The dramatic rise in the number of people living in cities has made many environmental and social problems worse.The search for a productive method for disposing of solid waste is the most notable of these problems.Ma...The dramatic rise in the number of people living in cities has made many environmental and social problems worse.The search for a productive method for disposing of solid waste is the most notable of these problems.Many scholars have referred to it as a fuzzy multi-attribute or multi-criteria decision-making problem using various fuzzy set-like approaches because of the inclusion of criteria and anticipated ambiguity.The goal of the current study is to use an innovative methodology to address the expected uncertainties in the problem of solid waste site selection.The characteristics(or sub-attributes)that decision-makers select and the degree of approximation they accept for various options can both be indicators of these uncertainties.To tackle these problems,a novel mathematical structure known as the fuzzy parameterized possibility single valued neutrosophic hypersoft expert set(ρˆ-set),which is initially described,is integrated with a modified version of Sanchez’s method.Following this,an intelligent algorithm is suggested.The steps of the suggested algorithm are explained with an example that explains itself.The compatibility of solid waste management sites and systems is discussed,and rankings are established along with detailed justifications for their viability.This study’s strengths lie in its application of fuzzy parameterization and possibility grading to effectively handle the uncertainties embodied in the parameters’nature and alternative approximations,respectively.It uses specific mathematical formulations to compute the fuzzy parameterized degrees and possibility grades that are missing from the prior literature.It is simpler for the decisionmakers to look at each option separately because the decision is uncertain.Comparing the computed results,it is discovered that they are consistent and dependable because of their preferred properties.展开更多
BACKGROUND Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.After the diagnosis of a meniscal tear has been made,there are several factors physicians use to guide clinical decision-making.The influence of time ...BACKGROUND Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.After the diagnosis of a meniscal tear has been made,there are several factors physicians use to guide clinical decision-making.The influence of time between injury and isolated meniscus repair on patient outcomes is not well described.Assessing this relationship is important as it may influence clinical decision-making and can add to the preoperative patient education process.We hypothesized that increasing the time from injury to meniscus surgery would worsen postoperative outcomes.AIM To investigate the current literature for data on the relationship between time between meniscus injury and repair on patient outcomes.METHODS PubMed,Academic Search Complete,MEDLINE,CINAHL,and SPORTDiscus were searched for studies published between January 1,1995 and July 13,2023 on isolated meniscus repair.Exclusion criteria included concomitant ligament surgery,incomplete outcomes or time to surgery data,and meniscectomies.Patient demographics,time to injury,and postoperative outcomes from each study were abstracted and analyzed.RESULTS Five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria.There were 204(121 male,83 female)patients included.Three of five(60%)studies determined that time between injury and surgery was not statistically significant for postoperative Lysholm scores(P=0.62),Tegner scores(P=0.46),failure rate(P=0.45,P=0.86),and International Knee Documentation Committee scores(P=0.65).Two of five(40%)studies found a statistically significant increase in Lysholm scores with shorter time to surgery(P=0.03)and a statistically significant association between progression of medial meniscus extrusion ratio(P=0.01)and increasing time to surgery.CONCLUSION Our results do not support the hypothesis that increased time from injury to isolated meniscus surgery worsens postoperative outcomes.Decision-making primarily based on injury interval is thus not recommended.展开更多
Several promising plasma biomarker proteins,such as amyloid-β(Aβ),tau,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein,are widely used for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.However,little is k...Several promising plasma biomarker proteins,such as amyloid-β(Aβ),tau,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein,are widely used for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.However,little is known about the long-term stability of these biomarker proteins in plasma samples stored at-80°C.We aimed to explore how storage time would affect the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers using a large cohort.Plasma samples from 229 cognitively unimpaired individuals,encompassing healthy controls and those experiencing subjective cognitive decline,as well as 99 patients with cognitive impairment,comprising those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia,were acquired from the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline project.These samples were stored at-80°C for up to 6 years before being used in this study.Our results showed that plasma levels of Aβ42,Aβ40,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein were not significantly correlated with sample storage time.However,the level of total tau showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.Notably,in individuals without cognitive impairment,plasma levels of total protein and tau phosphorylated protein threonine 181(p-tau181)also showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.This was not observed in individuals with cognitive impairment.Consequently,we speculate that the diagnostic accuracy of plasma p-tau181 and the p-tau181 to total tau ratio may be influenced by sample storage time.Therefore,caution is advised when using these plasma biomarkers for the identification of neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer's disease.Furthermore,in cohort studies,it is important to consider the impact of storage time on the overall results.展开更多
