Templated native silk smectic gels

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a fibrous protein smectic hydrogel by way of a solvent templating process, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; and collecting the resulting fibrous protein smectic hydrogel and allowing it to dry. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining predominantly one enantiomer from a racemic mixture, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; allowing the enantiomers of racemic mixture to diffuse selectively into the smectic hydrogel in solution; removing the smectic hydrogel from the solution; rinsing predominantly one enantiomer from the surface of the smectic hydrogel; and extracting predominantly one enantiomer from the interior of the smectic hydrogel. The present invention also relates to a smectic hydrogel prepared according to an aforementioned method

Skills and training in hierarchical capitalism: the rise and fall of vocational training in South Korea

From an economic model in which education and growth reinforced each other, South Korea has developed a pathological equilibrium holding back economic and social progress. Low labour productivity and skills mismatch undermine the economic prospects of the country, and sharp rises in inequality in an ever more dualised labour market erode social cohesion. Governments of different political persuasion have recognised these challenges, and they have thought to reinvigorate vocational education and training (VET). However, this article shows that large employers – which were at the heart of a segmentalist coalition between business and government when collective skills formation of the Developmental State was dismantled – continue to undermine any efforts of meaningful vocational skills formation. It is argued that the country’s hierarchical production regime and, related to this, labour market dualisation provide the micro-foundations for successive failure in VET reform; and without challenging large employers’ dominant position in the Korean political economy and without addressing labour market dualism, the reform of VET policy can be expected to remain a futile endeavour

Templated Native Silk Smectic Gels

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a fibrous protein smectic hydrogel by way of a solvent templating process, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; and collecting the resulting fibrous protein smectic hydrogel and allowing it to dry. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining predominantly one enantiomer from a racemic mixture, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; allowing the enantiomers of racemic mixture to diffuse selectively into the smectic hydrogel in solution; removing the smectic hydrogel from the solution; rinsing predominantly one enantiomer from the surface of the smectic hydrogel; and extracting predominantly one enantiomer from the interior of the smectic hydrogel. The present invention also relates to a smectic hydrogel prepared according to an aforementioned method

Templated Native Silk Smectic Gels

One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of preparing a fibrous protein smectic hydrogel by way of a solvent templating process, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; and collecting the resulting fibrous protein smectic hydrogel and allowing it to dry. Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of obtaining predominantly one enantiomer from a racemic mixture, comprising the steps of pouring an aqueous fibrous protein solution into a container comprising a solvent that is not miscible with water; sealing the container and allowing it to age at about room temperature; allowing the enantiomers of racemic mixture to diffuse selectively into the smectic hydrogel in solution; removing the smectic hydrogel from the solution; rinsing predominantly one enantiomer from the surface of the smectic hydrogel; and extracting predominantly one enantiomer from the interior of the smectic hydrogel. The present invention also relates to a smectic hydrogel prepared according to an aforementioned method

Use of Microalgae for Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Sustainable Bioenergy Generation

Given that sustainable energy production and advanced wastewater treatment for producing clean water are two major challenges faced by modern society, microalgae make a desirable treatment alternative by providing a renewable biomass feedstock for biofuel production, while treating wastewater as a growth medium. Microalgae have been known to be resilient to the toxic contaminants of highly concentrated organic wastewater (e.g., organic nitrogen, phosphorus, and salinity) and are excellent at sorbing heavy metals and emerging contaminants. Economic and environmental advantages associated with massive algae culturing in wastewater constitute a driving force to promote its utilization as a feedstock for biofuels. However, there are still many challenges to be resolved which have impeded the development of algal biofuel technology at a commercial scale. This review provides an overview of an integrated approach using microalgae for wastewater treatment, CO2 utilization, and biofuel production. The main goal of this article is to promote research in algae technologies by outlining critical needs along the integrated process train, including cultivation, harvesting, and biofuel production. Various aspects associated with design challenges of microalgae production are described and current developments in algae cultivation and pretreatment of algal biomass for biofuel production are also discussed. Furthermore, synergistic coupling of the use of microalgae for advanced wastewater treatment and biofuel production is highlighted in a sustainability context using life cycle analysis.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140370/1/ees.2016.0132.pd

Quantification of the extremely intensified East Korea Warm Current in the summer of 2021: offshore and coastal variabilities

In this study, we investigate the record-breaking intensification and abrupt weakening of the East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) in the summer of 2021. We analyzed the ocean data assimilation products resolving this event to examine the association between the abrupt changes in the EKWC and various oceanic/atmospheric factors. The results indicate that during the summer of 2021, the EKWC extended northward beyond its climatology, reaching up to 40°N with the maximum speed of 1.16 m s-1 on August 1. In mid-August, the EKWC underwent a rapid weakening, returning to its climatological level. We could attribute the temporal variability in the anomalous EKWC in 2021 to the distinct temporal variability in the dynamic height anomalies between coastal and offshore regions. The offshore variability in the dynamic height anomaly, which is related to warm eddy variability, led to an anomalously increased EKWC velocity (up to 0.59 m s-1) during the EKWC peak velocity period in 2021. However, anomalous coastal downwelling induced by a weak northerly wind anomaly decelerated the EKWC by -0.06 m s-1 in the same period. In mid-August, a typhoon-related northerly wind induced a sudden rise in the coastal dynamic height anomaly, resulting in a rapid weakening of the EKWC. Our findings suggest that changes in geostrophic current related to warm eddies and typhoons have substantially contributed to the temporal variability in the EKWC, improving our understanding of the temporal variability in the western boundary currents

Protocatechuic acid impacts rotator cuff healing and reduces fatty degeneration in a chronic rotator cuff tear model in rats

Background The purpose of this study was to verify the effect of protocatechuic acid (PCA) on tendon healing and fatty degeneration in a chronic rotator cuff model. Methods Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly allocated into two groups: Saline+repair (SR) and PCA+repair (PR). The right shoulder was used for experimental interventions, and the left served as a control. PCA (30 mg/kg/day) was administered intraperitoneally at the site of infraspinatus tendon detachment in rats in the PR group, and the same volume of saline was administered to the same site in the SR group. The torn tendon was repaired 4 weeks after infraspinatus detachment. Four weeks after repair, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), S100, and CD68 stains were performed to evaluate the degree of fatty degeneration and H&E and Masson trichrome stains were performed to assess tendon healing. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured to test the efficacy of PCA as an antioxidant. Results Results from histological evaluation indicated that SOD and CD68 levels at the musculotendinous region and collagen fiber parallel to the orientation at the tendon-to-bone junction were not significantly different between the SR and PR groups. The mean load-to-failure of the PR group (20.32±9.37 N) was higher than that of the SR group (16.44±6.90 N), although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.395). The SOD activity in the operative side infraspinatus muscle of the PR group was higher than that of the SR group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.053). Conclusions The use of PCA could improve tendon healing and decrease fatty degeneration after rotator cuff repair