Hybrid and enhanced electrokinetic system for soil remediation from heavy metals and organic matter.

The electrokinetic (EK) process has been proposed for soil decontamination from heavy metals and organic matter. The advantages of the EK process include the low operating energy, suitability for fine-grained soil decontamination, and no need for excavation. During the last three decades, enhanced and hybrid EK systems were developed and tested for improving the efficiency of contaminants removal from soils. Chemically enhanced-EK processes exhibited excellent efficiency in removing contaminants by controlling the soil pH or the chemical reaction of contaminants. EK hybrid systems were tested to overcome environmental hurdles or technical drawbacks of decontamination technologies. Hybridization of the EK process with phytoremediation, bioremediation, or reactive filter media (RFM) improved the remediation process performance by capturing contaminants or facilitating biological agents' movement in the soil. Also, EK process coupling with solar energy was proposed to treat off-grid contaminated soils or reduce the EK energy requirements. This study reviews recent advancements in the enhancement and hybrid EK systems for soil remediation and the type of contaminants targeted by the process. The study also covered the impact of operating parameters, imperfect pollution separation, and differences in the physicochemical characteristics and microstructure of soil/sediment on the EK performance. Finally, a comparison between various remediation processes was presented to highlight the pros and cons of these technologies.

Quantitative impacts of meteorology and emissions on the long-term trend of O3 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China from 2015 to 2022.

Extensive spatiotemporal analyses of long-trend surface ozone in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region and its meteorology-related and emission-related have not been systematically analyzed. In this study, by using 8-year-long (2015-2022) surface ozone observation data, we attempted to reveal the variation of multiple timescale components using the Kolmogorov-Zurbenko filter, and the effects of meteorology and emissions were quantitatively isolated using multiple linear regression with meteorological variables. The results showed that the short-term, seasonal, and long-term components accounted for daily maximum 8-hr average O3 (O3-8 hr) concentration, 46.4%, 45.9%, and 1.0%, respectively. The meteorological impacts account for an average of 71.8% of O3-8 hr, and the YRD's eastern and northern sections are meteorology-sensitive areas. Based on statistical analysis technology with empirical orthogonal function, the contribution of meteorology, local emission, and transport in the long-term component of O3-8 hr were 0.21%, 0.12%, and 0.6%, respectively. The spatiotemporal analysis indicated that a distinct decreasing spatial pattern could be observed from coastal cities towards the northwest, influenced by the monsoon and synoptic conditions. The central urban agglomeration north and south of the YRD was particularly susceptible to local pollution. Among the cities studied, Shanghai, Anqing, and Xuancheng, located at similar latitudes, were significantly impacted by atmospheric transmission-the contribution of Shanghai, the maximum accounting for 3.6%.

Removal of particulate matter and dissolved organic matter from sedimentation sludge water during pre-sedimentation process: Performances and mechanisms.

Sedimentation sludge water (SSW), a prominent constituent of wastewater from drinking water treatment plants, has received limited attention in terms of its treatment and utilization likely due to the perceived difficulties associated with managing SSW sludge. This study comprehensively evaluated the water quality of SSW by comparing it to a well-documented wastewater (filter backwash water (FBW)). Furthermore, it investigated the pollutant variations in the SSW during pre-sedimentation process, probed the underlying reaction mechanism, and explored the feasibility of employing a pilot-scale coagulation-sedimentation process for SSW treatment. The levels of most water quality parameters were generally comparable between SSW and FBW. During the pre-sedimentation of SSW, significant removal of turbidity, bacterial counts, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) was observed. The characterization of DOM components, molecular weight distributions, and optical properties revealed that the macromolecular proteinaceous biopolymers and humic acids were preferentially removed. The characterization of particulates indicated that high surface energy, zeta potential, and bridging/adsorption/sedimentation/coagulation capacities in aluminum residuals of SSW, underscoring its potential as a coagulant and promoting the generation and sedimentation of inorganic-organic complexes. The coagulation-sedimentation process could effectively remove pollutants from low-turbidity SSW ([turbidity]0 < 15 NTU). These findings provide valuable insights into the water quality dynamics of SSW during the pre-sedimentation process, facilitating the development of SSW quality management and enhancing its reuse rate.

