Search Results (931)

Breast cancer treatment still faces challenges including local recurrence, systemic toxicity, tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and immunosuppression. Conventional systemic administration provides limited exposure at the tumor site and exhibits significant toxicity. Injectable hydrogels, combining the properties of minimally invasive administration, in situ gelation, local retention, and sustained release, have become a key platform for local precision drug delivery. Compared with nanomedicines or free drugs, hydrogels can both prolong drug retention time and achieve on-demand release through the modulation of crosslinking density, degradation rate, and responsive chemical bonds. This review is organized around the material logic of such systems. Injectable hydrogels are first classified into natural, synthetic, hybrid, supramolecular, nanocomposite, and self-healing systems, the in situ gelation chemistries available to each are compared, and network parameters such as crosslinking density, mesh size, swelling, porosity, modulus, and rheology are related to release kinetics and intratumoral retention. Current research is primarily advancing along two directions: one is the construction of pH-, enzyme-, redox/ROS-, hypoxia-, ATP-, glucose-or thermo-responsive hydrogels; the other is achieving active targeting by integrating functionalized hydrogels with targets such as CD44, folate receptor, integrins, EGFR, transferrin receptor, and HER2 or with biomimetic cell-membrane coatings. On this basis, hydrogels have been extended to cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint modulation, local delivery of CAR-T/CAR-NK, as well as combination therapies involving chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, chemodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, radiosensitization, gene therapy, and theranostics. The constraints imposed on hydrogel design by different payload classes, including small molecules, natural products, proteins and peptides, nucleic acids, antibodies, exosomes, and gene-editing machinery, are further examined, and imaging-integrated theranostic gels are discussed together with the emerging role of machine learning and digital fabrication in hydrogel optimization. Based on the biological foundations of breast cancer, this review summarizes advances in the material design, microenvironment-responsive release, targeting strategies, immunomodulation, and combination therapy of hydrogels, critically evaluates the limitations of each strategy, and aims to provide a reference for the design of mechanistically well-defined and translatable hydrogel delivery systems for breast cancer. Full article

Natural-gas-fired boilers remain widely used for building and industrial heat, making NOx control relevant even as energy systems decarbonize. This comprehensive review synthesizes the published literature on staged combustion, flue-gas recirculation (FGR), premixed combustion, oxy-fuel combustion, humidified combustion, catalytic combustion, flameless/MILD combustion, and integrated systems. The evidence indicates that staged burners and moderate external FGR are the most mature retrofit options, whereas lean premixed combustion is generally better suited to new or deeply retrofitted small and medium boilers. Humidification coupled with waste-heat recovery can reduce NOx while increasing total heat recovery, but water management, corrosion, fouling, and auxiliary demand must be considered. Oxy-fuel/FGR systems facilitate CO₂ capture but impose substantial oxygen-production, recycle, and CO₂-conditioning requirements. Hydrogen blending widens lean operability while increasing flashback sensitivity and altering thermal-NO and NNH chemistry. Technology selection should therefore balance NOx, CO, efficiency, stability, auxiliary resources, retrofit constraints, and long-term reliability. Full article

Flexible organic solar cells (FOSCs) are a promising green energy technology due to their mechanical flexibility, light weight, low cost, and compatibility with large-area solution processing. Although the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of rigid organic solar cells has exceeded 20%, a significant performance gap remains for flexible devices, primarily constrained by the limitations of two key components: the flexible substrate and the transparent electrode. This review systematically summarizes recent research progress on flexible substrates, including ultrathin glass, polymer substrates, stretchable substrates, and bio-based substrates, and flexible transparent electrodes, including ITO, conductive polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, ultrathin metal films, metal grids, and metal nanowire networks. Building on this, the review explores strategies for the synergistic design of substrates and electrodes, analyzing critical pathways for their co-optimization across four dimensions: interface engineering, mechanical compatibility, optical coupling, and process integration. Examining representative case studies from the literature, optimal substrate–electrode pairings for different application scenarios are summarized. Finally, the review outlines a future perspective on the evolution from compatibility toward functional integration, offering a systematic framework for the development of next-generation flexible photovoltaic devices that are efficient, stable, and adaptable to diverse application requirements. Full article

