Dispersion Method Research Articles

The effect of different water types commonly applied during laser diffraction measurement on the particle size distribution of soils

It is expected in the future that soil particle size distribution (PSD) measurements by laser diffraction method (LDM) may replace sieve-pipette sedimentation methods (SPM) as they are faster, require less sample, and are accurate and reproducible. LDM measurement result is a continuous function of PSD, which can facilitate the conversion between the various limits (by countries, by scientific field) of the calculated particle size fractions (PSF – e.g. clay, silt, sand). Currently, there is no standard method for LDM PSD measurement. Many different types of instruments and preparation devices are currently used in laboratories, with various sample preparation, pre-treatment and measurement methods (duration, chemical and/or mechanical dispersion, settings, etc.). In soil LDM PSD measurements, researchers put relatively little emphasis on the choice of the type of aqueous media used. Thus, it is still questionable to what extent the results of the LDM measurement depend on the selection of the dispersion method and the aqueous media. For our research, eight soil samples with various physical and chemical properties were collected in Hungary. The particle size fractions (clay, silt, sand) determined with LDM (Malvern Mastersizer 3000) measured in three types of aqueous media (distilled, deionized and tap water), in different combinations of two dispersion methods (no treatment, ultrasonic or chemical dispersion with Calgon and their combination) were compared. For the comparison, PSF results of the conventional sieve pipette method (SPM) were used as a reference. Our results showed that LDM measurement can achieve various degrees of dispersion with different preparations, in many cases only partial dispersion, disaggregation, sometimes re-aggregation, and flocculation of soil particles were observed as compared to full preparation (in SPM). The “disaggregation pattern” of the soil samples also depended on the quality of the aqueous media and the properties of the soil investigated, because several types and degrees of interactions could occur in the various soil-liquid-dispersant/disaggregation effect systems.

Mitigating inflammation and fibrosis: the therapeutic potential of quercetin liposomes in COPD

IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease with severe therapeutic obstacles and high worldwide death rate. COPD progresses predominantly through inflammatory response followed by fibrotic destruction. Quercetin (Que), recognized for its anti-inflammatory effects, presents significant promise as a therapeutic candidate for COPD therapy. However, poor water solubility and low bioavailability of Que hinder its further clinical application. Liposomes are renowned for their unique structure and function, which provided an efficient approach for the delivery of Que in various drug delivery systems. This study was aim to prepare a novel Que liposome (Que-lipo) and administrated via intratracheal (i.t.) with cigarette smoke induced COPD mice. The underlying therapeutic mechanisms against lung damage of Que-lipo were explored.MethodsQue-lipo were prepared based on thin film dispersion method and administrated via intratracheal administration. The cigarette smoke induced COPD mice were established and a comprehensive approach was employed to explore the inflammation, pulmonary function and histopathology of lung after i.t. administration of Que-lipo, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, histopathology and immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results and discussionQue-lipo not only improved the solubility and biocompatibility of Que but also demonstrated effective cellular uptake in vitro. The inflammation, pulmonary function and pathological condition of lung were improved after i.t. administration of Que-lipo. Que-lipo also regulated the expression of key apoptosis-associated proteins such as Bcl-2 and caspase-3/7, leading to significant inhibition of apoptotic activity in COPD. Furthermore, Que-lipo markedly enhanced its ability to alleviate lung inflammation and fibrosis symptoms by modulating inflammation-related factors and fibrosis signaling molecules. The potential mechanisms of Que-lipo in treating COPD were elucidated, including the suppression of the NLRP3/IL-1β inflammasome pathway and the TGF-β1-related fibrosis signaling pathway.

