Pressure Filtration Research Articles

Association between Renal Function and Individual and Combined Components of Metabolic Syndrome in Elderly People in Brazil

Background: Current literature highlights that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem and that metabolic syndrome (MS) is a potential risk factor, especially among the elderly population, since aging seems to create metabolic disorders such as hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and glycemic decompensation. Despite this, some mechanisms/events of the relationship between kidney damage and MS remain controversial. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association of compromised glomerular filtration rate with metabolic syndrome and its components in a population of Brazilian elderly. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Northeast Brazil with 273 elderly men and women aged between 60 and 93 years. Clinical, sociodemographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle data, as well as biochemical, blood pressure, and glomerular filtration rate variables, were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Stata® (Statacorp, College Station, Texas, USA), version 14, adopting a significance level of p<0.05. The research has ethical approval (no. 2,216,538). Results: There was a significant difference between impaired renal function and adequate values of WC (p = 0.044), triglycerides (p = 0.018), LDL-c (p = 0.015), and the presence of more than three components of MS (p = 0.036). High values of triglycerides (PR 1.48; p = 0.025) and LDLc (PR 1.44; p = 0.017) and presence of more than three components of MS (PR 1.45; p = 0.023) increase the chance of kidney damage. Conclusion: The presence of individual and combined components of MS (high triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL-c, and low HDL-c) promotes the impairment of renal function among the elderly studied. It is noteworthy that MS does not represent a significant independent factor to generate losses to GFR.

A integrated mechanical vapor compression enrichment system of radioactive wastewater: Experimental study, model optimization and performance prediction

Evaporation technology has unique advantages in the enrichment of radioactive ions, which can deal with the high concentration of radioactive wastewater. A integrated mechanical vapor compression (MVC) enrichment system with high efficiency filter was proposed and studied experimentally for radioactive wastewater, whose decontamination factor was 37107.1 for Co2+, 2741.3 for Sr2+, and 52545.5 for Cs+, which saved energy by 76.7–84.3% and operation cost by 72.0–81.0% when compared to the conventional single effect (SE) evaporation system. Exergy destruction and efficiency of the single screw compressor were 7.26 kW and 34.0%, respectively, which should be prioritized for improvement. Mathematical models based on both the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and coefficient of performance (COP) were established and optimized experimentally, the ideal running parameters were 90–110 kPa for evaporating pressure, 8.5–11.5 °C for heat transfer temperature difference, 1.50–1.60 for compression ratio and 2.0–4.0 kPa for filtration pressure difference, respectively. It will supply the theoretical and data basis for development and design of MVC enrichment system of radioactive wastewater.

Investigation of proteinaceous algal biomass as a drilling fluid component

This study represents the first investigation into the potential of Spirulina algae proteins as drilling fluid constituents to address the problems of the environmental impacts of the petroleum industry. Algae protein is a common waste product from many bioprocessing operations including biofuel production, so this work also presents a solution to a waste utilization problem for bioprocessing industries. As such, this technology could create an important coproduct for bioprocessing industries while providing more sustainable and environmentally-benign drilling fluids for the petroleum industry. Algae biomass was hypothesized to serve as a bentonite replacement or as an additive that could improve drilling fluid performance by reducing fluid loss via permeation, and/or improvement of lubricity via reduction in coefficient of friction. Measurements were taken in accordance with API RP 13B-1 using an OFITE viscometer, OFITE 4-Unit HTHP Filter Press, and OFITE extreme pressure and lubricity tester. The rheological tests include viscosity, yield stress, and gel strength. Key findings include a friction reduction of up to 27% and a standard fluid loss as low as 13.5 mL. The biomass was able to increase the viscosity of the drilling fluids and exhibited a shear-thinning rheology with yield points exceeding 40 lbf/ft2. The rheology was fitted to the Bingham plastic model and the Herschel-Bulkley model. These findings have potential impacts in the fields of petroleum, chemical, environmental, and material engineering. It is concluded that Spirulina biomass is a good potential additive for decreasing fluid loss and improving the lubricity of drilling fluids, but it will not suffice as a bentonite replacement.

