Increase In Permeability Research Articles

Visualization of Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in Septic Mice with the New Method Based on in Vivo Imaging Technology.

Dynamic monitoring of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) functional status in septic mice can help to explore the pathological mechanisms. Therefore, we proposed a new method for monitoring BBB permeability and applied it to the detection of sepsis models. The new method involves the construction of an optical cranial window and in vivo imaging. We performed dynamic monitoring of BBB permeability and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in cecal ligation puncture (CLP) and endotoxemia (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) mice. The sensitivity and accuracy of this method were higher than those of Evans blue evaluation. The increase of BBB permeability in the group of CLP mice was relatively mild and correlated with overall survival, and the damage was irreversible. Contrarily, BBB damage in the LPS group was more acute and severe, unrelated to overall survival, but recoverable. The CBF decreased significantly in both model mouse groups 24h after modeling, but only the CBF proportion decrease in the LPS group was significantly correlated with an increase in BBB permeability. Within 24h after both models were established, the decrease in blood flow in the digestive organs occurred earlier than in the brain and kidneys, and the decrease in small intestine blood flow in the LPS group progressed faster. We have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of our novel method to detect BBB permeability in mice. Our results revealed a significant difference in the BBB permeability change trend between the CLP and LPS model mice when survival curves were consistent. Notably, the CLP-model mice demonstrated a closer resemblance to clinical patients. Our findings suggest that early-stage brain tissue hypoperfusion has a greater impact on BBB function damage in endotoxemia mice, which is related to the faster progression of blood flow redistribution.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LRa05 alleviated liver injury in mice with alcoholic fatty liver disease by improving intestinal permeability and balancing gut microbiota.

This study investigated the effect of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus LRa05 on alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD) and its mechanism for liver protection. Mice were randomly divided into three groups: a control (CLT) group, an ALD group, and a LRa05 intervention group. The ALD mouse model was established by Lieber-DeCarli chronic alcohol feeding. Tissues staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect changes in histopathology and inflammatory cytokines, respectively. Moreover, intestinal permeability was evaluated by the level of dextran-fluorescein isothiocyanate (Dx-FITC) in serum and tight junction protein in the colon. Changes in the composition of the gut microbiota were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Alcohol consumption induced liver damage in mice with significantly increased levels of triglycerides (TG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and inflammatory cytokines. Moreover, alcohol further induced the increase of intestinal permeability and disruption of gut microbiota in mice, with an increase in the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria Enterococcus, Parabacteroides, and Alistipes. LRa05 intervention significantly attenuated alcohol-induced liver injury by reducing the contents of TG, ALT, and AST, and suppressing the inflammatory responses. Meanwhile, by stimulating the expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin in the colon tissue, LRa05 additionally strengthened the intestine barrier function. Furthermore, gut microbiota analysis suggested that LRa05 partially ameliorated gut microbiota disorders in ALD mice and up-regulated the abundance of Desulfovibrio and Akkermansia, which were negatively correlated with the indicators of ALD progression. The reconstructive effects of LRa05 on the gut microbiota might be related to the efficacy of LRa05 in improving gut permeability and further protecting against ALD.

On the Impact of Proppants Shape, Size Distribution, and Friction on Adaptive Fracture Conductivity in EGS

Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) rely on efficient water circulation through fracture networks to maximize heat extraction. In the presence of fractures with large apertures, the working fluid naturally tends to localize in the fractures with the shortest and least-resistance path between the injection and production wells. Such occurrences leave enormous amounts of unrecovered heat and can shorten the duration of an EGS project. Tuning the hydraulic conductivity of each fracture based on the surrounding formation temperature may provide a solution for short-circuiting and result in uniform heat production from each fracture within the EGS. However, no technology currently exists to do so. In this paper, we aim to investigate the effectiveness of using a novel proppant whose size is temperature dependent. The proposed proppant shrinks or expands based on the local temperature to control the fluid flow in each fracture. Through particle scale modeling, the impact of the shape, size, and friction coefficient of such proppants on the proppant permeability is systematically investigated using discrete element methods (DEM), finite element methods (FEM), and Lattice Boltzmann Methods (LBM). Particle scale analysis shows that small proppants with slightly irregular shapes yield a higher increase in permeability and thus higher heat production from EGS. In addition, a high friction coefficient yields a higher proppant permeability. The results of particle scale analysis are used as an input to field scale analysis. Field-scale results show an 103.46% improvement in the heat extraction efficiency from EGS after 50 years of production when such a temperature-sensitive proppant is adopted. Thermal breakthroughs occur at a later time when temperature-sensitive proppant is used compared to conventional proppant.

