Analysis of the characteristics of silver nanowires (AgNW) random network for transparent heater applications.

Transparent heaters (THs) find widespread application in various indoor and outdoor settings, such as LCD panels and motorcycle helmet visors. Among the materials used for efficient TH performance, the AgNW network stands out due to its high conductivity, substantial transmittance, and minimal solution requirement. Extensive research has been directed towards enhancing AgNW characteristics, focusing on smaller diameters and longer wires. In TH applications, the primary considerations include a rapid response and elevated temperature. Consequently, this research delves into investigating the impact of parameters like diameter, length, and density on random AgNW networks under varying applied voltages. The finite element method is employed for analyzing temperature changes in response to voltage application, particularly in scenarios involving small-scale setups with high-density and high-percolation AgNW networks. The results reveal a significant increase in the thermal transition rate, ranging from 28% to 36%, with varying densities in the random network. Within the same density, the AgNW network with larger diameters and lengths demonstrates the highest temperatures, aligning with previous calculations. Furthermore, a trade-off exists between optical properties in smaller diameters and electrical properties in larger diameters within a relatively narrow temperature range.

Comparison of postoperative pain between transoral and conventional thyroidectomy: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: The extent of postoperative pain following transoral thyroidectomy is not well-understood and remains a subject of debate. This study aims to analyze and compare postoperative pain levels between patients undergoing transoral and conventional transcervical thyroidectomy. METHODS: A prospective evaluation on postoperative pain was conducted in 310 patients undergoing conventional thyroidectomy and 194 undergoing transoral thyroidectomy. Pain levels were evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS, ranging from 0 to 10) through preoperative and postoperative questionnaires at specified time points: 1, 3, and 6 days, and 1 and 3 months following surgery. Propensity score-matched analysis was carried out based on six covariates: sex, age, body mass index, extent of thyroidectomy, tumor size, and central neck dissection. RESULTS: After propensity score matching based on the six covariates, 121 patient pairs were identified from each group. Within this matched cohort, postoperative pain scores significantly worsened 1 day after surgery but showed progressive recovery up to 3 months post-surgery in both groups. The transoral group exhibited higher postoperative pain scores than the conventional group from day 1 (4.43 ± 2.6 vs. 3.11 ± 2.5, p < 0.001) to day 6 (1.76 ± 1.9 vs. 1.13 ± 1.6, p = 0.016) post-surgery, with no significant difference noted at 1 month. Among transoral procedures, pain scores were significantly higher for the endoscopic approach compared to the robotic approach on days 1 (5.52 ± 2.3 vs. 4.29 ± 2.3, p = 0.028) and 3 (3.52 ± 2.5 vs. 2.64 ± 2.0, p = 0.047) post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative pain was significantly higher in transoral thyroidectomy compared to conventional thyroidectomy up to 6 days post-surgery. Within the transoral group, the robotic procedure resulted in lower pain levels than the endoscopic approach during the early postoperative period.

Oncologic outcomes and surgical completeness of remote-access thyroidectomy: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The oncologic safety and surgical completeness of remote-access thyroidectomies are not yet clearly established. This study evaluates the oncologic outcomes and surgical completeness of three prevalent remote-access thyroidectomies: the gasless transaxillary approach (GTAA), bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA), and transoral approach (TOA), in comparison with conventional transcervical thyroidectomy (CTT). METHODS: Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases, covering the period from 2000 to 2023. Network meta-analyses were performed on selected studies, focusing on recurrence and surgical completeness. Surgical completeness was assessed using stimulated serum thyroglobulin levels and the count of retrieved lymph nodes. RESULTS: The review included 48 studies, encompassing a total of 16,356 patients. The number of retrieved lymph nodes was comparable among BABA, TOA, and CTT, while GTAA might be less effective. Stimulated serum thyroglobulin levels showed no significant differences across the four groups. However, the proportion of patients with stimulated thyroglobulin levels below 1.0 ng/mL was significantly lower in GTAA compared to the other groups. The overall recurrence rates were 1.31% for CTT, 0.89% for GTAA, 0.62% for BABA, and 0% for TOA, with no significant differences in recurrence rates when adjusted for follow-up duration. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the oncologic outcomes of GTAA, BABA, and TOA are comparable to those of CTT, based on recurrence rates. In terms of surgical completeness, BABA and TOA showed equivalence to CTT, whereas GTAA might be inferior to the other techniques.

Evaluation of the validity and reliability of a self-assessment questionnaire for cosmetic outcomes after thyroidectomy: a cross-sectional validation study.

