Harvesting electrical energy using plasmon-enhanced light pressure in a platinum cut cone

We have designed a method of harvesting electrical energy using plasmon-enhanced light pressure. A device was fabricated as a cut cone structure that optimizes light collection so that the weak incident light pressure can be sufficiently enhanced inside the cut cone to generate electrical energy. An increase in the device's current output is a strong indication that the pressure of incident light has been enhanced by the surface plasmons on a platinum layer inside the cut cone. The electrical energy harvested in a few minutes by irradiating pulsed laser light on a single micro device was possible to illuminate a blue LED

Cetaceans evolution:insights from the genome sequences of common minke whales

Background: Whales have captivated the human imagination for millennia. These incredible cetaceans are the only mammals that have adapted to life in the open oceans and have been a source of human food, fuel and tools around the globe. The transition from land to water has led to various aquatic specializations related to hairless skin and ability to regulate their body temperature in cold water. Results: We present four common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) genomes with depth of ×13 ~ ×17 coverage and perform resequencing technology without a reference sequence. Our results indicated the time to the most recent common ancestors of common minke whales to be about 2.3574 (95% HPD, 1.1521 - 3.9212) million years ago. Further, we found that genes associated with epilation and tooth-development showed signatures of positive selection, supporting the morphological uniqueness of whales. Conclusions: This whole-genome sequencing offers a chance to better understand the evolutionary journey of one of the largest mammals on earth

Boosting the lifespan of magneto-mechano-electric generator via vertical installation for sustainable powering of Internet of Things sensor

Sustainability is essential for magneto-mechano-electric (MME) energy harvesters that convert low-frequency magnetic noise into useful electrical energy to be considered a practical power source for implementing real-life Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks. In this study, we propose a vertically installed MME energy harvester based on a piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, PMN-PZT) single-crystal macro fiber composite cantilever. The MME harvester generates 12.2 mW output power from a low-amplitude stray magnetic field of 2.5 Oe and exhibits a long-term usable lifetime of 2.5 × 109 cycles while maintaining over 90 % of its output. An accelerated life test method is employed to predict the usable lifetime of the MME harvester using an inverse power law-Weibull model with accelerating stress of magneto-mechanical vibration-induced strain. In addition, a standalone wireless environmental monitoring system is demonstrated to operate for 10 weeks by exploiting the harvested power from stray magnetic fields (~2.2 Oe) near the power cables of home appliances. This study paves the way for lifetime assessment and prediction of sustainable MME harvesters to increase the practicability of self-powered IoT devices in smart infrastructures. © 2022 The Author

Synthesis of Submicron Hexagonal Plate-Type SnS 2

SnS2 and Sn1−xTixS2 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 mol) materials were designed using solvothermal method with the aim to enhance hydrogen production from water/methanol water photosplitting. Scanning electron microscopy revealed hexagonal plates with one side, 3.0 μm in length, in the SnS2 materials. Pure SnS2 showed absorption band edges of above 660 nm, and the absorption was shifted to low wavelengths with the insertion of Ti ions. The evolution of H2 from MeOH/H2O (1 : 1) photosplitting over SnS2 hexagonal plates in the photocatalytic liquid system was 0.016 mL h−1 g−1, and the evolutions were enhanced in Sn1−xTixS2. In particular, 0.049 mL h−1 g−1 of H2 gas was produced in Sn0.7Ti0.3S2 without electrolytes and it increased significantly to more than 90.6% (0.47 mL h−1 g−1 evolutions) at higher pH using 0.1 M of KOH. Based on the UV-visible absorption spectra, the high photocatalytic activity of Sn1−xTixS2 was attributed to the existence of an appropriate band-gap state that retarded recombination between the electrons and holes

Effective Carbon Dioxide Photoreduction over Metals (Fe-, Co-, Ni-, and Cu-) Incorporated TiO2/Basalt Fiber Films

Mineralogical basalt fibers as a complementary adsorbent were introduced to improve the adsorption of CO2 over the surfaces of photocatalysts. TiO2 photocatalysts (M-TiO2) incorporated with 5.0 mol.% 3d-transition metals (Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) were prepared using a solvothermal method and mixed with basalt fibers for applications to CO2 photoreduction. The resulting 5.0 mol.% M-TiO2 powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller surface area, and CO2-temperature-programmed desorption. A paste composed of two materials was coated and fixed on a Pyrex plate by a thermal treatment. The 5.0 mol.% M-TiO2/basalt fiber films increased the adsorption of CO2 significantly, indicating superior photocatalytic behavior compared to pure TiO2 and basalt fiber films, and produced 158~360 μmol gcat-1 L−1 CH4 gases after an 8 h reaction. In particular, the best performance was observed over the 5.0 mol.% Co-TiO2/basalt fiber film. These results were attributed to the effective CO2 gas adsorption and inhibition of photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination

Protective Effect of Chrysanthemum boreale Flower Extracts against A2E-Induced Retinal Damage in ARPE-19 Cell

In age-related macular degeneration, N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E) accumulates in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and generates oxidative stress, which further induces cell death. Polyphenols are well known for their antioxidant and beneficial effects on vision. Chrysanthemum boreale Makino (CB) flowers, which contain flavonoids, have antioxidant activity. We hypothesized that polyphenols in ethanolic extracts of CB (CBE) and its fractions suppressed A2E-mediated ARPE-19 cell damage, a human RPE cell line. CBE is rich in polyphenols, shows antioxidant activity, and suppresses intracellular accumulation of A2E and cell death induced by A2E. Among the five fractions, the polyphenol content and antioxidant effect were in the order of the ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc) > butanol fraction (BuOH) > hexane fraction (Hex) > dichloromethane fraction (CH2Cl2) > water fraction (H2O). In contrast, the inhibitory ability of A2E accumulation and A2E-induced cell death was highest in H2O, followed by BuOH. In the correlation analysis, polyphenols in the H2O and BuOH fractions had a significant positive correlation with antioxidant effects, but no significant correlation with cell damage caused by A2E. Our findings suggest that substances other than polyphenols present in CBE can suppress the effects of A2E, and further research is needed

Protective Effect of <i>Chrysanthemum boreale</i> Flower Extracts against A2E-Induced Retinal Damage in ARPE-19 Cell

In age-related macular degeneration, N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E) accumulates in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and generates oxidative stress, which further induces cell death. Polyphenols are well known for their antioxidant and beneficial effects on vision. Chrysanthemum boreale Makino (CB) flowers, which contain flavonoids, have antioxidant activity. We hypothesized that polyphenols in ethanolic extracts of CB (CBE) and its fractions suppressed A2E-mediated ARPE-19 cell damage, a human RPE cell line. CBE is rich in polyphenols, shows antioxidant activity, and suppresses intracellular accumulation of A2E and cell death induced by A2E. Among the five fractions, the polyphenol content and antioxidant effect were in the order of the ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc) > butanol fraction (BuOH) > hexane fraction (Hex) > dichloromethane fraction (CH2Cl2) > water fraction (H2O). In contrast, the inhibitory ability of A2E accumulation and A2E-induced cell death was highest in H2O, followed by BuOH. In the correlation analysis, polyphenols in the H2O and BuOH fractions had a significant positive correlation with antioxidant effects, but no significant correlation with cell damage caused by A2E. Our findings suggest that substances other than polyphenols present in CBE can suppress the effects of A2E, and further research is needed