Adsorber Particles with Magnetically‐Supported Improved Electrochemical Conversion Behavior for Waste Water Treatment Processes

Micron‐sized supraparticles, consisting of a plurality of discrete nano‐ and microscale functional units, are assembled and fused by means of a droplet extrusion process. By combining nano magnetite, activated carbon, and conductive carbon with a polymeric binder matrix, particles are obtained which unite good magnetic properties, electrical conductivity, and adsorber activity through the high accessible surface area of the incorporated activated carbon of about 570 m2 g−1, thereby enabling a new approach toward sustainable water treatment processes. Due to the interplay of the components, it is possible to adsorb target substances, dissolved in the water which is demonstrated by the adsorption of the model dye methylene blue. A very fast adsorption kinetic and an adsorption capacity of about 400 mg g−1 is determined. By using the developed composite particles, it is also possible to electrochemically alter substances flowing through a magnetically‐stabilized fluidized‐bed reactor by electrochemically charging/discharging, significantly supported by the magnetic field enabling alternatingly optimum mobility/adsorption phases with contact/charging intervals. The electrochemical conversion can be increased up to 151% depending on the applied flow‐rate and electrical voltage. By applying an external magnetic field, a further increase of electrochemical conversion of up to 70% can be observed

A contemporary comparison of the effect of shunt type in hypoplastic left heart syndrome on the hemodynamics and outcome at stage 2 reconstruction

ObjectiveWe compare the hemodynamics and perioperative course of shunt type in hypoplastic left heart syndrome at the time of stage 2 reconstruction and longer-term survival.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the echocardiograms, catheterizations, and hospital records of all patients who had a stage 1 reconstruction between January 2002 and May 2005 and performed a cross-sectional analysis of hospital survivors.ResultsOne hundred seventy-six patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and variants underwent a stage 1 reconstruction with either a right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduit (n = 62) or a modified Blalock–Taussig shunt (n = 114). The median duration of follow-up is 29.1 months (range, 0-57 months). By means of Kaplan–Meier analysis, there is no difference in survival at 3 years (right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduit: 73% [95% confidence limit, 59%–83%] vs modified Blalock–Taussig shunt: 69% [95% confidence limit, 59%–77%]; P = .6). One hundred twenty-four patients have undergone stage 2 reconstruction (78 modified Blalock–Taussig shunts and 46 right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduits). At the time of the stage 2 reconstruction, patients with right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduits were younger (153 days [range, 108–340 days]; modified Blalock–Taussig shunt, 176 days [range, 80–318 days]; P = .03), had lower systemic oxygen saturation (73% [range, 58%–85%] vs 77% [range, 57%–89%], P < .01), and had higher preoperative hemoglobin levels (15.8 g/dL [range, 13–21 g/dL] vs 14.8 g/dL [range, 12–19 g/dL], P < .01) compared with those of the modified Blalock–Taussig shunt group. By means of echocardiographic evaluation, there was a higher incidence of qualitative ventricular dysfunction in patients with right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduits (14/46 [31%] vs 9/73 [12%], P = .02). However, no difference was observed in common atrial pressure or the arteriovenous oxygen difference.ConclusionInterim analyses suggest no advantage of one shunt type over another. This report raises concern of late ventricular dysfunction and outcome in patients with a right ventricle–pulmonary artery conduit

Interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality from quantum chemistry to drug binding: An open-source multi-person framework

© 2019 Author(s). As molecular scientists have made progress in their ability to engineer nanoscale molecular structure, we face new challenges in our ability to engineer molecular dynamics (MD) and flexibility. Dynamics at the molecular scale differs from the familiar mechanics of everyday objects because it involves a complicated, highly correlated, and three-dimensional many-body dynamical choreography which is often nonintuitive even for highly trained researchers. We recently described how interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality (iMD-VR) can help to meet this challenge, enabling researchers to manipulate real-time MD simulations of flexible structures in 3D. In this article, we outline various efforts to extend immersive technologies to the molecular sciences, and we introduce "Narupa," a flexible, open-source, multiperson iMD-VR software framework which enables groups of researchers to simultaneously cohabit real-time simulation environments to interactively visualize and manipulate the dynamics of molecular structures with atomic-level precision. We outline several application domains where iMD-VR is facilitating research, communication, and creative approaches within the molecular sciences, including training machines to learn potential energy functions, biomolecular conformational sampling, protein-ligand binding, reaction discovery using "on-the-fly" quantum chemistry, and transport dynamics in materials. We touch on iMD-VR's various cognitive and perceptual affordances and outline how these provide research insight for molecular systems. By synergistically combining human spatial reasoning and design insight with computational automation, technologies such as iMD-VR have the potential to improve our ability to understand, engineer, and communicate microscopic dynamical behavior, offering the potential to usher in a new paradigm for engineering molecules and nano-architectures

