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An experimental investigation of subcooled flow boiling heat transfer in an orthogonal macro channel (d h = 16 mm) is undertaken. An extraordinary heat transfer performance is observed when a single copper wire mesh screen covers the heating surface of the channel. Experiments are performed with deionized water, at a mass flux range of 100–410 kg/m2s and a heat flux range of 50–850 kW/m2. A series of highly subcooled flow boiling experiments demonstrates the existence of regions of heat transfer enhancement, compared to a smooth reference surface. The addition of the mesh layer triggers a self-sustained flow instability accompanied by intense pressure oscillations which allows for remarkably thermally steady state conditions to take place. While in several heat transfer studies, the appearance of pressure oscillations has been attributed with heat transfer deterioration, in the current study we observe that a self-sustained oscillatory flow leads altogether to heat transfer enhancement, baring close resemblance to the well-known microbubble emission boiling flow phenomenology and heat transfer. Aspects of temperature, pressure and flow regimes are presented and discussed accordingly. [Display omitted] • A mesh layer is used as boiling surface. • Self-sustained oscillatory flow enhances heat transfer. • Image analysis identifies distinct flow regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a small volume emulsification device developed by the authors is further studied in the present work. Following suggestions of previous work, five different piston plates with orthogonal edges are constructed to oscillate inside a small cube-shaped cell. The different pistons yield several combinations of gap width and height between the plates and the walls of the cell. Their performance is assessed by performing emulsification experiments over an extensive range of piston stroke frequency and emulsification time for a specific non-coalescing system (fixed oil fraction and surfactant concentration). The resulting droplet size distributions are estimated by microscopy images analysis and by phase separation observations. The combined information from these techniques is necessary in order to register the broad size range of droplets. A semiquantitative analysis of the flow field in the gap reveals that droplet breakage process starts at the laminar boundary layers developed between the piston and the cell walls and allows characterization of this field. A theoretical analysis for the mechanism of droplet breakup is presented. The analysis of experimental results demonstrates that four of the five tested piston plates are appropriate for emulsification regarding the generated droplet size distribution and the choice among them requires additional criteria, e.g. energy requirements. Effect of oscillating piston dimensions on its emulsification performance [Display omitted] • Emulsification performance assessment of geometric features of oscillating pistons. • Microscopy images analysis and phase separation observations for identification of the broad droplet size distribution. • Reducing the gap thickness and increasing the piston thickness improves the emulsification efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pb2+ adsorption onto activated carbon was studied as a function of the different liquid medium during batch adsorption process without shaking/agitation of flasks (where adsorbate and adsorbent coexist). As liquid medium deionized water (DW) enhanced with gases bulk nanobubbles (bNBs) was used. The adsorbent material used was activated carbon from potato peels. The maximum Pb2+ adsorption capacity (Q m) was 9 mg/g in the case of adsorption process in DW without agitation, whereas the respective Q m was 94 mg/g by using DW-bNBs as medium without agitation. It was also found that Q m increased to 171 mg/g in the adsorption process with DW-bNBs and agitation (150 rpm). This finding was the start point of a new experimental design where after re-agitation (intense shaking of 225 rpm) of the respective experimental case (94 mg/g), the final Q m was 163 mg/g i.e. very close to the one corresponding to simultaneous adsorption and agitation from the beginning. The results are analyzed and discussed intensively to lead in several important implications on the influence of bNBs to the bulk solute mass transfer. Based on our experimental equilibrium data a modified-Langmuir equation was developed, applied and proposed so as to better simulate the whole (complicated) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online techniques for monitoring biofilm formation and evolution are limited, especially as regards its application in flowing water systems. This is chiefly due to the absence of efficient non-destructive and non-invasive sensing methods. In this study, a sensitive electrical resistance spectroscopy technique is developed to monitor non-invasively and in real time the growth of biofilms over metallic surfaces inside water flow systems. To this aim, Pseudomonas fluorescens strain is used for biofilm development lasting 72 h in a laboratory-scale test channel of orthogonal cross section. Biofilm development corresponds to a progressively increasing coverage of the metallic surface area up to full coverage and a progressively increasing thickness. Biofilm development is registered by continuous recording of electrical impedance signals (time series). Proper configuration and tuning of the electronics promote the resistive contribution to the signal whereas careful grounding diminishes electrical interferences and yields superb sensing sensitivity. An increase of relative electrical resistance of around 15% is noticed in 72 h flow experiments which is attributed to both an increase of metallic surface area coverage and an increase of biofilm thickness. An independent estimation of these quantities using imaging tools and microscopy analysis, indicates that full coverage of the metallic surface occurs after only 48 h of the flow experiment, whereas