PURPOSE: The Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Cosmetic Outcomes (SAQCO) was developed by us to evaluate the cosmetic outcome of patients after thyroidectomy. This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of SAQCO. METHODS: We analyzed the cosmetic outcomes of 368 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and completed the SAQCO 1 year after surgery. The one-dimensionality, reliability, and validity of SAQCO were assessed using factor analysis models, Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest statistics. The differences in cosmesis indices between patient characteristics and surgical parameters were analyzed through comparative and regression analyses. RESULTS: The unidimensional convergence of SAQCO was examined. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.91, strong item-total correlation values (from 0.77 to 0.89), and a test-retest correlation value of 0.86 indicated the internal consistency and reliability of the SAQCO. The cosmesis index was significantly highest in the transoral (92.3 points) and transaxillary groups (90.9 points), followed by the postauricular (84.8 points) and transcervical groups (76.4 points). CONCLUSION: This study examined the reliability and validity of the SAQCO and showed that it is a suitable questionnaire for assessing cosmetic satisfaction of patients after thyroidectomy. The transoral and transaxillary approaches yield significantly superior cosmetic results compared to the conventional transcervical and postauricular approaches.

Change in functional disability and its trends among older adults in Korea over 2008-2020: a 4-year follow-up cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of functional disabilities, including difficulties in performing activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), increased significantly in recent years and burdened the healthcare system. METHODS: We analysed data from Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) surveys, including participants aged 65 or older at baseline (2008), and participated in all 4-year follow-up periods in 2012, 2016, and 2020. A 4-year follow-up cohort study was applied to specify the change in functional disability and its trend over time among older adults. The generalized estimation equation (GEE) model was used to verify the uptrend of functional disability. Logistic regression analyses were applied to examine the influence of demographic and health parameters on the change in functional disability. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADL disability was 2.24% at baseline, increased to 3.10% after four years, 6.42% after eight years, and reached 11.12% after 12 years, five times higher than that at baseline. For IADL disability, they were 10.67%, 10.61%, 18.18%, and 25.57%, respectively. The uptrend of ADL disability in persons aged 65-74 (1.77% at baseline, increased to 7.65% in 2020, 12-year change of 5.88%) was slower than in those aged 75 or older (4.22% at baseline, increased to 25.90% in 2020, 12-year change of 21.68%). IADL disability were consistent with this. The high ADL/IADL disability rate was also present among persons with poor health status, physical inactivity, depression, dementia, and multiple chronic diseases. The relative risk of ADL/IADL disability in persons with a history of functional disability was significantly higher than in those without historical disabilities. CONCLUSION: The study verified the change in functional disability and its upward trend over time by older adults' demographic and health parameters. Functional disability was relatively flat tending to increase slowly during the early years but increased rapidly in the following years. Factors that strongly influenced the change in prevalence and the uptrend of functional disability were advanced age, living alone, being underweight or obese, poor health status, physical inactivity, depression, dementia, having multiple chronic diseases, and especially having a historical disability.

High Selectivity Hydrogen Gas Sensor Based on WO3/Pd-AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

We investigated the hydrogen gas sensors based on AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) for high temperature sensing operation. The gate area of the sensor was functionalized using a 10 nm Pd catalyst layer for hydrogen gas sensing. A thin WO3 layer was deposited on top of the Pd layer to enhance the sensor selectivity toward hydrogen gas. At 200 °C, the sensor exhibited high sensitivity of 658% toward 4%-H2, while exhibiting only a little interaction with NO2, CH4, CO2, NH3, and H2S. From 150 °C to 250 °C, the 10 ppm hydrogen response of the sensor was at least eight times larger than other target gases. These results showed that this sensor is suitable for H2 detection in a complex gas environment at a high temperature.

Virtual screening and rational design of antioxidant peptides based on tryptophyllin L structures isolated from the Litoria rubella frog.

