Microporous Filters Research Articles

Sustainable recycling of pure aluminum from waste chips under supergravity-enhanced separation: A cleaning process

Large quantities of chips containing high levels of aluminum are always inevitably produced during machining process of aluminum products, which is a valuable renewable resource. In this paper, an environmental-friendly method for direct and continuous recovery of same-level recycled Al from waste chips under supergravity-induced was proposed. The oxide film covering the surface of the molten Al-chips was easily disrupted under super-gravity, and subsequently almost all of Al melt detached from the oxide film and flowed rapidly through the microporous ceramic foam filter, with a yield ratio of more than 97 %. During this process, all fine broken oxide-film particles and large amounts of primary iron-rich particles in the melt were captured in the complex channels of the filter, resulting in clean 1xxx series recycled Al with free inclusions and impurity iron content of less than 0.28 wt%. In addition, a sustainable process and a continuous centrifugal unit for recycling aluminum chips were designed, the economic and environmental advantages of which demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable regeneration of aluminum chip resources on an industrial scale via supergravity technique.

Optimization of iron flocculation for enrichment of CyHV-2 in aquaculture water

Cyprinid herpesvirus 2 (CyHV-2) is an important infectious virus endangering the farmed Carassius species industry. The enrichment and identification of CyHV-2 in the water is a vital means of early warning diagnostics, which is helpful to aquatic diseases prevention and control. In this study, we employed and optimized iron flocculation to enrich the concentrations of CyHV-2 in aquaculture water. Different Fe3+ concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/L), various membrane filters (mixed cellulose ester, glass fiber, nylon microporous filter membrane), different elution buffers containing reductants (ascorbate, citrate, DL-malate, and their combinations with EDTA or TE buffer) were compared to check the recovery yield of CyHV-2. Viral genome quantitation was determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that Fe3+ concentration of 1.0 mg/L, the glass fiber and citrate-TE were determined to have high efficiency and stable recovery yield. To evaluate infectious CyHV-2 viral titres, crucian carps (Carassius auratus) were intraperitoneally injected with CyHV-2. The mortality rate was 100 % at 9 days postinoculation (dpi) with the 96.7 % detection of CyHV-2 in the pooled tissues. The histopathological phenotype showed necrotic cell death in the liver, spleen and kidney. The CyHV-2 genome was ranging from 101.1 to 107.5 copies/μl in the deceased fish, and 101.4 to 103.0 copies/μl in the feeding water at various stages from latent infection to onset of disease. The field samples from Huzhou, Zhejiang Province on June 4th and 7th had higher detection rates, 87.5 % and 100 % respectively, corresponding to higher CyHV-2 detected in the aquaculture water. CyHV-2 viral load in cultured waters tends to increase prior to fish death, which provides a new indicator for the prediction of fish diseases. In summary, we have established a unified operational standard for enrichment of CyHV-2 in the aqueous environment by iron flocculation.

Colorimetric and fluorescent probes for cysteine detection: Applications in food safety and cellular imaging

In this study, three BODIPY-based fluorescent probes were designed and synthesized. The ultraviolet-visible spectra, fluorescence spectra, smartphone color recognition application and bioimaging were utilized to evaluate the capacity of the probes. By comparing key parameters, BDP-SIN had optimal performances including fastest response (10 min), highest signal-to-noise ratio (815 times) and lowest limit of detection (LOD = 49 nM). The recovery rate ranged from 92.04 % to 103.25 %. Meanwhile, BDP-SIN was triumphantly employed for determination of Cys in different daily food samples. Moreover, the test strips and microporous filter membrane loaded with BDP-SIN were developed for the portable real-time visualization and quantitative detection of Cys in food samples, which the contents ranged from 0.27 μM to 0.49 μM. Besides, BDP-SIN could image Cys in the living cells and mice. The novelty of this work was that developed an effective tool for researching the roles of Cys in food industry and living organisms.

