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Background: Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods: A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion: Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration: NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive infections in newborns. The prevention of GBS neonatal disease relies on the administration of an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to GBS-colonized women. In recent years, rapid intrapartum detection of GBS vaginal colonization using real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) emerged as an alternative to antenatal culture screening methods. Methods: We compared the performances of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests, the Ampliflash® GBS and the PlusLife® GBS tests, to standard culture for GBS detection in vaginal specimens from pregnant women. The study was conducted from April to July 2023 in a French hospital of the Paris area. Results: A total of 303 samples were analyzed, including 85 culture-positive samples (28.1%). The Ampliflash® GBS test and the PlusLife® GBS tests gave a result for 100% and 96.3% tests, respectively. The performances of the tests were as follows: sensitivity 87.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78.3–92.6) and 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-99.8), specificity 99.1% (95% CI 96.7–99.8), and 91.9% (95% CI 87.3–95.0), respectively. False negative results of the Ampliflash® GBS test correlated with low-density GBS cultures. Time-to-results correlated with GBS culture density only for the PlusLife® GBS test (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both techniques provide excellent analytical performances with high sensitivity and specificity together with a short turnaround time and results available in 10 to 35 min. Their potential to further reduce the burden of GBS neonatal disease compared with antenatal culture screening needs to be assessed in future clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their chemical and physical properties, rare earth elements (REEs) are essential in modern applications such as energy conversion or IT technology. The increasing demand for these elements leads to strong incentives for REE recovery and induces the exploration of new, alternative sources for REEs. Accessing REEs from clay minerals, in our case kaolinite, by an elution process is a promising method. The present study investigates the potential application of REE recovery through elution with different mineral acids (HNO3, H2SO4, and HCl) in a microwave process. The material used in this study—residues from an industrial kaolin production process—contained 2.47 g/kg REEs which is a significant amount for REE recovery. The ability of various mineral acids to solubilize metals was studied to assess the REE content of this residual resource. Around 1.87 g/kg of REEs was eluted from industrial kaolinite residues in hydrochloric acid, 1.71 g/kg in sulfuric acid, and 1.13 g/kg in nitric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Pregnant women are a vulnerable population to COVID-19 given an increased susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and pregnancy complications. However, few SARS-CoV-2 serological surveys have been performed among this population to assess the extent of the infection in sub-Saharan countries. The objectives of this study were to determine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among Beninese pregnant women, to identify spatial seropositivity clusters and to analyse factors associated with the infection. Methods A cross-sectional study including women in their third trimester of pregnancy attending the antenatal care (ANC) clinics at Allada (south Benin) and Natitingou (north Benin) was conducted. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for detection of IgG/IgM against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were performed using capillary blood. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associations between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus and maternal characteristics were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Spatial analyses were performed using the spatial scan statistics to identify spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results A total of 861 pregnant women were enrolled between May 4 and June 29, 2022. 58/861 (6.7%) participants reported having received COVID-19 vaccine. None of the participants had been diagnosed with COVID-19 during their pregnancy. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 607/802 (75.7%; 95% CI 72.56%–78.62%) of unvaccinated participants. Several urban and rural spatial clusters of SARS-CoV-2 cases were identified in Allada and one urban spatial cluster was identified in Natitingou. Unvaccinated participants from Allada with at least one previous morbidity were at a three-times higher risk of presenting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (OR = 2.89; 95%CI 1.19%-7.00%). Conclusion Three out of four pregnant women had SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, suggesting a high virus circulation among pregnant women in Benin, while COVID-19 vaccination coverage was low. Pregnant women with comorbidities may be at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This population should be prioritized for COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination in order to prevent its deleterious effects. Trial registration NCT06170320 (retrospectively registered on December 21, 2023).

Abstract Purpose Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of invasive infections in newborns. The prevention of GBS neonatal disease relies on the administration of an intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis to GBS-colonized women. In recent years, rapid intrapartum detection of GBS vaginal colonization using real-time nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) emerged as an alternative to antenatal culture screening methods. Methods We compared the performances of two loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) tests, the Ampliflash® GBS and the PlusLife® GBS tests, to standard culture for GBS detection in vaginal specimens from pregnant women. The study was conducted from April to July 2023 in a French hospital of the Paris area. Results A total of 303 samples were analyzed, including 85 culture-positive samples (28.1%). The Ampliflash® GBS test and the PlusLife® GBS tests gave a result for 100% and 96.3% tests, respectively. The performances of the tests were as follows: sensitivity 87.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) 78.3–92.6) and 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-99.8), specificity 99.1% (95% CI 96.7–99.8), and 91.9% (95% CI 87.3–95.0), respectively. False negative results of the Ampliflash® GBS test correlated with low-density GBS cultures. Time-to-results correlated with GBS culture density only for the PlusLife® GBS test (p

Viscosity is a parameter used to measure the fluidity of liquids and a key indicator in evaluating the states of body fluid in biological tissues and lesions. Most traditional detection methods have many drawbacks such as a short emission wavelength and interference by background fluorescence. Inspired by the multiple double bond structure of retinal, a novel pH and viscosity dual-response fluorescent probe (Rh-TR) was constructed in this study. Rh-TR exhibited two emission signals centered at 510 and 660 nm. As the pH of the phosphate-buffered saline increased, the fluorescence at 510 nm increased by about 124-fold, while the change in fluorescence at 660 nm was not obvious. When detecting the change in viscosity using the probe, the fluorescence at 510 nm decreased by about 85 %, while the fluorescence at 660 nm increased by over 20-fold. The probe also showed high selectivity and little toxicity. As demonstrated by the biological imaging experiment, the probe successfully imaged changes in the pH and viscosity of cells and in a live animal model of zebrafish. Considering the unique structure of Rh-TR with retinal and its pH- and viscosity-switchable spectral property, the probe may find further application in detecting viscosity-related diseases and industrial detection., 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.)

In this study, we address the challenge of developing highly conductive hydrogels with enhanced stretchability for use in wearable sensors, which are critical for the precise detection of human motion and subtle physiological strains. Our novel approach utilizes amylopectin, a biopolymer, for the uniform integration of liquid metal gallium into the hydrogel matrix. This integration results in a conductive hydrogel characterized by remarkable elasticity (up to 7100 % extensibility) and superior electrical conductance (Gauge Factor = 31.4), coupled with a minimal detection limit of less than 0.1 % and exceptional durability over 5000 cycles. The hydrogel demonstrates significant antibacterial activity, inhibiting microbial growth in moist environments, thus enhancing its applicability in medical settings. Employing a synthesis process that involves ambient condition polymerization of acrylic acid, facilitated by a hydrophobic associative framework, this hydrogel stands out for its rapid gelation and robust mechanical properties. The potential applications of this hydrogel extend beyond wearable sensors, promising advancements in human-computer interaction through technologies like wireless actuation of robotic systems. This study not only introduces a viable material for current wearable technologies but also sets a foundation for future innovations in bio-compatible sensors and interactive devices., 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.)

