Search Results (1,438)

This study introduces a single-step method to synthesize guar gum-based interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels, achieving simultaneous Diels–Alder crosslinking and amoxicillin (AMOX) encapsulation under mild conditions. To evaluate the influence of porogen addition on IPN structure, drug loading and release, twenty-one formulations were developed, including AMOX loading (25% or 40% w/w relative to the polymer) and biocompatible porogens incorporation [polyethylene glycol (PEG) or sucrose at 5%, 10%, or 50% w/w]. All crosslinked IPN hydrogels formed robust gels, unlike non-crosslinked controls. Porogen choice strongly influenced hydrogel performance: PEG quadrupled the swelling index while enhancing storage modulus (up to 10,054 Pa) and complex viscosity (up to 1302 Pa·s), whereas high sucrose concentrations produced soft, ductile networks with critical strains above 20% and swelling indices up to 1895%. All hydrogels released AMOX at levels above MIC₅₀ for H. pylori. PEG-based IPN provided superior drug delivery profiles, with extended AMOX release (t₅₀ up to 15.5 h at pH 5.0), while sucrose-rich matrices exhibited faster burst release and disintegration. Single-step (pre-loading) AMOX during synthesis improved release control compared to post-loading. These findings highlight the potential of one-pot IPN synthesis with porogen modulation offering a promising gastroretentive platforms for sustained AMOX delivery against H. pylori. Full article

Antibodies are indispensable for protection against biological toxins and pathogens, yet their conventional liquid formulations impose severe constraints, including dosing inaccuracy caused by residual fluid remaining in the syringe and limited user convenience such as pain caused by fluid-induced tissue distension and nerve stimulation as well as instability in ambient temperature, and the requirement for low-temperature storage and logistics. These limitations critically impair rapid deployment during golden hour following acute exposure. Here, we report an antibody-integrated solid-to-gel microfilm—demonstrated with a 100 µg anti-BoNT/A dose—jet-printed and low-temperature dried directly onto metal needles for consistent, on-demand use. Upon intradermal insertion, the microfilm fully dissolves within 5 min, driven by hydration-induced swelling of a hyaluronic acid (HA) support layer and rapid release of the antibody. Time-resolved microscopy and UV–vis analysis showed a decrease in residual solid from 2.34 mm³ to 0 over 300 s, with a concomitant rise at 187 nm indicative of complete dissolution. The solid formulation maintained ambient-temperature stability for 3–6 months with pharmacokinetics comparable to conventional subcutaneous liquid injections. In a lethal BoNT/A challenge, treated mice achieved 100% survival for 12 days, whereas controls succumbed within 16 h. Full article

Despite intense interest in the catalytic potential of transition metal oxide heterostructures, originating from their large surface area and tunable chemistry, the fabrication of well-defined multicomponent oxide coatings with controlled architectures remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate a simple and effective swelling-assisted sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) strategy to fabricate hierarchically porous multicomponent metal-oxide electrocatalysts with tunable bimetallic composition. A combination of solution-based infiltration (SBI) of transition metals, iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co), into a block copolymer (PS73-b-P4VP28) template, followed by vapor-phase infiltration of alumina using sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS), was employed to synthesize porous, robust, conformal and transparent multicomponent metal-oxide coatings like Fe/AlO_x, Fe+Ni/AlO_x, and Fe+Co/AlO_x. Electrochemical assessments for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a 0.1 M KOH electrolyte demonstrated that the Fe+Ni/AlO_x composite exhibited markedly superior catalytic activity, achieving an impressive onset potential of 1.41 V and a peak current density of 3.29 mA/cm². This superior activity reflects the well-known synergistic effect of alloying transition metals with a trace of Fe, which facilitates OER kinetics. Overall, our approach offers a versatile and scalable path towards the design of stable and efficient catalysts with tunable nanostructures, opening new possibilities for a wide range of electrochemical energy applications. Full article

