Browse Articles

A novel hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent-based paired-drop microextraction method for the trace determination of metribuzin in urine samples

Abstract A hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) was molecularly tailored from tributylphosphine oxide and octanoic acid via hydrogen-bonding and employed as an efficient extractant in a novel ultrasound-assisted paired-drop microextraction (UAE-PDME) method for metribuzin determination in urine. The DES structure was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The innovative paired-drop design addresses a key practical challenge: while ultrasound efficiently disperses the extractant, quantitatively retrieving a minute volume (e.g., 2 µL) of dispersed solvent from an aqueous sample is nearly impossible. This method solves this by using a second, hanging DES droplet that coalesces with the dispersed microdroplets during gentle stirring, enabling efficient, complete, and centrifugation-free collection of the enriched phase. After optimization of key parameters, the method was rigorously validated using spiked urine samples. It demonstrated excellent performance: a wide linear range of 5–500 µg/L, low limits of detection and quantification of 0.20 and 0.67 µg/L, respectively, high precision (RSD < 3.6%), quantitative recoveries (99.5–103.1%) with negligible matrix effect (− 4.2%) and high solvent phase recovery (98.5%). The high extraction efficiency is attributed to the DES’s rational molecular design. The DES-UAE-PDME method represents a green, rational, and effective sample preparation strategy for trace pesticide monitoring using conventional HPLC–UV instrumentation.

Effect of biotic and abiotic degradation on the surface and bulk of rubber compounds

Linking sensory processing patterns and somatosensory thresholds to behavioural and emotional symptoms in adolescents with ADHD

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and computational evaluation of 2-alkylthio imidazol-4-one derivatives as potential CDK5 inhibitors

Recognition of everyday activities using experiment data from wearable sensors: a deep learning-based framework

Abstract Tracking everyday activities is vital for detecting changes in older adults’ health, allowing timely support to promote well-being. Wearable sensors and deep learning provide continuous monitoring, making them a supportive tool in detecting such changes. However, a more refined method is needed to recognise precise activities with a minimal set of sensors. This study aimed to develop a method to recognise everyday activities among older adults by utilising wearable sensors and a deep learning model. This is a small-scale home lab experiment to develop a method to recognise 14 everyday activities. We compared five models that recognised everyday activities with different sensor signal counts and accuracy. Our results showed that sensor placement is important. Based on the results, we proposed a two-sensor method (pelvis and right hand) to collect and correctly recognise everyday activities among older adults. This model, which utilises two sensors, classified 12 activities with an accuracy of 89.3%. Another model recognised all 14 activities with a lower accuracy of 88.2% using five sensors. We also explored a one-sensor approach, which showed low recognition performance and struggled to distinguish activity variability. The two-sensor-based system will allow for large-scale data collection on everyday activities of older adults.

Development and application of a poly (sodium p-styrenesulfonate-co-acrylic acid) / Ficus leaves–derived activated carbon composite for the efficient removal of 4-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions

Abstract This research details the synthesis and application of a novel poly (sodium p-styrenesulfonate-co-acrylic acid)/Ficus leaf–derived activated carbon composite (P(NaSS-co-AA)/AC) for the Efficient elimination of 4-Nitrophenol from contaminated Aqueous Solutions. The copolymer P(NaSS-co-AA) was fabricated via free-radical copolymerization of sodium p-styrenesulfonate (NaSS) and acrylic acid (AA) and characterized by GPC, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The composite was further analyzed utilizing SEM, FTIR, BET, and TGA techniques. Batch adsorption tests experiments were performed to optimize operational parameters achieving optimal conditions at pH 7, an adsorbent dosage of 1.5 g/L, and a contact time of 120 min, with a removal efficiency of 95 ± 1.18%. Adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetics, suggesting monolayer chemisorption on a homogeneous surface. The composite demonstrated high selectivity and robust performance in real wastewater matrices and multicomponent ionic environments, maintaining a removal efficiency of over 90% despite the presence of competing species. The maximum adsorption capacity was 65.0 ± 1.25 mg/g, exceeding conventional activated carbons. Statistical evaluation of models showed excellent fits (Langmuir R² = 0.994, RMSE = 0.85 ± 0.08; kinetics pseudo-second-order R² = 0.999, RMSE = 0.47 ± 0.04). Post-adsorption FTIR and XPS analyses confirmed 4-NP uptake and supported the proposed multi-mode adsorption mechanism (π–π stacking, electrostatic attraction, and hydrogen bonding). Preliminary column breakthrough experiments and leaching/environmental safety screening further validate the practical potential of this composite. These results showed that the developed composite is a sustainable and cost-effective adsorbent with strong potential for wastewater treatment applications targeting nitrophenol contaminants.