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major indoor pollutant that is extremely harmful to human health even at ppb-level. Meanwhile, ppb-level HCHO is also a potential disease marker in the exhalation of patients with respiratory diseases. Higher humidity resistance and lower practical limit of detection (pLOD) both have to be pursued for practical HCHO sensors. In this work, by assembling indium oxide (In 2 O 3 ) and fluorinated dipole modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO), we prepared a high-performance room temperature HCHO sensor (In 2 O 3 @ATQ-rGO). Excellent sensing properties toward HCHO under visible illumination have been achieved, including ultra-low pLOD of 3 ppb and high humidity-resistance. By control experiments and density functional theory calculation, it is indicated that the introduced fluorinated dipoles act as not only an "umbrella" to improve the humidity resistance of the composite, but also a "bridge" to accelerate the electron transport, improving the sensitivity of the material. The significant practicality and reliability of the obtained sensors were verified by in-situ simulation experiments using a 3 m 3 test chamber with a humidity control system and by detection of the simulated lung disease patient's exhalation. This work provides an effective strategy of simultaneously achieving high humidity-resistance and low pLOD of room temperature formaldehyde sensing materials., 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.)

Nanofiber filters are widely used in air filtration applications due to their superior performance over microfiber filters. Velocity slip around nanofibers has been identified as a key factor contributing to their high figure of merit, yet its impact on filter performance, especially particle collection efficiency, remains unclear due to the difficulty in isolating the slip effect as the sole variable. This study combines experimental and simulation methods to investigate the slip effect by adjusting the air molecule mean free path, rather than varying fiber size as done in previous studies. Filter media with mean fiber sizes ranging from 16.2 to 0.084 µm are utilized. An image-based regression method is developed to address the challenge of determining the solidity of thin nanofiber layers. The results show that the slip effect is enhanced as the testing pressure decreases, reducing pressure drop by less than 15% for microfiber filters and over 50% for nanofiber filters ≈100 nm. The enhanced slip effect at low pressures (i.e., relatively low pressure compared to the ambient environment) significantly improves filtration efficiency, especially for particles larger than 100 nm. It also proposes semi-empirical equations for predicting filter performance in slip and transition flow regimes., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Enhancing the antimicrobial activity of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters while maintaining filtration efficiency and pressure drop is currently an urgent issue for preventing the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Herein, inspired by vines which can enwind fences to fix as well as decorate them, a flexible antimicrobial chitin nanofiber (ChNF@CuO x ) was fabricated and loaded onto the rigid glass fiber (GF) skeleton of a HEPA filter. Through the physical interaction, ChNF@CuO x was spontaneously enwound on GF, and ChNF@CuO x itself interweaved to form a new nanonetwork between the GF skeleton. The obtained antimicrobial air filter (ChNF@CuO x /GF) with a unique nanonetwork increased the filtration efficiency of the HEPA filter. Meanwhile, it possessed excellent inactivation ability against Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , and Candida albicans due to the urchin-like in situ grown CuO x on the ChNF. In particular, the oxygen vacancies generated unexpectedly in CuO x enabled it to produce reactive oxygen species. After eight cycles of antimicrobial assays, the antimicrobial rates of bacteria were higher than 99.5%, and those of fungi were greater than 98.3%. The successful synthesis of antimicrobial fibers and the construction of multidimensional nanoscale structures through a simple postprocessing method provide a new design mentality for antimicrobial functionalization for HEPA filters.

Thermophilic cyanobacteria thrive in extreme environments, making their thermoresistant enzymes valuable for industrial applications. Common habitats include hot springs, which act as evolutionary accelerators for speciation due to geographical isolation. The family Thermosynechococcaceae comprises thermophilic cyanobacteria known for their ability to thrive in high-temperature environments. These bacteria are notable for their photosynthetic capabilities, significantly contributing to primary production in extreme habitats. Members of Thermosynechococcaceae exhibit unique adaptations that allow them to perform photosynthesis efficiently at elevated temperatures, making them subjects of interest for studies on microbial ecology, evolution, and potential biotechnological applications. In this study, the genome of a thermophilic cyanobacterium, isolated from a hot spring near Okahandja in Namibia, was sequenced using a PacBio Sequel IIe long-read platform. Cultivations were performed at elevated temperatures of 40, 50, and 55°C, followed by proteome analyses based on the annotated genome. Phylogenetic investigations, informed by the 16S rRNA gene and aligned nucleotide identity (ANI), suggest that the novel cyanobacterium is a member of the family Thermosynechococcaceae. Furthermore, the new species was assigned to a separate branch, potentially representing a novel genus. Whole-genome alignments supported this finding, revealing few conserved regions and multiple genetic rearrangement events. Additionally, 129 proteins were identified as differentially expressed in a temperature-dependent manner. The results of this study broaden our understanding of cyanobacterial adaptation to extreme environments, providing a novel high-quality genome of Thermosynechococcaceae cyanobacterium sp. Okahandja and several promising candidate proteins for expression and characterization studies., (© 2024 The Author(s). MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The disruption of lipid droplet function is associated with the pathogenesis of various diseases. Clarifying the response behavior of lipid droplets to the microenvironment at the cellular level is of great significance. Plant lipids not only exist in phospholipids in cell membranes, but also in aromatic essential oils. Monitoring the level of lipid droplets in plant cells using fluorescent probes provides a simple method for screening lipid-rich varieties. We synthesized a polarity-viscosity responsive coumarin fluorescent probe, Cou-CN, which achieved sensitive detection of polarity and viscosity in dilute solution environments by constructing this simple probe with ICT and TICT properties and verifying it using Gaussian computational simulation. Cou-CN exhibited good lipid droplet illumination effects in HepG2 cells with a correlation coefficient of 0.92 compared to the commercial lipid droplet dye BODIPY. Additionally, co-staining the probe with the lipophilic commercial dye Nile Red in tobacco root stem seedling cells resulted in a high correlation coefficient of 0.9., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the European Photochemistry Association, European Society for Photobiology.)

Metal-organic frameworks, a type of porous architecture, have caught wide attention for their pore-rich and special metal-active centres. However, the non-conductive MOFs show limitations in lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs). Herein, we first synthesized a lamellar nickel-based MOF and subsequently conducted pre-carbonization to attain a conductive Ni-carbon (Ni@C) catalyst. On account of the retained three-dimensional architecture and elevated conductivity, using Ni@C as the interlayer can realize polysulfide-regulated and kinetically promoted LSBs. This work offers a viable strategy to extend the implementation of MOFs in state-of-the-art LSB systems.

