Theoretical Calculation of Different Side-Chain Lengths [Cnmim]FeCl4 and Factors Influencing Coal Pyrolysis Swelling Modification.

With the increasing requirements for clean and effective utilization, coal swelling pretreatment provides a good theoretical basis for coal molecular structure, application in coal pyrolysis, and liquefaction. Ionic liquids containing magnetic anionic groups were designed, synthesized, and used as solvents to study the effect on swelling pyrolysis performance. Studies have shown magnetism enhancement with the growth of alkyl chains. The growth of the MIL alkyl side chain made the modification effect of coal more obvious, and the swelling degree showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase of temperature and time, and at the temperature of 35 °C, the swelling degree is the largest when the modification time is 8 h. Pyrolysis experiments show that magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) pretreatment can significantly reduce the temperature at the maximum weight loss of coal and increase the tar content of pyrolysis, indicating that MIL plays a catalytic cracking role in coal pyrolysis.

Optimizing extinguishing angle of 6MF-30 pneumatic extinguisher for wildland fire-fighting based on CFD and experiments.

The 6MF-30 pneumatic extinguisher is a widely utilized and efficient tool for combating wildland fires. However, using incorrect extinguishing angles can diminish its effectiveness. This study aimed to determine the optimal extinguishing angle for the 6MF-30 pneumatic extinguisher by conducting computational fluid dynamics simulations and experimental verification. The findings revealed that ground roughness did not significantly affect the optimal extinguishing angle or the attenuation of jet velocity near the fan outlet region. The study determined that an optimal extinguishing angle of 37° applies to lossless ground, natural grassland, grassland with artificial disturbance, and enclosed grassland. Furthermore, among the selected angles, the highest rate of jet velocity reduction was observed at 45°, whereas the slowest reduction occurred at 20° and 25°. These findings offer valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing the efficacy of wildland fire-fighting when employing the 6MF-30 pneumatic extinguisher.

Influence and mechanism of alkali-modified sludge on coal water slurry properties.

Municipal sludge (MS) is used to prepare coal water slurry (CWS). This practice is beneficial for resource utilization and reduces treatment costs and environmental pollution. In this study, alkali-modified municipal sludge (AMS) was prepared with Ca(OH)2 as modifier and mixed with coal to produce AMS-CWS. The effect and mechanism of MS and AMS on slurry ability, stability, and combustion characteristics of the CWS were explored. The results of the pulping experiments showed that the slurry concentration of the AMS-CWS was approximately 10% greater than that of MS-CWS. The water separation rates of MS-CWS and AMS-CWS were 5% and 5.26%, respectively, which were 13.62% and 13.36% less than that of CWS (18.62%). The zeta potential experiments verified these results. Combustion performance research shows that both MS and AMS have positive effects on combustion performance. The results of the contact angle experiments showed that the hydrophobicity of AMS was enhanced, which was beneficial for improving the pulping capacity of MS-CWS.

Engineering Properties of New Claw Connectors for Alkali-Resistant Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Plastics.

To optimize the engineering properties of connectors, a new claw-shaped alkali-resistant glass-fiber-composite-reinforced connection member was designed in this study. Tensile, shear, and durability tests were conducted on the joint. Moreover, numerical analysis was performed, and the performance of the proposed connector was verified in engineering applications. Hence, the following conclusions hold: (1) At the same shear diameter and anchorage depth, the anchorage performance and shear resistance of claw connectors are better than those of rod connectors. (2) Claw connectors with an anchorage depth of 3.5 cm and a hollow joint with an outer diameter of 14 mm exhibit an excellent overall performance. (3) Alkali-resistant glass-fiber-reinforced plastics exhibit good durability. (4) The ANSYS numerical model can be used to accurately predict the load-displacement variation law of the pull-out and shear of the connectors. (5) Through research, it has been proven that claw-shaped connectors have good pull-out resistance, shear resistance, and durability, and the structure has good stability in engineering applications. Therefore, the structure can provide a significant reference for similar projects.

Feasibility Study on the Steel-Plastic Geogrid Instead of Wire Mesh for Bolt Mesh Supporting.

