Broadly Accessible 3D Skin Model as a Comprehensive Platform for Antibacterial Therapy Screening.

Skin infections are currently a worldwide emergency as antibiotic-resistant bacteria are spreading, leading to the ineffectiveness of most antibiotics and antibacterial strategies. Consequently, there is an urgency of developing and testing innovative antibacterial therapies. As traditional 2D cell culture and planktonic bacteria culture can be obsolete due to their incapability of resembling the complex infection environment, 3D skin models can be a powerful tool to test and validate therapies.

Electrochemical Liquid Phase TEM in Aqueous Electrolytes for Energy Applications: the Role of Liquid Flow Configuration.

Electrochemical liquid phase transmission electron microscopy (EC-LPTEM) is an invaluable tool for investigating the structural and morphological properties of functional materials in electrochemical systems for energy transition. Despite its potential, standardized experimental protocols and a consensus on data interpretation are lacking, due to a variety of commercial and customized electrical and microfluidic configurations. Given the small size of a typical electrochemical cell used in these experiments, frequent electrolyte renewal is crucial to minimize local chemical alterations from reactions and radiolysis.

An Overview on the Physiopathology of the Blood-Brain Barrier and the Lipid-Based Nanocarriers for Central Nervous System Delivery.

The state of well-being and health of our body is regulated by the fine osmotic and biochemical balance established between the cells of the different tissues, organs, and systems. Specific districts of the human body are defined, kept in the correct state of functioning, and, therefore, protected from exogenous or endogenous insults of both mechanical, physical, and biological nature by the presence of different barrier systems. In addition to the placental barrier, which even acts as a linker between two different organisms, the mother and the fetus, all human body barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood-retinal barrier, blood-nerve barrier, blood-lymph barrier, and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, operate to maintain the physiological homeostasis within tissues and organs.

Investigating the activity of indigenous microbial communities from Italian depleted gas reservoirs and their possible impact on underground hydrogen storage.

H produced from renewable energies will play a central role in both greenhouse gas reduction and decarbonization by 2050. Nonetheless, to improve H diffusion and utilization as a fuel, large storage capacity systems are needed. Underground storage of natural gas in depleted reservoirs, aquifers and salt caverns is a well-established technology.

The Effect of Sulfur and Nitrogen Doping on the Oxygen Reduction Performance of Graphene/Iron Oxide Electrocatalysts Prepared by Using Microwave-Assisted Synthesis.

The synthesis of novel catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, by means of a fast one-pot microwave-assisted procedure, is reported herein and deeply explained. In particular, the important role of doping atoms, like sulfur and nitrogen, in FeO-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites is described to address the modification of catalytic performance. The presence of dopants is confirmed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis, while the integration of iron oxide nanoparticles, by means of decoration of the graphene structure, is corroborated by electron microscopy, which also confirms that there is no damage to the graphene sheets induced by the synthesis procedure.

GelMA synthesis and sources comparison for 3D multimaterial bioprinting.

Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA) is one of the most used biomaterials for a wide range of applications, such as drug delivery, disease modeling and tissue regeneration. GelMA is obtained from gelatin, which can be derived from different sources (e.g.

Coupling dairy wastewaters for nutritional balancing and water recycling: sustainable heterologous 2-phenylethanol production by engineered cyanobacteria.

Microalgae biotechnology is hampered by the high production costs and the massive usage of water during large-volume cultivations. These drawbacks can be softened by the production of high-value compounds and by adopting metabolic engineering strategies to improve their performances and productivity. Today, the most sustainable approach is the exploitation of industrial wastewaters for microalgae cultivation, which couples valuable biomass production with water resource recovery.

Microbial Fuel Cells as Effective Tools for Energy Recovery and Antibiotic Detection in Water and Food.

This work demonstrates that microbial fuel cells (MFCs), optimized for energy recovery, can be used as an effective tool to detect antibiotics in water-based environments. In MFCs, electroactive biofilms function as biocatalysts by converting the chemical energy of organic matter, which serves as the fuel, into electrical energy. The efficiency of the conversion process can be significantly affected by the presence of contaminants that act as toxicants to the biofilm.

