Corrosion Activity of Ultrafine-Grained Pure Magnesium and ZK60 Magnesium Alloy in Phosphate Buffered Saline Solution.

The magnesium alloy ZK60 is a promising candidate as a material for biodegradable implants. One of the most important factors for biodegradable implants is the modification of their corrosion behavior to match the requirements for the healing bone or tissue. The corrosion behavior can be influenced by different factors, among them the grain size, which can be changed by severe plastic deformation processes such as High Pressure Torsion Extrusion (HPTE).

A New Class of Chiral Polyethers and Polyesters Based on the [2.2]Paracyclophane Scaffold.

Over the past decades, the research on optically active polymers (OAPs) has significantly grown, and extensive studies have been carried out on their syntheses, conformations, and applications. The most commonly used OAPs are based on natural products such as sugars or amino acids, which limits their scope. A broader range of applications can be achieved by synthesizing lab-tailored monomers, which allow precise control over structure and properties.

Spectral Hole-Burning Studies of a Mononuclear Eu(III) Complex Reveal Narrow Optical Linewidths of the D→F Transition and Seconds Long Nuclear Spin Lifetimes.

Coordination complexes of rare-earth ions (REI) show optical transitions with narrow linewidths enabling the creation of coherent light-matter interfaces for quantum information processing (QIP) applications. Among the REI-based complexes, Eu(III) complexes showing the D→F transition are of interest for QIP applications due to the narrow linewidths associated with the transition. Herein, we report on the synthesis, structure, and optical properties of a novel Eu(III) complex and its Gd(III) analogue composed of 2,9-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (dpphen) and three nitrate (NO) ligands.

Raman-based PAT for VLP precipitation: systematic data diversification and preprocessing pipeline identification.

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are a promising class of biopharmaceuticals for vaccines and targeted delivery. Starting from clarified lysate, VLPs are typically captured by selective precipitation. While VLP precipitation is induced by step-wise or continuous precipitant addition, current monitoring approaches do not support the direct product quantification, and analytical methods usually require various, time-consuming processing and sample preparation steps.

All-atom modeling of methacrylate-based multi-modal chromatography resins for Langmuir constant prediction of peptides.

In downstream processing, the intricate nature of the interactions between biomolecules and adsorbent materials presents a significant challenge in the prediction of their binding and elution behaviors. This complexity is further heightened in multi-modal chromatography (MMC), which employs two distinct binding mechanisms. To gain a deeper understanding of the involved interactions, simulating the adsorption of biomolecules on resin surfaces is a focal point of ongoing research.

Quantitative SERS sensor for mycotoxins with extraction and identification function.

The development of new sensors for on-site food toxin monitoring that combine extraction, analytes distinction and detection is important in resource-limited environments. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based signal readout features fast response and high sensitivity, making it a powerful method for detecting mycotoxins. In this work, a SERS-based assay for the detection of multiple mycotoxins is presented that combines extraction and subsequent detection, achieving an analytically relevant detection limit (∼ 1 ng/mL), which is also tested in corn samples.

Highly Active Oxidation Catalysts through Confining Pd Clusters on CeO Nano-Islands.

CeO-supported noble metal clusters are attractive catalytic materials for several applications. However, their atomic dispersion under oxidizing reaction conditions often leads to catalyst deactivation. In this study, the noble metal cluster formation threshold is rationally adjusted by using a mixed CeO-AlO support.

GprC of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys flagrans activates mitochondria and reprograms fungal cells for nematode hunting.

Initiation of development requires differential gene expression and metabolic adaptations. Here we show in the nematode-trapping fungus, Arthrobotrys flagrans, that both are achieved through a dual-function G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). A.

Printing Green: Microalgae-Based Materials for 3D Printing with Light.

Microalgae have emerged as sustainable feedstocks due to their ability to fix CO during cultivation, rapid growth rates, and capability to produce a wide variety of metabolites. Several microalgae accumulate lipids in high concentrations, especially triglycerides, along with lipid-soluble, photoactive pigments such as chlorophylls and derivatives. Microalgae-derived triglycerides contain longer fatty acid chains with more double bonds on average than vegetable oils, allowing a higher degree of post-functionalization.

Thermal control over phosphorescence or thermally activated delayed fluorescence in a metal-organic framework.

By integrating a tailor-made donor-acceptor (D-A) ligand in a metal-organic framework (MOF), a material with unprecedented features emerges. The ligand combines a pair of cyano groups as acceptors with four sulfanylphenyls as donors, which expose each a carboxylic acid as coordination sites. Upon treatment with zinc nitrate in a solvothermal synthesis, the MOF is obtained.

A Multifunctional Nanostructured Hydrogel as a Platform for Deciphering Niche Interactions of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.

For over half a century, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been used for transplantation therapy to treat severe hematologic diseases. Successful outcomes depend on collecting sufficient donor HSCs as well as ensuring efficient engraftment. These processes are influenced by dynamic interactions of HSCs with the bone marrow niche, which can be revealed by artificial niche models.

Levamisole Based Co(II) Single-Ion Magnet.

A new Co(II) complex, [Co(NCS)(L)] (1) has been synthesized based on levamisole (L) as a new ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses confirm that the Co(II) ion is having a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry in the complex. Notably strong intramolecular S⋅⋅⋅S and S⋅⋅⋅N interactions has been confirmed by employing Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM).

