Search

Metal and bi-metal catalysts supported by ZSM-5 zeolite (Mn/ZSM-5, Mn-Ag/ZSM-5, and Mn-Cu/ZSM-5 ) were synthesized using a simple impregnation method. Various analytical techniques, including XRD, SEM, and EDS, were employed to evaluate the crystal structure, morphology, and elemental distribution of the materials. Subsequently, different catalysts were used to evaluate the adsorption capacity of isopropanol (IPA) as well as the regeneration efficiency using ozone in-situ. With an initial concentration of isopropanol gas of 2000ppmv, 0.5 g of catalyst, and a flow rate of 100 mL/min, Mn − Ag bimetal-supported zeolite showed the highest notable efficiency of the adsorption process of 89.06mg/g. Furthermore, the manganese metal-supported zeolite preserved approximately 60% and 70% of its ozone regeneration capacity during several consecutive cycles with a 1 L/min ozone flowrate and 10 - and 60 -minute O3 treatments, respectively. Additionally, the catalyst can increase efficiency up to 80% after four cycles when the ozone flowrate is doubled in 10 minutes. This innovative adsorption-regeneration method of gas treatment can benefit the environment by minimizing energy consumption, reducing the need for high-temperature treatments, and lowering overall energy requirements, potentially influencing the future development of metal and bi-metal catalysts for treating various volatile organic compounds.

Để giải quyết vấn đề tạo viên cho zeolite mà không sử dụng chất kết dính vì có thể làm giảm độ xốp, một thử nghiệm bằng việc tạo viên zeolite từ hỗn hợp zeolite X và metakaolin trong môi trường kiềm thực hiện thủy nhiệt được tiến hành. Kính hiển vi điện tử quét (Scanning electron microscopy-SEM) được sử dụng để quan sát cấu trúc hình thái của vật liệu, cùng với nhiễu xạ tia X (X-ray diffraction-XRD) để xác nhận sự chuyển đổi cấu trúc tinh thể của metakaolin và zeolite X. Các loại zeolite khác nhau được phát hiện trong mẫu viên zeolite sau khi thực hiện thủy nhiệt. Sự suy giảm độ bền cơ học được ghi nhận khi nghiên cứu bằng đường cong lực – thời gian của vật liệu, cho thấy sự hình thành cấu trúc xốp với nhiều tâm hấp phụ hơn so với trước khi thủy nhiệt cùng với sự tăng cường tính kỵ nước. Đồng thời, kết quả đo hấp phụ CO2 cho thấy khả năng hấp phụ đã tăng lên sau quá trình thủy nhiệt.

Turmeric starch production generates turmeric residue which is rich in dietary fiber and bioactives. In the current investigation, turmeric residue powder (TRP) was added to durum wheat semolina at 0 (control), 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 % of the blend mass to make pasta, and the quality of fortified pasta was evaluated. The increase in supplementation level of TRP from 0 to 15 % enhanced the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging capacity and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of the incorporated pasta by 10.9 and 29.8 times, respectively; additionally, the total dietary fiber and phenolic contents of pasta were also improved by 1.8 and 12.6 times, respectively. A large proportion of TRP in the pasta recipe decreased the hardness, cohesiveness, elongation rate, tensile strength, water absorption index, swelling index, volume increase, and overall acceptability of the product while increasing its adhesiveness and cooking loss. The overall sensory scores for the pasta samples added with 3 or 6 % TRP were acceptable. The TRP was, therefore, a novel source of dietary fiber and antioxidants, which has the potential to develop functional pasta products.

Nowadays “green” processes such as room temperature processes are interested in new researches for production of practical-important solid materials. Zeolitic LTA materials are commonly prepared by hydrothermal transformation using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium aluminate (NaAlO2), and sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) at high temperatures (95 – 100 ◦C). In this study, sub-micron zeolite LTA was prepared at ambient temperature from metakaolin which is easily obtained from kaolin mineral. The prepared materials were characterized using various methods, including XRD to identify their structure, SEM and EDX to analyze the shape and proportional components of the elements, and the N2 adsorption–desorption method to determine the surface area and pore volume. Regarding the Cu2+ ion adsorption capability of the synthetic zeolite, the experimental results revealed that the sub-micron zeolite LTA has potential applications in practice because its adsorption rate exceeds that of the commercial zeolite and the rate constant of the second–order kinetics model of the prepared zeolite was 1.7 times higher than that of the commercial zeolite.

