Effects of different surface functionalization on the electronic properties and contact types of graphene/functionalized-GeC van der Waals heterostructures.

Constructing vertical heterostructures by placing graphene (Gr) on two-dimensional materials has recently emerged as an effective way to enhance the performance of nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices. In this work, first principles calculations are employed to explore the structural and electronic properties of Gr/GeC and Gr/functionalized-GeC by H/F/Cl surface functionalization. Our results imply that the electronic properties of the Gr, GeC and all functionalized-GeC monolayers are well preserved in Gr/GeC and Gr/functionalized-GeC heterostructures, and the Gr/GeC heterostructure forms a p-type Schottky contact. Interestingly, we find that the p-type Schottky contact in Gr/GeC can be converted into the n-type one and into an n-type ohmic contact by H/F/Cl surface functionalization to form Gr/functionalized-GeC heterostructures. Furthermore, we find that electric fields and strain engineering can change both the Schottky barrier heights and the contact types of the Gr/functionalized-GeC vdWHs. These findings suggest that Gr/functionalized-GeC heterostructures can be considered as a promising candidate for designing high-performance optoelectronic and nanoelectronic devices.

Assessment of changes in product quality and antioxidant activity of dried soursop (Annona muricata L.) during product storage.

Innovations for product preservation have attracted interest as they may increase the shelf-life of items when stored properly. In this study, the effects of various storage conditions, including four types of packaging (paper packaging, paper combined PE packaging, aluminum combined PE packaging, and plastic jar packaging) and temperatures (5, 15, 30, and 45 °C) on the quality of dried soursop were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the combination of plastic jar packaging and a storage temperature of 15 °C retained a significant portion of the initial total ascorbic acid content, total polyphenol content, and total flavonoid content. After four weeks of storage, the dried soursop preserve packaged in a plastic jar and stored at 15 °C exhibited a moisture content of 22.977 ± 0.093 %, total ascorbic acid content of 9.7 ± 0.46 mg/100gDW, total polyphenol content of 8.12 ± 0.06 mgGAE/gDW, total flavonoid content of 0.18 ± 0.02 mgQE/gDW, DPPH and ABTS scavenging activity of 0.69 ± 0.01 mgAA/gDW and 0.82 ± 0.01 mgAA/gDW, respectively. Moreover, the product meets the requirements of decision 46/2007/QD-BYT regulating the limits on biological and chemical contamination in food. The study offers valuable insights for the food industry in optimizing packaging and storage conditions to ensure the storage of quality and health-beneficial properties of this product.

Assessment of the changes in product characteristics, total ascorbic acid, total flavonoid content, total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity of dried soursop fruit tea (Annona muricata L.) during product storage.

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) fruit tea is a health-beneficial product that promotes economic development and addresses the issue of excessive agricultural waste. Prolonging the shelf-life of soursop fruit tea has been of scientific interest currently. This study evaluated the effects of three types of packaging materials of soursop fruit tea (e.g., paper, paper-combined Polyetylen (PE), and aluminum-combined PE) and different storage temperatures (5, 15, 30, and 45°C) on various product characteristics, total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total ascorbic acid (TAA), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH)/2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) free radical scavenging capacity during 4 weeks of storage. The results revealed that the sample stored in aluminum-combined PE packaging at 30°C retained most of the product's characteristics and nutritional values. This was evidenced by the moisture content of 2.49%, TAA of 3.9 ± 1.4 mg/100 g dry weight, TPC of 12.89 ± 0.47 mgGAE/g, TFC of 0.54 ± 0.004 mgQE/g, DPPH scavenging activity of 4.06 ± 0.02 mgAA/g, and ABTS scavenging activity of 13.34 ± 0.32 mgAA/g. Additionally, the microbiological quality of the sample met the standard of TCVN 9740:2013. Overall, the study highlights the importance of packaging materials and storage temperatures to maintain the nutritional quality of soursop fruit tea. It provides valuable insights into the suitable storage conditions for preserving the quality and health-promoting effects of this product.

Injectable thermogel incorporating reactive oxygen species scavenger and nitric oxide donor to accelerate the healing process of diabetic wounds.