Computational Toxicology Methods in Chemical Library Design and High-Throughput Screening Hit Validation.

The discovery of molecular toxicity in a clinical drug candidate can have a significant impact on both the cost and timeline of the drug discovery process. Early identification of potentially toxic compounds during screening library preparation or, alternatively, during the hit validation process is critical to ensure that valuable time and resources are not spent pursuing compounds that may possess a high propensity for human toxicity. This report focuses on the application of computational molecular filters, applied either pre- or post-screening, to identify and remove known reactive and/or potentially toxic compounds from consideration in drug discovery campaigns.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Slip Effect on Nanofiber Filter Performance at Low Pressures.

Nanofiber filters are widely used in air filtration applications due to their superior performance over microfiber filters. Velocity slip around nanofibers has been identified as a key factor contributing to their high figure of merit, yet its impact on filter performance, especially particle collection efficiency, remains unclear due to the difficulty in isolating the slip effect as the sole variable. This study combines experimental and simulation methods to investigate the slip effect by adjusting the air molecule mean free path, rather than varying fiber size as done in previous studies. Filter media with mean fiber sizes ranging from 16.2 to 0.084 µm are utilized. An image-based regression method is developed to address the challenge of determining the solidity of thin nanofiber layers. The results show that the slip effect is enhanced as the testing pressure decreases, reducing pressure drop by less than 15% for microfiber filters and over 50% for nanofiber filters ≈100 nm. The enhanced slip effect at low pressures (i.e., relatively low pressure compared to the ambient environment) significantly improves filtration efficiency, especially for particles larger than 100 nm. It also proposes semi-empirical equations for predicting filter performance in slip and transition flow regimes.

Comparison of liquid and filter sampling techniques for recovery of Bacillus spores and Escherichia coli from environmental water.

Historically, detecting water contamination has involved collecting and directly analyzing liquid samples, but recent advances in filter sampling methods offer numerous potential advantages. Emerging technologies, including environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers, could be used for remote microbial contamination sampling, but work is needed to determine if target microorganisms can be recovered from filters at comparable levels to traditional sampling methods. In this study, Escherichia coli and a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis spores were sampled from synthetic stormwater and quantified using both direct liquid and filter methods, and dwell time tests compared microorganism persistence in water and on filters. At nearly all tested timepoints, the recoveries of spores from membrane filters were within 0.5 log10 colony forming units per sample (CFU/sample) compared to the liquid-only samples, suggesting that the use of filter sampling is a feasible alternative to liquid-based sampling, and samples were held for up to 4 weeks without significant sample degradation. Recoveries for E. coli remained relatively consistent for ∼3 days in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), in synthetic stormwater, and on membrane filters, but decreases in recoveries were observed for samples held for >3 days. These results indicate that emerging water sampling technologies, which reduce logistical burdens and offer potential cost savings, can be leveraged to characterize biological contamination in water matrices with multiple types of microbiological agents.

In vitro study of the UV-filter homosalate effects on rat and human thyroid cells.

Homosalate is a UV-B filter, commonly used in sunscreens and personal-care products. Homosalate was shown to exert estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects in animal models, while few data are available on the effects of Homosalate on thyroid cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate if Homosalate exposure could exert adverse effect on thyroid cells in vitro. FRTL-5 and NHT were treated with increasing concentration of Homosalate for 24-48-72 h. Cell viability was assessed by WST-1. Cell proliferation was evaluated by cristal violet. Micronucleus staining was performed to assess genotoxicity. mRNA levels of thyroid-related genes (TSHR, TPO, TG, NIS, and PAX8) were evaluated by RT-PCR. Changes in ROS production by FRTL-5 and NHT were assessed with H2DCFDA. Homosalate significantly reduced cell viability after 72 h in FRTL-5 starting from the concentration 250 µM, while in NHT, Homosalate exposure significantly reduced cell viability after 48 and 72 h only at highest concentration (2000 µM). Cell proliferation was not modified by Homosalate at any concentration and time-point. Homosalate significantly up-regulated mRNA expression levels of TPO and Tg genes in FRTL-5, while a significant increase only in Tg mRNA expression was observed in NHT. No changes in ROS production was found in both cell types. The present study suggest that the effects of Homosalate exposure may differ according to the type of cell tested. The in vitro exposure of thyroid cells to Homosalate produces: i) cytotoxicity at high concentrations or after long time of incubation, ii) genotoxicity only in rat thyroid cells at the highest concentration, iii) upregulation of Tg mRNA in both thyroid cell types and of TPO mRNA in rat thyroid cells, iv) no changes in cell proliferation or oxidative stress. Further studies on the effects of Homosalate on thyroid cells should be encouraged.

