UCLA researchers have unveiled a new solid-state thermal transistor that uses electric fields to effectively control the movement of heat in semiconductors. This represents a major advance in the thermal management of computer chips and potential applications in understanding the thermal regulation of the human body. An illustration of a UCLA-developed solid-state thermal transistor that uses electric fields to control heat transfer. Credit: H-Lab/UCLA
New electronic devices precisely and quickly control turning heat on and off.
A team of UCLA scientists has unveiled the first stable, fully solid-state thermal transistor of its kind that uses electric fields to control thermal movement in semiconductor devices.
Group research recently published in journals scienceLet’s take a closer look at how the device works and its potential uses. With the highest speed and performance, this transistor could break new ground in thermal management in computer chips through atomic-level design and molecular engineering. This advance could also improve our understanding of how the human body regulates heat.
A leap forward in thermal management technology
“Precise control over how heat flows through materials has long been a dream of physicists and engineers, but an elusive dream,” said co-author of the study, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Professor Yongji Hu said. DOI: 10.1126/science.abo4297
Other authors on the paper, all from UCLA, include Man Li, Huan Wu, Erin Avery, Zihao Qin, Dominic Goronzy, Huu Duy Nguyen, and Tianhan Liu. Hu and Weiss are also affiliated with the California NanoSystems Institute and UCLA Samueli’s Department of Bioengineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
This research
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Photoswitches: a revolutionary way to store solar energy
Groundbreaking research has identified a molecular photoswitch that can improve solar energy storage. Researchers used quantum computing to analyze large databases to find the best molecules for the technology, taking an important step in harnessing emissions-free solar energy. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Optimization of molecular photoswitches for solar power generation.
Molecular photoswitches that can both convert and store energy could potentially make harvesting solar energy more efficient. The research team quantum computing A method of finding molecular structures that is particularly efficient for this purpose.As the team explained in the journal Angewante ChemieTheir procedure was based on a dataset of more than 400,000 molecules that were screened to find the best molecular structures for solar energy storage materials.
MOST project: new solar energy pathways
Currently, solar energy is used directly to generate electricity or indirectly through energy stored in thermal storage. A third route could involve first storing energy from the sun in a photosensitive material and then releasing it when needed. The EU-backed project MOST (‘Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage’) is researching molecules such as photoswitches that can absorb and store solar energy at room temperature, in order to make the use of completely emission-free solar energy a reality. Masu.
A research team led by Kurt V. Mikkelsen of the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Kasper Moss Poulsen of the Polytechnic University of Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, took a closer look at the photoswitches that are ideal for this task. They studied molecules known as bicyclic dienes, which switch to a high-energy state when exposed to light. The most prominent example of this bicyclic diene system is known as norbornadiene quadricyclane, but a vast number of similar candidates exist. The researchers explain: “The resulting chemical space consists of approximately 466,000 bicyclic dienes that we screened for potential applicability to MOST technology.”
Innovative screening methods and promising discoveries
Screening a database of this size is typically done as follows: machine learning, But this would require large amounts of training data based on real-world experiments, which the team didn’t have. Screening and evaluation of database molecules using previously developed algorithms and the new evaluation score “Eta” yielded clear results. All six of his top-scoring molecules differed from the original norbornadienequadricyclane system in important structural respects. The researchers concluded that this structural change, an enlargement of the molecular bridge between the two carbon rings of the bicyclic moiety, allowed the new molecule to store more energy than the original norbornadiene.
The researchers’ work demonstrates the potential for optimizing solar energy storage molecules. However, new molecules must first be synthesized and tested under real conditions. “Even if systems can be prepared synthetically, there is no guarantee that they will be soluble in the relevant solvents and will actually photoswitch in high yields, as we envisioned with Eta, or “There is no guarantee that there will be any optical switching at all,” the authors caution.
Impact and prospects
Nevertheless, the team developed a new large-scale training data set for machine learning algorithms, shortening difficult pre-synthetic research steps for chemists working on such systems in the future. The authors envision that this much larger reservoir of bicyclic dienes could be exploited to study photoswitches for a variety of applications, making it easier to tailor molecules to specific requirements. doing.
