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The growing demand for sustainable and ethical food options has led to significant advancements in plant-based meat substitutes (PBMS). PBMS have made considerable progress in simulating the taste, texture, and sensory properties of animal meat. Connective tissue is a fundamental component of animal meat that significantly influences tenderness, texture, and sensory properties. However, the imitation of realistic connective tissues has received relatively less attention in the PBMS industry. The current work focuses on exploring materials and techniques for the replication of plant-based connective tissues (PBCT). By understanding the structural and functional characteristics of animal connective tissues (ACT), it is possible to replicate these characteristics in PBCT. Hydrogels, with their ability to simulate certain properties of ACT, present a viable material for the creation of PBCT. To achieve the desired simulation, their mechanical and structural properties need to be enhanced by using several materials and several physical techniques., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Macadamia peels are the main by-product of postharvest treatment of the whole fresh fruit weight, they contain various bioactive substances, such as polysaccharides, phenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, saponins, and other nutritional and functional components, that are known to have anti-tumor and anti-oxidation functions., Results: Two purified polysaccharide fractions were obtained (MPP-1 and MPP-2) by extracting with ultrasonic-microwave-aided water extraction and purifying by with DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-50 columns, and then characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and NMR, and the antioxidant activity was also investigated. The results indicated that MPP-1 and MPP-2 were mainly glucose, the molecular weight was 8.16 kDa and 7.73 kDa, respectively. Methylation with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and NMR analyses confirmed that two fractions comprised of →4) -α-d- Glcp -(1→, →6) -β-d- Glcp -(1→ and →3,4) -β-d- Glcp -(1→) as the main chain. In addition, MPP-1 and MPP-2 polysaccharides showed significant antioxidant activity with respect to 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl group and reducing power, and MPP-2 demonstrated excellent antioxidant activities compared to MPP-1 with IC 50 values of 35.12, 18.82 and 40.12 μg mL -1 , respectively., Conclusion: The novel polysaccharide, MPP-1 and MPP-2, mainly containing glucose, showed significant antioxidant activity with respect to DPPH, hydroxyl group and reducing power. This study has enhanced waste utilization and reduced environmental pollution, providing some inspiration for the reuse of the waste generated during agricultural production. It may bring good prospects for their use as antioxidants in functional foods. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Biologically synthesized nanoparticles via biological entities are produced with less negative impact on the environment and without expensive chemicals, which have biocompatibility and are eco-friendly. Gracilaria crassa is a well-known marine red alga that is edible and unique and is the commercial source of agar and agarose production. In this work, Gracilaria crassa-mediated SiO 2 NPs were synthesized by the green synthesis method. In order to characterize the physicochemical properties of the synthesized SiO 2 NPs, a variety of microscopic and spectroscopic approaches were used, including imaging with Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, UV spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Zeta potential, and Thermo gravimetric analysis. These results shown that Gracilaria crassa-mediated SiO 2 NPs were amorphous nature, negatively charged -15.5 mV and spherical shape in size of 20-50 nm. The antioxidant capacity of synthesised SiO 2 NPs was examined by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay and it observed as IC 50 value of 49.4 μg/mL denotes that could counteract the production of free radicals and oxidative stress. The characteristics of the synthesized Gracilara crassa-mediated SiO 2 NPs suggest their application as potential antioxidant agents., (© 2024 The Authors. ChemistryOpen published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A high cellulase-producing bacterial isolate TS4 was recovered from an Egyptian soil sample and identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing as Streptomyces thermodiastaticus. One-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) preliminary studies were carried out to determine the key factors affecting cellulase production by S. thermodiastaticus and their optimum ranges. The initial pH of the medium, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), tryptone, and NaCl concentrations were further optimized using a response surface Central Composite design. Fermentation under optimized variables of initial pH 6.0, presence of CMC, tryptone, and NaCl at concentrations of 2%, 0.03%, and 0.12%, respectively, resulted in 3.24 fold increase in cellulase productivity (2023 U/L) as compared to that under basal conditions (625 U/L). Cellulase production was also improved with a 4 Kilogray (KGy) dosage of gamma radiation. In comparison to the wild-type strain under basal circumstances, S. thermodiastaticus produced 5.1 fold more cellulase after a combination of model-based optimization and gamma radiation mutation. Cellulase was partially purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by dialysis. The resulting cellulase was 1.74 times purified and its specific activity was 4.21 U/mg. The molecular weight of cellulase is 63 kDa as indicated by SDS-PAGE and zymogram. Its maximum activity was achieved at 60 °C and pH 5.0. In addition, it showed outstanding thermo-tolerance as it could retain its full activity after a 12-h incubation at 90 °C., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The global concern over microbial resistance, particularly the emergence of antibiotic resistance, underscores the imperative for novel antimicrobial strategies. Plant essential oils and biopolymers offer promising alternatives to conventional drugs for bacterial and fungal infections. The objective was to achieve optimized antibacterial activity and to identify the phytochemical component of the essential oil. The essential oils passed the screening confirmed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The synthesized hydrogel was prepared by freeze drying polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/gum Arabic (GA) with the addition of a crosslinker. The Essential oils compounds' antimicrobial effectiveness was confirmed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis upon their integration into the hydrogel membrane. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was performed to investigate the morphological structure of the hydrogel membranes, and the results indicated that the material was successfully loaded. The antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against two gram positive and gram-negative bacteria strain. The best results of the antibacterial study for the synthesized hydrogels were obtained with the addition of 0.2 mL of Schinus Molle Essential Oil (SMEO) to the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/gum Arabic (GA) hydrogels of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), which were 10.2±0.16 mm and 9.3 ± 0.3 mm, respectively, while those of 0.4 mL were 8.2 ±0.21 mm and 8.2±0.3 mm, respectively. Additionally, with 0.2 mL of Schinus Molle Essential Oil (SMEOs), the moisture retention capacity (MRC) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) were 93.12 % and 32.73 g/m 2 h, respectively. The results of this research study suggested that the phytochemical component of the essential oil and the synthesized hydrogel membrane exhibit greater antibacterial activity and physical features, making it suitable for use in various biomedical applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder presenting challenges for characterization. The current study aimed to identify and evaluate disease-responsive essential genes (DREGs) to enhance the molecular characterization of SCZ. RNA-sequencing data from PsychENCODE (536 SCZ patients, 832 controls) and peripheral blood transcriptome data from 144 recruited subjects (59 SCZ patients, 6 non-SCZ psychiatric patients, 79 controls) are analyzed. Shared differential expression genes are obtained using three algorithms. Support vector machine (SVM)-based recursive feature elimination is employed to identify DREGs. The biological relevance of these DREGs is examined through protein-protein interaction network, pathway enrichment, polygenic scoring, and brain tissue expression. Key DREGs are validated in SCZ animal models. A DREGs-based machine-learning model for SCZ characterization is developed and its performance is assessed using multiple datasets. The analysis identified 184 DREGs forming an interconnected network involved in synaptic plasticity, inflammation, neuronal development, and neurotransmission. DREGs exhibited distinct expression in SCZ-related brain regions and animal models. Their genetic contributions are comparable to genome-wide polygenic risk scores. The DREG-based SVM model demonstrated high performance (AUC 85% for SCZ characterization, 79% for specificity). These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying SCZ and emphasize the potential of DREGs in improving SCZ characterization., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