Over the past years, with the growing interest in sustainable biomaterials, marine collagen has been emerging as an interesting alternative to bovine collagen. It is more easily absorbed by the body and has higher bioavailability. In this study, collagen was extracted from Dicentrarchus labrax (sea bass) skin, a fishery by-product, thus valorizing waste streams while reducing environmental impact. To overcome the intrinsic weak mechanical of collagen, it was combined with chitosan to produce composite scaffolds for skin tissue engineering. The incorporation of collagen proved crucial for scaffold performance: (i) it promoted the formation of an open-pore architecture, favorable for cell infiltration and proliferation; (ii) it enhanced swelling behavior suitable for exudate absorption and maintenance of a moist wound environment; (iii) by tuning the chitosan/collagen ratio, it enabled us to control the degradation rate; (iv) it conferred antioxidant properties; and (iv) by adjusting collagen/chitosan concentrations, it allowed fine-tuning of mechanical properties, ensuring sufficient strength to resist stresses encountered during wound healing. In vitro assays demonstrated that the scaffolds were non-cytotoxic and effectively supported mouse adipose tissue fibroblasts’ adhesion and proliferation. Finally, all formulations exhibited marked bactericidal activity against the human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with a Log reduction greater than 3 (a reduction of at least 99.9% in bacterial growth) compared to the control. Collectively, these findings highlight collagen not only as a sustainable resource but also as a functional component that drives the structural, physicochemical, biological, and antimicrobial performance of chitosan/collagen scaffolds for skin tissue engineering. Full article

Background/Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive joint disease characterized by inflammation, cartilage degradation, and subchondral bone changes, for which effective disease-modifying therapies are lacking. Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapeutics offer a versatile approach to modulate joint pathology, but their application to OA remains limited. Methods: We evaluated intra-articular delivery of therapeutic mRNAs using polyplex nanomicelles, a non-inflammatory and minimally invasive carrier system, in a rat model of inflammation-driven OA induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). Results: IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) mRNA reduced synovial inflammation and alleviated pain and swelling. RUNX1 mRNA, a transcription factor critical for chondrogenesis, supported chondrocyte viability, type II collagen expression, and cartilage structure. Under conditions of pronounced inflammation, however, the protective effects of RUNX1 mRNA alone were modest. Notably, combined administration of IL-1Ra and RUNX1 mRNAs produced synergistic therapeutic benefits, with enhanced chondroprotection and preservation of subchondral bone integrity. Conclusions: These findings suggest that while RUNX1 is essential for maintaining cartilage homeostasis, effective control of joint inflammation is required for its therapeutic activity. Dual mRNA therapy delivered by polyplex nanomicelles therefore represents a promising strategy to address the multifactorial pathology of OA. Full article

In the current energy landscape, power quality (PQ) emerges as a critical concern. Even when there is no fault on a line, PQ issues are common in all power networks since 90% of power systems’ loads are variable or inductive in nature. Variable loads cannot be avoided; hence, PQ concerns such as voltage swelling and sag will always arise. Voltage sag is one of the main issues within a distribution network, resulting in financial losses for the utility company and the customer. The Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) effectively addresses voltage sags and minimizes total harmonic distortion (THD) in the distribution network. This paper proposed a novel control strategy to increase the PQ in a system. A Frilled Lizard Optimization-optimized fuzzy PI controller is proposed in this work to control the inverter. This proposed method improves the DVR’s ability to correct voltage sag and reduce total harmonic distortion as soon as possible. The PI control scheme is utilized initially to reduce the oscillations and remove the steady-state error. To increase the tendency rate of the error to zero, the PI method is applied to a fuzzy logic-based compensatory stage. The proposed approach is validated using pro-type models, as well as mathematical and Simulink modelling. In the Results Section, the performance of the proposed controllers with the DVR is tabulated and compared with other DVR controller schemes described in other research papers. Full article

Mesoporous silica materials with well-organized architectures were synthesized using a series of Pluronic PE-type triblock copolymers (PE6800, PE9200, PE9400, PE10500) as structure-directing agents under acidic conditions. The study aimed to elucidate the impact of synthesis parameters—copolymer type, presence of a swelling agent, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, aging temperature, and silica precursor—on the structural, textural, and functional properties of the resulting mesocellular foam materials. Characterization by Nitrogen Adsorption/Desorption, Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, and Small-angle X-ray Scattering revealed that structural ordering and pore morphology are significantly influenced by the EO/PO ratio of the copolymers and the use of the expander. Materials synthesized with PE9400 and PE10500 in the presence of a swelling agent exhibited highly uniform bottle-shaped mesopores with increased surface area and pore volume. Thermal behavior studied via Differential Scanning Calorimetry indicated a correlation between pore size and melting point depression of confined water, consistent with the Gibbs–Thomson effect. Adsorption capacity and kinetics for methylene blue varied significantly with pore structure, with materials possessing narrow mesopores showing superior dye uptake, and materials with larger mesopores and open-pore architecture exhibiting faster adsorption rates. This work demonstrates the tunability of mesoporous silica structure through precise control of synthesis conditions and highlights its potential in applications involving adsorption and phase phenomena in confined pore systems. Full article

