Evaluation of the interface of metallic-coated biodegradable polymeric stents with prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Polymeric coronary stents, like the ABSORB™, are commonly used to treat atherosclerosis due to their bioresorbable and cell-compatible polymer structure. However, they face challenges such as high strut thickness, high elastic recoil, and lack of radiopacity. This study aims to address these limitations by modifying degradable stents produced by additive manufacturing with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) with degradable metallic coatings, specifically zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg), deposited via radiofrequency (rf) magnetron sputtering.

Antimicrobial Activity of Copolymer Structures from Bio-Based Monomers.

The urgent need for new antimicrobial compounds has led scientists to explore antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and antimicrobial polymers as solutions for multidrug resistance. In this study, we synthesized copolymers with cationic and hydrophobic moieties by free-radical polymerization (FRP) using a chain transfer agent to control molecular weights. The potential of natural products as part of the hydrophobic moiety was evaluated, along with variations in their monomer content (13-25%) and the molecular weight (MW) of the copolymer (5000-20,000 g·mol).

The effect of biopolymer stabilisation on biostimulated or bioaugmented mine residue for potential technosol production.

Mine waste can be transformed into technosol as an ecological strategy. Despite its importance to soil functions, biological activity is often overlooked. Biopolymers can serve as innovative tools for bioremediation, facilitating chemical reactions and creating networks to encapsulate contaminants.

Iron homeostasis as a cell detoxification mechanism in J19 under yttrium exposure.

Yttrium (Y), an important rare earth element (REE), is increasingly prevalent in the environment due to industrial activities, raising concerns about its toxicity. Understanding the effects of Y on microorganisms is essential for bioremediation and biorecovery processes. This study investigates how J19, a strain with notable resistance to Y, manages iron homeostasis as a detoxifying mechanism under Y stress.

Exploring long-term retention and reactivation of micropollutant biodegradation capacity.

The factors limiting micropollutant biodegradation in the environment and how to stimulate this process have often been investigated. However, little information is available on the capacity of microbial communities to retain micropollutant biodegradation capacity in the absence of micropollutants or to reactivate micropollutant biodegradation in systems with fluctuating micropollutant concentrations. This study investigated how a period of 2 months without the addition of micropollutants and other organic carbon affected micropollutant biodegradation by a micropollutant-degrading microbial community.

Yttrium immobilization through biomineralization with phosphate by the resistant strain Mesorhizobium qingshengii J19.

Aims: Yttrium (Y) holds significant industrial and economic importance, being listed as a critical element on the European list of critical elements, thus emphasizing the high priority for its recovery. Bacterial strategies play a crucial role in the biorecovery of metals, offering a promising and environmentally friendly approach. Therefore, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind bacterial resistance, as well as the processes of bioaccumulation and biotransformation, is of paramount importance.

How are early-career dementia researchers considered and supported on a national level by dementia plans and organizations? An overview of global policy approaches.

Introduction: Despite representing an essential workforce, it is unclear how global policy efforts target early-career dementia researchers (ECDRs). Thus, this study aimed to provide an overview of policies through which ECDRs are considered and supported by dementia plans and organizations.

Methods: G20 member states were evaluated for their national dementia plan alongside policies of leading dementia organizations.

Assessment of antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, and surface modification potential in hospital strains of and .

The occurrence of healthcare-associated infections is a multifactorial phenomenon related to hospital space contamination by bacteria. The ESKAPE group, specifically and , play a relevant role in the occurrence of these infections. Therefore, comprehensive research is needed to identify characteristics that justify the prevalence of these species in the healthcare environment.

Biostimulation with oxygen and electron donors supports micropollutant biodegradation in an experimentally simulated nitrate-reducing aquifer.

