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Linear and calix[4]arene based star-shaped poly-2-ethyl-2-oxazines have been explored in saline solutions at NaCl concentration of 0.0050 g cm−3. The calix[4]arene core promotes an aggregation in solutions of the star-shaped polymer and a decrease in its phase separation temperature. Poly-2-ethyl-2-oxazine is more sensitive to the presence of NaCl in solution than the known poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazolines.

Carcass chilling in subzero saline solutions has the potential to improve chilling efficiency and meat quality. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of subzero saline chilling on broiler carcass for chilling efficiency and breast tenderness. Broiler carcasses were chilled using 2 high saline solutions (4% NaCl/-2.41°C and 8% NaCl/-5.08°C) without (Experiment I) and with (Experiment II) a pre-chilling step, and 3 low saline solutions (1% NaCl/-0.6°C, 2% NaCl/-1.2°C, and 3% NaCl/-1.8°C) in Experiment III. Ice water slurry (0% NaCl/0.5°C) was used as a control. In Experiments I and II, the breast fillets of broilers in subzero saline solutions showed significantly lower shear forces than those in water control, regardless of salt content and temperature level (P < 0.05). In Experiment III, 3% NaCl/-1.8°C solution reduced the broiler chilling time by 22% over the water control, with an intermediated reduction (13 to 17%) observed for 1% NaCl/-0.6°C and 2% NaCl/-1.2°C solutions. Shear force was stepwise reduced as the salt concentration increased from 0 to 3% and the solution temperature decreased from 0.5 to -1.8°C. No significant difference was observed for carcass chilling yield, breast pH/R-value, and breast cooking yield/salt content, regardless of chilling method. Based on these results, chilling of boiler carcass in 3% NaCl/-1.8°C or higher NaCl and lower temperature solutions appears to improve carcass chilling efficiency and meat tenderness over the traditional water immersion chilling.

Salinity gradients are a non-conventional source of renewable energy based on the recovery of the Gibbs free energy related to the mixing of solutions at different concentrations. Reverse Electrodialysis is a promising and innovative technology able to convert this energy directly into electric current. The worldwide availability of salinity gradients is limited to those locations where water bodies at different salinity levels are present. The present work analyses a number of different scenarios worldwide, in locations where salinity gradients are naturally available or generated by anthropogenic activities. A techno-economic model of the Reverse Electrodialysis process is presented. The model is used to evaluate the energy that can be harvested in each real scenario using a reverse electrodialysis plant and relevant results are reported in terms of power densities and energy yields. Finally, an economic analysis based on the estimation of the Levelized Cost Of Electricity (LCOE) for each scenario is presented, and perspective considerations are reported. Results suggest that competitive values of LCOE may be achieved in some scenarios.

This work focuses on obtaining superhydrophobic surfaces on an aluminium-magnesium substrate for industrial use in a simple and relatively inexpensive way. For this purpose, texturing techniques have been used by sanding with paper, sandblasting with abrasives and hydrophobization by cathodic electrodeposition and immersion in cerium saline solutions. For the determination of superhydrofobicity, the sliding angle, advance and receding angle, number of bounces and determination of surface morphology have been measured. Both cathodic electrodeposition and immersion techniques have been used to obtain superhydrofobicity on the surface. Sliding angles up to 0 ° have been obtained and advancing angles higher than 150 °.

The phase equilibria of H2O CO2 NaCl systems is of general interest to many scientific disciplines and technical fields. One aspect is the CO2-mediated corrosion of oil country tubular goods in deep saline aquifers. In this study, CO2 solubility experiments were conducted in simulated oil and gas well environments using a novel experimental apparatus and method. The solubility of CO2 in deionised water and NaCl solutions was measured at temperatures of 303.15–363.15 K and pressures of 50–250 bar. The impacts of temperature, pressure and salinity on CO2 solubility are analysed quantitatively and qualitatively and are consistent with published data. CO2 solubility increases with pressure in all cases, and pressure inhibits the effect of temperature on CO2 solubility to some extent. An interesting phenomenon is that CO2 solubility increases with pressure much faster at low pressures than at high ones. A transition pressure of 150 bar was determined at medium-low temperature and low salinity.

Investigation on the degradation of improved ground is crucial for predicting its life span and performance under unfavorable conditions. In this study, effects of magnesium chloride (MgCl2) and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) attacks on gravel-sand-cement-inorganic binder mixtures were investigated. Electrical resistivity, free-free resonant column (FFRC) and uniaxial compression tests were performed at different exposure periods, and results showed that saline solutions exert considerable effects on the geophysical parameters of the mixture. As the samples were exposed to chemical attacks, the electrical resistivity and damping ratio increased, while the longitudinal wave velocity and UCS decreased. Especially, the results at 28 days showed that mixtures without inorganic binder lost approximately 40% of its initial strength in MgCl2 and 12% in MgSO4, while samples with inorganic binder (IBS) only lost about 30% and 8% in MgCl2 and MgSO4 respectively. Thus, it is expected that increasing the inorganic binder content in the mixture can enhance the performance of the grout and reduce strength degradation induced by chemical attacks.