Continuous Electrolysis of Carbon Dioxide for the Production of Formate with High Efficiency

Carbon dioxide capture, storage, and utilization is nowadays considered one of the most interesting approaches to reduce emissions to the atmosphere and, therefore, to mitigate climate change. In this sense, the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to value-added products is gaining attention, since it permits storing excess of energy from renewable and intermittent sources (e.g. solar or wind), in the form of chemicals [1]. Among the reaction products, both formic acid and formate are products of great interest that could be obtained by this process, due to its use as raw materials in several industries and its promising use as a reactant in low-temperature fuel cells and as a renewable hydrogen carrier molecule. Although there is a large number of studies published in literature focusing on the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to formic acid and formate[2], few of them achieve relevant trade-offs among the figures of merit typically used to analyze the performance of the process, like (i) the concentration of formate, (ii) the Faradaic Efficiency towards the reaction products, (iii) the energy consumption per kmol of formate and (iv) the current density supplied to the electrochemical reactor.In this context, this communication aims at studying the continuous electrolysis of carbon dioxide, operating with a single pass of the reactants through the electrochemical reactor and using Bi-carbon supported electrocatalysts, to obtain formate with high energy efficiency. In this sense, the electrocatalysts are deposited by air-brushing techniques in the form of a membrane electrode assembly in the cathodic compartment of the electrochemical reactor. This configuration permits direct contact between the Gas Diffusion Electrode and the Nafion cationic exchange membrane which acts as a separator between both compartments of the electrochemical filter press reactor [3].The influence of some key variables is rigorously studied, such as (i) the amount of water in the carbon dioxide input stream, (ii) the current density and (iii) the Bi catalyst loading deposited over the cathode. Firstly, the performance of the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to formate employing a Bi catalyst loading of 0.75 mg·cm-2 in terms of i) formate concentration, ii) Faradaic Efficiency towards formate and iii) energy consumption per kmol of formate are assessed as a function of the current density and the water flow in the carbon dioxide input stream. In this point, it is important to remark that, working with an industrially-relevant current density of 200 mA·cm-2 and with a water flow of 0.5 g·h-1, high formateconcentrations of up to 312 g·L-1 were obtained with Faradaic Efficiency towards formateof 25 %, respectively. Consequently, additional tests are performed with a Bi loading in the cathode of the electrochemical filter press of 1.5 mg·cm-2. Combinations of relevant values of concentrations, Faradaic Efficiency for formate and energy consumption of 337 g·L-1, 89 %, and 180 kWh·kmol-1, respectively, are achieved with a current density of 45 mA·cm-2 and with a water flow of 2 g·h-1. These results are one of the best trade-offs reported in the field of carbon dioxide electroreduction to formic acid or formate among these figures of merit, thus achieving a significant advance in this field. However, there are many challenges to be addressed for the implementation of the process at an industrial scale, and therefore, more research focused on the advanced electrocatalytic materials, innovative electrode configuration, and improved electrochemical reactors are still required.

Exploring the application of composite materials in ceramic design based on fuzzy numerical analysis

Abstract Compared with traditional monolithic carbide ceramics, Cu-based composite ceramics have the advantages of higher hardness, good wear resistance and oxidation resistance and are a new type of structural ceramics with wide application prospects. This paper first proposes a novel bi-directional freezing technique to construct a three-dimensional long-range ordered layer network hierarchical structure based on the pressure infiltration process. Secondly, a composite finite element model based on fuzzy numerical analysis is proposed for the vibroacoustic analysis of the periodic composite coupled system (PCSAS). Finally, thermal analysis experiments and mechanical property tests verify the effectiveness of Cu-based composites applied to ceramic matrices. The experimental results show that the toughness of Cu-based composite ceramics increases with the increase of TiC content, and the toughness increases from 2.15±0.27Mpa.m1/2 to 4.21±0.25Mpa.m1/2 compared with that of conventional monolithic carbide ceramics. The Cu-based composite ceramics designed in this paper give full play to the advantages of the high strength of ceramic particles and high toughness of metal matrix and develop an effective method to prepare structural metal-ceramic composites. This paper has developed an efficient route for preparing structural metal-ceramic composites, which can provide a reference for materials researchers to develop high-toughness composite ceramics.

