Discover insights from thousands of peer-reviewed papers on microbial electrochemical systems
Advanced Functional Materials · 2016
A MoS 2 /graphene hybrid aerogel synthesized with two‐dimensional MoS 2 sheets coating a high surface area graphene aerogel scaffold is characterized and used for ultrasensitive NO 2 detection. The combination of graphene and MoS 2 leads to improved sensing properties with the graphene scaffold providing high specific surface area and high electrical and thermal conductivity and the single to few‐layer MoS 2 sheets providing high sensitivity and selectivity to NO 2 . The hybrid aerogel is integrated onto a low‐power microheater platform to probe the gas sensing performance. At room temperature, the sensor exhibits an ultralow detection limit of 50 ppb NO 2 . By heating the material to 200 °C, the response and recovery times to reach 90% of the final signal decrease to <1 min, while retaining the low detection limit. The MoS 2 /graphene hybrid also shows good selectivity for NO 2 against H 2 and CO, especially when compared to bare graphene aerogel. The unique structure of the hybrid aerogel is responsible for the ultrasensitive, selective, and fast NO 2 sensing. The improved sensing performance of this hybrid aerogel also suggests the possibility of other 2D material combinations for further sensing applications.
Environment International · 2019
) in FWW through bridging with the CO bonds and cation-π interactions. Overall, this study illustrated the potential efficacy and mechanistic roles of Fe-BC composites for (pre-)treatment of high-salinity and complex FWW.
Journal of Molecular Liquids · 2018
Metabolic Engineering · 2018
The itinerary followed by Pseudomonas putida from being a soil-dweller and plant colonizer bacterium to become a flexible and engineer-able platform for metabolic engineering stems from its natural lifestyle, which is adapted to harsh environmental conditions and all sorts of physicochemical stresses. Over the years, these properties have been capitalized biotechnologically owing to the expanding wealth of genetic tools designed for deep-editing the P. putida genome. A suite of dedicated vectors inspired in the core tenets of synthetic biology have enabled to suppress many of the naturally-occurring undesirable traits native to this species while enhancing its many appealing properties, and also to import catalytic activities and attributes from other biological systems. Much of the biotechnological interest on P. putida stems from the distinct architecture of its central carbon metabolism. The native biochemistry is naturally geared to generate reductive currency [i.e., NAD(P)H] that makes this bacterium a phenomenal host for redox-intensive reactions. In some cases, genetic editing of the indigenous biochemical network of P. putida (cis-metabolism) has sufficed to obtain target compounds of industrial interest. Yet, the main value and promise of this species (in particular, strain KT2440) resides not only in its capacity to host heterologous pathways from other microorganisms, but also altogether artificial routes (trans-metabolism) for making complex, new-to-Nature molecules. A number of examples are presented for substantiating the worth of P. putida as one of the favorite workhorses for sustainable manufacturing of fine and bulk chemicals in the current times of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The potential of P. putida to extend its rich native biochemistry beyond existing boundaries is discussed and research bottlenecks to this end are also identified. These aspects include not just the innovative genetic design of new strains but also the incorporation of novel chemical elements into the extant biochemistry, as well as genomic stability and scaling-up issues.
Environmental Science Water Research & Technology · 2020
This critical review reveals the technologies and potentials to recover water, energy, fertilizers and products from municipal WWTPs but also analyses the various bottlenecks that may their hinder successful implementation.
Frontiers in Microbiology · 2016
There is an immediate need to drastically reduce the emissions associated with global fossil fuel consumption in order to limit climate change. However, carbon-based materials, chemicals, and transportation fuels are predominantly made from fossil sources and currently there is no alternative source available to adequately displace them. Gas-fermenting microorganisms that fix carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) can break this dependence as they are capable of converting gaseous carbon to fuels and chemicals. As such, the technology can utilize a wide range of feedstocks including gasified organic matter of any sort (e.g., municipal solid waste, industrial waste, biomass, and agricultural waste residues) or industrial off-gases (e.g., from steel mills or processing plants). Gas fermentation has matured to the point that large-scale production of ethanol from gas has been demonstrated by two companies. This review gives an overview of the gas fermentation process, focusing specifically on anaerobic acetogens. Applications of synthetic biology and coupling gas fermentation to additional processes are discussed in detail. Both of these strategies, demonstrated at bench-scale, have abundant potential to rapidly expand the commercial product spectrum of gas fermentation and further improve efficiencies and yields.
