Search Results (2,411)

Magnetic microrobots have emerged as a promising platform for drug delivery in recent years. By enabling remotely controlled motion and precise navigation under external magnetic fields, these systems offer new solutions to overcome the limitations of traditional drug delivery nanocarriers, such as inadequate tissue penetration and heterogeneous biodistribution. Over the past few years, significant advancements have been made in the structural design of magnetic microrobots, as well as in drug loading techniques and stimuli-responsive drug release mechanisms, thereby demonstrating distinct advantages in enhancing therapeutic efficacy and targeting precision. This review provides a comprehensive overview of magnetic drug delivery microrobots, which are categorised into biomimetic structural, bio-templated and advanced material-based types, and introduces their differences in propulsion efficiency and biocompatibility. Additionally, drug loading and release strategies are summarised, including physical adsorption, covalent coupling, encapsulation, and multistimuli-responsive mechanisms such as pH, enzyme activity and thermal triggers. Overall, these advancements highlight the significant potential of magnetic microrobots in targeted drug delivery and emphasise the key challenges in their clinical translation, such as biological safety, large-scale production and precise targeted navigation within complex biological environments. Full article

Background/Aim: Communities all across the world celebrate the birth of babies through distinct customs and traditional practices. While some of these traditions may bring comfort and cultural continuity, others may not be in line with medical recommendations and could pose major health risks to the newborn. This study examined rural Jordanian women’s perceptions on practices, knowledge sources, benefits, and challenges around caring for newborns in the northern region. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative descriptive study design, twelve women (aged 22 to 60 years) from the Kufr Som village in Northern Jordan, took part in in-depth semi-structured interviews in August 2025. The interviews focused on identifying caregiving practices, knowledge sources, and perceived benefits or challenges related to newborn care. The responses were verbatim transcribed from audio recordings for thematic analysis. Results: Nine themes emerged. “Thermal protection,” “bathing care,” “umbilical cord care,” and “feeding rites” are four themes that encapsulate the common practices women follow when caring for a newborn. The two themes that capture the sources of knowledge and direction for learning newborn care practices are “transmission of knowledge across generations” and “social influence”. The themes “spiritual safeguarding” and “perceived health protection” highlight the benefits of traditional practices, whereas “conflicts between tradition and modern care” underscores their challenges. Conclusions: Newborn care practices are deeply rooted in Northern Jordanian culture. Evidence-based strategies are needed to augment existing practices in order to improve neonatal care outcomes. Full article

Gas-assisted coaxial electrospinning (GACES), a simple and versatile technique for the large-scale fabrication of coaxial nanofiber membranes, possesses significant industrial potential across advanced manufacturing sectors including semiconductors—particularly for fabricating high-precision dielectric layers, high-uniformity encapsulation materials, and flexible semiconductor substrates requiring tailored core-shell architectures. However, there is still a lack of relevant studies on the effective regulation of the core-shell structures of coaxial fibers based on GACES, which greatly limits the batch preparation and wide application of coaxial fibers. Finite element simulation analysis of the flow field and development of the coaxial jet mechanics model with a gas-driven flow field—two key methodologies in this study—successfully uncovered the influence mechanism of gas-assisted flow fields on the core-shell structures of coaxial nanofibers. By adjusting the gas-assisted flow fields parameters, we reduced the total diameter of coaxial fibers by 47.33% (average fiber diameter: 334.12 ± 16.29 nm → 175.98 ± 1.18 nm), decreased the shell thickness by 72.98%, increased the core-shell ratio by 289% (core-shell ratio: 0.49 → 1.91), and improved the uniformity of the total diameter distribution of coaxial fibers by 30.64%. This study delivers a practical conceptual framework and robust experimental underpinnings for the scalable fabrication of coaxial nanofiber membranes with controllable core-shell structures, thereby promoting their practical application in semiconductor devices such as ultra-thin dielectric layers, precisely structured encapsulation materials, and high-uniformity templates for nanoscale circuit patterning. Full article