Discovery of natural antioxidants has been carried out for decades relying mainly on experimental approaches that are commonly associated with time and cost demanding biochemical assays. The maturation of quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) modelling has provided an alternative approach for searching and designing antioxidant compounds with alleviated costs. As a contribution to this approach, this work aimed to establish a fragment-based 3D-QSAR procedure to discover and design potential antioxidants based on tryptophyllin L structures isolated from the red tree frog Litoria rubella. A force field and a Gaussian 3D-QSAR model were built to screen for potential antioxidants from tripeptide fragments covering all sequences of tryptophyllin L database. Among those, PWY(NH2 ) corresponding tryptophyllin L 4.1 was predicted to have the highest 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS+ ·) scavenging capability. Two newly designed peptides PYW and PYW(NH2 ) together with PWY(NH2 ), tryptophyllin L 4.1, and the reference peptide PWY were synthesized and subjected to two antioxidant assays including ABTS scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power assays. Although the experimental TEAC values of the five peptides were roughly similar to those from predictions, the activity order was not in agreement with the predictions. The dissimilarities were accounted by the difference in the experimental procedures, the deviation of modelling regression, and the synergetic effect of structural and experimental features. The ABTS radical scavenging assays revealed that all the tested peptides were strong ABTS+ · scavengers with the antioxidant capabilities approximately twice as high as trolox and higher than glutathione. The ferric reducing activities of the peptides were, on the other hand, much weaker than that of trolox suggesting different antioxidant mechanisms inserted by trolox and the peptides. This work was a demonstration that 3D-QSAR methods can be employed in conjunction with experimental methods to effectively detect and design antioxidant peptides.

Antioxidant activities of major tryptophyllin L peptides: A joint investigation of Gaussian-based 3D-QSAR and radical scavenging experiments.

The red tree frog Litoria rubella from Australia has been studied for several decades showing that their dorsal skin glands secrete a number of small peptides containing a Pro-Trp sequence, known as tryptophyllin L peptides. Although peptides from many genera of Australian frogs have been reported to possess a variety of biological activities, the bioactivities of this peptide family have remained to be discovered. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant potency of a number of tryptophyllin L peptides for the first time using a joint statistical and experimental approach in which predictions based on Gaussian three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models were employed to guide an in vitro experimental investigation. Two tryptophyllin tripeptides P-W-L (OH) and P-W-L (NH2 ) were predicted to have the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values of 0.80 and 0.87 µM Trolox/µM peptide, respectively. With those promising results, antioxidant capabilities of five tryptophyllin L peptides with the common core Pro-Trp-Leu were synthesized and subjected to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical cation (ABTS˙+ ) radical scavenging assays. The tests indicated that all the tested tryptophyllin L peptides, noticeably S-P-W-L (OH) and F-P-W-L (NH2 ), are strong ABTS˙+ radical scavengers and moderate scavengers in the other two assays. The results, thus, suggested that the tryptophyllin L peptides are likely to be a part of the skin antioxidant system helping the frog to cope with drastic change in oxygen exposure and humidity, as they inhabit over a large area of Australia with a wide climate variation.

The Influence of Dopant Concentration on Optical-Electrical Features of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cell.

In this study, TiO2/CdS/CdxCu1-xSe, TiO2/CdS/CdxMn1-xSe, and TiO2/CdS/CdxAg2-2xSe thin films were synthesized by chemical bath deposition for the fabrication of photoanode in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. As a result, the structural properties of the thin films have been studied by X-ray diffraction, which confirmed the zinc Blende structure in the samples. The optical films were researched by their experimental absorption spectra with different doping concentrations. Those results were combined with the Tauc correlation to estimate the absorption density, the band gap energy, valence band and conduction band positions, steepness parameter, and electron-phonon interaction. Furthermore, the electrical features, electrochemical impedance spectrum and photocurrent density curves were carried out. The result was used to explain the enhancing performance efficiency.

Immunoreaction-Mediated Aggregation of Gold Nanoparticles for Sensitive and Selective Assay of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen.

A rapid, sensitive and quantitative assay method for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is of paramount importance for the drug development and in the diagnosis of this disease. Here, we proposed a novel biosensor that sensitively and selectively screen Hepatitis B surface antigen. This strategy relies on the cross-linking aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that were decorated with Hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) and Raman reporter 5-thio-nitrobenzoic acid (TNB) by Hepatitis B surface antigen. The immune reaction between HBsAb and HBsAg offers this strategy high specificity, and the use of AuNPs additionally allows a visual and homogeneous assay format, thus permitting improved simplicity and throughput of the assays. The selectivity and sensitivity in HBsAg assay were achieved with a wide linear response range from 0.5 ng/mL to 50 ng/mL and a detection limit of 0.2 ng/mL. The results indicated that this strategy can offer a simple, robust and convenient platform for HBsAg analysis and related biochemical studies with high sensitivity and selectivity.

Preparation of chitosan coated magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and application for adsorption of reactive blue 19 and Ni2+ ions.

