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This study investigates centrifugal spinning as a novel approach for producing zein fibers encapsulating housefly oil (HO). Different concentrations of housefly oil (15 %, 30 %, and 45 %; w/w) were evaluated, with rotation speeds ranging from 6000 to 12,000 rpm, to establish optimal production parameters. SEM images revealed continuous fiber formation, with the presence of beads and fiber diameters ranging from 2.16 to 3.39 μm. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of characteristic bands of both zein and housefly oil, while contact angle measurements indicated superhydrophilic properties. TGA demonstrated that greater oil content increased thermal complexity, with 30 % and 45 % oil fibers showing higher residual mass above 400 °C. Zein/HO fibers presented encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity up to 93.76 % and 36.25 %, respectively, across different samples. Furthermore, ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging assays demonstrated scavenging activities of approximately 70 % in both tests, indicating the significant antioxidant potential of the encapsulated housefly oil within the fibers. Overall, these analyses confirmed the effectiveness of centrifugal spinning for producing zein fibers encapsulating HO, highlighting its potential for applications involving bioactive materials and volatile compounds, such as cosmetics, food packaging and feeding of farm animals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The use of pesticides has significantly increased and proliferated following the technological advancements established by the green revolution, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity. The extensive use of man-made chemicals as fertilizer and pesticides has consequently led to large-scale application, which has led to a number of environmental and human health problems. This study has helped to develop a laser-induced graphene (LIG) sensor for the detection of the most widely used herbicide in the world, glyphosate. The electrochemical sensor developed is based on a three-dimensional porous and fibrous structure with nanosheets, making it suitable for scalable manufacture. The study was conducted utilising a linear voltammetry technique and demonstrates the potential to identify glyphosate with good sensitivity. The sensor exhibited detection and quantification limits of 2.7 μmol L -1 and 9.0 μmol L -1 , respectively, and showed good selectivity without significant interference from other elements. The sensor presents advantages suitable for scalable production, with case studies in screening of glyphosate-contaminated samples.

Native starches have a high potential for producing capsules by electrospraying despite still being little explored as biopolymeric material. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the electrospraying capacity of native starches from different sources (cassava, corn, wheat, and sweet potato). The concentration of starch in the polymer solutions was varied from 3 % to 10 % (w/v) to investigate the impact of both starch source and concentration on the electrospraying process. The study also aimed to deepen scientific knowledge of the behavior of these starches during the process and the characteristics of the resulting capsules. The characterization of the polymeric solutions was carried out regarding rheology and electrical conductivity and the capsules were evaluated by production yield, morphology, size distribution, thermal properties, and crystallinity. Higher viscosities were observed for polymeric solutions obtained from sweet potato starch, compared to other starches at the same polymer concentrations. The increase in starch concentration in polymeric solutions reduced their electrical conductivity, except for corn starch. The production yield of cassava and sweet potato starch capsules was not affected by the polymer concentration in the polymeric solutions, while for corn and wheat starches, there was a reduction in yield as the concentration increased. All starches were able to form capsules. Capsules produced with 7 % corn starch showed a more homogeneous size distribution. The electrosprayed starches showed elevated melting temperatures and enthalpies. The capsules produced had an amorphous structure. The starches evaluated in this study proved to be excellent biopolymers for producing capsules by electrospraying, demonstrating possible future uses as encapsulating materials., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cellulose possesses numerous advantageous properties and is a precursor to compounds and derivatives. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize cellulose from Butia fruits and simultaneously produce cellulose nanofibers and cellulose acetate from the isolated cellulose. Cellulose extraction was performed using a combination of alkaline and bleaching treatments, while the production of cellulose nanofibers and cellulose acetate was achieved through acid hydrolysis and acetylation, respectively. The materials were characterized by their chemical composition, size distribution, zeta potential, morphology, relative crystallinity (XRD), functional groups (FTIR), molecular structure (NMR), and thermal stability (TGA). The Butia crude fibers presented 49.4 % cellulose, 4.5 % hemicellulose, 25.4 % lignin, and 1.3 % ash. The cellulose nanofibers presented an average diameter ranging from 13.7 to 93.1 nm and exhibited a high degree of