Research background. Watermelon rind, a by-product of watermelon juice processing, contains large amounts of dietary fibre and phenols with antioxidant capacity. The use of agro-industrial by-products would both improve economic benefits and reduce environmental emissions. The aim of this research is to examine the effect of the particle size of watermelon rind powder on the quality of high-fibre pasta. Experimental approach. The nutritional, physical and physicochemical quality of three samples of watermelon rind powder, sieved through three sieves with aperture size of 400, 210 and 149 μm, were analysed. Durum wheat semolina with watermelon rind powder mass fraction of 10 % were mixed and used to make pasta. Nutritional, textural and cooking quality, sensory acceptability, in vitro glycaemic index and antioxidant bioaccessibility of high-fibre pasta with added watermelon rind powder of different particle sizes were evaluated and compared. Results and conclusions. When the sieve aperture size was reduced from 400 to 149 µm, the soluble dietary fibre and total phenolic contents of watermelon rind powder were increased by 35 and 15 %, respectively, while its insoluble dietary fibre content was decreased by 21 %. Decrease in sieve aperture size from 410 to 149 µm reduced phenolic bioaccessibility of the fortified pasta from 63 to 57 %, but enhanced its predicted glycaemic index from 50 to 69. It also decreased the pasta hardness by 13 %, but improved its elongation rate and tensile strength by 13 and 40 %, respectively. The finer the particles of the watermelon rind powder, the longer the optimal cooking time, the higher the water absorption index, and the lower the cooking loss of the supplemented pasta. Consumers did not notice any significant differences in the overall acceptability among all pasta samples. Novelty and scientific contribution. The particle size of the watermelon rind powder had a major effect on nutritional value, texture and cooking quality of the fortified pasta. In particular, the predicted glycaemic index and antioxidant bioaccessibility of high-fibre pasta were significantly affected by the particle size of the dietary fibre material used in the recipe.

Abstract This study investigates how financial literacy and behavioral traits affect the adoption of electronic payment (ePayment) services in Japan. We construct a financial literacy index using a representative sample of 25,000 individuals from the Bank of Japan’s 2019 Financial Literacy Survey. We then analyze the relationship between this index and the extensive and intensive usage of two types of payment services: electronic money (e-money) and mobile payment apps. Using an instrumental variable approach, we find that higher financial literacy is positively associated with a higher likelihood of adopting ePayment services. The empirical results suggest that individuals with higher financial literacy use payment services more frequently. We also find that risk-averse people are less likely to adopt and use ePayment services, whereas people with herd behavior tend to adopt and use ePayment services more. Our empirical results also suggest that the effects of financial literacy on the adoption and use of ePayment differ among people with different behavioral traits.

In Vietnam, erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent and recognized to be associated with mental disorders; however, societal taboos impede a comprehensive understanding of this connection. Our study aims to investigate the factors related to higher levels of anxiety and/or depression (HAD) in individuals with ED. Between November 2022 and March 2023, a face-to-face survey was conducted at the Center for Andrology of Viet Duc University Hospital, involving 390 patients diagnosed with ED. The survey included 51 questions covering general patient information, the International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The stepwise Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) method was used to identify factors associated with HAD. The study revealed an average age of 37.63 (11.84) years among participants, with a HAD prevalence of 17.69%. Several factors were associated with a higher likelihood of belonging to the HAD group in ED patients. These factors included non-office workers (OR: 1.11; 95% CI: [1.01, 1.21], p = .025), medium and high levels of work-related stress (OR: 1.23; [1.06, 1.44], p = .008; OR: 1.22; [1.04, 1.45], p = .018), multiple shameful experiences related to ED (OR: 1.16; [1.08, 1.25], p < .001), moderate and severe ED (OR: 1.17; [1.03, 1.32], p = .013; OR: 1.31; [1.14, 1.51], p < .001), and dissatisfaction with intercourse skills (OR: 1.09; [1.01, 1.17], p = .028). Our findings suggest a 16% higher likelihood of HAD status in individuals with multiple shameful experiences related to ED, while moderate and severe ED are associated with respective increases of 17% and 31% in the likelihood. These findings emphasize the importance of considering mental health in the care of individuals with ED.

