Treatment System Research Articles

Experiences of mothers of long-term surviving patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy: a qualitative study

BackgroundAdrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is an X-linked peroxisomal disorder. Its cerebral form presents as a learning and behavioral disorder that, if untreated, leads to rapid neurological regression, disability, and death within 10 years of diagnosis. Therefore, the disease significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, making quality of life assessment crucial for effective medical treatment and care. However, no disease-specific quality of life scale exists for ALD. Therefore, we conducted qualitative research to determine the experiences of patients and their families as a preliminary step toward developing one.ResultsFour mothers of patients with cerebral ALD were interviewed. Based on classification using the qualitative content analysis method, the verbatim transcripts were grouped into four themes: support needs for patients, support needs for families, the impact of treatment, and challenges within support systems.ConclusionsSupport for patients and family members is required after ALD is diagnosed. In addition to addressing symptoms, daily life support and caregiving burden should be considered. Furthermore, several challenges and opportunities exist for improving treatment and support systems. Therefore, combining appropriate supporters and support systems according to the progressive and hereditary characteristics of ALD is crucial.

Long-term patient clinical benefits and healthcare utilization after pulsed field ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: sub-analyses from the multicenter inspIRE trial

Abstract Background/Introduction The treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) with pulsed field ablation (PFA) aims to prevent AF recurrence while reducing complications from the ablation modality. Similar to thermal ablation, PFA has proven to be safe and effective for treatment of paroxysmal AF (PAF); however, there is scarce evidence on patient-related clinical benefits, including healthcare utilization, using this new energy modality. Purpose The objective of this study is to assess long-term clinical improvements in patient care, symptoms, and quality-of-life (QOL) after PFA ablation in PAF. Methods InspIRE was a multicentre study evaluating the safety and efficacy of variable loop PFA catheters integrated with a 3D mapping system for treatment of symptomatic PAF. Patients were followed for up to 12 months for the following QOL and healthcare utilization endpoints: Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality-of-Life (AFEQT) score, Class I/III AAD utilization, repeat ablation, incidence of direct current cardioversion (DCCV), and cardiovascular (CV) hospitalization. Post-hoc Kaplan-Meier estimates for clinical benefit success at 12 months were provided. Success was defined as composite freedom from occurrence of the following events post-blanking: repeat ablation, CV hospitalization, AAD utilization, and DCCV post-blanking. Predictors of clinical benefit success were explored via multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 186 enrolled patients (59±10 years; 70.0% male; CHA2DS2-VASC score 1.3±1.2) underwent PVI. Compared to baseline: 1) improvements in the AFEQT composite score were seen at 12 months (P<0.001); 2) Class I/III AAD use was reduced from 81.7% to 20.1% at 6-12 months (P<0.05); and 3) the proportion of subjects with DCCV decreased from 13.7% up to 12 months before the index procedure to 3.3% up to 12 months after the index procedure (P<0.001, Figure 1). Minimal clinically important difference in QoL (≥5 points improvement in AFEQT) was achieved in 85.2% of patients. Patients free from 12-month AF/AT/AFL recurrence (asymptomatic and symptomatic) had significantly greater improvements in AFEQT scores from baseline to 12 months versus those with recurrence (P=0.01). The clinical benefit success rate at 12 months was 87.5% (Figure 2). Patients who failed the clinical benefit endpoint were counted, including those with repeat ablation (7.5%), those on new or higher dose of AAD (6.5%), those hospitalized for CV (4.8%), and those who had DCCV post-blanking (1.6%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that left ventricle ejection fraction <60% (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.08-0.62; P<0.05) and incidence of diabetes (OR: 7.25; 95% CI: 2.00, 26.3; p<0.05) were associated with a higher risk of clinical benefit failure. Conclusions PFA ablation of PAF patients led to a clinical benefit success rate of 87.5%, with clinically meaningful improvement in QOL, as well as a reductions in AAD use, cardioversion, and hospitalization.Figure 1.Improvements in QoL and HealthFigure 2.Kaplan-Meier Analysis of Time

Advanced Wastewater Treatment: Synergistic Integration of Reverse Electrodialysis with Electrochemical Degradation Driven by Low-Grade Heat

