation, and metal production to reduce production costs, expand the product range, improve sustainable development indicators, and deliver growth in company value. This article is based on desk studies that were aimed at analyzing the efficiency of circular models, organizing data on experience in rational resource use in the mining industry, and transforming basic circular models into adapted ones for the environment in which coal companies operate. This study developed a conceptual framework of options for the implementation and evaluation of circular business models using an interdisciplinary approach and taking into account the specific features of coal companies and the principle of a resource being valuable throughout its whole life cycle. The proposed conceptual framework of circular business models can be used by Russian coal companies to design corporate strategies and long-term development plans.

INTRODUCTION : Household air pollution from domestic solid fuel use remains a global public health concern, particularly in low‑income communities. This study assessed associations between household fuel use, indoor air pollution, and respiratory health outcomes in two Mpumalanga communities in South Africa. METHODS : A cross‑sectional study was conducted in KwaZamokuhle and eMzinoni between July 2019 and February 2020. Indoor PM2‧5 concentrations were measured using Airmetrics MiniVol samplers and TSI DustTrak II monitors. We carried out household surveys, lung function tests and allergen sensitivity testing and performed multivariable logistic regression to assess associations between indoor pollutant exposure and respiratory health outcomes. RESULTS : Indoor and ambient PM2‧5 concentrations in KwaZamokuhle were more than twice as high as those in eMzinoni, exceeding both national standards and WHO Air Quality Guidelines. Coal use for heating was more prevalent in KwaZamokuhle and appeared directly related to elevated PM2‧5 levels. Approximately 9% of participants exhibited signs of obstructive airway disease, and 25% had positive results for allergen sensitisation. Although the associations between PM2‧5 levels, solid fuel use and measured respiratory outcomes did not reach statistical significance, consistent trends in the expected direction were observed, suggesting a potential relationship that warrants longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes. CONCLUSION : These findings suggest complex, possibly nonlinear relationships between indoor air pollution and respiratory health effects. The study underscores the urgent need for a greater use of clean energy alternatives and increased public awareness about the risks of household air pollution in low‑income South African communities.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an eczematous, pruritic skin disorder with extensive barrier dysfunction and elevated interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signatures. The barrier dysfunction correlates with the downregulation of barrier-related molecules such as filaggrin (FLG), loricrin (LOR), and involucrin (IVL). IL-4 and IL-13 potently inhibit the expression of these molecules by activating signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)6 and STAT3. In addition to IL-4 and IL-13, IL-22 and IL-17A are probably involved in the barrier dysfunction by inhibiting the expression of these barrier-related molecules. In contrast, natural or medicinal ligands for aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) are potent upregulators of FLG, LOR, and IVL expression. As IL-4, IL-13, IL-22, and IL-17A are all capable of inducing oxidative stress, antioxidative AHR agonists such as coal tar, glyteer, and tapinarof exert particular therapeutic efficacy for AD. These antioxidative AHR ligands are known to activate an antioxidative transcription factor, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2). This article focuses on the mechanisms by which FLG, LOR, and IVL expression is regulated by IL-4, IL-13, IL-22, and IL-17A. The author also summarizes how AHR and NRF2 dual activators exert their beneficial effects in the treatment of AD.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the economic and environmental effects of increasing indigenous coal share in electricity generation by using extended input–output analysis. The policy scenario is a $1 million increase in demand for investment in the coal mining sector. In order to analyze this policy option, we specifically developed an extended input–output analysis associated with disaggregating the electricity sector into electricity generation transmission and distribution and the mining sector into coal and oil–gas mining. Furthermore, we use a range of key economic and environmental indicators to evaluate the effects of increasing indigenous coal production on these indicators. The results indicate that the $1 million increase in final demand for indigenous coal produces an increase in economic output for all sectors of $1,389,241 and an increase in total greenhouse gases of 229,572 CO2-equivalents (kg CO2-e) as well.

