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Caldognetto T, Petucco A, Lauri A, and Mattavelli P
HardwareX [HardwareX] 2023 Mar 04; Vol. 14, pp. e00411. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 04 (Print Publication: 2023).
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A flexible power electronic converter embedding a rapid control prototyping platform suitable to be applied in research test setups and teaching laboratories is proposed and described in this paper. The electronic system is composed of three subsystems, namely, i ) three half-bridge power boards, ii ) a dc-link capacitor bank with a half-bridge power module for active dc-link control, iii ) an interfacing board, called motherboard, to couple the power modules with a control unit, iv ) a digital control unit with rapid control prototyping functionalities for controlling power electronic circuits. Power modules integrate sensors with related conditioning circuits, driving circuits for power switches, and protection circuits. Conversion circuits exploit GaN electronic switches for optimal performance. The architecture and implementation of the system are described in detail in this manuscript. Main applications are in the implementation of conversion circuits for supplying arbitrary ac or dc voltages or currents, testing of new control algorithms for power electronic converters, testing of systems of electronic converters in, for example, smart nanogrids or renewable energy applications, training of undergraduate and graduate students.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(© 2023 The Author(s).)
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Xu J, Liu K, Wang L, Guo H, Zhan J, Liu X, Zhang S, and Tan J
Visual computing for industry, biomedicine, and art [Vis Comput Ind Biomed Art] 2023 Feb 27; Vol. 6 (1), pp. 4. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 27.
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This study presents a robustness optimization method for rapid prototyping (RP) of functional artifacts based on visualized computing digital twins (VCDT). A generalized multiobjective robustness optimization model for RP of scheme design prototype was first built, where thermal, structural, and multidisciplinary knowledge could be integrated for visualization. To implement visualized computing, the membership function of fuzzy decision-making was optimized using a genetic algorithm. Transient thermodynamic, structural statics, and flow field analyses were conducted, especially for glass fiber composite materials, which have the characteristics of high strength, corrosion resistance, temperature resistance, dimensional stability, and electrical insulation. An electrothermal experiment was performed by measuring the temperature and changes in temperature during RP. Infrared thermographs were obtained using thermal field measurements to determine the temperature distribution. A numerical analysis of a lightweight ribbed ergonomic artifact is presented to illustrate the VCDT. Moreover, manufacturability was verified based on a thermal-solid coupled finite element analysis. The physical experiment and practice proved that the proposed VCDT provided a robust design paradigm for a layered RP between the steady balance of electrothermal regulation and manufacturing efficacy under hybrid uncertainties.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
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Mohaghegh Montazeri M and Taghipour F
Water research [Water Res] 2023 Feb 15; Vol. 230, pp. 119581. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 05.
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Hydrodynamics, Kinetics, Ultraviolet Rays, Disinfection methods, and Water Purification methods
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We developed and studied one of the first high-flow UV-LED water disinfection reactors applicable to point-of-entry (POE) water disinfection. A multiphysics computational model was created to predict the performance of UV reactor design concepts by modeling the synergic effect of radiation, hydrodynamics, and the inactivation kinetics of microorganisms. The geometrical optics that describe light propagation in terms of rays were employed to model the radiation profile of multiple UV-LEDs with optical components in complex reactor geometries, the first account of such an approach. The computational solution of the mass, momentum, and species equations was applied to model the hydrodynamics and kinetics. We designed a reactor through a detailed computational study of the optical and hydrodynamic performance of various design strategies. Highly efficient UV fluence distribution in the reactor was achieved by creating nearly collimated UV radiation beams across the reactor and managing the hydrodynamics using a flow distributor. We fabricated a prototype of the optimized reactor design for experimental studies. Biodosimetry tests were conducted for various flow rates and UV transmittances (UVTs), and the experimental results were compared with the model predictions. The design, which employed 14 UV-LEDs assembled over custom-made optical modules, resulted in a reduction equivalent dose (RED) of 65 mJ/cm 2 at a flow rate of 20 liters per minute (LPM) while consuming about 50 W energy. This reactor design required only 0.05 W radiant power per LPM flow rate to achieve an NSF Class A UV dose equivalent of 40 mJ/cm 2 . The findings of this study provide insights into UV-LED reactor development strategies as well as the creation and application of reactor virtual prototyping tools for designing and optimizing highly efficient UV-LED reactors.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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Taneja S, Tenpas W, Jain M, Alfonsi P, Ratagiri A, Saterbak A, and Theiling J
Advances in simulation (London, England) [Adv Simul (Lond)] 2023 Mar 09; Vol. 8 (1), pp. 8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Mar 09.
