Separation and concentration of CO from air using a humidity-driven molten-carbonate membrane.

Separation processes are substantially more difficult when the species to be separated is highly dilute. To perform any dilute separation, thermodynamic and kinetic limitations must be overcome. Here we report a molten-carbonate membrane that can 'pump' CO from a 400 ppm input stream (representative of air) to an output stream with a higher concentration of CO, by exploiting ambient energy in the form of a humidity difference.

Hierarchically Structured Biodegradable Microspheres Promote Therapeutic Angiogenesis.

Promoting neovascularization is a prerequisite for many tissue engineering applications and the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Delivery of a pro-angiogenic stimulus via acellular materials offers several benefits over biological therapies but has been hampered by interaction of the implanted material with the innate immune response. However, macrophages, a key component of the innate immune response, release a plurality of soluble factors that can be harnessed to stimulate neovascularization and restore blood flow to damaged tissue.

Low-Field Actuating Magnetic Elastomer Membranes Characterized using Fibre-Optic Interferometry.

Smart robotic devices remotely powered by magnetic field have emerged as versatile tools for wide biomedical applications. Soft magnetic elastomer (ME) composite membranes with high flexibility and responsiveness are frequently incorporated to enable local actuation for wireless sensing or cargo delivery. However, the fabrication of thin ME membranes with good control in geometry and uniformity remains challenging, as well as the optimization of their actuating performances under low fields (milli-Tesla).

Anatomical and functional organization of cardiac fibers in the porcine cervical vagus nerve allows spatially selective efferent neuromodulation.

Cardiac disease progression reflects the dynamic interaction between adversely remodeled neurohumoral control systems and an abnormal cardiac substrate. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) is an attractive neuromodulatory option to dampen this dynamic interaction; however, it is limited by off-target effects. Spatially-selective VNS (sVNS) offers a promising solution to induce cardioprotection while mitigating off-target effects by specifically targeting pre-ganglionic parasympathetic efferent cardiac fibers.

Temperature Influence on Brake Pad Friction Coefficient Modelisation.

Brake pad linings are an essential part of the correct functioning of braking systems based on the use of pads and discs. Generally, the compounds used to make the gaskets are characterised by the use of over 20 sintered components, which allow friction coefficients that vary between 0.2 and 0.

Preface to the theme issue 'Physics-informed machine learning and its structural integrity applications (Part 2)'.

As an emerging research field, physics-informed machine learning and its structural integrity applications may bring new opportunities to the intelligent solution of engineering problems. Pure data-driven approaches have some limitations when solving engineering problems due to lack of interpretability and data hungry applications. Therefore, further unlocking the potential of machine learning will be an important research direction in the future.

Preface to the theme issue 'physics-informed machine learning and its structural integrity applications'.

The issue focuses on physics-informed machine learning and its applications for structural integrity and safety assessment of engineering systems/facilities. Data science and data mining are fields in fast development with a high potential in several engineering research communities; in particular, advances in machine learning (ML) are undoubtedly enabling significant breakthroughs. However, purely ML models do not necessarily carry physical meaning, nor do they generalize well to scenarios on which they have not been trained on.

Evaluating 3D-printed bioseparation structures using multi-length scale tomography.

X-ray computed tomography was applied in imaging 3D-printed gyroids used for bioseparation in order to visualize and characterize structures from the entire geometry down to individual nanopores. Methacrylate prints were fabricated with feature sizes of 500 µm, 300 µm, and 200 µm, with the material phase exhibiting a porous substructure in all cases. Two X-ray scanners achieved pixel sizes from 5 µm to 16 nm to produce digital representations of samples across multiple length scales as the basis for geometric analysis and flow simulation.

Organotopic organization of the porcine mid-cervical vagus nerve.

Introduction: Despite detailed characterization of fascicular organization of somatic nerves, the functional anatomy of fascicles evident in human and large mammal cervical vagus nerve is unknown. The vagus nerve is a prime target for intervention in the field of electroceuticals due to its extensive distribution to the heart, larynx, lungs, and abdominal viscera. However, current practice of the approved vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) technique is to stimulate the entire nerve.

An Innovative Method to Analyse the Geometrical Accuracy of Ti6Al4V Octet-Truss Lattice Structures.

Metal lattice structures manufactured utilising additive techniques are attracting increasing attention thanks to the high structural efficiency they can offer. Although many studies exist on the characterisation of massive parts in Ti6Al4V processed by Electron Beam Melting (EBM), several investigations are necessary to characterise the Ti6Al4V lattice structures made by the EBM process. The objective of this paper is to develop a measurement method to assess the dimensional accuracy of Ti6Al4V octet truss lattice structures manufactured by EBM technology.

Observation of Zn Dendrite Growth via Operando Digital Microscopy and Time-Lapse Tomography.

The zinc-ion battery is one of the promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices beyond lithium technology due to the earth's abundance of Zn materials and their high volumetric energy density (5855 mA h cm). To date, the formation of Zn dendrites during charge-discharge cycling still hinders the practical application of zinc-ion batteries. It is, therefore, crucial to understand the formation mechanism of the zinc dendritic structure before effectively suppressing its growth.

Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition prevents vascular calcifying extracellular vesicle biogenesis.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, including vascular calcification, leading to higher mortality. The release of calcifying extracellular vesicles (EVs) by vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) promotes ectopic mineralization of vessel walls. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), a structural protein in the plasma membrane, plays a major role in calcifying EV biogenesis in VSMCs.