biofilm thickness increases gradually along the entire 72 h of the experiment. Cross-examination of electrical signals with biofilm characteristics (metallic surface coverage and biofilm thickness) reveals that, qualitatively speaking, electrical signals are rather more sensitive to metallic surface coverage than biofilm thickness. [Display omitted] • Custom-made resistance technique monitors biofilms on flow-wetted metallic surfaces. • Biofilms grow inside tailor-made millimeter-scale orthogonal flow channels. • High resolution electrical signals increase around 15% in 72 h of biofilm growth. • Electrical signals capture both increasing surface coverage and biofilm thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bubbles buoyant velocity increases with hypergravity and so their residence time decreases. • Hypergravity decreases volumetric fraction of degassing bubbles and slightly their size. • Final degree of liquid degassing does not change with hypergravity. The formation and growth of bubbles due to decompression degassing of a liquid has been extensively studied in the past, aiming to enhance the efficiency of specific industrial applications. Even though liquid decompression degassing may interfere with the performance of space processes (such as cooling and lubrication systems, combustion and storage of liquid propellants etc.), the phenomenon has never been studied in non-terrestrial gravity conditions. The present work investigates for the first time, bubbles dynamics of a degassing liquid under various hypergravity accelerations. Degassing bubbles form due to desorption of dissolved air upon decompression of a liquid jet partially saturated with air. Accelerations up to 12 g are applied artificially by means of the Large Diameter Centrifuge facility of the European Space Agency. A patented electrical impedance spectroscopy technique provides the distribution of desorbed gas along the flow. Analysis of high resolution images indicates changes of bubbles size. Residence time distributions using conductivity tracers reveal the flow pattern in the degassing vessel. The total extent of liquid degassing is derived from dissolved oxygen measurements. Hypergravity alters the bubbles velocity and, consequently, their residence time in the liquid. Therefore, it affects the gas fraction in the degassing vessel offering unique conditions for studying the impact of acceleration on bubble dynamics. Experimental findings are useful not only for the optimization of space processes during hypergravity phases, e.g., space vehicles launch and re-orbiting, but also for the construction of controlled degassing industrial applications. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Effect of nanobubbles on adsorption. • Increase of adsorption rate. • Modeling the Nanobubbles effect. Abstract This study investigates the effect of nanobubbles (NBs) on the adsorption in water. In batch adsorption experiments, as liquid medium deionized water, with or without NBs, was used in order to remove a particular heavy metal. Lead ions (Pb(II)) and low-cost activated carbon produced from pyrolysis of potato peels (ACP) were used as model pollutant and adsorbent material, respectively. The adsorption capacity of Pb(II) was found to be approximately similar either in the presence (Q max = 171 mg/g) or absence of NBs in water (Q max = 167 mg/g). On the contrary, the major effect of NBs was to accelerate the adsorption process by 366%. This impressively high acceleration will be the basis in future research to decrease the adsorption equilibrium time and sequentially increase the number of adsorption-desorption cycles in reuse modes. A proposed mechanism exported from the experimental results, in which NBs act as carriers ("buses"), was proposed based on the already known theory; the inherent property of NBs to accept charged particles onto their interface is considered to assist diffusion and penetration phenomena of lead ions into the activated carbon pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the detection of bubble contours in images of subcooled boiling in microgravity is proposed. The method refines an initial, rough contour approximation obtained from conventional background subtraction. This refinement entails the warping of an elliptical ring image region into a polar image, where bubble contour detection becomes simpler. The proposed method exhibits robustness to a wide variety of visual phenomena that typically hinder the detection of bubble contours. This is achieved by the grouping of continuous image edges. A ground truth annotated data set is provided that enables the quantitative and comparative evaluation of the proposed methods. [Display omitted] • Boiling bubble contour detection and measurement in microgravity. • Robustness to reflections, illumination specularities and artifacts. • Ground truth annotation and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Risperidone (RIS)-loaded microspheres based on poly(alkylene adipate)s derived from dicarboxylic acids and different aliphatic diols were prepared by the oil in water emulsion and solvent evaporation method. Specifically, 3 polyesters, namely poly(ethylene adipate), poly(propylene adipate), and poly(butylene adipate), were prepared with the aid of a 2-stage melt-polycondensation method and characterized by gel permeation chromatography, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Results showed that the molecular weight of the polyesters increased as the diol molecular weight increased, while all polymers were of semi-crystalline nature and the melting temperature was varying from 49.1°C to 51.8°C and 65.9°C for poly(propylene adipate), poly(ethylene adipate), and poly(butylene adipate), respectively. The particle size of the RIS-loaded microspheres varied from 10 to 100 μm depending on the polyester type and the drug loading, while X-ray diffraction analysis revealed amorphous active pharmaceutical ingredient in the cases of high drug-loaded microspheres. In vitro drug release studies along with scanning electron microscopy