Search Results (32)

Diabetic foot osteomyelitis (DFO) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputation. Treatment remains clinically challenging with high recurrence rates despite standard antibiotic therapy and surgical debridement. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on novel operative and nonoperative therapies for DFO, focusing on emerging biomaterials, local antibiotic delivery systems, innovative surgical techniques, and adjunctive topical agents. Studies examining bioabsorbable and nonabsorbable antibiotic carriers, such as calcium sulfate beads, collagen sponges, and bioactive glass, demonstrate promising infection resolution rates and a potential to reduce the surgical burden, though most are limited by small cohorts and observational designs. Similarly, alternative surgical approaches (i.e., cancelloplasty, conservative bone excision, and tibial cortex distraction) have shown early success in limb preservation. Nonoperative strategies, including adjunct antimicrobials, antimicrobial peptides, and topical oxygen, offer additional options, particularly for patients unfit for surgery. While initial outcomes are encouraging, the supporting evidence is heterogeneous and primarily limited to case series and small, noncomparative trials. Overall, these novel therapies show potential as adjuncts to established DFO management, but further prospective research is indicated to define their long-term efficacy, safety, and role in clinical practice. Full article

Bast fibre-reinforced plastics are characterised by good strength and stiffness but are often brittle due to the stiff and less ductile fibres. This study uses a biomimetic approach to improve impact strength. Based on the structure of the spicules of a deep-sea glass sponge, in which hard layers of bioglass alternate with soft layers of proteins, the toughness of kenaf/epoxy composites was significantly improved by a multilayer structure of kenaf and cellulose acetate (CA) foils as impact modifiers. Due to the alternating structure, cracks are deflected, and toughness is improved. One to five CA foils were stacked with kenaf layers and processed to composite plates with bio-based epoxy resin by compression moulding. Results have shown a significant improvement in toughness using CA foils due to increased crack propagation. The unnotched Charpy impact strength increased from 9.0 kJ/m² of the pure kenaf/epoxy composite to 36.3 kJ/m² for the sample containing five CA foils. The tensile and flexural strength ranged from 74 to 81 MPa and 112 to 125 MPa, respectively. The tensile modulus reached values between 9100 and 10,600 MPa, and the flexural modulus ranged between 7200 and 8100 MPa. The results demonstrate the successful implementation of an abstract transfer of biological role models to improve the toughness of brittle bast fibre-reinforced plastics. Full article

Microplastic contamination is a global concern due to its conspicuous presence in aquatic ecosystems and its toxic nature to environmental and human health. False mussels are among the most notable fresh- and brackish water invaders. The invasive Mytilopsis leucophaeata in Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon-RFL (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is the most abundant macrofaunal invertebrate, widely established and distributed throughout the lagoon. This study aimed to assess microplastic contamination in this invasive filter feeder and evaluate its potential use as a bioindicator. Agglomerates (~100 mussels) were manually collected using a stainless-steel spatula in ten sampling areas distributed throughout the whole lagoon and kept frozen. In the laboratory, 60 individuals were sorted by area for soft-tissue digestion. Each pool of 10 soft-tissue mussels (n = 6 by area) was wet-weighted and then placed in a 150-mL decontaminated glass beaker with 50 mL of 10% KOH. Samples were heated (40 °C) for 48 h, and digested samples were filtered in glass-fiber membranes. Microplastics were found in all samples of mussels (n = 60) from RFL; the particles were mostly lower than 100 µm with a mean concentration (±SD) of 35.96 ± 47.64 MPs g wet-weight⁻¹. Microplastics were distinguished in seven shapes with different occurrences in samples (%): fiber (43.3%); fragment (34.3%); film (16.3%); sponge/foam (4.9%); pellet (0.57%), rope/filaments (0.17%); and undefined (0.4%). Thirteen colors of microplastics were found, but transparent (54.94%), black (10.77%), and white (9.36%) were the most common. Mytilopsis leucophaeata were useful to assess microplastic contamination in RFL and might be preferentially used in other invaded brackish systems instead of native and often threatened bivalves. Our results confirm the effective application of bivalves as an indicator of coastal microplastic pollution. Full article

