BINA

Capsule-like CuO/CDs (CuO@CDs) with a surface area of 33.12 m2 g–1 were synthesized by the hydrothermal treatment, compared to 19.02 m2 g–1 for pristine CuO. An anode was then fabricated from capsule-like CuO@CDs to form a hybrid solid-state supercapacitor (HSSC) with the activated carbon (AC) cathode and PVA/1M KOH as an electrolyte. Three electrode system offered 1208.88 F/g (specific capacitance at 2 A/g current density) and unveiled a remarkable life cycle (retention) and Coulombic efficiency (CF): 93 and 98% after 5000 charge–discharge cycles at 10 A/g. In terms of performance, the HSSC delivered 1.5 V and 102.60 F/g (50.74 C/g) at 2 A/g, 8437.50 W/kg (power density), and 36.90 Wh/kg (energy density). The HSSC still retained 92% of cyclic stability and 83% of CF after 10,000 cycles.

Biomass—A Renewable Resource for Carbon Materials | MDPI Books Menu MDPI Log in Close Menu Home Books Library Forthcoming Books Publish With Us Advisory Board FAQs Contact Login Register Shopping Cart (0) logo Shopping Cart 0 Cart Log In Login Register Home Books Library Forthcoming Books Publish with Us Book Builder Advisory Board FAQ Search for Books: Biomass—A Renewable Resource for Carbon Materials Open Access Reprint Book Biomass—A Renewable Resource for Carbon Materials Indra Neel Pulidindi, Pankaj Sharma and Aharon Gedanken , Eds. Published: April 2023 Pages: 166 © by the authors ISBN 978-3-0365-7189-8 (hardback); ISBN 978-3-0365-7188-1 (PDF) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-7188-1 (registering DOI) This book is a reprint of the Special Issue Biomass—A Renewable Resource for Carbon Materials that was published in C Download Book PDF …

This paper aims to present initial proof of concept of a non-invasive early diagnostic tool for Alzheimer disease (AD). The approach is based on the identification using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms of two proteins that are linked with AD and exist in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). As demonstrated in previous studies, the concentration of the proteins amyloid-β and tau may indicate the existence of AD. The proteins’ concentration in the CSF signifies the condition of AD. The current study can contribute to the existing body of knowledge by enabling the development of a non-invasive diagnostic tool that may help with early diagnosis of AD.

Enhancing the image quality of the captured image is one of the prime objectives of modern image acquisition systems. These imaging systems can be broadly divided into two subsystems: an optical subsystem and a digital subsystem. There are various limitations associated with the optical and digital subsystems. One of the crucial parameters that are affected by the limitation of the physical extent of the recording or capturing system is the field of view (FOV). A reduced FOV can lead to loss of information thereby increasing the time for post-processing of images as well as introducing mechanical scanning to achieve a larger FOV. A simple yet efficient technique for FOV enhancement is demonstrated in this paper. An optical element is designed in such a way that it diffracts different wavelengths in the desired manner and the information from different regions of the object is carried by different wavelengths which …

Up scaling of kidney epithelial cells is crucial for renal regenerative medicine. Nonetheless, the adult kidney lacks a distinct stem cell hierarchy limiting the ability to long-term propagate clonal populations of primary cells that retain renal identity. Towards this goal, we tested the paradigm of shifting the balance between differentiation and stemness in the kidney by introducing a single pluripotency factor, OCT4. Here we show that ectopic expression of OCT4 in human adult kidney epithelial cells (hKEpC) induces cells to dedifferentiate, stably proliferate and clonally emerge over many generations. Control hKEpC de-differentiate, assume fibroblastic morphology, and completely lose clonogenic capacity. Analysis of gene expression and histone methylation patterns revealed that OCT4 represses the HNF1b gene module, which is critical for kidney epithelial differentiation, and concomitantly activate stemness-related …

Possible routes for intra‐cluster bond formation (ICBF) in protonated serine dimers have been studied. We found no evidence of ICBF following low energy collision‐induced dissociation (in correspondence with previous works), however, we do observe clear evidence for ICBF following photon absorption in the 4.6–14 eV range. Moreover, the comparison of photon‐induced dissociation measurements of the protonated serine dimer to those of a protonated serine dipeptide provides evidence that ICBF, in this case, involves peptide bond formation (PBF). The experimental results are supported by ab initio molecular dynamics and exploration of several excited state potential energy surfaces, unraveling a pathway for PBF following photon absorption. The combination of experiments and theory provides insight into the PBF mechanisms in clusters of amino acids, and reveals the importance of electronic excited …

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are currently considered the most advanced fuel cell technology. However, the industrial implementation of PEMFCs is strongly hindered by deficient durability, especially that of the carbonaceous materials commonly used to support the platinum-based catalyst nanoparticles, which are prone to electrochemical corrosion at the cathode, resulting in a serious performance loss of the entire cell. In the attempt to overcome this issue, many research groups have tried to introduce heteroatoms (N, S, B, P) into the carbon lattice, thus trying to make the electrode corrosion-resistant. Newly developed heteroatom-doped carbons were subjected to corrosion tests in half-cell and single-cell systems to evaluate their stability. This paper reviews the recent studies devoted to corrosion research of heteroatom-doped carbon supports for Pt-based catalysts in PEMFCs. In particular, an overview on N, B, and S dopants and their effects on carbon corrosion is provided.

