Sludge granulation and efficiency of phase separator in UASB reactor treating combined industrial effluent

Sludge granulation and the effect of gas-liquid-solid separator （GLSS） design on the efficiency of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket （UASB） and upflow anaerobic sludge filter （UASF） reactors, operating at HRTs ranging from 3 to 12 h was investigated. VSS/TS ratio gradually increased in both the reactors with increasing sludge age （from 0.5 to more than 0.7 for UASB reactor and 0.012 to 0.043 for UASF reactor）. X-Ray diffraction analysis of the UASF sludge showed the presence of expanding clays revealing its additional absorption capability. Fuoraphyllite and albite precipitation related to excellular polymers of the microbial shell structure, showed the extended growth of microorganisms during sludge granulation. A gradual decrease （82%-69%） in COD removal with decreasing HRT was apparent in UASF reactor. In case of UASB reactor, this decrease was marginal because addition of GLSS device significantly improved （14%-20%） the overall efficiency of the UASB reactor. GLSS enhanced the efficiency of the UASB reactor by increasing the settleability of suspended particles and accelerating the coagulation of colloidal particles due to the velocity gradient.

Effects of particle characteristics on the granulation ability of iron ores during the sintering process

The granulation behavior of iron ores is essential for subsequent parameter optimization and efficient granulation, especially under changing material conditions. In this study, the effects of surface properties and particle size were analyzed using a laboratory granulation method; an estimation of the granulation of sintering blends was subsequently conducted for the base ores. Circularity and porosity were observed to negatively affect the granulation of iron ores, whereas wettability positively affected the granulation and was the most influential factor, indicating that wetting of iron ores is desirable during granulation. When iron ores with complex size distributions were granulated, the equivalent surface area was the main influencing factor for coarse particles larger than 1 mm and the ratio of adhering fines to intermediates was the main factor for fine particles smaller than 1 mm. By combining the granulation of coarse and fine particles with their proportioning, we proposed a calculation method for estimating the granulation ability of sintering blends. Good verification was demonstrated with the designed schemes. The results suggest that the developed method is effective for predicting the granulation of iron ore mixtures.

Endoscopic management of a rare granulation polyp in a colonic diverticulum

There are many case reports on colon diverticula that cause irritable bowel syndrome,constipation,bleeding,diverticulitis,stricture due to multiple recurrences of diverticulitis,and perforation.However,few articles have examined neoplasms that arise from a diverticulum,such as adenoma and adenocarcinoma,and there have been no reports of granulation polyps that arise from a colon diverticulum after recurrent diverticulitis.We observed a rare granulation polyp that arose from a diverticulum as a result of repeated episodes of local diverticulitis.Narrow band imaging magnified colonoscopy was very useful to diagnose the polyp as a granulation polyp because of the absence of a pit pattern on the surface of the polyp.We successfully resected the polyp using endoscopic mucosal resection.We inverted the diverticulum,and the resected stalk of the polyp was used to close the diverticulum with an over-thescope clip.If a granulomatous polyp could arise from a diverticulum,differential diagnosis between a colon neoplasm and a granulomatous polyp would not only be difficult but also necessary for suitable endoscopic treatment.

DEM modeling of high shear wet granulation of a simple system

High shear wet granulation(HSWG) is one of the most poorly understood processes with known difficulties in optimization and scale up. The purpose of the current study is to develop a DEM model which can be applied under dynamic process conditions with high predictive capacity to improve process insight. The DEM model is used to predict agglomeration as a function of impeller speed and liquid addition rate in a high shear wet granulator. The DEM model tracks dynamic formation and breakage of liquid bridges between particles as liquid binder in the system is added, and corrects for the change in material properties as a function of the binder content.