Micro-particle-clay aided microporous support for removal of hydrocarbon toxicity from petroleum refinery wastewater in single-slope solar distillation

The removal of toxic hydrocarbon pollutants is not sustainable via conventional treatment technology. This research investigates the feasibility of a solar distillation (SSD) system to eliminate soluble hydrocarbon salts, stubborn organics, and separation of oil emulsion from petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW). The PRW collected from the petroleum refinery facility and hydrophilic micro-particle clay (MP-clay) samples were characterized following the ASTM and SEM techniques. The treatment process for the removal of total dissolved salts (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and separation of oil emulsion was monitored in the SSD still using MP-clay aided microporous filter support, at varying MP-clay concentrations (0.5–3.5 mg/L), pH (6.6–7.3), temperature (27–80 0C), and exposure time (1–18hrs) respectively. The results showed MP-clay as self-assembled monolayers on microporous support with a 98 % reduction in BOD concentration under optimum conditions: pH of 7.3, contact time of 9 hours, and MP-clay concentration of 3.2 mg/L. The TDS concentration decreased by 94 % at the optimal exposure time (15hrs) and temperature (48 0C) in SSD still. The investigation also examined the recyclability of MP-clay for oil content accumulation and water separation. The findings demonstrated MP-clay on reuse retained 90.5 % of its activity in water separation and established MP-clay can be operated to the optimum of 3 cycles, each lasting 60 minutes. After this period, reactivity loss becomes severe owing to lipase leakage and substrate obstruction. The research findings will help harness solar energy for environmentally friendly and cost-effective PRW remediation.

P-053 Comparative analysis between microfluidic sperm sorting and Swim-up technique to select spermatozoa with better characteristics in hyper viscous samples

Abstract Study question What is the best technique to select spermatozoa in hyper viscous semen samples? Summary answer Microfluidics is the best technique that allows to select spermatozoa with better seminal characteristics and hyperactivated motility, and less sperm DNA fragmentation. What is known already Density gradient centrifugation and Swim-up (SU) are the two traditional selection methods used during assisted reproduction techniques (ART) to collect the highly motile sperm fraction. Many studies reported that centrifugation increase sperm DNA fragmentation and oxidative status which could affect reproductive outcomes. To overcome the limitations of centrifugation, an alternative approach by using microfluidic-based devices was recently designed. In microfluidic protocol, sample is applied to the device’s inlet port, connected to a lower chamber. This chamber consists of a microporous filter, where the most motile spermatozoa migrate upward through the filter. Study design, size, duration An observational study was conducted on 29 semen samples from patients undergoing routine semen analysis for couple infertility in the Andrology Laboratory of Careggi University Hospital of Florence from January 2023 to January 2024. In these samples we compare two different methods for sperm selection: indirect SU technique and microfluidic devices (MSS). Participants/materials, setting, methods We evaluated seminal parameters (sperm progressive and total motility, viability, and concentration), sperm kinematic parameters by Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (C.A.S.A. system), sperm DNA fragmentation by TUNEL/PI assay and sperm oxidative status by CellROX® Orange (which we have recently shown to identify a fraction of viable oxidized spermatozoa with better characteristics (Traini G., et al. 2022)) in 29 normozoospermic and 18 hyper viscous semen samples selected by SU and MSS. Main results and the role of chance In normozoospermic samples, sperm selection with both indirect SU technique and microfluidic devices, ameliorated sperm characteristics compared to not selected samples. Spermatozoa selected by MSS showed statistically significant higher progressive and total motility, viability and concentration compared to those selected by indirect SU. Moreover, an increase in most of kinematic semen parameters (like VAP, VCL and VSL) and hyperactivated motility was observed in MSS selected samples. Also, sperm DNA fragmentation was significantly reduced after MSS selection compared to indirect SU. We evaluated the percentage of viable oxidized spermatozoa by using CellROX® Orange. A significant increase of the percentage of CellROX® Orange positive spermatozoa was observed in most of MSS selected samples. In all 18 hyper viscous samples, the results obtained in normozoospermic samples were confirmed. Indeed, an overall improvement of sperm progressive and total motility, viability and concentration together with an increase in most of kinematic semen parameters and in hyperactivated motility were evidenced in MSS selected spermatozoa respect to those selected by indirect SU. Again, a significant decrease of sperm DNA fragmentation and an increase of the percentage of CellROX® Orange positive spermatozoa, were observed after MSS selection. Limitations, reasons for caution The number of semen samples included in the study is not very elevated. Results obtained in hyper viscous semen samples should be confirmed in a greater number of samples. Wider implications of the findings Our data indicate that MSS selects the sperm fraction with better characteristics and less DNA fragmentation. These results suggest that MSS could improve ART outcomes, particularly for specific categories of patients, including hyper viscous semen samples, for which the selection by SU does not always guarantee good yields. Trial registration number not applicable