Objective: IgG4-Related Orbital Disease (IgG4-ROD) is an incompletely understood differential of idiopathic orbital inflammatory syndrome (IOIS). Accurate separation guides therapy and prognosis. This retrospective study also profiles its clinical features, therapy needs, and compares them with IOIS. Methodology: Fifty-four patients were biopsied between January 2016 and December 2023, comprising 18 who were diagnosed with IgG4-ROD (4 definite, 14 probable) and 36 with IOIS. Mean follow-up was 21.7 ± 26.2 months for IgG4-ROD versus 7.5 ± 10.3 months for IOIS. Results: Patients with IgG4-ROD were older than those with IOIS (mean 61.8 vs. 49.9 years). Gender distribution was balanced. The lacrimal gland (66.7% vs. 61.6%; p = 0.690) and extra-ocular muscles (55.6% vs. 30.6%; p = 0.076) were frequently involved in both entities, whereas paranasal sinus infiltration was significantly associated with IgG4-ROD (p = 0.003). Common shared symptoms (p > 0.05) included eyelid swelling (83.3% vs. 86.1%), exophthalmos (50% vs. 36.1%), and motility restriction (22.2% vs. 25%). Relative afferent pupillary defect (p = 0.042), chemosis (p = 0.02), and systemic disease (p = 0.005) were more prevalent in IgG4-ROD. During ≥ 6-month follow-up (n = 7), only 28.6% of IgG4-ROD patients achieved sustained remission; Kaplan–Meier analysis yielded a mean time to first event of 926 days. Additional steroid-sparing therapy was required more often in IgG4-ROD than in IOIS (p = 0.002). Conclusion: IgG4-ROD and IOIS share clinical features but differ in key aspects such as associated diseases, therapy requirements, and disease control. Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted diagnostics and individualized treatment strategies. Full article

A texture-modifying food matrix (MPS) was obtained by micronizing apple cell polysaccharides and adding spray-dried low-methoxy pectins. This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of MPS addition on a versatile group of products, including instant soup, salad dressing, buttermilk, tomato juice, apple juice, and instant kissel. The rheological properties of suspensions with two MPS concentrations added to these products were compared with those of the control. Additionally, the water holding and retention capacity, swelling capacity, and wetting angles of the MPS and its components were characterized to determine the technological properties of these products. Results show that the MPS proportionally increases viscosity and the thixotropic effect of all studied products, except buttermilk, in relation to concentration. In particular, very pronounced effects were obtained for apple, tomato juice, and salad dressing. All studied suspensions were classified as pseudoplastic fluids; the addition of MPS resulted in varying changes in pseudoplasticity, depending on the product. In summary, this study showed that MPS, as a natural and rich source of dietary fibre matrix, effectively alters rheological properties and may therefore be considered a substitute for other food additives currently used in the food industry. Full article

Chronic wounds remain a persistent clinical challenge due to delayed healing, recurrent infections, and limited effectiveness of conventional dressings. To address these unmet needs, we designed a multifunctional hydrogel system based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and alginate (ALG), incorporating hyaluronic acid (HA)-loaded dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomes for regenerative stimulation and Aronia-mediated silver nanoparticles (Ag_Aro) for antimicrobial protection. Physicochemical analyses (DLS, SEM, FTIR) confirmed the successful assembly of the system and demonstrated distinct particle sizes, pore morphologies, and structural interactions. Swelling and degradation studies revealed favorable hydration capacity and stability under physiologically relevant conditions. In vitro assays with HaCaT keratinocytes indicated excellent biocompatibility, with HA-liposomes enhancing cell viability to ~190% and Ag_Aro showing minimal cytotoxicity, likely due to polyphenolic surface capping. The combined formulation achieved a balanced swelling profile, controlled degradation, and the highest biocompatibility (~195% viability), underscoring the synergistic benefits of the dual-agent design. This study introduces, to our knowledge, the first PVA–ALG bilayer hydrogel integrating HA-liposomes and phytosynthesized AgNPs, offering a promising platform for advanced wound management. Further in vivo studies are warranted to validate its therapeutic performance. Full article