High-purity cellulose from paper pulp can be obtained after appropriate treatments involving pure xylanases and cellulases/endoglucanases. This study investigated the efficacy of using crude xylanase and cellulase instead of commercial ones to improve process economics. Kraft paper grade pulp produced from veneer waste, hardwood, and non-wood sources was utilized as a more sustainable option. Crude xylanase and cellulase from isolated soil bacteria Bacillus pumilus 3GAH and Bacillus subtilis PJK6 were used for process optimization. The correlation between Fock reactivity, chain scission, and crystallinity after crude-cellulase treatment was established through chemical, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Pentosans in kraft pulp were reduced from an initial 18.7% to 4.9% through sequential treatments with crude xylanase and alkali. Subsequent crude-cellulase treatment, even at 8 U/g o.d. pulp, improved Fock reactivity from 28.2% to 61.2%, fulfilling a major criterion for viscose. Thus, crude enzymes can be effectively used for the efficient and economical upgrading of paper pulp to dissolving pulp., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThe 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., (© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

As biomass, rice straw (RS) is often valorized as a precursor of green products. In this respect, the RS-based carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are synthesized doped with N and S during the preparation. Synergistic doping with lipoic acid and ethylenediamine can vastly increase the yield of CQD from rice straw from 6.14 % to 62.8 %, and sulfur doping plays a more important role on the surface functional groups of the quantum dots. Further assessment is achieved toward the performance of SN-CQDs-hydroxypropyl cellulose nanocomposites. The optical behavior of synthesized SN-CQDs, and the critical concentration of its liquid crystal behaviors, at which the anisotropic phase begins to emerge, is approximately 1 %. Incorporating it into HPC, especially at 5 %, provided nanocomposite films with effective liquid crystal, tensile strength, and thermal stability. This sample's texture reveals a planar structure with colors ranging from yellow to red. The synergistic effect of incorporating SN-CQDs is shown by improving the strength to ~282.1 %, and the activation energy increased from 583.6 kJ.mol -1 to 615.1 kJ/mol. HPC-SN-CQDs can be assembled into an LED device, emitting warm light, of which CIE coordinate is (0.34,0.43)., 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 this work, shellac and its crosslinking were studied to produce paper straws for the application of liquid products. Commercial paper straws are not durable for liquid foods due to their hygroscopic nature, and thus, they find it challenging to replace single-use plastics. Shellac is a naturally occurring resin utilized as an adhesive and water-resistant coating over the paper straw. Shellac was cured at 125 °C, 150 °C, 175 °C, and 200 °C, and it was crosslinked in about 210 min, 150 min, 60 min, and 30 min respectively and studied for kinetics. The crosslinking of shellac produced a thermally stable material. Compared to commercial paper straws, these paper shellac straws exhibited high bending stiffness (1356.11 Nmm), tensile strength (13,74 MPa), flexural strength (21.72 MPa), and compression strength (24.99 MPa). Moreover, the paper shellac straws didn't bend in wet conditions under load for up to one day, while the commercial paper straw bends in 8 min. Therefore, paper straws with shellac can replace plastic-based straws for a sustainable future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Arihant Ahuja reports financial support was provided by the Prime Minister Research Fellowship, Ministry of Education, India. 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.)

Given the escalating environmental and safety concerns, friendly protective materials with exceptional mechanical properties, biodegradability, and insensitivity to high temperature have received more and more attention. Here, we report a robust cellulosic gel through the multi-scale integration of cellulose molecular skeleton, nano-reinforced diatomite, and in situ polymerized polyacrylamide molecule. The bottom-up yet cross-scale approach facilitates the formation of cellulosic gel characterized by a highly interconnected hydrogen bond network and nano-enhanced domain, resulting in a tensile strength of up to 13.83 MPa, a Young's modulus exceeding 280 MPa, and an impact strength around 12.38 KJ m -1 . Furthermore, this gel exhibits structural stability at temperatures up to 130 °C, good flame retardancy, and complete biodegradability within a span of 35 days. The robust cellulosic gel, acting as a pliable protector, demonstrates exceptional protection for human joints. Our study presents a highly efficient and scalable pathway towards the development of sustainable and robust biomass gels, holding immense potential in intelligent-protective wearables and advanced materials science and engineering., 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.)

Background and Purpose: Demand for new antidepressants has resulted in a re-evaluation of the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. Several tryptamines found in psilocybin-containing "magic" mushrooms share chemical similarities with psilocybin. Early work suggests they may share biological targets. However, few studies have explored their pharmacological and behavioural effects., Experimental Approach: We compared baeocystin, norbaeocystin and aeruginascin with psilocybin to determine if they are metabolized by the same enzymes, similarly penetrate the blood-brain barrier, serve as ligands for similar receptors and modulate behaviour in rodents similarly. We also assessed the stability and optimal storage and handling conditions for each compound., Key Results: In vitro enzyme kinetics assays found that all compounds had nearly identical rates of dephosphorylation via alkaline phosphatase and metabolism by monoamine oxidase. Further, we found that only the dephosphorylated products of baeocystin and norbaeocystin crossed a blood-brain barrier mimetic to a similar degree as the dephosphorylated form of psilocybin, psilocin. The dephosphorylated form of norbaeocystin was found to activate the 5-HT 2A receptor with similar efficacy to psilocin and norpsilocin in in vitro cell imaging assays. Behaviourally, only psilocybin induced head twitch responses in rats, a marker of 5-HT 2A -mediated psychedelic effects and hallucinogenic potential. However, like psilocybin, norbaeocystin improved outcomes in the forced swim test. All compounds caused minimal changes to metrics of renal and hepatic health, suggesting innocuous safety profiles., Conclusions and Implications: Collectively, this work suggests that other naturally occurring tryptamines, especially norbaeocystin, may share overlapping therapeutic potential with psilocybin, but without causing hallucinations., (© 2024 The Author(s). British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.)

It is an interesting research topic to study the interfacial interactions between hemicellulose and cellulose, specifically how hemicellulose's structure affects its binding to cellulose nanofibers. Our research proposes that dispersion interaction play an important role in this interfacial interaction, more so than electrostatic forces when considering the adherence of cellulose to xylan. To quantify these interactions, the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) colloidal probe technique is applied to measure the intermolecular forces between cellulose nanofibers, which are attached to the probe and xylan. These measured forces are then analyzed in relation to the length, diameter and functional groups of the nanocellulose, as well as the molecular weight and side chains of the xylan. Moreover, the predominance of dispersion forces by contrasting the adhesive forces before and after the grafting of a large nonpolar group onto xylan. This modification significantly reduces contact between the cellulose and xylan backbone, thereby markedly diminishing the dispersion interactions. Parallel to the AFM experiments, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations corroborate the experimental results and support our hypotheses. Collectively, these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of polysaccharide interactions within lignocellulose., 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.)

