Mechanism of Electrocatalytic H Evolution, Carbonyl Hydrogenation, and Carbon-Carbon Coupling on Cu.

Aqueous-phase electrocatalytic hydrogenation of benzaldehyde on Cu leads not only to benzyl alcohol (the carbonyl hydrogenation product), but Cu also catalyzes carbon-carbon coupling to hydrobenzoin. In the absence of an organic substrate, H evolution proceeds via the Volmer-Tafel mechanism on Cu/C, with the Tafel step being rate-determining. In the presence of benzaldehyde, the catalyst surface is primarily covered with the organic substrate, while H* coverage is low.

Exploring Cu-Doped CoO Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Aqueous Zn-Air Batteries.

The efficiency of oxygen electrocatalysis is a key factor in diverse energy domain applications, including the performance of metal-air batteries, such as aqueous Zinc (Zn)-air batteries. We demonstrate here that the doping of cobalt oxide with optimal amounts of copper (abbreviated as Cu-doped CoO) results in a stable and efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution (OER) reactions in aqueous Zn-air batteries. At high Cu-doping concentrations (≥5%), phase segregation occurs with the simultaneous presence of CoO and copper oxide (CuO).

Controlling surface cation segregation in a double perovskite for oxygen anion transport in high temperature energy conversion devices.

Double perovskite materials have shown promising applications as an electrode in solid oxide fuel cells and Li-air batteries for oxygen reduction, evolution, and transport. However, degradation of the material due to cation migration to the surface, forming secondary phases, poses an existential bottleneck in materials development. Herein, a theoretical approach combining density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations is presented to study the Ba-cation segregation in a double perovskite NdBaCoO.

Visual Outcomes With Intraocular Trifocal Lens Implant.

Background: Cataract surgery has become one of the most common surgeries in the world with one in every four surgeries performed being a cataract extraction and the numbers are expected to increase by 16 percent in the USA alone by 2024 as compared to the current statistics. The aim of the study is to analyze the visual outcomes of intraocular lens implants for various visual ranges.

Methods: This non-comparative interventional study was conducted at the Ophthalmology department of Al Ehsan Eye Hospital from Jan to Dec 2021.

Development of Hypertolerant Strain of Accumulating Succinic Acid Using High Levels of Acetate.

Acetate is emerging as a promising feedstock for biorefineries as it can serve as an alternate carbon source for microbial cell factories. In this study, we expressed acetyl-CoA synthase in PSA02004PP, and the recombinant strain grew on acetate as the sole carbon source and accumulated succinic acid or succinate (SA). Unlike traditional feedstocks, acetate is a toxic substrate for microorganisms; therefore, the recombinant strain was further subjected to adaptive laboratory evolution to alleviate toxicity and improve tolerance against acetate.

AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE GRAFT FOR THE TREATMENT OF LARGE REFRACTORY MACULAR HOLE.

Purpose: Study off-label human amniotic membrane use outcomes for giant refractory macular hole closure.

Materials And Methods: The study was performed at Lahore General Hospital, Lahore, over 52 months on patients who had undergone standard macular hole surgical procedures for treatment, but the hole failed to close. Refractory macular hole dimensions ranged from 824 µ m to 1,568 µ m.

Understanding the Design of Cathode Materials for Na-Ion Batteries.

With the escalating demand for sustainable energy sources, the sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) appear as a pragmatic option to develop large energy storage grid applications in contrast to existing lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to the availability of cheap sodium precursors. Nevertheless, the commercialization of SIBs has not been carried out so far due to the inefficacies of present electrode materials, particularly cathodes. Thus, from a future application perspective, this short review highlights the intrinsic challenges and corresponding strategies for the extensively researched layered transition metal oxides, polyanionic compounds, and Prussian blue analogues.

Supersensitive Detection of Anions in Pure Organic and Aqueous Media by Amino Acid Conjugated Ellman's Reagent.

The last few decades witnessed a remarkable advancement in the field of molecular anion receptors. A variety of anion binding motifs have been discovered, and large number of designer molecular anion receptors with high selectivity are being reported. However, anion detection in an aqueous medium is still a formidable challenge as evident from only a miniscule of synthetic systems available in the literature.

The Operating Cycle of NO Adsorption and Desorption in Pd-Chabazite for Passive NO Adsorbers.

Pd-doped chabazite (Pd/CHA) offers unique opportunities to adsorb and desorb NO in the target temperature range for application as a passive NO adsorber (PNA). The ability of Pd/CHA to trap NO emissions at low temperatures (<200 °C) is facilitated by the binding of NO species at various Pd sites available in the CHA framework. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations are performed to understand Pd speciation in CHA and the interaction of NO with Pd/CHA to explain the mechanisms of NO adsorption, oxidation, and desorption processes.

Unravelling the reactivity of metastable molybdenum carbide nanoclusters in the C-H bond activation of methane, ethane and ethylene.

C-H bond activation steps in non-oxidative methane dehydroaromatization (MDA), constitute a key functionalization of the reactant and adsorbed species to form aromatics. Previous studies have focused on studying the energetics of these steps at the most stable active sites involving molybdenum carbide species. Herein, a different paradigm is presented via studying the reactivity of a metastable molybdenum carbide (MoC) nanocluster for the C-H bond activation of methane, ethane, and ethylene and comparing it with the reactivity of the lowest energy MoC nanocluster.

