Rapid Injection Research Articles

Portable comprehensive two-dimensional micro-gas chromatography using an integrated flow-restricted pneumatic modulator

Two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography (GC) provides enhanced vapor separation capabilities in contrast to conventional one-dimensional GC and is useful for the analysis of highly complex chemical samples. We developed a microfabricated flow-restricted pneumatic modulator (FRPM) for portable comprehensive 2D micro-GC (μGC), which enables rapid 2D injection and separation without compromising the 1D separation speed and eluent peak profiles. 2D injection characteristics such as injection peak width and peak height were fully characterized by using flow-through micro-photoionization detectors (μPIDs) at the FRPM inlet and outlet. A 2D injection peak width of ~25 ms could be achieved with a 2D/1D flow rate ratio over 10. The FRPM was further integrated with a 0.5-m long 2D μcolumn on the same chip, and its performance was characterized. Finally, we developed an automated portable comprehensive 2D μGC consisting of a 10 m OV-1 1D μcolumn, an integrated FRPM with a built-in 0.5 m polyethylene glycol 2D μcolumn, and two μPIDs. Rapid separation of 40 volatile organic compounds in ~5 min was demonstrated. A hybrid 2D contour plot was constructed by using both 1D and 2D chromatograms obtained with the two μPIDs at the end of the 1D and 2D μcolumns, which was enabled by the presence of the flow resistor in the FRPM.

Reorganization Energies for Interfacial Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer to a Water Oxidation Catalyst.

The reorganization energy (λ) for interfacial electron transfer (ET) and proton-coupled ET (PCET) from a conductive metal oxide (In2O3:Sn, ITO) to a surface-bound water oxidation catalyst was extracted from kinetic data measured as a function of the thermodynamic driving force. Visible light excitation resulted in rapid excited-state injection (kinj > 108 s-1) to the ITO, which photo-initiated the two interfacial reactions of interest. The rate constants for both reactions increased with the driving force, -ΔG°, to a saturating limit, kmax, with rate constants consistently larger for ET than for PCET. Marcus-Gerischer analysis of the kinetic data provided the reorganization energy for interfacial PCET (0.90 ± 0.02 eV) and ET (0.40 ± 0.02 eV), respectively. The magnitude of kmax for PCET was found to decrease with pH, behavior that was absent for ET. Both the decrease in kmax and the larger reorganization energy for an unwanted competing PCET reaction from the ITO to the oxidized catalyst showcases a significant kinetic advantage for driving solar water oxidation at high pH. Computational analysis revealed a larger inner-sphere reorganization energy contribution for PCET than for ET arising from a more significant change in the Ru-O bond length for the PCET reaction. Extending the Marcus-Gerischer theory to PCET by including the excited electron-proton vibronic states and the proton donor-acceptor motion provided an apparent reorganization energy of 1.01 eV. This study demonstrates that the Marcus-Gerischer theory initially developed for ET can be reliably extended to PCET for quantifying and interpreting reorganization energies observed experimentally.

Numerical simulation of fluid-driven fracturing in orthotropic poroelastic media based on a peridynamics-finite element coupling approach

In the present manuscript a peridynamics-finite element coupling approach proposed by Sun and Fish (2021) is generalized to simulate fluid-driven fracturing in orthotropic poroelastic media. For this purpose, an orthotropic non-ordinary state-based peridynamics (NOSBPD) model with a bond micromodulus and a critical energy density continuously varying with the bond orientation is proposed. The governing equations of the coupled system involving an orthotropic NOSBPD model aimed at capturing the solid fracture and finite element model (FEM) aimed at modeling fluid flow with an anisotropic permeability tensor is derived. Both the m -convergence and δ -convergence studies are performed to determine appropriate discretization parameters for the proposed orthotropic NOSBPD model. The fracture propagation in the compact tension test with different material orientations is simulated for model verification. The effects of the elasticity and permeability anisotropy, injection rates as well as the existences of multiple fractures and natural fractures have been found to have a significant effect on the fluid-driven fracture propagation in orthotropic poroelastic media. The fracture seems to deviate from the initial notch direction under different material angles, and this trend becomes more prominent with reduction of the elastic modulus and the fracture release rate perpendicular to the bending plane. The permeability anisotropy affects the fluid pattern and the fracture propagation length. The rapid injection rate gives rise to a wider damage zone and a more diffuse pore pressure field .