In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of utilizing red grape pomace as a source of polyphenolic compounds in the growing, fragmented winemaking sector in Poland. For polyphenol extraction, we compared two methods: conventional extraction using water and alcohol solutions, and the supercritical CO₂ technique with ethanol as a cosolvent. The conventional method yielded at least 30% more polyphenols compared to the advanced SC-CO₂ technique. Experimentally chosen conditions, including a solvent composition of ethanol–water (1:1; v/v) containing 3% HCl, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 25:1 mL/g, and 2 min of ultrasound pretreatment and conventional extraction at a temperature of 30 °C over 4.5 h, enabled an extraction efficiency of 101 mg of total polyphenols per 1 g of raw material used, with an antioxidant capacity equivalent to 600 µmol of Trolox. According to HPLC analyses, the main components of the investigated biomass were epicatechin, anthocyanins and p-coumaric acid. The extract was encapsulated in liposomes, revealing no negative effect on their stability or aggregation under the conditions tested (21 days). The study suggests that conventional water–ethanol extraction can be a relatively safe and effective method for managing winemaking residuals, increasing the competitiveness of small producers through the production of high-value antioxidant additives. Full article

Temperature-responsive hydrogels are sophisticated stimuli-responsive biomaterials that undergo rapid, reversible sol–gel phase transitions in response to subtle thermal stimuli, most notably around physiological temperature. This inherent thermosensitivity enables non-invasive, precise spatiotemporal control of material properties and bioactive payload release, rendering them highly promising for advanced biomedical applications. This review critically surveys recent advances in the design, synthesis, and translational potential of thermo-responsive hydrogels, emphasizing nanoscale and hybrid architectures optimized for superior tunability and biological performance. Foundational systems remain dominated by poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), which exhibits a sharp lower critical solution temperature near 32 °C, alongside Pluronic/Poloxamer triblock copolymers and thermosensitive cellulose derivatives. Contemporary developments increasingly exploit biohybrid and nanocomposite strategies that incorporate natural polymers such as chitosan, gelatin, or hyaluronic acid with synthetic thermo-responsive segments, yielding materials with markedly enhanced mechanical robustness, biocompatibility, and physiologically relevant transition behavior. Cross-linking methodologies—encompassing covalent chemical approaches, dynamic physical interactions, and radiation-induced polymerization are rigorously assessed for their effects on network topology, swelling/deswelling kinetics, pore structure, and degradation characteristics. Prominent applications include on-demand drug and gene delivery, injectable in situ gelling systems, three-dimensional matrices for cell encapsulation and organoid culture, tissue engineering scaffolds, self-healing wound dressings, and responsive biosensing platforms. The integration of multi-stimuli orthogonality, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence-guided materials discovery is anticipated to deliver fully programmable, patient-specific hydrogels, establishing them as pivotal enabling technologies in precision and regenerative medicine. Full article

Essential oils (EOs) are promising bio-preservatives for oilseeds; however, their high volatility and strong aroma limit practical applications. In this study, we developed a dual-size microencapsulated formulation of oregano (Origanum compactum) and myrtle (Myrthus communis) EOs (75:25, w/w) using gelatin–gum arabic complex coacervation, and evaluated its antifungal efficacy and effect on seed viability in peanuts. GC-MS analysis of the EO blend identified carvacrol (33.83%) as the dominant constituent. The microcapsules exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 83.56% and were produced in a 70% small/30% large particle ratio to ensure both immediate and sustained vapor release. In vapor-phase assays against toxigenic A. flavus (RP-6), both free and encapsulated EOs inhibited fungal growth in a dose-dependent manner and achieved complete suppression at concentrations ≥0.2 µL mL⁻¹, whereas the wall material alone showed no activity. In a 120-day microcosm storage experiment (0.2 mg EO g⁻¹ kernels; 0.96 mg microcapsules g⁻¹), treated peanuts showed an immediate reduction in total fungal load from 3.52 to 1.48 log₁₀ CFU g⁻¹ (≈58%), which stabilized near 1.42–1.43 log₁₀ CFU g⁻¹ up to 90 days, while the control samples increased to 4.25 log₁₀ CFU g⁻¹ by day 120. The formulation effectively suppressed major storage fungi, including Aspergillus sections Flavi and Nigri, Penicillium spp., Rhizopus, Fusarium, and Alternaria. The antioxidant activity (DPPH assay) was retained after encapsulation (IC₅₀: 0.52 mg mL⁻¹ encapsulated vs. 0.58 mg mL⁻¹ free). Germination power remained comparable to the control throughout storage (≈50–52%), indicating no adverse impact on seed viability. These findings demonstrate that vapor-active, dual-size microencapsulation of oregano-myrtle EOs offers a practical and sustainable approach to enhance peanut safety during storage without compromising germination potential. Full article