The reverse electrodialysis heat engine (REDHE) represents a transformative innovation that converts low-grade thermal energy into salinity gradient energy (SGE). This crucial form of energy powers reverse electrodialysis (RED) reactors, significantly changing wastewater treatment paradigms. This comprehensive review explores the forefront of this emerging field, offering a critical synthesis of key discoveries and theoretical foundations. This review begins with a summary of various oxidation degradation methods, including cathodic and anodic degradation processes, that can be integrated with RED technology. The degradation principles and characteristics of different RED wastewater treatment systems are also discussed. Then, this review examines the impact of several key operational parameters, degradation circulation modes, and multi-stage series systems on wastewater degradation performance and energy conversion efficiency in RED reactors. The analysis highlights the economic feasibility of using SGE derived from low-grade heat to power RED technology for wastewater treatment, offering the dual benefits of waste heat recovery and effective wastewater processing.

Sustainability Prediction by Evaluating the Emergy of a Co-Treatment System for Municipal Wastewater and Acidic Water Using Intermittent Electrocoagulation

The objective of this research was to evaluate the sustainability of a co-treatment system that combines Municipal Wastewater (MW) and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) through the technique of intermittent electrocoagulation, applied as an advanced solution to improve contaminant removal efficiency and optimize energy balance. Four scenarios were analyzed: Treatment I (with a 1/7 ratio of urban wastewater to AMD), Treatment II (which includes an artificial wetland), Treatment IIIa (which introduces electrocoagulation to enhance sulfate removal and pH regulation), and Treatment IIIb (which employs a 1/15 ratio of AMD to eutrophic water). The methodology focused on calculating key sustainability indicators such as the Net Yield Ratio (EYR), Emergy Inversion Ratio (EIR), Environmental Loading Ratio (ELR), and Sustainability Index (SI), in order to assess the impact of each technology on the energy efficiency and environmental load of the system. The results showed that, although Treatment IIIa was effective in contaminant removal, the EIR increased to 0.18 and the ELR rose to 0.62, indicating a higher reliance on non-renewable inputs due to increased energy demand. However, Treatment IIIb, which combines electrocoagulation with eutrophic water, significantly improved the sustainability of the system, achieving an SI of 2.31 and an ELR of 1.22, reflecting a reduction in energy efficiency due to intensive use of external resources, but overall greater sustainability compared to the other scenarios. This research concludes that intermittent electrocoagulation, when integrated with synergistic resources like eutrophic water, can enhance contaminant removal efficiency and improve the use of renewable resources, minimizing environmental load and increasing the sustainability of wastewater treatment systems.

Rifampicin‐Loaded Nano‐in‐Microparticles (Trojan Particles) as a Pulmonary Delivery System for Tuberculosis Treatment

AbstractThe oral rifampicin (RIF) dosage forms possess various side effects and limited efficacy for tuberculosis treatment. Thus, this work developed the nano‐in‐microparticles containing RIF (trojan nRIF) as a novel pulmonary delivery system. The RIF‐loaded nanoparticles (nRIF) were prepared by self‐assembly polyelectrolyte complexation between lecithin and chitosan, whereas the trojan nRIF were formulated by spray‐drying method of nRIF and mannitol/maltodextrin. The nRIF had a spherical shape with sizes of 86–126 nm, zeta potentials of 24–39 mV, entrapment efficiencies of 44–80 %, and drug loading capacities of 13–42 %. The RIF release from nRIF occurred in two stages, the initially rapid release stage and the controlled release stage upto 96 h, followed the Higuchi model. The trojan nRIF possessed the mass median aerodynamic diameter of 3.7–4.6 μm, fine particle fraction of 34–40 %, and alveolar fraction of 17–21 %. Compared to mannitol, maltodextrin was a superior carrier for nRIF, which yielded better aerodynamic properties and RIF was mainly stayed in the amorphous form. Moreover, using the scanning electron microscopy, the nano‐in‐microparticles were clearly observed with hollow structure. Finally, the trojan nRIF could preserve the physical properties of the encapsulated nRIF. In summary, the trojan nRIF could become a potential inhalation anti‐tuberculosis product.

