Slow Rate Research Articles

High-yield atmospheric water capture via bioinspired material segregation.

Transforming atmospheric water vapor into liquid form can be a way to supply water to arid regions for uses such as drinking water, thermal management, and hydrogen generation. Many current methods rely on solid sorbents that cycle between capture and release at slow rates. We envision a radically different approach where water is transformed and directly captured into a liquid salt solution that is suitable for subsequent distillation or other processing using existing methods. In contrast to other methods utilizing hydrogels as sorbents, we do not store water within hydrogels-we use them as a transport medium. Inspired by nature, we capture atmospheric water through a hydrogel membrane "skin" at an extraordinarily high rate of 5.50 kgm[Formula: see text]d[Formula: see text] at a low humidity of 35%. and up to 16.9 kgm[Formula: see text]d[Formula: see text] at higher humidities. For a drinking-water application, calculated performance of a hypothetical one-square-meter device shows that water could be supplied to two to three people in arid environments. This work is a significant step toward providing new resources and possibilities to water-scarce regions.

Microneedles as an Emerging Platform for Transdermal Delivery of Phytochemicals.

Phytochemicals, which are predominantly found in plants, hold substantial medicinal value. Despite their potential, challenges such as poor oral bioavailability and instability in the gastrointestinal tract have limited their therapeutic use. Traditional intra/transdermal drug delivery systems offer some advantages over oral administration but still suffer from issues such as limited penetration depth, slow drug release rates, and inconsistent drug absorption. In contrast, microneedles (MNs) represent a significant advancement in intra/transdermal drug delivery by providing precise control over phytochemical delivery and enhanced penetration capabilities. By circumventing skin barriers, MNs directly access dermal layers rich in blood vessels and lymphatics, thus facilitating efficient phytochemical delivery. This review extensively discusses the obstacles of traditional oral delivery and the benefits of intra/transdermal delivery routes with a particular focus on the transformative potential of MNs for phytochemical delivery. This review explores the complexities of delivering phytochemicals through intra/transdermal routes, the development and types of MNs as innovative delivery tools, and the optimal design and properties of MNs for effective phytochemical delivery. Additionally, this review examines the versatile applications of MN-mediated phytochemical delivery, including its role in administering phytophotosensitizers for photodynamic therapy, and concludes with insights into relevant patents and future perspectives.

Simulation of the growth and yield of the species Gmelina arborea Roxb

Forests are being threatened worldwide mainly due to the increase in demand for wood and that more than 50% is extracted from them. This is largely because forest plantations grow at a slow rate and supply the market. Given that, one of the fundamental goals of forestry research is the construction of growth and yield models to be used as a planning tool. In this way, the proposal of this work is to show how through the modeling and simulation of the growth of a forest stand, the uncertainty of investors is reduced because it allows to quantify the production of wood that will be obtained. The study was based on data obtained from inventories conducted between 2012 and 2015 in 31 permanent plots of Gmelina arborea Roxb., located in three municipalities of Tolima: Armero, Coello, and Guamo. Based on the inventory data, three regression models were implemented. These results will be particularly useful for silvicultural management planning since the implemented methodology can be applied in other regions of the world and with other varieties of forest species. As an additional stimulus for investors, in the simulation it is possible to quantify carbon capture in a technical way to be offered in the carbon bond market.

Enhanced GRU-based regression analysis via a diverse strategies whale optimization algorithm

Taking into account the whale optimization algorithm’s tendency to get trapped in local optima easily and its slow convergence rate, this paper proposes a diverse strategies whale optimization algorithm (DSWOA) and uses it to optimize the parameters of GRU, thereby achieving better regression prediction effects. First, an innovative t-distribution perturbation is used to perturb the optimal whale to expand the optimization space of the optimal whale. Secondly, in the random search stage, we perform a Cauchy walk on the whale’s position and then use reverse learning to enable the algorithm to effectively navigate away from the local optimum. Finally, we adopt a horizontal learning strategy for all whales and use two random whales to determine the current whale’s position. Updated, the results suggest that DSWOA is highly effective in global optimization. By utilizing DSWOA, the parameters of GRU were fine-tuned. The experimental findings reveal that GRU produces promising outcomes on multiple datasets, making it a more effective tool for regression prediction tasks.

