Ammonium Phosphate Research Articles

Gluconic Acid Production by Using Recombinant Escherichia coli Waksman pqq+ Cells with a Novel Approach from Biomass Sources.

Gluconic acid (GA) is widely used in the pharmaceutical, food, detergent, textile, leather, and concrete industries. However, cost-effective and high-yield production of GA remains a challenge. Due to currently high raw material inputs of GA, various alternative carbohydrate sources are being investigated. Sucrose is one of the cost-effective biomass sources that can be used as feedstock. The most common industrial production of GA is based on wild-type bacteria and fungi, but there are many problems with this production. This study aimed to optimize the production of GA from glucose produced by hydrolysis of sucrose using recombinant E. coli Waksman (W) pqq+ strain. After sucrose was enzymatically hydrolyzed, significant medium components for GA production were determined as glucose, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), peptone, and ammonium phosphate ((NH4)3PO4) using Placket-Burman Design (PBD). Detailed optimization of the medium components that are significant in GA production was carried out using central composite design (CCD), and optimum values of the independent variables examined in maximum GA production (93.5 ± 2.95g/L) were determined as glucose 95, CaCO3 25, peptone 2, and (NH4)3PO4 1.13 (g/L). Using results obtained in the Erlenmeyer experiments, GA production in the bioreactor was investigated by CCD. The maximum GA efficiency (3.20 ± 0.15g/L. h) was obtained under conditions where the air supply rate was 10.82 L/min, stirring speed was 656.87rpm, and CaCO3 concentration was 16.90g/L. In conclusion, it has been shown that GA can be produced with a high yield with this novel approach using a recombinant strain for GA production from sucrose.

The Simultaneous Efficient Recovery of Ammonia Nitrogen and Phosphate Resources in the Form of Struvite: Optimization and Potential Applications for the Electrochemical Reduction of NO3−

In response to the need for improvement in the utilization of ammonium-rich solutions after the electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO3−–RR), this study combined phosphorus-containing wastewater and adopted the electrochemical precipitation method for the preparation of struvite (MAP) to simultaneously recover nitrogen and phosphorus resources. At a current density of 5 mA·cm−2 and an initial solution pH of 7.0, the recovery efficiencies for nitrogen and phosphorus can reach 47.15% and 88.66%, respectively. Under various experimental conditions, the generated struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) exhibits a typical long prismatic structure. In solutions containing nitrate and nitrite, the coexisting ions have no significant effect on the final product, struvite. Finally, the characterization of the precipitate product by X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that its main component is struvite, with a high purity reaching 93.24%. Overall, this system can effectively recover ammonium nitrogen from the NO3−–RR solution system after nitrate reduction, with certain application prospects for the recovery of ammonium nitrogen and phosphate.

Exploring the association between multiple factors and urolithiasis: A retrospective study and Mendelian randomization analysis.

To investigate the relationship between several factors and urinary stone as well as different stone compositions. To guide the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urinary stone recurrence. We used bidirectional Mendelian randomization to analyze the causal relationship between hypertension and urinary stones, diabetes and urinary stones, and body mass index (BMI) and urinary stones. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with urinary stones admitted to a tertiary care hospital in Chongqing, China, from July 2015 to October 2022. Patients were included when they were first diagnosed with urinary stones. The odds ratio of calculi on hypertension estimated by inverse variance weighted was 8.46 (95%CI: 4.00-17.90, P = 2.25 × 10-8). The stone composition analysis showed that there were 3101 (67.02%) mixed, 1322 (28.57%) calcium oxalate monohydrate, 148 (3.20%) anhydrous uric acid, 16 (0.35%) magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate, 11 (0.24%) dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, 10 (0.22%) carbonate apatite, 8 (0.17%) L-cystine, 4 ammonium uric acid (0.09%), and 7 other stone types (0.15%). Mendelian randomization studies have proven that urinary stones may be a potential risk factor for hypertension, while there is no causal relationship between diabetes and stones, BMI, and stones. Our retrospective study has shown that urinary stone components are closely associated with sex, age, hypertension, diabetes, and BMI. It is reasonable to suspect that treating a single stone component is ineffective in preventing recurrence. We also found that the peak incidence of urinary stones was at the most active stage of most people's working lives.