A Machine Learning-Optimized System for Pulsatile, Photo- and Chemotherapeutic Treatment Using Near-Infrared Responsive MoS2-Based Microparticles in a Breast Cancer Model.

Multimodal cancer therapies are often required for progressive cancers due to the high persistence and mortality of the disease and the negative systemic side effects of traditional therapeutic methods. Thus, the development of less invasive modalities for recurring treatment cycles is of clinical significance. Herein, a light-activatable microparticle system was developed for localized, pulsatile delivery of anticancer drugs with simultaneous thermal ablation by applying controlled ON-OFF thermal cycles using near-infrared laser irradiation. The system is composed of poly(caprolactone) microparticles of 200 μm size containing molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets as the photothermal agent and hydrophilic doxorubicin or hydrophobic violacein, as model drugs. Upon irradiation, the nanosheets heat up to ≥50 °C leading to polymer softening and release of the drug. MoS2 nanosheets exhibit high photothermal conversion efficiency and require low-power laser irradiation. A machine learning algorithm was applied to acquire the optimal laser operation conditions. In a mouse subcutaneous model of 4T1 triple-negative breast cancer, 25 microparticles were intratumorally administered, and after 3-cycle laser treatment, the system conferred synergistic phototherapeutic and chemotherapeutic effects. Our on-demand, pulsatile synergistic treatment resulted in increased median survival up to 39 days post start of treatment compared to untreated mice, with complete eradication of the tumors at the primary site. Such a system is therapeutically relevant for patients in need of recurring cycles of treatment on small tumors, since it provides precise localization and low invasiveness and is not cross-resistant with other treatments.

Oxygen Reduction Reaction Coupled Electro‐Oxidation for Highly‐Efficient and Sustainable Water Treatment

AbstractElectro‐oxidation (EO) technology demonstrates significant potential in wastewater treatment. However, the high energy consumption has become a pivotal constraint hindering its large‐scale implementation. Herein, we design an EO and 4‐electron oxygen reduction reaction coupled system (EO‐4eORR) to replace the traditional EO and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) coupled system (EO‐HER). The theoretical cathodic potential of the electrolytic reactor is tuned from 0 V (vs. RHE) in HER to 1.23 V (vs. RHE) in 4eORR, which greatly decreases the required operation voltage of the reactor. Moreover, we demonstrate that convection can improve the mass transfer of oxygen and organic pollutants in the reaction system, leading to low cathodic polarization and high pollutant removal rate. Compared with traditional EO‐HER system, the energy consumption of the EO‐4eORR system under air aeration for 95 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal is greatly decreased to 2.61 kWh/kgTOC (only consider the electrolyzer energy consumption), which is superior to previously reported EO‐based water treatment systems. The reported results in this study offer a new technical mode for development of highly efficient and sustainable EO‐based treatment systems to remove organic pollutants in waste water.

Needle-Free Targeted Injections Using Bubble Laser Technology in Therapeutics.

This work explores bubble laser technology as an alternative to needles in injection systems for vaccination, cancer treatment, insulin delivery, and catheter hygiene. The technology leverages laser-induced microfiltration and bubble dynamics to create high-speed pneumatic jets that penetrate the skin without needles, addressing discomfort, infection risk, and needle-related concerns. The system's performance is analyzed based on laser wavelength, pulse duration, and Gaussian beam droplet size. The findings indicate a significant increase in spot size at 1064 nm compared with 400 nm, consistent with the diffraction theory. Induced bubble dynamics reveal bubble generation, jetting, and fluid interactions as the Weber number increases, as well as jet velocity and fluid inertia. For femtosecond pulses, increasing the pulse duration from 100 to 1500 fs reduces the bubble lifespan from 0.8 to 0.3 arbitrary units, and the collapse pressure decreases from 2.1 to 0.4 bar. For picosecond pulses, the bubble lifetime decreases from 0.9 to 0.5 arbitrary units, and the pressure drop decreases from 2.0 to 0.4 bar as the pulse length extends from 2000 to 8000 ps. Jet formation in laser jet injection systems is enhanced by short pulses in water that produce longer-lasting bubbles. Drug delivery based on the Rayleigh-Plesset equation is characterized by a low-pressure collapse and short bubble lifetime. Thus, this relationship suggests that bubble laser technology can provide a more controlled and safer method of needle-free procedures, increasing compliance and reducing tissue trauma.