Rapid in-situ phosphorus injection synthesis of large quantity InP polycrystalline

In this paper, a large quantity rapid in-suit phosphorus injection synthesis technology of InP polycrystalline is presented. 20 Kg high-purity InP melt has been synthesized in 170 min, which is the fastest and largest synthesis of InP polycrystalline reported so far. Melt temperature and phosphorus injection rate are two key parameters affecting the synthesis result. Synthesis experiments were carried out under various melt temperatures, the optimal synthesis temperatures of two synthesis processes were determined. The phosphorus injection rate was controlled by adjusting the injector heating power. The injector heating power curves were optimized through experiments. The synthesized InP polycrystalline were characterized by Hall effect measurement and glow discharge mass spectrometer. The results show that the carrier concentration and mobility of synthesized 20 Kg stoichiometric InP polycrystalline were <2.0E15 cm−3 and> 4600 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. The results also show that high melt temperature, increase of synthesis time and deviation from stoichiometry will increase the concentration of impurities and reduce the purity of synthesized polycrystalline. It was found that synthesis rate increases with synthesis quantity. With the increase of synthesis quantity, the carrier mobility of polycrystalline increases, the carrier concentration decreases, and the polycrystalline quality can be improved.

Rapidly Enhanced Spin-Polarization Injection in an Optically Pumped Spin Ratchet

Rapid injection of spin polarization into an ensemble of nuclear spins is a problem of broad interest, spanning dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) to quantum information science. We report on a strategy to boost the spin-injection rate by exploiting electrons that can be rapidly polarized via high-power optical pumping. We demonstrate this in a model system of nitrogen-vacancy center electrons injecting polarization into a bath of ${}^{13}\mathrm{C}$ nuclei in diamond. We deliver $&gt;20$ W of continuous, nearly isotropic, optical power to the sample, constituting a substantially higher power than in previous experiments. Through a spin-ratchet polarization transfer mechanism, we show boosts in spin-injection rates by over 2 orders of magnitude. Our experiments elucidate bottlenecks in the DNP process caused by rates of electron polarization, polarization transfer to proximal nuclei, and spin diffusion. This work demonstrates opportunities for rapid spin injection employing nonthermally generated electron polarization, and has relevance to a broad class of experimental systems, including in DNP, quantum sensing, and spin-based MASERs (microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).

Breathless through Time: Oxygen and Animals across Earth's History.

AbstractOxygen levels in the atmosphere and ocean have changed dramatically over Earth history, with major impacts on marine life. Because the early part of Earth's history lacked both atmospheric oxygen and animals, a persistent co-evolutionary narrative has developed linking oxygen change with changes in animal diversity. Although it was long believed that oxygen rose to essentially modern levels around the Cambrian period, a more muted increase is now believed likely. Thus, if oxygen increase facilitated the Cambrian explosion, it did so by crossing critical ecological thresholds at low O2. Atmospheric oxygen likely remained at low or moderate levels through the early Paleozoic era, and this likely contributed to high metazoan extinction rates until oxygen finally rose to modern levels in the later Paleozoic. After this point, ocean deoxygenation (and marine mass extinctions) is increasingly linked to large igneous province eruptions-massive volcanic carbon inputs to the Earth system that caused global warming, ocean acidification, and oxygen loss. Although the timescales of these ancient events limit their utility as exact analogs for modern anthropogenic global change, the clear message from the geologic record is that large and rapid CO2 injections into the Earth system consistently cause the same deadly trio of stressors that are observed today. The next frontier in understanding the impact of oxygen changes (or, more broadly, temperature-dependent hypoxia) in deep time requires approaches from ecophysiology that will help conservation biologists better calibrate the response of the biosphere at large taxonomic, spatial, and temporal scales.

