Easy Scalability Research Articles

Efficient synthesis of DHA/EPA-rich phosphatidylcholine using immobilized phospholipase A1 on a novel microflow support

A new epoxy-based polymerizing/compositing synchronic process was carried out in 3D structure of a melamine sponge. The cured polymer formed a porous and wave-shaped coating on the surface of skeleton in a uniform way. The obtained composite sponge was used as a microflow support for the immobilization of phospholipase A1 (PLA1, from Thermomyces lanuginosus/Fusarium oxysporum) by co-adsorption/cross-linking with polyethylenimine (PEI). The loading amount and the specific activity of immobilized PLA1 under the optimal immobilization conditions were 45.7 mg/gsupport and 9.1 U/mgprotein. The PLA1-immobilized microflow supports were placed in a columnar reactor, in which transesterification was operated in continuous circulation way. The reaction produced DHA/EPA-incorporated phosphatidylcholine, the hydrolysis side reaction could be inhibited by removal of free water in the reaction medium. Under optimized conditions the incorporation percentage of DHA/EPA and PC yield of 54.3% and 82.4% within 18 h at 55 ℃, respectively. After 10 cycles, the immobilized PLA1 retained 71.2% of the original activity. The use of microflow support has an advantage on easier scaling up the reactor size towards much larger productivity and higher efficiency.

Design and Characterization of Soft Fabric Omnidirectional Bending Actuators

Soft robots, inspired by biological adaptability, can excel where rigid robots may falter and offer flexibility and safety for complex, unpredictable environments. In this paper, we present the Omnidirectional Bending Actuator (OBA), a soft robotic actuation module which is fabricated from off-the-shelf materials with easy scalability and consists of three pneumatic chambers. Distinguished by its streamlined manufacturing process, the OBA is capable of bending in all directions with a high force-to-weight ratio, potentially addressing a notable research gap in knit fabric actuators with multi-degree-of-freedom capabilities. We will present the design and fabrication of the OBA, examine its motion and force capabilities, and demonstrate its capability for stiffness modulation and its ability to maintain set configurations under loads. The mass of the entire actuation module is 278 g, with a range of omnidirectional bending up to 90.80°, a maximum tolerable pressure of 862 kPa, and a bending payload (block force) of 10.99 N, resulting in a force-to-weight ratio of 39.53 N/kg. The OBA’s cost-effective and simple fabrication, compact and lightweight structure, and capability to withstand high pressures present it as an attractive actuation primitive for applications demanding efficient and versatile soft robotic solutions.

Full‐mesh VPN performance evaluation for a secure edge‐cloud continuum

AbstractThe recent introduction of full‐mesh virtual private network (VPN) solutions which offer near native performance, coupled with modern encryption algorithms and easy scalability as a result of a central control plane have a strong potential to enable the implementation of a seamless edge‐cloud continuum. To test the performance of existing solutions in this domain, we present a framework consisted of both essential and optional features that full‐mesh VPN solutions need to support before they can be used for interconnecting geographically dispersed compute nodes. We then apply this framework on existing offerings and select three VPN solutions for further tests: Headscale, Netbird, and ZeroTier. We evaluate their features in the context of establishing an underlay network on top of which a Kubernetes overlay network can be created. We test pod‐to‐pod TCP and UDP throughput as well as Kubernetes application programming interface (API) response times, in multiple scenarios, accounting for adverse network conditions such as packet loss or packet delay. Based on the obtained measurement results and through analysis of the underlying strengths and weaknesses of the individual implementations, we draw conclusions on the preferred VPN solution depending on the use‐case at hand, striking a balance between usability and performance.