References: “Bicycles for Molecular Solar Energy Storage Candidates” by Andreas Arbus Hillers Bentsen, Jacob Linge Erholm, Oskar Berlin Ober, Helen Herzel, Kaspar Moss Poulsen, and Kurt V. Mikkelsen. Exploring the chemical space of formula dienes”, July 25, 2023, Angewante Chemie International Edition.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.202309543
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Revolutionary New Test Promises Breakthrough in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment
A breakthrough assay to detect acute myeloid leukemia (AML) through a KMT2A gene fusion promises to enhance diagnosis and treatment and represents a major advance in leukemia research.
The researchers Accuracy
Detecting specific molecular markers within leukemia cells has the potential to significantly improve the assessment of measurable residual disease. This advancement will enable better-informed treatment decisions and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
A new assay that detects unique molecular markers in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) could revolutionize how the disease is detected and treated, according to a recently published new report. Molecular Diagnostic Journal Published by Elsevier. This assay may improve the detection of AML due to factors such as: Kuomintang 2A Gene fusions can impact treatment decision-making, assessment of response to treatment, and long-term monitoring.
AML is a rare, aggressive blood cancer that is diagnosed in approximately 120,000 people worldwide each year. Detecting residual disease during treatment is essential to determine prognosis and guide treatment decisions.Currently, methods to detect measurable residual disease (MRD) during treatment of AML include bone marrow morphology, multiparameter flow cytometry (MPFC), and DNA Sequencing.
Morphological evaluation detects leukemic cells only with a detection limit of 5%. Although MPFC has a more sensitive detection limit of 0.01% to 0.001%, it is difficult to implement and interpret and is not standardized across laboratories. DNA sequencing approaches can identify leukemic cells by somatic mutation profiles, but are expensive and can be confounded by clonal hematopoiesis in nonleukemic blood cells.
Breakthrough progress in leukemia research
“We’ve seen a lot of research in this field,” explained lead researcher Dr. Grant A. Challen, of the Department of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Normally absent in healthy cells. Other diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) can already be tracked by standard BCR-ABL fusions, and sensitive detection of these fusions has revolutionized the way CML is treated. . For AML patients whose disease is caused by oncogenic fusions, the KMT2A fusion is a molecular marker that can be exploited for sensitive MRD detection. Therefore, we wanted to develop a platform for sensitive KMT2A fusion detection to improve detection and treatment methods for this disease. ”
Researchers have developed a new droplet digital PCR assay that allows for high sensitivity. Kuomintang 2A Fusion detection with the five most common fusion partners.At least 80 are known Kuomintang 2A There are fusion partners, but approximately 80% of fusions involve only 5 partners – AF9, AF6, AF4, Elleand English. They benchmarked the assay in human cell lines and patient samples and demonstrated sensitivity and specificity. Kuomintang 2A Fusion detection.
This assay detects these fusions by splitting cDNA molecules into microfluidic droplets and assaying them using primers and probes that generate a positive signal only when the fused transcript is present. Researchers were able to combine multiple primer/probe sets targeting different fusions into a pooled fusion detection reagent. they again, Kuomintang 2A Fusions in patient samples are known to be present Kuomintang 2A fusion.
Implications for AML treatment and future research
Dr. Challen said: This assay can be easily extended to include additional oncogenic fusions. This has potential implications for treatment decision-making and assessment of response to treatment. Knowing whether treatment is effective is critical to deciding when to escalate treatment or perform a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. ”
“This is a powerful new tool for highly sensitive KMT2A fusion detection and can be directly applied to disease detection in leukemia patients caused by these fusions. This fills a void in oncogenic fusion detection. , we offer several technical improvements. This assay is also highly scalable, and additional fusions can be easily added to the assay to expand coverage of other oncogenic fusions. We is improving blood cancer detection one drop at a time.”
Reference: “Droplet Digital PCR for Oncogenic KMT2A Fusion Detection” by Andrew L. Young, Hannah C. Davis, and Grant A. Challen, October 7, 2023. Molecular Diagnostic Journal.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2023.09.006
This research was funded by: National Institutes of Health and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
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Revolutionary Drug Delivery System Transforms Diabetes Treatment
Stanford University engineers have created an injectable hydrogel depot technology that allows GLP-1 drugs to be administered once every four months, rather than requiring daily injections. This new hydrogel has the potential to revolutionize treatment for type 2 diabetes and weight management by significantly reducing the burden of daily injections.
