Assessment of Chitosan/Gelatin Blend Enriched with Natural Antioxidants for Antioxidant Packaging of Fish Oil.

In this research, bio-based films were developed using polyelectrolyte complexes derived from chitosan and gelatin for packaging fish oil. To further enhance the antioxidant functionality, the films were enriched with gallic acid and orange essential oils, either individually or in combination. Initially, the films were characterized for their physico-chemical, optical, surface, and barrier properties.

Regioselective Rearrangement of Nitrogen- and Carbon-Centered Radical Intermediates in the Hofmann-Löffler-Freytag Reaction.

The Hofmann-Löffler-Freytag (HLF) reaction serves as a late-stage functionalization technique for generating pyrrolidine heterocyclic ring systems. Contemporary HLF protocols utilize in situ halogenated sulfonamides as precursors in the radical-mediated rearrangement cycle. Despite its well-established reaction mechanism, experiments toward the detection of radical intermediates using EPR techniques have only recently been attempted.

The interplay of mitophagy, autophagy, and apoptosis in cisplatin-induced kidney injury: involvement of ERK signaling pathway.

AKI induced by CP chemotherapy remains an obstacle during patient treatments. Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK), key participants in CP-induced nephrotoxicity, are suggested to be involved in the regulation of mitophagy, autophagy, and apoptosis. Human renal proximal tubular cells (HK-2) and BALB/cN mice were used to determine the role of ERK in CP-induced AKI.

Magnetic field directed assembly of magnetic non-spherical microparticles.

This study reports on the fabrication and assembly of anisotropic microparticles as versatile building blocks for directed magnetic assemblies. Although spherical microparticles have received extensive attention, the assembly of non-spherical magnetic microparticles remains underexplored. Herein, we present a fabrication approach that utilizes photolithography and soft lithography to create prism-shaped magnetic microparticles.

Unidirectional Nano-modulated Binding and Electron Scattering in Epitaxial Borophene.

A complex interplay between the crystal structure and the electron behavior within borophene renders this material an intriguing 2D system, with many of its electronic properties still undiscovered. Experimental insight into those properties is additionally hampered by the limited capabilities of the established synthesis methods, which, in turn, inhibits the realization of potential borophene applications. In this multimethod study, photoemission spectroscopies and scanning probe techniques complemented by theoretical calculations have been used to investigate the electronic characteristics of a high-coverage, single-layer borophene on the Ir(111) substrate.

Study of zeolite clinoptilolite d-glucose adsorption properties in vitro and in vivo.

Beneficial effects of a natural zeolite clinoptilolite in vivo on mammals, including humans, have been empirically observed and documented in literature. The positive biological activities have been associated to its detoxifying and antioxidative properties, and its immunostimulative and adsorption properties. Herein, we present the in vitro and in vivo study of clinoptilolite zeolite materials adsorption properties for d-glucose.

Effect of use of antiseptics and fluorides during orthodontic treatment on working properties of NiTi archwires in levelling dental arches : A randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The goal was to investigate whether the application of antiseptics and fluorides during orthodontic treatment affects the biomechanics of the levelling of dental arches by changing the working properties of nickel-titanium (NiTi) archwires.

Methods: The sample consisted of 60 individuals aged 12-22 years (53% females). There were 20 individuals in each experimental group: (I) individuals conducted regular oral hygiene, (II) individuals used a high concentration of fluorides for intensive prophylaxis for the first month; and (III) individuals used chlorhexidine in the same manner.

Cytotoxicity of Metal Ions Released from NiTi and Stainless Steel Orthodontic Appliances, Part 1: Surface Morphology and Ion Release Variations.

Despite numerous studies on ion release from orthodontic appliances, no clear conclusions can be drawn due to complex interrelations of multiple factors. Therefore, as the first part of a comprehensive investigation of cytotoxicity of eluted ions, the objective of this study was to analyze four parts of a fixed orthodontic appliance. Specifically, NiTi archwires and stainless steel (SS) brackets, bands, and ligatures were immersed in artificial saliva and studied for morphological and chemical changes after 3-, 7-, and 14-day immersion, using the SEM/EDX technique.

Analysis of Influencing Parameters Enhancing the Plucking Efficiency of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters.

The integration of energy harvesting systems into sensing technologies can result in novel autonomous sensor nodes, characterized by significant simplification and mass reduction. The use of piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs), particularly in cantilever form, is considered as one of the most promising approaches aimed at collecting ubiquitous low-level kinetic energy. Due to the random nature of most excitation environments, the narrow PEH operating frequency bandwidth implies, however, the need to introduce frequency up-conversion mechanisms, able to convert random excitation into the oscillation of the cantilever at its eigenfrequency.

Phase Behavior of NR/PMMA Semi-IPNs and Development of Porous Structures.

In this research, the porous polymer structures (IPN) were made from natural isoprene rubber (NR) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The effects of molecular weight and crosslink density of polyisoprene on the morphology and miscibility with PMMA were determined. Sequential semi-IPNs were prepared.

Sensors Special Issue: "Vibration Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors".

Mechanical vibrations occur in the operation of most technical systems [...

Unveiling the Native Morphology of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Cerebrospinal Fluid by Atomic Force and Cryogenic Electron Microscopy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous structures in biofluids with enormous diagnostic/prognostic potential for application in liquid biopsies. Any such downstream application requires a detailed characterization of EV concentration, size and morphology. This study aimed to observe the native morphology of EVs in human cerebrospinal fluid after traumatic brain injury.

