Boron nitride nanoslits for water desalination via forward osmosis: A molecular dynamics study.

The global shortage of freshwater resources has spurred significant interest among scientists in the development of cost-effective and highly efficient water desalination methods. The forward osmosis (FO) membrane has become well-known for its various advantages, such as its low energy usage, cost-effective performance, high efficiency in desalination, and minimal fouling. Herein, the desalination performance of an FO system containing a boron-nitride slit membrane (BNSM) was investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Thermal rectification in novel two-dimensional hybrid graphene/BCN sheets: A molecular dynamics simulation.

The graphene-like monolayer of carbon, boron and nitrogen that maintains the native hexagonal atomic lattice (BCN), is a novel semiconductor with special thermal properties. Herein, with the aid of a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics approach (NEMD), we study phonon thermal rectification in a hybrid system of pure graphene and BCN (G-BCN) in various configurations under a series of positive and negative temperature gradients. We begin by investigating the relation of thermal rectification to sample's mean temperature, T, and the imposed temperature difference, ΔT, between the two heat baths at its ends.

A hybrid fluorescent nanofiber membrane integrated with microfluidic chips towards lung-on-a-chip applications.

Here, we report a fluorescent electrospun nanofiber membrane for integration into microfluidic devices towards lung-on-a-chip applications complemented with the results of computational fluid dynamics modelling. A proposed hybrid poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)-collagen membrane was developed, characterized, tested, and integrated into a prototype microfluidic chip for biocompatibility studies. The resulting membrane has a thickness of approximately 10 μm, can be adjusted for appropriate porosity, and offers excellent biocompatibility for mimicry of a basement membrane to be used in lung-on-a-chip device applications.

Design, Simulation, and Evaluation of Polymer-Based Microfluidic Devices via Computational Fluid Dynamics and Cell Culture "On-Chip".

Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) technology has experienced exponential growth driven by the need for a better understanding of in-organ processes and the development of novel approaches. This paper investigates and compares the flow behavior and filling characteristics of two microfluidic liver-on-a-chip devices using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis and experimental cell culture growth based on the Huh7 cell line. The conducted computational analyses for the two chips showed that the elliptical chamber chip proposed herein offers improved flow and filling characteristics in comparison with the previously presented circular chamber chip.

An Evaluation of a Mobile App for Chronic Low Back Pain Management: Prospective Pilot Study.

Background: Chronic low back pain is challenging to manage due to multidisciplinary considerations. It has substantial socioeconomic impacts and cannot be simply treated with pharmacotherapy, nonsurgical intervention, or spine surgery. Medical consensus recommends optimizing conservative self-management therapies (eg, home exercise, wellness strategies, yoga, etc) as first-line treatment options for chronic low back pain.

A theoretical insight into phonon heat transport in graphene/biphenylene superlattice nanoribbons: a molecular dynamic study.

Manipulating the thermal conductivity of nanomaterials is an efficacious approach to fabricate tailor-made nanodevices for thermoelectric applications. To this end, superlattice nanostructures can be used to achieve minimal thermal conductivity for the employed nanomaterials. Two-dimensional biphenylene is a recently-synthesized sp-hybridized allotrope of carbon atoms that can be employed in superlattice nanostructures and therefore further investigation in this context is due.

Heat transfer through hydrogenated graphene superlattice nanoribbons: a computational study.

Optimization of thermal conductivity of nanomaterials enables the fabrication of tailor-made nanodevices for thermoelectric applications. Superlattice nanostructures are correspondingly introduced to minimize the thermal conductivity of nanomaterials. Herein we computationally estimate the effect of total length and superlattice period ([Formula: see text]) on the thermal conductivity of graphene/graphane superlattice nanoribbons using molecular dynamics simulation.

Crosslinking Multilayer Graphene by Gas Cluster Ion Bombardment.

In this paper, we demonstrate a new, highly efficient method of crosslinking multilayer graphene, and create nanopores in it by its irradiation with low-energy argon cluster ions. Irradiation was performed by argon cluster ions with an acceleration energy E ≈ 30 keV, and total fluence of argon cluster ions ranging from 1 × 10 to 1 × 10 ions/cm. The results of the bombardment were observed by the direct examination of traces of argon-cluster penetration in multilayer graphene, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

Graphene-carbon nitride interface-geometry effectson thermal rectification: A molecular dynamicssimulation.

We apply the non-equilibrium molecular dynamics approach (NEMD) to study thermal rectification in a hybrid graphene-carbon nitride system (G - C3N) under a series of positive and negative temperature gradients with varying interface geometries. In this study, we investigate the effects of a) temperature differences, (∆T), between the two employed baths, b) mediainterface geometry, and c) sample size, on thermal rectification. Our simulation results portray a sigmoid relation between thermal rectification and temperature difference, with a sample-size depending upper asymptote occurring at generally large temperature differences.

Optic nerve head damage relation to intracranial pressure and corneal properties of eye in glaucoma risk assessment.

This work presents results from numerical simulations of optic nerve head's (ONH) biomechanical behavior during exposure to elevated intraocular (IOP) and/or intracranial pressure (ICP) for ocular hypertension conditions. At the same time, a range of geometric and material properties of the eye structure and their interrelation with elevated IOP and ICP values are investigated. These simulations are performed on a generic model of the eye, which allows parametrical modification of geometric and material properties.

Treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome: outcomes and implications.

Some patients with fibromyalgia also exhibit the neurological signs of cervical myelopathy. We sought to determine if treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with fibromyalgia improves the symptoms of fibromyalgia and the patients' quality of life. A non-randomized, prospective, case control study comparing the outcome of surgical (n = 40) versus non-surgical (n = 31) treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with fibromyalgia was conducted.

Clinical evidence for cervical myelopathy due to Chiari malformation and spinal stenosis in a non-randomized group of patients with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Objective: While patients with fibromyalgia report symptoms consistent with cervical myelopathy, a detailed neurological evaluation is not routine. We sought to determine if patients with fibromyalgia manifest objective neurological signs of cervical myelopathy.

Methods: Two hundred and seventy patients, 18 years and older, who carried the diagnosis of fibromyalgia but who had no previously recognized neurological disease underwent detailed clinical neurological and neuroradiological evaluation for the prevalence of objective evidence of cervical myelopathy and radiological evidence of cerebellar tonsillar herniation (Chiari 1 malformation) or cervical spinal canal stenosis.