Objective To examine the effect of hydraulic residence time (HRT) on the performance and stability, to treat dilute wastewater at different operational temperatures in a carrier anaerobic baffled reactor (CABR), a...Objective To examine the effect of hydraulic residence time (HRT) on the performance and stability, to treat dilute wastewater at different operational temperatures in a carrier anaerobic baffled reactor (CABR), and hence to gain a deeper insight into microbial responses to hydraulic shocks on the base of the relationships among macroscopic performance, catabolic intermediate, and microcosmic alternation. Methods COD, VFAs, and microbial activity were detected with constant feed strength (300 mg/L) at different HRTs (9-18 h) and temperatures (10℃-28℃) in a CABR. Results The removal efficiencies declined with the decreases of HRTs and temperatures. However, the COD removal load was still higher at short HRT than at long HRT. Devastating reactor performance happened at temperature of 10℃ and at HRT of 9 h. HRTs had effect on the VFAs in the reactor slightly both at high and low temperatures, but the reasons differed from each other. Microbial activity was sensitive to indicate changes of environmental and operational parameters in the reactor. Conclusion The CABR offers to certain extent an application to treat dilute wastewater under a hydraulic-shock at temperatures from 10℃to 28℃.展开更多
A detailed assessment of an incinerator based on fuel consumption and cycle time data is presented in this paper. The study was conducted at Temeke district hospital for 22 months consecutively covering 654 days of da...A detailed assessment of an incinerator based on fuel consumption and cycle time data is presented in this paper. The study was conducted at Temeke district hospital for 22 months consecutively covering 654 days of daily data collection on fuel consumption and cycle times. The composition for the medical waste incinerated varied between 15% and 35% for sharps waste and between 65% and 85% for other waste, with mean values of 25% and 75%, respectively. The results revealed poor performance of the incinerator due to higher fuel consumption (above 30 L/cycle). The incineration cycle times were observed to range between 2 and 4 hours, all of which were too high for the loading rates observed (55 - 214 kg). A strong dependency of diesel oil consumption on cycle time was observed due to lack of temperature control leading to continuous fuel flow into the burners. The incineration capacity was very low compared to other incinerators in terms of tons per year. This paper gives an insight on the factors affecting incinerator performance assessed based on diesel oil consumption and cycle times. It can be generalized that the incinerator performance was poor due to several factors ranging from poor incinerator design, operator skills, waste management practices, waste storage practices, etc. The hospital was advised to install a new incinerator with short incineration cycle time (30 - 40 minutes) and lower fuel consumption (10 L/cycle) at a loading rate of 200 kg/cycle.展开更多
An old automotive industrial site located at Mexico City with many years of operation and contaminated with heavy oil hydrocarbons, particularly spent oils, was assessed for restoration using the surfactant enhanced s...An old automotive industrial site located at Mexico City with many years of operation and contaminated with heavy oil hydrocarbons, particularly spent oils, was assessed for restoration using the surfactant enhanced soil washing (SESW) process. The main goal of this study was to characterize the contaminated soil in terms of TPHs, BTEX, PAHs, and metals contents as well as microbiologically (total heterotrophs and specific degrading microorganisms). We also aimed to determine the surfactant type and concentration to be used in the SESW process for the automotive waste oil contaminated soil. At the end, sixteen kg of contaminated soil were washed and the produced wastewater (approximately 40 L) was characterized in terms of COD, BOD;solids, and other physico-chemical parameters. The soil contained about 14,000 mg of TPH/kg soil (heavy fraction), 0.13 mg/kg of benzo (k) fluoranthene and 0.07 mg/kg of benzo (a) pyrene as well as traces of some metals. Metals concentrations were always under the maximum concentration levels suggested by Mexican regulations. 15 different surfactants were used to identify the one with the capability to achieve the highest TPH removal. Surfactants included 5 anionics, 2 zwitterionic, 5 nonionics and 3 natural gums. Sulfopon 30 at a concentration of 0.5% offered the best surfactant performance. The TPH removals employing the different surfactants were in the range from 38% to 68%, in comparison to the soil washing with water (10% of TPH removal). Once the surfactant was selected, 70 kg of soil were washed and the resulting water contained approximately 1300 mg/L of COD, 385 mg/L of BOD (BOD/COD = 0.29), 122 mg/L of MBAS, and 212 mg/L of oil and greases, among other contaminants.展开更多
With rural population expansion and improvement of the socio-economic standard of living, treatment of rural domestic wastewater has rapidly become a major aspect of environmental concern. Selection of a suitable meth...With rural population expansion and improvement of the socio-economic standard of living, treatment of rural domestic wastewater has rapidly become a major aspect of environmental concern. Selection of a suitable method for treatment of rural domestic wastewater depends on its efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. This study investigated the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), temperature, and effluent recycling on the treatment efficiency of an anaerobic filter (AF) reactor. The first round of experimental operations was run for three months with HRTs of one, two, and three days, temperatures of 18℃, 21℃, and 24℃, and no effluent recycling. The second round of experimental operations was conducted for another three months with HRTs of three and four days; temperatures of 30.67℃, 30.57℃, and 26.91 ℃ ; and three effluent recycling ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1. The first round of operations showed removal rates of 32% to 44% for COD, 30% to 35% for TN, 32% to 36% for NH4-N, 19% to 23% for NO3-N, and 12% to 22% for TE In the second round of operations, the removal rates varied from 75% to 81% for COD, 35% to 41% for TN, 31% to 39% for NH4-N, 30% to 34% for NO3-N, and 41% to 48% for TP. The average gas production rates were 6.72 L/d and 7.26 L/d for the first and second rounds of operations, respectively. The gas production rate increased in the second round of operations as a result of applied effluent recycling. The best removal efficiency was obtained for an optimum HRT of three days, a temperature of 30℃, and an effluent recycling ratio of 2:1. The results show that the removal efficiency of the AF reactor was affected by HRT, temperature, and effluent recycling.展开更多