In today's world, people are facing the challenges of extreme weather events, global warming, and the rapid degradation of nature and the environment. One of the major contributors to these issues is the increased concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere following the industrial revolution. In response to this crucial situation, this study focuses on the zeolite-based geopolymer material synthesis with various zeolite compositions. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the retained structure of the powdery zeolite. These materials are designed to exhibit stability under various conditions and to investigate their capability to capture CO2 through gas flow. The study assesses the performance of these materials in capturing CO2, aiming to provide a foundation for the development of effective CO2 capture materials and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The sample with zeolite X content of 45.6 wt% has a CO2 adsorption capacity of 21±1 mg/g with an inlet gas of 3 %v CO2 and remained almost same adsorption capacity after two times of heat regeneration.

Hydrothermally synthesized carbon nanodots (CDs) were impregnated on TiO2. The product (CDs/TiO2) was mechanically mixed with zeolite Y for application in toluene photocatalytic oxidation reaction under UV radiation. Material properties of the samples were investigated by different methods. Toluene vapor was chosen as a typical volatile organic compound to investigate the performance of CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y photocatalyst when these technological parameters were changed: toluene concentration, gas flow rate, humidity and UV light intensity. In each reaction, only one parameter was changed and the remaining conditions were fixed. The toluene concentrations at the beginning and the end of each reaction were analyzed with the use of gas chromatography (GC). The results of different reaction conditions show the trends for toluene treatment of the CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y catalyst, thereby providing specific explanations for these trends. The experiments also show that toluene removal is highest when the toluene concentration in the inlet gas is 314 ppmv, the flow rate is 3 L/h, the humidity is 60%, and the catalyst (CDs/TiO2 – zeolite Y composite with 70% zeolite in weight) is illuminated by 4 UV lamps. Copyright © 2022 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Carbon capture and storage has become a widespread concern as a key technology in the global commitment to tackle climate change. Adsorption, especially when the regeneration process is carried out through a pressure reduction (pressure swing adsorption – PSA) is one of the promising solutions for reducing energy consumption, environmental impact, and the cost of CO2 capture. In this paper, zeolite FAU (type X) was chosen to be modified into hierarchically porous structure by using top-down approach with the combination between Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), NaOH and Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which is expected to be used as a potential material adsorbent in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system for CO2 adsorption. The study of CO2 adsorption at 30°C has shown that mesoporous structure helps to increase strongly not only the rate of CO2 adsorption but also the selectivity between CO2/CH4, CO2/N2 and the regeneration yield in the same amount of vacuuming time with the original zeolite X while only mitigating slightly the CO2 adsorption capacity. The mesoporous structure of materials was proved through XRD patterns and pore-size distribution results. The CO2 adsorption procedures at different temperatures (0°C, 15°C, 30°C) were also conducted to calculate the thermodynamic adsorption parameters. After ten-time reusing, the material retains more than 90% adsorption capacity compared with the first time.