Advancements in Gas Separation for Energy Applications: Exploring the Potential of Polymer Membranes with Intrinsic Microporosity (PIM).

Membrane-based Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) are promising candidates for energy-efficient industrial gas separations, especially for the separation of carbon dioxide over methane (CO/CH) and carbon dioxide over nitrogen (CO/N) for natural gas/biogas upgrading and carbon capture from flue gases, respectively. Compared to other separation techniques, membrane separations offer potential energy and cost savings. Ultra-permeable PIM-based polymers are currently leading the trade-off between permeability and selectivity for gas separations, particularly in CO/CH and CO/N.

Biogeochemical characterization of four depleted gas reservoirs for conversion into underground hydrogen storage.

Depleted gas reservoirs are a valuable option for underground hydrogen storage (UHS). However, different classes of microorganisms, which are capable of using free H as a reducing agent for their metabolism, inhabit deep underground formations and can potentially affect the storage. This study integrates metagenomics based on Illumina-NGS sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA and dsrB and mcrA functional genes to unveil the composition and the variability of indigenous microbial populations of four Italian depleted reservoirs.

Three-Dimensional Printing of Triboelectric Nanogenerators by Digital Light Processing Technique for Mechanical Energy Harvesting.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) represent intriguing technology to harvest human mechanical movements for powering wearable and portable electronics. Differently, compared to conventional fabrication approaches, additive manufacturing can allow the fabrication of TENGs with good dimensional resolution, high reproducibility, and quick production processes and, in particular, the obtainment of complex and customized structures. Among 3D printing technologies, digital light processing (DLP) is well-known for being the most flexible to produce functional devices by controlling both the geometry and the different ingredients of printable resins.

3D Printing of Self-Healing Materials.

This review article presents a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in the field of 3D printable structures with self-healing properties. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a versatile technology that enables the rapid manufacturing of complex geometric structures with precision and functionality not previously attainable. However, the application of 3DP technology is still limited by the availability of materials with customizable properties specifically designed for additive manufacturing.

Morphology Effects on Electro- and Photo-Catalytic Properties of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures.

Environmental problems are among the most pressing issues in the modern world, including the shortage of clean drinking water partially caused by contamination from various industries and the excessive emission of CO primarily from the massive use of fossil fuels. Consequently, it is crucial to develop inexpensive, effective, and environmentally friendly methods for wastewater treatment and CO reduction, turning them into useful feedstocks. This study explores a unique method that addresses both challenges by utilizing ZnO, which is recognized as one of the most active semiconductors for photocatalysis, as well as a cost-effective electrocatalyst for the CO reduction reaction (CORR).

Optimizing the Performance of Low-Loaded Electrodes for CO-to-CO Conversion Directly from Capture Medium: A Comprehensive Parameter Analysis.

Gas-fed reactors for CO reduction processes are a solid technology to mitigate CO accumulation in the atmosphere. However, since it is necessary to feed them with a pure CO stream, a highly energy-demanding process is required to separate CO from the flue gasses. Recently introduced bicarbonate zero-gap flow reactors are a valid solution to integrate carbon capture and valorization, with them being able to convert the CO capture medium (i.

Perspective on the use of methanogens in lithium recovery from brines.

Methanogenic archaea stand out as multipurpose biocatalysts for different applications in wide-ranging industrial sectors due to their crucial role in the methane (CH) cycle and ubiquity in natural environments. The increasing demand for raw materials required by the manufacturing sector (i.e.

Developing Quantitative Nondestructive Characterization of Nanomaterials: A Case Study on Sequential Infiltration Synthesis of Block Copolymers.

The sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) of inorganic materials in nanostructured block copolymer templates has rapidly progressed in the last few years to develop functional nanomaterials with controllable properties. To assist this rapid evolution, expanding the capabilities of nondestructive methods for quantitative characterization of the materials properties is required. In this paper, we characterize the SIS process on three model polymers with different infiltration profiles through quantification by reference-free grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence.