Wasting has been observed as a common feature of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease since the first reports and its presence increases the risk of death. There is no consensus on how to manage wasting asso...Wasting has been observed as a common feature of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease since the first reports and its presence increases the risk of death. There is no consensus on how to manage wasting associated with HIV. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a locally made Chickpea Sesame Based RUTF (CS-RUTF) in treating wasting associated with HIV in developing countries. Chronically sick adults from Mangochi Health District (Malawi) with wasting and confirmed or presumptive clinical diagnosis of HIV were recruited for the study. Subjects received a daily ration of 500 grams of CS-RUTF for 3 to 5 months. Nutrition status changes and mortality were used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. There were 3 patterns of anthropometric responses continuous weight gain (WG), static weight (SW) and continuation weight loss (WL). The distribution of the 3 patterns is 53.9% (82/154) for the WG pattern, 9.1% (14/154) for the SW pattern and 37.0% (57/154) for the WL pattern. For the WG pattern, the overall median weight gain was 4.6 (2.4 to 7.1) kg. It was 5.7 (3.5 to 7.8) kg for those who completed 3 months of sup-plementation. MUAC and BMI changes followed similar pattern than weight change. Not being on HAART, acute diarrhoea during follow up, episode of reduced appetite during follow up, missing at least one visit were identified as risk factors for intervention failure. Overall, 38.5% (72/187) of study participants died during the intervention. In conclusion, despite that the study confirms the limited impact of food based interventions on mortality among wasted HIV positive individuals, it also suggests that supplementation with CS-RUTF may be an effective intervention for reversing wasting associated with HIV if combined with HAART and specific treatment of severe opportunistic infection causing diarrhoea and reducing appetite.展开更多
In this paper, the performance of a waste rock transportation process in an open pit mine was assessed by using cycle time data. A computerized truck-excavator dispatch system was used to record the cycle times. The p...In this paper, the performance of a waste rock transportation process in an open pit mine was assessed by using cycle time data. A computerized truck-excavator dispatch system was used to record the cycle times. The process was broken into seven steps (or components of the total cycle), durations of which were recorded for a period of 1 month, leading to N = 60,690 data points or dispatches. The open pit mine studied consisted of 12 waste types loaded by 14 excavators and hauled by 49 trucks (at a trucks-to-excavator ratio of 3.5:1) in 75 changing locations. The string-type data was coded using integers to allow a FORTRAN code to extract process performance parameters using statistical analysis. The study established a wide range of parameters including: the waste material generation rate (about 1.73 million t/month, 81% comprising waste rock), truck fill factor, f, total cycle time (Tct), production capacity, theoretical cycle time, non-productive cycle time Tnp, and cycle time performance ratio (CTPR), denoted as Tpr. The factors affecting the process performance include: truck model, excavator model, location (haul distance and road conditions) and material type. For a fixed material type and tonnage, the PDFs of the cycle time components were logarithmic in nature, capable of differentiating performance variations under different factors. It was concluded that the performance of the waste material transportation system in this mine was determined to be acceptable due to mean value of Tpr = 2.432 being closer to unity. Reduction measures were suggested to minimize the cycle time for the process bottlenecks determined from Pareto analysis (that is, full haul, empty haul and loading processes).展开更多
A hydrogen liquefaction concept with an innovative configuration and a capacity of 4 kg·s^(-1)(345.6 t·d^(-1))is developed.The concept involves an ammonia absorption refrigeration system for the pre-cooling ...A hydrogen liquefaction concept with an innovative configuration and a capacity of 4 kg·s^(-1)(345.6 t·d^(-1))is developed.The concept involves an ammonia absorption refrigeration system for the pre-cooling of hydrogen and MR streams from 25℃ to-30℃.The ammonia absorption refrigeration system is fed by exhaust gases of the Pa rand gas power plant that are normally dissipated to the environment with a temperature of 546℃.The simulation is performed by Aspen HYSYS V9.0,using two separate equations of state for simulating hydrogen and MR streams to gain more accurate results especially for ortho-para conversion.Results show that conversion enthalpy estimated by Aspen HYSYS,fits very well to the experimental data.Determining the important independent variables and composition of MRs are done using trial and error procedure,a functional and straightforward method for complicated systems.The minimum temperature limit in the cooling section is lowered,and an ortho-para converter is implemented in this section.The proposed concept performs well from energy aspects and leads to COP and SEC equal to 0.271 and 4.54 kW·h·kg^(-1),respectively.The main advantage of this study is in the low SEC,eliminating the losses of the distribution network,and improving the ability of the hydrogen liquefaction for energy storage in off-peak times.展开更多
