All-in-one platform: Versatile, Easy, and User-friendly System (VEUS) based on automated and expert-independent antibody immobilization and immunoassay by utilizing customized movement of magnetic particles.

The ELISA is the most worldwide method for immunoassay. However, the ELISA is losing ground due to low reproducibility of manual experimental processes in both R&D and IVD areas. An automated platform is a good solution, but there are still limitations owning to extremely high cost and requiring large space to set up especially for a small size laboratory. Here, we present a novel all-in-one platform called "VEUS" settable on the laboratory table that offers comprehensive automation of the entire multiplex immunoassay process by exploiting antibody conjugated magnetic particles, quality control and then immunoanalytical reaction, thereby enhancing detection sensitivity and high reproducibility. As a proof of concept, the system exhibits a sensitive LOD of 0.6 and 3.1 pg mL-1 within 1 h run, comparable precision that of molecular diagnostic systems based on PCR method, enabling rapid multiplex diagnosis of Influenza A, Influenza B, and COVID-19 viruses with similar symptoms. Through automation by the all-in-one system, it can be used by novice users, something innovative for immunoassays, relying heavily on user experience. Furthermore, it can contribute to streamline entire immunoassay processes of diverse biomarkers with high reproducibility and convenience in laboratories.

Momentum informed muon scattering tomography for monitoring spent nuclear fuels in dry storage cask.

Development of an effective monitoring method for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in a dry storage cask (DSC) is important to meet the increasing demand for dry storage investigations. The DSC investigation should provide information about the quantity of stored SNF, and quality assurance of materials should be possible without opening the cask. However, traditional nondestructive examination (NDE) methods such as x-rays are difficult to deploy for DSC investigation because a typical DSC is intentionally designed to shield against radiation. To address this challenge, cosmic ray muons (CRMs) are used as an alternative NDE radiation probe because they can easily penetrate an entire DSC system; however, a wide application of muons is often hindered due to the naturally low CRM flux (~104 muons/m2/min). This paper introduces a newly proposed imaging algorithm, momentum-informed muon scattering tomography (MMST), and presents how a limitation of the current muon scattering tomography technique has been addressed by measuring muon momentum. To demonstrate its functionality, a commercial DSC with 24 pressurized light water reactor fuel assemblies (FAs) and the MMST system were designed in GEANT4. Three noticeable improvements were observed for MMST system as a DSC investigation tool: (1) a signal stabilization, (2) an enhanced capability to differentiate various materials, and (3) statistically increased precision to identify and locate missing FAs. The results show that MMST improves the investigation accuracy from 79 to 98% when one FA is missing and 51% to 88% when one-half FA is missing. The advancement of the NDE technique using CRM for DSC verification is expected to resolve long-standing problems in increasing demand for DSC inspections and nuclear security.

Fieldable muon spectrometer using multi-layer pressurized gas Cherenkov radiators and its applications.

Cosmic ray muons have been considered as a non-conventional radiation probe in various applications. To utilize cosmic ray muons in engineering applications, two important quantities, trajectory and momentum, must be known. The muon trajectories are easily reconstructed using two-fold detector arrays with a high spatial resolution. However, precise measurement of muon momentum is difficult to be achieved without deploying large and expensive spectrometers such as solenoid magnets. Here, we propose a new method to estimate muon momentum using multi-layer pressurized gas Cherenkov radiators. This is accurate, portable, compact (< 1m3), and easily coupled with existing muon detectors without the need of neither bulky magnetic nor time-of-flight spectrometers. The results show that not only our new muon spectrometer can measure muon momentum with a resolution of ± 0.5 GeV/c in a momentum range of 0.1-10.0 GeV/c, but also we can reconstruct cosmic muon spectrum with high accuracy (~ 90%).

Photopatterned microswimmers with programmable motion without external stimuli.

We introduce highly programmable microscale swimmers driven by the Marangoni effect (Marangoni microswimmers) that can self-propel on the surface of water. Previous studies on Marangoni swimmers have shown the advantage of self-propulsion without external energy source or mechanical systems, by taking advantage of direct conversion from power source materials to mechanical energy. However, current developments on Marangoni microswimmers have limitations in their fabrication, thereby hindering their programmability and precise mass production. By introducing a photopatterning method, we generated Marangoni microswimmers with multiple functional parts with distinct material properties in high throughput. Furthermore, various motions such as time-dependent direction change and disassembly of swimmers without external stimuli are programmed into the Marangoni microswimmers.

Shear Stress-Triggered Deformation of Microparticles in a Tapered Microchannel.

