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This work presents a proof of concept including simulation and experimental validations of acoustic gas sensor prototypes for trace CO2 detection up to 1 ppm. For the detection of lower gas concentrations especially, the dependency of acoustic resonances on the molecular weights and, consequently, the speed of sound of the gas mixture, is exploited. We explored two resonator types: a cylindrical acoustic resonator and a Helmholtz resonator intrinsic to the MEMS microphone’s geometry. Both systems utilized mass flow controllers (MFCs) for precise gas mixing and were also modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.2 to simulate resonance shifts based on thermodynamic properties of binary gas mixtures, in this case, N2-CO2. We performed experimental tracking using Zurich Instruments MFIA, with high-resolution frequency shifts observed in µHz and mHz ranges in both setups. A compact and geometry-independent nature of MEMS-based Helmholtz tracking showed clear potential for scalable sensor designs. Multiple experimental trials confirmed the reproducibility and stability of both configurations, thus providing a robust basis for statistical validation and system reliability assessment. The good simulation experiment agreement, especially in frequency shift trends and gas density, supports the method’s viability for scalable environmental and industrial gas sensing applications. This resonance tracking system offers high sensitivity and flexibility, allowing selective detection of low CO2 concentrations down to 1 ppm. By further exploiting both external and intrinsic acoustic resonances, the system enables highly sensitive, multi-modal sensing with minimal hardware modifications. At microscopic scales, gas detection is influenced by ambient factors like temperature and humidity, which are monitored here in a laboratory setting via NDIR sensors. A key challenge is that different gas mixtures with similar sound speeds can cause indistinguishable frequency shifts. To address this, machine learning-based multivariate gas analysis can be employed. This would, in addition to the acoustic properties of the gases as one of the variables, also consider other gas-specific variables such as absorption, molecular properties, and spectroscopic signatures, reducing cross-sensitivity and improving selectivity. This multivariate sensing approach holds potential for future application and validation with more critical gas species.

Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) retaining walls, reinforced by the geogrids and using rigid segmental blocks as facing elements have extensively been used in recent past as an economic and sustainable solution for the earth retention. Nevertheless, in the case of a high retaining wall, tiered walls are preferred than a single-tier retaining wall due to their cost-effectiveness and more stability than single-tiered MSE walls. However, the behavior of tiered MSE retaining wall under dynamic loading is not yet studied thoroughly as the conventional design in practice is based on offset distance between the tiered walls and certain assumptions of surcharge loading imparted by the weight of tiered walls itself. Therefore, an attempt has been made to examine the behavior of tiered MSE retaining wall using finite element method, having a height of 12 m (H) under gravity and seismic loading to compare its stability with the conventional (single-tier) MSE retaining wall in terms of factor of safety (FOS) and to look into the possible modes of failure. The factor of safety shows a raise of 66% in two-tiered walls, when the horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient ( k h ) is 0.36 for both the walls, during the analysis of single-tiered and two-tiered wall systems. An optimum reinforcement length is evaluated for two-tiered wall system under seismic and static loading conditions. It is suggested that reinforcement 0.8H and 1.1H is suitable in two-tiered MSE walls, under static and dynamic loading respectively.

A monolayer of boron known as borophene has emerged as a novel and fascinating two-dimensional (2D) material with exceptional features, such as anisotropic metallic behavior and supple mechanical and optical capabilities. The engineering of smart functionalized opto-electric 2D materials is essential to obtain biosensors or biodevices of desired performance. Borophene is one of the most emerging 2D materials, and owing to its excellent electroactive surface area, high electron transport, anisotropic behavior, controllable optical and electrochemical properties, ability to be deposited on thin films, and potential to create surface functionalities, it has recently become one of the sophisticated platforms. Despite the difficulty of production, borophene may be immobilized utilizing chemistries, be functionalized on a flexible substrate, and be controlled over electro-optical properties to create a highly sensitive biosensor system that could be used for point-of-care diagnostics. Its electrochemical properties can be tailored by using appropriate nanomaterials, redox mediators, conducting polymers, etc., which will be quite useful for the detection of biomolecules at even trace levels with a high sensitivity and less detection time. This will be quite helpful in developing biosensing devices with a very high sensitivity and with less response time. So, this review will be a crucial foundation as we have discussed the basic properties, synthesis, and potential applications of borophene in nanobiosensing, as well as therapeutic applications.