Study on suppression mechanism of NH4H2PO4 inhibiting gas flame of red pine pyrolysis

Ammonium phosphate fire extinguishing agents, due to their excellent cost-effectiveness and suitability for forest fires, have become one of the most commonly used fire suppressants for forest fire control. Among them, NH4H2PO4 fire extinguishing agent is the most widely applied. In this study, NH4H2PO4 (>90%) as the main component of dry powder fire extinguishers was selected as the suppressant to investigate the reaction mechanism of NH4H2PO4 interacting with red pine wood pyrolysis gas flames. Initially, we constructed a Bunsen burner experimental system suitable for NH4H2PO4/red pine wood pyrolysis gas/air. Although experimental methods yield the most intuitive empirical conclusions, measuring only the laminar flame speed of red pine wood pyrolysis gas/NH4H2PO4/air mixture does not adequately analyze the inhibitory mechanism of NH4H2PO4 on red pine wood pyrolysis gas flames. Additionally, due to limitations in experimental equipment and methods, it is not feasible to extend equivalence ratios and NNH4H2PO4 doses to large or small working conditions. Therefore, in this study, we utilized Chemkin software to construct theoretical models of flames under different conditions and performed calculations. We comprehensively analyzed the kinetic regulatory mechanisms of NH4H2PO4 interacting with red pine wood pyrolysis gas flames from aspects such as chemical inhibition, sensitivity of elementary reactions, elementary reaction yields, and chemical reaction pathways.

Study on the preparation of high-concentration ammonium phosphate suspension fertilizer from wet-process phosphoric acid and its rheological properties

BackgroundNew water-soluble fertilizer can be applied to modern irrigation systems and has significant advantages. This study uses wet-process phosphoric acid as raw material and chelation and suspension technology to prepare water-soluble fertilizer containing high-concentration ammonium phosphate. MethodsFirst, the composition and viscosity of the wet-process phosphoric acid was analyzed, and the ammoniation and chelation processes were explored. Subsequently, four suspension formulations were compared and selected after product analysis. The final process conditions are: 42 wt % (P2O5 %) phosphoric acid, 20 wt % chelating agent, pH = 4.5, 0.03 wt % xanthan gum or 0.02 wt % carboxymethyl cellulose of respectively, and obtain suspension fertilizer by high-speed shearing. Significant FindsThe Bingham model and Casson model were used to fit the rheological data of the two, and R2 values were greater than 0.94. The thixotropic loops of the two were measured using the triangular shear rate variation method mode, and the Huang equation and MBM models were used to fit the thixotropic loop data of the two respectively. In addition, at different pH and temperature, the suspended fertilizer performed well.

Coupling of struvite crystallization and aqueous phase recirculation for hydrochar upgrading and nitrogen recovery during hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge

Recycling of aqueous phase (AP) as a by-product after hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge (SS) has been of interest. The combination of magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) or the so-called struvite crystallization and aqueous phase (AP) recirculation has great potential for resource recovery and hydrochar enhancement. In this study, both the aqueous phase of HTC after MAP recovery of NH4+-N (AP-MAP) and the untreated aqueous phase of HTC (AP-HTC) were reused for HTC of fresh SS, and both aqueous phases were recycled four times. The effects of the two AP cycles on the properties of AP and hydrochar at 200, 230, and 260 °C were studied, and the effect of temperature on the two AP cycles was similar. The hydrochar produced by the AP-MAP cycle had lower nitrogen content than that of the AP-HTC cycle due to the low ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) content, and the combustion performance was improved. MAP recovery reduces the accumulation of NH4+-N in the AP cycle and MAP is also a high-quality fertilizer. Therefore, the combination of MAP recovery and AP recycling provides a feasible technical approach for resource utilization, eutrophic AP treatment, and production of high-quality hydrochar in the HTC process of SS.