Marine organisms from deep-sea environments have attracted considerable attention in drug discovery because they produce structurally diverse natural products. However, Norwegian deep-sea ecosystems remain largely unexplored in terms of natural product chemistry and bioactivity. In this study, a deep-sea sponge belonging to the genus Phakellia was selectively collected using a low-impact, remotely operated vehicle approach from the Mohn’s Treasure area in the Norwegian Sea at a depth of 2858 m, representing one of the deepest sponge samples investigated in Norwegian waters to date. Chemical investigation of this specimen resulted in the isolation of three new glycosylated fatty acid amides, phakelliosides A–C (1–3), together with two known compounds, 11-(S)-myxillin B (4) and 11-(S)-myxillin C (5), which were isolated as pure individual compounds from natural sources for the first time, with their absolute configurations unambiguously established. These compounds were isolated using a combination of chromatographic techniques, and the structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR and UHPLC–HRMS data. The absolute configurations were determined by optical rotation analysis following acid hydrolysis. Compounds 1–5 were subjected to preliminary antibacterial screening against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 100 µg/mL. Under the screening conditions, compound 3 produced the lowest OD₆₀₀ value against E. faecalis (OD₆₀₀ = 0.154), whereas generally higher OD₆₀₀ values were observed against the Gram-negative strains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the preliminary antibacterial screening of glycosylated fatty acid amides isolated from Norwegian deep-sea organisms. These findings expand current knowledge of the chemical diversity of natural products associated with Norwegian deep-sea sponges. The biosynthetic origin of these metabolites remains unresolved and warrants further investigation. Full article

Cyclodextrin (CD)-based supramolecular nanofibers (NFs) have emerged as an advanced class of multifunctional materials for active food packaging by integrating host–guest supramolecular chemistry with electrospun nanofibrous architectures. The unique hydrophobic cavity and hydrophilic exterior of CDs enable the encapsulation of a wide range of bioactive compounds, including essential oils, natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, and volatile active agents, thereby enhancing their solubility, stability, controlled release, and preservation efficacy. This review comprehensively discusses the molecular structure and inclusion complexation mechanisms of CDs, recent advances in polymer-assisted and polymer-free electrospinning strategies, and the design of CD-based supramolecular nanofibers for food preservation. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between fiber morphology, supramolecular interactions, and controlled release behavior, which collectively govern antimicrobial, antioxidant, moisture management, and barrier properties. Recent developments involving biodegradable polymers, hybrid nanofibrous systems, and cyclodextrin-based metal–organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) are critically summarized, highlighting their roles in improving encapsulation efficiency, mechanical stability, and multifunctional performance. The review further compares CD-based nanofibers with other advanced encapsulation technologies, including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, microspheres, and conventional MOFs, providing a comprehensive evaluation of their loading capacity, release kinetics, scalability, cost, and regulatory suitability for food-contact applications. Representative applications in the preservation of fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, and bakery products demonstrate significant improvements in microbial inhibition, oxidation resistance, ethylene and volatile organic compound adsorption, and shelf-life extension through sustained delivery of natural preservatives. Ultimately, the current challenges, including large-scale manufacturing, long-term stability, regulatory approval, and commercialization, are discussed together with future directions, focusing on smart packaging, stimuli-responsive delivery systems, intelligent sensing, biodegradable multifunctional materials, and sustainable industrial implementation. Full article

Based on comparative experiments conducted on conventional Portland cement (OPC) systems, ferraluminate cement (FAC) systems, and FAC–fly ash (FA) composite systems, this study systematically investigates the ion evolution in pore solutions and the transformation of hydration products, as well as the compositional and microstructural evolution of the passive film formed on steel reinforcement surfaces under simulated pore solution conditions and natural passivation conditions. The results show that: ① FAC and FA-mixed systems produce different product types from OPC in the early stage (mainly AFt/AFm, C–(A)–S–H), thereby altering the pH and the evolution of the main ion concentration in the pore solution. ② An appropriate amount of FA (10%) refines the pore structure through pozzolanic reaction, enhances low-frequency electrochemical impedance, and facilitates the evolution of the steel passive film toward a more favorable composition; however, excessive incorporation (20%) induces a “dilution effect” and reduces the early-age densification rate, which is ultimately detrimental to long-term corrosion resistance. ③ The passive film exhibits a characteristic chemical gradient evolution, comprising an outer Fe³⁺-enriched phase and an inner Fe²⁺-enriched phase. Its thickness and the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ ratio are significantly influenced by the chemical environment of the pore solution (pH, SO₄²⁻, Al³⁺, Fe³⁺, etc.), which plays a decisive role in the protective efficiency of the steel reinforcement. These findings establish the intrinsic relationship between pore solution chemistry, hydration product evolution, and passive film development, providing new mechanistic insight into the passivation behavior of reinforcing steel in FAC–FA systems. Based on these findings, key guidelines for the proportioning and microstructural–electrochemical design of ferroaluminate cement are proposed, providing scientific support for the durability-oriented application of FAC–based materials in aggressive environments. It should be noted that the beneficial effect of incorporating 10 wt.% FA is limited to the optimization of FAC–based systems and should not be interpreted as indicating superior overall corrosion resistance compared with OPC. Full article

