Search Results (175)

Oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) are increasingly recognized as biologically active lipids involved in various pathologies. Both exposure to pathogenic factors and the efficacy of protective mechanisms are critical to disease development. In this study, we characterized an immunoassay that quantified the total capacity of the plasma to degrade or mask OxPLs, thereby preventing their interaction with cells and soluble proteins. OxLDL-coated plates were first incubated with human blood plasma or a control vehicle, followed by an ELISA using a monoclonal antibody specific to oxidized phosphatidylethanolamine. Pretreatment with the diluted blood plasma markedly inhibited mAb binding. The masking assay was optimized by evaluating the buffer composition, the compatibility with various anticoagulants, potential interfering compounds, the kinetic parameters, pre-analytical stability, statistical robustness, and intra- and inter-individual variability. We propose that this masking assay provides a simple immunological approach to assessing protective mechanisms against lipid peroxidation products. Establishing this robust and reproducible method is essential for conducting clinical association studies that explore masking activity as a potential biomarker of the predisposition to a broad range of lipid-peroxidation-related diseases. Full article

Cellulose-based paper products derived from agro-industrial waste have attracted considerable interest due to their potential in sustainable material development. In this study, bacterial cellulose (BC) residue from the food and beverage industry was employed as a reinforcing agent to fabricate high-performance paper composites by blending with eucalyptus pulp (EP) at various ratios and basis weights. These papers were coated with a cationic modified starch solution (MS) using a rod coater, followed by hot pressing. Mechanical strengths (TAPPI Standard), water resistance (Cobb test and water contact angle), and air permeability (ASTM D737) were evaluated to assess material performance. The results showed that incorporating 50 wt% BC produced paper with outstanding mechanical performance, characterized by a high tensile index and excellent tear resistance. The application of the MS coating significantly boosted water resistance and air barrier performance, underscoring the effectiveness of this approach in creating high-performance paper materials. The resulting coated composites demonstrated excellent mechanical strength and barrier properties, positioning them as promising candidates for filtration applications such as personal protective face mask membranes. Full article

Hemispherical resonator gyroscopes (HRGs) are critical components in high-precision inertial navigation systems, typically used in fields such as navigation, weaponry, and deep space exploration. Film thickness uniformity affects device performance through its impact on the resonator’s Q value. Due to the irregular structure of the resonator, there has been limited research on the uniformity of film thickness on the inner wall of the resonator. This study addresses the challenge of thickness non-uniformity in metallization coatings, particularly in the meridional direction of the resonator. By integrating COMSOL-based finite element simulations with reinforcement learning-driven optimization through the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm, a new paradigm for coating process optimization is established. Furthermore, a correction mask is designed to address the issue of low coating rate. Finally, a Zygo white-light interferometer is used to measure film thickness uniformity. The results show that the optimized coating process achieves a film thickness uniformity of 11.0% in the meridional direction across the resonator. This study provides useful information and guidelines for the design and optimization of the coating process for hemispherical resonators, and the presented optimization method constitutes a process flow framework that can also be used for precision coating engineering in semiconductor components and optical elements. Full article

Oral administration of dipyridamole (DIP) with acetylsalicylic acid (ACA) is recommended in thromboembolic conditions or for the treatment of myocardial infarction and stroke. The present study presents an alternative dosage form of these two active ingredients, consisting of a honey core and a dark chocolate coating. The composition masks the bitter taste, is palatable and ensures compliance of a wide range of patients, mainly pediatric. For the simultaneous quantitative determination of the analytes, a Diode Array Detector/Fluorescence Detector (HPLC-DAD/FLD) method was used with a C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) and an isocratic two-phase system (A: H₂O 0.2% formic acid—B: Acetonitrile-H₂O 90:10 v/v) 65:35 v/v. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines (r² > 0.999, RSD < 2.3%, % Recovery > 95.4%), and a stability study of the two active ingredients as well as salicylic acid (SAL), which is a hydrolysis product of ACA, was followed. Finally, a digestion protocol (oral cavity–stomach–intestine) for edible materials was applied to determine the release rate of ACA, DIP and SAL in the gastrointestinal tract, while an in vitro permeability study (P_app) was subsequently performed in Franz cells. The results show satisfactory behavior of ACA and DIP and provide a trigger for further studies of the formulation. Full article