A new outdoor atmospheric simulation chamber with a volume of ∼100 m 3 , the largest one in Asia, was recently constructed in the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing, China). This Atmospheric Environment Simulation System (AESS-RCEES) is a hemispherical-shaped photoreactor constructed using sixteen stainless-steel brackets covered by double-layer Teflon film, offering two advantages over other outdoor chambers: 1) The AESS-RCEES effectively minimizes the "greenhouse effect" by continuously circulating cooling air through the double layer, resulting in mean temperature differences between the inside and outside of around 12 °C in winter and 9 °C in summer. 2) The chamber can quickly introduce ambient air through a special inlet system, completely replacing the air inside within 45 min. Using AESS-RCEES, the wall loss rates of various gaseous species and ambient particles have been investigated, it was observed that the loss rates of ambient particles were significantly slower than those of artificial (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 aerosol and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed by α-pinene ozonolysis. This suggests that the mixture of primary and SOA in the ambient air may have a longer lifetime than the aerosols generated individually. Investigation performed on propene/NOx photo-oxidation and α-pinene ozonolysis have shown that the AESS-RCEES is suitable for simulating atmospheric conditions and analyzing gas and particle chemical composition under controlled environmental conditions. This makes it a valuable platform for studying complex pollution and key chemical processes in the real atmosphere., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The author declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A variety of waste materials are currently being processed using pyrolysis with the objective of valorization, transformation, and conversion into valuable raw materials that can be further utilized. In this work, three different types of char produced from pine sawdust, waste tires and waste from the flat panel display fraction of electrical and electronic equipment were studied. For selection of suitable application, it is necessary to characterize them. The majority of studies focus only on the analysis of the composition and properties of the resulting chars. Nevertheless, the most prevalent utilization of char is in the environment as a soil amendment or adsorbent for the removal of pollutants from water, soil, and air. For this reason, this work incorporated a comprehensive characterization, including an ecotoxicological assessment of the environmental impacts and health risks during their handling/storage. Based on the obtained results and the legislation, a suitable and safe application of the chars was recommended. As presumed, the tested char samples varied in their composition and properties. Biochar from pine sawdust possessed suitable surface properties to be used as a potentially effective adsorbent for water treatment. However, it demonstrated increased ecotoxicity against aquatic organisms, prompting its recommendation for soil application. Waste tires char can be safely used only as an absorbent for air purification due to its high ecotoxicity for aquatic organisms and high PAHs concentration, which disables its soil application. It is inadvisable to utilize char produced from electro-waste plastics in the environment due to its toxic composition, high volatile organic compounds and PAHs content and ecotoxicity. This study confirmed the importance and necessity of using multiple ecotoxicological tests involving different groups of organisms in the characterization of chars (also biochar) to exclude potential negative impacts of their further application., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ☒ The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The present study details the development of a solar dryer with double pass flat plate solar collector having carbon nanodots (CNDs) coated absorber surface. Among the various concentrations of CNDs (0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2%), the 0.5% CNDs coated absorber surface recorded the highest absorptance and lowest reflectance with higher spectral selectivity of 0.933. Hence, the 0.5% coating was selected as the optimum concentration and coated over the absorber surface of flat plate solar air collector. SEM image of black painted surface is clear and smooth and CNDs coated absorber surface is having dispersed particle with rough surface. FTIR absorption peak values revealed that the presence of black paint and CNDs in the 0.5% CNDs coated aluminium sheet. The efficiency of collector coated with 0.5% CNDs was calculated at various air flow rate of 0.008, 0.016, 0.018, and 0.021 kg/s and results revealed that the rise in air flow rate from 0.008 to 0.021 kg/s increased the efficiency from 39.22 to 82.99%. The solar dryer connected with the developed collector was tested for the performance and the drying studies revealed that shrimp and false white sardine required 10 h and 11 h drying time during the experimental studies., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval Not applicable. Consent to participate Not applicable. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Medicinal plants have been used since time immemorial for the treatment of many types of diseases along with epidemics. They show many biological activities like anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-insecticidal, antibiotic, anti-parasitic, anti-hemolytic properties etc. Different types of bioactive compounds, present in the medicinal plants, play a key role in prevention of diseases and also used for manufacturing medicines. Thus, phytochemicals have an immense value to communities worldwide. The present review focused on the extraction, purification and characterisation method for isolation of phytocompounds. Both the conventional like maceration, percolation, digestion, infusion a decoction, soxhlet and reflux, hydro distillation and steam distillation method and modern technique of extraction like ASE, microwave- and ultrasound-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, enzyme-assisted fluid extraction, pressurised hot water extraction are elaborately explained in the present review. The methodology of purification by LLF & LLP, recrystallization, different chromatographic techniques like TLC, prep-TLC, column chromatography, flash column chromatography, SEC, counter current chromatography, HPLC & prep-GC are also included in the present review. Structure elucidation by UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography are also discussed here.

Defect engineering is an effective method for tuning the performance of thermoelectric materials and shows significant promise in advancing thermoelectric performance. Given the rapid progress in this research field, this Review summarizes recent advances in the application of defect engineering in thermoelectric materials, offering insights into how defect engineering can enhance thermoelectric performance. By manipulating the micro/nanostructure and chemical composition to introduce defects at various scales, the physical impacts of diverse types of defects on band structure, carrier and phonon transport behaviors, and the improvement of mechanical stability are comprehensively discussed. These findings provide more reliable and efficient solutions for practical applications of thermoelectric materials. Additionally, the development of relevant defect characterization techniques and theoretical models are explored to help identify the optimal types and densities of defects for a given thermoelectric material. Finally, the challenges faced in the conversion efficiency and stability of thermoelectric materials are highlighted and a look ahead to the prospects of defect engineering strategies in this field is presented.