Iron, with the unique stability of its nucleus, occupies an unusual position among the elements: its abundance on Earth is not simply a geological accident but a direct consequence of nuclear reactions that happened inside stars billions of years ago. Formed at the final stages of fusion in stars, iron spread through space by supernova explosions and became part of the material that formed Earth, eventually becoming the dominant component of the planet’s core. At the surface, iron’s redox chemistry shaped the early atmosphere and oceans, and its availability as a soluble ferrous ion in the anaerobic Archean ocean made it a natural cofactor for the first enzymatic reactions. That same redox flexibility and the ability of iron to shuttle between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ across a wide range of electrochemical potentials explain why virtually every major metabolic pathway in biology depends on iron in one form or another. Yet iron is also dangerous: free and chelated iron can catalyze the production of toxic hydroxyl radicals through Fenton chemistry, the reactivity of which depends strongly on the nature of the chelating ligand, and every living system must balance its need for iron against the oxidative damage that uncontrolled iron causes. This tension between catalytic necessity and chemical toxicity has driven much of the regulatory complexity we observe in modern iron metabolism. In this review, we first outline iron’s journey from its formation in stars to its role in shaping Earth’s structure and the emergence of early iron-dependent biology. We then discuss in detail how fundamental physical and chemical factors continue to influence living systems. Full article

This study investigates the effects of phosphorus (P) on the phases developed during sintering and their impact on the stability of key phases in iron ore sinter, particularly the silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (‘SFCA’) series of phases. Two complementary systems were studied: an industrially representative blend of natural iron ores (JSM) and a synthetic high-purity SFCA analogue (SA) system designed to promote controlled SFCA formation. Phosphorus was added as hydroxyapatite (HA) at levels of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 5 wt.%. To simulate a standard sintering profile, experiments were conducted over a range of temperatures for 3 min in a controlled low-oxygen-potential atmosphere of pO₂ = 5 × 10⁻³ atm. A modified Bond Abrasion test was used to evaluate the tumble index (TI) strength of the samples, and the chemistry, mineralogy and microstructure of all sintered products were analyzed. Results indicated that all P-doped JSM samples fired within the temperature range of 1300 to 1330 °C met the minimum strength requirement (TI = 80%) for producing high-quality sinters. Adding small to medium amounts of HA (≤1.5 wt.%) to both compositions had a limited impact on the overall mineral phases. Conversely, adding a high amount of HA (5 wt.%) encouraged the creation of Ca–Si–P phases. Analysis of the microstructure, minerals, and microchemistry indicated that P tended to segregate phases rich in phosphorus by interacting with calcium oxide and silica. The findings from the study highlight that at the low levels of P typically found in iron ores, there is no significant impact on the strength, mineralogy and phases formed during sintering. Full article

The spiroindoline framework is a privileged scaffold in medicinal chemistry, appearing in natural products and in synthetic bioactive compounds, such as BAY 1214784, RO8994, and RK-287107, with reported activities ranging from antimitotic effects to kinase inhibition. This review covers the methods developed between 2020 and 2025 for constructing spiroindoline frameworks, organized first by the site of spirocyclization (C2 versus C3 of the indole) and then by catalyst class: second- and third-row transition metals, first-row transition metals and main-group Lewis acids, organocatalysis, and visible-light photoredox. For each method we discuss the reaction design, the accessible substrate scope, and mechanistic insights, with particular attention to how stereochemistry is controlled. We also highlight representative downstream transformations that demonstrate the synthetic utility of the produced spiroindolines. Progress over the past five years has been substantial, particularly in enantioselective methods that create a single stereocenter and in cascade designs that build complex polycyclic frameworks in a single operation. Asymmetric construction of multiple adjacent stereocenters, gram-scale demonstrations, and genuinely sustainable conditions remain less developed; these areas are priorities for future work. Full article

Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), represents a major global health challenge, driven by the increasing prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyles. T2DM is characterized by insulin resistance and progressive β-cell dysfunction, leading to chronic hyperglycemia and multiple complications. Among the molecular targets investigated for therapeutic intervention, protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) has emerged as a key negative regulator of insulin signaling. By dephosphorylating the insulin receptor and its downstream substrates, PTP1B attenuates insulin action and contributes to metabolic dysfunction. In addition to its role in glucose homeostasis, PTP1B is implicated in obesity, diabetic complications, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer, highlighting its relevance as a multifunctional therapeutic target. However, the development of PTP1B inhibitors remains challenging due to the highly conserved and polar nature of its catalytic site, which limits selectivity and cell permeability. Recent research has focused on alternative strategies, including allosteric modulation and multi-site inhibition, to overcome these limitations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PTP1B inhibitors from both synthetic (2019–2025) and natural sources, with particular emphasis on natural products reported from 2022 onwards, while including selected earlier studies to provide historical context and illustrate representative structural classes and inhibition mechanisms. Although PTP1B remains an attractive therapeutic target, its clinical validation for diabetes treatment has yet to be achieved. Continued advances in medicinal chemistry and allosteric modulation may help overcome the current translational barriers. Full article

Betalains are water-soluble pigments containing nitrogen, and they exist naturally in the plants of the order Caryophyllales. They have gained increasing attention in recent years because of their intense colours, antioxidant activity, and safety, thus making them suitable replacements for artificial dyes. The increasing interest in natural pigments has led to intensified research on betalain biosynthesis and optimization of pigment production. Nonetheless, their application in industry faces limitations, such as their low natural occurrence, sensitivity to environmental conditions, and instability during manufacturing and storage. Unlike previous reviews that primarily focused on betalain chemistry, biosynthesis pathways, or biological activity, the present review highlights recent developments in the engineering of the biosynthesis pathways, synthetic biology, elicitation approaches, omics-based pathway identification, and nanobiotechnology for betalain pigments. Special attention is paid to the comparison of plant, plant cell, yeast, and bacterial production systems, as well as recent advancements towards industrial production of betalain pigments and bottlenecks in the commercialization of sustainable betalain bio-factories. Full article

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered as one of the most lethal malignancies, characterized by late diagnosis, aggressive local invasion, profound therapy resistance, and a suppressive tumor microenvironment. Currently known chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of PDAC are limited and typically depend on the stage of disease. For pre-surgery and post-surgery settings, modified combination of fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin are used. Gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel is an alternative regimen used for the disease at advanced stage. However, modest efficacy and high toxicity are often associated with these treatments. Therefore, more efficacious, safer, and novel therapeutic options are urgently required. The natural product curcumin has been shown to exert promising anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic, and antimetastatic activities in PDAC models. Inspired by these initial reports, there has been a sustained effort in the medicinal chemistry community to develop chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of PDAC based on the chemical architecture of curcumin. This review highlights recent developments of multiple classes of curcumin analogs as a credible and versatile class of investigational agents for addressing the unmet therapeutic needs of pancreatic cancer. Full article