Recrystallization of Adenosine for Localized Drug Delivery.

Adenosine (ADO) is an endogenous metabolite with immense potential to be repurposed as an immunomodulatory therapeutic, as preclinical studies have demonstrated in models of epilepsy, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and traumatic brain injury, among others. The currently licensed products Adenocard and Adenoscan are formulated at 3 mg/mL of ADO for rapid bolus intravenous injection, but the systemic administration of the saline formulations for anti-inflammatory purposes is limited by the nucleoside's profound hemodynamic effects. Moreover, concentrations that can be attained in the airway or the brain through direct instillation or injection are limited by the volumes that can be accommodated in the anatomical space (<5 mL in humans) and the rapid elimination by enzymatic and transport mechanisms in the interstitium (half-life <5 s). As such, highly concentrated formulations of ADO are needed to attain pharmacologically relevant concentrations at sites of tissue injury. Herein, we report a previously uncharacterized crystalline form of ADO (rcADO) in which 6.7 mg/mL of the nucleoside is suspended in water. Importantly, the crystallinity is not diminished in a protein-rich environment, as evidenced by resuspending the crystals in albumin (15% w/v). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of crystalline ADO generated using a facile and organic solvent-free method aimed at localized drug delivery. The crystalline suspension may be suitable for developing ADO into injectable formulations for attaining high concentrations of the endogenous nucleoside in inflammatory locales.

A highly dynamic small-scale jet in a polar coronal hole

We present an observational study of the plasma dynamics at the base of a solar coronal jet, using high resolution extreme ultraviolet imaging data taken by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on board Solar Orbiter, and by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board Solar Dynamics Observatory. We observed multiple plasma ejection events over a period of ∼1 h from a dome-like base that is ca. 4 Mm wide and is embedded in a polar coronal hole. Within the dome below the jet spire, multiple plasma blobs with sizes around 1−2 Mm propagate upwards to the dome apex with speeds of the order of the sound speed (ca. 120 km s−1). Upon reaching the apex, some of these blobs initiate flows with similar speeds towards the other footpoint of the dome. At the same time, high speed super-sonic outflows (∼230 km s−1) are detected along the jet spire. These outflows as well as the intensity near the dome apex appear to be repetitive. Furthermore, during its evolution, the jet undergoes many complex morphological changes, including transitions between the standard and blowout type eruption. These new observational results highlight the underlying complexity of the reconnection process that powers these jets and they also provide insights into the plasma response when subjected to rapid energy injection.

Research on injection flow velocity planning method for embolic agent injection system

Interventional embolization therapy is widely used for procedures such as targeted tumour therapy, anti-organ hyperactivity and haemostasis. During embolic agent injection, doctors need to work under X-ray irradiation environment. Moreover, embolic agent injection is largely dependent on doctors' experience and feelings, and over-injection of embolic agent can lead to reflux, causing ectopic embolism and serious complications. As an effective way to reduce radiation exposure and improve the success rate of interventional embolization therapy, embolic agent injection robot is highly anticipated, but how to decide the injection flow velocity of embolic agent is a problem that remains to be solved. On the basis of fluid dynamics simulation and experiment, we established an arterial pressure-injection flow velocity boundary curve model that can avoid reflux, which provides a design basis for the control of embolic agent injection system. An in vitro experimental platform for injection system was built and validation experiments were conducted. The results showed that the embolic agent injection flow speed curve designed under the guidance of the critical flow speed curve model of reflux could effectively avoid the embolic agent reflux and shorten the embolic agent injection time. Exceeding the flow speed limit of the model would lead to the risk of embolization of normal blood vessels. This paper confirms the validity of designing the embolic agent injection flow speed based on the critical flow speed curve model of reflux, which can achieve rapid injection of embolic agent while avoiding reflux, and provide a basis for the design of the embolic agent injection robot.