The incorporation of chlorine in serpentine minerals is crucial for the recycling of chlorine in subduction zones. Fluid inclusions of natural serpentinites have up to 50 wt% Cl, but effect of fluid salinity on chlorine distribution in serpentine minerals is poorly constrained. In this study, natural serpentinites (Lichi Melange, Taiwan) with starting grain sizes of 100–177 μm were equilibrated in saline solutions (2.93 wt%, 8.78 wt%, and 19.30 wt% NaCl) at ambient temperature and pressure for experimental duration from 18 to 43 days. The concentrations of chlorine in serpentine minerals were analyzed using electron microprobe with a detection limit of 33 ppm. Serpentine before experiments has very low chlorine, 0.017 ± 0.009 wt%. In contrast, serpentine equilibrated in saline solutions contains chlorine around three times higher, e.g., serpentine equilibrated in 2.93 wt% NaCl has 0.077 ± 0.033 wt% Cl after 18 days. The serpentine was re-equilibrated in pure water for around 24 h in order to testify chlorine is hosted in a weak-bound or structurally-bound position. For serpentine minerals equilibrated in low-salinity solutions (2.93 wt% and 8.78 wt% NaCl), they lost ∼40% of Cl after re-equilibrated in pure water. Despite such release, chlorine in serpentine minerals is still higher than that of serpentine before experiment, which indicates that saline solutions increase structurally-bound chlorine of serpentine minerals. This is more efficient for high-salinity solution (19.30 wt% NaCl), and chlorine in serpentine re-equilibrated in pure water is essentially the same as that of serpentine equilibrated in the saline solution. Our experimental results suggest that chlorine in serpentine can be greatly modified by saline fluids. The structurally-bound chlorine may not necessarily reflect the T-P information of natural serpentinites.

In aqueous and saline solutions, one or more chloride ions per monomer unit are necessary for evident changes in the self-organization of poly-2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline and solution behavior on heating.

This study investigates freeze desalination achieved through partial freezing of drops of saline solutions. Firstly, a parametric study is performed to determine the ice recovery (%) and salinity reduction (%) for drops of NaCl solutions as a function of drop size, NaCl concentration and freezing temperature. It was shown that desalination can be achieved in millimetric drops at freezing temperatures pertinent to their partial freezing state. Overall, greater supercooling degrees were required for higher salt concentrations, leading to a higher ice recovery (%) in smaller drops for a given salt concentration. The salinity reduction (%), however, reduced linearly as the ice recovery (%) increased, with drops of greater salt concentrations showing the least salinity reduction. The higher ice growth rate experienced by such drops is believed to be responsible for the observed lower salinity reduction (%). A map of freezing state is developed for drops of 1, 3.5 and 6 wt% NaCl solution. The map identifies the drop's state of freezing in terms of unfrozen, partially frozen, and fully frozen state. This map can be employed to identify the temperature range required for achieving partial freezing of saline drops, the pre-requisite for drop-based freeze desalination processes.

Utilizing 3D and 2D porous materials modified by a superhydrophobic/philic coating for quick removal of oil from water and a continuous process of oil/water separation, respectively, has attracted a lot of attention recently. Here we report the separation capacities of one commercial and three home-made sponges, sprayed by a superhydrophobic coating, for a broad range of oils and solvents. The contact angle of water on the coated sponges is 162.5˚, whereas the pristine sponge shows a contact angle of 91.8˚ (these values are for sponge D which had the highest absorption capacity). We investigate the effects of the density of sponges and the dynamic viscosity of oils and solvents on the absorption capacity. The results reveal that the least dense sponge possesses the highest absorption capacity. On the other hand, the absorption capacity varied erratically with the variation of the dynamic viscosity. In addition to the absorption capacity, the retention of the coated sponge is an essential factor to gain a better understanding of the performance of the sponges. This quantity is examined by using a centrifugal device. To examine the durability of the coated sponges against chemically harsh environments, the coated sponges are exposed to solar irradiation, alkaline, acidic, and saline solutions. Further, a mechanical force is imposed on the as-prepared samples to study their resistance against physical stimuli. The coated sponges maintain their superhydrophobicity after being subjected to these extreme conditions. The fabricated coating is non-fluorinated, cost-effective, and very facile.

Methylcellulose (MC) hydrogels change their affinity to water depending on their temperature and can thus be used as substrates for cell sheet engineering. In this work, we characterize the thermo-responsive properties of 8% w/v MC hydrogels, produced in two saline solutions ( i.e. , Na 2 SO 4 and phosphate buffered saline) at different concentrations, by investigating the rheological properties and the UV-absorbance in function of temperature. Both rheological and UV-spectroscopy tests showed that the addition of salts to MC hydrogels allowed lowering the LCST of the MC hydrogel; moreover, hydrogels produced in 0.1 M Na 2 SO 4 or PBS 20 g/L were proved to be particularly promising for cell sheet engineering application, showing a LCST below 37 °C.

During practical applications, energy harvesting devices such as TENGs always face complex harsh environment such as acidic, alkaline, and saline conditions. Even if the whole device (at least the electrode of the device) was protected by encapsulated approach, an inevitable contact between the electrode and the external harsh environment by the possible slight leakage would still cause seriously damage to the electrode materials. Consequently, it's of great significance to develop durable TENG materials that could be anticorrosive and harsh environmental resistant under a wide range of extreme conditions. In this work, a chemically robust and ultra-durable hydrogel (Cyc-hydrogel) was prepared by a self-polymerization reaction under room temperature. When we use the Cyc-hydrogel as the electrode of TENGs pretreated by extremely harsh conditions such as strong acidic, alkaline, and high concentration of saline solutions, respectively, the corresponding TENG's output performances could be kept relatively stable. Furthermore, even pretreated by simulated seawater which contained a high salinity, the resultant Cyc-hydrogel can still ensure a relatively stable electrical output performance when serving as the electrode of the TENGs. Our as-prepared hydrogel suggested great potentials for TENGs’ electrode material because of the inevitable slight leakage of the encapsulation device.

Desalination is perceived as an effective and reliable process for obtaining freshwater from aqueous saline solutions such as brackish water, seawater and brine. This can be clarified by the fact that >300 million people worldwide rely on desalinated water for their daily needs. Although the desalination process offers many advantages, there are rising concerns about possible adverse environmental impacts. Generally, environmental impacts can be generated both in the construction and operation of desalination plants. A major issue of desalination is the co-produced waste called ‘brine’ or ‘reject’ which has a high salinity along with chemical residuals and is discharged into the marine environment. In addition to brine, other main issues are the high energy consumption of the desalination and brine treatment technologies as well as the air pollution due to emissions of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) and air pollutants. Other issues include entrainment and entrapment of marine species, and heavy use of chemicals. The purpose of this review is to analyze the potential impacts of desalination and brine treatment on the environment and suggest mitigation measures.

