Advances in Cellulose-Based Hydrogels: Current Trends and Challenges.

This paper provides a solid foundation for understanding the synthesis, properties, and applications of cellulose-based gels. It effectively showcases the potential of these gels in diverse applications, particularly in biomedicine, and highlights key synthesis methods and properties. However, to push the field forward, future research should address the gaps in understanding the environmental impact, mechanical stability, and scalability of cellulose-based gels, while also considering how to overcome barriers to their industrial use.

Analytical Design and Polyphase Implementation Technique for 2D Digital FIR Differentiators.

In this work, an analytical method in the frequency domain is proposed for the design of two-dimensional digital FIR differentiators. This technique uses an approximation based on two methods: the Chebyshev series and the Fourier series, which, finally, lead to a trigonometric polynomial, which is a remarkably precise approximation of the transfer function of the ideal differentiator. The digital differentiator is applied to three test images, one greyscale image and two binary images, and simulation results show its performance in the processing task.

Characterizing Managerial Decision Making in Public Hospitals: A Case Study from Romania.

Background/objectives: Our study investigates the primary characteristics of managerial decision-making processes in the public hospital units in Romania, particularly in the Northeast region. This research aims to delineate the decision-making model applied by managers in these units, considering the multitude of legislative, economic, technical, ethical, and organizational changes prompted by the pandemic.

Methods: A mixed-method research approach was utilized, combining semi-structured interviews and autoethnography, to capture experiences, attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and ethical considerations of decision-makers within the healthcare system.

Influence of Lignin Type on the Properties of Hemp Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Composites.

Increasing environmental awareness has boosted interest in sustainable alternatives for binding natural reinforcing fibers in composites. Utilizing lignin, a biorenewable polymer byproduct from several industries, as a component in polymer matrices can lead to the development of more eco-friendly and high-performance composite materials. This research work aimed to investigate the effect of two types of lignin (lignosulfonate and soda lignin) on the properties of hemp fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites for furniture applications.

Prediction of the Specific Energy of Supercapacitors with Polymeric Materials Using Advanced Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Supercapacitor/pseudocapacitor structures with electrodes and electrolytes based on conductive polymers, but not only, have been analyzed using techniques. Results indicated in the literature were used to confirm the results obtained for the specific capacitance and energetic performances of the systems. New material classes like Polymer-MXene electrodes ((PANI)/TiC, PFDs/TiCT) present increased capacitance in comparison with simple polymeric composites (PETC or PTh).

Prognostic and Predictive Determinants of Colorectal Cancer: A Comprehensive Review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health burden, necessitating a thorough understanding of prognostic and predictive factors to enhance patient outcomes. This systematic review aims to comprehensively evaluate prognostic and predictive determinants in CRC, encompassing both traditional and emerging biomarkers. A systematic search of major electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant studies published from 1995 up to 2024.

Vitamin D Deficiency: Insights and Perspectives from a Five-Year Retrospective Analysis of Children from Northeastern Romania.

Background: Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining bone health with numerous benefits for extraskeletal health as well.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in children (0-18 years old) in a tertiary hospital in Romania between August 2019 and January 2024 and to investigate the role of adequate supplementation in this vulnerable population.

Methods: The serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using a chemiluminescence binding assay.

Developing and Characterizing a Biocompatible Hydrogel Obtained by Cross-Linking Gelatin with Oxidized Sodium Alginate for Potential Biomedical Applications.

The main goal of this research was to create biocompatible hydrogels using gelatin and a double cross-linking technique involving both covalent and ionic bonds to immobilize propolis. The covalent bonds were formed through Schiff base cross-links between protein-free amino groups (NH) from the lysine residue and aldehyde groups (CHO) produced by oxidizing sodium alginate with NaIO, while the ionic bonds were achieved using Mg ions. Hydrogel films were obtained by varying the molar ratios of -CHO/-NH under different pH conditions (3.

A New Paradigm in AC Drive Control: Data-Driven Control by Learning Through the High-Efficiency Data Set-Generalizations and Applications to a PMSM Drive Control System.

This paper presents a new means to control the processes involving energy conversion. Electric machines fed by electronic converters provide a useful power defined by the inner product of two generalized energetic variables: effort and flow. The novelty in this paper is controlling the desired energetic variables by a Data-Driven Control (DDC) law, which comprises the effort and flow and the corresponding process control.

Assessing the Effectiveness of A-PRF+ for Treating Periodontal Defects: A Prospective Interventional Pilot Study Involving Smokers.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF+) tissue regeneration therapy on clinical periodontal parameters in non-smokers and smoker patients. The anticipated biological mechanisms of A-PRF+ include stimulating angiogenesis, thereby promoting the formation of new blood vessels, which is essential for tissue healing. Additionally, A-PRF+ harnesses the regenerative properties of platelet-rich fibrin, contributing to the repair and regeneration of periodontal tissues.

Morphological Evidence for a Unique Neuromuscular Functional Unit of the Human Vocalis Muscle.

Human vocalization is a complex process that is still only partially understood. Previous studies have suggested the possibility of a localized neuromuscular network of the larynx. Here we investigate this structure in human dissection specimens using multiple immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

A Natural Carbon Encapsulated in Gellan-Based Hydrogel Particles Designed for Environmental Challenges.

This article reports the obtention of a new gellan-based hydrogel linked with Fe and loaded with a natural micro/nanostructured carbon designed as a contaminant's removal from wastewater. Hydrogels are known for their water-retaining properties, high binding capacity, and eco-friendly features. The new material is expected to behave as one cost-effective and efficient sorbent, including natural carbon structures with various functional groups.