ACS Catalysis · 2015
The development of low-cost catalysts with oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity superior to that of Pt for fuel cells is highly desirable but remains challenging. Herein, we report a bimetal–organic framework (bi-MOF) self-adjusted synthesis of support-free porous Co–N–C nanopolyhedron electrocatalysts by pyrolysis of a Zn/Co bi-MOF without any post-treatments. The presence of initial Zn forms a spatial isolation of Co that suppresses its sintering during pyrolysis, and Zn evaporation also promotes the surface area of the resultant catalysts. The composition, morphology, and hence ORR activity of Co–N–C could be tuned by the Zn/Co ratio. The optimal Co–N–C exhibited remarkable ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.871 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) (30 mV more positive than that of commercial 20 wt % Pt/C) and a kinetic current density of 39.3 mA cm–2 at 0.80 V versus RHE (3.1 times that of Pt/C) in 0.1 M KOH, and excellent stability and methanol tolerance. It also demonstrated ORR activity comparable to and stability much higher than those of Pt/C in acidic and neutral electrolytes. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray absorption spectroscopy, revealed that the superior activity and strong stability of Co–N–C originated from the intense interaction between Co and N, the high content of ORR active pyridinic and pyrrolic N, and the large specific surface area.
Molecular Ecology · 2017
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem stability is poorly understood in microbial communities. Biofilm communities in small bioreactors called microbial electrolysis cells (MEC) contain moderate species numbers and easy tractable functional traits, thus providing an ideal platform for verifying ecological theories in microbial ecosystems. Here, we investigated the resilience of biofilm communities with a gradient of diversity, and explored the relationship between biodiversity and stability in response to a pH shock. The results showed that all bioreactors could recover to stable performance after pH disturbance, exhibiting a great resilience ability. A further analysis of microbial composition showed that the rebound of Geobacter and other exoelectrogens contributed to the resilient effectiveness, and that the presence of Methanobrevibacter might delay the functional recovery of biofilms. The microbial communities with higher diversity tended to be recovered faster, implying biofilms with high biodiversity showed better resilience in response to environmental disturbance. Network analysis revealed that the negative interactions between the two dominant genera of Geobacter and Methanobrevibacter increased when the recovery time became longer, implying the internal resource or spatial competition of key functional taxa might fundamentally impact the resilience performances of biofilm communities. This study provides new insights into our understanding of the relationship between diversity and ecosystem functioning.
Journal of Environmental Management · 2022
Molecules · 2021
The history of colour is fascinating from a social and artistic viewpoint because it shows the way; use; and importance acquired. The use of colours date back to the Stone Age (the first news of cave paintings); colour has contributed to the social and symbolic development of civilizations. Colour has been associated with hierarchy; power and leadership in some of them. The advent of synthetic dyes has revolutionized the colour industry; and due to their low cost; their use has spread to different industrial sectors. Although the percentage of coloured wastewater discharged by the textile; food; pharmaceutical; cosmetic; and paper industries; among other productive areas; are unknown; the toxic effect and ecological implications of this discharged into water bodies are harmful. This review briefly shows the social and artistic history surrounding the discovery and use of natural and synthetic dyes. We summarise the environmental impact caused by the discharge of untreated or poorly treated coloured wastewater to water bodies; which has led to physical; chemical and biological treatments to reduce the colour units so as important physicochemical parameters. We also focus on laccase utility (EC 1.10.3.2), for discolouration enzymatic treatment of coloured wastewater, before its discharge into water bodies. Laccases (p-diphenol: oxidoreductase dioxide) are multicopper oxidoreductase enzymes widely distributed in plants, insects, bacteria, and fungi. Fungal laccases have employed for wastewater colour removal due to their high redox potential. This review includes an analysis of the stability of laccases, the factors that influence production at high scales to achieve discolouration of high volumes of contaminated wastewater, the biotechnological impact of laccases, and the degradation routes that some dyes may follow when using the laccase for colour removal.
