Physical Separation Research Articles

Multiple-functional LiTi2(PO4)3 modification improving long-term performances of Li-rich Mn-based cathode material for advanced lithium-ion batteries

Li-rich layered oxides with high energy densities have become one kind of promising cathode for advanced lithium-ion batteries, however some issues are severely hindering their practical applications. To address these challenges, fast ion conductive LiTi2(PO4)3 (LTPO) is employed to modify the typical Li-rich cathode Li1·2Mn0·56Ni0·17Co0·07O2 (LMNCO) via a sol-gel process combined with a two-step annealing treatment in this work. Serving as a physical separator, LTPO coating effectively depresses the side reactions at cathode-electrolyte interface and the transition-metal dissolution from LMNCO active material under harsh electrochemical environment. Meanwhile, LTPO layer with high ion conductivity could facilitate the interfacial Li+ diffusion during charge/discharge process. In addition, partial Ti4+ ions doped into LMNCO effectively elevate the oxygen electronegativity and restrain the excessive oxidization of lattice oxygen, thus stabilizing the crystal structure and alleviating the stress-strain propagation upon cycling. Electrochemical characterization results demonstrate that the LTPO-modified LMNCO cathode exhibits a superior capacity retention of 86.5 % after 400 cycles at room temperature and that of 73.7 % even under an elevated temperature of 45 °C after 250 cycles under 1C. This study provides a facile strategy for the surface modification of Li-rich layered-structure oxides, which also sheds light in enhancing electrochemical performances for various cathode materials.

The social impacts of ‘social distancing’ on sociality in the context of COVID-19: Applying Simmel’s concept of social geometry

One of the recommended interventions against the spread of COVID-19 is ‘social distancing’. This means maintaining a recommended physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. At the same time, the public is being advised to maintain or even increase social contact. Influenced by Georg Simmel’s concept of social geometry, the objective of this paper is to demonstrate that ‘social distancing’ has adverse impacts on sociality. Human beings are inherently social beings and spatial proximity enhances the intensity and quality of their interaction. By creating physical separation, ‘social distancing’ is leading to social isolation and attendant psychosocial problems. This was a desk study based on a review of the literature, media reports and personal observations. The paper presents evidence of the adverse impacts of ‘social distancing’ on human sociality from Botswana and Zimbabwe. The paper concludes that while ‘social distancing’ is a practical way of containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus, it has significant adverse impacts on sociality, resulting in the loss of community. We recommend the promotion of offline and online social media platforms to enable people to interact without co-presence.

AI IN HIGHER EDUCATION

A lot of industries are changing quickly due to artificial intelligence (AI), and education is no exception. In recent years, AI has made significant inroads into Higher Education, offering a wide range of advantages that improve students' educational experiences and simplify administrative duties for educators. Education is the cornerstone of human progress, shaping societies and individuals alike. In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Higher Education has emerged as a transformative force. AI holds the potential to revolutionize how students learn, teachers instruct, and educational institutions operate. This essay explores the multifaceted introduction of AI in Higher Education, delving into its promises and challenges, its impact on learners and educators, and its potential to reshape the landscape of education for the future. Virtual reality is one new educational innovation that is being used for anything from teaching history to assisting pupils with their math skills. Virtual Reality is a three-dimensional an interactive, computer-generated environment that users can explore. By inventing fresh approaches to incorporate experiential learning into the classroom, VR educators are genuinely influencing the experience of being a student. VR is a fantastic tool for fostering a sense of community among students. Using the same virtual reality program in various classrooms allows them to safely communicate despite their physical separation. Students can investigate topics using virtual reality that they might not otherwise have the chance to observe or learn about. Teachers are in the same boat. There are far more interesting ways for teachers to instruct their students. Anybody who has tried Virtual Reality will know that it feels much more immersive compared to staring at a screen or being in an environment created by a computer. Just two advantages for both teachers and students are deeper comprehension and increased involvement. One type of AI educational software that students may soon use is chatbots. These are being used more and more in schools as students utilize computers or iPads to communicate with bots designed to help them understand specific topics such as math or reading comprehension. It’s possible chatbot tutors could do more than just help students learn new concepts; they may even come whenever the analysis is needed. Chatbots are the future of all technical roots. It shortens the teachers' duty rotation cycle. Chatbots used in classrooms could also replace email communication between parents and teachers during parent-teacher conferences.