Dissolution of abietic acid in water by the solid dispersion method using methylcellulose analogs

Abstract Solid dispersion materials of abietic acid (ABA) were prepared with methylcellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC-Na) using a conventional solvent evaporation method. In these materials, ABA was incorporated in an amorphous form. During dissolution tests, ABA from ABA/MC and ABA/HPMC solid dispersion materials initially rapidly dissolved, followed by a decrease in the dissolution rate before eventually plateauing. The dissolution of ABA from ABA/CMC-Na solid dispersion materials was similar, although it increased slightly with an increased shaking time over a long period. ABA from ABA/MC solid dispersion materials exhibited a higher dissolution rate compared with ABA from both ABA/HPMC and ABA/CMC-Na solid dispersion materials. The amount of undissolved material from ABA/cellulose derivative solid dispersion materials was lower compared with ABA/cellulose nanofiber and ABA/TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber solid dispersion materials. In addition, both ABA/MC and ABA/HPMC solid dispersion materials exhibited good growth-inhibitive effects against Trametes versicolor, a representative of white-rot fungus, compared with ABA/CMC-Na, ABA/cellulose nanofiber and ABA/TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofiber solid dispersion materials. Consequently, MC proved to be the most effective water-soluble carrier for ABA in water among the cellulose derivatives tested.

Spectral representation of cosmological correlators

Cosmological correlation functions are significantly more complex than their flat-space analogues, such as tree-level scattering amplitudes. While these amplitudes have simple analytic structure and clear factorisation properties, cosmological correlators often feature branch cuts and lack neat expressions. In this paper, we develop off-shell perturbative methods to study and compute cosmological correlators. We show that such approach not only makes the origin of the correlator singularity structure and factorisation manifest, but also renders practical analytical computations more tractable. Using a spectral representation of massive cosmological propagators that encodes particle production through a suitable iϵ prescription, we remove the need to ever perform nested time integrals as they only appear in a factorised form. This approach explicitly shows that complex correlators are constructed by gluing lower-point off-shell correlators, while performing the spectral integral sets the exchanged particles on shell. Notably, in the complex mass plane instead of energy, computing spectral integrals amounts to collecting towers of poles as the simple building blocks are meromorphic functions. We demonstrate this by deriving a new, simple, and partially resummed representation for the four-point function of conformally coupled scalars mediated by tree-level massive scalar exchange in de Sitter. Additionally, we establish cosmological largest-time equations that relate different channels on in-in branches via analytic continuation, analogous to crossing symmetry in flat space. These universal relations provide simple consistency checks and suggest that dispersive methods hold promise for developing cosmological recursion relations, further connecting techniques from modern scattering amplitudes to cosmology.

Bilastine-Loaded Transethosome Based Nanogel for the Treatment of Allergic Reactions: An In vitro Characterization

Objective: The goal of the current study was to formulate and evaluate bilastine-loaded transethosomal nanogel. Bilastine has 60% oral bioavailability, which restricts the rate of absorption and dissolution and classifies it under BCS class II drugs, which can be overcome by incorporating bilastine in transethosomal nanogel formulation in the treatment of urticaria. Methods: Bilastine-loaded transethosomes were prepared using a thin film hydration method with different proportions of Tween 80 and ethanol by using a rotary evaporator and incorporated into a transethosomal gel using Carbopol 934 as a polymer by dispersion method. Results: The bilastine-loaded transethosomal formulation was optimized by using the “Box Behnken design” and evaluated for various parameters. The optimized formulation was found to be stable, as determined by the zeta potential of −27.0 mV and polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.167, and vesicle size was found to be 183nm and exhibiting the maximum entrapment efficiency of up to 80.23%. The drug content of the transethosomal gel was found to be 81.56%. The best results were obtained with a transethosomal gel prepared with 1% Carbopol 934 (TF7G2). The optimized batch showed prolonged in-vitro release of bilastine for 8 hrs. Ex vivo skin permeation studies showed 76.23 ± 2.63% permeation in comparison with plain gel. Conclusion: Transethosomal nanogel batches were optimized based on drug content, viscosity, uniformity of drug content, zeta potential, spreadability, pH, drug release, and stability testing, exhibiting good results. The results of this investigation showed that the transethosomal nanogel loaded with bilastine might be used to improve bilastine delivery through the skin with greater bioavailability.