Heavy metals (HMs) represent a persistent and significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. Hydroxyapatite (HAp) has emerged as a utilized material in the remediation of environmental HMs, owing to its exceptionally high porosity, expansive surface area, and the presence of three-dimensional ordered channels. An in-depth study of the synthesis strategy of HAp and its adsorption properties can help reduce the cost of remediating HMs in aquatic environments and alleviate the water shortage. In this paper, we reviewed 466 works of literature on the adsorption of heavy metals by HAp based on the Web of Science database between 2013 and 2023 that focused on the adsorption of heavy metals by HAp. We meticulously synthesized the findings related to the synthesis conditions-namely precipitation, hydrothermal, and calcination-as well as the characterization parameters and the adsorption capacity of HAp for heavy metals such as Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Ni 2+ . Synthesizing advanced materials by reducing the number of experiments is essential to accelerate material development. Machine learning (ML) holds significant promise in material discovery and performance enhancement. We have consolidated the qualitative and quantitative relationships between HAp synthesis conditions, characterization parameters, and heavy metal adsorption capacity across previous studies, utilizing both the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and ML techniques. Building on the most recognized heavy metal adsorption mechanisms, we have evaluated the influence of characterization parameters on adsorption performance. We have outlined the optimal synthetic conditions for enhancing the adsorption of Pb 2+ , Cd 2+ , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Ni 2+ through precipitation, hydrothermal, and calcination methods, offering a practical guide for the targeted synthesis of HAp tailored to specific heavy metal adsorption capacities., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the current work, electrostatic interactions were used to immobilize the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) onto five types of ceramic materials (C) with different concentrations of oxidized metals (C1-C5). The highest immobilization efficiency (70 and 77%) was detected at 6 mg C3 and 18 enzyme units. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis of C3-HRP confirmed the immobilization of the enzyme. After ten reuses, the reusability analysis showed that (66%) of the C3-HRP enzyme activity was retained. For C3-HRP, the optimum pH and temperature of the soluble enzyme were shifted from 7.0 and 30 °C to 6.0 and 50 °C. Up to 40 °C and 50 °C, respectively, the soluble HRP and C3-HRP remained steady. The kinetic analysis revealed that the Km and Vmax of soluble HRP and C3-HRP were, respectively, 5.5 mM, 0.66 units, and 8 mM, 0.52 units for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and 35.5 mM, 3.4 units and 40 mM, 1.1 units for guaiacol. Compared to soluble-HRP, the C3-HRP exhibited a greater oxidizing affinity toward several phenolic compounds (Guaiacol, o-dianisidine, o-phenylenediamine, pyrogallol, p-aminoantipyrine). In comparison with soluble-HRP, the C3-HRP showed increased stress tolerance with Triton X-100, urea, metals, isopropanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide. The C3-HRP removed methyl orange more effectively compared to soluble-HRP., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in intercellular communication and various biological processes. They hold clinical promise for the diagnosis and management of a wide range of pathologies, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases and degenerative diseases, and are of interest as regenerative therapies. Understanding the complex structure of these EVs is essential to perceive the current challenges associated with their analysis and characterization. Today, challenges remain in terms of access to high-yield, high-purity isolation methods, as well as analytical methods for characterizing and controlling the quality of these products for clinical use., Results: We isolated EVs from the same immortalized human cell culture supernatant using two commonly used approaches, namely differential ultracentrifugation and membrane affinity. Then we evaluated EV morphology, size, zeta potential, particle and protein content, as well as protein identity using cryogenic electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, asymmetric field flow fractionation (AF4) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled to multi angle light scattering, bicinchoninic acid assay, electrophoretic light scattering, western blotting and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compared to membrane affinity isolation, dUC is a more efficient isolation process for obtaining particles with the characteristics expected for EVs and more specifically for exosomes. To validate an isolation process, cryogenic electron microscopy is essential to confirm vesicles with membranes. High resolution mass spectrometry is powerful for understanding the mechanism of action of vesicles. Separative methods, such as AF4 and SEC, are interesting for separating vesicle subpopulations and contaminants., Significance: This study provides a critical assessment of eight different techniques for analyzing EVs, some of which are mandatory for in-depth characterization and deciphering, while others are more appropriate for routine analysis, once the production and isolation process has been validated. The strengths and limitations of the different approaches used are highlighted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics, pervasive contaminants from plastic, present significant challenges to wastewater treatment processes. This review critically examines the interactions between microplastics and biofilm-based treatment technologies, specifically focusing on the concepts of "biofilm on microplastics" and "microplastics in biofilm". It discusses the implications of these interactions in contaminant removal and process performance. Advanced characterization techniques, including morphological characterization, chemical composition analysis, and bio-information analysis, are assessed to elucidate the complex interplay between microplastics and biofilms within biofilters, biological aerated filters (BAFs), rotating biological contactors (RBCs), and moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs). This review synthesizes current research findings, highlighting that microplastics can either hinder or enhance the treatment processes, contingent on their concentration, physicochemical properties, and the specific biofilm technology employed. The insights gained from this review are essential for developing strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of microplastics and for optimizing the design and operation of wastewater treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Transcranial ultrasound imaging is a popular method to study cerebral functionality and diagnose brain injuries. However, the detected ultrasound signal is greatly distorted due to the aberration caused by the skull bone. The aberration mechanism mainly depends on thickness and porosity, two important skull physical characteristics. Although skull bone thickness and porosity can be estimated from CT or MRI scans, there is significant value in developing methods for obtaining thickness and porosity information from ultrasound itself. Here, we extracted various features from ultrasound signals using physical skull-mimicking phantoms of a range of thicknesses with embedded porosity-mimicking acoustic mismatches and analyzed them using machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models. The performance evaluation demonstrated that both ML- and DL-trained models could predict the physical characteristics of a variety of skull phantoms with reasonable accuracy. The proposed approach could be expanded upon and utilized for the development of effective skull aberration correction methods., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Biophotonics published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Functionalized graphene materials have been proposed as nanofillers in food packaging applications as they improve the characteristics of the resulting nanocomposites. But food contact materials require a toxicity evaluation previous their authorization and use. In this sense, reduced graphene oxide functionalized with dodecyl amine (DA-rGO), and [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (MTAC-rGO) were characterized and their internalization and cytotoxicity in Caco-2 and HepG2 cultures evaluated. Cell viability decreased from 100 μg/mL in all experimental trials, and oxidative stress by means of a reduction in glutathione levels was evidenced as one of the potential toxicity mechanisms involved. Moreover, both materials were subjected to an in vitro digestion process to investigate their potential changes along the gastrointestinal tract. Digested samples were characterized, and the cytotoxicity also evaluated showing an exacerbation. These results raise concerns about the impact of these materials after oral exposure, and therefore further research is necessary., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Streptococcus suis negatively impacts swine health, posing diagnostic and preventative challenges. S. suis can induce disease and also quietly reside on mucosal surfaces. The limited use of diagnostic tools to identify disease-associated