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability, with limited therapies that modify both symptoms and structural degeneration. Autologous microfragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) has emerged as a promising regenerative option, especially in phenotypically distinct OA subgroups. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the clinical and structural efficacy of intra-articular MFAT versus hyaluronic acid (HA) in patients with early to moderate inflammatory phenotype knee OA. Methods: Fifty-three patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either MFAT (n = 35) or HA (n = 18). Patients were followed-up for six months post-injection and evaluated using patient-reported outcome measures (KOOS, WOMAC, VAS) and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC). A responder analysis defined structural response as ≥10% increase in dGEMRIC in ≥3 of 7 predefined cartilage regions. Results: Both MFAT and HA led to statistically significant improvements in clinical scores and cartilage glycosaminoglycan content. MFAT showed greater mean improvements across most clinical and dGEMRIC measures, although without reaching statistical significance, except for KOOS Symptoms (MFAT: +25.0 vs. HA: +12.7, p = 0.008). Responder-level analysis revealed that all patients who demonstrated structural response also experienced clinically meaningful pain improvement (KOOS Pain ≥ 10), while no patient showed structural benefit without parallel symptomatic relief. Conclusions: MFAT led to greater improvement in symptoms related to joint stiffness, swelling, and crepitus compared to HA, reflecting its potential benefit in targeting the inflammatory features of knee OA. Importantly, HA also led to significant clinical and structural improvements, supporting its continued role as a standard-of-care comparator in knee OA management. Furthermore, the correlation between dGEMRIC and clinical response suggests its utility as a predictive biomarker of treatment success. Full article

Granite residual soil is widely employed as subgrade fill material, but its tendency to undergo wetting-induced deformation under moisture infiltration poses significant challenges to pavement stability. To address this issue, this study introduces an innovative wetting device capable of precisely controlling moisture content increase, enabling multi-step wetting tests under controlled conditions. Saturated wetting tests were also conducted using both single-line and double-line methods, and the results were compared. Pore size distribution curves for granite residual soil samples with different initial states were measured using Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter (MIP) tests. Results indicate that for both the single-line method and the double-line method, the ${\epsilon }_V$-lgp curve for samples subjected to different compaction efforts remains parallel across varying initial moisture content. The increase in vertical stress will constrain the water adsorption and swelling potential. Whereas an increase in compaction effort leads to greater swelling potential, which is mitigated by an increase in initial moisture content. By integrating the test results of the soil water characteristic (SWCC) curve, the relationship between normalized wetting deformation and matric suction is primarily influenced by the initial state of the soil sample and remains unaffected by vertical stress during multi-step wetting. Based on the test results, an empirical wetting prediction model was formulated, accounting for the influence of vertical stress, initial matric suction, and matric suction after wetting. Fitting results confirmed that the established model achieved high prediction accuracy (R² > 0.9), supporting its application in practical engineering endeavors. Full article

Peri-implant mucositis is an inflammatory condition that affects the peri-implant mucosa, without bone involvement. Peri-implant mucositis can include erythema, swelling, and bleeding, and the mucosa can be painful even with the traditional oral hygiene procedures. Peri-implant mucositis is always a reversible condition but, if left untreated, it can degenerate into peri-implantitis. Although biofilm control is considered the gold-standard therapy, some adjunctive therapies can be employed. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of postbiotics in peri-implant mucositis management. Forty patients in good systemic health with at least one implant diagnosed with peri-implant mucositis were enrolled in this case–control study. The control group received professional biofilm removal and home care instructions, while the test group was also asked to use a postbiotic gel. Clinical indices of inflammation, such as probing pocket depth (PPD), plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BoP), erythema, pain, suppuration and swelling, were collected at four timepoints during observation and analyzed at both the patient and site levels. After one year, clinical indices statistically significantly improved in both groups compared to baseline. The test group showed greater reductions. PPD was statistically significantly lower at the site level in the test group than in the control group. The results of this study confirm that biofilm control is an effective therapy for peri-implant mucositis. Our findings showed that postbiotics used as an adjunctive in home therapy have been effective in managing clinical indices in patients with peri-implant mucositis. Full article