Manufacture of tablets with structurally-controlled drug release using rapid tooling injection moulding

With advancements in the pharmaceutical industry pushing more towards tailored medicines, novel approaches to tablet manufacture are in high demand. One of the main drivers towards micro-scale batch production is the ability to fine-tune drug release. This study demonstrates the use of rapid tooling injection moulding (RTIM) for tablet manufacture. Tablets were manufactured with varying structural features to alter the surface area whilst maintaining the same volume, resulting in differing specific surface area (SSA). The precision of this technique is evaluated based on eleven polymer formulations, with the tablets displaying <2% variability in mass. Further tablets were produced containing paracetamol in three different polymer-based formulations to investigate the impact of SSA on the drug release. Significant differences were observed between the formulations based on the polymers polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Klucel ELF. The polymer base of the formulation was found to be critical to the sensitivity of the drug release profile to SSA modification. The drug release profile within each formulation was modified by the addition of structural features to increase the SSA.

Influence of stress redistribution and fracture orientation on fracture permeability under consideration of surrounding rock in underground gas storage

UGS (underground gas storage) is of great significance for ensuring emergent supply and CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage). However, very different from gas reservoir development, some stress changes in reservoir, caprock, and bottom support rock may affect its operation. Sichuan Basin is rich in natural-gas resources and geological targets for the UGS rebuilt from fractured carbonate reservoirs. Moreover, gas storage is featured by rapid injection and production, and the change of in-situ stress affects intensively the permeability of reservoir fracture. However, most existing models on the fracture permeability assume that the surrounding-rock stress is constant. So, a new model has been established for the fracture permeability based on the Eshelby theory, considering the effect of both direct caprock and bottom support rock (also called surrounding rock) and the stress redistribution mechanism of the entire geological body during UGS injection and production. Results show that for the fracture, the permeability is related to not only its compressibility and orientation, but also reservoir shape and elastic property of the entire geological body including reservoir and surrounding rock. In most disk-shaped or elliptical reservoirs, vertical fracture is less susceptible to pore pressure than horizontal one. The surrounding-rock elastic property is also an important factor in the fracture-permeability model. Hard surrounding rock can reduce the stress sensitivity in fracture. When the elastic modulus ratio (elastic modulus of reservoir vs. that of surrounding rock) is 0.1, the fracture permeability decreases by only 15%. This model is also applicable to multiple fractures. Using the superposition principle, it is found that the main direction of permeability and the degree of permeability anisotropy may change when there are multiple fractures in the reservoir in spite of the same fracture compressibility.

Distribution Characteristics of Micro Remaining Oil of Class III Reservoirs after Fracture Flooding in Daqing Oilfield

The class III reservoir in the Daqing Oilfield has poor sand body development, poor reservoir physical properties, and poor effects of measures. Its water drive recovery degree is low and the remaining reserves are large. It is the key target oil layer of the Daqing Oilfield. Due to the sedimentary characteristics and reservoir physical properties of class III reservoirs, conventional EOR technology (chemical flooding) and conventional stimulation and injection measures (fracturing) have poor potential tapping effects on class III reservoirs. According to the special reservoir conditions and development characteristics of the class III reservoir in the Daqing Oilfield, fracture-flooding technology is innovatively proposed, which greatly improves the recovery of remaining oil in class III reservoirs. The rapid injection of hydraulic surface activators into the formation and displacement of the remaining oil in class III reservoirs through rock core flooding experiments were simulated in this paper. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), confocal scanning laser, and computed tomography (CT)-scanning technologies were applied to study the remaining oil distribution after fracture flooding. The results show that: (1) After fracture flooding, the peak value of the T2 spectrum curve of NMR shifts to the left and the degree of middle and small pore space production increases obviously. (2) Confocal scanning laser study shows that the remaining oil in thin membranous and clustered forms on pore surfaces is highly utilized. (3) CT scan study shows that the remaining oil in membranous and clustered forms is effectively utilized after fracture flooding. In summary, fracture-flooding technology can improve the washing efficiency and sweep volume of class III reservoirs, thus enhancing the recovery efficiency of class III reservoirs.

