Sustainable leather alternatives: High-performance and dyeable bio-based materials from fungal chitin and tannic acid.

Leather alternatives (LAs) offer a promising solution to address the environmental and ethical concerns associated with traditional leather production relying animal hides and chemical tanning agents. However, synthetic polymer-based LAs, such as polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride, have limited broader applications due to their complex manufacture process, high emission of volatile organic compounds, and poor biodegradability. Herein, we present the development of biomass-based LAs fabricated by combining two low-cost natural components - fungal chitin and plant polyphenols (i.

Evaluating the effects of inorganic UV filter titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nano-TiO) on early life stages of scleractinian coral Acropora tumida.

The extensive use of sunscreen products has led to an increase in the amount of UV filters being detected in marine ecosystems. While the hazards associated with organic UV filters are relatively well-studied, the effects of inorganic UV filters like nano‑titanium dioxide (nano-TiO) on corals remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of nano-TiO UV filters on the fertilization success, embryonic development, and larval survival of the branching coral species Acropora tumida.

Assessing polyomic risk to predict Alzheimer's disease using a machine learning model.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Given that AD neuropathology begins decades before symptoms, there is a dire need for effective screening tools for early detection of AD to facilitate early intervention.

Methods: Here, we used tree-based and deep learning methods to train polyomic prediction models for AD affection status and age at onset, employing genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and drug use data from UK Biobank.

Assembly and jamming of polar additive-swollen microgels at liquid-liquid interfaces: From inverse Pickering emulsions to functional materials.

Hypothesis: Poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM)-based microgels have garnered significant interest as effective soft particulate stabilizers because of their deformability and functionality. However, the inherent hydrophilic nature of microgel restricts their potential use in stabilizing water-in-oil (W/O) Pickering emulsions. Employing diverse polar additives can improve the hydrophobicity of microgels, thus unlocking new possibilities in inverse Pickering emulsion formation and materials fabrication.

Photo-responsive Pickering emulsions triggered by in-situ pH modulation using a photoacid generator.

Hypothesis: Pickering emulsions that respond to changes in pH by the addition of acid or alkali have been extensively studied, but the development of photo-responsive Pickering emulsions has been more challenging. This study attempts to demonstrate a novel approach to achieve photo-responsiveness in Pickering emulsions by incorporating a photoacid generator (PAG) into the oil phase. Upon UV irradiation, the PAG is expected to release protons (H), which can then regulate the pH of the emulsion system and control its stability.