Accurate and efficient floor localization with scalable spiking graph neural networks

Floor localization is crucial for various applications such as emergency response and rescue, indoor positioning, and recommender systems. The existing floor localization systems have many drawbacks, like low accuracy, poor scalability, and high computational costs. In this paper, we first frame the problem of floor localization as one of learning node embeddings to predict the floor label of a subgraph. Then, we introduce FloorLocator, a deep learning-based method for floor localization that integrates efficient spiking neural networks with powerful graph neural networks. This approach offers high accuracy, easy scalability to new buildings, and computational efficiency. Experimental results on using several public datasets demonstrate that FloorLocator outperforms state-of-the-art methods. Notably, in building B0, FloorLocator achieved recognition accuracy of 95.9%, exceeding state-of-the-art methods by at least 10%. In building B1, it reached an accuracy of 82.1%, surpassing the latest methods by at least 4%. These results indicate FloorLocator’s superiority in multi-floor building environment localization.

Scalable Synthesis of Robust MOF for Challenging Ethylene Purification and Propylene Recovery with Record Productivity.

Ethylene (C2H4) purification and propylene (C3H6) recovery are highly relevant in polymer synthesis, yet developing physisorbents for these industrial separation faces the challenges of merging easy scalability, economic feasibility, high moisture stability with great separation efficiency. Herein, we reported a robust and scalable MOF (MAC-4) for simultaneous recovery of C3H6 and C2H4. Through creating nonpolar pores decorated by accessible N/O sites, MAC-4 displays top-tier uptakes and selectivities for C2H6 and C3H6 over C2H4 at ambient conditions. Molecular modelling combined with infrared spectroscopy revealed that C2H6 and C3H6 molecules were trapped in the framework with stronger contacts relative to C2H4. Breakthrough experiments demonstrated exceptional separation performance for binary C2H6/C2H4 and C3H6/C2H4 as well as ternary C3H6/C2H6/C2H4 mixtures, simultaneously affording record productivities of 27.4 and 36.2 L kg-1 for high-purity C2H4 (≥99.9 %) and C3H6 (≥99.5 %). MAC-4 was facilely prepared at deckgram-scale under reflux condition within 3 hours, making it as a smart MOF to address challenging gas separations.

Usage of Energy Storage Capacitors in TE Gas Laser Pulsers

An energy storage capacitor is crucial for both electrically pumped and optically pumped pulsed lasers. In electrically pumped lasers, the energy stored in the capacitors is directly deposited into the lasing medium, while in optically pumped lasers, it energizes the flash lamp that, in turn, pumps the lasing medium. We discuss here the application of energy storage capacitors in the operation of electrically pumped pulsed gas lasers. Increasing the operating pressure of the gain medium, a prerequisite for obtaining higher energy from the laser, has resulted in great advancements in the gas laser pulse technology. This progress has led to the development of transverse electric discharge pumping, enabling easy scalability of gas pressure and achievable output power. An ideal TE pulser efficiently charges the capacitor to an appropriate voltage with minimal energy dissipation on the charging element and facilitates a rapid and uniform transfer of this stored energy into the lasing medium before a glow-to-arc transition can set in. Various types of pulser circuits employed to energize pulsed gas lasers are described in this paper.

Scalable Synthesis of Robust MOF for Challenging Ethylene Purification and Propylene Recovery with Record Productivity

AbstractEthylene (C2H4) purification and propylene (C3H6) recovery are highly relevant in polymer synthesis, yet developing physisorbents for these industrial separation faces the challenges of merging easy scalability, economic feasibility, high moisture stability with great separation efficiency. Herein, we reported a robust and scalable MOF (MAC‐4) for simultaneous recovery of C3H6 and C2H4. Through creating nonpolar pores decorated by accessible N/O sites, MAC‐4 displays top‐tier uptakes and selectivities for C2H6 and C3H6 over C2H4 at ambient conditions. Molecular modelling combined with infrared spectroscopy revealed that C2H6 and C3H6 molecules were trapped in the framework with stronger contacts relative to C2H4. Breakthrough experiments demonstrated exceptional separation performance for binary C2H6/C2H4 and C3H6/C2H4 as well as ternary C3H6/C2H6/C2H4 mixtures, simultaneously affording record productivities of 27.4 and 36.2 L kg−1 for high‐purity C2H4 (≥99.9 %) and C3H6 (≥99.5 %). MAC‐4 was facilely prepared at deckgram‐scale under reflux condition within 3 hours, making it as a smart MOF to address challenging gas separations.