There are indications that exposing adolescent rodents to oxytocin (OT) promotes social activity and reduces anxiety in adulthood. Adult male gray rats selected for elimination and enhancement of the aggressive response to humans, when exposed to OT, showed divergent changes in the resident behavior towards the intruder. It could be assumed that adolescent administration of both OT and antagonist of OT receptor (OTR) would also have different long-term effects on resident behavior and startle reflex in adult aggressive and tame rats. The aim of this work is to study the long-term effects of adolescent administration of both OT and antagonist of OT receptor (OTR) on resident behavior and startle reflex in adult tame and aggressive male gray rats. Starting at the age of 28 days, the animals received nasal applications of 5 μL of oxytocin solution (1 μg / μL) or saline for 5 days (daily). At the age of two months, the acoustic startle amplitude was assessed in two series of 5 acoustic stimuli. The resident-intruder test was performed one week later. Antagonist of OT receptor l-368,899 was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) once at a dose of 5 mg/kg at the age of 30-33 days. Subsequent startle reflex tests were performed 20 days later, at the age of 50-53 days. A week later, the resident-intruder test was performed on the same rats. The startle amplitude in aggressive rats of the control group (in two series of acoustic stimuli) and those having received saline (in the first series) was larger than in the corresponding tame groups. Oxytocin and saline solutions did not significantly affect the startle amplitude compared to control animals. After saline administration, the attack latency in tame rats was longer than in aggressive rats (P0.05). Oxytocin treatment caused a prolongation of this period in aggressive males compared with control animals receiving saline solution (P0.01). In addition, oxytocin administration in aggressive males caused an increase in the time of social behavior, which did not include aggressive and same-sex behavior, as compared with the corresponding control animals (P0.05). Exogenous oxytocin receptor antagonist (l-368,899) did not affect the startle amplitude and behavior in the resident-intruder test in aggressive and tame male rats. Adolescent OT treatment causes a prolongation of both the attack latency and social behavior in the resident-intruder test in adult aggressive male rats, but does not affect these parameters in tame rats.

Objective Multiple injury patients are mostly in the productive age group and are at high risk of dying by exsanguination. In this study, the focus was set on fluid resuscitation, death, and outcome of critically injured patients. Methods In total, 2956 patients were included in this sample. The inclusion criteria were age ≥ 16 years and injury severity score ≥ 16. The sample was divided into groups of patients who died within 72 hours of injury and those who survived. Differences between the groups were measured by analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis test for parametric data. Independent predictors were analyzed by logistic regression, and the predictive quality was analyzed by receiver operating curves. The given volumina were normalized according the Trauma Score—Injury Severity Score of each patient. All analyses were performed using SPSS. Results The binary logistic regression revealed the given amount of saline solutions and colloids within the first 48 hours as independent predictors of survival ( p p = 0.003). The receiver operating curves revealed that the area under the curve increased as a function of time, and after 48 hours it was 0.825 for saline solutions and 0.702 for colloids for survival. Conclusion Fluid resuscitation does not negatively influence survival; however, the amount of fluids given within the first 24 hours after trauma is an independent predictor of survival with very good predictive quality.

The initiation and propagation of crevice corrosion on the BC1 nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy has been studied galvanostatically in concentrated chloride solution at 120 °C, and the distribution of corrosion damage determined using surface analytical techniques. The distribution of damage was dependent on the applied current and showed an increased tendency to spread across the surface as the applied current was increased. Attempts to induce repassivation by galvanodynamically reducing the current to zero were unsuccessful. Galvanic coupling to a large BC1 counter electrode showed propagation could be maintained by oxygen reduction on the coupled electrode at a slow rate for >1200 h.

Treatment and reuse of brines, produced from energy extraction activities, requires aqueous solubility data for organic compounds in saline solutions. The presence of salts decreases the aqueous solubility of organic compounds (i.e. salting-out effect) and can be modeled using the Setschenow Equation, the validity of which has not been assessed in high salt concentrations. In this study, we used solid-phase microextraction to determine Setschenow constants for selected organic compounds in aqueous solutions up to 2-5 M NaCl, 1.5-2 M CaCl2, and in Na-Ca binary electrolyte solutions to assess additivity of the constants. These compounds exhibited log-linear behavior up to these high NaCl concentrations. Log-linear decreases in solubility with increasing salt concentration were observed up to 1.5-2 M CaCl2 for all compounds, and added to a sparse database of CaCl2 Setschenow constants. Setschenow constants were additive in binary electrolyte mixtures. New models to predict CaCl2 and KCl Setschenow constants from NaCl Setschenow constants were developed, which successfully predicted the solubility of the compounds measured in this study. Overall, data show that the Setschenow Equation is valid for a wide range of salinity conditions typically found in energy-related technologies.