Oxygen Reduction Reaction Coupled Electro-Oxidation for Highly-Efficient and Sustainable Water Treatment.

Electro-oxidation (EO) technology demonstrates significant potential in wastewater treatment. However, the high energy consumption has become a pivotal constraint hindering its large-scale implementation. Herein, we design an EO and 4-electron oxygen reduction reaction coupled system (EO-4eORR) to replace the traditional EO and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) coupled system (EO-HER). The theoretical cathodic potential of the electrolytic reactor is tuned from 0 V (vs. RHE) in HER to 1.23 V (vs. RHE) in 4eORR, which greatly decreases the required operation voltage of the reactor. Moreover, we demonstrate that convection can improve the mass transfer of oxygen and organic pollutants in the reaction system, leading to low cathodic polarization and high pollutant removal rate. Compared with traditional EO-HER system, the energy consumption of the EO-4eORR system under air aeration for 95 % total organic carbon (TOC) removal is greatly decreased to 2.61 kWh/kgTOC (only consider the electrolyzer energy consumption), which is superior to previously reported EO-based water treatment systems. The reported results in this study offer a new technical mode for development of highly efficient and sustainable EO-based treatment systems to remove organic pollutants in waste water.

Enhanced nitrogen and phosphorus removal from mariculture water using immobilized bacteria and macroalgae

With the vigorous development of the mariculture industry, the untreated wastewater from mariculture has exerted significant pressure on the water environment. The untreated N and P in the wastewater from mariculture can deteriorate the quality of the mariculture. In this study, a composite in situ treatment system involving macroalgae (Caulerpa lentillifera/Caulerpa sertularoides f. Longipes) and immobilized degrading bacteria was established to handle wastewater from shrimp culture. The changes in nutrients in aquaculture wastewater were studied by chemical analysis, and the microbial community structure was analyzed using molecular biology technology and high-throughput sequencing technology. The removal efficacy of nutrients in aquaculture wastewater and the composition of microorganisms in the wastewater were examined, and the primary causes for the alteration of the microbial community were analyzed. The results demonstrated that when the macroalgae in the system were Caulerpa lentillifera (CL), the removal efficiencies of TN, PO43--P, and COD from shrimp culture were 59.04%, 34.26%, and 68.61% respectively. When the macroalgae was Caulerpa sertularoides f. Longipes (CSF), the removal efficiencies of TN, PO43--P, and COD generated by experimental shrimp culture were 51.50%, 33.69%, and 50.88% respectively. The biomass (wet weight) of both macroalgae species also increased, facilitating the removal of nutrients from the wastewater. Additionally, both Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant bacteria in the three samples, and the addition of the composite in-situ treatment system had no impact on the dominant bacteria in the water. The results of FAPROTAX analysis indicated that compared with the untreated samples, the abundances of methyl-functional bacteria and amino acid-functional bacteria in the samples increased due to organic matter such as COD produced during shrimp culture and the addition of feed, suggesting that shrimp culture can influence the abundances of functional bacteria in the water. In conclusion, the combined in situ treatment system can effectively eliminate nutrients from aquaculture wastewater, and the combined effect of macroalgae and immobilized degrading bacteria plays a vital role in this process.

Immobilization of carbon composite materials on structured frameworks for application in continuous catalytic experiments: application in NO3- conversion

Bimetallic catalysts applied for water treatment are highly susceptible to deactivation/poisoning mainly when immobilized in macroscopic structures. Metal support interaction characteristic of metal oxides/composite supports emerges as an important strategy for controlling this phenomenon.This work explores a novel washcoating methodology to synthesize macrostructured composite catalysts for selective nitrate reduction. This approach allowed to effectively integrate powder composite materials into macroscopic frameworks, allowing to take advantage of modifications performed in the powder materials, often associated with increased catalytic activity/selectivity.Pd-Cu composite materials (metal oxides with carbon nanotubes) were prepared/tested for nitrate conversion. Titanium dioxide composites achieved the best performance (54% nitrate conversion and 61% N2 selectivity) outperforming the results obtained with more conventional synthesis methodologies. The catalysts proved to be highly active and resistant over several hours of reaction. This is a pioneering work focused on the synthesis and application of macrostructured composite catalysts in G-L-S treatment systems.