crystallinity (63.3 %). FTIR, XRD, 13 C, and 1 H NMR analyses confirmed that the isolation processes effectively removed amorphous regions from the cellulose nanofibers and confirmed the cellulose acetylation process. As demonstrated, cellulosic materials derived from Butia fruit exhibit promise for various applications, including their potential use as reinforcing agents in polymer matrices, due to their high extraction yield, thermal properties, and crystallinity., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, an easy and low-cost production method for a cellulose acetate-based gel polymer containing lithium perchlorate and propylene carbonate is described, as well as the investigation of its properties for potential use as an electrolyte in electrochemical devices. Cellulose acetate, a biopolymer derived from natural matrix, is colourless and transparent, as confirmed by the UV-Vis spectroscopy, with 85 % transparency in visible spectrum. The gels were prepared and tested at different concentrations and proportions to optimise their properties. Thermogravimetry, XRD, and FTIR analyses revealed crucial characteristics, including a substantial 90 % mass loss between 150 and 250 °C, a semi-crystalline nature with complete salt dissociation within the polymer matrix, and a decrease in intensity at 1780 cm -1 with increasing Li + ion concentration, suggesting an improvement in ionic conduction capacity. In terms of electrochemical performance, the gel containing 10 % by mass of cellulose acetate and 1.4 M of LiClO 4 emerged as the most promising. It exhibited a conductivity of 2.3 × 10 -4 S.cm -1 at 25 °C and 3.0 × 10 -4  S.cm -1 at 80 °C. Additionally, it demonstrated an ideal shape of cyclic voltammetry curves and stability after 400 cycles, establishing its suitability as an electrolyte in electrochemical devices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties, cell viability, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibition capacity of several endodontic materials aimed at vital pulp therapy: Pro Root MTA ® , EndoSequence ® , Biodentine ® , MTA Angelus ® , TheraCal LC ® , and BioC Repair ® . The materials were prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions. Antimicrobial tests were conducted using a microcosm biofilm model, cell viability was assessed using murine fibroblasts (L929), and MMP activity was analyzed through electrophoresis. The results showed that BioC Repair ® , Biodentine ® , and EndoSequence ® exhibited similar antimicrobial properties, while MTA Angelus ® and ProRoot MTA ® had inferior results but were comparable to each other. In terms of cell viability, no significant differences were observed among the materials. EndoSequence ® demonstrated the highest MMP inhibition capacity. In conclusion, BioC Repair ® , Biodentine ® , EndoSequence ® , and TheraCal ® showed better antimicrobial properties among the tested materials. The materials did not exhibit significant differences in terms of cytotoxicity. However, EndoSequence ® displayed superior MMP inhibition capacity.

The global healthcare crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic has placed a significant overwhelming demand for intubation procedures and the need for reliable and accessible video laryngoscopes. The purpose of this scoping and technological review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art, covering the period from 2007 to 2022, pertaining to the manufacturing process, characteristics, and validation of video laryngoscopes produced using additive manufacturing techniques. Following the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), an exhaustive search was conducted across nine prominent databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, Prospero, Scielo, Embase, Lilacs, Virtual Health Libraries-VHL) and four patent databases (EPO/ESPACENET, WIPO/PATENTSCOPE, National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI), Google Patents). The main materials utilized for the impression, as well as the physical characteristics of the device are introduced at first. Crucial aspects to facilitate proper visualization of the anatomical structures during endotracheal intubation as the optimal angulation of the blade, the mechanical resistance of the device, traction force on the jaw, intubation time, and the experimental methods employed to validate its performance were reviewed in terms of their recent advances., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The radiological protection has the purpose of safeguarding the physical well-being of the user, preventing exposure to detrimental levels of ionizing radiation. This study introduces a novel, cost-effective category of lead-free elastomeric material designed for radiation shielding. The filler compounds utilized are notably lighter than conventional lead-based materials, enhancing user ergonomics during application. They comprise of a blend of barium sulfate combined or not with magnesium oxide with addition-cure liquid silicone rubber. To ensure the effectiveness of the radiation shielding, X-ray transmission measurements were performed for the different thicknesses of the materials and the results compared with Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, the physical properties of the new materials, such as density, homogeneity, tensile strength, viscosity, and wettability, were also evaluated. The findings indicate that both materials fulfill the requirement for application in radiation protection garments.