An integrated 3-M workflow for accelerated annotation of natural products: Flavonoids in Daemonorops draco as a case study.

Efficient annotation and dereplication of metabolites, particularly those from resource-endangered plants lacking reference standards, is crucial for natural products development. Advanced techniques like high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) have significantly enhanced metabolite characterization. However, challenges such as redundant spectral data, limited reference databases, and inferior dereplication capacity hinder its broad applicability. In this study, we propose an integrated annotation strategy utilizing various computational tools, including mass defect filters (MDF), molecular fingerprints, and molecular networks (3-M strategy). We demonstrate this approach using Daemonorops draco (D. draco), a renowned yet resource-endangered natural product rich in functional flavonoids. By applying pre-defined flavonoids MDF windows, the MS1 peaks reduced by 85 % (from 10,043 to 1,585) in positive mode. Subsequent de novo molecular formula annotation and molecular fingerprint-based structure elucidation were automatically performed using the SIRIUS machine learning platform. Additionally, two complementary cluster tools were incorporated, including feature-based molecular network (FBMN) and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) molecular network, to efficiently dereplicate metabolites and discover novel flavonoids in D. draco. Totally, 108 flavonoids (containing flavones, flavanes, flavanones, chalcones, chalcanes, dihydrochalcones, anthocyanins, homoisoflavanes, homoisoflavanones, and isoflavones), 18 flavone derivatives, and 54 flavone oligomers were identified. Among them, 25 compounds were firstly reported in D. draco. This 3-M workflow shed light on the composition of D. draco and validate the effectiveness of our approach, which facilitated the rapid annotation and screening of subclass metabolites in complex natural products.

A compact machine perfusion device for whole blood perfusion in isolated rat liver.

We established a compact machine perfusion system for whole blood perfusion of rat liver by making use of oxygenation filters as an artificial lung. Livers removed from rats were divided into Krebs-Henseleit (control), 50% blood (hemoglobin: 7 g/dL), and whole blood (hemoglobin: 14 g/dL) groups, then perfused (total perfusate volume: 25 ml) with a small oxygenation filter at 37 °C for 120 min. Blood or perfusate was collected over time, and blood gas and blood cell were measured. In addition, bile volume and portal venous pressure measurements were taken. In all groups, the partial pressure of oxygen was controlled to approximately 400 mmHg. Flow rates were maintained at approximately about 20-30 ml/min according to liver size. Portal venous pressure was normal in the 50% blood and whole blood groups, while lower than the reference value in the Krebs-Henseleit group. Twice as much bile was produced in the 50% blood and whole blood groups relative with the Krebs-Henseleit group. We observed no differences in hemoglobin and red blood cell levels. Lactate levels were normal in the 50% blood and whole blood groups, but were elevated in the Krebs-Henseleit group. Our compact perfusion system using oxygenation filters was able to maintain rat liver function by perfusing a small amount of extracorporeal blood. This system is simple and stable, and may contribute to the future development of machine perfusion systems.

An active damping control strategy for suppressing LCL resonant point migration for three-phase grid-tied inverter.

