Ionic Composition Research Articles

Production of Alkaline and Acidic Water by Electrolysis Solar Energy Source

Background: Alkaline and acidic water can be produced through the electrolysis process. There are two types of electrolysis equipment, namely batch type and continuous type, that can produce it. Continuous type tools are fast but expensive. Batch type tools are cheaper, but the process is slow. Both types of equipment require large amounts of energy and are expensive to operate. Another problem is that the content of the ions that form alkaline and acidic water is not yet known. Objective:The Objective is to determine the changes in ions that occur on the anode and cathode sides, to investigate the types of ions that most influence the formation of alkaline and acidic water, and to create a piper diagram. The aim of this research is to create a device that can produce alkaline and acidic water at a price that is affordable for the wider community. Method: This equipment is made from a portable plastic teapot as the cathode side and a small bottle as the anode side. The anode and cathode sides are separated by a cellulose cotton membrane, with carbon and stainless steel (SS) electrodes. The electric voltage taken from a solar cell module is 12 V;50 Wp. The output voltage of electrolysis was converted to 45 VDC in one hour. Electrolyzed water with an initial pH of 6.71 was taken from the Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) of Bandung City, Indonesia. Testing for the content of ions in water using American Public Health Association (APHA) standards was carried out in the laboratory of the ITB-Bandung Environmental Engineering department. Results and Conclusions: Based on the test on the sample, it was determined that the formation of alkaline water at the cathode side with pH 8.32 is caused by the ions Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, and K+, with a concentration of 0.387; 0.369; 0.302; and 0.284 mmol/L, respectively. Some of the Mg2+ ions were precipitated. The formation of acidic water at the anode side with pH 2.34 was caused by the anions Cl-, NO3- , SO42-, and CO32-/HCO3 with a concentration of 1,757; 0.052; 0.147, and 3.153 mmol/L, respectively. Furthermore, it is concluded that the electrolysis device is designed for the production of alkaline and acid water at a capacity of 1400 mL in 60 minutes, with an average energy of 0.002 kWh and a cost of unit production of around Rp. 2.8. Research Implications: Useful for the development of education, teaching, and further research, especially in electrochemical major, as well as community service in making alkaline and acidic water for health. Originality/Value: Practical, simple, cheap way to make alkaline and acid water, qualitative and quantitative analysis, ion composition before and after electrolysis reaction, use of solar energy for electrolysis, changes in piper diagram before and after electrolysis.

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF HYDRATE FORMATION PECULIARITIES FOR CONDITIONS OF THE TURNO AND CENOMANIAN DEPOSITS. Part I

This paper is the Part I of a study devoted to investigating the peculiarities of hydrate formation for the conditions of Turonian and Cenomanian reservoirs. The launch of new gas projects at the Turon and Senoman production facilities in Western Siberia provided a good opportunity to critically analyze the known methods of protecting production, gathering and transportation facilities of the gas field from the formation of solid gas hydrates. The paper presents the experience of implementing a program of laboratory studies of conditions of gas hydrate formation with their subsequent processing and in-depth analysis. The research program covered the area of thermobaric parameters typical for the conditions of Turon-Senoman deposits exploitation with localization of hydrate-hazardous areas in the conditions of technological regimes for full development. The description of laboratory studies is given, in which two gas compositions of Senoman and Turon objects, different variants of mineralization and ionic composition corresponding to formation and condensation water, as well as hydrate formation conditions under changing dosages of basic inhibitor on the basis of methanol were considered. The details of the experiment based on the method of swinging cells and the subsequent analysis of the results of the completed experiments to determine the thermobaric conditions of formation and decomposition of hydrates are given. The main features of the experiment are specified, estimates of the rate of change of the influencing parameters of the experiment on its quality are given. In the process of implementation of the experimental program, the optimal values of these parameters were selected, which allowed us to significantly reduce the variation of experimental results to determine the thermobaric conditions of hydrate formation. It is experimentally established that the temperature of hydrate decomposition is higher than the temperature of its formation at all investigated gas compositions and water mineralization.Based on the processing of an extensive matrix of experimental studies, the calculation dependences of thermobaric conditions of hydrate formation were specified, which allowed to significantly improve the efficiency of prediction and accuracy of calculation of optimal dosages of inhibitor for the Kharampurskoye gas field. In this part of the study, the characteristic thermobaric conditions of natural gas production and collection from Turonian-Cenomanian deposits are summarized, the component composition of the investigated gas and water is described, and the methodology of laboratory tests is described.