The availability of suitable electron donors and acceptors limits micropollutant natural attenuation in oligotrophic groundwater. This study investigated how electron donors with different biodegradability (humics, dextran, acetate, and ammonium), and different oxygen concentrations affect the biodegradation of 15 micropollutants (initial concentration of each micropollutant = 50 μg/L) in simulated nitrate reducing aquifers. Tests mimicking nitrate reducing field conditions showed no micropollutant biodegradation, even with electron donor amendment.

Sterilized Polyhexanide-Releasing Chitosan Membranes with Potential for Use in Antimicrobial Wound Dressings.

Wound infection is a common complication of chronic wounds. It can impair healing, which may not occur without external help. Antimicrobial dressings (AMDs) are a type of external help to infected chronic wounds.

Supporting early-career dementia researchers: Identifying support needs and ways forward via a European study.

Introduction: Early-career researchers contribute significantly to dementia research and clinical practice. However, a growing group of early-career dementia researchers (ECDRs) lack appropriate support throughout their careers. Thus, we aim to (i) explore support needs, (ii) determine recommendations, and (iii) set the agenda for organizations to better support ECDRs.

Effect of dissolved organic carbon on micropollutant biodegradation by aquifer and soil microbial communities.

Groundwater, a major source of drinking water worldwide, is often contaminated with micropollutants. Although microbial communities in aquifers and soils have the capability to biodegrade some micropollutants, this process is limited in situ. Biostimulation with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is known to promote micropollutant biodegradation, but the role of DOC biodegradability is still poorly understood.

Genome mining to unravel potential metabolic pathways linked to gallium bioleaching ability of bacterial mine isolates.

Gallium (Ga) is considered a high-tech Critical Metal, used in the manufacture of several microelectronic components containing either gallium arsenide (GaAs) or gallium nitride (GaN). The current high demand for this critical metal urges the development of effective recovery processes from secondary resources such as mine tailings or electronic recycling material. The importance of bioleaching as a biotechnological process to recover metals prompted this study, where an integrative approach combining experimental and genomic analysis was undertaken to identify potential mechanisms involved in bioleaching ability and strategies to cope with high metal(loid)s concentrations in five mine isolates.

Post-measurement compressed calibration for ICP-MS-based metal quantification in mine residues bioleaching.

Bioleaching is an actual economical alternative to treat residues, which allows, depending on the chosen strategy, two possible outcomes: (1) a leachate enriched with target metals, or (2) a residue enriched in target metals through the leaching of interfering components (IC). This work aimed to study the metals released by bioprocessing the Panasqueira mine tailings, as a strategy to increase critical metals' relative concentration in residues. Biostimulation of the local microbiota was compared to a bioaugmentation approach using the autochthonous Diaphorobacter polyhydroxybutyrativorans strain B2A2W2.

Evaluation of the Microbiological Effectiveness of Three Accessible Mask Decontamination Methods and Their Impact on Filtration, Air Permeability and Physicochemical Properties.

The need to secure public health and mitigate the environmental impact associated with the massified use of respiratory protective devices (RPD) has been raising awareness for the safe reuse of decontaminated masks by individuals and organizations. Among the decontamination treatments proposed, in this work, three methods with the potential to be adopted by households and organizations of different sizes were analysed: contact with nebulized hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); immersion in commercial bleach (NaClO) (sodium hypochlorite, 0.1% p/v); and contact with steam in microwave steam-sanitizing bags (steam bag).

A DedA Family Membrane Protein in Indium Extrusion in sp. B2A1Ga4.

Indium (In) is a critical metal widely used in electronic equipment, and the supply of this precious metal is a major challenge for sustainable development. The use of microorganisms for the recovery of this critical high-tech element has been considered an excellent eco-friendly strategy. The sp.

Relevance of FeoAB system in Rhodanobacter sp. B2A1Ga4 resistance to heavy metals, aluminium, gallium, and indium.

Aluminium (Al), gallium (Ga), and indium (In) are metals widely used in diverse applications in industry, which consequently result in a source of environmental contamination. In this study, strain Rhodanobacter sp. B2A1Ga4, highly resistant to Al, Ga, and In, was studied to reveal the main effects of these metals on the strain and the bacterial mechanisms linked to the ability to cope with them.