Wire mesh is a common material for bolt mesh supporting structures, but its application in engineering has revealed many defects. At the same time, with the development of new materials for civil engineering, the new material mesh performance and cost show outstanding advantages over wire mesh. In this paper, the feasibility of replacing wire mesh with steel-plastic geogrid as an alternative material is carefully studied through indoor tests and field applications. The following conclusions were drawn from a comparative analysis with wire mesh, mainly in terms of mechanical properties, engineering characteristics, and construction techniques: (1) in terms of mesh wire strength, wire mesh is slightly better than steel-plastic geogrid, but in the case of similar tensile strength, the amount of steel used per unit length of steel geogrid bars is only 36.75% of that of steel-plastic geogrid, while the tensile strength of the high-strength steel wire attached to the steel-plastic geogrid belt is about 3.3 times that of steel bars; (2) in terms of junction peel strength, both values are similar, with the injection-moulded junction being 1154.56-1224.38 N and the welded junction of 4 mm mesh being 988.35 N; (3) in terms of the strength of the mesh, steel-plastic geogrid is better than wire mesh, and with the same mesh wire strength, the bearing capacity of steel-plastic geogrid is increased by about 63.17% and the contribution of the mesh wire bearing capacity is increased by 83.66%, with the damage mainly being in the form of wire breakage in the ribbon causing ribbon failure, leading to further damage to the mesh; (4) in terms of the engineering application of steel-plastic geogrid compared to wire mesh, the utilization rate of mesh increases by about 24.99%, the construction efficiency increases by about 14.10%, and the economic benefit increases by about 45.31%. In practical application, the steel-plastic geogrid has good adhesion with surrounding rock and strong corrosion resistance. According to the above research analysis, the steel-plastic geogrid is feasible to replace the wire mesh for bolt mesh supporting.

Effect of bio-based surfactant on wettability of low-rank coal surface and its mechanism.

In this study, the effect of a bio-based environment-friendly surfactant, cardanol polyoxyethylene ether (BGF), on the wettability of the surface of low-rank coal (LRC) and its mechanism were studied. The adsorption experiment showed that the adsorption of the surfactant conformed to the Langmuir adsorption model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The adsorption was mainly affected by hydrogen bonding, and the adsorption rate was affected by intraparticle diffusion and liquid film diffusion. The wettability experiment showed that the influence of BGF on the wettability of the surface of LRC followed the given order: BGF-7 > BGF-10 > BGF-15. The investigation of adhesion work showed that the adhesion work and the stability of the coal-water system decreased after adsorption. Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that after adsorption, the peak strength of vinyl ether, the content of elemental carbon, and the content of C-C/C-H groups increased.

Experimental Study on Carbonation Durability of Kaolin Strengthened with Slag Portland Cement.

Slag Portland cement is an environmentally friendly and energy-saving product, which is widely used in cement-reinforced soil. This study used slag Portland cement-reinforced soil as the research object and P.O 42.5 + kaolin (POK) as the reference group. The carbonation depth and strength of P.S.A 42.5 + kaolin (PSK) at different curing times were analyzed using carbonation depth, uniaxial ground pressure strength, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The test results show the following: (1) The active substances in PSK samples can react with calcium hydroxide produced during cement hydration and can reduce the content of OH-. The PSK samples react with OH- and CO2 in the carbonation environment. Both processes considerably reduce the content of OH-. (2) Due to the decrease in OH- content, the carbonation durability of slag Portland cement-reinforced soil is significantly less than that of ordinary Portland cement. (3) The carbonation of slag Portland cement-reinforced soil improves its strength. (4) The results of SEM + EDS and XRD confirm the carbonation depth and strength of the POK and PSK samples. The results show that PSK has important applications in subgrade or building grouting materials and in cement-soil mixing piles (walls).

Glucosinolate Profiles in Different Organs of 111 Radish Accessions and Candidate Genes Involved in Converting Glucobrassicin to 4-Hydroxyglucobrassicin.