Most studies on circular mineral-based materials report short-term mechanical properties without providing predictive frameworks that link chemical degradation to long-term mechanical performance. This study develops and validates a leaching-index-driven chemo-mechanical framework for predicting the degradation of a natural hydraulic lime (NHL)–pozzolan mortar exposed to sulfuric acid. A normalized ionic-release index was used to drive all parameters of a trilinear continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model, enabling the prediction of complete stress–strain responses from leachate chemistry alone. The framework was calibrated using an extensive experimental dataset comprising accelerated acidic exposure at pH 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 for durations up to 6000 h. Iron release was identified as the most suitable degradation indicator based on its monotonic evolution and strong correlation with mechanical deterioration. Power-law relationships linking the normalized leaching index to elastic modulus, peak strength, transition strain, and post-peak energy were established and validated against independent exposure groups, yielding prediction errors generally below 20%. Validation was performed against three independent blind exposure groups withheld from calibration, yielding mean deviations of approximately 18% in the elastic modulus and 13% in the peak strength, so that the quantitative validation rests on this limited three-group set, whereas the extension to circular mineral binders is presented only on a prospective, non-validated basis. A kinetic sub-model was further introduced to relate exposure conditions to the leaching index, enabling a complete predictive chain from environmental exposure to mechanical response and service-life estimation. Sensitivity analysis showed that post-peak energy dissipation degrades approximately 1.3–1.5 times faster than stiffness and strength, indicating that ductility-related parameters govern long-term reliability. The methodological architecture is further discussed, on a prospective and non-validated basis, in relation to circular mineral binders relevant to Baltic industrial and municipal by-product streams, including municipal-waste bottom ash, slag, fly ash, and recycled glass. Although experimental validation is limited to the NHL–pozzolan system, the proposed framework provides a physically grounded and data-efficient pathway for durability assessment and future durability-oriented design of circular mineral binders in the Baltic region. Full article

Acidic wastewater generated during sulfuric acid leaching of reduced tionite within the EUROTITAN process was treated using three low-cost adsorbents: fly ash, bentonite, and red mud slag. Tionite is a solid residue originating from the sulfate route of TiO₂ production, whereas the investigated wastewater is a secondary acidic stream produced during hydrometallurgical treatment of reduced tionite. The initial wastewater was characterized by low pH and elevated concentrations of Fe, Al, Ti, B, Cu, Mn, Pb, Cr, and Li. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out by varying contact time from 4 to 24 h and adsorbent dosage from 5 to 15 g/L. The results showed distinct selectivity depending on adsorbent type and solution chemistry. Bentonite exhibited the most stable performance, achieving nearly complete removal of Pb, Cu, B, and Li, while Fe and Al were only partially removed and Ti removal remained limited. Fly ash showed high affinity toward Pb and Cu, but its performance was strongly affected by dosage and contact time. Red mud slag demonstrated excellent Pb removal, high Cu removal, and time- and dosage-dependent Ti removal, although partial dissolution of Fe- and Al-bearing phases occurred under strongly acidic conditions. Overall, the results confirm that industrial by-products and natural clay materials can contribute to partial purification of acidic metallurgical wastewater, while additional neutralization or polishing steps are required for complete treatment. Full article

Intelligent food packaging (IFP) is among the key technologies for overcoming global challenges of food safety and food resource waste. Its core lies in monitoring the quality of food in real-time without damage. Sodium alginate (SA), a natural polysaccharide characterized by biodegradability and excellent biocompatibility, can form hydrogels with a 3D network structure, high water content, and functional modification capability, making it an ideal matrix for developing IFP sensing and indicator platforms. Based on the gel chemistry fundamentals of SA, this paper deeply analyzes the structure-activity relationship between sensing mechanism and material structure, and summarizes the existing modification strategies and functional integration paths. The paper also provides a detailed discussion on the application principles and latest advancements of SA-based hydrogels in colorimetric/visual sensing, gas sensing, time-temperature indicator (TTI), and controlled-release carriers for active substances. The current research results show that the detection limit of SA hydrogel beads loaded with anthocyanins for volatile amines can reach 15–25 ppm, and the color difference ΔE can reach 34.2 after 7 days of storage at 4 °C, which is strongly correlated with microbial indicators, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, etc. The color difference value (ΔE) response of Co-Imd microcrystalline functionalized SA film to ammonia gas reached 23.7 within 60 min, and it had antibacterial activity. The activation energy of Immobilization of laccase on sodium alginate/soluble starch microcapsules to develop a TTI (27.32–61.13 kJ/mol) was highly matched with the activation energy of Agaricus bisporus. The hydrogel microspheres loaded with Cur@Se reduced the total oxidation value of the oils by 53%. The G/SA/nZnOs cryogel pad extended the shelf life of shrimp from 4 days to 6 days at 4 °C. In addition, this paper also discusses the challenges faced by SA-based hydrogels in large-scale production and long-term stability evaluation, and looks forward to future development trends such as integration with artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and multi-functional integration, in order to provide theoretical support for in-depth research and industrial application in this field. Full article