Search Results (1,637)

Hybrid supramolecular–nanocomposite hydrogels based on polyethylene glycol (PEG), β-cyclodextrin–adamantane host–guest interactions, and silica nanoparticles represent an important class of hierarchical soft materials with tunable viscoelastic and transport properties. This review critically analyzes recent progress in cyclodextrin–silica hybrid PEG hydrogels, focusing on the mechanistic coupling between stiffness, stress relaxation, and molecular transport arising from the interplay between reversible supramolecular crosslinks and nanoparticle-induced confinement effects. Particular attention is given to how host–guest exchange kinetics regulate dynamic bond rearrangement and affinity-mediated retention of hydrophobic cargo, while silica nanoparticles enhance mechanical reinforcement and modify diffusion pathways through tortuosity and interfacial polymer–particle interactions. The analysis highlights how nanoparticle size, loading level, and surface functionalization influence relaxation spectra and network topology, as well as how environmental stimuli may affect supramolecular bond stability and overall material performance. Comparison with alternative inorganic fillers and mesoporous silica architectures further clarifies the specific advantages of silica in achieving balanced mechanical stability and controlled transport behavior. Overall, current evidence indicates that hybrid CD–silica networks enable partial decoupling of stiffness, relaxation dynamics, and diffusion, although complete independence remains constrained by fundamental polymer physics relationships. These insights support the development of predictive structure–property frameworks for advanced biomedical and controlled release applications. Full article

Background: In this study, type B gelatin was extracted from Oreochromis niloticus scales under hydrothermal conditions at 60 °C to evaluate the effect of ultrasound-assisted pretreatment on its structural, physicochemical, thermal, and functional properties. Methods: Gelatin obtained with and without ultrasound pretreatment was systematically characterized through molecular weight analysis, proteomic profiling, size determination, surface morphology, proximate composition, thermal behavior, and gelation-related functional properties in order to assess the influence of the extraction method on gelation performance. Results: Ultrasound pretreatment slightly increased gelatin yield from 1.46 to 1.70%, indicating enhanced collagen solubilization. Proteomic analysis confirmed the predominance of fibrillar collagen proteins in both samples, although differences in protein distribution were observed. Furthermore, weight-average molecular weight analysis revealed a reduction from 212.3 ± 11.8 to 170.9 ± 13.2 kDa in the ultrasound-treated sample, suggesting partial fragmentation of collagen chains induced by cavitation effects. Structural modifications were also reflected in increased porosity and surface changes, contributing to improved colloidal stability. However, these changes significantly affect the functional behavior of the gelatin. Ultrasound-treated sample exhibited limited gel-forming capacity and failed to form stable gels at the evaluated concentration, despite complete dissolution. In contrast, gelatin extracted without ultrasound treatment retained higher-molecular-weight fractions and formed stable gels at both 5 and 10% (w/w). Thermal and spectroscopic analyses suggested that the fundamental collagen structure was preserved in both samples, although differences were observed in thermal degradation behavior. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of controlling ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions to balance collagen recovery with the preservation of molecular integrity required for gelation, providing insights for the development of sustainable fish-derived biomaterials for pharmaceuticals and biomedical applications. Full article

This study proposes a unified multimodal temporal motion state perception framework for optical imaging-oriented biomedical applications, integrating visual skeleton sequences, inertial measurement unit (IMU) signals, and surface electromyography (EMG) signals. The framework utilizes modality-specific encoders and a cross-modal temporal alignment attention mechanism to explicitly model temporal offsets from heterogeneous sensing streams. A multimodal temporal Transformer backbone is introduced to capture long-range motion dependencies and cross-modal interactions, while an uncertainty-aware fusion module dynamically allocates weights based on modality confidence. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves an accuracy of 94.37%, an F1-score of 93.95%, and a mean average precision of 96.02%, outperforming mainstream baseline models. Robustness evaluations further confirm stable performance under visual occlusion and sensor noise. These results indicate that the framework provides a highly accurate and robust solution for rehabilitation assessment, sports training monitoring, and wearable intelligent interaction systems. Full article