Summary The relationship between the density, temperature and viscosity of hypersaline solutions, both natural and synthetic, is explored. An empirical equation of the density–viscosity relationship as a function of temperature was developed for the Dead Sea brine and its dilutions. The viscosity levels of the Dead Sea brine (density of 1.24 ⋅ 103 kg/m3; viscosity of 3.6 mPa s at 20 °C) and of the more extremely saline natural brine (density of 1.37 ⋅ 103 kg/m3) were found to be ∼3 and ∼10 times greater than that of fresh water, respectively. The combined effect of the above changes in viscosity and density on the hydraulic conductivity is reduction by a factor of 3–7. The chemical composition significantly affects the viscosity of brines with similar densities, whereby solutions with a higher Mg/Na ratio have higher viscosity. This explains the extremely high viscosity of the Dead Sea and related Mg-rich brines in comparison with the much lower values of NaCl and KCl brines with similar density. Possible impacts of the results include reduced settling velocity of grains in hypersaline viscous brines and changing hydraulic dynamics at the freshwater–saltwater and the vicinity of sinkholes.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity and its comorbidities are major public health problems worldwide. The transformation of white adipose tissue (WAT) to brown adipose tissue (BAT); browning of WAT, may serve as a promising strategy for combating obesity. Metformin is not only the first line of drug for type 2 diabetes but also has an anti-obesity potential. Emerging evidence suggests that metformin can reduce body weight and enhance energy expenditure via activating BAT or browning of WAT. However, metformin delivery to adipose tissue is limited due to the lack of adipocyte-specific surface markers. Thus, the direct injection might be an alternative. METHODS: ApoE3-Leiden.human cholesteryl ester transfer protein (E3L.CETP) mice (5 mice/group) were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. From week 10 to 15, mice were randomly divided into 3 groups as 1. Metformin inguinal WAT (IgWAT) injection, 2. Metformin delivery to interscapular BAT (IBAT) and 3. Saline IgWAT injection (HFD control). Mice received injections twice per week (40 mg/kg/week). Bodyweight (BW), body composition, food intake, energy expenditure and glucose tolerance test (GTT) were measured. Gene expression of beige or brown makers was analyzed using real time-PCR. RESULTS: Compared to HFD control mice, IgWAT- and IBAT-treated mice lost 2.16% and 1.9% more of their body fat, respectively (P-value

OBJECTIVES: Trans-resveratrol (R) is a potential browning compound and can induce beige adipocyte formation in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT). However, R's low aqueous solubility and high hepatic metabolism limit its application in combating obesity. Hence, we synthesized R-loaded liposomes (Rlipo). The objectives of this study are to measure Rlipo characteristics and determine the browning and anti-obesity efficacy for local delivery of Rlipo to inguinal WAT (I-WAT) in obese mice. METHODS: The particle size and zeta potential of Rlipo and void liposomes (Vlipo) were measured using a Brookhaven BI-MAS particle size and ZetaPALS analyzer, respectively. Their physical stability was measured daily at 4, 22 and 37°C for 7 days. The in vitro R release pattern of Rlipo was measured using a dialysis method. For determining anti-obesity activities, C57BL/6 J mice were fed the high-fat diet (HFD) for 9 weeks. During week 5–9, mice were treated with saline, free R, Vlipo, or Rlipo via I-WAT injection twice per week. Food intake, body weight, and body composition were measured weekly, and the glucose tolerance test was conducted at week 9. After sacrifice, we collected and measured the mass of liver and fat depots. The mRNA levels of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) and other beige markers in I-WAT were measured using real-time PCR. RESULTS: As compared to free R, Rlipo increased R's aqueous solubility by more than 30 times. The particle sizes of Rlipo and Vlipo were about 100 nm. Their zeta potentials were around −25 mV. Both Rlipo and Vlipo have good physical stability at 3 tested temperatures for 7 days and Rlipo exhibited a prolonged-release manner. In the animal study, Rlipo-treated compared to free R-treated mice had 1.2-, 1.4-, 1.6-, 1.5-fold lower body weight, fat %, I-WAT, and gonadal WAT mass, respectively, which were correlated with 1.8- and 2.6-fold higher UCP-1 and TMEM26 mRNA levels in I-WAT. However, no significant differences were found in food intake and the glucose tolerance test. CONCLUSIONS: Rlipo increased R's aqueous solubility and improved its sustained release manner. Rlipo had higher anti-obesity activities than free R, which were correlated with increased expression of beige markers in I-WAT of mice. Browning subcutaneous WAT using Rlipo might provide an innovative and efficient approach for combating obesity. FUNDING SOURCES: NIH 1R15AT010395.

OBJECTIVES: Due to the established cardioprotective effects of fish oil in pressure-induced models of heart failure, we hypothesize that fish oil could also be cardioprotective in anthracycline-induced heart failure. METHODS: In a mouse model of anthracycline cardiotoxicity male mice were assigned to one of four groups: anthracycline injection + control diet, saline injection + control diet, anthracycline injection + fish oil diet, or saline injection + fish oil diet. The control diet contained 90 g/kg soybean oil while the fish oil diet contained 40 g/kg soybean oil and 50 g/kg fish oil (8% fat by weight). The differences between groups were assessed by two-way ANOVA. Sidak's multiple comparison test was used to determine differences from the control group. RESULTS: Controlling for body weight, anthracycline treatment increased heart weight in both diet groups suggesting cardiac hypertrophy. Compared with control diet, fish oil diet attenuated anthracycline-induced increases in pro-inflammatory Il6 and pro-fibrotic collagen III mRNA. In addition, dietary fish oil increased bcl2 (anti-apoptosis) and heme oxygenase-1 (antioxidant) mRNA in heart muscle in mice treated with anthracycline. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that dietary fish oil may attenuate some of the cardiotoxic effects of anthracyclines. Fish oil is generally found to be safe in cancer patients, and if effective in clinical trials could provide a widely available therapy for cancer patients undergoing anthracycline chemotherapy. FUNDING SOURCES: Funding was provided by NIH R21CA185140, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center, the Carol S. Kennedy Professorship, and the Ohio State University Education and Human Ecology Dissertation Research Fellowship.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the influence of large-dose warfarin (W) on tissue K1 and MK-4 distribution in rats fed a standard K1 diet, or enriched with MK4. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were fed a regular K1 (750 mcg K1/kg/diet; WK1) or enriched MK-4 (100 mg MK-4/kg/diet; WK1 + MK4) diet for 1 week after which they were administered 14 mg W/kg/day (in drinking water) and subcutaneous K1 (94 mg/kg, 3X/week; to maintain coagulation), for 12 weeks; diets were maintained throughout the experimental period. Respective diet controls (C and C + MK4) received subcutaneous saline and regular water. K1 and M-4 quinone and their epoxide forms (K1O and MK-4O) were assessed in serum, liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, adipose tissue and brain, by HPLC. Group differences were tested by one-way ANOVA, and by t-test for each K vitamer. RESULTS: In C group, K1 was the predominant K vitamer in serum, liver and heart, whereas MK-4 was found in relative higher concentrations in kidney, pancreas, brain, and adipose tissue. In MK-4 containing organs, W treatment was associated with significantly lower MK-4 concentration in pancreas, brain, and heart (P

