Polymer protection for vaccines and drugs ACN Newswire

Polymer protection for vaccines and drugs

December 9, 2022
TSUKUBA, Japan, Dec 9, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - A biocompatible polymer could help deliver vaccines and drugs with reduced risk of the rare dangerous adverse reaction called anaphylaxis. Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan have developed the polymer and performed preliminary tests, which they report in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.A liposome (left) containing a vaccine is commonly coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) but it can trigger an allergic reaction to some recipients. A newly developed lipid (right) could serve as a safer, alternative liposome-coating while retaining the vaccine longer in the body.Until now, the polymer of choice for encasing and delivering vaccines has been poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). This synthetic, flexible, water-soluble material has been used to surround some COVID-19 vaccines carried within the tiny spherical packages known as liposomes.Unfortunately, some recipients have suffered an anaphylactic reaction to PEG, in which the immune system mounts an allergic response to the foreign material. Symptoms of anaphylaxis range from minor skin irritations, to breathing difficulty, nausea and, in the worst cases, unconsciousness and sudden death.The alternative polymer is a form of fatty biomolecule called a lipid, and is conjugated to 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer.This new substance spontaneously binds to the outside of liposome particles when mixed with them in water. Crucially, the polymer is not recognized by the antibodies that the body can generate in response to PEG, and tests suggest it does not stimulate any other antibodies that could cause an allergic reaction. This should allow coated liposomes containing a vaccine to be retained in the body for a longer time without being cleared by the immune system, in addition to avoiding anaphylaxis."We have also found that the polymer avoids other interactions with proteins in the blood that might otherwise interfere with its effects, and it also prevents liposomes from aggregating together," says molecular engineer Yuji Teramura of the AIST team.Tests confirm the coated liposomes can remain stable in storage for 14 days, sufficient for real clinical applications."All the indications suggest that our technology should be suitable for delivering vaccines into patients who develop anaphylaxis in response to PEG," Teramura concludes.The polymer must now be thoroughly tested in various real vaccine applications. The team is moving into this next crucial phase of the development process, prior to eventual clinical trials in humans.Provided the animal and subsequent clinical trials go well, the technology should offer opportunities for delivering drugs into the body, in addition to vaccines. Delivery systems such as liposomes are sometimes needed to protect drugs from biochemical processes that might degrade them. This can ensure that they reach the target disease tissues while remaining in their active form.Further informationYuji TeramuraNational Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)Email: y.teramura@aist.go.jpAbout Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM)Open access journal STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAMDr Yasufumi NakamichiSTAM Publishing DirectorEmail: NAKAMICHI.Yasufumi@nims.go.jpPress release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Gradiant, Global Water Solutions Provider, Awarded $20M in New Contracts in India ACN Newswire

Gradiant, Global Water Solutions Provider, Awarded $20M in New Contracts in India

December 6, 2022
New projects deliver Gradiant's full-technology stack solutions to India's renewable energy and industrial clientsBOSTON, Nov 16, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Gradiant, a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, is pleased to announce awards of $20 million in new contracts in September and October 2022. The awards are for clients in the manufacturing of photovoltaic cells (or solar cells) renewable energy and industrial protective equipment. All three projects will be delivered as design-build contracts.One of the largest solar companies in India has partnered with Gradiant at a manufacturing site in the Western Region for ammonia and fluoride removal and wastewater treatment. The new facility will recover, neutralize, and treat complex wastewater rinse streams from photovoltaic cell production to levels that meet the client's sustainability goals and local discharge limits.Gradiant has also partnered with a leader in the renewable energy business for the design-build of two facilities for ultrapure water and wastewater treatment to support a new photovoltaic cell manufacturing site also in Western Region. The project will include Gradiant's patented RO InfinityTM membrane technology to treat industrial wastewater streams. The zero liquid discharge (ZLD) facility will reduce wastewater to only salt and solid wastes."We are experiencing strong growth in the India market across multiple strategic verticals," said Prakash Govindan, COO of Gradiant. "India was already one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is well positioned to gain as global companies review their sourcing and manufacturing footprints to de-risk and diversify their supply chains. We are also witnessing a clean energy transition in India, as the country builds out renewable energy infrastructure and its supply to the world. This local market has always been important to India, and Gradiant is ready to support our clients with advanced water solutions as they shift or double-down their local manufacturing operations."In addition to these renewable energy projects, Gradiant is working with a leading manufacturer of industrial protective equipment for their new facility in Southern India. Gradiant will deliver an effluent treatment and ZLD waste minimization system. The plant will feature Gradiant's Carrier Gas ExtractionTM (CGE) for ZLD and SmartOpsTM for AI-powered asset performance optimization, and a membrane biological reactor (MBR) for advanced wastewater treatment.Gradiant entered the India market in 2018 to engage with major international and domestic companies to solve their advanced water and wastewater challenges in water recycling, minimum and zero liquid discharge, and ultrapure water. Clients are served by in-country expertise from Gradiant's main office in Chennai while collaborating and leveraging global process and engineering resources. The India team is comprised of 80 expert engineers and staff today, with plans to increase headcounts across the country.About GradiantGradiant is a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions, powered by the top minds in water, Gradiant serves its clients' mission-critical operations in the world's essential industries. Gradiant was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is uniquely positioned to address the world's increasing challenges created by industrialization, population growth, and water stress. Today, with over 450 employees, Gradiant operates from its global headquarters in Boston, regional headquarters and global technology labs in Singapore, and offices across twelve countries. For more information, please visit www.gradiant.com.Corporate Contact:Felix WangGradiant, VP of Marketingfwang@gradiant.com Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Revealing crystal structures robotically ACN Newswire

