Saved Queries

by Liangzong Huang, Liming Yan, Mengyi Zeng, Jianhui Yao, Jiaqi Hu, Weilin Zhong, Lewen Su, Guangzhi Yan, Shengnan Chen, Yuhan Huang and Mingjie Liu

Vet. Sci. 2025, 12(11), 1056; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12111056 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), a severe and highly contagious disease induced by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), impacts pigs across all age groups but has a particularly high lethality in neonatal piglets, with mortality rates reaching 80 to 100%, leading to substantial economic losses in the swine industry. In this investigation, 128 intestinal samples obtained from 65 large-scale pig farms in eight prefectures of Guangdong Province were screened by RT-qPCR between 2022 and 2024. Of these, 50 samples (39.06%) tested positive for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV). The complete S1 genes of 31 representative strains were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed G2c as the exclusive dominant lineage (29/31, 93.6%), with single representatives of G2a and G2d. Nucleotide identity among the local strains ranged from 88.9 to 100% and 88.1 to 93.5% to prototype CV777 and from 91.2 to 99.1% to vaccine strain AJ1102. The COE neutralizing epitope (aa 499–638) carried 26 substitutions versus AJ1102; T499I/S, A520S/L, F539L, K566N and F615L were most prevalent. The SS2 epitope was fully conserved, whereas SS6 showed three low-frequency changes (S766P, S769F, G770V). Six distinct N-glycosylation patterns were identified relative to AJ1102. The predominance of G2c, accompanied by marked epitope drift and altered glycosylation, indicates the need for further investigation into vaccine efficacy. Continuous surveillance and the careful evaluation of G2c-based vaccine candidates are warranted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Veterinary Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology)

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23 pages, 3022 KB

Open AccessArticle

Biocompatibility Issues of Wound Dressings

by Elga I. Alexander-Sinclair, Ekaterina S. Lapina, Nikita V. Edomenko, Denis V. Kostyakov, Evgeniy V. Zinoviev, Miralda I. Blinova and Natalia A. Mikhailova

Bioengineering 2025, 12(11), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12111196 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

This study examines the biocompatibility of 11 modern wound dressings (WDs)―Syspur-derm^®, Parapran^®, Lomatuell^®H, Voskopran^®, Metalline^®, Granuflex^®, Chitopran^®, HydroTac^®transparent, Branolind^®N, Aquacel^TM adhesive foam, Aquacel^TMAg⁺―developed for the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, and their potential use as secondary WD for the hydrogel-based bioengineered skin equivalent (BSE) “Equivalent Dermal, ED”. The study was conducted to better understand the properties of these WDs that influence the healing process. The biocompatibility of WDs was evaluated in vitro based on their effects on the viability of human dermal fibroblasts (DFs). The MTT assay, lifetime analysis of DFs’ morphological state, and analysis of their actin cytoskeletal organization using a WDs’ extracts showed that effects of WD on DFs varied among WDs. It has been revealed that WDs Parapran^®, Lomatuell^®H, Voskopran^®, Metalline^® and Chitopran^® have high biocompatibility and can be effectively used for wound treatment, whereas Granuflex^®, Syspyr-derm^®, HydroTac^® transparent, Branolind^®N, Aquacel^TM adhesive foam and Aquacel^TMAg⁺ have lower biocompatibility, so they could be used for wound therapy with caution. Only Parapran^® with chlorhexidine showed high biocompatibility with the BSE “The Dermal Equivalent, ED” and can be safely used in combination with it as a secondary WD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials)

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21 pages, 1041 KB

Open AccessArticle

Biochemical Effects of Natural and Nanoparticle Fish and Algal Oils in Gilt Pregnancy Diets on Base Excision Repair Enzymes in Newborn Piglets—Socioeconomic Implications for Regional Pig Farming—Preliminary Results

by Paweł Kowalczyk, Monika Sobol, Joanna Makulska, Andrzej Węglarz, Apoloniusz Kurylczyk, Mateusz Schabikowski and Grzegorz Skiba