The objective of this study was to simultaneously obtain protein isolates and lipids from the dried powder of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) roes (pcRs) to achieve high-value utilization. Protein isolates and lipids were extracted simultaneously from pcRs by saline and acidic solutions. The purity of the protein isolates from the pcRs (pcRPIs) was greater than 70%, with vitellogenin, vitellogenin B and vitellogenin C as the main proteins. The lipids from pcRs (pcRLs) were mainly composed of triglycerides with high levels of EPA and DHA. The pcRPIs exhibited a higher surface hydrophobicity, water/oil holding capacity and emulsifying ability than those of the pcRs. Moreover, pcRPIs had a better oil holding capacity and emulsifying ability than soy protein isolate. These results suggest that protein isolates and lipids can be simultaneously extracted by saline and acidic solutions, and pcRPIs and pcRLs can be used as functional materials in the food industry.

In this paper, a portable real-time sensing device was built for Concanavalin A (Con A) and glucose detection using a smartphone. The ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) functioning at a low working point was selected as a small-size, low-power transducer, and dextran-capped silver nanoparticles (Dex-AgNPs) served as sensitive nanoprobes on the ISFET gate. Using the affinity between Con A and carbohydrates, Con A can be captured, and thus directly detected by the ISFET/Dex-AgNPs unit; then glucose can be determined indirectly by removing Con A from the ISFET/Dex-AgNPs/Con A unit via competition with dextran. The mechanism of this competition does less harm to the sensor, allows the reusability of the sensing device, and overcomes the Debye screening of the FET device in saline solutions. Powered by a button cell, the handheld device attains excellent Con A (0.16 ng mL−1) and glucose (10 nM) detection limit, and can practically be used for at least 20 days.

The solubility limits of CaSO4 polymorphs are of critical importance for determining working conditions of thermal desalination processes. This is because fractional fresh water recoveries in these processes are limited by the threshold precipitation limits of calcium sulfate polymorphs. Partial removal of calcium ions from seawater extends the solubility limits of the CaSO4 polymorphs and enables higher water recoveries. However, information on calcium sulfate solubilities in saline solutions is inadequate as available empirical models display significant deviations between solubilities predicted by the different models. The objectives of the present study were to verify the solubility limits of CaSO4 species in seawater concentrates of reduced calcium content. This was achieved by theoretical extension of the Fabuss and Lu's solubility model followed by experimental verification of the theoretical results using XRD analyses to distinguish between the different CaSO4 polymorphs.

Electroosmotic grouting is a ground improvement method for soft soils that is not widely accepted for common application because the improvement of soil strength is not uniform. This paper proposed a new method to improve the non-uniform effect of electroosmotic grouting. Such method is electroosmotic grouting coupled with vacuum drainage at the cathode. The experimental study shows that the treatment effect of electroosmotic grouting with vacuum drainage at the cathode is not only better than general electroosmosis methods but also more uniform than such methods. In this study, the soil strength increased by 362%, 350%, and 438% at the locations close to the anode, between the anode and cathode, and close to the cathode, respectively. The results demonstrate that this technique could improve the treatment effect of electroosmotic grouting in soft soils.

Some salts have been proven to inhibit bubble coalescence above a certain concentration called the transition concentration. The transition concentration of salts has been investigated and determined by using different techniques. Different mechanisms have also been proposed to explain the stabilizing effect of salts on bubble coalescence. However, as yet there is no consensus on a mechanism which can explain the stabilizing effect of all inhibiting salts. This paper critically reviews the experimental techniques and mechanisms for the coalescence of bubbles in saline solutions. The transition concentrations of NaCl, as the most popularly used salt, determined by using different techniques such as bubble swarm, bubble pairs, and thin liquid film micro-interferometry were analyzed and compared. For a consistent comparison, the concept of TC95 was defined as a salt concentration at which the "percentage coalescence" of bubbles reduces by 95% relative to the highest (100% in pure water) and lowest (in high-salt concentration) levels. The results show a linear relationship between the TC95 of NaCl and the reciprocal of the square root of the bubble radius. This relationship holds despite different experimental techniques, salt purities and bubble approach speeds, and highlights the importance of the bubble size in bubble coalescence. The available theoretical models for inhibiting effect of salts have also been reviewed. The failure of these models in predicting the salt transition concentration commands further theoretical development for a better understanding of bubble coalescence in salt solutions.

In this paper we discuss the use of a series of column experiments to improve understanding of the effect irrigation water chemistry (saline solutions) has on measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) of a sodic clay soil. We highlight in particular the use of extended leaching periods to determine whether the duration of leaching affects the results. In the experiments, mixed cation solutions of two different salinity levels, 50 meq/L and 100 meq/L, were applied under constant head to columns of a repacked sodic clay soil using three replicates for each treatment. The maximum Ksat measured during leaching with the 100 meq/L solution was approximately double the maximum Ksat measured during leaching with the 50 meq/L solution. Measured flow rates were found to increase rapidly after flow commenced then decrease gradually until flow rates became stable. The final, stable flow rate was roughly 80% less than the maximum flow rate measured. Reasons for these changes in saturated hydraulic conductivity are discussed. The key finding from these experiments is that long term leaching, involving significantly more pore volumes than is commonly reported in the literature, is required to obtain a ‘stable’ Ksat. We recommend that further studies be carried out to (1) determine whether similar behaviour in Ksat occurs in a wide range of sodic clay soils and (2) to help build a better understanding of the causes and implications of the observed behaviour in Ksat.