A novel portable microchip electrophoresis system for rapid on-site detection of soil nutrient ions

The conventional techniques for soil nutrient ion detection face challenges, including prolonged preparation periods and the necessity for distinct instruments tailored to each specific ion. To address these issues, we have engineered a cutting-edge soil nutrient ion detection apparatus: the Microchip Electrophoresis Soil Nutrient Ion Portable Detection System (ME-SNI-PDS). This system, leveraging microchip electrophoresis with a capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detector (ME-C4D), simplifies the detection process with user-friendly touchscreen controls. Our system is capable of simultaneous detection of key soil nutrient ions—ammonium (NH4 +), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), potassium (K+), nitrate (NO3 −), and dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4 −)—in a swift 180 s, facilitated by precise voltage regulation. We have refined the buffer solution, consisting of 20 mM 2-(N-morpholinyl)-ethanesulfonic acid and L-histidine, with the addition of 0.01 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and 10 mM 18-crown-6, to ensure the complete resolution of soil nutrient ions. Following this, we established highly accurate peak height-to-concentration correlations for the six aforementioned ions, each with a coefficient of determination (R2) exceeding 0.99. The detection limits for these ions stand at a remarkably low concentration of 0.05 mM, translating to 0.9 mg l−1 for NH4 +, 2.0 mg l−1 for Ca2+, 1.2 mg l−1 for Mg2+, 1.96 mg l−1 for K+, 3.1 mg l−1 for NO3 −, and 4.85 mg l−1 for H2PO4 −. Subsequent soil leachate analysis via the ME-SNI-PDS has yielded ion content data that, upon comparison with results from continuous flow analyser (CFA) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, confirm the system’s exceptional integration, compactness, portability, speed, and efficiency. The ME-SNI-PDS shows immense promise for application in precision agriculture and the prevention of surface soil pollution. It is poised to make a significant impact in the realm of crop fertilization and environmental stewardship.

Nutrients recovery from dairy wastewater by Chlorella vulgaris and comparison of the lipid's composition with various chlorella strains for biodiesel production.

Microalgae biomass is regarded as a promising feedstock for biodiesel production. The biomass lipid content and fatty acids composition are among the main selective criteria when screening microalgae strains for biodiesel production. In this study, three strains of Chlorella microalgae (C. kessleri, C. sorokiniana, C. vulgaris) were cultivated nutrient media with different nitrogen contents, and on a medium with the addition of dairy wastewater. Moreover, microalgae grown on dairy wastewater allowed the removal of azote and phosphorous. The removal efficiency of 90%, 53% and 95% of ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen and phosphate ions, respectively, were reached. The efficiency of wastewater treatment from inorganic carbon was 55%, while the maximum growth of biomass was achieved. All four samples of microalgae had a similar fatty acid profile. Palmitic acid (C16:0) was the most abundant saturated fatty acid (SFA), and is suitable for the production of biodiesel. The main unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) present in the samples were oleic acid (C18:1 n9); linoleic acid (C18:2 n6) and alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3 n3), which belong to omega-9, omega-6, omega-3, respectively.

Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of encrusted cystitis and pyelitis: Review of the problem from a historical perspective

Introduction: Encrusted cystitis and pyelitis share many similarities regarding etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment. These processes usually occur on previously injured urological tissue with the participation of an infection by urease-producing bacteria. At present Corynebacterium urealyticum, a highly antibiotic-resistant bacteria, appears to be the pathogen most often involved in these processes. In this review we analyze the history of these diseases with special emphasis on the scientific advances of the last century. We also review the role of urease and bacterial infection as well as a brief update on the epidemiological, histopathological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Relevance: The importance and severity of these pathologies that are frequently underdiagnosed and difficult to treat are stressed. Conclusions: The clinical history, exploratory and analytical data, which highlight alkaline urine, sometimes with an ammoniacal odor, pyuria, hematuria and the presence of magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals, should alert the urologist to the existence of an encrusting uropathy. Simple radiology, ultrasound, computed tomography and endoscopic visualization of the lesions confirm the diagnosis. Treatment generally requires surgery, use of antibiotics, urinary acidifiers and bacterial urease inhibitors. Keywords: cystitis, pyelitis, encrustations, infection

Study the Physical Properties of Fertilizers and Plant Basin Parameters to Design the Tractor Operated Round Basin Maker cum Fertilizer Applicator for Orchard Crop