Simultaneous determination of eight organic amines in desulfurization solution by ion chromatography

The applications of organic-amine desulfurization have steadily increased owing to its high efficiency, low cost, and low energy consumption. Different proportions of organic amines exert different effects on sulfur dioxide removal. Therefore, the accurate determination of different organic amines in the desulfurization solution is of great importance. The ion-chromatographic method for the detection of organic amines does not require a derivatization step, has simple pretreatment procedures, and allows for the simultaneous determination of many types of organic amines. In this study, a method based on ion chromatography was developed for the simultaneous determination of ethanolamine (MEA), diethylethanolamine (DEEA), n-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), hydroxyethylethylenediamine (AEEA), piperazine (PZ), n-hydroxyethylpiperazine (HEPZ), and diethylenetriamine (DETA). The separation efficiency of the eight organic amines in different types of columns, leaching solutions, and column temperatures were compared. The determination was performed using an IonPac CS17 column with column temperature of 35 ℃ and gradient leaching with methyl sulfonic acid (MSA) solution via the inhibition conductance method. Samples of the desulfurization solution were analyzed using ultrapure water filtered through a 0.22 μm nylon microporous filter membrane and an OnGuard Ⅱ RP column; thus, the pretreatment steps are simple. The eight organic amines showed a good linear relationship within a certain concentration range, and the coefficient of determinations (R2) were greater than 0.998. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were determined from the mass concentrations of the organic amines corresponding to signal-to-noise ratios (S/N) of 3 and 10, respectively. LODs of 0.02-0.08 mg/L and LOQs of 0.07-0.27 mg/L were determined from a 1.0 μL sample injection. The actual recoveries ranged from 93.0% to 111%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=5) ranged from 0.31% to 1.2%. The results indicated that the proposed method has good accuracy and precision; thus, it is suitable for the determination of various organic amines in desulfurization solution.

Preparation of NaCl Particles Added Polyvinylidene Fluoride Microporous Filter and a Simple Filtration Device

Clean and pollution-free water plays a crucial role in human metabolism and is essential for everyone’s daily life. However, with industrialization, a significant amount of sewage has been produced for many years. Water resources tend to become stressed when the rate of sewage production speed is purified. Many researchers are working on sewage purification to eliminate this hidden danger. It is urgent to find an efficient, high-speed, and environmental way to purify sewage. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of pore morphology on filtration. In addition, a Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-microporous filter (MPF) based on non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) and vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) methods was designed, the morphology and properties of a series of sodium chloride particles (NaCl-ps) added PVDF-MPF was researched, and a simple semi-automatic filtration device based on the character of this PVDF-MPF was manufactured. According to the light transmittance of filtered sewage through PVDF-MPF and NaCl-ps added PVDF-MPF, both PVDF-MPFs can remove particles in sewage. However, after adding NaCl-ps, the purification capacity of PVDF-MPF is higher than that of PVDF-MPF without adding NaCl-ps. The addition of NaCl-ps changes the morphology and improves the sewage purification capacity of PVDF-MPF.

