Search

This study presents the design and analysis of a thermal energy harvester that integrates a thermoacoustic engine (TAE) with a honeycomb-structured triboelectric nanogenerator (H-TENG), referred to as TAEH-TENG. This design is specifically developed to demonstrate the potential of thermal energy harvesting for low-power Internet of Things (IoT) applications. By leveraging the high energy conversion efficiency of TAEs and the exceptional robustness of H-TENGs, this harvester overcomes the limitations of traditional designs, which often involve complex or costly components. The experimental results revealed the oscillation characteristics of the TAEH-TENG: by utilizing a hot heat exchanger (HHE) with a length of 10 cm, the system can sustain oscillation over 150–350 °C. Furthermore, the harvester is capable of generating an open-circuit voltage of 25 V, an RMS current of 0.98 μA, and a peak power output of 0.48 mW, representing the highest power output achieved to date in comparison to previous studies. To further showcase the harvester's capability, an ultra-low-power IoT node was developed. Solely powered by the TAEH-TENG, the IoT node achieved cold-start, conducted in situ temperature measurement five times, and transmitted the data via Bluetooth within 120 s. This study not only showcases a fully self-powered IoT application but, more importantly, significantly advances the technology beyond the previous limitations faced by thermoacoustic and triboelectric integrations. By demonstrating the capability to power an ultra-low-power IoT node, this research highlights the TAEH-TENG's potential for practical, real-world energy solutions, marking a significant milestone in the deployment of heat-powered IoT applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A covalent organic framework (COF) has emerged as a promising photocatalyst for the removal of pharmaceutical and personal care product (PPCP) contaminants; however, high-performance COF photocatalysts are still scarce. In this study, three COF photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by the condensation of benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b′:5,6-b′′]trithiophene-2,5,8-tricarbaldehyde (BTT) with 4,4′,4′′-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)trianiline (TAPT), 1,3,5-Tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene (TAPB), and 4,4′,4′′-nitrilotris(benzenamine) (TAPA), namely, BTT-TAPA, BTT-TAPB, and BTT-TAPT, respectively. The surface areas of BTT-TAPA, BTT-TAPB, and BTT-TAPT were found to be 800.46, 1203.60, and 1413.58 cm2∙g−1, respectively, providing abundant active sites for photocatalytic reactions. Under visible-light irradiation, BTT-TAPT exhibited the highest removal rate of tetracycline (TC), reaching 82.7% after 240 min. The superior photocatalytic performance of BTT-TAPT was attributed to its large specific surface area and the strong electron-acceptor properties of the triazine group. Electron paramagnetic resonance capture experiments and liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer analysis confirmed that superoxide radicals played a pivotal role in the degradation of TC and ciprofloxacin. Moreover, BTT-TAPT exhibited high stability and reproducibility during the photocatalytic degradation process. This study confirms that BTT-based COFs are a class of promising photocatalysts for the degradation of PPCPs in water, and their performance can be further optimized by tuning the structure and composition of the frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective wildland fire management requires real-time access to comprehensive and distilled information from different data sources. The Digital Twin technology becomes a promising tool in optimizing the processes of wildfire prevention, monitoring, disaster response, and post-fire recovery. This review examines the potential utility of Digital Twin in wildfire management and aims to inspire further exploration and experimentation by researchers and practitioners in the fields of environment, forestry, fire ecology, and firefighting services. By creating virtual replicas of wildfire in the physical world, a Digital Twin platform facilitates data integration from multiple sources, such as remote sensing, weather forecasting, and ground-based sensors, providing a holistic view of emergency response and decision-making. Furthermore, Digital Twin can support simulation-based training and scenario testing for prescribed fire planning and firefighting to improve preparedness and response to evacuation and rescue. Successful applications of Digital Twin in wildfire management require horizontal collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders, as well as enhanced resource sharing and data exchange. This review seeks a deeper understanding of future wildland fire management from a technological perspective and inspiration of future research and implementation. Further research should focus on refining and validating Digital Twin models and the integration into existing fire management operations, and then demonstrating them in real wildland fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives: Optical tracking (OT) has shown potential in assessing surgical skill but has yet to be evaluated for endoscopic urologic surgery. We sought to evaluate the potential for OT to distinguish expert and trainee surgeons during flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) for kidney stone treatment in both simulated and live surgical settings. Methods: We performed OT analysis of six surgeons performing stone localization during fURS in two settings. In the first setting, surgeons were tasked with fiducial localization in three separate kidney phantoms during fURS. In the second setting, surgeons performed stone localization via fURS in five separate patients. Surgeons were categorized as "expert" (n = 3, endourologist, average case volume of >100 fURS per year) or trainee (n = 3, trainee, <100 fURS per year). OT metrics were recorded for both settings using the Microsoft HoloLens 2© as the surgeons viewed the surgical monitor during fURS. Standard OT metrics of experts and trainees were compared, and included: area