Shape-stabilized phase change materials for thermal energy storage and heat dissipation

Shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) are widely used as energy storage materials due to its advantages of easy preparation and adjustable scale. But the thermal conductivity enhancement of SSPCM still need to be further studied to improve the energy storage efficiency. In this work, silicone rubber (SR)/paraffin@SiO2 (Pn@SiO2)/graphene nanoplates (GNPs) shape-stabilized phase change materials (SPG) with different GNPs content were prepared. Pn@SiO2 and GNPs can be homogeneously dispersed in the SR matrix due to the enhanced interfacial compatibility between Pn@SiO2 and SR. The leakage rate of SPG composites was as low as 0.25% due to the protection of SiO2 shell, SR matrix and GNPs. The SPG composites had excellent thermal storage properties, with the enthalpy about 50 J·g−1. The thermal conductivity of SPG composites was improved with the content of GNPs, the thermal conductivity of SPG reach 0.989 W·m−1·K−1 at a GNPs content of 10 phr. The low hardness of SPG composites above the phase change temperature can provide a more cohesive surface when applied to heat dissipation. The heat dissipation of the SPG composites in electric devices was simulated and demonstrated that the addition of GNPs made the heat dissipation rate of the SPG composites increased significantly. Therefore, the SPG composites can be applied in thermal energy storage and heat dissipation of electronic devices.

Direct Synthesis of Tertiary Phosphines via Alkoxide-Mediated Deborylative Phosphination of Organoboronates.

The direct transformation of alkylboron has emerged as a versatile and powerful methodology for creating carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. However, its potential application in the formation of carbon and phosphorus remains unexplored. In this study, we present an alkoxide base-promoted reaction system that enables deborylative phosphination of benzylic organoboronates and geminal bis(boronates) via selective C-B bond cleavage. This approach allows for the synthesis of valuable tertiary phosphines in good yields under mild conditions. The practicality and industrial potential of this approach are underscored by the operational simplicity, broad substrate scope, and easy scalability.

Pharyngeal Residue Scoring in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing: Reliability Comparison and Applicability Among Different Scales

Several scales to assess pharyngeal residue in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) are currently available. The study aimed to compare the reliability and the applicability in real clinical practice among four rating scales: the Pooling Score (P-SCORE), the Boston Residue and Clearance Scale (BRACS), the Yale Pharyngeal Residue Severity Rating Scale (YPRSRS), and the Residue Ordinal Rating Scale (RORS). Twenty-five FEES videos were evaluated four times, once for each scale, by four speech and language pathologists. To test intra-rater reliability, the same raters re-assessed the videos two weeks apart. To test the applicability, raters recorded the time required to complete each assessment and the perceived difficulty/ease on a visual-analog scale (VAS). The intra-rater and the inter-rater reliability were calculated with Cohen’s weighted Kappa and the Fleiss weighted Kappa, respectively. Time and perceived difficulty/ease scores were compared. The intra-rater reliability analysis showed almost perfect agreement for YPRSRS (k = 0.91) and RORS (k = 0.83) and substantial agreement for P-SCORE (k = 0.76) and BRACS (k = 0.74). Pairwise comparison showed no significant differences among the scales. The inter-rater reliability for the YPRSRS (k = 0.78) was significantly higher than P-SCORE (k = 0.52, p < 0.001), BRACS (k = 0.56, p < 0.001), and RORS (k = 0.65, p = 0.005). The BRACS required the longest time (p < 0.001) and was perceived as the most difficult scale (p < 0.001). The RORS was perceived as the easiest scale (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the YPRSRS showed the highest reliability, while raters perceived the RORS as the easiest to score. These results will allow clinicians to consciously choose which scale to use in clinical practice.

