Characterization of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Jamun Seed) Particulate Fillers for Their Potential Use in Polymer Composites.

Syzgium cumini (L.) Skeels powder (S. cumini powder), also known as Jamun, is well-known for its various medical and health benefits. It is especially recognized for its antidiabetic and antioxidant properties. Thus, S. cumini powder is used in various industries, such as the food and cosmetic industries. In this work, the fruit of S. cumini was utilized; its seeds were extracted, dried, and ground into powder. The ground powders were subjected to various techniques such as physicochemical tests, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and antioxidant analysis. From the physicochemical tests, it was revealed that the jamun seed filler contained cellulose (43.28%), hemicellulose (19.88%), lignin (23.28%), pectin (12.58%), and wax (0.98%). The FTIR analysis supported these results. For instance, a peak at 2889 cm-1 was observed and associated with CH stretching, typically found in methyl and methylene groups, characteristic of cellulose and hemicellulose structures. The XRD results demonstrated that the crystallinity index of the jamun seed filler was 42.63%. The particle analysis indicated that the mean (average) particle size was 25.34 µm. This observation was ensured with SEM results. The EDX spectrum results showed the elemental composition of the fillers. Regarding thermal degradation, the jamun seed filler had the ability to withstand temperatures of up to 316.5 °C. Furthermore, endothermic and exothermic peaks were observed at 305 °C and 400 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the antioxidant property of the powder displayed a peak scavenging activity of 91.4%. This comprehensive study not only underscores the viability of S. cumini powder as a sustainable and effective particulate filler in polymer composites but also demonstrates its potential to enhance the mechanical properties of composites, thereby offering significant implications for the development of eco-friendly materials in various industrial applications.

Unravelling driver genes as potential therapeutic targets in ovarian cancer via integrated bioinformatics approach.

Target-driven cancer therapy is a notable advancement in precision oncology that has been accompanied by substantial medical accomplishments. Ovarian cancer is a highly frequent neoplasm in women and exhibits significant genomic and clinical heterogeneity. In a previous publication, we presented an extensive bioinformatics study aimed at identifying specific biomarkers associated with ovarian cancer. The findings of the network analysis indicate the presence of a cluster of nine dysregulated hub genes that exhibited significance in the underlying biological processes and contributed to the initiation of ovarian cancer. Here in this research article, we are proceeding our previous research by taking all hub genes into consideration for further analysis. GEPIA2 was used to identify patterns in the expression of critical genes. The KM plotter analysis indicated that the out of all genes 5 genes are statistically significant. The cBioPortal platform was further used to investigate the frequency of genetic mutations across the board and how they affected the survival of the patients. Maximum mutation was reported by ELAVL2. In order to discover viable therapeutic candidates after competitive inhibition of ELAVL2 with small molecular drug complex, high throughput screening and docking studies were used. Five compounds were identified. Overall, our results suggest that the ELAV-like protein 2-ZINC03830554 complex was relatively stable during the molecular dynamic simulation. The five compounds that have been found can also be further examined as potential therapeutic possibilities. The combined findings suggest that ELAVL2, together with their genetic changes, can be investigated in therapeutic interventions for precision oncology, leveraging early diagnostics and target-driven therapy.

Isolation and characterisation of lignin using natural deep eutectic solvents pretreated kenaf fibre biomass.

Extraction of lignin via green methods is a crucial step in promoting the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomasses. In the present study, utilisation of natural deep eutectic solvent for the pretreatment of kenaf fibres biomass is performed. Furthermore, extracted lignin from natural deep eutectic solvent pretreated kenaf biomass was carried out and its comparative study with commercial lignin was studied. The extracted lignin was characterized and investigated through Infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. FTIR Spectra shows that all samples have almost same set of absorption bands with slight difference in frequencies. CHNS analysis of natural deep eutectic solvent pretreated kenaf fibre showed a slight increase in carbon % from 42.36 to 43.17% and an increase in nitrogen % from - 0.0939 to - 0.1377%. Morphological analysis of commercial lignin shows irregular/uneven surfaces whereas natural deep eutectic solvent extracted lignin shows smooth and wavy surface. EDX analysis indicated noticeable peaks for oxygen and carbon elements which are present in lignocellulosic biomass. Thermal properties showed that lignin is constant at higher temperatures due to more branching and production of extremely condensed aromatic structures. In UV-VIS spectroscopy, commercial lignin shows slightly broad peak between 300 and 400 nm due to presence of carbonyl bond whereas, natural deep eutectic solvent extracted lignin does not show up any peak in this range. XRD results showed that the crystallinity index percentage for kenaf and natural deep eutectic solvent treated kenaf was 70.33 and 69.5% respectively. Therefore, these innovative solvents will undoubtedly have significant impact on the development of clean, green, and sustainable products for biocatalysts, extraction, electrochemistry, adsorption applications.