A biogenic hydrogel to recover Au(III) from electronic waste

In the course of this investigation, we undertook the contemplation of a green chemistry paradigm with the express intent of procuring valuable metal, namely gold, from electronic waste (e-waste). In pursuit of this overarching objective, we conceived a procedural framework consisting of two pivotal stages. As an initial stage, we introduced a physical separation procedure relying on the utilization of the Eddy current separator, prior to embarking on the process of leaching from e-waste. Subsequent to the partitioning of metals from the non-metal constituents of waste printed circuit boards (PCB), we initiated an investigation into the hydrogel derived from basil seeds (Ocimum basilicum L.), utilizing it as a biogenic sorbent medium. The thorough characterization of hydrogel extracted from basil seeds involved the application of an array of analytical techniques, encompassing FTIR, XRD, SEM, and BET. The batch sorption experiments show more than 90% uptake in the pH range of 2–5. The sorption capacity of the hydrogel material was evaluated as 188.44 mg g−1 from the Langmuir Isotherm model. The potential interference stemming from a spectrum of other ions, encompassing Al, Cu, Ni, Zn, Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Pb was systematically examined. Notably, the sole instance of interference in the context of adsorption of gold ions was observed to be associated with the presence of lead. The application of the hydrogel demonstrated a commendable efficiency in the recovery of Au(III) from the leached solution derived from the waste PCB.

Chemical-Free Recycling of Cathode Material and Aluminum Foil from Waste Lithium-Ion Batteries by Combining Plasma and Ultrasonic Technology.

With the rapid demand for lithium-ion batteries due to the widespread application of electric vehicles, a significant amount of battery electrode pieces requiring urgent treatment are generated during battery production and disposal. The strong bonding caused by the presence of binders makes it challenging to achieve thorough separation between the cathode active materials and Al foil, posing difficulties in efficient battery material recycling. To address this issue, a plasma-ultrasonically combined physical separation method is proposed in this study. This method utilizes plasma-generated excited-state radicals assisted by ultrasonic waves to separate active materials and current collectors. The results indicate that the binders are effectively decomposed under plasma treatment at 13.56 MHz, 100 W, and 10 min in an oxygen atmosphere, resulting in a separation efficiency of 96.8 wt % for the cathode materials. Characterization results demonstrate that the morphology, crystal structure, and chemical composition of the recycled cathode active materials remain unchanged, facilitating subsequent direct restoration and hydrometallurgical recycling. Simultaneously, the Al foil is also completely recycled for subsequent reuse. Compared with traditional methods of separating cathode active materials and aluminum foil, the method proposed in this study has significant economic and environmental potential. It can promote the recycling of battery materials and the development of sustainable transportation.

WITHDRAWN: COVID-19: Post infection implications in different age groups, mechanism, diagnosis, effective prevention, treatment, and recommendations

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious pathogen that predominantly caused the COVID-19 pandemic. The persistent effects of COVID-19 are defined as an inflammatory or host response to the virus that begins four weeks after initial infection and persists for an undetermined length of time. Chronic effects are more harmful than acute ones thus, this review explored the long-term effects of the virus on various human organs, including the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and neurological, reproductive, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, and lymphoid systems and found that SARS-CoV-2 adversely affects these organs of older adults. Regarding diagnosis, the RT-PCR is a gold standard method of diagnosing COVID-19; however, it requires specialized equipment and personnel for performing assays and a long time for results production. Therefore, to overcome these limitations, artificial intelligence employed in imaging and microfluidics technologies is the most promising in diagnosing COVID-19. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies are the most effective treatment for reducing the persistent impacts of COVID-19 by providing immunity to post-COVID-19 patients by reducing cytokine release syndrome, improving the T cell response, and increasing the circulation of activated natural killer and CD8 T cells in blood and tissues, which ultimately reduces fever, nausea, fatigue, and muscle weakness and pain. Vaccines such as inactivated viral, live attenuated viral, protein subunit, viral vectored, mRNA, DNA, or nanoparticle vaccines significantly reduce the adverse long-term virus effects in post-COVID-19 patients; however, no vaccine was reported to provide lifetime protection against COVID-19; consequently, protective measures such as physical separation, mask use, and hand cleansing are promising strategies. This review provides a comprehensive knowledge of the persistent effects of COVID-19 on people of varying ages, as well as diagnosis, treatment, vaccination, and future preventative measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Tracking Supermassive Black Hole Mergers from kpc to sub-pc Scales with AXIS

We present an analysis showcasing how the Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS), a proposed NASA Probe-class mission, will significantly increase our understanding of supermassive black holes undergoing mergers—from kpc to sub-pc scales. In particular, the AXIS point spread function, field of view, and effective area are expected to result in (1) the detection of hundreds to thousands of new dual AGNs across the redshift range 0<z<5 and (2) blind searches for binary AGNs that are exhibiting merger signatures in their light curves and spectra. AXIS will detect some of the highest-redshift dual AGNs to date, over a large range of physical separations. The large sample of AGN pairs detected by AXIS (over a magnitude more than currently known) will result in the first X-ray study that quantifies the frequency of dual AGNs as a function of redshift up to z=4.