Biological Trace Element Research · 2023
Journal of Environmental Management · 2023
The study provides a systematic literature review (SLR) encompassing industrial wastewater management research from the past decade, examining enablers, challenges, and prevailing practices. Originating from manufacturing, energy production, and diverse industrial processes, industrial wastewater's handling is critical due to its potential to impact the environment and public health. The research aims to comprehend the current state of industrial wastewater management, pinpoint gaps, and outline future research prospects. The SLR methodology involves scouring the Scopus database, yielding an initial pool of 253 articles. Refinement via search code leaves 101 articles, followed by abstract screening that reduces articles to 79, and finally 66 well-focused articles left for thorough full-text examination. Results underscore the significance of regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and sustainability considerations as cornerstones for effective wastewater management. However, substantial impediments like; inadequate infrastructure, resource constraints and the necessity for stakeholder collaboration still exist. The study highlights emerging research domains, exemplified by advanced technologies like nanotechnology and bioremediation, alongside the pivotal role of circular economy principles in wastewater management. The SLR offers an exhaustive view of contemporary industrial wastewater management, accentuating the imperative of an all-encompassing approach that integrates regulatory, technological, and sustainability facets. Notably, the research identifies gaps and opportunities for forthcoming exploration, advocating for interdisciplinary research and intensified stakeholder collaboration. The study's insights cater to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, equipping them to address the challenges and capitalize on prospects in industrial wastewater management effectively.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2015
In this review, we discuss the recent advances in and problems with the use of magnetically-guided and magnetically-responsive nanoparticles in drug delivery and magnetofection. In magnetically-guided nanoparticles, a constant external magnetic field is used to transport magnetic nanoparticles loaded with drugs to a specific site within the body or to increase the transfection capacity. Magnetofection is the delivery of nucleic acids under the influence of a magnetic field acting on nucleic acid vectors that are associated with magnetic nanoparticles. In magnetically-responsive nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles are encapsulated or embedded in a larger colloidal structure that carries a drug. In this last case, an alternating magnetic field can modify the structure of the colloid, thereby providing spatial and temporal control over drug release.
Microbial Cell Factories · 2019
The global rise in urbanization and industrial activity has led to the production and incorporation of foreign contaminant molecules into ecosystems, distorting them and impacting human and animal health. Physical, chemical, and biological strategies have been adopted to eliminate these contaminants from water bodies under anthropogenic stress. Biotechnological processes involving microorganisms and enzymes have been used for this purpose; specifically, laccases, which are broad spectrum biocatalysts, have been used to degrade several compounds, such as those that can be found in the effluents from industries and hospitals. Laccases have shown high potential in the biotransformation of diverse pollutants using crude enzyme extracts or free enzymes. However, their application in bioremediation and water treatment at a large scale is limited by the complex composition and high salt concentration and pH values of contaminated media that affect protein stability, recovery and recycling. These issues are also associated with operational problems and the necessity of large-scale production of laccase. Hence, more knowledge on the molecular characteristics of water bodies is required to identify and develop new laccases that can be used under complex conditions and to develop novel strategies and processes to achieve their efficient application in treating contaminated water. Recently, stability, efficiency, separation and reuse issues have been overcome by the immobilization of enzymes and development of novel biocatalytic materials. This review provides recent information on laccases from different sources, their structures and biochemical properties, mechanisms of action, and application in the bioremediation and biotransformation of contaminant molecules in water. Moreover, we discuss a series of improvements that have been attempted for better organic solvent tolerance, thermo-tolerance, and operational stability of laccases, as per process requirements.