Characteristics of radiation belt energetic protons and the movement of their core location in response to geomagnetic disturbances

The energetic protons trapped within the Earth's radiation belt play a crucial role in substantially impacting the behavior of the ring current, which in turn affects the dynamics of energetic particles. Here, we statistically analyze and discuss the global distributions and temporal evolutions of them at energies from 55 keV to 489 keV by using 7-year (2012–2019) observations by radiation belt storm probes ion composition experiment onboard Van Allen Probes. The observations show that low-energy protons (55–148 keV) are distributed at higher L shells (L > 4), which can deeply penetrate during intense storms. The high-energy protons (221–489 keV) are mainly located at L < 4.5 and are comparably stable. Moreover, the core location (i.e., Lc, the L shell with the peak flux) of them is typically energy-dependent and can be displaced due to geomagnetic storms. Detailed analysis reveals that the Lc for low-energy protons is primarily outside the plasmapause location (Lpp), which can rapidly radially move. However, the Lc for high-energy protons is essentially inside Lpp and is harder to move. The Lc for intermediate-energy protons exhibits fluctuations around Lpp, indicating a clear competition between source and loss processes. In addition, alternative mechanisms, such as wave–particle interactions, are primarily responsible for the gradual variation of them after storms. Our study provides the total configuration of the radiation belt energetic protons measured in the Van Allen Probe era, which would be useful for better understanding the variation of trapped particles in the inner magnetosphere.

Exploring seasonal variability in water quality of Nyabarongo River in Rwanda via water quality indices and DPSIR modelling.

Understanding seasonal variations in water quality is crucial for effective management of freshwater rivers amidst changing environmental conditions. This study employed water quality index (WQI), metal index (MI), and pollution indices (PI) to comprehensively assess water quality and pollution levels in Nyabarongo River of Rwanda. A dynamic driver-pressure-state-impact-response model was used to identify factors influencing quality management. Over 4years (2018-2021), 69 samples were collected on a monthly basis from each of the six monitoring stations across the Nyabarongo River throughout the four different seasons. Maximum WQI values were observed during dry long (52.90), dry short (21.478), long rain (93.66), and short rain (37.4) seasons, classified according to CCME 2001 guidelines. Ion concentrations exceeded WHO standards, with dominant ions being and . Variations in water quality were influenced by factors such as calcium bicarbonate dominance in dry seasons and sodium sulfate dominance in rainy seasons. Evaporation and precipitation processes primarily influenced ionic composition. Metal indices (MI) exhibited wide ranges: long dry (0.2-433.0), short dry (0.1-174.3), long rain (0.1-223.7), and short rain (0.3-252.5). The hazard index values for Cu2+, Mn4+, Zn2+, and Cr3+ were below 1, ranging from 8.89E - 08 to 7.68E - 07 for adults and 2.30E - 07 to 5.02E - 06 for children through oral ingestion, and from 6.68E - 10 to 5.07E - 07 for adults and 6.61E - 09 to 2.54E - 06 for children through dermal contact. With a total carcinogenic risk of less than 1 for both ingestion and dermal contact, indicating no significant health risks yet send strong signals to Governmental management of the Nyabarongo River. Overall water quality was classified as marginal in long dry, poor in short dry, good in long rain, and poor again in short rain seasons.