This study developed active packaging films of Polylactic acid incorporated with the plant-based essential oils of Trachyspermum ammi, T. ammi and Vanilla to package waffles, where the antimicrobial property was provided by T. ammi and its odor was masked by vanilla essential oil. Compared to conventional solvent-cast films of smaller sizes requiring a huge amount of solvents, bigger-size PLA-oil films with lower solvent demand were prepared by tape casting technique with 10, 30, and 50 wt% essential oil blends. Films were studied for their morphological, chemical, mechanical, barrier, and antimicrobial properties. The presence and time-bound release of volatile oils from the films was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, with a continuous decrease of oils from the films till day 30. The plasticizing effect of oils in films was evidenced by decreased tensile strength and crystallinity. In contrast, an increase in elongation at break and water vapor permeability of oil films were also measured. Finally, when packed in PLA films containing 50 wt% blend of both oils, waffles shelf-life extended up to 30 days compared to 2 days for the neat PLA film, where Vanilla was found effective in masking the unpleasant odor of T.ammi as confirmed by sensory analysis., 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.)

Three nanoparticles were fabricated for the co-delivery of quercetin and resveratrol. Nanoparticles consisted of a zein and carboxymethyl cellulose assembled using antisolvent precipitation/layer-by-layer deposition method. Nanoparticles contained quercetin in the core and resveratrol in the shell, resveratrol in the core and quercetin in the shell or both quercetin and resveratrol in the core. The particle sizes of nanoparticles were 280.4, 214.8, and 181.8 nm, respectively. Zeta-potential was about -50 mV and PDI was about 0.3. The different positions of polyphenol distribution nanoparticles could reduce the competition between the two polyphenols, the encapsulation rate, loading rate and storage stability reached up to 91.7 %, 5.37 % and 97.1 %, respectively. FT-IR showed that hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions were the main driving forces of nanoparticle assembly. XRD showed that two polyphenols were successfully encapsulated in nanoparticles. TGA showed that distributing the nanoparticles in different layers would enhance thermal stability. TEM and SEM showed that polysaccharides attached to the surface of nanoparticles formed a core-shell structure with uniform particle size. All three nanoparticles could release two polyphenols slowly in simulated gastrointestinal digestion, Korsmeyer-Peppas was the most suitable kinetic release model. Therefore, biopolymer-based nanocarriers can be created to enhance the loading, stability, and bioaccessibility of co-encapsulated nutraceuticals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication and there has been no significant financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us. We confirm that we have given due consideration to the protection of intellectual property associated with this work and that there are no impediments to publication, including the timing of publication, with respect to intellectual property. In so doing we confirm that we have followed the regulations of our institutions concerning intellectual property., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Microbial enzymes are crucial catalysts in various industries due to their versatility and efficiency. The microbial enzymes market has recently expanded due to increased demand for many reasons. Among them are eco-friendly solutions, developing novel microbial strains with enhanced enzymes that perform under harsh conditions, providing sustainability, and raising awareness about the benefits of enzyme-based products. By 2030, the global enzyme market is expected to account for $525 billion, with a growth rate of 6.7 %. L-asparaginase and L-glutaminase are among the leading applied microbial enzymes in antitumor therapy, with a growing market share of 16.5 % and 9.5 %, respectively. The use of microbial enzymes has opened new opportunities to fight various tumors, including leukemia, lymphosarcoma, and breast cancer, which has increased their demand in the pharmaceutical and medicine sectors. Despite their promising applications, commercial use of microbial enzymes faces challenges such as short half-life, immunogenicity, toxicity, and other side effects. Therefore, this review explores the industrial production, purification, formulation, and commercial utilization of microbial enzymes, along with an overview of the global enzyme market. With ongoing discoveries of novel enzymes and their applications, enzyme technology offers promising avenues for cancer treatment and other therapeutic interventions., 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.)