The healing of diabetic wounds is challenging due to redox imbalances. Herein, the thermogelling system AR-ACP hydrogel, with encapsulated biosafe nitric oxide (NO) donor L-arginine and resveratrol as an ROS scavenger, is established for sustainable wound therapy in the diabetic state. The innovated AR-ACP hydrogel dressings shows the sol-gel transition at 34 °C, allowing the hydrogel to fully cover wounds. The combination of L-arginine and resveratrol showed a prominent effect on anti-oxidative activity. The elimination of superoxide anions from the activated immune cells/oxidative cells by resveratrol maintained the NO-proangiogenic factors generated from L-arginine. Furthermore, the AR-ACP hydrogel endowed outstanding features such as haemocompatibility, non-skin irradiation as well as antibacterial activity. In the in vivo diabetic mice model, complete epidermal regeneration comparable to undamaged skin was observed with AR-ACP hydrogel. The synergy between L-arginine and resveratrol in the ACP hydrogel facilitated neovascularisation in the early stage, resulting in the higher balance in cellularity growth and collagen deposition in the dermal layer compared to control groups. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that the use of a customised ACP-based hydrogel, with the additional L-arginine and resveratrol, resulted in significant skin regeneration in the diabetic state.

Developing mango powders by foam mat drying technology.

Using mango purée from overripe mangoes to produce powders helped to solve agricultural product stagnation. The research investigates the effect of thickening additives, convection drying, and heat pump drying on bioactive compounds such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), color, and solubility of the final product. The obtained results showed that the mixture (gum arabic and maltodextrin in the ratio 50:50 w/w) at a concentration of 15% gave a good quality powder texture when dried by hot air convection at 55°C with TPC (21.24 ± 1.58 mg GAE/g dry weight [DW]) and TFC (0.34 ± 0.02 mg QE/g DW), respectively. In addition, the product has a high solubility of 64.35%, with the highest pass-through point of 17.11.

Study of jelly drying cashew apples (Anacardium occidentale L.) processing.

Cashew apples, a by-product accrued during the manufacture of cashew nuts, have abundant nutritional values but are not widely utilized due to the presence of substances that cause acrid taste. In this study, we attempted the production of a dried jelly cashew apple product and optimized three main processing stages including blanching, osmotic, and drying. The results showed suitable conditions at 6 mm thickness in the blanching process. The osmotic process recorded a temperature of 35°C, within 1.5 h, the ratio of sugar syrup/ingredient 2:1 with sugar syrup 60 Bx, and the addition of 0.6% citric acid on the total weight of ingredients and 0.02% CaCl2. The drying process at 55°C within 267 min had the highest ascorbic acid content (TAA), total phenolic content (TPC), and content of tannin compounds (TTC) retention. These parameters refer to a product that has good organoleptic acceptability in terms of taste, acrid content, and a high ability to retain major nutrients. Furthermore, the product recovery efficiency is 21.45%. Jelly drying cashew apples (JDC) are formed to help take advantage of by-products, contributing to adding value for the cashew industry.

Effect of targeting ligand designation of self-assembly chitosan-poloxamer nanogels loaded Paclitacel on inhibiting MCF-7 cancer cell growth.

In this study, we investigated two formulations of chitosan-Pluronic P123 with different folate ligand designation for targeted delivery of Paclitaxel (PTX), in which folic acid (FA) was directly conjugated to chitosan (FA-Cs-P123) or substituted onto P123 (Cs-P123-FA). The results showed that the FA content of Cs-P123-FA was determined at 0.71 wt/wt% which was significantly higher than that of FA-Cs-P123 (0.31 wt/wt%). Two copolymers were low critical gel concentrations (CGC). FA-Cs-P123 and Cs-P123-FA nanogels performed high PTX encapsulation efficiency reaching 95.57 ± 5.51 and 92.51 ± 6.68 wt/wt%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and zeta potential analysis indicated that the PTX-loaded nanogels were spherically formed around 60 nm in diameter along with positive charge. Furthermore, the PTX release profile was slow and it was controlled by the pH of the medium. In particular, in vitro biocompatibility assays indicated that both FA-Cs-P123 and Cs-P123-FA exhibited good biological compatibility with a human foreskin fibroblast cell line and well uptake efficiency into MCF-7 cancer cells. Cs-P123-FA nanogel significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of PTX in comparison with FA-Cs-P123. The result indicates that Cs-P123-FA nanogels with a higher decorated FA content perform a better targeting efficiency; therefore, they could have great potential application towards breast cancer treatment.