Discharge Treatment Research Articles

Laminating Structure for Interlayer Corona Discharge Treatment Toward Ion-Based Nanogenerators.

A corona discharge treatment (CDT) is utilized to maximize the performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) by injecting extra electrons into the negative tribomaterials. Increased performance of CDT TENGs, however, exhibits rapid degradation due to the electron dissipation by air moisture or thermal emission. To overcome such drawbacks and circumvent such dissipation, the source of charges should be replaced with ionic charges. This study reports a Ag nanowires (NWs)-embedded laminating structure (AeLS) with a unique fabrication procedure for ionic charge injection by CDT. The injection of ions is achieved by interlayer-CDT (i-CDT), in which positive charges are dissipated by Ag NWs, and the opposite negative ions can remain on the outmost surface. The AeLS TENGs with i-CDT exhibit high performance, long-term stability, and durability. It shows voltage, current, and maximum power outputs of 380V, 15µA, and 827mW m-2 , respectively. As a practical demonstration, rotational TENG integrated with a direct discharge system is realized, and its current and voltage reach 7.4mA and 7800V, respectively. This work can pave the way for the design of ion-based TENGs with high performance and long-lasting retention of triboelectric charges.

New pattern of Pd-Catalyzed electrochemical hydrodechlorination in conversion of chlorinated aromatic pollutants to Value-Added chemicals

Pd-catalyzed electrochemical hydrodechlorination (HDC), as a key process before discharge and biological treatment, is an effective strategy for the in-situ conversion of low concentration chlorinated aromatic pollutants (CAPs) in wastewater or polluted water. However, its application has been greatly hindered by the low Pd utilization and operation efficiency. Herein, we developed an electrocatalytic HDC method using Pd nanoparticles modified nickel foam (Pd NPs/Ni) as cathode and alkaline aqueous solution as catholyte, and applied it to convert high concentration CAPs to value-added chemicals. The results showed that the reaction efficiency and selectivity of the developed HDC method mainly depend on the cathode material, pH and cathode potential. The HDC method can convert CAPs (4 categories) with various high concentrations (0.05 ∼ 1 M) into a single value-added chemical (picolinic acid, phenoxyacetic acid, benzoic acid or phenol) with very high yield (>95 %) and chemo-selectivity (>97 %). Compared with the conventional Pd-catalyzed HDC methods, the new patterned one can greatly improve Pd utilization and operation efficiency (The Pd mass activity and the area activity of cathode increased by 16 ∼ 685 times). In addition, the underlying reaction pathway and catalytic mechanism of the developed HDC system has also been studied using 3,6-dichloropicolinic acid (3,6-D) as the model CAPs. The HDC of 3,6-D on the Pd NPs/Ni in a stepwise fashion with 3-chloropicolinic acid (3-ClPA) as the main intermediate product is suggested, and it follows the indirect HDC mechanism with electrochemically adsorbed H as the reductant. The end product (picolinic acid) of the HDC could be further reduced to pipecolinic acid at very negative potentials following direct hydrogenation mechanism, which would significantly lower the selectivity of HDC.

INFLUENCE OF DIELECTRIC BARRIER DISCHARGE ON BEET SEEDS GERMINATION

The effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment on the germination of beet seeds under different conditions was investigated. The emission spectra of the DBD plasma were measured under various operating conditions. It is shown that the main components of the emission spectra are nitrogen (N2) bands. The rotational (Tr) and vibrational (Tv) temperatures of the DBD plasma are determined from the N2 bands under different operating conditions. The dependences of the germination percentage of beet seeds at different time intervals of DBD treatment were obtained. The optimal time for treating beet seeds was determined.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN AIR REBUSAN DAUN SIRIH TERHADAP KEPUTIHAN PADA WANITA PASANGAN USIA SUBUR DI WILAYAH KERJA KLINIK MANDING KABUPATEN POLEWALI MANDAR