Nanostructured Lipid Carrier-Mediated Transdermal Delivery System of Glibenclamide for Gestational Diabetes: Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) poses significant risks during pregnancy for both mother and fetus. Adherence to oral antidiabetic medications, like glibenclamide (GB), can be challenging, necessitating novel drug delivery methods. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) offer a promising approach by efficiently permeating the skin due to their small size and lipid-based composition. This study aimed to develop and evaluate transdermal patches loaded with glibenclamide NLCs to treat GDM. Glibenclamide NLCs were prepared using hot homogenization with ultrasonication and melt dispersion method. A central composite design was utilized to optimize the formulations. Transdermal patches containing optimized NLCs were developed using HPMC K 100 and Eudragit L polymers. The patches were evaluated for various parameters, and their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies were carried out to assess their safety and efficacy. Optimized NLCs efficiently permeated rat skin. Cell viability studies indicated the nontoxicity of the formulations. NLC-loaded transdermal patches (F2 and F7) showed drug release of 1098 μg/cm2 and 1001.83 μg/cm2 in 24 h, with a 2.5-fold higher flux and permeation coefficient than the GB patch. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed Tmax of 8 and 10 h and Cmax of 7127 ng/ml and 7960 ng/ml for F2 and F7, respectively, ensuring sustained drug action. AUC0-α was 625681 ng/ml·h and 363625 ng/ml·h for F2 and F7, respectively, indicating improved bioavailability. Transdermal patches incorporating NLCs hold promise for enhancing glibenclamide's therapeutic efficacy in GDM treatment. Improved skin permeation, sustained drug release, and enhanced bioavailability make NLC-based transdermal patches a potential alternative with better patient compliance.

Synergistic Effect of Synthetic Magnesium Aluminometasilicate and Dual Polymer in Celecoxib Solubilization by Solid Dispersion Method

Synergistic Effect of Synthetic Magnesium Aluminometasilicate and Dual Polymer in Celecoxib Solubilization by Solid Dispersion Method

How Important Is Informed Natal Dispersal for Modelling the Demographic and Genetic Effects of Environmental Variability?

Dispersal is a fundamental ecological process that influences population dynamics and genetic diversity and is therefore an important component of the models used to simulate population responses to environmental change. We considered informed dispersal in relation to settlement location, where individuals could optimise selection of settlement location with regard to per capita resource availability and investigated the importance of this type of informed dispersal for simulated demography and genetic diversity under different biological and environmental scenarios. We used an individual-based simulation model scaled with reference to the ecology of small mammals in fire prone savanna ecosystems. We simulated demographic and genetic processes under informed and uninformed dispersal across several scenarios of life history, environmental heterogeneity (patch size and patch dynamics) and dispersal distance. The effect of the dispersal method on population size far outweighed that of dispersal distance under all combinations of habitat quality, temporal dynamics, patch size and dispersal distance modelled. The effects of habitat patch size and habitat dynamics (representing temporal change in habitat quality such as that potentially generated by disturbance) were low under most of the scenarios modelled. Informed dispersal influenced genetic diversity and differentiation, but the effects were weaker than those of dispersal distance. The genetic effect of informed dispersal occurred through the effect on genetic diversity of the overall metapopulation, while the dispersal distance influenced gene flow and genetic diversity within subpopulations. Informed dispersal was less effective in increasing population size in models of a long-lived species with overlapping generations. This was particularly true when habitat quality was dynamic and natal dispersal choices did not result in lifelong habitat quality outcomes. Our results suggest that including informed decision-making in dispersal in simulation models leads to different projections of demography, genetic diversity and susceptibility to environmental change.

