Centrifugation Method Research Articles

#348 Neutrophil membrane-derived nanovesicles deliver IL-37 to repair renal endothelial cells in ischemia‒reperfusion injury

Abstract Background and Aims Renal ischemia‒reperfusion injury (IRI) is one of the most important causes of acute kidney injury (AKI). Interleukin (IL)-37 is a novel anti-inflammatory factor, but its application is still limited by its low stability and delivery efficiency. In recent years, engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) have attracted substantial attention as an emerging drug delivery system. The aim of this study was to investigate the reparative effect of neutrophil membranes-derived nanovesicle (N-MV)-delivered IL-37 on renal IRI and its mechanism of action. Method The density gradient centrifugation method was used to extract peripheral blood neutrophils from rats, and the differential centrifugation method was used to extract neutrophil membranes. Cell membranes and IL-37 were then extruded with polycarbonate porous membranes with different pore sizes using a mini extruder to prepare IL-37 that was coated with neutrophil membrane (N-MV@IL-37). Subsequently, the physical and chemical properties and in vitro biological functions were identified. The in vivo distribution of N-MV@IL-37 as well as the renal function and inflammatory response in rats were further evaluated in a rat renal IRI model, and the targeting and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of N-MV@IL-37 were further explored. Results N-MV@IL-37 not only enhanced the stability of IL-37 but also targeted endothelial cells via P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) on neutrophil membrane surfaces. In vitro experiments showed that N-MV@IL-37 inhibited endothelial cell apoptosis and inflammatory factor production and promoted endothelial cell viability and angiogenesis. In the rat renal IRI model, N-MV@IL-37 inhibited renal cell apoptosis and alleviated inflammatory responses, thereby improving renal function in IRI rats. Conclusion N-MVs provide an effective method of delivering IL-37, thereby alleviating the inflammatory response due to renal IRI and repairing renal endothelial cells; these vesicles could be a potential system for the treatment of renal IRI. Meanwhile, N-MVs also provided a drug delivery platform to provide a new strategy for the treatment of other IRI-like diseases.

Study on the water retention curve of shredded municipal solid waste considering the compressibility of specimens based on the centrifuge method.

The water retention curve (WRC) of municipal solid waste (MSW) is the important hydraulic parameter for the study of unsaturated seepage analysis in landfills. Due to the compressibility and degradability of the waste, the search for a method to quickly and accurately test its water retention curve (WRC) is a current problem that needs to be solved. In this paper, considering the volume change of the waste specimens in test, the test principle of centrifuge testing of WRC is corrected to make it applicable to the testing of waste WRC. In addition, the WRCs of 20 MSW specimens with typical landfill compositions and porosities are measured using the corrected centrifuge test. The effects of compositions and porosities of waste specimens on WRC parameters were analyzed. The results are summarized as follows. Disregarding the height reduction of specimens resulted in overestimated matric suction values and underestimating volume water content values. By comparing uncorrected and corrected values, the maximum difference of the matric suction and volumetric water content reach 233kPa and 11%, respectively. This study can provide a reference for accurately measuring the WRC of MSW using a centrifuge. For the waste specimen without kitchen and yard waste, composition had less of an effect on the WRC of waste compared to porosity. The effect of the content of the non-absorbable fraction on the residual volumetric water content θr and the parameter nv in the van Genuchten model was significant. The initial porosity n had a great effect on the parameter α.

Platelet-Rich Plasma in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is well recognized and frequently used therapeutic tool for surgeons in oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). It is become popular due to its regenerative potential of autologous blood components that enhance tissue repair while improving overall surgical outcomes. we decided to discuss historical evolution of PRP and OMFS, preparation methods and biological mechanisms, OMFS applications, more precisely, efficacy of PRP in OMFS. PRP was originated from early explorations in wound healing research and now it has made continuous refinement and is being used in widespread application across diverse medical specialities. In OMFS, PRP is prepared through centrifugation methods where PRP is concentrate platelets and other important growth factors that are essential for tissue regeneration, or improving bone density and regrowth. Clinical applications span from bone and soft tissue augmentation to the management of temporomandibular joint disorders and maxillofacial pathology. Various pieces of evidence promise promising outcomes, but the efficacy of PRP in enhancing bone regeneration remains debated among researchers and physicians, which necessitates further research and comprehensive validation. Complications of PRP administration are rare but may include infection, nerve damage, tissue calcification, or even blindness in some cases, which emphasizes careful patient selection and monitoring is evident. PRP future in OMFS is promising for more personalized therapies and standardized protocols. More discoveries will be made through mixed or combination treatments with PRP and it will expand applications, technological advancements, and efficacy in long-term outcome.