Myopia (nearsightedness) and presbyopia (aging eye) are the most common refractive errors of the human eye. Technology has advanced toward correcting aberration using various surgical procedures, including laser surgery, as well as prescribing corrective lenses. Hence, the effect of various laser wavelengths on the eye has been extensively studied over the last few decades. Usually, excimer lasers are used for this purpose, which increases the cost of the procedure because they are unique and difficult to manufacture and require regular maintenance. Due to the absorption properties, visible wavelengths do not interact with the corneal layers and hence are currently not used for eye surgery. This study presents the first clinical evidence that a 532 nm laser in combination with an eye-safe fluorescein dye that is in wide clinical use in ophthalmology can be utilized for high-precision ablation purposes due to the …

We study non-normalizable quasi-equilibrium states (NNQE) arising from anomalous diffusion. Initially, particles in contact with a thermal bath are released from an asymptotically flat potential well, with dynamics that is described by fractional calculus. For temperatures that are sufficiently low compared to the potential depth, the properties of the system remain almost constant in time. We use the fractional-time Fokker-Planck equation (FTFPE) and continuous-time random walk approaches to calculate the ensemble averages of observables. We obtain analytical estimates of the duration of NNQE, depending on the fractional order, from approximate theoretical solutions of the FTFPE. We study and compare two types of observables, the mean square displacement typically used to characterize diffusion, and the thermodynamic energy. We show that the typical time scales for stagnation depend exponentially on the activation energy in units of temperature multiplied by a function of the fractional exponent.

Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) are currently considered the most advanced fuel cell technology. However, the industrial implementation of PEMFCs is strongly hindered by deficient durability, especially that of the carbonaceous materials commonly used to support the platinum-based catalyst nanoparticles, which are prone to electrochemical corrosion at the cathode, resulting in a serious performance loss of the entire cell. In the attempt to overcome this issue, many research groups have tried to introduce heteroatoms (N, S, B, P) into the carbon lattice, thus trying to make the electrode corrosion-resistant. Newly developed heteroatom-doped carbons were subjected to corrosion tests in half-cell and single-cell systems to evaluate their stability. This paper reviews the recent studies devoted to corrosion research of heteroatom-doped carbon supports for Pt-based catalysts in PEMFCs. In particular, an overview on N, B, and S dopants and their effects on carbon corrosion is provided.

In many industrial settings, films of polymers such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) require surface treatment due to poor wettability and low surface energy. Here, a simple process is presented to prepare durable thin coatings composed of polystyrene (PS) core, PS/SiO2 core–shell, and hollow SiO2 micro/nanoparticles onto PP and PET films as a platform for various potential applications. Corona-treated films were coated with a monolayer of PS microparticles by in situ dispersion polymerization of styrene in ethanol/2-methoxy ethanol with polyvinylpyrrolidone as stabilizer. A similar process on untreated polymeric films did not yield a coating. PS/SiO2 core–shell coated microparticles were produced by in situ polymerization of Si(OEt)4 in ethanol/water onto a PS-coated film, creating a raspberry-like morphology with a hierarchical structure. Hollow porous SiO2-coated microparticles onto …

In many industrial settings, films of polymers such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) require surface treatment due to poor wettability and low surface energy. Here, a simple process is presented to prepare durable thin coatings composed of polystyrene (PS) core, PS/SiO2 core–shell, and hollow SiO2 micro/nanoparticles onto PP and PET films as a platform for various potential applications. Corona-treated films were coated with a monolayer of PS microparticles by in situ dispersion polymerization of styrene in ethanol/2-methoxy ethanol with polyvinylpyrrolidone as stabilizer. A similar process on untreated polymeric films did not yield a coating. PS/SiO2 core–shell coated microparticles were produced by in situ polymerization of Si(OEt)4 in ethanol/water onto a PS-coated film, creating a raspberry-like morphology with a hierarchical structure. Hollow porous SiO2-coated microparticles onto …

Memristive devices based on correlated Mott materials have great potential for memory applications, and specifically neuromorphic computations, due to their simple structure, miniaturization capabilities, power efficiency, and operation speeds. For these reasons, many efforts are made to design improved synaptic devices based on Mott materials. This work demonstrates a nonvolatile memristive three-terminal transistor based on the correlated oxide VO 2, which has a (Mott) metal-insulator transition near room temperature. An ultrathin VO 2 layer is incorporated in a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect geometry using alumina as the gate dielectric. A field effect is demonstrated to modify the channel’s resistance in a nonvolatile and reversible fashion. However, only when the gate voltage is applied at the metallic state of the VO 2 does the resistance of the insulating state change. Thus, the metallic and insulating …

Imaging systems, including human vision, have a limited capability to separate spatial features, and these can also only be extracted over a limited depth range. The limits are related to the effect of diffraction and caused by the finite dimensions of the imaging optics and the geometry of the sensor. In my talk I will present novel photonic approaches to exceed the normal resolution and depth of focus limitations and show how those concepts can be applied in practical applications such as in microscopy, biomedical sensing, and ophthalmic devices to correct visual deficiencies.

