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Incorporating electrocatalytic active sites into the reticular framework allows for the design of novel catalytic structures promoting desired catalytic reactions with efficient mass transfer. However, to fully exploit the advantages of such a framework, it is crucial to ensure the electrochemical stability of the material. In this context, alkaline‐stable bimetallic MxNi2‐xCl2BTDD (M = Fe, Co) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are employed as electrocatalysts for alkaline water oxidation reaction (WOR) to understand the correlation between secondary metal incorporation and catalytic activity changes. For a specific Fe ratio within the MOF, the optimal catalytic activity is achieved at an overpotential of 315 mV at a WOR current density of 10 mA cm−2geo. Based on its well‐defined crystal structure and uniformly arranged metal nodes, which are not limited to specific facets, the cooperative electrocatalytic mechanism during the faradaic WOR process is investigated through operando Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. These results enable the interpretation of the electrochemical WOR mechanism based on MOF, providing a further fundamental understanding of electrocatalytic activity in bimetallic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, battery fires have become more common owing to the increased use of lithium-ion batteries. Therefore, monitoring technology is required to detect battery anomalies because battery fires cause significant damage to systems. We used Mahalanobis distance (MD) and independent component analysis (ICA) to detect early battery faults in a real-world energy storage system (ESS). The fault types included historical data of battery overvoltage and humidity anomaly alarms generated by the system management program. These are typical preliminary symptoms of thermal runaway, the leading cause of lithium-ion battery fires. The alarms were generated by the system management program based on thresholds. If a fire occurs in an ESS, the humidity inside the ESS will increase very quickly, which means that threshold-based alarm generation methods can be risky. In addition, industrial datasets contain many outliers for various reasons, including measurement and communication errors in sensors. These outliers can lead to biased training results for models. Therefore, we used MD to remove outliers and performed fault detection based on ICA. The proposed method determines confidence limits based on statistics derived from normal samples with outliers removed, resulting in well-defined thresholds compared to existing fault detection methods. Moreover, it demonstrated the ability to detect faults earlier than the point at which alarms were generated by the system management program: 15 min earlier for battery overvoltage and 26 min earlier for humidity anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Correctly identifying spatial disease cluster is a fundamental concern in public health and epidemiology. The spatial scan statistic is widely used for detecting spatial disease clusters in spatial epidemiology and disease surveillance. Many studies default to a maximum reported cluster size (MRCS) set at 50% of the total population when searching for spatial clusters. However, this default setting can sometimes report clusters larger than true clusters, which include less relevant regions. For the Poisson, Bernoulli, ordinal, normal, and exponential models, a Gini coefficient has been developed to optimize the MRCS. Yet, no measure is available for the multinomial model. Results: We propose two versions of a spatial cluster information criterion (SCIC) for selecting the optimal MRCS value for the multinomial-based spatial scan statistic. Our simulation study suggests that SCIC improves the accuracy of reporting true clusters. Analysis of the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) data further demonstrates that our method identifies more meaningful small clusters compared to the default setting. Conclusions: Our method focuses on improving the performance of the spatial scan statistic by optimizing the MRCS value when using the multinomial model. In public health and disease surveillance, the proposed method can be used to provide more accurate and meaningful spatial cluster detection for multinomial data, such as disease subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Te thin films have recently received considerable attention owing to its superior electrical and thermoelectric properties. During the deposition process, if the temperature of the substrate is raised, high crystallinity and improved electrical properties can be expected. In this study, we used radio frequency sputtering for Te deposition to study the relationship between the deposition temperature, crystal size, and electrical performance. As the deposition temperature is increased from room temperature to 100 °C, we observed an increase in crystal size from the x-ray diffraction patterns and full-width half maximum calculations. With this grain size increment, the Hall mobility and Seebeck coefficient of the Te thin film increased significantly from 16 to 33 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 50 to 138 μ V K−1, respectively. This study reveals the potential of a facile fabrication method for enhanced Te thin films using temperature control and highlights the importance of the Te crystal structure in determining the electrical/thermoelectrical properties. These findings are particularly significant for the development of semiconductor material systems for various applications, including thermoelectric devices, CMOS, FET, and solar devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the prevalence of alcohols and carboxylic acids, their fragment cross‐coupling reactions could hold significant implications in organic synthesis. Herein, we report a versatile method for synthesizing a diverse range of ketones from alcohols and carboxylic acid derivatives via N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. Mechanistic investigations revealed that photoexcited xanthates and acyl azoliums undergo single electron transfer (SET) under photocatalyst‐free conditions, generating NHC‐derived ketyl radicals and alkyl radicals. These open‐shell intermediates subsequently undergo the radical‐radical cross‐coupling reaction, yielding valuable ketones. Furthermore, this approach can be employed in three‐component reactions involving alkenes and enynes, resulting in structurally diverse cross‐coupled ketones. The unified strategy offers a unique opportunity for the fragment coupling of a diverse range of alcohols and carboxylic acid derivatives, accommodating diverse functional groups even in complex settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the prevalence of alcohols and carboxylic acids, their fragment cross‐coupling reactions could hold significant implications in organic synthesis. Herein, we report a versatile method for synthesizing a diverse range of ketones from alcohols and carboxylic acid derivatives via N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. Mechanistic investigations revealed that photoexcited xanthates and acyl azoliums undergo single electron transfer (SET) under photocatalyst‐free conditions, generating NHC‐derived ketyl radicals and alkyl radicals. These open‐shell intermediates subsequently undergo the radical‐radical cross‐coupling reaction, yielding valuable ketones. Furthermore, this approach can be employed in three‐component reactions involving alkenes and enynes, resulting in structurally diverse cross‐coupled ketones. The unified strategy offers a unique opportunity for the fragment coupling of a diverse range of alcohols and carboxylic acid derivatives, accommodating diverse functional groups even in complex settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of aerosol