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Solvent rinse treatments using polar methanol (MeOH) and nonpolar n-hexane have been developed for controlling material concentration gradients along the longitudinal direction of non-fullerene acceptor-based bulk heterojunction (BHJ) films comprised of electron donor polymer, PBDB-T and acceptor, ITIC-m. Before the used solvents (chlorobenzene with 1 vol.% DIO) were completely evaporated, ITIC-m rich domains were formed at the top surface of the BHJ films after they were rinsed with MeOH, as evidenced by water contact angle, atomic force microscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy, which led to enhanced electron transport in the conventional structure of organic solar cells (OSCs). In contrast, after rinsing with n-hexane, ITIC-m rich domains were formed at the bottom surface of the films, which improved electron transport in the inverted structure OSCs. The enhanced carrier transports increased the PCEs (11.80% and 11.15%) in both conventional and inverted OSCs by 10.29% and 10.35% compared with control devices. The versatile control of material concentration gradients is determined to be feasible owing to the chemical interaction of the used substrates (glass, PEDOT:PSS, and ZnO) and rinsing solvents.

Nanocomposite thin film material Ag(NP)/TiO2(T) was synthesized and fabricated by facile template method and employed for the removal of Alizarin Yellow using UV-A radiations. The materials were suitably characterized by advanced analytical methods. The mechanism and kinetics of dye degradation was extensively studied for various parametric studies. The increase in pH from 6.0 to 8.0 had caused to decrease the removal efficiency of Alizarin Yellow from 53.1 to 37.5 % using the Ag(NP)/TiO2(T) thin film catalyst. The degradation of Alizarin Yellow using the thin film catalyst has followed the pseudo-first order degradation kinetics and the increase in concentration of Alizarin (0.5–15.0 mg/L) has caused to significant decrease in rate constants of degradation. The NPOC results showed significant amount of dye was mineralized since at pH 6.0 the percentage removal of Alizarin Yellow was found to be 48.36 % using the nanocomposite Ag(NP)/TiO2(T) photocatalyst. Photostability of catalyst was reaffirmed by successive photocatalytic operations and at the end of six successive operations has caused to a minimal decrease in percentage removal of Alizarin Yellow i.e., 0.97 % using the thin film catalyst. The co-existence of cations/anions demonstrated the study of real matrix treatment of waste water contaminated with Alizarin Yellow. The scavenger study implied to propose a plausible mechanism of oxidation.

We developed a low-vibrational-noise cooling configuration using continuous liquefaction of evaporated helium gas from a multi-channel SQUID gradiometer system for whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurements. The initial reduction of the vibration of the cryocooler was done by rigidly mounting the remote motor and cold head chamber on a concrete wall. This significantly reduces transmission of vibrations to the transfer tube, especially compared with mounting them on vertical aluminum frames. In addition, to reduce vibrations from a mechanical SQUID array insert, we completely eliminated it by mounting each SQUID gradiometer separately on the helmet surface within the vacuum space. Thus, vibrations from the boiling liquid helium and transmission from the transfer tube were both greatly reduced. Magnetic field noise of the 150-channel SQUID gradiometer system showed that the vibration-induced interference peaks are comparable in amplitude to those from a conventional MEG system without helium reliquefaction.

When completed, the PHANGS-HST project will provide a census of roughly 50,000 compact star clusters and associations, as well as human morphological classifications for roughly 20,000 of those objects. These large numbers motivated the development of a more objective and repeatable method to help perform source classifications. In this paper we consider the results for five PHANGS-HST galaxies (NGC 628, NGC 1433, NGC 1566, NGC 3351, NGC 3627) using classifications from two convolutional neural network architectures (RESNET and VGG) trained using deep transfer learning techniques. The results are compared to classifications performed by humans. The primary result is that the neural network classifications are comparable in quality to the human classifications with typical agreement around 70 to 80$\%$ for Class 1 clusters (symmetric, centrally concentrated) and 40 to 70$\%$ for Class 2 clusters (asymmetric, centrally concentrated). If Class 1 and 2 are considered together the agreement is 82 $\pm$ 3$\%$. Dependencies on magnitudes, crowding, and background surface brightness are examined. A detailed description of the criteria and methodology used for the human classifications is included along with an examination of systematic differences between PHANGS-HST and LEGUS. The distribution of data points in a colour-colour diagram is used as a 'figure of merit' to further test the relative performances of the different methods. The effects on science results (e.g., determinations of mass and age functions) of using different cluster classification methods are examined and found to be minimal., Comment: 28 pages, 25 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Version with full resolution figures found at https://sites.google.com/view/phangs/publications

Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2–ySe (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.15; y = 0 and 0.2) composites were fabricated by spark plasma sintering, and the crystal structure and thermoelectric properties of the Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/xCu2–ySe composites were studied. The composites contained Cu2–ySe (y = 0 and 0.2) nanoinclusions in a tetragonal Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO matrix. To increase the electrical conductivities of Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO, we introduced Cu2–ySe nanoinclusions with a high electrical conductivity into the matrix. The introduction of Cu2–ySe nanoinclusions reduced the structural distortion of CuSe4 tetrahedra and the effective mass, thereby enhancing the carrier mobility. A significant increase in electrical conductivities was achieved with increasing Cu2–ySe nanoinclusion, i.e., 117, 165, and 214 Ω−1cm−1 at 673 K for x = 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 composites. The Cu2–ySe nanoinclusions reduced the lattice thermal conductivity because they strengthened the long–wavelength phonon scattering at the Bi0.86Ba0.14CuSeO/Cu2–ySe interface. The largest dimensionless figure–of–merit (0.33 at 673 K) was obtained for x = 0.15 composite, which was attributed to the highest electrical conductivity and the lowest lattice thermal conductivity.