Journal of Physics D Applied Physics · 2018
The kINPen 4,5 plasma jet was developed from laboratory prototype to commercially available non-equilibrium cold plasma jet for various applications in materials research, surface treatment and medicine. It has proven to be a valuable plasma source for industry as well as research and commercial use in plasma medicine, leading to very successful therapeutic results and its certification as a medical device. This topical review presents the different kINPen plasma sources available. Diagnostic techniques applied to the kINPen are introduced. The review summarizes the extensive studies of the physics and plasma chemistry of the kINPen performed by research groups across the world, and closes with a brief overview of the main application fields.
BMC Energy · 2019
Scientific studies have demonstrated that it is possible to generate a wide variety of bioenergy from biomass residues and waste, and however its cost is not competitive with petro-fuels and other renewable energy. On-going efforts are continued extensively to improve conversion technologies in order to reduce production costs. The present review focuses on the conversion technologies for transforming biomass residues and waste to biofuels, specifically their technological concepts, options and prospects for implementation are addressed. The emerging developments in the two primary conversion pathways, namely the thermochemical (i.e. gasification, liquefaction, and pyrolysis) and biochemical (i.e. anaerobic digestion, alcoholic fermentation and photobiological hydrogen production) conversion techniques, are evaluated. Additionally, transesterification, which appears to be the simplest and most economical route to produce biodiesel in large quantity, is discussed. Lastly, the strategies for direct conversion of biomass residues and waste to bioelectricity including the use of combustion and microbial fuel cells are reviewed.
Sustainability · 2020
Digital transformation in the education sector has implied the involvement of sustainable management, in order to adapt to the changes imposed by new technologies. Trends in global research on this topic have been analyzed and studied, during the 1986–2019 period. To achieve this purpose, a bibliometric study of 1590 articles from the Scopus database has been applied. The results provided data on the scientific productivity of authors, journals, institutions, and countries that contribute to the development of this research area. The evidence reveals an exponential trend, with special interest in the last five years. The main categories are Social Sciences and Environmental Science. The most productive journal is Sustainability. The author with more articles is Mulder, from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The most productive institution is Delft University of Technology. The USA is the country with the most academic publications and international collaborations in its studies. The main keywords used in the articles are “sustainability”, “sustainable development”, “higher education”, “innovation”, “technology”, “environmental technology”, “technological development”, and “environmental management”. Global research has followed a growing trend, with optimal publication levels in recent years.
Nature Nanotechnology · 2018
Advanced Science · 2023
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous molecule that has a central role in signaling pathways involved in numerous physiological processes (e.g., vasodilation, neurotransmission, inflammation, apoptosis, and tumor growth). Due to its gaseous form, NO has a short half-life, and its physiology role is concentration dependent, often restricting its function to a target site. Providing NO from an external source is beneficial in promoting cellular functions and treatment of different pathological conditions. Hence, the multifaceted role of NO in physiology and pathology has garnered massive interest in developing strategies to deliver exogenous NO for the treatment of various regenerative and biomedical complexities. NO-releasing platforms or donors capable of delivering NO in a controlled and sustained manner to target tissues or organs have advanced in the past few decades. This review article discusses in detail the generation of NO via the enzymatic functions of NO synthase as well as from NO donors and the multiple biological and pathological processes that NO modulates. The methods for incorporating of NO donors into diverse biomaterials including physical, chemical, or supramolecular techniques are summarized. Then, these NO-releasing platforms are highlighted in terms of advancing treatment strategies for various medical problems.