A comparative study assessing the validity of water absorption methods when applied to secondary fine aggregates

The valorization of secondary sands is crucial for fostering a circular economy within the construction sector. One significant obstacle in this endeavor stems from the high water absorption (WA) rates commonly reported for secondary sands. This high WA leads to increased water and cement demand in cementitious mixes and elevates costs. The only widely standardized method to measure the WA of fine aggregates is the cone method, which has proven ill-suited for fine aggregates with angular particles or a high content of fines. This study undertakes a comparative evaluation of the cone method and seven alternative methods: immersion, centrifugation, paper sheet, colorimetric, volumetric flask, continuous drying, and electrical conductivity. Tests were performed on natural river sand and three types of secondary sand. Findings reveal that the continuous drying and electrical conductivity methods demonstrates the greatest potential in terms of reliability and applicability. Also the volumetric flask and centrifugation methods show some potential, provided that critical refinements are made to the corresponding test protocols.

The role of catchment population size, data normalization, and chronology of public health interventions on wastewater-based COVID-19 viral trends

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic presented the most challenging global crisis in recent times. A pandemic caused by a novel pathogen such as SARS-CoV-2 necessitated the development of innovative techniques for the monitoring and surveillance of COVID-19 infections within communities. Wastewater surveillance (WWS) is recognized as a non-invasive, cost-effective, and valuable epidemiological tool to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in communities. Seven municipal wastewater sampling sites representing distinct sewershed communities were selected for the surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Durham Region, Ontario, Canada over 8 months from March 2021 to October 2021. Viral RNA fragments of SARS-CoV-2 and the normalization target pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were concentrated from wastewater influent using the PEG/NaCl superspeed centrifugation method and quantified using RT-qPCR. Strong significant correlations (Spearman's rs = 0.749 to 0.862, P < 0.001) were observed between SARS-CoV-2 gene copies/mL of wastewater and clinical cases reported in each delineated sewershed by onset date. Although raw wastewater offered higher correlation coefficients with clinical cases by onset date compared to PMMoV normalized data, only one site had a statistically significantly higher Spearman's correlation coefficient value for raw data than normalized data. Implementation of community stay-at-home orders and vaccinations over the course of the study period in 2021 were found to strongly correspond to decreasing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater trends in the wastewater treatment plants and upstream pumping stations.

Effects of blood-processing protocols on cell-free DNA fragmentomics in plasma: Comparisons of one- and two-step centrifugations

BackgroundCell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomic characteristics are promising analytes with abundant physiological signals for non-invasive disease diagnosis and monitoring. Previous studies on plasma cfDNA fragmentomics commonly employed a two-step centrifugation process for removing cell debris, involving a low-speed centrifugation followed by a high-speed centrifugation. However, the effects of centrifugation conditions on the analysis of cfDNA fragmentome remain uncertain. MethodsWe collected blood samples from 10 healthy individuals and divided each sample into two aliquots for plasma preparation with one- and two-step centrifugation processes. We performed whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the plasma cfDNA in the two groups and comprehensively compared the cfDNA fragmentomic features. Additionally, we reanalyzed the fragmentomic features of cfDNA from 16 healthy individuals and 16 COVID-19 patients, processed through one- and two-step centrifugation in our previous study, to investigate the impact of centrifugation on disease signals. ResultsOur results showed that there were no significant differences observed in the characteristics of nuclear cfDNA, including size, motif diversity score (MDS) of end motifs, and genome distribution, between plasma samples treated with one- and two-step centrifugation. The cfDNA size shortening in COVID-19 patients was observed in plasma samples with one- and two-step centrifugation methods. However, we observed a significantly higher relative abundance and longer size of cell-free mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the one-step samples compared to the two-step samples. This difference in mtDNA caused by the one- and two-step centrifugation methods surpasses the pathological difference between COVID-19 patients and healthy individuals. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that one-step low-speed centrifugation is a simple and potentially suitable method for analyzing nuclear cfDNA fragmentation characteristics. These results offer valuable guidance for cfDNA research in various clinical scenarios.

