Riboflavin is an essential micronutrient for humans and must be obtained exogenously from foods or supplements. Numerous studies have suggested a major role of riboflavin in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. There are mainly three strategies for riboflavin synthesis, including total chemical synthesis, chemical semi-synthesis, and microbial fermentation, the latter being currently the

Engineering the electrical properties of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) holds great potential for various applications such as sensors, thermoelectric (TE) generators, and hole transport layers in solar cells. Various strategies have been applied to achieve optimal electrical properties, including base solution post-treatments. However, the working mechanism and

Travel restrictions and physical distancing have been implemented across the world to mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but studies are needed to understand their effectiveness across regions and time. Based on the population mobility metrics derived from mobile phone geolocation data across 135 countries or territories during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, we built

The human gut microbiome has primarily been studied through the use of fecal samples, a practice that has generated vital knowledge on the composition and functional capacities of gastrointestinal microbial communities. However, this reliance on fecal materials limits the investigation of microbial dynamics in other locations along the gastrointestinal tract (in situ), and the infrequent availability

Intelligent process planning (PP) is one of the most important components in an intelligent manufacturing system and acts as a bridge between product designing and practical manufacturing. PP is a nondeterministic polynomial-time (NP)-hard problem and, as existing mathematical models are not formulated in linear forms, they cannot be solved well to achieve exact solutions for PP problems. This paper

Fluorescence nanoscopy provides imaging techniques that overcome the diffraction-limited resolution barrier in light microscopy, thereby opening up a new area of research in biomedical imaging in fields such as neuroscience. Here, we review the foremost fluorescence nanoscopy techniques, including descriptions of their applications in elucidating protein architectures and mobility, the real-time determination

Given the scarcity of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, a chief policy question is how to allocate them among different sociodemographic groups. This paper evaluates COVID-19 vaccine prioritization strategies proposed to date, focusing on their stated goals; the mechanisms through which the selected allocations affect the course and burden of the pandemic; and the main epidemiological, economic

Pneumatically agitated slurry reactors, including bubble column reactors and airlift loop reactors (ALRs), are important gas–liquid–solid multiphase reactors. These reactors have been widely applied in many processes, especially in the biological fermentation and energy chemical industry, due to their low shear stress, good mixing, perfect mass-/heat-transfer properties, and relatively low costs. To

Polypropylene (PP) scaffolds are the most commonly used biomedical scaffolds despite their disadvantages, which include problems with adhesion, infection, and inflammatory responses. Here, we report on the successful development of a facile one-step method to fabricate a series of novel triclosan polydopamine polypropylene (TPP) composite scaffolds and thereby effectively improve the biocompatibility

Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with thermal energy storage (TES) system are emerging as one kind of the most promising power plants in the future renewable energy system, since they can supply dispatchable and low-cost electricity with abundant but intermittent solar energy. In order to significantly reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the present commercial CSP plants, the next

Due to the worldwide epidemic of allergic disease and a cure nowhere in sight, there is a crucial need to explore its pathophysiological mechanisms. As allergic disease has been associated with gut dysbiosis, we searched for a possible mechanism from the perspective of the molecular interface between host and microbiota with concurrent metabolomics and microbiome composition analysis. Sprague-Dawley

Black carbon (BC) is considered the second largest anthropogenic climate forcer, but the radiative effects of BC are highly correlated with its combustion sources. On-road vehicles are an important source of anthropogenic BC. However, there are major uncertainties in the estimates of the BC emissions from on-road light-duty passenger vehicles (LDPVs), and results obtained with the portable emissions

A person’s eye gaze can effectively express that person’s intentions. Thus, gaze estimation is an important approach in intelligent manufacturing to analyze a person’s intentions. Many gaze estimation methods regress the direction of the gaze by analyzing images of the eyes, also known as eye patches.. However, it is very difficult to construct a person-independent model that can estimate an accurate

Liquid leakage from the pipelines is a critical issue in large-scale process plants. Damages in the pipelines affect the normal operation of the plant and increase the maintenance cost. Furthermore, they cause an unsafe and hazardous situation for the operators. Therefore, detection and localization of leakages is a crucial task for maintenance and condition monitoring. Recently, using infrared (IR)