Large-scale physically accurate modelling of real proton exchange membrane fuel cell with deep learning.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells, consuming hydrogen and oxygen to generate clean electricity and water, suffer acute liquid water challenges. Accurate liquid water modelling is inherently challenging due to the multi-phase, multi-component, reactive dynamics within multi-scale, multi-layered porous media. In addition, currently inadequate imaging and modelling capabilities are limiting simulations to small areas (<1 mm) or simplified architectures.

The Time-Dependent Role of Bisphosphonates on Atherosclerotic Plaque Calcification.

Atherosclerotic plaque calcification directly contributes to the leading cause of morbidity and mortality by affecting plaque vulnerability and rupture risk. Small microcalcifications can increase plaque stress and promote rupture, whereas large calcifications can stabilize plaques. Drugs that target bone mineralization may lead to unintended consequences on ectopic plaque calcification and cardiovascular outcomes.

Ultra high-resolution biomechanics suggest that substructures within insect mechanosensors decisively affect their sensitivity.

Insect load sensors, called campaniform sensilla (CS), measure strain changes within the cuticle of appendages. This mechanotransduction provides the neuromuscular system with feedback for posture and locomotion. Owing to their diverse morphology and arrangement, CS can encode different strain directions.

Metabolically diverse primordial microbial communities in Earth's oldest seafloor-hydrothermal jasper.

The oldest putative fossils occur as hematite filaments and tubes in jasper-carbonate banded iron formations from the 4280- to 3750-Ma Nuvvuagittuq Supracrustal Belt, Québec. If biological in origin, these filaments might have affinities with modern descendants; however, if abiotic, they could indicate complex prebiotic forms on early Earth. Here, we report images of centimeter-size, autochthonous hematite filaments that are pectinate-branching, parallel-aligned, undulated, and containing Fe-oxides.

Anomalous transport of colloids in heterogeneous porous media: A multi-scale statistical theory.

Hypothesis: Transport of suspended colloids in heterogeneous porous media is a multi-scale process that exhibits anomalous behavior and cannot be described by the Fickian dispersion theory. Although many studies have documented colloids' transport at different length scales, a theoretical basis that links pore- to core-scale observations remains lacking. It is hypothesized that a recently proposed pore-scale statistical kinetic theory is able to capture the results observed experimentally.

A multi-method assessment of 3D printed micromorphological osteological features.

The evaluation of 3D printed osteological materials has highlighted the difficulties associated with accurately representing fine surface details on printed bones. Moreover, there is an increasing need for reconstructions to be demonstrably accurate and reliable for use in the criminal justice system. The aim of this study was to assess the surface quality of 3D prints (n = 9) that presented with micromorphological alterations from trauma, taphonomy and pathology processes.

A Multiscale X-Ray Tomography Study of the Cycled-Induced Degradation in Magnesium-Sulfur Batteries.

Rechargeable Mg/S batteries have the potential to provide a compelling battery for a range of applications owing to their high capacity and gravimetric energy density, safety, and low-cost construction. However, the Mg/S energy storage is not widely developed and deployed due to technical challenges, which include short cycle lifespan and lack of suitable electrolyte. To study the microstructure degradation of Mg/S batteries, multiscale X-ray tomography, an inherently nondestructive method, is performed on dismantled Swagelok Mg/S cells comprising a graphene-sulfur cathode and a super-P separator.

Liposome Sterile Filtration Characterization via X-ray Computed Tomography and Confocal Microscopy.

Two high resolution, 3D imaging techniques were applied to visualize and characterize sterilizing grade dual-layer filtration of liposomes, enabling membrane structure to be related with function and performance. Two polyethersulfone membranes with nominal retention ratings of 650 nm and 200 nm were used to filter liposomes of an average diameter of 143 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.1.

Aqueous Inks of Pristine Graphene for 3D Printed Microsupercapacitors with High Capacitance.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is gaining importance as a sustainable route for the fabrication of high-performance energy storage devices. It enables the streamlined manufacture of devices with programmable geometry at different length scales down to micron-sized dimensions. Miniaturized energy storage devices are fundamental components for on-chip technologies to enable energy autonomy.

A spinal organ of proprioception for integrated motor action feedback.

Proprioception is essential for behavior and provides a sense of our body movements in physical space. Proprioceptor organs are thought to be only in the periphery. Whether the central nervous system can intrinsically sense its own movement remains unclear.

Imaging fascicular organization of rat sciatic nerves with fast neural electrical impedance tomography.

Imaging compound action potentials (CAPs) in peripheral nerves could help avoid side effects in neuromodulation by selective stimulation of identified fascicles. Existing methods have low resolution, limited imaging depth, or are invasive. Fast neural electrical impedance tomography (EIT) allows fascicular CAP imaging with a resolution of <200 µm, <1 ms using a non-penetrating flexible nerve cuff electrode array.

Microporous Biodegradable Films Promote Therapeutic Angiogenesis.

Peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia are common symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Vascular surgery is used to create a bypass around occluded blood vessels to improve blood flow to ischemic muscle, thus avoiding the need for amputation. Attempts to vascularize tissues by therapeutic angiogenesis using delivery of exogenous angiogenic agents are underwhelming.