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Background: Shoulder dislocations are common occurrences, yet there are few simulation devices to train medical personnel on how to reduce these dislocations. Reductions require a familiarity with the shoulder and a nuanced motion against strong muscle tension. The goal of this work is to describe the design of an easily replicated, low-cost simulator for training shoulder reductions.
Materials and Methods: An iterative, stepwise engineering design process was used to design and implement ReducTrain. A needs analysis with clinical experts led to the selection of the traction-countertraction and external rotation methods as educationally relevant techniques to include. A set of design requirements and acceptance criteria was established that considered durability, assembly time, and cost. An iterative prototyping development process was used to meet the acceptance criteria. Testing protocols for each design requirement are also presented. Step-by-step instructions are provided to allow the replication of ReducTrain from easily sourced materials, including plywood, resistance bands, dowels, and various fasteners, as well as a 3D-printed shoulder model, whose printable file is included at a link in the Additional file 1: Appendix.
Results: A description of the final model is given. The total cost for all materials for one ReducTrain model is under US $200, and it takes about 3 h and 20 min to assemble. Based on repetitive testing, the device should not see any noticeable changes in durability after 1000 uses but may exhibit some changes in resistance band strength after 2000 uses.
Discussion: The ReducTrain device fills a gap in emergency medicine and orthopedic simulation. Its wide variety of uses points to its utility in several instructional formats. With the rise of makerspaces and public workshops, the construction of the device can be easily completed. While the device has some limitations, its robust design allows for simple upkeep and a customizable training experience.
Conclusion: A simplified anatomical design allows for the ReducTrain model to serve as a viable training device for shoulder reductions.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
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5. Fanpy: A python library for prototyping multideterminant methods in ab initio quantum chemistry. [2023]
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Kim TD, Richer M, Sánchez-Díaz G, Miranda-Quintana RA, Verstraelen T, Heidar-Zadeh F, and Ayers PW
Journal of computational chemistry [J Comput Chem] 2023 Feb 15; Vol. 44 (5), pp. 697-709. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 28.
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Electrons, Quantum Theory, and Software
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Fanpy is a free and open-source Python library for developing and testing multideterminant wavefunctions and related ab initio methods in electronic structure theory. The main use of Fanpy is to quickly prototype new methods by making it easier to convert the mathematical formulation of a new wavefunction ansätze to a working implementation. Fanpy is designed based on our recently introduced Flexible Ansatz for N-electron Configuration Interaction (FANCI) framework, where multideterminant wavefunctions are represented by their overlaps with Slater determinants of orthonormal spin-orbitals. In the simplest case, a new wavefunction ansatz can be implemented by simply writing a function for evaluating its overlap with an arbitrary Slater determinant. Fanpy is modular in both implementation and theory: the wavefunction model, the system's Hamiltonian, and the choice of objective function are all independent modules. This modular structure makes it easy for users to mix and match different methods and for developers to quickly explore new ideas. Fanpy is written purely in Python with standard dependencies, making it accessible for various operating systems. In addition, it adheres to principles of modern software development, including comprehensive documentation, extensive testing, quality assurance, and continuous integration and delivery protocols. This article is considered to be the official release notes for the Fanpy library.
(© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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Choubey A, Dubey K, and Bahga SS
Electrophoresis [Electrophoresis] 2023 Feb 12. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 12.
