Optimal Transport Conditions Research Articles

GC-MS quantification of fecal short-chain fatty acids and spectrophotometric detection of indole: Do rectal swabs produce comparable results as stool samples? - A pilot study.

The exploration of the gut microbiome and related metabolites holds an exciting future in health science. The challenges associated with fecal sample testing are proper sample collection, sterile transportation, optimal transport conditions, and processing as all these factors could potentially change the microbiome composition, further exacerbated by the patient's customary discomfort regarding feces samples. The study aimed to compare the usage of rectal swabs and stool samples for short-chain fatty acid estimation using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and indole estimation using spectrophotometry. From May 2022 to June 2022, three women were recruited from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBG) in a secondary care hospital in coastal Karnataka. During their clinical visit, a rectal swab was collected, and the stool sample was transported to the hospital from the patient's home in sterile containers provided. After the extraction, short-chain fatty acids (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) were quantified using GC-MS. The fecal indole concentration was determined using a hydroxylamine-based assay. The GC-MS analysis failed to detect the concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in rectal swab samples. Indole concentrations in stool and swab samples were significantly different. The study's findings do not support the use of rectal swabs to analyze gut metabolites.

Assessing Coriolis meter performance in multicomponent carbon dioxide-rich mixtures

Accurate flow measurement plays a pivotal role in monitoring CO2 flows across the CCS value chain. This not only bolsters the overall business model of the CCS industry, but also ensures adherence to environmental legislations and regulatory requirements. Unlike other industrial process fluids, such as water, oil & natural gas, it is unclear whether current commercially available metering technologies can meet the requisite accuracy levels, specifically the ±2.5 % recommended within the EU/UK European Trading Scheme for CO2 mass transfer. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to gain a comprehensive understanding of CO2 flow measurement within the context of CCS transport conditions. Firstly, GERG-2008 equation of state was implemented on REFPROP v10 to predict the optimal transport conditions for CO2-rich mixtures and to understand the influence of non-condensable gas impurities in CCS flow operations. Then, a dedicated laboratory-scale gravimetric flow facility was designed and used to evaluate the performance of a Coriolis flow meter under gas, liquid, and supercritical flow conditions. The results indicate that the impurities have a relatively minor impact on the measurement performance of the meter, with maximum mean absolute measurement errors of 0.25 %, 0.12 %, and 0.28 % observed in gas, liquid, and supercritical CO2 flow conditions, respectively. The findings support the use of Coriolis metering technology as a reliable option for CCS metering, underscoring its suitability for accurate measurements in single-phase CO2 transport applications.

Use of criteria for process optimization elevator complex routing

The goal of the work. The purpose of this work is to describe the optimality criteria for determining the direction of solving the problem of optimizing transport and technological routes of grain products at the elevator complex. Research methods. An analytical research method was applied to determine the technological characteristics of the elevator complex line and the dependence of the quality of transported products on the constructed transportation route. A mathematical method is applied to describe the constituent elements of the optimization criteria. Obtained results. One of the directions for increasing and improving the technological process at the elevator was determined, by improving the control algorithms in the direction of optimizing the technological processes of the elevator according to many criteria. According to optimization criteria, to ensure optimal transportation conditions, minimum losses, minimum transportation time, minimum energy consumption, and minimum length of the laid transportation path should be used, therefore, a description of the main criteria that can primarily affect the efficiency of the elevator complex was performed. Scientific news. The direction of solving the problem of optimization of transport and technological routes is determined. Analytical derivation of the minimum energy consumption criterion and the minimum grain fight criterion. Practical value. Optimization of the elevator complex to ensure variable transportation of grain masses, which will affect the productivity and quality of the technological process of the elevator complex.

Optimal conditions for environment-assisted quantum transport on the fully connected network.

We present a theoretical analysis of the efficiency and rate of excitation transport on a network described by a complete graph in which every site is connected to every other. The long-time transport properties are analytically calculated for networks of arbitrary size that are symmetric except for the trapping site, start with a range of initial states, and are subject to dephasing and excitation decay. Conditions for which dephasing increases transport are identified, and optimal conditions are found for various physical parameters. The optimal conditions demonstrate robustness and a convergence of timescales previously observed in the context of light-harvesting complexes.