images of microspheres after the completion of dissolution process showed that in all cases RIS release was controlled by the glass transition temperature of polyesters and physical state of active pharmaceutical ingredients via diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new software tool is developed for droplet image analysis for the study of wetting of solid substrates. The tool extracts information exclusively from images and does not require the use of any properties of the system. Moreover, its applicability covers both axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric droplets. The developed software processes independently droplet images taken from side and top perspectives. Processing of side-view images is made by polynomial fitting to the droplet shape and provides important 2D geometrical features such as contact angles, length, height, contact point coordinates and contour outline. The analysis of top-view images is achieved through active contours (snakes) and yields droplet dimensions, centroid position and contour outline. The combination of synchronized side and top images provides the reconstruction of the droplet 3D shape by means of slices of circular arc shape, which allows estimation of droplet volume and of the distribution of contact angles along its perimeter. The above is an important feature that has not been delivered by other software tools. Experimental results to support the applicability of the new tool are presented for two distinct substrates having different surface properties (glass and Teflon). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to use commercial available polymers like PVP/PEG, soluplus® and kollidon® SR to prepare immediate and sustained release formulations of felodipine by hot melt mixing method. Solid dispersions containing 5, 10, 20 and 30 wt% drug have been prepared in a Haake-Buchler Reomixer at melt temperature 130 °C and mixing time 10 min. As was found from DSC and XDR studies completely amorphous and miscible solid dispersions can be prepared. In all cases a single glass transition was recorded, which is depended from the used drug amount. Hydrogen bonds and the molecular interaction between felodipine and polymer matrices are responsible for the miscibility of prepared formulations. This has as result the substantial enhancement of felodipine release rate in PVP/PEG mixture and due to the high solubility of used polymers immediate release formulations have been prepared. On the contrary, sustained release formulations can be prepared in the case of kollidon SR solid dispersions. The release mechanism of all preparations was studied using different kinetic models. Finally, binding affinity values calculated by molecular docking simulations were used as estimators for predicting long-term drug's physical stability in solid dispersions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, high surface area mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was loaded with paclitaxel (taxol, PTX) and was further entrapped into poly(lactic acid- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs). A modified solvent evaporation-emulsion method was used in order to formulate the composite microparticles with sizes of 8–12 μm. PTX loaded SBA-15 as well as the PLGA/PTX-SBA-15 composites were characterized in terms of their morphology, crystal structure and thermal properties. Drug content, loading efficiency, particle size and the in-vitro drug release kinetics of the PLGA/PTΧ-SBA-15 microspheres were also investigated. The in vitro release studies were carried out using Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) at 37 °C revealing that the prepared formulations present higher dissolution rate than pure PTX and sustained pattern which is ideal for anticancer carriers. Modeling and data analysis of the in vitro drug release was also investigated. It was also shown that all microparticles have low cytotoxicity in HUVE cells. Finally, it was found that drug loaded microparticles are very effective in Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ammonia recovery from liquid digestate by vacuum membrane-distillation process. • Near-optimum process conditions and data correlations obtained from lab tests. • Development of an approach for continuous process design towards scale-up. Vacuum Membrane Distillation (VMD) is systematically investigated herein, for recovering ammonia after phosphates precipitation, towards development of a sustainable process to valorize anaerobic-fermentation liquid-digestates (separated from the sludge). Initially, batch tests were performed, with representative synthetic solutions, to identify a narrow range of conditions favoring optimal ammonia (i.e. total ammonia nitrogen-TAN) separation, mainly regarding selectivity and recovery in H 2 SO 4 scrubbing-solution. Next, guided by the preceding test-results, targeted batch experiments with digestate samples from an industrial plant, led to determination of near-optimum conditions for ammonia recovery. Specifically, for the small TAN concentration (<200 mg/L) encountered in the digestate feeds, VMD at modest temperature (T< ∼45 °C) and driving force Δp (<20 mbar) allowed high ammonia removal fraction r (greater than 0.85) with fair selectivity. Under such conditions, the (ammonia-water) distillate flux J exhibited linear dependence on Δp; moreover, J and pH of feed solution remained practically constant for a significant distillate removal-fraction R (under constant Δp and T). Based on theoretically supported correlation of ammonia removal-fraction r with distillate removal-fraction R, and other results, an approach is proposed for realistic preliminary design of a continuous VMD-based process, thus facilitating further steps towards large-scale process development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of neat chitosan (CS) and its derivatives with succinic anhydride (CSUC) and 2-carboxybenzaldehyde (CBCS) as appropriate nanocarriers for ocular release of timolol maleate (Tim). Drug nanoencapsulation was performed via