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Mixed Matrix Membranes for Natural Gas Upgrading: Current Status and Opportunities

In the past few decades, natural gas has attracted worldwide attention as one of the most desired energy sources owing to its more efficient and cleaner combustion process compared to that of coal and crude oil. Due to the presence of impurities, raw natural gas needs to be upgraded to meet the pipeline specifications. Membrane-based separation is a promising alternative to conventional processes such as cryogenic distillation and pressure swing adsorption. Among the existing membranes for natural gas upgrading, polymeric membranes and inorganic membranes have been extensively explored, but each type has its own pros and cons. The development of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by incorporating organic/inorganic fillers into the polymer matrix provides a good strategy to combine the merits of each material and fabricate novel membranes with superior gas separation performance. In this review, we first discuss the recent advances in MMMs showing potentials in natural gas upgrading. Special attention is paid to a detailed evaluation on the polymer and filler choices for acidic gas removal. After that, we analyze factors that influence the membrane separation performance and summarize effective strategies reported in the open literature for the fabrication of high-performance MMMs. Finally, a perspective on future research directions in this field is presented

Modeling Dynamics of Colloidal Fouling of RO/NF Membranes with A Novel Collision-Attachment Approach

We report a novel collision-attachment approach for modeling the dynamics of colloidal fouling. The model treats fouling as a two-step process: colloidal particles colliding with a membrane surface followed by their attachment onto the surface. An attachment coefficient is adopted to describe the probability of successful foulant attachment for any given collision event, the value of which can be determined by the classical Boltzmann distribution. Our model shows excellent agreement with experimental data in terms of both the kinetics of flux decline and foulant mass deposition. Modeling results reveal the critical roles of water flux and energy barrier in governing colloidal fouling. Greater water flux or lower energy barrier can lead to a collision-controlled condition, where severe fouling occurs and nearly all collision events lead to successful foulant attachment. On the contrary, fouling is increasingly controlled by the probability of successful attachment at lower water flux and/or greater energy barrier. Our model provides deep insights into the various mechanisms governing the dynamics of colloidal fouling (i.e., concentration polarization, collision, and attachment) and the self-limiting fouling behavior under constant-pressure mode

DataSheet_1_Causal effects of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on osteoporosis: a Mendelian randomization study.zip

BackgroundOsteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by compromised bone strength leading to an increased risk of fracture. There is an ongoing debate on whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an active contributor or an innocent bystander in the pathogenesis of OP. The aim of this study was to assess the causal association between NAFLD and OP.MethodsWe performed two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate the causal association between genetically predicted NAFLD [i.e., imaging‐based liver fat content (LFC), chronically elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (cALT) and biopsy-confirmed NAFLD] and risk of OP. The inverse variant weighted method was performed as main analysis to obtain the causal estimates.ResultsImaging-based LFC and biopsy-confirmed NAFLD demonstrated a suggestive causal association with OP ([odds ratio (OR): 1.003, 95% CI: 1.001-1.004, P ConclusionThe two‐sample MR analyses suggest a causal association between genetically predicted NAFLD and OP.</p

Prospective Study of Optimal Obesity Index Cut-Off Values for Predicting Incidence of Hypertension in 18–65-Year-Old Chinese Adults

<p>The manuscript entitled "Prospective Study of Optimal Obesity Index Cut-Off Values for Predicting Incidence of Hypertension in 18–65-Year-Old Chinese Adults" was accepted by journal "PLoS ONE", with a doi of "10.1371/journal.pone.0148140". The file "k2" was the primary dataset of the manuscript.</p

Metabolic syndrome prevalence and its risk factors among adults in China: A nationally representative cross-sectional study

<div><p>Objectives</p><p>The aim of this study was to examine sex disparity in metabolic syndrome prevalence and its risk factors among Chinese adults.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Using the 2010–2012 China National Nutrition and Health Survey (CNNHS), a nationally representative cross-sectional study on nutrition and non-communicable chronic diseases, a total of 98,042 participants aged 18 years and older were included in the analysis. Dietary information was collected with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the updated NCEP ATP III criteria. A multivariable logistic regression model was performed to examine the associations between sociodemographic and dietary factors with metabolic syndrome prevalence, and the results are presented using odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p><p>Results</p><p>The overall standardized prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 24.2% (24.6% in men and 23.8% in women). The metabolic syndrome prevalence was positively associated with age in men and women. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was negatively associated with the physical activity level among men and inversely associated with the education level among women (<i>P</i> for trend < 0.01). Frequent consumption of fungi and algae was an underlying risk factor for metabolic syndrome in men, whereas frequent consumption of nuts and pork was associated with a decreased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in women.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men was not different from that in women. There are sex-specific associations between multiple risk factors and metabolic syndrome.</p></div

Modeling Dynamics of Colloidal Fouling of RO/NF Membranes with A Novel Collision-Attachment Approach

We report a novel collision-attachment approach for modeling the dynamics of colloidal fouling. The model treats fouling as a two-step process: colloidal particles colliding with a membrane surface followed by their attachment onto the surface. An attachment coefficient is adopted to describe the probability of successful foulant attachment for any given collision event, the value of which can be determined by the classical Boltzmann distribution. Our model shows excellent agreement with experimental data in terms of both the kinetics of flux decline and foulant mass deposition. Modeling results reveal the critical roles of water flux and energy barrier in governing colloidal fouling. Greater water flux or lower energy barrier can lead to a collision-controlled condition, where severe fouling occurs and nearly all collision events lead to successful foulant attachment. On the contrary, fouling is increasingly controlled by the probability of successful attachment at lower water flux and/or greater energy barrier. Our model provides deep insights into the various mechanisms governing the dynamics of colloidal fouling (i.e., concentration polarization, collision, and attachment) and the self-limiting fouling behavior under constant-pressure mode

Characteristics of participants according to sex (n = 98042).

<p>Characteristics of participants according to sex (n = 98042).</p

Frequency of foods intake of participants according to sex.

<p>Frequency of foods intake of participants according to sex.</p

The metabolic syndrome prevalence and its risk factors according to sex (n = 98042).

<p>The metabolic syndrome prevalence and its risk factors according to sex (n = 98042).</p