Synthesis of modified silica nano as plugging agent for drilling fluid

There are a large number of nano-micron pores on the surface of the rock layer, and during the drilling process, water molecules will penetrate into the formation through these nano-micron pores, causing hydration and expansion of the rock, causing instability of the wellbore and other problems. Nano-micron plugging agents can effectively seal the nano-micron pores in the formation, reducing the hydration and expansion of the formation. This paper synthesized the ternary copolymer (AAK) using modified nano silica (KH-570), acrylamide (AM), and 2-acrylamide-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) as raw materials, and used it as a plugging agent in water-based drilling fluids. The characterization and performance of AAK were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, particle size analyzer, transmission electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric experiments. The plugging performance was evaluated using microporous filter membrane temperature and pressure tests, liner swelling tests, immersion test, and contact angle tests. In addition, its tackiness and salt resistance were also tested. The results indicate that the particles of AAK are nanoscale particles, which can effectively seal the nano and micro pores in rock blocks. At the same time, AAK has good temperature and salt resistance. The addition of AAK does not significantly change the rheological properties of the drilling fluid and can be used as a plugging agent in water-based drilling fluids.

Handheld methanol detector for beverage analysis: interlaboratory validation.

Methanol is a toxic alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages as a natural byproduct of fermentation or added intentionally to counterfeits to increase profit. To ensure consumer safety, many countries and the EU have established strict legislation limits for methanol content. Methanol concentration is mostly detected by laboratory instrumentation since mobile devices for routine on-site testing of beverages in distilleries, at border stations or even at home are not available. Here, we validated a handheld methanol detector for beverage analysis in an ISO 5725 interlaboratory trial: a total of 119 measurements were performed by 17 independent participants (distilleries, universities, authorities, and competence centers) from six countries on samples with relevant methanol concentrations (0.1, 1.5 vol%). The detector was based on a microporous separation filter and a nanostructured gas sensor allowing on-site measurement of methanol down to 0.01 vol% (in the liquid) within only 2 min by laymen. The detector showed excellent repeatability (<5.4%), reproducibility (<9.5%) and small bias (<0.012 vol%). Additional measurements on various methanol-spiked alcoholic beverages (whisky, rum, gin, vodka, tequila, port, sherry, liqueur) indicated that the detector is not interfered by environmental temperature and spirit composition, featuring excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) down to methanol concentrations of 0.01 vol%. This device has been recently commercialized (Alivion Spark M-20) with comparable accuracy to the gold-standard gas chromatography and can be readily applied for final product inspection, intake control of raw materials or to identify toxic counterfeit products.

The determination of underivatized chlormequat, fosetyl-aluminium and phosphonic acid residues in maize and soybean by LC-MS/MS.

In this study, a simple, rapid and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of chlormequat, fosetyl-aluminium and phosphonic acid residues in maize and soybean using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Analytes were extracted with acetic acid solution, purified on an HLB column, and then filtered through a 0.2 μm hydrophilic microporous filter membrane. They were then separated on an IC column using a separation phase consisting of polyvinyl alcohol particles with quaternary ammonium groups. The mobile phase optimised with water was denoted as mobile phase A and that optimised with 200 mmol L-1 ammonium bicarbonate solution containing 0.05% ammonium hydroxide was denoted as mobile phase B. The residues were detected by tandem mass spectrometry with negative electrospray ionization in a multi-reaction monitoring mode. The correlation coefficient (R ≥ 0.997) showed good linear regressions for all analytes in water as well as in maize and soybean matrices with a wide dynamic range of 0.001 to 0.5 mg L-1 for calibration. The mean recoveries (RSDs) of the analytes were in the range 85.0-106.4% (5.5-14.9%), 81.7-109.5% (2.7-11.0%) and 74.7-104.4% (2.9-6.1%) at three concentration levels (0.05, 0.1 and 1 mg kg-1) for the interday test (n = 15). The limit of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD) of the method for different matrices were 0.01 and 0.003 mg kg-1, respectively. In conclusion, the established analytical approach has high sensitivity and good accuracy and precision and is suitable for monitoring chlormequat, fosetyl-aluminium and phosphonic acid residues in maize and soybean.