Revealing crystal structures robotically

December 2, 2022
TSUKUBA, Japan, Dec 2, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan have automated a complex and labour-intensive process for analysing the results of X-ray diffraction studies, which are used to determine the structure of crystalline materials. The team described the development and application of their technique in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods.By combining machine learning with robotic process automation, researchers automated a mathematical procedure that determines the structure of crystalline materials. (Credit: ktsdesign/123rf)X-rays fired at a crystal interact with the geometric arrangement of its particles and are diffracted in many directions in a complex pattern of rays that depends on the crystal's precise structure. Experts analyse the pattern and intensity of the diffracted X-rays to determine the crystal's internal arrangement. This is a powerful and widely used process for revealing the three-dimensional atomic structure of new materials.A well-established mathematical procedure, called Rietveld analysis, is used for interpreting X-ray diffraction data, but it is time-consuming and requires manual trial-and-error refinement of the results."To reduce human costs and resources, we have developed a robotic process automation (RPA) system that we apply to an existing Rietveld analysis program called RIETAN-FP," says Ryo Tamura of the NIMS team. "By using our new procedure, with the help of machine learning, we have succeeded in performing Rietveld analysis automatically," Tamura adds.The automation can be run on a personal computer and can reduce human error as well as greatly speed up the data analysis.Tamura explains that the field of materials science already relies on numerous graphical user interface (GUI) applications to calculate a material's properties, control experimental equipment, or analyse material data. He says that combining this new RPA and machine learning ability with these applications achieves a "closed loop" to automatically design and analyse materials with minimal human intervention.The researchers verified the accuracy of their procedure by analysing samples of powdered compounds whose crystal structures are already known. The ability to determine the structures from powdered samples is one of the great strengths of Rietveld analysis. It avoids the need to grow large single crystals, which can be extremely difficult to obtain for some materials."Automating Rietveld analysis brings a very powerful new tool into the entire field of materials science," Tamura concludes.The researchers are now working to further refine their procedure to make it suitable for more complex crystal structures. Another aim is to explore the use of their machine learning RPA strategy for more general applications in materials science. The possibilities include numerous simulation methods used for calculating material properties, and also applications for controlling experimental equipment. The success achieved thus far with X-ray diffraction could just be the start for Rietveld robotics.Further informationRyo Tamura National Institute for Materials ScienceEmail: tamura.ryo@nims.go.jpAbout Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods (STAM Methods)STAM Methods is an open access sister journal of Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM), and focuses on emergent methods and tools for improving and/or accelerating materials developments, such as methodology, apparatus, instrumentation, modeling, high-through put data collection, materials/process informatics, databases, and programming. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAM-MDr. Yasufumi NakamichiSTAM Methods Publishing DirectorEmail: NAKAMICHI.Yasufumi@nims.go.jpPress release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Gradiant, Global Water Solutions Provider, Awarded $20M inNew Contracts in India ACN Newswire