Bioresource Technology · 2017
Nature Reviews Chemistry · 2017
International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2022
Neurotransmitters are molecules that amplify, transmit, and convert signals in cells, having an essential role in information transmission throughout the nervous system. Hundreds of such chemicals have been discovered in the last century, continuing to be identified and studied concerning their action on brain health. These substances have been observed to influence numerous functions, including emotions, thoughts, memories, learning, and movements. Thus, disturbances in neurotransmitters' homeostasis started being correlated with a plethora of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. In this respect, the present paper aims to describe the most important neurotransmitters, broadly classified into canonical (e.g., amino acids, monoamines, acetylcholine, purines, soluble gases, neuropeptides) and noncanonical neurotransmitters (e.g., exosomes, steroids, D-aspartic acid), and explain their link with some of the most relevant neurological conditions. Moreover, a brief overview of the recently developed neurotransmitters' detection methods is offered, followed by several considerations on the modulation of these substances towards restoring homeostasis.
Chemical Society Reviews · 2015
Carbon nanomaterials are among the most broadly discussed, researched and applied of synthetic nanomaterials. The structural diversity of these materials provides an array of unique electronic, magnetic and optical properties, which when combined with their robust chemistry and ease of manipulation, makes them attractive candidates for sensor applications. Furthermore, the biocompatibility exhibited by many carbon nanomaterials has seen them used as in vivo biosensors. Carbon nanotubes, graphene and carbon dots have come under intense scrutiny, as either discrete molecular-like sensors, or as components which can be integrated into devices. In this review we consider recent developments in the use of carbon nanoparticles and nanostructures as sensors and consider how they can be used to detect a diverse range of analytes.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology · 2018
Graphene's unique physical structure, as well as its chemical and electrical properties, make it ideal for use in sensor technologies. In the past years, novel sensing platforms have been proposed with pristine and modified graphene with nanoparticles and polymers. Several of these platforms were used to immobilize biomolecules, such as antibodies, DNA, and enzymes to create highly sensitive and selective biosensors. Strategies to attach these biomolecules onto the surface of graphene have been employed based on its chemical composition. These methods include covalent bonding, such as the coupling of the biomolecules via the 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide reactions, and physisorption. In the literature, several detection methods are employed; however, the most common is electrochemical. The main reason for researchers to use this detection approach is because this method is simple, rapid and presents good sensitivity. These biosensors can be particularly useful in life sciences and medicine since in clinical practice, biosensors with high sensitivity and specificity can significantly enhance patient care, early diagnosis of diseases and pathogen detection. In this review, we will present the research conducted with antibodies, DNA molecules and, enzymes to develop biosensors that use graphene and its derivatives as scaffolds to produce effective biosensors able to detect and identify a variety of diseases, pathogens, and biomolecules linked to diseases.
Alexandria Engineering Journal · 2015
Hydrogen gas has tremendous potential as an environmentally acceptable energy carrier for vehicles. A cutting edge technology called a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) can achieve sustainable and clean hydrogen production from a wide range of renewable biomass and wastewaters. Enhancing the hydrogen production rate and lowering the energy input are the main challenges of MEC technology. MEC reactor design is one of the crucial factors which directly influence on hydrogen and current production rate in MECs. The rector design is also a key factor to up-scaling. Traditional MEC designs incorporated membranes, but it was recently shown that membrane-free designs can lead to both high hydrogen recoveries and production rates. Since then multiple studies have developed reactors that operate without membranes. This review provides a brief overview of recent advances in research on scalable MEC reactor design and configurations.