ionic crosslinking gelation of the used carriers and sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). Nanoparticles with size ranged from about 190 to 525 nm were prepared and it was found that the formed size was directly depended on the used carrier and their ratios with TPP. For CS derivatives it was found that as the amount of TPP increased, the particle size increased too, while both derivatives proceeded to nanoparticles with smaller size than thath of neat CS. The interactions between carriers and TPP were studied theoretically using all-electron calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). In most of nanoparticles formulations, Tim was entrapped in amorphous form, while the drug entrapment efficiency was higher in CBCS derivative.It was indicated that Tim release rate depended mainly on the used carrier, particle size of prepared nanocarriers and drug loading. From the theoretical release data analysis, it was found that the Tim release was a stagewise procedure with drug diffusion being the dominant release mechanism for each stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study a series of biodegradable and biocompatible poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(propylene glutarate) (PCL/PPGlu) polymer blends were investigated as controlled release carriers of Risperidone drug (RISP), appropriate for transdermal drug delivery. The PCL/PPGlu carriers were prepared in different weight ratios. Miscibility studies of blends were evaluated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Hydrolysis studies were performed at 37 °C using a phosphate buffered saline solution. The prepared blends have been used for the preparation of RISP patches via solvent evaporation method, containing 5, 10 and 15 wt% RISP. These formulations were characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy, DSC and WAXD in order to evaluate interactions taking place between polymer matrix and drug, as well as the dispersion and the physical state of the drug inside the polymer matrix. In vitro drug release studies were performed using as dissolution medium phosphate buffered saline simulating body fluids. It was found that in all cases controlled release formulations were obtained, while the RISP release varies due to the properties of the used polymer blend and the different levels of drug loading. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were used for dissolution behaviour modelling showing increased correlation efficacy compared to Multi-Linear-Regression (MLR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular gas bubbles are routinely observed after scuba dives using ultrasound imaging, however the precise formation mechanism and site of these bubbles are still debated and growth from decompression in vivo has not been extensively studied, due in part to imaging difficulties. An experimental set-up was developed for optical recording of bubble growth and density on tissue surface area during hyperbaric decompression. Muscle and fat tissues (rabbits, ex vivo) were covered with nitrogen saturated distilled water and decompression experiments performed, from 3 to 0 bar, at a rate of 1 bar/min. Pictures were automatically acquired every 5 s from the start of the decompression for 1 h with a resolution of 1.75 μm. A custom MatLab analysis code implementing a circular Hough transform was written and shown to be able to track bubble growth sequences including bubble center, radius, contact line and contact angles over time. Bubble density, nucleation threshold and detachment size, as well as coalescence behavior, were shown significantly different for muscle and fat tissues surfaces, whereas growth rates after a critical size were governed by diffusion as expected. Heterogeneous nucleation was observed from preferential sites on the tissue substrate, where the bubbles grow, detach and new bubbles form in turn. No new nucleation sites were observed after the first 10 min post decompression start so bubble density did not vary after this point in the experiment. In addition, a competition for dissolved gas between adjacent multiple bubbles was demonstrated in increased delay times as well as slower growth rates for non-isolated bubbles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, carrageenan microparticles were synthesized using spray-drying method and used as biosorbents for the removal of pharmaceutical compounds. The cross-linking reaction of iota -carrageenan (iCAR) and kappa -carrageenan (kCAR) with glutaraldehyde (GLA) at different concentrations (2.5% or 5% (w/w), mass of GLA per mass of CAR) was studied (iCAR/GLA2.5, iCAR/GLA5, kCAR/GLA2.5, kCAR/GLA5). The physicochemical properties of the novel cross-linked polymers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Swelling studies were in accordance with the polymer properties, showing the lowest swelling degree (19%) by using the iCAR/GLA5 microparticles. The optimal kCAR/GLA5 microparticles were successfully employed for the removal of Metoprolol (MTPL) from aqueous samples. The adsorption capacity of the adsorbents was investigated using a batch adsorption procedure and the kinetics and thermodynamics of the adsorption process were further investigated. It was found that the adsorption isotherms agree well with the Langmuir–Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacity ( Q m ) was achieved in pH 6, whereas an increase of Q m was observed increasing the temperature (from 109 at 20 °C to 178 mg/g at 40 °C). Kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process on iCAR/GLA5 microparticles followed pseudo-second-order rate mechanism. Finally, a new phenomenological model of the adsorption process was proposed in order to extract information on the relevant sub-processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is an investigation of the redox performance of several cobalt oxide based compositions, as candidate materials for energy storage in future concentrated solar power plants. To this respect, various commercial and in-house synthesized grades were evaluated