LCL filters are extensively utilized in Grid-connected inverters due to their exceptional capability in suppressing high-frequency harmonics. The active damping method is commonly employed to mitigate the resonance peak of the LCL filter. However, this control strategy induces a shift in the natural resonance point. To address this issue, a novel active damping control strategy based on the principle of equivalent transformation is proposed in this paper, which not only effectively suppresses the resonance peak but also avoids deviation from the natural resonance point. Finally, experiments are carried out on a three-phase LCL Grid-connected inverter, and the experimental results show that the control strategy has good steady-state performance, dynamic response, and robustness under both rigid and ultra-weak network conditions.

Ceramic Filters Coated with Green Ag-Nanoparticles for Drinking Water Treatment in Rural Households of Nigeria.

A ceramic water filter (CWF) coated with plant-based nanoparticles was used as household water purifier in a rural community. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were produced from the stem bark of Bridelia ferruginea plant, and their efficacy to enhance the physical, chemical, and microbial quality of raw stream water sample was determined using analytical probes and pour-plate techniques, respectively. The pH of the filtered water sample ranged 7.6 to 8.1, which is within the WHO permissible limit for drinking water, and the electrical conductivity values were also reduced from 110 to 70 µS/cm. The CWF coated with AgNPs (CWF-AgNPs) removed Klebsiella pnuemoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Entamoeba histolytica from the stream water sample. The highest percentage of coliform reduction in the CWF and CWF-AgNPs were 93.18% and 99.64%, respectively. The raw data showed that the CWF-NPs enhanced the quality of the stream water. The surface and internal structure of the CWF-AgNPs can be modified by varying the concentration of the composite materials, so as to determine the most effective combination. The improved CWF-AgNPs will enhance achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation.

Ceramic water filter (CWF) coated with the stem-bark of Bridelia ferruginea plant was used as household water purifier in a rural community. The efficacy to enhance the physical, chemical, and microbial quality of raw stream water sample was determined using standard methods. The CWF improve the quality of the tested water and removed bacteria from the water samples. The CWF can be used for water treatment in rural households, as this will enhance achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation.

Maintaining a Sterile Environment: Validation and Qualification Strategies for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems Adhering to Current Good Manufacturing Practices in Pharmaceutical Facilities.

This article presents a validation and qualification on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. An HVAC system is required for suitable temperature maintenance, continuous air flow, and also keeping the air fresh, which ultimately helps in the prevention of cross-contamination and air accumulation and also ensures the availability of cool air on the premises. The quality of air ventilation in the pharmaceutical business has a considerable impact on worker safety, material efficacy, including raw materials, in-process items, and final products, and machinery. It ensures the optimal quality of air, as directed by the regulatory guidelines. Three degrees of validation are important for HVAC systems: installation qualification (IQ), performance qualification (PQ), and operational qualification (OQ). Air variations per hour, air circulation velocity, and air circulation pattern, pressure differential, recovery test for temperature and humidity, temperature and humidity uniformity, filter leak test, particle count, loss of utility test, compliance test, filter integrity test, and fresh air determination are some of the parameters to be assessed for the HVAC system validation. The validation tests that are mentioned in this article have acceptance criteria and procedures for conducting the tests that are provided by the current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) guidelines.

Intraspecific body size variation across distributional moments reveals trait filtering processes.

Natural populations are composed of individuals that vary in their morphological traits, timing and interactions. The distribution of a trait can be described by several dimensions, or mathematical moments-mean, variance, skew and kurtosis. Shifts in the distribution of a trait across these moments in response to environmental variation can help to reveal which trait values are gained or lost, and consequently how trait filtering processes are altering populations. To examine the role and drivers of intraspecific variation within a trait filtering framework, we investigate variation in body size among five wild bumblebee species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. First, we examine the relationships between environmental factors (climate and floral food resources) and body size distributions across bumblebee social castes to identify demographic responses to environmental variation. Next, we examine changes in the moments of trait distributions to reveal potential mechanisms behind intraspecific shifts in body size. Finally, we examine how intraspecific body size variation is related to diet breadth and phenology. We found that climate conditions have a strong effect on observed body size variation across all distributional moments, but the filtering mechanism varies by social caste. For example, with earlier spring snowmelt queens declined in mean size and became negatively skewed and more kurtotic. This suggests a skewed filter admitting a greater frequency of small individuals. With greater availability of floral food resources, queens increased in mean size, but workers and males decreased in size. Observed shifts in body size variation also correspond with variation in diet breadth and phenology. Populations with larger average body size were associated with more generalized foraging in workers of short-tongued species and increased specialization in longer-tongued workers. Altered phenological timing was associated with species- and caste-specific shifts in skew. Across an assemblage of wild bumblebees, we find complex patterns of trait variation that may not have been captured if we had simply considered mean and variance. The four-moment approach we employ here provides holistic insight into intraspecific trait variation, which may otherwise be overlooked and reveals potential underlying filtering processes driving such variation within populations.

