Search Results (6,151)

The precise detection and profiling of biotoxins are of paramount importance in analytical and forensic toxicology. Investigating these toxicants within highly chaotic background matrices—ranging from postmortem biological fluids to suspected poisoning vehicles such as complex dietary and environmental samples—requires robust recognition molecules capable of overcoming severe interference. This comprehensive review summarizes recent analytical developments in biotoxin detection, categorizing molecular recognition platforms into three primary types: immunological recognition (antibodies and recombinant derivatives), aptamer-based recognition, and entirely synthetic recognition (molecularly imprinted polymer, MIP). To meet the rigorous ultra-trace demands of medicolegal analysis, we further discuss the strategic integration of these recognition elements with powerful catalytic amplification cascades, highlighting the transition from natural biological enzymes to highly durable nanozymes and DNAzymes. By detailing recent structural optimizations and preparation strategies, this review critically evaluates the respective advantages, matrix tolerances, and limitations of each recognition mode when applied to diverse and challenging analytical samples. Finally, we provide a forward-looking perspective on the translational potential of these specific binding agents, emphasizing how computational rational design and portable integration will overcome practical bottlenecks in modern toxicological investigations. Full article

Textile waste is no longer dominated by simple single-polymer materials. Most post-consumer textiles contain combinations of natural and synthetic fibres, elastane, dyes, coatings, finishes, and other additives, which makes selective recycling considerably more difficult. Deep eutectic solvents (DES) offer a promising route for addressing this complexity because their composition and physicochemical properties can be widely tuned. However, the outcome of DES treatment is often discussed mainly in terms of solvent composition or solvent–polymer affinity, although these factors alone cannot explain why similar DES formulations may lead to different responses in different polymeric or textile systems. In this review, DES-assisted textile recycling is examined from a mechanistic polymer-science perspective. The discussion focuses on how polymer morphology, transport accessibility, supramolecular organization, chemical reactivity, and processing conditions jointly determine whether a material undergoes swelling, molecular dissolution, structural destabilization, or chemical degradation. Particular attention is paid to the distinction between these processes, since changes in sample mass, fibre appearance, or crystallinity do not by themselves prove either true polymer dissolution or chain scission. Evidence from cellulose-based fibres, polyesters, polyamides, polyurethanes, elastane-containing materials, and multicomponent textile systems is used to show how different material outcomes may arise from apparently related DES–polymer interactions. The reviewed studies indicate that selectivity in DES-assisted textile recycling should not be treated as a fixed property of the solvent or of the polymer alone. It is more appropriately understood as the result of a coupled and time-dependent interaction between the DES medium, polymer morphology, textile architecture, and processing conditions. The mechanistic framework proposed here provides a basis for comparing reported DES-based recycling strategies, identifying the experimental evidence needed to support mechanistic claims, and guiding the rational selection of DES composition, process conditions, and recovery pathways for complex textile waste. Full article

Background/Objectives: Biologic and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) have expanded treatment options for inflammatory rheumatic diseases, highlighting the need for continuous pharmacovigilance. This study evaluated changes in prescribing patterns and safety profiles of b/tsDMARDs between 2018–2019 and 2023–2024 in routine clinical practice. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (AR), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treated at a rheumatology outpatient clinic in Southern Italy. Demographic and clinical characteristics, prescribed therapies, treatment switches/swaps, therapeutic failures, and adverse events (AEs) were collected through a structured pharmacovigilance program. Prescribing trends between the two study periods were compared using chi-square analysis. Results: A total of 342 patients were included (202 in 2018–2019 and 140 in 2023–2024). Prescribing patterns changed significantly over time (χ² = 83.24, p < 0.0001), with increased use of newer therapeutic classes and biosimilars, while tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors remained the most frequently prescribed drugs. The proportion of biologic-naïve patients increased from 52.0% to 66.4%, whereas AEs decreased from 31.7% to 15.0%, with no serious adverse events (SAEs) reported. Conclusions: Prescribing strategies for inflammatory rheumatic diseases evolved substantially between 2018 and 2024, reflecting the availability of new therapeutic options and a more personalized treatment approach. b/tsDMARDs showed a favorable real-world safety profile, supporting the importance of ongoing pharmacovigilance. Full article