In this study we considered processes of treatment of agricultural apple waste which is normally discarded. We show the effect of various pre-treatment procedures on the final catalytic performance to produce 5-HMF from this real world biomass waste. Our study of the various potential pre-treatment steps, and their effect on the catalytic performance, provides valuable new insights which can be used for the development of new processes for the localised small scale valorization of agricultural fruit waste. The apple waste is aimed to be converted into a sugar rich feedstock stream for the catalytic conversion to 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) at low temperatures (∼120 °C). Filters with varying pore sizes were studied for the filtration of apple pomace after milling the rotten apples in order to reduce the solids content. The tested filters varied in pore sizes of 0.2 μm, 2 μm and 54 μm. The effect of heating, acid or base treatment of the apple slurry was evaluated for increasing the speed of filtration. The highest flow rate was obtained for the filter with 54 μm pores. The sugar rich filtrates were investigated in the catalytic conversion to 5-HMF over an easy-to-manufacture Sn exchanged resin (Amberlyst-15) catalyst. Results showed that filtrates obtained over a 2 μm filter lead to the highest 5-HMF yields (18 %) without extra additives. Adjustment of the reaction mixtures to pH 7 resulted in a lower catalytic activity. 5-HMF is proposed to be extracted from the aqueous layer by using an organic liquid layer (methyl isobutyl ketone, MIBK). In order to increase the diffusion of 5-HMF to the MIBK layer the addition of salts to the reaction mixture was investigated. This leads to lower catalytic activity, possibly due to catalyst deactivation. Our results showed that a relatively wide pore filter (54 μm) provides the fastest apple processing method and a filtrate reacting to the highest 5-HMF yield in catalytic conversion of the sugar rich product stream obtained from agricultural waste apples.

A highly transparent nanostructured light outcoupling system integrated with a solution-processed polymer anode is proposed for enhancing the light outcoupling of tandem white organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). A poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) anode with an internal outcoupling structure (IOS) was easily prepared on a glass substrate via rapid and cost-effective fabrication methods. The nanostructures for the IOS were constructed based on zinc tin oxide (ZTO) prepared by Zn and Sn sputtering followed by thermal annealing. The refractive index matching and internal light scattering led to remarkably reduced waveguided and substrate modes in the OLEDs. The external quantum efficiency (EQE), current efficiency (CE), and luminance efficiency (LE) of the tandem white OLEDs fabricated using the PEDOT:PSS/IOS system were superior to those of the devices based on the conventional ITO and PEDOT:PSS electrodes without the IOS. With the application of the ZTO-based IOS, the tandem devices achieved EQE, CE, and LE 20.6%, 42 cd/A, and 23.3 lm/W, respectively, showing a 1.4-fold EQE enhancement over that of the ITO-based device without the IOS. Moreover, the EQE of the devices increased by a factor of 2.3 upon combining the ZTO IOS with a hemispherical lens placed on the backside of the substrate. Remarkably, the ZTO IOS-based devices exhibited outstanding white color stability over large viewing angles. The simple and low-cost IOS developed in this study can potentially be a practical technique for enhancing the light outcoupling efficiency of tandem white OLEDs.

Propolis is a resinous mixture of substances collected and processed from various botanical sources by honeybees (Apis mellifera). We previously found that propolis collected on Jeju Island, located off the southern coast of Korea, originates from a single plant, Angelica keiskei KOIDZUMI (Ashitaba). A. keiskei has been well-studied as a health food and has been reported to promote nerve growth factor (NGF) production. Propolis formed from the resin of A. keiskei is expected to have a similar promotional effect on NGF production. NGF is a potential pharmacological agent for Alzheimer's disease. In this study, the effects of an ethanolic extract of propolis from Jeju Island (EEPJ) on NGF secretion and cell viability in T98G human glioblastoma cells were evaluated. Ethanolic extracts of propolis from Brazil (Baccharis type) and from Uruguay (Populus type) were also studied for comparison. We found that EEPJ significantly increased NGF secretion in the cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the effects of 27 compounds previously isolated from EEPJ were also evaluated. Several compounds were found to have a promotion effect on NGF secretion, and the structure-activity relationships of the compounds were considered relative to their promotional effect on NGF biosynthesis. The promotional effect of EEPJ is a characteristic biological activity that is not present with other propolis types, so the propolis from Jeju Island may have potential applications as a therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease.

Titanium silicon carbide (Ti3SiC2) with unique nano-laminated structures was successfully synthesized using an arc melting process with composite pellets of individual elements (Ti, Si, and C). The arc melting process was repeated and process parameters were controlled to form homogeneous high-purity Ti3SiC2 phases. In contrast with conventional arc melting, Ti3SiC2 phases were prepared by the semi-melting of source pellets, which maintained almost their original forms. This semi-melting process is industrially worthwhile, to keep costs down, because additional manufacturing processes are unnecessary or minimized. The distribution and size of pores and density in the products were controlled by varying the experimental parameters, and the temperature-dependent electrical properties of Ti3SiC2-MAX phases were investigated also.

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) contains different components that can elicit varying adverse health effects in humans and animals. Studies on PM toxicity and its underlying mechanisms in the middle ear are limited, and they generally use a PM standard. However, as PM composition varies temporally and geographically, it is crucial to identify the toxic PM constituents according to season and region and investigate their associated health effects. Thus, we sought to determine whether PM induces cytotoxicity and inflammatory factor and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in human middle ear epithelial cells obtained from patients with otitis media. The cells were treated with both standard urban PM and PM directly captured from the atmosphere in Wonju City. The association between mitochondrial dysfunction and PM was investigated. PM exposure significantly increased COX-2 and TNF-α mRNA expression, increased ROS generation, induced inflammatory responses, and caused abnormalities in mitochondrial motility and function. Furthermore, PM induced cell apoptosis, which consequently reduced cell survival, particularly at the concentration of 100 μg/mL. Overall, our study provides new insights into the toxic effects of standard and atmospheric PM on middle ear cell line.