A quantitative comparison of urine centrifugation and filtration for the isolation and analysis of urinary nucleic acid biomarkers

Urine is a rich source of nucleic acid biomarkers including cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and RNA for monitoring the health of kidney allografts. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether urine filtration can serve as an alternative to the commonly used method of centrifugation to collect urinary fluid and cell pellets for isolating cfDNA and cellular messenger RNA (mRNA). We collected urine specimens from kidney allograft recipients and obtained the urine supernatant and cell pellet from each specimen using both filtration and centrifugation for paired analyses. We performed DNA sequencing to characterize the origin and properties of cfDNA, as well as quantitative PCR of mRNAs extracted from cell fractions. Our results showed that the biophysical properties of cfDNA, the microbial DNA content, and the tissues of origin of cfDNA were comparable between samples processed using filtration and centrifugation method. Similarly, mRNA quality and quantity obtained using both methods met our criteria for downstream application and the Ct values for each mRNA were comparable between the two techniques.The Ct values demonstrated a high degree of correlation. These findings suggest that urine filtration is a viable alternative to urine centrifugation for isolation of nucleic acid biomarkers from urine specimens.

New method for the preparation of hierarchical nanotube K0.3xMnxCe1-xOδ catalysts and their excellent catalytic performance for soot combustion

A series of nanofibrous K-Mn-Ce composite oxide catalysts were prepared via a centrifugal spinning method for the first time, and their physicochemical properties were studied. The prepared K0.3xMnxCe1-xOδ metal oxide catalyst, which is a composite of CeO2 and cryptopotassium manganese-type K2-xMn8O16, exhibits a hierarchical nanotube structure with uniform nanoneedles on its surface. During the process of soot oxidation, CeO2 utilizes its unique oxygen storage and release capacity to supply oxygen species. Simultaneously, the excellent redox properties of K2-xMn8O16 effectively promote valence cycling of the active components and produce more active oxygen species. This synergistic effect effectively enhances the intrinsic activity of the catalysts. Among the prepared catalysts, K0.15Mn0.5Ce0.5Oδ exhibits the highest catalytic performance, with 10% (T10), 50% (T50), and 90% (T90) soot conversion temperatures of 267 °C, 309 °C, and 338 °C, respectively, and shows good stability and water and sulfur resistance. Based on their simple preparation, low cost, and good catalytic performance, K0.3xMnxCe1-xOδ composite metal oxide catalysts have good potential in catalytic soot combustion applications.

A new effective method for isolating single spermatozoa from surgically obtained material in azoospermia

A new effective method for isolating single spermatozoa from surgically obtained material in azoospermia

Scalable fabrication of multifunctional polylactic acid fibrous membranes with enhanced superhydrophobicity and radiative cooling performance

The disadvantages of traditional bio-based materials melt centrifugal spinning, such as low efficiency, long cycle and poor performance, limit its industrialization process. Herein, a scalable strategy was proposed for the fast and scale fabrication of bio-based melt centrifugal spinning fiber. The polymer melt was continuously transported to the high-speed rotating centrifugal disk, where it was rapidly conveyed and separated. The separated melt was then drawn and cooled by the synergistic supergravity and high-pressure cyclone field, resulting in formatting a nonwoven fabric by self-bonding alone with a diameter of ∼3 μm. Compared to conventional white CVC fabrics, the fabricated polylactic acid fibrous membranes demonstrated exceptional biocompatibility (cell viability of 98.7%), radiative cooling properties and favorable emissivity (94.1%), which can reduce the covered object temperature by 4.6 °C during hot summer. Furthermore, the water vapor transmission rate, moisture regain, water absorption, and boiling water shrinkage rate of PP20/8-F are 39.98 g m−2 h−1, 2.31%, 2.09%, and 8.11%, respectively, meeting the comfort requirements of wearable fabrics. The robust superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 153 ± 1° provides excellent antifouling and self-cleaning properties. This novel bio-based material melt centrifugal spinning method provides a viable strategy for the industrial preparation of high-performance and functionalized fibrous.