A Novel Multi-Scale Ceramic-Based Array (SiCb+B4Cp)/7075Al as Promising Materials for Armor Structure.

Ceramic panel collapse will easily lead to the failure of traditional targets. One strategy to solve this problem is to use separate ceramic units as armor panels. Based on this idea, we propose an aluminum matrix composite using pressure infiltration, containing an array of ceramic balls, the reinforcement of which consists of centimeter-scale SiC balls and micron-scale B4C particles. Three different array layouts were designed and fabricated: compact balls in the front panel (F-C), non-compact balls in the front panel (F-NC), and compact balls inside the target (I-C). The penetration resistance properties were tested using a 12.7 mm armor-piercing incendiary (API). The results show that there are no significant internal defects, and the ceramic balls are well-bonded with the matrix composite. The F-NC structure behaves the best penetration resistance with minimal overall damage; the I-C structure has a large area of spalling and the most serious damage. Finite element simulation reveals that the ceramic balls play a major role in projectile erosion; in the non-compact structure, the composite materials between the ceramic balls can effectively disperse the stress, thereby avoiding the damage caused by direct contact between ceramic balls and improving the efficiency of ceramic ball erosion projectiles. Furthermore, it is essential to have a certain thickness of supporting materials to prevent spalling failure caused by stress wave transmission during penetration. This multi-scale composite exhibits excellent ballistic performance, providing valuable insights for developing anti-penetration composite armor in future applications.

LABORATORY INVESTIGATION OF IMPROVING DRILLING FLUID PERFORMANCE OF WATER BASE MUD USING OILY GRAPHITE SILICATE AND NANO SILICA PARTICLES AS ADDITIVES

Drilling performance is enhanced by the use of a mud system that prevents or retards the dispersion of formation and cuttings and minimizes torque and drag on the drill string, water base drilling fluids for adaptability with environment and ease of operation. A water base drilling fluid can have a significant role in drilling operations with its desirable properties including rheology, fluid loss, coefficient of friction (CF), PH, and fluid weight. This work studies the effect of nanoparticles and oily graphite silicate on improving the properties of water-based drilling fluid in various laboratory experiments using rotary viscometer, standard filter press, lubricity meter, Ph- meter and mud balance. In addition, fluid loss control additives were used as a control to compare the obtained results from application of nanoparticles and oily graphite and understanding the various effects of their presences in experiments. The results show a positive influence in drilling performance when compared against estimated drilling rate, which can lead to substantial savings in drilling costs, were observed. Torque values in the wells tested were generally low (between 250 and 450 Amps) drilling days were reduced by more than 20% of programmed. The compound also showed cost effectiveness in stabilizing the mud properties by eliminating the need for a defoamer. Results finding also showed that these compounds can increase yield point (YP) in mud (increased from 101b/100f12 to 121b/100ft2 ), findings also indicate that oily graphite/nanoparticles can reduce drilling fluid loss in 100psi and T = 75o f about 22% (from 4.5cc to 3.5cc during 30min). Key Words: Drilling fluid, drilling performances, nano silica particles, oily graphite silicate, water base mud, fluid loss, cost effectiveness, fluid properties and drilling parameters

Development of Hybrid Membrane Systems for Highly Mineralized Waste Utilization in the Power Industry