Nature provides various templates for integrating organic and inorganic materials to create high-performance composites. Biological structures such as nacre and the structural elements of the glass sponge are built up in layers, leading to remarkable fracture toughness. In this work, the brick-and-mortar and layer-by-layer structures found in these biological examples have been abstracted and implemented by using an aqueous polymer dispersion in combination with nanoclay particles and sodium water glass. These dispersions were used as impregnation of carbon rovings in order to form bio-inspired contact zones towards the concrete matrix. The bonding behavior was investigated using the Yarn Pull-Out (YPO) test, and a beneficial behavior of the layered polymer–nanoclay dispersions was observed. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the organic impregnation content of the roving. Further, light microscopy of the roving cross-sections prior to YPO and visual analyses of the fractured contact zone of split concrete specimens provided information on the quality of the impregnation and the interaction with the concrete matrix. Full article

In this study, we explore the potential of a blended material comprising ${\mathrm{CsPbI}}_3$:${\mathrm{EuCl}}_3$ perovskite and Gig-Lox ${\mathrm{TiO}}_2$, a unique transparent spongy material known for its multi-branched porous structure, for application in solar cells. The inclusion of ${\mathrm{EuCl}}_3$ in ${\mathrm{CsPbI}}_3$ serves to stabilize the photoactive $\mathrm{\gamma }$-phase with a bandgap of 1.75 eV, making it suitable for solar energy conversion in tandem solar cells. Our study applies X-ray-based techniques to investigate the structural properties and interfacial behavior within this blended material, in comparison with a reference perovskite layer deposited on glass. In addition, Spectroscopic ellipsometry is complemented with density functional theory calculations and photoluminescence measurements to elucidate the absorption and radiative emission properties of the blend. Notably, our findings reveal a significant quenching of photoluminescence within the blended material, underscoring the pivotal role of the distributed interfaces in facilitating efficient carrier injection from the ${\mathrm{CsPbI}}_3$:${\mathrm{EuCl}}_3$ perovskite into the Gig-Lox ${\mathrm{TiO}}_2$ sponge. These findings pave the way for the application of the blend as an Electron Transport Layer (ETL) in semi-transparent perovskite solar cells for tandem and building integrated photovoltaics. Full article

Biopolymers are organic polymers that can be treated into intricate designs with porous characteristics that mimic essential biologic components. Due to their superior biosafety, biodegradability, biocompatibility, etc., they have been utilized immensely in biomedical engineering, regeneration, and drug delivery. To obtain the greatest number of results, a literature search was undertaken in scientific search engines utilizing keywords. Chitosan is used in a variety of medical sectors, with the goal of emphasizing its applications and benefits in the clinical dental industry. Chitosan can be dissolved in liquid form and combined with other substances to create a variety of products, including fibers, hydrogels, membranes, microspheres, resins, sponges, pastes, tablets, and micro granules. Chitosan has been studied in a variety of dental applications. Chitosan is used in the prevention of caries and wear, in pulpotomy to accelerate osteogenesis in guided tissue regeneration due to its hemostatic property, and primarily to benefit from its antimicrobial activity by adding it to materials, such as glass ionomer cement, calcium hydroxide, and adhesive systems. With its antibacterial activity and biocompatibility, chitosan is leading the pack as a promising ingredient in the production of dental materials. The current review provides an update on the background, fundamentals, and wide range of uses of chitosan and its gels in dental science. Full article

Structural bioinspiration in modern material science and biomimetics represents an actual trend that was originally based on the bioarchitectural diversity of invertebrate skeletons, specifically, honeycomb constructs of natural origin, which have been in humanities focus since ancient times. We conducted a study on the principles of bioarchitecture regarding the unique biosilica-based honeycomb-like skeleton of the deep-sea glass sponge Aphrocallistes beatrix. Experimental data show, with compelling evidence, the location of actin filaments within honeycomb-formed hierarchical siliceous walls. Principles of the unique hierarchical organization of such formations are discussed. Inspired by poriferan honeycomb biosilica, we designed diverse models, including 3D printing, using PLA-, resin-, and synthetic-glass-prepared corresponding microtomography-based 3D reconstruction. Full article

Noncompressible wounds resulting from accidents and gunshots are typically associated with excessive bleeding, slow wound healing, and bacterial infection. Shape-memory cryogel presents great potential in controlling the hemorrhaging of noncompressible wounds. In this research, a shape-memory cryogel was prepared using a Schiff base reaction between alkylated chitosan (AC) and oxidized dextran (ODex) and then incorporated with a drug-laden and silver-doped mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG). Hydrophobic alkyl chains enhanced the hemostatic and antimicrobial efficiency of the chitosan, forming blood clots in the anticoagulated condition, and expanding the application scenarios of chitosan-based hemostats. The silver-doped MBG activated the endogenous coagulation pathway by releasing Ca²⁺ and prevented infection through the release of Ag⁺. In addition, the proangiogenic desferrioxamine (DFO) in the mesopores of the MBG was released gradually to promote wound healing. We demonstrated that AC/ODex/Ag-MBG DFO(AOM) cryogels exhibited excellent blood absorption capability, facilitating rapid shape recovery. It provided a higher hemostatic capacity in normal and heparin-treated rat-liver perforation-wound models than gelatin sponges and gauze. The AOM gels simultaneously promoted infiltration, angiogenesis, and tissue integration of liver parenchymal cells. Furthermore, the composite cryogel exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Thus, AOM gels show great promise for clinical translation in treating lethal, noncompressible bleeding and the promotion of wound healing. Full article