Динамика анионно-катионного состава поверхностных вод реки Усмань в пределах Воронежского государственного природного биосферного заповедника

Hydrochemical analysis determined the ionic composition of surface waters of the Usman river within the Voronezhsky Nature Reserve. The influence of natural factors in the formation of anionic-cationic water composition is determined. Revealed changes in the hydrochemical composition of the river with high forest cover. Results of the analysis will serve as the natural values of ion concentrations in the analysis of the ecological state of rivers located near the Voronezhsky Nature Reserve. Keywords: RIVER, HYDROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS, ANIONS, CATIONS, NATURE RESERVE, ECOLOGICAL STATE

Experimental Investigation on the Interfacial Characteristics of Tight Oil Rocks Induced by Tuning Brine Chemistry.

Currently, research on enhancing imbibition oil recovery in tight oil reservoirs through the ion-tuning technique remains limited. Two critical parameters for capillary imbibition are the wettability and interfacial tension between oil and water. In this investigation, we manipulate the properties of two types of formation water for both aged and unaged samples by diluting brine and altering ion composition. Subsequently, we employ captive and pendant-drop methods to assess rock wettability and interfacial tension under varied brine conditions. Additionally, we elucidate the primary mechanisms underlying changes in rock wettability and interfacial tension. Meanwhile, we analyze capillarity characteristics and assess the relative significance of wettability and interfacial tension. Results indicate that there is a critical interfacial tension with progressive dilution of two types of formation water. However, modifying ion composition leads to a complex trend in interfacial tension, which can be explained qualitatively through the Gibbs adsorption isotherm. For unaged samples, the contact angle demonstrates a pronounced water-wet characteristic, showing a nonmonotonic trend with respect to dilution times. Remarkably, the rock surface exhibits the strongest water-wet, particularly evident in the case of FW-10, largely influenced by variations in interfacial tension. Conversely, aged samples demonstrate strong oil-wet, with a critical salinity resulting in the lowest contact angle, while altering brine ion types can alter rock wettability from strongly oil-wet to intermediate-wet, which is not sufficient to result in the wettability alteration. The removal of multivalent cations is proposed as the most effective method for wettability modification. Furthermore, capillarity variations among different brine cases are primarily contingent upon contact angle changes, and interfacial tension does not have a significant change when regulating the brine properties. Consequently, we emphasize the significance of wettability in the adoption of ion-tuned brine techniques for tight oil reservoirs. Overall, our study underscores the potential of reasonably regulating brine properties to enhance capillarity and, thereby, improve imbibition oil recovery.

Preliminary study of a compact pulsed deuterium-deuterium neutron generator with a vacuum arc ion source and a linear induction accelerator

The pulsed neutron beam combined with the time-of-flight (TOF) technique has shown great value in many scientific research and application fields. Most of the neutron-based material identification and interrogation systems require an intense pulsed neutron beam. Time resolved prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (T-PGNAA) is an effective analytical method to greatly suppress interference from the other elements or the neutron shields of the detectors. To develop T-PGNAA method in a compact accelerator neutron source, a novel intense pulsed deuterium-deuterium (D-D) neutron generator based on a linear induction accelerator (LIA) was introduced. The generator has four major components: a vacuum arc ion source with deuterated electrode, a diode accelerator structure, a self-biased voltage secondary electron suppressed structure and a deuterated metal target. The present study characterizes the performance of the neutron generator with respect to neutron yield, the ionic current, beam profile, and beam composition as a function of the acceleration voltage at various discharge currents. Monoenergetic neutrons (2.5 MeV) are produced with a yield of ∼104 n/p and a pulse width of ∼100 ns using about 200 kV of induction acceleration voltage at 10−4 Pa vacuum environment. In this study, we will discuss various physical and technical issues related to the components of the neutron generator and the operation and merits of the novel neutron generator.