Although new technologies have been deeply applied in manufacturing systems, manufacturing enterprises are still encountering difficulties in maintaining efficient and flexible production due to the random arrivals of diverse customer requirements. Fast order delivery and low inventory cost are fundamentally contradictory to each other. How to make a suitable production-triggering strategy is a critical

Cloud manufacturing is one of the three key technologies that enable intelligent manufacturing. This paper presents a novel attribute-based encryption (ABE) approach for computer-aided design (CAD) assembly models to effectively support hierarchical access control, integrity verification, and deformation protection for co-design scenarios in cloud manufacturing. An assembly hierarchy access tree (AHAT)

Hydrogen (H2) is an essential vector for freeing our societies from fossil fuels and effectively initiating the energy transition. Offering high energy density, hydrogen can be used for mobile, stationary, or industrial applications of all sizes. This perspective on the crucial role of hydrogen is shared by a growing number of countries worldwide (e.g., China, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia

A plastic may degrade in response to a trigger. The kinetics of degradation have long been characterized by the loss of weight and strength over time. These methods of gross characterization, however, are misleading when plastic degrades heterogeneously. Here, we study heterogeneous degradation in an extreme form: the growth of a crack under the combined action of chemistry and mechanics. An applied

The development of novel materials with ion-selective nanochannels has introduced a new technology for harvesting salinity gradient (blue) energy, namely nanopore power generators (NPG). In this study, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the practical performance of NPG in both coupon-size and module-scale operations. We show that although NPG membrane coupons can theoretically generate ultrahigh

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased the burden on many healthcare systems and in the process, exposed the need for medical resources and physical space. While few studies discussed the efficient utilization of medical resources and physical space so far. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize experiences related to facilities used for centralized isolation for medical observation

Ultrafiltration (UF) has been increasingly implemented in drinking water treatment plants; however, algae and their secretions can cause severe membrane fouling and pose great challenges to UF in practice. In this study, a simple and practical chemically enhanced backwashing (CEB) process was developed to address such issues using various cleaning reagents, including sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), sodium

The presence of newly emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment poses great challenges for drinking water treatment plants. Due to their low concentrations and unknown characteristics, emerging pollutants cannot be efficiently removed by conventional water treatment processes, making technically, economically, and environmentally friendly water purification technologies increasingly important

Preserving Tibet’s unique history and cultural heritage relies on the sustainability of the Tibetan croplands, which are characterized by highland barley, the only cereal crop cultivated over 4000 m above sea level. Yet it is unknown how these croplands will respond to climate change. Here, using yield statistics from 1985 to 2015, we found that the impact of temperature anomalies on the Tibetan crop

In the current shift from conventional fossil-fuel-based materials to renewable energy, ecofriendly materials have attracted extensive research interest due to their sustainability and biodegradable properties. The integration of sustainable materials in electronics provides industrial benefits from wasted bio-origin resources and preserves the environment. This review covers the use of sustainable

In the past decades, ion conductive polymers and elastomers have drawn worldwide attention for their advanced functions in batteries, electroactive soft robotics, and sensors. Stretchable ionic elastomers with dispersed soft ionic moieties such as ionic liquids have gained remarkable attention as soft sensors, in applications such as the wearable devices that are often called electric skins. A considerable

This paper proposes a scanner–stage synchronized approach emphasizing a novel control structure for the laser polishing of Inconel 718 components manufactured by selective laser melting in order to address increasing demands for high surface quality in metal additive manufacturing. The proposed synchronized control system is composed of a motion decomposition module and an error synthesis module. The

This study investigates the effects of nanofillers on the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between aggregate and cement paste by using nanoindentation and statistical nanoindentation techniques. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms are revealed through micromechanical modeling. The nanoindentation results indicate that incorporating nanofillers increases the degree of hydration in the ITZ, reduces

In this study, normal values of semen analysis were set for a general infertile population of couples among which most women had normal ovulation. The predictive capacity values of sperm quality, including concentration, motile count, progressive motile count, and morphology, are unclear for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A secondary analysis was conducted based on a randomized controlled