In the context of limited water resources and the deterioration of natural water bodies’ state, and with the increase in the regulatory requirements for the quality of effluents, assessing the impact of the industrial and energy complex on water bodies is a task of increasingly greater significance to the whole energy sector. “zero discharge” is considered the most effective strategy for creating environmentally friendly thermal power plants. Hybrid reverse osmosis electrodialysis systems make it possible to obtain solutions with a higher concentration of components compared to single electrodialysis treatment, i.e., more efficient separation of brine and pure water. This article proposes experimental and pilot-industrial studies of a hybrid membrane system operation using industrial wastewater for the disposal of liquid waste from an ion-exchange chemical-desalting water treatment plant of a thermal power plant, followed by a calculation of economic efficiency and an analysis of the environmental feasibility of its use. The developed technological scheme offers separate processing of acidic and alkaline waste regeneration solutions using calcium carbonate reagent and desalination on baromembrane and electromembrane units to obtain clean water and dry residue. The hybrid system includes a booster filter press and an evaporator. The hybrid system makes it possible to provide a thermal power plant with a “zero discharge” with a minimum consumption of reagents and electricity, as well as return all wastewater back to the power plant cycle.

Improved Pulsed-Jet Cleaning of Cone Filter Cartridges Using an Annular-Slit Nozzle

There is a problem with the insufficient cleaning of the dust filter cartridge by the pulsed-jet cleaning method. This paper examines the improvement in the pulse-jet performance of cone filter cartridges achieved by using an annular-slit nozzle. Off-line pulse jet experiments were conducted to study the influence of initial compressed air pressure, jet distance, and Venturi tube on injection pressure. This paper compared the filtration performance of conventional nozzles versus slit nozzles by conducting an online dust filtration-cleaning experiment and investigating the effect of a Venturi tube. The results demonstrated that the jet produced by the slit nozzle had a bigger surface area in contact with the surrounding air, enhancing the entrainment effect, boosting the overall pulsed-jet pressure, and significantly elevating the pressure in the upper and middle section of the cartridge, particularly in the upper section. In both common nozzle and slit nozzle cases, the pulsed-jet intensity initially increased and then decreased with the jet distance. The corresponding optimal jet distances were 500 mm and 400 mm, respectively. The slit nozzle provoked an increment of 16% and 44% in the pulsed-jet intensity and uniformity (to 619 Pa and 0.19), respectively. And there was an 8% reduction in residual pressure drop, a 6% improvement in fallen dust mass, and a 7% improvement in comprehensive filtration performance. The fallen dust mass produced by a single cleaning of the slit nozzle was 0.64 kg and the comprehensive filtration performance was 0.18. While the addition of a Venturi tube improved the cleaning of the filter cartridge, it also led to a higher filtration pressure drop in the dust collector and reduced comprehensive filtration performance.

A Study on Controlling Losses of P2O5 from Phosphoric Acid Plant Using Pressure Filtration

A Study on Controlling Losses of P2O5 from Phosphoric Acid Plant Using Pressure Filtration

Electrospun nylon‐66 nanofiber coated filter media for engine air filtration applications

AbstractAir filtration plays a vital role in the performance and operations of engines, especially for heavy‐duty combat vehicles operating in the desert environment. Conventional cellulose media comprises micro‐fibers exhibiting low filtration efficiency for particles within the range of 0.1 to 0.5 μm (most penetrating particle size, MPPS). Nanofiber coating on cellulose media can increase the filtration efficiency, however, with the penalty of an increase in pressure drop. The features of nylon‐66 nanofibers, such as high mechanical strength, greater thermal stability, and high surface‐to‐volume ratio, will be beneficial for developing nano‐coated filter media. In this study, electrospun nylon‐66 nanofibers were coated over two cellulose‐based filter media and tested on an air filtration test rig that employs a suction‐type blower replicating the realistic condition of a heavy‐duty engine intake. The test rig was fabricated to evaluate the performance of the nano‐coated filter media in terms of pressure drop, filtration efficiency, and quality factor (Q‐factor). The experimental results demonstrated that the nylon‐66 nano‐coated media have higher Q‐factor (in the MPPS range) than the cellulose media due to the increased filtration efficiency compared to the rise in pressure drop. Therefore, such electrospun nylon‐66 nanofiber‐coated air filters can be an alternative to conventional cellulose media.

