In the field of medicine and the development of new therapeutic techniques, the demand for medicinal plants is very high. This work presents the results of a comparison between some biological activities of aqueous extract and nanoparticles based on aqueous extract of the medicinal plant Pistacia lentiscus fron Ain t'émouchent, Algeria. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of secondary metabolites such as: tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, free quinones, sterols and terpenoids. Two aqueous extracts prepared from Moringa oleifera were obtained from maceration extraction. The estimation of the reducing power of its residues of M. oleifera and the nanoparticles based on aqueous extract was calculated using the method of trapping the free radical DPPH. We noted that this plant has good antioxidant activity and the results reveal that the aqueous extract of the fruits and leaves has better activity with an IC50 of 0.9093 mg/ml and 1.2145 mg/ml, respectively. The nanoparticles based on aqueous extract of the leaves were the least active with an IC50 of 1.988 mg/ml.

The antibacterial effect of the extracts and nanoparticles was evaluated by the agar diffusion method (Muelleur-Hinton). The results indicate that this species also has a high antibacterial activity against the four strains tested (P.aeruginosa ATCC 27853, E.coli ATCC 25922, S.aureus ATCC 25923, S.aureus ATCC 43300), with inhibition zones of variable diameters. We found that the antibacterial effect of the nanoparticles was the best compared to the aqueous extract and compared to silver nitrate regardless of the bacterial strain.

Introduction: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Deaths from cancer are mainly due to metastasis. The metastatic process involves the spread of cells from the primary tumor to distant locations, either within the same organ or to other organs. This is generally responsible for patient death as it affects the proper functioning of organs. The present work reports an electrochemical immunosensor based on magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) that can determine the fibronectin (FN) biomarker in epithelial extracellular vesicle (EpEV) patient samples.

Methods: Our method employs MNPs as an immobilization platform. In this work, we report an electrochemical sandwich-type assay for assessing FN + EpEVs in the early stages of breast cancer. Through the immobilization of the monoclonal anti-FN on NH₂-MNPs, its incubation with EpEVs, and a conjugated antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase was performed. The amperometric detection of the affinity reaction was performed using disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) and the hydroquinone (HQ)/H₂O₂ system.

Results: The detection limit for the proposed sensor and the commercial ELISA test were 8 pg mL⁻¹ and 0.1 ng mL⁻¹, and the intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were below 3.80% and 6.51%, respectively. Moreover, the total analysis time was around 30 minutes.

Conclusions: Our immunosensor could be an interesting analytical tool for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

The principal objective of this study is to develop and evaluate membranes based on cellulose derivatives for water treatment applications. In the first phase, cellulose triacetate (CTA) was synthesized through a chemical modification process involving the esterification of natural cotton, collected from the Ghardaia region, using acetic anhydride as an acetylating agent. The resulting CTA polymer was then used to fabricate membranes either in their pure form or blended with another biodegradable polymer—chitosan—through a phase inversion technique. The synthesized CTA was structurally characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR), and Carbon-13 NMR (13C-NMR). The resulting membranes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to investigate their surface morphology and elemental composition. The structural analyses confirmed the successful acetylation of cellulose and the formation of CTA. The pure CTA membrane exhibited a dense structure with small pore sizes, making it suitable for microfiltration applications. In contrast, the membranes made from chitosan and chitosan/CTA blends showed smoother surfaces and smaller, more uniform pores, making them more appropriate for nanofiltration. The addition of chitosan significantly altered the membrane morphology, enhancing its potential for selective separation. These findings suggest that the developed membranes hold strong promise for future testing in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation applications.

Laser Wire Additive Manufacturing (LWAM), a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process, offers industrial advantages for manufacturing. However, the high thermal gradients produced due to the process may affect the mechanical performance of the deposited metal. This work continues previous work (Gomez-Lendinez et al., 2025) investigating how conditions and geometric orientation influence microstructure steel, comparing ER70S-6 carbon steel with stainless steel 316L.

Samples were produced using a Meltio M450. A comparison of Vickers microhardness tests and grain size analysis following ASTM E112 has been performed.

Results showed that heat dissipation led to significant differences: Horizontally built (XY) samples exhibited finer grains than vertically built (XZ) ones for the carbon steel, with microhardness following Hall–Petch trends. However, stainless steel shows no difference.