Human plasma derived exosomes: Impact of active and passive drug loading approaches on drug delivery

The aim of the current study was to explore the potential of human plasma-derived exosomes as versatile carriers for drug delivery by employing various active and passive loading methods. Exosomes were isolated from human plasma using differential centrifugation and ultrafiltration method. Drug loading was achieved by employing sonication and freeze thaw methods, facilitating effective drug encapsulation within exosomes for delivery. Each approach was examined for its effectiveness, loading efficiency and ability to preserve membrane stability. Methotrexate (MTX), a weak acid model drug was loaded at a concentration of 2.2 µM to exosomes underwent characterization using various techniques such as particle size analysis, transmission electron microscopy and drug loading capacity. Human plasma derived exosomes showed a mean size of 162.15 ± 28.21 nm and zeta potential of −30.6 ± 0.71 mV. These exosomes were successfully loaded with MTX demonstrated a better drug encapsulation of 64.538 ± 1.54 % by freeze thaw method in comparison 55.515 ± 1.907 % by sonication. In-vitro drug release displayed 60 % loaded drug released within 72 h by freeze thaw method that was significantly different from that by sonication method i.e., 99 % within 72 h (p value 0.0045). Moreover, cell viability of exosomes loaded by freeze thaw method was significantly higher than that by sonication method (p value 0.0091) suggested that there was membrane disruption by sonication method. In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the potential of human plasma-derived exosomes loaded by freeze thaw method suggest as a promising carrier for improved drug loading and maintenance of exosomal membrane integrity.

Tritium release performance of biphasic Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles fabricated by centrifugal granulation method

At present, the biphasic Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles with high lithium content and crushing load have been viewed as promising tritium breeders for maintaining the safety-state operation of the D-T fusion reactor. The tritium release behavior of Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles fabricated by centrifugal granulation method was investigated by using the Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy apparatus at Shizuoka University. It can be found that the Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic pebbles show three tritium release peaks, and most of the tritium was released as HTO observed from T-TDS spectra, and the peaks at 581 K and 734 K are mainly due to tritium release from Li2TiO3 in core and shell. The peak at 813 K is mainly deemed as tritium release derived from the Li4SiO4 shell. The content of tritium release from biphasic Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic is up to 11.5 MBq g−1, but the amount of gas species (HT) is only 0.126 MBq g−1. Besides, the isothermal heating experiment showed that the tritium release behavior was subject to diffusion process and de-trapping in defect sites. At the same time, the irradiation defects of E′-center, O-related center, and Ti3+ for breeding material can be found by using an ESR device, and the isochronous heating experiments have manifested that the amount of irradiated defect decreases as heating temperature increases, which indicates that the tritium release behavior is closely related to defect annihilation process. Therefore, the advanced Li2TiO3–Li4SiO4 ceramic breeder can be fabricated based on tritium release result, which will be conducive to meet the practical application of breeder in the future.

Characterization of Sex-Dependent Differences in Brain Microvascular Bioenergetics

Background: Women experience increased incidence of stroke-related deaths and lifetime risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microvascular dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and AD. Our objective is to investigate the sex-dependent differences in bioenergetics of young mouse brain microvessels (BMVs). Methods: BMVs were isolated from young male and female mice (3-4 months), using a combination of gradient centrifugation and filtration (300μm and 40μm filters) methods. Extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of BMVs were measured utilizing the Agilent Seahorse XFe 24 analyzer. The levels of proteins and mRNAs of mitochondrial respiratory complexes were measured by western blot and RT-PCR, respectively. Citrate synthase (CS) enzyme activity and ATP levels were determined in lysates of BMVs. Results: Real-Time ATP Rate assay demonstrated a decreased total ATP production rate and ATP contribution from both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) in BMVs from females compared to males. Mitochondrial stress test assay revealed significantly lower values of several mitochondrial respiratory parameters, including basal respiration, ATP production, maximal respiration, spare respiratory capacity, and proton leak in BMVs from females compared to males. Glycolytic Rate assay uncovered reduced basal glycolysis, proton efflux rate (PER) originating from basal glycolysis, and the mitoOCR/glycoPER ratio in BMVs from females compared to males. Interestingly, no sex-dependent differences were observed in basal PER and post-2-DG acidification rates in BMVs. Mito Fuel Flex Test assay showed no sex-dependent difference in the utilization of glucose, glutamine, and long-chain fatty acids as fuel substrates in BMVs. ATP measurements confirmed the reduced ATP levels in BMVs from females compared to males. Measurements of CS activity revealed no sex-dependent difference in the BMVs. Lastly, Western blot and RT-PCR experiments indicated no differences in either protein or mRNA levels of various mitochondrial complex protein levels.Conclusions: Female BMVs showed reduced mitochondrial respiratory and glycolytic parameters compared to male BMVs although relative contribution of various substrates for energy production were not different. These sex-dependent differences involving glycolysis and OxPhos make the microvasculature vulnerable to injury in females. Funding sources: NIH grants AG074489 and NS114286 (PVGK and RM). This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Improving the recovery for dissolved eDNA state: A comparative analysis of isopropanol precipitation, magnetic bead extraction, and centrifugal dialysis

