Search Results (20,316)

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of genetic diseases characterized by skin fragility. Although therapeutic options aim to accelerate wound-healing, improvement is needed; therefore, birch bark and propolis were investigated due to their beneficial biological properties. A representative ethanolic extract was analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (RP-HPLC-DAD) for chemical profiling of the raw materials. A hydrophobic natural deep eutectic solvent (HNaDES) for birch bark extraction, as well as a hydrogel and a bigel enriched with propolis and birch bark extract, were prepared and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity and wound-healing potential were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and scratch assays in six human keratinocyte cell lines: two from healthy individuals, two from recessive dystrophic ΕΒ patients (RDEB), and two from laminin-332-deficient junctional EB patients (JEB). RP-HPLC-DAD revealed the presence of phenolic compounds (e.g., chrysin, pinocembrin, pinobanksin) and pentacyclic triterpenes (e.g., betulin and betulinic acid), characteristic of propolis and birch bark, respectively. FT-IR confirmed HNaDES formation and indicated physical interactions within the gels. All systems exhibited no cytotoxicity at 1 μg/mL and increased cell vitality. Moreover, in keratinocytes derived from JEB patients, hydrogel improved wound- healing significantly at 24 h, whereas bigel showed significant improvement at 8 h. The developed systems could be promising topical treatments. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid development in low-carbon building materials, geopolymer mortar has become a high-quality alternative to traditional cement-based materials due to its advantages of environmental friendliness, high strength, and excellent durability. However, its inherent brittleness and tendency to crack severely limit its widespread adoption and use in engineering. To mitigate the inherent brittleness of geopolymer mortar, this study developed a ternary binder system composed of metakaolin, slag, and fly ash. The effects of basalt fiber contents of 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1.00%, and 1.25% by mass on the flowability, flexural strength, compressive strength, and deformation behavior of the geopolymer mortar were systematically investigated. The evolution of the displacement and strain fields during flexural and compressive loading was monitored in real time using two-dimensional digital image correlation (2D-DIC). The fiber-reinforcement mechanism was further examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results show that basalt fiber reduces mortar flowability, and the reduction becomes more pronounced with increasing fiber content. The flexural strength first increased and then decreased with increasing fiber content; at 0.50% fiber content, the 28-day flexural strength reached 12.6 MPa, which was 8.2% higher than that of the fiber-free control. The compressive strength increased only slightly at a low fiber content of 0.25% and then decreased when the fiber content exceeded 0.50%. The 2D-DIC results indicate that a moderate fiber content (0.50–0.75%) markedly increased the ultimate displacement, delayed crack propagation, and enhanced the post-cracking deformation capacity. Microstructural observations revealed that an appropriate fiber content promoted good interfacial bonding with the matrix and enabled fiber bridging and crack resistance. In contrast, excessive fiber addition caused agglomeration-induced micropores and microcracks, thereby degrading mechanical properties. Overall, the recommended basalt fiber content is 0.25–0.50%. These findings provide a theoretical and experimental basis for optimizing high-performance, low-carbon geopolymer mortar for engineering applications. Full article

Coagulation–flocculation is widely recognized as a fundamental step in wastewater treatment, as it promotes the aggregation and removal of suspended particles and organic contaminants following the addition of a coagulant. In this study, a bio-based coagulant was prepared from prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) seed residues obtained after essential oil extraction. The extraction process for bioactive agents was successfully modeled using Central Composite Design (CCD)-based Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Optimal extraction was reached at pH 13, PPSM of 7.5 g, 0.75 M NaCl, and 40 min of stirring, providing maximum yields of 69.63 g proteins, 217.075 g total sugars, and 81.416 g polyphenols. The optimized extract was subsequently used as a bio-coagulant for the treatment of wastewater collected from the Chalghoum El Aid–Oued El Athmania wastewater treatment plant (Mila, Algeria). The effects of three operating parameters, initial turbidity, solution pH, and bio-coagulant dosage, on the coagulation–flocculation performance were investigated using a Box–Behnken design (BBD). Process efficiency was evaluated in terms of turbidity, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and organic matter (OM) removal. The raw wastewater exhibited initial values of 200 NTU for turbidity, 640 mg/L for COD, and 25 for organic matter. Statistical analysis revealed that the developed quadratic models were highly significant (p ≤ 0.05) and showed excellent predictive performance, with coefficients of determination (R² ≥ 0.97). Optimal treatment conditions were identified at pH 7, a bio-coagulant dosage of 1 mL/L, and an initial turbidity of 200 NTU. Under these conditions, removal efficiencies exceeded 98% for turbidity and COD and reached 88.08% for organic matter. Furthermore, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups responsible for the coagulation activity of the bio-coagulant. These findings highlight the potential of prickly pear seed residues as an effective, sustainable, and low-cost alternative to conventional chemical coagulants in wastewater treatment. Full article