Barium slag is classified as a hazardous waste due to its high content of soluble Ba²⁺. To achieve safe disposal and high-value utilization, this study developed a novel all-solid-waste road base material by synergistically combining harmlessly treated barium slag (HTBS) with steel slag, blast furnace slag, and flue-gas-desulfurization gypsum (SWB). The primary novelty of this work lies in the dual-immobilization mechanism of barium within a multi-solid-waste cementitious system. Our results showed that the mixture containing 16% binder achieved unconfined compressive strengths of 4.24 MPa (7 days) and 8.06 MPa (28 days), meeting the technical requirements for heavy-load road bases. Microstructural analyses revealed that the system evolved into a dense network composed of C–S–H gels and ettringite (AFt). Mechanistically, environmental safety is ensured by two pathways: (1) the chemical precipitation of stable BaSO₄ and (2) the physical encapsulation of ions by the dense gel matrix. Leaching tests confirmed that Ba concentration remained far below the regulatory limit, ensuring environmental safety. This work provides a scalable, eco-friendly solution for the “waste-to-resource” conversion of hazardous barium slag in road engineering. Full article

DNA nanoparticles have emerged as potent platforms for wearable and implantable biosensors owing to their molecular programmability, biocompatibility, and structural precision. This study delineates two principal categories of DNA-based sensing materials, DNA hydrogels and DNA origami, and encapsulates their fabrication methodologies, sensing mechanisms, and applications at the device level. DNA hydrogels serve as pliable, aqueous signal transduction mediums exhibiting stimulus-responsive characteristics, facilitating applications such as sweat-based cytokine detection with limits of detection as low as pg·mL⁻¹ and microneedle-integrated hydrogels for femtomolar miRNA sensing. DNA origami offers nanometer-scale spatial precision that improves electrochemical, optical, and plasmonic biosensing, as shown by origami-facilitated luminous nucleic acid detection and ultrasensitive circulating tumor DNA assays with fM-level sensitivity. Emerging integration technologies, such as flexible electronics, microfluidics, and wireless readout, are examined, alongside prospective developments in AI-assisted DNA design and materials produced from synthetic biology. This study offers a thorough and practical viewpoint on the progression of DNA nanotechnology for next-generation wearable and implantable biosensing devices. Full article

This study focused on the preparation of microcapsules that simulate adipose tissue cells via complex coacervation, followed by the formation of block-like fat analogue products through gelation. The results indicated that microcapsules obtained by encapsulating coconut oil with soy protein isolate (SPI) and sodium alginate (SA) through a complex coacervation process could serve as effective fat substitutes in meat products. When the mass ratio of SPI to SA was 3:1, the core-to-wall mass ratio was 1:1, and the total wall material concentration was 3% (w/v), the oil loading rate of the microcapsules reached 39.17%. The particle size of the oil-loaded microcapsules was mainly distributed between 40–180 μm, which was comparable to the size of fat cells in animal adipose tissue. Microcapsules (50%, w/w) were mixed with a 5% (w/v) curdlan dispersion and heated at 95 °C for 60 min to form fat analogues. The fat analogues demonstrated significantly reduced cooking loss, enhanced textural rigidity, and superior chew resistance, achieving performance metrics comparable to those of natural adipose tissue. This dual-phase strategy—combining interfacial engineering of lipid microcapsules with polysaccharide-mediated gelation—provides a promising approach for developing sustainable, plant-based fat alternatives in meat product reformulation. The methodology not only addresses texture and flavour challenges in fat replacement but also enables precise control over lipid content, supporting applications in healthier food systems. Full article