A novel simultaneous abatement of bromate and diphenyl phosphate using the freezing process

The purification of bromate (BrO3-)-contaminated water has become a challenge because of its persistence and adverse effects. Furthermore, there has been concern over the release of byproducts, such as diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), from flame retardants in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). In this study, we designed the water treatment system for the oxidation of DPHP accompanied by bromate (BrO3-) reduction via freezing the solution. A sample containing 10 μM DPHP, 100 μM Br-, and 50 μM BrO3-, with a pH of 3 was frozen at -20oC, approximately 25 μM BrO3- was reduced, and DPHP was fully eliminated after a 0.5 h reaction time. Conversely, these reactions did not advance in water at 20oC. This increase in the rate of chemical reaction in ice is the consequence of the freeze concentration effect, which refers to the extraction of dissolved chemical species into the liquid-like regions of the polycrystalline ice micro-structure during the freezing of the solution. The redox reactions among DPHP, Br-, and BrO3- become thermodynamically favorable due to the distinctive environment in the liquid brine in ice. The efficiency of the DPHP oxidation significantly increased with an increase in BrO3- concentration, and vice versa. The Br-/BrO3--induced HOBr production is proposed as a primary oxidant for DPHP degradation. The proton activity (pH) has a significant influence on the reaction efficiency. The low freezing temperature accelerated the reaction kinetics of DPHP degradation and BrO3- reduction. The results of this study indicate the possibility of utilizing ice chemistry for the BrO3- reduction that concomitantly removes DPHP for water treatment. This environmentally friendly water treatment method can be considered to implement in regions with a cold climate.

Pattern-based assessment of the influence of catchment characteristics on urban stormwater quality

ABSTRACT Use of traditional catchment characteristics and lack of effective separation of catchment characteristics from rainfall characteristics limits the adequate understanding of the actual influences of catchment characteristics on stormwater quality. In this context, this study adopted a pattern-based separation approach to identifying common events from three rainfall clusters of study catchments, where rainfall characteristics for identified common 8, 9 and 36 events are similar, but catchment characteristics are different. This study identified that the locations of pervious surfaces and urban forms are also important catchment characteristics. The contribution of the pervious area to runoff is significant for long durational (cluster 1) and high-intensity (cluster 3) rainfall events associated with low antecedent dry days and initiated at around 35 mm rainfall depth. A catchment having a large impervious area and pervious area located at far distances from the drainage system can contribute more pollutant load at first 10% runoff volume. High socio-economic developed urban form can contribute a high fraction wash-off corresponding to 10–70% runoff volume due to traffic-related behaviour and various anthropogenic activities. The developed knowledge will overcome the shortcomings of lumped characteristics-based treatment design and improve the efficiency of current stormwater treatment system design practices.

Coupling Iron Coagulation and Microalgal–Bacterial Granular Sludge for Efficient Treatment of Municipal Wastewater: A Proof–of–Concept Study

The rapid expansion of global urbanization and industrialization has significantly increased the discharge of municipal wastewater, leading to issues of carbon emissions and energy consumption when using traditional biological treatment processes. This study proposes an innovative process that couples iron coagulation with microalgal–bacterial granular sludge (MBGS), with optimization and regulation based on operational conditions. The study found that the coagulation performance achieved optimal levels at an iron concentration of 25 mg/L and an anionic polyacrylamide concentration of 1 mg/L, which could remove approximately 61% of the organics and over 90% of phosphorus from raw wastewater. By relying on heterotrophic microorganisms, such as Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, and Chloroflexi, along with the synergistic interaction between algae and bacteria, the subsequent MBGS process could further effectively remove organics over the day-night cycles. Moreover, the addition of inorganic carbon sources of NaHCO3 increased the abundance of denitrification-related genes, reduced the accumulation of nitrite within MBGS, and led to effective total nitrogen removal. These results indicate that the iron coagulation–MBGS coupling process can efficiently treat municipal wastewater, offering potential for environment-sustainable pollutant removal with reduced energy consumption. These findings provide valuable insights for the practical engineering application of MBGS in wastewater treatment systems aiming for carbon-neutral wastewater treatment.