strains and rule out differential diagnoses, alongside the complex ecology of S. suis , poses significant challenges in comprehending this important pathogen and defining pathotypes. This study evaluated 2,379 S . suis central nervous system (CNS) isolates from diagnostic submissions between 2015 and 2019. Isolates originating from submissions with histologic evidence of CNS infection ( n = 1,032) were further characterized by standard and advanced diagnostic techniques. We identified 29 S . suis serotypes and 4 reclassified serotypes as putative causes of CNS disease. Among these, serotypes 1 and 7 emerged as the predominant putative causes of CNS infection (32% of submissions). Furthermore, 51 sequence types (STs), of which 15 were novel, were detected with ST1 predominating. Through whole-genome sequencing of 145 isolates, we observed that five commonly used virulence-associated genes (VAGs; epf , mrp , sly , ofs , and srtF ) were not present in most disease-associated isolates, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) yielded false-positive results in 7% of isolates. These data indicate that (i) clinical signs and site of isolation alone are insufficient for defining a pathotype, (ii) S. suis serotypes and STs associated with CNS infection are more diverse than previously reported, (iii) MALDI-TOF MS may need to be supplemented with additional diagnostic tools for precise S. suis identification, and (iv) VAGs remain an unreliable means for identifying isolates associated with CNS disease.IMPORTANCE Streptococcus suis is an important and complex systemic bacterial pathogen of swine. Characterization of S. suis strains originating from pigs with histologic confirmation of neurologic disease is limited. Review of swine diagnostic submissions revealed that fewer than half of cases from which S. suis was isolated from the brain had histologic evidence of neurologic disease. This finding demonstrates that clinical signs and site of isolation alone are not sufficient for identifying a neurologic disease-associated strain. Characterization of strains originating from cases with evidence of disease using classic and advanced diagnostic techniques revealed that neurologic disease-associated strains are diverse and commonly lack genes previously associated with virulence., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

We described the complete mitogenome sequence of Rhacophorus chenfui in this research. The circular mitogenome of R. chenfui is total length with 20,520 bp, encoded 39 genes (24 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes) and two D-loop regions. The base composition of the mitogenome is 33.46% A, 30.80% T, 23.05% C, and 12.69% G. All tRNAs have the typical clover-leaf structure except for tRNA Ser1(AGN) which have a reduced DHU arm. The results showed that R. chenfui is closely related with R. schlegelii , R. arboreus , Zhangixalus omeimontis and Z. dugritei . This work enriches the library of Rhacophoridae mitoenomes and provides a valuable resource for understanding the evolutionary history of Rhacophorus ., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s)., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

This study examined the effect of high-intensity ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (HUAE) on the extraction yield and the physicochemical and functional properties of soy protein (SP) using the two-pot multivariate method for the first time. Plackett-Burman Design (PBD) coupled with Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was systematically utilized to select and subsequently optimize the HUAE parameters. Based on PBD results, the significant extraction factors were liquid to solid ratio (LSR), temperature, ultrasonic amplitude, and extraction time. The optimum conditions for the maximal extraction yield and minimal energy consumption were 50:1 mL/g LSR, 50 °C, 48 % ultrasonic amplitude, and 10 min extraction time. At optimum conditions, the extraction yield (35.28 %) was significantly improved compared to traditional extraction (26.39 %). Besides, HUAE resulted in modification of the protein secondary and tertiary structures due to the unfolding of protein molecules and the exposure of hydrophobic groups or regions as shown by FTIR spectroscopy, free sulfhydryl analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. These structural changes led to decreased solubility and emulsifying activity but improved emulsion stabilization and antioxidant properties. With future development, HUAE could potentially produce soy protein for targeted applications, broadening its utilization and meeting the need for more sustainable alternative processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The development of an environmentally benign method for the synthesis of nanoparticles has been facilitated by green chemistry. "Green synthesis" uses a range of biological elements like microbes, plants, and other biodegradable materials to produce NPs. Active biomolecules that are secreted by natural strains and present in the plant extracts serve as both reducing and capping/stabilizing agents. Microorganisms' intracellular enzymes can reduce metal ions, which explains how NPs might potentially nucleate. Plant-based synthesis of nanomaterials is particularly promising owing to abundant resources, simplicity of synthesis, and low cost. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are attracting great attention in the research community due to their wide variety of applications in chemistry, food technology, microbiology, and biomedicine. Recent years have seen a large amount of research on the bio-genic synthesis of AgNPs employing biomaterials like plant extract and bacteria as reducing agents. Herein we discuss a thorough overview of the plant-based synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), characterization approaches, applications, and toxicity. The review covers the green chemistry and nanotechnology elements of producing AgNPs, including a thorough discussion of the plant extract mediated synthesis, detailed formation mechanism, and a well-balanced emphasis on hazards and advantages. Based on current developments, the optimisation strategies, applications, and interdisciplinary characteristics are also covered in detail., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbial cellulases have become significant biocatalysts because of their complex composition and extensive industrial applications. This study aimed to isolate an efficient cellulase-producing strain, followed by molecular identification, enzyme purification, and characterization. Among 110 isolates, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens OKB3 was selected for its significant cellulase production, with optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 34 °C. The purification using ammonium sulfate and Sephadex G-100 chromatography resulted in specific activity of 2720.76 U/mg, 2.91 fold purification, and 29.44 % yield. The purified cellulase named CelB was a dimeric macromolecule of 123 kDa consisting of 67 and 54 kDa subunits. CelB was most active at 60 °C and pH 6, and it was stable at pH 5.5 to 6.0 and 0 °C to 4 °C. CelB was unaffected by metal cofactors and inhibited in the presence of divalent cations Cu 2+ , Hg 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Ag 2+ . The CelB has higher specificity of CMC compared to other substrates. The K m , V max, and K cat values were 0.037 mM, 188.67 μmole/min, and 7430 S -1 respectively. The unique attributes of CelB make it a very promising candidate for various biotechnological applications., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Acinetobacter baumannii is a gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen, that is responsible for a wide variety of infections and is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections. A. baumannii is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a critical priority pathogen because of its high level of antibiotic resistance and the urgent need for alternative treatment solutions. To address this challenge, bacteriophages have been used to combat bacterial infections for more than a century, and phage research has regained interest in recent years due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, although the vast majority of deaths from the AMR crisis will occur in developing countries in Africa and Asia, few phages' studies have been conducted in these regions. In this study, we present a comprehensive characterization of the bacteriophages vAbBal23 and vAbAbd25, actives against extremely drug-resistant (XDR) A. baumannii., Methods: Phages were isolated from environmental wastewaters in Dakar, Senegal. The host-range, thermal and pH stabilities, infection kinetics, one step growth assay, antibiofilm activity assay, sequencing, and genomic analysis, were performed to characterize the isolated phages., Results: Comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses revealed that vAbBal23 and vAbAbd25 belong to the Caudoviricetes class, Autographiviridae family and Friunavirus genus. Both phages demonstrated activity against strains with capsular type KL230. They were stable over a wide pH range (pH 3 to 9) and at temperatures ranging from 25 °C to 40 °C. Additionally, the phages exhibited notable activity against both planktonic and biofilm cells of targeted extremely drug resistant A. baumannii. The results presented here indicate the lytic nature of vAbBal23 and vAbAbd25. This is further supported by the absence of genes encoding toxins, resistance genes