The physical form of fertilizer production is of extremely importance, both agronomically and in regard to satisfactory handling, transport, storage, and finally application to the field. The improvement of equipment for handling, storage, and application of granular fertilizer require a proper understanding of material properties and flow behavior. The most common problems encountered in fertilizers were caking, poor flow ability, segregation, dustiness and excessive hygroscopicity due to differences of physical properties. The physical properties such as moisture content, angle of repose and bulk density as important in designing the hopper and metering roller of fertilizer plays an important role in the storage, transport and application of fertilizer. The urea, Ammonium phosphate Sulphate, complex fertilizers and fertilizer ratio (10 26 26) per one orchard tree should be applied yearly trice based on crop requirement. The angle of repose value ranges 28° -37° the hopper angle was decided. For that, to flow the fertilizer freely from the hopper, the inclined angle of the hopper should be greater than 40° respectively. The lowest bulk density and tapped density observed 0.648 kg cm-3 and 0.708 kg cm-3 respectively. Coefficient friction for galvanized Iron (GI) material is very high So, based on the obtained results, a fertilizer applicator for orchard crops has been designed. The basin diameter of orchard palm varies from 1500 mm to 1750 mm the mean of 1650 mm. The root zone depth of orchard crop varies from 150 to 180 mm at radius of 1800 mm from the base of palm. The mean 171.66 mm hence depth of operation of machine was selected as 150 mm such that the machine does not interfere with root zone of orchard trees.

Influences of reaction parameters and complexation pretreatments on the distribution of phosphorus during hydrothermal carbonization of dewatered sewage sludge

This study investigated the effects of reaction parameters and pretreatments with complexing agents, namely ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), glutamate diacetic acid (GLDA), and citric acid (CA), on the phosphorus contents and forms in the sludge hydrothermal carbonization products. The results showed that reaction temperature had the greatest effect on the distribution and forms of phosphorus in liquid and solid products. High reaction temperatures inhibited the transfer of phosphorus from the solid phase to the liquid phase. Indeed, the proportions of phosphorus in the liquid phases only accounted for 3.56 % at reaction temperature and time of 160 °C and 60 min, respectively. However, this proportion increased to 16.32, 12.62, and 13.15 % following complexation pretreatments with EDTA, GLDA, and CA at 0.1 mol/L, respectively. In addition, the complexation pretreatments enhanced the transfer of phosphorus from the solid phase to the liquid phase. The total phosphorus contents in the liquid phase (TPL) reached 896.46 mg/L. The finding can be explained by the binding of the complexing agents with metal ions, such as Mg, Ca, Al, and Fe, transferring phosphorus originally bound to these metal ions to the liquid phase. In addition, the results demonstrated the effectiveness of the magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) crystallization method for recovering phosphorus from the EDTA-pretreated liquid product. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analyses showed high purity and crystallinity of the obtained struvite to some extent.

Preparation of Calcite-Precipitating Bacteria-Embedded Magnesium Phosphate Cement for Self-Healing Application

The present study was undertaken to check the feasibility of magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) for the immobilization of calcite-precipitating bacteria. An aqueous route of MPC synthesis was followed using magnesium phosphate Mg3(PO4)2 powder and ammonium phosphate solution. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed the synthesis of MPC. The thermal decomposition analysis (TGA) showed decomposition of struvite between 50–60 °C - Paenibacillus sp. NCIM 5410 was used due to its urea hydrolysis ability. pH 9 was found to be optimum for urea hydrolysis. The urea hydrolysis steadily decreased with an increase in temperature from 30 °C to 60 °C. The hydrolysis was seen to increase with an incubation time of up to 72 h and subsequently reduced. The bacteria showed 90% urea hydrolysis at pH 9, 30 °C temperature, and after 72 h. The bacterial spores were incorporated during MPC synthesis, which helped their immobilization. The bacterial spore-containing MPC decomposed around 70 (±0.48)% of urea. Further, calcite precipitation was studied. The precipitate formed due to bacterial action in the MPC crack showed the presence of calcium. The calcite precipitation helped to reduce the water absorption by MPC specimens. The spore containing MPC specimens showed around 2.62 (±0.55) % water absorption. These results suggest that it is possible to synthesize bioactive MPC by immobilizing bacterial spores in MPC.