Advanced thermal management applications, including electronics cooling, battery systems, and micro heat exchangers, are increasingly requiring thermally conductive yet flexible polymer composites. Composite films containing total nanofiller loadings of 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt.% were systematically characterized using SEM, TGA, DSC, TT, and SSTM following ASTM C177-19. SEM analysis confirmed uniform dispersion and effective network formation of MWCNTs and GNPs within the TPU matrix at higher filler loadings. Thermal stability improved significantly, with the degradation onset temperature increasing from 319.2 °C for pure TPU to 369 °C for the TPU/MWCNT/GNP (90/5/5 wt.%) composite. DSC results revealed enhanced glass transition and melting temperatures, indicating improved thermal resistance and crystallinity. Mechanical testing showed a substantial increase in Young’s modulus, reaching 72.5 MPa for the 90/5/5 wt.% composite, corresponding to a 286.66% improvement over pure TPU. Most notably, steady-state thermal conductivity increased dramatically from 0.20 W/mK for pure TPU to 1.533 W/mK for the 90/5/5 wt.% composite, representing a 666.50% enhancement. The experimental results closely aligned with percolation-based theoretical models at higher filler concentrations. Overall, the developed hybrid nanofiller TPU composites demonstrate a synergistic improvement in thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and thermal stability, making them promising candidates for flexible thermal management components in electronics, automotive, renewable energy, and biomedical applications. Full article

As the demand for sustainable and bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived membranes grows, polysaccharides have emerged as promising candidates. In this study, we fabricated free-standing membranes from konjac glucomannan (KGM), a neutral polysaccharide, using a simple base-induced insolubilization process. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the deacetylation of KGM chains promotes extensive intermolecular hydrogen bonding, creating a robust and stable three-dimensional network without the need for chemical cross-linkers. The resulting KGM free-standing membranes exhibited excellent mechanical properties, characterized by high tensile strength in the dry state and remarkable flexibility when hydrated. Furthermore, the membranes demonstrated superior chemical resistance to organic solvents such as acetone and n-hexane. Transport studies showed that the membranes possess a highly dense structure with no detectable pressure-driven pure-water permeation up to 0.25 MPa. Solute permeation experiments using eight model molecules (molecular weight = 144–14,600 Da) indicated that transport behavior is consistent with diffusion through a hydrated polymer network. The effective diffusion coefficient D_eff showed a strong correlation with molecular weight M, following the relationship D_eff ∝ M^−1.7. Furthermore, the permeation behavior remained stable across a wide pH range (2–12), and, within the investigated range of monovalent solutes, D_eff was insensitive to solute charge, indicating that mass transport is dominated by size-based diffusion rather than electrostatic interactions. These findings suggest that KGM free-standing membranes enable reliable molecular fractionation based on size-dependent diffusion within a stable, neutral matrix, offering significant potential for sustainable separation technologies and biomedical applications. Full article

Boron carbide (B₄C)-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) are promising candidates for biomedical implants due to their mechanical properties and potential biological compatibility. In this study, in vitro biocompatibility and cytotoxicity of B₄C-reinforced CoCrMo, Ti, and 17-4 PH alloys were systematically evaluated using human osteoblast (HOB) cells. Composites were fabricated via powder metallurgy with varying B₄C reinforcement ratios (CoCrMo and Ti: 5–10 wt%; 17-4 PH: 3–12 wt%). Extracts prepared according to ISO 10993-12 standards were applied at different concentrations (100%, 50%, 25%, 12.5%) to assess cell viability using the MTT assay over 24, 48, and 72 h. Results demonstrated a clear dose-dependent cytotoxic effect across all composite systems. Ti composites exhibited the highest biocompatibility, with cell viability largely preserved even at higher B₄C ratios. CoCrMo composites showed moderate cytotoxicity, which decreased upon extract dilution, indicating low-concentration compatibility. In contrast, 17-4 PH composites revealed significant cytotoxicity at higher extract concentrations, exacerbated by increasing B₄C content. Literature-supported findings confirm that B₄C incorporation enhances hardness, wear resistance, and elastic modulus, yet excessive reinforcement can induce local stress and particle detachment, affecting cellular tolerance. Diluted extracts of Ti and CoCrMo composites maintained cell viability at a biocompatible level consistent with ISO 10993-5 criteria. These results highlight the promising biocompatibility of B₄C-reinforced Ti and CoCrMo alloys for biomedical applications and provide a biological basis for the design of next-generation composite implants. Full article

