Development of a Sustainable Flexible Humidity Sensor Based on Larvae Biomass-Derived Chitosan.

This study presents the fabrication of a sustainable flexible humidity sensor utilizing chitosan derived from mealworm biomass as the primary sensing material. The chitosan-based humidity sensor was fabricated by casting chitosan and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films with interdigitated copper electrodes, forming a laminate composite suitable for real-time, resistive-type humidity detection. Comprehensive characterization of the chitosan film was performed using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, and tensile testing, which confirmed its chemical structure, wettability, and mechanical stability.

Enhancing indigenous plant growth in metal(loid) contaminated soil using biochar.

Soil around mines contaminated with metal(loid) is not suitable for growing plants and it is necessary to select indigenous plants with tolerance for metal(loid) and ameliorate metal toxicity in soil using soil amendments. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to improve the soil environment to make it suitable for plant growth by treating chicken manure derived-biochar in soil contaminated with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Biochar application increased soil pH and significantly reduced bioavailable As, Cd and Pb, thereby lowering toxicity in plants.

Lab-on-paper for molecular testing with USB-powered isothermal amplification and fluidic control.

The global healthcare market increasingly demands affordable molecular diagnostics for field testing. To address this need, we introduce a lab-on-paper (LOP) platform that integrates isothermal amplification with a specially designed paper strip for molecular testing through an automated microfluidics process. The LOP system is engineered for rapid, cost-effective, and highly sensitive detection, using USB-powered thermal management and a wax valve mechanism.

The Impact of Temperature and Pressure on the Structural Stability of Solvated Solid-State Conformations of Silk Fibroins: Insights from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

silk fibroin is a promising biopolymer with notable mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and potential for diverse biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering scaffolds, and drug delivery. These properties are intrinsically linked to the structural characteristics of silk fibroin, making it essential to understand its molecular stability under varying environmental conditions. This study employed molecular dynamics simulations to examine the structural stability of silk I and silk II conformations of silk fibroin under changes in temperature (298 K to 378 K) and pressure (0.

Superior P-Type Switching in InSe Nanosheets for Complementary Multifunctional Systems.

van der Waals (vdW) indium selenide (InSe) is receiving attention for its exceptional electron mobility and moderate band gap, enabling various applications. However, the intrinsic -type behavior of InSe has restricted its use predominantly to -type devices, constraining its application in complementary integrated microsystems. Here, we show superior ambipolar InSe transistors with vdW bottom contacts, achieving impressive -type on/off current ratios greater than 10 and Schottky barrier heights approaching the ideal Schottky-Mott limit.