height information for events such as volcanic eruptions and long-range aerosol transport, spatial coverage of its retrieval is often limited because of a lack of appropriate instruments and algorithms. Geostationary satellite observations in particular provide constant monitoring for such events. This study assessed the application of different viewing geometries for a pair of geostationary imagers to retrieve aerosol top height (ATH) information. The stereoscopic algorithm converts a lofted aerosol layer parallax, calculated using image-matching of two visible images, to ATH. The sensitivity study provides a reliable result using a pair of Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) images at 40 ∘ longitudinal separation. The pair resolved aerosol layers above 1 km altitude over East Asia. In contrast, aerosol layers must be above 3 km for a pair of AHI and Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) images at 12.5 ∘ longitudinal separation to resolve their parallax. Case studies indicate that the stereoscopic ATH retrieval results are consistent with aerosol heights determined using extinction profiles from the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). Comparisons between the stereoscopic ATH and the CALIOP 90 % extinction height, defined by extinction coefficient at 532 nm data, indicated that 88.9 % of ATH estimates from the AHI and AGRI are within 2 km of CALIOP 90 % extinction heights, with a root-mean-squared difference (RMSD) of 1.66 km. Meanwhile, 24.4 % of ATH information from the AHI and AMI was within 2 km of the CALIOP 90 % extinction height, with an RMSD of 4.98 km. The ability of the stereoscopic algorithm to monitor hourly aerosol height variations is demonstrated by comparison with a Korea Aerosol Lidar Observation Network dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding East Asian monsoon (EAM) has been a crucial issue due to its socio-economic effects on one-fifth of the world's population and its interactions with the global climate system. However, the reliabilities of climate reanalysis data are still uncertain at varying temporal and spatial scales. In this study, we examined the correlations and differences for climate reanalyses with weather observations and suggested the best climate reanalysis for the EAM region. The three reanalyses of ERA5, JRA55, and NCEP2 along with a gridded observation (CRU) were evaluated using the correlation coefficients (Pearson, Spearman, and Kendall), difference statistics (RMSE and bias), and Taylor diagrams, comparing their annual and seasonal temperatures and precipitations with those from the total of 537 weather stations across China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan. We found that ERA5 showed the best performance in reproducing temporal variations in temperature with the highest correlations in annual, summer, and autumn, and the smallest RMSEs and biases for all seasons and annually. For precipitation, among the three reanalysis datasets, ERA5 had the highest correlations, annually and in four seasons, with the smallest RMSEs, annually and in spring, summer and autumn, and the smallest biases, annually and in summer and autumn. Regarding spatial variations, ERA5 was also the most suitable reanalysis data in representing the annual and seasonal climatological averages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cross-coupling of biomass-derived acetone and alcohols contributing to the production of carbon-elongated chemicals and fuels, the essential catalyst components are metal dispersion for alcohol dehydrogenation and, more importantly, basicity for carbon–carbon coupling. Herein, we report the potential of co-precipitated praseodymia–zirconia solid solution (Pr2Zr2O7) as a support of Cu catalyst for the conversion of acetone and butanol into C7 and C11 products. Cu/Pr2Zr2O7 exhibits a high yield of C7 and C11 (ca. 84%) compared to Cu/ZrO2 and Cu/PrO1.83. Moreover, it is robust under the employed solvent-free conditions owing to a solid solution of Pr2Zr2O7 compared to PrO1.83 showing phase transition to PrOHCO3. It is also tolerant to up to 5 wt % water of the reactant mixture, recyclable once adequate post-treatment is employed after the reaction, and can convert the acetone–butanol–ethanol mixture into C5–C11 products at the nearly equivalent yield (82%) to the acetone–butanol mixture. Therefore, the Cu/Pr2Zr2O7 reported herein is an efficient catalyst for the coupling of acetone with linear aliphatic alcohols into biofuel precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern complex industrial processes, mode changes cause unplanned shutdowns, potentially shortening the lifespan of key equipment and incurring significant maintenance costs. To avoid this problem, a method that can detect the fault of equipment operating in various modes is required. Therefore, we propose a novel fault detection method that uses the k-nearest neighbor normalization-based weight local outlier factor (WLOF). The proposed method performs local normalization using neighbors to consider possible mode changes in the normal data and WLOF is used for fault detection. In contrast to statistical methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA), the local outlier factor (LOF) uses the density of neighbors. However, because LOF is significantly affected by the distance between its neighbors, the weight is multiplied proportionally to the distance between each neighbor to improve the fault detection performance of the LOF. The efficiency of the proposed method was evaluated using a multimode numerical case and a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms conventional PCA, kernel PCA (KPCA), k-nearest neighbor (kNN), and LOF. In particular, the proposed method improved the detection accuracy by 20% compared with conventional methods. Therefore, the proposed method can be applied to a real process operating in multiple modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selective transformation of secondary alcohols to alpha-olefins is a challenging task in heterogeneous catalysis, as is the case of 4-methyl-2-pentanol (4M2Pol) conversion to 4-methyl-1-pentene (4M1P). Herein, the co-precipitated yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) catalysts exhibit superior performance to both bare and Y-impregnated ZrO2 in selective 4M2Pol dehydration. In order to track the activity origin of YSZ, temperature-programmed desorption experiments using NH3 and CO2 are performed along with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The conversion of 4M2Pol (max. 85%) is proportional to weak acidity and inverse to medium basicity. In contrast, the selectivity of 4M1P increases to 80% as the ratio of weak acidity to medium basicity is close to and exceeds the unity. These indications corroborate that the balanced acid–base pair of YSZ leads to the selective formation of 4M1P from 4M2Pol, which is caused by strong interaction between zirconia and yttria in the YSZ. Additionally, the dehydration activity over YSZ of 4 mol% yttrium is sustained at 450 °C for 50 h. Therefore, the YSZ, which is often used for electrocatalysis, is believed to be a promising catalyst in the dehydration of 4M2Pol and, further, secondary alcohols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • High-depth resolution tools effectively analyze films with varying homogeneity. • ALD enables the depositing of diverse film structures with nanoscale precision. • Selecting proper elements enhances doping efficiency in nanocomposite structures. • Optimizing nanocomposite structures enhances device performance and stability. In–Sn–Ga–O (ITGO) thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are promising candidates for widespread semiconductor applications because of their high mobility and stability. To further improve the device characteristics, the doping efficiency of each cation must be increased. Here, we