Three-dimensional (3D) profile scanning plays a crucial role in the inspection of assembled large aircraft. In this paper, to achieve noncontact automatic measurements of the high-reflective profiles of large-scale curved parts and components, an automated noncontact system and method with high accuracy and high efficiency are presented. First, a hybrid 3D coordinate measurement system based on proximity

Flow profiles are frequently engineered in microfluidic channels for enhanced mixing, reaction control, and material synthesis. Conventionally, flow profiles are engineered by inducing inertial secondary flow to redistribute the streams, which can hardly be reproduced in microfluidic environments with negligible inertial flow. The employed symmetric channel structures also limit the variety of achievable

A novel method has been successfully developed for the facile and efficient removal of organic micro-pollutants (OMP) from water based on novel functional capsules encapsulating molecular-recognizable nanogels. The functional capsules are composed of ultrathin calcium alginate (Ca-Alg) hydrogel shells as semipermeable membranes and encapsulated poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid-graft-mono

Lightweight and mechanically strong natural silk fibers have been extensively investigated over the past decades. Inspired by this research, many artificial spinning techniques (wet spinning, dry spinning, electrospinning, etc.) have been developed to fabricate robust protein fibers. As the traditional spinning methods provide poor control over the as-spun fibers, microfluidics has been integrated

The occurrence and impacts of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in the aquatic environment have gained widespread attention over the past two decades. Due to large number of potential contaminants, monitoring campaigns, treatment plants, and proposed regulations should preferentially focus on specific pollutants with the highest potential for ecological and human health effects. In the present study

The world’s increasing population requires the process industry to produce food, fuels, chemicals, and consumer products in a more efficient and sustainable way. Functional process materials lie at the heart of this challenge. Traditionally, new advanced materials are found empirically or through trial-and-error approaches. As theoretical methods and associated tools are being continuously improved

Nanobubbles have attracted considerable attention in various industrial applications due to their exceptionally long lifetime and their potential as carriers at the nanoscale. The stability and physiochemical properties of nanobubbles are highly sensitive to the presence of surfactants that can lower their surface tension or improve their electrostatic stabilization. Herein, we report real-time observations

Bone defects resulting from trauma, surgery, congenital malformations, and other factors are among the most common health problems nowadays. Although current strategies such as autografts and allografts are recognized as the most successful treatments for stimulating bone regeneration, limitations such as graft source and complications still exist. SmartBone® is a xeno-hybrid bone graft (made from

This paper reports on analysis of an experimental study that aimed to determine the apparent gas permeability in cracked concrete. There is a lack of research on this topic in the international literature, due to the difficulty of performing reliable experimental testing for gas permeability. The principal interest of this work is to present new and reliable experimental results. Analytical functions

Host–guest molecular recognition at the liquid–liquid interface endows the interface with unique properties, including stimuli-responsiveness and self-regulation, due to the dynamic and reversible nature of non-covalent interactions. Increasing research efforts have been put into the preparation of supramolecular interfacial systems such as films and microcapsules by integrating functional components

The fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication networks are expected to play an essential role in the transformation of vertical industries. Among many exciting applications to be enabled by 5G, logistics tasks in industry parks can be performed more efficiently via vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. In this paper, a multi-layer collaboration framework enabled by V2X is proposed for logistics

Aircraft ground movement plays a key role in improving airport efficiency, as it acts as a link to all other ground operations. Finding novel approaches to coordinate the movements of a fleet of aircraft at an airport in order to improve system resilience to disruptions with increasing autonomy is at the center of many key studies for airport airside operations. Moreover, autonomous taxiing is envisioned

In air traffic and airport management, experience gained from past operations is crucial in designing appropriate strategies when facing a new scenario. Therefore, this paper uses massive spatiotemporal flight data to identify similar traffic and delay patterns, which become critical for gaining a better understanding of the aviation system and relevant decision-making. However, as the datasets imply

Urban air mobility (UAM) is an emerging concept proposed in recent years that uses electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). UAM is expected to offer an alternative way of transporting passengers and goods in urban areas with significantly improved mobility by making use of low-altitude airspace. In addition to other essential elements, ground infrastructure of vertiports is needed