Evaluating transport conditions of conventional, widely used EDTA blood tubes for gene expression analysis in comparison to expensive, specialized PAXgene tubes in preparedness for radiological and nuclear events

Purpose Gene expression (GE) analysis of a radio-sensitive gene set (FDXR, DDB2, WNT3, POU2AF1) has been introduced in the last decade as an early and high-throughput prediction tool of later developing acute hematologic radiation syndrome (H-ARS) severity. The use of special tubes for RNA extraction from peripheral whole blood (PAXgene) represent an established standard in GE studies, although uncommonly used in clinics and not immediately available in the quantities needed in radiological/nuclear (R/N) incidents. On the other hand, EDTA blood tubes are widely utilized in clinical practice. Material and Methods Using blood samples from eleven healthy donors, we investigated GE changes associated with delayed processing of EDTA tubes up to 4 h at room temperature (RT) after venipuncture (simulating delays caused by daily clinical routine), followed by a subsequent transport time of 24 h at RT, 4 °C, and −20 °C. Differential gene expression (DGE) of the target genes was further examined after X-irradiation with 0 Gy and 4 Gy under optimal transport conditions. Results No significant changes in DGE were observed when storing EDTA whole blood samples up to 4 h at RT and subsequently kept at 4 °C for 24 h which is in line with expected DGE. However, other storage conditions, such as −20 °C or RT, decreased RNA quality and/or (significantly) caused changes in DGE exceeding the known methodological variance of the qRT-PCR. Conclusion Our data indicate that the use of EDTA whole blood tubes for GE-based H-ARS severity prediction is comparable to the quality of PAXgene tubes, when processed ≤ 4 h after venipuncture and the sample is transported within 24 hours at 4 °C.

A systematic study on the determination of optimal transport conditions for methylene blue using new generation Pillar[5]arene-based bulk liquid membrane in aqueous phase

Most of the dyes are toxic chemicals with mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on humans and need to be purified from water and other sources. Therefore, new substances with high selectivity towards these substances’ discovery is very important. In this paper, a pillar[5]arene derivative including ten iodine moieties, the newest member of macrocycles, was synthesized and used for the removal of methylene blue (MB) using a bulk liquid membrane system and named P[5]-iodine. The synthesized Pillar[5]arene derivative was characterized by using of various techniques, NMR, FT-IR, elemental analysis, melting point etc. The optimum conditions for the transport process were experimentally determined that the pH of the donor phase and acceptor phase as 6 and 3, respectively. The experimental results showed that the pillar[5]arene carried efficiently to MB at 298 K by using dichloromethane as a solvent in 10-3 M and 10-4 M concentrations for the membrane and the donor phase, respectively. The best transporting of MB as a cationic dye toward water (complexing between membrane/donor) was carried out under the optimum conditions that pH is the most important of the parameters examined as a driving force. The kinetic parameters and activation energies were calculated at various temperatures. The activation energies (Ea1: 2.69 kcal/mol, Ea2: 7.66 kcal/mol) indicate effective and feasible transport mechanisms. As result, the prepared Bulk Liquid Membrane/P[5]-iodine hybrid system has a highly sensitivity in the transport of MB.

Optimization of the Simple One-Step Stool Processing Method to Diagnose Tuberculosis: Evaluation of Robustness and Stool Transport Conditions for Global Implementation.

Stool is recommended as an alternative specimen for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in young children, as they cannot easily produce sputum. The Simple One-Step (SOS) stool processing method is a new and simple stool processing method for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) using Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Xpert-Ultra). We determined the robustness of the SOS stool processing method and stool specimen transport conditions in participants with confirmed TB. We processed stool using the standard protocol after simulated "transport," varying time, and temperature, and experimented with slightly modified processing steps. We included 2,963 Xpert-Ultra test results from 132 stool specimens of 47 TB participants, including 11 children aged <10 years. We compared Xpert-Ultra processing errors and MTB positivity rates between standard and modified procedures. Minor deviations from the standard SOS protocol did not significantly impact the Xpert-Ultra test outcomes. The rate of Xpert-Ultra processing errors significantly increased with noncold-chain transport, exposure of stool to sample reagent at room temperature or beyond 12 h, and adding >0.8 g of stool. We found that almost all steps in the current SOS stool processing method provide optimal Xpert-Ultra results but recommend an adjustment to use a wider range of stool amounts (0.3 to 0.8 g) than advised previously (0.8 g). With this adaptation, stool-based diagnosis of TB using the SOS stool processing method can be scaled-up. IMPORTANCE The manuscript will support the global implementation and scale-up of the SOS stool method in routine settings. It also provides important insights on the optimal stool transport conditions and robustness of the SOS method, which can be used for bacteriological diagnosis of TB in children at the lowest levels of the healthcare system, avoiding lengthy healthcare-seeking pathways and additional costs.