2D lamellar nanofiltration membrane is considered to be a promising approach for desalinating seawater/brackish water and recycling sewage. However, its practical feasibility is severely constrained by the lack of durability and stability. Herein, a ternary nanofiltration membrane via a mixed-dimensional assembly of 2D boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) is fabricated, 1D aramid nanofibers (ANF), and 2D covalent organic frameworks (COF). The abundant 2D and 1D nanofluid channels endow the BNNS/ANF/COF membrane with a high flux of 194 L·m ‒2 ·h ‒1 . By the synergies of the size sieving and Donnan effect, the BNNS/ANF/COF membrane demonstrates high rejection (among 98%) for those dyes whose size exceeds 1.0 nm. Moreover, the BNNS/ANF/COF membrane also exhibits remarkable durability and mechanical stability, which are attributed to the strong adhesion and interactions between BNNS, ANF, and COF, as well as the superior mechanical robustness of ANF. This work provides a novel strategy to develop robust and durable 2D lamellar nanofiltration membranes with high permeance and selectivity simultaneously., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The current study attempts to explore the crystallographic, rheological and, dynamic mechanical properties of the submicron-treated cenosphere (t- CSF) particles and sisal fiber (SF) reinforced Styrene-(Ethylene-Butylene)-Styrene (SEBS) toughened PP hybrid composites. Moreover, the composites reinforced with 25 wt.% of SF and 5 wt.% of CSF (Treated 6 wt.% cetrimonium bromide (CTAB)) demonstrated the most significant storage modulus (E'), loss modulus (E"), and lowest damping (tan δ) factor throughout the temperature range. Likewise, X-ray diffraction techniques were used to assess the samples' crystallographic properties. The composites reported an enhanced β phase (responsible for high impact strength and reduced α phase of the base matrix compared to pristine PP. Likewise, all the composites' rheological properties showed an improved complex viscosity (η*) compared to the BM but lower than that of the pristine PP. Overall processing parameters of the BM and composites were improved due to the decrement in the η* of all the composites. The rheological properties confirmed the easy processing of the fabricated composites due to the improved flowability. The storage (G') and loss (G") modulus of all the composites were desirably higher than that of the BM., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Binary systems of citrus peel pectin (a major food carbohydrate) and mucin (a principal oral-gastrointestinal glycoprotein) are studied, as to understand the interactions and thermodynamics between food and biofluids during oral processing and digestion. The fluorimetry emission spectra of mucin were quenched by pectin addition at 293, 301, 310 and 318 K, indicating direct contact between the two macromolecular populations. A red shift, suggesting pectin-induced alterations on mucin conformation, has been observed at 318 K. Intensity-based Stern - Volmer plots fitted second-order polynomial equations, suggesting the coexistence of both static and dynamic quenching, while the increase of the slopes with temperature points to the predominance of dynamic phenomena. Time-resolved fluorescence measurements also point to dynamic quenching related to transient interactions, rather than to specific bonding. Thermodynamic analysis yields negative free energy changes in all cases, with positive changes for enthalpy and large positive values for TΔS. These are in agreement with the Stern - Volmer analysis, suggesting the predominance of transient, dynamic (here entropic) interactions. These provide an image of mucin interacting with pectin macromolecules during the oral processing and digestion of foods, and can relate to the texture, flavor (e.g. astringency) and bioavailability of polysaccharide-based foods., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The major objective of this research revolves around the integration of polypyrrole (PPy) and various concentrations of nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) into a polyacrylamide (PAm)-grafted hydroxyethyl cellulose (gHEC) to produce gHEC@PPy@N-CQDs bionanocomposites that possess environmentally sustainable properties. The intercalation and uniform distribution of N-CQDs inside the gHEC@PPy matrix have been demonstrated through the analysis of data obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The samples underwent analysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA and DTG) as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The improved dispersion of PPy and 4 % N-CQDs inside the matrix led to enhanced electrical characteristics of the graphene-hybridized metal bionanocomposite. The peculiar optical and photoluminescence emission observed in the gHEC@PPy@N-CQDs bionanocomposites can be attributed to the surface groups of N-CQDs and the transition between CN and CN. This hypothesis suggests that these factors play a significant role in determining the observed optical properties. The main goal is to identify distinctive and captivating applications for these bionanocomposites across several domains, including electronics, optical and light-emitting devices with a broad spectrum of colors, and bioimaging 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The escalating interest in bacterial cellulose (BC) confronts a substantial obstacle due to its biologically inert properties. Hence, BC was modified with ethanolic mango peel extract (EEMP) for various industrial and medical applications of the novel nanocomposite (BC/EEMP). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) delineated the phenolic composition of EEMP, revealing a repertoire of polyphenolic compounds, notably chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, catechin, and ellagic acid. EEMP exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, with MIC of 0.018 mg/mL and 0.009 mg/mL, respectively. The removal mechanism of Pb 2+ and Ni 2+ by BC/EEMP nanocomposite membrane via SEM, EDX, FT-IR, and XRD was characterized, indicating deposition and aggregation of heavy metals with diminished porosity. Heavy metal removal optimization using the Box-Behnken design achieved maximal removal of 95.5 % and 90 % for Pb 2+ and Ni 2+ , respectively. Moreover, BC/EEMP nanocomposite demonstrated selective dose-dependent anticancer activity toward hepatoma (HepG-2, IC 50 of 208.8 μg/mL), skin carcinoma (A431, IC 50 of 216.7 μg/mL), and breast carcinoma (MDA, IC 50 of 197.5 μg/mL), attributed to the enhanced availability of biologically active polyphenolic compounds and physical characteristics of BC. This study underscores the remarkable potential of BC/EEMP nanocomposite for multifaceted industrial and biomedical applications, marking a pioneering contribution to the field., 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 article., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Efficiently utilization of plant resources is heavily restricted by the resistance of lignocellulose in plant cells, which is related to the interlinkages of lignocellulose components. Hemicellulose in plant cell wall is bound to cellulose by hydrogen bond and linked with lignin in lignin-carbohydrate complex (LCC). In the xylan chain of hemicellulose, glucuronic acid (GA) is a typical side-group, which provides clues for us to label and locate hemicellulose. The way to label GA on the surface of pulp fibers obtained from pulping process is benefit to explore the deconstruction of lignocellulose. Herein, a new visualization method, fluorescence modified molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) were applied to recognize and locate GA on the pulp fiber surface. The method combining fluorescence imaging and integrated 3D fiber structure verified the feasibility of the MIP for specific GA recognition. The results showed that xylan (represented by GA) was closely attached to lignin, distributed along the inner wall of pulp fiber cells, and gradually taken off from the inside edge of fiber cells with the deconstruction of lignocellulose. This research provided a basis to develop visualization bioimaging technology to identify biomass components., 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.)

This study focuses on changes in the physiochemical properties of chitosan film when incorporated with a blend of essential oils of Tulsi and Ajwain. The essential oil blend-loaded films showed a decrement in transparency. Tulsi essential oil decreased the moisture content, swelling capacity, and water solubility. However, adding Ajwain along with Tulsi essential oil led to a significant increase in these properties. Meanwhile, the water vapor transmission rate didn't change significantly due to non-polar constituents in Tulsi essential oil, except when only Ajwain essential oil was present. The mechanical properties showed that the tensile strength of films increased with the addition of Tulsi essential oil (14.95 MPa to 31.27 MPa) but decreased further with increasing Ajwain oil concentration in films (32.13 MPa to 15.89 MPa). On the other hand, an increment in percent elongation at break (8.26 % to 24.02 %) was observed due to the excellent plasticization effect of Ajwain essential oil. Antioxidant activity was observed for the Tulsi essential oil-containing films and increased significantly with adding Ajwain essential oil. Finally, walnuts were packed in the active film. The active film showed better antioxidant activity against the oxidation of oil in walnuts, which the FTIR of the packed product confirmed., 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.)

This study aimed to enhance the properties of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) for use as biocompatible facial masks. To achieve this, nanofibers were developed by blending PVP with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and Aloe vera (AV) powder using electrospinning. The results showed that incorporating CNFs and AV into the PVP matrix led to the formation of smooth and uniform nanofibers. In particular, adding 3-6 wt% AV powder in PVP/CNF composites improved fiber diameter distribution and uniformity compared to pure PVP. The PVP/CNF/AV nanofibers exhibited desirable properties for facial mask applications. They displayed 86-93 % porosity, which allowed for efficient moisture absorption capacity of up to 1829 %, and excellent water vapor permeability rate of 3.92 g/m 2 h. The mechanical properties of the electrospun nanofiber composites were evaluated through tensile testing. The results showed that Young's modulus values decreased progressively with the addition of CNFs and AV powder to the PVP polymer matrix, indicating a plasticizing effect that enhances flexibility. The fracture strain remained similar across all composites, suggesting that CNFs and AV did not significantly weaken the PVP matrix. The tensile strength initially increased with CNF addition but decreased with incremental AV loading. Biocompatibility studies revealed that all nanofibers exhibited excellent fibroblast viability, surpassing 98 %. This indicates that incorporating CNFs and AV did not compromise cell viability, further highlighting the suitability of the PVP/CNF/AV composites for facial mask 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This work reports on the possibility of using polydopamine (PDA) as a tool to immobilize bromoisobutyryl moieties at the surface of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and initiate Surface Intitiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SI-ATRP) reactions from these sites. Two different strategies based on i) the stepwise modification of the CNCs with dopamine (DA) and α-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BiBB) (Protocol 1) and ii) the one-step treatment of the CNCs with a mixture of DA and BiBB-modified DA (Protocol 2), were compared. Only the CNC particles treated according to Protocol 1 guaranteed efficient anchoring of the SI-ATRP initiating sites in our experimental conditions (with limited impact on the CNCs crystalline structure), the coated layer being leached out by certain solvents in the case of Protocol 2. The brominated particles displaying the best performances were subsequently tested as potential ATRP macroinitiators, using methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St) as model monomers. Polymer-grafted particles were successfully obtained, with a grafting density twice as high for Sty as for MMA, demonstrating the validity of this strategy., 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.)