Environmental Chemistry Letters · 2020
Abstract Supercapacitors are increasingly used for energy conversion and storage systems in sustainable nanotechnologies. Graphite is a conventional electrode utilized in Li-ion-based batteries, yet its specific capacitance of 372 mA h g −1 is not adequate for supercapacitor applications. Interest in supercapacitors is due to their high-energy capacity, storage for a shorter period and longer lifetime. This review compares the following materials used to fabricate supercapacitors: spinel ferrites, e.g., MFe 2 O 4 , MMoO 4 and MCo 2 O 4 where M denotes a transition metal ion; perovskite oxides; transition metals sulfides; carbon materials; and conducting polymers. The application window of perovskite can be controlled by cations in sublattice sites. Cations increase the specific capacitance because cations possess large orbital valence electrons which grow the oxygen vacancies. Electrodes made of transition metal sulfides, e.g., ZnCo 2 S 4 , display a high specific capacitance of 1269 F g −1 , which is four times higher than those of transition metals oxides, e.g., Zn–Co ferrite, of 296 F g −1 . This is explained by the low charge-transfer resistance and the high ion diffusion rate of transition metals sulfides. Composites made of magnetic oxides or transition metal sulfides with conducting polymers or carbon materials have the highest capacitance activity and cyclic stability. This is attributed to oxygen and sulfur active sites which foster electrolyte penetration during cycling, and, in turn, create new active sites.
Journal of Cleaner Production · 2019
RSC Advances · 2020
gases and many other chemicals and molecules can either donate or accept electrons, resulting in an alteration of the overall conductivity. Such properties make CNTs ideal for nano-scale gas-sensing materials. Conductive-based devices have already been demonstrated as gas sensors. However, CNTs still have certain limitations for gas sensor application, such as a long recovery time, limited gas detection, and weakness to humidity and other gases. Therefore, the nanocomposites of interest consisting of polymer and CNTs have received a great deal of attention for gas-sensing application due to higher sensitivity over a wide range of gas concentrations at room temperature compared to only using CNTs and the polymer of interest separately.
Bioresource Technology · 2020
Progress in Biomaterials · 2018
Hydrogels based on cellulose comprising many organic biopolymers including cellulose, chitin, and chitosan are the hydrophilic material, which can absorb and retain a huge proportion of water in the interstitial sites of their structures. These polymers feature many amazing properties such as responsiveness to pH, time, temperature, chemical species and biological conditions besides a very high-water absorption capacity. Biopolymer hydrogels can be manipulated and crafted for numerous applications leading to a tremendous boom in research during recent times in scientific communities. With the growing environmental concerns and an emergent demand, researchers throughout the globe are concentrating particularly on naturally derived hydrogels due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and abundance. Cellulose-based hydrogels are considered as useful biocompatible materials to be used in medical devices to treat, augment or replace any tissue, organ, or help function of the body. These hydrogels also hold a great promise for applications in agricultural activity, as smart materials and some other useful industrial purposes. This review offers an overview of the recent and contemporary research regarding physiochemical properties of cellulose-based hydrogels along with their applications in multidisciplinary areas including biomedical fields such as drug delivery, tissue engineering and wound healing, healthcare and hygienic products as well as in agriculture, textiles and industrial applications as smart materials.
Frontiers in Microbiology · 2017
Limits in resource availability are driving a change in current societal production systems, changing the focus from residues treatment, such as wastewater treatment, toward resource recovery. Biotechnological processes offer an economic and versatile way to concentrate and transform resources from waste/wastewater into valuable products, which is a prerequisite for the technological development of a cradle-to-cradle bio-based economy. This review identifies emerging technologies that enable resource recovery across the wastewater treatment cycle. As such, bioenergy in the form of biohydrogen (by photo and dark fermentation processes) and biogas (during anaerobic digestion processes) have been classic targets, whereby, direct transformation of lipidic biomass into biodiesel also gained attention. This concept is similar to previous biofuel concepts, but more sustainable, as third generation biofuels and other resources can be produced from waste biomass. The production of high value biopolymers (e.g., for bioplastics manufacturing) from organic acids, hydrogen, and methane is another option for carbon recovery. The recovery of carbon and nutrients can be achieved by organic fertilizer production, or single cell protein generation (depending on the source) which may be utilized as feed, feed additives, next generation fertilizers, or even as probiotics. Additionlly, chemical oxidation-reduction and bioelectrochemical systems can recover inorganics or synthesize organic products beyond the natural microbial metabolism. Anticipating the next generation of wastewater treatment plants driven by biological recovery technologies, this review is focused on the generation and re-synthesis of energetic resources and key resources to be recycled as raw materials in a cradle-to-cradle economy concept.