Titanium alloys are widely used for biomedical implants due to their favorable mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, the development of multifunctional implant materials requires not only structural stability but also controlled electrochemical responsiveness, an important property for electrochemical sensing. This study developed ultrafine-grained Ti–xMo alloys (x = 28 and 31 wt.%) via mechanical alloying followed by powder metallurgy to investigate the effect of high Mo content on phase stability, corrosion behavior, and electrochemical sensing response. Both alloys exhibited predominantly β-phase microstructures, with β-phase fractions exceeding 93%, confirming effective stabilization at elevated Mo concentrations. Electrochemical tests conducted in 0.01 M PBS and Ringer’s solution revealed that pure Ti exhibited the highest impedance modulus and lowest corrosion current density, indicating superior passive film barrier properties. In contrast, high-Mo alloys showed reduced polarization resistance and increased charge-transfer contribution, associated with modifications in passive film defect chemistry and electronic properties induced by Mo enrichment. Among the investigated compositions, Ti-31 wt.% Mo demonstrated improved electrochemical stability compared to Ti-28 wt.% Mo, exhibiting lower corrosion current density and higher impedance values within the high-Mo regime. Cyclic voltammetry performed in 0.01 M PBS containing 1 mM K₃[Fe(CN)₆] confirmed enhanced heterogeneous electron-transfer capability for Mo-rich alloys relative to pure Ti. Overall, Ti-31 wt.% Mo provides a balanced combination of β-phase stabilization, moderate corrosion resistance, and improved electrochemical responsiveness potentially suitable for sensing interfaces. Full article

Background/Objectives: Abdominal sepsis remains a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among surgical and critically ill patients worldwide. Timely diagnosis is frequently hindered by the overlapping clinical and biochemical features of postoperative inflammatory responses and evolving intra-abdominal infections, which may resemble systemic sepsis. Conventional biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT), are widely implemented in clinical practice but demonstrate suboptimal specificity in differentiating infectious from sterile inflammatory conditions in the early postoperative phase. Presepsin (soluble CD14 subtype, sCD14-ST), a circulating fragment released during monocyte–macrophage activation in response to bacterial endotoxins, has emerged as a biomarker reflecting innate immune engagement. This review aims to critically evaluate the current evidence regarding the diagnostic accuracy, prognostic relevance, and potential clinical role of presepsin in abdominal sepsis. Methods: A comprehensive narrative review of the biomedical literature was performed using MEDLINE (via PubMed) and supplementary academic sources. Studies assessing the diagnostic performance, prognostic associations, and clinical applicability of presepsin in abdominal infections, postoperative infectious complications, and sepsis were systematically examined. Where available, comparative analyses with established biomarkers such as CRP and PCT were evaluated to contextualize its incremental value within existing diagnostic frameworks. Results: The accumulated evidence indicates that presepsin concentrations increase early during bacterial infections and correlate with validated severity indices, organ dysfunction scores, and mortality outcomes. Across multiple surgical and intensive care settings, presepsin demonstrated moderate-to-high diagnostic performance, frequently comparable to and occasionally exceeding that of traditional inflammatory biomarkers, particularly in distinguishing septic from non-septic inflammatory states. Moreover, dynamic changes in circulating levels appear to provide additional prognostic information and may support longitudinal clinical assessment. Nonetheless, substantial heterogeneity in study design, patient populations, sampling strategies, and reported cut-off values limits direct cross-study comparability and constrains definitive clinical recommendations. Conclusions: Presepsin represents a biologically plausible and clinically promising biomarker for the early identification and risk stratification of abdominal sepsis. Although current findings are encouraging, further large-scale, methodologically standardized prospective investigations are required to define optimal diagnostic thresholds and to clarify their role within multimodal biomarker strategies in contemporary sepsis management. Full article

This study aims to develop a biometric recognition system based on photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals. Two testing approaches were employed: simulation and real-time evaluation. The simulations utilized both publicly available data from the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering database and locally collected data from volunteers. The best-performing simulation model was subsequently applied in real-time testing with the same volunteer group. The results indicate that PPG signals provide a reliable foundation for biometric recognition systems, and further reveal that the use of raw PPG data enhances accuracy. Full article