propose a facile method to enhance the device characteristics using plasma-enhanced ALD-nanocomposite (NC) structures. The deposition of SnO 2 materials within the In 2 O 3 layer of the ITGO film with the NC-ITO structure accelerates the reduction of In 2 O 3 (In0: 35.3 % →46.1 %), thereby stabilizing SnO 2 (Sn4+: 71.0 % →89.1 %). In addition, this process significantly decreases the fraction of oxygen-related defects (O defect : 24.0 % →17.6 %) because Sn–O has a substantially higher bond dissociation energy than In–O. Consequently, the ITGO TFT with the NC-ITO active layer exhibits considerable improvements in the electrical parameters, such as an increase in the field-effect mobility from 41.9 to 54.5 cm2/V s and an enhancement in the subthreshold swing from 69.8 to 64.8 mV/decade. In addition, the device shows excellent results for negative bias illumination stress and positive bias temperature stress, with the differences in the threshold voltage shift being −0.22 and + 0.06 V, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most frequently used drugs and have been frequently detected in aquatic environments. This paper demonstrates a thermally-activated gelatin–chitosan and amine-functionalized metal–organic framework (UiO-66–NH 2) aerogel (CGC–MOF), which was successfully synthesized for the efficient removal of ibuprofen (IBP) and naproxen (NPX). Various characterization tools were used to systematically analyze the microstructure and physicochemical properties of the synthesized aerogel. In addition, the effect of key reaction parameters as well as batch and continuous-flow fixed-bed column experiments were carried out to elucidate the adsorption process. Several functional groups in the biopolymer network, combined with excellent MOF properties, synergistically couple to form an adsorbent with great performance. The mesoporous aerogel activated at 200 °C (CGC–MOF200) exhibited a high specific surface area (819.6 m2/g) that is valuable in providing abundant adsorption active sites that facilitate the efficient adsorption of IBP and NPX. CGC–MOF200 exhibited an excellent removal of IBP and NPX, accounting to 99.28 % and 96.39 %, respectively. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich isotherm models, suggesting heterogeneous and chemisorption adsorption processes. Overall, this work provides new and valuable insights into the development of a promising biopolymer–MOF composite aerogel for environmental remediation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multinetwork structured urushi organogel was created using low-volatility gamma butyrolactone (GBL) solvent and Fe3+ ions. The urushi organogels were fabricated through chemical crosslinking with the oxidative polymerization of urushiol as well as physical crosslinking due to the coordination bonds with Fe3+ ions in the Fe3+/urushiol/GBL solution. The role of Fe3+ ions is to provide physical crosslinking sites via the coordination bond with the catechol functional moiety of urushiol and also to serve as the catalysts for the polymerization of urushiol. The gelation and characteristics of urushi organogels in GBL with different amounts of Fe3+ ions were investigated. The formation of urushi organogel by chemical crosslinking and physical coordination crosslinking was investigated by FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The presence of a physical coordination bond between the Fe3+ ion and the catechol moiety of urushiol provides reversible adhesive properties, which provide consistent tensile strength after reattaching the urushi organogel film. The stretchability as well as the reversibility in mechanical strength can provide the possibility for various applications of eco-friendly natural urushi. This research provides not only a method to prepare multinetwork natural urushi organogels using Fe3+ ions but also the great possibility of expanding the application area of natural urushi(ol)s. • Multicrosslinked natural urushi-based organogels with reversibility were prepared with Fe3+ ions. • Multicrosslinking was formed by covalent bonding and by physical crosslinks, such as coordination bonds and entanglement with the long side chain. • The gelation time depends on the solid content and the mole ratio of urushiol to Fe3+ ions. • Fe3+/urushi organogels enhance urushi's potential for diverse uses, surpassing its coating limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 emerged in December 2019, and it took only a few months for WHO to declare COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020. It is very challenging to discover complex spatial–temporal transmission mechanisms. However, it is crucial to capture essential features of regional-temporal patterns of COVID-19 to implement prompt and effective prevention or mitigation interventions. In this work, we develop a novel framework of compatible window-wise dynamic mode decomposition (CwDMD) for nonlinear infectious disease dynamics. The compatible window is a selected representative subdomain of time series data, in which compatibility between spatial and temporal resolutions is established so that DMD can provide meaningful data analysis. A total of four compatible windows have been selected from COVID-19 time-series data from January 20, 2020, to May 10, 2021, in South Korea. The spatiotemporal patterns of these four windows are then analyzed. Several hot and cold spots were identified, their spatial–temporal relationships, and some hidden regional patterns were discovered. Our analysis reveals that the first wave was contained in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk areas, but it spread rapidly to the whole of South Korea after the second wave. Later on, the spatial distribution is seen to become more homogeneous after the third wave. Our analysis also identifies that some patterns are not related to regional relevance. These findings have then been analyzed and associated with the inter-regional and local characteristics of South Korea. Thus, the present study is expected to provide public health officials helpful insights for future regional-temporal specific mitigation plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work studied the effect of the synthesis parameters (i.e. synthesis method and melamine content) on the adhesion of cold-setting melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resins in wood bonding. Two types of cold-setting MUF resins were synthesized: MUF-A resins with three melamine contents (30, 40, and 50 wt%) prepared by the simultaneous reaction of urea, formaldehyde, and melamine, and MUF-B resins with the same melamine levels but synthesized by a sequential reaction process of melamine with formaldehyde and urea. The curing behaviors of both resins were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and their adhesion performance in the dry and wet states were compared in block-shear strength (BSS) and wood failure (WF) tests. As the melamine content increased, the viscosity and peak temperature (Tp) of the resins increased. However, MUF-B resins showed lower activation energy (Ea) than those of MUF-A resins. Dynamic and isothermal DMA scans also showed that MUF-B resins also had greater maximum storage modulus (E′max) than those of MUF-A resins in their neat resins and resins/wood composites, indicating stronger interphase adhesion and cohesion. Lower Tp, lower Ea, and higher E′max, of MUF-B resins than those of MUF-A resins resulted in higher BSS and WF of MUF-B resins in wood bonding. In particular, MUF-B resins with 40% melamine showed the highest BSS and WF. These results indicate that the MUF resin synthesis method is closely related to the adhesion performance in wood bonding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the effect of body composition changes during chemotherapy on clinical outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. Results: In patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC), the cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle (SM) and adipose tissue (AT) at the level of third lumbar vertebra was measured. The SM and AT ratios indicated the changes during chemotherapy. The patients were classified into three groups based on these ratios: group 1, ≥ 1.00; group 2, 0.85–0.99; group 3, < 0.85. The overall survival (OS) and surgical resection rates were estimated. Fifty-eight patients with LAPC who received first-line FOLFIRINOX were analyzed. Fifteen (25.9%) patients who underwent resection showed maintained BMI, SM, and AT as compared to the patients who did not undergo resection. As the SM ratio decreased, the risk for death increased significantly. Further, the resection rate was significantly higher in patients with maintained SM compared to those with low SM ratio. On the contrary, the change in AT ratio was not associated with OS and resection rate; however, significant decrease in AT more than 15% showed poor clinical outcomes. Maintenance of SM during chemotherapy is a reliable prognostic factor indicating longer OS and higher resection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel retargeting algorithm that transfers the musculature of a reference anatomical model to new bodies with different sizes, body proportions, muscle capability, and joint range of motion while preserving the functionality of the original musculature as closely as possible. The geometric configuration and physiological parameters of musculotendon units are estimated and optimized to adapt to new bodies. The range of motion around joints is estimated from a motion capture dataset and edited further for individual models. The retargeted model is simulation‐ready, so we can physically simulate muscle‐actuated motor skills with the model. Our system is capable of generating a wide variety of anatomical bodies that can be simulated to walk, run, jump and dance while maintaining balance under gravity. We will also demonstrate the construction of individualized musculoskeletal models from bi‐planar X‐ray images and medical examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryopreservation is an efficient method used to preserve microorganisms for long periods of time, such as up to 30 years, without changes in genetic and physiological characteristics. As cyanobacteria and microalgae are usually maintained as both axenic and xenic cultures, knowledge of co-cultured bacteria and changes in their community structure is important for the successful maintenance of microbial culture collections. In this study, research on the changes in co-cultured bacterial community structure during cyanobacterial cryopreservation were investigated using three different experimental groups by next generation sequencing (NGS): 1) cultured Trichormus variabilis without cryopreservation (control group), 2) cultured T. variabilis after cryopreservation in 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (Me 2 SO) for 14 days (cryo-cell group), and 3) cultured T. variabilis after cryopreservation in 10% Me 2 SO for 14 days within alginate beads (cryo-bead group). The results showed that the abundance of Sphingomonas and Hydrogenophaga (belonging to phylum Proteobacteria) was significantly increased in the cryo-bead group (Sphingomonas, control: 0.25%, cryo-cell: 1.32%, cryo-bead: 41.70%; Hydrogenophaga, control: 5.47%, cryo-cell: 5.24%, cryo-bead: 12.32%). However, the abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in the cryo-bead group compared to that in the other groups (control: 26.29%, cryo-cell: 38.84%, cryo-bead: 11.43%). Bacterial diversity was generally reduced after cryopreservation in the cryo-bead group, where the overgrowth of a few unique bacteria was observed in the co-cultured bacterial community. These results imply that changes in the co-cultured bacterial community during preservation should be considered as an important factor for the development of methods for cyanobacterial cryopreservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study of organic removal efficiency, fouling control, and methane production from synthetic greywater was performed operating three anaerobic fluidized bed membrane bioreactors (AFMBRs). Granular activated carbon (GAC) particles, polyaniline-coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beads, and uncoated PET beads were added as scouring agent to control fouling through each AFMBR. The use of PET spherical beads coated with polyaniline as a fluidized medium improved both fouling reduction and methane production kinetics. Although the GAC particles showed the highest organic removal efficiency in AFMBR due to adsorption capability, their progressive fragmentation reduced the methanogenic population and accelerated fouling rate. Microbial activity was adversely affected when the bulk biomass was exposed to the surfactant in the synthetic greywater. Microbiome analysis showed that the methanogenic archaeal population in the GAC bulk biomass reduced significantly from 10 to 0.5%, which corroborates the decrease in methane production rate. The methanogens on the PET beads shifted gradually from acetoclastic Methanosaeta to hydrogenotrophic Methanospirillum presumably because of the detachment of the biofilm that suppressed the slow-growing Methanosaeta. In addition, the key exoelectrogenic microbes were related to Desulfovibrio and Geobacter , which may be associated with direct interspecies electron transfer with the methanogens. [Display omitted] • AFMBR system can be applied for sustainable decentralized greywater management. • PET beads coated by polyanniline in AFMBR enhanced methane production rate. • Fouling cotnrol was accomplished successfully by fluidizing conductive PET beads. • Direct interspecies electron transfer observed on conductive surface of fluizing agent. • PET beads can be alternative to GAC particles as fluidized media for AFMBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of cobalt boride nanoparticles and h-BN nanocage encapsulation were conducted using a triple direct current (DC) thermal plasma jet system. Mixed cobalt and boron powder were used as the starting material. The thermal plasma jet was generated using mixed Ar–N 2 and Ar–H 2 gases. The nanostructure of the synthesized nanoparticles varied according to the gas composition. In the Ar–N 2 plasma, the dissociated nitrogen anticipated a chemical reaction with the boron precursor and synthesized h-BN nanocages that encapsulated cobalt boride nanoparticles, additionally, c-BN nanoparticles were synthesized. In the Ar–H 2 plasma, only <20 nm spherical cobalt boride nanoparticles were synthesized and their size distribution was controlled by the growth time or quenching rate, which was controlled by changing the flow rate of plasma forming gasses. These synthetic processes were comparatively investigated thermodynamically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing risk of radiation exposure, there are growing interests in radiation shielding. Because most radiation shields are made from heavy metals, a need to develop a soft shield is raised to protect human body. However, because the shield can easily undergo a mechanical damage by an impact, it would be better to have self-repairing system in the shield. Here, we have fabricated an intrinsic self-healable soft shield for gamma ray by making acrylamide based hydrogel composite. The composite contains lead dioxide nanoparticles for gamma ray shielding and Laponite clays for self-repairing. Although the hydrogel contained a large amount of lead dioxide nanoparticles (3.23 M), the fabricated composites stretched beyond 1400% while showing a high attenuation coefficient of 0.1343 cm−1 against gamma ray from a cobalt-60 source. Then a systematic study was performed to analyze self-healing properties and the 96.55% of maximum self-healing efficiency was obtained. We also analyzed