Cisplatin (CP) is the rst-line standard of care for bladder cancer. However, a signi cant percentage of advanced bladder cancer patients are ineligible to receive standard CP treatment, due to the drug’s toxicity, and in particular its nephrotoxicity. These patients currently face suboptimal therapeutic options with lower e cacy. To overcome this limitation, here we designed CP-conjugated gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with speci c properties that prevent renal toxicity, and concurrently preserve the therapeutic e cacy of CP. Safety and e cacy of the particles were studied in bladder tumor-bearing mice, using clinically-relevant fractionated or non-fractionated dosing regimens. A non-fractionated high dose of CPGNP showed long-term intratumoral accumulation, blocked tumor growth, and nulli ed the lethal effect of CP. Treatment with fractionated lower doses of CP-GNP was also superior to an equivalent treatment with free CP, demonstrating both anti-tumor e cacy and prolonged mouse survival. Moreover, as opposed to free drug, CP-conjugated GNPs did not cause brosis or necrosis in kidney. These results indicate that conjugating CP to GNPs can serve as an effective, combined anti-cancer and renoprotective approach, and thus has potential to widen the range of patients eligible for CP-based therapy.

The unique fluorescent nanomaterials known as carbon dots (CDs) are highly resistant to photobleaching, have low toxicity, and are well soluble in water. Polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated CDs are a novel fluorophore with good biocompatibility and pH sensing ability. Here, p-phenylenediamine (p-PD) is used as a carbon source and hyperbranched PEI is used as a surface passivation agent in a simple, one-step hydrothermal synthesis process. The CDs optical characteristics are pH-responsive due to the presence of different amine groups on PEI, which is functional polycationic polymer. The limits of techniques based on fluorescence intensity can be overcome by fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), a very sensitive method for detecting a microenvironment. In this study, FLIM was used to measure pH with pH-sensitive CDs. These molecules are nontoxic to the cells, and the positively charged CDs have …

Geometry, an ancient yet vibrant branch of mathematics, has important and far-reaching impacts on various disciplines such as art, science, and engineering. Here, we introduce an emerging concept dubbed “geometric deep optical sensing” that is based on a number of recent demonstrations in advanced optical sensing and imaging, in which a reconfigurable sensor (or an array thereof) can directly decipher the rich information of an unknown incident light beam, including its intensity, spectrum, polarization, spatial features, and possibly angular momentum. We present the physical, mathematical, and engineering foundations of this concept, with particular emphases on the roles of classical and quantum geometry and deep neural networks. Furthermore, we discuss the new opportunities that this emerging scheme can enable and the challenges associated with future developments.

K04. 00003: Zwitterists: Photo-patternable Polymer Zwitterions for Interfacial Dipole Doping of Monolayer Graphene*

We review in this short perspective the history of cholesterol crystals and crystal structures. We address in particular the helical crystals that form in vitro and in pathology from environments rich in bile acids or from phospholipid membranes. We review the known mechanisms leading to crystals with chiral morphology, from screw‐dislocation mediated growth to mechanisms involving asymmetric mechanical strain. We propose a mechanism for cholesterol helical crystal development based on the monoclinic cholesterol monohydrate crystal structure. We suggest that curvature arises in few layers thick crystals due to the tension induced between the hydrophobic layer and the ice‐like H‐bonded lattice of the water molecules with the cholesterol hydroxy groups. Helicity would ensue through a combination of the curvature and the fast growth of a thin ribbon in one crystal direction.

The coherent dynamics in networks of coupled oscillators is of great interest in wave-physics since the coupling produces various dynamical effects, such as coherent energy exchange (beats) between the oscillators. However, it is common wisdom that these coherent dynamics are transients that quickly decay in active oscillators (eg lasers) since pump saturation causes mode competition that results, for homogeneous gain, in the prevalence of the single winning mode. We observe that pump saturation in coupled parametric oscillators counter-intuitively encourages the multi-mode dynamics of beating and indefinitely preserves it, despite the existence of mode competition. We explore in detail the coherent dynamics of a pair of coupled parametric oscillators with a shared pump and arbitrary coupling in a radio frequency (RF) experiment, as well as in simulation. Specifically, we realize two parametric oscillators as …

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of disorders caused by mutations in genes involved in the process of lymphocyte maturation and function. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing of the patient’s own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) ex vivo could provide a therapeutic alternative to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the current gold standard for treatment of SCID. To eliminate the need for scarce patient samples, we engineered genotypes in healthy donor (HD)-derived CD34+ HSPCs using CRISPR-Cas9/rAAV6 gene-editing, to model both SCID and the therapeutic outcomes of gene-editing therapies for SCID via multiplexed homology-directed repair (HDR). First, we developed a SCID disease model via biallelic knockout of genes critical to the development of lymphocytes; and second, we established a knockin/knockout strategy to develop a proof-of-concept single …