The replacement of synthetic dyes with natural food colorants has become a priority for the food industry, as emerging evidence from in vitro and animal studies on the potential neurotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects of certified dyes converges with consumer pressure for clean-label formulations. Yet despite this, the industrial uptake of natural pigments remains uneven, held back by stability limitations that differ considerably from one pigment class to the next and from one food matrix to another. This review covers the chemistry, industrial applications, and stabilization approaches of the main natural colorant groups: carotenoids, anthocyanins, betalains, chlorophylls, curcuminoids, phycocyanin, and genipin-derived pigments, with particular attention to the physicochemical reasons behind their instability and the practical tools available to address it. Among stabilization strategies, spray-drying microencapsulation with composite protein–polysaccharide wall materials is often the most scalable and cost-effective option, whereas freeze drying may be preferable for high-value pigments or applications in which maximum pigment retention is the priority. Whether the encapsulating matrix remains in a glassy or rubbery state stands out as a key factor governing oxidative degradation across all pigment categories, which makes water activity management a non-negotiable element of any serious formulation effort. Anthocyanins require more than physical encapsulation alone: copigmentation and structural approaches such as acylation and pyranoanthocyanin formation hold degradation routes that no shell material can prevent on its own. For hydrophobic pigments like carotenoids and curcuminoids, lipid-based delivery systems consistently deliver higher bioaccessibility than aqueous or dried formats. pH control, antioxidant incorporation, and modified atmosphere packaging add a useful but ultimately incomplete third line of defense. One development worth attention is the use of pH-responsive pigments in biopolymer packaging films, where color instability, long treated as a drawback, becomes a real-time indicator of food freshness. Bridging the remaining performance gap with synthetic dyes will call for stabilization platforms that tackle the molecular, physical, and environmental dimensions of degradation together, built around the particular chemistry of each pigment and the demands of each application. Full article

Synaptic failure is the most accurate pathological correlate of cognitive and motor decline in neurodegenerative diseases. However, the molecular logic governing selective synaptic vulnerability in Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD) remains a fundamental enigma. This review dissects the hierarchical organization of the synaptome, arguing that synaptic decay is not a generic process of attrition but a specific collapse of subsynaptic domains (SSDs) and trans-synaptic nanocolumns, considered here within the framework of the tetrapartite synapse, which comprises the presynaptic and postsynaptic compartments together with glia and the perisynaptic extracellular matrix. We use the term pathological convergence in a restricted sense, to denote that, although the primary aggregates differ, the two diseases converge on the same postsynaptic scaffolding hubs and on a comparable loss of condensate fluidity. We propose a biophysical model where the Post-Synaptic Density (PSD) matrix, governed by liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), may undergo a pathological liquid-to-solid transition—characterized by condensate maturation and the formation of insoluble protein aggregates—driven by proteotoxic species. Specifically, we analyze how Aβ-mediated zinc sequestration disrupts the Shank-SAM scaffold hierarchy in AD, while α-synuclein aggregates arrest presynaptic vesicle dynamics and mitochondrial homeostasis in PD. Furthermore, we explore the emerging frontier of "Precision Synaptopharmacology," highlighting how targeted modulation of protein–protein interaction (PPIs), synthetic synaptic organizers (e.g., CPTX), and phase-stabilizing chaperones can restore nanocolumn alignment and synaptic fluidity. We also set out the principal limitations of these strategies, including blood–brain barrier delivery, off-target effects, the immaturity of condensate-directed pharmacology and the incomplete translation of rodent findings to human disease, and we consider the vascular and peripheral contributions that modify the synaptic environment. By integrating recent advances in super-resolution microscopy, systems biology, and activity-based neurorehabilitation, we provide a comprehensive framework for shifting neuroprotective strategies toward the precision engineering and functional recovery of synaptic nano-architecture. Full article

Cyberattacks represent a serious threat for the security of network-based systems and are responsible for large economic losses every year. In this context, physical unclonable function (PUF)-based authentication can provide access to the network resources to legitimate users only, thus preventing unauthorized accesses. On the other hand, transient disturbances (e.g., noise, temperature and power supply variations) and permanent faults can lead to erroneous PUF responses, resulting in failed authentication and reduced network availability for legitimate users. Error-correcting codes have been proposed in the literature to improve PUF reliability. However, they typically require significant costs in terms of processing power and area overhead, meaning they are often unsuitable for resource-constrained devices, such as low-cost microcontrollers and FPGAs. In this paper, we have investigated strategies based on the use of different kinds of error-detecting and error-correcting codes, as well as their possible combination, with limited requirements in terms of processing power and no need for helper data. These strategies have been evaluated using both a synthetic PUF dataset and a real PUF dataset. The results show that the strategy based on a checksum error-detecting code achieves a good performance in terms of network availability, i.e., an error probability in the order of 10⁻³ (3.69 × 10⁻²) when the error on the PUF response (without any ECC) is 12.89% (55.04%), with a low data overhead (1.56% of the PUF challenge size), but it is effective only in the presence of transient disturbances. Instead, the strategy combining the checksum and the Hamming codes provides even higher network availability, i.e., an error probability in the order of 10⁻⁴ (1.6 × 10⁻³) when the error on the PUF response (without any ECC) is 12.89% (55.04%), at the cost of a slightly higher data overhead (7.81% of the PUF challenge size), while also enabling the capability to correct erroneous PUF responses caused by both disturbances and permanent faults. Full article