Effectiveness of i-PRF in periodontal regeneration - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Periapical diseases are common dental conditions that require non-surgical endodontic intervention (NEI) for successful treatment. However, the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the periapical healing (PH) outcome in diabetic patients remains somewhat unclear. This review aimed to evaluate the PH outcome following endodontic intervention among DM-afflicted individuals. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple electronic databases to identify relevant studies. Specifically devised selection criteria were applied to select studies that assessed PH outcomes in DM sufferers undergoing different treatment protocols. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed following predetermined protocols. ROB - 2 risk assessment tool assessed quality of the included studies. Results: A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the investigation. Four studies showed greater occurrence of apical periodontitis and five of them reduced healing and success rate in diabetic as compared to controls. Overall, nine studies showed that diabetes mellitus affected periapical outcome negatively. This suggests that diabetes mellitus is an important factor in the prognosis of endodontic intervention. Assessment tools used were PAI, PR, SC and FD analysis. RoB-2 assessed the included studies to have moderate risk of bias. Conclusion: This review provided compelling evidence that DM patients experienced a noticeable negative impact on PH outcome as compared to control population. These findings highlight the importance of considering the diabetic status of patients when assessing the prognosis of periapical diseases and planning NEI interventions. Further research is needed to validate these findings and explore potential mechanisms underlying the observed associations.

In vitro comparison of antifungal activity of conventional alcohol sprays and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on acrylic denture resin.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, alcohol sprays are used for disinfection of acrylic-base denture surfaces. A limited number of studies have assessed the role of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in this regard; however, it remains debatable whether conventional alcohol sprays are superior to aPDT in terms of antifungal activity or vis versa. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present in vitro study is to compare the antifungal activity of conventional alcohol sprays and aPDT on acrylic denture resin. METHODS: Individuals wearing complete dentures at least on one arch were included. Dentures were randomly divided into three groups. Groups 1-3 were disinfected with an alcohol-based antiseptic spray and aPDT, respectively. Assessment of oral yeast growth was done using swab samples. The culture mediums were incubated at 37∘C for 72 hours and viewed through a microscope. The numbers of colony forming units (CFU/ml) were determined. P< 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean CFU/ml in Groups 1-3 were comparable. After disinfection, a statistically significant reduction in microbial CFU/ml was observed in Groups 1 (P< 0.05) and 2 (P< 0.05) compared with baseline. In Group 3, there was no difference in CFU/ml throughout the study. After disinfection, there was no difference in microbial CFU/ml in dentures in Groups 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: Conventional alcohol sprays are as effective as aPDT towards reducing oral yeasts CFU/ml on acrylic denture resin.