An adsorbent called chitosan coated magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (CS-MHAP) was prepared with the purpose of improvement for the removal of Ni(2+) ions and textile dye by coprecipitation. Structure and properties of CS-MHAP were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Weight percent of chitosan was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The prepared CS-MHAP presents a significant improvement on the removal efficiency of Ni(2+) ions and reactive blue 19 dye (RB19) in comparison with chitosan and magnetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. Moreover, the adsorption capacities were affected by several parameters such as contact time, initial concentration, adsorbent dosage, and initial pH. Interestingly, the prepared adsorbent could be easily recycled from an aqueous solution by an external magnet and reused for adsorption with high removal efficiency.

Factors Associated with Depression among Working-Age Household Heads in Korea: A Cross-Sectional Household Study.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a mental disorder common worldwide. This study determined the relationships between demographics, health status, household parameters, and depression rates among working-age household heads. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study Survey conducted in 2020. The 11-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to assess depression. Bivariate analyses and a multiple logistic regression model were used to evaluate the influence of these factors on depression among household heads. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of depression among working-age household heads was 11.69% (19.83% of females and 9.58% of males). The relative risk of depression was 1.71 times higher among the unemployed than among wage earners and 2.18 times higher among those with low income than among those with general income. The relative risk of depression was 3.23 times higher in those with poor health status than in those with good health, and 2.45 times more in those with severe disabilities than in those without disabilities. The rate of depression decreased with education level, number of family members, and presence of children but increased with the presence of the disabled or elderly. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive overview of depression among working-age household heads and identifies factors strongly associated with depression. These findings may have implications for policymakers to reduce the burden on and improve the quality of life of household heads.

Presence of Anxiety or Depression Feelings and Its Associated Risk Factors among Immigrants in Korea: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The influx of immigrants into Korea has increased in recent years, affecting Korean society and the healthcare system. This study analyzed the frequency of anxiety and depression in immigrants, which negatively affects their quality of life. Methods: We analyzed data from a 2020 survey on the Health Rights of Migrants and the Improvement of the Medical Security System. Bivariate analyses and a multiple logistic regression model were used to identify the risk factors associated with the presence of anxiety or depression among immigrants. Results: We included 746 immigrants, 55.9% of whom were female. The overall rate of anxiety or depression was 31.77%, with 38.3% in females, which was significantly higher than the 26.62% in males. The frequency of anxiety and depression was also strongly associated with certain immigrant groups, including immigrants of African or Western Asian origin (over 64%); those with student visas (60.53%); those who self-reported poor health (52%), physical or mental disabilities (69.23%), or chronic diseases (58.43%); and those facing difficulties accessing medical services (59.47%). Conclusion: This study showed the frequency of feelings of anxiety or depression and associated risk factors among immigrants. These findings may have implications for policymakers in reducing the likelihood of developing anxiety or depression in the future and improving the quality of life of immigrants in Korea.

Comparison of surgical outcomes of transoral robotic and endoscopic thyroidectomy: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

This study aimed to compare surgical outcomes of transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT) and transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA), concurrently compared with conventional transcervical thyroidectomy (CTT). A network meta-analysis, comprising 23 studies, was performed in this study. The operative time of the CTT group was significantly shorter than that of the TOETVA and TORT groups. The hospital stay of the TOETVA group was significantly longer than that of the CTT group. Rates of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and total complications were higher in association with TOETVA than with TORT. No significant differences were found between the three groups in intraoperative blood loss, retrieved lymph nodes, postoperative pain, and other complications. Cosmetic satisfaction was significantly superior with TORT and TOETVA than with CTT. Compared with CTT, TOETVA and TORT showed superior cosmesis but no significant difference in surgical outcomes except for operative time and hospital stay.

Feasibility of remote-access and minimally invasive video-assisted approaches in lateral neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and surgical outcomes of minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT) and three remote-access approaches, namely the robotic bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA-R), endoscopic breast-chest approach (BCA-E), and robotic gasless transaxillary approach (GTAA-R) in lateral neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma, compared with conventional transcervical approach (CTA). METHODS: The literature search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases, covering the period January 2000 to February 2024. A systematic review and network meta-analysis were performed to compare surgical feasibility, safety, and oncologic outcomes between approaches. RESULTS: Fourteen articles on lateral neck dissection in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were included after systematic screening. The number of removed and metastatic lateral lymph nodes, the extent of lateral neck dissection, the rate of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism, serum-stimulated thyroglobulin levels, and recurrence were not significantly different between the MIVAT and three remote-access approaches. Additionally, these were comparable to those of the CTA. However, the MIVAT and remote-access approaches took a longer operative time but provided superior cosmetic outcomes compared to the CTA. CONCLUSION: Lateral neck dissection using the MIVAT and three remote-access approaches was feasible and comparable to CTA in the number of lymph nodes removed, complications, stimulated thyroglobulin level, and recurrence. The MIVAT and remote-access approaches lasted longer but provided significantly superior cosmetic outcomes compared to the CTA.