Objective: To assess the association between long-term exposures to smoky coal, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and lung cancer incidence in China. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed on literature searched through Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Weipu, and Wanfang databases. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used to assess the strength of association between air pollution and lung cancer in China. Results: Twenty-eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. Stratification by ETS exposure source, amount, and gender found a variation in effect. The pooled OR (95% CI) for exposure to spousal, parents, and work ETS was 1.153 (1.000-1.329), 2.117 (1.626-2.755), and 1.454 (1.307-1.618), respectively. The OR (95% CI) values related to childhood exposure was 1.297 (1.142-1.473), adulthood exposure 1.102 (0.937-1.296), exposure lower than 20 cigarette/day 1.088 (0.809-1.464), higher than 20 cigarette/day 1.776 (1.392-2.267), male 1.555 (1.304-1.855), female 1.487 (1.265-1.748), and coal use 1.490 (1.330-1.669). Conclusion: The meta-analysis provided evidence that indoor coal use and ETS were significantly associated with lung cancer in China.

This current study seeks to investigate the policy implication of Turkey’s recent energy policies on its sustainable development. This study uses Turkey’s country-specific data and series of 1974 to 2018 for effective investigation and justification of the findings of this study with emphasis on both short-run and long-run implications. Three models were fitted to achieve study objectives to accommodate both environmental sustainability and economic impacts. Ecological footprint was considered better measure and used as proxy for the environment related model. In summary, with environment models, the selected series (per capita GDP, industrialization, agriculture, coal as a single energy use, and mixed energy use) except per capita GDP 2 were found positively and significantly related to ecological footprint in both short run and long run which translates to poor performance of Turkey’s environment. Also, using economic growth model, the selected series (industrialization, energy use, and agriculture) were all confirmed positively and significantly related to the economic growth (per capita GDP). Additionally, environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) was established for Turkey’s environment and economic performance. Furthermore, using Granger causality as robust check to these findings, a nexus was found among the series confirming the validity of the cointegration (short- and long-run policies) estimations and results. In congruence with literature and hypotheses, the results from cointegration estimation shows that the twin polices may be good to the economic performance but will spark off adverse effect on environment.

Background : Topical coal tar is awell known and effective treatment for psoriasis, but the messiness, staining, odor, and inconvenience associated with its use make patient satisfaction and compliance a challenge. Objective : To determine the efficacy, patient tolerability, and cosmetic acceptability of a new topical liquor carbonis distillate (LCD) 15% solution compared with calcipotriene (calcipotriol) cream in patients with moderate, chronic plaque psoriasis. Study Design : A randomized, single-blind, active-controlled, parallel-group, clinical trial consisting of a 12-week treatment phase and a 6-week post-treatment follow-up phase. Setting : Outpatient dermatology research unit in an academic hospital. Patients : Sixty adults with moderate, chronic plaque psoriasis (3–15% body surface area affected) not receiving other psoriasis therapies. Intervention : Patients were randomized to apply either an LCD 15% solution (Psorent®) or a commercially available calcipotriene 0.005% cream (Dovonex®) to their psoriasis areas (excluding the head) twice daily at home for 12 weeks. Assessments : A blinded investigator evaluated the patients’ psoriasis using a modified Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) that excluded the head, and a Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) scale at weeks 0 (baseline), 2, 4, 8, and 12 (end of treatment), and 18 (6 weeks after treatment was withdrawn). Patients assessed their psoriasis symptoms and quality of life and completed a cosmetic acceptability survey about their medication. Outcome Measures : The changes in the baseline PASI scores after 12 weeks of treatment were compared between LCD and calcipotriene groups. Additional comparisons were performed for success rates during treatment (PASI 75 and PASI 50), changes in PGA scores, patient-reported psoriasis symptom scores, patients’ quality-of-life scores, and recurrence rates during post-treatment follow-up. Results : Both treatment groups showed improvement in psoriasis severity and quality of life. However, the LCD group had greater mean reductions in PASI scores: 58% vs 37% in the calcipotriene group (p < 0.05) at week 12. Additionally, the LCD group had more patients (14/27) with absent or minimal psoriasis on the PGA scale than the calcipotriene group (6/28) by the end of treatment (p < 0.05). LCD-treated patients also maintained their improvement better than calcipotriene-treated patients through week 18 after treatment was withdrawn for 6 weeks. Both treatments were well tolerated and cosmetically acceptable to patients. Conclusion : The newly formulated LCD solution, applied twice daily at home for 12 weeks, was more effective and as well tolerated and cosmetically acceptable as the calcipotriene cream over 12 weeks of treatment and 6 weeks of follow-up. The LCD solution is a patient-accepted and effective corticosteroid-sparing treatment alternative for psoriasis patients. Clinical Trial Registration Identifier: NCT00705900