In Silico TRials guide optimal stratification of ATrIal FIbrillation patients to Catheter Ablation and pharmacological medicaTION: the i-STRATIFICATION study.

Aims: Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) experience 50% recurrence despite pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and no consensus is established for secondary treatments. The aim of our i-STRATIFICATION study is to provide evidence for stratifying patients with AF recurrence after PVI to optimal pharmacological and ablation therapies, through in silico trials.

Methods And Results: A cohort of 800 virtual patients, with variability in atrial anatomy, electrophysiology, and tissue structure (low-voltage areas, LVAs), was developed and validated against clinical data from ionic currents to electrocardiogram.

The DaNa projects: public communication of (nano)material safety data-from conspiracy theories to study quality.

In this perspective, the authors give their view on the developments and experiences on communicating on (nano)materials safety. We would like to share our experiences with the scientific community in order to make them useful for future communication activities. We present the long-term work of the science communication projects DaNa, DaNa2.

Capacity Degradation of Zero-Excess All-Solid-State Li Metal Batteries Using a Poly(ethylene oxide) Based Solid Electrolyte.

Solid-state polymer electrolytes (SPEs), such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), have good flexibility when compared to ceramic-type solid electrolytes. Therefore, it could be an ideal solid electrolyte for zero-excess all-solid-state Li metal battery (ZESSLB), also known as anode-free all-solid-state Li battery, development by offering better contact to the Cu current collector. However, the low Coulombic efficiencies observed from polymer type solid-state Li batteries (SSLBs) raise the concern that PEO may consume the limited amount of Li in ZESSLB to fail the system.

Unexpected Stress Overshoot in Extensional Flow of Star Polymer Melts.

Previous studies have shown that the nonlinear rheological behavior of 3-arm star polymer melts in fast extensional flow is identical to that of linear polymers with the same span molecular weight, because the star polymers are highly aligned and have a similar conformation as the corresponding linear polymers. However, with more arms, it would be more difficult for the stars to be aligned like linear chains, and the nonlinear extensional rheology of star polymers with more arms under large deformations has not been investigated yet. Here we show that the star polystyrene (8-10 arms) melts behave differently from the linear polystyrenes.

Understanding the Role of Imide-Based Salts and Borate-Based Additives for Safe and High-Performance Glyoxal-Based Electrolytes in Ni-Rich NMC Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries.

Herein, the design of novel and safe electrolyte formulations for high-voltage Ni-rich cathodes is reported. The solvent mixture comprising 1,1,2,2-tetraethoxyethane and propylene carbonate not only displays good transport properties, but also greatly enhances the overall safety of the cell thanks to its low flammability. The influence of the conducting salts, that is, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), and of the additives lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) and lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) is examined.

Photochemical Action Plots Map Orthogonal Reactivity in Photochemical Release Systems.

The wavelength-by-wavelength resolved photoreactivity of two photo-caged carboxylic acids, i. e. 7-(diethylamino)-coumarin- and 3-perylene-modified substrates, is investigated via photochemical action plots.

Ultra-high-granularity detector simulation with intra-event aware generative adversarial network and self-supervised relational reasoning.

Simulating high-resolution detector responses is a computationally intensive process that has long been challenging in Particle Physics. Despite the ability of generative models to streamline it, full ultra-high-granularity detector simulation still proves to be difficult as it contains correlated and fine-grained information. To overcome these limitations, we propose Intra-Event Aware Generative Adversarial Network (IEA-GAN).

Development and verification of an electron Monte Carlo engine for applications in intraoperative radiation therapy.

Background: In preparation of future clinical trials employing the Mobetron electron linear accelerator to deliver FLASH Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT), the development of a Monte Carlo (MC)-based framework for dose calculation was required.

Purpose: To extend and validate the in-house developed fast MC dose engine MonteRay (MR) for future clinical applications in IORT.

Methods: MR is a CPU MC dose calculation engine written in C++ that is capable of simulating therapeutic proton, helium, and carbon ion beams.

Reaction-diffusion study of electron-beam-induced contamination growth.

A time-dependent reaction-diffusion model was elaborated to better understand the dynamical growth of contamination on surfaces illuminated by an electron beam. The goal of this work was to fully describe the flow of hydrocarbon molecules, denoted as contaminants, and their polymerization in the irradiated area with the number of parameters reduced to a minimum necessary. It was considered that the diffusion process of contaminants is driven by the gradient of their surface density generated by the impact of a circular homogeneous electron beam.

Alder expansion stimulates nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions from southern Eurasian permafrost peatlands.

Nitrogen oxides (NO) play an important role for atmospheric chemistry and radiative forcing. However, NO emissions from the vast northern circumpolar permafrost regions have not been studied in situ due to limitations of measurement techniques. Our goals were to validate the offline analytical technique, and based on this, to widely quantify in situ NO emissions from peatlands in the southern Eurasian permafrost region.

Synthesis and in-depth structure determination of a novel metastable high-pressure CrTe phase.

This study reports the synthesis and crystal structure determination of a novel CrTe phase using various experimental and theoretical methods. The average stoichiometry and local phase separation of this quenched high-pressure phase were characterized by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and total scattering. Several structural models were obtained using simulated annealing, but all suffered from an imperfect Rietveld refinement, especially at higher diffraction angles.