Identification and comparison of the local physicochemical structures of transition metal-based layered double hydroxides for high performance electrochemical oxygen evolution reactions

Layered double hydroxides(LDHs) have attracted considerable attention as a cost effective alternative to the precious iridium-and ruthenium-based electrocatalysts for an oxygen evolution reaction(OER),a bottleneck of water electrolysis for sustainable hydrogen production.Despite their excellent OER performance,the structural and electronic properties of LDHs,particularly during the OER process,remain to be poorly understood.In this study,a series of LDH catalysts is investigated through in situ X-ray absorption fine structure analyses and density functional theory(DFT) calculations.Our experimental results reveal that the LDH catalyst with equal amounts of Ni and Fe(NF-LDH) exhibits the highest OER activity and catalytic life span when compared with its counterparts having equal amounts of Ni and Co(NC-LDH)and Ni only(Ni-LDH).The NF-LDH shows a markedly enhanced OER kinetics compared to the NC-LDH and the Ni-LDH,as proven by the lower overpotentials of 180,240,and 310 mV,respectively,and the Tafel slopes of 35.1,43.4,and 62.7 mV dec^(-1),respectively.The DFT calculations demonstrate that the lowest overpotential of the NF-LDH is associated with the active sites located at the edge planes of NF-LDH in contrast to those located at the basal planes of Ni-LDH and NC-LDH.The current study pinpoints the active sites on various LDHs and presents strategies for optimizing the OER performance of the LDH catalysts.

Antithetic Power Transformed Random Variables in Computer Simulations: An Error Correction Mechanism

A traditional method of Monte Carlo computer simulation is to obtain uniformly distributed random numbers on the interval from zero to one from a linear congruential generator (LCG) or other methods. Random variates can then be obtained by the inverse transformation technique applied to random numbers. The random variates can then be used as input to a computer simulation. A response variable is obtained from the simulation results. The response variable may be biased for various reasons. One reason may be the presence of small traces of serial correlation in the random numbers. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an alternative method of response variable acquisition by a power transformation applied to the response variable. The power transformation produces a new variable that is negatively correlated with the response variable. The response variable is then regressed on its power transformation to convert the units of the power transformed variable back to those of the original response variable. A weighted combination of these two variables gives the final estimate. The combined estimate is shown to have negligible bias. The correlations of various antithetic variates obtained from the power transformation are derived and illustrated to provide insights for this research and for future research into this method.

Optimization of Transformation Efficiency of Suspension Cultured Vitis vinifera cv.Chardonnay Embryogenic Cells

Vitis vinifera cv.Chardonnay suspension cultures were established from proembryogenic mass and employed for optimizing Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system.One-factor-at-a-time experiment revealed that OD600 of Agrobacterium,time of inoculation,co-cultivation,and cell-drying before inoculation significantly affected the transformation efficiency which reached maximum 21.5% at the following conditions：0.8 of OD600,25 min of inoculation,2 d of co-cultivation,and 10 min of cell drying.Response surface methodology experiments based on a five-level,four-factor central-composite rotatable design were then used to optimize these selected factors.The optimized conditions for Chardonnay grape transformation were：0.8711 of OD600,28.9 min of inoculation,2.25 d of co-cultivation and 11.76 min of cell drying.After optimization,transformation efficiency was 26.2% and there were no interactions among different factors.

Synergistic effects of methyl 2-cyano-3,11-dioxo-18beta-olean-1,-12-dien-30-oate and erlotinib on erlotinib-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells

Non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)is often characterized by an underlying mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),contributing to aggressive metastatic disease.Methyl 2-cyano-3,11-dioxo-18 beta-olean-1,12-dien-30-oate(CDODA-Me),a glycyrrhetinic acid derivative,reportedly improves the therapeutic response to erlotinib(ERL),an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor.In the present study,we performed a series of studies to demonstrate the efficacy of CDODA-Me(2μM)in sensitizing HCC827 R(ERL-resistant)cells to ERL.Herein,we first established the selectivity of ERL-induced drug resistance in the HCC827 R cells,which was sensitized when ERL was combined with CDODA-Me(2μM),shifting the IC50 from 23.48μM to 5.46μM.Subsequently,whole transcriptomic microarray expression data demonstrated that the combination of ERL+CDODA-Me elicited 210 downregulated genes(0.44%of the whole transcriptome(WT))and 174 upregulated genes(0.36%of the WT),of which approximately 80%were unique to the ERL+CDODA-Me group.Synergistic effects centered on losses to cell cycle progression transcripts,a reduction of minichromosome maintenance complex components(MCM2-7),all key components of the Cdc45·MCM2-7 GINS(CMG)complex,and replicative helicases;these effects were tantamount to the upregulation of processes associated with the nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 2 translational response to oxidative stress,including sulfiredoxin 1,heme oxygenase 1,and stress-induced growth inhibitor 1.Collectively,these findings indicate that the synergistic therapeutic effects of ERL+CDODA-Me on resistant NSCLC cells are mediated via the inhibition of mitosis and induction of oxidative stress.

The Role of DNA Mismatch Repair and Recombination in the Processing of DNA Alkylating Damage in Living Yeast Cells

It is proposed that mismatch repair (MMR) mediates the cytotoxic effects of DNA damaging agents by exerting a futile repair pathway which leads to double strand breaks (DSBs). Previous reports indicate that the sensitivity of cells defective in homologous recombination (HR) to DNA alkylation is reduced by defects in MMR genes. We have assessed the contribution of different MMR genes to the processing of alkylation damage in vivo. We have directly visualized recombination complexes formed upon DNA damage using fluorescent protein (FP) fusions. We find that msh6 mutants are more resistant than wild type cells to MNNG, and that an msh6 mutation rescues the sensitivity of rad52 strains more efficiently than an msh3 mutation. Analysis of RAD52-GFP tagged strains indicate that MNNG increases repair foci formation, and that the inactivation of the MHS2 and MSH6 genes but not the MSH3 gene result in a reduction of the number of foci formed. In addition, in the absence of HR, NHEJ could process the MNNG-induced DSBs as indicated by the formation of NHEJ-GFP tagged foci. These data suggest that processing of the alkylation damage by MMR, mainly by MSH2-MSH6, is required for recruitment of recombination proteins to the damage site for repair.

Path Loss Modeling: A Machine Learning Based Approach Using Support Vector Regression and Radial Basis Function Models

Path loss prediction models are vital for accurate signal propagation in wireless channels. Empirical and deterministic models used in path loss predictions have not produced optimal results. In this paper, we introduced machine learning algorithms to path loss predictions because it offers a flexible network architecture and extensive data can be used. We introduced support vector regression (SVR) and radial basis function (RBF) models to path loss predictions in the investigated environments. The SVR model was able to process several input parameters without introducing complexity to the network architecture. The RBF on its part provides a good function approximation. Hyperparameter tuning of the machine learning models was carried out in order to achieve optimal results. The performances of the SVR and RBF models were compared and result validated using the root-mean squared error (RMSE). The two machine learning algorithms were also compared with the Cost-231, SUI, Egli, Freespace, Cost-231 W-I models. The analytical models overpredicted path loss. Overall, the machine learning models predicted path loss with greater accuracy than the empirical models. The SVR model performed best across all the indices with RMSE values of 1.378 dB, 1.4523 dB, 2.1568 dB in rural, suburban and urban settings respectively and should therefore be adopted for signal propagation in the investigated environments and beyond.

Evaluation of lipid peroxidation inhibition and free radical scavenging abilities of 5,6,7-trimethoxy dihydroflavonols

Four naturally rare 5,6,7-trimethoxy-2,3-cis-dihydroflavonols （3-6） and two 5,6,7-trimethoxy-2,3-trans-dihydroflavonols （7-8） were designed and synthesized. Their antioxidative properties were evaluated by way of examining their scavenging capacities towards DPPH and O2^＊- free radicals, as well as by measuring their inhibitory ability against LPO. Both the 2,3-trans and the 2,3- cis conformers exhibited certain quenching abilities to DPPH and O2^＊- radicals, while most of the synthetic dihydroflavonols demonstrated remarkable inhibition to LPO.