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a promising biobased polymer celebrated for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and advantageous mechanical properties. However, its inherent hydrophobicity and lack of hydrophilic functional groups restrict its application in advanced uses, such as nonwoven fabrics (NWFs) for masks, diapers, and biomedical products. This study explores the application of cold plasma treatments to modify the surface of PLA-based NWFs using oxygen and oxygen–argon gas mixtures. We varied power levels and exposure times to optimize surface activation. The samples treated with plasma under different conditions were analyzed to understand the impact of these treatments on the surface functionalization, morphology, and thermal properties of PLA_NWF. Additionally, as a proof of concept, the plasma-treated samples were dip-coated in green tea extract, which is rich in (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural antioxidant. The findings demonstrate that plasma treatment significantly enhances the adhesion and functionality of the active ingredient, thereby paving the way for innovative sustainable applications of surface-activated PLA-NWFs in the biomedical and cosmetic sectors or food preservation. Full article

The bitter taste of drugs is an important impediment to medication adherence for pediatric patients. To develop a formulation that can be easily taken by pediatric patients, we prepared film-coated molded tablets to mask their bitterness and investigated their properties. We manufactured 5 and 3 mm film-coated tablets, which were easy for children to swallow. The tablets also exhibited rapid disintegration (≤30 s), making them suitable for tube administration. The formulation of the film-coating layer was experimentally optimized. Tablets (measuring 5 and 3 mm thick) containing the model drug dextromethorphan hydrobromide were film-coated by weight of the uncoated tablets (4% by weight). These tablets rapidly disintegrated and masked the bitterness for 10 s. An examination of the coated tablets revealed that the film covered the periphery, which may mask the bitterness. The findings demonstrate that coating small molded tablets with a film enables the manufacture of tablets that could be more tolerable for pediatric patients and suitable for tube administration. Full article

The widespread use of disposable masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in plastic waste, mainly due to the non-biodegradable polypropylene materials used in conventional mask production. This study aimed to develop an eco-friendly Korean filter-certified health mask using biodegradable polylactic acid fibers and natural materials. The traditional synthetic components of the outer, filter, and inner layers of the mask were replaced with sustainable alternatives. In addition, antibacterial and deodorizing properties were enhanced using jade-based coatings. Performance tests confirmed the filtration efficiency and breathability of the mask. The mask achieved over 70% biodegradability and decomposed within 45 days in composting environments, leading to a lower environmental impact than conventional masks. In addition, wearability assessments indicated significantly improved comfort, particularly in terms of breathability and hygiene. This study highlights the potential of sustainable mask production and its role in addressing plastic waste. This study presents a sustainable alternative to maximize the biodegradability of mask materials, thereby reducing carbon emissions and landfill burdens after disposal. This work reflects the social responsibility towards environmental issues through the use of eco-friendly materials and has implications for increasing the demand for sustainable products. Full article

This study focused on developing a color-changing fabric face mask for fever detection. Reversible Thermochromic Leuco dye (RTL) was applied as an indicator to alert wearers of elevated body temperatures, with the color change occurring at 37.5 °C. Five fabric types Polyethylene (PE), cotton (CO), a cotton–polyester blend (TC), polyester (PL), and Polyamide (PA) were coated with blue RTL to evaluate their color change responsiveness. The results showed that fabrics with higher thermal conductivity (λ), thermal absorptivity (b), and heat flow (q) exhibited faster color transitions. RTL-coated PE fabric demonstrated the best performance, with a thermal absorptivity of 312.8 Ws^0.5m⁻²K⁻¹ and a heat flow of 2.11 Wm⁻², leading to a rapid color-change time of approximately 4.20 s. Although PE fabric had a lower thermal conductivity (57.6 × 10⁻³ Wm⁻¹K⁻¹) compared to PA fabric 84.56 (10⁻³ Wm⁻¹K⁻¹), the highest thickness 0.65 mm of PA fabric slowed its color-change reaction to 11.8 s. When selecting fabrics for optimal heat transfer, relying solely on fiber type or thermal conductivity (λ) is insufficient. The fabric’s structural properties, particularly thickness, significantly impact thermal resistance (γ). Experimental results suggest that thermal absorptivity and heat flow are more effective criteria for fabric selection, as they directly correlate with color-change performance. Full article