Unveiling the role of dorsal root ganglia in spasticity reduction: Insights from contralateral seventh cervical nerve cross transfer surgery.

Central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as stroke, often lead to spasticity, which result in limb deformities and significant reduction in quality of life. Spasticity arises from disruptions in the normal functioning of cortical and descending inhibitory pathways in the brainstem, leading to abnormal muscle contractions. Contralateral seventh cervical nerve cross transfer (CC7) surgery has been proven to effectively reduce spasticity, but the specific mechanism for its effectiveness is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the changes in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following CC7 surgery. A comprehensive anatomical analysis was conducted through cadaveric study and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, to accurately measure the regional anatomy of the C7 DRG. DRG perfusion changes were quantitatively assessed by comparing pre- and postoperative dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. In CC7 surgery, the C7 nerve root on the affected side is cut close to the DRG (3.6±1.0mm), while the C7 nerve root on the healthy side is cut further away from the DRG (65.0±10.0mm). MRI studies revealed that after C7 proximal neurotomy on the affected side, there was an increase in DRG volume, vascular permeability, and perfusion; after C7 distal neurotomy on the healthy side, there was a decrease in DRG volume, with no significant changes in vascular permeability and perfusion. This study provides preliminary insights into the mechanisms of spasticity reduction following CC7 surgery, indicating that changes in the DRG, such as increased vascular permeability and perfusion, could disrupt abnormal spinal γ-circuits. The resulting high-perfusion state of DRG, possibly due to heightened neuronal activity and metabolic demands, necessitating further research to verify this hypothesis.

Identifying Hub Genes Related to Vascular Endothelial Cell Permeability Through Bioinformatics and Verification.

In this study, we aimed to identify the hub genes responsible for increased vascular endothelial cell permeability. We applied the weighted Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to mine dataset GSE178331 and ob-tained the most relevant high-throughput sequenced genes for an increased permeability of vascular endothelial cells due to inflammation. We constructed two weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) networks, and the differential expression of high-throughput sequenced genes related to endothelial cell permeability were screened from the GEO database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed on the differential genes. Their degree values were obtained from the topological properties of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of differential genes, and the hub genes associated with an increased endothelial cell permeability were analyzed. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting techniques were used to detect the presence of these hub genes in TNF-α induced mRNA and the protein expression in endothelial cells. In total, 1,475 differential genes were mainly enriched in the cell adhesion and TNF-α signaling pathway. With TNF-α inducing an increase in the endothelial cell permeability and significantly increasing mRNA and protein expression levels, we identified three hub genes, namely PTGS2, ICAM1, and SNAI1. There was a significant difference in the high-dose TNF-α group and in the low-dose TNF-α group compared to the control group, in the endothelial cell permeability experiment (p = 0.008 vs. p = 0.02). Measurement of mRNA and protein levels of PTGS2, ICAM1, and SNAI1 by western blotting analysis showed that there was a significant impact on TNF-α and that there was a significant dose-dependent relationship (p < 0.05 vs. p < 0.01). The three hub genes identified through bioinformatics analyses in the present study may serve as biomarkers of increased vascular endothelial cell permeability. The findings offer valuable insights into the progress and mechanism of vascular endothelial cell permeability.