Coatings with a mole-hill structure of nanoparticle-raspberry containers for surfaces with abrasion-refreshable reservoir functionality

Active silica nanoparticle-based raspberry-like container depots for agents such as antimicrobial substances are presented. The nano raspberry-containers are integrated into coatings in a way that they form a mole-hill structure; i.e., they are partly standing out of the coating. As an application example, it is demonstrated that the containers can be filled with antimicrobially active agents such as nano ZnO or Ag or organic molecules such as thymol. It is demonstrated that the containers can be partly chopped-off via abrasion by rubbing over the surface. This mechanism proves to be an attractive approach to render surfaces refreshable. A first proof of principle for antimicrobial activity of the intact containers in the coatings and the abrasion treated, chopped-off (and thereby reactivated) containers is demonstrated

Nanostructured micro-raspberries from superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Studying agglomeration degree and redispersibility of nanoparticulate powders via magnetisation measurements

Surface modified superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are assembled into nanostructured micro-raspberry particles via spray drying. The micro-raspberry powder is readily redispersed to individual nanoparticles or nanostructured sub-units, depending on the initially adjusted nanoparticle modification. In this work, it is demonstrated how the technique of magnetic zero-field-cooled/field-cooled (ZFC/FC) measurements can be used to judge the degree of agglomeration, i.e. the extent of hard-agglomerates and soft-agglomerates in a system and predict the redispersibility of the powder particles. Furthermore, the uniformity of surface modification of the individual nanoparticles can be judged via this method. In addition, the technique can be applied to characterise complex nanostructured particle systems composed of iron oxide nanoparticles mixed with another type of nanoparticulate building-block. Thus, this work shows that magnetic measurement techniques are a promising approach to characterise agglomeration states of nanoparticles, their degree of surface modification and their distribution in complex particle and composite systems

Duplication cyst mimicking intestinal malrotation with volvulus: A case report

Introduction: Neonates presenting with bilious vomiting require emergent evaluation to rule out malrotation with volvulus. Enteric duplication cysts are congenital gastrointestinal lesions that can cause intestinal obstruction. However, they are not typically associated with a presentation and imaging findings suspicious for intestinal malrotation with volvulus. Case presentation: An eight-week-old male presented with progressive feeding intolerance, weight-loss, and bilious vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal series showed a complete obstruction at the ligament of Treitz with a “bird beak” sign. Due to the clinical assessment and imaging findings, malrotation with volvulus was suspected and the patient underwent surgical exploration during which an obstructing enteric duplication cyst was found on the proximal jejunum. The duplication cyst and the adjacent jejunum were resected, and bowel continuity was restored by a primary anastomosis. The diagnosis of an enteric duplication cyst was confirmed on the histopathological examination. Conclusion: To our knowledge this is the first reported case of a jejunal enteric duplication cyst located at the ligament of Treitz leading to intestinal obstruction and having findings on imaging studies mimicking those of an intestinal malrotation with volvulus. Enteric duplication cysts should be included in the differential diagnosis of newborns with acute bilious vomiting

Mission Operations

The success of a space mission depends not only on a properly designed and built space segment and the successful launch via a launch segment. It also depends on the ground segment and successful mission operations, carried out by a team of experts using the infrastructure and processes of the mission’s ground segment. Its organization and design as well as the assembly, integration, test, and verification (AITV) are therefore equally important as the respective activities of the space and launch segment. A ground segment thereby comprises a ground system, i.e., infrastructure, hardware, software, and processes, and a team that conducts the necessary operations on the space segment

Versatile triggered substance release systems via a highly flexible high throughput encapsulation technique

Herein, a new high speed process for microcapsule generation in the field of medium-to-large-size capsules (0.2–5 mm) is reported which is rendered possible by combining three basic processing techniques in one system, namely the coextrusion technique, the vibrational nozzle technique and UV-curing. The versatility of the process is impressing, when it is combined with suitable materials. This is demonstrated for controlled release systems for concrete additives (superplasticizers) based on core–shell as well as matrix-type morphology that are assembled herein. It is shown that the process is highly flexible with respect to the material that can be encapsulated and, moreover, highly adjustable with respect to release mechanisms as these can be steered via the flexible choice of the shell materials. Eventually, the capsules can be created in a highly robust way and at remarkable throughput speed