Leucorrhoea (Flour Albus) is excessive discharge from the birth canal or vagina. Normal vaginal discharge occurs in women, which occurs before and after the fertile period. According to WHO (World Health Organization) the number of women in the world in 2013 was 6.7 billion people and those who had experienced vaginal discharge were around 75%, while European women in 2013 were 739,004,470 people and those who had vaginal discharge were 25%. In Indonesia, about 90% of women have the potential to experience vaginal discharge because the country of Indonesia is a tropical climate, so mushrooms are easy to grow and develop which results in many cases of vaginal discharge in Indonesian women. The method used in this study is EkprerimentalQuasywith pre and post test without control research plans. Sampling using the Total Sampling technique and obtained 17 Respondents in accordance with the Inclusion criteria, Data collection was carried out using observation sheets. Observation was carried out before and after being given betel leaf stew water. The collected data is then processed using a T-test. P-value was obtained after giving betel leaf boiled water which is 0,000. The conclusion in this study is the provision of betel leaf boiled water affects the treatment of vaginal discharge in women of childbearing age in the Manding clinic

Preparation and photocatalytic performance of C/N Co-doped rich-defect tio2 by dielectric barrier discharge plasma

In this paper, C/N co-doped rich-defect TiO2 photocatalyst (C/N/DBD-TiO2-x) was prepared by DBD plasma discharge treatment in the mixed atmosphere of CO, N2 and H2 for the first time. The oxygen defects, C doping and N doping were successfully introduced by DBD plasma discharge treatment. With the synergy of these three, the forbidden band width was reduced from 3.20 eV to 2.78 eV, and the electron hole pair was rapidly separated and transferred. Meanwhile DBD plasma discharge treatment increased the specific surface area, pore volume and pore size of TiO2. Evaluation results of visible light catalytic performance showed that the degradation rate of MB solution could reach 98.05%. The new plasma discharge method solved the shortcomings and deficiencies of traditional modification methods, which provided a new and more convenient technology for TiO2 modification.

Comparative Effect of the Type of a Pulsed Discharge on the Ionic Speciation of Plasma-Activated Water

The comparison of ion concentrations, pH index, and conductivity in distilled and ground water after exposure to low-temperature plasma formed by barrier and bubble discharges is performed. It has been found that in the case of groundwater, the best performance for the production of NO3− anions is provided by the discharge inside the gas bubbles. For distilled water, the barrier discharge in air, followed by saturation of water with plasma products, is the most suitable from this point of view. In both treatments, the maximum energy input into the stock solution is ensured. After 10 min treatment of ground water, the pH index increases and then it decreases. The obtained numerical indicators make it possible to understand in which tasks the indicated treatment modes should be used, their comparative advantages, and disadvantages. From the point of view of energy consumption for obtaining approximately equal (in order of magnitude) amounts of NO3− anions, both types of discharge treatment are suitable. The research results point to a fairly simple way to convert salts (calcium carbonates) from an insoluble form to soluble one. Namely, when interacting with NO3− anions, insoluble carbonates pass into soluble nitrates.

Water-balanced inlet and outlet boundary conditions of the lattice Boltzmann method for shallow water equations

Conservation of mass or water balance is important for the simulation of shallow water projects. The traditional treatment of discharge and water level boundary conditions ignores it in the lattice Boltzmann model for shallow water equations (LABSWE). In this paper, we introduced the water balance equation at these boundary conditions and proposed a universal treatment for the straight boundary of any direction. Six schemes on the unknown particle distribution functions (PDFs) at boundary lattices for given macroscopic quantities (h,u,v) were compared in terms of accuracy and stability, and the nonequilibrium extrapolation (NEQ) scheme and full link nonequilibrium extrapolation (Ful-NEQ) scheme were finally adopted in the proposed treatment. The numerical tests show that the proposed treatment fully satisfies the specified boundary conditions and conservation of mass. Moreover, the distribution of the velocities at the boundaries is consistent along downstream which can reduce the artificial influence length of the boundary.