In this study,the feasibility of producing eco-friendly bricks by using geopolymer technology and a waste grinding wheel(WGW)from the grinding wheel industries was investigated.Nowadays,in order to meet industrial nee...In this study,the feasibility of producing eco-friendly bricks by using geopolymer technology and a waste grinding wheel(WGW)from the grinding wheel industries was investigated.Nowadays,in order to meet industrial needs,for instance,in Taiwan,approximately 500,000 grinding wheels are used annually.That is,a large number of“waste”grinding wheels are produced.Furthermore,few studies have been conducted on the use of WGWs as raw materials in geopolymer applications.The use of geopolymer technology to form bricks can avoid the utilization of clay and cement and even prevent the use of a high-temperature process in kilns.Moreover,it can decrease CO_(2) emission and energy consumption and thus,protect the environment.In this study,the following three major factors were considered:press-forming pressure(70 and 100 kgf/cm2),NaOH molar concentration(2 and 4M),and the ratio of binder fineaggregate(1:3,1:4,and 1:5).Under these conditions,the specimens were tested using the compressive strength test,water absorption test,microstructure analysis,a freezing–thawing test and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test.The optimal formulation was composed of 1:4 binder fine-aggregate ratio,4M NaOH concentration,and 100-kgf/cm2 pressure.Furthermore,we used a WGW and achieved a compressive strength of 50.6 MPa after 28 days,which was greater than 32 MPa and conformed to the Grade A brick standard of National Standards of the Republic of China(13295).In conclusion,this brick fabrication method based on geopolymer technology was not only beneficial to the environment but also improved the efficiency of reutilizing WGW.展开更多
Experiments were conducted to study the performance characters of aerobic/anoxic (A/ A) digestion of sludge at 30± 1 ℃, while the sludge retention time (SRT) was kept 16 d. The varia tions of oxidation redu...Experiments were conducted to study the performance characters of aerobic/anoxic (A/ A) digestion of sludge at 30± 1 ℃, while the sludge retention time (SRT) was kept 16 d. The varia tions of oxidation reduction potential (Eh ) and pH were continuously monitored during the A/A di gestion and the conversions of ammonium and nitrate were investigated. Important features on both Eh and pH profiles were identified to develop process control strategy. Since the feature point on Eh profile where d2 Eh/dt^2 =0 is very stable during anoxic cycle, it can be used to determine the end of denitrification. The end of nitrification can be identified according to dpH/dt = 0. A real-time control strategy of A/A digestion of sludge was developed and tested with pH and Eh as control parameters. It is shown that the performance of the real-time control strategy is better than that of a fixed time control strategy. While the real time controlled A/A digestion system can achieve a similar volatile suspended solids (VSS) destruction efficiency of 35.2 % as a continuously aerated system, it im proves the supernatant quality in a shorter aeration time(7. 75 d for a 20 d period).展开更多
Temperature profiles and cycle times in a large-scale medical waste incinerator installed in a referral hospital were used to assess the performance and functionality of incinerator. The study was conducted using data...Temperature profiles and cycle times in a large-scale medical waste incinerator installed in a referral hospital were used to assess the performance and functionality of incinerator. The study was conducted using data collected from 8 cycles per days for 67 days. For proper combustion and destruction of toxic components in the primary chamber and destruction of pollutants and toxic components in the flue gas, it is desired to reach the maximum temperature in the chambers faster and maintain this maximum temperature for an extended time interval. The primary and secondary temperatures T1 and T2, respectively, were recorded at an interval of one minute for different cycles. Different amounts of wastes with varying proportions of sharps and other wastes were loaded into the incinerator and temperature profiles recorded. The analysis shows that the incinerator works at primary temperature less than the required recommended by manufacturer while the secondary chamber operates between 600 and above 950℃, although higher temperatures up to 1020℃ were observed. The average load preparation time was observed to be 14.6 minutes, while the chamber preheating time before daily initial loading was 25.45 minutes. Both temperature profiles were observed to have similar shapes for all combustion cycles studied, except when incinerator malfunctioning occurred. The average cycle time was established to be 32.7 minutes and 28.97 minutes based on time to drop to 550℃ after the maximum temperature and loading time intervals, respectively, although longer cycle times were observed. Temperature drop in both combustion chambers as a result of waste charging was observed in the interval of 5 minutes. The chamber heating rate was observed to decrease exponentially with time during both preheating and incineration operation.展开更多
The collected tungsten carbide/cobalt scrapped waste typically contains approximately 90% tungsten carbide and 10% cobalt.A nitric method is used to extract tungsten and cobalt from tungsten-containing waste.The waste...The collected tungsten carbide/cobalt scrapped waste typically contains approximately 90% tungsten carbide and 10% cobalt.A nitric method is used to extract tungsten and cobalt from tungsten-containing waste.The waste is first dissolved in nitric acid,which then makes cobalt soluble and becomes cobalt nitrate solution.The waste also oxidizes tungsten carbide to insoluble tungstenic acid precipitate.If tungsten carbide scraps are obtained from leftover of LCD glass cutting,after applying the same process as above,the remaining glass also needs to be separated from the tungstenic acid.XRF analysis shows that 93.8% of cobalt and 97.72% of tungsten can be obtained separately by this wet chemical method.By ICP analysis,no more tungsten ion remains after 2 h reaction in the cobalt recovery when 12 N of nitric acid is used for oxidation.The recovery materials obtained for tungsten are tungsten oxide and for cobalt a mixture of Co3O4 and CoO.展开更多
Residence time of deep groundwater is one of the most important parameters in safety and performance assessment for high-level radioactive waste geological disposal. In this study, we collected the deep groundwater sa...Residence time of deep groundwater is one of the most important parameters in safety and performance assessment for high-level radioactive waste geological disposal. In this study, we collected the deep groundwater samples of Jijicao in Gansu Beishan pre-selected region. The deep groundwater residence time at two depths estimated by Helium-4 accumulation method were 3.8 ka and 5.0 ka respectively upon measurement and calculation, which indicates that the deep groundwater is not derived from the deep crust circulation process. Hence, deep groundwater is featured with long residence time as well as slow circulation and update rate, and such features are conductive to the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste.展开更多