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) remains the gold standard irrigant in endodontics due to its proteolytic and antimicrobial properties, whereas hydrogen peroxide (HP) is widely used for internal bleaching because of its oxidative capacity. Both agents have been associated with chemical and structural alterations in dentin; however, the impact of their sequential application on the organic–mineral balance has not been fully elucidated. Objective: To evaluate whether the isolated and sequential application of 5.25% NaOCl and 37.5% HP induces chemical alterations in dentin by analyzing changes in the organic matrix and mineral phase using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Methods: Twenty-four independent dentin sections (n = 6 per group) from six human third molars were distributed using a tooth-balanced allocation into four groups: Control, NaOCl (5.25%, 15 min), HP (37.5%, 30 min), and sequential NaOCl+HP. FTIR assessed organic (amide I, II, III, CH₂) and inorganic (phosphate, carbonate) components through baseline-corrected integrated areas, Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM), and molecular ratios. Surface elemental composition and the calculated Ca/P atomic ratio were determined by EDX. Multiple sub-measurements per specimen were averaged before statistical analysis. Data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05). Results: FTIR revealed treatment-dependent modifications. NaOCl reduced absorbance in organic-associated bands, indicating collagen degradation, whereas HP altered the mineral phase. The NaOCl+HP group exhibited increased numerical values for integrated band areas, with differences detected in carbonate, phosphate, and amide III bands (p < 0.05), reflecting structural disorganization and modified spectral signal rather than tissue preservation. No differences were detected across the calculated infrared ratios (p > 0.05). EDX showed decreased absolute atomic percentages of Ca, P, and O in the NaOCl+HP group (p < 0.05), indicating structural demineralization, while its stoichiometric Ca/P ratio remained at 1.56. Isolated HP shifted the mineral stoichiometry to the highest numerical Ca/P ratio (1.69; range 1.58–1.80). Fluorine decreased across all treated groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Sequential NaOCl and HP application triggers distinct chemical alterations compared to individual treatments, inducing severe structural disorganization of the organic network and absolute mineral depletion of Ca and P. This multi-agent sequence alters dentin stoichiometry, which may compromise the biomechanical integrity of the tissue. Full article

Microplastic (MP) pollution in bottled and tap water poses escalating environmental and public health challenges due to MPs’ capacity to act as vectors for toxicants and pathogens. This study constitutes the first comprehensive evaluation of MPs in drinking water from Madeira Island, integrating detailed chemical and morphological characterisations alongside human exposure estimations. A total of 22 samples, comprising 10 bottled (four mineral, six flavoured) and 12 tap waters, were analysed via stereomicroscopy and micro-Fourier transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectroscopy. Of the 428 particles detected, 65 were confirmed MPs, 223 were non-plastics, and 140 were indeterminate. Bottled waters were predominantly contaminated by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE), whereas tap waters exhibited a notable presence of PE, PP, polyester, and polyamide (PA). MPs predominantly measured under 400 µm and were transparent; fragments were the main form in bottled water, contrasting with fibres dominating tap waters. Concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 6 MPs/L, with flavoured waters exhibiting the highest average levels (2.00 ± 1.83 MPs/L), followed by tap (1.30 ± 0.80 MPs/L) and mineral waters (0.59 ± 0.37 MPs/L). Estimated daily intake (EDI) spanned 0.01–0.19 MPs/kg/day for adults and 0.05–0.68 MPs/kg/day for children, the latter exhibiting a 3.6-fold greater exposure. Although concentrations were lower than those in many global reports, the ubiquity of MPs underscores the critical need for standardised monitoring protocols, enhanced production standards, and rigorous risk assessments addressing chronic low-level human exposure, especially in insular environments. Full article