Carbon nanostructures in polyvinyl alcohol-based silver nanocomposites for serum albumin concentration sensing

Introducing carbon nanostructures in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix as strengthening elements by solution dispersion method is already known. Here, the plasmonic sensor surfaces interspersed with carbon nanomaterials are studied for their durable and better sensing capabilities. Carbon quantum dots (CQD) and Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are the carbon nanostructures used in the polyvinyl alcohol-silver nanocomposite to develop plasmonic sensing surfaces. Fiber optic unclad U-bent surfaces are encapsulated in the carbon nanostructure dispersed PVA-silver nanocomposite. The surface is further functionalized with the polyelectrolyte poly(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH) for better bioconjugation. In the available sensor literature, the evaluation of the sensing layer stability after multiple sensing trials is almost nil. In this work, the sensor surface plasmonic performance after multiple sensing trials is evaluated. The results show that plasmonic biosensors with improved sensing performances can be developed by introducing carbon nanomaterials in PVA-silver nanocomposites. The developed sensor heads are used to sense Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) concentration changes.

Collagen Hydrogel Loaded With 9-cisRA-Lip Is an Option for Treatment of Secondary Lymphedema after Surgery.

Background: Secondary upper limb lymphedema is easy to occur after breast cancer surgery, for which treatment is limited. 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cisRA) has been demonstrated to increase lymphangiogenesis without enhancing tumor metastasis but has the disadvantages of poor water solubility, easy decomposition in light, unstable to heat, and short half-life. Methods: Based on this, 9-cisRA-Lip with a particle size of roughly 143 nm and high dispersibility was prepared by thin-film dispersion method and verified by Malvern Laser Particle Size Analyzer and electron microscopy. Results: In vitro, 9-cisRA-Lip demonstrated good biosafety and tumor safety, promoting the proliferation of L929 cells while having no effect on 4T1 and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial (HUVEC) cells. Compared with 9-cisRA, 9-cisRA-Lip was more effective at encouraging mouse lymphatic endothelial cell (SVEC4-10) migration, proliferation, and tube formation. In vivo, 9-cisRA-Lip-Gel showed good slow-release effect, mice treated with 9-cisRA-Lip-Gel one-time local injection had considerably less tail edema than the control group from day 9 to day 39 postsurgery (p < 0.05). This may be attributed to the greater capacity of 9-cisRA-Lip to enhance the phosphorylation of FGFR3 (Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3) at Tyr 724. Conclusions: 9-cisRA-Lip-Gel presents a potential treatment option for lymphedema following surgery.

Combination of quadruple isotope dilution strategy and dispersive solid phase extraction method for accurate quantification of selected steroid hormones.

Steroid hormones are essential for the regulation of various vital body functions. Therefore, the determination of steroid hormones in biological fluids is a significant issue to find out the mechanism of steroid hormones related to disorders. In this study, Fe3O4/reduced graphene oxide (Fe3O4/rGO) nanocomposite based dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE) was coupled with liquid chromatography - quadruple isotope dilution - triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-ID4-MS/MS) for the accurate and precise determination of aldosterone, testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone and estrone in serum samples. There is no study in literature about the combination of DSPE and LC-ID4-MS/MS methods for the extraction and determination of selected steroid hormones. Significant improvements in accuracy and precision for the proposed method was achieved by the combination of DSPE and LC-ID4-MS/MS. The percent recovery results were calculated between 100.0 and 103.4% with low percent relative standard deviation values (≤2.0%). The obtained recovery results proved the application of the developed method with high accuracy and precision for the determination of steroid hormones in serum samples. Hence, the developed method is superior to the current analytical methods for the determination of selected steroid hormones in terms of sensitivity, accuracy and precision.