Glucosinolate (GSL) not only has highly physiological function for plants but also has considerable human interest. We analyzed the GSL compositions and levels in four organs of 111 radish accessions. Seven major GSLs were detected (approximately 5-245 µmol g-1 DW), among which 4-(methylsulfinyl)but-3-enyl GSL and 4-methylsulfanyl-3-butenyl GSL were the dominant GSLs. GSL levels varied substantially among species and groups, and some genotypes/groups with special GSL profiles were identified. The total GSL level was higher in seeds than in sprouts, taproots, and leaves. Additionally, a correlation analysis revealed that seed 4-(methylsulfinyl)but-3-enyl GSL levels were highly correlated with sprout GSL levels. Moreover, a candidate gene (RsCYP81F2.3) encoding an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of indol-3-ylmethyl GSL to 4-hydroxyindol-3-ylmethyl GSL was identified based on the detection and analysis of three radish accessions with relatively high indol-3-ylmethyl GSL, low 4-hydroxyindol-3-ylmethyl GSL, and 4-methoxyindol-3-ylmethyl GSL levels in their seeds. Our results provide some insights for finding materials and genes relevant for breeding new varieties with ideal GSL compositions and levels.

Experimental Study on Tensile Mechanical Properties and Reinforcement Ratio of Steel-Plastic Compound Geogrid-Reinforced Belt.

The steel-plastic compound geogrid has been widely used as a new reinforcement material in geotechnical engineering and other fields. Therefore, it is essential to fully understand the mechanical properties of steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts to utilize steel-plastic compound geogrids efficiently. In this study, tensile mechanical tests of steel wire, polyethylene geogrid belt, and steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belt were conducted with respect to the tensile mechanical properties of steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts. In addition, the minimum reinforcement and optimal reinforcement ratios of steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts were summarized. The results showed that the steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belts possessed an incongruent force of the internal steel wire during the tensile process. The tensile stress-strain curve of the steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belt can be divided into the composite adjustment, steel wire breaking, and residual deformation stages. The tensile strength of the steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belt is proportional to the diameter and number of steel wires in the reinforced belt. The minimum and optimum reinforcement ratios of steel wire in the steel-plastic compound geogrid-reinforced belt were 0.63% and 11.92%, respectively.

Study on Performance Tests and the Application of Construction Waste as Subgrade Backfill.

The application of construction waste as an aggregate in subgrade backfilling is an important recycling option. This study analyzed a subgrade backfill material consisting of lime-fly ash construction waste mixture (LFCWM). Compaction and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests were performed on LFCWM under different cement-aggregate ratios (CARs, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 8:2). Different normal stresses (100, 200, and 300 kPa) and aggregate sizes (20%, 40%, 60%, 80% of P4.75) were also evaluated. The experimental results indicated that: (1) when the CAR was 4:6, the optimum water content and the maximum dry density reached their maximum values of 10.1% and 2.03 g/cm3, respectively, the maximum CBR value was 42.5%, and the shear strength reached its maximum value. (2) With an increase in shear displacement, the shear stress showed a rapid initial increase, then a slow decrease, and finally tended to stabilize. (3) Normal stress had a positive effect on the shear strength of the mixture. (4) When P4.75 was 40%, the shear strength of LFCWM was the maximum. The research results have been successfully applied to road engineering, providing an important reference for the application of construction waste aggregate in roadbed engineering.

Experimental Study on the Performance of Graded Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (G-GRC) Based on Engineering Application.

An important way to improve concrete performance is the use of alkali-resistant glass fibers (ARGFs) as reinforcement. This paper is based on the problems of the cracking of the partition wall and lining seepage in Laoshan Tunnel, Qingdao, China. Two types of ARGFs were selected as reinforcement materials for the partition wall and lining concrete: high dispersion (HD) and high performance (HP); and the compressive strength (CS), tensile strength (TS), flexural strength (FS), and impervious performance (IP) of concrete with different gradations of the two types of fibers were investigated. The results show that although the CS of graded glass fiber reinforced concrete (G-GRC) is slightly decreased, the TS, FS, and IP of G-GRC are significantly improved. When the densities of the ARGFs of HD and HP are 0.6 and 5 kg/m3, respectively, G-GRC performs best; additionally, compared with ordinary concrete, the TS, FS, and IP of G-GRC are increased by 15.86%, 14.90%, and 31.58%, respectively. Meanwhile, the tension-compression ratio is increased by 22.29%, and the mechanical properties of concrete are remarkably enhanced. The research results were successfully applied to the construction of the Laoshan tunnel, and good engineering results were obtained.