Synergistic advancements in sewage-driven microbial fuel cells: novel carbon nanotube cathodes and biomass-derived anodes for efficient renewable energy generation and wastewater treatment.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) offer a dual solution of generating electrical energy from organic pollutants-laden wastewater while treating it. This study focuses on enhancing MFC performance through innovative electrode design. Three-dimensional (3D) anodes, created from corncobs and mango seeds via controlled graphitization, achieved remarkable power densities. The newly developed electrode configurations were evaluated within sewage wastewater-driven MFCs without the introduction of external microorganisms or prior treatment of the wastewater. At 1,000°C and 1,100°C graphitization temperatures, corncob and mango seed anodes produced 1,963 and 2,171 mW/m2, respectively, nearly 20 times higher than conventional carbon cloth and paper anodes. An advanced cathode composed of an activated carbon-carbon nanotube composite was introduced, rivaling expensive platinum-based cathodes. By optimizing the thermal treatment temperature and carbon nanotube content of the proposed cathode, comparable or superior performance to standard Pt/C commercial cathodes was achieved. Specifically, MFCs assembled with corncob anode with the proposed and standard Pt/C cathodes reached power densities of 1,963.1 and 2,178.6 mW/m2, respectively. Similarly, when utilizing graphitized mango seeds at 1,100°C, power densities of 2,171 and 2,151 mW/m2 were achieved for the new and standard cathodes, respectively. Furthermore, in continuous operation with a flow rate of 2 L/h, impressive chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates of 77% and 85% were achieved with corncob and mango seed anodes, respectively. This work highlights the significance of electrode design for enhancing MFC efficiency in electricity generation and wastewater treatment.

Antioxidant, Diabetic and Inflammatory Activities of Alpinia calcarata Roscoe Extract.

BACKGROUND: Alpinia calcarata (AC) Roscoe of Zingiberaceae popularly known as lesser galangal has a widespread occurrence in China, India, Sri-Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Essential oil (Eoil) was obtained from leaves/rhizomes of AC via hydro-distillation process. METHODS: To identify chemical ingredients in oil from leaves/rhizomes of AC through GC/MS technique for volatile components and their anti-oxidant, inflammatory/diabetic activities. RESULTS: The 38 and 65 components were found to make up 99.9 and 99.6 %, respectively in total of Eoil composition of AC leaves/rhizomes. Key chemical constituents were eucalyptol (28.7 % in leaves; 25.4 % in rhizomes), camphor (12.8 % in leaves; 4.2 % in rhizomes), and carotol (9.8 % in leaves; 5.6 % in rhizomes) found in oil of AC leaves/rhizomes. Colorimetric assay showed anti-oxidant activities in leaves and rhizomes are IC50 =71.01±0.71 µg/mL and IC50 =73.83±0.49 µg/mL, respectively in the Eoils. Eoils had high anti-oxidant capabilities in IC50 -values of AC-L-Eoil=43.09±0.82&AC-Rh-Eoil=68.11±0.87 in reducing power in µg/mL was found. Albumin test of rhizome oil had IC50 -values of 15.19±0.25 µg/mL. Concentrations range of 7.81 µg/mL and 250 µg/mL in the Eoils of AC leaves and rhizome, respectively by α-glucosidase inhibition assay. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that leaf oil was slightly more promising results than rhizome oil of AC extract, which was ultimately showed medicinal potential of secondary metabolites with anti-oxidant, diabetic/inflammatory activities. Further, Eoils of AC have a wide range of pharmacological potential and promising anti-diabetic effects.

Identification of Driver Genes and miRNAs in Ovarian Cancer through an Integrated In-Silico Approach.

Ovarian cancer is the eighth-most common cancer in women and has the highest rate of death among all gynecological malignancies in the Western world. Increasing evidence shows that miRNAs are connected to the progression of ovarian cancer. In the current study, we focus on the identification of miRNA and its associated genes that are responsible for the early prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. The microarray dataset GSE119055 used in this study was retrieved via the publicly available GEO database by NCBI for the analysis of DEGs. The miRNA GSE119055 dataset includes six ovarian carcinoma samples along with three healthy/primary samples. In our study, DEM analysis of ovarian carcinoma and healthy subjects was performed using R Software to transform and normalize all transcriptomic data along with packages from Bioconductor. Results: We identified miRNA and its associated hub genes from the samples of ovarian cancer. We discovered the top five upregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-130b-3p, hsa-miR-18a-5p, hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-187-3p, and hsa-miR-378a-3p) and the top five downregulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-501-3p, hsa-miR-4324, hsa-miR-500a-3p, hsa-miR-1271-5p, and hsa-miR-660-5p) from the network and their associated genes, which include seven common genes (SCN2A, BCL2, MAF, ZNF532, CADM1, ELAVL2, and ESRRG) that were considered hub genes for the downregulated network. Similarly, for upregulated miRNAs we found two hub genes (PRKACB and TAOK1).