AbstractEnvironmental DNA consists of multiple states including but not limited to membrane‐bound, adsorbed, and dissolved states. Because of their chemical and physical properties, each of these states may have different degradation and transport potential. Essential to the study of eDNA states is being able to isolate them from an environmental sample. Here, we focus on improving the DNA recovery of the dissolved state of eDNA from water. We compared three recovery methods, namely isopropanol precipitation, magnetic bead extraction, and centrifugal dialysis. We evaluated the effectiveness of these methods based on the measured DNA recovery of two different species' DNA of different sizes. DNA recovery was assessed with qPCR. We also checked for the effect of inhibitor removal, and lastly, we estimated the cost of reagents and consumables (not labor). The DNA recovery varied among extraction methods, with isopropanol precipitation yielding the highest recovery (52.47 ± 19.69%), followed by centrifugal dialysis (12.58 ± 7.15%) and magnetic bead extraction (9.92 ± 3.89%). However, isopropanol precipitation's efficacy was influenced by humic acid concentration in the water matrix. The presence of humic acids significantly affected isopropanol precipitation, with higher humic acid concentrations leading to increased DNA recovery. This suggests that humic acids act as co‐precipitators during isopropanol precipitation. We observed that longer DNA fragments (chicken) had lower recovery compared to shorter fragments (salmon) across all extraction methods. Magnetic bead extraction effectively removed inhibitors, while centrifugal dialysis and isopropanol extraction required an additional inhibitor removal step. Isopropanol, magnetic bead extraction, and centrifugal dialysis methods have estimated costs of 7.74, 8.53, and 23.62 USD in 2023 respectively. Overall, isopropanol precipitation was the least expensive and most effective with the highest measured recoveries, but it was dependent on humic acid concentration in the environmental sample.

A new bacterial concentration method for large-scale applications of biomineralization

Bacterial suspension is an essential component of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP)-based biocement and a large-scale production is required for field applications. In this study, a new bacterial concentration method is proposed to enable high concentration bacterial suspension to be produced to facilitate field work. By adding low concentration calcium to bacterial suspension, flocs are formed and bacterial cells are adsorbed on the flocs to achieve bacterial concentration. Compared to the traditional bacterial concentration method using centrifugation and freezing-drying method, the proposed method can concentrate a large volume of bacterial suspension without using special equipment. The feasibility of this method is verified by bacterial concentration tests, solution tests and sand column treatment tests. The results of both the solution test and the sand column treatment test show that the bacterial suspension concentrated by the proposed method can be effectively used for soil biocementation. There is a threshold calcium concentration that allows a complete bacterial concentration for the proposed method, and this threshold calcium concentration tends to increase linearly with the optical density of the cell suspension at a wavelength of 600 nm (OD600).

A Comparative Study of B Cell Blast Isolation Methods from Bone Marrow Aspirates of Pediatric Leukemia Patients.

Density gradient centrifugation is a conventional technique widely utilized to isolate bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) from bone marrow (BM) aspirates obtained from pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients. Nevertheless, this technique achieves incomplete recovery of mononuclear cells and is relatively time-consuming and expensive. Given that B-ALL is the most common childhood malignancy, alternative methods for processing B-ALL samples may be more cost-effective. In this pilot study, we use several readouts, including immune phenotype, cell viability, and leukemia-initiating capacity in immune-deficient mice, to directly compare the density gradient centrifugation and buffy coat processing methods. Our findings indicate that buffy coat isolation yields comparable BM-MNC product in terms of both immune and leukemia cell content and could provide a viable, lower cost alternative for biobanks processing pediatric leukemia samples.