STRUVITE CRYSTAL UROLITHIASIS IN A 2 YEAR OLD CASTRATED MALE CAT

Urolithiasis, kidney failure, urinary tract infections are examples of disorders of the urinary tract that often become problems in cats. Urolithiasis is a medical term to describe the presence of stones or crystals known as “urolith” in the urinary tract. Inappropriate composition and feeding methods can cause nutritional imbalances in the cat's body, which can affect the acidity level (pH) of urine, urine volume and urine concentration which can cause the formation of excessive minerals in the urine. The aim of writing this article is to provide information regarding the treatment of crystal urolithiasis in local cats. A male cat named Goblin, has been castrated, has colored hair orange with body weight 5.3 kg, experiencing difficulty urinating since 3 weeks, excreting a small volume of urine, and blood in the urine. On physical examination the cat always curled up and felt pain when palpation was carried out abdominal part. The results of the cat's blood test showed leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia, and RDW CV increased and PCT decreased. The results of the cat's urinalysis showed presence of leukocytes +2, Protein +1, pH 8.0, specific gravity 1.030, Calcium +1, Microalbumin +1.Sediment test results also found the presence of deposits of magnesium ammonium phosphate crystal particles (struvite crystals).Results of urine culture examination bacteria were foundStaphylococcus sp. Ultrasound results showed enlargement of the left kidney and deposits of hyperechoic particles (crystals) accompanied by enlargement of the uterine sac. The cat was diagnosed with urolithiasis with a fausta prognosis. The cat was treated by installing a 4Fr/1.3x130mm urinary catheter and flushing using 0.9% physiological NaCl to make it easier for the cat to urinate. The therapy given is the antibiotic ciprofloxacin hcl 5 mg/kg BW s500 mg preparation with a dose of 50 mg/kg BW per oral (PO) administered 2 times a day for seven days, administering the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone 0.5 mg with a dose of 1 mg/kg BW PO and given 2 times a day for four days, and kejibeling herbal medicine 1 tablet times a day for seven days. Cats are also given feed therapy in the form of Royal Canin Urinary S/O for 3 months. Evaluation of the cat's condition improved after therapy for 7 days. There is a need to educate clients regarding cat care, feeding and drinking water. Therefore, the cat's feed in cases must be replaced by providing urinary therapy feed.

Effect of fly ash and metakaolin on the mechanical properties and microstructure of magnesium ammonium phosphate cement paste

To solve the current application problems of magnesium phosphate cement (MPC), this study investigates the working properties, hydration process, strength performance, bonding strength, and other characteristics of MPC with 10% to 40% substitution of fly ash (FA) and metakaolin (MK) using different mixing methods. Among them, FA has beneficial effects such as spherical effect, microaggregate effect, and volcanic ash effect in the MPC system, and in addition, the aluminum phase material contained in MK has been shown to react with phosphates. This experimental design was aimed at determining the intrinsic link between bond strength and the aforementioned properties of MPC. The findings suggest that the optimal strength performance was achieved with an FA content of 20%, while the best bonding performance was observed at an FA content of 10%. There was minimal difference in peak hydration temperature among different MK admixtures, and no significant deviation was observed in the strength properties. The poor fluidity of the slurry hindered its penetration into the matrix, resulting in weak early bonding strength within the MK group. In the MK=5% mixing ratio of FA and MK (FK), FK-31 exhibited excellent strength performance with distinct advantages in terms of hydration product quantity and morphology, as well as remarkable macroscopic properties. On the other hand, in the MK=10%, FK-22 demonstrated outstanding performance utilizing the FK groups with strength comparable to FA-1 and FA-2. However, its toughness index-C/F decreased to a minimum level, which implied that the toughness of MPC was improved. Simultaneously, it displayed superior bonding properties surpassing MPC by reaching 5 MPa at 7d. The experimental group showed that excellent bonding properties mainly relied on chemical penetration as the bounding mechanism while interfacial damage primarily manifested as matrix damage. The microscopic tests showed that aluminum-containing phase substances were detected in the MK group, which made the equal substitution amount of MK show superior strength to FA. In this study, MK and FA were mixed in two ways: individual and composite mixing to investigate the modification effect of compounding of dopes with different chemical and physical properties and their bonding properties were analyzed. The test results indicated that under appropriate mixing proportions, incorporating both MK and FA for modified MPC could compensate for shortcomings associated with single mixing methods and become a novel option for modified MPC.

