Removal of vanadium(V) ions from acidic water using reusable manganese oxide sorbents

Manganese oxide (MnOx) was studied for its ability to adsorb vanadium (V) ions for applications in acidic water treatment. Three MnOx types: naturally-occurring (NatMnO), commercially-derived (ComMnO), and laboratory synthesised (SynMnO) were examined in batch systems under varying pH, adsorbent dosage, ionic strength, and contact time. The greatest V sorption occurred at acidic pH, following the order: NatMnO > SynMnO > ComMnO, with maximum adsorption capacities of 54.0, 26.0, and 10.4 mg/g, respectively (at pH 3.0, mass/volume ratio of 2 g/L, concentration of 100 mg/L, 24 hours). Adsorption equilibrium data best fit the Freundlich isotherm, indicating multilayer adsorption, while kinetic data followed a two-constant rate model, suggesting both physical and chemical sorption. Solution pH was found to have a significant impact, with V removal by MnOx most effective at low pH, likely due to the negative zeta potential of the MnOx under such conditions. MnOx reusability was investigated using repeated sorption and desorption experiments with 0.1 M HCl, 0.1 M NaOH, and deionised water to regenerate the MnOx. The regenerated MnOx exhibited similar or enhanced ability to sorb V ions from solution. Overall, these results confirm the unique ability of MnOx as a reusable sorbent for V removal from acidic water, while also enhancing our mechanistic understanding of the removal process. This finding supports the development of sustainable solutions for acidic water treatment, contributing to efforts to address this critical environmental challenge

Standardized protocols for clinical and histopathological characterization of hidradenitis suppurativa tissue specimens

Methods for describing and reporting the clinical and histologic characteristics of cutaneous tissue samples from patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are not currently standardized, limiting clinicians’ and scientists’ ability to uniformly record, report, and communicate about the characteristics of tissue used in translational experiments. A recently published consensus statement outlined morphological definitions of typical HS lesions, but no consensus has been reached regarding clinical characterization and examination of HS tissue samples. In this study, we aimed to establish a protocol for reporting histopathologic and clinical characteristics of HS tissue specimens. This study was conducted from May 2023 to August 2023. Experts in clinical care, dermatopathology, and translational research were recruited, and a modified Delphi technique was used to develop a protocol for histologic reporting and clinical characterization of submitted tissue specimens from patients with HS. A total of 27 experts participated (14 dermatologists, 3 fellowship-trained dermatopathologists, 3 plastic surgeons, 3 general surgeons, and 4 research scientists) in creating and reviewing protocols for the clinical and histopathological examination of HS tissue specimens. The protocols were formatted as a synoptic report and will help to consistently classify specimens in biobanks on the basis of histologic features and more accurately report and select samples used in translational research projects

Acute effects of interferon-alpha on cellular anabolic and catabolic processes are associated with the development of fatigue during Interferon-alpha-based therapy for Hepatitis-C: A preliminary study

Introduction Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a key mediator of antiviral immune responses used to treat Hepatitis-C virus (HCV) infection. Though clinically effective, IFN-α frequently induces functionally impairing mood and motivation symptoms, particularly fatigue. Unlike mood impairment, which typically emerges after weeks of treatment, fatigue tends to emerge and evolve rapidly, typically within hours of the first IFN-α injection. Despite being a major source of functional impairment during IFN-α and other immune-based therapies, the biological mechanisms underlying fatigue remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to identify acute immune-response signatures to IFN-α that could predict the later development of fatigue. Methods In this exploratory study, we analyzed whole blood transcriptomics in a longitudinal sample of 27 HCV patients initiating IFN-α and Ribavirin therapy. Blood samples were obtained at baseline and 4½ hours after the first IFN-α dose and transcriptomic data was obtained using Affymetrix Human Gene 1.1 ST Array Strips. Gene expression data visualization and quality control were assessed using Partek Genomics Suite V6.6 and protein–protein interaction networks using STRING and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). A Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale (fVAS) was utilized to record fatigue symptoms at baseline, 4½ hours and 4 weeks after initiation of treatment. Results IFN-α was associated with an upregulation of 526 transcripts and a downregulation of 228 genes, indicating a rapid transcriptomic response in whole blood within 4½ hours of injection. 93 genes were significantly positively correlated with changes in fatigue, with gene expression changes measured from baseline to 4.5 h and increases in fatigue assessed from baseline to week 4 on the fVAS. We identified a novel network of predominantly cytosolic ribosomal units and ubiquitin proteins implicated in modulating mTOR signaling that was associated with the development of fatigue 4 weeks after initiation of IFN-α treatment (p = 0.0078). Conclusion Our findings suggest that acute activation of this anabolic/catabolic network by IFN-α may predispose to the experience of fatigue similar to evidence found in cancer-related fatigue. Further investigation is warranted to confirm the exploratory nature of these observations