Engineering properties optimization of dispersive soil by calcium silicate waste—The role of steel-making slag

Steel slag (SS) is a byproduct that comes from the production of crude steel in alkaline oxidation furnaces. Resource utilization of steel slag, a calcium-silicon solid waste, is an urgent problem. This paper investigates a solid waste disposal method that applies different steel slag contents to modify dispersive soil. The engineering properties and modification mechanisms of dispersive soil specimens are studied and revealed by performing microstructure, mineral evolution, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and tensile strength analysis. The pinhole test, mud ball crumb test (BCT), and mud cube crumb test (CCT) were carried out to determine the dispersivity of the soil specimens. Results show that when the steel slag content increases from 1% to 10%, the unconfined compressive strength and tensile strength increase by 176.05% and 75.40%, respectively. For soil specimens without curing time under 50 mm water head, the weight loss of the specimen with 10% steel slag content decreases by 72.03% compared to specimens with 1% steel slag content. Microstructural and mineralogical analyses indicate that the hydration reaction of steel slag changes the ionic composition of the soil and generates reaction products with effects such as filling and connection. To sum up, steel slag effectively improves water stability and mechanical properties of dispersive soil.

Protic ionic Liquids-Water Interactions: A study on 2-Hydroxypropylammonium formate through experimental analysis and computer simulations

In this study, interactions within a mixture of the protic ionic liquid 2-hydroxypropylammonium formate and water were investigated across the entire range of ionic liquid compositions and a wide temperature range from 283.15 K to 333.15 K. This investigation was based on the measurement results of density, viscosity, and electrical conductivity, and was supported by computational simulations. The synthesized ionic liquid was further characterized thermally using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) techniques. The study focuses on the analysis of excess molar quantities of volume, thermal expansion coefficients, viscosity, and Gibbs energy of viscous flow, aiming to examine the influence of temperature and mixture composition on thermophysical properties. The impact of temperature on the system’s viscosity and Angell’s strength parameter was investigated to assess the influence of the ionic liquid’s content on the system’s structural organization. The dependency of molar conductivity on viscosity was analyzed through the Walden rule. Based on this analysis, the effect of temperature and mixture composition on deviations from the ideal behavior in diluted solutions of strong electrolytes was estimated. Computational molecular dynamics simulations were employed for a more detailed study of the structural organization of the system’s components.

A Review on the Influence of Medium and Trace Elements on the Quality of Agricultural Products

In recent years, soil salinization has become a serious problem in the global environment. The application of organic fertilizer to improve saline-alkali soil has been widely concerned because of its advantages of improving soil fertility, improving soil structure and improving soil salt ion composition. This paper reviews the mechanism of saline-alkali soil improvement, and expounds the improvement prospect of organic fertilizer on saline-alkali soil from the influence of organic fertilizer on soil physical and chemical properties, water and salt transport law, crop yield and quality, in order to provide theoretical guidance for saline-alkali soil restoration.

Mechanisms of cerebrospinal fluid secretion by the choroid plexus epithelium: Application to various intracranial pathologies.

The choroid plexus (CP) is a small yet highly active epithelial tissue located in the ventricles of the brain. It secretes most of the CSF that envelops the brain and spinal cord. The epithelial cells of the CP have a high fluid secretion rate and differ from many other secretory epithelia in the organization of several key ion transporters. One striking difference is the luminal location of, for example, the vital Na+-K+-ATPase. In recent years, there has been a renewed focus on the role of ion transporters in CP secretion. Several studies have indicated that increased membrane transport activity is implicated in disorders such as hydrocephalus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and posthemorrhagic sequelae. The importance of the CP membrane transporters in regulating the composition of the CSF has also been a focus in research in recent years, particularly as a regulator of breathing and hemodynamic parameters such as blood pressure. This review focuses on the role of the fundamental ion transporters involved in CSF secretion and its ion composition. It gives a brief overview of the established factors and controversies concerning ion transporters, and finally discusses future perspectives related to the role of these transporters in the CP epithelium.