Automated feature detection in dental periapical radiographs by using deep learning.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate automated feature detection, segmentation, and quantification of common findings in periapical radiographs (PRs) by using deep learning (DL)-based computer vision techniques.

Study Design: Caries, alveolar bone recession, and interradicular radiolucencies were labeled on 206 digital PRs by 3 specialists (2 oral pathologists and 1 endodontist). The PRs were divided into "Training and Validation" and "Test" data sets consisting of 176 and 30 PRs, respectively.

Effect of substituents and promoters on the Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction in the biorenewable synthesis of trimellitic acid.

An efficient route to produce oxanorbornene, a precursor for the production of bio-based trimellitic acid (TMLA) the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction of biomass-derived dienes and dienophiles has been proposed by utilizing density functional theory (DFT) simulations. It has been suggested that DA reaction of dienes such as 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and biomass-derived dienophiles (ethylene derivatives , acrolein, acrylic acid, ) leads to the formation of an intermediate product oxanorbornene, a precursor for the production of TMLA. The activation barriers for the DA reaction were correlated to the type of substituent present on the dienes and dienophiles.

Excisional goniotomy vs trabecular microbypass stent implantation: a prospective randomized clinical trial in eyes with mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma.

Purpose: To compare reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP-lowering medication in eyes undergoing excisional goniotomy with Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) vs iStent microbypass implantation, both combined with phacoemulsification, in eyes with mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma (OAG).

Setting: Nine practices in the United States.

Design: Prospective, randomized, active-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial.

Controlling surface cation segregation in a nanostructured double perovskite GdBaCoO electrode for solid oxide fuel cells.

Mechanistic studies, utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, were undertaken to provide a molecular level explanation of Ba cation segregation in double perovskite GdBaCoO (GBCO) electrodes. The energy (γ) of the terminal surface having only Ba cations, indicated the surface to be the most stable (γ = 6.7 kJ molÅ) as compared to the other surfaces.

Electrochemical Properties of NaVO Nanostructures as Cathode Material in Rechargeable Batteries for Energy Storage Applications.

We report the electrochemical performance of nanostructures of NaVO as cathode material for rechargeable batteries. The Rietveld refinement of room-temperature X-ray diffraction pattern shows the monoclinic phase with 2/ space group. The cyclic voltammetry curves of prepared half-cells exhibit redox peaks at 3.

Identifying the Origin of the Limiting Process in a Double Perovskite PrBaSrCoFeO Thin-Film Electrode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Oxygen reduction reaction in a double perovskite material, PrBaSrCoFeO (PBSCF), was studied for application as a cathode in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Electrochemical measurements were performed on a geometrically well-defined dense thin-film (0.8-2 μm thickness) electrode, fabricated as a symmetric cell.

Understanding the Nature of Amino Acid Interactions with Pd(111) or Pd-Au Bimetallic Catalysts in the Aqueous Phase.

The interaction of methionine (Met) with different bimetallic-segregated surfaces comprising a uniform distribution of strips and islands of Au on the Pd(111) surface was examined using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Out of all the segregated and uniformly doped surfaces studied, the design of Pd-Au islands showed some reduction in the interaction energy (E = -43.7 kJ/mol) as compared to that of the pure Pd(111) surface (E = -50 kJ/mol) for a single Met molecule.

Incidence of acute endophthalmitis after office based intravitreal bevacizumab injection.

The burden of intravitreal injections has increased tremendously over the past few years. Since traditionally the operation theatre setup is currently used for this procedure, it is increasingly becoming difficult to manage such a patient load in the theatres. To overcome this challenge, office-based setup for intravitreal injection was started.

Ex Vivo Oncolytic Virotherapy with Myxoma Virus Arms Multiple Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant Leukocytes to Enhance Graft versus Tumor.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant-derived T cells have the potential to seek and eliminate sites of residual cancer that escaped primary therapy. Oncolytic myxoma virus (MYXV) exhibits potent anti-cancer efficacy against human cancers like multiple myeloma (MM) and can arm transplant-derived T cells to become more effective cancer killers in vitro and in an immunodeficient xenotransplant murine model. Here, we tested ex vivo MYXV virotherapy against residual murine MM in immunocompetent mice using an allogeneic mouse-mouse model.

Axial myopia and its influence on diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between axial myopia and diabetic retinopathy.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Eye Department of Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore General Hospital, from August 2012 to February 2013.

Mechanistic insights into ring-opening and decarboxylation of 2-pyrones in liquid water and tetrahydrofuran.

2-Pyrones, such as triacetic acid lactone, are a promising class of biorenewable platform chemicals that provide access to an array of chemical products and intermediates. We illustrate through the combination of results from experimental studies and first-principle density functional theory calculations that key structural features dictate the mechanisms underlying ring-opening and decarboxylation of 2-pyrones, including the degree of ring saturation, the presence of C═C bonds at the C4═C5 or C5═C6 positions within the ring, as well as the presence of a β-keto group at the C4 position. Our results demonstrate that 2-pyrones undergo a range of reactions unique to their structure, such as retro-Diels-Alder reactions and nucleophilic addition of water.

Screening and optimization of media constituents for enhancing lipolytic activity by a soil microorganism using statistically designed experiments.

Soil contaminated with vegetable cooking oil was used in the isolation of a lipase-producing microorganism. The effectiveness of two different statistical design techniques in the screening and optimization of media constituents for enhancing the lipolytic activity of the soil microorganism was determined. The media constituents for lipase production by the isolated soil microorganism were screened using a Plackett-Burman design.