Study on Volumetric, Compressibility and Viscometric Behavior of Cationic Surfactants (CTAB and DTAB) in Aqueous Glycyl Dipeptide: A Thermo-Acoustic Approach.

This study aims to understand how glycyl dipeptide affected the compressibility, volumetric behavior and viscometric behavior of the cationic surfactants CTAB (Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) and DTAB (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide). Information on solute-solute, solute-solvent, and solvent-solvent interactions has been inferred using the quantification of density (ρ), speed of sound (u) and viscosity in aqueous media containing glycyl dipeptide in the temperature range 293.15-313.15 K at an interval of 5 K. The data from the aforementioned research have been used to enumerate numerous volumetric and compressibility metrics that aid in the collection of information about the interactional behavior of the system under consideration. The study suggests that CTAB interacts strongly compared to DTAB with dipeptide, and it also significantly dehydrates glycyl dipeptide. The difference in water-water interactions caused by the loss of hydrophobic hydration of the surfactant molecules upon the addition of cationic surfactants may be the cause of the variation in determined parameters with surfactant concentration. Consideration of the structural rearrangement of molecules that may occur in the system has been used to explain the results of viscosity and computed factors related to viscosity. The patterns of competitive intermolecular interactions in the ternary (dipeptide + water + surfactant) system have been used to analyze the trends of all the parameters. The study may be helpful to understand the stability and structural changes in protein-surfactant systems mediated through various interactions that may be present in the system.

Volumetric, Compressibility and Viscometric Approach to Study the Interactional Behaviour of Sodium Cholate and Sodium Deoxycholate in Aqueous Glycyl Glycine.

Viscosity, speed of sound (u), and density (ρ) have been measured in aqueous glycyl glycine solution over a temperature range from 293.15 to 313.15 K with a 5 K interlude to evaluate the volumetric and compressibility properties of bio-surfactants, namely sodium cholate (NaC; 1-20 mmol∙kg-1) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC; 1-10 mmol∙kg-1). Density and viscosity findings provide information on both solute-solute and solute-solvent types of interactions. Many other metrics, such as apparent molar adiabatic compression (κS,φ), isentropic compressibility (κS), and apparent molar volume (Vφ), have been calculated from speed of sound and density measurements, utilising experimental data. The results show that the zwitterionic end group in the glycyl glycine strongly interacts with NaDC and NaC, promoting its micellization. Since the addition of glycyl glycine causes the bio-surfactant molecules to lose their hydrophobic hydration, the observed concentration-dependent changes in apparent molar volume and apparent molar adiabatic compression are likely attributable to changes in water-water interactions. Viscous relaxation time (τ) increases significantly with a rise in bio-surfactant concentration and decreases with increasing temperature, which may be because of structural relaxation processes resulting from molecular rearrangement. All of the estimated parameters have been analysed for their trends with regard to the different patterns of intermolecular interaction present in an aqueous glycyl glycine solution and bio-surfactant system.

Conductometric and Fluorescence Probe Analysis to Investigate the Interaction between Bioactive Peptide and Bile Salts: A Micellar State Study.

The present work deals with the micellar state study of sodium cholate and sodium deoxycholate in the aqueous solution of a bioactive peptide, namely glycyl dipeptide, having different concentrations through conductivity and fluorescence methods at different temperatures. The data obtained from conductivity is plotted against the concentration of Bile salts, and CMC (critical micelle concentration) values are calculated. The results realized have been elucidated with reference to Glycyl dipeptide-bile salts hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions existing in solution. In addition, the CMC values converted to mole fraction (Xcmc) values have been used to evaluate the standard thermodynamic factors of micellization viz., enthalpy H, free energy ΔGm0, and entropy (ΔSm0) which extract information regarding thermodynamic feasibility of micellar state, energy alteration, and the assorted interactions established in the existing (bile salts-water-glycyl dipeptide) system. Furthermore, the pyrene fluorescence spectrum has also been utilized to study the change in micro polarity induced by the interactions of bile salts with glycyl dipeptide and the aggregation action of bile salts. The decrease in modification in the ratio of intensities of first and third peaks i.e., (I1/I3) for the pyrene molecules in aqueous bile salts solution by the addition of dipeptide, demonstrates that the micelle polarity is affected by glycyl dipeptide. This ratio has also been utilized to determine CMC values for the studied system, and the results have been found to be in good correlation with observations made in conductivity studies.