a storage modulus of hydrogel and molecular weight of polyacrylamide to study an effect of gamma ray on the self-healing. The self-healing efficiency was decreased by a gamma ray because the radiation induces scissioning or covalent crosslinking in the chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a low‐cost metamaterial (MM) absorber is proposed using 3‐dimensional (3D) printing technology. The unit cell of the proposed MM absorber is motivated from a swastika symbol to minimize the footprint size. For further miniaturization, the unit cell is 3D printed by stacking two blocks. The conductive top patterns are realized by painting with a silver ink. The proposed MM absorber consists of 2 × 4 unit cell array which is loaded in the rectangular waveguide. Its absorptivity is simulated and measured to demonstrate the performance. The simulated and measured absorptivity at 1.91 GHz are 99% and 92%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arachidonic acid-derived prostaglandins not only contribute to the development of inflammation as intercellular pro-inflammatory mediators, but also promote the excitability of the peripheral somatosensory system, contributing to pain exacerbation. Peripheral tissues undergo many forms of diseases that are frequently accompanied by inflammation. The somatosensory nerves innervating the inflamed areas experience heightened excitability and generate and transmit pain signals. Extensive studies have been carried out to elucidate how prostaglandins play their roles for such signaling at the cellular and molecular levels. Here, we briefly summarize the roles of arachidonic acid-derived prostaglandins, focusing on four prostaglandins and one thromboxane, particularly in terms of their actions on afferent nociceptors. We discuss the biosynthesis of the prostaglandins, their specific action sites, the pathological alteration of the expression levels of related proteins, the neuronal outcomes of receptor stimulation, their correlation with behavioral nociception, and the pharmacological efficacy of their regulators. This overview will help to a better understanding of the pathological roles that prostaglandins play in the somatosensory system and to a finding of critical molecular contributors to normalizing pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visibility has a significant impact on health-related outcomes and experiences of users in healthcare settings. Built environments determine interpersonal visual relationships between users and control their ability to see (or be seen by) others. Despite this importance, metrics that fully and precisely describe these interpersonal visual relationships are lacking. In this article, we introduce the Agent Visibility Analysis Model and the SAVisualPower software, which enable person-centric visibility analysis for quantifying visual relationships both among users and between users and visual targets. The model precisely captures users' visibility by reflecting the orientation of users and by differentiating visual contents of the users—space, other users, and targets. By providing practical examples of the new model using layouts from previous studies, this article describes specific visibility metrics that can be analyzed by the new tool and how the tool can be applied to design and research in healthcare settings for improved user experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preplasma plays a very important role in laser-driven proton acceleration, where it can increase the proton energy significantly. In this research, we generated a nearly planar preplasma intentionally by sending an uncompressed picosecond-long Ti:sapphire laser pulse with a large spot size onto a thin foil target (Al and mylar) and investigated the characteristics of the preplasma by using a space-time-resolved Nomarski interferometer. In this paper, a simple analytical approach employing the one-dimensional collisional plasma concept was also developed and its result is compared with the experimental results. This work reveals the detailed characteristics of the behavior of the planar preplasma, which is very important in laser-driven proton acceleration, X-ray laser, etc., employing laser-solid interactions. • We produced a nearly planar preplasma by using a large laser spot size on the foil target. • The planar preplasma has a very important advantage because it will provide more stable proton beam energy. • The generated planar plasma characteristics was investigated by a space-time-resolved Nomarski interferometer. • A one-dimensional analytical model based on the collisional plasma concept was developed and compared with the experimental result. • The result will be important for researches in laser-driven proton acceleration, X-ray laser, high energy density physics, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2023, four devastating landslides occurred in Yecheon County, South Korea, due to heavy rainfall. These landslides resulted in 10 deaths, one injury, and the evacuation of around 500 people. The landslides occurred in different locations, including forest roads and natural slopes, and were caused by the liquefaction of collapsed soil into debris flows. The study emphasizes the vulnerability of South Korea to nocturnal heavy rains during the summer and recommends the establishment of early warning systems and check dams to mitigate the risks of sediment-related disasters in mountainous regions. The authors of the study, Seungjun Lee, Hyunuk An, Minseok Kim, and Song Eu, declare no conflicts of interest, ensuring the credibility of their findings. [Extracted from the article]

In mechanism studies on sudden sediment source areas (SSAs), such as those of shallow landslides, area-specific soil strength information at the soil layer between saturated and unsaturated soil is an important factor. Although various soil-testing methods have been developed, it is difficult to measure soil strength directly due to local variation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to estimate SSAs of shallow landslides by considering the soil strength attributes reflected in a simple subsurface hydrologic concept (SHC). The selected study area is a granitic region in Jinbu, eastern South Korea, where shallow landslides occurred at more than 1200 locations in 2006. To estimate SSAs, soil strength was generated using several methods (i.e., direct shear tests [DSTs], Monte Carlo-simulated direct shear tests [MSDTs], and triaxial compression test [TCTs]). In addition, to investigate the effects of soil attributes in saturated/unsaturated soil on the SHC, soil depth was surveyed at a small hillslope site within the large study area. A topographically driven physical shallow landslide stability model (SHALSTAB) was utilized to investigate the performance based on the various soil strength attributes, and the results were analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. In the evaluation using the three soil strength measures (Case I), the accuracy assessment of the estimated SSAs was relatively low (range of 0.45–0.71). Using the soil strength attribute reflecting SHC (Case II), the results showed a reasonable range of accuracy (0.84–0.85). In addition, using the effects of soil strength reflected by SHC and average soil depth (Case III) also showed good predictive accuracy (0.81–0.82), but it was lower than that of Case II. This indicates that combining the hydraulic properties related to soil strength facilitates more accurate identification of SSAs causing geomorphic surface changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical laser systems for ultrafast X‐ray sciences have been established at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory X‐ray Free‐Electron Laser (PAL‐XFEL) beamlines. Three Ti:sapphire regenerative amplifier systems are synchronized to the XFEL with femtosecond precision, and the low temporal jitter