General Theory of Antithetic Time Series

A generalized antithetic time series theory for exponentially derived antithetic random variables is developed. The correlation function between a generalized gamma distributed random variable and its pth exponent is derived. We prove that the correlation approaches minus one as the exponent approaches zero from the left and the shape parameter approaches infinity.

Participation of Auxin Transport in the Early Response of the Arabidopsis Root System to Inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense

The potential of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria(PGPR)has been demonstrated in the case of plant inoculation with bacteria of the genus Azospirillum which improves yield.A.brasilense produces a wide variety of molecules,including the natural auxin indole-3-acetic acid(IAA),as well as other phytoregulators.However,several studies have suggested that auxin induces changes in plant development during their interaction with the bacteria.The effects of A.brasilense Sp245 on the development of Arabidopsis thaliana root were investigated to help explain the molecular basis of the interaction.The results obtained showed a decrease in primary root length from the first day and remained so throughout the exposure,accompanied by a stimulation of initiation and maturation of lateral root primordia and an increase of lateral roots.An enhanced auxin response was evident in the vascular tissue and lateral root meristems of inoculated plants.However,after five days of bacterization,the response disappeared in the primary root meristems.The role of polar auxin transport(PAT)in auxins relocation involved the PGP1,AXR4-1,and BEN2 proteins,which apparently mediated A.brasilense-induced root branching of Arabidopsis seedlings.

SWAT Model Prediction of Phosphorus Loading in a South Carolina Karst Watershed with a Downstream Embayment

The SWAT model was used to predict total phosphorus (TP) loadings for a 1555-ha karst watershed—Chapel Branch Creek (CBC)—which drains to a lake via a reservoir-like embayment (R-E). The model was first tested for monthly streamflow predictions from tributaries draining three potential source areas as well as the downstream R-E, followed by TP loadings using data collected March 2007-October 2009. Source areas included 1) a golf course that received applied wastewater, 2) urban areas, highway, and some agricultural lands, and 3) a cave spring draining a second golf course along with agricultural and forested areas, including a substantial contribution of subsurface water via karst connectivity. SWAT predictions of mean monthly TP loadings at the first two source outlets were deemed reasonable. However, the predictions at the cave spring outlet were somewhat poorer, likely due to diffuse variable groundwater flow from an unknown drainage area larger than the actual surface watershed, for which monthly subsurface flow was represented as a point source during simulations. Further testing of the SWAT model to predict monthly TP loadings at the R-E, modeled as a completely mixed system, resulted in their over-predictions most of the months, except when high lake water levels occurred. The mean monthly and annual flows were calibrated to acceptable limits with the exception of flow over-prediction when lake levels were low and surface water from tributaries disappeared into karst connections. The discrepancy in TP load predictions was attributed primarily to the use of limited monthly TP data collected during baseflow in the embayment. However, for the 22-month period, over-prediction of mean monthly TP load (34.6 kg/mo) by 13% compared to measured load (30.6 kg/mo) in the embayment was deemed acceptable. Simulated results showed a 42% reduction in TP load due to settling in the embayment.

Randomized Objective Function Linear Programming in Risk Management

The traditional linear programming model is deterministic. The way that uncertainty is handled is to compute the range of optimality. After the optimal solution is obtained, typically by the simplex method, one considers the effect of varying each objective function coefficient, one at a time. This yields the range of optimality within which the decision variables remain constant. This sensitivity analysis is useful for helping the analyst get a sense for the problem. However, it is unrealistic because objective function coefficients tend not to stand still. They are typically profit contributions from products sold and are subject to randomly varying selling prices. In this paper, a realistic linear program is created for simultaneously randomizing the coefficients from any probability distribution. Furthermore, we present a novel approach for designing a copula of random objective function coefficients according to a specified rank correlation. The corresponding distribution of objective function values is created. This distribution is examined directly for central tendency, spread, skewness and extreme values for the purpose of risk analysis. This enables risk analysis and business analytics, emerging topics in education and preparation for the knowledge economy.