With the advancement of new power systems, phase-change materials (PCMs), owing to their ability to convert and store electrical energy, are increasingly recognized as a key solution to the intermittency of power supply. Nevertheless, such materials face challenges, including leakage and low thermal conductivity, which lead to reduced utilization efficiency. In this study, guar gum was used as the macroscopic framework, while self-prepared and optimized silica aerogel microsheets served as the microscopic framework to synergistically encapsulate the polyethylene glycol (PEG). Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were incorporated to improve overall thermal conductivity, resulting in the composite PCM, GTS-PEG. In-depth characterization demonstrated effective PEG retention within the matrix, with a melting heat storage density of 164.16 J/g. Upon 30 min of continuous heating at 90 °C, the mass loss remained as low as 4.83%, indicating excellent thermal stability. The addition of TiO₂ increased thermal conductivity to 0.53 W/(m·K), representing a 140% boost over unmodified material. As a result, GTS-PEG not only successfully overcomes the leakage and thermal conductivity limitations of conventional PCMs but also, as a green and low-carbon innovative solution, paves a new path for the coordinated optimization and efficient conversion of power grid energy systems. Full article

This review explores the integration of Boron-Dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes within Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs), highlighting their combined potential in various applications. MOFs, with their high porosity and structural versatility, provide an ideal platform to enable applications with BODIPYs, which otherwise remain challenging in the solid state. The article discusses different strategies for incorporating BODIPYs into MOFs, including their use as monodentate, bidentate, and tridentate ligands, as well as covalent attachment and non-coordinating encapsulation. The resulting hybrid materials exhibit enhanced properties suitable for applications in the luminescent materials/light harvesting, photodynamic therapy, sensing, and photocatalysis areas. The review emphasizes the importance of synthetic conditions, characterization techniques, and the quantification of BODIPY loading to ensure the integrity and functionality of the MOF structures. Full article

This paper demonstrates the successful synthesis of novel hybrid heterogeneous catalysts for the sustainable conversion of CO₂ into cyclic organic carbonates (COCs). The nanocat-alysts have been fabricated by encapsulating pre-formed ultra-small gold nanostructures into a nascent zinc-coordination polymer (ZnCP) framework formed from two organic building blocks, 2,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (1,4-NDC) and 5-amino-1H-tetrazole (5-Atz), which serves as a nitrogen-rich ligand. Applying the fabricated catalysts in the synthesis of COCs yields high yields (up to 97%) and high selectivity (up to 100%), with exceptionally high turnover frequencies (TOFs) (up to 408 h⁻¹). The catalytic process can be carried out under mild conditions (80 °C, 1.5 MPa CO₂) and without the use of solvents. Nitrogen-rich ligand molecules in the structure of ZnCPs enhance catalytic performance thanks to additional nucleophilic centres, which are effective in the epoxides’ ring-opening process. The hybrid catalysts with encapsulated gold nanostructures, which modify the liquid–gas interface between epoxide and CO₂, give significantly higher yields and TOFs for less active epoxides. The designed hybrid nanocatalysts exhibit superior stability under the studied reaction conditions and can be reused without loss of activity. The developed coordination polymers are constructed from green components, and green chemistry principles are applied to prepare these catalytic materials. Full article