of the PAL‐XFEL results in an experimental time resolution below 150 fs (full width at half‐maximum). A fundamental wave and its harmonics are currently provided for all beamlines, and tunable sources from ultraviolet to near‐infrared are available for one beamline. The position stability of the optical laser extracted from the intensity‐based center of mass at the sample position is less than 3% (r.m.s.) of the spot size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A remarkable effect of Cu CeO 2 citrate catalyst was examined for the alkylation of acetone with butanol for making jet-fuel range precursors under elevated reaction conditions, in which 2-heptanone and 6-undecanone were produced as major products with 3-heptene-2-one, 2-heptanol, and butyl butyrate in minor quantities. The catalytic performance was measured over 10 wt% Cu CeO 2 catalysts prepared by calcination at 400–800 °C with an interval of 100 °C followed by identical H 2 activation. Interestingly, the alkylation activity exhibited a volcano-shaped trend with respect to the calcination temperature as copper particle size and basicity played a vital role. The activity results revealed the optimum calcination temperature of 600 °C (namely, Cu CeO 2 -600). When the catalysts prepared by two classical methods such as impregnation and co-precipitation were tested under an identical condition, the citrate method turned out to yield a highly stable nanocatalyst with the following features: the copper particles protected by CeO 2 , a high amount of surface copper species, and the basicity. These are responsible for sturdiness of Cu CeO 2 -600 citrate catalyst in the production of higher aliphatic ketone. Image 1 • Cu CeO 2 citrate catalysts are applied for the alkylation of acetone with butanol. • Cu CeO 2 subjected to calcination at 600 °C shows the highest yield of 6-undecanone. • The best Cu CeO 2 citrate catalyst is more stable than co-precipitated catalyst. • The citrate method provides vital catalyst functions for the title reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) using microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF) membranes was introduced to enhance poor biomass retention of conventional anaerobic digestion (CAD). Recently, forward osmosis (FO) membrane have been applied to AnMBR, which is called AnFOMBR. FO membrane assures not only high biomass retention but also high removal efficiency for low molecular weight (LMW) matters. Methane production rates in CAD, AnMBR, and AnFOMBR were compared using a modified IWA anaerobic digestion model No. 1 (ADM1) in this work. Accumulation of biomass in AnMBR/AnFOMBR results in enhanced biochemical reaction and gains more methane production. AnFOMBR may experience a significant inhibition by accumulated free ammonia and cations, although concentrated soluble substrates rejected by FO membrane are favorable for more methane production. Rejection rate of inorganic nitrogen is a key parameter to determine the inhibition in methane production of AnFOMBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) produces energy using the salinity gradient between two solutions (draw solution (DS) and feed solution (FS)). Net energy production (NEP) of PRO was analyzed using a module-scale model developed in this work. The NEP analysis determines net energy from PRO by the difference between energy production by turbine and energy consumption by DS, FS, and booster pumps. Especially, the effects of system capacity and membrane fouling on NEP are investigated using a module-scale modeling approach for the first time. The maximum net specific energy (NSE) per PRO system capacity (sum of DS and FS flow rates) is close to 0.1 kWh/m 3 without pretreatments. The maximum NSE decreases at smaller system capacities, and it becomes around 0.03 kWh/m 3 from a PRO system with 520 m 3 /d as capacity. NSE from seawater decreases in the presence of membrane fouling, but it remains positive under the severe fouling condition where water flux decreases by 32% if the system capacity is large enough to have efficient pumps and turbines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misch metal (Mm), consisting of Ce and La, was added to Ti-45Al-3Mo-2Nb alloys in order to investigate phase transformation and microstructural changes. The pseudo-binary phase diagram was estimated via PANDAT software™. The addition of Mm caused a decrease in both the fractions of α2/γ lamella and the β0 phase, and served as an important factor for a collapse of lamellar structures. In addition, Mm significantly decreased the colony size of the alloy, resulting in an increase in high-temperature tensile yield strength of ~ 40% for the alloys with 0.3 at% Mm at 800 °C. It appears that the addition of Mm affects the phase stability and increase the proportion of the γ phase. The microstructural changes, with respect to Mm additions, were discussed in terms of structural observations during isothermal heat treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We achieve a continuous broad stop band in the low frequency range that allows for ventilation. • We merge individual negative regions of two different constitutive parameters: density and compressibility. • The lower frequency region is covered by the negative effective density of a half-filled membrane-type compact metamaterial, and the negative effective compressibility of a Helmholtz-type metamaterial is used for higher frequencies. • By matching the frequency at which the density changes from negative to positive with the frequency at which the bulk modulus changes from positive to negative, the negative region for sound blocking is bridged to form a broad band over a low frequency. We present a broadband muffler using a metamaterial consisting of a membrane structure and a Helmholtz resonator. The membrane structure with ventilation exhibited negative effective density in the 290–435 Hz frequency range. The Helmholtz resonator exhibited negative effective compressibility in the 440–600 Hz range. We connected the two frequency ranges to continue the negativity by matching the end frequency of the negative effective density and the start frequency of the negative effective compressibility. The metamaterial muffler showed a wide range of imaginary components of wavenumbers from 290 to 600 Hz. The muffler exhibits 10 dB transmission loss or 10 % power transmission in the frequency range 275–500 Hz. The realization of a metamaterial muffler with a broad and low-frequency performance range is unprecedented when considering the resonant properties of the metamaterial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an overview of soft X-ray scientific instruments and X-ray optics at the free electron laser (FEL) of the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, with selected first-commissioning results. The FEL exhibited a pulse energy of 200 μJ/pulse, a pulse width of <50 fs full width at half maximum, and an energy bandwidth of 0.44% at a photon energy of 850 eV. Monochromator resolving power of 10 500 was achieved. The estimated total time resolution between optical laser and X-ray pulses was <270 fs. A resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectrometer was set up; its commissioning results are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compartmentalized microfluidic chamber array that offers not only separate cell culture environments but also independent control of the diffusion of small molecules provides an extremely useful platform for cell cultivations and versatile cellular assays. However, it is challenging to incorporate both cell compartmentalization and active diffusion control in real-time and precise manners. Here, we present a novel nanoscale hydrodynamic film (NHF) that is formed between a solid substrate and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. The thickness of the NHF can be adjusted by varying the pressure