To optimize the imbalance between the interfacial bonding and porosity properties of carbon paper (CP) caused by phenol formaldehyde resin (PF) impregnation, and therefore improve the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), a new approach through cellulose nanofibers grafted with methyl methacrylate (CNFM) as a modified reinforcement and pore-forming agent for PF is investigated. Through suppressing the methylene backbone fracture of CNFM-modified PF during its thermal depolymerization, the interfacial bonding between PF matrix carbon and carbon fibers is enhanced. Compared with unmodified CP, the in-plane resistivity of CNFM-modified CP is reduced by 35.78 %, while the connected porosity increases to 82.26 %, and more homogeneous pore size distribution (PSD) in the range of 20-40 μm is obtained for CNFM-modified CP. Besides, the tensile strength, flexural strength, and air permeability of CNFM-modified CP increase by 72.78 %, 298.4 %, and 103.97 %, respectively. In addition, CNFM-modified CP achieves the peak power density of PEMFCs to 701.81 mW·cm -2 , exhibiting 10.98 % improvement compared with commercial CP (632.39 mW·cm -2 ), evidently achieving an integral promotion of CP and comprehensive performance., 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.)

Toward the development of a sustainable utilization strategy for adsorption materials, a starch-based adsorbent starch-chitosan-tannic acid (St-CTS-TA) with a three-dimensional (3D) structure was fabricated in water via electrostatic and hydrogen bonding reactions between St, CTS, and TA without using toxic reducing agents or special instruments. St-CTS-TA demonstrated a high specific surface area of 37 m 2 /g as well as a mesoporous/macroporous distribution ranging from 30 to 80 nm, which enhanced the mass transfer of adsorbate and the exposure of catechol groups in TA. The Langmuir isotherm adsorption model revealed that the highest adsorption capacities of St-CTS-TA for Fe 3+ and Co 2+ were 1678.2 and 944.8 mg/g, respectively. Surprisingly, the specific surface area of St-CTS-TA increased from 37 to 87 and 42 m 2 /g after Fe 3+ and Co 2+ adsorption, respectively, and the resulting St-CTS-TA-Fe and St-CTS-TA-Co could continuously adsorb basic fuchsin (BF) and rhodamine B (RhB). The adsorption capacities of St-CTS-TA-Fe and St-CTS-TA-Co for BF/RhB were found to be 1854.79/401.19 mg/g and 2229.77/537.49 mg/g, respectively, based on the Langmuir isotherm adsorption model., 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.)

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) systems employing charged nanochannels have gained prominence for harvesting salinity gradient energy. Nevertheless, fabricating nanochannel membranes with optimal ion selectivity and high energy conversion efficiency remains a significant challenge. In this study, we develop oppositely charged bacterial cellulose (BC)/polymer composite nano-channel membranes with precisely designed nanochannel architectures by integrating chemical modification with composite material technology. Initially, BC undergoes chemical modifications, including 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxy radical (TEMPO) oxidation and quaternisation. Subsequently, a polymer network is integrated into the modified BC network through a polymer synthesis technique. This approach successfully yields negatively charged BC/poly(sodium p-styrene sulfonate) (NBC/PSS) composite double-networked nanochannel membranes and positively charged BC/poly(dopamine) (PBC/PDA) composite double-networked nanochannel membranes. Notably, these membranes exhibit significantly enhanced ionic conductivities, with values of 0.0008 and 0.0014 S cm -1 for the NBC/PSS and PBC/PDA composites, respectively, while also demonstrating superior ion selectivity with cation transfer numbers of 0.9 and 0.1 respectively. Furthermore, a series connection of 30 BCE/charged polymer-based RED devices successfully powers an electronic calculator. This work offers novel insights into the design of BC-based RED devices by integrating chemical modification and polymeric composite strategies for efficient salinity gradient energy generation., 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 Bletilla striata polysaccharides (BSP) extracted through alkali-assisted method exhibit significant antioxidant activity, but its bioaccessibility was inadequate due to its tightly filamentous reticulation structure and high molecular weight. The anti-photoaging and anti-melanogenesis effects of degraded BSP (DBSPs) against UVB-induced oxidative stress on the skin were investigated. The molecular weights of the DBSPs were reduced to 153.94 kDa, 66.96 kDa, and 15.54 kDa from an initial value of 298.82 kDa. The degradation treatment altered the branched chain structure of the DBSPs, while the backbone structure, triple-helix structure, and crystallinity remained. DBSPs with a lower molecular weight exhibit better in vitro antioxidant activity. DBSPs did not show cytotoxicity to HSF cells but inhibited B16F10 cell proliferation. The addition of DBSPs protected HSF and B16F10 cells from oxidative stress and reduced ROS levels, B16F10 melanin content, and B16F10 tyrosinase activity after UVB damage, but DBSP-10 particles were slightly less effective due to aggregation. In contrast, DBSP-5 demonstrated effectiveness in reducing MDA levels in cells stressed by oxidative stress, increased total antioxidant capacity, and inhibited melanogenesis in B16F10, suggesting that DBSP-5 has potential as a topical therapeutic agent for the treatment of skin diseases associated with oxidative stress., 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.)