Differential effects of myosin activators on myocardial contractile function in non-failing and failing human hearts.

The second-generation myosin activator danicamtiv (DN) has shown improved function compared to the first generation myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) in non-failing myocardium by enhancing cardiac force generation but attenuating slowed relaxation. However, whether the functional improvement with DN compared to OM persists in remodeled failing myocardium remain unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the differential contractile response to myosin activators in non-failing and failing myocardium. Mechanical measurements were performed in detergent-skinned myocardium isolated from donor and failing human hearts. Steady-state force, stretch activation responses, and loaded shortening velocity were analyzed at submaximal [Ca2+] in the absence or presence of 0.5 µmol/L OM or 2 µmol/L DN. The effects of DN and OM on Ca2+-sensitivity of force generation were determined by incubating myocardial preparations at various [Ca2+]. The inherent impairment in force generation and cross-bridge behavior sensitized failing myocardium to the effects of myosin activators. Specifically, increased Ca2+-sensitivity of force generation, slowed rates of cross-bridge recruitment and detachment following acute stretch, slowed loaded shortening velocity, and diminished power output were more prominent following treatment with OM or DN in failing myocardium compared to donor myocardium. Although these effects were less pronounced with DN compared to OM in failing myocardium, DN impaired contractile properties in failing myocardium that were not affected in donor myocardium. Our results indicate that similar to first-generation myosin activators, the DN-induced slowing of cross-bridge kinetics may result in a prolongation of systolic ejection and delayed diastolic relaxation in the heart failure setting.

Underpowered Studies in Muscle Metabolism Research: Determinants and Considerations

Biomedical research frequently employs null hypothesis testing to determine whether an observed difference in a sample is likely to exist in the broader population. Null hypothesis testing generally assumes that differences between groups or interventions are non-existent, unless proven otherwise. Because biomedical studies with human subjects are often limited by financial and logistical resources, they tend to have low statistical power, i.e. a low probability of statistically confirming a true difference. As a result, small but potentially clinically important differences may be overseen or ignored simply due to the absence of a statistically significant difference. This absence is often misinterpreted as ‘equivalence’ of treatments. In this educational paper, we will use practical examples related to the effects of exercise and nutrition on muscle protein metabolism to illustrate the most important determinants of statistical power, as well as their implications for both investigators and readers of scientific articles.Changes in muscle mass occur at a relatively slow rate, making it practically challenging to detect differences between treatment groups in a long-term setting. One way to make it ‘easier’ to differentiate between groups and hence increase statistical power is to have a sufficiently long study duration to allow treatment effects to become apparent. This is especially relevant when comparing treatments with relatively small expected differences such as the effect of modest changes in daily protein intake. Secondly, one could try to minimize the variance and response heterogeneity within groups, for example by using strict inclusion criteria and standardization protocols (e.g., meal provision), by using cross-over designs, or even within-subject designs where two interventions are compared simultaneously (e.g., studying an exercised limb vs a contralateral control limb) although this might limit the generalizability of the findings (e.g. such single-limb exercise training is not common in practice). In terms of data interpretation, investigators should obviously refrain from drawing strong conclusions from underpowered studies. Yet, such studies still provide valuable data for meta-analyses. Finally, because muscle protein synthesis rates are highly responsive to anabolic stimuli, acute metabolic studies are more sensitive to detect potentially clinically relevant differences in the anabolic response between treatments. Apart from further elaborating on these topics, this educational article encourages readers to more critically question null findings and scientists to more clearly discuss limitations that may have compromised statistical power.

Biochar influences phytoremediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils: an overview and perspectives.