Shear-induced permeability evolution of natural fractures in granite: Implications for stimulation of EGS reservoirs

Permeability evolution of natural fractures during shearing is one of the critical issues in enhanced geothermal system (EGS). In this study, we conducted a series of numerical simulations of shear-flow tests under different normal stresses to investigate the permeability evolution and shear behavior of natural fractures during shearing. All numerical simulations in this study are executed based on a coupled hydro-mechanical pore network model (PNM) for fluid flow within the discrete element method (DEM). The numerical model uses a 33 mm × 25 mm fracture surface profile extracted from X-ray computed tomography scanning data of joints in a rock core retrieved from a 4.2-km-deep well at the Pohang EGS site. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between fracture permeability and shear displacement when the normal stress is relatively high. The central aspect of permeability evolution lies in the variation of local aperture distribution along the pathway: an increase in the variance of fracture aperture distribution leads to an increase in fracture permeability. Permeability evolution of fractures is significantly affected by normal stress, fracture roughness, and relative flow direction. Larger fracture roughness facilitates the formation of high-permeability pathways. Higher local normal stress often corresponds to lower local permeability. Moreover, high normal stress amplifies the effect of fracture roughness on permeability evolution. These findings enhance our comprehensive understanding of hydraulic-mechanical coupling effects during EGS stimulation.

Engineering shrinkage resistance of nano-structured hydrogels in seawater for fast uranium capture

Synthetic hydrogels, which are 3D networks composed of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains, have been created using various crosslinked ways for uranium capture due to full exposure of chelate functional groups. However, the conventional honeycomb-like hydrogels exhibit non-connected micropore structure, which locks abundant water molecules and hence is unfavorable for mass transfer. Herein, we demonstrate a simple synthesis of the nano-structured hydrogel with activated nanogels as nano-crosslinkers (denoted as PGP hydrogel), and probe into the relationship between hydrogel structural parameters and uranium adsorption kinetics. It is found that the PGP hydrogel with a low crosslinking density of ∼0.02 mol/m3 possesses interconnected micropores, thereby facilitating diffusion of uranyl ions (UO22+) in 3D polymeric networks. Furthermore, a freeze-assisted soaking strategy is proposed to endow PGP hydrogel (denoted as target hydrogel) with strong shrinkage resistance in natural seawater, resulting in a ∼40 % increase in water permeance to reach 369 Lm−2h−1MPa−1. Correspondingly, the adsorption equilibrium time is shortened to ∼11 days. Although the uranium uptake capacity of PGP hydrogels with and without freeze-assisted soaking treatment remain basically unchanged (∼9.73 mg-U/g-Ads), a high uranium adsorption rate of 0.88 mg/g/d for the target hydrogel surpasses most currently available polymer adsorbents. The presented strategy is generalizable to a broader range of applications involving the adsorption of economically valuable ions in seawater or brine lake.

Recycling and 3D-Printing Biodegradable Membranes for Gas Separation-toward a Membrane Circular Economy.

Polymer membranes employed in gas separation play a pivotal role in advancing environmental sustainability, energy production, and gas purification technologies. Despite their significance, the current design and manufacturing of these membranes lack cradle-to-cradle approaches, contributing to plastic waste pollution. This study explores emerging solutions, including the use of biodegradable biopolymers such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and membrane recycling, with a focus on the specific impact of mechanical recycling on the performance of biodegradable gas separation membranes. This research represents the first systematic exploration of recycling biodegradable membranes for gas separation. Demonstrating that PHB membranes can be recycled and remanufactured without solvents using hot-melt extrusion and 3D printing, the research highlights PHB's promising performance in developing more sustainable CO2 separations, despite an increase in gas permeability with successive recycling steps due to reduced polymer molecular weight. The study emphasizes the excellent thermal, chemical, and mechanical stability of PHB membranes, albeit with a marginal reduction in gas selectivity upon recycling. However, limitations in PHB's molecular weight affecting extrudability and processability restrict the recycling to three cycles. Anticipating that this study will serve as a foundational exploration, we foresee more sophisticated recycling studies for gas separation membranes, paving the way for a circular economy in future membrane technologies.

