Khalifa University of Science and Technology

Machine learning-based interfacial tension prediction for nanoparticles-assisted enhanced oil recovery

Accurate interfacial tension (IFT) prediction is crucial for optimizing enhanced oil recovery (EOR), as traditional measurement methods are time-consuming, costly, and often impractical under reservoir conditions. This study presents a novel machine learning (ML) framework for ro...

Dual Peptide Modification via Isopeptide Bonding and Lipidation Boosts Antifungal Activity

Abstract The rapid rise in drug-resistant infectious diseases urgently demands new therapeutic strategies, particularly against fungi. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are key effectors of innate immunity in all organisms, killing various microorganisms. Despite their potential, few...

Interfacially Regulated MXene‐Based Nanocomposite Membranes for Highly Selective Ion Transport and Salinity Gradient Energy Harvesting

ABSTRACT Achieving high ion selectivity, low membrane resistance, and long‐term stability remains a key challenge in developing two‐dimensional nanomaterial polymer composite membranes, where interfacial interactions critically influence membrane structure and ion transport. Here...

Hybrid zwitterionic biochar-PES-SPAES composite membranes for efficient treatment of antibiotic-laden municipal wastewater

Antibiotic accumulation in discharged water is a growing global public health concern that demands high-performance membrane materials to mitigate it. Herein, functionalized zwitterionic biochar (ZBC) was incorporated into a novel membrane composite of polyethersulfone/sulfonated...

Beyond taxation: a qualitative analysis of policy challenges in controlling sugar-sweetened beverages consumption in Indonesia

Abstract Background Nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are major global health challenges, including in Indonesia, where the disease burden continues to rise. Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is a well-established contributing factor, with...

Precursor Concentration-Induced Modulation of Structural and Surface Properties of Cobalt Ferrite for Enhanced Phenol Photodegradation Under UV–Vis Irradiation

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) photocatalysts were synthesized through a citric acid–ethylene glycol-assisted sol–gel route by systematically varying the Co2+ precursor concentration from 0.1 to 0.5 M. Precursor concentration significantly influenced the structural, optical, surface, a...

Decoupling T cell cytotoxicity: a CCL21+ICAM1-based synthetic immune niche enhances tumor elimination by accelerating lytic hit delivery

Preserving T cell cytotoxic function during ex vivo expansion remains a major challenge for adoptive cancer immunotherapy. A synthetic immune niche (SIN) composed of immobilized CCL21 and ICAM1 was shown to improve T cell expansion while preserving cytotoxicity; however, it remai...

Scaling of phase-change relaxation in VOF simulations of convection-driven melting

Phase-change relaxation is commonly introduced in Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) simulations of melting through a relaxation rate that controls the conversion between phases. Although this parameter strongly influences interface evolution and temperature fields, its selection remains larg...

Gallic acid functionalized Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene/SPES hybrid tight ultrafiltration membranes with improved interfacial stability for wastewater treatment

The limited oxidation stability and affinity of Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene with polymer restrict its application in polymeric membranes for wastewater treatment. Herein, polyphenol derivative gallic acid (GA) functionalized MXene (gMX) was incorporated into sulfonated poly (ether sulfone) (SP...

Evaluation of the SPEED Sample Preparation Protocol for Metabolomics

Abstract Multiomic (paired proteomic and metabolomic) analyses allow researchers to better decipher the underlying biology being studied. While sample preparation techniques for multiomic analyses exist, they are often automation-unfriendly or secondary to preferred techniques fo...

Transitional High-Al to Intermediate-Cr Podiform Chromitites from Wadi Zikt (Khor Fakkan Block, United Arab Emirates): Evidence for Reactive Melt Percolation during Nascent Forearc Evolution

Abstract Podiform chromitites at Wadi Zikt in the Khor Fakkan Block of the United Arab Emirates constitute a previously undescribed occurrence within the mantle section of the Semail ophiolite. We combine field relations, electron-probe microanalysis, in situ LA–ICP–MS mineral an...

Composite Likelihood Inference for Simultaneous Clustering and Dimensionality Reduction of Multivariate Mixed-Type Longitudinal Data

Abstract We propose a novel multivariate hidden Markov model (HMM) designed to analyze longitudinal mixed-type data comprising continuous and ordinal variables. Our model identifies and prioritizes discriminative dimensions, i.e., those useful for clustering, while separating the...

A Physics-Guided Statistical Framework for Bearing Fault Diagnosis Under Unit Variability and Rotational Speed Uncertainty

Reliable bearing fault diagnosis must differentiate between defects and normal-operation-condition variation. The predictor must remain accurate when shaft speed is uncertain. Conventional accuracy-driven models often ignore false-positive rates and fail to accurately locate faul...

Plasmonic supraballs for full-spectrum photothermal conversion in DASCs: a comparative spectral, thermal, and exergetic analysis

Plasmonic supraballs exhibit broadband optical behavior that may benefit direct absorption solar collectors (DASCs); however, their performance as dispersed working media in DASCs has not been established. This study presents a numerical prediction of the optical, thermal, and ex...

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Vesicoureteral Reflux in Pediatric Patients Following Urinary Tract Infections: Technical Report

BACKGROUND: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) may be present in as many as 40% of children without known underlying neurogenic bladder or anatomic abnormalities in whom a first urinary tract infection (UTI) is diagnosed. This article reports on a technical review investigating the diag...

Is more the merrier? A study of external social support, anxiety symptomologies, and job satisfaction

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the amount of social support employees receive from external social networks and employees' anxiety and job satisfaction. Data was collected to quantify employees' external social network engagements within a 30-day...

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prevention and Management of Pediatric Urinary Tract Infection and Suspected Urinary Tract Infection: Technical Report

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection during childhood. This article reports on a technical review investigating the management of UTI to inform the development of an updated clinical practice guideline (CPG) by the American Acade...

Epitranscriptomic profiling of VSMC phenotypes reveals uridine modifications linked to post-transcriptional regulation

Background The phenotypic plasticity of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can modulate atherosclerosis progression. Although several gene regulatory steps towards pro-inflammatory phenotypes have been well-studied, epitranscriptomic changes during this transition and their reg...

Tailoring Electronic Structure of NbB 2 Nanorods Through Selenium Incorporation for Synergistically Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution and Triboelectric Energy Harvesting

ABSTRACT The sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics of non‐noble‐metal catalysts remain a major challenge for efficient hydrogen production. Herein, selenium‐doped niobium diboride (Se‐NbB 2 ) nanorods were synthesized via a molten‐salt‐assisted route followed by mic...

Flat-Band-Assisted Nitrogen Reduction on M-N4 Single-Atom Catalysts in a Two-Dimensional Tetraaza[8]circulene Framework

Abstract The porphyrin-like M-N4 coordination environment embedded in two-dimensional (2D) lattices represents a compelling design principle for single-atom electrocatalysts (SACs) targeting the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (eNRR). Density functional theory (DFT) c...