in the form of small structured perforated monolithic bodies (flow-through pellets) and assessed in terms of their capability to perform reversible cyclic reduction–oxidation reactions under air flow in the temperature range of 800–1000 °C. The compositions studied involved pure cobalt oxide as well as composites of cobalt oxide with ceria, zirconia, alumina, iron oxide, silicon carbide and manganese oxide. The main criterion for the evaluation of compositions considered was a combination of high redox reaction extent with good thermo-mechanical stability of fabricated structured bodies. Among the materials studied and based on this criterion, the most promising ones were the cobalt oxide–alumina and cobalt oxide–iron oxide composites. Although pure cobalt oxide, and especially one grade synthesized in the lab, exhibited the highest redox performance, the respective shaped structures did not manage to retain their macro-structural integrity in the course of 10 redox cycles. Moreover, it was found that, under certain conditions, the addition of ceria improved redox reaction kinetics, while total performance of cobalt oxide was not affected. However, the structural stability of cobalt oxide–ceria pellets was also problematic. It was also demonstrated that by varying the second oxide, the start-of-reduction/oxidation temperatures of cobalt oxide can be significantly altered. A preliminary simplified kinetic model was developed and its good agreement with pure cobalt oxide redox experimental data was also demonstrated. Post-characterization of used structured bodies confirmed the experimental findings of redox performance measurements and, to some extent, provided explanations regarding the main phenomena involved upon cyclic operation of different compositions employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency for deep desulfurization (removal of dibenzothiophene, DBT) of a benchmark commercial activated porous carbon (BAX) and its chemically modified counterparts was evaluated both by dynamic (fixed-bed column) and batch experiments. Oxidation of BAX led to alteration of various key physicochemical features, namely textural parameters and surface chemistry heterogeneity. These alterations affected controversially the desulfurization efficiency/capacity, since the effect was positive for batch tests but slightly negative for column tests. The oxidized sample BAX-O4 was the only one capable to decrease the initial concentration of sulfur from 20 to less than 10 ppmwS at the batch experiments. In case of the dynamic tests, even though a slightly faster exhaustion was observed for the oxidized samples, the adsorption kinetics were faster. It was also shown that oxidation of BAX resulted in denser column packing. Thus, a higher amount of adsorbent material per unit volume (bed density) can be achieved which will lead to increment of the column's desulfurization efficiency. Analysis of the breakthrough data by curve modeling showed that carbon-beds operated smoothly under equilibrium conditions. By detailed analysis and comparisons of the physicochemical features of the initial and exhausted samples as well as considering the fitting of the adsorption results at various kinetic models, it was feasible to determine the key removal mechanisms and the involved interfacial phenomena occurring during the adsorption. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilms are resilient to environmental conditions and often resistant even to strong disinfectants. It is crucial to investigate their interfacial properties, which can be effectively characterized by wetting analysis. Wetting phenomena on biofilm surfaces have been poorly investigated in literature, in particular a systematic study of wetting on real biofilm-coated substrates including the application of external body forces (forced wetting, i.e.: centrifugal and gravitational forces) is missing. The aim of this work is to study the role of nutrient and shear flow conditions on wetting properties of Pseudomonas fluorescens dehydrated biofilms, grown on glass substrates. An innovative device (Kerberos®), capable to study spreading/sliding behavior under the application of external body forces, is used here for a systematic analysis of wetting/de-wetting liquid droplets on horizontal substrates under the action of tangential forces. Results prove that, under different growth conditions, (i.e., nutrients and imposed flow), biofilms exhibit different wetting properties. At lower nutrient/shear flow conditions, biofilms show spreading/sliding behavior close to that of pure glass. At higher nutrient and shear flow conditions, droplets on biofilms show spreading followed by imbibition soon after deposition, which leads to peculiar droplet depinning during the rotation test. Wetting properties are derived as a function of the rotation speed from both top and side views videoframes through a dedicated image analysis technique. A detailed analysis of biofilm formation and morphology/topography is also provided here. [Display omitted] • Effect of growth medium/shear flow on biofilm properties by forced wetting analysis. • Wetting behavior of dehydrated biofilms is examined under centrifugal forces. • Forced wetting/imbibition dictate peculiar droplet shape under centrifugal forces. • Biofilm effective hydrophilicity is enhanced at higher nutrient/shear conditions. • Retention force for droplet motion onset reduces at higher nutrient conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm is a layer of syntrophic microorganisms stick to each other and to the surface. The importance of biofilms is enormous in various industrial applications and human everyday life. The effects of biofilm could be either positive or negative. Positive effects are encountered in industrial processes, bioremediation, and wastewater treatment. Negative effects are more common with the marine industry being one of the sectors, which confronts severe corrosion problems caused by biofouling on the surfaces of equipment and infrastructures. In space industry, microbial