Determination of integral characteristics of secondary atomization of fuel oil/water emulsion droplets

This research aims to identify patterns and study the characteristics of secondary atomization of fuel oil/water emulsion droplets containing specialized additives (R503V3 0.5 %, R502V1 0.5 %, and ION M 0.5 %). The ION M additive was able to increase the number of secondary fragments by 10–25 % with typical sizes of about 0.05 mm. The results showed that the use of specialized additives based on fatty acids of vegetable oils (compositions No. 3 and 4) and on a particular combination of positively and negatively charged ions (composition No. 5) with the fuel increased the efficiency of micro-explosive atomization by 28.4 %, 43.4 % and 59.8 %, respectively. With the additive based on a particular combination of positively and negatively charged ions in a fuel oil/water emulsion, the implementation of 4 technologies secondary atomization results in an almost 240-fold increase in the free surface area of droplets at a Weber number of 125. Such increase in the free surface area of droplets leads to more complete combustion of the fuel due to a larger total area of vaporization and combustion. Approximation equations were derived to predict the conditions of consistent occurrence of droplet fragmentation in all the secondary atomization regimes.

Stabilization of soil organic matter following the impact of selected tree species in temperate climate

The species composition of a forest stand has a significant impact on the biophysicochemical properties of soil. The aim of our research was to determine the relationship between the fractional composition of soil organic matter (SOM) and the composition of leachates from soil influenced by various tree species. In our research, we assumed that the fractions of SOM are strongly positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen and the ionic composition of leachates. Our study was conducted in a common garden experiment with eight different tree species. The research included the analysis of vertical variability in the composition of SOM fraction in relation to the leachates composition. The research covered the organic horizon (O), humus mineral horizon (A) and enrichment horizon (B). Our findings confirmed the differentiated impact of the studied tree species on the amount of light and the heavy fraction − mineral associated fraction of SOM. The species composition of the forest stand significantly influenced the amount of released DOC, as well as pH values and the content of selected cations and anions in the leachates from various genetic soil horizons. The amounts of C and N in the SOM fraction and the ionic composition of the leachates change with the depth. C and N of the labile and stable fractions were strongly positively correlated with the amount of DOC and N in the leachates. In order to initiate the stabilization of organic matter, it is worth using deciduous species such as Norway maple, sycamore maple and small-leaved lime. The results of our research may find practical application in planning the species composition of a tree stand, especially under changing climate conditions.

Cell-specific models of hiPSC-CMs developed by the gradient-based parameter optimization method fitting two different action potential waveforms

Parameter optimization (PO) methods to determine the ionic current composition of experimental cardiac action potential (AP) waveform have been developed using a computer model of cardiac membrane excitation. However, it was suggested that fitting a single AP record in the PO method was not always successful in providing a unique answer because of a shortage of information. We found that the PO method worked perfectly if the PO method was applied to a pair of a control AP and a model output AP in which a single ionic current out of six current species, such as IKr, ICaL, INa, IKs, IKur or IbNSC was partially blocked in silico. When the target was replaced by a pair of experimental control and IKr-blocked records of APs generated spontaneously in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), the simultaneous fitting of the two waveforms by the PO method was hampered to some extent by the irregular slow fluctuations in the Vm recording and/or sporadic alteration in AP configurations in the hiPSC-CMs. This technical problem was largely removed by selecting stable segments of the records for the PO method. Moreover, the PO method was made fail-proof by running iteratively in identifying the optimized parameter set to reconstruct both the control and the IKr-blocked AP waveforms. In the lead potential analysis, the quantitative ionic mechanisms deduced from the optimized parameter set were totally consistent with the qualitative view of ionic mechanisms of AP so far described in physiological literature.