Characterization of the OFP Gene Family and its Putative Involvement of Tuberous Root Shape in Radish.

The shape of the tuberous root, a very important quality trait, varies dramatically among radish cultivars. Ovate family proteins (OFPs) are plant-specific proteins that regulate multiple aspects of plant growth and development. To investigate the possible role of OFPs in radish tuberous root formation, 35 putative RsOFPs were identified from radish, and their expression patterns were detected during tuberous root development in six different radish cultivars. Phylogenetically, RsOFP2.3 clustered together with AtOFP1 and other members of this family that are known to regulate organ shape. Moreover, RsOFP2.3 expression was negatively correlated with tuberous root elongation after the cortex splitting stage, which made this gene the top candidate for the involvement of tuberous root shape. To further characterize the function of RsOFP2.3, it was ectopically expressed in Arabidopsis. RsOFP2.3 overexpression in Arabidopsis led to multiple phenotypical changes, especially the decreased length and increased width of the hypocotyl. Furthermore, RsOFP2.3 expression was induced by all the five classic plant hormones except ethylene, and it was most sensitive to exogenous gibberellic acid treatment. We also found that RsOFP2.3 was localized in the cytoplasm. Taken together, our results suggested the possible involvement for RsOFP2.3 in suppressing radish tuberous root elongation and that it encodes a functional protein which mainly inhibits the elongation of Arabidopsis aerial organs.

Experimental Study of Cement Alkali-Resistant Glass Fiber (C-ARGF) Grouting Material.

Mixing alkali-resistant glass fiber (ARGF) into grouting slurry can prevent the development of cracks; thus, understanding the properties of ARGF grouting material is important for applications in engineering. Two types of ARGFs (Cem-FIL®60 and Anti-Crak®HD) were selected as mixing materials, and their performance was tested in four areas, namely, compressive strength, tensile strength, flexural strength, and impervious performance, under four different mixing amounts of fiber (0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1.0%). Results demonstrate that the addition of ARGF increased the compressive strength and tensile strength of the grouting slurry, and the best performance was at 0.5%. The effect on the flexural strength and impervious performance was related to the mixing amount, and the fiber may have induced a counter-effect for certain amounts of added ARGF. Mixing ARGF could increase the early strength ratio of grout; however, a high early strength ratio did not necessarily result in high strength, as the flexural strength did not change synchronously with the early strength ratio; a similar pattern was found for the impermeability. Cem-FIL®60 had a better effect on the properties of grouting materials than Anti-Crak®HD. These results were successfully applied in the water-plugging and reinforcement engineering of a karst tunnel.

Transposon-induced methylation of the RsMYB1 promoter disturbs anthocyanin accumulation in red-fleshed radish.

Red-fleshed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is a unique cultivar whose taproot is rich in anthocyanins beneficial to human health. However, the frequent occurrence of white-fleshed mutants affects the purity of commercially produced radish and the underlying mechanism has puzzled breeders for many years. In this study, we combined quantitative trait location by genome resequencing and transcriptome analyses to identify a candidate gene (RsMYB1) responsible for anthocyanin accumulation in red-fleshed radish. However, no sequence variation was found in the coding and regulatory regions of the RsMYB1 genes of red-fleshed (MTH01) and white-fleshed (JC01) lines, and a 7372 bp CACTA transposon in the RsMYB1 promoter region occurred in both lines. A subsequent analysis suggested that the white-fleshed mutant was the result of altered DNA methylation in the RsMYB1 promoter. This heritable epigenetic change was due to the hypermethylated CACTA transposon, which induced the spreading of DNA methylation to the promoter region of RsMYB1. Thus, RsMYB1 expression was considerably down-regulated, which inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis in the white-fleshed mutant. An examination of transgenic radish calli and the results of a virus-induced gene silencing experiment confirmed that RsMYB1 is responsible for anthocyanin accumulation. Moreover, the mutant phenotype was partially eliminated by treatment with a demethylating agent. This study explains the molecular mechanism regulating the appearance of white-fleshed mutants of red-fleshed radish.

Mitochondrial Genome Sequencing Reveals orf463a May Induce Male Sterility in NWB Cytoplasm of Radish.

