Methacryloxyethyl phosphate‐grafted expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes for biomedical applications

Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes were modified by graft copolymerization with methacryloxyethyl phosphate (MOEP) in methanol and 2‐butanone (methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)) at ambient temperature using gamma irradiation. The effect of dose rate (0.46 and 4.6 kGy h^?1), monomer concentration (1–40 %) and solvent were studied and the modified membranes were characterized by weight increase, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XPS was used to determine the % degree of surface coverage using the C? F (ePTFE membrane) and the C? C (MOEP graft copolymer) peaks. Grafting yield, as well as surface coverage, were found to increase with increasing monomer concentration and were significantly higher for samples grafted in MEK than in methanol solution. SEM images showed distinctly different surface morphologies for the membranes grafted in methanol (smooth) and MEK (globular), hence indicating phase separation of the homopolymer in MEK. We propose that in our system, the non‐solvent properties of MEK for the homopolymer play a more important role than solvent chain transfer reactions in determining grafting outcomes. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Electrodialytic extraction of Cu,Pb and Cl from municipal solid waste incineration fly ash suspended in water

The possibility of using fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) in, for example, concrete is considered. MSWI fly ash, however, has too high a concentration of heavy metals, which may cause leaching problems during use or problems with waste handling at the end of the lifetime of the concrete. The Cl content in MSWI fly ash is also too high and will cause corrosion problems in reinforced concrete. The possibility of removing some of the unwanted heavy metals (Cu and Pb) together with Cl from an MSWI fly ash suspended in water using an electrodialytic separation method was investigated. The removal of Pb and Cu was found to be highly pH dependent and the highest contents removed were 41 and 90%, respectively. The Cu concentration of the ash decreased from 2200 to 860 mg kg^?1 but the Pb concentration increased from 8560 to 16 800 mg kg^?1, showing that Pb is mainly found in the ash fraction that is least soluble. Hence electrodialytic treatment of the ash suspended in water is not a solution to improve the ash quality in terms of Pb. The water‐soluble Cl content per unit weight of the original ash was 12.4%. The removal of water‐soluble Cl was efficient and >98% of Cl was removed (calculated on the basis of mean initial and final concentrations). This result indicates that electrodialytic extraction may be a method that can be used for the removal of Cl from ash prior to its utilization in concrete. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Solving a multi-level capacitated lot sizing problem with multi-period setup carry-over via a fix-and-optimize heuristic

This paper presents a new algorithm for the dynamic multi-level capacitated lot sizing problem with setup carry-overs (MLCLSP-L). The MLCLSP-L is a big-bucket model that allows the production of any number of products within a period, but it incorporates partial sequencing of the production orders in the sense that the first and the last products produced in a period are determined by the model. We solve a model which is applicable to general bill-of-material structures and which includes minimum lead times of one period and multi-period setup carry-overs. Our algorithm solves a series of mixed-integer linear programs in an iterative so-called fix-and-optimize approach. In each instance of these mixed-integer linear programs a large number of binary setup variables is fixed whereas only a small subset of these variables is optimized, together with the complete set of the inventory and lot size variables. A numerical study shows that the algorithm provides high-quality results and that the computational effort is moderate.     

Electrokinetic desalination of glazed ceramic tiles

Electrokinetic desalination is a method where an applied electric DC field is the driving force for removal of salts from porous building materials. In the present paper, the method is tested in laboratory scale for desalination of single ceramic tiles. In a model system, where a tile was contaminated with NaCl during submersion and subsequently desalinated by the method, the desalination was completed in that the high and problematic initial Cl⁻ concentration was reduced to an unproblematic concentration. Further conductivity measurements showed a very low conductivity in the tile after treatment, indicating that supply of ions from the poultice at the electrodes into the tile was limited. Electroosmotic transport of water was seen when low ionic content was reached. Experiments were also conducted with XVIII-century tiles, which had been removed from Palacio Centeno (Lisbon) during renovation due to damage of the glazing from the presence of salts. These tiles were severely contaminated with both chlorides and nitrates, and one of the tiles also contained sulphates though at a low concentration. The charge transfer was too low in the experiments to obtain full desalination, but promising results were obtained as significant decreases (>81% Cl⁻, ~59% NO₃ ⁻ and ~22% SO₄ ²⁻) were seen.     