Pressure infiltration behavior and fluid loss of bentonite slurry: a comparative study of two bentonite slurries

Bentonite slurry is frequently used to temporarily stabilize the excavation for slurry tunnel boring machines (TBMs) driving in permeable soils, such as sand and gravel. In this study, two types of bentonite slurries (BS1 and BS2) were subjected to a series of infiltration column tests and modified fluid-loss tests under various pressure levels. Monitoring of water discharge and pore pressures at different depths of the sand bed enabled the identification of two effective sealing patterns during infiltration: the formation of a filter cake and rheological blocking. BS1 exhibited a tendency to form a filter cake, which played a vital role in effectively transferring the applied pressure to the underlying soil skeleton. The application of higher pressure facilitated the rapid formation of a filter cake, resulting in a shorter time span for slurry invasion and minimizing fluid loss. On the other hand, rheological blocking was dominant when using BS2, and the maximum infiltration distance was found to linearly increase with the applied pressure. A comparison between the measurement and a simple prediction model derived from Darcy's law revealed an overestimation of the infiltration distance during slurry invasion. Furthermore, based on the modified fluid-loss test, higher pressure was found to densify the filter cake and result in lower hydraulic conductivity.

Extraction of the cefluosil from rare earth slag by pressurized filtration

Bayan Obo blast furnace slag (i.e., rare earth slag) is rich in rare earth elements. However, current methods for the separation and extraction of rare earth elements often suffer from lengthy production processes, high energy consumption, and significant environmental pollution, making large-scale applications difficult. Therefore, the separation, purification, and comprehensive utilization of rare earth elements from rare earth slag have become urgent priorities. In this study, gas pressure filtration technology was employed to purify and separate cerium fluorosilicate crystals from a quaternary system of CaO-SiO2-CaF2-Ce2O3 rare earth slag. The pressure filtration mechanism was investigated, and both constant rate filtration and constant pressure filtration cake models were established. Additionally, the nucleation behavior of the cefluosil crystals was studied, and the optimal nucleation temperature under theoretical conditions was estimated to be 1145 °C. Furthermore, the effects of different separation conditions on the separation efficiency were examined, and it was concluded that successful separation of the cefluosil crystals was achieved under the optimal separation conditions (i.e., filtration temperature of 1150 °C, filtration pressure of 0.35 MPa, and filtration times of 4). After the pressure filtration separation, the recovery rate of Ce, a rare earth element, in the upper crucible reached 88.83%. This study confirms the effectiveness of pressure filtration for solid-liquid separation of rare earth slag and provides new insights for the separation and purification of high-value rare earth elements in rare earth slag.

Development of pressure infiltration preparation of metal matrix composites

<p>This paper summarizes the process of metal matrix composites from pressure infiltration preparation to pressure ultrasonic assisted infiltration to pressure solvent assisted infiltration. The advantages of preparing metal matrix composites by pressure infiltration alone are low cost and convenient for mass production. However, the equipment and process requirements are too high, and the quality of composite materials can not be guaranteed. Because of the high pressure of ultrasound, ultrasonic infiltration has become an auxiliary physical method for the preparation of metal matrix composites by pressure infiltration. But this method tends to damage the fibers. Therefore, the fibers need to be coated. The coating on the fiber surface is divided into metal coating and non-metal coating. Some people mixed SiC particles or whiskers in continuous carbon fibers to prepare aluminum alloy composite materials, forming a hybrid assisted infiltration method. Later, people began to pay attention to the flux-assisted role of pressure infiltration. Therefore, solvent-assisted infiltration of fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites has become an important research field.</p>

Insight into filter cake characteristics of fine coal tailings assisted by CPAM and α-HH during pressure filtration