and bacterial virulence factors, highlighting their potential for future phage applications., Conclusion: Phages vAbBal23 and vAbAbd25 are promising biological agents that can infect A. baumannii, making them suitable candidates for use in phage therapies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) is endemic in sub-Saharan countries and is currently a global threat to the cattle industry. Information on the circulating Capripoxvirus lumpyskinpox, formerly known as Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV), and other poxviruses infecting cattle is very scant in Tanzania. The current study aimed to confirm and characterize LSDV and other poxviruses infecting cattle, from LSD suspected outbreaks in Tanzania., Methods: A total of 24 samples were collected from four LSD suspected outbreaks reported in Tanzania between February and May 2023. Samples were screened for LSDV genome by real-time PCR and then subjected to a high-resolution multiplex melting (HRM) assay where 10 samples were positive for Capripoxvirus (CaPV) and one sample was Parapoxvirus (PPV) positive. Four LSDV genes; RPO30, GPCR, EEV glycoprotein and B22R and the partial B2L gene of PPVs were analyzed., Results: All targeted LSDV genes from the Tanzanian isolates showed 100% similarity and isolates clustered with commonly circulating LSDV field isolates. Furthermore, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at position 240 (A-> G) of the EEV gene differentiates the Tanzanian LSDVs from the group of ancient Kenyan LSDV isolates while the B22R sequences of the Tanzanian LSDV isolates differed from the LSDV Neethling and LSDV KSGP-0240 derived vaccines. Sequence analysis of the partial B2L gene of the Tanzanian parapoxvirus bovinestomatitis, formerly known as Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) showed a different BPSV strain circulating compared to publicly available sequences., Conclusion: These findings confirm the presence of LSDV in Tanzania, which suggesting the need for establishing an effective control program and continuous monitoring. The presence of a typical profile for Tanzania BPSV is an indication that, although never reported before, BPSV is established in the country therefore this virus should be included in the differential diagnosis of LSDV., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

An alkaline active L-glutaminase (BALG) producing bacterium was screened and identified from seamount sediment samples of the Arabian Sea. The isolate was confirmed to be Bacillus australimaris NIOT30 based on morphological characteristics and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The glutaminase gene, balg was PCR amplified, cloned and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) host. The molecular weight of purified BALG was estimated to be 36 kDa and the enzyme showed a specific activity of 507 ± 27 Umg -1 against L-glutamine under optimal assay conditions of pH 7.0 and temperature at 37 °C for 15 min. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 7 and retained 95% activity at pH 10. BALG retained a relative activity of about 82% and 45% at 45 °C and 60 °C respectively. The kinetic parameters of BALG, Km and Kcat/Km were determined to be of 210 ± 11 mM and 4.4 × 10 2 M s -1 respectively. Homology modeling and substrate ligand interaction studies revealed the stability of the enzyme-substrate complex. The present study highlights the characterization of a highly active L-glutaminase from B. australimaris NIOT30. Further, mutational analyses of ligand binding residues would show insights into the affinity of L-Glutaminase., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The growth and advancements done in solid mechanics and metallurgy have come up with various characterization techniques that help in prediction of elastic properties of different types of materials-isotropic, anisotropic, transverse isotropic, etc. Soft tissues which refer to fibrous tissues, fat, blood vessels, muscles and other tissues that support the body were found to have some control over its mechanical properties. This mechanical behavior of soft tissues has recently shifted the attention of many researchers to develop methods to characterize and describe the mechanical response of soft tissues. The paper discusses the biomechanical nature of soft tissues and the work done to characterize their elastic properties. The paper gives a review of the behavior and characteristics of soft tissues extracted from various experimental tests employed in their characterization. Soft tissues exhibit complex behavior and various complexities are involved in their experimental testing due to their small size and fragile nature. The paper focuses on the conventionally used tensile and compression tests and the difficulties encountered in soft tissue characterization. It also describes the utility of ultrasound technique which is a non-destructive method to characterize soft tissues. Tensile and compression test used to characterize materials are destructive in nature. Ultrasound technique can provide a better way to characterize material in a non-destructive manner., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

We discussed and summarized the latest data from the global literature on the action of polyphenolic antioxidants and their metal complexes. The review also includes a summary of the outcomes of theoretical computations and our many years of experimental experience. We employed various methods, including spectroscopy (FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR, UV/Vis), X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, quantum calculations, and biological assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity tests). According to our research, the number and position of hydroxyl groups in aromatic rings, as well as the delocalization of electron charge and conjugated double bonds, have a major impact on the antioxidant effectiveness of the studied compounds. Another important factor is metal complexation, whereby high ionic potential metals (e.g., Fe(III), Cr(III), Cu(II)) enhance antioxidant properties by stabilizing electron charge, while the low ionic potential metals (e.g., Ag(I), Hg(II), Pb(II)) reduce efficacy by disrupting electron distribution. However, we observed no simple correlation between ionic potential and antioxidant capacity. This paper gives insights that will aid in identifying new, effective antioxidants, which are vital for nutrition and the prevention of neurodegenerative illnesses. Our results outline the connections between biological activity and molecular structure, offering a foundation for the methodical design of antioxidants. Our review also shows in detail how we use various complementary methods to assess the impact of metals on the electronic systems of ligands. This approach moves beyond the traditional "trial and error" method, allowing for the more efficient and rational development of future antioxidants.

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) represents a highly effective method for addressing significant bone defects; however, it necessitates a long treatment period. Exosomes are key mediators of intercellular communication. To investigate their role in the angiogenesis and osteogenesis of DO, we established a canine mandibular DO model with a bone defect (BD) group as the control. Higher levels of angiogenesis were observed in the regenerating tissue from the DO group compared to those from the BD group, accompanied by earlier osteogenesis. Proteomic analysis was performed on circulating exosomes at different phases of the DO using a data-independent acquisition method. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD050531. The results indicated specific alterations in circulating exosome proteins at different phases of DO, reflecting the regenerative activities in the corresponding tissues. Notably, fibronectin 1 (FN1), thrombospondin 1 (THBS1), and transferrin receptor (TFRC) emerged as potential candidate proteins related to the angiogenic response in DO. Further cellular experiments validated the potential of DO-associated circulating exosomes to promote angiogenesis in endothelial cells. Collectively, these data reveal previously unknown mechanisms that may underlie the efficacy of DO and suggest that exosome-derived proteins may be useful as therapeutic targets for strategies designed to improve DO-related angiogenesis and bone regeneration.

