Guzmanfranco5511

This work reports on efforts to develop an integrated continuous forward osmosis system for the recovery of water from wastewater streams, highlighting critical process parameters to minimize energy consumption. Forward osmosis experiments were performed using NaCl draw solutions of various concentrations and the intrinsic membrane parameters (water permeability, draw solution permeability, and structural parameter) were then determined via nonlinear regression using MATLAB. The experimental data were then used to validate a theoretical water flux model, which was subsequently applied to simulate the forward osmosis performance under different hydrodynamic conditions using both NaCl and TMA-CO2-H2O (TMA trimethylamine) draw solutions. Analysis of the energy efficiency of the TMA-CO2 draw solution regeneration stage revealed that the draw solution flow rate has a significant impact on energy consumption. Also, increasing the feed flow rate was found to slightly enhance the water flux up to 2.5%, while having a negligible impact on the downstream regeneration process energy consumption.The history of water supply and wastewater engineering in Crete Island (Greece) dates back more than ca 4,500 years, since the early Bronze Ages. In the Minoan era, it was recognized that the removal of wastewater and storm-water were necessary for communal living. The early Minoan developments in wastewater and storm-water collection and removal are the cornerstones on which modern cities are built. The evolution of wastewater and storm-water management from prehistoric to modern times in Crete is examined briefly in this paper. Information on the current status and future strategies for wastewater and storm-water management is also presented.Micropatterned nanoporous aluminum oxide arrays are prepared on silicon wafer substrates by using photopolymerized poly(dimethylacrylamide) hydrogels as porogenic matrices. Hydrogel micropatterns are fabricated by spreading the prepolymer mixture on the substrate, followed by UV photopolymerization through a micropatterned mask. The hydrogel is covalently bonded to the substrate surface. Al2O3 is produced by swelling the hydrogel in a saturated aluminum nitrate solution and subsequent thermal conversion/calcination. As a result, micropatterned porous Al2O3 microdots with heights in µm range and large specific surface areas up to 274 m2 g-1 are obtained. Hence, the hydrogel fulfills a dual templating function, namely micropatterning and nanoporosity generation. The impact of varying the photopolymerization time on the properties of the products is studied. Samples are characterized by light and confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectrometry, and Kr physisorption analysis.We first proposed the concept of in situ in vivo bioprinting in order to address the existing deficiencies in conventional bioprinting. Selleckchem AS101 Herein we verified this concept taking the case of the treatment for gastric wall injury and presented this work as a preliminary step towards a new method in the field of bioprinting. In this study, a micro bioprinting platform which can be installed to an endoscope was developed to enter the human body and process bioprinting. Printed circuit micro-electro-mechanical-system techniques were used in the design and fabrication of the platform. Control system with high accuracy was developed and performance tests were carried out to verify the feasibility of the platform. The 2-layer tissue scaffolds were printed in a stomach model. Gelatin-alginate hydrogels with human gastric epithelial cells and human gastric smooth muscle cells were used as bioinks to mimic the anatomical structure of a stomach. A 10 d cell culture showed that printed cells remained a high viability and a steady proliferation, which indicated good biological function of cells in printed tissue scaffolds. This work presents an innovative advance not only in the field of bioprinting but also in the clinical sciences.

It is accepted that changes in the peripheral pulse waveform characteristics occur with ageing. Pulse risetime is one important feature which has clinical value. However, it is unclear how it varies across the full age spectrum from child to senior and for different peripheral measurement sites. The objectives of this study were to determine the association between age and pulse risetime characteristics over an 8-decade age range at the ears, fingers, and toes, and to consider effects arising from differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP), height and heart rate.

Multi-site photoplethysmography (MPPG) pulse waveforms were recorded non-invasively from the right and left ears, fingers, and toes of 304 normal healthy human subjects (range 6-87 years; 156 male and 148 female). SBP, height, and heart rate were also measured. Multi-site PPG pulse risetimes, and their site differences, were determined.

Univariate regression analysis showed positive correlations with risetime for age (ears, fingers and toes + 0.8, + 1.9, and + 1.1 ms/year, respectively), SBP (+0.5, + 1.3, and + 0.9 ms/mmHg) and height (+0.5, + 1.2, and + 1.0 ms/cm), but with a clear inverse association with heart rate (-1.8, - 2.5, and - 1.6 ms min) (P < 0.0001). No significant differences between male and female subjects were found for pulse risetime.

Normative multi-site PPG risetime characteristics have been defined in over 300 subjects and are shown to increase with age linearly up to the 8th decade. In contrast, we have shown that heart rate has a clear inverse relationship with risetime for all measurement sites.

Normative multi-site PPG risetime characteristics have been defined in over 300 subjects and are shown to increase with age linearly up to the 8th decade. In contrast, we have shown that heart rate has a clear inverse relationship with risetime for all measurement sites.

The impedance cardiogram (ICG) is a non-invasive sensing modality for assessing the mechanical aspects of cardiac function, but is sensitive to artifacts from respiration, speaking, motion, and electrode displacement. Electrocardiogram (ECG)-synchronized ensemble averaging of ICG (conventional ensemble averaging method) partially mitigates these disturbances, as artifacts from intra-subject variability (ISVar) of ICG morphology and event latency remain. This paper describes an automated algorithm for removing noisy beats for improved artifact suppression in ensemble-averaged (EA) ICG beats.

Synchronized ECG and ICG signals from 144 male subjects at rest in different psychological conditions were recorded. A 'three-stage EA ICG beat' was formed by passing 60-seconds non-overlapping ECG-synchronized ICG signals through three filtering stages. The amplitude filtering stage removed spikes/noisy beats with amplitudes outside of normal physiological ranges. Cross-correlation was applied to remove noisy beats in coarse and fine filtering stages.