Interaction between granulation and small-scale magnetic flux observed by Hinode

With the polarimetric observations obtained by the Spectro-Polarimeter on board Hinode, we study the relationship between granular development and magnetic field evolution in the quiet Sun. Six typical cases are displayed to exhibit interaction between granules and magnetic elements, and we have obtained the following results. （1） A granule develops centrosymmetrically when no magnetic flux emerges within the granular cell. （2） A granule develops and splits noncentrosymmetrically while flux emerges at an outer part of the granular cell. （3） Magnetic flux emergence in a cluster of mixed polarities is detected at the position of a granule as soon as the granule breaks up. （4） A dipole emerges accompanied by the development of a granule, and the two elements of the dipole are rooted in the adjacent intergranular lanes and face each other across the granule. Advected by the horizontal granular motion, the positive element of the dipole then cancels with the pre-existing negative flux. （5） Flux cancellation also takes place between a positive element, which is advected by granular flow, and its surrounding negative flux. （6） While magnetic flux cancellation takes place in a granular cell, the granule shrinks and then disappears. （7） Horizontal magnetic fields are enhanced at the places where dipoles emerge and where opposite polarities cancel each other, but only the horizontal fields between the dipolar elements point in an orderly way from the positive elements to the negative ones. Our results reveal that granules and small-scale magnetic fluxes influence each other. Granular flow advects magnetic flux, and magnetic flux evolution suppresses granular development. There exist extremely large Doppler blue-shifts at the site of one canceling magnetic element. This phenomenon may be caused by the upward flow produced by magnetic reconnection below the photosphere.

Fluidised bed granulation of two APIs:QbD approach and development of a NIR in-line monitoring method

The study focused on the fluid-bed granulation process of a product with two active pharmaceutical ingredients,intended for coated tablets preparation and further transfer to industrial scale.The work aimed to prove that an accurate control of the critical granulation parameters can level the input material variability and offer a user-friendly process control strategy.Moreover,an in-line Near-Infrared monitoring method was developed,which offered a real time overview of the moisture level along the granulation process,thus a reliable supervision and control process analytical technology(PAT)tool.The experimental design’s results showed that the use of apparently interchangeable active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs)and filler sorts that comply with pharmacopoeial specifications,lead to different end-product critical attributes.By adapting critical granulation parameters(i.e.binder spray rate and atomising pressure)as a function of material characteristics,led to granules with average sizes comprised in a narrow range of 280–320μm and low nongranulated fraction of under 5%.Therefore,the accurate control of process parameters according to the formulation particularities achieved the maintenance of product within the design space and removed material related variability.To complete the Quality by design(QbD)strategy,despite its limited spectral domain,the microNIR spectrometer was successfully used as a robust PAT monitoring tool that offered a real time overview of the moisture level and allowed the supervision and control of the granulation process.

Hemozoin triggers tumor necrosis factor alpha-mediated release of lysozyme by human adherent monocytes:new evidences on leukocyte degranulation in P.falciparum malaria

Objective:Avidly phagocytosed hemozoin(malarial pigment) alters several functions of human monocytes and stimulates generation of several cytokines.Recently,we showed that phagocytosis of hemozoin by human monocytes increases expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9,a proteolytic enzyme available in specific gelatinase granules,which contain several enzymes including lysozyme.Present work investigated active lysozyme release after phagocytosis of hemozoin and its dependence on production of tumor necrosis factor alpha. Methods:After phagocytosis of hemozoin,hemozoin-containing trophozoites or control meals(opsonized nonparasitized red blood cells and latex particles),monocyte supematants were monitored for 2 hours,in presence of blocking anti-human tumor necrosis factor alpha antibodies or recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha cytokine in selected experiments.Lysozyme release was evaluated by a specific spectrometric assay measuring lysozyme activity after coincubation of cell supematants with suspensions of Mycrococcus Lysodeikticus,while levels of soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha were analyzed by specific enzyme-linked immunodsorbent assay. Results:Levels of lysozyme activity and soluble tumor necrosis factor alpha protein were increased in hemozoin in-or trophozoites-laden monocytes supematants.Phagocytosis per se(control meals) also increased lysozyme release,but levels were significantly lower than those obtained after phagocytosis of hemozoin or trophozoites. Interestingly,all effects on lysozyme release observed after phagocytosis were abrogated by blocking anti-human tumor necrosis factor alpha antibodies,while they were mimicked by recombinant human tumor necrosis factor alpha cytokine.Conclusions:Present work shows that phagocytosis of hemozoin promotes monocyte degranulation and enhances active lysozyme release.The effect requires tumor necrosis factor alpha mediation.