The hydrogel drug delivery system was developed by materials engineers at Stanford University and turns daily or weekly injections of drugs like Ozempic, Maunjaro, Trulicity, and Victoza into a single injection every four months. This new system could greatly improve patient compliance and health outcomes for people with type 2 diabetes, as well as providing a more manageable treatment regimen.
The hydrogel contains GLP-1 drug molecules and slowly releases them over time, eliminating the need for frequent injections. This novel nanocomposite hydrogel is made of polymers and nanoparticles that dissolve over the course of several months, similar to how a sugar cube dissolves in water. Once the hydrogel is injected under the skin, it gradually releases the drug as it dissolves, providing sustained delivery over a four-month period.
Initial testing in laboratory rats has shown promising results, and future trials will be conducted on pigs to further validate the system’s effectiveness. The ultimate goal is to conduct human clinical trials within the next two years to evaluate the long-term administration of GLP-1-based treatments.
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and a seed grant from the Stanford Diabetes Research Center.
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Corrosion Reimagined: A Revolutionary Approach
Scientists have used environmental TEM to uncover atomic-level secrets about how water vapor interacts with metals, causing corrosion and passivation. Their research provides insights into improved corrosion management and clean energy solutions, with broad economic and environmental benefits. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Groundbreaking research reveals new details about water vapor and metal interactions at the atomic level, with implications for corrosion control and clean energy development.
When water vapor comes into contact with metal, corrosion can occur and cause mechanical problems that negatively impact the performance of the machine. Through a process called passivation, a thin inert layer can also be formed that acts as a barrier against further degradation.
In any case, the exact chemical reactions are not well understood at the atomic level, but a technique called environmental transmission electron microscopy (TEM) allows researchers to directly observe interacting molecules on the smallest possible scale. Thanks to you, things are changing.
Innovative research in atomic reactions
Professor Guangwen Zhou, a faculty member in Binghamton University’s Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been studying the secrets of atomic reactions since joining the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2007. The national lab, along with collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh and Brookhaven University, has been studying the structural and functional properties of metals and the manufacturing process for “green” steels.
Their latest research, “Atomic Mechanism of Water Vapor-Induced Surface Passivation,” was recently published in a journal. scientific progress. Co-authors include his Binghamton doctoral students Xiaobo Chen, Dongxiang Wu, Chaoran Li, Shuonan Ye, and Shyam Bharatkumar Patel, MS ’21. Dr. Na Kai, 12 years. Dr. Zhao Liu, 2020. At the University of Pittsburgh, he is Weitao Shan, MS ’16, and Guofeng Wang. Sooyeon Hwang, Dmitri N. Zakharov, and Jorge Anibal Boscoboinik of Brookhaven National Laboratory;
Transmission electron microscopy images of aluminum oxide surfaces show that the passive oxide film formed in water vapor consists of an inner amorphous aluminum oxide layer and an outer crystalline aluminum hydroxide layer.Credit: Provided
In their paper, Chou and his team introduced water vapor to cleaned aluminum samples and observed the surface reactions.
“This phenomenon is well known because it occurs in our daily lives,” he says. “But how do water molecules react with aluminum to form this passive layer? [research] In the literature, how this happens at the atomic scale has not been well studied. If you want to use it for good, there is some way to control it and you need to know it. ”
They discovered something that had never been observed before. In addition to the aluminum hydroxide layer formed on the surface, a second amorphous layer developed underneath. This indicates that there is a transport mechanism that allows oxygen to diffuse into the substrate.
“Most corrosion research focuses on the growth of the passive layer and how it slows down the corrosion process,” Zhou says. “We feel that if we look at the atomic scale, we can fill in the gaps in knowledge.”
Guangwen Zhou is a professor of mechanical engineering in the Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.Credit: Jonathan Cohen
Economic and Environmental Impact of Corrosion Research Economic and Environmental Impact of Corrosion Research
The cost of remediating corrosion worldwide is estimated at $2.5 trillion annually, which is more than 3% of global GDP. Therefore, developing better ways to manage oxidation would be an economic boon.
Additionally, understanding how the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water molecules break down and interact with metals could lead to clean energy solutions, and the U.S. Department of Energy is excited about this research and Zhou’s past work. That’s why we funded a similar project.