In conclusion, building orientation, which affects different thermal history, impacts the grain structure and mechanical behavior of LWAM-fabricated ER70S-6, but not for stainless stain 316L under optimal printing conditions. Effective thermal management strategies are therefore essential for achieving uniform mechanical properties and predicting microstructural evolution in wire-based additive manufacturing, depending on the materials used.

References:

Gomez-Lendinez, D. et al. Influence of Laser-Wire Metal Deposition Process Parameters on the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of ER70S-6 Steel. J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2025, 9, 157.

Flooding represents 44% of all disasters worldwide, and it is one of the most predominant natural disasters in the Asia–Pacific region, with the Philippines being among the vulnerable countries due to the unique characteristics of the region that favor the formation of typhoons. Most notably, Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) in 2009, which affected Marikina City, left it flooded due to the river overflowing. This research employs FastFlood, an open-source, rapid flood simulation tool, to model flood dynamics in Marikina and assess the vulnerability of key infrastructures under different rainfall intensities over an extended period. Rainfall intensities of 18 mm/hr, 56 mm/hr, and 90 mm/hr, reflective of Typhoon Ondoy, were used to simulate flood events that lasted over 1, 3, 6, and 12 hours. Outputs from the FFS-tool were then exported to QGIS for visualization and flood risk analysis. The results indicate that moderate rainfall can result in flooding in low-lying areas, with flood levels up to 7.43 meters under extreme scenarios. Infrastructure vulnerability increases with rainfall intensity, especially in areas along the Marikina River. Despite being in early development, FastFlood proves to be valuable for its rapid modeling capabilities and interactive flood hazard mapping features. However, current limitations, like the lack of calibration and reliance on default data, highlight the requirement for further validation using real-world flood events. (Initial thesis abstract before final thesis defense).

Intervertebral disc degeneration remains a major contributor to chronic low back pain, yet existing disc replacement designs fall short in replicating the behavior of natural intervertebral disc. In this study, we explore the use of three auxetic geometries, namely reentrant, chiral and barbell geometries, combined with nanocomposite materials to assess their potential to mimic the performance of a healthy disc. Finite element analysis was performed on the L4-L5 lumbar segment under axial compression, comparing the response of these designs to that of a natural disc. Each design featured a Ti-6Al-4V endplates and an auxetic core made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), evaluated both without doping and with graphene nanoplatelet concentrations of 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%. We analyzed interfacial mechanics using binary agreement mapping and evaluated strain energy and displacement to assess stress shielding and potential nerve impingement. Among the tested designs, the reentrant UHMWPE design most closely matched the natural disc’s contact pressure (52% agreement) and energy absorption, particularly over the nucleus pulpous. The chiral UHMWPE design best replicated sliding distance (24% agreement) and frictional stress (31% agreement), with regional agreement along the annulus fibrosus. All auxetic designs exhibited inward concave deflection, suggesting reduced risk of nerve impingement. While undoped UHMWPE performed better in pressure matching, graphene doping improved conformity in sliding distance and frictional stress. These findings underscore the potential of auxetic nanocomposite disc replacements to achieve more natural interfacial mechanics and functional performance than current commercial designs.

The increasing demand for efficient thermal management in high-power electronics has driven the development of architected metal components through Additive Manufacturing (AM). In this study, metal Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) was employed to produce cellular structures based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMSs), specifically of the gyroid and sheet types, using 316L stainless steel. A Design of Experiments (DoE) approach was applied to investigate the influence of key design parameters (TPMS type, porosity level, and unit cell size) on the flexural mechanical response. The mechanical characterization was coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in Ansys Fluent to evaluate pressure drop and thermal dissipation. This integration enabled the identification of trade-offs and optimal configurations that balance structural integrity with thermal efficiency. Statistical analysis confirmed that the TPMS type was the dominant factor in determining flexural strength, with sheet architectures showing up to a threefold improvement compared to solid ones. Porosity and cell dimension also had significant effects, with interactions indicating that the design parameters cannot be optimized independently. In particular, sheet structures with larger cell dimensions provided the best balance of strength and deformation resistance, while solid ones were more sensitive to porosity reduction. This combined experimental–numerical framework demonstrates a holistic design strategy linking process, structure, properties, and performance.

Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge the European Union (NextGeneration EU) and MUR-PNRR project Sicilian MicronanoTech Research And Innovation Center—SAMOTHRACE (CUP E63C22000900006), Spoke 1.

This study focuses on the structural optimization of a composite Vertical Axis Tidal Turbine (VATT) blade designed for low-velocity, shallow-water environments such as those found in Malaysia. Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a three-dimensional blade model was developed based on a NACA 0021 profile, incorporating carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) with a hybrid layup of unidirectional and woven plies. The structural response was analyzed under realistic hydrodynamic pressure derived from tidal current conditions at 5 m/s. A comprehensive parametric study was conducted to evaluate the influence of skin thickness, spar thickness, spar geometry, and number of internal ribs on blade deformation, stress distribution, and mass. Key design positions—including the center rib and ribs near the fixed supports—were held constant, while additional ribs were varied. A Weighted Decision Matrix (WDM) was employed to objectively identify the optimal configuration based on multiple performance criteria. The final optimized design consisted of a 7.5 mm skin, 6.0 mm box-shaped spar, and 10 internal ribs. This configuration yielded a maximum deflection of 0.69 mm, axial stress of 18.13 MPa, transverse stress of 8.86 MPa, and total mass of 29.83 kg—meeting structural performance targets while minimizing weight. The results validate the effectiveness of parametric optimization in improving blade efficiency and support the viability of lightweight composite blades for reliable tidal energy extraction.

Bromophenols (BPs) are a class of aromatic compounds that have become pervasive environmental pollutants due to their widespread industrial use, particularly in the production of flame retardants. However, BPs can enter the environment not only through manufacturing, but also through leaching and metabolic breakdown, raising concerns about their ecological and human health impacts. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is one of the most extensively utilized brominated flame retardants and found in a variety of consumer products, but it can undergo environmental and metabolic breakdown, releasing lower brominated phenols like 2,6-dibromophenol (2,6-DBP) as key intermediates. While TBBPA’s toxicity (immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption) is well-documented but debated, its transformation product, 2,6-DBP, is understudied.

Given their environmental persistence, potential bioaccumulation, and co-occurrence in ecosystems, the assessment of the potential toxicological effects of individual BPs (2,6-DBP and TBBPA), as well as their mixture, using a multi-trophic level approach is crucial. In the present study, three test models/organisms were utilized. Specifically, the bioluminescent bacterium Aliivibrio fischeri (microbial indicator), the freshwater microlaga Chlorococcum sp. (primary producer), and human lymphocytes were exposed to various concentrations of the studied BPs and their mixture. According to the results, both 2,6-DBP and TBBPA can be characterized as “toxic” towards Aliivibrio fischeri and caused an around 30% reduction in the number of human lymphocytes. By evaluating responses at different biological levels, this research aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological and health risks posed by these emerging contaminants.

Epigenetic engineering is a novel aspect of genomic control, which makes such regulation with precision, programmability, and reversibility capable of controlling gene expression far beyond the capabilities of other genome methods. The method is essential to the development of personalized medicine, synthetic biology, and functional genomics in that it allows for a change in chromatin states without causing permanent changes to DNA, so it may potentially address irreversible mutagenesis.

Programmable proteins (such as deactivated Cas9 (dCas9), zinc-finger domains, and TALE fusions) are used as epigenetic switches to activate or silence epigenetic marks to create tunable and heritable gene expression. Experimental evidence of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has shown that epigenetic switching provides a selective benefit during unstable environments by swapping cellular identity states as fast as possible by switching the expression state of genes, but also adapts cellular identity in genetic silence by avoiding genetic mutations. Modular CRISPR-dCas9 systems have been used to target methylation and demethylation stability at specific loci within genomic systems (e.g., BACH2, HNF1A, IL6ST, MGAT3) to induce long-lasting transcriptional effects up to 30 days following transfection in mammalian systems. Also, optimization of dCas9-fusion protein expression reduces off-target epigenomic activities, thus increasing specificity and biosafety.

All this evidence shows that combinatorially designed high-resolution epigenetic switches coupled with advances in synthetic biology revolutionize genomic interventions. The modality is a safer, reversible, and more accurate modality for personalized therapies and disease modeling, as well as more flexible and specific synthetic biology applications due to higher functional flexibility and specificity.