Ti-6Al-4V alloy has limitations in terms of globularization when using additive manufacturing (AM), which requires a final forging step. To optimize this approach, this study investigated the effect of processing variables on the dynamic/static globularization of AM-processed Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Eight double-cone specimens were prepared with different processing variables such as effective strain, solution treatment, hot-forging temperature, and subsequent annealing. Microstructural evolutions were quantitatively characterized to interpret the kinetics of globularization based on the aforementioned variables. In particular, the combination of solution treatment, low-temperature (1073 K) forging, and subsequent annealing significantly accelerated the overall globularization. Such an accelerating effect stemmed from the reduced path for boundary splitting in fine α′ martensitic laths, which was induced via solution treatment. This accelerating effect disappeared at a high temperature (1223 K), which implies the necessity of optimizing the thermomechanical route to exploit martensitic laths.

The Chinese liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis, causes the disease clonorchiasis, affecting ~35 million people in regions of China, Vietnam, Korea and the Russian Far East. Chronic clonorchiasis causes cholangitis and can induce a malignant cancer, called cholangiocarcinoma, in the biliary system. Control in endemic regions is challenging, and often relies largely on chemotherapy with one anthelmintic, called praziquantel. Routine treatment carries a significant risk of inducing resistance to this anthelmintic in the fluke, such that the discovery of new interventions is considered important. It is hoped that the use of molecular technologies will assist this endeavour by enabling the identification of drug or vaccine targets involved in crucial biological processes and/or pathways in the parasite. Although draft genomes of C. sinensis have been published, their assemblies are fragmented. In the present study, we tackle this genome fragmentation issue by utilising, in an integrated way, advanced (second- and third-generation) DNA sequencing and informatic approaches to build a high-quality reference genome for C. sinensis, with chromosome-level contiguity and curated gene models. This substantially-enhanced genome provides a resource that could accelerate fundamental and applied molecular investigations of C. sinensis, clonorchiasis and/or cholangiocarcinoma, and assist in the discovery of new interventions against what is a highly significant, but neglected disease-complex.

Twin domains are often found as structural defects in symmetry mismatched epitaxial thin films. The delafossite ABO2, which has a rhombohedral structure, is a good example that often forms twin domains. Although bulk metallic delafossites are known to be the most conducting oxides, high conductivity is yet to be realized in thin film forms. Suppressed conductivity found in thin films is mainly caused by the formation of twin domains, and their boundaries can be a source of scattering centers for charge carriers. To overcome this challenge, the underlying mechanism for their formation must be understood so that such defects can be controlled and eliminated. Here, we report the origin of structural twins formed in a CuCrO2 delafossite thin film on a substrate with hexagonal or triangular symmetries. A robust heteroepitaxial relationship is found for the delafossite film with the substrate, and the surface termination turns out to be critical to determine and control the domain structure of epitaxial delafossites. Based on such discoveries, we also demonstrate twin-free epitaxial thin films grown on high-miscut substrates. This finding provides an important synthesis strategy for growing single-domain delafossite thin films and can be applied to other delafossites for the epitaxial synthesis of high-quality thin films.

We review the history of space mission in Korea focusing on the field of astronomy and astrophysics. For each mission, scientific motivation and achievement are reviewed together with some technical details of the program including mission schedule. This review includes the ongoing and currently approved missions as well as some planned ones. Within the admitted limitations of authors' perspectives, some comments on the future direction of space program for astronomy and astrophysics in Korea are made at the end of this review., 29 pages, 31 figures, and 4 tables. To be published in the special issue of Journal of Korean Physical Society (JKPS) to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Astrophysics Division of Korean Physical Society (KPS)

This study aims to investigate the frequency-dependent characteristics of the focal length of an acoustic lens made of a material with a frequency-dependent acoustic refractive index (ARI). For this purpose, an exchangeable plano-spherical convex subsonic index lens (PSCSIL) was fabricated using a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material. The ARI of the lens material was evaluated via the tone-burst through-transmission method over the frequency range of 1–10 MHz. The frequency dependence of the focal length of the fabricated PSCSIL was evaluated through graphical analysis of the acoustic field scanned by a hydrophone as well as of that simulated using the finite element method. The measured ARI and focal length were observed to be dependent on frequency. The simulated and measured focal lengths of the PSCSIL exhibited a great discrepancy with their respective values predicted using the conventional focal length equation. This discrepancy was further studied using the ray-tracing method and is described in the discussion section. In conclusion, the spherical curvature of PSCSIL does not induce the convergence of rays to meet in a point. The ray tracing method does not take into account the phase complexity of the near-field region inside the lens. This causes the actual focal length to be shorter than the predicted one.

In this study, in vitro digestion and fermentation was employed to simulate the consumption of fermented okara and hence, evaluate its potential as a functional food ingredient. This is to develop a method of utilizing okara without producing secondary waste. Fermentation increased the amount of soluble dietary fiber by 187%. Bioaccessibility of amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamin K2 MK-7 is higher in the digestion supernatant of fermented okara. Bacillus subtilis also remained viable after digestion. Supernatants of fermented okara exhibited higher bio accessibility of total phenolic content and higher DPPH radical scavenging activity in the small and large intestines. Similarly, the concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid were 44.4%, 46.9%, and 51.8% higher, respectively. The gut microbiota was also found to be different in the fermentation supernatants between fermented and unfermented okara. Results demonstrated the potential of fermented okara as a functional food ingredient. Nanyang Technological University The funding for this research was supported by the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

A two-stage plasma catalyst system for high-throughput NOx removal was investigated. Herein, the plasma stage involved the large-volume plasma discharge of humidified gas and was carried out in a sandwich-type honeycomb monolith reactor consisting of a commercial honeycomb catalyst (50 mm high; 93 mm in diameter) located between two parallel perforated disks that formed the electrodes. The results demonstrated that, in the plasma stage, the reduction of NOx did not occur at room temperature; instead, NO was only oxidized to NO2 and n-heptane to oxygenated hydrocarbons. The oxidation of NO and n-heptane in the honeycomb plasma discharge state was largely affected by the humidity of the feed gas. Furthermore, the oxidation of NO to NO2 occurs preferably to that of n-heptane with a tendency of the NO oxidation to decrease with increasing feed gas humidity. The reason is that the generation of O3 decreases as the amount of water vapor in the feed gas increases. Compared to the catalyst alone, the two-stage plasma catalyst system increased NOx removal by 29% at a temperature of 200 °C and an energy density of 25 J/L.