Highly sensitive flexible capacitive pressure sensor with structured elastomeric dielectric layers

Sensitive yet stable, robust yet flexible and accurate yet energy efficient pressure sensors are required for variety of purposes. While a large variety of designs and dielectric materials have been explored for this purpose, there is still need of a flexible pressure sensor that will allow easy scale up and inexpensive fabrication. To this end, we have presented here the design of a flexible capacitive pressure sensor using copper coated paper as flexible electrodes and soft Ecoflex layers decorated with cylindrical micro-pillars as the dielectric. While microscopic construct of the sensor allows its easy manufacturability, softness of the layer imparts sensitivity to it. In contrast to many conventional sensors, this design yields sensitivity as high as ∼5 kPa−1 at pressure <1 kPa and somewhat smaller sensitivity as pressure exceeds 1 kPa. We have varied systematically pillar diameter, skin thickness of dielectric layer and pitch of the pillar array to optimise the design and demonstrate its easy tunability. We have presented a model based on buckling of the pillars to predict the response of the sensor. We have explored also a specific design that minimises the hysteresis.

P1184 Two simple tools for assessing depression and anxiety in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract Background Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), can trigger the onset of depressive and anxiety symptoms. The evaluation of mental well-being in patients with a chronic medical condition is considered a good clinical practice and it is strongly recommended by the World Health Organization. Nevertheless, mental health is not routinely investigated in this context for several reasons, including lack of training by healthcare professionals, stigma associated to mental health and gender-relatedstereotypes. The objectives of our study were to assess the presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms inpatients affected by IBD using two simple validated questionnaires and to identify potential related factors, particularly gender differences. Methods We conducted a single center observational study evaluating anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with IBD treated with biological therapy at the IBD Unit of Ospedale Policlinico of Milan during October 2022. We assessed depressive and anxiety symptoms using respectively the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) that are easy self-administered rating scales. Univariate analyses and regression models were applied for the purpose of the study. Results Among a total of 174 consecutive patients, 158 completed the questionnaires. The prevalence of moderate tosevere depression (PHQ-9 score &amp;gt; 9) in the total sample was 18.4%, and it was higher in CD than in UC (21% vs 9.7%). The prevalence of clinically significant anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 score &amp;gt; 9) was 24% (25.7% in CD and 19.3% in UC). Focusing on gender differences, similar prevalence of significant anxiety anddepression was observed between males (M) and females (F); respectively 18.6% M vs 17.6% F for depression (PHQ-9 &amp;gt; 9) and 22.2% M vs 25.4% F for anxiety (GAD-7 &amp;gt; 9). Of note, a relevant association was observed between younger age and higher GAD-7 (β =-0.639; p=0.021) and PHQ-9 (β =-0.604, p=0.055) scores. Conclusion Both males and females (especially younger) IBD patients in biological therapy are largely affected bysignificant depressive and anxiety symptoms. The administration of simple questionnaires like PHQ-9 andGAD-7 in routine clinical practice can facilitate early identification of patients requiring mental health support, this is crucial as psychiatric conditions can complicate the course of the disease and adherence to treatments.

Graphene Acetic Acid‐Based Hybrid Supercapacitor and Liquid‐Gated Transistor

AbstractSupercapacitors and transistors are two key devices for future electronics that must combine portability, high performance, easy scalability, etc. Graphene‐related materials (GRMs) are frequently chosen as active materials for these applications given their unique physical properties that are tunable via chemical functionalization. Up to date, among GRMs, only reduced graphene oxide (rGO) showed sufficient versatility and processability in mild media, rendering it suitable for integration in these two types of devices. Here, a sound alternative to rGO is provided, namely graphene acetic acid (GAA), whose physico‐chemical features offer specific advantages. In particular, the use of a GAA‐based cathode in a zinc hybrid supercapacitor (Zn‐HSC) delivers state‐of‐the‐art gravimetric capacitance of ≈400 F g−1 at a current density of 0.05 A g−1. Conversely, GAA‐based LGT, supported onto Si/SiO2, shows an ambipolar behavior in 0.1 m NaCl, featuring a clear p‐doping quantified by Dirac voltage higher than 100 mV. Such a device is successfully implemented in paper fluidics, thereby demonstrating the feasibility of real‐time monitoring.