文摘The dramatic rise in the number of people living in cities has made many environmental and social problems worse.The search for a productive method for disposing of solid waste is the most notable of these problems.Many scholars have referred to it as a fuzzy multi-attribute or multi-criteria decision-making problem using various fuzzy set-like approaches because of the inclusion of criteria and anticipated ambiguity.The goal of the current study is to use an innovative methodology to address the expected uncertainties in the problem of solid waste site selection.The characteristics(or sub-attributes)that decision-makers select and the degree of approximation they accept for various options can both be indicators of these uncertainties.To tackle these problems,a novel mathematical structure known as the fuzzy parameterized possibility single valued neutrosophic hypersoft expert set(ρˆ-set),which is initially described,is integrated with a modified version of Sanchez’s method.Following this,an intelligent algorithm is suggested.The steps of the suggested algorithm are explained with an example that explains itself.The compatibility of solid waste management sites and systems is discussed,and rankings are established along with detailed justifications for their viability.This study’s strengths lie in its application of fuzzy parameterization and possibility grading to effectively handle the uncertainties embodied in the parameters’nature and alternative approximations,respectively.It uses specific mathematical formulations to compute the fuzzy parameterized degrees and possibility grades that are missing from the prior literature.It is simpler for the decisionmakers to look at each option separately because the decision is uncertain.Comparing the computed results,it is discovered that they are consistent and dependable because of their preferred properties.
文摘BACKGROUND Meniscal tears are one of the most common knee injuries.After the diagnosis of a meniscal tear has been made,there are several factors physicians use to guide clinical decision-making.The influence of time between injury and isolated meniscus repair on patient outcomes is not well described.Assessing this relationship is important as it may influence clinical decision-making and can add to the preoperative patient education process.We hypothesized that increasing the time from injury to meniscus surgery would worsen postoperative outcomes.AIM To investigate the current literature for data on the relationship between time between meniscus injury and repair on patient outcomes.METHODS PubMed,Academic Search Complete,MEDLINE,CINAHL,and SPORTDiscus were searched for studies published between January 1,1995 and July 13,2023 on isolated meniscus repair.Exclusion criteria included concomitant ligament surgery,incomplete outcomes or time to surgery data,and meniscectomies.Patient demographics,time to injury,and postoperative outcomes from each study were abstracted and analyzed.RESULTS Five studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria.There were 204(121 male,83 female)patients included.Three of five(60%)studies determined that time between injury and surgery was not statistically significant for postoperative Lysholm scores(P=0.62),Tegner scores(P=0.46),failure rate(P=0.45,P=0.86),and International Knee Documentation Committee scores(P=0.65).Two of five(40%)studies found a statistically significant increase in Lysholm scores with shorter time to surgery(P=0.03)and a statistically significant association between progression of medial meniscus extrusion ratio(P=0.01)and increasing time to surgery.CONCLUSION Our results do not support the hypothesis that increased time from injury to isolated meniscus surgery worsens postoperative outcomes.Decision-making primarily based on injury interval is thus not recommended.
基金supported by the National Key Research&Development Program of China,Nos.2021YFC2501205(to YC),2022YFC24069004(to JL)the STI2030-Major Project,Nos.2021ZD0201101(to YC),2022ZD0211800(to YH)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Major International Joint Research Project),No.82020108013(to YH)the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion,No.M-0759(to YH)a grant from Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission(Beijing Brain Initiative),No.Z201100005520018(to JL)。
文摘Several promising plasma biomarker proteins,such as amyloid-β(Aβ),tau,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein,are widely used for the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.However,little is known about the long-term stability of these biomarker proteins in plasma samples stored at-80°C.We aimed to explore how storage time would affect the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers using a large cohort.Plasma samples from 229 cognitively unimpaired individuals,encompassing healthy controls and those experiencing subjective cognitive decline,as well as 99 patients with cognitive impairment,comprising those with mild cognitive impairment and dementia,were acquired from the Sino Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Decline project.These samples were stored at-80°C for up to 6 years before being used in this study.Our results showed that plasma levels of Aβ42,Aβ40,neurofilament light chain,and glial fibrillary acidic protein were not significantly correlated with sample storage time.However,the level of total tau showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.Notably,in individuals without cognitive impairment,plasma levels of total protein and tau phosphorylated protein threonine 181(p-tau181)also showed a negative correlation with sample storage time.This was not observed in individuals with cognitive impairment.Consequently,we speculate that the diagnostic accuracy of plasma p-tau181 and the p-tau181 to total tau ratio may be influenced by sample storage time.Therefore,caution is advised when using these plasma biomarkers for the identification of neurodegenerative diseases,such as Alzheimer's disease.Furthermore,in cohort studies,it is important to consider the impact of storage time on the overall results.