Construction of BiOCl/bismuth-based halide perovskite heterojunctions derived from the metal-organic framework CAU-17 for effective photocatalytic degradation.

The designed synthesis of an S-scheme heterojunction has possessed a great potential for improving photocatalytic wastewater treatment by demonstrating increased the photoredox capacity and improved the charge separation efficiency. Here, we introduce the fabrication of a heterojunction-based photocatalyst comprising bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) and bismuth-based halide perovskite (BHP) nanosheets, derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Our composite photocatalyst is synthesized through a one-pot solvothermal strategy, where a halogenation process is applied to a bismuth-based metal-organic framework (CAU-17) as the precursor for bismuth sourcing. As a result, the rod-like structure of CAU-17 transforms into well-defined plate and nanosheet architectures after 4 and 8 h of solvothermal treatment, respectively. The modulation of the solvothermal reaction time facilitates the establishment of an S-scheme heterojunction, resulting in an increase in the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of rhodamine B (RhB) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX). The optimized BiOCl/BHP composite exhibits superior RhB and SMX degradation rates, achieving 99.8% degradation of RhB in 60 min and 75.1% degradation of SMX in 300 min. Also, the optimized BiOCl/BHP composite (CAU-17-st-8h sample) exhibited the highest rate constant (k = 3.48 × 10-3 min-1), nearly 6 times higher than that of the bare BHP in the photocatalytic degradation process of SMX. The enhanced photocatalytic efficiency can be endorsed to various factors: (i) the in-situ formation of two-components BiOCl/BHP photocatalyst, derived from CAU-17, effectively suppresses the aggregation of pristine BHP and BiOCl particles; (ii) the S-scheme heterostructure establishes a closely-knit interfacial connection, thereby facilitating efficient pathways for charge separation/transfer; and (iii) the BiOCl/BHP heterostructure enhances its capacity to absorb visible light. Our investigation establishes an effective strategy for constructing heterostructured photocatalysts, offering significant potential for application in photocatalytic wastewater treatment.

Cisplatin-loaded mesoporous polydopamine nanoparticles capped with MnO2 and coated with platelet membrane provide synergistic anti-tumor therapy.

A multifunctional nanoplatform was constructed in this work, with the goal of ameliorating the challenges faced with traditional cancer chemotherapy. Cisplatin (CP) was loaded into mesoporous polydopamine (mPDA) nanoparticles (NPs) with a drug loading of 15.8 ± 0.1 %, and MnO2 used as pore sealing agent. Finally, the NPs were wrapped with platelet membrane (PLTM). P-selectin on the PLTM can bind to CD44, which is highly expressed on the tumor cell membrane, so as to improve the targeting performance of the NPs. In addition, the CD47 on the PLTM can prevent the NPs from being phagocytosed by macrophages, which is conducive to immune escape. The final PLTM-CP@mPDA/MnO2 NPs were found to have a particle size of approximately 198 nm. MnO2 is degraded into Mn2+ in the tumor microenvironment, leading to CP release from the pores in the mPDA. CP both acts as a chemotherapy agent and can also increase the concentration of H2O2 in cells. Mn2+ can catalyze the conversion of H2O2 to OH, resulting in oxidative damage and chemodynamic therapy. In addition, Mn2+ can be used as a contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to explore the therapeutic effect of the NPs. When the concentration of CP is 30 µg/mL, the NPs cause approximately 50 % cell death. It was found that the PLTM-CP@mPDA/MnO2 NPs are targeted to cancerous cells, and in the tumor site cause extensive apoptosis. Tumor growth is thereby repressed. No negative off-target side effects were noted. MRI could be used to confirm the presence of the NPs in the tumor site. Overall, the nano-platform developed here provides cooperative chemotherapy and chemodynamic therapy, and can potentially be used for effective cancer treatment which could be monitored by MRI.

ZIF-67 grafted-boehmite-PVA composite membranes with enhanced removal efficiency towards Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions.