The importance of lead analysis in environmental matrices becomes increasingly relevant due to the anthropogenic spread of toxic species in nature. Alongside the existing analytical methods to detect lead in a liquid environment, we propose a new dry approach for lead detection and measurement based on its capture from a liquid solution by a solid sponge and subsequent quantification based on X-ray analyses. The detection method exploits the relationship between the electronic density of the solid sponge, which depends on the captured lead, and the critical angle for total reflection of the X-rays. For this purpose, gig-lox TiO₂ layers, grown by modified sputtering physical deposition, were implemented for their branched multi-porosity spongy structure that is ideal for capturing lead atoms or other metallic ionic species in a liquid environment. The gig-lox TiO₂ layers grown on glass substrates were soaked into aqueous solutions containing different concentrations of Pb, dried after soaking, and finally probed through X-ray reflectivity analyses. It has been found that lead atoms are chemisorbed onto the many available surfaces within the gig-lox TiO₂ sponge by establishing stable oxygen bonding. The infiltration of lead into the structure causes an increase in the overall electronic density of the layer and, thus, an increment of its critical angle. Based on the established linear relationship between the amount of lead adsorbed and the augmented critical angle, a standardized quantitative procedure to detect Pb is proposed. The method can be, in principle, applied to other capturing spongy oxides and toxic species. Full article

Thermoplastic molded regenerated silk fibroin was proposed as a structural material in tissue engineering applications, mainly for application in bone. The protocol allows us to obtain a compact non-porous material with a compression modulus in the order of a Giga Pascal in dry conditions (and in the order of tens of MPa in wet conditions). This material is produced by compressing a lyophilized silk fibroin powder or sponge into a mold temperature higher than the glass transition temperature. The main purpose of the produced resin was the osteofixation and other structural applications in which the lack of porosity was not an issue. In this work, we introduced the use of citric acid in the thermoplastic molding protocol of silk fibroin to obtain porosity inside the structural material. The citric acid powder during the compression acted as a template for the pore formation. The mean pore diameter achieved by the addition of the higher amount of citric acid was around 5 μm. In addition, citric acid could effectively crosslink the silk fibroin chain, improving its mechanical strength. This effect was proved both by evaluating the compression modulus (the highest value recorded was 77 MPa in wet conditions) and by studying the spectra obtained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. This protocol may be applied in the near future to the production of structural bone scaffolds. Full article

Ocean resources are a priceless repository of unique species and bioactive compounds with denouement properties that can be used in the fabrication of advanced biomaterials as new templates for supporting the cell culture envisaging tissue engineering approaches. The collagen of marine origin can be sustainably isolated from the underrated fish processing industry by-products, while silica and related materials can be found in the spicules of marine sponges and diatoms frustules. Aiming to address the potential of biomaterials composed from marine collagen and silica-based materials in the context of bone regeneration, four different 3D porous structure formulations (COL, COL:BG, COL:D.E, and COL:BS) were fabricated by freeze-drying. The skins of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were used as raw materials for the collagen (COL) isolation, which was successfully characterized by SDS-PAGE, FTIR, CD, and amino acid analyses, and identified as a type I collagen, produced with a 1.5% yield and a preserved characteristic triple helix conformation. Bioactive glass 45S5 bioglass^® (BG), diatomaceous earth (D.E.) powder, and biosilica (BS) isolated from the Axinella infundibuliformis sponge were chosen as silica-based materials, which were obtained as microparticles and characterized by distinct morphological features. The biomaterials revealed microporous structures, showing a porosity higher than 85%, a mean pore size range of 138–315 μm depending on their composition, with 70% interconnectivity which can be favorable for cell migration and ensure the needed nutrient supply. In vitro, biological assays were conducted by culturing L929 fibroblast-like cells, which confirmed not only the non-toxic nature of the developed biomaterials but also their capability to support cell adhesion and proliferation, particularly the COL:BS biomaterials, as observed by calcein-AM staining upon seven days of culture. Moreover, phalloidin and DAPI staining revealed well-spread cells, populating the entire construct. This study established marine collagen/silica biocomposites as potential scaffolds for tissue engineering, setting the basis for future studies, particularly envisaging the regeneration of non-load-bearing bone tissues. Full article