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(21), 10676; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262110676 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Base excision repair (BER) is an important mechanism for maintaining genomic integrity and preventing DNA damage and mutations induced by oxidative stress. This study aimed to examine the relationship between oxidative stress and BER activity in newborn piglets by supplementing their mothers’ diets during pregnancy with long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from algal and fish oils, provided either in natural form or as nanoparticles. BER enzyme activity was assessed using a nicking assay, and their gene expression levels by RT-qPCR in the livers of pregnant gilts and their offspring. Preliminary results indicated that maternal supplementation with oils rich in long-chain n-3 PUFAs significantly reduced (by 32%) BER capacity in the livers of their offspring. A corresponding decrease in mRNA expression of BER genes (TDG, MPG, OGG1) was observed in piglets from gilts receiving fish and algal oil supplements. Maternal supplementation with long-chain n-3 PUFAs may protect foetuses and neonates against oxidative stress, reducing DNA damage and enhancing genomic stability, which could positively influence early postnatal growth. The observed reduction in BER enzyme activity in newborn piglets likely reflected improved DNA integrity, and natural oil forms appeared more effective than their nanoparticle formulations. Disparities in socioeconomic areas related to access to functional foods with health-promoting properties highlight the importance of targeted strategies that integrate local systems and promote nutritional equity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Progression of Genetics in Breeding of Farm Animals)

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29 pages, 2147 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of the Computational Complexity and Efficiency of Various Algorithms for Solving a Nonlinear Model of Radon Volumetric Activity with a Fractional Derivative of a Variable Order

by Dmitrii Tverdyi

Computation 2025, 13(11), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation13110252 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

The article presents a study of the computational complexity and efficiency of various parallel algorithms that implement the numerical solution of the equation in the hereditary

α (t)

-model of radon volumetric activity (RVA) in a storage chamber. As a test [...] Read more.

The article presents a study of the computational complexity and efficiency of various parallel algorithms that implement the numerical solution of the equation in the hereditary

α (t)

-model of radon volumetric activity (RVA) in a storage chamber. As a test example, a problem based on such a model is solved, which is a Cauchy problem for a nonlinear fractional differential equation with a Gerasimov–Caputo derivative of a variable order and variable coefficients. Such equations arise in problems of modeling anomalous RVA variations. Anomalous RVA can be considered one of the short-term precursors to earthquakes as an indicator of geological processes. However, the mechanisms of such anomalies are still poorly understood, and direct observations are impossible. This determines the importance of such mathematical modeling tasks and, therefore, of effective algorithms for their solution. This subsequently allows us to move on to inverse problems based on RVA data, where it is important to choose the most suitable algorithm for solving the direct problem in terms of computational resource costs. An analysis and an evaluation of various algorithms are based on data on the average time taken to solve a test problem in a series of computational experiments. To analyze effectiveness, the acceleration, efficiency, and cost of algorithms are determined, and the efficiency of CPU thread loading is evaluated. The results show that parallel algorithms demonstrate a significant increase in calculation speed compared to sequential analogs; hybrid parallel CPU–GPU algorithms provide a significant performance advantage when solving computationally complex problems, and it is possible to determine the optimal number of CPU threads for calculations. For sequential and parallel algorithms implementing numerical solutions, asymptotic complexity estimates are given, showing that, for most of the proposed algorithm implementations, the complexity tends to be

n^{2}

in terms of both computation time and memory consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Computational Engineering)

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24 pages, 5791 KB

Open AccessArticle

AI-Driven Prediction of Building Energy Performance and Thermal Resilience During Power Outages: A BIM-Simulation Machine Learning Workflow

by Mohammad H. Mehraban, Shayan Mirzabeigi, Setare Faraji, Sameeraa Soltanian-Zadeh and Samad M. E. Sepasgozar