applied between them so that the mass transfer through the NHF can also be controlled. These novel phenomena are characterized and applied to develop a compartmentalized microchamber array with diffusion-tunable and solution-switchable chemostat-like versatile bacterial assays. The NHF-based compartmentalization technique is ideal for not only continuous bacterial cultivation by consistently refreshing various nutrient sources but also various diffusion-based microbial assays such as chemical induction of synthetically engineered bacterial cells and selective growth of a specific bacterial strain with respect to chemical environments. In addition, we show that tight compartmentalization protects cells in the chambers, while biofilm formation and nutrient contamination are eliminated by loading a lysis buffer, which typically hinders long-term continuous cultures and accurate microbial assays on a chip. Therefore, we ensure that the NHF-based compartmentalization platform proposed in this work will facilitate not only fundamental studies in microbiology but also various practical applications of microbes for production of valuable metabolites and byproducts in a high-throughput and highly efficient format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A controllable microchemostat can provide an ideal, powerful means to study the growth behavior of microorganisms by improving conventional macroscale chemostat. However, a challenge remains for implementing both continuous growth and active population control of microorganisms at the same time because they keep communicating with nearby culture environments by regulating their metabolism. Here, we present a novel microchemostat that enables reversible bacterial isolation, continuous chemical refreshment, and dynamic physicochemical stimulation. The microchemostat not only controls bacterial growth and subculture conditions in a completely automated and programmed manner but it also makes it possible to manipulate bacterial populations from a single bacterium to an ultrahigh density for long-term subculture periods with ultralow reagent consumption. Moreover, the microchemostat enables in situ measurement and feedback control of bacterial growth and population through various subculture programming modes that are sequentially performed using a single microchemostat over 720 h; to the best of our knowledge, this is the longest microchemostat culture of bacterial cells reported to date. Hence, we ensure that the microchemostat can be further applied to a wide range of microbial studies on a single chip, such as nutrient optimization, genetic induction, environmental selection, high-throughput screening, and evolutionary adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 3D gelatin-based aerogels were fabricated via direct mixing and freeze-drying. • Gel- 1.0 MOF-Sep aerogels exhibited great adsorption capacity and recyclability. • Maximum adsorption capacities for NPX and IBP are 8.515 and 10.23 mg/g, respectively. • Adsorption was due to the hydrogen bonding, electrostatic, and π-π interactions. The removal of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from effluent wastewater is critical because of their adverse impacts on human health and the ecosystem. In this study, we successfully fabricated a novel biopolymer-based aerogel composite by incorporating a zirconium-based metal–organic framework, UiO-66 (MOF), and sepiolite (Sep) into gelatin (Gel) to efficiently remove naproxen (NPX) and ibuprofen (IBP). The physicochemical properties of the prepared adsorbents were comprehensively characterized, as well as batch experimental studies were carried out to probe the effect of contact time, solution pH, temperature, and coexisting ions on the adsorption process. The adsorption by the 3D mesoporous aerogel (Gel- 1.0 MOF-Sep) followed the pseudo-second order and the Langmuir isotherm models with maximum adsorption capacities of 8.515 and 10.23 mg/g for NPX and IBP, respectively (at 20 °C and pH 7). Furthermore, central composite design (CCD) in response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess the simultaneous interactions of independent variables, results of which suggested that the initial concentration and pH were the dominant parameters in the adsorption process. Moreover, a thermodynamic study showed that the adsorption process was exothermic (ΔH° < 0) and thermodynamically spontaneous (ΔG° < 0). Reusability studies demonstrated that the composite aerogel exhibited superior adsorption efficiencies after five successive runs, indicating its potential use in practical applications. Furthermore, the adsorption mechanisms for the pollutants were ascribed to electrostatic interactions, π–π interactions, and hydrogen bonding. The insights show that the Gel- 1.0 MOF-Sep aerogels are promising alternative adsorbents for the removal of NSAIDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Korea, a large scale national project (Saemangeum Project) has been underway that requires a huge amount of dredged soils and their reclamation. Although a lot of dredged soil is needed for reclamation, only about 10% of the dredged soil is used. For this reason, much effort should be made to extensively use the dredged soil. The objective of the study is to find reasonable ways of improving the dredged soils in the Saemangeum area so that they can be used for vegetation of land plants. In order to develop ameliorating methods, we treated silty sand samples, the representative dredged soil of Saemangeum, with mountain soil (0% and 30%), sawdust fertilizer (0% and 6%), bioameliorant (0% and 6%), and coffee sludge (3%, 6%, and 9%), measured the germination rate of bent grass, and applied the lab experiment results to the field for validation. As a result, it was verified that when a mixture of coffee sludge and sawdust fertilizer was used, the chemical and physical properties of dredged soil were significantly improved. This implies that the beneficial use of the dredged soil can be facilitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next generation sequencing technologies have vastly changed the approach of sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene for studies in microbial ecology. Three distinct technologies are available for large-scale 16S sequencing. All three are subject to biases introduced by sequencing error rates, amplification primer selection, and read length, which can affect the apparent microbial community. In this study, we compared short read 16S rRNA variable regions, V1-V3, with that of near-full length 16S regions, V1-V8, using highly diverse steer rumen microbial communities, in order to examine the impact of technology selection on phylogenetic profiles. Short paired-end reads from the Illumina MiSeq platform were used to generate V1-V3 sequence, while long "circular consensus" reads from the Pacific Biosciences RSII instrument were used to generate V1-V8 data. The two platforms revealed similar microbial operational taxonomic units (OTUs), as well as similar species richness, Good's coverage, and Shannon diversity metrics. However, the V1-V8 amplified ruminal community resulted in significant increases in several orders of taxa, such as phyla Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia ( P < 0.05). Taxonomic classification accuracy was also greater in the near full-length read. UniFrac distance matrices using jackknifed UPGMA clustering also noted differences between the communities. These data support the consensus that longer reads result in a finer phylogenetic resolution that may not be achieved by shorter 16S rRNA gene fragments. Our work on the cattle rumen bacterial community demonstrates that utilizing near full-length 16S reads may be useful in conducting a more thorough study, or for developing a niche-specific database to use in analyzing data from shorter read technologies when budgetary constraints preclude