Treatment of common skin diseases such as psoriasis is complicated by differences between individuals in response to topical drug treatment and photochemo-therapy. Individuality in hepatic expression of drug-metabolising enzymes is an important determinant of systemic drug handling; we investigated whether similar variation in cutaneous gene expression contributes to individuality in response to topical therapies. We used quantitative real-time RT-PCR to demonstrate the expression in skin of a recently identified cytochrome P450, CYP2S1, in healthy volunteers (n=27) and patients with psoriasis (n=29). We also investigated regulation of CYP2S1 by ultraviolet radiation, psoralen-ultraviolet A (PUVA), and topical drugs used to treat psoriasis. We found that CYP2S1 is expressed in skin and showed pronounced individuality in constitutive expression of the enzyme and its induction after ultraviolet irradiation or topical drug treatment. Cutaneous expression of CYP2S1 was induced by ultraviolet radiation, PUVA, coal tar, and all-trans retinoic acid; expression was significantly higher in lesional psoriatic skin than in adjacent non-lesional skin (geometric mean 3·38 [95% CI 2·64–4·34] times higher; p<0·0001), which implies that topical drugs are differentially metabolised in psoriatic plaque and non-lesional skin. We showed that all-trans retinoic acid is metabolised by CYP2S1, which has higher cutaneous expression than CYP26, previously described as the specific cutaneous P450 retinoic-acid-metabolising enzyme. These findings increase our understanding of the interaction between therapeutic agents and the skin and suggest a functional role for CYP2S1 in the metabolism of topical drugs and in mediating the response to photochemotherapy in psoriasis.

Thermal power generation based on coal has been identified as the second largest polluting industry due to the greenhouse gas emissions caused by coal combustion. The pollution caused by this industry is not limited to power generation, but it also manifests itself throughout the use of products. Although a huge emphasis has been placed on replacing coal-based power generation with renewable resources, we showed that Indian power generation will depend on coal for more than fifty percent of its demand in the near future. In our study, we utilized a combination of linear cointegration, non-linear cointegration, ARIMA, and the VECM to forecast the use of coal based on the Indian industrial index and the amount of electricity generated through coal combustion required to meet the demand. Given that pollution and carbon emissions are inherent in the coal usage cycle, we drafted policy implications and recommendations to mitigate the consequences, green the coal usage cycle, and improve the coal supply chain.

In this paper, we propose a portable intrinsically safe, intelligent electromagnetic flowmeter for the application of coal mines and provide a detailed description of its working principle. In terms of hardware circuit design, several important modules, including electromagnetic flow rate sensor, excitation circuit, core control circuit, signal conditioning circuit, and air traffic control detection circuit, were analyzed and designed in sequence. It adopts a high-performance, low-power MCU STM32407ZET6 and high-precision chips, ensuring measurement accuracy and reducing power consumption. The excitation method using low-frequency rectangular waves dynamically adjusts the sampling interval time, further prolonging the battery life. Finally, the performance of the electromagnetic flowmeter was measured, and the experimental data showed that the measured flow rate was basically linear with the output voltage. The relative indication error of the electromagnetic flowmeter was within 0.3%, and the repeatability fluctuated within the range of 0.03%. The flowmeter has good measurement accuracy, which is suitable for long-term use in coal mining environments.