Rapid Intravenous Injection of Fentanyl (FNT) Causes a Vagal‐Mediated Lethal Sudden Ventilatory Arrest in Anesthetized Rats

Opioids have been used for analgesia and anesthesia mainly via activation of central opioid mu‐receptors (MORs). It also causes overdose deaths due to ventilatory failure, in which FNT is the deadest. Rapid intravenous (IV) injection of overdose FNT triggers a sudden death within a few minutes or even seconds, but the relevant mechanism remains unclear. Because bolus IV injection of FNT at a low dose produced a vagal‐mediated brief apnea (Zhuang et al, AJP 2012), This study was aimed to characterize the cardiorespiratory disorders responsible for the sudden death and determine the vagal role in generating the lethal ventilatory arrest. EMGs of external and internal intercostal (EMGEI and EMGII), thyroarytenoid and superior pharyngeal constrictor muscles (EMGTA and EMGSPC) were simultaneously recorded before and after IV injection of FNT in the anesthetized vagal intact and vagotomized rats. The optical fiber scope of an oral video camera was applied to visualize the vocal and pharyngeal responses. Immunohistochemical approach was used to define the presence of MOR expression in the pulmonary vagal sensory neurons retrogradely labeled by DiI. FNT induced an apnea or a lethal ventilatory arrest in a dose‐dependent manner associated with hypotension and bradycardia. The apnea/ventilatory arrest was characterized by silence of EMGEI with tonic discharges of EMGII, EMGTA, and EMGSPC, i.e., the central apnea (expiratory) coupled with vocal closure and pharyngeal constriction/collapse and chest wall rigidity (triple‐apnea). Vagotomy abolished the evoked cardiorespiratory responses. MOR expression in vagal pulmonary neurons, especially C‐neurons of the nodose and jugular ganglia. Our results suggest that rapid IV injection of FNT at a high dose uniquely causes a vagal‐mediated triple‐apnea, leading to the sudden death in anesthetized rats.

The superior laryngeal nerve is involved in a brief apneic response to intralaryngeal, but not in the lethal ventilatory arrest to intravenous, administration of fentanyl (FNT) in rats

Rapid intravenous (IV) injection of FNT induces a sudden ventilatory arrest within a few minutes or even seconds, which is the major cause of overdose FNT‐induced death. Our previous studies have shown that right atrial or IV bolus injection of FNT in anesthetized rats produced a vagal‐mediated apnea or a lethal ventilatory arrest in a dose‐dependent manner (Zhuang et al, AJP 2012 and EB Meeting 2022). The superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) containing the laryngeal sensory afferents also travels in the vagus nerve and is capable of triggering the apneic response associated with hypertension and bradycardia upon activation. Here, we asked whether local administration of FNT into the larynx affected cardiorespiratory activities via acting on the SLN and to what extent the sudden ventilatory arrest induced by IV injection of FNT depended on the SLN integrity. FNT at 15 µg was either sprayed (5‐10 µl) into the larynx or bolus IV‐injected (50 µl) in the anesthetized rats with and without bilateral SLN transection. We found that FNT sprayed into the larynx induced an immediate brief apnea (~3.5‐fold of baseline TE) and laryngeal constriction (but not closure) associated with hypertension and bradycardia. The cardiorespiratory response disappeared after transection of SLN. Interestingly, the same dose of FNT given by IV injection induced a ventilatory arrest (apneic duration &gt;8‐fold longer than that produced by the local administration) associated with laryngeal closure, hypotension and bradycardia. These responses to IV injection of FNT were not significantly affected by SLN transection. Our data suggest that the SLN is responsible for the brief apneic response to laryngeal application of FNT, but not for the lethal ventilatory arrest induced by rapid IV injection of FNT.

Enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography of aryl-substituted oxazolines as an efficient tool for determination of chiral purity of serine medicinal components.

A new approach for the evaluation of chiral purity of serine esterification products bearing long-chain alkyl substituents was developed. The compounds were simply converted to aryl-substituted oxazolines which: (i) facilitates effective chromatographic enantioseparation and (ii) enables direct detection using ultraviolet absorption. The method employs a polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phase and allows enantioseparation of highly stable oxazoline products in less than 6 min using a simple binary mobile phase. As opposed to the previously used normal phase method the developed method was performed in the reversed-phase mode. Aside from the benefits of switching to less hazardous solvents with regard to the principles of Green Chemistry, this has also led to a reduction in the analysis time. In comparison with known serine chromophores, the best enantioseparation of aryloxazoline rigid structure may be achieved only based on non-polar interactions with the chiral stationary phase. In contrast, the substitution of the chromophore moiety with hydroxyl substituent affected intra and intermolecular interactions that caused enantioseparation differences. Concurrently, we found high chirality retention of (R)- and (S)-configuration oxazoline standards (≥99% enantiomeric excess) during the introduction of the ultraviolet label. The method is suitable for rapid injection of the mixture containing the ultraviolet absorption marker without prior purification.

InP-Quantum Dot Surface-Modified TiO2 Catalysts for Sustainable Photochemical Carbon Dioxide Reduction

In this study, an InP-cored quantum dot (InP-QD) material was prepared and physically immobilized on TiO2 particles functionalized with an archetypical reduction catalyst, (4,4-Y2-bpy)ReI(CO)3Cl (ReP, Y = CH2PO(OH)2), to form a new type of InP quantum dot-sensitized hybrid photocatalyst (InP-QD/TiO2/ReP) and evaluated as a lower-energy photosensitizer in this hybrid system. It was found that the TiO2 heterogenization of the InP-QD material promotes the photoexcited electron transfer process from the photoexcited InP-QD* to the inorganic TiO2 solid with rapid electron injection (by ∼25 ps) through oxidative quenching, resulting in efficient charge separation at the InP-QD/TiO2 interface. With such an effective photosensitization, the stabilization of the structurally vulnerable InP-cored QDs by TiO2 heterogenization resulted in highly efficient and durable photochemical CO2-to-CO conversion of the InP-QD/TiO2/ReP hybrid in a 10 times-repeated photolysis, giving a turnover number of ∼51,000 over a 420 h period without any damage to the InP-QD photosensitizer. The stability of TiO2-bound InP-QDs was confirmed by the comparative analysis of their photophysical and chemical structures before and after long-term photoreaction. This catalytic performance is the highest reported for QD-sensitized photocatalytic CO2 conversion systems using sacrificial organic electron donors. This study provides useful design guidelines for photocatalysts using QD materials as photosensitizing components.

Ultralow-Voltage-Drivable Artificial Muscles Based on a 3D Structure MXene-PEDOT:PSS/AgNWs Electrode.

The main challenge in manufacturing an ionic actuator of large bending displacement and great response sensitivity is to design a flexible electrode with great electrochemical characteristics and conductivity. This research reports the MXene-PEDOT:PSS/AgNWs (MPA) electrode with a three-dimensional (3D) network structure formed by a hybrid method of the one-dimensional (1D) silver nanowires (AgNWs) and the two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene. Here, a soft actuator based on the ionic cross-linked hybrid electrode was designed. The results show that the MPA electrode-based soft actuator achieves a large bending strain (0.48%, ±0.5 V sine voltage), wide frequency (0.1-10 Hz), 5 h durability (91.9% retention), fast response time (≈5 s), great power density (7.53 kW m-3), and great energy density (18.83 kJ m-3). These excellent performances contribute to the 3D structure of electrodes formed by MXene and AgNWs creating an unhindered ion channel, which facilitates short diffusion and rapid injection of ions and provides higher capacitance and mechanical integrity. This 3D network layered structure hybrid electrode provides an opportunity for the development of ultralow-voltage-drivable artificial muscles.