Trong nghiên cứu này, xúc tác Zn-Zr-SBA-16 đã được tổng hợp từ vật liệu Zr/SBA-16 được biến tính Zn bằng kỹ thuật hai dung môi cho phản ứng reforming trên n-hexane. Đầu tiên, vật liệu Zr-SBA-16 được điều chế bằng cách thêm từng giọt zirconyl oxy chloride (ZrOCl2) vào dung dịch silicate với tỷ lệ nguyên tử Zr/Si = 10%. Kỹ thuật hai dung môi đã được sử dụng để biến tính kẽm vào vật liệu silica. Xúc tác Zn-Zr-SBA-16 thu được đem phân tích đặc trưng bởi các kỹ thuật nhiễm xạ tia X (XRD), phổ hồng ngoại (FT-IR), đẳng nhiệt hấp phụ - giải hấp phụ N2 (BET), kính hiển vi điện tử truyền qua (TEM), và giải hấp phụ NH3 theo chương trình nhiệt độ (TPD-NH3). Ảnh hưởng của hoạt tính xúc tác lên phản ứng reforming cho n-hexane được khảo sát thông qua hàm lượng kẽm, thời gian và nhiệt độ phản ứng khác nhau. Kết quả cho thấy, độ chuyển hóa của n-hexane đạt 88,03% ở 500°C và trong thời gian 4 giờ.

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the cell line of choice for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins. Despite improvements in production processes, reducing manufacturing costs remains a key driver in the search for more productive clones. To identify media additives capable of increasing protein production, CHOZN® GS−/− cell lines were screened with 1280 small molecules, and two were identified, forskolin and BrdU, which increased productivity by ≥40%. While it is possible to incorporate these small molecules into a commercial-scale process, doing so may not be financially feasible or could raise regulatory concerns related to the purity of the final drug substance. To circumvent these issues, RNA-Seq was performed to identify transcripts which were up- or downregulated upon BrdU treatment. Subsequent Reactome pathway analysis identified the electron transport chain as an affected pathway. CRISPR/Cas9 was utilized to create missense mutations in two independent components of the electron transport chain and the resultant clones partially recapitulated the phenotypes observed upon BrdU treatment, including the productivity of recombinant therapeutic proteins. Together, this work suggests that BrdU can enhance the productivity of CHO cells by modulating cellular energetics and provides a blueprint for translating data from small molecule chemical screens into genetic engineering targets to improve the performance of CHO cells. This could ultimately lead to more productive host cell lines and a more cost-effective method of supplying medication to patients.

Ground robots require the crucial capability of traversing unstructured and unprepared terrains and avoiding obstacles to complete tasks in real-world robotics applications such as disaster response. When a robot operates in off-road field environments such as forests, the robot's actual behaviors often do not match its expected or planned behaviors, due to changes in the characteristics of terrains and the robot itself. Therefore, the capability of robot adaptation for consistent behavior generation is essential for maneuverability on unstructured off-road terrains. In order to address the challenge, we propose a novel method of self-reflective terrain-aware adaptation for ground robots to generate consistent controls to navigate over unstructured off-road terrains, which enables robots to more accurately execute the expected behaviors through robot self-reflection while adapting to varying unstructured terrains. To evaluate our method's performance, we conduct extensive experiments using real ground robots with various functionality changes over diverse unstructured off-road terrains. The comprehensive experimental results have shown that our self-reflective terrain-aware adaptation method enables ground robots to generate consistent navigational behaviors and outperforms the compared previous and baseline techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional method for removal of N and P from industrial wastewater by biological treatment requires a long hydraulic- retention- time (HRT) and strict conditions for protecting the microorganisms. This study focuses on N and P recovery by struvite (MgNH4PO4.6H2O) precipitation method which is a fast chemical process. In order to control the specs of the sample, a simulated wastewater solution was prepared according to the parameters of inorganic fertilizer wastewater. The influence of pH (7-9), Mg/P molar ratio (1-1.6), and N/P molar ratio (1.2-2) in struvite recovery efficiency were evaluated and the obtained struvite samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized in Box-Behnken experimental design and data analysis to obtain mathematics for P and N recovery. The XRD and SEM results confirmed the formation of struvite structure with a particle size of about 7-50 micrometers. The obtained struvite contained nutrients N, P2O5, and MgO which can be used directly in fertilizer formulation. The mathematic models for P recovery and N recovery were obtained from analyzing experimental data with p-value