We demonstrate that it is possible to produce microparticles with high deformability while maintaining a high effective volume. For significant particle deformation, a particle must have a void region. The void fraction of the particle allows its deformation under shear stress. Owing to the importance of the void fraction in particle deformation, we defined an effective volume index (V*) that indicates the ratio of the particle's total volume to the volumes of the void and material structures. We chose polyethylene glycol diacrylate (Mn ~ 700) for the fabrication of the microparticles and focused on the design of the particles rather than the intrinsic softness of the material (E). We fabricated microparticles with four distinct shapes: discotic, ring, horseshoe, and spiral, with various effective volume indexes. The microparticles were subjected to shear stress as they were pushed through a tapered microfluidic channel to measure their deformability. The deformation ratio R was introduced as R = 1-Wdeformed/Doriginal to compare the deformability of the microparticles. We measured the deformation ratio by increasing the applied pressure. The spiral-shaped microparticles showed a higher deformation ratio (0.901) than those of the other microparticles at the same effective volume index.

Microfluidic-Printed Microcarrier for In Vitro Expansion of Adherent Stem Cells in 3D Culture Platform.

Microcarrier-based stem cell expansion cultures can increase the dimensions of in vitro stem cell cultures from 2D to 3D. The culture handling process then becomes more efficient compared with conventional 2D cultures. However, the use of spherical plastic microcarriers complicates the monitoring of cell culture. To facilitate monitoring, transparent disc-shaped microcarriers are manufactured using a light-initiated microfluidic printing system and the obtained microcarriers are named as 2.5D microcarrier. The 2.5D microcarriers (diameter/height ≈ 5) enable us to use conventional monitoring tools in 2D-based platform during the in vitro expansion on a 3D culture platform. Surface modification via a 1 h-long poly-dopamine (PDA) reaction can maintain the transparent nature of the microcarriers while optimizing the cell attachment. The surface marker expression and differentiation potential of the 2.5D microcarrier-expanded stem cells reveal that the characteristics and functionalities preserved during expansion. The 2.5D microcarrier is readily integrated into an on-bead assay to conserve reagents and permit a high number (n = 9) of repeated measurements with reliable results. These results demonstrate that the 2.5D microcarrier-based scale-up culture provides a valuable tool for the in vitro expansion of adherent stem cells, especially if repetitive monitoring is required.

Existence of nontrivial weak solutions for a quasilinear Choquard equation.

We are concerned with the following quasilinear Choquard equation: [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is the p-Laplacian operator, the potential function [Formula: see text] is continuous and [Formula: see text]. Here, [Formula: see text] is the Riesz potential of order [Formula: see text]. We study the existence of weak solutions for the problem above via the mountain pass theorem and the fountain theorem. Furthermore, we address the behavior of weak solutions to the problem near the origin under suitable assumptions for the nonlinear term f.

Synthesis of Nanoporous Adsorbents Using Alum Sludge.

This study optimizes the synthesis process of pellet-type adsorbents using alum sludge. The effect of the binder and heat treatment temperature on the nanopore formation in the adsorbent is investigated. The pellet-type adsorbent prepared using the powder-type sludge from water treatment is determined to be a material that contains nanopores. The specific surface area is increased significantly after the calcination process in the range of 132-172 m2/g. With the calcination treatment, the breakthrough time in the formaldehyde adsorption increases remarkably with an optimum calcination temperature of 400 °C. The breakthrough capacity of the formaldehyde increases to a maximum 2.96 mg/g at this temperature.

Butanol Dehydration over V2O5-TiO2/MCM-41 Catalysts Prepared via Liquid Phase Atomic Layer Deposition.

MCM-41 was used as a support and, by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) in the liquid phase, a catalyst was prepared by consecutively loading titanium oxide and vanadium oxide to the support. This research analyzes the effect of the loading amount of vanadium oxide on the acidic characteristics and catalytic performance in the dehydration of butanol. The physical and chemical characteristics of the TiO2-V2O5/MCM-41 catalysts were analyzed using XRF, BET, NH3-TPD, XRD, Py-IR, and XPS. The dehydration reaction of butanol was performed in a fixed bed reactor. For the samples with vanadium oxide loaded to TiO2/MCM-41 sample using the liquid phase ALD method, it was possible to increase the loading amount until the amount of vanadium oxide reached 12.1 wt %. It was confirmed that the structural properties of the mesoporous silica were retained well after titanium oxide and vanadium loading. The NH3-TPD and Py-IR results indicated that weak acid sites were produced over the TiO2/MCM-41 samples, which is attributed to the generation of Lewis acid sites. The highest activity of the V2O5(12.1)-TiO2/MCM-41 catalyst in 2-butanol dehydration is ascribed to it having the highest number of Lewis acid sites, as well as the highest vanadium dispersion.