Chemical Society Reviews · 2015
Biological membranes play an essential role in living organisms by providing stable and functional compartments, preserving cell architecture, whilst supporting signalling and selective transport that are mediated by a variety of proteins embedded in the membrane. However, mimicking cell membranes - to be applied in artificial systems - is very challenging because of the vast complexity of biological structures. In this respect a highly promising strategy to designing multifunctional hybrid materials/systems is to combine biological molecules with polymer membranes or to design membranes with intrinsic stimuli-responsive properties. Here we present supramolecular polymer assemblies resulting from self-assembly of mostly amphiphilic copolymers either as 3D compartments (polymersomes, PICsomes, peptosomes), or as planar membranes (free-standing films, solid-supported membranes, membrane-mimetic brushes). In a bioinspired strategy, such synthetic assemblies decorated with biomolecules by insertion/encapsulation/attachment, serve for development of multifunctional systems. In addition, when the assemblies are stimuli-responsive, their architecture and properties change in the presence of stimuli, and release a cargo or allow "on demand" a specific in situ reaction. Relevant examples are included for an overview of bioinspired polymer compartments with nanometre sizes and membranes as candidates in applications ranging from drug delivery systems, up to artificial organelles, or active surfaces. Both the advantages of using polymer supramolecular assemblies and their present limitations are included to serve as a basis for future improvements.
Biosensors · 2022
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a modern approach based on computer science that develops programs and algorithms to make devices intelligent and efficient for performing tasks that usually require skilled human intelligence. AI involves various subsets, including machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), conventional neural networks, fuzzy logic, and speech recognition, with unique capabilities and functionalities that can improve the performances of modern medical sciences. Such intelligent systems simplify human intervention in clinical diagnosis, medical imaging, and decision-making ability. In the same era, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) emerges as a next-generation bio-analytical tool that combines network-linked biomedical devices with a software application for advancing human health. In this review, we discuss the importance of AI in improving the capabilities of IoMT and point-of-care (POC) devices used in advanced healthcare sectors such as cardiac measurement, cancer diagnosis, and diabetes management. The role of AI in supporting advanced robotic surgeries developed for advanced biomedical applications is also discussed in this article. The position and importance of AI in improving the functionality, detection accuracy, decision-making ability of IoMT devices, and evaluation of associated risks assessment is discussed carefully and critically in this review. This review also encompasses the technological and engineering challenges and prospects for AI-based cloud-integrated personalized IoMT devices for designing efficient POC biomedical systems suitable for next-generation intelligent healthcare.
Advanced Materials · 2023
production and green synthesis of chemicals, leading to a sustainable nitrogen cycle via prosperous N-based electrochemistry.
Heliyon · 2023
Freshwater is a vital resource for both ecosystem health and human survival, and it is the natural resource that is the most extracted at the global level. Excessive freshwater consumption can be responsible for a scarcity in the circulation rate, which occurs when the freshwater demand exceeds its availability. Hence, water consumption needs to be optimised in all human activities, given the increasing freshwater scarcity due to climate changes and to the annual net increase in the human population of 81,000,000. Freshwater plays many important roles in daily life for example, agriculture is responsible for nearly 70% of that withdrawal volume, and it is therefore, the most water-intensive sector. This puts emphasis upon the urgent need of transitioning towards more sustainable agricultural and food-production/consumption systems. Water Footprint (WF) is increasingly playing a guiding role in that context. Indeed, it makes it possible to quantify water consumption and related environmental consequences. With the objective of contributing to enhancement of research and of supporting practitioners and decision-makers in environmentally sustainable and resilient food production/consumption, the authors of this article addressed the relevant issues connected with: a) physical and economic water scarcity in agriculture, b) practices and tools to reduce water wastage, c) WF assessment methodologies. A number of environmental, economic, and engineering solutions were proposed to mitigate water scarcity. The improvement of irrigation technologies and practices was identified as an important major way to reduce water scarcity. Additionally, solar powered 'reverse-osmosis' is being used in many parts of the world to produce irrigation water from saline water, thereby reducing the need to extract freshwater from underground aquifers. This article confirmed the importance of research on water scarcity; moreover, it can stimulate development and application of solutions that make agricultural production/consumption more efficient and resilient.