Gradiant, Global Water Solutions Provider, Awarded $20M inNew Contracts in India

November 16, 2022
New projects deliver Gradiant's full-technology stack solutions to India's renewable energy and industrial clientsBOSTON, Nov 16, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Gradiant, a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment, is pleased to announce awards of $20 million in new contracts in September and October 2022. The awards are for clients in the manufacturing of photovoltaic cells (or solar cells) renewable energy and industrial protective equipment. All three projects will be delivered as design-build contracts.One of the largest solar companies in India has partnered with Gradiant at a manufacturing site in the Western Region for ammonia and fluoride removal and wastewater treatment. The new facility will recover, neutralize, and treat complex wastewater rinse streams from photovoltaic cell production to levels that meet the client's sustainability goals and local discharge limits.Gradiant has also partnered with a leader in the renewable energy business for the design-build of two facilities for ultrapure water and wastewater treatment to support a new photovoltaic cell manufacturing site also in Western Region. The project will include Gradiant's patented RO InfinityTM membrane technology to treat industrial wastewater streams. The zero liquid discharge (ZLD) facility will reduce wastewater to only salt and solid wastes."We are experiencing strong growth in the India market across multiple strategic verticals," said Prakash Govindan, COO of Gradiant. "India was already one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is well positioned to gain as global companies review their sourcing and manufacturing footprints to de-risk and diversify their supply chains. We are also witnessing a clean energy transition in India, as the country builds out renewable energy infrastructure and its supply to the world. This local market has always been important to India, and Gradiant is ready to support our clients with advanced water solutions as they shift or double-down their local manufacturing operations."In addition to these renewable energy projects, Gradiant is working with a leading manufacturer of industrial protective equipment for their new facility in Southern India. Gradiant will deliver an effluent treatment and ZLD waste minimization system. The plant will feature Gradiant's Carrier Gas ExtractionTM (CGE) for ZLD and SmartOpsTM for AI-powered asset performance optimization, and a membrane biological reactor (MBR) for advanced wastewater treatment.Gradiant entered the India market in 2018 to engage with major international and domestic companies to solve their advanced water and wastewater challenges in water recycling, minimum and zero liquid discharge, and ultrapure water. Clients are served by in-country expertise from Gradiant's main office in Chennai while collaborating and leveraging global process and engineering resources. The India team is comprised of 80 expert engineers and staff today, with plans to increase headcounts across the country.About GradiantGradiant is a global solutions provider for advanced water and wastewater treatment. With a full suite of differentiated and proprietary end-to-end solutions, powered by the top minds in water, Gradiant serves its clients' mission-critical operations in the world's essential industries. Gradiant was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is uniquely positioned to address the world's increasing challenges created by industrialization, population growth, and water stress. Today, with over 450 employees, Gradiant operates from its global headquarters in Boston, regional headquarters and global technology labs in Singapore, and offices across twelve countries. For more information, please visit www.gradiant.com.Corporate Contact:Felix WangGradiant, VP of Marketingfwang@gradiant.com Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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New data extracted from old for materials databases ACN Newswire

New data extracted from old for materials databases

November 7, 2022
TSUKUBA, Japan, Nov 7, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - A new approach uses data from one type of test on small metal alloy samples to extract enough information for building databases that can be used to predict the properties and potentials of new materials. The details were published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods.The scientists used computer simulations to build database of material properties.The Scientists found a way to use topography around indentation impression to predict other properties measured by a tensile or compression test.The test is called instrumented indentation. It involves driving an indenter tip into a material to probe some of its properties, such as hardness and elastic stiffness. Scientists have been using the data extracted from instrumented indentation to estimate the stress-strain curve of materials using computational simulations. This curve, and the data it provides, is important for understanding a material's properties. That data is also used for building massive materials databases, which can be used, in conjunction with artificial intelligence, for predicting new materials.A problem scientists face is that this approach for estimating material properties is limited when it comes to materials called 'high work-hardening alloys': metal alloys, like steel, that are strengthened through physical processes like rolling and forging. Only so much information can be estimated from the curve of these materials. To get the necessary additional information needed to determine their properties, more experiments would need to be done, which costs time, effort and money.Ta-Te Chen of the University of Tsukuba and Ikumu Watanabe of the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan have developed a new computational approach to extract that additional information from instrumented indentation tests on work-hardening alloys."Our approach builds on an already-existing model, making it ready for use in industry. It is also applicable to existing data, including hardness," says Watanabe.The approach involves combining the results from two computational models, the power-law and linear hardening models, which produce their own individual stress-plastic strain curves from information gathered from indentation tests. Combining the data from both curves provides the extra data that, when added to the original stress-strain curve, shows a more holistic picture of the work-hardening alloys' properties.The scientists validated their approach by using it on a high-work-hardening stainless steel.We have extended this approach to also evaluate mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, which can contribute to the development of high-temperature alloys," says Chen.Further informationIkumu WatanabeNational Institute for Materials ScienceEmail: WATANABE.Ikumu@nims.go.jpAbout Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods (STAM Methods)STAM Methods is an open access sister journal of Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM), and focuses on emergent methods and tools for improving and/or accelerating materials developments, such as methodology, apparatus, instrumentation, modeling, high-through put data collection, materials/process informatics, databases, and programming. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAM-MDr. Yasufumi NakamichiSTAM Methods Publishing DirectorEmail: NAKAMICHI.Yasufumi@nims.go.jpPress release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Hitachi Astemo develops Steer-by-Wire prototype with advanced steering and failsafe function JCN Newswire

Hitachi Astemo develops Steer-by-Wire prototype with advanced steering and failsafe function

