Steady efforts in using ultrasonic energy to treat oil-contaminated sand started in the early 2000s until today, although pilot studies on the area can be traced to even earlier dates. Owing to the unique characteristics of the acoustic means, the separation of oil from sand has been showing good results in laboratories. This review provides the compilation of researches and insights into the mechanism of separation thus far. Related topics in the areas of oil-contaminated sand characterizations, fundamental ultrasonic cleaning, and cavitation effects are also addressed. Nevertheless, many of the documented works are only at laboratory or pilot-scale level, and the comprehensive interaction between ultrasonic parameters towards cleaning efficiencies may not have been fully unveiled. Gaps and opportunities are also presented at the end of this article.

Fine-needle biopsy is the international standard for diagnostic evaluation of thyroid nodules. There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal needle biopsy technique. The implementation of capillary action versus aspiration and the optimal needle gauge remain topics of debate.
A systematic review of the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles evaluating the effects of capillary action versus aspiration and needle gauge on success rates of fine-needle biopsy of the thyroid were assessed for inclusion. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of non-diagnostic cytopathology.
Twenty-four articles with a collective 4428 nodules were ultimately included in the review. Twenty articles evaluated capillary action versus aspiration, and six evaluated needle gauge. All but two studies were prospective, most of which were blinded trials with or without randomization. Using a random-effects model, capillary action was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the relative risk of non-diagnostic cytopathology (relative risk = 0.57 [confidence interval 0.34-0.92]; p = 0.02). There was a nonsignificant trend in favor of smaller needle gauges.
Given the statistically significant deceased rate of non-diagnostic cytopathology with capillary action and the potential for increased pain and complications with larger needles without a proven benefit, needle biopsy of routine thyroid nodules should be performed without aspiration and with smaller needle gauges (24-27G).

This paper reviews the literature on analytical applications of quantitative liquid phase chemiluminescence (CL) from 1991 to mid-1995. Other relevant reviews in this general area are also cited to provide an historical perspective. The focus is on the two major analytical techniques used in conjunction with flow-through CL detection, namely flow injection (FI) and liquid chromatography (LC). Entries have been tabulated under these two headings and are categorized in terms of the analyte, CL reaction, sample matrix and limits of detection.

Protein mixtures can be characterized in terms of their separations by capillary electrophoresis (CE). The separation of proteins by CE is performed in untreated fused-silica columns. Model proteins and complex protein mixtures with pI values ranging from 4.0 to 11.0 are separated in such columns in less than 10 min in the presence of phosphate buffer with a pH between 4.0 and 9.0. The application of CE separation procedures for routine analysis of protein in serum, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid in borate-based buffer is also demonstrated. The detection of protein in CE is usually based on the intrinsic ultraviolet (UV) absorbance of the peptide bond at or near 200 nm, which provides a detection limit of about 10(-5) M. The same protein separation procedures can also be applied to immunochemical reaction systems in which one component is labeled. Thus, an antigen analyte, or the antibody to the analyte, may be labeled with a fluor and detected by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). With a fluorescent-labeled reactant, the use of LIF detection further extends the detection limit to 10(-11) M. The CE separation technique for proteins provides a means to separate the bound and free species of the labeled antigen or antibody without the use of a solid support. The application of these separation techniques in conjunction with laser-induced fluorescence detection to make possible the homogeneous immunochemical measurement of species at concentrations in the range of 10(-9) to 10(-10) M is shown.

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Over the past two decades, a number of models have been developed to describe the multiphase migration of organic chemicals in the subsurface. This paper presents the state-of-the-art with regard to such modeling efforts. The mathematical foundations of these models are explored and individual models are presented and discussed. Models are divided into three groups: a) those that assume a sharp interface between the migrating fluids; b) those that incorporate capillarity; and c) those that consider interphase transport of mass. Strengths and weaknesses of each approach are considered along with supporting data for model validation. Future research directions are also highlighted.

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