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an important root vegetable worldwide. The development of F1 hybrids, which are extensively used for commercial radish production, relies on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). To identify candidate genes responsible for CMS in NWB cytoplasm, we sequenced the normal and NWB CMS radish mitochondrial genomes via next-generation sequencing. A comparative analysis revealed 18 syntenic blocks and 11 unique regions in the NWB CMS mitogenome. A detailed examination indicated that orf463a was the most likely causal factor for male sterility in NWB cytoplasm. Interestingly, orf463a was identical to orf463, which is responsible for CMS in Dongbu cytoplasmic and genic male sterility (DCGMS) radish. Moreover, only structural variations were detected between the NWB CMS and DCGMS mitochondrial genomes, with no nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or meaningful indels. Further analyses revealed these two mitochondrial genomes are coexisting isomeric forms belonging to the same mitotype. orf463a was more highly expressed in flower buds than in vegetative organs and its expression was differentially regulated in the presence of restorer of fertility (Rf) genes. orf463a was confirmed to originate from Raphanus raphanistrum. In this study, we identified a candidate gene responsible for the CMS in NWB cytoplasm and clarified the relationship between NWB CMS and DCGMS.

Identification of new antibacterial targets in RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by detecting positive selection sites.

Bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP) is an effective target for antibacterial treatment. In order to search new potential targets in RNAP of Mycobacterium, we detected adaptive selections of RNAP related genes in 13 strains of Mycobacterium by phylogenetic analysis. We first collected sequences of 17 genes including rpoA, rpoB, rpoC, rpoZ, and sigma factor A-M. Then maximum likelihood trees were constructed, followed by positive selection detection. We found that sigG shows positive selection along the clade (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis), suggesting its important evolutionary role and its potential to be a new antibacterial target. Moreover, the regions near 933Cys and 935His on the rpoB subunit of M. tuberculosis showed significant positive selection, which could also be a new attractive target for anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Genome-wide indel/SSR scanning reveals significant loci associated with excellent agronomic traits of a cabbage (Brassica oleracea) elite parental line '01-20'.

Elite parental lines are of great significance to crop breeding. To discover unique genomic loci associated with excellent economic traits in the elite cabbage inbred-line '01-20', we performed comparisons of phenotypes as well as whole-genome insertion-deletion/simple sequence repeat loci between '01-20' and each of its five sister lines. '01-20' has a range of excellent agronomic traits, including early-maturing, and improvements in plant type and leaf colour. Eight unique loci were discovered for '01-20' and '01-07-258', another elite line similar to '01-20' at the whole-genome level. In addition, two excellent double-haploid lines derived from a cross of '01-20' also inherited these loci. Based on the quantitative trait locus association results, five of these loci were found to be associated with important agronomic traits, which could explain why the elite parent '01-20' possesses greener outer leaves, a more compact and upright plant-type, rounder head, shorter core length, and better taste. Additionally, some of these loci have clustering effects for quantitative trait loci associated with different traits; therefore, important genes in these regions were analysed. The obtained results should enable marker-assisted multi-trait selection at the whole-genome level in cabbage breeding and provide insights into significant genome loci and their breeding effects.

Whole-Genome Mapping Reveals Novel QTL Clusters Associated with Main Agronomic Traits of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.).

We describe a comprehensive quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis for 24 main agronomic traits of cabbage. Field experiments were performed using a 196-line double haploid population in three seasons in 2011 and 2012 to evaluate important agronomic traits related to plant type, leaf, and head traits. In total, 144 QTLs with LOD threshold >3.0 were detected for the 24 agronomic traits: 25 for four plant-type-related traits, 64 for 10 leaf-related traits, and 55 for 10 head-related traits; each QTL explained 6.0-55.7% of phenotype variation. Of the QTLs, 95 had contribution rates higher than 10%, and 51 could be detected in more than one season. Major QTLs included Ph 3.1 (max R (2) = 55.7, max LOD = 28.2) for plant height, Ll 3.2 (max R (2) = 31.7, max LOD = 13.95) for leaf length, and Htd 3.2 (max R (2) = 28.5, max LOD = 9.49) for head transverse diameter; these could all be detected in more than one season. Twelve QTL clusters were detected on eight chromosomes, and the most significant four included Indel481-scaffold18376 (3.20 Mb), with five QTLs for five traits; Indel64-scaffold35418 (2.22 Mb), six QTLs for six traits; scaffold39782-Indel84 (1.78 Mb), 11 QTLs for 11 traits; and Indel353-Indel245 (9.89 Mb), seven QTLs for six traits. Besides, most traits clustered within the same region were significantly correlated with each other. The candidate genes at these regions were also discussed. Robust QTLs and their clusters obtained in this study should prove useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in cabbage breeding and in furthering our understanding of the genetic control of these traits.