Technological Parameters for Preparation and Granulation of Ammonium Ion-Exchange Material

As a raw material,kaolin was modified to prepare a high-performance ammonium ion-exchange material.According to cation-exchange capacity (CEC) measurement,the prepared ammonium ion-exchange material has an ammonium ion-exchange capacity greater than 75mg/g and can be used to remove ammonia nitrogen in water treatment.A pharmaceutical extruder-rounder was used to study the effects of granulation process.Polyethylene glycol6000 (PEG-6000) was used as the pore-forming agent and calcining temperature of 650℃ was used as the optimal condition.NMR data indicate that 27 Al is mainly converted from hexa-coordinated Al to tetra-coordinated Al during the modification.Compared with 29 Si in the original kaolin,29 Si in the modified kaolin does not have an obvious change.A comparison of the data with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models shows a good correlation.The Freundlich model describes the process more accurately,and the adsorption process of ammonia nitrogen in water with the ammonium ion-exchange material closely matches the pseudo-second-order reaction.

Promoting sludge granulation by putting xonotlite into the UASB reactors during starting-up stage

Four reactors of up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) were concurrentlyoperated to examine the effects of the xonotlite secondary particles on promoting the sludgegranulation during the starting-up stage at room temperature. The results show that the putting ofthe xonotlite secondary particles into the UASB reactors can increase the basicity of the reactingliquid significantly. The particles can act as the media for biomass accumulation. Thus, thegranulation process of the sludge within the reactor can be largely promoted by the specialperformances of the particles both in physical and chemical aspects.

Effects of Formulation Parameters and Process Variables on the Properties of Granules Obtained by Reactive Granulation

In this work, granulation between dodecyl-benzenesulfonic acid and sodium carbonate was investigated in a laboratory-scale high shear mixer. The effects offormulation parameters and process variables, including primary carbonate size, binder content, impeller speed, and operating temperature, were correlated to the properties ofthe product granules. Design ofexperiment and analysis ofvariance were combined to analyze the experimentaldata, and results showed that larger granule sizes with fewer fine particles can be obtained by employing higher binder contents and larger sodium carbonate sizes. The shear force ofthe impeller can extensively break oversized granules. The binder content exerted a contrasting effect on the flowability ofgranules formed with two kinds ofsodium carbonate, likely because ofdifferences in the liquid saturation ofthe solids. The dissolution rate determined by in-line size analysis showed that high binder contents were beneficialto dissolution performance, and the relationships between Hunter color and tested parameters were evaluated. The results ofthis work can be used as a reliable guidance for process controland optimization in powder detergent manufacturing.

Combination forecast for urban rail transit passenger flow based on fuzzy information granulation and CPSO-LS-SVM

In order to obtain the trend of urban rail transit traffic flow and grasp the fluctuation range of passenger flow better,this paper proposes a combined forecasting model of passenger flow fluctuation range based on fuzzy information granulation and least squares support vector machine(LS-SVM)optimized by chaos particle swarm optimization(CPSO).Due to the nonlinearity and fluctuation of the passenger flow,firstly,fuzzy information granulation is used to extract the valid data from the window according to the requirement.Secondly,CPSO that has strong global search ability is applied to optimize the parameters of the LS-SVM forecasting model.Finally,the combined model is used to forecast the fluctuation range of early peak passenger flow at Tiyu Xilu Station of Guangzhou Metro Line 3 in 2014,and the results are compared and analyzed with other models.Simulation results demonstrate that the combined forecasting model can effectively track the fluctuation of passenger flow,which provides an effective method for predicting the fluctuation range of short-term passenger flow in the future.

On the Effect of the Rotating Chamber Reverse Speed on the Mixing of SiC Ceramic Particles in a Dry Granulation Process

In order to control the accumulation of SiC ceramic particles on the wall of the rotating chamber in the frame of a dry granulation process,the effect of the wall reverse speed on the mixing process is investigated.In particular,an Euler-Euler two-phase flow model is used to analyze the dynamics of both SiC particles and air.The numerical results show that by setting a certain reverse rotating speed of the rotating chamber,the accumulation of SiC particles on the wall can be improved,i.e.,their direction of motion in proximity to the wall can be changed and particles can be forced to re-join the granulation process.Experimental tests conducted to verify the reliability of the numerical findings,demonstrate that when the reverse rotating speed of the rotating chamber is 4 r/min,the sphericity of SiC particles in the rotating chamber is the highest and the fluidity is the best possible one.