Hemodialysis (HD) remains the most widely adopted renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage kidney disease; however, its delivery entails a substantial environmental burden due to high water and energy consumption and extensive reliance on single-use synthetic polymeric membranes. As the global prevalence of chronic kidney disease increases, the ecological footprint of dialysis systems has become a critical challenge for sustainable healthcare. Conventional HD membranes, based on petroleum-derived polymers, provide controlled permeability but are inherently non-renewable, non-biodegradable, and susceptible to fouling and bio-incompatibility, underscoring the need for alternative, more sustainable materials. Chitosan has emerged as a promising biopolymer owing to its biodegradability, intrinsic antimicrobial activity, chemical versatility, and favorable hemocompatibility. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of chitosan-based hybrid membranes for HD, with emphasis on sustainability-driven material innovation. The structural chemistry and functional properties of chitosan are discussed in relation to molecular weight, degree of deacetylation, and supramolecular organization, followed by a comparative assessment of chitosan derived from crustacean, insect, fungal, and cephalopod sources. Attention is given to fungal chitosan as a naturally deacetylated, high-purity, and reproducible biomaterial aligned with circular bioeconomy principles. Eco-innovative extraction and purification strategies, including enzymatic and low-energy processes, are critically examined alongside membrane fabrication approaches such as polymer blending, electrospinning of hollow fibers, and functionalization strategies aimed at improving hemocompatibility, antimicrobial performance, and fouling resistance. Key challenges related to membrane reuse, scale-up, regulatory compliance, and clinical translation are also addressed. Overall, this review highlights fungal-derived chitosan as a sustainable platform for next-generation HD membranes. Full article

Breast cancer treatment still faces challenges including local recurrence, systemic toxicity, tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and immunosuppression. Conventional systemic administration provides limited exposure at the tumor site and exhibits significant toxicity. Injectable hydrogels, combining the properties of minimally invasive administration, in situ gelation, local retention, and sustained release, have become a key platform for local precision drug delivery. Compared with nanomedicines or free drugs, hydrogels can both prolong drug retention time and achieve on-demand release through the modulation of crosslinking density, degradation rate, and responsive chemical bonds. This review is organized around the material logic of such systems. Injectable hydrogels are first classified into natural, synthetic, hybrid, supramolecular, nanocomposite, and self-healing systems, the in situ gelation chemistries available to each are compared, and network parameters such as crosslinking density, mesh size, swelling, porosity, modulus, and rheology are related to release kinetics and intratumoral retention. Current research is primarily advancing along two directions: one is the construction of pH-, enzyme-, redox/ROS-, hypoxia-, ATP-, glucose-or thermo-responsive hydrogels; the other is achieving active targeting by integrating functionalized hydrogels with targets such as CD44, folate receptor, integrins, EGFR, transferrin receptor, and HER2 or with biomimetic cell-membrane coatings. On this basis, hydrogels have been extended to cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint modulation, local delivery of CAR-T/CAR-NK, as well as combination therapies involving chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, chemodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, radiosensitization, gene therapy, and theranostics. The constraints imposed on hydrogel design by different payload classes, including small molecules, natural products, proteins and peptides, nucleic acids, antibodies, exosomes, and gene-editing machinery, are further examined, and imaging-integrated theranostic gels are discussed together with the emerging role of machine learning and digital fabrication in hydrogel optimization. Based on the biological foundations of breast cancer, this review summarizes advances in the material design, microenvironment-responsive release, targeting strategies, immunomodulation, and combination therapy of hydrogels, critically evaluates the limitations of each strategy, and aims to provide a reference for the design of mechanistically well-defined and translatable hydrogel delivery systems for breast cancer. Full article

