Electricity production by the application of a low voltage DC-DC boost converter to a continuously operating flat-plate microbial fuel cell

An ultra-low voltage customized DC-DC booster circuit was developed using a LTC3108 converter, and used continuously on a flat-plate microbial fuel cell (FPM) system. The boost converter successfully stepped up the microbial fuel cell (MFC) voltage from ~0.5 V to 3.3 and 5.0 V of outputs. The designed circuit and system displayed the dynamic variations of the source FPM as well as the output voltage through the designed three connection points within the booster circuit. The source MFC voltage was interrelated with the booster circuit and its performance, and it adapted to the set points of the booster dynamically. The maximum output power density of the MFC with the DC-DC booster circuit was 8.16 W/m3 compared to the maximum source FPM input power of 14.27 W/m3 at 100 Ω, showing a conversion efficiency of 26–57%, but with a 10-fold higher output than that of the source voltage. The combined LTC3108 with FPM supplied power for electronic devices using synthetic and real domestic wastewater. This report presents a promising strategy for utilizing the electrical energy produced from MFCs, and expands the applicability of bioelectrochemical systems with an improved energy efficiency of the present wastewater treatment system

Feasibility Test of a Liquid Film Thickness Sensor on a Flexible Printed Circuit Board Using a Three-Electrode Conductance Method

Liquid film thickness measurements under temperature-varying conditions in a two-phase flow are of great importance to refining our understanding of two-phase flows. In order to overcome the limitations of the conventional electrical means of measuring the thickness of a liquid film, this study proposes a three-electrode conductance method, with the device fabricated on a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB). The three-electrode conductance method offers the advantage of applicability under conditions with varying temperatures in principle, while the FPCB has the advantage of usability on curved surfaces and in relatively high-temperature conditions in comparison with sensors based on a printed circuit board (PCB). Two types of prototype sensors were fabricated on an FPCB and the feasibility of both was confirmed in a calibration test conducted at different temperatures. With the calibrated sensor, liquid film thickness measurements were conducted via a falling liquid film flow experiment, and the working performance was tested

On the graphic arcs embeddable in algebraic plane curves

SIGLETIB: in ZS 808 (169) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Procedure-related musculoskeletal symptoms in gastrointestinal endoscopists in Korea

AIM: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in gastrointestinal endoscopists in Korea

Discovery of a Novel Series of Potent and Orally Bioavailable Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase γ Inhibitors

The phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) have been linked to an extraordinarily diversified group of cellular functions making these enzymes compelling targets for the treatment of disease. A large body of evidence has linked PI3Kγ to the modulation of autoimmune and inflammatory processes making it an intriguing target for drug discovery. Our high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign revealed two hits that were nominated for further optimization studies. The in vitro activity of the first HTS hit, designated as the sulfonylpiperazine scaffold, was optimized utilizing structure-based design. However, nonoptimal pharmacokinetic properties precluded this series from further studies. An overlay of the X-ray structures of the sulfonylpiperazine scaffold and the second HTS hit within their complexes with PI3Kγ revealed a high degree of overlap. This feature was utilized to design a series of hybrid analogues including advanced leads such as <b>31</b> with desirable potency, selectivity, and oral bioavailability