Ruthenocene (Rc) and its derivatives form a structurally versatile class of metallocenes with unique and multifunctional applicability. This review presents a detailed analysis of Rc chemistry including the structural comparison with ferrocene, its redox behavior, and substituent effects. We also discuss its applications in sensing, energy storage, photochemistry, and biomedicine. Rc exhibits unique conformational and adaptive electronic properties based on one and two-electron oxidation processes. Electrochemical investigations of Rc to date indicate that its redox behavior is strongly dependent on the electrolyte system, exhibiting quasi-Nernstian characteristics, the formation of stabilized dimeric species [Rc₂]²⁺, and interconversion among Ru(II), Ru(III), and Ru(IV) oxidation states. Rc-based systems exhibit superior performance as redox mediators and labels in electrochemical sensing systems in terms of electron-transfer kinetics, signal amplification, and surface immobilization. In the field of energy storage, Rc decreases the charging overpotential and increases the cycle life of Li-O₂ batteries. Rc further acts as a photoinitiator via charge-transfer-to-solvent and efficient photoinduced electron transfer in metalloporphyrin and fullerene dyads. In biomedical research, Rc derivatives as well as bioconjugates possess promising anticancer activities, displaying reactive oxygen species generation, topoisomerase inhibition, thioredoxin reductase inhibition, receptor-mediated uptake, and target peptide conjugation. Given its flexible ligand design, electrolyte driven redox behaviors, and antiproliferative properties, Rc exhibits a very adaptive molecular scaffold for next generation electrochemical technologies as well as metallodrug design. Full article

Rare-earth elements are critical to a wide range of high-technology applications, and analyzing patents involving rare-earth elements is essential for understanding technological progress and innovation trends. Traditional topic models cannot fully exploit patent network structures and temporal information, limiting their ability to capture the dynamic evolution of technology topics. To overcome these limitations, we propose a novel multisource-fused framework (MFT-PTM), which integrates three types of multisource features: textual, network, and temporal features via the time-aware TemporalK-Means algorithm. Specifically, we use SciBERT to extract text embeddings, TransR to generate network embeddings, and derive temporal scalars from patent data. After fusing and reducing these features with Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP), we apply TemporalK-Means clustering with a time-decay mechanism to capture evolutionary trends. Experiments on 43,322 rare-earth-related patents indicate that the proposed framework achieves improved performance compared with traditional methods such as LDA and BERTopic in terms of topic coherence, cluster quality, and cluster separation. Furthermore, the analysis suggests a noticeable technological transition in rare-earth applications, gradually shifting from environmental catalysis toward advanced energy and biomedical domains. Overall, the framework provides a quantitative approach for integrating multisource patent information and exploring technological evolution patterns. Full article

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from microbial sources, including beer yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), have recently attracted increasing attention as bioactive nanostructures with potential biomedical and cosmetic applications. In this study, EVs were isolated from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (beer yeast) using an electrokinetic ion-binding filtration system, followed by tangential flow filtration (TFF)-based buffer exchange. Their physicochemical characteristics and hair follicle-related biological activities were systematically evaluated. Nanoparticle tracking analysis demonstrated a mean particle size within the typical EV range, and zeta potential analysis confirmed a negatively charged surface. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy further verified the presence of lipid bilayer-enclosed nanovesicles. Biological activity was assessed in human dermal papilla cells, keratinocytes, and dermal fibroblasts, which collectively represent key components of the hair follicle microenvironment. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, yeast-derived EVs enhanced dermal papilla cell proliferation and promoted keratinocyte migration. The EVs attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression under stimulated conditions and upregulated collagen-related gene expression in dermal fibroblasts. In addition, measurable antioxidant activity was observed. Collectively, these findings indicate that S. cerevisiae-derived extracellular vesicles exhibit multifunctional bioactivity relevant to the regulation of hair follicle-associated cellular processes. This study supports the potential of microbial EVs as scalable bioactive platforms for modulating hair follicle microenvironmental homeostasis. Full article