In the present study, waste Mg based material (W/Mg) was used as a raw material for the generation of hydrogen. Ball milling and saline solution method were performed to ensure full completion of the hydrolysis reaction. Improved texture properties were obtained by ball milling W/Mg for 15 h (2.29 m 2 g −1 BET area, 11.94 μm particle size). Ball milled W/Mg was used to generate hydrogen gas in the presence of various saline solutions (1 M NiCl 2 , CoCl 2 , CuCl 2 , FeCl 3 , and MnCl 2 ). While hydrogen generation was not observed in pure water, maximum conversion (100%) was achieved in 1 M NiCl 2 solution.

Facile synthesis and 1D self-assembly of gold nanoparticles were achieved using a series of nonionic surfactants (Tween 20, Tween 40, and Tween 60). The assembly process can be controlled by adjusting the fine structures of surfactants. The effects of the molecular structures of capping agents were demonstrated and the formation mechanism based on the nonuniform distribution of capping ligands around gold nanoparticles was proposed. Systems with mixed capping agents (Tween 20 and Tween 60 or Triton X-100) were also investigated. Due to the different capping fashions of the mixed surfactants, the obtained gold nanostructures were changed from chains to particles. Besides, the diverse capping fashions can also interpret the different stabilities of the nanostructures in the saline solutions.

In this work, four ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with molecular weight cut-offs (MWCOs) of 5, 15, 30 and 50 kDa, respectively, were fouled with 1% BSA aqueous solutions and cleaned with different saline solutions. The influence of MWCO, membrane material and operating conditions on the cleaning effi- ciency was investigated. Saline solutions were able to clean the 5, 15 and 30 kDa membranes, but not the 50 kDa membrane. NaCl, NaNO3, NH4Cl and KCl were the most effective salts. The cleaning tests demonstrated that the higher the temperature of the saline solution was, the higher the cleaning efficiency was also. In addition, an increase in the crossflow velocity resulted in an increase in the hydraulic cleaning efficiency (HCE). However, there was an optimum value of salt concentration to clean the membrane effectively. Response Surface Methodology was used to investigate the relationship between salt concentration and temperature in the cleaning process., The authors of this work wish to gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the project CTM2010-20186 and the Generalitat Valenciana through the program "Ayudas para la realizacion de proyectos I+D para grupos de investigacion emergentes GV/2013".

The performance of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyvinylcaprolactam (PVCap) as kinetic gas hydrate inhibitors in saline solutions and with heptane was evaluated using high pressure microdifferential scanning calorimetry, as well as with a new apparatus, consisting of two high pressure stainless steel crystallizers. Although PVP and PVCap were found to prolong natural gas hydrate induction time in saline solutions, nucleation was followed by catastrophic hydrate crystal growth. PVP was found to be more effective in this case, since this hydrate growth was modestly slower. The addition of n-heptane to the natural gas in the system created a 4th phase. This resulted in increased induction time and a slowing of hydrate growth relative to the gas mixture. Unexpectedly, in the presence of n-heptane, addition of kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs) decreased induction time, but catastrophic growth did not occur. Here PVCap was more effective than PVP in both prolonging the induction time and decreasing the rate of hydrate crystal growth. Once formed, however, hydrate decomposition took longer and proceeded in two steps in the presence of n-heptane. This observation has profound applications on the use these KHIs under ocean field conditions. In the case of hydrate blockages, our observations that hydrate dissociation started later with the KHIs and complete dissociation took longer could have far reaching economic implications for industry. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Literature reports very few works about the effect of corrosive environments on the mechanical properties of adhesive joints. Therefore, the present study intends to contribute for a better understanding of the effect of saline solution on the mechanical properties of single-lap adhesive joints. The specimens were manufactured using Docol 1000 high strength steel plates with 1 mm of thickness and Araldite ® 420 A/B epoxy adhesive. The static shear strength of the joints was influenced by the exposure time in saline solutions only up to 120 h, and remained, after this period, nearly constant. In terms of fatigue strength, for 10 5 cycles, a decrease about 25% and 39% occurred in specimens immersed during 120 h in deionised water and saline solution, respectively, comparatively to the control samples.

A mechanistic model is developed to predict the swelling pressure of fully saturated, bentonite-based materials in distilled water or dilute saline solutions over a large range of final dry densiti ...

Nylon 6 films are directly exposed to saline solutions containing mono-valent ions and the water uptake is measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both the amount of water uptake and the rate of water uptake are studied. First, the films are exposed to solutions with different concentrations of NaCl. Later, solutions of salts such as LiCl, KCl and KNO3 are used. It is shown that all salts act similar. They reduce the amount of water ingressing the nylon film and also slow down the rate of uptake. It seems that water uptake can be predicted by knowing the activity of the salt solution on top of the nylon film. Element analysis shows that ions migrate into the nylon film. Although ions do enter the film, their amount is not large enough to influence the diffusivity and chemical potential of water in the nylon film.

This paper presents the mechanical, durability, and microstructural characterization of unstressed glass–fiber-reinforced-polymer (GFRP) reinforcing bars exposed to concrete environment and saline solutions under accelerating conditions. These conditionings were used to simulate the effect of seawater or deicing salts on GFRP bars. The pre- and postexposure tensile strengths of the bars were used for long-term property predictions based on the Arrhenius theory. The results revealed no significant differences in the durability of the concrete-wrapped GFRP bars whether immersed in salt solution or tap water and the very high long-term durability of the GFRP bars in salt solution. According to the predictions, even after a service life of 100 years, the tensile-strength retention of the tested GFRP bar would still be 70% and 77% for mean annual temperatures of 50 °C (the mean annual temperature and the marine environment of the Middle East and warm regions) and 10 °C (mean average temperature of northern regions), respectively, which are higher than the design tensile strength according to the ACI 440.1R.