Planning for complex inferior vena cava filter retrievals: the implementation and effectiveness of 3D printed models.

BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava filter (IVC) retrieval is most often routine but can be challenging with high morbidity in complex cases, especially those with an extended dwelling time. While risk of morbidity in complex retrievals is decreased with advanced filter retrieval techniques, deciding when and which to use these requires detailed pre-procedural planning. The purpose of our study was to evaluate patient-specific 3D printed anatomic IVC filter models for aiding complex IVC filter retrievals. METHODS: All IVC filter retrieval patients between June 2021 and September 2022 at one academic medical hospital were prospectively screened. Nine met criteria for complex retrieval, and their CT images were used to 3D print patient-specific IVC and filter models. Models were used in pre-procedural planning and clinical utility was assessed using the Anatomic Model Utility Likert Questionnaire and estimations of the procedural and fluoroscopy time saved. RESULTS: The usage of 3D printed models in pre-procedural planning had high clinical utility based on the Likert questionnaire (Anatomic Model Utility Points 366.7 ± 103.1). Using a model significantly increased confidence in planning (p = 0.03) and modified the treatment plan in seven cases. It also led to cost-efficient use of resources in the procedure suite with estimated reduction in procedure and fluoroscopy time of 29.0 [20.3] (p = 0.003) and 10.2 [6.7] (p = 0.002) minutes, respectively. CONCLUSION: 3D printed anatomic models for patients who require complex IVC filter retrieval demonstrated Likert-based high clinical utility and led to estimated reductions of procedural and fluoroscopy time.

An in-phase filter-based flux observation strategy for sensorless control of PMSMs.

Due to the complexity of determining the initial rotor flux and detecting errors, conventional rotor flux observation methods are easily affected by direct current (DC) components and harmonics. To address this issue, this paper proposes an in-phase filter (IPF)-based rotor flux observation strategy for sensorless control of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs). The core components of the IPF consist of a double second-order generalized integrator (DSOGI) and a phase angle compensation transfer function (PACTF). The DSOGI provides a accurate electrical angular frequency, while the PACTF implements a phase correction to the vq' signals. By employing IPF structure, accurate observations for rotor flux, electronic speed, and rotor position are achieved, which can be effectively used in the sensorless control of PMSMs, eliminating the need for magnitude and phase compensations. Finally, the proposed observation strategy is applied to an experimental bench of a PMSM, and its effectiveness is illustrated by experimental results. From experimental results, it can be concluded that the IPF is significantly better than the LPF, and 5% more accurate than the observer based on cascade second-order generalized integral(CSOGI) overall.

Hysteresis operator-based adaptive Kalman feedforward control for the scanning motion of hybrid reluctance actuators.

