Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube/Cellulose Acetate Mixed Matrix Membrane For CO2/N2 Separation

Carbon dioxide (CO2), as one of the major atmospheric contributors to the Earth's greenhouse effect has been rising extensively since the industrial revolution. One promising means of lowering the emission of CO2 is to develop highly efficient and robust membranes that are capable of selective CO2. Karbon dioksida (CO2) adalah salah satu penyumbang utama kepada kesan rumah hijau kepada bumi, yang kuantitinya kian meningkat sejak revolusi industri. Salah satu cara untuk mengurangkan pelepasan CO2 adalah dengan menghasilkan membran yang cekap dan mantap yang mampu menapis mengikut kememilihan CO2

Development of blend PEG‑PES/NMP‑DMF mixed matrix membrane for CO2/N2 separation

The carbon dioxide (CO2) separation technology has become a focus recently, and a developed example is the membrane technology. It is an alternative form of enhanced gas separation performance above the Robeson upper bound line resulting in the idea of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). With attention given to membrane technologies, the MMMs were fabricated to have the most desirable gas separation performance. In this work, blend MMMs were synthesised by using two polymers, namely, poly(ether sulfone) (PES) and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG). These polymers were dissolved in blend N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylformamide (DMF) solvents with the functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-F) fillers by using the mixing solution method. The embedding of the pristine MWCNTs and MWCNTs-F within the new synthesised MMM was then studied towards CO2/N2 separation. In addition, the optimisation of the loading of MWCNTs-F for blend MMM for CO2/N2 separation was also studied. The experimental results showed that the functionalised MWCNTs (MWCNTs-F) were a better choice at enhancing gas separation compared to the pristine MWCNTs (MWCNTs-P). Additionally, the effects of MWCNTs-F at loadings 0.01 to 0.05% were studied along with the polymer compositions for PES:PEG of 10:20, 20:20 and 30:10. Both these parameters of study affect the manner of gas separation performance in the blend MMMs. Overall, the best performing membrane showed a selectivity value of 1.01 + 0.05 for a blend MMM (MMM-0.03F) fabricated with 20 wt% of PES, 20 wt% of PEG and 0.03 wt% of MWCNTs-F. The MMM-0.03F was able to withstand a pressure of 2 bar, illustrating its mechanical strength and ability to be used in the post combustion carbon capture application industries where the flue gas pressure is at 1.01 bar

A comparison study on performance of thin film composite membrane embedded with graphene oxide for Acetaminophen, Diclofenac and Ibuprofen separation from waste water

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are one of the threats to water safety and security. These contaminants are hard to be removed due to toxicity and resistant to breakdown. In this study, thin film composite polypiperazine-amide membrane modified with graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized as a rejection medium for this groups of contaminants. Acetaminophen (ACT), Diclofenac (DCF), and Ibuprofen (IBF) was selected as pharmaceutical pollutants and was rejected at different pH ranging from 4 to 9. ATR-FTIR, surface hydrophilicity, pure water permeability and rejection % was evaluated. The effect of GO on rejection showed that PES/GO-0.2 had the greatest hydrophilic effect, pure water permeability and rejection efficiency on all three drugs. The effect of pH on the membrane showed that DCF had the highest rejection (99.13%) at pH8–9, followed by IBF (95.78%) at pH 8–9, and lastly ACT (97.7%) at pH 7. Thus, thin film composite polypiperazine-amide membrane modified with graphene oxide can be effectively and sustainably applied in water treatment processes

Synergistic effects of catalytic co-pyrolysis Chlorella vulgaris and polyethylene mixtures using artificial neuron network: Thermodynamic and empirical kinetic analyses

The catalytic pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris, high-density polyethylene (Pure HDPE) and, their binary mixtures were conducted to analyse the kinetic and thermodynamic performances from 10 to 100 K/min. The kinetic parameters were computed by substituting the experimental and ANN predicted data into these iso-conversional equations and plotting linear plots. Among all the iso-conversional models, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) model gave the best prediction for kinetic parameters with the lowest deviation error (2.28–12.76%). The bifunctional HZSM-5/LS catalysts were found out to be the best catalysts among HZSM-5 zeolite, natural limestone (LS), and bifunctional HZSM-5/LS catalyst in co-pyrolysis of binary mixture of Chlorella vulgaris and HDPE, in which the Ea of the whole system was reduced from range 144.93–225.84 kJ/mol (without catalysts) to 75.37–76.90 kJ/mol. With the aid of artificial neuron network and genetic algorithm, an empirical model with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 51.59% was developed for tri-solid state degradation system. The developed empirical model is comparable to the thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) experimental values alongside the other empirical model proposed in literatur