The fabrication method and the characteristics of a new generation of intracortical microprobes with improved structural design are presented. These devices are integrated with flexible interconnection cable and provide enough mechanical strength for penetration into the tissue. Gold micro-needles are embedded in the probe shanks to locally reinforce the implants. The microprobes offer an array of electrodes with 32 recording channels located on 4 parallel shanks with 2, 4, and 8-mm lengths. The impedance characteristics and stability of electrodes were studied in acidic and saline solutions. To reduce the channel impedance and enhance the signal to noise ratio, iridium was electroplated on the gold electrode sites. Stable electrical characteristics of both iridium and gold electrodes were demonstrated over the courses of prolonged pulse stress tests for 100 million cycles. The functionality of fabricated microprobes was confirmed by successful recording of the local field potential from intact mouse hippocampus.

Spermatozoa of the perch, a teleost fish with external fertilization are motile for 4 , and 1 mmol/l CaCl 2 it was prolonged to > 2 h at 4 °C. The initial motility rate 10 s after activation was 72.6 ± 17.6% and the swimming velocity 126.4 ± 14.2 μm/s. After 4 min motility dropped to 42.8 ± 14.0%. Thereafter, the motility rate and swimming velocity remained constant for > 2 h (41.6 ± 10.0% and 102.2 ± 14.3 μm/s). This is the first report demonstrating that teleost fish spermatozoa are able to swim in saline solutions and without exogenous energy supply with constant high velocities and unchanged motility parameters for several hours.

Impedance spectroscopy was applied to determine glucose concentration in the interstitial fluid for its potential use in diabetic monitoring. For this purpose, the changes in the measured dielectric properties due to the presence of glucose in water and saline solutions were examined between 40 Hz and 110 MHz. Electrode polarization (EP) was a dominant factor which shaped the spectrum at low frequencies. A theoretical model of EP using a constant phase-angle-element produced excellent matches to the measured data. By fitting the measured data to the model, the relative permittivity (ɛ(h)) and conductivity (σ(l)) were obtained. For deionized water, the relative permittivity dropped from 80.1 to 73.2 and conductivity ranged between 0.142 and 0.212 mS/m when the glucose concentration was increased from 0 to 32 g/dl. For the same variation of glucose level in 0.15 M NaCl, ɛ(h) was reduced from 79.8 to 71.5 and σ(l) decreased from 1.384 to 0.522 S/m. Glucose level produced a definite change in dielectric properties. However, the changes within the physiological range of glucose (less than a few hundred mg/dl) were small and appeared to be within the measurement error.

This paper offers a comprehensive, comparative study of filtration loss properties of aqueous solutions of waxy hull-less barley (WHB). Filtration loss properties of aqueous WHB solutions were compared to hydrocolloid systems prepared by using sodium bentonite, Xanthan Gum, and cellulosic biopolymer (CMC), which are some of the most common additives used for formulating drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry. Samples were prepared at various concentrations in freshwater and saline solutions, and temperature aged at 90 °C. Low pressure-low temperature (LPLT) and high pressure-high temperature (HPHT) filtration tests, and Permeability Plugging Tests (PPT) were performed on each sample. WHB displayed excellent filtration control properties, especially in saline, high temperature environments.

This paper offers a comprehensive, comparative study of rheological properties of aqueous solutions of waxy hull-less barley (WHB). Rheological properties of aqueous WHB solutions were compared to hydrocolloid systems prepared by using sodium bentonite, Xanthan Gum, and cellulosic biopolymer (CMC), which are some of the most common additives used for formulating drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry. Samples were prepared at various concentrations in freshwater and saline solutions, and tested for temperature aging at 90 °C. Viscosity measurements at various shear rates were performed on each sample. WHB performed reasonably well as a viscosifying agent, especially in saline, high temperature environments.

The effect of electroosmosis with injection of saline solutions on a silty clay was studied. A laboratory testing program was performed to assess the probable effectiveness of electroosmosis with the injection of saline solutions. Results indicate that the effect of electroosmosis can be enhanced and the treatment time can be shortened by the injection of saline solutions during electroosmosis. The average undrained shear strength of the soil treated with electroosmosis for 7 days after initial injection of the CaCl 2 solution was 5.0 times that of the untreated soil and 1.25 times that with electroosmosis only. The treatment time was also shortened by 40% for the injection of the CaCl 2 solution during electroosmosis, compared with electroosmosis only. The quality of electroosmotic improvement could be enhanced by injecting solutions of higher valence, concentration and by applying higher electric potential. However, the improvement was limited to the area near the anode unless the treatment time was increased to ensure that no water was drained from the cathode.

Fluidized bed freeze concentration is a novel technique that uses a fluidized bed heat exchanger (FBHE) to concentrate liquids through the process of freeze concentration. Ice formed on the cooled surface of the vertical heat exchanger is removed by particles fluidized inside the FBHE. In this paper, the operating conditions are reported for freeze concentration of saline solutions and milk in FBHE. The operation was tested with equilateral 4 mm and then 5 mm particles at different bed porosities, cooling rates and NaCl and milk concentrations. Experiments with NaCl solutions showed that the 5 mm particles were more aggressive than 4 mm in removing ice from the heat exchanger wall. Whilst particle size was considered responsible for this, the particle shape could have played a major role. A theoretical analysis on effect of FBHE parameters showed the size of particles to exert influence on FBHE performance. The result from experiments with skim milk and whole milk maintained the conclusions formed previously with NaCl experiments with regard to the effect of tested parameters on operational stability. However, the ice formed from milk was more difficult to remove than the ice formed from NaCl solutions. Whole milk showed even more resistance to ice removal. Skim milk was freeze concentrated from 13% to 27% TS content in these experiments. Installing a wash screen further improved the purity of separated ice.