Clinical Features to Predict the Use of a sEMG Wearable Device (REMO) for Hand Motor Training of Stroke Patients: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study.

After stroke, upper limb motor impairment is one of the most common consequences that compromises the level of the autonomy of patients. In a neurorehabilitation setting, the implementation of wearable sensors provides new possibilities for enhancing hand motor recovery. In our study, we tested an innovative wearable (REMO) that detected the residual surface-electromyography of forearm muscles to control a rehabilitative PC interface.

3D printable acrylate polydimethylsiloxane resins for cell culture and drug testing.

Nowadays, most of the microfluidic devices for biological applications are fabricated with only few well-established materials. Among these, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is the most used and known. However, it has many limitations, like the operator dependent and time-consuming manufacturing technique and the high molecule retention.

Organic Bioelectronics Development in Italy: A Review.

In recent years, studies concerning Organic Bioelectronics have had a constant growth due to the interest in disciplines such as medicine, biology and food safety in connecting the digital world with the biological one. Specific interests can be found in organic neuromorphic devices and organic transistor sensors, which are rapidly growing due to their low cost, high sensitivity and biocompatibility. This trend is evident in the literature produced in Italy, which is full of breakthrough papers concerning organic transistors-based sensors and organic neuromorphic devices.

Design, Fabrication, and Experimental Validation of Microfluidic Devices for the Investigation of Pore-Scale Phenomena in Underground Gas Storage Systems.

The understanding of multiphase flow phenomena occurring in porous media at the pore scale is fundamental in a significant number of fields, from life science to geo and environmental engineering. However, because of the optical opacity and the geometrical complexity of natural porous media, detailed visual characterization is not possible or is limited and requires powerful and expensive imaging techniques. As a consequence, the understanding of micro-scale behavior is based on the interpretation of macro-scale parameters and indirect measurements.

Ionic Liquids-Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) Blend Membranes for CO Separation.

Membranes with high CO solubility are essential for developing a separation technology with low carbon footprint. To this end, physical blend membranes of [BMIM][Ac] and [BMIM][Succ] as Ionic Liquids (ILs) and PIM-1 as the polymer were prepared trying to combine the high permeability properties of PIM-1 with the high CO solubility of the chosen ILs. Membranes with a PIM-1/[BMIM][Ac] 4/1 ratio nearly double their CO solubility at 0.

Photocurable 3D-Printable Systems with Controlled Porosity towards CO Air Filtering Applications.

Porous organic polymers are versatile platforms, easily adaptable to a wide range of applications, from air filtering to energy devices. Their fabrication via vat photopolymerization enables them to control the geometry on a multiscale level, obtaining hierarchical porosity with enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. In this work, a photocurable ink based on 1,6 Hexanediol diacrylate and containing a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) is presented, employing PLURONIC F-127 as a surfactant to generate stable micelles.

Leveraging substrate flexibility and product selectivity of acetogens in two-stage systems for chemical production.

Carbon dioxide (CO ) stands out as sustainable feedstock for developing a circular carbon economy whose energy supply could be obtained by boosting the production of clean hydrogen from renewable electricity. H -dependent CO gas fermentation using acetogenic microorganisms offers a viable solution of increasingly demonstrated value. While gas fermentation advances to achieve commercial process scalability, which is currently limited to a few products such as acetate and ethanol, it is worth taking the best of the current state-of-the-art technology by its integration within innovative bioconversion schemes.

Liquid Phase Infiltration of Block Copolymers.

Novel materials with defined composition and structures at the nanoscale are increasingly desired in several research fields spanning a wide range of applications. The development of new approaches of synthesis that provide such control is therefore required in order to relate the material properties to its functionalities. Self-assembling materials such as block copolymers (BCPs), in combination with liquid phase infiltration (LPI) processes, represent an ideal strategy for the synthesis of inorganic materials into even more complex and functional features.