Flexible construction of three-dimensional continuous conductive structure by hollow carbon sphere and CNT for promoted ions transport in flow-electrode capacitive deionization

Flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) emerges as a promising desalination technique, characterized by its unlimited desalination capacity, seamless operation, and easy scalability. However, challenges such as discontinuous electronic network, inadequate dispersion of suspended carbon particles, and hindered electron/ion transport pathways have impeded the full potential of FCDI. This study addresses the above issues by synergistically leveraging the advantage of hollow carbon sphere (HCS) and CNT to construct a flexible, continuous three-dimensional conductive network (HCS@CNT) as the flow-electrode for FCDI. The incorporation of HCS substantially improves the fluidity and effective collision of the flow-electrode slurry. Simultaneously, the bridging effect of CNT facilitates smooth ion transport routes and rapid electron/ion transfer. Moreover, the spherical structure of HCS as a node can effectively alleviate the agglomeration of CNT due to its inherent good fluidity. As a result, the meticulously designed HCS@CNT flow-electrode demonstrates outstanding rheological behavior with excellent hydrophilicity, a large specific capacitance, and low ion diffusion resistance. During desalination tests, the HCS@CNT flow-electrode exhibited a high average salt removal rate (0.56 µmol min−1 cm−2), appropriate energy-normalized removal salt (15 µmol J−1), and notable charge efficiency (89 %) in a 1 g L-1 NaCl solution. Impressively, it maintained good stability and continuity over a continuous 10-hour desalination process, showcasing substantial potential for treating highly concentrated saline water. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided additional insights, confirming that the construction of HCS@CNT facilitated interfacial charge transfer and electron transport from HCS to CNT. This innovative approach sheds light on enhancing electron/ion transfer by harnessing the unique structural characteristics of the flow-electrode.

Aromatization-driven deconstructive functionalization of spiro dihydroquinazolinones via dual photoredox/nickel catalysis.

Aromatization-driven deconstruction and functionalization of spiro dihydroquinazolinones via dual photoredox/nickel catalysis is developed. The aromatization effect was introduced to synergistically drive unstrained cyclic C-C bond cleavage, with the aim of overcoming the ring-size limitation of nitrogen-centered radical induced deconstruction of carbocycles. Herein, we demonstrate the synergistic photoredox/nickel catalyzed deconstructive cross-coupling of spiro dihydroquinazolinones with organic halides. Remarkably, structurally diverse organic halides including aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, and alkyl bromides were compatible for the coupling. In addition, this protocol is also characterized by its mild and redox-neutral conditions, excellent functional group compatibility, high atom economy, and easy scalability. A telescoped procedure involving condensation and ring-opening/coupling was found to be accessible. This work provides a complementary strategy to the existing radical-mediated C-C bond cleavage of unstrained carbocycles.

Research on the Integration and Development of Visual Professional Education and Book Creative Design Combined with Association Rule Mining

Abstract The visual professional education of existing colleges and universities can no longer meet the needs of the development of the times. In view of such a situation, this paper explores the integration and development of visual professional education and book creative design using association rule mining. Based on xAPI technology, a data collection platform has been designed to provide security, easy scalability, and real-time data acquisition for visual professional education and creative design text data acquisition. Afterward, the data is preprocessed so that it can be used for association rule mining in the future. The support degree, confidence degree, and enhancement degree of the two are defined to achieve the purpose of constructing the Apriori association rule mining analysis model for the fusion development of visual professional education and book and cultural and creative design. The analysis of the association rules of visual education and creative design shows that 10 association rules are obtained when the minimum support degree is 0.4. The minimum confidence degree is 0.6, and the confidence degree of the practical activities in visual professional education for the cultural elements and creative elements in book and creative design is 0.657, 0.619. The degree of enhancement is 0.709 and 1.021, and the correlation rules of all professional education and book and creative design show a synchronous enhancement of the correlation rules. Association rules show a synchronized enhancement of correlation.