October 3, 2022
TOKYO, Oct 3, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.has developed a Steer-by-Wire prototype for vehicles, which actuates the tires not mechanically, but through the electric control of steering wheel inputs. The prototype not only realizes smooth, effortless steering wheel operation, but also redundancy through a fail-safe function that enables the continued operation in the event of a failure.Steer-by-Wire with redundancyIn anticipation of the evolution of autonomous driving, Hitachi Astemo and Hitachi, Ltd. are combining resources(1) to realize the practical application of a Steer-by-Wire that not only improves safety and comfort, but also realizes a greater degree of freedom in layout design, which is achieved by linking the steering system and wheel-turning system actuators using electrical signals.Normally, the driver infers the road surface condition from the steering reaction force of the steering wheel and use that information in operating the vehicle. With Steer-by-Wire, Hitachi Astemo leverages the advanced steering feel technology developed through the former Showa Corporation's many years of extensive research. In addition, Hitachi Astemo and Hitachi, Ltd. Research & Development Group have jointly developed a function that conveys when the vehicle body has not turned during inputs of the steering wheel. Furthermore, Hitachi Astemo is leveraging industry-leading skidding control technology developed by former Hitachi Automotive Systems, which suppresses external interference from road surface irregularities, such as wheel tracks on snowy roads, to minimize the need for steering corrections by the driver.To address the concern of Steer-by-Wire functionality in the event of failure, Hitachi Astemo's prototype has a failsafe function, which adopts a two-system approach for the power source and wire harness that connect the actuator on the steering side and actuator on the wheel turning side; triples both the circuits in the steering wheel angle sensor in the steering side actuator and circuits in the wheel turning side actuator; and controls the braking force of the four wheel brakes while linking it to the vehicle steering function. This enables continued operation even in the event of failure or circuit loss, thereby enhancing safety.Hitachi Astemo is committed to strengthening its business and delivering technological innovation through a strategic business portfolio, which consists of the Powertrain & Safety Systems business, Chassis business, Motorcycle business, Software business and Aftermarket business. Aiming for a better environment globally and growth around the pillars of "green," "digital," and "innovation," we will deliver highly efficient internal combustion engine systems; electric systems that reduce emissions; autonomous driving for improved safety and comfort; advanced driver assistance systems; and advanced chassis systems. Through such advanced mobility solutions, we will contribute to realizing a sustainable society and provide enhanced corporate value for our customers.(1) A device that converts power from motive force or driver operation into some kind of action.For more information, please visit the Hitachi Astemo website: www.hitachiastemo.com/en/ Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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Novel patching material for bone defects ACN Newswire

Novel patching material for bone defects

June 27, 2022
TSUKUBA, Japan, Jun 27, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Ceramics and metals have been used for a while as structural materials to repair bones and joints. In the past, scientists engineered bioinert materials, which do not bond to bones directly; bioactive materials that can bond to bones; and bio-absorbable materials that are categorized in bioactive materials but they are absorbed by the body over time and are replaced by advancing bone tissue. A new bio-responsive ceramic can be used to repair bone defectsWith an enzyme found in blood, different types of salts were converted to hydroxyapatite, a bone mineralNow, a fourth type of bone repairing materials has been found: a bio-responsive ceramic that interacts with an enzyme found in blood to be absorbed into the body at a precise and predictable rate.The research was done by Taishi Yokoi, an associate professor at the Institute of Biomaterials and Bioengineering at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and his colleagues. The study was published in May in Science and Technology of Advanced Materials."Extending healthy life expectancy is an important issue for all of us," Yokoi says. "Bone repairing materials aid in the recovery of bone defects and help improve quality of life."At the heart of this discovery is a biological reaction: an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which is present in human serum and reacts with various phosphate esters to generate bone mineral known as hydroxyapatite.The scientists mimicked this process using a simulated body fluid that contained the enzyme ALP. They placed four different salts in a simulated body fluid containing or lacking the enzyme ALP. The salts were calcium salts of methyl phosphate (CaMeP), ethyl phosphate (CaEtP), butyl phosphate (CaBuP) and dodecyl phosphate (CaDoP). The phosphate component of each of these salts has an alkyl group at its end - a chain composed of hydrogen and carbon atoms - of differing lengths.The scientists found that the first three salts were converted to hydroxyapatite, but only in the presence of ALP. Interestingly, the length of the alkyl group on the phosphate ester determined the rate at which this reaction happens. With more research, the scientists think that this could allow greater control of the bone healing process in the body."We expect the findings of this study will be applied towards designing and developing novel bone-repairing materials with precisely controlled degradation and resorption rates inside the body," says Yokoi. Further informationTaishi YokoiTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityEmail: yokoi.taishi.bcr@tmd.ac.jpResearch paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14686996.2022.2074801About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM)Open access journal STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAMMikiko TanifujiSTAM Publishing Director Email: TANIFUJI.Mikiko@nims.go.jpPress release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
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