Mathematical Modeling and Indirect Carbon Emission Reduction Analysis of Urban Wastewater Treatment Systems Under Different Temperature Conditions

In the context of achieving the two-carbon target, this study utilized a wastewater treatment plant in Shenyang City as a case study to accurately calculate indirect emissions related to energy and chemical consumption within the energy-intensive wastewater treatment industry. Sumo software was employed for precise mathematical modeling. Considering the operational characteristics of wastewater treatment plants in cold regions, this study innovatively divided the annual operation cycle into two periods, namely normal temperature and low temperature, and determined the optimal operational parameters under a low-carbon mode. The results indicate that precise regulation of dissolved oxygen concentration to 0.5–1.5 mg/L (normal temperature period) and 1–2 mg/L (low temperature period) can significantly reduce carbon emissions related to electricity consumption by 13,781.9 t CO2-eq. From the perspective of chemical consumption, adjusting the dosage of polyaluminum chloride (PAC) to 75% and sodium acetate to 70% during the normal temperature period can lead to a reduction in indirect carbon emissions of 1614.4 t CO2-eq compared to the same period last year. During the low-temperature period, by reducing the dosage of polyaluminum chloride to 80% and sodium acetate to 75%, the indirect carbon emissions can be reduced by 1557.3 t CO2-eq compared to the corresponding period last year. After optimization, USD 1.49 million can be saved. This study simulated the operation conditions of cold-region urban wastewater treatment plants at different times to effectively control carbon emissions resulting from energy and chemical consumption in wastewater treatment. This result can provide innovative ideas for energy saving and carbon reduction in cold-region wastewater treatment plants.

Comparison of environmental and health acceptability of squatting and sitting toilets: A review

AbstractIn general, two types of sitting and squatting toilets are used by people in the world, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages from an environmental and health point of view. So far, no study has been done to compare these two types of toilets, precisely. Therefore, the precise comparison of these two types of toilets based on a simple literature review was the main purpose of this study. For this purpose, the amount of water consumption, toilet paper consumption, related diseases, ease of cleaning, odor problem, and the flexibility to equip with treatment and reuse systems in both types of toilets was compared. Squatting toilets is a better option in terms of water consumption, toilet paper consumption, ease of cleaning, and diseases related to body posture. In the case of infectious diseases, the sitting toilet has better conditions and in terms of flexibility to install the treatment and reuse systems, the conditions of both were almost similar. The odor problem in the sitting toilet is less than the squatting toilet. Since the advantages and disadvantages of both types of toilets are also complementary, the best option is to install both toilets together.

Validation of physicochemical water quality results through cross-checking with biological indices

ABSTRACT Biological assessment of rivers is critical for evaluating ecosystem health, detecting ecological changes, validating physicochemical monitoring data, assessing the effectiveness of water treatment systems, conserving biodiversity, and guiding water resource management. In this study, the surface water quality of the Karkheh River basin was evaluated using the National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSFWQI) and the Iranian Surface Water Quality Index (IRWQIsc) for qualitative analysis. For biological monitoring, the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP) index, along with the Average Score per Taxon (ASPT) and the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HFBI), was employed to provide a comprehensive assessment. Water quality was analyzed across 18 sampling stations, revealing significant spatial variation. Upstream areas exhibited relatively good conditions, with NSFWQI and IRWQIsc values of 59 and 68, respectively. In contrast, downstream locations near urban and agricultural areas demonstrated poor water quality, with values of 27 and 33, respectively. Overall, approximately 70% of the river's length has been severely impacted, highlighting the need for targeted planning and management to mitigate pollution. The biological indices corroborated the physicochemical results, revealing severe ecological stress in polluted regions. The close alignment between the NSFWQI and biological indicators emphasizes the importance of a multifaceted approach in assessing aquatic health. Key factors contributing to the river's degradation include excessive water extraction, untreated wastewater discharge, and diminished self-purification capacity, particularly in downstream areas.