Purification of Iranian bentonite for organoclay synthesis for use in clay–polymer composites

Abstract Polymer-based composites modified with organoclay are economically beneficial candidates for a variety of applications. Different types of impurities accompany montmorillonite phases in various bentonites, which impact the quality and cost of organoclays and final composites. To obtain organoclays for clay composite applications, eight Iranian raw bentonites from different geographical locations were selected as the candidates and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Sample IB was chosen due to its high purity and lower cristobalite content than the other samples. It was purified by centrifugation or sedimentation methods using a sodium hexametaphosphate (NaHMP) dispersant. The cation-exchange capacity (CEC) was measured for bentonite before and after purification by sedimentation, and it showed a significant increase from 6.944 to 12.128 eq g–1, confirming successful purification. Organoclays were prepared using purified bentonite (sedimentation method) with two surfactants (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and octadecylamine), and the amount of octadecylamine was optimized. Purified bentonite and organoclay were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence. The results indicate that most of the impurities were removed after purification, and the interlayer space of organoclays increased to 35 Å in the optimized sample prepared with an amount of octadecylamine that was twice the CEC in purified bentonite. The prepared organoclay was used to improve low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymer properties. The clay–polymer composite properties were studied by field emission SEM, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile strength tests. The organoclay was fully dispersed in the LDPE matrix and in the sample with 5 wt.% of organoclay, where Ti (the temperature at which 10% of the sample is decomposed) and T50% (the midpoint of degradation) were 17°C and 13°C greater than those of polyethylene, respectively. Additionally, the sample residue with 5 wt.% of organoclay at 600°C was 43.4%. The tensile strength of polyethylene increased from 8.67 to 9.03 MPa in the sample with 4 wt.% of organoclay.

Colloid Mill-Assisted Ultrasonic-Fractional Centrifugal Purification of Low-Grade Attapulgite and Its Modification for Adsorption of Congo Red.

Attapulgite (APT) is widely used in wastewater treatment due to its exceptional adsorption and colloidal properties, as well as its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness. However, low-grade APT generally limits its performance. Here, a colloid mill-assisted ultrasonic-fractional centrifugal purification method was developed to refine low-grade APT. This process successfully separated and removed impurity minerals such as quartz and dolomite from the raw ore, resulting in a refined APT purity increase from 16.9% to 60% with a specific surface area of 135.5 m2∙g-1. Further modifying of the refined APT was carried out through the hydrothermal method using varying dosages of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), resulting in the production of four different APT adsorbents denoted as QAPT-n (n = CTAC mole number) ranging from 0.5 to 5 mmol. Using Congo red (CR) as the target pollutant, the QAPT-5 sample exhibited the best adsorption capacity with the maximum quantity of 1652.2 mg∙g-1 in a neutral solution at 30 °C due to the highest surface charge (zeta potential = 8.25 mV). Moreover, the QAPT-5 pellets (~2.0 g adsorbent) shaped by the alginate-assisted molding method removed more than 96% of 200 mL aqueous solution containing 200 mg∙L-1 CR and maintained this efficiency in 10 adsorption-elution cycles, which exhibited the promising practical application.

Ceramic-metal pipes with NiAl2O4 and TiAl2O5 spinel phases with different metallic phase content - Analysis of properties, and microstructure, taking into account LCA

The article describes the formation of samples into pipes with NiAl2O4 and TiAl2O5 spinel phases with different metallic phase content. The centrifugal slip casting method was used to form the composites. All suspensions used were shear thinning and were characterized by slight thixotropy. The analysis of the phase composition and chemical composition showed the presence of Al2O3, TiAl2O5 and NiAl2O4 in the produced samples. The produced materials were characterized by brittle fracture behaviour. The obtained life cycle assessment results clearly showed that as the content of the metallic phase increases, the environmental footprint of sinters in the A1 phase increases, which is a direct consequence of the increased use of raw materials.

Standardisation of Centrifugation Method for Virgin Coconut Oil Production and Comparison of Quality Parameters of the Recovered Oil

Virgin coconut oil is a finest edible oil having immense health benefits. Several methods are adopted for the extraction of virgin coconut oil. This experiment aims to provide a cost-effective and efficient method for small-scale production of high-quality virgin coconut oil. The objective of this study was standardisation of centrifugation method for virgin coconut oil production. Mature coconuts from West Coast Tall variety were collected and coconut milk was taken out by using coconut gratings with equal quantity of water and coconut water and two fold of water. The coconut milk was then chilled for 10 hours at 5-70C, followed by centrifugation at different revolutions per minute (rpm) and time. The colour, odour, taste, moisture content, free fatty acid content and total phenolic content of the resulting virgin coconut oil were assessed. The study revealed that the optimal conditions for maximum virgin coconut oil yield (28.087 percent) involve extracting coconut milk from coconut gratings with equal quantity of coconut water followed by chilling for 10 hours at 5-7ᵒC, centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 15 minutes and subsequently drying at 50°C.