contamination and biofouling adversely affect both crew health and mission-related equipment, the latter including hardware, water systems, piping, and electrical tools. The capacity of biofilms to grow in space environment was confirmed already in 1991. One of the most important surface properties of biofilms is wettability, which dictates not only how a liquid spreads over the uneven external surface of biofilms but also how it penetrates into their porous and morphologically complex structure. To investigate wetting and spreading onto biofilms, model materials are often used to simulate different morphological and functional features of biofilms in a controlled way, for example, soft, deformable, soluble, structured, porous materials. Here, we review recent advances in wetting and spreading on porous and soft deformable surface together with biofilms wetting properties and its importance in space industry. We conclude with a discussion of the main directions for future research efforts regarding biofilm wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium and arsenic are commonly found in water and wastewater as hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), and inorganic arsenic species, such as pentavalent arsenic, As(V). In aqueous media, both Cr(VI) and As(V) exist predominantly in the form of oxy-anions. In our study, we prepared a polyethylenimine-silica composite material (SiO₂-PEI) as an adsorbent to study the adsorption capacity for chromate and arsenate ions. Polyethylenimine (PEI) can effectively bind negatively charged species through electrostatic interactions. The parameters that were evaluated, regarding the adsorption capacity were the effect of pH, the effect of the initial concentration of Cr(VI) and As(V), and the presence of other anions. Also, we examined the effect of Cr(VI) and As(V) on each other by studying the simultaneous removal of chromate and arsenate ions. Isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic analyses on the experimental data obtained were conducted. The results showed that the pH of the solution is affecting the charge density of PEI, and at pH 4, the lower value that was examined, the SiO₂-PEI exhibited higher adsorption capacity. The presence of other anions, such as phosphate, nitrate, and sulfate ions, had an adverse effect on the adsorption capacity of the SiO₂-PEI material for both chromate and arsenate ions. The adsorption capacity of arsenate was more affected by the presence of other anions compared to the chromate, and the higher impact was observed by the sulfate ions at pH 4, on the contrary for the chromate ions the higher impact was observed by the sulfate ions at pH 7 and by the phosphate ions at pH 4. Concerning the effect of temperature, the adsorption is an exothermic process and it was more favorable at lower environmental temperature. The study of simultaneous removal of Cr(VI) and As(V) declares the material's ability to accommodate both types of ions without requiring separate treatment steps. Addressing the simultaneous removal is essential for reducing the complexity of water treatment systems, lowering operational costs, and improving the safety of treated water., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study aims to optimize the frying process of natural porous materials (like potatoes) by enhancing heat and mass transfer phenomena through significant horizontal acceleration values following a spatially periodic pattern that alternates the intensity of inertia forces uniformly across the frying vessel. The generated horizontal inertial forces act complementary to the normal vertical buoyancy force for the creation of agitating convective currents in the oil and for vapor bubbles' departure from the surface of frying objects. The use of an innovative frying device, employing simultaneous rotation around two vertical axes at a different speed in a so-called planetary type of motion, serves to facilitate this production of horizontal acceleration values that allows intensifying the performance of frying. The present investigation examines the impact of rotational speed, along with oil temperature and frying duration, on the water loss and sensory evaluation of fried items. The potato-to-oil ratios typically found in industrial frying operations are employed. The intended outcome is a more energy-efficient frying process, reduced cooking times, and a healthier product due to lower frying temperatures and the consequent decreased formation of harmful compounds. This approach carries substantial implications for food processing, potentially enhancing productivity while limiting operational costs.

Mixtures of anionic sodium oleate (NaOl) and nonionic ethoxylated or alkoxylated surfactants improve the selective separation of magnesite particles from mineral ores during the process of flotation. Apart from triggering the hydrophobicity of magnesite particles, these surfactant molecules adsorb to the air-liquid interface of flotation bubbles, changing the interfacial properties and thus affecting the flotation efficiency. The structure of adsorbed surfactants layers at the air-liquid interface depends on the adsorption kinetics of each surfactant and the reformation of intermolecular forces upon mixing. Up to now, researchers use surface tension measurements to understand the nature of intermolecular interactions in such binary surfactant mixtures. Aiming to adapt better to the dynamic character of flotation, the present work explores the interfacial rheology of NaOl mixtures with different nonionic surfactants to study the interfacial arrangement and viscoelastic properties of adsorbed surfactants under the application of shear forces. Interfacial shear viscosity results reveal the tendency on nonionic molecules to displace NaOl molecules from the interface. The critical nonionic surfactant concentration needed to complete NaOl displacement at the interface depends on the length of its hydrophilic part and on the geometry of its hydrophobic chain. The above indications are supported by surface tension isotherms.