TRANSFORMATION OF EFFUSION AND FORMATION OF GRANULATION TISSUE IN PATHOLOGIC PROCESS OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION

Objective To explore the diversity of stagnant effusions and the pathologic processes leading to granulation tissue formation in otitis media with effusion(OME). Methods Temporal bone slides from 306 ears with OME were studied histopathologically under the light microscope. Results Results of this study revealed a pathologic process in witch the type and the condition of stagnant effusion in the middle ear cleft was a variable in the dynamics of OME progression from an early stage to an advanced stage. The location of granulation tissue and retentive effusion were found to be closely related. Conclusion Early stage granulation tissue formation exhibited a pathologic process in which granulation tissue formation occurred only in areas where effusion had stagnated or was absorbed. The incidence of the retentive effusion and formation of granulation tissue was much higher and the pathologic changes most extensive in the area around the ossicular chain.

Influence of Nozzle Orifice Shape on the Atomization Process of Si3N4 in a Dry Granulation Process

In order to reveal the intrinsic fluid-dynamic mechanisms of a pressure-swirl nozzle used for Si3N4 dry granulation,and effectively predict its external spray characteristics,the dynamics of air-atomized liquid two-phase flow is analyzed using a VOF(Volume of Fraction)method together with the modified realizable k-εturbulence model.The influence of nozzle orifice shape on velocity distribution,pressure distribution is studied.The results show that the pressure difference in a convergent conical nozzle is the largest with a hollow air core being formed in the nozzle.The corresponding velocity of atomized liquid at nozzle orifice is the largest.Using a self-designed atomization experiment platform,the velocity and pressure of atomized liquid and the spray cone angle are measured for three nozzles with different orifice shapes.The micro-morphology of Si3N4 particles is also determined.These data confirm the correctness of numerical simulation.Considering atomization performance of the nozzle,the contraction conical nozzle is more suitable for the atomization of Si3N4 in practical production based on the dry granulation approach.

Granulation process analysis technologies and potential applications in traditional Chinese medicine

Pharmaceutical production is changing from batch production to continuous production,during which granulation is one of the most important unit operations.The quality of mass-produced products is traditionally guaranteed by conducting off-line testing,which cannot meet the demand of continuous production for real-time monitoring of critical process parameters and critical quality attributes(CQAs)of the pharmaceutical granulation technology.Since the U.S.Food and Drug Administration proposed process analytical technology(PAT)in 2004,many PAT tools have been developed to monitor the granulation process and provide information regarding the granulation operation conditions and endpoint determination.In this article,we review the recent research and application of two PAT modes in the granulation process,namely,single CQA and multi-CQA PAT,with the aim to provide references for comprehensively improving the technological level of the pharmaceutical granulation process.Furthermore,the potential applications in traditional Chinese Medicine are discussed.

Effects of platelet-rich plasma on in vitro proliferation and migration of fibroblasts from human chronic refractory wound granulation tissue

Objective:To observe the effects of platelet-rich plasma(PRP)on in vitro proliferation and migration of fibroblasts from human chronic refractory wound granulation tissue.Methods:Fibroblasts were separated from human chronic refractory wound granulation tissue and then were identified.The obtained fibroblasts were divided into fetal bovine serum(FBS)group,hydrogel group and PRP group,and the three groups were cultured with culture mediums containing FBS,hydrogel and PRP respectively,in order to observe the growth of fibroblasts.The wound scratch assay was used to observe the migration of fibroblasts.Results:PRP group had more fibroblasts than FBS group and hydrogel group since Day 5 of culture,and exhibited greater fibroblast scratch migration area than FBS group on 48 h and 72 h of wound scratch assay(all p<.05).Conclusions:Compared with FBS,human fibroblasts cultured by PRP can more effectively promote the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts.