Steady-state relative permeability measurements in rough-walled fractures: The effects of wettability and aperture

Tight subsurface geosystems provide significant prospects for the recovery and storage of mass and energy. Because of the tightness of these systems, natural and engineered fractures are the main conveyance conduits transporting the fluids from the tight rock matrix to the wellbore or vice versa. During the fracturing process, most of the newly induced fractures are considered water-wet, however during injection/production, the wettability of the fractures gradually changes. These changes are mainly due to the interactions between the resident and injected fluids, or the exposure of the virgin fracture surfaces to the resident fluids during production. This alteration in wettability can affect the trapping and flow dynamics, e.g., relative permeability, of the fluids flowing in the fracture. Furthermore, fluid injection and production into and from these systems impact the fractures pore pressure and hence the effective stress they are exposed to, resulting in variations in the fracture aperture. In this study, we present a comprehensive macro-scale experimental investigation focusing on the impact of wettability and aperture on steady-state two-phase relative permeability in rough-walled fractures. Using the stead-state measurement technique, we meticulously characterized oil-brine relative permeabilities and residual trapping in water-wet, oil-wet, and mixed-wet rough-walled fractures induced in Eagle Ford shale rock samples. Additionally, we assessed the influence of fracture aperture size on these properties during both drainage and imbibition flow processes. Our results indicate significant phase interference in oil-brine flow in non-water-wet rough-walled fractures, which renders the commonly used x-curve and Corey models inadequate to represent the steady-state oil-brine relative permeabilities measured in our study, leading to substantial overestimations. Mixed-wet fractures exhibited reduced relative permeabilities compared to oil-wet fractures, which in turn demonstrated lower relative permeabilities than water-wet counterparts. The observed trends stem from evolving fluid configuration and transport dynamics within the fractures as surface wettability transitions. Furthermore, an increase in fracture aperture corresponded with an increase in relative permeability. This was attributed to a broader flow area, diminished capillarity, attenuated impact of fracture wall roughness and tortuosity effects, and a reduction in bypassing and trapping events, all synergistically contributing to the mitigation of phase interference. Similarly, an increase in fracture aperture led to a marked decrease in post-waterflooding endpoint oil saturation and post-oil flooding endpoint brine saturation. Finally, we provided generalized correlation models based on experimental results from fractures with varying conductivities and wettability, yielding a more accurate representation of fracture relative permeabilities compared to traditional models. The data and correlation models produced in this study improve our understanding and prediction of multiphase flow in subsurface fractures and offer insights into rapid production decline in unconventional shale reservoirs.

A research on destress mechanism of underlying roadway for gas outburst prevention in deep, low‐permeability coal seam

AbstractGas outbursts pose a significant threat in the mining of deep low‐permeability coal seams. As mining depth increases, there is a rise in coal and gas dynamic disasters, rendering the gas outburst prevention technology from shallow mining areas unsuitable for deep coal seam exploitation. Addressing the challenges posed by deep, highly gassy coal seams, this study introduces a gas outburst prevention technology integrating destressing in the close distance underlying roadway with gas drainage. The article investigates the relevant technical parameters and assesses the feasibility of this approach. First, it establishes destressing model for the underlying roadway to derive an analytical solution for stress distribution in the coal seam. Second, appropriate technical parameters are designed considering the seepage characteristics of gas in the coal seam. Finally, the gas drainage technical scheme is implemented at Qujiang coal mine to verify its on‐site effectiveness. Field test results indicate an increase in gas permeability within the coal seam following destressing in the underlying roadway, accompanied by significant improvements in the efficiency of gas drainage and the advancement speed of the coal roadway. Specifically, the driving speed of the coal roadway has escalated from 40 m/month to 150 m/month. These outcomes demonstrate the potential of this technology as a promising approach for preventing gas outbursts in the challenging context of deep, low‐permeability coal seams, facilitating swift coal roadway excavation.

Triaxial-mechanical and permeability properties of coal body under varying CO2 pressures