Astronauts are spending longer periods locked up in ships or stations for scientific and exploration spatial missions. The International Space Station (ISS) has been inhabited continuously for more than 20 years and the duration of space stays by crews could lengthen with the objectives of human presence on the moon and Mars. If the environment of these space habitats is designed for the comfort of astronauts, it is also conducive to other forms of life such as embarked microorganisms. The latter, most often associated with surfaces in the form of biofilm, have been implicated in significant degradation of the functionality of pieces of equipment in space habitats. The most recent research suggests that microgravity could increase the persistence, resistance and virulence of pathogenic microorganisms detected in these communities, endangering the health of astronauts and potentially jeopardizing long-duration manned missions. In this review, we describe the mechanisms and dynamics of installation and propagation of these microbial communities associated with surfaces ( spatial migration ), as well as long-term processes of adaptation and evolution in these extreme environments ( phenotypic and genetic migration ), with special reference to human health. We also discuss the means of control envisaged to allow a lasting cohabitation between these vibrant microscopic passengers and the astronauts., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

This study aims to provide insights into biofilm resistance associated with their structural properties acquired during formation and development. On this account, the wetting and imbibition behavior of dehydrated Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms grown on stainless steel electropolished substrates is thoroughly examined at different biofilm ages. A polar liquid (water) and a non-polar liquid (diiodomethane) are employed as wetting agents in the form of sessile droplets. A mathematical model is applied to appraise the wetting and imbibition performance of biofilms incorporating the evaporation of sessile droplets. The present results show that the examined biofilms are hydrophilic. The progressive growth of biofilms leads to a gradual increase of substrate surface coverage─up to full coverage─accompanied by a gradual decrease of biofilm surface roughness. It is noteworthy that just after 24 h of biofilm growth, the surface roughness increases about 6.7 times the roughness of the clean stainless steel surface. It is further found that the imbibition of liquid in the biofilm matrix is restricted only to the biofilm region under the sessile droplet. The lack of further capillary imbibition into the biofilm structure, beyond the droplet deposition region, implies that the biofilm matrix is not in the form of an extended network of interconnected micro/nanopores. All in all, the present results indicate a resilient biofilm structure to biocide penetration despite its hydrophilic nature.

Epidemic spread models are useful tools to study the spread and the effectiveness of the interventions at a population level, to an epidemic. The workhorse of spatially homogeneous class models is the SIR-type ones comprising ordinary differential equations for the unknown state variables. The transition between different states is expressed through rate functions. Inspired by -but not restricted to- features of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new framework for modeling a disease spread is proposed. The main concept refers to the assignment of properties to each individual person as regards his response to the disease. A multidimensional distribution of these properties represents the whole population. The temporal evolution of this distribution is the only dependent variable of the problem. All other variables can be extracted by post-processing of this distribution. It is noteworthy that the new concept allows an improved consideration of vaccination modeling because it recognizes vaccination as a modifier of individuals response to the disease and not as a means for individuals to totally defeat the disease. At the heart of the new approach is an infection age model engaging a sharp cut-off. This model is analyzed in detail, and it is shown to admit self-similar solutions. A hierarchy of models based on the new approach, from a generalized one to a specific one with three dominant properties, is derived. The latter is implemented as an example and indicative results are presented and discussed. It appears that the new framework is general and versatile enough to simulate disease spread processes and to predict the evolution of several variables of the population during this spread.