Modern utility systems are being heavily strained by rising energy consumption and dynamic load variations, which have an impact on the quality and reliability of the supply. Harmonic injection and reactive power imbalance are caused by the widespread divergence. Power quality (PQ) issues are mostly caused by renewable energy powered by power electronic converters that are integrated into the utility grid, despite the fact that a range of industries require high-quality power to function properly at all times. Several solutions have been created, but continuing efforts and newly improved solutions are needed to solve these problems by operating according to various international standards. Distributed Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) was created in the proposed model to enhance PQ in a standard bus system. A standard bus system using the DSTATCOM model was initially developed. A real-time dataset was gathered while applying various PQ disturbance conditions. A deep learning controller was created using this generated dataset, which examined the bus voltages to generate the DSTATCOM pulse signal. Two case studies, the IEEE 13 bus and the IEEE 33 bus system, were used to analyze the proposed work. Performance of the proposed deep learning controller was verified in various situations, including interruption, swell, harmonics, and sag. The outcome of THD in the IEEE 13 bus is 0.09% at the sag period, 0.08% at the swell period, 0.01% at the interruption period, and in the IEEE 33 bus was 1.99% at the sag period, 0.44% at the swell period, and 0.01% at the interruption period. Also, the effectiveness of the proposed deep learning controller was examined and contrasted with current methods like K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) and Feed Forward Neural Network (FFNN). The validated results show that the suggested method provides an efficient mitigation mechanism, making it suitable for all cases involving PQ issues. Full article

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is one of the few instruments capable of providing high-resolution global two-dimensional (2D) measurements of ocean waves. Since 2014 and then 2016, the Sentinel-1A/B satellites, whenever operating in a specific wave mode (WV), have been providing ocean swell spectrum data as Level-2 (L2) OCeaN products (OCN), derived through a quasi-linear inversion process. This WV acquires small SAR images of 20 × 20 km footprints alternating between two sub-beams, WV1 and WV2, with incidence angles of approximately 23° and 36°, respectively, to capture ocean surface dynamics. The SAR imaging process is influenced by various modulations, including hydrodynamic, tilt, and velocity bunching. While hydrodynamic and tilt modulations can be approximated as linear processes, velocity bunching introduces significant distortion due to the satellite’s relative motion with respect to the ocean surface and leads to constructive but also destructive effects on the wave imaging process. Due to the associated azimuth cut-off, the quasi-linear inversion primarily detects ocean swells with, on average, wavelengths longer than 200 m in the SAR azimuth direction, limiting the resolution of smaller-scale wave features in azimuth but reaching 10 m resolution along range. The 2D spectral partitioning technique used in the Sentinel-1 WV OCN product separates different swell systems, known as partitions, based on their frequency, directional, and spectral characteristics. The accuracy of these partitions can be affected by several factors, including non-linear effects, large-scale surface features, and the relative direction of the swell peak to the satellite’s flight path. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel quality control framework using a machine learning (ML) approach to develop a quality flag (QF) parameter associated with each swell partition provided in the OCN products. By pairing collocated data from Sentinel-1 (S1) and WaveWatch III (WW3) partitions, the QF parameter assigns each SAR-derived swell partition one of five quality levels: “very good,” “good,” “medium,” “low,” or “poor”. This ML-based method enhances the accuracy of wave partitions, especially in cases where non-linear effects or large-scale oceanic features distort the data. The proposed algorithm provides a robust tool for filtering out problematic partitions, improving the overall quality of ocean wave measurements obtained from SAR. Moreover, the variability in the accuracy of swell partitions, depending on the swell direction relative to the satellite’s flight heading, is effectively addressed, enabling more reliable data for oceanographic studies. This work contributes to a better understanding of ocean swell dynamics derived from SAR observations and supports the numerical swell modeling community by aiding in the refinement of models and their integration into operational systems, thereby advancing both theoretical and practical aspects of ocean wave forecasting. Full article