Buildings 2025, 15(21), 3950; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15213950 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Power outages during extreme heat events threaten occupant safety by exposing buildings to rapid indoor overheating. However, current building thermal resilience assessments rely mainly on physics-based simulations or IoT sensor data, which are computationally expensive and slow to scale. This study develops an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven workflow that integrates Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based residential models, automated EnergyPlus simulations, and supervised Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to predict indoor thermal trajectories and calculate thermal resilience against power failure events in hot seasons. Four representative U.S. residential building typologies were simulated across fourteen ASHRAE climate zones to generate 16,856 scenarios over 45.8 h of runtime. The resulting dataset spans diverse climates and envelopes and enables systematic AI training for energy performance and resilience assessment. It included both time-series of indoor thermal conditions and static thermal resilience metrics such as Passive Survivability Index (PSI) and Weighted Unmet Thermal Performance (WUMTP). Trained on this dataset, ensemble boosting models, notably XGBoost, achieved near-perfect accuracy with an average R² of 0.9994 and nMAE of 1.10% across time-series (indoor temperature, humidity, and cooling energy) recorded every 3 min for a 5-day simulation period with 72 h of outage. It also showed strong performance for predicting static resilience metrics, including WUMTP (R² = 0.9521) and PSI (R² = 0.9375), and required only 1148 s for training. Feature importance analysis revealed that windows contribute 74.3% of the envelope-related influence on passive thermal response. This study demonstrates that the novelty lies not in the algorithm itself, but in applying the model to resilience context of power outages, to reduce computations from days to seconds. The proposed workflow serves as a scalable and accurate tool not only to support resilience planning, but also to guide retrofit prioritization and inform building codes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Transformation and Resilience in Construction Management: Technologies, Strategies, and Applications)

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21 pages, 64275 KB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization on Mode-I/II Interlaminar Strength and Fracture Toughness of Co-Cured Fiber–Metal Laminates

by Mingjie Wang, Hongyi Hao, Qinghao Liu, Xinyue Miao, Ziye Lai, Tianqi Yuan, Guohua Zhu and Zhen Wang

Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2937; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212937 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

This study systematically evaluates the mode-I (opening) and mode-II (shearing) interlaminar strength and fracture toughness of four co-cured fiber–metal laminates (FMLs): AL–CF (aluminum–carbon fiber fabric), AL–GF (aluminum–glass fiber fabric), AL–HC (aluminum–carbon/glass hybrid fabric), and AL–HG (aluminum–glass/carbon hybrid fabric). Epoxy adhesive films were interleaved between metal and composite plies to enhance interfacial bonding. Mode-I interlaminar tensile strength (ILTS) and mode-II interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) were measured using curved beam and short beam tests, respectively, while mode-I and mode-II fracture toughness (

G_{I c}

and

G_{I I c}

) were obtained from double cantilever beam (DCB) and end-notched flexure (ENF) tests. Across laminates, interlaminar tensile strength (ILTS) values lie in a narrow band of 31.6–31.8 MPa and interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) values in 41.0–41.9 MPa. The mode-I initiation (

G_{I c, i n i t}

) and propagation (

G_{I c, p r o p}

) toughnesses are 0.44–0.56 kJ/m² and 0.54–0.64 kJ/m², respectively, and the mode-II toughness (

G_{I I c}

) is 0.65–0.79 kJ/m². Scanning electron microscopy reveals that interlaminar failure localizes predominantly at the metal–adhesive interface, displaying river-line features under mode-I and hackle patterns under mode-II, whereas the adhesive–composite interface remains intact. Collectively, the results indicate that, under the present processing and test conditions, interlaminar strength and toughness are governed by the metal–adhesive interface rather than the composite reinforcement type, providing a consistent strength–toughness baseline for model calibration and interfacial design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Design, Manufacturing, Characterization, and Application)

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17 pages, 306 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Structural Study of Generalized

[m, C]

-Symmetric Extension Operators

by Sid Ould Ahmed Mahmoud, El Moctar Ould Beiba, Sid Ahmed Ould Beinane and Nura Alotaibi

Symmetry 2025, 17(11), 1836; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17111836 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

This manuscript introduces and investigates a new class of operators, termedn-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric operators, which generalize and extend the existing notions of

[m, C]

-symmetric and n-quasi-

[m, C]

-isometric [...] Read more.

This manuscript introduces and investigates a new class of operators, termedn-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric operators, which generalize and extend the existing notions of

[m, C]

-symmetric and n-quasi-

[m, C]

-isometric operators. Specifically, given a conjugation

C

on a Hilbert space, an operator

Q \in B (K)

is said to be n-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric if it satisfies the relation

Q^{* n} (\sum_{0 \leq j \leq m} {(- 1)}^{j} (\binom{m}{j}) C Q^{m - j} C Q^{j}) Q^{n} = 0

. Our study systematically explores the algebraic properties and structural characterization of n-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric operators through matrix representations, providing a deeper understanding of their internal structure. Moreover, we establish sufficient conditions under which the powers and products of such operators inherit the n-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric property. Additionally, we investigate the tensor products of n-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric operators. Finally, we identify conditions that distinguish n-quasi-