Caring citizens: Refugee families, welfare, and affective equality

AbstractThe United States resettles refugees as humanitarian‐aid recipients and authorizes them to work so that they may achieve immediate self‐sufficiency. Current and former refugees, who utilize public assistance, must engage in a work activity or risk losing their benefits eligibility. Is employment the right activity for them? Workfare poses challenges for families with young children. When primary caregivers (typically mothers) transition into the formal labor force, they face constraints on their capacity to determine their child's care and on the timing of their physical separations from that child. The employment focus of both workfare and resettlement policies reflects a neoliberal ideal of citizens as workers, unencumbered by partners or dependents. I utilize the concept of affective equality from Kathleen Lynch's Care and Capitalism to consider the institutional disregard of people's relational and moral needs in refugee resettlement programs. Based on research in western New York among Karen and Karenni refugees from Myanmar, this article examines how families contend with resettlement and workfare constraints on their capacity to care. I describe how interlocutors' families manage affective inequalities by constructing and utilizing family networks who nurture a care ethic focused on familial needs like the provision of kin‐based care.

Coherent Vibrations Promote Charge-Transfer across a Graphene-Based Interface.

Discerning the impact of the coherent motion of the nuclei on the timing and efficiency of charge transfer at the donor-acceptor interface is essential for designing performance-enhanced optoelectronic devices. Here, we employ an experimental approach using photocurrent detection in coherent multidimensional spectroscopy to excite a donor aromatic macrocycle and collect the charge transferred to a 2D acceptor layer. For this purpose, we prepared a cobalt phthalocyanine-graphene (CoPc-Gr) interface. Unlike blends, the well-ordered architecture achieved through the physical separation of the two layers allows us to unambiguously collect the electrical signal from graphene alone and associate it with a microscopic understanding of the whole process. The CoPc-Gr interface exhibits an ultrafast electron-transfer signal, stemming from an interlayer mechanism. Remarkably, the signal presents an oscillating time evolution modulated by coherent vibrations originating from the laser-excited CoPc states. By performing Fourier analysis on the beatings and correlating it with the Raman features, along with a comprehensive first-principles characterization of the vibrational coupling in the CoPc excited states, we successfully identify both the orbitals and molecular vibrations that promote the charge transfer at the interface.

Exploring Shared Delusions among Three Sisters in Folie à Trois: A Case Report

In this case report we present the case of three sisters experiencing shared psychotic disorder (SPD), or folie à trois, characterized by the transmission of delusional beliefs within close familial relationships. The primary patient presented aggressive behaviors and paranoid delusions, leading to hospitalization, while the other two siblings displayed similar beliefs but with less severe symptoms. Treatment involved physical separation and pharmacological intervention, resulting in significant improvement, particularly in the induced siblings. The case underscores the importance of a comprehensive approach to managing SPD, combining pharmacotherapy and psychosocial interventions. Further research is needed to improve understanding and optimize treatment strategies for shared delusions. Documenting and sharing such cases can contribute to improved outcomes for patients and their families.

Intergenerational connections: Skipped generation family contact during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractThis study investigates the association between the perceived impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on skipped generation familial connections and subjective well‐being among grandchildren and grandparents across the United States. Guided by Walsh's family resilience model, this convergent mixed methods study drew on the survey responses of unrelated adolescent and young adult grandchildren (n = 66) and grandparents (n = 40). Correlational analyses revealed a significant association between perceived impact of COVID‐19 on one's skipped generation family relationships and subjective well‐being for grandchildren but not grandparents. The qualitative results demonstrate both a breakdown and build‐up of processes essential for family resilience: communication, organization, and belief systems. Together, these findings demonstrate the effects of COVID‐19 on skipped generation family relationships are complex, with ties between family members in younger and older generations being simultaneously strengthened and eroded. This study builds on our understanding of intergenerational familial contact when physical separation is present, allowing for more informed decisions as the effects of COVID‐19 on individuals, family systems, and relationships between family members—as well as geographic separation between generations more broadly—continue to evolve.