In this work, we developed a thin membrane of boehmite-polyvinyl alcohol composite (BOPOM) (diameter âˆ¼ 5 cm) grafted ZIF-67 combing sol-gel and in-situ growth methods. The fabricated materials were characterized using FT-IR, SEM, XRD, TGA, XPS, and N2 sorption techniques. Results indicate that ZIF-67 nanocrystals were well-grafted into the AlOOH-PVA matrix with reduced crystallite size. Furthermore, the decorated ZIF-67 offered additional porous structures and adsorption sites onto the membrane, enhancing their removal efficiency towards Cr6+ compared to the undecorated and pristine ZIF-67. At pH ∼5.5, the harvested ZIF-67/BOPOM exhibited the highest Cr6+ uptake capacity of ∼56.4 mg g-1. Kinetic studies showed that the chromium adsorption on the prepared materials obeyed the pseudo-second-order model, and the kinetic parameters followed the order ZIFF-67/BOPOM (0.020 mg g-1 min-1) > BOPOM (0.011 mg g-1 min-1) > ZIF-67 (0.006 mg g-1 min-1). Notably, the adsorption mechanism study revealed that adsorbed Cr6+ was reduced to Cr3+, and the reduction yield was boosted owing to grafting ZIF-67 into the BOPOM. In addition, the fabricated ZIF-67/BOPOM can simultaneously remove Cr6+ and methyl orange dye (MO) in the solution due to their synergetic effects on each other. Furthermore, the hybrid membrane ZIF-67/BOPOM showed a chromium removal efficiency of ∼78.2% after four successive adsorption-desorption cycles. This study indicates that grafting nanocrystals ZIF-67 onto the super-platform boehmite-PVA is a promising strategy to harvest an adsorbent with a high adsorption ability, cost-effectiveness, and reduced secondary pollution risks.

One-step hydrothermal preparation of Ta-doped ZnO nanorods for improving decolorization efficiency under visible light.

In this work, Ta-doped ZnO (Ta-ZnO) nanomaterials were synthesized by the hydrothermal method at different temperatures (110, 150, and 170 °C) for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light. Ta doping significantly affects the crystal defects, optical properties, and MB photocatalytic efficiency of ZnO materials. The optical absorption edge of Ta-ZnO 150 was redshifted compared to undoped ZnO, correlating to bandgap narrowing (E gTa-ZnO = 2.92 eV; E gZnO = 3.07 eV), implying that Ta doped ZnO is capable of absorbing visible light. Besides, Ta-doping was the reason for enhanced blue light emission in the photoluminescence spectrum, which is related to the oxygen defect V 0 O. It is also observed in the XPS spectra, where the percentage of oxygen in the oxygen-deficient regions (O531.5 eV) of Ta-ZnO150 is higher than that of ZnO150. It is an important factor in enhancing ZnO's photocatalytic efficiency. The MB degradation efficiency of Ta-doped ZnO reached the highest for Ta-ZnO 150 and was 2.5 times higher than ZnO under a halogen lamp (HL). Notably, the influence of hydrothermal temperature on the structural, morphological, and photoelectrochemical properties was discussed in detail. As a result, the optimal hydrothermal temperature for synthesizing the nanorod is 150 °C. Furthermore, photocatalytic experiments were also performed under simulated sunlight and natural sunlight. The nature of the photo-oxidative degradation of MB was also investigated.

Design Rules of Bidirectional Smart Sensor Coating for Condition Monitoring of Bearings.

This paper reports a novel monitoring technique of bearings' bidirectional load (axial and radial) based on a smart sensor coating, which is screen printed onto the surface of a cross-shaped steel substrate. To ensure the accuracy and stability of measurement as well as the durability of the printed coating, the developed prototype is built according to design rules commonly used in electronic circuits. The finite element model (FEM) is used to predict the mechanical property of the tested substrate under either unidirectional or bidirectional loads. Regarding the output voltage of the piezoelectric sensor, experimental results are revealed to be well-corelated to the numerical simulation. It is pointed out that the output signal generated from the sensor (electrode) could be particularly affected due to the capacitive parasite coming from the conductive tracks (CTs). Such a phenomenon might be reduced by printing them on the dielectric layer rather than on the piezocomposite layer. The study also investigates a highly anisotropic shape of electrodes (rectangular instead of circle), indicating that the orientation of such electrodes (axial or radial) does affect the output measurement. To sum up, the high performance of a sensor network coating depends not only on the ultimate characteristics of its own materials, but also on its structural design. Such an issue has been rarely reported on in the literature, but is nonetheless crucial to achieving reliable condition monitoring of bearings, especially for multidirectional loads-a key signature of early failure detection.