Mapping and analysis of a novel candidate Fusarium wilt resistance gene FOC1 in Brassica oleracea.

BACKGROUND: Cabbage Fusarium wilt is a major disease worldwide that can cause severe yield loss in cabbage (Brassica olerecea). Although markers linked to the resistance gene FOC1 have been identified, no candidate gene for it has been determined so far. In this study, we report the fine mapping and analysis of a candidate gene for FOC1 using a double haploid (DH) population with 160 lines and a F2 population of 4000 individuals derived from the same parental lines. RESULTS: We confirmed that the resistance to Fusarium wilt was controlled by a single dominant gene based on the resistance segregation ratio of the two populations. Using InDel primers designed from whole-genome re-sequencing data for the two parental lines (the resistant inbred-line 99-77 and the highly susceptible line 99-91) and the DH population, we mapped the resistance gene to a 382-kb genomic region on chromosome C06. Using the F2 population, we narrowed the region to an 84-kb interval that harbored ten genes, including four probable resistance genes (R genes): Bol037156, Bol037157, Bol037158 and Bol037161 according to the gene annotations from BRAD, the genomic database for B. oleracea. After correcting the model of the these genes, we re-predicted two R genes in the target region: re-Bol037156 and re-Bol0371578. The latter was excluded after we compared the two genes' sequences between ten resistant materials and ten susceptible materials. For re-Bol037156, we found high identity among the sequences of the resistant lines, while among the susceptible lines, there were two types of InDels (a 1-bp insertion and a 10-bp deletion), each of which caused a frameshift and terminating mutation in the cDNA sequences. Further sequence analysis of the two InDel loci from 80 lines (40 resistant and 40 susceptible) also showed that all 40 R lines had no InDel mutation while 39 out of 40 S lines matched the two types of loci. Thus re-Bol037156 was identified as a likely candidate gene for FOC1 in cabbage. CONCLUSIONS: This work may lay the foundation for marker-assisted selection as well as for further function analysis of the FOC1 gene.

Chain-length-dependent autocatalytic hydrolysis of fatty acid anhydrides in polyethylene glycol.

Autocatalytic hydrolysis of fatty acid anhydrides induced by the spontaneously formed vesicles has been studied for years. However, whether the reaction autocatalyzed by vesicles formed in diluted solutions applies also to macromolecular crowded conditions remains unknown. The aim of this study is to characterize hydrolysis behavior of fatty acid anhydrides and formation of vesicles in crowded media. Inert macromolecular crowding agents such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Dextran were used to probe the impact of external crowding on the autocatalytic hydrolysis of fatty acid anhydrides with varied hydrophobic chain length. Under stringent conditions of crowding, hydrolysis rates of octanoic anhydride, nonanoic anhydride, and decanoic anhydride were found to decrease, but the rates of lauric anhydride and oleic anhydride increased. These results suggest that the effect of the crowding agent on the hydrolysis of fatty acid anhydrides was chain-length-dependent. Characterization of the size and polydispersity of vesicles formed from hydrolyzed fatty acid anhydrides in crowding revealed that long-chain fatty acids formed monodisperse vesicles easier at lower concentrations of PEG. Measurement of the critical aggregation concentration of ionized fatty acid in the presence of PEG showed that crowding media promoted vesicle formation from long-chain fatty acids but inhibited those from fatty acids with fewer carbon atoms. Further investigation of the diffusion property of ionized fatty acids in crowding agents suggested that PEG might create more hydrophobic areas for long-chain fatty acids anhydrides, which subsequently promoted the unreacted anhydride in the aqueous phase to be solubilized in the formed vesicles. This research provides information for understanding the autocatalytic reaction accompanied by self-producing aggregates and the behavior of fatty acids in crowding media.