Development of New Bio-Composite of PEO/Silk Fibroin Blends Loaded with Piezoelectric Material.

New bio-composite nanofibers composed of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/silk fibroin (SF)/barium titanate (BaTiO3) are introduced in this study. The SF solution was added to the PEO solution to form a PEO/SF blend with different weight percentages (5, 10, 15, 20 wt.%). The PEO/15 wt.% SF blend was selected to continue the experimental plan based on the optimum nanofiber morphology. Different wt.% of BaTiO3 particles (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1 wt.%) were added to the PEO/15 wt.% SF blend solution, and the suspensions obtained were introduced to an electrospinning device. The fabricated tissue was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The zeta potential of the solution and the piezoelectric performance of the fabricated tissue were characterized. A newly designed pizoTester was used to investigate piezoelectric properties. The results showed that a well-organized, smooth PEO/15 wt.% SF/0.2 wt.% BaTiO3 nanofiber composite with low bead contents was obtained. Improved properties and electrical coupling were achieved in the newly introduced material. Electrospun PEO/15 wt.% SF/0.2 wt.% BaTiO3 mats increased the output voltage (1150 mV) compared to pristine PEO and PEO/SF composite fibers (410 and 290 mV, respectively) upon applying 20 N force at 5 Hz frequency. The observed enhancement in piezoelectric properties suggests that the prepared composite could be a promising material in cardiac tissue engineering (CTE).

Impact of Hybrid Fillers on the Properties of High Density Polyethylene Based Composites.

The main objective of this work is to develop a variety of hybrid high-density polyethylene (HDPE) micro- and nanocomposites and to investigate their thermal, mechanical, and morphological characteristics as a function of number of fillers and their contents percentage. In this study, 21 formulations of the composites were prepared using fillers with different sizes including micro fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), as well as nano-filler (fumed silica (FS)) though the melt blending technique. The morphological, mechanical, and thermal properties of the composite samples were evaluated. The morphological study revealed negligible filler agglomerates, good matrix-filler interfacial bonding in case of combined both CaCO3 and FS into the composites. Sequentially, improvements in tensile, flexural and Izod impact strengths as a function of fillers loading in the HDPE matrix have been reported. The maximum enhancement (%) of tensile, flexural and impact strengths were 127%, 86% and 16.6%, respectively, for composites containing 25% CaCO3 and 1% FS without any inclusion of talc filler; this indicates that the types/nature, size, quantity and dispersion status of fillers are playing a major role in the mechanical properties of the prepared composites more than the number of the used fillers.