[m, C]

-symmetric operators from n-quasi-

[m - 1; C]

-symmetric operators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Mathematics)

16 pages, 2708 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing Handcrafted Radiomics Versus Latent Deep Learning Features of Admission Head CT for Hemorrhagic Stroke Outcome Prediction

by Anh T. Tran, Junhao Wen, Gaby Abou Karam, Dorin Zeevi, Adnan I. Qureshi, Ajay Malhotra, Shahram Majidi, Niloufar Valizadeh, Santosh B. Murthy, Mert R. Sabuncu, David Roh, Guido J. Falcone, Kevin N. Sheth and Seyedmehdi Payabvash

BioTech 2025, 14(4), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech14040087 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Handcrafted radiomics use predefined formulas to extract quantitative features from medical images, whereas deep neural networks learn de novo features through iterative training. We compared these approaches for predicting 3-month outcomes and hematoma expansion from admission non-contrast head CT in acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Training and cross-validation were performed using a multicenter trial cohort (n = 866), with external validation on a single-center dataset (n = 645). We trained multiscale U-shaped segmentation models for hematoma segmentation and extracted (i) radiomics from the segmented lesions and (ii) two latent deep feature sets—from the segmentation encoder and a generative autoencoder trained on dilated lesion patches. Features were reduced with unsupervised Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) to 128 per set and used—alone or in combination—for six machine-learning classifiers to predict 3-month clinical outcomes and (>3, >6, >9 mL) hematoma expansion thresholds. The addition of latent deep features to radiomics numerically increased model prediction performance for 3-month outcomes and hematoma expansion using Random Forest, XGBoost, Extra Trees, or Elastic Net classifiers; however, the improved accuracy only reached statistical significance in predicting >3 mL hematoma expansion. Clinically, these consistent but modest increases in prediction performance may improve risk stratification at the individual level. Nevertheless, the latent deep features show potential for extracting additional clinically relevant information from admission head CT for prognostication in hemorrhagic stroke. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Bioimaging Technology)

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18 pages, 1156 KB

Open AccessArticle

Data Sharing, Biopsies and Patient Confidentiality in a Precision Medicine Trial for Childhood Cancer: A Mixed Method Study of Parents, Oncologists, and Scientists’ Perspectives

by Yvanna Lei, Kate Hetherington, Rebecca Daly, Niki Rensen, Brittany C. McGill, David S. Ziegler, Loretta M. S. Lau, Vanessa Tyrrell, Jonathan Karpelowsky, Mark J. Cowley, Katherine M. Tucker, Michelle Haber, Paulette Barahona and Claire E. Wakefield

J. Pers. Med. 2025, 15(11), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm15110531 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Precision medicine is transforming care for children with cancer, but raises new challenges. We explored parents’, oncologists’ and scientists’ perspectives on three aspects of a precision medicine trial for poor prognosis childhood cancer: data sharing, requests for additional tumor biopsies, and confidentiality. Methods: Data were collected through PRISM-Impact, a psychosocial sub-study within the Zero Childhood Cancer Program’s PRISM trial. Parents completed questionnaires at enrolment and one year later, and an optional interview after receiving their child’s trial results. Bereaved parents completed a questionnaire six months after bereavement (T1B). Oncologists and scientists were interviewed one year following trial commencement. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, and qualitative data thematically. Results: Parents (n = 126) considered additional tumor biopsies acceptable when risks were low and their child or oncologist supported the request. Oncologists (n = 26) emphasized weighing risk–benefit, ensuring parents felt fully informed, and research value. Most parents supported data sharing (≥89–96%), including after bereavement, despite potential privacy concerns. Parents supported overseas and interstate testing, and scientists having access to identifiable health information. Scientists (n = 10) found working with identifiable data emotionally challenging. Conclusions: Parents, oncologists, and scientists showed high acceptance of procedural aspects of precision medicine. Future trials should address privacy concerns and ensure informed consent recognizes that parents’ high acceptability of procedures may be linked to their hopes for benefit, reinforcing the need for informed consent. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Precision Oncology)

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20 pages, 4547 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fatigue Behaviors of High-Speed Track Slabs Reinforced by GFRP Composite Rebar: Full-Scale Experimental Verification

by Sang-Youl Lee

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(11), 597; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9110597 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