Accounting for SARS-CoV-2 adsorption on solids suspended in wastewater is a necessary step towards the reliable estimation of virus shedding rate in a sewerage system, based on measurements performed at a terminal collection station, i.e., at the entrance of a wastewater treatment plant. This concept is extended herein to include several measurement stations across a city to enable the estimation of spatial distribution of virus shedding rate. This study presents a pioneer general model describing the most relevant physicochemical phenomena with a special effort to reduce the complicated algebra. This is performed both in the topology regime, introducing a discrete-continuous approach, and in the domain of independent variables, introducing a monodisperse moment method to reduce the dimensionality of the resulting population balance equations. The resulting simplified model consists of a large system of ordinary differential equations. A sensitivity analysis is performed with respect to some key parameters for a single pipe topology. Specific numerical techniques are employed for the integration of the model. Finally, a parametric case study for an indicative-yet realistic-sewerage piping system is performed to show how the model is applied to SARS-CoV-2 adsorption on wastewater solids in the presence of other competing species. This is the first model of this kind appearing in scientific literature and a first step towards setting up an inverse problem to assess the spatial distribution of virus shedding rate based on its concentration in wastewater., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

In the present study, new aledronate (AL) loaded microspheres were prepared with the use of polycaprolactone (PCL)/Vitamin E d-ɑ-tocopheryl poly(ethylene glycol) 1000 succinate (TPGS) copolymers. Specifically, PCL-TPGS copolymers, prepared at several PCL to TPGS ratios (namely, 90/10, 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40 w/w) via a ring opening polymerization process, were characterized by intrinsic viscosity, proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and enzymatic hydrolysis. Results showed that as TPGS content increases the intrinsic viscosity of the copolymer (and hence, the viscosity-average molecular weight) is decreasing, while FTIR analysis showed the formation of hydrogen bonds between the -C[bond, double bond]O of PCL and the -OH of TPGS. Additionally, XRD analysis indicated that the prepared copolymers were semi-crystalline in nature, while enzymatic hydrolysis studies showed that increasing TGPS content led to increasing copolymer hydrolysis. In the following step, AL drug-loaded microspheres were prepared via single emulsification process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of coarse drug-loaded microspheres with particle size close to 5 μm, while XRD analysis showed that the API was amorphously dispersed only in the cases of high TPGS content. Furthermore, FTIR analysis showed that the API did not interact with the copolymer components, while in vitro drug release studies showed that increasing PCL content led to decreasing API release rate. Finally, analysis of the drug release profiles suggested that the API release mechanism was solely governed by the polymer matrix erosion., (© 2019 The Author(s).)

This study is aiming to investigate tetravalent manganese feroxyhyte (TMFx) adsorption efficiency in removing heavy metals. The motivation of this study was the fact that TMFx is a highly negatively charged nanostructure material and that the metals Cd, Hg, and Ni were characterized as priority pollutants for drinking water. TMFx was evaluated through batch and continuous flow experiments in National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) water matrix which simulated the physicochemical characteristics of natural water. Water's pH significantly influences Cd and Ni adsorption efficiency which gradually increases when pH value rises from 5 to 9, while the corresponding one for Hg remains almost constant. Thermodynamic data showed a spontaneous and an exothermic nature weak-chemisorption (ΔΗ° = -17.5 ± 2 kJ/mol) of Cd, Ni, and Hg by TMFx. The determined ranking of adsorption affinity and selectivity (Cd > Ni > Hg) seems to be governed by the metals' speciation, as well as by hydration free energy, which is influenced, however, by their atomic radius. The lower adsorption capacity and selectivity of TMFx for Hg should be attributed both to uncharged species and to higher atomic radius. The similar Cd and Ni speciation in the NSF water matrix leads to the conclusion that the better affinity, selectivity, and adsorption kinetic of Cd versus Ni should be attributed to the lower hydration free energy of Cd which is in turn related to its higher atomic radius. The faster adsorption kinetic (Hg > Cd > Ni) of Hg may be attributed to the lower radius of its anhydrate species. Furthermore, TMFx showed high removal efficiency under continuous flow application in an adsorption bed setup. The determined uptake capacity (q RL ) at equilibrium-breakthrough concentration equal to the drinking water regulation limit (RL) of each metal were q 1  = 2.5 μg Hg/mg TMFx, q 5  = 5.2 μg Cd/mg TMFx, and q 20  = 7.1 μg Ni/mg TMFx. Leaching tests of spent TMFx samples from the rapid small-scale column tests (RSSCTs) could be treated either as inert wastes after Cd and Ni adsorption or as non-hazardous waste after Hg adsorption.

This study aims at developing a kinetic model that can adequately describe solar thermochemical water and carbon dioxide splitting with nickel ferrite powder as the active redox material. The kinetic parameters of water splitting of a previous study are revised to include transition times and new kinetic parameters for carbon dioxide splitting are developed. The computational results show a satisfactory agreement with experimental data and continuous multicycle operation under varying operating conditions is simulated. Different test cases are explored in order to improve the product yield. At first a parametric analysis is conducted, investigating the appropriate duration of the oxidation and the thermal reduction step that maximizes the hydrogen yield. Subsequently, a non-isothermal oxidation step is simulated and proven as an interesting option for increasing the hydrogen production. The kinetic model is adapted to simulate the production yields in structured solar reactor components, i.e. extruded monolithic structures, as well.