Role of different non-coding RNAs as ovarian cancer biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Among many gynecological malignancies ovarian cancer is the most prominent and leading cause of female mortality worldwide. Despite extensive research, the underlying cause of disease progression and pathology is still unknown. In the progression of ovarian cancer different non-coding RNAs have been recognized as important regulators. The biology of ovarian cancer which includes cancer initiation, progression, and dissemination is found to be regulated by different ncRNA. Clinically ncRNA shows high prognostic and diagnostic importance. RESULTS: In this review, we prioritize the role of different non-coding RNA and their perspective in diagnosis as potential biomarkers in the case of ovarian cancer. Summary of some of the few miRNAs involved in epithelial ovarian cancer their expression and clinical features are being provided in the table. Also, in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration abnormal expression of piRNAs are emerging as a crucial regulator hence the role of few piRNAs is being given. Both tRFs and tiRNAs play important roles in tumorigenesis and are promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer. lncRNA has shown a leading role in malignant transformation and potential therapeutic value in ovarian cancer therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Hence in this review we demonstrated the role of different ncRNA that play an important role in serving strong potential as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy versus antiviral therapy in the treatment of herpetic gingivostomatitis among children: Aa randomized controlled clinical trial.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as an adjunctive treatment to topical antiviral therapy for the treatment of children having herpetic gingivostomatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 45 individuals (age group 12-18 years) with herpetic gingivostomatitis (HG) were divided into three groups on the basis of provision of treatment. (a) Group A: topical anti-viral therapy (TAT) (n = 14, mean age = 17.0 years) (b) Group B: antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) (n = 15, mean age =17.7 years) and (c) Group C: topical anti-viral therapy + adjunctive aPDT (n = 16, mean age = 18.0 years) respectively. Pain scores [visual analogue scale (VAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ)] were assessed and HSV-1 was quantified. ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY (ELISA) was used to compute the pro-inflammatory cytokine including interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The analysis of the mean values and inter group comparisons were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney test. The Friedman test was used to establish the comparison of the changes observed in HSV quantification, pain scores, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. ANOVA tests were employed for the quantification of differences observed at follow-ups. The assessments for the clinical trial were done at baseline, immediate after post-op, two, and four weeks, and three and six months respectively. RESULTS: According to the analysis of the data obtained after the clinical assessment, the three groups reported a decrease in the pain scores, HSV-1 quantification and levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines. However, Group C (TAT + aPDT) reported improvement in the observed parameters which was statistically significant in comparison to Group A (TAT) and Group B (aPDT) respectively. CONCLUSION: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in conjunction with topical antiviral therapy (TAT) helped in reducing the pain scores and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in herpetic gingivostomatitis among children.

Topographical changes and bactericidal efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy on titanium implant surface.

BACKGROUND: reExtensive rsearch has been done on various disinfection modalities used to achieve an aseptic implant surface. However, the bacterial efficacy and the topographical alterations resulting from the use of these techniques have never been compared. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the disinfection efficacy and surface changes on a bacteria contaminated titanium block following application of various disinfectants. METHOD: Ultrasonically cleaned titanium blocks were contaminated with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia. The infected titanium implants were randomly divided into four experimental groups and decontaminated using antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), laser therapy, chlorhexidine and hydrogen peroxide. Bacterial viability and surface changes following decontamination were analyzed. RESULT: Bacterial viability decreased in all the groups, with aPDT having the highest reduction. Surface roughness remained unchanged whereas the contact angle lessened in the aPDT group. CONCLUSION: aPDT could possibly be a suitable alternative to other disinfection regimen to treat periimplantitis.

Antimicrobial efficacy and topographical alterations of photodynamic therapy versus conventional antimicrobials on contaminated zirconia ceramic in vitro.

PURPOSE: The aim of this in vitro study was to assess the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, and two other disinfecting agents against P. gingivalis and T. forsythia that colonized over zirconia ceramics and to evaluate if the disinfecting protocols result in zirconia surface alteration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiment was conducted on pre-sintered, commercially available Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (Y-TZP) ceramic blocks. The bacterial strains of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia were used to contaminate the zirconia specimens. The infected zirconia specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=20/group): aPDT, Nd:YAG laser, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and chlorhexidine groups. The viability of bacteria was assayed using the MTT protocol. The surface roughness (Ra) of all zirconia specimens was estimated using a profilometer and a drop-shape analyzer was used to evaluate the contact angle using a special sessile drop method. RESULTS: A statistically significant reduction by the aPDT group is noticed for P. gingivalis and T. forsythia species compared to other disinfection methods (p<0.05). The second highest reduction was seen for chlorhexidine followed by Nd:YAG laser. The least reduction was demonstrated for the hydrogen peroxide group. Statistically, there was no significant difference in Ra scores between the four groups. However, the contact angles were significantly reduced from the zirconia specimens after the aPDT method which indicates a hydrophilicity increase compared to other groups. The SFE scores of all decontamination protocols from highest to lowest were aPDT (41.68), chlorhexidine (39.83), Nd:YAG (34.52), and H2O2 (29.88). CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy demonstrated a high antibacterial efficacy over zirconia ceramic surface without altering surface topography.