The sequestration of CO2 in coal seams has become an effective way to curb greenhouse-gas emissions. Coal mechanics and permeability properties are key factors affecting the safe sequestration of CO2 in coal seams, and both are significantly affected by the CO2 injection pressure. In this study, triaxial compression-permeability tests were conducted on coal under varying CO2 and limited confining pressures using a measurement system to determine the coupled mechanical properties and adsorption permeability of coal. The effects of CO2 pressure on the mechanical properties and evolution of coal permeability were investigated. A three-dimensional statistical damage constitutive model of coal that considers CO2 adsorption damage was established. The results showed that the stress–strain curve of the coal was divided into four stages. During the first two stages, the amplitudes of the permeability changes were small, whereas at the peak stress point, a permeability “jump” phenomenon occurred, after which an increase in stress resulted in a slower amplitude increase in permeability. The CO2 pressure had an evident damage-deterioration effect on the mechanical properties of the coal samples, and the primary failure characteristic was shearing damage. The higher the CO2 pressure, the higher the degree of internal fragmentation and fracture network complexity of the coal body. During the triaxial compression-permeability experiment, the normalized permeability of the coal samples tended to increase slowly, followed by a rapid increase and back to a slow increase. However, with increasing CO2 pressure, the initial permeability of the coal samples decreased, whereas the normalized permeability increased sharply. The rationality and accuracy of the constitutive model were verified by comparing the established constitutive model and test stress–strain curves of the coal samples. The results of this study can provide theoretical references for CO2 geological storage and facilitate the selection of appropriate CO2 injection pressures.

Regulation of plum fruit cracking process during cold storage period by treatment of preharvest chitosan

Cracking fruit is a serious quality change phenomenon in the storage and transportation of postharvest plum fruit. To reduce the cracking rate of plum fruit during cold storage, the 'Guofeng No.7' plum was sprayed with chitosan with 1.5% concentration 30d from preharvest. The postharvest plum fruit was stored at (0±0.5) °C and (85-90) % relative humidity. The results showed that chitosan treatment could reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level of plum fruit, effectively delaying the fruit cracking. Compared with the control, chitosan treated fruits inhibited the increase of free radical content such as O2-· and H2O2 and delayed the increase of membrane permeability and the accumulation of MDA (from 71.9 mmol/g to 53.5 mmol/g). It also regulates lipoxygenase (LOX), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) (enzymatic activity from 34.15 g/min to 42.21 g/min) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and gene expression during fruit cracking to maintain membrane integrity and intracellular compartmentalization, thereby increasing the crack tolerance of plum fruit during cold storage. These results indicate that preharvest chitosan treatment can inhibit the metabolism of active oxygen species, increase the activity of ROS scavenging enzymes and gene expression, and delay the postharvest cracking of plum fruit.

The Impacts of Micro‐Porosity and Mineralogical Texture on Fractured Rock Alteration

AbstractGeochemically driven alterations of fractures in multi‐mineral media can create altered layers (ALs) at the fracture‐matrix interface. Spatial variations in the AL significantly influence mass transfer across the interface, and the hydraulic and mechanical properties of the fractured medium. A real‐rock based microfluidic experiment reported spatial variations in AL thickness despite the initially smooth fracture surface, suggesting potential effects of matrix heterogeneity on AL development. However, the respective contribution of structural and mineralogical characteristics is still poorly understood. Using the microfluidic experimental data and a micro‐continuum reactive transport model, we systematically evaluated how micro‐porosity and initial mineral texture impact AL development and thus the overall reactive transport behaviors. Our simulation results confirmed that the extent of AL spatial variations, mainly controlled by mineralogical texture, influences the evolution of reaction and permeability in different ways. Accounting for spatial heterogeneity in mineral distribution produces “channeling” structures in ALs and lower overall reaction (by up to 35.6%), but larger permeability increase (by up to 9.8%). The characteristic length of the reactive mineral cluster was observed to dominate the internal texture of ALs. Whereas the presence of micro‐porosity can enhance mineral accessibility via improving connectivity for flow and transport, and lead to both higher bulk reaction, that is, thicker ALs, and permeability enhancement. Considerations of surface roughness with characteristic length on the same order of magnitude as mineral texture did not change the overall development of AL, which further highlights the importance of accounting for rock matrix properties in predicting long‐term evolution of fractured media. The resulting spatial variations of ALs and their impacts on bulk properties, however, are expected to be further complicated by the coupling of chemical and mechanical processes, and may trigger matrix disaggregation, erosion and other mechanisms of fractured media alteration.