For pediatric radiological procedures (RP), pentobarbital sodium (PNa) can be used orally or rectally to replace intravenous anesthesia. Since no commercial PNa suppositories exist, they must be prepared by compounding pharmacies. This study aims to develop fast-dissolving PNa suppositories for fast pharmacological activity during RP. We prepared gelatin (G), gelatin/polyethylene glycol 4000 (GP), and polyethylene glycol 4000 (P) suppositories, with and without pH adjustment, and assessed their dosage uniformity (DU), softening time, rupture resistance, and in-vitro dissolution. An optimal formulation was selected, and PNa release was compared to that of fat-based suppositories using dissolution tests. Additionally, the quality control process (analytical performance, safety/eco-friendliness and productivity/practical effectiveness) of these formulas were compared using a RGB method. All hydrophilic formulas (HF) met the DU requirement (AV < 8 %) except for P (AV 15.62 ± 4 %). pH adjustment enhanced G and GP suppositories resistance to 2.2 ± 0.2 kg and 2.0 ± 0.3 kg, respectively, and allowed 100 % release of PNa in under 10 min. In contrast, lipophilic formulas released less than 80 % of PNa at best after 120 min. These results show the biopharmaceutical suitability of HF for RP compared to lipophilic ones, but a pharmacokinetic study is needed to confirm data., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel structure of exopolysaccharide from the Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ACS5, isolated from home-made Turkish cheese, is described. After lyophilization, the L-EPS-ACS5 was characterized in production and functional activities in vitro, including antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. The physicochemical characterizations of the L-EPS-ACS5 were determined through molecular weight, UV, FTIR, SEM, TGA, HPLC, NMR, methylation, and GC-MS analysis. Strong antioxidant activities of L-EPS-ACS5 were confirmed from the results obtained in the hydroxyl radical, DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, superoxide anion radical, total antioxidant activity, and DNA damage protective effect, and also the L-EPS-ACS5 exhibited high antidiabetic activity (60 %). This study isolated L-EPS-ACS5 from a home-made cheese L. rhamnosus strain, demonstrating its novel and enhanced functionalities compared to existing strains. This opens exciting avenues for its development in the fields of biomedicine and pharmaceuticals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Derya OnaDarilmaz reports financial support was provided by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nano-embedding has appeared as a feasible technology to improve the high-quality utilization of royal jelly (RJ). Therefore, the ionic gelation method was proposed to prepared chitosan nanoparticles loaded with royal jelly (RJNPs) and the characterization and biological activity of RJNPs were evaluated in this study. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction results showed that the methyl and methylene groups of royal jelly combine with the amino groups of chitosan (CS) to become an amorphous polymer. In addition, the 48.68 % encapsulation efficiency and 31.90 % loading capacity were obtained under the optimal ratio of 1:1 RJ to CS, and the average particle size was <500 nm. The antioxidant activity of RJNPs gradually increased with the increase of the RJ proportion. Interestingly, the antibacterial activity on gram-positive bacteria was better than gram-negative bacteria. Most important, RJNPs exhibited better stability and digestibility rather than single RJ. Overall, these findings indicated that RJ can be embedded in chitosan, and RJNPs exhibited good thermal stability, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activities and bioavailability, which was important for the development and application of the high-quality utilization of RJ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have multifunctional capabilities owing to their diverse structural conformations, monosaccharide compositions, functional groups, and molecular weights. A review paper on EPS production and antioxidant potential of different LAB genera has not been thoroughly reviewed. Therefore, the current review provides comprehensive information on the biosynthesis of EPSs, including the isolation source, type, characterization techniques, and application, with a primary focus on their antioxidant potential. According to this review, 17 species of Lactobacillus, five species of Bifidobacterium, four species of Leuconostoc, three species of Weissella, Enterococcus, and Lactococcus, two species of Pediococcus, and one Streptococcus species have been documented to exhibit antioxidant activity. Of the 111 studies comprehensively reviewed, 98 evaluated the radical scavenging activity of EPSs through chemical-based assays, whereas the remaining studies documented the antioxidant activity using cell and animal models. Studies have shown that different LAB genera have a unique capacity to produce homo- (HoPs) and heteropolysaccharides (HePs), with varied carbohydrate compositions, linkages, and molecular weights. Leuconostoc, Weissella, and Pediococcus were the main HoPs producers, whereas the remaining genera were the main HePs producers. Recent trends in EPSs production and blending to improve their properties have also been discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Currently, an important ecological problem is environmental pollution and its negative impact on living organisms, the consequences of which are deterioration in general health and the manifestation of various diseases, poisoning, endo- and exotoxicosis. Enterosorption method was proposed as a promising method for removing toxic substances from the living organisms using enterosorbents which can absorb various toxic substances of endogenous and exogenous nature in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract. It has been proposed to use polymer-containing enterosorbents for eliminating of heavy metals from the organism. The purpose of this research was to synthesize a quaternized derivative of chitosan, specifically N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-ethyl-N-methyl chitosan chloride (Q-CHS). The synthesis of Q-CHS involved the formation of a Schiff base, followed by the quaternization of the amino group of chitosan (CHS). The structures of both pure CHS and quaternized CHS were studied using various physico-chemical methods, including FTIR, NMR, XRD, SEM, DSC and TGA analyses in order to determine the structure and confirm the formation of the final product., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The shell of Hermetia illucens L. contains considerable amounts of chitin, which has various biological activities. So far, few studies have focused on chitin of Hermetia illucens L. as a source of chitosan and oligosaccharides. There is great potential for utilizing Hermetia illucens L. chitin to produce chitosan films in biomaterials. We studied different extraction conditions for chitin and extracted it from black soldier fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens L.). Three processing steps were adopted: (1) demineralization, (2) deproteinization, and (3) decolorization. The chemical components (moisture, ash, protein, fat, residual protein, and residual mineral contents) and physicochemical characteristics of the chitin and chitosan extracted under these three conditions were determined. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to analyze the extracted chitin and commercial samples, and the results showed that demineralization-deproteinization-decolorization treatments could achieve the highest chitin yield (7.18 ± 0.11 %), chitosan yield (64.22 ± 0.79 %), and the best purity (residual protein 0.56 ± 0.01 % and residual ash 0.58 ± 0.04 %), making it the best treatment method. Using this method, the residues produced from farmed BSF can be recycled and used as a new source of chitin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) has garnered much attention as a promising 2D material in the realm of electrochemical sensors. It contains a polymeric matrix that can serve as an economical and non-toxic electrode material for the detection of a diverse range of analytes. However, its performance is impeded by a relatively limited active surface area and inherent instability. Although electrochemistry involving metal-doped g-C 3 N 4 nanomaterials is rapidly progressing, it remains relatively unexplored. The metal doping of g-C 3 N 4 augments the electrochemically active surface area of the resulting electrode, which has the potential to significantly enhance electrode kinetics and bolster catalytic activity. Consequentially, the main objective of this review is to provide insight into the intricacies of synthesizing and characterizing metal-doped g-C 3 N 4 . Furthermore, we comprehensively delve into the fundamental attributes of electrochemical sensors based on metal-doped g-C 3 N 4 , with a specific focus on healthcare and environmental applications. These applications encompass a meticulous exploration of detecting biomolecules, drug molecules, and organic pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that may have influenced the work reported in this study., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Global food systems are currently facing great challenges, such as food sources, food safety, and environmental crises. Alternative nutritional resources have been proposed as part of the solution to meeting future global food demand. In the natural resources, shellfish are the major component of global aquatic animals. Although most studies focus on the allergy, toxin, and contamination of shellfish, it is also a delicious food to the human diet rich in proteins, polysaccharides, minerals, and omega-3. Among the functional ingredients, shellfish polysaccharides possess nutritional and medicinal values that arouse the great interest of researchers. The selection of the extraction approach and the experimental condition are the key factors that influence the extraction efficiency of shellfish polysaccharides. Importantly, the purification of crude polysaccharides comprises the enrichment of shellfish polysaccharides and isolation of fractions, also resulting in various structural characteristics and physicochemical properties. Chemical modification is also an efficient method to further improve the biological activities of shellfish polysaccharides. This review summarizes the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and chemical modification methods for shellfish polysaccharides. Additionally, the beneficial health effects