A low-latency, low-complexity digital demodulator is presented for chirp spread spectrum (CSS)-modulated RF packets targeting low-power IoT wireless systems operating in spectrally congested environments. Conventional CSS receivers rely on fast-fourier transform (FFT)-based synchronization and long preamble sequences, resulting in increased latency and computational complexity. To address these limitations, the proposed receiver employs amplitude-domain synchronization using oversampled sub-chirp windows and maximum likelihood estimation without requiring FFT processing. A digital demodulator co-designed with receiver’s fractional-N phase-locked loop (PLL) architecture enables rapid sub-chirp generation and fast frequency settling, while compensation techniques mitigate symbol boundary offset (SBO) error due to PLL non-idealities during synchronization. The proposed system achieves packet synchronization within 17.5 preamble symbol cycles while maintaining symbol boundary offset estimation error below ±1%. Simulation results demonstrate a syncword misdetection probability below 10⁻³ at SNRs of 9 dB and 1 dB without and with 8× repetition, respectively. In the presence of interferences, the receiver tolerates worst-case in-band signal-to-noise ratio (SIR) levels down to −16.2 dB while consuming 877 µW and 830 µW average power at the digital demodulator, and fractional-N PLL, respectively. Implemented in 65 nm CMOS, the proposed architecture occupies 0.195 mm² active area. Full article

Background: Simultaneous pancreas–kidney (SPK) transplantation can restore renal function and insulin independence, but non-technical pancreas graft dysfunction remains difficult to anticipate. Methods: We conducted an exploratory single-centre retrospective biomarker-modelling study to determine whether day-zero recipient serum Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra are associated with subsequent loss of insulin independence after SPK transplantation. Results: Among 104 screened recipients, 51 met predefined sample-availability, spectral-quality, data-linkage and endpoint-adjudication criteria; 30 maintained pancreas graft function and 21 developed dysfunction. Cases dominated by early technical surgical failure were excluded. Clinical-only, FTIR-only and FTIR–clinical Naïve Bayes models were evaluated using leave-one-out cross-validation with Fast Correlation-Based Filter feature selection. In locked-feature internal validation, the best FTIR-only model used second-derivative spectra with vector normalization and nine selected wavenumbers, achieving AUC 0.997 (95% CI 0.985–1.000) and accuracy 0.961 (95% CI 0.902–1.000). A fixed-feature permutation analysis exceeded label-randomized performance (empirical p = 0.001). The secondary Group 1 versus Group 3 analysis suggested discrimination of pancreas dysfunction despite preserved kidney function (AUC 0.992; accuracy 0.930). Conclusions: Given the small cohort, high-dimensional input, non-nested feature selection, selection-bias risk and absence of external validation, serum FTIR should be considered a candidate risk-enrichment platform requiring prospective multicentre validation. Full article

The increasing occurrence of pharmaceutical contaminants in aquatic environments has intensified the demand for sustainable and cost-effective water treatment technologies. This study investigated the conversion of potato peel waste into carbonaceous adsorbents through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and conventional pyrolysis (PRYR) for the removal of carbamazepine (CBZ) from synthetic wastewater. Hydrochars and biochars were synthesized under varying processing conditions and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analysis. Adsorption experiments were conducted using a 50 mg/L CBZ solution at pH 6, room temperature, and an adsorbent dosage of 1 g/L. The adsorption performance was evaluated after short contact times to assess rapid-removal capability. HTC-derived hydrochars exhibited significantly superior performance compared with pyrolysis-derived biochars, achieving up to 97% CBZ removal and adsorption capacities approaching 50 mg g⁻¹ within 1 min of contact. In contrast, pyrolysis-derived biochars achieved removal efficiencies between approximately 7 and 55% under similar conditions. Correlation analysis between adsorption behaviour and physicochemical properties revealed that adsorption performance was more strongly influenced by surface chemistry, aromaticity, and mesoporosity than by BET surface area alone. FTIR analysis suggested that hydrogen bonding, π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions, and pore filling contributed to CBZ adsorption. HTC hydrochars retained abundant oxygen-containing functional groups that promoted rapid and stable adsorption, whereas pyrolysis-derived biochars exhibited weaker adsorption interactions despite possessing higher surface areas. The findings demonstrate that hydrothermal carbonization provides an effective low-temperature route for valorising potato peel waste into efficient adsorbents for rapid pharmaceutical removal from water and highlight the critical role of adsorbent surface chemistry in determining adsorption performance. Full article