Integration of hierarchical clustering in hematologic biomarkers prediction for endocrine toxicity during immunotherapy in lung cancer patients

The impact of histological subtype on positive surgical margins in patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: a multicenter retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching (the MSUG 94 group)

Development of a parallel cascaded adaptive ensemble framework with feature engineering process for the prediction of neurodegenerative disease using temporal clinical data

Correction: Learned saccade readiness varies with fluctuations in sustained attention

Hybrid deep learning framework for detection of lateral movement in advanced persistent threats

Safety and efficacy of tegoprazan in patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy after coronary stenting for acute myocardial infarction

Hydrogen‐Bond‐Induced Switching of Interaction Hierarchy in Dipolar D–A Chromophores for NIR Circularly Polarized Photodetection

ABSTRACT Dipolar donor–acceptor (D–A) chromophores exhibit strong near‐infrared (NIR) absorption but are intrinsically biased toward electrostatically complementary hetero‐association—a packing mode that inherently suppresses chiroptical responses. Here, we show that this preference can be overcome through hydrogen‐bond‐induced switching of the interaction hierarchy governing supramolecular assembly. In croconaine‐based dipolar D–A chromophores, the introduction of directional amide‐mediated hydrogen bonding establishes a thermodynamically favored homo‐association that overrides dipolar complementarity, thereby switching the preferred packing mode from hetero‐ to homo‐organization. This interaction hierarchy switching drives cooperative homochiral assembly and enables amplified NIR chiroptical responses. Integration of these assemblies into heterojunction devices translates the supramolecular structural reorganization into helicity‐dependent electrical outputs, affording efficient NIR circularly polarized photodetection. These results identify interaction hierarchy inversion as an effective strategy for controlling association modes and chiroptical functions in dipolar chromophores.

Modeling lost person behavior with spatial and temporal decision points

Correlating Electronic Transition With Electrical Output to Reveal Photon‐Mediated Energy Conversion Mechanism in Inner‐Shell Electron Battery

ABSTRACT Inner‐shell electron batteries present a promising route to ultrahigh‐density energy storage by harnessing the potential energy confined within inner‐shell orbitals. While prior efforts have demonstrated the conversion of potential energy into electricity with photovoltaic (PV) modules, a direct correlation between inner‐shell electron transition and the resulting electrical output remains obscured by interfering photons. Here, by integrating systematic theoretical analysis of electron transition behaviors with a narrowband‐filter‐based experimental setup, we demonstrate a photon‐mediated energy‐conversion framework, exemplified by Mo 15+ (370.81 nm), Mo 16+ (370.85 nm), and La 19+ (371.96 nm) as highly charged ions (HCIs) selected near the peak efficiency wavelength of the PV module, which directly correlates specific electronic transition with power output. After filtering out unrelated wavelengths, we achieve a current response of 2.3 × 10 −12 C by capturing 7 × 10 7 photons emitted from 1 × 10 6 La 19+ ions. Furthermore, the replacement of the narrowband filter (365–375 nm) with an infrared filter to collect all emitted photons from HCIs yields an energy density of 1 × 10 4  Wh kg −1 based on the mass of 1 × 10 6 La 19+ ions, thereby holding great promise for future ultrahigh‐density energy storage applications.

Magnetically recoverable Fe3O4-chitosan/PVA hydrogel for photo-Fenton degradation of diazinon

Corannulene‐Driven Curvature Engineering Enhances Fullerene Encapsulation in a Carbon Nanohoop

ABSTRACT Integrating intrinsically positively curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) into cycloparaphenylene (CPP) frameworks remains challenging. In this study, we report a concise synthesis of a functionalized dibenzocorannulene unit via sulfone addition, followed by its seamless fusion into a CPP backbone to afford the positively curved nanohoop DBCora[10]CPP . This unique architecture creates a deep cavity with pronounced concave‐convex geometric complementarity toward fullerenes, resulting in strong binding affinities of up to 10 8  M −1 . 1 H NMR studies reveal slow host‐guest exchange behaviors in solution, while single‐crystal x‐ray diffraction unambiguously establishes the structure of C 60 @DBCora[10]CPP and reveals a distinctive octahedral packing motif featuring a free fullerene at the center. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy demonstrates that the precise geometric match between host and guest enables ultrafast charge‐separation followed by a persistent charge‐separated (CS) state with a lifetime of 1.5 ns. Notably, this performance is achieved in a purely host‐guest assembly without the need for mechanical bonds or bulky stoppers. These findings demonstrate how positive‐curvature engineering can simultaneously modulate fullerene recognition, host‐guest dynamics, and charge‐separation behavior, establishing a useful design principle for functional carbon nanohoops and supramolecular optoelectronic systems.

Coupling of topological interface states in one-dimensional photonic crystals is controlled by spatial distance and cap-layer symmetry, dictating the coupling quality

Unperturbed π‐Methyl Electrostatic Interactions Enable Efficient Toluene Adsorption on Graphdiyne Under High Humidity

ABSTRACT The efficiency of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) abatement in humid industrial streams is critically hindered by competitive moisture adsorption and the structural vulnerability of conventional adsorbents. Here, we show that a highly hydrophobic graphdiyne (GDY) framework provides a robust platform for sustained VOC capture under highly humid conditions. Dynamic breakthrough measurements demonstrate that GDY maintains > 98% of its toluene uptake (102.5 mg/g) at 50% relative humidity (RH) with excellent cyclic stability, whereas conventional carbonaceous adsorbents usually undergo severe capacity loss. Combined experimental characterization and molecular simulations reveal that the sp‐C linkages induce electron density redistribution, fostering π‐methyl electrostatic interactions that stabilize toluene adsorption. Meanwhile, the highly delocalized π‐electron structure of sp‐hybridized carbon suppresses dipole interactions with water molecules and hinders hydrogen bond formation at the adsorbent surface, thereby suppressing competitive adsorption of water. Our study sheds light on the origin of GDY's moisture tolerance and offers practical guidance for the rational design of hydrophobic adsorbents for industrial gas purification.

Robust and accurate multimodal information extraction from tobacco box labels using MLDP