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Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic devices have found increasing utility for electrophoretic and electrokinetic assays because of their ease of fabrication using replica molding. However, the fabrication of high-resolution molds for replica molding still requires the resource-intensive and time-consuming photolithography process, which precludes quick design iterations and device optimization. We here demonstrate a low-cost, rapid microfabrication process, based on electrohydrodynamic jet printing (EJP), for fabricating non-sacrificial master molds for replica molding of PDMS microfluidic devices. The method is based on the precise deposition of an electrically stretched polymeric solution of polycaprolactone in acetic acid on a silicon wafer placed on a computer-controlled motion stage. This process offers the high-resolution (order 10 μ $\umu$ m) capability of photolithography and rapid prototyping capability of inkjet printing to print high-resolution templates for elastomeric microfluidic devices within a few minutes. Through proper selection of the operating parameters such as solution flow rate, applied electric field, and stage speed, we demonstrate microfabrication of intricate master molds and corresponding PDMS microfluidic devices for electrokinetic applications. We demonstrate the utility of the fabricated PDMS microchips for nonlinear electrokinetic processes such as electrokinetic instability and controlled sample splitting in ITP. The ability to rapid prototype customized reusable master molds with order 10 μ $\umu$ m resolution within a few minutes can help in designing and optimizing microfluidic devices for various electrokinetic applications.
(© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)
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Mallan VS, Gopi A, Reghuvaran C, Radhakrishnan AA, and James A
Frontiers in neuroscience [Front Neurosci] 2023 Feb 07; Vol. 17, pp. 1118615. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Feb 07 (Print Publication: 2023).
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Intelligent sensor systems are essential for building modern Internet of Things applications. Embedding intelligence within or near sensors provides a strong case for analog neural computing. However, rapid prototyping of analog or mixed signal spiking neural computing is a non-trivial and time-consuming task. We introduce mixed-mode neural computing arrays for near-sensor-intelligent computing implemented with Field-Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAA) and Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). The combinations of FPAA and FPGA pipelines ensure rapid prototyping and design optimization before finalizing the on-chip implementations. The proposed approach architecture ensures a scalable neural network testing framework along with sensor integration. The experimental set up of the proposed tactile sensing system in demonstrated. The initial simulations are carried out in SPICE, and the real-time implementation is validated on FPAA and FPGA hardware.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2023 Mallan, Gopi, Reghuvaran, Radhakrishnan and James.)
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Hammood M, Lin S, Yun H, Luan E, Chrostowski L, and Jaeger NAF
Optics letters [Opt Lett] 2023 Feb 01; Vol. 48 (3), pp. 582-585.
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We demonstrate a method to emulate the optical performance of silicon photonic devices fabricated using advanced deep-ultraviolet lithography (DUV) processes on a rapid-prototyping electron-beam lithography process. The method is enabled by a computational lithography predictive model generated by processing SEM image data of the DUV lithography process. We experimentally demonstrate the emulation method's accuracy on integrated silicon Bragg grating waveguides and grating-based, add-drop filter devices, two devices that are particularly susceptible to DUV lithography effects. The emulation method allows silicon photonic device and system designers to experimentally observe the effects of DUV lithography on device performance in a low-cost, rapid-prototyping, electron-beam lithography process to enable a first-time-right design flow.
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Yuan J, Cheng J, Fan C, Wu P, Zhang Y, Cao M, and Shi T
Applied microbiology and biotechnology [Appl Microbiol Biotechnol] 2023 Feb; Vol. 107 (2-3), pp. 985.
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Rein C, Toner M, and Sevenler D
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2023 Jan 22; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 1232. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 22.
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Dimethylpolysiloxanes, Microfluidics methods, and Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
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Soft lithography has permitted rapid prototyping of precise microfluidic features by patterning a deformable elastomer such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a photolithographically patterned mold. In microfluidics applications where the flexibility of PDMS is a drawback, a variety of more rigid materials have been proposed. Compared to alternatives, devices fabricated from epoxy and glass have superior mechanical performance, feature resolution, and solvent compatibility. Here we provide a detailed step-by-step method for fabricating rigid microfluidic devices from soft lithography patterned epoxy and glass. The bonding protocol was optimized yielding devices that withstand pressures exceeding 500 psi. Using this method, we demonstrate the use of rigid high aspect ratio spiral microchannels for high throughput cell focusing.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
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van der Windt M, van Zundert SKM, Schoenmakers S, van Rossem L, and Steegers-Theunissen RPM
Journal of medical Internet research [J Med Internet Res] 2023 Jan 20; Vol. 25, pp. e37537. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 20.