“If you split water into oxygen and hydrogen, when they recombine, it’s just water again,” he says. “There is no fossil fuel pollution and no carbon dioxide production.”
Because of its impact on clean energy, the Department of Energy has periodically renewed Chou’s grant over the past 15 years.
“We are very grateful for the long-term support for this research,” said Zhou. “This is a very important issue for energy devices and systems because of the large amount of metal alloys used as structural materials.”
Reference: “Atomic mechanism of water vapor-induced surface passivation” Xiaobo Chen, Weitao Shan, Dongxiang Wu, Shyam Bharatkumar Patel, Na Cai, Chaoran Li, Shuonan Ye, Zhao Liu, Sooyeon Hwang, Dmitri N. Zakharov, Jorge Anibal Boscoboinik Written by Wang Feng and Zhou Guangwen, November 1, 2023, scientific progress.
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh5565
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Next Phase of Human Clinical Trials for Revolutionary Sepsis Treatment Commences
Scientists have developed a promising treatment for sepsis, and clinical trials using sodium ascorbate, a vitamin C preparation, have shown effective results. The treatment has progressed into extensive clinical trials across Australia and demonstrated significant improvements in sepsis patients, including improved kidney function and reduced dependence on other drugs. This breakthrough, the result of decades of research, brings hope to a disease that is the leading cause of death in intensive care units around the world.
Flory Institute researchers, in collaboration with hospital intensivists, have demonstrated that sodium ascorbate, a pH-balanced formulation of vitamin C, is effective in treating sepsis.
Researchers at the Florey Institute have demonstrated that the formulation they have developed reduces deadly sepsis, and the next phase of clinical trials is set to begin across Australia next month.
Promising results from early clinical trial conducted at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital published in journal Critical carehave shown that sodium ascorbate, a pH-balanced formulation of vitamin C, is effective in treating sepsis.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Yugish Lankadeva said sepsis is notoriously difficult to treat and is often fatal.
LR Florey Professor Clive May, Austin Health Intensivist Professor Rinaldo Bellomo and Florey Associate Professor Yugish Rankadeva discovered that sodium ascorbate can be used to treat sepsis.Credit: Flory
Challenges in sepsis treatment
“Sepsis accounts for 35 to 50 percent of all hospital deaths. It is when the immune system is unable to fight the underlying infection, causing a life-threatening drop in blood pressure, multiple organ failure, and death. ,” said Associate Professor Lankadeva. In our clinical trial at Austin Hospital, sodium ascorbate was administered into patients’ bloodstreams, resulting in promising improvements in multiple organs. ”
Associate Professor Lankadeva, Florey’s research director for Systems Neuroscience, said of the next steps: $4.9 million government-funded research project Delivered in intensive care units in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Alice Springs and Sydney.
“We will recruit 300 adult sepsis patients who will receive either our formulation or a placebo in addition to their usual hospital care. These results will provide additional data to determine the efficacy of the formulation. It will help in collection,” said Associate Professor Lankadeva.
Flory scientists have created a special formulation of sodium ascorbate to treat sepsis.Credit: Flory
Insights into previous trials
Professor Rinaldo Bellomo, director of intensive care research at Austin Hospital, said the first part of the trial at his department involved 30 adult sepsis patients between October 2020 and November 2022.
While in intensive care in the hospital, half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive sodium ascorbate, and the other half received a placebo.
This study found that patients with sepsis treated with sodium ascorbate:
- Signs that more urine is produced and kidney function has improved
- Less need for noradrenaline, a drug used clinically to restore blood pressure
- He showed signs of improved function in multiple organs.
“Sepsis is the number one cause of death in intensive care units in Australia and around the world,” Professor Bellomo said. “In many cases, the disease progresses so rapidly that by the time patients reach us, they are already seriously ill. It will be a huge change.”
Decades of research bear fruit
Professor Clive May, Florey Senior Research Fellow on the project, has been researching how sepsis causes organ failure, particularly damage to the brain and kidneys, for more than 20 years.
“By showing decreased oxygen levels in the tissues of sepsis, we found that sodium ascorbate was a possible treatment.
“We have seen dramatic results in preclinical studies, where extremely high doses of sodium ascorbate caused complete recovery within just three hours with no side effects. It’s heartening to see that it’s paying off and bringing treatments into the hands of patients,” said Professor Clive May.