Physical separation and reduction of contact duration with sexually hyperactive bucks decrease testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour in bucks in sexual rest

Sexually hyperactive bucks are more efficient than sexually hypoactive bucks in stimulating testosterone secretion and sexual behaviour in other bucks in seasonal sexual rest by the phenomenon that we called the “buck-to-buck effect”. Here, we determined whether physical separation and reduction of the duration of contact with the sexually hyperactive bucks would modify those parameters in sexually hypoactive bucks exposed to the “buck-to-buck effect”. Bucks were subjected to natural day length throughout the study; this was the sexually hypoactive group. Other bucks were subjected to artificial long days (16 h of light per day) from 15 November to 15 January followed by exposure to natural day length to stimulate their sexual activity during the rest season; this was the sexually hyperactive group. In Experiment 1, we determined testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour of six sexually hypoactive bucks separated 1.5 m from six sexually hyperactive bucks for 60 days by a metal open work fence, while a control group of six sexually hypoactive bucks was in permanent contact with six sexually hyperactive bucks. In Experiment 2, the duration of contact with sexually hyperactive males was reduced from 31 days (contact group, six bucks) to 10 days (withdraw group, seven bucks). In experiments 1 and 2, there was an effect of time (P < 0.01) and an interaction between time and groups (P < 0.05). In Experiment 1, testosterone plasma concentrations were greater in bucks in contact with sexually hyperactive bucks than in those separated from bucks at 20 and 30 days after the introduction of sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.01). The bucks from the contact group also displayed more nudging than bucks from the separated group from 0 to 30 days (P < 0.001). In Experiment 2, testosterone concentrations were greater in the contact group than in those from the withdraw group from 19 to 31 days after the introduction of sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.05). Bucks from the withdraw group displayed more nudging than the contact group 7 days after the introduction of the sexually hyperactive bucks (P < 0.05). Afterwards, bucks from the contact group displayed more nudging than the withdraw group 14, 21 and 28 days after the introduction of the sexually hyperactive bucks. We concluded that physical separation and reduction of the duration of contact with the sexually hyperactive bucks decrease testosterone concentrations and sexual behaviour of bucks in sexual rest exposed to the “buck-to-buck effect”.

Adsorption study on the formation of interfacial layers based on birch glucuronoxylans

Glucuronoxylans (GX), particularly crude fractions obtained by pressurized hot water extraction of birch wood, act as potent emulsifiers and stabilizers against physical separation and lipid oxidation. Herein, we studied the adsorption of GX on hydrophobic interfaces to correlate their multicomponent character towards the formation of interfacial layers in emulsions. Dynamic interfacial tension (DIFT) and quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) were applied to various GX fractions and the results compared with those from cellulose-based emulsifiers. The roles of residual lignin and polysaccharides are discussed considering the formation of interfacial layers during emulsification. The DIFT of the different GXs reached quasi-equilibrium faster as the lignin concentration increased, implying a correlation between the rate of adsorption and the residual lignin content. The effect of NaCl addition was more pronounced in polysaccharide-rich fractions, indicating that the polysaccharide fraction modulated the effect of ionic strength. QCM-D showed that despite the fast adsorption exhibited by the lignin-rich GX extract in the DIFT curves, the adsorbed materials were lightweight, suggesting that the polysaccharide fraction built the bulk of the interfacial layer. These results provide a foundation towards understanding the role of GX in interfacial stabilization beyond traditional plant-based counterparts.

Reduced interface effect of proton beam irradiation on the electrical properties of WSe2/hBN field effect transistors

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) semiconductors are emerging as strong contenders for electronic devices that can be used in highly radioactive environments such as outer space where conventional silicon-based devices exhibit nonideal characteristics for such applications. To address the radiation-induced interface effects of TMDC-based electronic devices, we studied high-energy proton beam irradiation effects on the electrical properties of field-effect transistors (FETs) made with tungsten diselenide (WSe2) channels and hexagonal boron-nitride (hBN)/SiO2 gate dielectrics. The electrical characteristics of WSe2 FETs were measured before and after the irradiation at various proton beam doses of 1013, 1014, and 1015 cm−2. In particular, we demonstrated the dependence of proton irradiation-induced effects on hBN layer thickness in WSe2 FETs. We observed that the hBN layer reduces the WSe2/dielectric interface effect which would shift the transfer curve of the FET toward the positive direction of the gate voltage. Also, this interface effect was significantly suppressed when a thicker hBN layer was used. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the physical separation of the WSe2 channel and SiO2 dielectric by the hBN interlayer prevents the interface effects originating from the irradiation-induced positive trapped charges in SiO2 reaching the interface. This work will help improve our understanding of the interface effect of high-energy irradiation on TMDC-based nanoelectronic devices.