The use of machine learning methods to predict the processes and results of high-voltage electric discharge processing of titanium powder in kerosene with the implementation of volume-distributed multi-spark discharge

The possibility of using machine learning methods to predict the results of high-voltage electric discharge treatment of titanium powder in a hydrocarbon liquid is studied. Distribution surfaces for the average particle diameter of Titanium powder. The amount of Titanium carbide formed during processing, and the number of spherical particles of titanium powder depending on the interelectrode gap and the number of pulses, when using volume-distributed multi-spark discharge and with Titanium powder concentration in kerosene of 0.07 kg / dm3, pulse repetition frequency 0.3 Hz and the energy of single discharge of 1 kJ, were obtained.

Supported bimetallic hydrogenation catalysts treated by non-thermal plasmas

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) may be an effective and clean way for enhancing catalyst performance. The paper aims to treat the surface of catalysts by different NTP techniques. Here, radio-frequency (RF) plasma jet, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), and spark discharge are used to treat supported bimetallic hydrogenation catalysts (i.e., Mo-Ni sulfide/γ-Al2O3 and Mo-Co oxide/γ-Al2O3) in ambient air. Surface representations of the virgin and NTPs treated catalysts show that the surface morphology, chemical states and functional groups change remarkably after NTPs treatment. The catalyst’s surface become smoother after RF plasma jet treatment, but rougher after DBD or spark discharge treatment, compared with the virgin case. The heavy particles (i.e., Ar metastable states) in RF plasma jet, high-energy electrons in DBD, and heat in spark discharge play major roles in the plasma-catalyst interactions, respectively. The evident promotion of Mo chemical valence by the oxidation of O atoms happens after DBD treatment, which indicates that DBD may be an effective way to regulate Mo chemical valence. The MoS2 layers of the Mo-Ni sulfide/γ-Al2O3 catalyst are severely destroyed as the MoS2 Raman spectrum disappear after RF plasma jet treatment. The paper provides guidance for structure regulation of catalyst surfaces by NTPs.

Improving the Performance of a Triboelectric Nanogenerator by Using an Asymmetric TiO2/PDMS Composite Layer

To improve the output power of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), we fabricated an asymmetric TiO2/PDMS composite film in which a pure PDMS thin film was deposited as a capping layer on a TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs)-embedded PDMS composite film. Although in the absence of the capping layer, the output power decreased when the content of TiO2 NPs exceeded a certain value, the asymmetric TiO2/PDMS composite films showed that the output power increased with increasing content. The maximum output power density was approximately 0.28 W/m2 at a TiO2 content of 20 vol.%. The capping layer could be responsible not only for maintaining the high dielectric constant of the composite film but also for suppressing interfacial recombination. To further improve the output power, we applied a corona discharge treatment to the asymmetric film and measured the output power at a measurement frequency of 5 Hz. The maximum output power density was approximately 78 W/m2. The idea of the asymmetric geometry of the composite film should be applicable to various combinations of materials for TENGs.

Addressing current challenges in optimization of lipid management following an ACS event: Outcomes of the ACS EuroPath III initiative.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering is key to reduce atherosclerotic disease progression and recurrent events for patients after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, LDL-C management for post-ACS patients remains challenging in clinical practice. The ACS EuroPath III project was designed to optimize LDL-C management in post-ACS patients by promoting guideline implementation and translating existing evidence into effective actions. Three surveys targeting cardiologists (n = 555), general practitioners (GPs; n = 445), and patients (n = 662) were conducted in Europe, with the aim of capturing information on patient characteristics and treatment during acute phase, discharge and follow-up. GPs' and patients' opinions on key treatment aspects were also collected. Based on survey results, international experts and clinicians identified areas of improvement and generated prototype solutions. Participants voted to select the most feasible and replicable proposals for co-development and implementation. Five key areas of improvement were identified: (1) inappropriate treatment prescribed at discharge; (2) lack of lipid guidance in the discharge letter; (3) inadequate lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) optimization; (4) gaps in guideline knowledge and lack of referral practices for GPs; (5) patients' concerns about lipid management. Proposed solutions for these focus areas included development of a treatment algorithm for the acute phase, a standardized GP discharge letter, an assessment tool for LLT efficacy at follow-up, an education plan for GPs/patients and a patient engagement discharge kit. The standardized GP discharge letter and treatment algorithm have been selected as the highest priority solutions for development. These initiatives have the potential to improve adherence to guidelines and patient management after ACS.