To control the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Government of India imposed various phases of lockdown starting from the third week of March 2020. Improvement in city air quality has emerged as a benefit of this lockdown in India. The objective of this paper is to quantify the health benefits due to this lockdown. PM 2.5 concentrations in nonattainment cities (NACs) in Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) in North India were studied. Data from prelockdown and the various lockdown phases were compared, with 2019 as a benchmark. Compared with those in 2019, the PM 2.5 concentrations during lockdown Phase 1 were approximately 44.6% lower for cities in Uttar Pradesh and approximately 58.5% lower for the Delhi-NCR. The health impacts of particle inhalation were quantified using the multiple-path particle dosimetry and AirQ+ models, which revealed that the most considerable improvement was during lockdown Phase 1. Among the prelockdown and lockdown phases, Phase 1 exhibited the minimum PM 2.5 concentration and thus the greatest health benefits. For the selected cities, the concentration of particle deposition in the tracheobronchial region of human lungs showed its maximum reduction during lockdown Phase 1(30.14%). Furthermore, the results highlighted a decrease of 29.85 deaths per 100,000 persons during lockdown Phase 1, primarily due to the reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations. This quantification of the health benefits due to a decrease in PM 2.5 may help policymakers implement suitable control measures, especially for NACs, where the respirable particulate matter concentrations remain very high.

Background Half of Americans will have obesity, and a quarter will have severe obesity by the year 2030. Postoperative acute renal failure (ARF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Given the increase in the number of patients with obesity undergoing elective surgery, we investigated the relationship between obesity and postoperative ARF after elective general surgery procedures. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients in the 2015-2019 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database who underwent elective general surgery procedures. The primary outcome was the presence of postoperative ARF. The patient body mass index (BMI) was categorized as normal (BMI 18.5-24.9), overweight (BMI 25-29.9), obesity class 1 and 2 (BMI 30-39.9), severe obesity (BMI 40-49.9), and extreme obesity (BMI³50). Descriptive statistics and unadjusted comparisons were performed for patients who developed postoperative ARF and those who did not. Multivariable regression analyses were used to model BMI categories and postoperative ARF, adjusting for patient- and surgical-level covariates. Results Among 424,527 patients included in the study, 3638 patients (0.8%) developed ARF. Patients who developed ARF were older, had a higher BMI, and had more serious comorbidities. After risk adjustment, there was a stepwise rise in odds of developing postoperative ARF with increasing BMI categories compared to normal BMI: (overweight: OR 1.11 (95% CI 1.0-1.23), obesity class 1 and 2: OR 1.32 (95% CI 1.2-1.46), severe obesity: OR 1.45 (95% CI 1.27-1.66), and extreme obesity: OR 1.78 (95% CI 1.47-2.15)). Conclusion Obesity is independently associated with ARF after elective general surgery procedures.

Use of tobacco poses significant health risks, particularly in surgical patients, where smoking is a well-established risk factor for postoperative complications. Patients are often seen in the pre-assessment clinic 2–4 weeks prior to surgery, presenting a window of opportunity to intervene. The objective of our systematic review and meta-analysis is to explore the impact of short-term smoking cessation on postoperative outcomes, focusing on the critical 2–4-week period preceding surgery. Systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Adults undergoing surgical procedures with a defined smoking cessation pre-operative smoking cessation interval. Post-operative complications including pulmonary complications, surgical site infection, wound complication, bleeding, mortality, and composite complications. Fifty-five studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Pulmonary complications were more prevalent in former smokers compared to non-smokers, even after cessation. Progressively longer smoking cessation periods showed improved outcomes. Compared to active smokers, preoperative cessation reduced pulmonary complications by 27 % at ≥2 weeks (RR 0.73, 95 % CI 0.60–0.89), 29 % at ≥4 weeks (RR 0.71, 95 % CI 0.61–0.82), and 37 % at ≥8 weeks (RR 0.63, 95 % CI 0.41–0.95). With ≥4 weeks of cessation, there was a 33 % lower risk of wound complications (RR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.47–0.94), 31 % lower risk of composite complications (RR 0.69, 95 %CI 0.63–0.76), and 14 % lower risk of mortality (RR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.77–0.97). Short term cessation did not seem to have a significant impact on surgical site infections or bleeding. Short term cessation of at least 2–4 weeks demonstrates benefits in reducing post-operative complications. [Display omitted] •Short term cessation does not ameliorate the systemic risk associated with smoking.•At least 2 weeks of cessation is sufficient to reduce post-operative pulmonary complications.•At least 4 weeks of cessation is sufficient to reduce wound and composite complications, and mortality.