Molecularly Imprinted Chitosan-Based Thin Films with Selectivity for Nicotine Derivatives for Application as a Bio-Sensor and Filter.

This study reports the feasible use of chitosan as a thin film biosensor on the very sensitive quartz crystal micro balance system for detection of blends of multiple templates within a single matrix. The development of chitosan-based thin film materials with selectivity for nicotine derivatives is described. The molecular imprinting of a combination of nicotine derivatives in N-diacryloyl pipiradine-chitosan-methacrylic acid copolymer films on quartz crystal resonators was used to generate thin films with selectivity for nicotine and a range of nicotine analogues, particularly 3-phenylpyridine. The polymers were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic evaluations; surface area, pore size, pore volume using Breuner-Emmet-Teller method. Temperature characteristics were also studied. The swelling and structure consistency of the Chitosan was achieved by grafting with methylmethacrylic acid and cross-linking with N-diacrylol pipiradine. A blend of 0.002 g (0.04 mmol) of Chitosan, 8.5 µL Methylmethacrylic Acid and 1.0 mg N-diacrylol pipradine (BAP) presented the best blend formulation. Detections were made within a time interval of 99 s, and blend templates were detected at a concentration of 0.5 mM from the Quartz crystal microbalance resonator analysis. The successful crosslinking of the biopolymers ensured successful control of the swelling and agglomeration of the chitosan, giving it the utility potential for use as thin film sensor. This successful crosslinking also created successful dual multiple templating on the chitosan matrix, even for aerosolized templates. The products can be used in environments with temperature ranges between 60 °C and 250 °C.

Efficacy of Biopolymer/Starch Based Antimicrobial Packaging for Chicken Breast Fillets.

Food contamination leading to the spoilage and growth of undesirable bacteria, which can occur at any stage along the food chain, is a significant problem in the food industry. In the present work, biopolymer polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene succinate/tapioca starch (PBS/TPS) films incorporating Biomaster-silver (BM) and SANAFOR® (SAN) were prepared and tested as food packaging to improve the lifespan of fresh chicken breast fillets when kept in a chiller for seven days. The incorporation of BM and SAN into both films demonstrated antimicrobial activity and could prolong the storability of chicken breast fillets until day 7. However, PBS + SAN 2%, PBS/TPS + SAN 1%, and PBS/TPS + SAN 2% films showed the lowest microbial log growth. In quality assessment, incorporation of BM and SAN into both film types enhanced the quality of the chicken breast fillets. However, PBS + SAN 1% film showed the most notable enhancement of chicken breast fillet quality, as it minimized color variation, slowed pH increment, decreased weight loss, and decelerated the hardening process of the chicken breast fillets. Therefore, we suggest that the PBS + SAN and PBS/TPS + SAN films produced in this work have potential use as antimicrobial packaging in the future.

Poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene succinate) dual-layer membranes with cellulose nanowhisker for heavy metal ion separation.

In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) dual-layer membranes filled with 0-3 wt% cellulose nanowhisker (CNWs) were fabricated with aim to remove metal ions from wastewater. An integrated method was employed in the membrane fabrication process by combining water vapor-induced and crystallization-induced phase inversions. The membrane thickness was measured in between 11 and 13 µm, which did not pose significant flux deviation during filtration process. The 3% CNW filled membrane showed prominent and well-laminated two layers structure. Meanwhile, the increase in CNWs from 0 to 3% loadings could improve the membrane porosity (43-74%) but reducing pore size (2.45-0.54 µm). The heat resistance of neat membrane enhanced by 1% CNW but decreased with loadings of 2-3% CNWs due to flaming behavior of sulphated nanocellulose. Membrane with 3% CNW displayed the tensile strength (23.5 MPa), elongation at break (7.1%), and Young's modulus (0.75 GPa) as compared to other samples. For wastewater filtration performance, the continuous operation test showed that 3% CNW filled membrane exhibited the highest removal efficiency for both cobalt and nickel metal ions reaching to 83% and 84%, respectively. We concluded that CNWs filled dual-layer membranes have potential for future development in the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater streams.