We investigated the possibility to increase the working temperature and endurance of proton exchange membranes for fuel cells and water electrolyzers by thermal annealing of short side chain perfluorosulfonic acid (SSC-PFSA) Aquivion membranes. The Ionomer n Analysis (INCA method), based on n/T plots where n is a counter elastic force index, was applied to SSC-PFSA in order to evaluate ionomer thermo-mechanical properties and to probe the increase of crystallinity during the annealing procedure. The enhanced thermal and mechanical stability of extruded Aquivion 870 (equivalent weight, EW = 870 g·mol) was related to an increase of long-range order. Complementary differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurements confirmed the increase of polymer stiffness by the annealing treatment with an enhancement of the storage modulus over the whole range of temperature. The main thermomechanical relaxation temperature is also enhanced. DSC measurements showed slight base line changes after annealing, attributable to the glass transition and melting of a small amount of crystalline phase. The difference between the glass transition and melting temperatures derived from INCA plots and the ionic-cluster transition temperature derived from DMA measurements is consistent with the different experimental conditions, especially the dry atmosphere in DMA. Finally, the annealing procedure was also successfully applied for the first time to an un-crystallized cast membrane (EW = 830 g·mol) resulting in a remarkable mechanical and thermal stabilization.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/membranes9100134 | DOI Listing |
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis
December 2024
Department of Molecular Microbiology, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.
Purpose: This study was aimed at comprehensive genomic analysis of VIM-type carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex (KpSC) in Poland.
Methods: All non-duplicate 214 VIM-producing KpSC isolates reported in Poland in 2006-2019 were short-read sequenced and re-identified by the average nucleotide identity scoring. Their clonality/phylogeny was assessed by cgMLST and SNP in comparison with genomes from international databases.
J Thromb Haemost
December 2024
Laboratory of Immunopharmacology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address:
Background: Although rare, vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) following adenoviral vector COVID-19 vaccination is a concerning and often severe adverse effect of vaccination. The generation of high anti-platelet factor 4 (PF4) antibody titers, promotes the formation of immune complexes capable of activating platelets and neutrophils through FcγRIIa.
Objective: Given that Platelet-leukocyte aggregate (PLA) formation and inflammasome activation are common features of thromboinflammatory diseases, we aimed to evaluate if these are also features of VITT.
Mol Cancer
December 2024
Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris, Institut Universitaire de France, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Paris, France.
Background: Immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducers are often identified in phenotypic screening campaigns by the release or surface exposure of various danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) from malignant cells. This study aimed to streamline the identification of ICD inducers by leveraging cellular morphological correlates of ICD, specifically the condensation of nucleoli (CON).
Methods: We applied artificial intelligence (AI)-based imaging analyses to Cell Paint-stained cells exposed to drug libraries, identifying CON as a marker for ICD.
Int J Biol Macromol
December 2024
College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, No. 483, Wushan Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510642, China. Electronic address:
As a green method, enzyme crosslinking can catalyze chitosan (CS) to improve further the structural, interfacial, and functional properties of Inca peanut albumin (IPA)-polyphenols. However, the structural impact of laccase-catalyzed CS on different IPA-polyphenol conjugates has not been reported. Results revealed that enzymatic cross-linking of IPA-gallic acid (GA) and IPA- (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) with CS resulted in a decrease in α-helices, an increase in β-helices, and a more ordered structure.
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