Heavy metals (HMs) contamination has gained much attention due to its high degree of toxicity for living organisms. Therefore, different techniques are underway to eradicate HMs from the environment. Among the biological techniques, phytoremediation is a suitable method, but owing to the slow rate and chance of HMs penetration into the food chain, alternative techniques are needed to reduce their phytotoxicity, and biochar is one of them. Due to the diverse characteristics, biochar immobilizes HMs in the soil by improving soil pH, ion exchange, electrostatic interactions, complexation, precipitation, surface adsorption, and microbial activation. Thereby, amendment of biochar in the HMs-contaminated soils reduces HMs toxicity to plants and limits their penetration into the food chain. In contrast, some biochars have also been studied to induce metal availability in soils and subsequently its uptake by plants. This dual role of biochar depends on the feedstock of biochar, incineration temperature, and the rate of application. Moreover, biochar treatments enhance plant growth under HMs stress by improving nutrient availability, water retention capacity, scavenging of reactive oxygen species, and photosynthetic efficiency. Owing to the beneficial characteristics of biochar in HMs-contaminated sites, the number of publications has tremendously increased. Additionally, the plant species and the types of HMs that have been tested frequently under biochar treatments in these articles have been studied. Overall, the current study would help in understanding the mechanisms of how biochar influences phytoremediation of HMs and improves plant growth in HMs-polluted soils and the current scenario of the available literature.

Challenges and Strategies in the Industrial Application of Dendrobium officinale

Dendrobium officinale Kimura & Migo (D. officinale) is a well-recognized traditional Chinese medicinal herb that is both medicinal and edible. Contemporary pharmacological studies have revealed that D. officinale contains abundant bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids, and dendrobine, exhibiting diverse pharmacological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. However, the industrial application of D. officinale faces many problems, such as the scarcity of wild resources, low natural reproduction rate, and slow growth rate as well as the lack of relevant industrial standards. Nevertheless, substantial advancements, including the exploitation of artificial propagation techniques and breeding of new varieties, have been achieved in recent years. These developments have effectively addressed the challenges associated with its low natural reproduction rate and the scarcity of wild resources. This review summarizes the progress in the industrial development, seedling cultivation, and pharmacological exploration of D. officinale in recent years. Furthermore, it analyzes current research inadequacies and offers strategic solutions to enhance its application in healthcare and medicine.

Revealing grain refinement and hydrogen trapping mechanism for anti-hydrogen susceptibility of Nb-alloyed 34MnB5 press hardened steel

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) extant a substantial concern to press-hardened steel (PHS) owing to superior strength. The high strength to light-weight automobile structures necessitates the advancement of superior HE resistance PHS. This study investigated the HE susceptibility of Nb-microalloyed PHS by slow strain rate tensile testing, u-shaped constant bending load test, and thermal desorption spectroscopy. Nb enhances microstructure and HE resistance by introducing retained austenite, refining prior austenite grains (21.14–13.73 μm), forming low-angle grain boundaries, and nano-scale precipitates. Nb-alloyed steel exhibits no-cracking over 300 h under high pre-bending stress and decreases elongation loss up to 48% in hydrogen environment as compared to Nb-free steel. Diffusible H-content in 0.12 wt% Nb-steel reduces to 14.9% of that in Nb-free steel owing to enhanced hydrogen traps, the Fcc/Bcc matrix, and carbide precipitation. The multi-phase microstructure with nano-scale NbC precipitation impeded the localized H-dispersion, enhancing the HE resistance in PHS despite its high strength.

Beef tallow/high oleic sunflower oil shortenings produced by chemical interesterification optimized by response surface methodology (RSM): Effect of processing conditions on physical properties

