Eradication of Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Infection in Paediatric Patients with Taurolidine

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are used to provide mechanical circulatory support to patients with end-stage heart failure. The driveline connecting the external power source to the pump(s) of the intra-corporal VAD breaches the protective skin barrier and provides a track for microbes to invade the interior of the patient’s body. Driveline infection constitutes a major and potentially fatal vulnerability of VAD therapy. Driveline infection cannot traditionally be salvaged and requires the extraction of the entire VAD system. We report here the successful eradication of a VAD driveline infection with a taurolidine-containing antimicrobial solution used for preventing the infection of cardiac implantable electronic devices. If replicated in more cases, the novel treatment concept described here may provide a valuable alternative management strategy of salvage rather than explantation for VAD driveline infection.

Faradaic efficiency in protonic-ceramic electrolysis cells

Proton-conducting ceramics (e.g., doped barium zirconates or cerates) are typically mixed ionic-electronic conductors (MIEC). The electronic conduction, typically in the form of positively charged small polarons or electron holes, leads to “electronic leakage.” In an ideal steam-electrolysis cell, one gas-phase H2 molecule is produced from every two electrons delivered from an external power source. In other words, such ideal behavior achieves 100% faradaic efficiency. However, the electronic flux associated with MIEC membranes contributes to reduced faradaic efficiency. The present paper develops a model that predicts the behavior of faradaic efficiency as a function of electrolysiscell operating conditions. Although the model framework is more general, the paper focuses on the behavior of a cell based upon a BaCe0.7Zr0.1Y0.1Yb0.1O3−δ (BCZYYb) membrane. The study predicts the effects of operating conditions, including temperature, pressure, and gas compositions.

Field experiment on flow stabilization of working fluid in a top-heat-type thermosyphon

To address the problem of global warming, increasing efforts are being made to use renewable sources of energy, such as solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. However, the effective use remains a major challenge for its sustainable development. In this study, we used a top-heat-type thermosyphon to heat water using solar energy and transport the low-density hot water from the source to the sink (high to low elevation) without an external power source. The transported hot water can be used for cooking, bathing, underfloor heating, and heating homes and buildings, and warming cold springs. However, a disadvantage of top-heat-type thermosyphon is the intermittent flow of the circulating working fluid under low solar radiation. To address this issue, the authors proposed and developed a control system to stabilize the intermittent flow and prevent equipment damage and failure due to the sudden boiling of water. Field experiments were conducted to assess the practicability of the developed controller. The results showed that the controller efficiently converted the intermittent flow of working fluid to continuous flow by reducing the pressure in the buffer chamber and thus lowering the boiling point of the working fluid in the header of the solar collector.

Concept design and design optimization of the transfemoral prosthetic leg prototype

The biggest challenge with today’s lower leg prosthetic devices is to climb the stairs in a biologically inspired way. When climbing the stairs, due to the large moments in the knee joint, great forces in the knee occur. Because of the magnitude of these forces, which can be up to six times the weight of a person, it is necessary to use a hydraulic drive with an external power source in the knee and ankle joint. However, most commercially available above-knee prosthetic legs only have actuation in the form of damping in the knee joint. Hence, an amputee is forced to use a healthy leg to advance to each step first while amputated leg follows.

Self-Powered Biosensor for Specifically Detecting Creatinine in Real Time Based on the Piezo-Enzymatic-Reaction Effect of Enzyme-Modified ZnO Nanowires

Creatinine has become an important indicator for the early detection of uremia. However, due to the disadvantages of external power supply and large volume, some commercial devices for detecting creatinine concentration have lost a lot of popularity in everyday life. This paper describes the development of a self-powered biosensor for detecting creatinine in sweat. The biosensor can detect human creatinine levels in real time without the need for an external power source, providing information about the body’s overall health. The piezoelectric output voltage of creatininase/creatinase/sarcosine oxidase-modified ZnO nanowires (NWs) is significantly dependent on the creatinine concentration due to the coupling effect of the piezoelectric effect and enzymatic reaction (piezo-enzymatic-reaction effect), which can be regarded as both electrical energy and biosensing signal. Our results can be used for the detection of creatinine levels in the human body and have great potential in the prediction of related diseases.

Pilot Scale Wastewater Treatment Unit Using Fresnel Lens Solar Concentrator

Many municipalities across the world confront a major problem with waste water treatment. However, Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities have good infrastructure to treat the wastewater, but most of the villages are still facing the problem, because of less resources, the untreated waste water is left to flow on the ground, while travelling it merges with the fresh water bodies, and results in surface and ground water pollution in nearby villages. The devlopment of a pilot size waste water treatment system that efficiently produces water by evaporation and condensation in conjunction with a Fresnel lens solar concentrator is discussed and analysed in this experimental investigation.. Solar radiation setup for waste water treatment consists of Fresnel lens which help in achieving the temperature up to 400oC and then wastewater is being converted into vapour form due to this solar radiation. The evaporated vapour condenses on the surface of the glass and collects in a collecting tank. When compared to a typical wastewater treatment plant, this environmental friendly and sustainable procedure removes organic and bacteriological contaminants from wastewater and, moreover, this chemical-free treatment converts wastewater into reusable form of water with less sludge. The main advantage of this treatment method is, simple to construct and no skilled manpower is required to operate it. Since solar radiation is used as a power source to achieve high temperature therefore, no external power source is required to operate this unit. Results indicate that strength of waste water is reduced by 87%, TDS reduced by 82% as compared to sewage water and Ca, Mg, N, P, Chlorides and Sulphates are reduced by 87%, 91%, 66%, 42%, 92% and 80% respectively. However, the main challenge of this method is low output, but can be improved by various techniques mentioned in the study.