The continuous slowdown in the research and development of new antibiotics and antibiotic overuse have turned the problem of antibacterial resistance into a global public health crisis. As a very promising alternative to multi-drug-resistant bacterial infection, phage therapy is receiving renewed attention. However, the inherent biological limitations of natural phages restrict their extensive clinical application. This review examines how synthetic biology can be harnessed to transform phages and to build the next generation of antibacterial therapies. We outline the main advantages of natural phages, including high host specificity, self-amplification, bactericidal activity and the ability to degrade biofilms. We also point out the bottlenecks of clinical applications of bacteriophages, such as narrow host range, rapid removal in the body and potential genetic safety risks. Moreover, we elaborate on the core synthetic biological tools used to overcome the above limitations, including CRISPR-Cas gene editing, receptor-binding protein reprogramming, functional load delivery and immunogenic regulation, and summarize the recent clinical progress and personalized treatment process. The increasing clinical evidence shows that synthetic biology can effectively overcome the inherent defects of natural bacteriophages, confirming the safety and initial efficacy of bacteriophage therapy. Engineered phages provide a practical strategy to meet the antimicrobial resistance challenge. Clinical applications of such phages will mainly depend on progress in production standardization, regulatory framework construction and scientific and reasonable joint treatment program development. Full article

4-Chlorophenol (4-CP) is a persistent and highly toxic pollutant commonly found in groundwater. However, its efficient degradation remains challenging due to the rapid agglomeration of conventional zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles, their narrow pH operating range, and the environmental risks associated with synthetic chelating agents. To address these limitations, this study presents a rationally designed catalytic system integrating cyclodextrin polymer (CDP)-supported bimetallic Cu-Fe nanoparticles (Cu-Fe-CDP) with citric acid (CA) as a green complexing agent. The porous CDP matrix effectively mitigates nanoparticle agglomeration and provides abundant active sites, while the Fe-Cu bimetallic coupling accelerates electron transfer and iron corrosion. Critically, CA acts as a biocompatible ligand that sustains Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox cycling, expands the effective pH range, and enhances hydroxyl radical (·OH) generation. The system achieves 92.13% degradation of 4-CP within 80 min at pH 9.0 and nearly complete removal at pH values between 3.0 and 7.0. Mechanistic studies, including electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and radical quenching tests, confirm the dominance of ·OH radicals (82.67% inhibition by TBA) and the essential role of surface Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycling. The catalyst exhibits excellent reusability, broad-spectrum activity toward multiple pollutants, and sustained performance in real water matrices and long-term column tests with minimal metal leaching. This work demonstrates a chemically robust strategy for chlorophenol remediation using green citric acid and biodegradable CDP without exogenous oxidant addition, showing promise for further development toward practical applications. Full article

Alginate, as a natural polymer, has been widely used in the removal of pollutants in water due to its renewability, biocompatibility and abundant functional groups. However, it still has some limitations such as low specific surface area, poor mechanical strength and single function. Introducing metal oxides can effectively enhance their adsorption capacity and multi-functionality. Nevertheless, binary composites remain insufficient for treating complex water bodies. Therefore, the construction of structurally stable and functionally diverse ternary composites has become an important research direction. The review is based on alginate/metal oxide binary composites, analyzing their deficiencies in structural stability, nanoparticle dispersion and functional synergy. On this basis, the synthetic strategy and structural characteristics for constructing ternary composites by incorporating inorganic non-metallic frameworks, metal nanoparticles, porous carbon-based materials, and other natural polymers are discussed. The synergistic mechanism and performance enhancements of various components during pollutant removal are primarily summarized. Although the ternary composite system has a promising application prospect, it still faces challenges such as complex synthesis processes, insufficient interfacial stability, limited reusability, and poor adaptability to complex water bodies. Therefore, future efforts should focus on structural optimization, green preparation and resource utilization of waste materials to promote their engineering application and sustainable development in the field of water treatment. Full article