Plasmodium sporozoites express circumsporozoite protein (CSP) on their surface, an essential protein that contains central repeating motifs. Antibodies targeting this region can neutralize infection, and the partial efficacy of RTS,S/AS01 – the leading malaria vaccine against P. falciparum (Pf) – has been associated with the humoral response against the repeats. Although structural details of antibody recognition of PfCSP have recently emerged, the molecular basis of antibody-mediated inhibition of other Plasmodium species via CSP binding remains unclear. Here, we analyze the structure and molecular interactions of potent monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3D11 binding to P. berghei CSP (PbCSP) using molecular dynamics simulations, X-ray crystallography, and cryoEM. We reveal that mAb 3D11 can accommodate all subtle variances of the PbCSP repeating motifs, and, upon binding, induces structural ordering of PbCSP through homotypic interactions. Together, our findings uncover common mechanisms of antibody evolution in mammals against the CSP repeats of Plasmodium sporozoites. Malaria is a significant health concern, killing about 400,000 people each year. While antimalarial drugs and insecticides have successfully reduced deaths over the last 20 years, the parasite that causes malaria is starting to gain resistance to these treatments. Vaccines offer an alternative route to preventing the disease. However, the most advanced vaccine currently available provides less than 50% protection. Vaccines work by encouraging the body to develop proteins called antibodies, which can recognize the parasite and trigger an immune response that blocks the infection. These antibodies target a molecule on the parasite’s surface called circumsporozoite protein, or CSP for short. Therefore, having a better understanding of how antibodies interact with CSP could help researchers design more effective treatments. A lot of what is known about malaria has come from studying this disease in mice. However, it remained unclear whether antibodies produced in rodents combat the malaria-causing parasite in a similar manner to human antibodies. To answer this question, Kucharska, Thai et al. studied a mouse antibody called 3D11, which targets CSP on the surface of a parasite that causes malaria in rodents. The interaction between CSP and 3D11 was studied using three different techniques in order to better understand how the structure of CSP changes when bound by antibodies. The experiments showed that although CSP has a highly flexible structure, it forms a more stable, spiral-like architecture when bound to multiple copies of 3D11. A similar type of assembly was previously observed in studies investigating how CSP interacts with human antibodies. Further investigation revealed that the molecular connections between 3D11 and CSP share a lot of similarities with how human antibodies recognize CSP. These findings reveal how mammals evolved similar mechanisms for detecting and inhibiting malaria-causing parasites. This highlights the robust features antibodies need to launch an immune response against malaria, which could help develop a more effective vaccine.

This study intends to examine the behavior of a GRS wall with static footing loading above it, while varying the positions of the footing. For the study of behavior of such complex structure, finite element modeling is handy and enables to look into the various stress/strain developed in the numerical model. In view of the above, a series of finite element (FEM) simulations using a software (Optum G2) is performed for the analysis of the GRS wall. The governing parameters, such as footing width (B), reinforcement length (L), offset distance (D), are evaluated and the effect of these factors on the ultimate bearing capacity (q) and settlement (s) of the footing is presented in this study. The results depict that the settlement of the footing substantially reduced in the range of 36% and its ultimate bearing capacity is increased to 42% more than the conventional retaining walls.

Every year a massive amount of food waste is generated throughout the world at various stages of the food supply chain. As a result, a high carbon footprint is left behind, necessitating proper waste management and valorization. For the same reason, this review strives to accumulate few pieces of information on how can we use food waste in handling some of the pressing environmental issues. These approaches include wastewater treatment by using food waste as an adsorbent, where various food waste materials can efficiently remove toxic contaminants, like volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and dyes; production of biofuels, such as biodiesel, bioethanol, and biogas, by employing food waste; and production of biodegradable bioplastics by using food waste as substrates, like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), chitosan, and polylactic acid (PLA). Over the last decades, several studies with promising results in the above mentioned domains, have attempted to valorize a variety of food wastes, including peels, waste cooking oil, and even cooked food. With time, there is a growing concern about the environment, which is further inspiring the researchers to optimize and overcome the barriers that stand in the way of the commercial application of such approaches.

The cashew apple is a tropical pseudo fruit, with high fiber content, high nutritional value, and therapeutic compositional profile. Consuming cashew apples can help with several health-related problems, such as obesity, stomach ulcers, and gastritis. It has even demonstrated anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic effects, and its antioxidants can help with wound-healing. Despite such benefits, the cashew apple is frequently considered as waste generated by cashew nut industries, since its commercial applications are restricted by the astringency and poor storability. This astringency is primarily due to the presence of tannins; and a lack of proper, efficient, and economical astringency reduction strategy is accountable for major waste generation. This review compiles pieces of information on the causes of astringency, as well as tannin reduction methods, such as clarification, thermal treatments, microfiltration, and fermentation. These methods aim to either just reduce tannin content or to valorize this by-product in a less-astringent better product. Both routes will eventually help with the better utilization of said organic food waste, which is critical for sustainable development.