Globalized Distributionally Robust Counterpart

We extend the notion of globalized robustness to consider distributional information beyond the support of the ambiguous probability distribution. We propose the globalized distributionally robust counterpart that disallows any (respectively, allows limited) constraint violation for distributions residing (respectively, not residing) in the ambiguity set. By varying its inputs, our proposal recovers several existing perceptions of parameter uncertainty. Focusing on the type 1 Wasserstein distance, we show that the globalized distributionally robust counterpart has an insightful interpretation in terms of shadow price of globalized robustness, and it can be seamlessly integrated with many popular optimization models under uncertainty without incurring any extra computational cost. Such computational attractiveness also holds for other ambiguity sets, including the ones based on probability metric, optimal transport, ϕ-divergences, or moment conditions, as well as the event-wise ambiguity set. Numerical studies on an adaptive network lot-sizing problem demonstrate the modeling flexibility of our proposal and its emphases on globalized robustness to constraint violation. History: Antonio Frangioni, Area Editor for Design &amp; Analysis of Algorithms—Continuous. Funding: Z. Chen was supported by [General Research Fund Grant 9043424, NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme N_CityU105/21] from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. S. Wang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71922020, 72171221, and 71988101, entitled “Econometric Modeling and Economic Policy Studies”] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grant UCAS-E2ET0808X2]. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2022.0274 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2022.0274 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .

Stability assessment of serum tumour markers: Calcitonin, chromogranin A, thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.

There is limited published data on the stability of calcitonin, chromogranin A, thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies in serum. The aim of this study was to determine stability at three temperature conditions over 7days, reflecting current laboratory practices. Surplus serum was stored at room temperature, refrigerated and in the freezer; for 1, 3, 5 and 7days. Samples were analysed in batch and analyte concentrations compared to that of a baseline sample. Measurement Uncertainty of the assay was used to determine the Maximal Permissible Difference and thus the stability of the analyte. Calcitonin was found to be stable for at least 7days in the freezer but only 24h refrigerated. Chromogranin A was stable for 3days when refrigerated and only 24h at room temperature. Thyroglobulin and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies were stable under all conditions for 7days. This study has enabled the laboratory to increase the add-on time limit of Chromogranin A to 3days, and up to 60min for calcitonin and inform optimal storage and transportation conditions for referring specimens.

Capillary blood as a complementary matrix for doping control purposes. Application to the definition of the individual longitudinal profile of IGF-1

We present a novel procedure to monitor the fluctuations of the levels of IGF-1 in capillary blood in the framework of doping control analysis. Being an endogenous hormone, direct methods are not applicable, so the most effective way to detect the intake of the exogenous hormone would be based on the longitudinal monitoring of the athlete. We have therefore followed the individual variability, in four subjects (two males and two females), of the levels of IGF-1 in capillary blood samples collected three times per day for five days, then once a week for at least two months. Analyses were performed by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry following a bottom-up approach. The whole protocol, from the sample collection to the instrumental analysis, was validated according to the World Anti-Doping Agency's guidelines and ISO17025. The analytical protocol showed to be fit for purpose in terms of sensitivity (LOD 25 ng/mL and LOI 35 ng/mL), selectivity (no interferences were detected at the retention time of IGF-1 and the internal standard), and repeatability (CV<10%). The linearity was confirmed in the range of 50–1000 ng/mL (correlation coefficient R2 >0.995, with a % relative bias of the experimental concentration of the different calibrators used for the estimation of the linearity lower than 20% for the lowest level and than 15% for the other levels). Stability studies were also performed, also to establish the optimal conditions for transport and storage: samples were stable at 4 °C for up to 72 h and at −20 °C and −80 °C for up to three months. Our preliminary results indicate that, in all subjects, the levels of IGF-1 did not present significant circadian fluctuations and remained stable during the entire period of the study (2–3 months, depending on the subject). The stability over time of IGF-1 levels in capillary blood indicates the possibility of detecting the intake of the non-endogenous hormone based on a longitudinal approach, as it is modeled in the framework of the endocrinological module of the athlete biological passport.