This study innovatively combines the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (CCPS) with a circular pipe device, using biochar from potato peels (PP) and pig manure (PM) to passivate Cd and Pb in the soil, and explores the influencing mechanisms via multiple methods. Results showed that in aqueous adsorption, biochar from the CCPS performed better, with the potato peel-based biochar produced via the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (PPB-2) achieving 100% removal of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ within 100–270 min. In the soil remediation experiment using a ring pipe setup, pig manure-based biochar produced via the cyclic catalytic pyrolysis system (PMB-2) exhibited superior performance, reducing Cd concentration from 22.36 mg/kg to 11.21 mg/kg (49.87% removal) and Pb concentration from 718.28 mg/kg to 400.09 mg/kg (44.3% removal) after 40 days. This confirms that the PM-derived biochar prepared by CCPS is more suitable for the remediation of cadmium- and lead-contaminated soils, providing a reference for research on soil heavy metal passivation. Notably, the raw materials (PP and PM) are low-cost, locally abundant agricultural wastes, enabling resource recycling and lowering large-scale application costs. The ring pipe encapsulation further simplifies operational procedures for practical promotion while avoiding direct biochar–soil contact and mitigating secondary pollution risks. Full article

Lipid nanocarriers present an opportunity to improve conventional drug delivery. In addition, the concomitant use of naturally occurring products with conventional medicines is garnering traction in therapeutic and cosmetic applications. Despite these advances, the rational design of lipid nanoparticles, including lipid selection, remains a challenge. We previously validated the use of Hansen solubility parameter (HSP) predictions for selecting synthetic lipids for utilization in lipid nanocarrier manufacture. Herein, we aimed to validate the use of HSP data to predict minoxidil solubility in natural and/or essential oils with known hair growth activity. We employed a dual-tiered screening strategy that integrated HSP predictions and experimental validation. Experimentally, minoxidil showed the highest solubility in shea butter, stearic acid, and rosemary oil. Further, the latter two lipids exhibited the lowest drug-lipid solubility parameter differences (ΔδT = 6.8 and 6.1 MPa^1/2, respectively) and Relative Energy Difference values (1.28 and 1.61, respectively), aligning with the abovementioned laboratory experimental determinations. These findings provide a platform for the streamlined selection of natural oils which can enhance the solubility of minoxidil, in turn having implications for drug loading and/or encapsulation efficiency in formulation of lipidic carriers with potential synergistic hair growth potential. Moreover, this work adds to our understanding of reduced empirical excipient selection for potential decreased associated material costs during formulation development of lipid nanocarriers. Full article

It is well known that the space radiation environment, which has contributions from the trapped particles within the Van Allen belts, solar energetic particles (SEPs) and galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), directly influences space systems. These systems rely on complex and fragile electronic devices, whose performance can be degraded because of the action of the radiation and its related phenomena: single-event effects (SEEs), displacement damages (DDs) and total ionizing dose (TID). This could cause failures to arise through various mechanisms, ranging from parametric drift failures, such as leakage current and threshold voltage, among others, to destructive effects, like single-event burnout (SEB) or single-event latch-up (SEL). These failures in electronics affect the system’s reliability and its performance, which could compromise the mission’s success. Considering this, the main objective of the SRPROTEC project is to develop and validate new composite materials with better shielding performance against space radiation to increase the radiation tolerance of microelectronic devices encapsulated with these materials. For this purpose, three composites will be synthesized using a liquid epoxy resin filled with silica as a matrix mixed in different proportions, with a high-Z filler. The presence of low-Z elements from the high hydrogen content in the polymer and the presence of high-Z fillers are expected to produce a material with good radiation shielding properties. The developed materials will be exhaustively characterized, subjecting the three composites and control samples to rheological outgassing; gamma radiation shielding; and thermal, electrical, thermomechanical and moisture absorption, among other tests. Finally, the composite with the best performance will be selected and subjected to degradation tests (thermal cycling in vacuum, thermal cycling, thermal shock and relative humidity tests) to determine its suitability for space packaging applications. Full article