To improve the filter cake structure and efficiently dewater coal slime, CPAM and α-HH were designed for combined use in filtration experiments. The conditioned coal slime dewatering effect was measured using a newly designed pressurized dewatering device; the auxiliary mechanisms were analyzed from various perspectives, including hydrophobicity, electrostatic repulsion, coal slime composition and filter cake structure. A CCD experiment indicated that the optimal concentrations of the two additives in combination were 205.90 g/t CPAM and 56.25 mg/g α-HH. Under these conditions, the coal slime water CST decreased to 31.6 s, the filtration rate increased to 177.01 mL/(s·m2), the filter cake moisture content decreased to 16.46%. CPAM still acted as a polymer flocculant, causing the coal slime particles to form large flocs, while the addition of α-HH reduced the absolute zeta potential of the filtrate to 1.36 mV, thus decreasing the static repulsive forces between coal slime particles, promoting floc formation and increasing the floc chord length to 83–185 μm. These effects enhanced the CPAM flocculation effect. In the CPAM system, these phenomena accelerated the hydration reaction of α-HH and produced many CaSO4·2H2O crystals. These crystals formed an interwoven skeleton in the coal slime flocs, increasing the CDI increased to 1650.04, and increasing the filter cake porosity from 13.26% to 16.45% and effectively improving the filter cake pore connectivity and permeability, which improved the filtration effect. This study could provide a new method and perspective for the efficient pressurized dewatering of coal slime.

Small-Scale Solids Production Plant with Cooling Crystallization, Washing, and Drying in a Modular, Continuous Plant

Small-scale continuous apparatuses for solid product manufacturing are receiving increasing interest due to the demand for the fast market availability of specialty chemical products manufactured in integrated and modular processing plants. Relevant unit operations span from crystallization over solid–liquid separation and filter cake washing to drying. For this purpose, the quasi-continuous filter belt crystallizer (QCFBC) was developed and is presented here. The newly integrated unit operations with positive pressure filtration (Δpmax = 0.8 bar), filter cake washing (V˙wash = 55 mL·min−1), and convection drying (Tdry = 60 °C) have been individually characterized and integrated into the filter apparatus that has been modified for continuous operation. They were synchronized with the flexible cooling crystallization, enabling for a seamless production process. Sucrose in water was used as model substance system. Long-term operations of up to 14 h were successfully performed with dry product filter cakes (22.64 g ± 1.64 g·h−1) of constant quality attributes (x50,3 = 216.095 ± 14.766, span = 0.347 ± 0.109, Yrel. = 69.9% ± 5%, XRM = 1.64 mg·g−1 ± 1.38 mg·g−1).

Synergistic enhancement of external electrical energy in PM filtration with Cu-HHTP@CuO nanowire arrays coated copper mesh

Developing multifunctional purification systems that combine air filtration and antibacterial functionality is a challenging task. However, in designing air filtration materials, achieving a balance between filtration efficiency and pressure drop remains a significant challenge. In this study, we developed a novel filtration material composed of hierarchically 3D Cu-HHTP nanowiskers coated CuO nanowires that were grown in-situ on a copper mesh. Benefitted from the intrinsically electrical conductivity of Cu-HHTP, we combined the composite material with external electrical energy for air filtration. By applying lower electric potential directly (voltage of 5 V), the 3D conductive mesh filter exhibited excellent performances in terms of the PM2.5 removal efficiency (∼99.7%), pressure drop (∼32 Pa at 2 cm s -1), and quality factor (0.187 at 2 cm s -1). Furthermore, after ten cycles of filtration and cleaning, the material maintained a high PM removal rate. In addition to its excellent filtration performance, the composite metal mesh also exhibited outstanding antibacterial activity against both E. coli and S. aureus. The electro-mechanical stability and recyclability of the composite filter make it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for air purification, with promising potential for improving air quality.