Three sustainable polypropylene surface treatments for the compatibility optimization of PP fibers and cement matrix in fiber-reinforced concrete

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a cementitious composite material that is gaining interest in the construction field to limit crack propagation and increase toughness. Polypropylene (PP) fibers are promising alternatives to steel fibers, primarily used in FRC, as they reduce weight and cost and are resistant to corrosion. However, the hydrophobic surface of PP inhibits a good adhesion with the surrounding cementitious matrix and so the exploitation of optimized mechanical performance. Though several chemical treatments have been studied, this work suggests more sustainable, cost-efficient, and fast surface treatments for the first time to increase the hydrophilicity of PP: UV-LED, picosecond UV-LASER, and corona discharge treatment. The treatments mainly provided a chemical functionalization without altering the surface morphology of PP, and their effectiveness in increasing PP hydrophilicity was confirmed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and optical contact angle measurements. The improved adhesion with the matrix was assessed by the pullout test of treated PP specimens from lime-based and cement-based matrices and by detecting the failure mode in the interphase zone through scanning electron microscopy.

Endocrinology specialty service for inpatients: an unmet growing need

BackgroundThere is recent concern regarding the documented mismatch between demand and supply, vis-à-vis the growing need for trained endocrinologists unmet by parallel rise in the world workforce of endocrinologist. Due to the increasing complexity of disease in inpatients, in recent years we have experienced a growing demand for inpatient endocrine consults. Surprisingly, the need for the endocrinology subspecialty in the overall care of inpatients in the current setting of general hospitals has received little attention.MethodsA retrospective analysis of endocrine consult service based on solicited consults carried out during 3 consecutive months.ResultsDuring 3 months, there were 767 consults, comprised of 156 diabetes referrals and 611 endocrine/metabolic consult requests. The 611 "non-glucocentric" consult requests were related to 295 inpatients (2.1 ± 2.7 consults/patient). Mean patient age was 58.9 ± .18 years (range 21–92), with some F/M preponderance (58/42%). Requests for endocrine consults were evenly distributed (49.8%, 50.2%) between internal medicine and surgery wards. Case distribution was as follows: thyroid 45.4%, calcium & bone 11.5%, pituitary 12%, adrenal 10% and all others 8.1–0.7%. The mean response time was 4.4 ± 2.7 h. The consults had a discernible effect on the patients' disease management in 60% of the patients. Of these, the consults modified the hospital treatment in 74%, the discharge treatment recommendations in 19% and the diagnosis in 7%.ConclusionAt a large medical center, endocrine consults were requested for ~ 3.3% of all admitted inpatients. The endocrine consults modified pre-consult diagnosis or treatment in ~ 60% of the cases. Contrary to its common image as an exclusively outpatient-based subspecialty, endocrinology practiced by specialists and endocrine trainees has a notable role in the daily care of inpatients admitted to a referral general hospital.

Analysis of online diagnosis and repair technology of lead acid battery faults

Lead-acid battery, as a basic component of DC power supply equipment in power communication system, is also known as maintenance-free battery. It is believed that it does not need maintenance treatment in the initial stage of application research. However, as an electrochemical product, it has relatively high requirements for both use environment and operation. It is the main problem discussed in electric power industry at present. In this paper, on the basis of understanding the research status of online fault diagnosis technology of lead-acid battery, according to the basic principle of lead-acid battery and online detection system, discharge treatment of two groups of tested single battery load, calculate and analyze the battery resistance value. The final experimental results show that this method can solve the safety hazard of the whole battery line discharge, control the equipment cost, and ensure the fault location is more accurate and effective.