Chemical characterization of submicron particulate matter (PM1) and its source apportionment using positive matrix factorization

AbstractThe present study was conducted to address four key questions: (i) What are the levels of submicron particulate matter at the study area?, (ii) which are the major contributing sources of these particles?, and (iii) is there any seasonal changes in the levels of pollutants at the study site? Thus, the study was conducted at an urban residential site of Jaipur City, India, to determine the elemental and ionic composition of toxic elements associated with PM1 using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and ion chromatography to reveal specific sources. Monitoring was done for a period of 8 months between October 2020 and May 2021 considering three seasons: winter (December–February), pre‐monsoon (March–May), and post‐monsoon (October–November). PM1 samples were found to be highly enriched with Ag, Cd, B, Ni, and Zn. PM1 mass concentrations were observed to be greater in winter (104.13 ± 30.16 µg m−3) and lower in the pre‐monsoon season (83.62 ± 19.40 µg m−3). Ion concentrations (Cl−, NO32−, and SO42−) followed a similar pattern to PM1 concentrations. Source apportionment by positive matrix factorization at the study site revealed six major sources of pollutants (soil dust, agro‐based industry, automobile industry, salt aerosols, industrial activities, and biomass burning).

Enrichment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids on Sea Spray Aerosol in Laboratory Experiments: The Role of Dissolved Organic Matter, Air Entrainment Rate and Inorganic Ion Composition

Enrichment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids on Sea Spray Aerosol in Laboratory Experiments: The Role of Dissolved Organic Matter, Air Entrainment Rate and Inorganic Ion Composition

Fabrication of Gd doped Fe-Co/Cu electrodes for magnetic field assisted water splitting applications

We investigated the magnetic characteristics of Gadolinium-doped Iron-Cobalt/Copper (Gd-Fe-Co/Cu) electrodeposited thin films at various Gd concentrations over 20 min at room temperature and pH 3. The structure and composition of metal ions are confirmed by X-ray diffraction and the EDAX spectrum. SEM examination of the microstructures revealed a variety of morphologies, including spherical ball-like crystallites and one-dimensional spike-like crystallites. The varied Gd ion concentrations had an effect on the Gd-Fe-Co/Cu thin films, which exhibited soft magnetic properties. The introduction of Gd3+ into the system has demonstrated ferromagnetic properties at room temperature, as verified through VSM analysis. Elevating the Gd concentration in the thin film led to an augmentation in saturation magnetization and a reduction in coercivity. Selected samples were subjected to BET and CV studies. CV studies confirmed the capacitive behaviours of the sample. The best magnetic behaviour was seen for the Gd concentration of 0.05 M, suggesting that these films might be suitable candidates for application in energy storage and conversion. Further, the best sample was taken for water splitting studies and showcased excellent HER performance under magnetic field.

Investigating the Effect of Water Softening on Polymer Adsorption onto Carbonates through Single-Phase and Two-Phase Experiments

