Critical conditions of struvite growth and recovery using MgO in pilot scale crystallization plant.

The struvite crystallization process can recover struvite crystals as a valuable slow-release fertilizer from the side stream of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the crystal growth characteristics and determine the appropriate recovery criteria for a struvite crystallization pilot plant. A pilot plant (8.

Application of the hydroxyapatite crystallization-filtration process to recover phosphorus from wastewater effluents.

Phosphorus crystallization-filtration (PCF) was devised as a novel tertiary process for phosphorus removal from domestic wastewater. The results obtained showed that during the PCF process, high pH and excessive calcium dosage conditions were required to obtain effluents with total phosphorus (T-P) and suspended solid (SS) concentrations below 0.2 and 10 mg/L, respectively, within 2 h of operation.

Changes in choroidal thickness in advanced diabetic retinopathy treated with pan-retinal photocoagulation using a pattern scanning laser versus a conventional laser.

Background: To compare the effect of pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) using pattern scanning or conventional laser on subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFChT).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients (64 eyes) with advanced diabetic retinopathy (DR) who underwent PRP using pattern scanning or conventional laser were included. Changes in SFChT were compared with baseline values at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after PRP using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

Changes in choroidal vascular parameters following pan-retinal photocoagulation using swept-source optical coherence tomography.

Background: To assess the effect of pan-retinal photocoagulation (PRP) on choroidal vascular parameters in eyes with advanced diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Forty patients (65 eyes) with severe nonproliferative DR or proliferative DR who underwent PRP were included. Changes in choroidal vascular parameters were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after PRP by using swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography and were compared with baseline values.

Proton conductive nano-channel membranes based on polyaniline with phosphonic acid moieties for low relative humidity.

Most sulfonic acid based-membranes come to the limit because of high cost and low performance at low relative humidity (RH). Therefore, we synthesized phosphonic acid functionalized polyaniline (PA-PANI). PANI was used as polymer back bone because of excellent chemical mechanical stability and easy synthesis from relatively cheap monomer, and phosphonic acid presents the relatively high proton conducting in nano-channel without water because of its self dissociation nature.

Isolation of glioma cancer stem cells in relation to histological grades in glioma specimens.

Purpose: The existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in glioblastoma has been proposed. However, the unknown knowledge that is yet to be revealed is the presence of glioma CSCs (gCSCs) in correlation to each WHO grades of glioma. We approached this study with a hypothesis that specimens from high-grade gliomas would have higher isolation rate of gCSCs in comparison to those of lower-grade gliomas.

Characterization of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/silane nanocomposite membrane for high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

The perfluorosulfonic acid polymer membrane is most widely used in PEMFCs. However, its some major drawbacks like high cost and performance limitation at high temperature are obstacles of its commercialization. The goal of this study was to develop low cost membranes which have good conductivity in the range of PEMFCs operating temperature.

Presence of glioma stroma mesenchymal stem cells in a murine orthotopic glioma model.

Purpose: High-grade gliomas are closely related to the mesenchymal phenotype which might be explained by unorthodox differentiation of glioma cancer stem cells (gCSCs). We reasoned that other non-neural stem cells, especially mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), might play a role in expressing mesenchymal phenotype of high-grade gliomas. Thus we hypothesized that cells resembling MSCs exist in glioma specimens.