In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) were prepared by a simple chemical method and then characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). A novel electrochemical sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) analysis was prepared by immobilizing copper oxide nanoparticles and polyalizarin yellow R (PYAR) on bare glassy carbon electrode (PAYR/CuONPs/GCE). The electrocatalytical behavior of the proposed electrochemical sensor was also studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). Based on the results, the PAYR/CuONP nanocomposite had significant electrocatalytic oxidation and reduction properties for the detection and determination of H2O2. Some parameters such as linear range, sensitivity, and detection limit for reduction peak were obtained as 0.1–140 μM, 1.4154 μA cm−2 μM−1, and 0.03 μM, respectively, by the DPV technique. Some advantages of this electrode were having widespread linear range, low detection limit, and, most importantly, ability in simultaneous oxidation and reduction of H2O2 at two applied potentials.

Exploiting the long-range polarizability of an electrolyte based on ion migration, electric double-layer transistors (EDLTs) can be constructed in an unconventional configuration; here, the gate electrode is placed coplanarly with the device channel. In this paper, we demonstrate the influence of the distance factors of the electrolyte layer on the operation of EDLTs with a coplanar gate. As the promptness of the electric double-layer formation depends on the distance between the channel and the gate, the dynamic characteristics of a remote-gated transistor degrade with long distances. To suppress this degradation, we suggest using multiple coplanar floating gates bridged through ionic dielectric layers. Unlike remotely gated EDLTs that utilize a single extended electrolyte layer, the devices with multiple segmented electrolyte layers operate effectively even when they are gated from a distance longer than 1 mm.

Malaria control programs continue to be threatened by drug resistance. To identify new antimalarials, we conducted a phenotypic screen and identified a novel tetrazole-based series that shows fast-kill kinetics and a relatively low propensity to develop high-level resistance. Preliminary structure-activity relationships were established including identification of a subseries of related amides with antiplasmodial activity. Assaying parasites with resistance to antimalarials led us to test whether the series had a similar mechanism of action to chloroquine (CQ). Treatment of synchronized Plasmodium falciparum parasites with active analogues revealed a pattern of intracellular inhibition of hemozoin (Hz) formation reminiscent of CQ's action. Drug selections yielded only modest resistance that was associated with amplification of the multidrug resistance gene 1 (pfmdr1). Thus, we have identified a novel chemical series that targets the historically druggable heme polymerization pathway and that can form the basis of future optimization efforts to develop a new malaria treatment.

A novel diazaspiro[3.4]octane series was identified from a Plasmodium falciparum whole-cell high-throughput screening campaign. Hits displayed activity against multiple stages of the parasite lifecycle, which together with a novel sp3-rich scaffold provided an attractive starting point for a hit-to-lead medicinal chemistry optimization and biological profiling program. Structure-activity-relationship studies led to the identification of compounds that showed low nanomolar asexual blood-stage activity (

To improve the microbiological quality of chokeberries, corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) was employed as a decontaminating agent. The mean levels of aerobic bacteria and yeast and molds contaminants in chokeberries were 4.78 and 4.87 log CFU/g, respectively; the viable counts were decreased by 2.09 and 1.83 log units following CDPJ treatment for 3 min, respectively. A first-order kinetic model was well-suited for explaining the inactivations. The concentration of total polyphenols of chokeberries was unaffected (up to 3 min treatment), whereas DPPH radical scavenging activity was significantly decreased by CDPJ treatment (2 min and more). CDPJ treatment (all tested times) of chokeberries led to a significant decrease of monomeric anthocyanin content of their corresponding juices, whereas soluble solids content (Brix) and pH were unaffected. After storage at 4 °C for 72 h, juices obtained from CDPJ-treated berries possessed relatively low levels of contaminants with no significant alterations in pH and soluble solids content when compared with controls. In conclusion, CDPJ treatment for 2 min was optimal to improve the microbiological quality of the berries without negatively affecting biochemical qualities of their corresponding juices.

This study proposes a near-optimal, impulsive control method for overflying ground targets. A set of impulses, which adjusts the satellite ground trajectory to enable the overflight, is derived. The proposed impulsive solution is expressed in closed-form which only consists of orbital revolution numbers and target overflight errors. It allows not only simplifying the search for a minimum delta-v solution but also facilitating its extension to the multiple-target overflight problem. It is also provided in this paper an insight connecting the overflight problem to a relative orbit transfer problem controlling a phase angle or mean anomaly. Numerical examples for single-, two-, and three-target overflight verify that the controlled trajectory with the proposed impulsive solution successfully overflies the designated targets within a prescribed time. It is also demonstrated that the total delta-v required for the proposed method is near-optimal based on the performance comparison with a numerical optimization-based method which employs a very large set of initial guesses.

Conformal nanocoatings to nanostructured materials are key to the utilization of unique nanomaterial properties. Although catechol-based nanocoatings on flat substrates have been extensively report...

Dissipationless currents from topologically protected states are promising for disorder-tolerant electronics and quantum computation. Here, we photogenerate giant anisotropic terahertz nonlinear currents with vanishing scattering, driven by laser-induced coherent phonons of broken inversion symmetry in a centrosymmetric Dirac material ZrTe5. Our work suggests that this phononic terahertz symmetry switching leads to formation of Weyl points, whose chirality manifests in a transverse, helicity-dependent current, orthogonal to the dynamical inversion symmetry breaking axis, via circular photogalvanic effect. The temperature-dependent topological photocurrent exhibits several distinct features: Berry curvature dominance, particle–hole reversal near conical points and chirality protection that is responsible for an exceptional ballistic transport length of ~10 μm. These results, together with first-principles modelling, indicate two pairs of Weyl points dynamically created by B1u phonons of broken inversion symmetry. Such phononic terahertz control breaks ground for coherent manipulation of Weyl nodes and robust quantum transport without application of static electric or magnetic fields. Femtosecond optical pulses are used to generate coherent phonons that break inversion symmetry and drive anisotropic terahertz photocurrents in the topological material ZrTe5.

