Browse Articles

Development and validation of a real-time prediction model for acute kidney injury in hospitalized patients

Exploring the catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of Namibian encroacher bush

AbstractAn urgent ecological issue is the threat posed by invasive species, which are becoming more widespread especially in Africa. These encroachments damage ecosystems, pose a threat to biodiversity, and outcompete local plants and animals. This article focuses on converting Acacia Mellifera from Namibia, commonly known as encroacher bush (EB) into high-quality drop-in intermediates for the chemical and transport industry via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). HTL tackles the growing need for sustainable energy carriers while simultaneously halting the spread of the invasive species. A surface response methodology was used to optimize the HTL process for the following operational conditions: temperature (250–340 °C), residence time (5–60 min) and catalyst loading (0–10 wt%). The catalyst of choice was determined after evaluating the energy recovery (ER) of four different catalysts (Zeolite, La2O3, Hydrotalcite, Ni/SiO2–Al2O3) under the same HTL operational conditions. The results indicate that the addition of hydrotalcite results in high yields of bio-crude oil (13–28 wt%), without compromising the high heating value (HHV, 26–31 MJ/kg), water content (0.47 wt%) or increasing the content of oxygenated compounds compared to the non-catalytic experiment. For the experimental conditions tested, we observed a global maximum in conversion in the 330 °C and 30 min range. Our findings indicate that the most significant factor on the conversion of EB into bio-crude oil was temperature, followed by the catalyst loading. Furthermore, biochars produced at 330 °C and 30 min show potential as solid biofuels with HHVs up to 28.30 MJ/kg.

Acute mesenteric ischaemia in the elderly - results of combined endovascular and surgical treatment. Primary study

Incidental iron oxide nanoclusters drive confined Fenton-like detoxification of solid wastes towards sustainable resource recovery

Incremental shuttle walking test for calf muscle oxygenation assessment in peripheral arterial disease: a cross-sectional study

Genome sequencing reveals novel variants in a diverse population with congenital anterior segment anomalies

Reduced adult stem cell fate specification led to eye reduction in cave planarians

Abstract Eye loss occurs convergently in numerous animal phyla as an adaptation to dark environments. We investigate the cave planarian Girardia multidiverticulata (Gm), a representative species of the Spiralian clade, to study mechanisms of eye loss. We found that Gm, which was previously described as an eyeless species, retains rudimentary and functional eyes. Eyes are maintained in homeostasis and regenerated in adult planarians by stem cells, called neoblasts, through their fate specification to eye progenitors. The reduced number of eye cells in cave planarians is associated with a decreased rate of stem cell fate specification to eye progenitors during homeostasis and regeneration. Conversely, the homeostatic formation of new cells from stem cell-derived progenitors for other tissues, including for neurons, pharynx, and epidermis, is comparable between cave and surface species. These findings reveal a mode of evolutionary trait loss, with change in rate of fate specification in adult stem cells leading to tissue size reduction.

Salient object detection with non-local feature enhancement and edge reconstruction

Failure risk study of anchor bolts durability for loess slope under long-term hydro-thermal effect

On the longevity and inherent hermeticity of silicon-ICs: evaluation of bare-die and PDMS-coated ICs after accelerated aging and implantation studies

Abstract Silicon integrated circuits (ICs) are central to the next-generation miniature active neural implants, whether packaged in soft polymers for flexible bioelectronics or implanted as bare die for neural probes. These emerging applications bring the IC closer to the corrosive body environment, raising reliability concerns, particularly for chronic use. Here, we evaluate the inherent hermeticity of bare die ICs, and examine the potential of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a moisture-permeable elastomer, as a standalone encapsulation material. For this aim, the electrical and material performance of ICs sourced from two foundries was evaluated through one-year accelerated in vitro and in vivo studies. ICs featured custom-designed test structures and were partially PDMS coated, creating two regions on each chip, uncoated “bare die” and “PDMS-coated”. During the accelerated in vitro study, ICs were electrically biased and periodically monitored. Results revealed stable electrical performance, indicating the unaffected operation of ICs even when directly exposed to physiological fluids. Despite this, material analysis revealed IC degradation in the bare regions. PDMS-coated regions, however, revealed limited degradation, making PDMS a suitable IC encapsulant for years-long implantation. Based on the new insights, guidelines are proposed that may enhance the longevity of implantable ICs, broadening their applications in the biomedical field.

Influence of indole acetic acid, arginine and mango fruit waste biochar on nutrients, chlorophyll contents and antioxidants of Fenugreek in salt affected soil

Cluster analysis of symptoms and assessment of caregiver reports in pediatric foreign bodies

Adjusting Hirshfeld charge of TEMPO catholytes for stable all-organic aqueous redox flow batteries

Myocardial mechanical changes before and after bariatric surgery in individuals with obesity and diabetes: a 1-year follow-up study

Nanostructural and nanomechanical alterations of photosensitized lipid membranes due to light induced formation of reactive oxygen species

Integrated multiomics signatures to optimize the accurate diagnosis of lung cancer

Sensorless control of switched reluctance motor based on inductance characteristic point under magnetic saturation

Chitooligosaccharides promote diabetic wound healing by mediating fibroblast proliferation and migration

Surface molecular engineering to enable processing of sulfide solid electrolytes in humid ambient air

AbstractSulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are promising candidates to realize all solid-state batteries (ASSBs) due to their superior ionic conductivity and excellent ductility. However, their hypersensitivity to moisture requires processing environments that are not compatible with today’s lithium-ion battery manufacturing infrastructure. Herein, we present a reversible surface modification strategy that enables the processability of sulfide SSEs (e. g., Li6PS5Cl) under humid ambient air. We demonstrate that a long chain alkyl thiol, 1-undecanethiol, is chemically compatible with the electrolyte with negligible impact on its ion conductivity. Importantly, the thiol modification extends the amount of time that the sulfide SSE can be exposed to air with 33% relative humidity (33% RH) with limited degradation of its structure while retaining a conductivity of above 1 mS cm-1 for up to 2 days, a more than 100-fold improvement in protection time over competing approaches. Experimental and computational results reveal that the thiol group anchors to the SSE surface, while the hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail provides protection by repelling water. The modified Li6PS5Cl SSE maintains its function after exposure to ambient humidity when implemented in a Li0.5In | |LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 ASSB. The proposed protection strategy based on surface molecular interactions represents a major step forward towards cost-competitive and energy-efficient sulfide SSE manufacturing for ASSB applications.

U-shaped relationship between uric acid levels and all-cause mortality in patients with hypertension