An automated, droplet-flow microfluidic system explores and optimizes Pd-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions.

The IARPA BABEL program has stimulated worldwide research in keyword search technology for low resource languages, and the NIST OpenKWS evaluations are the de facto benchmark test for such capabilities. The 2016 OpenKWS evaluation featured Georgian speech, and had 10 participants from across the world. This paper describes the Kaldi system developed to assist IARPA in creating a competitive baseline against which participants were evaluated, and to provide a truly open source system to all participants to support their research. This system handily met the BABEL program goals of 0.60 ATWV and 50% WER, achieving 0.70 ATWV and 38% WER with a single ASR system, i.e. without ASR system combination. All except one OpenKWS participant used Kaldi components in their submissions, typically in conjunction with system combination. This paper therefore complements all other OpenKWSbased papers.

Aromatic micropollutants found in wastewater pose threats to human health, and it is necessary to remove them from wastewater. Cyclodextrin hydrogel is one of the most promising environmentally friendly materials for removing aromatic micropollutants from wastewater by means of adsorption. In this study, we have synthesized a cyclodextrin hydrogel designed to simultaneously adsorb a cationic dye (methylene blue, MB) and an endocrine-disrupting compound, EDC (bisphenol A, BPA) and provide insights into the design of adsorbents for multicomponent wastewater purification. Polymeric dextran–poly­(acrylic acid)−β-cyclodextrin (Dex–PAA–CD) was prepared by the copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), methacrylate-substituted dextran (Dex-MA), acrylic acid, and vinyl-derivatized β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-MA). The adsorption of MB and BPA by the Dex–PAA–CD hydrogel presented short equilibrium time. The adsorption of MB and BPA was independent of each other, and their adsorption mechanisms were proved to be electronic interaction and cyclodextrin host–guest interaction, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities of MB and BPA onto Dex–PAA–CD are determined to be 5.60 and 0.144 mmol/g by the Sips isotherm. The Dex–PAA–CD hydrogel retains a high adsorption capacity even after five adsorption/desorption cycles and demonstrates the feasibility of designing reusable adsorbents to remove multiple pollutants from wastewater.