Limited mechanical robustness and prompt proteolytic degradation preclude wider biomedical application of supramolecular peptide hydrogels. Low-molecular-weight dehydropeptides represent a promising class of hydrogelators, owing to their enhanced proteolytic stability, high self-assembly propensity, biocompatibility, and tunable rheological and drug-release properties. Herein, we prepared a small library of N-succinylated dehydrotripeptides (Suc-L-Xaa-L-Phe-Z-ΔPhe-OMe/-OH; Xaa = Phe or Val), together with the canonical analogs (Suc-L-Phe-L-Phe-L-Phe-OMe/-OH), to assess whether in addition to proteolytic resistance, dehydropeptides offer clear advantages over canonical peptides in terms of self-assembly, gelation efficacy, mechanical performance, and cargo release. Peptide self-assembly, hydrogel formation, and supramolecular organization were investigated by fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, Thioflavin T hydrogel staining, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheological measurements. Drug-release performance was evaluated using methyl orange as a model cargo. Overall, the dehydropeptide-based hydrogels displayed enhanced gelation efficacy, improved mechanical properties, and sustained release profiles compared to canonical analogs. Spectroscopic analysis (CD and ATR-FTIR) and molecular dynamic simulations indicated that the dehydropeptides preferentially self-assemble into more ordered supramolecular fibrils, with extended β-sheet-like packing, whereas the canonical peptides predominantly populate more disordered backbone environments. Proteolysis assays with α-chymotrypsin revealed that both canonical and dehydropeptide methyl esters underwent chymotrypsin-catalyzed ester hydrolysis. Importantly, only the canonical dicarboxylic acid underwent further proteolytic degradation. The dehydropeptide dicarboxylic acids revealed fully resistant to proteolysis over extended time periods. These results demonstrate that the incorporation of dehydroamino acid into peptides enables control over supramolecular packing, nanofibrillar network architecture, rheology, and cargo release. This report raises the profile of relatively underexplored dehydropeptide-based soft materials as promising high-performance biomaterials for technological and biomedical applications. Full article

An eco-friendly green synthesis approach was employed to produce copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) using a polyherbal extract derived from two medicinally important plant species, Hygrophila auriculata (Schumach.) Heine and Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link. The plant extracts were initially subjected to phytochemical screening to identify bioactive constituents potentially involved in nanoparticle synthesis. The synthesized CuNPs were characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM-EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). UV-visible spectroscopy revealed a characteristic absorption peak at 233.6 nm. FTIR analysis indicated the presence of functional groups associated with nanoparticle reduction and stabilization, whereas FESEM imaging showed predominantly spherical particles with sizes ranging 63–68 nm. Elemental composition was confirmed using EDAX analysis. XRD analysis demonstrated polycrystalline nature of the CuNPs, with an average crystallite size of 11.5 nm. GC-MS analysis and phytochemical screening further confirmed the presence of bioactive compounds, whereas TLC analysis revealed differences in mobility between the plant extract and synthesized CuNPs. Antibacterial activity of the synthesized CuNPs was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method against clinically relevant bacterial strains, including those of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus pyogenes. The polyherbal-derived CuNPs produced larger inhibition zones than the individual plant extracts, particularly against multidrug-resistant pathogens such as P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. Additionally, the nanoparticles exhibited concentration-dependent antioxidant activity in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay at concentrations ranging 10–50 mg/mL, with radical scavenging activity increasing from 29.9% to 76.5% and a corresponding decrease in absorbance from 0.698 to 0.234 (p < 0.05). Cytotoxic evaluation in HepG2 cells after 48 h of exposure demonstrated dose-dependent morphological changes and reduced cell viability. These findings suggest that polyherbal-derived CuNPs possess antibacterial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties with potential relevance for biomedical applications. Full article

Background: Placental malaria (PM) is a serious complication of malaria in pregnancy (MiP). It has major repercussions for mothers’ and neonates’ health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As current preventive measures lose efficacy due to drug resistance, malaria vaccines can play a crucial role in malaria control. The main objective of this study was to generate evidence that can guide the design of social and behaviour change interventions to raise awareness of PM and improve vaccine acceptance. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted; five dichotomised indicators were constructed; multivariate logistic regression was adjusted for age, education, and districts; and prespecified sensitivity analyses were done. Results: General malaria knowledge and preventive practices were high. Many women (53.4%) reported having had experienced fever during pregnancy. Prevention behaviour was not significantly associated with age or education. Both high knowledge (aOR 0.30, 95% CI 0.16–0.57) and perceived risk awareness (aOR 0.35, 95% CI 0.18–0.68) were lower for Mpemba than for Thyolo. Biomedical healthcare services were less likely utilised by women in Madziabango as compared to Thyolo (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23–0.96). Although 92% acknowledged possible harm, nearly all of them (97%) reported willingness to accept a future maternal malaria vaccine. Conclusions: There was a high level of maternal malaria vaccine acceptability; however, these findings suggest that local context-specific delivery strategies could be useful for effective future PM vaccine introduction. Full article