Internal Mass Transport Induced Voltage Losses during Water Electrolysis on Interconnected Nickel Nanowire Mesh Electrodes

Nickel nanowire mesh electrodes offer great potential for water electrolysis in alkaline environment, given their high internal surface area, mechanical strength, and alkaline resistance. Here we use a nickel nanowire mesh with a specific area of 26 m2/cm3, resulting in ~100-fold area enhancement for a 4µm thick nanowire mesh, compared to planar nickel. This highly benefits geometric current density, potentially into a regime where mass transport is the main limiting factor. Therefore, we performed a systematic study of electrode behaviour under various mass transport conditions to decouple kinetic and mass transfer related contributions to electrode voltage losses.An electrochemical flow cell was designed to measure the nanowire mesh electrode performance under optimal mass transport conditions. The cell provided electrolyte flow through the nanomesh, enabling convective supply of reagent into the nanopores as well as convective removal of reaction products. Facilitated by the inherent strength of the nanowire mesh, superficial flow velocities up to 1 cm/s could be obtained, with which geometric current densities as high as 320 mA/cm2 could be measured in the kinetically limited (flowrate independent) regime.Internal mass transport limitations were isolated by use of an inverted rotating disk electrode (iRDE). Koutecky-Levich analysis was performed to compensate for external mass transfer contributions on both nanowire mesh electrodes and planar electrodes. The nanowire mesh as iRDE resembles operating conditions in an electrolyzer, whereas the planar electrode provides a well-defined benchmark area for the electrode surface activity.For both the oxygen evolution reaction as the hydrogen evolution reaction, mass transport limitations were studies as function of current density and electrolyte (NaOH) concentration. Nanowire mesh electrode operation in the presence of internal mass transport limitations was compared to the non-limited condition and planar benchmark, from which the electrode effectiveness factor could be calculated. A 1-d simplified model of the electrode was used to explain the observed phenomena and to provide guidance for design optimization.

Electrochemical Diagnostics and Innovative Electrode Architectures to Investigate and Improve Mass Transport in Platinum Group Metal-Free Catalyst Layers