AbstractResponse surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain two shortenings (IEA and IEB) by chemical interesterification (CI) of beef tallow (BT) and high oleic sunflower oil (HOSFO) with melting points of 35.5°C and 38.5°C, higher OOO and SOO contents, and lower PPP, SOS, POS, and POP percentages than BT. The maximum percentage of HOSFO in the formulations and the optimum time, temperature, and catalyst concentrations to achieve the desired physicochemical properties for the shortenings were determined from the model. The shortenings were characterized, and the effects of processing and storage conditions were explored. HPLC/MS analysis showed that the mono and di‐unsaturated triacylglycerols (TAGs) had unsaturated fatty acids at the sn‐2 position. The changes in chemical composition due to the interesterification process were mostly differences in percentages more than in the type of TAGs present. IEA and IEB showed profiles of solid fat content versus temperature and G' values similar to those reported for soft and firm margarine, respectively. Under static cooling conditions, for BT, BA, BB, and IEB, the α‐form was the main polymorph, whereas the β′‐tendency increased with increasing temperature and slow cooling rate. IEA crystallized in the β′‐form between 20 and 32°C. Under dynamic cooling conditions, nucleation was impeded at fast cooling rate and promoted at slow rate as evidenced by induction times of crystallization. Interesterification decreased the MP, increased the β′ tendency that lasted at least 8 months at 25°C, and improved the nutritional value of shortening making them suitable as trans‐fat alternatives.

Dopamine‐modified Highly Dispersed ZIF‐8 to Promote CO2 Absorption

AbstractCO2 capture technology has been widely used to reduce CO2 emissions, resulting in a variety of capture methods and materials. Among them, the more widely used is the chemical absorption method. However, the chemical absorption method has problems such as high energy consumption and slow absorption rate. In order to solve the above problems, we prepared an effective catalyst to improve the CO2 absorption rate. ZIF‐8 and hydrophilic ZIF‐8‐DA were prepared by in situ synthesis under ambient conditions. The catalytic effect of the hydration reaction of ZIF‐8 and ZIF‐8‐DA was tested using CO2 absorption regeneration experiments under aqueous and alkaline conditions, respectively. The results showed that the synthesized catalysts could significantly enhance the CO2 absorption in water and alkaline solution. The addition of 0.1 wt % of ZIF‐8 in alkaline solution increased the average CO2 absorption by 1.80–15.84 %, respectively, while the addition of 0.1 wt % of ZIF‐8‐DA increased the CO2 absorption by 7.01–25.36 %. In addition, both catalysts had excellent reusability and maintained high performance even after five absorption and regeneration cycles. Polymer dispersibility index (PDI) results showed that ZIF‐8‐DA dispersed more uniformly in aqueous solution.

Construction of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrolyl-linked covalent organic polymers to promote continuous overall H2O2 production

Sacrificial agent-free, solar-driven photocatalytic oxygen reduction holds promise for hydrogen peroxide production. However, the rapid recombination of electron–hole pairs in catalysts and the slow diffusion rate of oxygen on the catalyst surfaces significantly hinder the efficiency of hydrogen peroxide production. To address these issues, we developed a novel class of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrolyl-linked covalent organic polymers (COPs) combined with microreactor technology to enhance hydrogen peroxide synthesis. These structurally well-defined polymers feature photoactive pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrolyl units were assembled from aldehyde, aniline, and 2,3-butanedione through a one-pot three-component reaction. Integrating pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrolyl moieties into the COPs creates donor–acceptor structures that facilitate the separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. Among them, COP-2 achieved the highest H2O2 yield of 5446 μmol g−1 h−1. Furthermore, we designed a coiled tube photomicroreactor to improve mass transfer efficiency in the gas–liquid–solid triphase system, boosting the H2O2 yield to 20285 μmol g−1h−1 without the need for a sacrificial agent. This study offers new insights into integrating polymer photocatalysts with microflow technology, underscoring the potential for future green and continuous H2O2 production.

Slow dissociation kinetics of fentanyls and nitazenes correlates with reduced sensitivity to naloxone reversal at the μ-opioid receptor.

