Controllable synthesis of Fe3O4-wollastonite adsorbents for efficient heavy metal ions/oxyanions removal.

Iron oxide, in the form of magnetite (MG)-functionalized porous wollastonite (WL), was used as an adsorbent for heavy metal ions (cadmium and nickel) and oxyanions (chromate and phosphate) removal from water. The porous WL was synthesized from calcium carbonate and siloxane by controlled sintering process using low molecular weight submicrosized poly(methyl methacrylate) as a pore-forming agent. The precipitation of MG nanoparticles was carried out directly by a polyol-medium solvothermal method or via branched amino/carboxylic acid cross-linker by solvent/nonsolvent method producing WL/MG and WL-γ-APS/MG adsorbents, respectively. The structure/properties of MG functionalized WL was confirmed by applying FTIR, Raman, XRD, Mössbauer, and SEM analysis. Higher adsorption capacities of 73.126, 66.144, 64.168, and 63.456 mg g-1 for WL-γ-APS/MG in relation to WL/MG of 55.450, 52.019, 48.132, and 47.382 mg g-1 for Cd2+, Ni2+, phosphate, and chromate, respectively, were obtained using nonlinear Langmuir model fitting. Adsorption phenomena were analyzed using monolayer statistical physics model for single adsorption with one energy. Kinetic study showed exceptionally higher pseudo-second-order rate constants for WL-γ-APS/MG, e.g., 1.17-13.4 times, with respect to WL/MG indicating importance of both WL surface modification and controllable precipitation of MG on WL-γ-APS.

Efficient multistep arsenate removal onto magnetite modified fly ash.

The modification of the fly ash (FA) by magnetite (M) was performed to obtain FAM adsorbent with improved adsorption efficiency for arsenate removal from water. The novel low cost adsorbents are characterized by liquid nitrogen porosimetry (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MB) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The optimal conditions and key factors influencing the adsorbent synthesis are assessed using the response surface method (RSM). The adsorption experiment was carried out in a batch system by varying the contact time, temperature, pH, and mass of the adsorbent. The adsorption capacity of the FAM adsorbent for As(V), calculated by Langmuir model, was 19.14 mg g-1. The thermodynamic parameters showed spontaneity of adsorption with low endothermic character. The kinetic data followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (PSO), and Weber-Morris model indicated intra-particle diffusion as rate limiting step. Alternative to low desorption capability of the FAM was found by five consecutive adsorption/magnetite precipitation processes which gave exhausted layered adsorbent with 65.78 mg g-1 capacity. This research also has shed light on the mechanism of As(V)-ion adsorption, presenting a promising solution for the valorization of a widely abundant industrial waste.

Nonlinear properties of cardiac rhythm and respiratory signal under paced breathing in young and middle-aged healthy subjects.

We examined the effects of gender and age in young and middle-aged subjects on the level of cardio-respiratory interaction by analyzing properties of cardiac, respiratory and cardiac-respiratory regulatory mechanisms under paced breathing. In 56 healthy subjects, ECG (RR interval) and respiratory signal were simultaneously acquired in supine position at paced (0.1-0.45 Hz, steps of 0.05 Hz) and spontaneous breathing. The participants were divided into gender matched group of young adults (19-25 years old) and middle-aged adults (35-44 years old). Power spectral analysis was applied on RR interval time series and spectral components in very low frequency (VLF), low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) ranges were computed. We also calculated sample entropy of RR interval series (SampEnRR), respiratory series (SampEnResp), and their cross-sample entropy (cross-SampEn). Under paced breathing, reduction of all spectral powers with age (p<0.05) is not gender dependent but reduction of some entropy measures is; SampEnRR and SampEnResp were lower only in men (p<0.05). In the middle-aged subjects, effect of gender on spectral measures is significant; males had lower HF (p < 0.05). Pattern of dependencies of SampEn and cross-SampEn on paced breathing frequency were significantly different in men (young vs. middle-aged, p = 0.001 and p = 0.037) and in middle-aged subjects (females vs. males, p = 0.011 and p = 0.008). In middle-aged males, lower entropy measures indicated reduced and less complex partial cardiac and respiratory control, and central cardio-respiratory control. In conclusion, in healthy middle-aged subjects changes in cardio-respiratory coupling are detectable only in males.

RR interval-respiratory signal waveform modeling in human slow paced and spontaneous breathing.

Our aim was to model the dependence of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on the respiratory waveform and to elucidate underlying mechanisms of cardiorespiratory coupling. In 30 subjects, RR interval and respiratory signal were recorded during spontaneous and paced (0.1Hz/0.15Hz) breathing and their relationship was modeled by a first order linear differential equation. This model has two parameters: a0 (related to the instantaneous degree of abdominal expansion) and a1 (referring to the speed of abdominal expansion). Assuming that a0 represents slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (SARs) and a1 SARs in coordination with other stretch receptors and central integrative coupling; then pulmonary stretch receptors relaying the instantaneous lung volume are the major factor determining cardiovagal output during inspiration. The model's results depended on breathing frequency with the least error occurring during slow paced breathing. The role of vagal afferent neurons in cardiorespiratory coupling may relate to neurocardiovascular diseases in which weakened coupling among venous return, arterial pressure, heart rate and respiration produces cardiovagal instability.