Dietary milk polar lipids modulate gut barrier integrity and lipid metabolism in C57BL/6J mice during systemic inflammation induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide

The focus of this work is the role milk polar lipids play in affecting gut permeability, systemic inflammation, and lipid metabolism during acute and chronic inflammation induced by a single subcutaneous injection of lipopolysaccharide. Three groups of C57BL/6J mice were fed: modified AIN-93G diet with moderate level of fat (CO); CO with milk gangliosides (GG); CO with milk phospholipids (MPL). The MPL did not prevent a gut permeability increase upon LPS stress but increased the expression of tight junction proteins zonula occludens-1 and occludin in colon mucosa. The GG prevented the gut permeability increase upon LPS stress. The MPL decreased absolute and relative liver mass and decreased hepatic gene expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase. The GG increased hepatic gene expression of acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 2. In conclusion, milk GG protected the intestinal barrier integrity but had little effect on systemic inflammation and lipid metabolism; milk MPL, conversely, had complex effects on gut permeability, did not affect systemic inflammation, and had beneficial effect on hepatic lipid metabolism.

ADAM10 as a major activator of reactive oxygen species production and klotho shedding in podocytes under diabetic conditions

Early stages of diabetes are characterized by elevations of insulin and glucose concentrations. Both factors stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, leading to impairments in podocyte function and disruption of the glomerular filtration barrier. Podocytes were recently shown to be an important source of αKlotho (αKL) expression. Low blood Klotho concentrations are also associated with an increase in albuminuria, especially in patients with diabetes. We investigated whether ADAM10, which is known to cleave αKL, is activated in glomeruli and podocytes under diabetic conditions and the potential mechanisms by which ADAM10 mediates ROS production and disturbances of the glomerular filtration barrier.In cultured human podocytes, high glucose increased ADAM10 expression, shedding, and activity, NADPH oxidase activity, ROS production, and albumin permeability. These effects of glucose were inhibited when cells were pretreated with an ADAM10 inhibitor or transfected with short-hairpin ADAM10 (shADAM10) or after the addition soluble Klotho. We also observed increases in ADAM10 activity, NOX4 expression, NADPH oxidase activity, and ROS production in αKL-depleted podocytes. This was accompanied by an increase in albumin permeability in shKL-expressing podocytes. The protein expression and activity of ADAM10 also increased in isolated glomeruli and urine samples from diabetic rats. Altogether, these results reveal a new mechanism by which hyperglycemia in diabetes increases albumin permeability through ADAM10 activation and an increase in oxidative stress via NOX4 enzyme activation. Moreover, αKlotho downregulates ADAM10 activity and supports redox balance, consequently protecting the slit diaphragm of podocyteσ under hyperglycemic conditions.

Influence of graphene oxide additives on the NF separation of triazine-based H2S scavenging compounds using advanced membrane technology

This work proposes an innovative approach for the membrane separation of spent and unspent H2S scavengers (SUS) derived from the application of MEA-triazine in offshore oil and gas production. Modified nanofiltration membranes were fabricated by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) into a thin film composite (TFC) to obtain a thin film nanocomposite (TFN) with enhanced permeability. In addition, various immobilization strategies for GO were investigated. The performance of the membranes and the effect of the GO loading were evaluated in terms of permeability, fouling propensity, and rejection of key components of the SUS, i.e., MEA-triazine (unspent scavenger), dithiazine (spent scavenger), and monoethanolamine, operating on a sample of SUS wastewater obtained from an offshore oil and gas platform. Various characterization techniques, such as contact angle, FTIR, XRD, SEM, TGA, and AFM, were employed to evaluate the structure, composition, and hydrophilicity of the membrane. The results show a remarkable increase in permeability (from 0.22 Lm-2 h−1 bar−1 for the TFC to 5.8 Lm-2 h−1 bar−1 for the TFN membranes), due to the enhanced hydrophilicity from GO incorporation. The strong interfacial interaction between GO and PVA within the TFN membrane results in negligible nanofiller leaching. The incorporation of GO moderately increases the rejection of the unspent scavenger (63%–73%, 62%–79%, 62%–80%, and 68%–76%), while drastically increasing the rejection of the spent scavenger, which is approximately null for the TFC membrane without GO and increases up to 58% in the TFN membrane with GO. Therefore, while the proposed membranes cannot be used for the selective separation of the unspent form the spent scavenger, they can achieve substantial recovery of all the key components contained in the SUS to avoid their discharge into the sea.