Abstract TP143: A Retrospective Study Comparing Clinical Outcomes For Thrombectomy-treated Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion Who Met Or Did Not Meet AHA/ASA Eligibility Criteria

Introduction: In 2015, the AHA/ASA Stroke Guidelines recommended thrombectomy to treat large vessel occlusions (LVOs) based on multiple clinical trials that demonstrated efficacy and safety. Given the strict eligibility criteria employed by these trials, the guidelines recommended thrombectomy for a limited patient population. However, in real-world settings, patients who do not meet eligibility criteria still undergo thrombectomy at the discretion of their treating physician. The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes and complication rates of thrombectomy patients who do not meet the AHA/ASA criteria to those that do. Methods: Data from patients discharged from October 2017 to February 2021 with LKW <= 6 hours were retrospectively abstracted from electronic medical records. Patients under 18 or with posterior circulation stroke were excluded. Patients were grouped by AHA/ASA criteria for thrombectomy treatment into met (M) vs. not-met (NM). The M group criteria were defined as pre-stroke modified Rankin score (mRS) 0-1, occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) or middle cerebral artery (M1), NIH stroke score (NIHSS) of >=6 on arrival, and ASPECTS>=6. All other patients were categorized as NM. Primary outcomes were 90-day mRS, median change from arrival to 90-day mRS, discharge disposition, and treatment complications. Descriptive analyses were performed using Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test, or median test, as appropriate. Results: Among 225 patients who met inclusion criteria, 151 (67.1%) M and 74 (32.9%) NM patients were identified. NM patients had worse mRS scores at 90-days (6.0 [4.29, 6.00] vs. 3.0 [0.00, 6.00]) compared to M patients. However, change from pre-stroke to 90-day mRS was not significant between groups (M: 3.0 [1.00, 5.00] vs NM: 3.0 [1.00, 4.00], p<.846.) No differences were found between M or NM for discharge disposition or treatment complications. Conclusions: While patients in the NM group had worse 90-day mRS scores compared to the M group, the change in mRS scores from pre-stroke to 90-day were the same for both. Results support that thrombectomy treatment of LVOs is safe and effective for both groups. Expansion of AHA/ASA guidelines should be considered.

Abstract TMP91: Patterns And Outcomes Of Endovascular Thrombectomy Among Patients Over Age 80: The Florida Stroke Registry

Introduction: Patients older than 80 years of age are under-represented in randomized trials of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). In the large Florida Stroke Registry, we aimed to evaluate the impact of age on EVT outcomes in routine clinical practice. Methods: Prospectively collected data from Get with the Guidelines- Stroke hospitals participating in the Florida Stroke Registry from January 2010 to April 2020 were reviewed. The impact of age on discharge outcomes was studied using multivariate analysis with generalized estimating equations adjusting for sex, race, NIHSS, time from onset to treatment, intravenous thrombolysis, and hospital-based characteristics (size, EVT volume, and stroke center certification), and region. Results: Among 8,344 EVT patients (mean age 71±15, 49% male), 32.9% were ≥ 80 years of age. Patients ≥ 80 years were more likely hypertensive (76% vs 63%), with atrial fibrillation (56% vs 26%), presented earlier to the hospital (onset to arrival 108 vs 126 min), with more severe strokes (NIHSS 17 (IQR=11) vs 15 (IQR=11)) and less likely to ambulate independently at baseline. Short term discharge outcomes and treatment complications, stratified by age ≥ 80 or < 80 are shown in the Table. In multivariable analysis, elderly patients were less likely to achieve independent ambulation (OR: 0.37, CI 0.32, 0.43) and be discharged home/rehabilitation (OR 0.36, CI 0.33, 0.40). In the continuously adjusted model, for every year increase in age, the odds of independent ambulation decreased by 3% per year (p<0.001) for patients 60-80 years of age and decreased by 7% for those over the age of 80. Discussion: In routine practice, one third of endovascularly treated LVO patients are over 80. Our data shows that EVT is safe in this population; however, age remains an independent predictor of poor discharge outcomes, especially in those over the age of 80.