PIDA-promoted metal-free [3 + 2] heteroannulation of β-ketothioamides with 4-hydroxy coumarins: chemo-/regioselective access to furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-ones at room temperature.

Herein, we report a viable protocol to access furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-ones by engaging easily accessible 4-hydroxy coumarins as a three-atom CCO unit and thioamides as a C2 coupling partner, mediated by phenyliodine(III) diacetate (PIDA) at room temperature in a highly efficient and pot-/step-economical manner. This strategy not only avoids potential toxicity and tiresome workup conditions, but also features operational simplicity, a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, high yields, easy scalability and exclusive selectivity. A mechanistic study has shown that this metal-free reaction is triggered by PIDA via activation of the β-carbon of 4-hydroxy coumarin, followed by a nucleophilic addition/intramolecular cyclization/dethiohydration cascade. High-resolution mass spectra (HRMS) study confirms the key intermediates involved during the course of the reaction, elucidating the reaction pathways, and demonstrates the excellent regio- and chemoselectivity of this approach.

Design of manganese-based nanomaterials for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.

In the past few years, manganese-based nanostructures have been extensively investigated in the biomedical field particularly to design highly biocompatible theranostics, which can not only act as efficient diagnostic imaging contrast agents but also deliver the drugs to the target sites. The nanoscale size, large surface area-to-volume ratio, availability of cheap precursors, flexibility to synthesize nanostructures with reproducible properties and high yield, and easy scale up are the major reasons for the attraction towards manganese nanostructures. Along with these properties, the nontoxic nature, pH-sensitive degradation, and easy surface functionalization are additional benefits for the use of manganese nanostructures in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the recent progress made in the synthesis of manganese nanostructures, describe the attempts made to modify their surfaces to impart biocompatibility and stability in biological fluids, and critically discuss their use in magnetic resonance imaging, drug and gene delivery, hyperthermia, photothermal/photodynamic, immunotherapy, biosensing and tumor diagnosis.

Enhancing gold nanoparticle immobilization on thiolated silica: utilizing neutral ligands to achieve maximum surface coverage for improved SERS substrates

This study achieved maximum surface coverage and high chemical stability of SERS substrates by replacing citrate with a neutral ligand and controlling the ligand thickness, addressing poor immobilization of citrate-AuNP on thiolated silica.

Discerning toxic nerve gas agents via a distinguishable 'turn-on' fluorescence response: multi-stimuli responsive quinoline derivatives in action.

We have successfully synthesized quinoline derivatives that exhibit easy scalability and responsiveness to multiple stimuli. These derivatives are capable of forming self-assembled nanoscopic aggregates in an aqueous medium. Consequently, when placed in an aqueous environment, we observe dual fluorescence originating from both twisted intramolecular charge transfer and aggregation-induced emission. The introduction of nerve gas agents, such as diethyl chlorophosphate (DClP) or diethylcyanophosphate (DCNP), to the probe molecules facilitates the charge-transfer process, resulting in a red-shift in absorption maxima. Notably, when operating in fluorescence mode, both of these analytes produce distinct output signals, making them easily distinguishable. DCNP generates a blue fluorescence, while the addition of DClP yields cyan fluorescence. Our mechanistic investigation reveals that the initial step involves phosphorylation of the quinoline nitrogen end. However, in the case of DCNP, the released cyanide ion subsequently attacks the carbonyl carbon centre, forming a cyanohydrin derivative. The response to these target analytes appears to be influenced by the nucleophilicity of the quinoline nitrogen end and the electrophilic nature of the carbonyl unit.