use of near-full length 16S sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new scheme for a field solver for particle-in-cell simulations; it uses P - and S -polarized variables in the modified Maxwell equations to eliminate numerical dispersion along the longitudinal axis. By obtaining numerical stability of the dispersion relation, the scheme has two major advantages of simulating the exact laser group velocity and the exact electron beam propagation. Those advantages are important for simulations of laser wakefield acceleration in a low-density plasma, and of the propagation of an electron beam that has low emittance. The scheme is implemented in multi-dimensional Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates following Fourier decomposition of the azimuthal direction. Results of both calculations compare well with results of three-dimensional simulations. • Numerical dispersion free in the longitudinal direction is developed by solving the modified Maxwell equations. • Numerical stability conditions for Cartesian and Cylindrical space are discussed. • New algorithm has advantages on accurate calculations of laser propagation and electron beam with low emittance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, microparticles have been used as nanoporous membranes in microfluidic devices, contributing to various bioassays on a chip. Here, we report a self-assembled particle membrane (SAPM) integrated microfluidic device that concentrates particles into an aimed microchamber array by using evaporation-driven capillary forces, and manipulates the chemical environment of the microchamber array by sequentially introducing different solutions. We demonstrate that the SAPM-integrated microchamber array can concentrate microparticles and microbial cells up to 120-fold for 2 h and 35-fold for 1 h, respectively, resulting in remarkably high concentration factors. Additionally, we demonstrate that the microchamber array has high potential as a chemostat-like bioreactor because it can actively manipulate the initial seeding number of bacterial cells and continuously supply and sequentially switch fresh nutrients to them. As an example of various applications, the chemostat-like bioreactor was used as a microbial biosensor platform that enabled microbial sensor cells to respond more efficiently and rapidly to external stimuli, such as heavy metal ions. This was made possible by almost eliminating the initial lag phase that dramatically shortened the whole assay time. Notably, the SAPM-integrated microchamber array not only facilitates various bioassays on a chip but also provides unprecedented experimental platforms to study microorganisms in a simple and convenient manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis on 16S rRNA gene sequences of bovine fecal origin that are publicly available in the RDP database. A total of 13,663 sequences including 603 isolate sequences were identified in the RDP database (Release 11, Update 1), where 13,447 sequences were assigned to 10 phyla, 17 classes, 28 orders, 59 families, and 110 genera, while the remaining 216 sequences could not be assigned to a known phylum. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the first and the second predominant phyla, respectively. About 41 % of the total sequences could not be assigned to a known genus. The total sequences were assigned to 1252 OTUs at 97 % sequence similarity. A small number of OTUs shared among datasets indicate that fecal bacterial communities of cattle are greatly affected by various factors, specifically diet. This study may guide future studies to further analyze fecal bacterial communities of cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is still considered poorly reproducible despite its numerous advantages and is not a sufficiently robust analytical technique for routine implementation outside of academia. In this article, we present a self-supervised deep learning-based information fusion technique to minimize the variance in the SERS measurements of multiple laboratories for the same target analyte. In particular, a variation minimization model, coined the minimum-variance network (MVNet), is designed. Moreover, a linear regression model is trained using the output of the proposed MVNet. The proposed model showed improved performance in predicting the concentration of the unseen target analyte. The linear regression model trained on the output of the proposed model was evaluated by several well-known metrics, such as root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP), BIAS, standard error of prediction (SEP), and coefficient of determination (R2). The leave-one-lab-out cross-validation (LOLABO-CV) results indicate that the MVNet also minimizes the variance of completely unseen laboratory datasets while improving the reproducibility and linear fit of the regression model. The Python implementation of MVNet and the code for the analysis can be found on the GitHub page https://github.com/psychemistz/MVNet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporter-gene-based microbial biosensors have high potential for detecting small molecules, including heavy metal ions (HMIs), in a sensitive and selective manner by involving low costs. However, the sensitivity and dynamic range of the sensing mechanism are largely limited by the conventional culture environment that relies on the batch-type addition of the small molecules in nutrients and the subsequent genetic induction of sensing microbes. Here, we describe a high-throughput, chemostat-like microfluidic platform that can continuously supply both nutrients and inducers (HMIs) using microfabricated ratchet structures and a mixing microchannel network. We found that the microfluidic platform not only allowed microbial biosensors to be highly concentrated in a detection microchamber array but also enabled them to continuously grow and control synthetic genetic circuits in response to heavy metals. We also demonstrated that the combination of the platform and microbial biosensors enhanced the sensitivity for detecting divalent lead and cadmium ions by approximately three orders of magnitude relative to conventional batch-type methods. Because the platform is portable and only requires small sample volumes and fluorescent detection, the chemostat-like microfluidic platform in conjunction with microbial biosensors could be widely utilized to facilitate the specific and sensitive detection of molecular analytes on a chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This communication presents a microfluidic method for size-based cell sorting, which provides a simple and robust approach for cell cycle synchronization by manual and stand-alone operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly photosensitive organic phototransistors (OPTs) are successfully demonstrated on a flexible substrate using all-solution process as well as a combination of printing methods which consist of roll-to-plate reverse offset printing (ROP), inkjet printing and bar coating. Excellent electrical switching characteristics are obtained from heterogeneous interfacial properties of the reverse-offset-printed silver nanoparticle electrode and the inkjet-printed p -channel polymeric semiconductor. In particular, the OPTs exhibit remarkably photosensitivity with a photo-to-dark current ratio exceeding 5 orders. This optoelectronic properties of the combinational printed OPTs are theoretically and experimentally studied, and found the comparable tendency. In addition, excellent mechanical stability is observed with up to 0.5% of strain applied to the OPTs. Hence, by manufactured with a combination of various graphic art printing methods such as roll-to-plate ROP, inkjet printing, and bar coating, these devices are very promising candidates for large-area and low-cost printed and flexible optoelectronics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]