Fabrication of a silica ceramic membrane using the aerosol flame deposition method for pretreatment focusing on particle control during desalination

A silica membrane was fabricated using the aerosol flame deposition (AFD) method under different sintering temperatures. It was characterized, in terms of roughness, pure water permeability, contact angle, zeta potential, and effective pore size distribution. Membrane performance was evaluated with respect to removal of Suwannee River humic acids and polystyrene particles with different sizes. Both membrane thickness and pure water permeability decreased with increasing sintering temperature. The effective pore sizes of synthesized membranes ranged from 6.5 to 8.0 mu m. Polystyrene particles with sizes higher than 7 pm were almost completely removed by the synthesized ceramic membranes; however, no removal for humic acids was measured with the ceramic membranes testedclose81

Technical Impacts of Virtual Clean Hydrogen Plants: Promoting Energy Balance and Resolving Transmission Congestion Challenges

This paper presents the VCHP platform as a solution to address PV curtailment and line congestion in scenarios of increasing renewable energy penetration. Solar PV generation profiles and load profiles were generated for three scenarios (2025, 2030, and 2035) using data provided by KPX. Modifications were made to the IEEE 30 Bus model to accurately reflect the Korean power system, including the introduction of PCA and LCA at relevant buses. Line congestion was evaluated using metrics such as TUR, STUR, and TLR. The research findings indicate that integrating the VCHP platform in all scenarios effectively alleviates line congestion, as shown by the TUR remaining below 1. Importantly, the reduction in line losses exceeds the decrease in power flow, demonstrating the effectiveness of VCHP in reducing power losses. The results suggest that as renewable energy sources increase, line congestion issues may arise in the existing power system. However, integrating the proposed VCHP platform is a valuable solution for effectively utilizing surplus PV energy and improving the stability of the power grid. The adoption of such a platform can significantly enhance the operation and management of the power system

USP1 targeting impedes GBM growth by inhibiting stem cell maintenance and radioresistance

Clinical benefits from standard therapies against glioblastoma (GBM) are limited in part due to intrinsic radio- and chemoresistance of GBM and inefficient targeting of GBM stem-like cells (GSCs). Novel therapeutic approaches that overcome treatment resistance and diminish stem-like properties of GBM are needed. We determined the expression levels of ubiquitination-specific proteases (USPs) by transcriptome analysis and found that USP1 is highly expressed in GBM. Using the patient GBM-derived primary tumor cells, we inhibited USP1 by shRNA-mediated knockdown or its specific inhibitor pimozide and evaluated the effects on stem cell marker expression, proliferation, and clonogenic growth of tumor cells. USP1 was highly expressed in gliomas relative to normal brain tissues and more preferentially in GSC enrichment marker (CD133 or CD15) positive cells. USP1 positively regulated the protein stability of the ID1 and CHEK1, critical regulators of DNA damage response and stem cell maintenance. Targeting USP1 by RNA interference or treatment with a chemical USP1 inhibitor attenuated clonogenic growth and survival of GSCs and enhanced radiosensitivity of GBM cells. Finally, USP1 inhibition alone or in combination with radiation significantly prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. USP1-mediated protein stabilization promotes GSC maintenance and treatment resistance, thereby providing a rationale for USP1 inhibition as a potential therapeutic approach against GBM.Y