To efficiently and extensively utilize hydrogen for transportation and stationary power generation, the development of low-cost and efficient proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) is essential.1 Platinum (Pt) is used as catalyst in PEMFC due to its high performance, but its high cost has been one of the major barriers to the extensive use of PEMFC systems for transportation. In particular, high loadings of Pt are required at the PEMFC cathode due to the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).2 One of the strategies adopted to overcome this barrier, is the development of low-cost platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts.3 Both the ORR activity and durability of PGM-free catalysts has improved considerably in recent years,4 but the mass activity of these materials remains much lower compared to Pt-based catalysts, requiring the use of higher catalyst loadings on the electrode. As a direct consequence, typical PGM-free catalyst layers (CL) are about 1 order of magnitude thicker than Pt-based ones (~100 µm vs. ~10 µm), creating more challenging conditions for transport of O2 and H+ to the active sites and removal of liquid water within the CL.5 A series of in-situ electrochemical diagnostics methods to measure the mass transport resistance in PGM-fee CLs based on H2 and O2 limiting currents have been developed within the DOE-sponsored ElectroCat consortium.4,6 We will show the application of these methods, in conjunction to other well-established in-situ and ex-situ characterizations (cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, SEM, X-ray tomography), to explain the performance trend observed in different PGM-free CLs. We examined the impact of different CL fabrication variables like the ionomer-to-catalyst (I/C) ratio, the ink solvent composition, and the ionomer equivalent weight (EW), evidencing the ones providing harsher conditions for mass transport. The results show the importance achieving optimal transport conditions by selecting a proper combination of these fabrication parameters.7,8 With the aim of improving mass transport and ionic conductivity and expanding the CL operational robustness over a broader range of operating conditions, we developed an innovative electrode architecture having differentiated and ordered domains.9 In particular, we designed a CL divided into alternated catalyst and void domains (grooves). We investigated the fabrication of the groovy CL using different methods and tested the performance under different relative humidity conditions. The results show how the groovy CL structure provides performance enhancements compared to a traditional planar CL in conditions more challenging for mass transport, e.g., at high relative humidity and for electrodes prepared with high I/C and low EW ionomer. In addition, we demonstrated that filling the grooves with a material more hydrophobic than the main catalyst domain (e.g., catalyst mixed with ionomer with high EW and low I/C, or carbon mixed with PTFE) we can largely expand the operational robustness in oversaturated conditions. References D. A. Cullen et al., Nat. Energy (2021).D. Banham et al., Sci. Adv., 4, 1–7 (2018).L. Osmieri et al., Curr. Opin. Electrochem., 25, 100627 (2020).P. Zelenay and D. J. Myers, DOE Annual Merit Review - ElectroCat 2.0 (Electrocatalysis Consortium) (2021).L. Osmieri and Q. Meyer, Curr. Opin. Electrochem., 31, 100847 (2021).A. G. Star, G. Wang, S. Medina, S. Pylypenko, and K. C. Neyerlin, J. Power Sources, 450, 227655 (2020).L. Osmieri et al., Nano Energy, 75, 104943 (2020).G. Wang, L. Osmieri, A. G. Star, J. Pfeilsticker, and K. C. Neyerlin, J. Electrochem. Soc., 167, 044519 (2020).J. S. Spendelow, DOE Annual Merit Review - Accessible PGM-free Catalysts and Electrodes (2021).

Deploying a shipping infrastructure to enable carbon capture and storage from Norwegian industries

This paper investigates the deployment over time of a shipping infrastructure to enable carbon capture and storage from Norwegian industries. In particular, optimal transport investments, routing, shipping portfolio, and transport conditions required cost-efficiently connect nine Norwegian and Swedish industrial facilities to the Northern Light Initiative are identified based on a multi-period mixed-integer model. Optimization of the shipping portfolio allows us to analyze the potential benefits of economics of scale and how sailing multi-stop routes can utilize the potential benefits.Analyses show that the transport cost can be reduced by 12% when the optimal shipping portfolio is implemented instead of operating an independent transport chain for each emission source. Shipping at 7-bar is expected to result in lower costs compared 15-bar shipping, but a significant drawback is the technological maturity of the 7-bar transport technology. The model proposes two transport chains run in parallel as cost optimal, the average transport cost of the 15-bar chain is 32.4 €/ton, and the 7-bar has an average cost of 25.4 €/ton. A net present value criterion is used to identify the conditions for when retrofitting of the 15-bar transport chain is economically sound. Break-even is achieved when the ship's re-sale price is 60% of the purchase price, and the cost of retrofitting a 15-bar conditioning plant to a 7-bar is 40% of the investment cost. While retrofitting may be an attractive solution, the decisions lead to a less robust shipping portfolio, and the retrofitting of a fully operating carbon capture and storage value chain is regarded as unlikely.

At what Pressure Shall CO2 Be Transported by Ship? An in-Depth Cost Comparison of 7 and 15 Barg Shipping

The pipeline has historically been the preferred means to transport CO2 due to its low cost for short distances and opportunities for economies of scale. However, interest in vessel-based transport of CO2 is growing. While most of the literature has assumed that CO2 shipping would take place at low pressure (at 7 barg and −46 °C), the issue of identifying best transport conditions, in terms of pressure, temperature, and gas composition, is becoming more relevant as ship-based carbon capture and storage chains move towards implementation. This study focuses on an in-depth comparison of the two primary and relevant transport pressures, 7 and 15 barg, for annual volumes up to 20 MtCO2/year and transport distances up to 2000 km. We also address the impact of a number of key factors on optimal transport conditions, including (a) transport between harbours versus transport to an offshore site, (b) CO2 pressure prior to conditioning, (c) the presence of impurities and of purity constraints, and (d) maximum feasible ship capacities for the 7 and 15 barg options. Overall, we have found that 7 barg shipping is the most cost-efficient option for the combinations of distance and annual volume where transport by ship is the cost-optimal means of transport. Furthermore, 7 barg shipping can enable significant cost reductions (beyond 30%) compared to 15 barg shipping for a wide range of annual volume capacities.