Examining a hadronic γ-ray scenario for the radiative shell and molecular clouds of the old GeV supernova remnant G298.6−0.0

Abstract Based on the 13.7 yr Fermi-LAT data, Yeung, Bamba, and Sano (2023, PASJ, 75, 384) claimed detection of two γ-ray sources (namely Src-NE and Src-NW) associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G298.6−0.0, and interpreted it as an old GeV SNR interacting with molecular clouds (MCs). In this follow-up study, we refine the flux measurements below 2 GeV with Fermi-LAT event types of better angular reconstruction. Then, we report our γ-ray spectral fittings and cosmic-ray phenomenology in a hadronic scenario, considering both the shell and MC regions of SNR G298.6−0.0. We confirm that the γ-ray spectra of both Src-NE and Src-NW exhibit spectral breaks, at $1.50_{-0.50}^{+0.60}$ and $0.68_{-0.11}^{+0.32}\:$GeV, respectively. Src-NW has a harder broad-band photon index than Src-NE, suggesting an appreciable difference between the physical separations of their respective emission sites from SNR G298.6−0.0. The cosmic-ray spectrum responsible for Src-NE starts with a minimum energy $E_\mathrm{CR,min}=1.38_{-0.16}^{+0.47}\:$GeV, and has a proton index $\Gamma _\mathrm{CR}=2.57_{-0.21}^{+0.18}$ below the exponential cutoff energy $E_\mathrm{CR,max}=240_{-150}^{+240}\:$GeV. Accordingly, we argue that Src-NE is dominated by the SNR shell, while only a minor portion of lower-energy emission is contributed by the MCs interacting with the SNR. The cosmic-ray population for Src-NW starts at a higher energy such that the ECR, min ratio of Src-NW to Src-NE is ≳2. The high ECR, min, as well as the high cosmic-ray energy density required (∼26 eV cm−3), supports the interpretation that Src-NW is predominantly the γ-ray emission from the farther MCs being bombarded by protons that had earlier escaped from SNR G298.6−0.0. By comparing the high-energy features of G298.6−0.0 with those of analogical SNRs, especially SNR W 28 and SNR W 44, we further constrain the age of SNR G298.6−0.0 to be 10–30 kyr, under the assumption of a purely hadronic scenario.

Mortality from the 1944–1945 famine in Java, Indonesia

AbstractThis article examines the human toll of the 1944–1945 famine in Java, Indonesia's main island. It estimates birth and death rates for the Indonesian population in Java during 1941–1951. Using the net population loss method, the article approximates a net loss of 3.3 million people during the 1942–1945 Japanese occupation period. This includes 1.8 million excess deaths; 0.7 million during 1944 and 1.1 million during 1945. The remainder are 1.4 million missing births in 1944 and 1945, associated with the malnutrition of women of childbearing ages and physical separation of wives from husbands recruited by Japanese authorities for forced labour.

TEMPLATES: Characterization of a Merger in the Dusty Lensing SPT0418–47 System

We present JWST and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) imaging for the lensing system SPT0418−47, which includes a strongly lensed, dusty, star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 4.225 and an associated multiply imaged companion. The JWST NIRCam and MIRI imaging observations presented in this paper were acquired as part of the Early Release Science program Targeting Extremely Magnified Panchromatic Lensed Arcs and Their Extended Star formation (TEMPLATES). This data set provides robust mutiwavelength detections of stellar light in both the main (SPT0418A) and companion (SPT0418B) galaxies, while the ALMA detection of [C ii] emission confirms that SPT0418B lies at the same redshift as SPT0418A. We infer that the projected physical separation of the two galaxies is 4.42 ± 0.05 kpc. We derive total magnifications of μ = 29 ± 1 and μ = 4.1 ± 0.7 for SPT0418A and SPT0418B, respectively. We use both prospector and cigale to derive stellar masses. We find that SPT0418A has a stellar mass of M*=3.4−0.6+1.1×1010M⊙ from prospector or M * = 1.5 ± 0.3 × 1010 M ⊙ from cigale. The stellar mass ratio of SPT0418A and SPT0418B is roughly between 4 and 7 ( 4.2−1.6+1.9 for prospector and 7.5 ± 3.7 for cigale). We see evidence of extended structure associated with SPT0418A that is suggestive of a tidal feature. These features, along with the close projected proximity, imply that the system is interacting. Interestingly, the star formation rates and stellar masses of both galaxies are consistent with the main sequence of star-forming galaxies at this epoch, indicating that this ongoing interaction has not noticeably elevated the star formation levels.