#2122 Dynamics of peritoneal transport and peritoneal dialysis outcomes

Abstract Background and Aims Volume overload is one of the most important factors associated with cardiovascular disease in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. On the other hand, the dynamics of peritoneal transport predicts important changes in the peritoneal membrane associated with local and systemic inflammation, which may be important for the progression of cardiovascular disease. The changes in free water transport (FWT) over time can characterize the development of peritoneal fibrosis. In a prospective study with retrospective historical control, the influence of the initial status and dynamics of peritoneal FWT on the outcomes of peritoneal dialysis, hard and surrogate cardiovascular outcomes was evaluated. Method According ISPD Recommendations (2021) the function of peritoneal membrane solute transfer was evaluated in classical PET in the exchange of 2 liters of 2.5% glucose solution with the calculation of the creatinine D/P4 ratio, which was used in the analysis as a continuous value (peritoneal solute transfer rate - PSTR), as well as categorized into high, medium-high, medium-low and low (H, HA, LA, L, respectively) levels of peritoneal transport. The mass transfer coefficient (MTAC) was also calculated. The ultrafiltration function of the membrane and its dynamics were evaluated by measuring the transport of water through small pores and free water through ultrapores, in double mini-PET (in two one-hour exchanges with solutions of 4.25% and 1.5% glucose). FWT is the calculated value; the primary measured value is the degree of reduction of sodium in the dialysis solution one hour after the start of the exchange (dipNa) formed as a result of electrolyte-free water transport through ultrapores (aquaporins), which dilutes dialysate. Results Table 1 shows the average values of peritoneal transport indicators at the beginning of follow-up and the annual changes calculated over the entire period of prospective follow-up for each patient. Major adverse cardiovascular events (Table 2) were recorded with a relatively low frequency, but significantly differed by incidence between the subgroups with high (H) and high-average (HA) peritoneal transport, on the one hand, and low-average (LA) and low(L), on the other: 0.626 ± 0.049 vs. 0.320 ± 0.042 events per year; p&amp;lt;0.001, (49% fewer events). Similarly, there was a significant difference in the MACE incidence between patients with slow and rapid decrease in free water transport (divided by the median of the rate of in free water transport decrease): 0.414 ± 0.044 vs. 0.510 ± 0.051 events per year; p &amp;lt; 0.001, (19% fewer events). The same calculations for nonfatal cardiovascular events showed a fewer incidence of 47.2% and 17.1%, respectively. Thus, patients with a high transport status (according to the PET test) and patients with a rapid decrease in water transport through aquaporins (indicating an increase in fibrotic changes in the peritoneal mesothelium), accompanied also by an increase in peritoneal permeability to solutes, including glucose, are at greater risk of progression of cardiovascular disease. Conclusion In addition to confirming the link between the initial status of peritoneal transport and the subsequent incidence of cardiovascular events, it would be interesting to confirm the influence of cardiovascular disease (as a proinflammatory condition and as a factor of volume overload, forcing the wider use of concentrated solutions which damage the peritoneum) on the progression of peritoneal fibrosis, but according to available materials it was not possible due to the limited number of patients in the study (especially – patients with repeated assessments of peritoneal transport after the cardiovascular events) and low frequency of peritoneal transport monitoring, on the one hand, and uncertainty in identifying the exact time of development of heart failure and the need for revascularization. Continued prospective observation would clarify these links.