of shellfish polysaccharides are highlighted, with an emphasis on their potential mechanism. Finally, current challenges and perspectives on shellfish polysaccharides are also spotlighted., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The chelation reaction of soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) with zinc was investigated. Using response surface methodology, the optimum parameters for SSPS-Zn synthesis were obtained: pH 5.3, SSPS-ZnCl 2 mass ratio of 9.44:1, reaction temperature 50.44 °C, and reaction time 1.5 h, with the highest zinc content of 24.73 %. Compared with SSPS, SSPS-Zn increased in rhamnogalacturonan content and decreased in that of neutral monosaccharides (Fuc, Ara, Gal, Glu and Xyl). UV-vis spectra indicated that SSPS-Zn was lower than SSPS in protein content. FTIR spectra indicated that CO group of SSPS was bonded to Zn 2+ . X-ray diffraction spectra demonstrated that SSPS-Zn had higher crystallinity. Congo red reactions showed that SSPS possessed a triple-helix conformation while SSPS-Zn formed an irregular free-coiled conformation. EDX confirmed SSPS-Zn synthesis successfully. TGA curves exhibited that SSPS-Zn required higher temperature to undergo degradation. AFM revealed that SSPS-Zn was clustered while SSPS was filamentous. SEM micrographs showed the cracked fragments on the surface of SSPS-Zn. By in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal digestion, Zn 2+ release reached 68.87 % after 2 h digestion. Consequently, the chelation of SSPS with zinc could change structure and provide a basis for research and application of novel zinc supplements., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Chitosan (Ch) and acid-soluble collagen (ASC) from Doryteuthis singhalensis gladius were isolated to test their osteogenic, angiogenic, and wound healing capabilities in male Wistar rats. The results of the study showed that the ASC yield was 18.58 %, the total protein content was 86.43 % ± 0.18 %, and the amino acid composition was as follows: glycine, 15.68 %; proline, 13.84 %. A, B, I, II, and III show FT-IR amide regional bands at 3392, 2959, 1652, 1471, and 1237 cm -1 respectively. The electrophoretic pattern of ASC validated its molecular weights of 105 kDa and 96 kDa. The 1 H NMR spectra showed pure singles at 1.99 ppm, and the UV-Vis spectrum showed a particular absorbance between 238 and 220 nm. The DSC showed two endothermic peaks: one with an T o value of 119.72 °C and T P of 126.28 °C, and the other with 147.42 °C and 148.47 °C. Initially, we fabricated Ch and ASC biofilms at an 8.5:1.5 ratio for tissue engineering applications. A cellular-level study demonstrated good biocompatibility and enhanced osteoblastic differentiation of collagen chitosan films (CChF). Additionally, the biofilm exhibited increased angiogenic potency, as observed in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The experimental animal model demonstrated that in wound healing, the CChF treated rats (95.75 ± 2.28 %) had a greater decrease in the diameter of the wound than the control rats (22.25 ± 2.45 %), followed by the CF (collagen film) treated rats (63.25 ± 2.08 %) and ChF (chitosan film) (52.67 ± 1.58 %). Rats treated with CChF had 48.82 ± 1.25 mg/g of hydroxyproline in NFGT and 75.25 ± 1.56 mg/g of overall protein. The higher hydroxyproline levels in the CChF-treated groups corroborated these histopathological findings. These results imply that by promoting the development of scars, inflammation, and proliferation, CChF accelerates the healing process., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polymer composites are known for its light weight and specific mechanical characteristics. This study examines sodium hydroxide (NaOH)-treated coir fiber, an agro-leftover, stuffed in a polyester matrix with termite frass powder, a bio-leftover for possible use in light-weight structural applications. Composite samples were made using compression molding and NaOH-treated coir fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composite (TCRHPC) with 40 wt% treated coir fiber and 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt% termite frass powder. TCRHPC samples mechanical, water captivation, tribological, and thermal properties were affected by termite frass powder wt%. The TCRHPC sample with 3 wt% termite frass powder has excellent mechanical properties, which improved by tensile (41.6%), flexural (28.57%), impact (43.7%), and hardness (18.84%) properties. With perfect water captivation and low weight increases in normal water (0.017 g), seawater (0.015 g), and NaOH solution (0.010 g), the identical composite sample with thermal stability up to 238°C also reduced wear mass by 5.27%. Conversely, filler agglomeration and heterogeneous dispersion in composite sample impair thermo-mechanical characteristics of TCRHPC containing 4 wt% termite frass powder. The bonding among polyester, treated coir fiber, and termite frass powder in composites were appraised with the aid of fractographic images of TCRHPC samples. The results show that TCRHPC material suits well for support structures requiring lesser weight., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

2D materials are intriguing due to their remarkably thin and flat structure. This unique configuration allows the majority of their constituent atoms to be accessible on the surface, facilitating easier electron tunneling while generating weak surface forces. To decipher the subtle signals inherent in these materials, the application of techniques that offer atomic resolution (horizontal) and sub-Angstrom (z-height vertical) sensitivity is crucial. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) emerges as the quintessential tool in this regard, owing to its atomic-level spatial precision, ability to detect unitary charges, responsiveness to pico-newton-scale forces, and capability to discern pico-ampere currents. Furthermore, the versatility of SPM to operate under varying environmental conditions, such as different temperatures and in the presence of various gases or liquids, opens up the possibility of studying the stability and reactivity of 2D materials in situ. The characteristic flatness, surface accessibility, ultra-thinness, and weak signal strengths of 2D materials align perfectly with the capabilities of SPM technologies, enabling researchers to uncover the nuanced behaviors and properties of these advanced materials at the nanoscale and even the atomic scale., (© 2024 The Authors. Small Methods published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The compounds 2-chloro-N-(3-methoxyphenyl)acetamide (m-acetamide) and 2-(3-methoxyphenylamino)-2-oxoethyl methacrylate (3MPAEMA) were synthesized in this study for the first time in the literature. FTIR, 1 H, and 13 C NMR spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize it. Subsequently, computational techniques were used to assess various ADME factors, such as drug-likeness properties, bioavailability score, and adherence to Lipinski's rule. Finally, molecular docking experiments were conducted with the human topoisomerase α2 (TOP2A) protein to verify and validate the reliability and stability of the docking procedure. The results of the docking scores, which quantify binding affinity, indicated that these derivatives exhibited a stronger affinity for TOP2A.

Biogenic metallic nanoparticles (NPs) have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their unique properties and various applications in different fields. NPs, including gold, silver, zinc oxide, copper, titanium, and magnesium oxide NPs, have attracted considerable interest. Green synthesis approaches, utilizing natural products, offer advantages such as sustainability and environmental friendliness. The theranostics applications of these NPs hold immense significance in the fields of medicine and diagnostics. The review explores intricate cellular uptake pathways, internalization dynamics, reactive oxygen species generation, and ensuing inflammatory responses, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms governing their behaviour at a molecular level. Intriguingly, biogenic metallic NPs exhibit a wide array of applications in medicine, including but not limited to anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-diabetic, anti-plasmodial, antiviral properties and radical scavenging efficacy. Their potential in personalized medicine stands out, with a focus on tailoring treatments to individual patients based on these NPs' unique attributes and targeted delivery capabilities. The article culminates in emphasizing the role of biogenic metallic NPs in shaping the landscape of personalized medicine. Harnessing their unique properties for tailored therapeutics, diagnostics and targeted interventions, these NPs pave the way for a paradigm shift in healthcare, promising enhanced efficacy and reduced adverse effects., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study evaluated the anaerobic digestion suitability of bio-waste from different sources by comparing their biochemical methane potential (BMP), biodegradability (BI), and content of contaminants (heavy metals and physical impurities) - an often-overlooked factor but one of particular concern in bio-waste. Predominant heavy metals included Cu and Zn, while recurring physical impurities comprised plastics and organic non-biodegradable matter. Food waste from food processing plants were most suitable, exhibiting low contamination and high biogas conversion (BMP > 549 NmLCH 4 /gVS and BI > 86 %). Conversely, organic fractions from mechanical biological