Fentanyls and nitazenes are μ-opioid receptor agonists responsible for a large number of opioid overdose deaths. Here, we determined the potency, dissociation kinetics and antagonism by naloxone at the μ receptor of several fentanyl and nitazene analogues, compared to morphine and DAMGO. In vitro assays of G protein activation and signalling and arrestin recruitment were performed. AtT20 cells expressing μ receptors were loaded with a membrane potential dye and changes in fluorescence used to determine agonist potency, dissociation kinetics and susceptibility to antagonism by naloxone. BRET experiments were undertaken in HEK293T cells expressing μ receptors to assess Gi protein activation and β-arrestin 2 recruitment. The apparent rate of agonist dissociation from the μ receptor varied: morphine, DAMGO, alfentanil and fentanyl dissociated rapidly, whereas isotonitazene, etonitazene, ohmefentanyl and carfentanil dissociated slowly. Slowly dissociating agonists were more resistant to antagonism by naloxone. For carfentanil, the slow apparent rate of dissociation was not because of G protein receptor kinase-mediated arrestin recruitment as its apparent rate of dissociation was not increased by inhibition of G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) with Compound 101. The in vitro relative potencies of fentanyls and nitazenes compared to morphine were much lower than that previously observed in in vivo experiments. With fentanyls and nitazenes that slowly dissociate from the μ receptor, antagonism by naloxone is pseudo-competitive. In overdoses involving fentanyls and nitazenes, higher doses of naloxone may be required for reversal than those normally used to reverse heroin overdose.

Experimental Study on Hydrogen Embrittlement Behavior of X80 and X70 Pipeline Steels Evaluated by Hydrogen Permeation and Slow Strain Rate Tensile Tests

Experimental Study on Hydrogen Embrittlement Behavior of X80 and X70 Pipeline Steels Evaluated by Hydrogen Permeation and Slow Strain Rate Tensile Tests

Exploring the effect of hemp fibers’ addition on the properties of PLA/PPAd biodegradable blends

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a compostable aliphatic polymer with enhanced strength and toughness, and it is a promising material for packaging products. Polymer blending is a financially feasible and easy way to upgrade its properties, such as its slow degradation and crystallization rates and its modest elongation, and thus, make it more adaptable. Furthermore, the use of natural fibers as fillers can reinforce the biobased character of the final composite materials and enhance their antioxidant activity values, a crucial property of polymers that are addressed for active packaging. Herein, the influence of the addition of hemp fibers (HF) on the features of poly(lactic acid)/poly(propylene adipate) blends containing 85/15 w/w PLA/PPAd, was investigated. The utilization of a poly(lactic acid)-co-poly(propylene adipate) block copolymer (cop) as a compatibilizer was also examined. The thermal, morphological and mechanical assets of the composite materials were evaluated with the implementation of multiple techniques. The addition of HF enhanced the hydrophobicity and biodegradation of the composites, render them as candidates for several applications. Furthermore, the introduction of the compatibilizer successfully increases the adhesion between the polymeric matrices and the HF, resulting in enhanced properties.

Analysis of Single Server Markovian Queueing Model with Differentiated Working Vacation, Vacation Interruption, Soft Failure, Reneging of Customers

This article investigates the reneging of customers in M/M/1 model with differentiated working vacation, vacation interruption and soft failure. The customers come with rate λ and receives service during busy period with rate μ, where λ and μ obeys markovian distribution. In this model two distinct vacations are considered: one has been taken just after serving all customers in busy period with slow service rate θ as some soft failure occurs during working vacation (Vacation I). At an epoch of completion of working vacation, if any customers are present in the system, then the server moves to busy period for serving customers otherwise move to vacation II. During vacation II if customer comes then interruption is assumed to occur in the vacation and server returns to busy period otherwise remain in vacation .When an arriving customer finds server is on working vacation, it makes customer impatient and it start up an impatient timer T0 with an exponentially distributed rate α0 If service does not begin before T0 expires, the customer might renege with probability p without getting served or wait for their turn with probability 1-p=q. By using PGF technique we have derived different steady state probabilities and various system performances analytically. Effect of few parameters on different system performances have been shown numerically and illustrated graphically.

Advanced technologies for the development of infectious disease vaccines.

Vaccines play a critical role in the prevention of life-threatening infectious disease. However, the development of effective vaccines against many immune-evading pathogens such as HIV has proven challenging, and existing vaccines against some diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria have limited efficacy. The historically slow rate of vaccine development and limited pan-variant immune responses also limit existing vaccine utility against rapidly emerging and mutating pathogens such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, reactogenic effects can contribute to vaccine hesitancy, further undermining the ability of vaccination campaigns to generate herd immunity. These limitations are fuellingthe development of novel vaccine technologies to more effectively combat infectious diseases. Towards this end, advances in vaccine delivery systems, adjuvants, antigens and other technologies are paving the way for the next generation of vaccines. This Review focuses on recent advances in synthetic vaccine systems and their associated challenges, highlighting innovation in the field of nano- and nucleic acid-based vaccines.

Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic and Aliphatic Biodegradable Plastics: Potential Mechanisms and Pathways.

Biodegradable plastics (BDPs) have been widely used as substitutes for traditional plastics, and their environmental fate is a subject of intense research interest. Compared with the aerobic degradation of BDPs, their biodegradability under anaerobic conditions in environmental engineering systems remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the degradability of BDPs composed of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), poly(lactide acid) (PLA), and their blends, and explore the mechanism underlying their microbial degradation under conditions of anaerobic digestion (AD). The BDPs readily depolymerized under thermophilic conditions but were hydrolyzed at a slow rate under conditions of mesophilic AD. After 45 days of thermophilic AD, a decrease in the molecular weight and significant increase in the production of methane and carbon dioxide production were observed. Network and metagenomics analyses identified AD as reservoirs of plastic-degrading bacteria that produce multiple plastic-degrading enzymes. PETase was identified as the most abundant plastic-degrading enzyme. A potential pathway for the anaerobic biodegradation of BDPs was proposed herein. The polymers of high molecular weight were subjected to abiotic hydrolysis to form oligomers and monomers, enabling subsequent microbial hydrolysis and acetogenesis. Ultimately, complete degradation was achieved predominantly via the pathway involved in the conversion of acetic acid to methane. These findings provide novel insight into the mechanism underlying the anaerobic degradation of BDPs and the microbial resources crucial for the efficient degradation of BDPs.

Hydrogen-induced cracking behaviors of Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing under different solution temperature

The hydrogen embrittlement behavior of Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) with or without solution treatment was investigated by electrochemical hydrogen charging. The results show that the dissolution of the Laves phase promotes the precipitation of the δ phase in the matrix of WAAM superalloy after solution treatment at 980 °C. When the solution temperature goes up to 1080 °C, the large Laves phase disappears and only MC exists in the matrix. The interfaces between the Laves phase/δ phase and matrix generally could act as hydrogen traps, which would reduce the motion of hydrogen and lead to high hydrogen embrittlement resistance of the WAAM and ST-980 °C samples. However, hydrogen mainly accumulates on grain boundaries in the ST-1080 °C due to the disappearance of the Laves phase and δ phase. Hydrogen-induced intergranular brittle fracture occurs during the slow strain rate tensile test and the ST-1080 °C samples exhibit higher hydrogen embrittlement susceptibility than that of the WAAM and ST-980 °C samples.

Path Planning of Inspection Robot Based on Improved Ant Colony Algorithm

The conventional Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm, applied to logistics robot path planning in a two-dimensional grid environment, encounters several challenges: slow convergence rate, susceptibility to local optima, and an excessive number of turning points in the planned paths. To address these limitations, an improved ant colony algorithm has been developed. First, the heuristic function is enhanced by incorporating artificial potential field (APF) attraction, which introduces the influence of the target point’s attraction on the heuristic function. This modification accelerates convergence and improves the optimization performance of the algorithm. Second, an additional pheromone increment, calculated from the difference in pheromone levels between the best and worst paths of the previous generation, is introduced during the pheromone update process. This adjustment adaptively enhances the path length optimality. Lastly, a triangle pruning method is applied to eliminate unnecessary turning points, reducing the number of turns the logistics robot must execute and ensuring a more direct and efficient path. To validate the effectiveness of the improved algorithm, extensive simulation experiments were conducted in two grid-based environments of varying complexity. Several performance indicators were utilized to compare the conventional ACO algorithm, a previously improved version, and the newly proposed algorithm. MATLAB simulation results demonstrated that the improved ant colony algorithm significantly outperforms the other methods in terms of path length, number of iterations, and the reduction of inflection points, confirming its superiority in logistics robot path planning.