This study deals with the fatigue behavior of on-site-installation-type track slabs subject to cycling train load developed by applying glass-fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforcing bars. Concrete track slabs have the most severe deterioration in track circuit characteristic values due to the conduction influence of existing steel bars. Therefore, a track slab applying an insulator and lightweight GFRP reinforcement by replacing the existing steel bar was proposed from a design perspective. In order to present the validity of the proposed method, a full-size specimen was manufactured and a fatigue performance test was performed, and the results were compared with the test specimen applied with steel bars. From the results of various fatigue behaviors, it was found that displacement variations during cyclic loading remained within 1 mm, and load variations were within 10 kN, indicating excellent stability under accumulated fatigue cycles. This study analyzed the macro-level structural behavior of GFRP-reinforced concrete track slabs under fatigue loading. Future research will further investigate micro-level bond interactions between the reinforcement and concrete to validate long-term performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Fatigue and Failure Mechanisms of Composites)

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19 pages, 1714 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Nitrogen on Culturable Phyllosphere Microorganisms and the Incidence of Botrytis cinerea in Postharvest Leafy Vegetables

by Viktorija Vaštakaitė-Kairienė, Darius Jermala, Alma Valiuškaitė, Kristina Bunevičienė, Armina Morkeliūnė and Neringa Rasiukevičiūtė

J. Fungi 2025, 11(11), 787; https://doi.org/10.3390/jof11110787 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), pak choi (Brassica rapa), and basil (Ocimum basilicum) were grown in hydroponic NFT systems under four nitrate levels (80–180 mg L⁻¹ N). We measured natural microbial contamination by plating nutrient-solution samples and leaf washes to obtain colony-forming unit (CFU) counts of bacteria and fungi. Separately, postharvest leaves were artificially inoculated with Botrytis cinerea and stored at 22 °C or 4 °C for 7 days to assess gray mold. In lettuce, high N (180 mg L⁻¹) markedly increased culturable microbial loads in both solution and leaves, whereas pak choi microbial counts remained low at all N levels. Basil showed a non-linear response: CFU counts peaked at moderate N (120 mg L⁻¹) and were lower at both deficit and excess N. At 22 °C, gray mold severity in pak choi increased with N; leaves fertilized at N150–180 suffered about 1.5–2 times greater lesion area than those at N80. By contrast, lettuce exhibited the worst decay under N deficiency: N80 leaves developed the largest lesions by 4–7 DPI, while moderate N (120–150 mg L⁻¹) minimized disease progression. Basil was highly susceptible under warm storage: all N levels reached near-total decay by 7 days, though N120 delayed early infection slightly. Refrigeration (4 °C) greatly suppressed lesion development in lettuce and pak choi, although high-N pak choi still showed ~20–30% more infected area than low-N after 7 days. Basil, however, suffered chilling injury at 4 °C, and all refrigerated basil leaves decayed severely (regardless of N). These results indicate crop-specific nutrient and storage strategies: avoid excessive N in pak choi, maintain balanced N in lettuce, and handle basil with non-chilling methods to reduce postharvest gray mold. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postharvest Fungi: Control of Fungal Diseases in Fruit and Vegetables)

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24 pages, 398 KB

Open AccessArticle

On the Minimality of Projections in Expanded Matrix Spaces

by Agnieszka Kozdęba and Michał Kozdęba

Symmetry 2025, 17(11), 1835; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17111835 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Let S be a space of all functions from

X \times Y \times Z

into

R

C

, where

X, Y, Z

are finite sets. It was proved that there is a unique projection from S into its subspace consisting [...] Read more.