treatment were highly contaminated, while green waste displayed low biogas conversion (BMP < 368 NmLCH 4 /gVS and BI < 72 %). Food waste from households and medium/large-sized producers also demonstrated high biogas conversion, but variable contamination levels could compromise their suitability. Assessing contaminants alongside BMP and BI provides a comprehensive approach for selecting suitable bio-waste feedstocks that can be introduced in biogas plants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chilled meat frequently suffered microbial spoilage because bacteria can secrete various proteases that break down the proteins. In this study, Pseudomonas fragi NMC 206 exhibited a temperature-dependent secretion pattern, with the ability to release the specific protease only below 25 °C. It was identified as alkaline protease AprA by LC-MS/MS, with the molecular weight of 50.4 kDa, belonging to the Serralysin family metalloprotease. Its significant potential for meat spoilage in situ resulted in alterations in meat color and sensory evaluation, as well as elevated pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and the formation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The hydrolysis of meat proteins in vitro showed that AprA possessed a considerable proteolysis activity and degradation preferences on meat proteins, especially its ability to degrade myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins, rather than collagen. These observations demonstrated temperatures regulated the secretion of AprA, which was closely related to chilled chicken spoilage caused by bacteria. These will provide a new basis for the preservation of meat products at low temperatures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be isolated from numerous tissues and have the potential for self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation. Evidence is accumulating which suggests that MSCs are also present in the gingival tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of collecting, purifying, and amplifying gingival-derived MSCs (GMSCs) from canine gingiva and to obtain GMSC-derived exosomes (GMSC-exo). GMSCs were isolated and cultured; furthermore, cellular immunofluorescence demonstrated that GMSCs possess characteristic MSC markers, and in vitro differentiation was induced, indicating that GMSCs can differentiate into multiple lineages. GMSC-exo was successfully extracted from GMSCs supernatant and found that they exhibit the typical characteristics of exosomes as analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, nanoflow analysis, and western blotting. GMSC-exo promoted the proliferation and migration of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. It was concluded that canine gingiva is a good source of MSCs. Additionally, GMSC-exo is a potentially promising cell-free therapeutic tool for the treatment of canine gingival diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The fractionation of lignocellulose utilizing green solvents is essential for the effective operation of biorefineries. In this study, a deep eutectic solvent (DES) system composed of benzoic acid (BA, hydrogen bond donor) and choline chloride (ChCl, hydrogen bond acceptor) was fabricated and successfully applied to the lignocellulose fractionation. The DES has low toxicity and little pollution. In this system, 67.8 % of lignin and 91.2 % of hemicellulose in poplar were removed, leaving 95.8 % of cellulose intact as solid residue. Due to the removal of the amorphous components, crystallinity of cellulose-rich water-insoluble solid (CIS) substantially increased from 55.6 % to 68.6 %, and CIS was used as feedstock for nanocrystalline cellulose preparation with excellent properties. The results showed that the obtained lignin had similar properties to CEL by GPC, FT-IR, 2D-NMR and TGA. A high-purity lignin rich in G units was recovered with a well-preserved structure, which has β-O-4 linkage content up to 53.01 %, low molecular weight, low polydispersity (1.99). Finally, the hydrolyzate can be used for fermentation. This study demonstrated that BA is suitable for DES design with excellent properties on lignin extraction, and this promising DES enable efficient pretreatment for economically feasible biomass conversion. This ChCl-BA DES facilitates environmentally friendly production of functional materials derived from cellulose and lignin under mild conditions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Being a type of carbonaceous material, glassy carbon possesses thermomechanical properties akin to ceramics, offering both mechanical and chemical stability at high temperatures; therefore, it can be applied in electrochemistry and high-temperature manufacturing. However, the direct pyrolysis of a bulk precursor leads to internal pores and cracks, usually resulting in fracture. Our characterization results show that at temperatures below 400 °C, large pores do not form, and pre-carbonized glassy carbon (PGC) formed at 350 °C has a dense microstructure without cracks. It exhibits a high compressive strength of ~370 MPa and flexural strength of ~190 MPa, making it suitable for load-bearing applications. Additionally, the PGC-350 material shows small mass loss (~5%) and reasonably low thermal expansion (2.5 × 10 -6 /°C) when heated to 350 °C again. These properties suggest the potential of PGC for high-temperature applications. As a demonstration, PGC formed at 350 °C was employed to fabricate molds to press chalcogenide glass blanks, which exhibited favorable molding results for various surface morphologies.

The present study reports the green synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals from the shells of Sterculia foetida (SFS) cellulose. Three different methods, alkali, acid and organic acid, were screened for the maximum cellulose extraction. A maximum cellulose yield, 30.6 ± 0.84 w/w , was obtained using 90% formic acid at 110 °C in 120 min. The extracted cellulose was characterized and identified by instrumental analyses. SEM analysis showed skeletal rod-like microfibril structures and similar intra-fibrillar widths. CP/MAS 13 C NMR and FTIR spectrum revealed the purity of cellulose and the absence of other components like hemicellulose and lignin. XRD study revealed a cellulose crystallinity index of 88.07%. BET analysis showed a good surface area (3.3213 m 2 /g) and a micro-pore area of 1.871 m 2 /g. The cellulose nanocrystals were synthesized from the extracted cellulose using deep eutectic solvents (DES), choline chloride and lactic acid (1:2 ratio). The cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) synthesized from DES-based exhibited zeta potential and particle size of -16.7 mV and 576.3 d.nm. DES-synthesized cellulose nanocrystals were spherical-like shapes, as observed from TEM images. The present results exposed that formic acid is an effective and green catalyst for the extraction of cellulose and DES for the sustainable synthesis of CNC.

Fennel essential oil (FEO) a natural spice that has versatile biological activities. However, the direct use of FEO is limited due to its water insolubility and poor stability. Chilled pork is prone to spoilage during storage. To solve these problems, this study aimed to prepare an inclusion complex (IC) of FEO with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin via co-precipitation and apply it to the preservation of chilled pork. Results indicated that the optimal parameters were encapsulating temperature 37 °C, wall-core ratio 14:1 g/mL, stirring speed 600 r/min, and encapsulating time 240 min, obtaining an encapsulation efficiency of 83.75%. The results of scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrated the successful preparation of IC. The release of FEO from IC was controllable through adjusting the different temperatures and relative humidities. Furthermore, IC effectively delayed the spoilage of chilled pork and extended its shelf life by 6 days at 4 °C., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Landfill mining is the prominent solution for the recovery of resources from legacy waste. The bio-earth recovered from landfill mining is being utilized for a variety of applications like application as fertilizer. The presence of microplastic in the recovered bio-earth disrupts its usefulness. This study investigated the composition and microplastic pollution in bio-earth derived from landfill mining at the Bhandewadi landfill, Nagpur, India. Results provided insights into its characterization and presence of microplastic. The average moisture content of the bio-earth was 25.2 ± 1.1% with total organic carbon of 14.3 ± 0.6%. The bio-earth exhibited a C:N ratio of 16.9 ± 5.0, volatile solid content of 24.6 ± 1.0%, and ash content of 75.4 ± 1.0%. Bulk density was 434.3 ± 37.2 kg/m 3 , pH value 6.91 ± 0.28, and electrical conductivity 4.6 ± 0.7 dS/m. Total nitrogen content was 0.9 ± 0.3%, available phosphorus 2.1 ± 0.3 g/kg, and potassium and sodium contents of 12.7 ± 0.4 g/kg and 3.9 ± 0.3 g/kg, respectively. Heavy metals detected included Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, and Cd. Microplastics in the bio-earth samples were assessed using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The amount of microplastics averaged 100,150 ± 29,286 items per kg (dry basis). Additionally, five specific polymer types were prominent as microplastics. Further research and mitigation strategies are necessary to ensure the safe and sustainable use of bio-earth in agriculture and horticulture., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)