Sustaining Oil and Gas Fields by Using Multiphase Gas Compression to Increase Production and Reserves, and Lower Operating Costs and Environmental Emissions Footprint

A multiphase compressor has been developed that provides: compression ratios up to 40:1, the ability to handle multiphase and slugging flow, and a very broad and flexible operating range allowing it to be positioned near the wellhead. Currently the product is targeted at onshore unconventional fields, and field data have been collected on such fields. For deployment to onshore unconventional fields the multiphase compressor has been packaged within a system so that it is easily transportable and fully self-contained, requiring no external power source or utilities. Also, minimal effort is required to tie in at the wellpad (just process connections in and out), no downhole intervention is needed, and typically no site preparations are required, which allow it to be easily relocatable with minimal sunk investment cost. Onshore applications include: Artificial lift from surface to increase production and reserves, and reduce operating costs – applicable to both oil wells with moderate quantities of gas present, and gas wells suffering from liquid loading. Field data show production enhancement of up to 300% versus alternative forms of artificial lift. ‘Frac hit’ recovery to restore parent well production more quickly (by accelerated recovery of preload or ‘frac hit’ fluids from parent wells) – applicable to both oil and gas wells. Field data show accelerated fluid removal versus alternative forms of artificial lift and reservoir studies indicate around an order of magnitude faster recovery of fluids. Lower methane and CO2 emissions and operating costs from field operations – operator intensive flowbacks to open top tanks to kick wells off can instead be achieved with the multiphase compressor, which also avoids the methane emissions to the environment associated with open top tank flowbacks or CO2 emissions from flaring. Lower methane and CO2 emission field development options – by enabling multiphase gathering to centralized facilities, the emissions associated with poor pad separation and the associated fugitive emissions from on-site storage and movement of volatile liquids can be eliminated, and at the same time eliminating operating costs associated with intensive distributed operations such as road tanker export of oil from wellpads. Additionally, abandonment of late life conventional oil and gas reservoirs and wells can be deferred by avoiding slugging well flows for longer – adding both production and reserves, and removing the operating cost associated with kicking off wells. For land conventional well applications the same multiphase compressor and package can be deployed as for unconventional fields – and the system packaging can be easily adjusted to deploy to offshore platforms. The multiphase compressor has also been redesigned for subsea, and uses the same principles of operation to provide unique benefits for subsea applications: particularly for late life gas wells to add more production and reserves than would be possible from existing subsea multiphase boosting. Operators will be able to deliver more production and reserves from their existing assets, reduce operating costs, and lower environmental emissions from their production operations.

An Investigation of Thermoelectric Generators Used as Energy Harvesters in a Water Consumption Meter Application

In this study, we present the results of measuring the performance of selected Peltier cells such as thermoelectric Peltier cooler modules (TEC), thermoelectric micro-Peltier cooler modules (TES), and thermoelectric Seebeck generator modules (TEG). The achieved results are presented in the form of graphs of powering system output voltage or power efficiency functions of the load impedance. Moreover, a technical solution is also presented that consists of designing a water consumption power supply system, using a renewable energy source in the form of a Peltier cell. The developed measuring system does not require additional batteries or an external power source. The energy needed to power the system was obtained from the temperature difference between two sides of a thermoelectric cell, caused by the measured medium which was flowing in a copper water pipe. All achieved results were investigated for the temperature difference from 1 to 10 K in relation to the ambient temperature.

Optimum parameters for humic acid removal and power production by Al–air fuel cell electrocoagulation in synthetic wastewater

Although humic acid (HA) is a complex natural organic matter, it can potentially harm the environment and human health. In this study, aluminum–air fuel cell electrocoagulation (AAFCEC) was used to remove HAs from water while generating electricity. This device can generate electricity from the anodic oxidation of aluminum without an external power source as well produce an aluminum coagulant. Operating parameters, namely initial pH, electrolyte concentration, and HA concentration, were analyzed to determine the optimal power generation and removal efficiency. Al–Ferron complexation timed spectrophotometry was used to determine the Al speciation distribution in the solution. The power density of the cell reached 313.47 mW/cm2 for the following conditions: 1 g/L NaCl concentration, 3 cm electrode distance, 20 Ω external resistor, and pH 9. And after about an hour electrolysis, the optimum removal rate of HA was above 99%. The results demonstrate that the AAFCEC is an efficient and eco-friendly water treatment process, and it could be further developed and disseminated in the rural areas and households.

Advances in Smart Sensing and Medical Electronics by Self-Powered Sensors Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerators

With the rapid progress of artificial intelligence, humans are moving toward the era of the intelligent connection of all things. Therefore, the demand for sensors is drastically increasing with developing intelligent social applications. Traditional sensors must be triggered by an external power source and the energy consumption is high for equipment that is widely distributed and working intermittently, which is not conducive to developing sustainable green and healthy applications. However, self-powered sensors based on triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can autonomously harvest energy from the surrounding environment and convert this energy into electrical energy for storage. Sensors can also be self-powered without an external power supply, which is vital for smart cities, smart homes, smart transportation, environmental monitoring, wearable devices, and bio-medicine. This review mainly summarizes the working mechanism of TENG and the research progress of self-powered sensors based on TENG about the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, human–computer interaction, and intelligent medical fields in recent years.