Let S be a space of all functions from

X \times Y \times Z

into

R

C

, where

X, Y, Z

are finite sets. It was proved that there is a unique projection from S into its subspace consisting of all sums of functions that depend on one variable. We show here its explicit formula. A similar fact was proved for the subspace of S consisting of all the sums of functions that depend on two variables. We prove a significant generalization of this result, considering a space of all functions from

X_{1} \times X_{2} \times \dots \times X_{n}

and its subspace consisting of all sums of functions that depend on

n - 1

variables, where n is any natural number. We also show that these results are true not only for

L_{p}

-spaces but also for many others. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Mathematics)

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3 pages, 134 KB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial: 10th Anniversary Special Issue “PUBMET2023 Conference on Scholarly Communication in the Context of Open Science”

by Nikolina Peša Pavlović, Jadranka Stojanovski and Iva Grabarić Andonovski

Publications 2025, 13(4), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/publications13040054 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Over the past decade, the Open Science movement has profoundly transformed the way research is conducted, communicated, and assessed [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue 10th Anniversary Special Issue "PUBMET2023 Conference on Scholarly Communication in the Context of Open Science")

19 pages, 4433 KB

Open AccessArticle

Simple Spray Preparation of Multifunctional Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Coatings for Surface Strengthening of Flat Thin-Sheet Materials

by Xianbo Yu, Huaxin Li, Hu Chen, Shuao Xie, Wei Han, Xiaoxue Xi, Zhongbo Hu, Xian Yue and Junhui Xiang

Coatings 2025, 15(11), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15111267 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

To enhance the mechanical performance and surface hydrophobicity of flat thin-sheet materials, we have developed a facile, environmentally benign, and low-cost synthesis strategy for fabricating a robust waterborne superhydrophobic coating with excellent mechanical reinforcement, via simple spray coating using a non-fluorinated material system (waterborne silicone–acrylic copolymer and silica sol). The functional coating exhibited excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 150°) regardless of the compound of the substrates, which is primarily ascribed to the presence of abundant low-surface-energy methyl groups on the coating’s surface, along with the three-dimensional hierarchical network structure formed via the cross-linked silica network. Owing to the stable cross-linked structure and strong interfacial bonding between the acrylic polymer and silica network, the composite coating exhibited exceptional mechanical reinforcement, coupled with ultrahigh mechanical and chemical stability. Specifically, the maximum flexural fracture load of the modified materials increased from 119 N to 192 N, representing a 62.7% enhancement; similarly, the moisture-induced deflection of the samples had a significant increase from −14.5 mm to −3.01 mm, which confirmed that the mechanical properties of the modified sample and its deformation resistance under high humidity conditions have been significantly enhanced. Notably, the coating retained superior hydrophobicity and mechanical performance even after 50 abrasion cycles, as well as exposure to high-intensity UV radiation and corrosive acidic/alkaline environments. Furthermore, the composite functional coating demonstrated excellent self-cleaning and anti-fouling properties. This functional composite coating offers significant potential for large-scale industrial application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Coatings: Adapting to the Future)

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17 pages, 1730 KB

Open AccessArticle

Targeting Oral Pathogens with Salvia officinalis and Nigella sativa Supercritical CO₂ Extracts: A Pharmacodynamic Approach and Three-Dimensional Checkerboard Synergy for Novel Dental Antimicrobials

by Luka Tucakov, Ana Tomić, Olja Šovljanski, Milica Aćimović and Ana Miljković

Antibiotics 2025, 14(11), 1100; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14111100 (registering DOI) - 2 Nov 2025

Abstract

Background: Oral infections such as dental caries and candidiasis are mediated by resilient biofilms, which are increasingly tolerant to conventional antimicrobials. This study investigated the antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of Salvia officinalis and Nigella sativa CO₂ extracts against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, with emphasis on synergistic interactions. Methods: Extracts were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis (GC–MS) and evaluated through planktonic MIC/MBC assays, time–kill kinetics, and biofilm models (MBIC/MBEC, biomass, metabolic activity). A novel three-dimensional checkerboard (3D-CB) and fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) approach was applied to optimize extract ratios, concentrations, and exposure times. Results: S. officinalis extract showed greater activity against S. mutans (MIC 256 mg/L; MBC 512 mg/L), while N. sativa was more effective against C. albicans (MIC 256 mg/L; MFC 512 mg/L). Both extracts reduced biofilm biomass and metabolic activity by over 70% at higher doses. Synergy was confirmed at ratios of 70:30 (S. officinalis: N. sativa) for S. mutans (FICI 0.38) and 40:60 for C. albicans (FICI 0.42). The achieved synergistic effect further decreased MBEC values fourfold and prolonged post-antibiotic effects. Conclusions: Synergistic S. officinalis–N. sativa formulations enhanced antimicrobial activity against oral pathogens in both planktonic and biofilm states, supporting their potential as next-generation dental antimicrobials. Full article

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