Photonic crystals (PCs) are attractive for utilization as label-free self-display colorimetric sensors. In this study, one-dimensional (1D) photonic humidity color indicators with color transitions...

While quinoidal moieties are considered as emerging platforms showing efficient charge transport and interesting open-shell diradical characteristics, whether these properties could be changed by extension to the conjugated polymer structure remains as a fundamental question. Here, we developed and characterized two conjugated polymers incorporating quinoids with different lengths, which have a stable close- and open-shell diradical character, respectively, namely, poly(quinoidal thiophene-thienylene vinylene) (PQuT-TV) and poly(quinoidal bithiophene-thienylene vinylene) (PQuBT-TV). A longer length of a quinoidal core led to enhanced diradical characteristics. Therefore, the longer core length of QuBT was favorable for the formation of an open-shell diradical structure in its monomer and in the quinoidal polymer. PQuBT-TV exhibited high spin characteristics observed by the strong ESR signal, a low band gap, and improved electrochemical stability. On the other hand, as QuT maintained a closed-shell quinoid structure, PQuT-TV exhibited high backbone coplanarity and strong intermolecular interaction, which was beneficial for charge transport and led to high hole mobility (up to 2.40 cm2 V-1 s-1) in organic field-effect transistors. This work successfully demonstrated how the control of the closed/open-shell character of quinoidal building blocks changes charge transport and spin properties of quinoidal conjugated polymers via quinoid-aromatic interconversion.

The paper presents the results of an experiment on the effect of cold plasma (He + O2 and He + Air) generated in a radio frequency cold atmospheric plasma jet on the process of germination of onion cv. Wolska (Allium cepa L.) seeds. In order to determine the impact of the gas flow on the seed surface, CFD simulations and Schlieren imaging were performed and surface characteristics were studied using a digital microscope. Plasma treatment of the seeds was carried out four times (2, 5, 10 and 15 s) with one control group. Pre-sowing plasma stimulation of seeds improved the germination capacity and germination energy for all tested groups in comparison to the control. The best germination capacity and energy were obtained for seeds stimulated with 10 s of plasma treatment. Analysis of the data showed a statistically significant impact of plasma treatment on the onion seed’s germination parameters. Plasma treatment did not induce significant changes on the seed surface, as microscope images showed but length of all plasma-treated seedlings increased in comparison to control.

A series of cyanomethylcarbamoyl-bridged molecular ensembles was synthesized via a facile two-step Strecker-acylation approach. The resulting products are arene–arene dyads, in which anthracene and pyrene are incorporated as fluorogenic units, respectively. The molecular structures and solid-state packing properties of these compounds were characterized by X-ray single-crystal analysis in conjunction with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Hydrogen bonding interactions and π–π stacking were observed as two key noncovalent forces that dictate supramolecular self-assemblies in the crystalline states, while the types of arene groups in these molecular dyads play a vital role in the solid-state packing motifs, pointing to a way of crystal engineering through bottom-up control. The electronic absorption and fluorescence emission properties of these compounds in the solution phase and solid state were examined. In each of the dyads, the arene group and cyanomethylcarbamoyl groups have little influence on the solution phase absorption and emission behaviors. However, the solid-state fluorescence properties were found to be significantly dependent on the arene groups as well as the crystalline and powdery states. In particular, close face-to-face stacking of the fluorogenic arenes (anthracene and pyrene) in the solid state can be correlated to long-wavelength (green color) luminescence due to the excimer mechanism. Moreover, the cyanomethylcarbamoyl bridge offers a receptor site for binding with fluoride anion through hydrogen bonding. Interactions of these molecular dyads with fluoride anion in polar organic solvents such as DMSO lead to fluorescence turn-off sensing function.

In this study, a new sI-sII dual hydrate former [chlorodifluoromethane (CHClF2); an important greenhouse gas with a global warming potential of 1810], which forms sI hydrate by itself and forms sII hydrate in the presence of external help guests such as CH4 and N2, was introduced and closely investigated for its potential significance in gas hydrate-based gas separation. The phase equilibria of CHClF2 hydrate, binary CHClF2 (5%) + N2 (95%) hydrate, and binary CHClF2 (5%) + CH4 (95%) hydrate were measured to examine the formation conditions and thermodynamic stability regions of CHClF2 + external guest hydrates. Nuclear magnetic resonance and in situ Raman spectroscopic results confirmed the formation of sII hydrates for CHClF2 + external guest (N2 or CH4) mixtures. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns clearly demonstrated a structural transition of sI to sII hydrates and a preferential incorporation of CHClF2 molecules in the hydrate phase when external guests (N2 or CH4) were involved in CHClF2 hydrate formation. The measured dissociation enthalpy values of CHClF2 hydrate, binary CHClF2 (5%) + N2 (95%) hydrate, and binary CHClF2 (5%) + CH4 (95%) hydrate using a high-pressure micro-differential scanning calorimeter also indicated preferential CHClF2 enclathration. The experimental results provide new insights into the thermodynamic and structural features of the CHClF2 (sI-sII dual hydrate former) + external guest hydrates for understanding and designing the hydrate-based CHClF2 separation process.

In spacecraft rendezvous, bearings-only navigation generally suffers from a lack of observability in range direction. Therefore, dedicated orbital maneuvers are essential to improve the observability and meet the navigation requirement. This paper proposes a simple one-step guidance method for improving observability. A new cost that quantifies the observability is defined by exploiting a Fisher information matrix (FIM). The resulting delta-v solution, recursively obtained at every maneuvering instant, enables the mission to fulfill the navigation requirement as well as the safety requirement and the final boundary condition. Thanks to its low computational burden, the proposed guidance method can be easily extended to the closed-loop guidance/navigation system. The closed-loop formulation makes the tracking performance robust against the disturbances and the thruster model errors. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the one-step guidance and the extended closed-loop guidance in a v-bar rendezvous scenario.