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Humans, Pregnancy, Female, Pilot Projects, Feasibility Studies, Pregnancy Outcome, Life Change Events, and Prenatal Care
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Background: A healthy lifestyle plays a key role in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases, including subfertility and pregnancy complications. Although the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are well-known, long-term adherence is limited. Moreover, memory for lifestyle-related information as well as medical information provided by the medical professional is often poor and insufficient. In order to innovate and improve health care for both the patients and health care professionals, we developed a prototype of a digital life course care platform (Smarter Health app), providing personalized lifestyle care trajectories integrated in medical care journeys.
Objective: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, defined as the actual app use, and the acceptability, which included patient satisfaction and appreciation, of the Smarter Health app.
Methods: Between March 17, 2021, and September 30, 2021, pregnant women familiar with the Dutch language seeking tertiary preconception and pregnancy care were offered the app as part of standard medical care at the outpatient clinic Healthy Pregnancy of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Erasmus University Medical Center. Three months after activation of the app, patients received a digital questionnaire consisting of aspects of feasibility and acceptability.
Results: During this pilot study, 440 patients visited the outpatient clinic Healthy Pregnancy. Of the 440 patients, 293 (66.6%) activated the app. Of the 293 patients who activated the app, 125 (42.7%) filled out the questionnaire. Of these 125 patients, 48 (38.4%) used the app. Most app users used it occasionally and logged in 8 times during their medical care trajectory. Overall, app users were satisfied with the app (median 5-point Likert scale=2.4, IQR 2.0-3.3).
Conclusions: Our findings showed that the Smarter Health app, which integrates lifestyle care in medical care, is a feasible health care innovation, and that patients were satisfied with the app. Follow-up and evaluation of pregnancy outcomes should be performed to further substantiate wider clinical implementation.
(©Melissa van der Windt, Sofie Karolina Maria van Zundert, Sam Schoenmakers, Lenie van Rossem, Régine Patricia Maria Steegers-Theunissen. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 20.01.2023.)
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Kwan YH, Ong ZQ, Choo DYX, Phang JK, Yoon S, and Low LL
Patient preference and adherence [Patient Prefer Adherence] 2023 Jan 05; Vol. 17, pp. 1-11. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 05 (Print Publication: 2023).
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Background: Diabetes is a global public health issue, causing burden on healthcare system and increasing risk of mortality. Mobile applications (apps) can be a promising approach to facilitate diabetes self-management. An increasingly utilized approach to facilitate engagement with mobile health (mHealth) technology is to involve potential users in the creation of the technology.
Objective: The aim of this study was to use co-design for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) self-management mHealth development.
Methods: Three rounds of iterative rapid prototyping panel sessions were conducted with a total of 9 T2DM participants in an Asian setting between Oct 2020 and April 2021. The participants were recruited through convenience sampling. For each round, feedback was gathered through qualitative interviews, and the feedback was used as a reference by the development team to develop and test a more refined version of the app in the next round. Transcribed semi-structured interview data was analyzed thematically using an inductive approach.
Results: Participants' ages ranged from 40 to 69 years. Data saturation was reached, with no new themes emerging from the data. During the sessions, the participants expressed a variety of concerns and feedback on T2DM self-management using EMPOWER app and raised suggestions on the features of ideal T2DM self-management app. Important features include 1) reminders and notifications for medications, 2) Bluetooth integration with glucometers and blood pressure machines to minimize manual entry, 3) enlarged local food database including information on sugar content and recommendations for healthier options, 4) one touch for logging of routine medications and favorite foods, 5) export function for data sharing with physicians. Overall inputs concerned aspects such as user-friendliness of the app, customization possibilities, and educational content for the features in the mobile app.
Conclusion: In this study, we explored users' opinions on a T2DM self-management mobile app using co-design approach. This study adds to the growing body of literature on co-designing behavioral mHealth interventions and can potentially guide researchers in mobile app design for other chronic conditions.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no other competing interests.