基金project supported by the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (2005C13003).
文摘Objective To examine the effect of hydraulic residence time (HRT) on the performance and stability, to treat dilute wastewater at different operational temperatures in a carrier anaerobic baffled reactor (CABR), and hence to gain a deeper insight into microbial responses to hydraulic shocks on the base of the relationships among macroscopic performance, catabolic intermediate, and microcosmic alternation. Methods COD, VFAs, and microbial activity were detected with constant feed strength (300 mg/L) at different HRTs (9-18 h) and temperatures (10℃-28℃) in a CABR. Results The removal efficiencies declined with the decreases of HRTs and temperatures. However, the COD removal load was still higher at short HRT than at long HRT. Devastating reactor performance happened at temperature of 10℃ and at HRT of 9 h. HRTs had effect on the VFAs in the reactor slightly both at high and low temperatures, but the reasons differed from each other. Microbial activity was sensitive to indicate changes of environmental and operational parameters in the reactor. Conclusion The CABR offers to certain extent an application to treat dilute wastewater under a hydraulic-shock at temperatures from 10℃to 28℃.
文摘A detailed assessment of an incinerator based on fuel consumption and cycle time data is presented in this paper. The study was conducted at Temeke district hospital for 22 months consecutively covering 654 days of daily data collection on fuel consumption and cycle times. The composition for the medical waste incinerated varied between 15% and 35% for sharps waste and between 65% and 85% for other waste, with mean values of 25% and 75%, respectively. The results revealed poor performance of the incinerator due to higher fuel consumption (above 30 L/cycle). The incineration cycle times were observed to range between 2 and 4 hours, all of which were too high for the loading rates observed (55 - 214 kg). A strong dependency of diesel oil consumption on cycle time was observed due to lack of temperature control leading to continuous fuel flow into the burners. The incineration capacity was very low compared to other incinerators in terms of tons per year. This paper gives an insight on the factors affecting incinerator performance assessed based on diesel oil consumption and cycle times. It can be generalized that the incinerator performance was poor due to several factors ranging from poor incinerator design, operator skills, waste management practices, waste storage practices, etc. The hospital was advised to install a new incinerator with short incineration cycle time (30 - 40 minutes) and lower fuel consumption (10 L/cycle) at a loading rate of 200 kg/cycle.
文摘An old automotive industrial site located at Mexico City with many years of operation and contaminated with heavy oil hydrocarbons, particularly spent oils, was assessed for restoration using the surfactant enhanced soil washing (SESW) process. The main goal of this study was to characterize the contaminated soil in terms of TPHs, BTEX, PAHs, and metals contents as well as microbiologically (total heterotrophs and specific degrading microorganisms). We also aimed to determine the surfactant type and concentration to be used in the SESW process for the automotive waste oil contaminated soil. At the end, sixteen kg of contaminated soil were washed and the produced wastewater (approximately 40 L) was characterized in terms of COD, BOD;solids, and other physico-chemical parameters. The soil contained about 14,000 mg of TPH/kg soil (heavy fraction), 0.13 mg/kg of benzo (k) fluoranthene and 0.07 mg/kg of benzo (a) pyrene as well as traces of some metals. Metals concentrations were always under the maximum concentration levels suggested by Mexican regulations. 15 different surfactants were used to identify the one with the capability to achieve the highest TPH removal. Surfactants included 5 anionics, 2 zwitterionic, 5 nonionics and 3 natural gums. Sulfopon 30 at a concentration of 0.5% offered the best surfactant performance. The TPH removals employing the different surfactants were in the range from 38% to 68%, in comparison to the soil washing with water (10% of TPH removal). Once the surfactant was selected, 70 kg of soil were washed and the resulting water contained approximately 1300 mg/L of COD, 385 mg/L of BOD (BOD/COD = 0.29), 122 mg/L of MBAS, and 212 mg/L of oil and greases, among other contaminants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51078074)the Key Project of the Chinese Ministry of Education(Grant No.308010)
文摘With rural population expansion and improvement of the socio-economic standard of living, treatment of rural domestic wastewater has rapidly become a major aspect of environmental concern. Selection of a suitable method for treatment of rural domestic wastewater depends on its efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. This study investigated the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT), temperature, and effluent recycling on the treatment efficiency of an anaerobic filter (AF) reactor. The first round of experimental operations was run for three months with HRTs of one, two, and three days, temperatures of 18℃, 21℃, and 24℃, and no effluent recycling. The second round of experimental operations was conducted for another three months with HRTs of three and four days; temperatures of 30.67℃, 30.57℃, and 26.91 ℃ ; and three effluent recycling ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1. The first round of operations showed removal rates of 32% to 44% for COD, 30% to 35% for TN, 32% to 36% for NH4-N, 19% to 23% for NO3-N, and 12% to 22% for TE In the second round of operations, the removal rates varied from 75% to 81% for COD, 35% to 41% for TN, 31% to 39% for NH4-N, 30% to 34% for NO3-N, and 41% to 48% for TP. The average gas production rates were 6.72 L/d and 7.26 L/d for the first and second rounds of operations, respectively. The gas production rate increased in the second round of operations as a result of applied effluent recycling. The best removal efficiency was obtained for an optimum HRT of three days, a temperature of 30℃, and an effluent recycling ratio of 2:1. The results show that the removal efficiency of the AF reactor was affected by HRT, temperature, and effluent recycling.
