A geochemistry study has been done in four geothermal manifestations—Ie-Seu’um, Ie-Brôuk, Ie-Jue and the Van-Heutz crater—located in the north zone of Seulawah Agam mountain (Aceh Besar District, Indonesia). The study was performed through water and gas analysis. Water analysis were done for all geothermal manifestations, but gas analysis was only done for the Ie-Jue manifestation that has fumaroles. Cation and anion contents were analyzed by ion chromatography, ICP-OES, alkalimetry titrations, and spectrophotometry, meanwhile isotopes were measured by a Liquid Water Isotope Analyzer. The resulting data were used for fluid and gas geothermometry calculations, and plotted in a FT-CO₂ Cross-Plot and a CH₄-CO₂-H₂S triangle diagram to obtain reservoir temperatures. The data were also plotted by a Cl-HCO₃-SO₄ triangle and Piper diagram to obtain the water type and dominant chemical composition, a Na-K-Mg triangle diagram to obtain fluid equilibria, the isotope ratio in the stable isotope plot to obtain the origin of water, and a N₂-He-Ar triangle diagram to establish the origin of fumaroles. The water analysis results showed that (1) Ie-Seu’um has an average reservoir temperature of 241.9 ± 0.3 °C, a chloride water type, a dominant Na-K-Cl chemical composition, a mature water fluid equilibrium, and water of meteoric origin; (2) Ie-Brôuk has an average reservoir temperature of 321.95 ± 13.4 °C, a bicarbonate water type, a dominant Na-Ca-HCO₃chemical composition, an immature water fluid equilibrium, and water of meteoric origin; (3) Ie-Jue has an average reservoir temperature of 472.4 ± 91.4 °C, a sulphate water type, a dominant Ca-SO₄ chemical composition, an immature water fluid equilibrium and water of meteoric origin; and (4) the Van-Heutz crater has an average reservoir temperature of 439.3 ± 95.3 °C, a sulphate water type, a dominant Ca-SO₄ chemical composition, an immature water fluid equilibrium and water of magmatic origin. The results of our gas analysis showed that Ie-Jue has an average reservoir temperature of 258.85 °C, and water of meteoric origin. Based on the reservoir temperatures, the geothermal manifestation of the north zone of Seulawah Agam mountain is considered as a high-temperature geothermal system suitable for power plant development.

Since the widespread of severe acute respiratory syndrome of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease, the utilization of face masks has become omnipresent all over the world. Face masks are believed to contribute to an adequate protection against respiratory infections spread through micro-droplets among the infected person to non-infected others. However, due to the very high demands of face masks, especially the N95-type mask typically worn by medical workers, the public faces a shortage of face masks. Many papers have been published recently that focus on developing new and facile techniques to reuse and reinforce commercially available face masks. For instance, the N95 mask uses a polymer-based (membrane) filter inside, and the filter membrane can be replaced if needed. Another polymer sputtering technique by using a simple cotton candy machine could provide a cheap and robust solution for face mask fabrication. This review discuss the novel approaches of face mask reuse and reinforcement specifically by using membrane-based technology. Tuning the polymeric properties of face masks to enhance filterability and virus inactivity is crucial for future investigation.

Hemodialysis is a very effective treatment strategy for removal of small-molecular-weight solutes but it is inefficient in removing larger-molecular-weight substances (among which are important uremic toxins such as β₂-microglobulin) and protein-bound uremic toxins [1]. Convective therapies such as hemodiafiltration, which could improve removal of β₂-microglobulin, do not show an improvement in all-cause mortality [2]. Combination of hemodialysis with adsorption columns has been proposed to increase the clearance of hard-to-remove molecules [3]; however, direct blood contact with sorbents is associated with poor biocompatibility. Given the high costs, relative complexity and drawbacks of sorbent-augmented dialysis treatment, a combination of adsorption and membrane separation within a single module would be an important asset for extracorporeal therapy [4,5,6]. In fact, Ronco [4] asked the membrane manufacturers to consider the possibility of mixing the biomaterial of a specific membrane with a sorbent material based on a significant enhancement of internal filtration and backfiltration in hollow-fiber hemodialyzers. Recently, some of the authors of this editorial proposed a combination of diffusion and adsorption in one membrane, the so-called mixed matrix membrane (MMM), for removal of uremic solutes [7,8,9]. The MMM concept had been proposed earlier as an alternative to traditional chromatographic columns [10].