This work aims to investigate the effects of deep eutectic solvents (DES) on the chemical and physical structure of cellulose. Choline chloride-oxalic acid and choline chloride-oxalic acid-glycerol were selected as solvents and cotton fibers was sued as raw materials to explore the difference between cotton fibers treated separately with two different DES. According to yield analysis, ternary solvents alleviated the degradation of cellulose when comparing to binary solvents, resulting in over 90 % of cellulose being obtained. Particularly, there is an esterification reaction of cellulose during treatment with the DES system, which also affects the performance of the subsequent products. Through the simple use of mechanical foaming with polyvinyl alcohol and the palm wax impregnation process, foams with a water contact angle greater than 140° and excellent mechanical properties can be obtained. The resultant foam material has 5 % linear elastic area, and prominent compressive strength providing potential use in the packaging industry in the replacement of plastic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This manuscript is the original work of the authors without any conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Chronic wounds (CWs) treatment still represents a demanding medical challenge. Several intrinsic physiological signals (i.e., pH) help to stimulate and support wound healing. CWs, in fact, are characterized by a predominantly alkaline pH of the exudate, which acidifies as the wound heals. Therefore, pH-responsive wound dressings hold great potential owing to their capability of tuning their functions according to the wound conditions. Herein, porous chitosan (CS)-based scaffolds loaded with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and graphene oxide (GO) were successfully fabricated using a freeze-drying method. CNCs were extracted from bagasse pulps fibers through acid hydrolysis. GO was synthesised by Hummer's method. The scaffolds were then ionically cross-linked using the amino acid L-Arginine (Arg), as a bioactive agent, and tested as potential pH-responsive wound dressing. Notably, the effect of CNCs and GO singly and simultaneously loaded within the CS-Arg scaffolds was investigated. The modulation of CNCs and GO content within CS-Arg scaffolds facilitated the development of scaffolds with an optimal pH-dependent swelling ratio capability and extended degradation time. Furthermore, CS/CNC/GO-Arg scaffolds exhibited tuned biological features, in terms of antimicrobial activity, cellular proliferation/migration ability, and the expression of extracellular matrix specific markers (i.e., elastin and collagen I) related to wound healing in human dermal fibroblasts., 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. Stefania Scialla reports financial support was provided by National Research Council. 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 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypochlorous acid (HClO/ClO - ) is a key reactive oxidative species (ROS) in the body. The HClO/ClO - concentrations are imbalanced during cancer formation due to the ROS stress response. This paper introduces a novel chitosan-based self-calibration fluorescent nanoprobe (ChCyNil) constructed by molecular assembly for the ratiometric detection of HClO/ClO - . Two chromophores with different fluorescence characteristics and HClO/ClO - sensitivity were labeled on chitosan, and nanoparticles were prepared by a self-assembly strategy for HClO/ClO - detection. ChCyNil exhibits several advantages, such as dual near-infrared emissions at 670 nm and 845 nm, tunable fluorescence intensity, self-calibration fluorescence, and good biocompatibility, improving its accuracy in HClO/ClO - detection. Our study confirmed that ChCyNil exhibits a well-assembled spheroidal nanostructure and good photophysical properties in solution. The fluorescence imaging properties were further proved by detecting endogenous HClO/ClO - produced by LPS/PMA stimuli in cells and zebrafish. In addition, ChCyNil was used to detect the fluorescence behavior of HClO/ClO - in tumors of live mice. The successful design and fabrication of ChCyNil have presented a new strategy for constructing detection tools with improved fluorescence properties for HClO/ClO - in live animals., 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.)

Lipid droplets (LDs) and lysosomes were dynamic organelles present in most eukaryotic cells that were interconnected and worked closely together to ensure the smooth physiological activities of organisms. The interaction between lipid droplets and lysosomes was thought to play a role in the development of certain diseases. In this paper we designed and synthesised a lipid droplet lysosomal probe. The Nap-Lyso-Ph-OH probe was constructed according to the ICT mechanism and exhibited sensitivity to both polarity and viscosity. The probe exhibited low cytotoxicity, a large Stokes shift, excellent selectivity and photostability. The probe was successfully used for labelling and imaging of lipid droplets and lysosomes in cells and zebrafish. Interestingly, we used tobacco seedling cells to explore the ability of Nap-Lyso-Ph-OH for imaging lipid droplet labelling in plant cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis causes various health issues through oral infections. This study investigates the antibacterial activities of food-derived dihydrochalcone flavonoids against Porphyromonas gingivalis and their mechanisms of antibacterial action through comparative transcriptome profiling. Susceptibility tests showed that two typical dihydrochalcone flavonoids (phloretin and phlorizin) had much lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (12.5 μg mL -1 and 50 μg mL -1 , respectively) than the common flavanone naringenin (100 μg mL -1 ). SEM observations and the LDH activity assay indicated obvious anomalies in cell morphology and increased cell membrane permeability, indicating the destructive effect of those compounds on the cell structure. These compounds might also induce apoptosis in P. gingivalis , as shown by the CLSM fluorescence images. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the flavonoid treatment impacted DNA function and oxidative damage. These flavonoids may activate antioxidant-related pathways that are lethal to anaerobic bacteria like P. gingivalis . Additionally, the compounds resulted in the silencing of transposition-related genes, potentially inhibiting resistance-gene acquisition and expression. Phloretin regulated fatty acid metabolism pathways, which are related to the construction and maintenance of the cell membrane. This suggests a relationship between the structure and antibacterial activities of the tested compounds that share a flavonoid skeleton but differ in the C-ring and glucose moiety. This is the first report of the antibacterial activities and mechanisms of action of food-derived dihydrochalcone flavonoids at the transcriptome level, offering a promising approach for the development of new antibacterial agents from natural products and enhancing their applicability in treating diseases associated with oral pathogens as a substitute for antibiotics.

Herein, the nanolignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF)-enabled ratiometric fluorescent bio-nanocomposite film is developed. Interestingly, the inclusion of LCNF in the cellulose-based film enhances the detecting performance of food freshness, such as high sensitivity to biogenic amines (BAs) (limit of detection (LOD) of up to 1.83 ppm) and ultrahigh discernible fluorescence color difference (ΔE = 113.11). The underlying mechanisms are the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), π - π interaction, and cation - π interaction between LCNF and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), as well as the increased hydrophobicity due to lignin, which increases the interactions of amines with FITC. Its color stability (up to 28 days) and mechanical property (49.4 Mpa) are simultaneously improved. Furthermore, a smartphone based detecting platform is developed to achieve access to food safety. This work presents a novel technology, which can have a great potential in the field of food packaging and safety., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest It is the original work of the authors. All the authors mutually agree that it should be submitted to Food Chemistry The manuscript has not been published or presented elsewhere in part or in entirety and is not under consideration by another journal. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. There is no research involving Human Participants and/or Animals., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Development of green packaging materials is essential to replace traditional plastics in fresh agricultural products preservation. Herein, a coated paper was designed by applying chitosan-based composite coating on paper substrate through a facile automatic coating method. The hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) was obtained by direct quaternization via the introduction of hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride into the amino group of chitosan, then mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to prepare the HACC/PVA coating. Accordingly, the key performance of coated paper were improved ascribed to the synergy effect of HACC/PVA coating and paper substrate. In particular, the minimum oxygen permeability of the coated paper could reach to 0.87 × 10 -13  cm 3 ·cm/cm 2 ·s·Pa, and the optimum water vapor permeability and tensile strength of HACC/PVA coated paper was 0.75 × 10 -12  g·cm/cm 2 ·s·Pa and 6.88 kN/m, respectively. The coated paper used as packaging material not only reduced weight loss ratio of strawberry and greengrocery, but also exhibited lower chromatic aberration and better sensory evaluation, indicating a favorable effect on fruit and vegetable storage. Taken together, the designed eco-friendly coated paper has shown tremendous potential for green and biodegradable packaging material in agricultural products preservation., 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.)