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

The global burden of adolescent and young adult cancer in 2019 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background In estimating the global burden of cancer, adolescents and young adults with cancer are often overlooked, despite being a distinct subgroup with unique epidemiology, clinical care needs, and societal impact. Comprehensive estimates of the global cancer burden in adolescents and young adults (aged 15-39 years) are lacking. To address this gap, we analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, with a focus on the outcome of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), to inform global cancer control measures in adolescents and young adults. Methods Using the GBD 2019 methodology, international mortality data were collected from vital registration systems, verbal autopsies, and population-based cancer registry inputs modelled with mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIRs). Incidence was computed with mortality estimates and corresponding MIRs. Prevalence estimates were calculated using modelled survival and multiplied by disability weights to obtain years lived with disability (YLDs). Years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated as age-specific cancer deaths multiplied by the standard life expectancy at the age of death. The main outcome was DALYs (the sum of YLLs and YLDs). Estimates were presented globally and by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintiles (countries ranked and divided into five equal SDI groups), and all estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). For this analysis, we used the age range of 15-39 years to define adolescents and young adults. Findings There were 1.19 million (95% UI 1.11-1.28) incident cancer cases and 396 000 (370 000-425 000) deaths due to cancer among people aged 15-39 years worldwide in 2019. The highest age-standardised incidence rates occurred in high SDI (59.6 [54.5-65.7] per 100 000 person-years) and high-middle SDI countries (53.2 [48.8-57.9] per 100 000 person-years), while the highest age-standardised mortality rates were in low-middle SDI (14.2 [12.9-15.6] per 100 000 person-years) and middle SDI (13.6 [12.6-14.8] per 100 000 person-years) countries. In 2019, adolescent and young adult cancers contributed 23.5 million (21.9-25.2) DALYs to the global burden of disease, of which 2.7% (1.9-3.6) came from YLDs and 97.3% (96.4-98.1) from YLLs. Cancer was the fourth leading cause of death and tenth leading cause of DALYs in adolescents and young adults globally. Interpretation Adolescent and young adult cancers contributed substantially to the overall adolescent and young adult disease burden globally in 2019. These results provide new insights into the distribution and magnitude of the adolescent and young adult cancer burden around the world. With notable differences observed across SDI settings, these estimates can inform global and country-level cancer control efforts. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Nanotechnology for Defence Applications

Currently, most militaries of the advanced countries are utilizing nanotechnology in researches, projects, and applications. Nanotechnology can provide the army with stronger and lighter ware, supports nanomedicines and bandages for wound healing, and stops bleeding, silver-packed foods as antibacterial and antiviral, gas and biological sensing. Despite this progress and improvement in nanotechnology, this technology has certain risks when manufactured or even when applied and disposed of. In this chapter, a comprehensive view of potential military applications of nanotechnology has been addressed. It also highlighted the potential applications of the cutting-edge developments of nanotechnology in defense. Protection armors, invisibility ware, fuel economy, lighter and stronger craft/ships/vehicles manufacturing, and radar undetected planes and submarines by electromagnetic camouflage are the most focused applications in nanotechnology to developed Marin, Air force, and even battlefield army.Scopu

A polyethylene glycol (PEG) – polyethersulfone (PES)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) polymer blend mixed matrix membrane for CO2/N2 separation

Recently, carbon capture utilizing membrane technology has received much attention to limit the adverse effect caused by rising carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere as they are less energy intensive and more environmentally friendly. Among the type of membranes, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) has shown promising gas separation results. In this study, polymer blend MMMs were fabricated using polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyethersulfone (PES), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and solvent N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) using wet phase-inversion technique. Results shown that functionalized MWCNTs (MWCNTs-F) were able to enhance gas separation performance of MMM. Furthermore, the effect of MWCNTs-F loading (0.005 wt% to 0.03 wt%) and polymer composition (PEG-PES weight ratio of 20:20, 30:10 and 32:8) were also studied. Results shown both parameters affect the gas separation performance of MMMs. The best performance in term of CO2/Nitrogen (N2) selectivity is found to be 1.235 ± 0.002 for MMM fabricated with 30 wt% PEG, 10 wt% PES and 0.02 wt% MWCNTs-F. In addition, MMM synthesized with PEG-PES weight ratio of 20:20 can withstand a pressure of 1.2 bar, indicating high mechanical strength. Hence, it is applicable in the post combustion carbon capture industry as typical flue gas has a pressure of 1.01 bar.The authors acknowledge the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) for providing Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (MOHE Ref No: FRGS/1/2015/TK02/CURTIN/03/01) and Cost Centre: 001048. The authors would also extend their appreciation to LRGS USM (Account No: 304/PJKIMIA/6050296/U124) and Curtin Cost Centre: 001047.Scopu