文摘Wasting has been observed as a common feature of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease since the first reports and its presence increases the risk of death. There is no consensus on how to manage wasting associated with HIV. The goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a locally made Chickpea Sesame Based RUTF (CS-RUTF) in treating wasting associated with HIV in developing countries. Chronically sick adults from Mangochi Health District (Malawi) with wasting and confirmed or presumptive clinical diagnosis of HIV were recruited for the study. Subjects received a daily ration of 500 grams of CS-RUTF for 3 to 5 months. Nutrition status changes and mortality were used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. There were 3 patterns of anthropometric responses continuous weight gain (WG), static weight (SW) and continuation weight loss (WL). The distribution of the 3 patterns is 53.9% (82/154) for the WG pattern, 9.1% (14/154) for the SW pattern and 37.0% (57/154) for the WL pattern. For the WG pattern, the overall median weight gain was 4.6 (2.4 to 7.1) kg. It was 5.7 (3.5 to 7.8) kg for those who completed 3 months of sup-plementation. MUAC and BMI changes followed similar pattern than weight change. Not being on HAART, acute diarrhoea during follow up, episode of reduced appetite during follow up, missing at least one visit were identified as risk factors for intervention failure. Overall, 38.5% (72/187) of study participants died during the intervention. In conclusion, despite that the study confirms the limited impact of food based interventions on mortality among wasted HIV positive individuals, it also suggests that supplementation with CS-RUTF may be an effective intervention for reversing wasting associated with HIV if combined with HAART and specific treatment of severe opportunistic infection causing diarrhoea and reducing appetite.
文摘In this paper, the performance of a waste rock transportation process in an open pit mine was assessed by using cycle time data. A computerized truck-excavator dispatch system was used to record the cycle times. The process was broken into seven steps (or components of the total cycle), durations of which were recorded for a period of 1 month, leading to N = 60,690 data points or dispatches. The open pit mine studied consisted of 12 waste types loaded by 14 excavators and hauled by 49 trucks (at a trucks-to-excavator ratio of 3.5:1) in 75 changing locations. The string-type data was coded using integers to allow a FORTRAN code to extract process performance parameters using statistical analysis. The study established a wide range of parameters including: the waste material generation rate (about 1.73 million t/month, 81% comprising waste rock), truck fill factor, f, total cycle time (Tct), production capacity, theoretical cycle time, non-productive cycle time Tnp, and cycle time performance ratio (CTPR), denoted as Tpr. The factors affecting the process performance include: truck model, excavator model, location (haul distance and road conditions) and material type. For a fixed material type and tonnage, the PDFs of the cycle time components were logarithmic in nature, capable of differentiating performance variations under different factors. It was concluded that the performance of the waste material transportation system in this mine was determined to be acceptable due to mean value of Tpr = 2.432 being closer to unity. Reduction measures were suggested to minimize the cycle time for the process bottlenecks determined from Pareto analysis (that is, full haul, empty haul and loading processes).
文摘A hydrogen liquefaction concept with an innovative configuration and a capacity of 4 kg·s^(-1)(345.6 t·d^(-1))is developed.The concept involves an ammonia absorption refrigeration system for the pre-cooling of hydrogen and MR streams from 25℃ to-30℃.The ammonia absorption refrigeration system is fed by exhaust gases of the Pa rand gas power plant that are normally dissipated to the environment with a temperature of 546℃.The simulation is performed by Aspen HYSYS V9.0,using two separate equations of state for simulating hydrogen and MR streams to gain more accurate results especially for ortho-para conversion.Results show that conversion enthalpy estimated by Aspen HYSYS,fits very well to the experimental data.Determining the important independent variables and composition of MRs are done using trial and error procedure,a functional and straightforward method for complicated systems.The minimum temperature limit in the cooling section is lowered,and an ortho-para converter is implemented in this section.The proposed concept performs well from energy aspects and leads to COP and SEC equal to 0.271 and 4.54 kW·h·kg^(-1),respectively.The main advantage of this study is in the low SEC,eliminating the losses of the distribution network,and improving the ability of the hydrogen liquefaction for energy storage in off-peak times.