(© 2023 Kwan et al.)
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Chen L, Zhang C, Yadav V, Wong A, Senapati S, and Chang HC
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2023 Jan 05; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 184. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 05.
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Microfluidics methods, Cell Encapsulation, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Microfluidic Analytical Techniques methods, and Microgels
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Droplet microfluidics offers a platform from which new digital molecular assay, disease screening, wound healing and material synthesis technologies have been proposed. However, the current commercial droplet generation, assembly and imaging technologies are too expensive and rigid to permit rapid and broad-range tuning of droplet features/cargoes. This rapid prototyping bottleneck has limited further expansion of its application. Herein, an inexpensive home-made pipette droplet microfluidics kit is introduced. This kit includes elliptical pipette tips that can be fabricated with a simple DIY (Do-It-Yourself) tool, a unique tape-based or 3D printed shallow-center imaging chip that allows rapid monolayer droplet assembly/immobilization and imaging with a smart-phone camera or miniature microscope. The droplets are generated by manual or automatic pipetting without expensive and lab-bound microfluidic pumps. The droplet size and fluid viscosity/surface tension can be varied significantly because of our particular droplet generation, assembly and imaging designs. The versatility of this rapid prototyping kit is demonstrated with three representative applications that can benefit from a droplet microfluidic platform: (1) Droplets as microreactors for PCR reaction with reverse transcription to detect and quantify target RNAs. (2) Droplets as microcompartments for spirulina culturing and the optical color/turbidity changes in droplets with spirulina confirm successful photosynthetic culturing. (3) Droplets as templates/molds for controlled synthesis of gold-capped polyacrylamide/gold composite Janus microgels. The easily fabricated and user-friendly portable kit is hence ideally suited for design, training and educational labs.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
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Shepherd KA, Janzen J, Brackett WW, and Romero MF
General dentistry [Gen Dent] 2023 Jan-Feb; Vol. 71 (1), pp. 72-76.
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Humans, Vertical Dimension, Composite Resins, Dental Occlusion, Denture, Partial, Removable, Anodontia, Mouth, Edentulous, and Jaw, Edentulous, Partially
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Full-mouth rehabilitation can be challenging due to the complexity of restoring the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) and replacing missing teeth. In partially edentulous patients, the concept of a bonded composite resin prototype for increasing the VDO has previously been applied through the use of an overlay removable partial denture (RPD) with acrylic resin covering the existing dentition. Unfortunately, this type of prosthesis does not always accurately model the function and phonetics intended for the definitive prostheses, and the esthetic result often is less than ideal. It would be advantageous if direct bonding could be used with the patient's existing RPD to model the increased VDO, but this approach has not been reported in the literature. This case report describes the direct bonding of an existing RPD to create a prototype for increased VDO in a partially edentulous patient with a skeletal Class II malocclusion. The successful outcome has been maintained for more than 1 year.
Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest reported.
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Yuan Q, Wu M, Liao Y, Liang S, Lu Y, and Lin Y
Biotechnology and bioengineering [Biotechnol Bioeng] 2023 Apr; Vol. 120 (4), pp. 1133-1146. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jan 10.
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Green Fluorescent Proteins chemistry, Green Fluorescent Proteins genetics, Biosynthetic Pathways, Metabolic Engineering methods, Nicotinamide Mononucleotide biosynthesis, Enzymes chemistry, and Enzymes genetics
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Engineering biological systems to test new pathway variants containing different enzyme homologs is laborious and time-consuming. To tackle this challenge, a strategy was developed for rapidly prototyping enzyme homologs by combining cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) with split green fluorescent protein (GFP). This strategy featured two main advantages: (1) dozens of enzyme homologs were parallelly produced by CFPS within hours, and (2) the expression level and activity of each homolog was determined simultaneously by using the split GFP assay. As a model, this strategy was applied to optimize a 3-step pathway for nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) synthesis. Ten enzyme homologs from different organisms were selected for each step. Here, the most productive homolog of each step was identified within 24 h rather than weeks or months. Finally, the titer of NMN was increased to 1213 mg/L by improving physiochemical conditions, tuning enzyme ratios and cofactor concentrations, and decreasing the feedback inhibition, which was a more than 12-fold improvement over the initial setup. This strategy would provide a promising way to accelerate design-build-test cycles for metabolic engineering to improve the production of desired products.
(© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
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Kim J, Menichella B, Lee H, Dayton PA, and Pinton GF
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) [Sensors (Basel)] 2022 Dec 28; Vol. 23 (1). Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Dec 28.
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Equipment Design, Transducers, Printing, Three-Dimensional, Ultrasonography, Ultrasonics, and Ultrasonic Therapy
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We present a rapid prototyping method for sub-megahertz single-element piezoelectric transducers by using 3D-printed components. In most of the early research phases of applying new sonication ideas, the prototyping quickness is prioritized over the final packaging quality, since the quickness of preliminary demonstration is crucial for promptly determining specific aims and feasible research approaches. We aim to develop a rapid prototyping method for functional ultrasonic transducers to overcome the current long lead time (>a few weeks). Here, we used 3D-printed external housing parts considering a single matching layer and either air backing or epoxy-composite backing (acoustic impedance > 5 MRayl). By molding a single matching layer on the top surface of a piezoceramic in a 3D-printed housing, an entire packaging time was significantly reduced (<26 h) compared to the conventional methods with grinding, stacking, and bonding. We demonstrated this prototyping method for 590-kHz single-element, rectangular-aperture transducers for moderate pressure amplitudes (mechanical index > 1) at focus with temporal pulse controllability (maximum amplitude by <5-cycle burst). We adopted an air-backing design (Type A) for efficient pressure outputs, and bandwidth improvement was tested by a tungsten-composite-backing (Type B) design. The acoustic characterization results showed that the type A prototype provided 3.3 kPa/Vpp far-field transmitting sensitivity with 25.3% fractional bandwidth whereas the type B transducer showed 2.1 kPa/Vpp transmitting sensitivity with 43.3% fractional bandwidth. As this method provided discernable quickness and cost efficiency, this detailed rapid prototyping guideline can be useful for early-phase sonication projects, such as multi-element therapeutic ultrasound array and micro/nanomedicine testing benchtop device prototyping.
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Shakeel SI, Al Mamun MA, and Haolader MFA
Education and information technologies [Educ Inf Technol (Dordr)] 2022 Dec 07, pp. 1-30. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Dec 07.
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Following COVID-19, the global educational landscape shifted dramatically. Almost every educational institute in Bangladesh undertook a strategic move to begin offering online or blended learning courses to mitigate the challenges created by the pandemic. The TVET sector, particularly the polytechnic institute of Bangladesh, endeavored to explore the blended learning approach as an immediate and long-term solution to address the educational dislocation caused by the pandemic. This study attempts to conceptualize a pedagogical design based on the ADDIE and rapid prototyping model to make a reliable and robust instructional design to be used in the blended learning context. A content validity index (CVI) was used to validate the proposed model; a technology acceptance model (TAM) was employed to examine its acceptability to students; and finally, students' academic performances were analysed to evaluate the overall performance of the proposed instructional design. The findings reveal that the proposed instructional design can be a reliable and valid pedagogical approach to be implemented in the blended learning context for polytechnic students. The proposed instructional design may help TVET educators and course designers to create a robust blended learning environment in the TVET sector and in other similar disciplines, such as science and engineering education.
Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe authors declare no competing interests.
(© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)
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18. Development of shuttle vectors for rapid prototyping of engineered Synechococcus sp. PCC7002. [2022]
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Yuan J, Cheng J, Fan C, Wu P, Zhang Y, Cao M, and Shi T
Applied microbiology and biotechnology [Appl Microbiol Biotechnol] 2022 Dec; Vol. 106 (24), pp. 8169-8181. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 19.