The Janus fabrics designed for personal moisture/thermal regulation have garnered significant attention for their potential to enhance human comfort. However, the development of smart and dynamic fabrics capable of managing personal moisture/thermal comfort in response to changing external environments remains a challenge. Herein, a smart cellulose-based Janus fabric was designed to dynamically manage personal moisture/heat. The cotton fabric was grafted with N-isopropylacrylamide to construct a temperature-stimulated transport channel. Subsequently, hydrophobic ethyl cellulose and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber were sprayed on the bottom and top sides of the fabric to obtain wettability gradient. The fabric exhibits anti-gravity directional liquid transportation from hydrophobic side to hydrophilic side, and can dynamically and continuously control the transportation time in a wide range of 3-66 s as the temperature increases from 10 to 40 °C. This smart fabric can quickly dissipate heat at high temperatures, while at low temperatures, it can slow down the heat dissipation rate and prevent the human from becoming too cold. In addition, the fabric has UV shielding and photodynamic antibacterial properties through depositing graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets on the hydrophilic side. This smart fabric offers an innovative approach to maximizing personal comfort in environments with significant temperature variations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is associated with very high mortality despite abstinence from alcohol; up to 40% of patients die within 6 months of diagnosis. Patients with AH are especially prone to infections, which can lead to multiorgan dysfunction and poorer prognosis., Approach and Results: We performed comprehensive serological profiling of the viral and bacterial infection history of 36 healthy controls, 48 patients with alcohol use disorder, and 224 patients with AH from 2 multicenter observational studies. We used systematic viral and bacterial epitope scanning by VirScan, a phage-display immunoprecipitation and sequencing technology that detects the peptides recognized by antibodies in patient sera, to comprehensively analyze antiviral and antibacterial antibodies and identify serologic biomarkers to predict patient outcomes. We found significant differences in the serological profiles of the 3 populations. The number of serum antibody epitopes in patients with alcohol use disorder during abstinence was increased compared with during active alcohol use. A decreased number and diversity of viral and bacterial antibody targets were detected in the sera of patients with AH, particularly those with a higher Child-Pugh score. In patients with AH, a decrease in the serum antiviral, but not antibacterial, antibody repertoire was associated with decompensation and mortality. Ninety-day mortality in AH could be predicted using a serum viral epitope signature., Conclusions: Abstinence from alcohol is associated with a significant increase in serum viral and bacterial antibody response. Decreased serum antiviral antibody repertoire is predictive of decompensation of liver disease and mortality in patients with AH., (Copyright © 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

The electrode optimization and rational design are of great significance for the performance enhancement of self-powered electrochromic devices (ECDs). It can be effectively enhanced by developing interfacial properties of electrodes, which can promote the internal ion transport within functional components consisting of an electrode, electrochromic layer, and electrolyte layer and thus obtain performance improvement of fabricated devices. This work aims to construct the electrode of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) on different substrates and promote interface performance of the prepared electrodes via inheriting the surface topography of substrates. Besides, the prepared PEDOT:PSS electrodes as a dual-function layer including the electrochromic and electrode layer are employed to assemble the ECDs. It is found that the intrinsic roughness of the paper substrate can facilitate the electrochemical performance of the prepared PEDOT:PSS electrode on it effectively, thereby showing a superior electrochemical surface area and diffusion coefficient as well as a lower charge-transfer resistance of 13.56 Ω. Similarly, for the prepared self-powered ECD on the paper substrate, it also indicates a high light absorption property (0.413), well-defined electrochromic contrast (33.09), fast switching (τ c = 4.0 s, τ b = 6.8 s), high coloration efficiency (92.275 cm 2 C -1 ), high areal capacity (10.93 mAh m -2 ) at 0.01 mA cm -2 , and lower equivalent series resistance (176.2 Ω) in comparison to parallel ECDs on the PET and glass substrate. Leveraging the intrinsic roughness of the substrate is able to enhance the electrochemical performance of electrodes, which can also provide a new strategy for the construction of high-performance self-powered ECDs.

Diabetic wounds are prone to recurrent infections, often leading to delayed healing. To address this challenge, we developed a chitin-copper sulfide (CuS@CH) composite sponge, which combines bacterial trapping with near-infrared (NIR) activated phototherapy for treating infected diabetic wounds. CuS nanoparticles were synthesized and incorporated in situ within the sponge using a chitin assisted biomineralization strategy. The positively charged chitin surface effectively adhered bacteria, while NIR irradiation of CuS generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) heat and Cu 2+ to rapidly damage the trapped bacteria. This synergistic effect resulted in an exceptional antibacterial performance against E. coli (∼99.9%) and S. aureus (∼99.3%). The bactericidal mechanism involved NIR-induced glutathione oxidation, membrane lipid peroxidation, and increased membrane permeability. In diabetic mouse models, the CuS@CH sponge accelerated the wound healing of S. aureus infected wounds by facilitating collagen deposition and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, the sponge demonstrated good biocompatibility. This dual-functional platform integrating bacterial capture and NIR-triggered phototherapy shows promise as an antibacterial wound dressing to promote healing of infected diabetic wound.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as promising energy storage systems due to the high energy density of 2600 W h kg -1 . However, the practical application of Li-S batteries is hindered by the inadequate conductivity of sulfur and Li 2 S, as well as the shuttle effect caused by polysulfides during the charge-discharge process. Introducing a conductive interlayer between the cathode and the separator to physically resist polysulfides represents an effective and straightforward approach to mitigate the shuttle effect in Li-S batteries. In this paper, an ultrathin (<1 μm) 2D-2D MXene-LDH interlayer with high polysulfide adsorption ability was introduced to Li-S batteries. The synergistic effect between MXene and layered double hydroxide greatly improved the adsorption effect of the interlayers: the conductive Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene chemically adsorbs polysulfides and promotes their fast transfer, and the NiCo-LDH alleviates the restack of MXene and facilitates Li + diffusion. After inserting the MXene-LDH interlayer, the Li-S batteries exhibit an enhanced specific capacity of 1137.6 mA h g -1 at 0.1 C and retain 622.6 mA h g -1 after 100 cycles. The ultrathin 2D-2D interlayer offers a feasible way for the development of highly efficient and lightweight interlayers in Li-S batteries.