This work investigated the removal of toluene using cyclic adsorption/oxidation operation in a fixed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-catalytic reactor containing Pd/ZSM-5 catalyst. The modification of ZSM-5 with Pd catalyst (2 wt %) substantially improved the adsorption capability for toluene. The catalyst adsorbing toluene was readily regenerated during the plasma-catalytic oxidation step. The synergistic effect of the catalyst promoted the toluene oxidation process as well as improved the selectivity towards CO2. As a method of reducing the energy in generating plasma, two cases (when the ground electrode was exposed to the external air and when the ground electrode was immersed in insulating oil) were compared. No micro-discharge occurred outside the ground electrode surface after oil jacketing, which prevented NOx and ozone from forming, improved energy efficiency, and promoted CO2 selectivity to 91%. The energy consumption with the oil insulation was 14.5 J/L, while that without it was 58.0 J/L. The catalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic (2,4-D) is a toxic herbicide used to control weeds in agricultural sector. However, its residuals in soil and water are harmful for human and aquatic life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-D from aqueous solution using the Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles in the presence of UV and sunlight irradiation. The nanoparticles were synthesized via a mild hydrothermal process. The characteristics of the synthesized nanoparticles were determined using powder X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The effects of different parameters, including pH, nanoparticle dosage, initial 2,4-D concentration and dopant percentage on the degradation of 2,4-D, were investigated. The results demonstrated that the successfully doped nanoparticles had likely pseudo-spherical morphology. The optimum conditions for photocatalytic degradation of 2,4-D obtained at pH 7, nanoparticle dosage = 0.4 g/l, initial 2,4-D concentration = 10 mg/l, dopant percentage = 1.5% and contact time = 120 min. Under the optimal conditions, the photocatalytic degradation efficiencies of 2,4-D under UV and sunlight irradiation were 65 and 72%, respectively. In addition, the findings showed that 2,4-D degradation efficiency increased with increasing dosage of nanoparticles, while it decreased with increasing initial concentration of 2,4-D and initial pH. Therefore, the Fe-doped TiO2 nanoparticles could be used for the photodegradation of 2,4-D, and it is recommended for the degradation of other organic pollutants from aqueous media especially in tropical areas where a free energy source, i.e., sunlight, is available.

The present communication aims to obtain a novel Ce3+/TiO2 thin film in a single step facile method using the in situ template process. The material was characterized by the XRD (X-ray diffraction), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscope), and AFM (atomic force microscope) analyses. The thin film catalyst was intended to introduce in the degradation of one of potential dye Alizarin Yellow from aqueous solutions using the UV-A radiations. The mechanisms of degradation along with the physicochemical parametric studies were conducted extensively. The mineralization of pollutant and the replicate use of catalysts further enhance the applicability of present communication. Additionally, the real matrix treatment was conducted to simulate the treatment process.

Swim bladders in sciaenid fishes function in hearing in some and sound production in almost all species. Sciaenid swim bladders vary from simple carrot-shaped to two-chambered to possessing various diverticula. Diverticula that terminate close to the ears improve hearing. Other unusual diverticula heading in a caudal direction have not been studied. The fresh-water Asian species Boesemania microlepis has an unusual swim bladder with a slightly restricted anterior region and 6 long-slender caudally-directed diverticula bilaterally. We hypothesized that these diverticula modify sound spectra. Evening advertisement calls consist of a series of multicycle tonal pulses, but the fundamental frequency and first several harmonics are missing or attenuated, and peak frequencies are high, varying between

Objectives : 17 water quality measurement networks (WQMNs, tributaries) in Seoul were analyzed by using NSFWQI and cluster analysis to provide basic data for future river water quality management so that citizens could easily and comprehensively understand the water quality information on the rivers in Seoul.Methods : For the past 3 years (2015~2017), in order to estimate WQI, 9 items, DO (% sat), Fecal coliform, pH, BOD, Temperature change (TC), TP, NO3-, Turbidity and Total solids, were selected from among the 19 water quality data measurement items produced monthly from 17 WQMNs in Seoul. WQI was derived and graded using NSFWQI and cluster analysis was performed using Ward Linkage Method, SOM (Self Organizing Map).Results and Discussion : Water quality of most water quality monitoring networks was BOD Ⅱ grade (slightly good) or higher and TP Ⅲ grade (normal) or higher according to the standard of water quality and water ecosystem river living environment, and NSFWQI was also 64 (Medium)~89 (Good). All showed good water quality. NSFWQI does not show a significant difference by season, so it is believed that it is affected by anthropogenic sources rather than seasonal effects. As a result of examining the correlation between NSFWQI and water quality level according to environmental standards, it was confirmed that R2 has a relatively good correlation with 0.78, and there is no clear difference between the two groups, and through this, it was found that the currently implemented water quality rating system and NSFWQI are well matched. As a result of cluster analysis using ward linkage method and SOM for 17 WQMNs, it was largely divided into 6 groups according to water quality characteristics.Conclusions : It is important to manage pollution sources to systematically manage river water quality as a water resource. It is therefore expected that by converting from the complicated and various water quality information such as is found in this study into a simple water quality index and grouping, the river water quality can be easily understood and can be utilized in the future as basic data for water quality management in Seoul.