Long-chain n-alkane hydroisomerization is a key catalytic route for upgrading wax-rich, bio-derived, and synthetic hydrocarbon feedstocks into diesel fuels, sustainable aviation fuels, and lubricant base oils with improved low-temperature properties. However, selective hydroisomerization remains challenging because mismatches in the spatial proximity and relative strength of metal and acid sites can prolong the residence time of olefin/carbenium-ion intermediates, thereby promoting over-isomerization to multibranched species, deep cracking, and coke formation. This review summarizes recent advances in zeolite-based bifunctional catalysts for long-chain n-alkane hydroisomerization. The catalytic mechanisms are first discussed, including metal-catalyzed dehydrogenation/hydrogenation, acid-catalyzed skeletal rearrangement, and shape-selective pathways governed by pore-mouth and key-lock effects. Catalyst construction strategies are then outlined, with emphasis on the preparation of zeolite supports and the introduction and localization of metal sites. Subsequently, structure–performance relationships are reviewed from the perspectives of support properties, metal site characteristics, and promoter effects, followed by a concise assessment of catalyst performance with real feedstocks under industrially relevant conditions. Finally, this review provides guidance for the precise design of metal–acid bifunctional hydroisomerization catalysts by highlighting descriptor-guided optimization, spatially regulated metal–acid–pore architectures, multiscale characterization and modeling, and scalable catalyst construction under practical reaction conditions. Full article

Real-time tissue identification during laser-guided surgery is a critical unmet need for collateral damage avoidance and margin delineation. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is compatible with pulsed laser surgical systems and offers rapid, label-free elemental analysis. This study presents a machine learning pipeline classifying five ex vivo bovine tissue classes, plus one synthetic null-signal control class, from LIBS spectra, designed to control specimen-level data leakage and class imbalance bias. Key contributions are (i) a ‘peak max over baseline’ aggregation strategy suppressing shot noise while preserving emission peaks; (ii) a repeated, group-based cross-validation protocol (GroupShuffleSplit, N = 10) enforcing specimen-level separation; and (iii) a comparison of 30 configurations (10 classifiers × 3 pipelines). Extra Trees with normalization reached the highest weighted F1-score (0.934 ± 0.118); excluding the synthetic control, five-class scores fall to 0.875–0.915 and the ranking changes, so these are the reference figures for biological tissue discrimination. Support Vector Machines were less accurate but more consistent (0.917 ± 0.069). Acquisition takes approximately 3 s per point; inference is sub-millisecond. With five source animals, the best configuration chosen on the same outer splits, and inner tuning that was not group-aware, these estimates are an exploratory step toward real-time guided surgery. Full article

Microbiota has emerged as a potential regulator of female reproductive health through immunological, metabolic, and endocrine networks. Growing evidence suggests that the composition and stability of the vaginal, uterine, and gut microbiota are associated with fertility outcomes. Disruptions in reproductive tract homeostasis have been linked to infertility, implantation failure, pregnancy loss, and diminished success in assisted reproductive technologies. Beyond local interactions, maternal gut microbiota may influence systemic immunity and metabolic pathways related to vaginal and endometrial microbiota. While these findings highlight the microbiome-based signatures’ potential as predictive and prognostic biomarkers, their clinical applicability remains unconfirmed. Evidence is limited by small cohort sizes, methodological and analytical heterogeneity, and lack of standardization, limiting clinical translation. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the microbiome’s role in female reproductive health, highlighting its potential impact on pathophysiology, diagnostics, and therapeutic strategies. While this approach allows for a broad conceptual overview, we explicitly note that it is not systematic. As a result, this review is limited by the absence of a standardized search protocol, which may introduce selection bias. Finally, we review advances in microbial engineering and synthetic biology, highlighting engineered living biotherapeutics as promising strategies to improve microbiome-based reproductive medicine. Full article

An efficient and stereoselective method for the synthesis of chiral biheterocyclic N-Boc-protected pyrrolidine derivatives bearing indole, pyrazole, and indazole moieties is presented. In this approach, nucleophilic substitution of heterocyclic carboxylates with enantiomerically pure N-Boc-3-methanesulfonyloxypyrrolidines is used to afford N-(pyrrolidin-3-yl) derivatives in high yields with an inverted configuration. The methodology accommodates a range of substrates, enabling structural diversity. Reactions with pyrazole- and indazolecarboxylates generate regioisomeric products. Representative peptide-coupling reactions further demonstrated the synthetic utility of the synthesized chiral biheterocyclic pyrrolidine derivatives containing protected amino and carboxyl functionalities as building blocks for peptide synthesis. Halogenated indole and pyrazole derivatives underwent further functionalization via palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling to introduce aryl, heteroaryl, and alkynyl substituents. All of the N-Boc-substituted biheterocycle–pyrrolidine carboxylates displayed NMR spectra with two sets of signals, notable signal broadening, or both. These effects are due to the dynamic equilibrium between two conformers in a deuterated solvent and were studied in depth. The structures and stereochemistry of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by means of chiral HPLC, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and advanced NMR analyses. This synthetic strategy provides access to chiral heterocyclic amino acid-like building blocks for peptide synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Full article