Ion transport through gated carbon nanotubes: Molecular dynamics simulations using polarizable water

The flow of NaCl solutions through gated armchair-type carbon nanotubes is investigated via molecular dynamics simulations, aiming to elucidate the interplay between the applied gating potential, longitudinal driving electric field, and ion specificity. We use rigid-body dynamics for computational efficiency and polarizable water to realistically account for the sensitive electrostatics in the presence of the complex interfaces involved. The in-depth analysis of the solution structuring (described in terms of radial density, water polarization, and potential of mean force), corroborating voltage-current characteristics derived from detailed balances of solute ion and water passages, is used to discern optimal conditions for effective ion transport. The novel insights gained in this research on the gated ion transport are susceptible to be useful for practical realizations of field-effect transistors based on carbon nanotubes.

Spectroscopic Analysis of the Binding of Paraquat and Diquat Herbicides to Biosubstrates.

The study of the interaction of persistent organic pollutants with biosubstrates helps to unravel the pathways for toxicity, however, few mechanistic data are present in the literature for these systems. We analyzed the binding of paraquat (PQ) and diquat (DQ) herbicides to natural calf thymus DNA and a DNA G-quadruplex by spectrophotometric titrations, ethidium bromide exchange tests, viscometry, and melting experiments. The interaction with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein was studied spectrofluorimetrically at different temperatures. The retention of the targets on positive, negative, and neutral micellar aggregates and liposomes was analyzed by ultrafiltration experiments. Despite some favorable features, PQ and DQ only externally bind natural DNA and do not interact with DNA oligonucleotides. Both herbicides bind bovine serum albumin (BSA). PQ binds BSA mainly according to an electrostatics-driven process. However, ultrafiltration data also show that some hydrophobic contribution participates in the features of these systems. The practical problems related to unfavorable spectroscopic signals and inner filter effects are also discussed. Overall, both herbicides show a low affinity for nucleic acids and weak penetration into liposomes; in addition, the equilibrium constants values found for BSA system suggest optimal conditions for transport in the body.

Integration of sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide reactive electrochemical membrane as anode in the electro-Fenton process

Sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide (TiOx) reactive electrochemical membrane (REM) were integrated for the first time as anode in the electro-Fenton (EF) process. Hydroxyl radicals (OH) were produced both in the retentate from Fenton’s reaction and at the REM from anodic oxidation (AO). Optimal mass transport conditions were implemented because of convection-enhanced mass transport of (i) organic pollutants towards the REM surface during filtration and (ii) dissolved O2 towards cathode active sites owing to the use of a 3D carbon felt cathode in flow-through configuration for H2O2 generation. The efficiency of the REM/EF process was much higher than EF or REM used as standalone processes. For instance, taking paracetamol as target pollutant, (67 ± 2)% removal of 55 mg L−1 of initial TOC was achieved with a high mineralization current efficiency (MCE) of (43 ± 1)%. By comparison, standalone REM and EF processes achieved only 47% (MCE = 30%) and 31% (MCE = 20%) of TOC removal, respectively. By monitoring TOC removal both in retentate and permeate, the effect of homogeneous oxidation in the bulk retentate and heterogeneous oxidation at the REM could be observed separately. It was thus highlighted that the efficiency of AO might be affected by the presence of OH and Fe2+ in the bulk. It was also emphasized a synergistic effect related to the formation of carboxylic acids in the bulk retentate that are more easily mineralized at the REM where both OH-mediated oxidation and direct electron transfer occur.