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Synechococcus genetics
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Cyanobacteria are of particular interest for chemical production as they can assimilate CO 2 and use solar energy to power chemical synthesis. However, unlike the model microorganism of Escherichia coli, the availability of genetic toolboxes for rapid proof-of-concept studies in cyanobacteria is generally lacking. In this study, we first characterized a set of promoters to efficiently drive gene expressions in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002. We identified that the endogenous cpcBA promoter represented one of the strongest promoters in PCC7002. Next, a set of shuttle vectors was constructed based on the endogenous pAQ1 plasmid to facilitate the rapid pathway assembly. Moreover, we used the shuttle vectors to modularly optimize the amorpha-4,11-diene synthesis in PCC7002. By modularly optimizing the metabolic pathway, we managed to redistribute the central metabolism toward the amorpha-4,11-diene production in PCC7002 with enhanced product titer. Taken together, the plasmid toolbox developed in this study will greatly accelerate the generation of genetically engineered PCC7002. KEY POINTS: • Promoter characterization revealed that the endogenous cpcBA promoter represented one of the strongest promoters in PCC7002 • A set of shuttle vectors with different antibiotic selection markers was constructed based on endogenous pAQ1 plasmid • By modularly optimizing the metabolic pathway, amorpha-4,11-diene production in PCC7002 was improved.
(© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
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Zhang X, Son R, Lin YJ, Gill A, Chen S, Qi T, Choi D, Wen J, Lu Y, Lin NYC, and Chiou PY
Lab on a chip [Lab Chip] 2022 Nov 08; Vol. 22 (22), pp. 4327-4334. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Nov 08.
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Acoustics and Lasers
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Acoustic patterning of micro-particles has many important biomedical applications. However, fabrication of such microdevices is costly and labor-intensive. Among conventional fabrication methods, photo-lithography provides high resolution but is expensive and time consuming, and not ideal for rapid prototyping and testing for academic applications. In this work, we demonstrate a highly efficient method for rapid prototyping of acoustic patterning devices using laser manufacturing. With this method we can fabricate a newly designed functional acoustic device in 4 hours. The acoustic devices fabricated using this method can achieve sub-wavelength, complex and non-periodic patterning of microparticles and biological objects with a spatial resolution of 60 μm across a large active manipulation area of 10 × 10 mm 2 .
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Sarfo FS and Ovbiagele B
Current neurology and neuroscience reports [Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep] 2022 Nov; Vol. 22 (11), pp. 735-743. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 01.
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Humans, Antihypertensive Agents therapeutic use, Aldosterone therapeutic use, Ghana epidemiology, Renin therapeutic use, Multicenter Studies as Topic, Hypertension, Stroke prevention control, and Stroke drug therapy
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Purpose of Review: Worldwide, compared to other racial/ethnic groups, individuals of African ancestry have an excessively higher burden of hypertension-related morbidities, especially stroke. Identifying modifiable biological targets that contribute to these disparities could improve global stroke outcomes. In this scoping review, we discuss how pathological perturbations in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathways could be harnessed via physiological profiling for the purposes of improving blood pressure control for stroke prevention among people of African ancestry.
Recent Findings: Transcontinental comparative data from the USA and Ghana show that the prevalence of treatment-resistant hypertension among stroke survivors is 42.7% among indigenous Africans, 16.1% among African Americans, and 6.9% among non-Hispanic Whites, p < 0.0001. A multicenter clinical trial of patients without stroke in 3 African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa) demonstrated that physiological profiling using plasma renin activity and aldosterone to individualize selection of antihypertensive medications compared with usual care resulted in better blood pressure control with fewer medications over 12 months. Among Ghanaian ischemic stroke survivors treated without renin-aldosterone profiling data, an analysis revealed that those with low renin phenotypes did not achieve any meaningful reduction in blood pressure over 12 months on 3-4 antihypertensive medications despite excellent adherence. For a polygenic condition such as hypertension, individualized therapy based on plasma renin-aldosterone-guided selection of therapy for uncontrolled BP following precision medicine principles may be a viable strategy for primary and secondary stroke prevention with the potential to reduce disparities in the poor outcomes of stroke disproportionately shared by individuals of African ancestry. A dedicated clinical trial to test this hypothesis is warranted.
(© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
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