The rattling effect has been a major research topic in attempts to reduce high-frequency phonon conduction, especially for the skutterudite system. Filling skutterudite with rattler atoms with different localized frequencies (double-filling) has also been reported as an effective method to decrease the thermal conductivity. Optimization research for the double rattler effect is required, especially in the p-type R1−yR′yFexCo4−xSb12 double-filled skutterudite system (R, R′ = rare earth rattlers) because these need larger numbers of rattlers (≈ 1.0) than are needed in the n-type skutterudite case (≈ 0.3). We attempted to optimize the rattler fraction in a p-type CeyYb1−yFe3CoSb12 skutterudite system in this research. We combined a melt spinning (MS) process with a subsequent spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique to fabricate bulk nanocrystalline skutterudites. The resulting low thermal conductivity (2.20 Wm−1K−1 at 723 K) and higher electrical conductivity (912 Ω−1cm−2 at 723 K) of this Ce0.6Yb0.4Fe3CoSb12 double-filled system makes the maximum dimensionless figure-of-merit (ZT, 0.90 at 723 K) in the double-filled specimen higher than those in the single-filled skutterudite systems (YbyFe3CoSb12, and CeyFe3CoSb12) previously reported by us. We found that filling with the Ce4+-rattler was more effective than filling with the Yb2+ for reducing the lattice thermal conductivity in the Cey Yb1−yFe3CoSb12 double-filler system. The Yb2+-filler effectively increased the electrical conductivity of the p-type Fe3CoSb12 filled skutterudite by modifying the carrier concentration.

Acoustic matching layer films (MLFs) were fabricated using B-stage thermosetting polymer resins with various volume fractions of alumina and tungsten powders. After making certain thickness MLFs, ultrasonic matching layers were fabricated using a simple molding process. The thickness of the matching layers can be precisely adjusted from several micrometer to hundreds of micrometer, without any grinding process. Experimental values of acoustic impedances of the matching layers were in good agreement with theoretical values calculated by the Devaney model. Using the optimized acoustic matching layer by the MLFs, the maximum intensity and the fractional bandwidth of the ultrasonic transducer were increased by 10% and 37% respectively. The effectiveness of the matching layer using MLFs was successfully verified.

We have developed a real-time dose monitoring system for a low-energy ion-beam facility. Before we developed the monitoring system, the system had given a substantial error of ±23% when we irradiated an ion beam with a dose as much as 3.0 × 1016 cm−2 on the Si substrate. Moreover, a low irradiation dose as small as 1013 cm−2 was scarcely able to be controlled because of a too short irradiation time of several seconds, producing a greater dose error. To develop a real-time dose monitoring system, in this work, we employed a current integrator in conjunction with a beam stopper, by which a dose of 3.0 ×1016 cm−2 can be exactly irradiated on the sample with less than ±6% error, which was ensured by the measurements of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a global threat to human health. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we identified and validated the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor simeprevir as an especially promising repurposable drug for treating COVID-19. Simeprevir potently reduces SARS-CoV-2 viral load by multiple orders of magnitude and synergizes with remdesivir in vitro. Mechanistically, we showed that simeprevir not only inhibits the main protease (Mpro) and unexpectedly the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) but also modulates host immune responses. Our results thus reveal the possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanism of simeprevir and highlight the translational potential of optimizing simeprevir as a therapeutic agent for managing COVID-19 and future outbreaks of CoV., Simeprevir, an HCV drug, suppresses SARS-CoV-2 replication by inhibiting two viral proteins and modulating host immune responses, thus providing novel insights in anti-CoV drug design.

Seaweed beds are productive marine ecosystems; they provide habitat and serve as spawning, breeding, and feeding sites for fish and shellfish. Seaweed beds are declining with environmental change and pollution. In affected areas, including “urchin barrens” and those affected by “whitening events,” coralline algae appear, preventing the attachment of seaweed spores to the substrate. Many methods have been used to restore seaweed beds, such as those employing artificial reefs, seaweed ropes, spore bags, and transplanted cultures. However, such efforts are insufficient to overcome the disappearance of seaweed beds from coastal areas. This study examined the use of a new technique that involves encapsulating seaweed zygotes with polysaccharide-like alginates to improve their attachment using the brown alga Sargassum fulvellum, which plays an important role in seaweed forests. We tested the efficacy of encapsulated zygotes using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) panels and concrete bricks in the sea. In the laboratory, the germination percentage of encapsulated Sargassum zygotes was 70% ± 1.6%, similar to the rate of unencapsulated zygotes. In the field experiment, PVC panels and concrete bricks were coated with encapsulated and unencapsulated zygotes; the germination density and growth rates of encapsulated zygotes were 4 (p

We examine the surface phonon polaritons established on resonance between lossy silicon carbide and vacuum over the Reststrahlen frequency range. To this goal, we investigate two waves counter-propagating along a planar material interface in terms of the orbital and spin parts of the Poynting vector. Vortices of the spin part are thus found to be generated near the collision point of the two waves. In addition, vortex pairs of opposite circulations are identified near the material interface. The locality of the electric permittivity plays an essential role in enabling our simple analysis by neglecting the spatial propagations of phonons while keeping the material damping. The resulting dynamics of the total displacement field turns out to be loss-free in the middle of the lossy dynamics of the other field variables, thus exhibiting a superfluid-like feature in an otherwise normal fluid.

Considering the significance of effective antigen presentation for boosting immune responses, it is essential to develop delivery systems for antigen presenting cells (APCs; dendritic cells and macrophages). As a simple and facile way for improving delivery efficiency of PLGA microspheres (MS) into APCs, we fabricated exosome-conjugated PLGA MS via polydopamine coating in this study. Spherical micro-sized particles were first prepared by conventional water-in oil-in water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion and solvent evaporation methods and were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). With increasing model protein (ovalbumin)/MS weight ratios, higher amounts of ovalbumin (OVA) were immobilized onto MS. After exosome (EXO) conjugation to MS via polydopamine coating, the amount of nitrogen was significantly increased on the surface of MS, indicating that EXO were successfully conjugated onto MS. EXO-coated dopamine MS (EXO-Dopa MS) exhibited significantly improved delivery into DC2.4 cells and RAW264.7 cells, compared with bare MS and Dopa MS. Therefore, EXO-Dopa MS could be used as effective carriers of immune stimulating biomolecules into APCs for cancer immunotherapy.