Functional divergence exists in mucilage-mediated seed dispersal, but not in germination of myxospermic Lepidium campestre and Lepidium draba (Brassicaceae)

The aim of this study was to compare the role of mucilage in seed dispersal and germination of the two closely related invasive weed species, Lepidium campestre and Lepidium draba. The study investigated the staining patterns of mucilage and its effects on seed germination, water uptake, dehydration, adherence to sand particles and dispersal by wind, water and animals following standard protocols. The mucilaginous seeds of L. campestre had a higher pectin and cellulose content than L. draba. This difference has a significant effect on water uptake and retention. The mucilage increased water uptake in both species, with L. campestre seeds absorbing significantly more water (836% compared to 75% in L. draba). Remarkably, the mucilage of both species had very little effect on seed germination. Significantly, the seeds of L. draba readily germinated under dry conditions, suggesting that this species may have developed different germination strategies. In addition, the seeds and fruits of L. draba showed a higher potential for dispersal via water and wind, whereas those of L. campestre adhered to animals. Further, L. campestre seeds showed significantly stronger adherence to sand particles (1872%) compared to those of L. draba (445%). This suggests that L. campestre seeds are more likely to disperse locally and possibly adhere to animals or soil particles. Our results suggest that mucilage produce by the two invasive weed species results in different methods of dispersal, which may help explain differences in their distribution patterns.

Rapid Degradation of Dye Effluents with A SnS Catalyst: A Sustainable Approach Using Natural Light Under Ambient Conditions.

Dye degradation presents a persistent challenge in addressing water pollution. While several methods, including adsorption, biodegradation, and advanced oxidation processes, have been extensively explored, photocatalysis remains one of the most effective techniques. Conventional photocatalytic dye degradation processes often rely on expensive light sources and are time-intensive. Herein, we synthesized a SnS catalyst by the solvated metal atom dispersion (SMAD) method, using Sn foil and sulfur powder. The catalyst exhibited remarkable performance, achieving complete degradation of methylene blue within 2 minutes under ambient room light, without the need for any external light source. Similar degradation efficiency was achieved for methyl orange. To evaluate the role of light for the degradation, control experiments were conducted in the dark using methylene blue as a model dye. Although the degradation rate was slightly reduced, the catalyst still facilitated dye degradation in the absence of light. Additionally, the catalytic performance was tested with four other dyes under natural light, all of which yielded promising results, demonstrating the versatility and effectiveness of the SnS catalyst in dye degradation. This work highlights the potential of the SnS catalyst for efficient and rapid dye degradation under both light and dark conditions, offering an energy-efficient solution for wastewater treatment.

2D/2D Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks/Covalent Organic Frameworks S-Scheme Heterojunctions for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) demonstrate significant potential for application in photocatalysis. However, the low efficiency of electron-hole separation and limited stability inhibit their practical utilization in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting. Herein, the novel dual-pyrene-base supramolecular HOF/COF 2D/2D S-scheme heterojunction between HOF-H4TBAPy (Py-HOF, H4TBAPy represents the 1,3,6,8-tetrakis (p-benzoic acid) pyrene) and Py-COF was successfully established using a rapid self-assembly solution dispersion method. Experimental and theoretical investigations confirm that the size-matching of two crystalline porous materials enables the integrated heterostructure material with abundant surface reaction sites, strong interaction, and an enhanced S-scheme built-in electric field, thus significantly improving the efficiency of photogenerated charge carrier separation and stability. Notably, the optimal HOF/COF heterojunction achieves a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 390.68 mmol g-1 h-1, which is 2.28 times higher than that of pure Py-HOF and 9.24 times higher than that of pure COF. These findings precisely acquire valuable atomic-scale insights into the ingenious design of dual-pyrene-based S-scheme heterojunction. This work presents an innovative perspective for forming supramolecular S-scheme heterojunctions over HOF-based semiconductors, offering a protocol for designing the powerful and strong-coupling S-scheme built-in electric fields for efficient solar energy utilization.

2D/2D Hydrogen‐Bonded Organic Frameworks/Covalent Organic Frameworks S‐scheme Heterojunctions for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Hydrogen‐bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) demonstrate significant potential for application in photocatalysis. However, the low efficiency of electron‐hole separation and limited stability inhibit their practical utilization in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting. Herein, the novel dual‐pyrene‐base supramolecular HOF/COF 2D/2D S‐scheme heterojunction between HOF‐H4TBAPy (Py‐HOF, H4TBAPy represents the 1,3,6,8‐tetrakis (p‐benzoic acid) pyrene) and Py‐COF was successfully established using a rapid self‐assembly solution dispersion method. Experimental and theoretical investigations confirm that the size‐matching of two crystalline porous materials enables the integrated heterostructure material with abundant surface reaction sites, strong interaction, and an enhanced S‐scheme built‐in electric field, thus significantly improving the efficiency of photogenerated charge carrier separation and stability. Notably, the optimal HOF/COF heterojunction achieves a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of 390.68 mmol g−1 h−1, which is 2.28 times higher than that of pure Py‐HOF and 9.24 times higher than that of pure COF. These findings precisely acquire valuable atomic‐scale insights into the ingenious design of dual‐pyrene‐based S‐scheme heterojunction. This work presents an innovative perspective for forming supramolecular S‐scheme heterojunctions over HOF‐based semiconductors, offering a protocol for designing the powerful and strong‐coupling S‐scheme built‐in electric fields for efficient solar energy utilization.

Green synthesis of N-doped-carbon dots/ZnO for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye: optimization of reaction parameters.

In this research work, nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) adorned zinc oxide nanoparticles (N-CDs/ZnO) were successfully synthesized by a simple and cost-effective solution dispersion method and later on used as photocatalyst for decontamination of aqueous methylene blue (MB) dye on irradiation of UV light (300 W, 320-400nm) at room temperature. Both the N-CDs and ZnO were prepared through green technique utilizing non-toxic, inexpensive and eco-friendly precursors, namely Foeniculum vulgare and Psidium guajava leaf extract, respectively. All the synthesized samples exhibited crystalline nature with average diameter of particle 4.42nm, 12.38nm and 14.11nm corresponding to N-CDs, ZnO and N-CDs/ZnO, respectively. Further, band gap energy value (Eg) of 3.43, 2.76 and 2.49eV for N-CDs, ZnO and N-CDs/ZnO, respectively, were obtained by using Tauc's plot. The photocatalytic capability of the sample N-CDs/ZnO was compared with bare ZnO nanoparticles, utilizing identical experimental conditions. The results demonstrated that the composite exhibited notably higher photocatalytic degradation efficiency than bare ZnO nanoparticles up to 15.54%. Lower band gap value of N-CDs/ZnO was the major factor for exhibiting this behaviour, decreasing the recombination rate and thus enhancing the efficiency. Furthermore, N-CDs/ZnO exhibited 98.17% MB degradation under optimized conditions (0.03g, 5ppm, pH 10). The resultant N-CDs/ZnO exhibited good stability and decontamination efficiency up to five cycles with efficiency loss of only 7.89%. Along with, trapping experiments was conducted to analyze the role of active species involved for deep understanding of mechanism. The order of efficiency of active constituents was observed to be: •O2- > h+ > •OH. The study analyzed the non-toxic nature of treated water, revealing normal plant growth, suggesting its potential use in irrigation of parks and roadside areas. Overall, present research work obeys the green chemistry principles with the fabrication of highly efficient, eco-friendly, cost-effective photocatalyst N-CDs/ZnO by utilizing the green precursors for the whole research work.

An analytical gradient method to model interfacial heat and mass transfer in multi-field CFD codes

Phase change at the interface between a liquid and a gas, commonly referred to as bulk condensation/boiling or interface condensation/boiling, is often overshadowed by wall condensation/boiling. However, interfacial phase change plays a critical role in various industrial applications, including boiling flows in microchannels and boiling liquid metal flows. In this article, we introduce a novel analytical model based on the gradient method. This model accounts for interfacial phase change within multi-field codes. It is validated against both analytical and experimental cases involving bulk boiling, demonstrating excellent agreement. Notably, the mesh convergence aligns with the methods employed in single-fluid codes. Additionally, we propose a hybrid approach that combines the high accuracy of this model with the computational efficiency of dispersed methods.

The biologically and ecologically important natural products from the Chinese sea hare Bursatella leachii: structures, stereochemistry and beyond

A novel amide alkaloid, bursatamide A (1), featuring an unprecedented propyl-hexahydronaphthalene carbon framework, was isolated from the infrequently studied sea hare Bursatella leachi, alongside a new 3-phenoxypropanenitrile alkaloid, bursatellin B (2), and twelve known compounds. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated through comprehensive spectroscopic data analyses, while their relative and absolute configurations (ACs) were established through total synthesis and a series of quantum chemical calculations, including calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra, optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) methods, and DP4+ probability analyses. Bursatamide A (1) demonstrated inhibitory effects against the human pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio cholerae. Erythro-bursatellin B (21), a diastereoisomer of 2, exhibited notable antibacterial activity against the fish pathogenic bacterium Streptococcus parauberis FP KSP28, with an MIC90 value of 0.0472 μg·mL−1.

Facile synthesis and first principles calculations of Li-MoS2/rGO nanocomposite for high-performance supercapacitor applications

Two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured materials such as graphene oxide nanosheets and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are potential candidates for electrochemical energy storage applications. The layered structure of MoS2 makes it a promising active electrode material for supercapacitors. Lithium (Li) interacted with MoS2/reduced graphene oxide (Li-MoS2/rGO) nanocomposite has been synthesized in two steps using a sonochemical dispersion method, and a one-pot hydrothermal method resulting in few-layered MoS2/rGO nanosheets of 2D heterointerfaces. The Li-MoS2/rGO nanocomposite exhibits a high specific capacitance of 173.3 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1. Furthermore, an asymmetric supercapacitor device fabricated with Li-MoS2/rGO achieves a good energy density of 10.6 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 686.3 W kg−1 and outstanding cycling stability with 81.2 % capacity retention over 10,000 cycles. The dispersion of 2D-MoS2 in water is due to the strong electrostatic interface. The structural and electronic properties are theoretically calculated for pristine and Li-interacted MoS2/rGO heterostructure using density functional theory. A comparison of the density of states plots of the two heterostructures and the difference charge density plot of Li-MoS2/rGO heterostructure clearly brings out the importance of the presence of Li. A value of 64 μF cm−2 for the quantum capacitance for pristine MoS2/graphene heterostructure increases to a value 99 μF cm−2 corroborating the experimental observations and we assign this change to the transfer of charge from the Li atom to the outer S atoms in the MoS2/graphene heterostructure. This comprehensive approach, combining experimental synthesis with computational modelling, significantly advances the development and optimization of high-performance supercapacitor materials in the energy storage field. The Li-MoS2/rGO nanocomposite has excellent electrochemical specific capacitance and long-term cyclic stability and has been effectively used for supercapacitor applications with high electrochemical performance.

Carboxymethyl chitosan and sodium alginate oxide pH-sensitive dual-release hydrogel for diabetes wound healing: The combination of astilbin liposomes and diclofenac sodium

Difficulty in diabetic wound healing presents a significant challenge in clinical practice. This study developed a hydrogel utilizing oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) as the matrix. Astilbin (ASB), known for its antioxidant properties, was incorporated into Astilbin liposome (AL) using a thin film dispersion method. Diclofenac sodium (DS) and AL, both possessing anti-inflammatory properties, were then encapsulated in the hydrogel to create a pH-responsive dual-release system for topical application to expedite diabetic wound healing. Results from the research demonstrate that the composite hydrogel exhibits favorable biodegradability, stable rheology, and swelling capacity, facilitating the controlled release of AL and DS. In vivo and in vitro data demonstrated that the hydrogel was biocompatible and anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and homeostatic, and significantly promoted the process of inflammation suppression, angiogenesis and fibrotic repair of wounds. In conclusion, this novel hydrogel provides a simple and effective method for the repair of chronic diabetic wounds.