Entropy-Driven Self-Healing of Metal Oxides Assisted by Polymer-Inorganic Hybrid Materials.

Enabling self-healing of materials is crucially important for saving resources and energy in numerous emerging applications. While strategies for the self-healing of polymers are advanced, mechanisms for semiconducting inorganic materials are scarce due to the lack of suitable healing agents. Here a concept for the self-healing of metal oxides is developed.

Disinfecting Action of Gaseous Ozone on OXA-48-Producing Biofilm In Vitro.

is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen that can contaminate hospital surfaces in the form of a biofilm which is hard to remove with standard disinfectants. Because of biofilm resistance to conservative disinfectants, the application of new disinfection technologies is becoming more frequent. Ozone gas has antimicrobial activity but there is lack of data on its action against biofilm.

Ion Release and Surface Changes of Nickel-Titanium Archwires Induced by Changes in the pH Value of the Saliva-Significance for Human Health Risk Assessment.

The aim of this study was to explore whether changes in the salivary pH influence mechanical properties, surface roughness, and ion release from NiTi archwires with various surface coatings, and discuss the clinical significance of the findings. The uncoated, rhodium-coated, and nitrified NiTi wires were immersed into artificial saliva of different pH values (4.8, 5.

Adhesion of Oral Bacteria to Commercial d-PTFE Membranes: Polymer Microstructure Makes a Difference.

Bacterial contamination of the membranes used during guided bone regeneration directly influences the outcome of this procedure. In this study, we analyzed the early stages of bacterial adhesion on two commercial dense polytetrafluoroethylene (d-PTFE) membranes in order to identify microstructural features that led to different adhesion strengths. The microstructure was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR).

Raman study of water deposited in solid argon matrix.

New Raman data are presented concerning HO and DO water aggregation in argon matrix having the ratio of number of argon atoms to water molecules close to 40:1. Experiments were conducted at temperatures from 8 K to 34 K allowing observation of OH and OD stretching vibrations of water monomers, dimers, trimers and higher multimers, as well as broad bands corresponding to solid amorphous water. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed for thirteen or sometimes fourteen water molecules dispersed among 500 argon atoms.

Experimental Characterization of Optimized Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters for Wearable Sensor Networks.

The development of wearable devices and remote sensor networks progressively relies on their increased power autonomy, which can be further expanded by replacing conventional power sources, characterized by limited lifetimes, with energy harvesting systems. Due to its pervasiveness, kinetic energy is considered as one of the most promising energy forms, especially when combined with the simple and scalable piezoelectric approach. The integration of piezoelectric energy harvesters, generally in the form of bimorph cantilevers, with wearable and remote sensors, highlighted a drawback of such a configuration, i.

Cyclic Plasticity and Low Cycle Fatigue of an AISI 316L Stainless Steel: Experimental Evaluation of Material Parameters for Durability Design.

AISI 316L stainless steels are widely employed in applications where durability is crucial. For this reason, an accurate prediction of its behaviour is of paramount importance. In this work, the spotlight is on the cyclic response and low-cycle fatigue performance of this material, at room temperature.

Perspectives of Microscopy Methods for Morphology Characterisation of Extracellular Vesicles from Human Biofluids.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanometric membranous structures secreted from almost every cell and present in biofluids. Because EV composition reflects the state of its parental tissue, EVs possess an enormous diagnostic/prognostic potential to reveal pathophysiological conditions. However, a prerequisite for such usage of EVs is their detailed characterisation, including visualisation which is mainly achieved by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (EM).

Structural Behavior and Spin-State Features of BaAlO Scaled through Tuned Co Doping.

Pure and Co-doped BaAlO [Ba(AlCo)O, = 0, 0.0077, 0.0379] powder samples were prepared by a facile hydrothermal route.

Characterization of Food Packaging Films with Blackcurrant Fruit Waste as a Source of Antioxidant and Color Sensing Intelligent Material.

Chitosan and pectin films were enriched with blackcurrant pomace powder (10 and 20% (/)), as bio-based material, to minimize food production losses and to increase the functional properties of produced films aimed at food coatings and wrappers. Water vapor permeability of active films increased up to 25%, moisture content for 27% in pectin-based ones, but water solubility was not significantly modified. Mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break and Young's modulus) were mainly decreased due to the residual insoluble particles present in blackcurrant waste.

Energy Harvesting Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Airplane Components-A Review.

With the aim of increasing the efficiency of maintenance and fuel usage in airplanes, structural health monitoring (SHM) of critical composite structures is increasingly expected and required. The optimized usage of this concept is subject of intensive work in the framework of the EU COST Action CA18203 "Optimising Design for Inspection" (ODIN). In this context, a thorough review of a broad range of energy harvesting (EH) technologies to be potentially used as power sources for the acoustic emission and guided wave propagation sensors of the considered SHM systems, as well as for the respective data elaboration and wireless communication modules, is provided in this work.

Molecular layer deposition of hybrid siloxane thin films by ring opening of cyclic trisiloxane (VD) and azasilane.

In this work, we report the first ring opening vapor to solid polymerization of cyclotrisiloxane and N-methyl-aza-2,2,4-trimethylsilacyclopentane by molecular layer deposition (MLD). This process was studied in situ with a quartz crystal microbalance and the thin film was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.