Materials · 2019
Enzyme-based biosensing devices have been extensively developed over the last few decades, and have proven to be innovative techniques in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of a variety of target substrates over a wide range of applications. Distinct advantages that enzyme-based biosensors provide, such as high sensitivity and specificity, portability, cost-effectiveness, and the possibilities for miniaturization and point-of-care diagnostic testing make them more and more attractive for research focused on clinical analysis, food safety control, or disease monitoring purposes. Therefore, this review article investigates the operating principle of enzymatic biosensors utilizing electrochemical, optical, thermistor, and piezoelectric measurement techniques and their applications in the literature, as well as approaches in improving the use of enzymes for biosensors.
Bioresource Technology · 2018
Bio-based volatile fatty acid (VFA) production from waste-stream is getting attention due to increasing market demand and wide range usage area as well as its cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach. The aim of this paper is to give a comprehensive review of bio-based VFA production and recovery methods and to give an opinion on future research outlook. Effects of operation conditions including pH, temperature, retention time, type of substrate and mixed microbial cultures on VFA production and composition were reviewed. The recovery methods in terms of gas stripping with absorption, adsorption, solvent extraction, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and membrane contractor of VFA were evaluated. Furthermore, strategies to enhance bio-based VFA production and recovery from waste streams, specifically, in-line VFA recovery and bioaugmentation, which are currently not used in common practice, are seen as some of the approaches to enhance bio-based VFA production.
Nature Reviews Microbiology · 2020
International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 2018
Antimicrobial lipids such as fatty acids and monoglycerides are promising antibacterial agents that destabilize bacterial cell membranes, causing a wide range of direct and indirect inhibitory effects. The goal of this review is to introduce the latest experimental approaches for characterizing how antimicrobial lipids destabilize phospholipid membranes within the broader scope of introducing current knowledge about the biological activities of antimicrobial lipids, testing strategies, and applications for treating bacterial infections. To this end, a general background on antimicrobial lipids, including structural classification, is provided along with a detailed description of their targeting spectrum and currently understood antibacterial mechanisms. Building on this knowledge, different experimental approaches to characterize antimicrobial lipids are presented, including cell-based biological and model membrane-based biophysical measurement techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on drawing out how biological and biophysical approaches complement one another and can yield mechanistic insights into how the physicochemical properties of antimicrobial lipids influence molecular self-assembly and concentration-dependent interactions with model phospholipid and bacterial cell membranes. Examples of possible therapeutic applications are briefly introduced to highlight the potential significance of antimicrobial lipids for human health and medicine, and to motivate the importance of employing orthogonal measurement strategies to characterize the activity profile of antimicrobial lipids.
Sensors · 2018
LoRaWAN is one of the low power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies that have received significant attention by the research community in the recent years. It offers low-power, low-data rate communication over a wide range of covered area. In the past years, the number of publications regarding LoRa and LoRaWAN has grown tremendously. This paper provides an overview of research work that has been published from 2015 to September 2018 and that is accessible via Google Scholar and IEEE Explore databases. First, a detailed description of the technology is given, including existing security and reliability mechanisms. This literature overview is structured by categorizing papers according to the following topics: (i) physical layer aspects; (ii) network layer aspects; (iii) possible improvements; and (iv) extensions to the standard. Finally, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis is presented along with the challenges that LoRa and LoRaWAN still face.