This work presents the effects of the insulation of ground electrode and operating parameters on CO2 reforming of CH4 to syngas in a coaxial-cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor coupled with Ni/α-Al2O3 catalyst. For the conventional plasma reactor, abnormal outside discharge inevitably ignites and develops from the ground electrode, giving rise to the formation of harmful substances (e.g., NOx) and the waste of energy. The power dissipation for the conventional reactor therefore includes both that used for the dry reforming reactions and the loss of energy due to the air discharge. The new finding of this work is that by covering the ground electrode with an insulating oil jacket, not only the NOx formation is prevented but also the conversion rates, product selectivity and energy efficiency are largely enhanced by roughly 30, 10 and 100% at a specific energy input of about 47 kJ, respectively. The results are associated with the extinguishment of the discharge occurring outside the reactor, which is usually neglected when designing DBD reactors.

The macroalgal forest is being transformed to barren ground in coastal areas due to climate change. Current recovery technologies are ineffective, and an understanding of the fouling mechanism of m...

In this study, we performed a kinetic analysis of CO-dependent H2 production by metabolically engineered Thermococcus onnurineus NA1, MC01 in terms of the cell activity as well as mass transfer rate. We conducted continuous cultures with varying dilution rate, CO flow rate, or agitation speed. Despite oscillations in cell density, the cultures reached steady states at all operating conditions. As the dilution rate increased from 0.1 to 0.3 h−1, specific activity of H2 production (SAHP) and volumetric cell production rate were linearly increased. Also, the SAHP remained almost constant at the fixed dilution rate of 0.3 h−1 even though the CO transfer rate was changed by adjusting the CO flow rate or the agitation speed. This relationship could be expressed as a typical Luedeking-Piret model, implying that high cell density culture with a sufficient growth rate is essential to obtain higher H2 productivity. On the other hand, more elevated CO transfer at the same dilution rate improved H2 production rate (HPR) by the increase of the cell density, not in the rise of SAHP. Through the continuous culture, 108 mmol/g-cell/h and 121 mmol/L/h of SAHP and HPR, respectively, could be achieved at a dilution rate of 0.3 h−1 with CO supply rate of 0.07 vvm and agitation speed of 700 rpm. Considering high H2 production activity and long-term stability of the strain over 1,000 h, MC01 is confirmed to have an outstanding potential for CO-dependent H2 production.

This study investigated structural transformation, guest distributions, and the extent of replacement for CH4+C3H8 – flue gas replacement occurring in sII hydrates via gas chromatography, NMR spect...

Background An 8-week feeding trial was designed to evaluate the potential of yellow mealworm (MW; Tenebrio molitor) as a locally available nutrient-rich feedstuff for rainbow trout fry (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Methods Triplicate groups of fish (mean ± SE; 1.11 ± 0.01 g) were assigned to each of the five isonitrogenous and isocaloric practical diets containing graded level of a full fat MW (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28%) at the expense of fish meal (designated as MW0, MW7, MW14, MW21, and MW28, respectively). Results Fish growth performance in terms of weight gain and specific growth rate significantly increased with increasing dietary MW level up to 14% and then declined when dietary MW levels further increased to 28%. Significantly higher protein efficiency ratio and lower feed conversion ratio were found in fish fed with diets containing MW compared to fish fed the control MW0. Myeloperoxidase activity was significantly higher in fish fed MW7 diet compared to fish fed the MW0 diet. Fish fed the MW14 and MW28 diets had significantly higher lysozyme activities than those fed the MW0 diet. Conclusions Overall, the efficacy of MW as promising alternative to fish meal in practical diets for rainbow trout fry has been proved not only in relation to growth rates and feed utilization, but also from the viewpoint of immunopotentiation effects.

A periodic nano-porous surface on quartz crystal electrodes was carefully fabricated for increasing the mass-sensitive areas. Detailed porous structures were prepared by analyzing Au electrochemical reduction process of PS layer coated quartz crystals. The sensitivity measurement of the porous quartz crystals was performed with several traditional methods, and an optimized reduction time for higher sensitivity was determined. The frequency shift of the nano-porous quartz crystals showed 10 times bigger change with the same concentration of target solutions in self-assembly procedures. In the procedures, the freshly increased surface portion did not produce additional molecular slip-effects on the measured resonant resistance values, thus, the periodic porous chips showed another side merit for the mass sensor applications. We propose a possible use of the current porous surface as a platform for developing other high-performance sensors and analyses.

Inactivation of Bacillales and Clostridiales spores is of interest, since some cause food spoilage and human diseases. A recent publication (mSphere 3: e00597-1, 2018) reported that glycerol monolaurate (GML) in a non-aqueous gel (GMLg) effectively killed spores of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus and Clostridioides difficile, and Bacillus anthracis spores to a lesser extent. We now show that (i) the B. subtilis spores prepared as in the prior work were impure; (ii) if spore viability was measured by diluting spores 1/10 in GMLg, serially diluting incubations 10-fold and spotting aliquots on recovery plates, there was no colony formation from the 1/10 to 1/1000 dilutions due to GMLg carryover, although thorough ethanol washes of incubated spores eliminated this problem and (iii) GMLg did not kill highly purified spores of B. subtilis, B. cereus, Bacillus megaterium and C. difficile in 3-20 h in the conditions used in the recent publication. GMLg also gave no killing of crude B. subtilis spores prepared as in the recent publication in 5 h but gave ~1·5 log killing at 24 h. Thus, GMLg does not appear to be an effective sporicide, although the gel likely inhibits spore germination and could kill spores somewhat upon long incubations. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Given potential deleterious effects of spores of Bacillales and Clostridiales, there is an ongoing interest in new ways of spore killing. A recent paper (mSphere 3: e00597-1, 2018) reported that glycerol monolaurate (GML) in a non-aqueous gel (GMLg) effectively killed spores of many species. We now find that (i) the Bacillus subtilis spores prepared as in the previous report were impure and (ii) GMLg gave no killing of purified spores of Bacillales and Clostridiales species in ≤5 h under the published conditions. Thus, GMLg is not an effective sporicide, though may prevent spore germination or kill germinated spores.