By 2050, 700 million people will have hearing loss, requiring rehabilitation services. For about 80% of deaf and hard-hearing individuals, face coverings hinders their ability to lip-read. Also, the normal hearing population experiences issues socializing when wearing face masks. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate and further develop transparent face masks. In this work, the properties of polymers used in ten commercial transparent face masks were determined. The chemical composition of the polymers including nose bridges and ear loops was determined by FTIR spectroscopy. The focus of the characterizations was on the polymers in the transparent portion of each face mask. In half of the masks, the transparent portion contained PET, while in the other masks it consisted of PETG, PC, iPP, PVC, or SR (silicone rubber). Most masks had been coated with anti-fog material, and a few with scratch-resistant compounds, as indicated by XRF/EDX, SEM/EDX, and contact angle measurements. Thermal, molecular weight, and mechanical properties were determined by TGA/DSC, SEC, and tensile tests, respectively. To measure optical properties, UV-Vis reflectance and UV-Vis haze were applied. An assessment of the ten masks and recommendations to develop better transparent face masks were made, including improvement of their sustainability. Full article

Background and Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is considered a global epidemic, and its diagnosis is crucial, allowing early intervention and management. The main aim of this study was to examine any possible blood pressure (BP) differences based on office and out-of-office measurements in patients with and without MetS, and to investigate if any of these measurements correlated better with MetS. The secondary aim was to investigate any possible cardiovascular risk differences. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of individuals attending the outpatient hypertension clinic. Office and out-of-office BP measurements were recorded in all of the patients, as well as different cardiovascular risk scores and echocardiography. MetS was defined according to ACC/AHA criteria. Results: A total of 282 (39.9% men) individuals (56.8 ± 15.8 years) were analyzed; 60.8% of them had MetS. The patients with MetS had a significantly higher systolic BP (SBP) in all of the BP measurements, higher ASCVD risk (22% vs. 12%), Framingham risk scores (11.8% vs. 6.9%), a significantly higher prevalence of LVH (49.2% vs. 22.7%) and early vascular aging (54.8% vs. 27.4%) compared with the patients without MetS (p < 0.05 for all). In a univariate analysis, MetS was significantly correlated with the average 24h SBP, daytime and nighttime ambulatory SBP, office SBP, and home SBP in the morning (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed for any of the DBP measurements. Finally, 50.5% of the MetS patients had sustained hypertension, 15.2% masked hypertension, and 11.5% white-coat hypertension based on ABPM, and these values were 45.1%, 19.3%, and 13.6%, respectively, based on HBPM. Furthermore, most of the MetS patients had non-dipping hypertension (56.4%). Conclusions: The present findings highlight the importance of out-of-office BP measurements in the diagnosis of MetS, since both a high office and out-of-office SBP were significant features of the syndrome (whereas this was not the case with DBP). This is further supported by the increased prevalence of different hypertension phenotypes observed in the MetS patients. Higher ASCVD risk scores and LVH and EVA prevalence were also related to MetS, thus strongly supporting the necessity for early detection and treatment. Full article

Recently, the potential of recycled materials to improve the performance of concrete and other building materials has become an important research topic. It is known that various methods are applied to improve the tensile strength and energy absorption capacity of cementitious systems. One of the most common of these methods is the addition of fibers to the mixture. In this study, the effects of surface-modified polypropylene (PP) fibers obtained from recycled masks on the mechanical properties of mortar mixtures were investigated. In order to improve the matrix–fiber interface performance, 6 mm and 12 mm long recycled PP fibers were chemically coated within the scope of surface modification using 1-Vinyl-1,2,4-Triazole and Vinyl Acetate. With this modification made on the surface of PP fibers, we aimed to increase the surface roughness of the fibers and improve their adhesion to the matrix. Thus, we aimed to increase the mechanical properties of mortar mixtures as a result of the fibers performing more effectively in the concrete matrix. FTIR AND SEM-EDS analyses confirmed the success of the modification and the applicability of 1-Vinyl-1,2,4-Triazole and Vinyl Acetate to the fiber surface and showed that the fibers were successfully modified. It is seen that the fibers modified with Vinyl Acetate exhibit superior performance in terms of both the workability and strength performance of cementitious systems compared to the fibers modified with 1-Vinyl-1,2,4-Triazole. This study provides a significant contribution to sustainable construction materials by revealing the potential of using recycled materials in cementitious systems. Full article

Polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers’ (CRFs) unique nutrient release mechanism has the potential to mitigate the leaching of mobile soil nutrients, such as nitrate-nitrogen (NO₃-N). The study aimed to evaluate the capacity of a polymer-coated CRFs to maintain maize (Zea mays L.) crop growth/health indicators and production goals, while reducing NO₃-N leaching risks compared to conventional (CONV) fertilizers in North Florida. Four CRF rates (168, 224, 280, 336 kg N ha⁻¹) were assessed against a no nitrogen (N) application and the current University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) recommended CONV (269 kg N ha⁻¹) fertilizer rate. All CRF treatments, even the lowest CRF rate (168 kg N ha⁻¹), produced yields, leaf tissue N concentrations, plant heights, aboveground biomasses (AGB), and leaf area index (LAI) significantly (p < 0.05) greater than or similar to the CONV fertilizer treatment. Additionally, in 2022, the CONV fertilizer treatment resulted in increases in late-season movement of soil NO₃-N into highly leachable areas of the soil profile (60–120 cm), while none of the CRF treatments did. However, back-to-back leaching rainfall (>76.2 mm over three days) events in the 2023 growing season masked any trends as NO₃-N was likely completely flushed from the system. The results of this two-year study suggest that polymer-coated CRFs can achieve desirable crop growth, crop health, and production goals, while also having the potential to reduce the late-season leaching potential of NO₃-N; however, more research is needed to fully capture and quantify the movement of NO₃-N through the soil profile. Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that CRF performance was significantly influenced by environmental factors such as rainfall and temperature. In 2022, temperature-driven nitrogen release aligned with crop uptake, supporting higher yields and minimizing NO₃-N movement. In 2023, however, rainfall-driven variability led to an increase in NO₃-N leaching and masked the benefits of CRF treatments. These analyses provided critical insights into the relationships between environmental factors and CRF performance, emphasizing the importance of adaptive fertilizer management under varying climatic conditions. Full article

The need for clean and safe air quality is a global priority that extends to diverse environments, including households, industrial spaces, and areas requiring respiratory personal protection. In this study, polycarbonate (PC) nanofiber filters coated with a coating containing a silver salt were prepared by the electrospinning process and a subsequent dipping–extraction method. These nanofiber filters presented the enhancement of air filtration efficiency and reinforcement of antibacterial properties. The research includes diverse PC filter structures, assessing beaded and non-beaded structures and varying areal weights. The study evaluated filtration efficiency across NaCl particle sizes (50–400 nm) and pressure drop outcomes. In addition, the antibacterial activity of the coated filters against E. coli and other coliforms was investigated by the filtration membrane method. Repetitive testing consistently yields high efficiencies, reaching 100% in thicker filters, and minimal air resistance in beaded filters, presenting an advantage over the current systems. Furthermore, the new properties of the filters will enhance environmental safety, and their time of use will be increased since they prevented the growth of bacteria, and no significant colonies were seen. Considering all these factors, these filters presented promising application in environments with harmful microorganisms, for the development of advanced industrial filtering systems or even hygienic masks. Full article

The ability to treat the surface of an object with coatings that counteract the change in radiance resulting from the object’s blackbody emission can be very useful for applications requiring temperature-independent radiance behavior. Such a response is difficult to achieve with most materials except when using phase-change materials, which can undergo a drastic change in their optical response, nullifying the changes in blackbody radiation across a narrow range of temperatures. We report on the theoretical design, giving the possibility of extending the temperature range for temperature-independent radiance coatings by utilizing multiple layers, each comprising a different phase-change material. These designed multilayer coatings are based on thin films of samarium nickelate, vanadium dioxide, and doped vanadium oxide and cover temperatures ranging from room temperature to up to 140 °C. The coatings are numerically engineered in terms of layer thickness and doping, with each successive layer comprising a phase-change material with progressively higher transition temperatures than those below. Our calculations demonstrate that the optimized thin film multilayers exhibit a negligible change in the apparent temperature of the engineered surface. These engineered multilayer films can be used to mask an object’s thermal radiation emission against thermal imaging systems. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a fast-growing technology that supports the rapid fabrication of prototypes. Already, employing AM technologies in early product development stages can help to accelerate the time from conceptualisation phase to the market entry. Furthermore, advances in the field of materials, such as highly transparent resins in the visible wavelength spectrum, also open application potentials for the design and fabrication of optical components. Three highly transparent resins from different suppliers are studied in this work regarding their influence on the geometrical and optical properties of additively manufactured components. The different materials were processed using a masked stereolithography 3D printer. Geometrical and optical properties of the generated test samples were analysed by means of laser scanning microscopy and spectrophotometry, respectively. A clear correlation between optical properties of the resin and the solidified samples was identified. It was further found that while spin coating does not significantly affect the geometrical properties, a strong influence on the resulting optical properties could be observed. The highest transmission properties, in the range of up to 90%, were determined for samples that were spin-coated on both surfaces. Thus, applying a spin coating operation to additively manufactured optical components is recommended for the highest transmission properties. Full article