Synthesis and Characterization of Citric Acid-Modified Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared with Electrohydraulic Discharge Treatment.

Chemical co-precipitation from ferrous and ferric salts at a 1:1.9 stoichiometric ratio in NH4OH base with ultrasonication (sonolysis) in a low vacuum environment has been used for obtaining colloidal suspensions of Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with citric acid. Before coating, the nanoparticles were processed by electrohydraulic discharges with a high discharge current (several tens of amperes) in a water medium using a pulsed direct current. Magnetite nanoparticles were obtained with an average crystallite diameter D = 25-28 nm as obtained by XRD and particle sizes of 25 nm as measured by small-angle X-ray scattering. Magnetometry showed that all samples were superparamagnetic. The saturation magnetization for the citric acid covered samples after electrohydraulic processing showed higher value (58 emu/g) than for the directly coated samples (50 emu/g). Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the presence and binding of citric acid to the magnetite surface by chemisorption of carboxylate ions. Hydrodynamic sizes obtained from DLS and zeta potentials were 93 and 115 nm, -26 and -32 mV for the citric acid covered nanoparticles and 226 nm and 21 mV for the bare nanoparticles, respectively. The hydraulic discharge treatment resulted in a higher citric acid coverage and better particle dispersion. The developed method can be used in nanoparticle synthesis for biomedical applications.

Integrated process for zero discharge of coking wastewater: A hierarchical cycle-based innnovation

The wastewater from coke making is characterized by high toxicity, high concentration of pollutants and complex composition. Therefore, it is difficult to treat using conventional methods such as advanced oxidation and ion exchange processes. In this study, a zero-discharge integrated process (ZDIP) composed of pre-physicochemical – oxic – hydrolytic & denitrification – oxic – post-physicochemical (A/O/H/O/A) biological, pre-processing, membrane and end-processing units was created to treat coking wastewater. The results showed that most of the chemical oxygen demand, sulfide, cyanide and NH4+-N in the coking wastewater were removed in A/O/H/O/A biochemical unit. Hardness, F− and turbidity were further eliminated in the pre-processing unit, while more than 98 % of the effluent was reused in the membrane unit. Finally, zero discharge treatment of residual liquid and sludge was realized in the end-processing unit. The operating cost was about 2.49 USD/m3 and the carbon emissions 9.17 kg CO2-eq/m3 of influent for the entire ZDIP. Theoretically, the ZDIP based on hierarchical cycle drive, which is applicable to handling complex wastewaters, cutting carbon emissions and recycling water, can be taken as an effective wastewater treatment process in the next decade.

Rationale of Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study on Clinical Effectiveness of Oral Combination Therapy Based on Secnidazole, Azithromycin and Fluconazole in Syndromic Treatment of Abnormal Vaginal Discharge in Kinshasa/DR Congo

Rationale of Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study on Clinical Effectiveness of Oral Combination Therapy Based on Secnidazole, Azithromycin and Fluconazole in Syndromic Treatment of Abnormal Vaginal Discharge in Kinshasa/DR Congo

Degradation of methylene blue aqueous solution using atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge

Methylene blue (MB) is toxic to humans and aquatic animals, and its removal from aqueous solutions requires high power consumption and long processing times. To improve the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment of methylene blue and increase the energy utilization rate. In this study, we employed a novel approach, using a cylindrical DBD reactor, to treat MB in aqueous solutions. We found several factors, including input voltage, aqueous solution flow rate, number of high voltage electrodes, electrode size, and inside diameter of the dielectric tube influenced the MB removal rates with DBD. Our experimental results indicate that the change of electrode parameters can effectively improve the removal rate of methylene blue in DBD plasma treatment. At the same time, electrode parameters can lead to medium layer change of energy consumption; hence, the influence of electrode parameters on energy utilization efficiency also has an optimal value.