Population dynamics and games of variable size

This work introduces the concept of Variable Size Game Theory (VSGT), in which the number of players in a game is a strategic decision made by the players themselves. We start by discussing the main examples in game theory: dominance, coexistence, and coordination. We show that the same set of pay-offs can result in coordination-like or coexistence-like games depending on the strategic decision of each player type. We also solve an inverse problem to find a d-player game that reproduces the same fixation pattern of the VSGT. In the sequel, we consider a game involving prosocial and antisocial players, i.e., individuals who tend to play with large groups and small groups, respectively. In this game, a certain task should be performed, that will benefit one of the participants at the expense of the other players. We show that individuals able to gather large groups to perform the task may prevail, even if this task is costly, providing a possible scenario for the evolution of eusociality. The next example shows that different strategies regarding game size may lead to spontaneous separation of different types, a possible scenario for speciation without physical separation (sympatric speciation). In the last example, we generalize to three types of populations from the previous analysis and study compartmental epidemic models: in particular, we recast the SIRS model into the VSGT framework: Susceptibles play 2-player games, while Infectious and Removed play a 1-player game. The SIRS epidemic model is then obtained as the replicator equation of the VSGT. We finish with possible applications of VSGT to be addressed in the future.

Efficient oil–water emulsion separation using chitosan hydrogel-coated aluminium electrodes

ABSTRACT The escalating consumption of crude oil, driven by rapid industrialization, poses a significant threat to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Addressing the treatment of oily wastewater is imperative, given the environmental consequences and the loss of oil feedstock. Methods such as centrifugation, gravity separation, and chemical–physical membrane separation have limitations in handling stable emulsions, especially microemulsions present in water. In this study, we present an innovative approach utilizing electricity for the coagulation process. Electrocoagulation is employed, and the resulting oil particles are efficiently removed through low-tech physical methods such as sedimentation and filtration. To enhance efficiency and reusability, we introduce chitosan hydrogel-coated aluminium electrodes in the electrocoagulation process. The research demonstrates remarkable success, achieving a 99% efficiency in separating artificial oil–water emulsions. Optimal separation (95.85%) is achieved at a 10 mm inter-electrode distance, and efficiency increases with higher oil content, longer electrocoagulation time (up to 99.15% at 60 min), and increased voltage (up to 85% at 50 V). The chitosan-coated electrodes offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution by improving reusability and mitigating the need for frequent changes. These findings underscore the significance of electrocoagulation, particularly with chitosan-coated aluminium electrodes, as an efficient and eco-friendly method crucial for addressing oil removal in industrial processes.

Duplicate Gene Expression and Possible Mechanisms of Paralog Retention During Bacterial Genome Expansion.

Gene duplication contributes to the evolution of expression and the origin of new genes, but the relative importance of different patterns of duplicate gene expression and mechanisms of retention remains debated and particularly poorly understood in bacteria. Here, we investigated gene expression patterns for two lab strains of the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina with expanding genomes that contain about 10-fold more gene duplicates compared with most bacteria. Strikingly, we observed a generally stoichiometric pattern of greater combined duplicate transcript dosage with increased gene copy number, in contrast to the prevalence of expression reduction reported for many eukaryotes. We conclude that increased transcript dosage is likely an important mechanism of initial duplicate retention in these bacteria and may persist over long periods of evolutionary time. However, we also observed that paralog expression can diverge rapidly, including possible functional partitioning, for which different copies were respectively more highly expressed in at least one condition. Divergence may be promoted by the physical separation of most Acaryochloris duplicates on different genetic elements. In addition, expression pattern for ancestrally shared duplicates could differ between strains, emphasizing that duplicate expression fate need not be deterministic. We further observed evidence for context-dependent transcript dosage, where the aggregate expression of duplicates was either greater or lower than their single-copy homolog depending on physiological state. Finally, we illustrate how these different expression patterns of duplicated genes impact Acaryochloris biology for the innovation of a novel light-harvesting apparatus and for the regulation of recA paralogs in response to environmental change.