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is an important indicator of aquaculture, and its accurate forecasting can effectively improve the quality of aquatic products. In this paper, a new DO hybrid forecasting model is proposed that includes three stages: multi-factor analysis, adaptive decomposition, and an optimization-based ensemble. First, considering the complex factors affecting DO, the grey relational (GR) degree

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are considered to be ideal and promising cell sources for various applications such as regenerative medicine and drug screening. However, effective mass production systems for the stable supply of desired numbers of iPSCs are yet to be developed. This review introduces the various approaches that are currently available for stable iPSC production. We start by

We aimed to develop a disease risk comorbidity index (DRCI) based on disease risk index (DRI) and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) in patients receiving haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT). We identified the prognostic factors of disease-free survival (DFS) in a training subset (n = 593), then assigned a weighted score using these

Genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors contribute to the etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Increased body mass index (BMI) exacerbates the reproductive and metabolic parameters and reduces the fecundity of women with PCOS. This is a secondary analysis of a large-sample, multicenter, randomized controlled trial conducted at 21 sites in Chinese mainland. A total of 1000 women diagnosed

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging the current public health emergency response systems (PHERSs) of many countries. Although environmental factors, such as those influencing the survival of viruses and their transmission between species including humans, play important roles in PHERSs, little attention has been given to these factors. This study describes and elucidates

The “Grain-for-Green” project on the Loess Plateau is the largest revegetation program in the world. However, revegetation-induced land use changes can influence both water and carbon cycles, and the diverse consequences were not well understood. Therefore, the reasonability and sustainability of revegetation measures are in question. This study quantifies the impacts of revegetation-induced land use

A herbal prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has great complexity, with multiple components and multiple targets, making it extremely challenging to determine its bioactive compounds. Yinchenhao Tang (YCHT) has been extensively used for the treatment of jaundice disease. Although many studies have examined the efficacy and active ingredients of YCHT, there is still a lack of an in-depth

The ferrite process can not only purify wastewater containing heavy metal ions but also recycle valuable metals from wastewater. Therefore, it is considered a promising technology to treat chromium-containing wastewater. However, the process has not been extensively applied in industry due to its high synthesis temperature. In this paper, the feasibility of chromite synthesis at room temperature was

The Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) project is the technological pillar of the European Commission’s Single European Sky Initiative to modernize air traffic management (ATM). Here, we describe the process of establishing SESAR and the main parts of the project: the research and development (R&D) part, which is led by the SESAR Joint Undertaking; the deployment part, which is managed by the

Intractable delays occur in air traffic due to the imbalance between ever-increasing air traffic demand and limited airspace capacity. As air traffic is associated with complex air transport systems, delays can be magnified and propagated throughout these systems, resulting in the emergent behavior known as delay propagation. An understanding of delay propagation dynamics is pertinent to modern air

Antimicrobial resistance is undoubtedly one of the greatest global health threats. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) gram-positive pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and β-lactamase-resistant Streptococcus pneumonia, has severely limited our antibiotic arsenal. Numerous ribosome-targeting antibiotics, especially

To address concerns about anticipated increases in air traffic, leverage the capabilities of new technologies to enhance service, and accommodate new classes of airspace users, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and its partners embarked on a modernization effort known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen. NextGen encompasses a wide-range of improvements in communications

The colonization of the human microbiota in early life has long-lasting health implications. The status of the initial intestinal microbiota determines human growth and development from infancy to adulthood, and thus represents a crucial window in our long-term development. This review aims to summarize the latest findings on the symbiotic gut microbiota early in life and its vital role in metabolic-

The complex compositions and large shrinkage of concrete, as well as the strong constraints of the structures, often lead to prominent shrinkage cracking problems in modern concrete structures. This paper first introduces a multi-field (hydro–thermo–hygro–constraint) coupling model with the hydration degree of cementitious materials as the basic state parameter to estimate the shrinkage cracking risk

The accurate and efficient measurement of small molecule disease markers for clinical diagnosis is of great importance. In this study, a quadrupole-linear ion trap (Q-LIT) tandem mass spectrometer was designed and built in our laboratory. Target precursor ions were first selected in the quadrupole, and then injected, trapped, and fragmented simultaneously in the linear ion trap (LIT) to reduce the