Surviving sepsis: The patient’s perspective
Longtime Flory staffer Brett Purcell serves as the consumer representative for the MEGASCORES research program, providing a valuable perspective from sepsis survivors.
“In 2011 I was taken to the hospital by ambulance with high fever and delirium. I was suffering from the early stages of sepsis. My condition gradually worsened and I was transferred to a larger hospital after 12 days. By that time My heart was severely infected and I was in septic shock. Six months ago I had a successful aortic valve replacement. Unfortunately the valve was infected.
“The surgical team repaired the damage in a six-hour operation, but my condition deteriorated to critical condition. I was told it would be an hour. It was the good decision-making of the surgical team and ICU intensivist that saved me. I was put on life support with an ECMO machine and dialysis, and my symptoms rapidly worsened. Improved.
“After almost eight weeks in the hospital, I’m home. I’m really lucky to be alive and hope this new research using sodium ascorbate is less invasive, faster, and extremely effective in fighting sepsis.” We hope to provide hospitals with a new and effective life-saving tool.”
Reference: “Ultra-dose sodium ascorbate: pilot, single-dose, physiological effects, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial” Fumitaka Yanase, Sofia Spano, Akinori Maeda, Anis Chaba, Thummaporn Naorungroj, Connie Pei Chen Ow , Yugeesh R. Rankadeva, Clive N. May, Ashenafi H. Betley, Darius JR Lane, Glenn M. Eastwood, Mark P. Plummer, Rinaldo Bellomo, October 12, 2023. Critical care.
DOI: 10.1186/s13054-023-04644-x
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Revolutionary New Technology Accelerates Diaper Recycling by 200 Times
The superabsorber becomes a liquid under ultraviolet light after absorbing enough water. It can then be reused. Credit: Ken Pekarsky, KIT
Water and UV light effectively and quickly break down the cross-linked polymers in diaper liners without the use of any chemicals. This process allows recycled plastic molecules to be reused for a variety of uses.
Superabsorbent materials such as sodium polyacrylate are important components of a variety of hygiene and medical products, including diapers, bandages, and dressings. These cross-linked polymers are typically insoluble in water, although they are known for their high absorbency. Recycling them traditionally required the use of strong acids.
It will not melt at high temperatures, it will only deteriorate. However, the acid “breaks” the chains and stabilizes the polymer after about 16 hours at 80 degrees. Celsius Therefore, recycling is now possible. Because this process is complex and expensive, superabsorbents are rarely recycled. Approximately 2 million tons of this waste is thrown away or incinerated each year.
Turns into liquid in 5 minutes instead of 16 hours
Researchers from KIT’s Institute of Biochemical Systems, Institute of Biointerfaces, and Institute of Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry have discovered that crosslinked sodium polyacrylate polymers degrade under ultraviolet light after uptake of water. .
“The chains that connect the polymers are broken by light, and they are so loose that they swim underwater and turn into liquid fibers,” explains Pavel Levkin, a professor at the Institute of Biochemical Systems. For the study, researchers cut liners from traditional diapers, wetted them with water and exposed them to a 1000 W lamp. After 5 minutes, the solid material turned into a liquid and fell into the collector. “This method using ultraviolet light is about 200 times faster than using acids,” Revkin says.
Recycled polymers can be used in a variety of ways
The team then used known processes to convert the liquid into new adhesives and dyes. “The observation that this substance is soluble and processable was very important. It could probably be turned into many other products,” explains the scientist.
In the test, the researchers used clean diapers. However, it is also possible to separate superabsorbents from used diapers. “Therefore, there is no reason why a near-realistic use should not be possible,” Revkin says. By using solar power, you can optimize recycling methods that are cost-effective and environmentally friendly. “We have discovered a promising strategy to recycle superabsorbents, which significantly reduces environmental pollution and contributes to a more sustainable use of polymers.”
Reference: “From diapers to thickeners and pressure-sensitive adhesives: recycling superabsorbents by UV degradation” by Shuai Li, Johannes M. Scheiger, Zhenwu Wang, Birgit Huber, Maxi Hoffmann, Manfred Wilhelm, Pavel A. Levkin , September 7, 2023 ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06999
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