Preparation of Preformed Submicron Crosslinked Polymer Coils for Conformance Control in Low-Permeability Reservoirs.

With the increasing development of low-permeability reservoirs, the significance of conformance control treatment has risen considerably. To address the conflict between injectability and plugging performance, as well as to enhance the deep migration capacity of conformance control agents, preformed submicron crosslinked polymer coils (SCPCs) have been manufactured using aqueous solution dispersion polymerization. Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy were employed to examine the chemical structure and micromorphology, while particle size distribution, zeta potential, rheological, and filtration properties were analyzed. The effectiveness of conformance control was confirmed through the parallel core displacement. The effective particle size of SCPCs was at a submicron level (500~800 nm). SCPCs exhibit a transitional threshold concentration between gel and sol states (0.25 wt%~0.5 wt%). SCPCs can efficiently block the 1.2 μm microporous filter membrane. The filtration time is up to 67.8 min. SCPCs can improve the water absorption rate of lower permeability cores from 21.21% to 57.89% with a permeability difference of 5. Therefore, SCPCs have good injectability, plugging performance, and deep migration capacity and can be used for conformance control in low-permeability reservoirs.

Modeling of CO Oxidation by Diffusion of Oxygen Atoms in Ceria-Zirconia Particulates in a Three-Way Catalyst Particle Membrane Filter

In order to design a microporous membrane filter comprising Three-way Catalyst (TWC) particles with a size distribution of 1 to 2 microns, isothermal CO oxidation experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the transport of oxygen atoms within primary Ceria-Zirconia (CZ) particulates. These spherical TWC particles were fabricated through the agglomeration of primary CZ and alumina particulates, incorporating Pd and Rh catalysts. By comparing experimental CO2 emissions with simulation results over time, a temperature-dependent diffusion coefficient was determined. The simulation results reveal that the effective distance of oxygen atom transport within CZ particulates, heterogeneously distributed in the spherical TWC particle, is limited to approximately 100 nm from the surface of agglomerated spherical TWC particles within a temperature range of 175 to 225°C.

Removal behavior of Al–Ti–O inclusions in aluminum deoxidized molten steel containing titanium by microporous magnesium foam ceramic filters

Al–Ti–O inclusions in aluminum deoxidized and titanium (Ti)-alloyed steel aggravate the submerged nozzle clogging and instability of the continuous casting process, lowering the cleanliness of casting billet. In the present investigation, the removal behavior of the oxide inclusions in aluminum deoxidized IF steel and Ti-alloyed welding wire steel by microporous/fused MgO foam ceramic filter (PMF/FMF) and the improvement of the steel cleanliness were comparatively investigated. It is found that MgO foam ceramic filters immersed in Al deoxidized steel effectively reduced its number density of Al2O3 inclusions and total oxygen (TO) content, by use of forming Al–Mg–O spinel interface reaction layer between the filters and tested steel. Furthermore, the cleanliness increase of Ti-alloyed steel immersed by the filters, due to formation of a more complete and continuous Al–Mg–Ti–O spinel layer on their surface, was bigger compared with that in Ti-free steel, with sporadically distributed Al–Mg–O spinel of interface layer on the surface of filters immersed in Ti-free steel. This is ascribed to the higher Ti content and some liquid inclusion of MgO–Al2O3-TiOX in Ti-alloyed steel, enhancing the reaction of the MgO of aggregates in the filters with Al, Ti, and O and deposition of other solid MgO–Al2O3-TiOX on the surface of the filter, respectively. In addition, the better purification efficiency of the PMF on tested steel compared with the FMF, was due to its higher porosity, roughness and more liquid phase components of the matrix in PMF, which improve the reaction of filter with liquid steel, and raise its adsorption capacity with Al2O3-based inclusions in the steel, forming Al–Mg–O spinel interface layer to removal the oxide inclusions.