Background/Objectives: One of the ongoing clinical constraints is limiting microbial growth on prostheses, justifying the need for material surface enhancements to reduce microbial complications. This study aimed to investigate a potentially applicable and reproducible coating technique to overcome clinical microbial challenges. Methods: Silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) were applied to three types of materials through spray, spin, and dip coating techniques. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) were performed. Subsequent optimization of spray numbers was determined. Antimicrobial performance of one- and three-layered coatings was evaluated through agar diffusion, direct contact, and adhesion (time-dependent) assays against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). Results: Spray coating exhibited superior coating uniformity. In total, 15 sprays were determined as an effective number for a single-layer coating. EDS confirmed Ag NP presence; FTIR revealed no chemical alteration. Disk diffusion tests showed no inhibition zones. Adhesion and direct contact tests displayed antibacterial activity. The effect was superior in direct contact test. Short-term time-dependent adhesion test of one-layer coating of acrylic and silicone had a consistent decrease in bacterial amount, whilst zirconium had only a strong initial activity. In general, the three-layer coating did not reveal a higher antimicrobial activity, suggesting that the increase in layering can negatively impact surface effectiveness. Conclusions: Spray coating of Ag NPs represents a potentially feasible and relevant strategy for enhancing the antibacterial properties of dental and maxillofacial prosthetic materials without compromising their inherent physicochemical characteristics, pending further cytotoxicity and in vivo validation. Full article

This research focused on the formulation of a health-oriented, clean-label food product fortified with encapsulated bioactive compounds from Sambucus nigra, Aronia melanocarpa, and Echinacea purpurea. To evaluate the protection of these sensitive compounds during production and storage, a comprehensive characterization was performed. This included basic physicochemical analyses, phenolic profiling, antioxidant activity tests, as well as rheological and textural measurements. Furthermore, sensory analysis, consumer evaluation, and microbiological stability during storage were assessed. Results from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses confirmed the structural integrity of the capsules post-processing. Additionally, the application of a starch–psyllium carrier ensured that the textural and rheological properties remained fully comparable to the control sample, preventing undesirable matrix alterations. Specifically, product hardness (1.17–1.23 N) and adhesiveness (8.17–8.94 N·s) were maintained at stable levels, while color alterations were minor and likely noticeable only to trained observers (ΔE* < 3.2). Microbiological evaluation demonstrated that the application of different formulated products effectively inhibited the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, with inhibition rates increasing from 3.4 to 39.7%. Collectively, the experimental data demonstrate that encapsulation is a highly effective strategy for fortifying fruit-based systems with sensitive extracts, successfully maximizing bioactivity retention while maintaining high product quality and sensory appeal. Full article

Natural polysaccharides from Siegesbeckia orientalis L. have been reported to exhibit promising bioactivities. To enhance extraction efficiency, low-temperature plasma-assisted extraction was optimized for S. orientalis L. polysaccharides using single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. Column chromatography purified a homogeneous SIE-III fraction, followed by structural characterization. Optimal parameters were 80 kV discharge voltage, 153 Hz frequency, and 109 s treatment time, under which the polysaccharide yield reached 15.68%, significantly higher than that of the conventional hot water extraction method. Plasma treatment loosened the raw material’s surface, potentially facilitating polysaccharide release. SIE-III had a molecular weight of 20.831 kDa and comprised mainly galactose (51.7%), rhamnose (19.1%), arabinose (11.3%), and galacturonic acid (9.9%). It featured typical rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) domains and a triple-helix conformation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed both α- and β- glycosidic linkages, and methylation analysis revealed a highly branched →3,4)-Galp-(1→ structure. This study provides an effective extraction method for plant polysaccharides and valuable insights into their potential applications in the food and other industries. Full article

Purpose: This study sought to extract and characterize fucoidan from brown seaweed Padina tetrastromatica for the synthesis of fucoidan–gold nanoparticles (F-AuNPs) and to assess their physicochemical properties, as well as their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, alongside potential molecular interactions with specific cancer-related targets. Methods: The extracted fucoidan-rich fraction was characterized for its sulfate content. Citrate-stabilized plain gold nanoparticles (plain AuNPs) were prepared and characterized as non-fucoidan nanoparticle controls. Comprehensive physicochemical characterization, including UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), was performed on the resultant fucoidan-functionalized AuNPs (F-AuNPs). Biological activities were assessed using different techniques: antioxidant potential (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays), anti-inflammatory effects (NO inhibition in macrophages), and anticancer efficacy against HepG2 cells (MTT and flow cytometry). Potential molecular targets relevant to these activities were further explored in silico using molecular docking against key cancer-related proteins, providing hypotheses for future experimental validation. Results: The fucoidan-rich fraction showed a sulfate content of 10.08%. Strong antioxidant activity was observed, especially in FRAP (11.20 ± 0.29 mg TE g⁻¹ DW). F-AuNPs exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ 138.1 µg mL⁻¹) compared to plain AuNPs (IC₅₀ 271.2 µg mL⁻¹) and the fucoidan-rich fraction (IC₅₀ 390.2 µg mL⁻¹), inducing G1 phase arrest. In addition, F-AuNPs reduced nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, reaching 21.42 ± 1.29% inhibition at 100 µg mL⁻¹. As an exploratory, hypothesis-generating step, an in silico target-prioritization screen identified HPSE and MMP-2 as the highest-scoring candidate proteins, proposed solely as targets for future experimental validation. Conclusions: F-AuNPs represent a promising multifunctional nanoplatform with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative activities. The integration of in vitro biological evaluation with in silico target prediction supports the potential biomedical relevance of F-AuNPs and generates testable hypotheses regarding their molecular targets, which require experimental validation. Full article