The hybrid reluctance actuator (HRA) has achieved widespread application in scanning motion tasks. However, the nonlinear perturbations arising from position-dependent stiffness fluctuations, hysteresis, eddy, and flux leakage can significantly affect the control performance. To enhance the control performance of HRA-based systems in scanning motion, this paper introduces an adaptive feedforward method, known as the Chua operator-based Kalman feedforward compensator (COKFC), which aims to mitigate these nonlinear perturbations, with a PID controller serving as the central control element. In the COKFC approach, a Chua operator is employed to effectively capture the inverse hysteresis behavior. A Chua-based time-varying feedforward compensation model is then formulated to represent the inversion of the nonlinear perturbations inherent in the HRA. An improved Kalman filter is utilized for the real-time adaptation of the time-varying parameters within the feedforward compensation model. The design procedure for this control strategy is presented. Experimental evaluations are conducted on an HRA-based stage (HRA-BS), and comparisons are made between the proposed method and several advanced control methods. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed COKFC method exhibits superior control performance for the scanning motion of the HRA-BS, highlighting its effectiveness in practical applications.

DVT with Pulmonary Embolism in Patient with Grade 2 Compound Tibia Shaft Fracture- Treated with Thrombolysis and Use of Prophylactic IVC Filter: Case Report.

Introduction: Major orthopedic procedures place patients at risk for Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT has a 10-40% incidence after isolated fractures of the tibia and distal bones of the lower extremity. Diagnostic techniques are venous compression ultrasonography, venography, and pulmonary angiography. Prevention methods for venous thromboembolism (VTE) include mechanical prophylaxis and pharmacological prophylaxis. Inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) intercepts thrombus in inferior vena cava and prevents it from reaching the pulmonary artery. Case Report: A 39-year-old female having compound Type 2 mid-shaft tibia fracture and operated with intramedullary nailing at a corporate hospital, Navi Mumbai in January 2024. Despite giving DVT prophylaxis, she developed shortness of breath on 3rd day. 2D echocardiogram (ECHO) showed dilated right atrium and right ventricular and computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) showed saddle embolism at the junction of pulmonary artery division. The cardiologist immediately advised intravenous (IV) thrombolysis (injection tenecteplase 30 mg stat) followed by IV anticoagulants (injection low molecular weight heparin 0.6) and oral (rivaroxaban 20 mg) for 15 days. However, she complained of high-grade fever, right leg persistent swelling, and per vaginal (PV) bleeding. Venous Doppler showed persistent thrombi. Hence oral rivaroxaban was stopped, and IVCF was inserted in February 2024 to prevent further embolization. After observing her menstrual cycles, she was resumed on oral rivaroxaban after 1 month. Follow-up after 3 months of surgery (April 2024) showed signs of healing of shaft tibia fracture. Follow-up after 3 months of IVCF placement (May 2024) showed no persistent thrombi in bilateral lower limb venous Doppler. Hence decision of F removal was made at 3 months. Conclusion: Clinical evaluation of patients is important for the detection of DVT-PE. Complain of breathlessness on exertion suggested the diagnosis of PE, confirmed by 2D ECHO and CTPA, and immediately treated by the cardiac team with thrombolytics and anticoagulants. Since the patient developed bleeding PV, the insertion of an IVCF is the best option for treatment and prophylaxis of future VTE episodes.

Surgical Strategies and Perioperative Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Vena Cava Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe robot-assisted vena cava reconstruction by summarising surgical strategies and perioperative outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on all robotic surgeries involving dissection and repair of the inferior vena cava (IVC) at our institution. Patient characteristics, operative reports, and follow-up visits were analysed. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients underwent robot assisted surgery of the vena cava from 2016 to 2023. The median postoperative hospital stay of all patients was 7 days, and the median estimated blood loss (EBL) was 550 mL. The median IVC clamping time was 23 min, and IVC wall invasion was pathologically identified in five cases. No patients had liver or kidney dysfunction at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our initial experiences demonstrate that it is safe and feasible for experienced surgeons to perform robot-assisted vena cava reconstruction in highly selected patients.

Management of PFO in paradoxical embolic stroke with hemorrhagic conversion: a case report.

A paradoxical embolism is defined as a venous thrombus that crosses through a heart defect, into the systemic circulation, usually through a patent foramen ovale. Treatment varies between closure of patent foramen ovale vs. medical management based on a variety of individual risk factors and the cardiac defect's characteristics. We describe a case of paradoxical stroke complicated by hemorrhagic conversion, ultimately requiring an IVC filter.