Influence of different axis-translation techniques using ceramic disks/microporous membrane filters on mechanical/hydraulic behavior of unsaturated soil

Element tests, such as water retention tests and triaxial tests, are efficient and widely used methods for investigating the elementary hydro-mechanical behavior of unsaturated soil. In recent research, discrepancies observed in unsaturated test results using axis-translation techniques (ATTs) with ceramic disks and microporous membrane filters (MM filters) have indicated that misunderstandings might be hiding behind the perceived elementary behavior seen in element tests. In this study, triaxial tests with ceramic disks and MM filters were firstly conducted on specimens of unsaturated completely decomposed granite sand, referred to as Masado in Japan, to compare the influence of different techniques on the test results. Then a soil–water-air coupled finite element-finite difference (FE-FD) method, based on a newly proposed unsaturated/saturated constitutive model coupled with a deformation-dependent water retention curve (WRC), was utilized to simulate triaxial tests as boundary value problems (BVPs) because of the non-uniform deformation of the specimens. Drained/vented triaxial tests showed that the stress–strain relation of Masado is basically the same regardless of the applied technique, while the amount of drainage discharge and degree of saturation during the shearing stage are quite different. The calculated average stress–strain relation basically reproduced a tendency similar to that of the tests. It was also shown from the calculation that the ATT with ceramic disks or MM filters significantly influences the distributions of saturation and stress within the specimens during shearing. It should be emphasized that unsaturated triaxial tests with the ATT are basically BVPs instead of so-called element tests.

Emerging membrane technology and hybrid treatment systems for the removal of micropollutants from wastewater

Currently, substances have been detected that have always been present but have long been unnoticed; among these substances called emerging pollutants are pharmaceuticals, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaning, and personal care products, among others. Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology has gained extensive popularity in enhancing the treatment and reutilization of wastewater. It exhibits efficiencies ranging from 40 to 79 % for treating high organic loads such as dairy wastewater while achieving impressive rates of up to 90 % for effectively removing emerging contaminants. However, traditional MBRs with ultrafiltration or porous microfiltration membranes are not intended to remove hazardous micropollutants from water, which are constantly present in trace concentrations and can adversely affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Several effective techniques have been used to remove hazardous micropollutants from water, especially for hydrophilic and resistant chemicals. These tactics consist mainly of improving the operating environment, using high-retention membranes instead of porous membranes, adding functional materials to the bioreactor, and including additional procedures for effluent treatment. To ensure almost complete removal of micropollutants, the MBR can be complemented with effluent treatment, recently the use of high retention membranes, hybrid MBR-nanofiltration systems, or other processes such as electrocoagulation or advanced oxidation (AOP) have been reported. Nevertheless, additional investigation is required to assess these strategies' technical and economic viability, particularly regarding real-time effectiveness. This evaluation is crucial for identifying the most appropriate techniques for industrial applications.

P-029 Centrifugation-free sperm separation device offers an efficient and standardized protocol to select high quality spermatozoa