Preparation of stable polyvinyl alcohol/polyurea hydrogel using oligomeric compounds containing urea-bonded

The aim of this research is the production of a biocompatible hydrogel film with high stability; the polymer should absorb enough water, and its structure should be preserved in water for a long time and not disintegrate. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was chosen as the main polymeric base of the desired hydrogel. Oligomeric compounds with urea bonded containing active groups at two chain ends can react with the hydroxyl groups of the polymer and play the role of a cross-linker. Urea linkage oligomers (ULO) were prepared by reacting 2 mol of sulfamic acid, 3 mol of phosphorus, and 8 mol of urea in a molten state. The amount of PVA was kept constant, while the amount of ULO was different, the prepolymer solution was mold-dried at ambient temperature and subjected to a heat press. The gel behavior and characterization of the polymer films were investigated by FT-IR, NMR, SEM, ion chromatography, and XRD analyses, the data on the tensile strength and antibacterial properties of the samples are also reported. The production of a hybrid composite consisting of PVA and polyurea under the heat press has been confirmed; the ammonium phosphate, sulfate, nitrate, and melamine powder were produced in the layer of polymer structure. This innovative hybrid polymer with a network of urea bonds can be a favorable option for skin treatment applications due to the specific characteristic of urea known as keratolytic.

Electron injection and defect passivation for high-efficiency mesoporous perovskite solar cells.

Printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells (p-MPSCs) do not require the added hole-transport layer needed in traditional p-n junctions but have also exhibited lower power conversion efficiencies of about 19%. We performed device simulation and carrier dynamics analysis to design a p-MPSC with mesoporous layers of semiconducting titanium dioxide, insulating zirconium dioxide, and conducting carbon infiltrated with perovskite that enabled three-dimensional injection of photoexcited electrons into titanium dioxide for collection at a transparent conductor layer. Holes underwent long-distance diffusion toward the carbon back electrode, and this carrier separation reduced recombination at the back contact. Nonradiative recombination at the bulk titanium dioxide/perovskite interface was reduced by ammonium phosphate modification. The resulting p-MPSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency of 22.2% and maintained 97% of their initial efficiency after 750 hours of maximum power point tracking at 55 ± 5°C.

Magnesium source with function of slowly releasing Mg and pH control for impurity-resistance synthesis ultra-large struvite from wastewater

Struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O, Magnesium ammonium phosphate, MAP), recovered from wastewater, has potential application as a slow-release fertilizer. However, crystal size distribution (CSD) of recovered MAP typically lied in the range of 50–300 μm, due to fast nucleation rate and notably narrow metastable zone width (MSZW) of MAP, with purity levels 40–90 %. In order to control the rate of nucleation, a novel magnesium source with the form of MgHPO4·3H2O wrapped with Mg(OH)2 was prepared, referred to as P-3. This compound gradually released Mg2+ and PO43−, regulating solution concentration kept in MSZW to promote crystal growth. The inherent Mg(OH)2 within P-3 also acted as a pH regulator in wastewater, eliminating the necessity for additional acid or alkali adjustments during crystallization process. The MAP precipitated by P-3 exhibited an impressive CSD of 5000–7000 μm, with a maximum size reaching 10,000 μm. This represented the largest CSD reported in literature for recovered MAP from wastewater. The significance of the ultra-large MAP precipitated by P-3 lied in its enhanced resistance to impurity adsorption, resulting in MAP with a remarkable purity 97 %, under conditions of low heavy metal ion concentration approximately 5 mg/L. Furthermore, the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+) can reach 92 %. In comparison, two other magnesium sources, soluble salts (MgCl2 and Na2HPO4, P-1) and a combination of insoluble salts (Mg(OH)2 and MgHPO4, P-2) were evaluated alongside P-3. The CSD of MAP precipitated from P-1, P-2 was both <100 μm, with purity levels of 90 and 92 % and NH4+ removal efficiency of 92 and 90 %, respectively. Importantly, the strategy of obtaining ultra-large size MAP from wastewater in this study provided novel insights into the crystallization of other insoluble salts with large sizes.

Composition analysis of renal and ureteral calculi in a single center in northern China in the past decade.

