Fibrocyte: A missing piece in the pathogenesis of fibrous epulis.

Objectives: To explore the role of fibrocytes in the recurrence and calcification of fibrous epulides.

Methods: Different subtypes of fibrous epulides and normal gingival tissue specimens were first collected for histological and immunofluorescence analyses to see if fibrocytes were present and whether they differentiated into myofibroblasts and osteoblasts upon stimulated by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Electron microscopy and elemental analysis were used to characterize the extracellular microenvironment in different subtypes of fibrous epulides.

Spongin as a Unique 3D Template for the Development of Functional Iron-Based Composites Using Biomimetic Approach In Vitro.

Marine sponges of the subclass Keratosa originated on our planet about 900 million years ago and represent evolutionarily ancient and hierarchically structured biological materials. One of them, proteinaceous spongin, is responsible for the formation of 3D structured fibrous skeletons and remains enigmatic with complex chemistry. The objective of this study was to investigate the interaction of spongin with iron ions in a marine environment due to biocorrosion, leading to the occurrence of lepidocrocite.

The immunomodulatory effects of RNA-based biomaterials on bone regeneration.

The use of RNA as therapeutic agents is a visionary idea in contemporary medicine. Some forms of RNA can modulate the immune response of the host to enhance tissue regeneration events such as osteogenesis. Herein, RNA molecules commercially available for immunomodulatory applications (imRNA) were used to prepare biomaterials for bone regeneration.

Applicability of a Green Nanocomposite Consisted of Spongin Decorated CuWO(OH) and AgNPs as a High-Performance Aptasensing Platform in Detection.

This study reports the synthesis of a nanocomposite consisting of spongin and its applicability in the development of an aptasensing platform with high performance. The spongin was carefully extracted from a marine sponge and decorated with copper tungsten oxide hydroxide. The resulting spongin-copper tungsten oxide hydroxide was functionalized by silver nanoparticles and utilized in electrochemical aptasensor fabrication.

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon quantum dots fluorescence quenching assay for detection of mercury (II).

Mercury is a highly toxic and potentially bioaccumulative heavy metal ion that can cause severe health problems in humans even at very low concentrations. Thus, the development of a simple, rapid, and sensitive assay for the effective detection of mercury ions at trace levels is of great importance. Here, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon quantum dots (N,S-CQD) were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal treatment of chitosan in the presence of thiourea and citric acid with a quantum yield (QY) up to 33.

Biomarkers and Corresponding Biosensors for Childhood Cancer Diagnostics.

Although tremendous progress has been made in treating childhood cancer, it is still one of the leading causes of death in children worldwide. Because cancer symptoms overlap with those of other diseases, it is difficult to predict a tumor early enough, which causes cancers in children to be more aggressive and progress more rapidly than in adults. Therefore, early and accurate detection methods are urgently needed to effectively treat children with cancer therapy.

Nano-architecture of MOF (ZIF-67)-based CoO NPs@N-doped porous carbon polyhedral nanocomposites for oxidative degradation of antibiotic sulfamethoxazole from wastewater.

CoO NPs in N-doped porous carbon (CoO NPs@N-PC) materials were prepared by one-pot pyrolysis of a ZIF-67 powder under N atmosphere and followed by oxidation under air atmosphere (200 °C) toward promotion catalytic activity and activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to degradation sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). 2-methylimidazole was used as a nitrogen source and a competitive ligand for the synthesis of CoO NPs@N-PC, which in addition to affecting nucleation and growth of the crystal, promotes the production of active Co-N sites. CoO NPs@N-PC nano-architecture has high specific surface areas (250 m g) and is a non-toxic, effective and stable PMS activator.

Utility of Biogenic Iron and Its Bimetallic Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications: A Review.

Nanotechnology mainly deals with the production and application of compounds with dimensions in nanoscale. Given their dimensions, these materials have considerable surface/volume ratios, and hence, specific characteristics. Nowadays, environmentally friendly procedures are being proposed for fabrication of Fe nanoparticles because a large amount of poisonous chemicals and unfavorable conditions are needed to prepare them.

Nano-architectural design of TiO for high performance photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant: A review.

In the past several decades, significant efforts have been paid toward photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in environmental research. During the past years, titanium dioxide nano-architectures (TiO NAs) have been widely used in water purification applications with photocatalytic degradation processes under Uv/Vis light illumination. Photocatalysis process with nano-architectural design of TiO is viewed as an efficient procedure for directly channeling solar energy into water treatment reactions.

Growing of Artificial Lignin on Cellulose Ferulate Thin Films.

Thin films of cellulose ferulate were designed to study the formation of dehydrogenation polymers (DHPs) on anchor groups of the surface. Trimethylsilyl (TMS) cellulose ferulate with degree of substitution values of 0.35 (ferulate) and 2.