of eye gaze movement, gaze distance traveled, number of gaze fixation points, percentage of gaze fixation dwell time, and number of saccades. Results: In the simulated setting, the average time for stone localization was greater for trainees compared to experts (318 seconds vs 52 seconds, p < 0.01). Additionally, the mean area of eye gaze movements with area of interest (AOI) was greater for trainees compared to experts (1430 cm2vs 1060 cm2, p < 0.01). The total gaze distance traveled was also greater for trainees compared to experts (1480 cm vs 730 cm, p < 0.01). In the live surgical setting, average time for stone localization was similar for trainees and experts (74 seconds vs 51 seconds, p = 0.05). The total area of eye gaze movements in AOI was greater for trainees compared to experts (700 cm2vs 30 cm2, p < 0.01). Additionally, the total gaze distance traveled was greater for trainees compared to experts (14,000 cm vs 680 cm, p < 0.01). This suggests more varied and less point specific concentration on the surgical screen by trainees. There was no difference in percentage of gaze fixation dwell time and number of saccades between experts and trainees in either setting. Conclusions: OT analysis can objectively distinguish surgical experience between experts and trainee surgeons performing fURS in both simulated and live surgical settings. These findings may play a role in future surgical training and skills assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives Methods Results Conclusions This in vitro study compared the accuracy of conventional impressions (CNVs), photogrammetry (PG), and intraoral scanning (IOS) for recording implant impressions of edentulous segments, ranging from part to complete arches by different evaluation methods.The master model for an edentulous maxillary arch was created with six implants (a–f). CNVs, PG, and IOS were used for impressions. Three impression ranges (bcde, bcdef, and abcdef) were chosen for analysis. The best‐fit algorithm, absolute linear deviation, and angular deviation were used for evaluation. Trueness and precision were analyzed by two‐way ANOVA and the Kruskal–Wallis test, respectively.The accuracy of multiple implant impressions was significantly influenced by the impression method and impression range (p < 0.05) regardless of the evaluation methods used. At smaller ranges (bcde and bcdef), there was no difference in the trueness of the three impression methods, whereas at a larger range (abcdef), both PG and CNV exhibited similar trueness, which was significantly higher than that of IOS(p < 0.05). The precision of PG was significantly better than that of CNV and IOS in most of cases (p < 0.05). As the range expanded, the trueness and precision of PG and IOS decreased (p < 0.05), whereas the accuracy of CNV remained stable.In the case of large‐range impressions, PG demonstrated a similar degree of trueness and better precision compared with CNVs, whereas the trueness and precision of the intraoral scanning were worse. This indicated that PG might be a promising method for multiple implant impressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary amides play a crucial role in organic and pharmaceutical synthesis. Herein, we present a rapid and convenient method for transforming diverse DNA‐conjugated nitriles into primary amides utilizing hydrogen peroxide and potassium carbonate. The substrate scope and DEL compatibility of this reaction were thoroughly investigated, revealing a wide range of substrates with moderate‐to‐excellent conversion. This on‐DNA transformation holds significant promise for constructing DNA‐encoded libraries (DELs) and enabling late‐stage functionalization to expand chemical diversity. Our approach not only highlights the versatility of the method but also underscores its potential for broad applications in organic and pharmaceutical synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crevice corrosion behavior and mechanism of AA7075‐T651 aluminum alloy was investigated by electrochemical measurements and surface analysis technologies in a neutral nitrate solution with different contents of NaCl. The Cl− was identified as crucial for the initiation and development of the crevice corrosion, with the phenomenon absent in the 0.05 M NaCl solution but initiated in the 0.5 and 1 M NaCl solutions. However, the crevice corrosion was more pronounced in the 0.5 M NaCl solution due to the establishment of a larger galvanic corrosion effect. The rapid dissolution of the anodic phase resulted in the increased Cl− inside the crevice, while the cathodic phase enhanced the localized dissolution through micro‐galvanic corrosion. This synergistic effect significantly facilitated the development of crevice corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) which include antibiotics such as tetracycline (TC) and ciprofloxacin (CIP), etc., have attracted increasing attention worldwide due to their potential threat to the aquatic environment and human health. In this work, a facile sol-gel method was developed to prepare tungsten-doped TiO2 with tunable W5+/W6+ ratio for the removal of PPCPs. The influence of solvents in the synthesis of the three different tungsten precursors doped TiO2 is also taken into account. WCl6, ammonium metatungstate (AMT), and Na2WO4●2H2O not only acted as the tungsten precursors but also controlled the tungsten ratio. The photocatalyst prepared by WCl6 as the tungsten precursor and ethanol as the solvent showed the highest photodegradation performance for ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC), and the photodegradation performance for tetracycline (TC) was 2.3, 2.8, and 7.8 times that of AMT, Na2WO4●2H2O as the tungsten precursors and pristine TiO2, respectively. These results were attributed to the influence of the tungsten precursors and solvents on the W5+/W6+ ratio, sample crystallinity and surface properties. This study provides an effective method for the design of tungsten-doped TiO2 with tunable W5+/W6+ ratio, which has a profound impact on future studies in the field of photocatalytic degradation of PPCPs using an environmentally friendly approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]