Abstract Study question Can centrifugation-free sperm separation device be used to simplify and standardize the selection of high-quality spermatozoa? Summary answer Centrifugation-free CA0 sperm separation device minimizes inter- and intra-operator variability and yields spermatozoa with comparable fertilizing properties in a variety of semen conditions. What is known already Centrifugation-based sperm separation methods have been used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) for many decades. However, the conventional methods are criticized for harmful effects due to centrifugation. To overcome the disadvantage, more noninvasive technologies have been developed and attempted to improve the sperm separation process, e.g., the formation of capillary bridge to select motile spermatozoa, migration-sedimentation technique to sort out functional spermatozoa, microfluidic sorting chip to isolate healthy sperm. While these methods provide alternatives for noninvasive sperm separation, the limitations such as inconsistency of semen quality improvement and lack of standardized procedure remain to be resolved. Study design, size, duration A randomized controlled trial of 76 men who sought ART treatment (Lee Women’s Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan) from June to October 2022 was carried out. Seventy-six neat semen specimens were categorized into 27 normozoospermic specimens, and 49 non-normozoospermic samples (semen quality below any of the WHO 5th Edition lower reference values: concentration &amp;lt;15 million/mL, total motility &amp;lt;40%, or normal morphology &amp;lt;4%). Participants/materials, setting, methods Neat semen samples were separated for three replicates (replicate 1-3) using LensHooke® CA0 sperm separation device (Bonraybio, Taichung, Taiwan). Three operators (operators 1–3) performed CA0 procedures on each sample to test inter-technician variability. Interclass-correlation coefficient (ICC) between replicates as well as operators were evaluated. Pre-selection and post-selection semen quality were evaluated. The parameters included total motility, progressive motility, rapid progressive motility, morphology, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), and acrosome reaction rate (AR). Main results and the role of chance CA0 selects self-propelling spermatozoa within a microenvironment created by a microporous filter membrane. The procedure involves three pipetting steps: loading semen sample, adding sperm washing medium, and recovering the processed sample. Following the standard procedure, CA0 resulted in a low intra- and inter-operator variability and ICC values between replicates and different operators were all greater than 0.9, indicating an excellent reproducibility of CA0. In addition, significant higher levels of motility and normal morphology were observed in post-selection specimens either of normozoospermic or non-normozoospermic samples (pre-selection vs. post-selection, all p &amp;lt; 0.0001). In paired analysis of the advanced semen parameter, our study showed noteworthy results that CA0 significantly improved DFI from 18.2% to 2.6% for normozoospermic samples; such reduction was also found in non-normozoospermic sample processing, from 13.4% to 4.2% (both, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). The levels of AR were significantly reduced in normozoospermic samples (from 14.4% to 5.4%) and non-normozoospermic samples as well (from 12.8% to 5.0%) (both groups p &amp;lt; 0.0001). In conclusion, CA0 provides an efficient, noninvasive, standardized, and reproducible sperm separation model that CA0 diminishes the variations and ensures sperm quality. Limitations, reasons for caution The presented study was a pilot trial examining the sperm quality improvement. Follow-up analysis on IUI/IVF outcomes associated with the improvement in semen quality utilizing CA0 will be assessed in future studies. Wider implications of the findings CA0 provides multifaceted benefits covering consistent clinical outcomes, simplified and standardized procedure, user-friendliness, and cost reduction. We believe CA0 not only allows noninvasive sperm separation of clinically usable but also gives the possibility of standardization on sperm separation procedure. Trial registration number CS2-22039

Core-shell structured polystyrene microspheres for improving plugging performance of oil-based drilling fluids

To avoid damage to wellbore stability in shale formations from drilling fluid intrusion and pressure transmission, it is important to develop a plugging material that can effectively plug micropores and fractures in shale formations. In this paper, polystyrene microspheres (CPM) with core-shell structure were synthesized by seed emulsion polymerization, and characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size analysis, TEM observation and contact angle test. The effects of CPM on emulsion stability and emulsion rheological performance were evaluated by electrical stability tests and rheological performance tests, respectively. The plugging performance was evaluated using filter materials with different pore sizes as filter media. The experimental results showed that CPM had good thermal stability with a thermal decomposition temperature up to 374.3 °C. CPM had a core-shell structure with a median value (D50) of 229 nm and a three-phase contact angle of 116.2°. The synergistic effect of CPM and organoclay can significantly improve the stability of emulsions and viscosity at low shear rates. For different pore sizes of filter media, CPM achieved effective plugging of micropores, reducing fluid loss volume to less than 6 mL for different pore sizes of micropore filter membranes and 29.6% for ceramic sand discs. In this paper, a preparation method of plugging material with good plugging performance was given, which provided technical support for the development of plugging agents for Oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs).