Biocatalytic System Made of 3D Chitin, Silica Nanopowder and Horseradish Peroxidase for the Removal of 17α-Ethinylestradiol: Determination of Process Efficiency and Degradation Mechanism.

The occurrence of 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) in the environment and its removal have drawn special attention from the scientific community in recent years, due to its hazardous effects on human and wildlife around the world. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce an efficient enzymatic system for the removal of EE2 from aqueous solutions. For the first time, commercial silica nanopowder and 3D fibrous chitinous scaffolds from marine sponge were used as supports for horseradish peroxidase (HRP) immobilization.

Arrested in Glass: Actin within Sophisticated Architectures of Biosilica in Sponges.

Actin is a fundamental member of an ancient superfamily of structural intracellular proteins and plays a crucial role in cytoskeleton dynamics, ciliogenesis, phagocytosis, and force generation in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It is shown that actin has another function in metazoans: patterning biosilica deposition, a role that has spanned over 500 million years. Species of glass sponges (Hexactinellida) and demosponges (Demospongiae), representatives of the first metazoans, with a broad diversity of skeletal structures with hierarchical architecture unchanged since the late Precambrian, are studied.

Extracellular DNA: A Missing Link in the Pathogenesis of Ectopic Mineralization.

Although deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic coding for the very essence of life, these macromolecules or components thereof are not necessarily lost after a cell dies. There appears to be a link between extracellular DNA and biomineralization. Here the authors demonstrate that extracellular DNA functions as an initiator of collagen intrafibrillar mineralization.

Product Integration of Established Crash Sensors for Safety Applications in Lightweight Vehicles.

The functionality of products increases when more sensors are used. This trend also affects future automobiles and becomes even more relevant in connected and autonomous applications. Concerning automotive lightweight design, carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP) are suitable materials.

Insights into the structure and morphogenesis of the giant basal spicule of the glass sponge Monorhaphis chuni.

Background: A basal spicule of the hexactinellid sponge Monorhaphis chuni may reach up to 3 m in length and 10 mm in diameter, an extreme case of large spicule size. Generally, sponge spicules are of scales from micrometers to centimeters. Due to its large size many researchers have described its structure and properties and have proposed it as a model of hexactinellid spicule development.

Potential Biomedical Applications of Collagen Filaments derived from the Marine Demosponges (Schmidt, 1864) and (Schmidt, 1862).

Collagen filaments derived from the two marine demosponges and were for the first time isolated, biochemically characterised and tested for their potential use in regenerative medicine. SDS-PAGE of isolated filaments revealed a main collagen subunit band of 130 kDa in both of the samples under study. DSC analysis on 2D membranes produced with collagenous sponge filaments showed higher thermal stability than commercial mammalian-derived collagen membranes.

Application of polysaccharide biopolymers as natural adsorbent in sample preparation.

Preparing samples for analyses is perhaps the most important part to analyses. The varied functional groups present on the surface of biopolymers bestow them appropriate adsorption properties. Properties like biocompatibility, biodegradability, presence of different surface functional group, high porosity, considerable absorption capacity for water, the potential for modification, etc.

Non-Coding RNA-Based Biosensors for Early Detection of Liver Cancer.

Primary liver cancer is an aggressive, lethal malignancy that ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Its 5-year mortality rate is estimated to be more than 95%. This significant low survival rate is due to poor diagnosis, which can be referred to as the lack of sufficient and early-stage detection methods.

The Anti-Viral Applications of Marine Resources for COVID-19 Treatment: An Overview.

The ongoing pandemic has led to an urgent need for novel drug discovery and potential therapeutics for Sars-CoV-2 infected patients. Although Remdesivir and the anti-inflammatory agent dexamethasone are currently on the market for treatment, Remdesivir lacks full efficacy and thus, more drugs are needed. This review was conducted through literature search of PubMed, MDPI, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Forced Biomineralization: A Review.

Biologically induced and controlled mineralization of metals promotes the development of protective structures to shield cells from thermal, chemical, and ultraviolet stresses. Metal biomineralization is widely considered to have been relevant for the survival of life in the environmental conditions of ancient terrestrial oceans. Similar behavior is seen among extremophilic biomineralizers today, which have evolved to inhabit a variety of industrial aqueous environments with elevated metal concentrations.

Structure-Function Relationships of Nanocarbon/Polymer Composites for Chemiresistive Sensing: A Review.

Composites of organic compounds and inorganic nanomaterials provide novel sensing platforms for high-performance sensor applications. The combination of the attractive functionalities of nanomaterials with polymers as an organic matrix offers promising materials with tunable electrical, mechanical, and chemisensitive properties. This review mainly focuses on nanocarbon/polymer composites as chemiresistors.

Molecularly Imprinted Polymer-Based Sensors for Priority Pollutants.

Globally, there is growing concern about the health risks of water and air pollution. The U.S.