Design and dynamics of a cantilevered bistable buckled piezoelectric beam for vibrational energy harvesting

In this paper, a novel family of low-cost, magnet-free bistable piezoelectric energy harvesters with a simple structure is designed, fabricated, and tested to evaluate their nonlinear dynamics and performance for harvesting energy from broadband vibrations. A laser-machined bistable structure, consisting of a buckled beam and two supporting beams, is employed as the host structure for constructing this energy harvester with piezoelectric transducers. The integration of buckled beams and constraints provided by supporting beams allows for the configuration of this bi-stable buckled piezoelectric beam under cantilevered boundary conditions without requiring external operation. The proposed harvester’s static mechanical properties and dynamic responses are predicted using a finite element model, while its basic dynamics are understood through a simple analytical model. The frequency-sweep results demonstrate that the proposed harvester exhibits a broadband characteristic compared to the linear piezoelectric beam with a similar configuration, and various vibration modes and their corresponding performance of energy harvesting are analyzed and characterized. The potential of this proposed harvester is explored by adjusting the geometry parameters, such as the width of the supporting beam and thickness, to alter its dynamics and energy harvesting performance. Finally, a nonlinear energy harvesting array consisting of four proposed harvesters with adjacent broadbands is fabricated to enhance overall performance, achieving a broadband width of 13.7 Hz at an acceleration of 0.75 g. The proposed method introduces a novel design philosophy for nonlinear vibrational energy harvesters

Black start from renewable energy resources: Review and a case study of Great Britain

Black start is the restoration of an electrical power system following a total or partial system shutdown. A loss of supply of this magnitude is a most unusual event but must be anticipated as it has significant societal and economic consequences. Many countries are moving towards a low-carbon electricity system, and the fossil generators that currently provide black start capability are being replaced by renewable energy generators, many of which are individually of limited capacity. This reduction in the number of large conventional generators is leading to a need to reconsider black start practices and to question whether restoration of a de-energized network through a skeleton transmission system should be replaced by establishing multiple power islands each with smaller generating units. Using academic studies and the results of two innovation projects recently completed in Great Britain (GB), this study reviews the established power system black start practices and the participation of renewable energy resources in the black start. After traditional black start practices are reviewed, the challenges and solutions for using renewable energy sources and distributed energy resources to support black start are investigated. Restoration control and planning strategies in academic studies are discussed. Then the evolving power system black start practices in GB are discussed, and the methodologies and findings of two innovative black start projects in GB are reviewed

Enhanced integrated acoustofluidics with printed circuit board electrodes attached to piezoelectric film coated substrate

The current key issues in applying acoustofluidics in engineering lie in the inflexibility of manufacturing processes, particularly those involving modifications to piezoelectric materials and devices. This leads to inefficient prototyping and potentially high costs. To overcome these limitations, we proposed a technique that is capable of prototyping acoustofluidic devices in a straightforward manner. This is achieved by simply clamping a printed circuit board (PCB) featuring interdigital electrodes (IDEs) onto a substrate coated with a piezoelectric thin film. By applying appropriate clamping force between the PCB and the substrate, one can effectively generate surface acoustic waves (SAWs) along the surface of the substrate. This approach simplifies the prototyping process, reducing the complexity and fabrication time. The clamping mechanism allows for easy adjustment and optimization of the SAW generation, enabling fine-tuning of the fluid and particle manipulation capabilities. Furthermore, this method allows for customizable interdigital transducers (IDTs) by ‘patterning’ IDEs on thin-film piezoelectric substrates (such as ZnO/Al and ZnO/Si) with various anisotropy orientations. This facilitates the on-demand generation of wave modes, including A0 and S0 Lamb waves, Rayleigh waves, and Sezawa waves. One notable advantage of this method is its capability to rapidly test acoustic wave patterns and performance on any substrate, offering a fast and streamlined approach to assess acoustic behaviors across diverse materials, thereby paving the way for efficient exploration of novel materials in SAW technology

Digging for literature on tailoring cultural offers with and for older people from ethnic minority groups: A scoping review

