Application of economical models for dye removal from aqueous solutions: cash flow,cost–benefit,and alternative selection methods

Although there are numerous adsorption studies performed by using various adsorbents, there is no deterministic knowledge about selection of appropriate adsorbent type from present alternatives. In order to evaluate the advantages of the selected adsorbent species mathematically, researchers may use economical models such as cash flow diagrams, cost–benefit analyses, and alternative selection methods. In spite of the fact that these models have been used in many other engineering branches they are rarely applied in environmental research. In this study we have aimed to investigate usability of the mentioned economical models in adsorption of reactive azo dyes from aqueous solutions. Activated ash, a waste material, and commercial granular activated carbon were decided to be adsorbent alternatives. By applying economical models appropriate adsorbent type was selected considering both adsorption efficiencies and economical conditions. Although similar tendencies were monitored in cash flow diagrams; considering the amount of expenses activated ash exhibited remarkable advantages compared to granular activated carbon. Furthermore, results of cost–benefit analyses showed that activated ash has been advantageous when total costs and profits were evaluated together. Results of this study suggest usage of these economical models even in adsorption studies in order to provide accurate information on the selection of appropriate adsorbent type. These methods enable evaluation of economical conditions, which is generally neglected, together with the obtained removal efficiencies.     

Gabapentin-induced coma in a patient with renal failure

We describe a 60-year-old woman who became comatose after a single dose of gabapentin for right-sided sciatalgia. The patient was improved by hemodialysis. Gabapentin toxicity should be considered when mental status changes develop in patients with renal failure after even a single dose.     

An exploratory study of disaggregated clearing functions for production systems with multiple products

Clearing functions (CFs) have shown considerable promise for representing production capacity in production planning models due to their ability to capture the non-linear relationships between throughput, order releases and lead times. Most CFs developed to date use the total work in progress of all products, in units of processing time, as the state variable. In this paper, we investigate CFs for multi-product systems where the overall throughput of the system is affected by the product mix. We show that the aggregate work in process (WIP) variable used in the previous CF literature may lead to inaccurate estimates of expected throughput for individual products. To address this issue, we explore the use of multi-dimensional CFs (MDCFs) that use an extended definition of resource state based on the disaggregated WIP levels for individual products. Several new functional forms for MDCFs are postulated for single machine multi-product systems and their ability to represent system behaviour is assessed using simulation experiments. Results reveal that MDCFs are better able to predict system performance in the presence of mix-dependent capacity losses. We also discuss the extension of the MDCF approach to multi-stage production systems.     

Understanding Chemical Expansion in Non‐Stoichiometric Oxides: Ceria and Zirconia Case Studies

Atomic scale computer simulations, validated with experimental data, are used to uncover the factors responsible for defect‐induced chemical expansion observed in non‐stoichiometric oxides, exemplified by CeO₂ and ZrO₂. It is found that chemical expansion is the result of two competing processes: the formation of a vacancy (leading to a lattice contraction primarily due to electrostatic interactions) and the cation radius change (leading to a lattice expansion primarily due to steric effects). The chemical expansion coefficient is modeled as the summation of two terms that are proportional to the cation and oxygen radius change. This model introduces an empirical parameter, the vacancy radius, which can be reliably predicted from computer simulations, as well as from experimental data. This model is used to predict material compositions that minimize chemical expansion in fluorite structured solid oxide fuel cell electrolyte materials under typical operating conditions.     

Maximum Lifetime Routing Problem in Duty-Cycling Sensor Networks

In order to extend the lifetime of a wireless sensor network, the energy consumption of individual sensor nodes need to be minimized. This can be achieved by minimizing the idle listening time with duty cycling mechanism and/or minimizing the number of communications per node. The nodes will have different relay loads for different routing strategies: therefore, the routing problem is important factor in minimization of the number of communications per node. In this paper, we investigate achievable network lifetime with a routing mechanism on top of an existing duty-cycling scheme. To this end, we formulated the routing problem for duty-cycling sensor network as a linear programming problem with the objective of maximizing the network lifetime. Using the developed linear programming formulation, we investigate the relationship between network lifetime and duty-cycling parameter for different data generation rates and determine the minimum duty-cycling parameter that meets the application requirements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first mathematical programming formulation which addresses the maximum lifetime routing problem in duty-cycling sensor network. In order to illustrate the application of the analytical model, we solved the problem for different parameter settings.     

Evaluation of the effects of different remineralizing agents on Streptococcus mutans biofilm adhesion

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of different remineralization methods that are well established in clinical and daily use on S. mutans biofilm adhesion. In this study 72 human third molars were used. From each tooth two pieces of 4?mm x 7?mm enamel blocks were acquired. The samples were divided into 6 groups in which include 10 samples per time period (24h and 48?h) and for each remineralization method; control, flouride, ozone, CPP-ACP, arginine, novamin. After remineralization procedures, enamel surfaces were covered with saliva. 10⁵ CFU/mL of active S. mutans culture were inoculated onto the samples. S. mutans colonies were counted with Plate Count Agar (PCA) decimal dilution method. Micromorphologic effects of different remineralization methods were observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The most S. mutans biofilm formation for both time periods was observed in the control group whereas the less biofilm adhesion was showed in the arginine group. There were no statistically significant differences among remineralization agents (p?>?0.05). In the control group there was statistical difference between 24?h and 48?h (p?<?0.005) but in the other study groups there were no significant difference between the time periods (p?>?0.05). Remineralization agents did not significant differ on S. mutans biofilm adhesion.