Hydrodynamic response of artificial lagoons considering tide, wind and tracer — Case study El Gouna, Egypt

Artificial coastal lagoons represent attractive multi-purpose water systems, which offer a great opportunity for tourism and industrial services. El Gouna city, located in Egypt has a system of artificial lagoons connected to the Red Sea and offers a great opportunity for tourism activities. Investigating the hydrodynamics of El Gouna lagoons is an urgent action to mitigate the negative anthropogenic impacts on this attractive environment, ensuring its sustainability. A 2D numerical model using TELEMAC-2D was set up to study the hydrodynamics and tracer transport processes under different weather conditions considering tide, mean wind and maximum wind. Furthermore, the emission of tracer from a nearby desalination plant was simulated to estimate the tracer propagation in the computational domain. Also, the effect of different tracer quantities or different injection times and tracer residence time were computed. This paper presents one of the very few systematic hydrodynamic studies on artificial lagoons. The results showed that the water depths were controlled by tide fluctuations. Besides, the maximum wind increased the flow velocities and the tracer outflow, while the mean wind had minor effects on the water velocities and tracer outflow. The weather conditions affected the tracer propagation direction and its outflowing rate. Moreover, the mean wind with tide case decreased the residence time, when compared to the tidal case. The simulations for the operation of the desalination plant suggested that rapid injection of the tracer may enhance a quicker removal of pollution from the lagoons. The paper’s outcomes are the basis for future studies on the lagoon’s water quality modeling and can support decision-making in the city of El Gouna, concerning water resources management.

Interfacing Liquid State Hyperpolarization Methods with NMR Instrumentation

Advances in liquid state hyperpolarization methods have enabled new applications of high-resolution NMR spectroscopy. Utilizing strong signal enhancements from hyperpolarization allows performing NMR spectroscopy at low concentration, or with high time resolution. Making use of the high, but rapidly decaying hyperpolarization in the liquid state requires new techniques to interface hyperpolarization equipment with liquid state NMR spectrometers. This article highlights rapid injection, high resolution NMR spectroscopy with hyperpolarization produced by the techniques of dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (D-DNP) and para-hydrogen induced polarization (PHIP). These are popular, albeit not the only methods to produce high polarization levels for liquid samples. Gas and liquid driven sample injection techniques are compatible with both of these hyperpolarization methods. The rapid sample injection techniques are combined with adapted NMR experiments working in a single, or small number of scans. They expand the application of liquid state hyperpolarization to spins with comparably short relaxation times, provide enhanced control over sample conditions, and allow for mixing experiments to study reactions in real time.

Machine learning identifies ecological selectivity patterns across the end-Permian mass extinction

AbstractThe end-Permian mass extinction occurred alongside a large swath of environmental changes that are often invoked as extinction mechanisms, even when a direct link is lacking. One way to elucidate the cause(s) of a mass extinction is to investigate extinction selectivity, as it can reveal critical information on organismic traits as key determinants of extinction and survival. Here we show that machine learning algorithms, specifically gradient boosted decision trees, can be used to identify determinants of extinction as well as to predict extinction risk. To understand which factors led to the end-Permian mass extinction during an extreme global warming event, we quantified the ecological selectivity of marine extinctions in the well-studied South China region. We find that extinction selectivity varies between different groups of organisms and that a synergy of multiple environmental stressors best explains the overall end-Permian extinction selectivity pattern. Extinction risk was greater for genera that had a low species richness, narrow bathymetric ranges limited to deep-water habitats, a stationary mode of life, a siliceous skeleton, or, less critically, calcitic skeletons. These selective losses directly link the extinctions to the environmental effects of rapid injections of carbon dioxide into the ocean–atmosphere system, specifically the combined effects of expanded oxygen minimum zones, rapid warming, and potentially ocean acidification.