Radiation therapy is widely used for cancer treatment. To improve therapeutic efficacy, traditional radiosensitizers are often used in combination. However, their toxic side effects necessitate urgent development of safer alternative biogenic radiosensitizers. Herein, a green approach was used to synthesise ZnO NPs, CuO NPs, and ZnO-CuO NCs using S. africana Luteus, and their ability to enhance the radiosensitizing effect of proton irradiation on Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF7) breast cancer cell line was evaluated. The biogenic nanoparticles are characterised in detail through several analytical techniques, including Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Interestingly, the NPs showed concentration-dependent effects on MCF7 viability, with CuO NPs exhibiting the strongest effect (IC₅₀ = 42.90 µg/mL), followed by ZnO-CuO NCs (71.12 µg/mL) and ZnO NPs (103.43 µg/mL). Proton irradiation produced a dose-dependent decrease in clonogenic survival of MCF7 cells, and ZnO-CuO NCs displayed the highest enhancement of proton-induced cell death, with a Dose Enhancement Factor (DEF) of 1.69, compared with CuO NPs (1.46) and ZnO NPs (1.09). Holotomographic microscopy (HTM) data further confirmed that ZnO-CuO NCs impaired cellular macromolecules more than the individual NPs. Findings from this study suggest that the biogenic NPs are promising radiosensitizers for cancer radiotherapy. Full article

Diagnosing bearing faults remains a crucial challenge, particularly in effectively extracting fault information and achieving high diagnostic accuracy. To address this issue, this study presents a model for diagnosing bearing faults, which comprises three primary stages: feature extraction, feature selection, and classification. In the feature extraction stage, features are extracted from raw motor signals using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and fast Fourier transform (FFT). In the feature selection stage, an effective method based on binary grey wolf optimization (BGWO) and the equilibrium optimizer (EO) is developed to remove redundant and irrelevant features. Finally, k-nearest neighbours (KNNs) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers are used to identify bearing fault conditions. The proposed model is evaluated using four datasets: the University of California, Irvine (UCI) benchmark datasets, a motor bearing fault current-signal dataset, the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) benchmark dataset, and the Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT) benchmark dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed method improves bearing fault diagnosis accuracy and demonstrates strong robustness compared with conventional methods. Full article

This research investigates cobalt-based and iron-based coordination polymers as advanced adsorbents for removing nitrate from water, addressing the increasing demand for effective and customizable treatment materials. Both coordination polymers were synthesized through solvothermal methods using terephthalic acid as the organic linker and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which verified their crystalline, porous structures and uniform metal dispersion; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze surface characteristic functional groups of the samples before and after adsorption. Batch adsorption tests combined with response surface methodology (RSM), based on a Box–Behnken (BBD), were employed to optimize key operating conditions, including adsorbent dose (0.1–0.5 g/L), pH (3–7), and temperature (25–45 °C). Under optimal conditions (pH 3–5, 0.3 g/L, 30–35 °C), the Co-coordination polymer achieved a maximum nitrate removal of 54.1% and an adsorption capacity of 212.8 mg/g, while the Fe-coordination polymer reached 30.5% removal with a capacity of 35.0 mg/g. Kinetic studies were well fitted by the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model for the Co-coordination polymer (R² = 0.992–0.997), indicating chemisorption control, whereas the Fe-coordination polymer exhibited diffusion-driven behavior. The equilibrium data fit the Langmuir model well for both, confirming monolayer adsorption. The findings suggest that the Co-coordination polymer provides superior nitrate removal owing to stronger metal–anion interactions, whereas the Fe-coordination polymer offers more stable but lower adsorption capacity. Full article