Fabrication and evaluation of high-performance 3D interpenetrated network structures SiC/Al composites with high-purity plate-like α-SiC framework

To reinforce compatibility with the thermophysical and mechanical properties of SiC/Al composites for electronic packaging to improve the stability and reduce fatigue failure of electronic integrated devices, a novel 3D SiC reinforced framework with interpenetrated plate-like α-SiC grains was synthesized. A small amount of doped α-SiC was seeded to induce the transformation of β-SiC to plate-like α-SiC at 2,300 °C, forming a high-purity α-SiC strongly bonded framework. Vacuum/gas pressure infiltration of Al alloy was subsequently used to manufacture the 3D interpenetrated network structure SiC/Al (SiC3D/Al) composite. Characterization results showed that 15% (in mass) seeds provided the composite with the optimal comprehensive performance, including a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 5.54 × 10−6 K−1, a high thermal conductivity (λ) of 239.08 W·m−1·K−1, the highest flexural strength of 326.84 MPa, and a low thermal deformation parameter (TDP) of 0.023. High-purity plate-like grains enhanced the purity of the framework promoting a significant improvement in λ. As the seed content increased to 20% (in mass), both λ and CTE reached optimal values of 5.22 × 10−6 K−1 and 243.14 W·m−1·didiK−1, but the mechanical properties declined by 10.30%. The synergistic effect of the well-bonded interface and the high-purity 3D SiC framework balanced excellent mechanical properties and multiple thermal functions.

Effect of Ion Size on Pressure-Induced Infiltration of a Zeolite-Based Nanofluidic System.

A nanofluidic system consists of a nano-porous medium and functional liquid, which demonstrates a higher energy absorption density compared to conventional systems for energy absorption. Alterations in the composition of the functional liquid can significantly impact the properties of a nanofluidic system. In this paper, the widely used zeolite ZSM-5 was chosen as the porous medium to establish a nanofluidic system. Three distinct electrolyte solutions, namely KCl aqueous solutions, NaCl aqueous solutions and MgCl2 aqueous solutions were employed as functional liquids while pure water served as the reference condition for configuring four kinds of nanofluidic systems. Pressure-induced percolation experiments were performed on the four zeolite-based systems. The difference in the infiltration process between the electrolyte solution systems and the deionized water system has been ascertained. The effect of the ion size on the infiltration and defiltration process has been determined. The results show that the introduction of ions induces a hydration effect, resulting in a higher critical infiltration pressure of the electrolyte solution system compared to an aqueous solution system. The magnitude of cation charge directly correlates with the strength of the hydration effect and the corresponding increase in critical infiltration pressure. Upon entering the nanochannel, the liquid infiltrates primarily in the form of ions rather than a cation hydration form. The larger the ion size, the shallower the penetration depth after entering the nanopore channel and the larger the corresponding relative outflow rate. The present work will provide valuable theoretical complementary and experimental data support for nanofluidic system applications.

Unilateral Incomplete Bifid Ureter with UPJ Syndromes: A Case Report

Introduction: The ureters are muscular tubes that extend from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. The urine is propelled along the ureter by peristaltic contraction of the muscle coat, assisted by the filtration pressure of the glomeruli. Bifid ureter (BU) are rare congenital anomalies. Is a condition in which the ureter is duplicated, and it can be classified into complete (when they join separately at the urinary bladder) or incomplete –Y ureter- (When they fuse at some point in their trajectory). In the literature, the prevalence of duplicated ureter approximately 0.8%. Case: A 39-year-old woman was presented with history of chronic right-side flank pain and not associated with other urological symptoms. Physical examination revealed right flank tenderness and normal renal function test; urine culture was negative. Contrast- enhanced computed tomography showed right bifid ureters associated with moderate right hydronephrosis with a fine ureters evoking ureteropelvic junction syndromes (UPJ). Cystoscopy with retrograde pyelography revealed a right bifid ureter. The patient consented to open surgery by right mini-incision lombotomy (pyelotmy and anastomos peylo-ureteal latero-lateral) which is after a double-J ureteral stent was placed in the normal right ureter. The postoperative follow up was good. Conclusion: The BU with ureteropelvic junction syndromes are rare congenital anomalies. It is very important to diagnose urinary tract anomalies prior to interventions and supplementary evaluations should be considered. Retrograde pylogram can be a good tool than intravenous pylogram to detect such anomaly. The management can be open or laparoscopic.