EFFECT OF MODIFICATION ON CARBIDE GRANULATION AND ITS MECHANISM

By the modification, network carbide is disconnected at 1100 degree C through uneven dissolution at higher energy places in carbide, where there is twin or lattice distortion, and is granulated at 1130 degree C through element diffusion. The stability of M//7C//3 carbide is decreased because of the modification reducing the segregation of Cr and Mo, thus the temperature, at which uneven dissolution of carbide commenced, is decreased. Also lattice distortion or defect such as twin in carbide is increased by the modification, which prompts widespread disconnections in carbide. In addition, the modification prompts element diffusion to accelerate the kinetics process of carbide granulation. (Edited author abstract) 6 Refs.

Continuous melt granulation to develop high drug loaded sustained release tablet of Metformin HCl

The present work explores the application of melt granulation technology to develop a high drug loaded sustained release matrix tablet of Metformin HCl using hydroxypropylcellulose(HPC) as a hydrophilic binder and stearic acid as an extrusion aid for producing cohesive granules. This novel approach allowed the use of a minimum number of excipients to reduce the tablet size, and to enhance compressibility of the drug. This also offered a cost effective method owing to the elimination of a ‘drying step’ prevalent in wet granulation method.Moreover, this research also focuses on resolving the processability issues associated with the use of HPC Nisso-H at high drug loading. The thermal lubricants were screened for this purpose and evaluated for their impact on extrudability, granule and tablet characteristics. Stearic acid was selected as the thermal lubricant, which not only contributed to the inhibition of burst release, but also improved the flow property of the granules.The developed matrix tablet(75% drug loading) resulted in 670 mg of weight for 500 mg dose strength and showed sustained drug release over 10 h. When compared, with conventional granulation techniques, it was observed that, under identical compression force, the tablet prepared by MG exhibited superior compactibility along with tablet hardness and optimal drug release profile. FTIR suggested nonexistence of chemical interaction between the drug and the other excipients while XRD and DSC analysis revealed the crystalline state of the drug.Furthermore, the results obtained from Raman spectroscopy proved the uniform distribution of the Metformin HCl and polymer in the final dosage form. This technology leads to the manufacture of sustained release matrix formulation with reduced tablet size of a high dose,highly water soluble drug otherwise difficult to process using standard batch-granulation.

Effects of granulation process variables on the physical properties of dosage forms by combination of experimental design and principal component analysis

The current study was to understand how process variables of high shear wet granulations affect physical properties of granules and tablets. The knowledge gained was intended to be used for Quality-by-Design based process design and optimization. The variables were selected based on the risk assessment as impeller speed, liquid addition rate, and wet massing time. Formulation compositions were kept constant to minimize their influence on granules properties. Multiple linear regression models were built providing understanding of the impact of each variable on granule hardness, Carr’s index, tablet tensile strength, surface mean diameter of granules, and compression behavior. The experimental results showed that the impact of impeller speed was more dominant compared to wet massing time and water addition rate. The results also revealed that quality of granules and tablets could be optimized by adjusting specific process variables(impeller speed 1193 rpm, water spray rate 3.7 ml/min, and wet massing time 2.84 min). Overall desirability was 0.84 suggesting that the response values were closer to the target one. The SEM image of granules showed that spherical and smooth granules produced at higher impeller speed, whereas rough and irregular shape granules at lower speed. Moreover, multivariate data analysis demonstrated that impeller speed and massing time had strong correlation with the granule and tablet properties. In overall, the combined experimental design and principal component analysis approach allowed to better understand the correlation between process variables and granules and tablet attributes.

Formulation design of granules prepared by wet granulation method using a multi-functional single-punch tablet press to avoid tableting failures

We previously determined "Tableting properties" by using a multi-functional single-punch tablet press(GTP-1). We plotted "Compactability" on the x-axis against "Manufacturability"on the y-axis to allow visual evaluation of "Tableting properties". Here, we examined whether this evaluation method can be used in the formulation design of tablets prepared by wet granulation. We used the GTP-1 to measure "Tableting properties" with different amounts of binder, disintegrant, and lubricant, and compared the results with those of tableting on a commercial rotary tableting machine. Tableting failures(capping and binding in particular) occurred when samples that had been evaluated as having poor "Compactability" or"Manufacturability" on the GTP-1 were compressed on the rotary tableting machine. Thus,our evaluation method predicted tableting failure at the commercial scale. The method will prove useful for scaling up production.