文摘In this study,the feasibility of producing eco-friendly bricks by using geopolymer technology and a waste grinding wheel(WGW)from the grinding wheel industries was investigated.Nowadays,in order to meet industrial needs,for instance,in Taiwan,approximately 500,000 grinding wheels are used annually.That is,a large number of“waste”grinding wheels are produced.Furthermore,few studies have been conducted on the use of WGWs as raw materials in geopolymer applications.The use of geopolymer technology to form bricks can avoid the utilization of clay and cement and even prevent the use of a high-temperature process in kilns.Moreover,it can decrease CO_(2) emission and energy consumption and thus,protect the environment.In this study,the following three major factors were considered:press-forming pressure(70 and 100 kgf/cm2),NaOH molar concentration(2 and 4M),and the ratio of binder fineaggregate(1:3,1:4,and 1:5).Under these conditions,the specimens were tested using the compressive strength test,water absorption test,microstructure analysis,a freezing–thawing test and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test.The optimal formulation was composed of 1:4 binder fine-aggregate ratio,4M NaOH concentration,and 100-kgf/cm2 pressure.Furthermore,we used a WGW and achieved a compressive strength of 50.6 MPa after 28 days,which was greater than 32 MPa and conformed to the Grade A brick standard of National Standards of the Republic of China(13295).In conclusion,this brick fabrication method based on geopolymer technology was not only beneficial to the environment but also improved the efficiency of reutilizing WGW.
基金Supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China("863"Program)(2006AA06Z319)the National Key Technology R&D Programof the 11th Five-Year Plan China(2007BAK36B07)the Research Foundation for Youth Scholars of Beijing Technology and Business University(QNJJ-28)
文摘Experiments were conducted to study the performance characters of aerobic/anoxic (A/ A) digestion of sludge at 30± 1 ℃, while the sludge retention time (SRT) was kept 16 d. The varia tions of oxidation reduction potential (Eh ) and pH were continuously monitored during the A/A di gestion and the conversions of ammonium and nitrate were investigated. Important features on both Eh and pH profiles were identified to develop process control strategy. Since the feature point on Eh profile where d2 Eh/dt^2 =0 is very stable during anoxic cycle, it can be used to determine the end of denitrification. The end of nitrification can be identified according to dpH/dt = 0. A real-time control strategy of A/A digestion of sludge was developed and tested with pH and Eh as control parameters. It is shown that the performance of the real-time control strategy is better than that of a fixed time control strategy. While the real time controlled A/A digestion system can achieve a similar volatile suspended solids (VSS) destruction efficiency of 35.2 % as a continuously aerated system, it im proves the supernatant quality in a shorter aeration time(7. 75 d for a 20 d period).
文摘Temperature profiles and cycle times in a large-scale medical waste incinerator installed in a referral hospital were used to assess the performance and functionality of incinerator. The study was conducted using data collected from 8 cycles per days for 67 days. For proper combustion and destruction of toxic components in the primary chamber and destruction of pollutants and toxic components in the flue gas, it is desired to reach the maximum temperature in the chambers faster and maintain this maximum temperature for an extended time interval. The primary and secondary temperatures T1 and T2, respectively, were recorded at an interval of one minute for different cycles. Different amounts of wastes with varying proportions of sharps and other wastes were loaded into the incinerator and temperature profiles recorded. The analysis shows that the incinerator works at primary temperature less than the required recommended by manufacturer while the secondary chamber operates between 600 and above 950℃, although higher temperatures up to 1020℃ were observed. The average load preparation time was observed to be 14.6 minutes, while the chamber preheating time before daily initial loading was 25.45 minutes. Both temperature profiles were observed to have similar shapes for all combustion cycles studied, except when incinerator malfunctioning occurred. The average cycle time was established to be 32.7 minutes and 28.97 minutes based on time to drop to 550℃ after the maximum temperature and loading time intervals, respectively, although longer cycle times were observed. Temperature drop in both combustion chambers as a result of waste charging was observed in the interval of 5 minutes. The chamber heating rate was observed to decrease exponentially with time during both preheating and incineration operation.
基金Supported by the project of National Science Council in Taiwan(No.:NSC-95-2622-E-159)
文摘The collected tungsten carbide/cobalt scrapped waste typically contains approximately 90% tungsten carbide and 10% cobalt.A nitric method is used to extract tungsten and cobalt from tungsten-containing waste.The waste is first dissolved in nitric acid,which then makes cobalt soluble and becomes cobalt nitrate solution.The waste also oxidizes tungsten carbide to insoluble tungstenic acid precipitate.If tungsten carbide scraps are obtained from leftover of LCD glass cutting,after applying the same process as above,the remaining glass also needs to be separated from the tungstenic acid.XRF analysis shows that 93.8% of cobalt and 97.72% of tungsten can be obtained separately by this wet chemical method.By ICP analysis,no more tungsten ion remains after 2 h reaction in the cobalt recovery when 12 N of nitric acid is used for oxidation.The recovery materials obtained for tungsten are tungsten oxide and for cobalt a mixture of Co3O4 and CoO.
基金sponsored by decommissioning of nuclear installations and radioactive waste treatment special project (K.G.E.S, No.(2014)305)
文摘Residence time of deep groundwater is one of the most important parameters in safety and performance assessment for high-level radioactive waste geological disposal. In this study, we collected the deep groundwater samples of Jijicao in Gansu Beishan pre-selected region. The deep groundwater residence time at two depths estimated by Helium-4 accumulation method were 3.8 ka and 5.0 ka respectively upon measurement and calculation, which indicates that the deep groundwater is not derived from the deep crust circulation process. Hence, deep groundwater is featured with long residence time as well as slow circulation and update rate, and such features are conductive to the safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste.