Table_1_Preparation and characterization of chitosan/whey isolate protein active film containing TiO2 and white pepper essential oil.DOCX

Active packaging films are designed to improve quality and extend the food shelf life by incorporating functional active ingredients into biopolymer films. This study developed a bioactive film based on chitosan (CS) and whey isolated protein (WPI) incorporated with 0.01 wt% TiO2 and 0.1 wt% white pepper essential oil (WPEO). The physicochemical properties of the prepared film were also evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that water solubility and water vapor permeability of the film incorporated with TiO2 and WPEO were 25.09% and 0.0933 g mm m–2 h–1 KPa–1, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of other films (P 2 and WPEO have improved. The films were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The FTIR results showed interactions between TiO2 and WPEO with CS/WPI compound, and the SEM results indicated a good incorporation of TiO2 into the composite films. The antioxidative and antibacterial properties of films were significantly enhanced by incorporating WPEO. According to results, the developed biocomposite film can be considered as a packaging material.</p

Salt-Induced Aggregation of Polyelectrolyte−Amphiphilic Dendron Complexes in THF Solutions

Complexes were prepared by complexing amphiphilic dendrons (first, second, and third generations) with an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte through ionic interaction. Their chemical structure can be confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and elemental analysis (EA). All of the complexes were investigated with respect to their aggregation behavior. Under the inducement of salt addition in THF, they showed interesting self-assembly behavior, forming micelles and vesicles depending on the amount of the salt. The formation of these self-assemblies has been proven by dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), and electron microscopy (EM) as well as atomic force microscopy (AFM). Dilution experiments showed that the formed vesicles have good stability against dilution as well as polyelectrolyte behavior. The formation of micelle and vesicle aggregates described in this article is probably based on the entropy effect and the shape transformation of building blocks caused by salt addition

Tough Magnetic Chitosan Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Remotely Stimulated Drug Release

As one of important biomaterials for localized drug delivery system, chitosan hydrogel still suffer several challenges, including poor mechanical properties, passive drug release behavior and lack of remote stimuli response. To address these challenges, a facile <i>in situ</i> hybridization method was reported for fabricate tough magnetic chitosan hydrogel (MCH), which remotely switched drug release from passive release to pulsatile release under a low frequency alternating magnetic field (LAMF). The <i>in situ</i> hybridization method avoided the aggregation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in hydrogel, which simultaneously brings 416% and 265% increase in strength and elastic modulus, respectively. The mechanical property enhancement was contributed by the physical crosslinking of <i>in situ</i> synthesized MNPs. When a LAMF with 15 min ON–15 min OFF cycles was applied to MCH, the fraction release showed zigzag shape and pulsatile release behavior with quick response. The cumulative release and fraction release of drug from MCH were improved by 67.2% and 31.9%, respectively. MTT results and cell morphology indicated that the MCH have excellent biocompatibility and no acute adverse effect on MG-63 cells. The developed tough MCH system holds great potential for applications in smart drug release system with noninvasive characteristics and magnetic field stimulated drug release behavior

Ultrahigh Capacity and Rapid Selective Recycling of Gold Ions by Organic Intercalated and Exfoliated Few-Layer Ti₃C₂T_<i>x</i> Nanosheets

For the sustainable development of the ecological environment in gold recycling, it is urgently desired to develop a more efficient and highly selective process for gold ions from e-waste or mineral lixivium. As a kind of emerging two-dimensional nanomaterials, Ti3C2Tx has emerged as a rapidly developing novel water treatment material. Herein, the preparation of few-layer Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and their performance for recycling of gold ions were studied. Notably, it exhibits an impressive capacity of 2973.57 mg/g at room temperature, almost 124 times that of commercially available activated carbon (24 mg/g), and an exciting selectivity for Au­(III) in the presence of competing ions due to perfectly weak reduction caused by the removal of the Al layer. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model can accurately depict the rapid adsorption process. Additionally, it can be regenerated effectively by thiourea and exhibits excellent reutilization. A critical mechanism involves an adsorptive–reduction pathway between Au­(III) and active Ti sites. Excellent performance in real lixiviums from e-waste and gold-bearing sludge is also exhibited, demonstrating great potential for Au­(III) recycling. It may be a sustainable direction for the capture and separation of Au­(III) and also lays the foundation for the interface control of Ti3C2Tx and Au NPs as a catalyst and other functional materials

Evaluation and Mechanistic Investigation of Human Milk Oligosaccharide against SARS-CoV‑2

Four human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), 3′-sialyllactose (3′-SL), 6′-sialyllactose (6′-SL), 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL), and 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL), were assessed for their possible antiviral activity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain (RBD) in vitro. Among them, only 2′-FL/3-FL exhibited obvious antibinding activity against direct binding and trans-binding in competitive immunocytochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The antiviral effects of 2′-FL/3-FL were further confirmed by pseudoviral assays with three SARS-Cov-2 mutants, with a stronger inhibition effect of 2′-FL than 3-FL. Then, 2′-FL/3-FL were studied with molecular docking and microscale thermophoresis analysis, showing that the binding sites of 2′-FL on RBD were involved in receptor binding, in addition to a tighter bond between them, thus enabling 2′-FL to be more effective than 3-FL. Moreover, the immunomodulation effect of 2′-FL was preliminary evaluated and confirmed in a human alveolus chip. These results would open up possible applications of 2′-FL for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections by competitive binding inhibition

Magnetic Levitation System Isolates and Purifies Airborne Viruses

Detection of viable viruses in the air is critical in order to determine the level of risk associated with the airborne diffusion of viruses. Different methods have been developed for the isolation, purification, and detection of viable airborne viruses, but they require an extensive processing time and often present limitations including low physical efficiency (i.e., the amount of collected viruses), low biological efficiency (i.e., the number of viable viruses), or a combination of all. To mitigate such limitations, we have employed an efficient technique based on the magnetic levitation (Maglev) technique with a paramagnetic solution and successfully identified distinct variations in levitation and density characteristics among bacteria (Escherichia coli), phages (MS2), and human viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza H1N1). Notably, the Maglev approach enabled a significant enrichment of viable airborne viruses in air samples. Furthermore, the enriched viruses obtained through Maglev exhibited high purity, rendering them suitable for direct utilization in subsequent analyses such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or colorimetric assays. The system is portable, easy to use, and cost-efficient and can potentially provide proactive surveillance data for monitoring future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases and allow for the induction of various preventative and mitigative measures

Magnetic Levitation System Isolates and Purifies Airborne Viruses

Detection of viable viruses in the air is critical in order to determine the level of risk associated with the airborne diffusion of viruses. Different methods have been developed for the isolation, purification, and detection of viable airborne viruses, but they require an extensive processing time and often present limitations including low physical efficiency (i.e., the amount of collected viruses), low biological efficiency (i.e., the number of viable viruses), or a combination of all. To mitigate such limitations, we have employed an efficient technique based on the magnetic levitation (Maglev) technique with a paramagnetic solution and successfully identified distinct variations in levitation and density characteristics among bacteria (Escherichia coli), phages (MS2), and human viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza H1N1). Notably, the Maglev approach enabled a significant enrichment of viable airborne viruses in air samples. Furthermore, the enriched viruses obtained through Maglev exhibited high purity, rendering them suitable for direct utilization in subsequent analyses such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or colorimetric assays. The system is portable, easy to use, and cost-efficient and can potentially provide proactive surveillance data for monitoring future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases and allow for the induction of various preventative and mitigative measures

Magnetic Levitation System Isolates and Purifies Airborne Viruses

Detection of viable viruses in the air is critical in order to determine the level of risk associated with the airborne diffusion of viruses. Different methods have been developed for the isolation, purification, and detection of viable airborne viruses, but they require an extensive processing time and often present limitations including low physical efficiency (i.e., the amount of collected viruses), low biological efficiency (i.e., the number of viable viruses), or a combination of all. To mitigate such limitations, we have employed an efficient technique based on the magnetic levitation (Maglev) technique with a paramagnetic solution and successfully identified distinct variations in levitation and density characteristics among bacteria (Escherichia coli), phages (MS2), and human viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza H1N1). Notably, the Maglev approach enabled a significant enrichment of viable airborne viruses in air samples. Furthermore, the enriched viruses obtained through Maglev exhibited high purity, rendering them suitable for direct utilization in subsequent analyses such as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or colorimetric assays. The system is portable, easy to use, and cost-efficient and can potentially provide proactive surveillance data for monitoring future outbreaks of airborne infectious diseases and allow for the induction of various preventative and mitigative measures