We find that inhaling salt water diminishes subsequently exhaled biomaterial in man and animals due to reversible stabilization of the airway lining fluid (ALF)/air interface as a novel potential means for control of the spread of airborne infectious disease. The mechanism of this phenomenon relates to charge shielding of mucin or mucin-like macromolecules that consequently undergo gelation; this gelation alters the physical properties of the ALF surface and reduces its breakup. Cations in the nebulized solution and apparent surface viscoelasticity of the ALF (more than any other ALF intrinsic physical property) appear to be responsible for the reduced tendency of the ALF to disintegrate into very small droplets. We confirm these effects in vivo and show their reversibility through nebulization of saline solutions to anesthetized bull calves.

Recombinant human growth/differentiation factor-5 is a novel bioactive currently in clinical trials. This growth factor was discovered in 1992 and underwent significant preclinical evaluation, as described herein. It was implanted—lyophilized on a mineralized collagen strip—in spinal and long-bone defects, in animals ranging from rats to nonhuman primates. Bone formation resulting from the use of this growth factor was found in all cases to be at least equivalent to that observed with autograft. In addition, saline solutions of this bioactive successfully restored disc height in rabbit models. This new molecule may therefore open new therapeutic avenues for spine regeneration.

The main aim of this research is the study of electrochemical oscillations in current by means of recurrence plots at different potentials in which products of corrosion are formed, originating pitting corrosion of copper in different saline solutions containing chlorides and sulphates. The dynamics of the formation of corrosion products was characterized by determining if the passive layer is adequate or not to give origin to the pitting corrosion phenomenon. A key contribution of this work to the study of corrosion is the fact that it was found that pitting corrosion begins at the quasi-periodic oscillation potential and not at the so-called pitting potential, which in this work will be denominated apparent pitting potential. This has been proved by means of SEM micrographs at the quasi-periodic potential and with the aid of electrochemical oscillation measurements and qualitative and quantitative recurrence analysis of electrochemical oscillation time series.

The vapor-pressure osmometer (VPO) is used to measure osmotic potential ( ψ π ) in plant water relations. The VPO was designed for 10 μL solution samples but its performance can be extended to suit smaller volumes and actual tissue samples. Measurement of ψ π by the VPO was compared to end-window (EW) psychrometry on known saline solutions and tissue samples varying from 10 to 2 μL. The VPO was a more sensitive instrument compared to the small EW psychrometer when using 10 μL of solution in the standard dish. Volumes varying from 3 to 10 μL could be used with reasonable accuracy and precision if a thinner disk (to ensure saturation) or smaller dish was used. Small samples such as root tips required a suitably small volume chamber to reduce effects of lowering ψ π . For leaves from a field study, variability in plant replicates was greater than VPO sensitivity, so precision was comparable to using psychrometers. For direct measurement of water potential, lengthy equilibration times made the VPO an unsuitable method for measuring multiple samples. The VPO could be used for both small solution volumes and direct measurement of ψ π in tissue.

Understanding the full scope of the diagram representing saline solutions and the thermodynamics of the phase relationships is important for obtaining the most cost-effective process design for industrial salt recovery technology from salt lake resources. In previous works, we have shown that modeling electrolyte systems using the DPAO method can help us to represent the chemical compositions of highly concentrated solutions of natural brines extracted from two Tunisiansalt lakes, Sebkha and Chott. This simulation shows good agreement with classic representations but with the advantage that this method allows all the system components to be added without changes or approximations. The aim of this work is computing the chemical composition changes of a given initial solution and the number of moles of salt precipitated along a progressive concentration of brine solution by evaporation with DPAO, then to determine crystallization paths of a mineral assemblage reacting with water, and finally to compute the mineral quantities precipitated as well as chemical composition of solutions at different reaction progress rates. A comparison between experimental and predicted results was made to test the validity of the new approach and to develop evaporation sequences for the recovery of desired products. This simulation method helps to establish rules to navigate through the diagrams and to draw crystallization paths with the algebraic solution of material balances.

The south of Tunisia is a sunny region. This area contains many mineral reserves of natural brines which currently are not well exploited. These reserves are estimated to several millions of cubic meters. They are called sebkhas and chotts, with complex high concentrated solutions. To study these kinds of saline solutions, many authors assimilate them to a quinary system represented by Na+, K+, Mg2+/Cl-, SO42− // H2O. In previous works we noted the insufficiency of classic representations; consequently, we think that the use of computers can help us to resolve this problem. For this purpose the DPAO method was employed to simulate brine evaporation and to foresee the solid phases deposed during the process. The computer allows the hyper-space calculation of all components; therefore, the DPAO is a reliable, universal, and flexible method.

X-ray contrast media (CMs) influence various systems in blood circulation. Mobility of erythrocyte μ has been determined from the erythrocyte sedimentation rate s at different osmotic pressure π , to compare effects of ionic CM to those of non-ionic CM. Tow kinds of CMs, ionic Urografin® 76% (URO) and non-ionic Iopamiron® 300 (IOP), were employed. The density ρ c and the volume V of erythrocyte, and s were measured at 25 °C by using a vibrating densimeter and the Coulter counter, and the Westergren tube, respectively. Swine erythrocytes were suspended in saline solutions without CMs (SAL) and with CMs at various π , where the hematocrit was ca. 10% and the CM concentrations were ca. 6.7 wt.%. ρ c and V behaved as a single function of π both without CMs and with CMs, meaning RBC to be a micro-osmometer. While μ increased with V vigorously for SAL at the highest level, μ varied slightly for URO at the lowest level and moderately for IOP. Deformability of erythrocyte may be decreased more seriously for ionic CM than for non-ionic CM at the physiological condition of π , which may disturb blood microcirculation.