Innovation for recycling of organic matter through composter with automatic and sustainable temperature recording accessed via Bluetooth/mobile app.

Compost reactors, commonly used in experiments, industrial assays, and home residue treatment systems, have the potential to facilitate composting. Challenges persist in the realm of small-scale composting, encompassing facets such as temperature monitoring, homogenization of the compost mass, management of moisture with the control of leachate generation, and integration with a renewable energy source. This study assesses a pioneering composter prototype endowed with essential features to ensure a pragmatic and secure composting process. This includes the facilitation of remote access to temperature data via Bluetooth and a mobile application. Across successive trials, the scrutinized composter prototype consistently yielded reproducible outcomes, exhibiting a coefficient of variation below 25% for the majority of appraised parameters. In comparison to a conventional reactor, the decomposing residue mixture within the examined prototype manifested elevated temperatures (p < 0.05). Moreover, the tested prototype demonstrated C/N ratio lower than 20/1 within 45days, a higher final nitrogen concentration, and enhanced germination of seeds that served as phytotoxicity bioindicators. Notably, the prototype needed 46.6% less space, offering improved leachate control, three times faster turning time, temperature monitoring, and reduced fly attraction.

Self-efficacy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: the effect of self-care education by two randomized methods-teach-back and a smartphone application.

The use of the best teaching method to promote self-care in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has not been well defined. Therefore, the current study was conducted to compare the effect of self-care education by two methods of teach-back and a smartphone application. The current clinical trial with a pre- and post-test design was conducted among 78 patients with IBD. Patients were allocated to three groups of application, teach-back and control using a simple blocked randomization. Data were collected using a checklist for demographic information and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Self-efficacy Scale. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS. Participants in all three groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic variables. The mean pretest scores of self-efficacy (SE) in the application, teach-back and control groups were 191.37 ± 49.15, 193.92 ± 45.54 and 192.76 ± 43.12, respectively. The mean post-test scores of SE in the application, teach-back and control groups were 224.51 ± 49.89, 207.48 ± 48.109 and 189.92 ± 40.28, respectively (P = 0.033). The results of the current study showed that self-care education by the application can better improve the mean scores of SE and its four dimensions of managing stress and emotions, managing symptoms and disease, managing medical care and maintaining remission, compared to other methods. It seems that the use of the application as a continuous and cost-effective educational strategy will become widespread in the future for patient education among most healthcare and treatment systems.

Flower-Shaped MnFe2O4@MoS2 Nanocomposite Activated H2O2 for Efficient Degradation of Tetracycline: Performance Evaluation, Mechanism and Degradation Pathway

The limited utilization of H2O2 restricts the practical application of heterogeneous Fenton oxidation technology. In this study, the flower-shaped MnFe2O4@MoS2 nanocomposite was prepared by two-step hydrothermal treatment, constructing MnFe2O4@MoS2/H2O2 system for the degradation of tetracycline (TC). Under optimized conditions, MnFe2O4@MoS2/H2O2 system fully degraded 20 mg·L−1 of TC within 60 min, and the corresponding utilization of H2O2 was also as high as 95.7%. Meanwhile, this system not only exhibited excellent cycling stability for the degradation of TC but also had good anti-interference ability against actual water sources, inorganic cations and anions and natural organic compounds. The efficient activation of H2O2 in MnFe2O4@MoS2/H2O2 system mainly relied on the redox cycling of Fe(II)/Fe(III) and Mn(II)/Mn(III) mediated by MoS2; meanwhile, the oxygen vacancies caused by redox cycling also accelerated activation of H2O2, resulting in the production of a large number of active species (·OH, ·O2− and 1O2) for rapid degradation of pollutants. The vulnerable atomic sites of TC were confirmed through theoretical calculation, and four degradation pathways of TC in MnFe2O4@MoS2/H2O2 system were proposed. Finally, the toxicity analysis confirmed that the toxicity of degradation intermediates was developing towards low toxicity. This study provided new insights into the wide application of heterogeneous Fenton systems in wastewater treatment.