Nanofiltration-Based Membrane Bioreactor Operated under an Ultralow Flux: Fouling Behavior and Feasibility toward a Low-Carbon System for Municipal Wastewater Reuse

Compared to a conventional membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a porous microfiltration (MF) membrane (MBRMF), a nanofiltration (NF)-based MBR (MBRNF) shows highly attractive features such as high permeate water quality. However, the practical applications of MBRNF are often hindered by the high driven pressures and severe membrane fouling. To address these two critical issues, this study investigated the feasibility of operating MBRNF at an ultralow flux (ULF, e.g., <5 L·m–2·h–1) toward the reuse of municipal wastewater in a single step. We operated the ULF MBRNF at a flux of 2 L·m–2·h–1 and benchmarked its performance against a conventional system using a MBRMF followed by a subsequent NF treatment (MBRMF + NF, both at a constant flux of 20 L·m–2·h–1). The results show that the ULF MBRNF achieved substantial removal of most pollutants, with low negative impacts of ultralow fluxes on pollutant rejections. Besides, the ultralow-flux operation led to a very low fouling rate (0.18 kPa·d–1). More importantly, the ULF MBRNF reduced carbon emissions by 45.2% compared with the MBRMF + NF, mainly due to less energy consumption by pumping. Our findings highlight the simplicity and great potential of ULF MBRNF for wastewater reuse.

Use of modified polystyrene micro-nano spheres to improve the inhibition and plugging performance of water-based drilling fluids

Wellbore instability is a challenging issue in drilling engineering, especially in shale formations. The objective of this paper is to achieve wellbore stability by changing the hydrophobicity of the shale surface and plugging the micro-nano pores through the synthesis of modified polystyrene micro-nano spheres (MPS). The MPS was characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), particle size distribution, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The inhibition and plugging performance of MPS were evaluated through linear expansion, shale recovery, and plugging of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) microporous membrane. To study the inhibition and plugging mechanisms of MPS, contact angle, pore size distribution, and SEM analysis were performed. The results showed that MPS was spherical with a particle size distribution of 91–712 nm and had good thermal stability. The MPS had excellent compatibility with drilling fluids and better inhibition than KCl, polyamines, and SiO2. When using PTFE microporous filter membrane as a filtration medium, the API filtration loss volume of 3 wt% MPS aqueous solution was only 42 mL, while that of the solution without MPS was 260 mL. The pore size of the PTFE microporous membrane was decreased after plugging. The MPS adsorbed on the shale surface to form a hydrophobic layer, which could weaken the hydrophilicity of shale. The contact angle of shale slices treated with 2 wt% MPS was 108.2°. Furthermore, SEM observations indicated that MPS can improve the quality of mud cakes and plug the small pores. MPS has potential applications in improving wellbore stability.

A Paper-Chip-Based Phage Biosensor Combined with a Smartphone Platform for the Quick and On-Site Analysis of E. coli O157:H7 in Foods

The rapid and specific point-of-care (POC) analysis of virulent pathogenic strains plays a key role in ensuring food quality and safety. In this work, a paper-based fluorescent phage biosensor was developed for the detection of the virulent E. coli O157:H7 strain (as the mode of virulent pathogens) in food samples. Firstly, phages that can specifically combine with E. coli O157:H7 (E. coli) were stained with SYTO-13 dye to prepare a novel fluorescent probe (phage@SYTO). Simultaneously, a micro-porous membrane filter with a pore size of 0.45 μm was employed as a paper chip so as to retain the E. coli-phage@SYTO complex (&gt;1.2 μm) on its surface. The phage@SYTO (200 nm in size) was able to pass through the pores of the chip, and the complex could be retained on the paper chip using the free phage@SYTO probes. The E. coli-phage@SYTO could emit a visual fluorescent signal (excited at 365 nm; emitted at 520 nm) onto the chip, which could be detected by a smartphone to reflect the concentration of E. coli. Under optimized conditions, the detection limit was as low as 50 CFU/mL (S/N = 3) and exhibited a wide linear range from 102 to 106 CFU/mL. The sensor has potential application value for the quick and specific POCT detection of virulent E. coli in foods.