Decellularized Macroalgae as Complex Hydrophilic Structures for Skin Tissue Engineering and Drug Delivery.

Due to their indisputable biocompatibility and abundant source, biopolymers are widely used to prepare hydrogels for skin tissue engineering. Among them, cellulose is a great option for this challenging application due to its increased water retention capacity, mechanical strength, versatility and unlimited availability. Since algae are an unexploited source of cellulose, the novelty of this study is the decellularization of two different species, freshly collected from the Black Sea coast, using two different chemical surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulphate and Triton X-100), and characterisation of the resulted complex biopolymeric 3D matrices.

A New Method for Compression Testing of Reinforced Polymers.

Compressive testing of specimens taken from relatively thin composite plates is difficult, especially due to the occurrence of buckling. To prevent buckling, the central portion of the specimens used for the compression test has smaller dimensions, and the specimens can be guided along their entire length. For these reasons, optical methods, such as digital image correlation (DIC), cannot be used for the compression test and strain rosettes cannot be glued onto the samples to determine Poisson's ratio.

Silica-Based Composite Sorbents for Heavy Metal Ions Removal from Aqueous Solutions.

Weak polyelectrolyte chains are versatile polymeric materials due to the large number of functional groups that can be used in different environmental applications. Herein, one weak polycation (polyethyleneimine, PEI) and two polyanions (poly(acrylic acid), PAA, and poly(sodium methacrylate), PMAA) were directly deposited through precipitation of an inter-polyelectrolyte coacervate onto the silica surface (IS), followed by glutaraldehyde (GA) crosslinking and extraction of polyanions chains. Four core-shell composites based on silica were synthesized and tested for adsorption of lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) as model pollutants in batch sorption experiments on the laboratory scale.

Surface Quality Evaluation of 3D-Printed Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced PETG Polymer During Turning: Experimental Analysis, ANN Modeling and Optimization.

This work presents an experimental analysis related to 3D-printed carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) machining. A polyethylene-terephthalate-glycol (PETG)-based composite, reinforced with 20% carbon fibers, was selected as the test material. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of cutting conditions used in light operations on the generated surface quality of the 3D-printed specimens.

Vascular Perspectives of the Midfacial Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System.

: Presently, data on the vascularization of the superficial musculoaponeurotic system of the face (SMAS) are lacking. Thus, the present study aimed to provide new conclusive data about the topography, density, and relationship of the SMAS blood vessels with other components, namely, the fibrous connective tissue and muscles. : The study included a control lot of 42 cases from the archive of the radiology department.

Circular causality analysis of corporate performance and accounting quality in M&As.

The past performance and the capital structure of the companies that are involved in mergers and acquisition (M&As) are considered into the analysis of the circular causality relationship between financial performance and market value. Considering two models, one for value relevance and one for accounting conservatism, this paper aims to analyze if the capital market influences the accounting practices of a target company or that the accounting figures influence the capital market. The analyzed sample used in the study is represented by the target companies involved in M&As which took place in the European Union Enlarged in 2017-2018.

Stabilization of Spruce Bark Extracts within Ice-Templated Porous Dextran Hydrogels.

Porous hydrogels have brought more advantages than conventional hydrogels when used as chromatographic materials, controlled release vehicles for drugs and proteins, matrices for immobilization or separation of molecules and cells, or as scaffolds in tissue engineering. Polysaccharide-based porous hydrogels, in particular, can address challenges related to bioavailability, solubility, stability, and targeted delivery of natural antioxidant compounds. Their porous structure enables the facile encapsulation and controlled release of these compounds, enhancing their therapeutic effectiveness.

Colloidal Characteristics of Poly(L-Lactic Acid)-b-Poly (ε-Caprolactone) Block Copolymer-Based Nanoparticles Obtained by an Emulsification/Evaporation Method.

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), two biodegradable and biocompatible polymers that are commonly used for biomedical applications, are, respectively, the result of the ring-opening polymerization of LA and ε-CL, cyclic esters, which can be produced according to several mechanisms (cationic, monomer-activated cationic, anionic, and coordination-insertion), except for L-lactide, which is polymerized only by anionic, cationic, or coordination-insertion polymerization. A series of well-defined PLLA-b-PCL block copolymers have been obtained starting from the same PLLA homopolymer, having a molar mass of 2500 g·mol, and being synthesized by coordination-insertion in the presence of tin octoate. PCL blocks were obtained via a cationic-activated monomer mechanism to limit transesterification reactions, and their molar masses varied from 1800 to 18,500 g·mol.

Local adaptation to climate facilitates a global invasion.

Local adaptation may facilitate range expansion during invasions, but the mechanisms promoting destructive invasions remain unclear. Cheatgrass (), native to Eurasia and Africa, has invaded globally, with particularly severe impacts in western North America. We sequenced 307 genotypes and conducted controlled experiments.

Comparative Performance of Autoencoders and Traditional Machine Learning Algorithms in Clinical Data Analysis for Predicting Post-Staged GKRS Tumor Dynamics.

Accurate prediction of tumor dynamics following Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is critical for optimizing treatment strategies for patients with brain metastases (BMs). Traditional machine learning (ML) algorithms have been widely used for this purpose; however, recent advancements in deep learning, such as autoencoders, offer the potential to enhance predictive accuracy. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of autoencoders compared to traditional ML models in predicting tumor progression or regression after GKRS.