Introduction: Social prescribing addresses non-medical issues (e.g., loneliness, financial worries, housing problems) affectingphysical and/or mental health. It involves connecting people to external support or services, including ‘cultural offers’–events,groups and activities run within or by cultural organisations. Such offers need to be acceptable and accessible to diverse populationsif forming part of a social prescription.Methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify what existing literature, conducted in the United Kingdom, tells us abouttailoring cultural offers for older people (aged 60+ years) from ethnic minority groups. Relevant literature was searched for onelectronic databases, through Google, via a questionnaire to cultural organisations and by contacting the study’s advisory group.Results: Screening of 906 references–59 of which were read as full documents–resulted in six sources being included in thereview. Some cultural activities described within them were run in traditional cultural spaces (e.g., museums, art galleries). Otherswere held in community centres. Data suggested that attending with others could reduce concerns about belonging. Barriers toengagement included low energy, language, poor confidence, accessing transport and unfamiliarity with a setting and/or activities.Provision of familiar food could help make people feel welcomed.Conclusions: Reviewed papers showed that consulting with target groups is important to ensure that activities are inclusiveand sympathetically delivered. The review also highlighted a paucity of published research on the topic; this means that culturalproviders have little evidence to draw on when developing cultural offers for older people from ethnic minority groups

Between co and solo writing: experimenting with constraint, composition, and community through writing 100s

In this article, we describe what we’ve learned about writing through the development of our academic-creative writing group, a community initiated during the first lockdown of Spring 2020. Called The 100s, we adopted and adapted a format of writing popularised by the writer-theorists Lauren Berlant and Kathleen Stewart in their publication, The Hundreds. Together, we share individually written creative reflections on everyday life and theory aloud and on a collaborative platform. As per the name, the wordcounts must be exact multiples of a 100: either 100 or multiple 100s, nothing in-between. With duration and regularity, our group’s development provoked reflection on the organised and organising proclivities of writing in academic environments. Here we expand on five insights precipitated by this solo-collective writing experiment for a more humane approach to academic production: embracing diverse writing rhythms; socialising writing; socialising reading; being deliberative with technology; experimenting with orality

Semantic similarity is not emotional: No effect of similarity defined by valence, arousal and dominance on short-term ordered recall

In short-term ordered recall tasks, phonological similarity impedes item and order recall, while semantic similarity benefits item recall with a weak or null effect on order recall. Ishiguro and Saito (2021) recently suggested that these contradictory findings were due to an inadequate assessment of semantic similarity. They proposed a novel measure of semantic similarity based on the distance between items in a three-dimensional space composed of the semantic dimensions of valence, arousal and dominance. We conducted an experimental examination of their proposal. In four experiments, participants performed an immediate serial recall or an immediate order reconstruction task. Performance of dissimilar lists was contrasted with performance for semantically similar lists defined by valence, arousal, and dominance or by the typical latent semantic analysis. Two sets of words were used to assess the reproducibility of the findings and similar results were observed with both sets. As expected, when similarity was defined with latent semantic analysis, items were better recalled without noticeable impact on their order. However, contrary to Ishiguro and Saito’s predictions, when similarity was defined with valence, arousal and dominance, no effect emerged

Cycling Dof Factor 3 mediates light-dependent ascorbate biosynthesis by activating GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase in <i>Rosa roxburghii</i> fruit

Light plays an important role in determining the L-ascorbate (AsA) pool size in plants, primarily through the transcriptional regulation of AsA metabolism-related genes. However, the specific mechanism of transcriptional induction responsible for light-dependent AsA biosynthesis remains unclear. In this study, we used a promoter sequence containing light-responsive motifs from GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase 2 (RrGGP2), a key gene involved in AsA overproduction in Rosa roxburghii fruits, to identify participating transcription factors. Among these factors, Cycling Dof Factor 3 (RrCDF3) was highly responsive to variations in light intensity, quality, and photoperiod, leading to alterations in RrGGP2 expression. Further yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays confirmed that RrCDF3 acts as a transcriptional activator of RrGGP2 by binding specifically to its promoter. Modulating the expression of RrCDF3 in fruits through transient overexpression and silencing resulted in significant changes in RrGGP2 expression and AsA synthesis. Additionally, stable overexpression of RrCDF3 in R. roxburghii calli and Solanum lycopersicum plants resulted in a significant increase in AsA content. Notably, the well-known photo-signal transcription factor ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (RrHY5) directly interacted with the RrCDF3 promoter, enhancing its transcription. These findings reveal a special mechanism involving the RrHY5-RrCDF3-RrGGP2 module that mediates light-induced AsA biosynthesis in R. roxburghii fruit