The current report aimed to evaluate the characteristics of stone composition in 3637 renal and ureteral calculi patients in a single center while clarifying its relationship with sex, age, and time. Out of 3637 cases of upper urinary tract stones, stone specimens were analyzed retrospectively. There were 2373 male patients aged 6 months-87 years, with an average age of 44.73 ± 15.63 years, and 1264 female patients aged 4 months-87 years, with an average age of 46.84 ± 16.00 years. The male-female ratio was 1.88:1. Five hundred twelve patients had ureteral calculi, and 3125 had renal calculi. The SPSS software helped analyze the relationship between renal and ureteral calculi composition and sex, age, and time. Stone composition demonstrated 2205 cases of calcium oxalate stones (60.6%), 518 carbonate apatite (14.2%), 386 uric acids (10.6%), 232 magnesium ammonium phosphate (6.4%), 117 calcium phosphate (3.2%), 76 cystine (2.1%), 47 sodium urate (1.3%), 31 others (0.9%), and 25 ammonium urate (0.7%) cases. The overall male-to-female sex ratio was 1.88:1. Stones in the upper urinary tract were significantly more frequent in men than in women between the ages of 31 and 60. However, such stones were significantly more frequent in women than men over 80 (P < .05). Cystine, Sodium urate, Carbonated apatite, and uric acid indicated significant differences between different age categories (all P < .001). Stone composition analyses revealed that the frequency of calcium oxalate calculi has increased annually, while cystine and carbonated apatite incidences have dropped annually over the past decade. The components of renal and ureteral calculi vary significantly based on age and sex, with calcium oxalate calculi being more frequent in men while magnesium ammonium phosphate stones are more frequent in female patients. The age between 31 and 60 years is the most prevalent for renal and ureteral calculi in men and women.

Flame Retardant Additives in Polylactic Acid (PLA) Photopolymer Resin for 3D Printing Digital Light Processing (DLP)

Digital light processing (DLP) technology has been developed based on stereolithography (SLA) 3D-printing principle. The biodegradable and low-cost polylactic-acid (PLA) has so far been used as polymeric material for photopolymer resin in SLA and DLP. To achieve functional SLA-processed product, the properties of such PLA has been improved, with the aim to make it flame retardant, less viscous, and having light transmittance characteristics. In this study, the liquid raw PLA photopolymer was changed by adding different contents of Ammonium Phosphate (APP), melamine cyanurate (MCA), Aluminum Tri-hydroxide (Al2O3) and Nano-silicon dioxide (SiO2) additives. The solid PLA nanocomposite specimens were printed by using DLP device according to the standard geometry for burning test UL-94 to evaluate its flame-retardant property. In addition, the printing product and residue after burning test was analyzed for their morphological characteristic by using SEM. The results showed that the low weight fraction of MCA showed excellent performance. PLA/MCA successfully kept green body form until the sintering temperature of stainless steel was achieved. It can become a reference for application DLP 3D printing products in the casting and sintering process.

Characterisation and agronomic evaluation of acidified food waste anaerobic digestate products

Raw liquid anaerobic digestate was synthesised into nutrient-dense solid digestates via acidification and evaporation. Acidification retained ammonium in the digestate whilst also donating the anion to free ammonium to form an ammonium salt. Digestate was treated with the addition of sulphuric, nitric, and phosphoric acid resulting in the formation of ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate and ammonium phosphate, respectively then evaporated into a solid fertiliser product. FTIR, XRD and SEM-EDS collectively confirm that the addition of acids completely converted the free ammonium in the raw digestate into their respective ammonium salt counterparts. Compounds of potassium chloride, silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium ammonium phosphate, sodium nitrate, and sodium chloride were identified in all solid digestate samples. Plant growth and grain yield was higher in urea ammonium nitrate, raw liquid digestate and acidified digestate products compared to control and unacidified solid digestate. Urea ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate solid digestate had the highest dry shoot, likely due to the high available nitrogen found in both fertilisers. Overall, acidification and evaporation of liquid digestate can efficiently transform it into a valuable solid fertiliser with a high nutrient density. This process not only has the potential to mitigate handling and storage constraints of low nutrient density digestate in anaerobic digestion facilities but also offers a sustainable alternative to conventional fertilisers.