The design and optimization of photobioreactor(s) (PBR) benefit from the development of robust and quantitatively accurate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, which incorporate the complex interplay of fundamental phenomena. In the present work, we propose a comprehensive computational model for tubular photobioreactors equipped with glass sponges. The simulation model requires a minimum of at least three submodels for hydrodynamics, light supply, and biomass kinetics, respectively. First, by modeling the hydrodynamics, the light–dark cycles can be detected and the mixing characteristics of the flow (besides the mass transport) can be analyzed. Second, the radiative transport model is deployed to predict the local light intensities according to the wavelength of the light and scattering characteristics of the culture. The third submodel implements the biomass growth kinetic by coupling the local light intensities to hydrodynamic information of the CO₂ concentration, which allows to predict the algal growth. In combination, the novel mesoscopic simulation model is applied to a tubular PBR with transparent walls and an internal sponge structure. We showcase the coupled simulation results and validate specific submodel outcomes by comparing the experiments. The overall flow velocity, light distribution, and light intensities for individual algae trajectories are extracted and discussed. Conclusively, such insights into complex hydrodynamics and homogeneous illumination are very promising for CFD-based optimization of PBR. Full article

In this paper, the compatibility of polyetherimide (PEI) with different contents as a high-performance copolymer and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was studied, and 5%–20% PEI was prepared by the non-solvent-induced phase inversion method. The compatibility of PVDF and PEI was evaluated by analyzing the physical structure and properties of the blend membrane, the microstructure, the glass transition temperature Tg, the enthalpy, and the mechanism of the polymer blend enthalpy change. The results show that the blend membranes have -NH and C=O-N binding energies at X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), which preliminarily proves that fluorine–amine bonds are formed between the polymers, and new spectra appeared by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks, which further proves that the two have the formation of fluorine–amine bonds, the Tg and enthalpy of the mixed membrane was increased, and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) observed that the membrane pores changed from finger-like pores to sponge-like macropores. When the content of PEI is 15%, the performance of the blended membrane is the best, the water contact angle increases to 58.5°, the porosity increases to 17.33%, the maximum force increases to 8.04 N, and the elongation at break decreases to 24.26%, the pure water flux is 1870.292 L/m²·h, and the oil rejection is 87%. In addition, the enthalpy change of polymer blending further proves that PEI and PVDF are compatible systems and have a good performance improvement for PVDF. Full article

The world’s largest living glass sponge reefs, located in the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound off British Columbia, are impacted by bottom contact fishing gear. The existing Adaptive Management Zones (AMZs) for the protection of these reefs were determined by considering the potential exposure of glass sponges to suspended sediment due to mobile bottom-contact fishing, but without considering their pumping arrest threshold concentrations. Here, we develop a new method that uses a sediment transport model under horizontally variable near-bottom currents and newly available sponge reef pumping arrest thresholds to determine the size and shape of AMZ for the northern reefs in the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Marine Protected Area. The resulting AMZ is larger than the existing AMZ due to the observation that the largest currents are not always in the direction of the dominant tidal flows, the introduction of the new pumping arrest threshold, and the inclusion of a background sediment concentration. The new AMZ boundary could provide more adequate protection for the glass sponge reefs from the effects of sedimentation induced by mobile, bottom-contact fishing activity. The new method is applicable to other glass sponge reefs in British Columbia waters. Full article

The work deals with the issue of standardization and more accurate methodology for the isolation of gluten DNA in gluten-free products of plant origin, which is more demanding due to the more complex structure of plant cells. Three isolation methods were compared, of which the combination of glass and zirconium beads, Proteinase K and a commercially produced isolation kit was confirmed to be the most effective procedure. The given isolation procedure was more effective in one-component gluten-free foods, where the concentration of the obtained DNA ranged from 80.4 ± 0.7 to 99.0 ± 0.0 ng/µL. The subsequent PCR reaction revealed the presence of gluten not only in guaranteed gluten-free products (40%), but also in naturally gluten-free foods (50%). These were mainly gluten-free sponge cakes, gluten-free biscuits “Cranberries”, cocoa powder, coffee “3in1”, and instant coffee. Full article