Impacts of permeability and effective diffusivity of porous scaffolds on bone ingrowth: In silico and in vivo analyses

The permeability and the effective diffusivity of a porous scaffold are critical in the bone-ingrowth process. However, design guidelines for porous structures are still lacking due to inadequate understanding of the complex physiological processes involved. In this study, a model integrating the fundamental biological processes of bone regeneration was constructed to investigate the roles of permeability and effective diffusivity in regulating bone deposition in scaffolds. The in silico analysis results were confirmed in vivo by examining bone depositions in three diamond lattice scaffolds manufactured using selective laser melting. The findings show that the scaffolds with better permeability and effective diffusivity had deeper bone ingrowth and greater bone volume. Compared to permeability, effective diffusivity exhibited greater sensitivity to the orientation of porous structures, and bone ingrowth was deeper in the directions with higher effective diffusivity in spite of identical pore size. A 4.8-fold increase in permeability and a 1.6-fold increase in effective diffusivity by changing the porous structure led to a 1.5-fold increase in newly formed bone. The effective diffusivity of the porous scaffold affects the distribution of osteogenic growth factor, which in turn impacts cell migration and bone deposition through chemotaxis effects. Therefore, effective diffusivity may be a more suitable indicator for porous scaffolds because our study shows changes in this parameter determine changes in bone distribution and bone volume.

Traditional cooking methods decreased the allergenicity of egg proteins.

Egg allergy is one of the most common food allergies globally. This study aimed to assess the impact of four traditional cooking methods on the allergenicity of egg proteins using a comprehensive strategy, including simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro, serology experiments, a rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cell degranulation model, and a passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) mice model, and the structure changes were detected by circular dichroism (CD)spectra and ultraviolet (UV) spectra. The results showed that the processed egg proteins were more readily digested compared to raw egg proteins. The serological experiments revealed a significant reduction in immunoglobulin E binding of egg proteins after thermal treatments (p<0.05), particularly after frying. Subsequently, the RBL-2H3 cell degranulation experiment demonstrated a marked decrease in the level of egg allergens-induced β-hexosaminidase release after cooking (p<0.05). Moreover, the results from the PCA mice model indicated that the increase in vascular permeability was effectively relieved in the treated groups, especially in frying group (p<0.05). Additionally, the α-helix and β-turn contents of processed egg proteins were significantly decreased (p<0.05) compared with native egg proteins. The UV spectra findings showed that all cooking treatments caused significant alterations in the tertiary structure, and fluorescence analysis indicated that cooking decreased the surface hydrophobicity of egg proteins. In conclusion, four traditional cooking methods reduced the allergenicity of egg proteins, particularly frying, and this reduction was associated with structural changes that could contribute to the destruction or masking of epitopes of egg allergens. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Egg allergy has a serious impact on public health, and there is no ideal treatment method at present. This study demonstrated that four traditional cooking methods (boiling, steaming, baking, and frying) reduced the allergenicity of egg proteins, especially frying, and the results will provide a basis for the development of hypoallergenic egg products.

Comparative analysis of permeability rebound and recovery of tectonic and intact coal: Implications for coalbed methane recovery in tectonic coal reservoirs

The permeability rebound and recovery of coal reservoirs is one of the key factors affecting the efficient recovery of coalbed methane (CBM). Most studies focus on the permeability rebound and recovery of intact coal reservoirs. Conversely, the permeability rebound characteristics of tectonic coal have only been rarely investigated. In this paper, an improved fully coupled mathematical model for methane transport of tectonic coal and intact coal seam was established. Then, the phenomenon of permeability rebound and recovery was analyzed theoretically, and the permeability rebound time, rebound value and recovery time were proposed to compare the difference in permeability evolution. In addition, the permeability rebound characteristics of tectonic and intact coal were evaluated for different geological parameters of coal reservoirs. The results indicate that the rebound time and recovery time of both intact and tectonic coal increase with the increase of initial gas pressure. As the initial permeability increases, the permeability rebound time of intact and tectonic coal show a decreasing trend. The permeability rebound time of intact coal decreases with increasing initial diffusion coefficient, while that of tectonic coal shows the opposite trend. Furthermore, the change in permeability recovery time for tectonic coal is 6.59 times larger than for intact coal, indicating that the effect of permeability rebound phenomenon is more significant during gas extraction in tectonic coal reservoirs. Finally, a conceptual model was proposed to explain the differential mechanism of permeability rebound between tectonic and intact coal, and its implications for CBM recovery in tectonic coal reservoirs was discussed. Therefore, the results presented in this paper can provide a theoretical basis for the efficient development of CBM in tectonic coal reservoirs.