Summary Polymer retention is considered a major challenge in polymer flooding applications, especially in carbonates. This is due to the prevailing conditions of low permeability (<100 md), high temperature (>85°C), and high salinity (>100,000 ppm) generally found in these formations, which limit the effectiveness of commonly used polymers such as hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and xanthan gum. To address these challenges, a polymer based on acrylamide tertiary butyl sulfonate (ATBS) has been used due to its tolerance to high-temperature and -salinity conditions. However, the high cost of manufacturing these polymers, combined with their anionic properties that promote adsorption onto positively charged carbonate rocks, necessitates the exploration of methods to reduce polymer retention. In this study, we aim to determine the sufficient concentration of hardness ions (Ca2+ and Mg2+) required to significantly reduce the adsorption of this polymer. The study is unique in its focus on mitigating polymer retention in carbonate formations using softened brine, as no prior research has investigated this aspect. Four different brines were investigated with a salinity of 8,000 ppm total dissolved salts (TDS) and varying ionic composition designed mainly by eliminating the hardness-causing ions, Ca2+ and Mg2+. A geochemical study was performed using the PHREEQC software to analyze the interaction between these injected brines and the rock. Furthermore, comprehensive rheological and static adsorption studies were performed at a temperature of 25°C using the potential ATBS-based polymer to evaluate the polymer performance and adsorption in these brines. Later, dynamic adsorption studies were conducted in both single-phase and two-phase conditions to further quantify polymer adsorption. The geochemical study showed an anhydrite saturation index (SI) of less than 0.5 for all the brines used when interacting with the rock, indicating a very low tendency for calcium sulfate precipitation. Furthermore, the rheological studies showed that polymer viscosity significantly increased with reduced hardness, where a polymer solution viscosity of 7.5 cp was obtained in zero hardness brine, nearly 1.5 times higher than the polymer viscosity of the base makeup brine of 8,000 ppm. Moreover, it was observed that, by carefully tuning the concentrations of the divalent cations, the polymer concentration consumption for the required target viscosity was reduced by 40–50%. For the single-phase static adsorption experiments, the polymer solution in softened brines resulted in lower adsorption in the range of 37–62 µg/g-rock as opposed to 102 µg/g-rock for the base makeup brine. On the other hand, the single-phase dynamic adsorption results showed an even lowered polymer adsorption of 33 µg/g-rock for the softened brine compared with 45 µg/g-rock for the base makeup brine. Additionally, the single-phase dynamic adsorption studies showed a remarkable improvement in polymer injectivity using softened brine. The polymer retention in wettability-altered cores was further reduced. The study highlights that water softening improves the performance of polymers, specifically in terms of lowering polymer adsorption. It concludes that a threshold hardness level (Ca2+ and Mg2+) of approximately 100 ppm is sufficient to achieve a significant reduction in polymer adsorption for the tested experimental conditions. In this paper, we show that the softened water increases the polymer viscosity and reduces polymer adsorption, which leads to an overall reduction in polymer consumption. Hence, the softened makeup water has the potential to enhance the application envelope of this potential polymer for polymer flood, especially in the case of carbonate reservoirs.

A Study of Ionospheric Heavy Ions in the Terrestrial Magnetotail Using ARTEMIS

AbstractIonospheric heavy ions in the distant tail of the Earth's magnetosphere at lunar distances are observed using the ARTEMIS mission. These heavy ions are originally produced in the terrestrial ionosphere. Using the ElectroStatic Analyzers (ESA) onboard the two probes orbiting the Moon, these heavy ions are observed as cold populations with distinct energies higher than the baseline energy of protons, with the energy‐per‐charge values for the heavy populations highly correlated with the proton energies. We conducted a full solar cycle survey of these heavy ion observations, including the flux, location, and drift energy, as well as the correlations with the solar wind and geomagnetic indices. The likelihood of finding these heavy ions in the preferred regions of observation called “loaded” quadrants of the terrestrial magnetotail is ∼90%, regardless of the z orientation of the IMF. We characterize the ratio of the heavy ion energy to the proton energy, as well as the velocity ratio of these two populations, for events from 2010 to mid‐2023. This study shows that the “common velocity” assumption for the proton and heavy ion particles, as suggested in previous work through the velocity filter effect, is not necessarily valid in this case. Challenges in the identification of the mass of the heavy ions due to the ESA's lack of ion composition discrimination are addressed. It is proposed that at the lunar distances the heavy ion population mainly consists of atomic oxygen ions (O+) with velocities ∼25% more than the velocity of the co‐located proton population.

From Liquid to Solid: Unravelling the Magic of In-Situ Gels

Abstract: In situ gelling formulations are liquid at room temperature and transform into gels upon application to the body in response to various stimuli (e.g., pH, temperature, ionic composition). Incorporating drug nanoparticles into these systems enhances their biomedical utility by prolonging drug release, reducing dosing frequency, and improving patient outcomes. These formulations, particularly those with mucoadhesive polymers, offer promising potential for targeted drug delivery and prolonged drug retention at specific sites. A review of clinical properties of in situ gelling systems investigated over the past decade underscores their effectiveness and challenges in achieving optimal dosage forms.