Full Scale SBR Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility Utilization of Simultaneous Nitrification/Denitrification Coupled with Traditional Nitrogen Removal to Meet Water Criterion

Simultaneous nitrification denitrification (SND) is a well-established phenomenon in biological nutrient removal activated sludge systems. Study at a municipal wastewater treatment facility sought to determine nitrogen removal effectiveness within a full-scale sequential batch reactor (SBR) system utilizing SND in conjunction with traditional nitrogen removal. In addition to characterizing extent of SND, the research examined the ability of SND to meet state-based effluent water quality standards. At the selected facility, the average SND efficiency during a two-month sampling period was 52.8%, paralleling results from similar SBR municipal wastewater systems. The observed SBR system had removal efficiencies > 99% for the influent to effluent -N concentrations. The SND process also resulted in average NO3-NO2-N concentration that was 82% lower than the theoretical concentration under comparable circumstances. Overall, nitrogen removal for this SBR system was >99% which typified results in other SND systems, but at a higher Total Nitrogen removal rate.

A Review of the Current Status of Bamboo Usage with Special Emphasis on Orthopedic Rehabilitation

It was found that bamboo has been extensively used as infrastructure material in Asia and Africa due to its exceptional properties. Its usage has ranged from simple fence construction to bridges. Bamboo, as a biodegradable and renewable material, has been used for construction purposes. Both the natural and engineered form of the Bamboo has become a center of focus for most research scientists, materials experts and most important research and development aspects of Industries. The physical and mechanical properties of Bamboo culm in its dry and green state have shown promising prospects and this has further established the need to put together a regulatory body that will help to monitor and create standards for testing and utilizing Bamboo. This paper considered the various applications of Bamboo culm both in the past and present. An area the authors considered in this paper is the use of Bamboo in orthopedics. The number of people with gait dysfunction is fast growing due to population growth, war, ageing and accidents. The cost of orthopedic devices essential to restore function and improve quality of life is not affordable for many. Earlier research in this area suggests that bamboo is a suitable material for orthopedic appliances, especially exoskeleton. Bamboo use in applications such as orthopedic rehabilitation is common in developing countries where traditional bonesetters (TBS) use splints to treat fracture. In spite of the innovative discovery made by researchers in the use of Bamboo, standardization is a major challenge especially in orthopedic application. The focus of our work revealed varieties of Bamboo application.

Observations on Arrhenius Degradation of Lithium-Ion Capacitors

Earlier research determined that lithium-ion capacitor (LIC) cycle life degradation can be accelerated by elevated temperature. LIC cycle life degradation can be described by an Arrhenius equation. This study performed cycle life testing at a constant temperature but varied cycle current. The results were described by an Arrhenius equation relying upon the number of cycles and a constant, which was determined by cycle current. Using mathematical derivations and experimental results, the researchers quantified the effects of activation energy and temperature upon this constant. Because cell temperature is nearly constant during cycles, it was deduced that elevated cycle current decreases activation energy. This lower activation energy then accelerates degradation. Thus this research demonstrates that cycle current ages LICs through its effects on their activation energies.

Comparison of Release Efficiencies for the Controlled-Release of Potassium Permanganate in Polycaprolactone

The application of controlled release materials in tandem with chemical oxidants has become an emerging topic within the field of environmental treatment. The controlled release kinetic and mechanistic relationship between these components is important to understand a controlled release system. Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) was used as the encapsulated material integrated into polycaprolactone (PCL) producing controlled release biodegradable polymer (CRBP) pellets. In this study, batch experiments were used to examine the release kinetics from the discharge of the pelletized encapsulated oxidant into aqueous systems at various KMnO4:PCL ratios of 1:5, 2:5, and 3:5 by mass. Experimental results indicated as the amount of KMnO4 in the PCL polymer pellets increased, a greater fraction of the oxidant was released as a function of time. The resultant data best fit a linearized diffusion model equation. Additionally, a comparison-controlled release study was conducted that contained the same oxidant at similar mass ratios. Release kinetics determined from this study could lead to effective implementation of CRBP systems and could suggest that CRBP encapsulated with KMnO4 could serve as a promising controlled release technology in a long-term and controlled manner.