Việc loại bỏ N và P ở nồng độ cao ra khỏi nguồn nước thải là một vấn đề quan trọng nhằm giảm thiểu ô nhiễm môi trường nước và cải thiện đáng kể chất lượng nguồn nước. Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là thu hồi N và P từ nước thải thực thông qua quá trình kết tinh ở các điều kiện công nghệ khác nhau. Struvite (Magie amoni photphat hydrat, MgNH4PO4.6H2O thu hồi từ nước thải thực có nồng độ N và P cao đã được nghiên cứu. Ảnh hưởng của pH, tỷ lệ mol Mg/P, nhiệt độ kết tủa và thời gian phản ứng đến hiệu suất thu hồi struvite đã được thảo luận. Kết quả cho thấy pH và tỷ lệ mol Mg/P là các thông số quan trọng ảnh hưởng đến hiệu suất thu hồi P thông qua struvite. Hiệu suất thu hồi struvite đạt 95,2±3,1 % ở pH 8,3, tỷ lệ mol Mg/P là 1:1, ở 30°C và thời gian phản ứng là 90 phút và thời gian làm già là 60 phút. Hơn nữa, nhiệt độ kết tinh trong khoảng 20-40°C ảnh hưởng không đáng kể đến hiệu suất kết tinh struvite. Nhiễu xạ tia X (XRD) xác nhận sự hình thành cấu trúc struvite được thu hồi từ nguồn nước thải thực. Struvite thu được từ nước thải có chứa hàm lượng dinh dưỡng (Mg, N và P) cao được đề xuất làm phân bón tan chậm cho các ứng dụng nông nghiệp.

With the increasing emphasis on circular economies, biogas has gradually become an important energy source, but the refinement of biogas to reduce CO2 concentrations and impurities is required. This study reports on a one-pot top-down route to easily obtain mesostructured zeolite for CO2 adsorption during the biogas refinement process. Combining surfactants with an acid/base treatment achieved a perforation effect and generated mesopores in the zeolite structure. The zeolite structure and the presence of mesopores in the material were confirmed via XRD and a pore-size distribution analysis.div>

In this study, magnetic biochar was successfully synthesized via one-step pyrolysis of FeCl3-loaded rice husk. Properties of the obtained magnetic biochar were determined by X-ray powder diffraction, SEM image, nitrogen adsorption isotherm, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The results revealed that magnetic Fe3O4 particles along with zero-valent iron particles were formed over biochar support at 600 C in 2 h. The magnetic biochar samples were subsequently utilized as oxidation catalysts for p-nitrophenol degradation by H2O2. Parameters including pH value, H2O2 concentration, biochar catalysts with different Fe-loaded contents were investigated. At high pH 6, 540 ppm H2O2 and 0.1 g magnetic biochar with 20 wt% Fe-loaded content, 99.8% p-nitrophenol could be removed after 90 min treatment. In addition, magnetic biochar particles could be removed from the treated solution by magnets easily. Overall, eco-friendly magnetic biochar can potentially be an effective catalyst for p-nitrophenol treatment in wastewater.

This study reports effects of pH and PVA/Au mass ratio on properties and catalytic activity of carbon grain supported nano Au catalysts for treatment of VOC pollutants at low temperatures. The catalysts were synthesized at various pH of the sol solution and different PVA/Au mass ratios. They were characterized by specified techniques to evaluate crystallinity, surface properties, and morphology. The catalytic activity for VOCs removal has been conducted in the temperature range 100-200 C and in the presence of water vapor. The relationship between catalyst’s characterization and the low-temperature catalytic activity was evaluated, and the synergy effect in the dual functional adsorbent/catalyst was reported. Nano Au supported on granular carbon, which was synthesized with mass ratio PVA/Au = 4 at pH = 4, can removal toluene about 50.3 % from initial concentration of 314 ppmv after 60 min reaction at the reaction temperature 150 C and high humidity (RH = 60 %). Furthermore, moisture reduces the activity only slightly due to the hydrophobicity of activated carbon, and the durability of the catalyst was also reported.