Light-Activated Antimicrobial Surfaces Using Industrial Varnish Formulations to Mitigate the Incidence of Nosocomial Infections.

Evidence has shown that hospital surfaces are one of the major vehicles of nosocomial infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens. Smart surface coatings presenting multiple antimicrobial activity mechanisms have emerged as an advanced approach to safely prevent this type of infection. In this work, industrial waterborne polyurethane varnish formulations containing for the first time cationic polymeric biocides (SPBs) combined with photosensitizer curcumin were developed to afford contact-active and light-responsive antimicrobial surfaces.

Exploiting the biological response of two Serratia fonticola strains to the critical metals, gallium and indium.

The use of microorganisms that allows the recovery of critical high-tech elements such as gallium (Ga) and indium (In) has been considered an excellent eco-strategy. In this perspective, it is relevant to understand the strategies of Ga and In resistant strains to cope with these critical metals. This study aimed to explore the effect of these metals on two Ga/In resistant strains and to scrutinize the biological processes behind the oxidative stress in response to exposure to these critical metals.

Response to vanadate exposure in Ochrobactrum tritici strains.

Vanadium is a transition metal that has been added recently to the EU list of Raw Critical Metals. The growing needs of vanadium primarily in the steel industry justify its increasing economic value. However, because mining of vanadium sources (i.

Arsenic accumulation by a rhizosphere bacterial strain Ochrobactrum tritici reduces rice plant arsenic levels.

Arsenic naturally occurs in the earth's crust and can be introduced in the environment by human activities. Agricultural practices in arsenic-contaminated environments pose a threat to human health. The contamination of crops contributes to the metalloid's introduction in the food chain.

Tailings microbial community profile and prediction of its functionality in basins of tungsten mine.

In a circular economy concept, where more than 300 million tons of mining and quarrying wastes are produced annually, those are valuable resources, supplying metals that are extracted today by other processes, if innovative methods and processes for efficient extraction of these elements are applied. This work aims to assess microbiological and chemical spatial distribution within two tailing basins from a tungsten mine, using a MiSeq approach targeting the 16S rRNA gene, to relate microbial composition and function with chemical variability, thus, providing information to enhance the efficiency of the exploitation of these secondary sources. The tailings sediments core microbiome comprised members of family Anaerolineacea and genera Acinetobacter, Bacillus, Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus and Rothia, despite marked differences in tailings physicochemical properties.

Two plant-hosted whole-cell bacterial biosensors for detection of bioavailable Cr(VI).

Metal whole-cell biosensors (WCBs) have been reported as very useful tools to detect and quantify the presence of bioavailable fractions of certain metals in water and soil samples. In the current work, two bacterial WCBs able to report Cr(VI) presence and plants growing on Cr(VI)-enriched soil/medium were used to assess the potential transfer of this metal to organisms of higher trophic levels, and the risk of transfer to the food chain. To do it, the functionality of the WCBs within tissues of inoculated plants in contact with Cr(VI)-contaminated soil and water was studied in vitro and in a controlled greenhouse environment.

Increasing the Antimicrobial Activity of Amphiphilic Cationic Copolymers by the Facile Synthesis of High Molecular Weight Stars by Supplemental Activator and Reducing Agent Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization.

Infections caused by bacteria represent a great motif of concern in the health area. Therefore, there is a huge demand for more efficient antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial polymers have attracted special attention as promising materials to prevent infectious diseases.

Impact of plant-associated bacteria biosensors on plant growth in the presence of hexavalent chromium.

Cr(VI) is a highly toxic metal produced by anthropogenic activity which may impact the environment, affecting plants and animals. In plants, chromium both as Cr(III) or Cr(VI) can be absorbed by roots, is poorly translocated and affects negatively plant growth. Plants used in phytoremediation need to cope with chromium toxicity.