Improvements to Temperature, Warburg Impedance, and Voltage Computations for a Design-Based Predictive Model for Lithium-Ion Capacitors

An earlier study manipulated the Butler-Volmer equation to effectively model a lithium-ion capacitor’s (LIC) energy storage as a function of its constituent components and charge current. However, this model had several shortcomings: computed temperature values were too low, voltage was inaccurate, and the model required Warburg impedance values that were two orders of magnitude higher than experimental results. This study began by analyzing the model’s temperature and voltage computations in order to justify output values. Ultimately, these justifications failed. Therefore, in situ temperature rise was measured during charge cycles. Experimental results indicated that temperature increases minimally during a charge cycle (<1%). At high current densities (≥150 A·kg-1) temperature increase is negligible. After it was found that LIC temperature change is minimal during a charge cycle, the model accurately computed LIC voltage during the charge cycle and computed Warburg impedance that agreed with values derived from earlier experimental studies, even falling within the measurements’ precision error.

Robotic-assisted hysterectomy in a community hospital after seven years of experience

Background:The da Vinci robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy is being widely adopted by healthcare institutions and constitutes the highest percentage of the robotic-assisted surgeries.By now da Vinci robotic-assisted hysterectomy(RAH)is used worldwide,and even so,different aspects of this relatively new surgical technique remain under evaluation.There are contradicting reports in the literature about the superiority of RAH versus conventional laparoscopic hysterectomy(CLH)in terms of patient outcomes and costs.The purpose of this small size study was to contribute to this open question by analyzing patient records in a community hospital with extensive seven years of experience in RAH.The analysis of the data compares the surgical outcomes and patient costs of RAH(n?23)versus CLH(n?23).Method:A retrospective study using the electronic chart review was performed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups for estimated blood loss,duration of surgery,length of stay,30-day readmission,and patient costs;however,the average cost of RAH was$3116 less than CLH,if not considering the cost and maintenance of the surgical robot indicating surgical team approaching proficiency and maturity in RAH.A strong correlation between uterus weight,blood loss,duration of surgery,and patient cost within only the RAH group was observed,suggesting a more precise surgical technique.Conclusion:RAH and CLH had similar surgical outcomes.RAH can be a more precise surgical technique,and potentially less costly when the cost and maintenance of the robot are not considered.

Design and realization of lung organoid cultures for COVID-19 applications

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2,has spread globally and threatens public health.Advanced in vitro models that recapitulate the architecture and functioning of specific tissues and organs are in high demand for COVID-19-related pathology studies and drug screening.Since three-dimensional in vitro cultures,such as self-assembled and engineered organoid cultures,surpass conventional two-dimensional cultures and animal models with respect to increased cellular complexity,an environment more relevant to humans,and reduced cost,they are promising platforms for understanding viral pathogenesis and developing new therapeutics.This review highlights the recent advances in self-assembled and engineered organoid technologies that are used for COVID-19 studies.The challenges and future perspectives are also discussed.

A novel supercapacitor-fuel cell hybrid cell

A monolithic hybrid fuel cell (MHFC) with a novel configuration was proposed in an effort to improve the fuel cell performance during instantaneous power changes. A modified direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with a layer of hydrous ruthenium dioxide (RuO2·xH2O) sandwiched between the anode catalyst layer and membrane was used to demonstrate the principle of the MHFC. Experimental results indicate that the RuO2·xH2O layer is equivalent to a resistor-capacitor transmission line and functions similar to a capacitor in parallel with the anode electrode. The improvement in dynamic response of the MHFC was experimentally confirmed under step current change and square current pulse operating. The ionic conductivity of the RuO2·xH2O layer was also obtained.