Analysis of the role of the isolation ball in the process of pushing the water from the oil pipeline with complex terrain

To explore the influence of the isolation ball in a crude oil pipeline running over complex terrain, a “U” undulating crude oil pipeline with a large drop was taken as a practical case (the maximum elevation difference was 1490 m). Based on the OLGA multiphase flow transient simulation method, this paper conducts a simulation study on the process of pushing water in a large drop crude oil pipe section. The effect of oil–water interface pig (isolation ball) in the process of pushing water from crude oil and the influence of key parameters such as isolation ball diameter were analyzed. the movement characteristics of the pig in the large-drop sections under the conditions of various throughputs and fluid volumes were studied and determined the maximum velocity, pressure, fluid-holding rate, travel distance, and slug behavior of the pig at various low points. The results show that in the selected pipe section, when the throughput was 900 m3/h to 2500 m3/h, the presence of the isolation ball reduced the mixture of oil and water by 84.2% to 93.7%, reduced the volume of gas generated by the vaporization of the light oil components during transport, and reduced the slug flow in the pipe, providing an effective basis for designing optimal conditions for crude oil pipeline transport.

Routine indirect antiglobulin testing of blood donors—a further step toward blood safety: an experience from a tertiary care center in northern India

This scientific article emphasizes the importance of a policy for antibody screening of all blood donors as a step to further improve blood safety. We also report the incidence of red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization in healthy blood donors obtained using a cross-sectional prospective study from September 2017 to January 2019 in the Department of Transfusion Medicine of a tertiary care referral and teaching institute in northern India. The indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) for unexpected RBC antibodies was performed by the conventional tube test with pooled group O RBCs on all donor units irrespective of their D status. Samples with positive IATs were sent to the Immune Hematology Reference Laboratory for further immunohematolo-gy workup, maintaining predefined optimal storage and transport conditions. Of the 10,390 donors studied, 9959 were males and 431 were females. The incidence of unexpected antibodies (antibodies other than those of the ABO blood system) among the blood donors was found to be 0.18 percent (19 of 10,390 with 25 alloantibodies). Of the 19 alloimmunized donors, 16 (84.2%) were male (alloimmunization rate 0.16%, 16 of 9959) and 3 (15.8%) were female (alloimmunization rate 0.69%, 3 of 431) (p = 0.01; chi-square test). In our study, the most frequent alloantibodies identified were of the Lewis blood group system (17 of 25 [68%] in 14 of the 19 alloimmunized donors). The second most common allo-antibodies belonged to the Rh blood group system (4 of 25 [16%] in 3 of the 19 alloimmunized donors), followed by those of the MNS blood group system (3 of 25 [12%] in 2 of 19 alloimmunized donors). Anti-K was found in one donor (1 of 25 [4%]). Based on the results of the study, we recommend that a policy of routinely performing IATs on all donor units, irrespective of their D status, be adopted as an essential component of safe blood transfusion practices.

Study on Tolerance and Immune Response of Pacific Abalone Haliotis discus hannai during Simulated Air Exposure of Live Transportation

Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) is an economically important species of sea snails found in China. Live abalones sold in domestic markets are sealed in insulated containers for transportation over extended periods of time (6–24 h), during which this species may experience stressful conditions and spoil. This study assessed the survival rate and weight loss rate (WLR) of abalone under various treatments to determine the optimal packaging transport conditions. Specifically, temperature, supplemental humidity and oxygen, and air exposure during simulated live transport were investigated. Results revealed that the survival rate increased significantly after cold-water shock and humidity control, whereas oxygen supplements did not have a significant effect. In addition, WLR significantly increased over time (P < 0.05). An additional experiment was conducted to investigate the stress response caused by air exposure. Hemocyte parameters, including total hemocyte count (THC), hemocyte mortality, and reactive oxygen species (ROS), were estimated for 2, 6, 12, 24, and 30 h after air exposure at different temperatures. Results revealed that THC significantly decreased after 30 h of air exposure at 5 and 10°C, and after 24 h of air exposure at 20°C. Hemocyte mortality and ROS significantly increased, peaking after 30 h at 5 and 10°C, followed by a gradual decrease over the subsequent 24 h recovery period. THC and ROS levels remained higher than the control levels by the end of the recovery period. The parameters investigated in this study could serve as indicators for the effects on the functional immune response and physiological stress of abalone during live transportation.