PEGylated chitosan derivatives: Synthesis, characterizations and pharmaceutical applications

This review sets out to describe and discuss the synthetic approaches and the fields of application of PEGylated chitosan copolymers especially for medical use. The PEGylation of chitosan and chitosan derivatives is able to add new physicochemical properties to the cationic polysaccharide polymers, thereby overcoming some limitations, especially regarding their solubility and their use in drug and gene delivery (DNA and siRNA). All methods of derivatization have been considered and described together with the different methods of characterization of the copolymers. The capacities of PEGylated chitosan to reduce chitosan toxicity, to enhance membrane permeation and to form thermosensitive hydrogels have also been discussed.     

Nutritional quality and acceptability of a product formulated with mechanically deboned poultry meat,plasma and bovine red cell

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the nutritional quality and acceptability of a meat product formulated with mechanically deboned poultry meat (40%), bovine plasma (40%) and bovine red cells (3%) as major ingredients. Proteins, fat, humidity and ash were determined by AOAC procedure, iron and calcium by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry and essential amino acids by HPLC. Biological evaluation was performed using digestibility and PER procedures. To evaluate the acceptability (flavor, color and odor) of the product were used 277 children. Results indicated that 100 g of the formulated meat product contain 10.7 g of proteins, 4.4 g of fat, 68.6 g of humidity, 2.9 g of ash, 4.9 mg of iron, 46.6 mg of calcium. Essential amino acids are above the FAO requirements for a highly nutritional protein digestibility (92.4%) and PER (2.18). Acceptability was 91.3% for flavor, 81.2% for color and 92.4% for odor. The high nutritional quality and acceptability along with the low cost make this meat product suitable for government social programs.     

Response in the late phase to a radiological emergency

This paper looks at the key issues that need to be addressed during the transition from the emergency phase to the late phase of a radioactive release, and the development of the initial late phase strategy. It discusses the extent to which current national plans and international advice address the needs of decision makers following contamination of inhabited areas and food production systems. Based on this the following recommendations are made: (1) the issues that will arise at the start of the late phase response to a radioactive release require preparation work in advance of any release; (2) this preparation should consider the adequacy of legislation, technical data and modelling, options for waste storage and disposal, resources for monitoring and implementing clean up; (3) late phase preparedness requires regular exercising and (4) the possibility of terrorist releases adds further emphasis to the need for preparedness for the late phase.     

Calcium phosphate nucleation on surface-modified PTFE membranes

Highly porous PTFE membranes are currently being used in facial reconstructive surgery. The present study aims at improving this biomaterial through creating a more bioactive surface by introducing ionic groups onto the surface. The unmodified PTFE membrane does not induce inorganic growth after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) for up to 4 weeks. Copolymeric grafting with acrylic acid (AAc) by means of gamma irradiation and subsequent in vitro testing in SBF reveals that this copolymer initially acts as an ion-exchange material and subsequently induces growth of a calcium phosphate phase (Ca/P=2.7) when large amounts (15%) of pAAc are introduced onto the membrane surface. This copolymer is not expected to function well from a biomaterials perspective since SEM showed the pores on the surface to be partly blocked. In contrast, the surface of monoacryloxyethyl phosphate (MAEP)-modified samples is altered at a molecular level only. Yet the modified materials are able to induce calcium phosphate nucleation when the external surface coverage is 44% or above. The initial inorganic growth on these membranes in SBF has a (Ca+Mg)/P ratio of 1.1 (presumably Brushite or Monetite). The secondary growth, possibly calcium-deficient apatite or tricalcium phosphate, has a (Ca+Mg)/P ratio of 1.5. This result is a promising indicator of a bioactive biomaterial.     

Electrodialytic remediation of soil fines (<63 μm) in suspension—Influence of current strength and L/S

Current treatment of the remaining soil fines from soil wash is onerous and expensive, and therefore, in this work, we investigated the feasibility of electrodialytic remediation (EDR) as an alternative treatment. The study focuses on EDR efficiency as a function of current strength, liquid-to-solid-ratio (L/S), pH and time. We found out that during the experiments, Pb was easily dissolved by the acidification resulting from water splitting at the anion-exchange membrane. When higher currents and/or higher L/S ratios were applied, it was found that water splitting occurring at the cation-exchange membrane increased the pH, and this resulted in decreased remediation efficiency. It was shown that complete remediation of the soil-fines is possible, with the majority of the Pb being transported into the catholyte and precipitated at the cathode. Based on the results it is recommended that EDR is implemented using a number of reactors in series, where the initial reactor works at the highest possible removal rate, and the final reactor works at the target Pb-concentration.