MXenes, synthesized from their precursor MAX phases, have been extensively researched as additives to enhance the drug delivery performance of polymer matrices, whereas there is a limited number of previous reports on the use of MAX phases themselves for such applications. The use of MAX phases can exclude the complicated synthesis procedure and lessen resultant production and environmental costs required to convert MAX phases to MXenes. Herein, electrospun membranes of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and a MAX phase (TiAlC) have been fabricated for curcumin delivery. The composite membrane exhibits significantly higher toughness (8.82 MJ m) than the plasticized PLA membrane (0.63 MJ m) with low cytotoxicity, supporting proliferation of mouse fibroblast L929 cells. The curcumin-loaded composite membrane exhibits high water vapor transmission (∼7350 g m day), porosity (∼85 %), water wettability, and antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus. Seven-day curcumin release is enhanced from 45 % (PLA) to 67 % (composite) due to curcumin diffusion from the polymer fibers and MAX phase surface that contributes to overall increased curcumin adsorption and release sites. This work demonstrates the potential of the MAX phase to enhance both properties and curcumin delivery, promising for other eco-friendly systems for sustainable drug delivery applications.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129967 | DOI Listing |
Mol Plant
January 2025
Leibniz Institut für Gemüse und Zierpflanzenbau (IGZ) e.V., Großbeeren, Germany; Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. Electronic address:
Plants are able to sense and remember heat stress. An initial priming heat stress enables plants to acclimate so that they are able to survive a subsequent higher temperature. The heatshock transcription factors (HSFs) play a crucial role in this process, but the mechanisms by which plants sense heat stress are not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlobal Spine J
January 2025
Department of Spinal Surgery, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.
Study Design: Retrospective Cohort Study.
Objectives: The current recommended treatment for Giant Cell Tumour (GCT) of the spine is en bloc excision. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody reducing osteoclast activity that shows promising results when used as a neo - adjuvant treatment.
Science
January 2025
Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Axions, hypothetical elementary particles that remain undetectable in nature, can arise as quasiparticles in three-dimensional crystals known as axion insulators. Previous implementations of axion insulators have largely been limited to two-dimensional systems, leaving their topological properties in three dimensions unexplored in experiment. Here, we realize an axion insulator in a three-dimensional photonic crystal and probe its topological properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Phys Chem A
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, D-81377 Munich, Germany.
Recently, we investigated a number of so-called σ- and τ-functionals based on the adiabatic-connection fluctuation-dissipation theorem (ACFDT); particularly, extensions of the random phase approximation (RPA) with inclusion of an exchange kernel in the form of an antisymmetrized Hartree kernel. One of these functionals, based upon the approximate exchange kernel (AXK) of Bates and Furche, leads to a nonlinear contribution of the spline function used within σ-functionals, which we previously avoided through the introduction of a simplified "top-down" approach in which the σ-functional modification is inserted a posteriori following the analytic coupling strength integration within the framework of the ACFDT and which was shown to provide excellent performance for the GMTKN55 database when using hybrid PBE0 reference orbitals. In this work, we examine the analytic "bottom-up" approach in which the spline function is inserted a priori, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by cognitive decline, memory loss, and impaired daily functioning. As the global population ages, the prevalence of AD continues to rise, emphasising the urgent need for effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. Carotenoids, a group of naturally occurring pigments with antioxidant properties, have gained attention for their potential neuroprotective effects.
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