This work presents the synthesis of SiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 and SiO 2 /ZnS heterostructures using the microwave-assisted hydrothermal (MAH) method, which is fast and has low temperature. The silica used in the synthesis was obtained by burning the rice husk without any pre- or post-treatments. The obtained samples were characterized using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and UV-visible. The obtained silica was found to be amorphous, and the materials used for modification showed characteristic of the type of synthesis used. SEM images showed that Nb 2 O 5 and ZnS interacted with the SiO 2 surface, filling the voids. In the photocatalytic process, the heterostructures showed enhanced decolorization efficiency for dyes such as rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) compared to SiO 2 . For RhB, the silica decolorized approximately 24%, and for MB, it discolored approximately 27%; SiO 2 /Nb 2 O 5 showed 91.24% decolorization efficiency for RhB and 72.77% MB, while SiO 2 /ZnS showed approximately 96% for RhB and 100% for MB. All samples were tested under the same conditions. This demonstrates that the use of rice husk residue not only improves the photocatalytic activity of heterostructures but also promotes the utilization of improperly discarded residues., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The food industry is responsible for the generation of large amounts of organic residues, which can lead to negative environmental and economic impacts when incorrectly disposed of. The jaboticaba peel is an example of organic waste, widely used in industry due to its organoleptic characteristcs. In this study, residues collected during the extraction of bioactive compounds from jaboticaba bark (JB) were chemically activated with H 3 PO 4 and NaOH and used to develop a low-cost adsorbent material for the removal of the cationic dye methylene blue (MB). For all adsorbents, the batch tests were carried out with the adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g L -1 and neutral pH, previously determined by 2 2 factorial design. In the kinetics tests, JB and JB-NaOH presented a fast adsorption rate, reaching equilibrium in 30 min. For JB-H 3 PO 4 , the equilibrium was reached in 60 min. JB equilibrium data were best represented by the Langmuir model and JB-NaOH and JB-H 3 PO 4 data by the Freundlich model. The maximum adsorption capacities from JB, JB-NaOH, and JB-H 3 PO 4 were 305.81 mg g -1 , 241.10 mg g -1 , and 122.72 mg g -1 , respectively. The results indicate that chemical activations promoted an increase in the volume of large pores but interacted with functional groups responsible for MB adsorption. Therefore, JB has the highest adsorption capacity, thus presenting as a low-cost and sustainable alternative to add value to the product, and it also contributes to water decontamination studies, resulting in a zero-waste approach.

In this study, the Sphagnum perichaetiale Hampe biomass was collected, characterized, and used as a biosorbent in the removal of crystal violet from water. The chemical and morphological results suggest that even after minimal experimental procedures, the biomass presented interesting properties regarding the adsorption of contaminants. Results of adsorption showed that the pH was not a relevant parameter and the best adsorbent dosage was 0.26 g L -1 . The kinetic results presented an initial fast step and the equilibrium was reached after 180 min. For the equilibrium data, the best adjustment occurred for the Sips model, reaching a maximum adsorption capacity of 271.05 mg g -1 and the removal percentage obtained in the maximum adsorbent dosage was 97.11%. The thermodynamic studies indicated a reversible process and that the mass-transfer phenomena is governed by the physisorption mechanism. In addition to its great performance as a biosorbent, Sphagnum perichaetiale biomass also presents economic and sustainable benefits, as its production does not require costs with reagents or energy, usually used in chemical and physical activation. The reversible process indicated that the biosorbent could be reused, decreasing the costs related to the treatment of the effluents. Thus, Sphagnum perichaetiale biomass can be considered an efficient low-cost and eco-friendly biosorbent., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The study of the recovery of bioactive compounds from natural resources and its implications in several areas is very significant for the scientific community. This work aimed to study Brazilian agroindustrial wastes' antioxidant and antimicrobial activities using green extraction. Olive leaves, jaboticaba peel, araçá peel, and pecan nut shells were evaluated under four conditions: (1) convective-drying and aqueous extraction, (2) convective-drying and ethanolic extraction, (3) freeze-drying and aqueous extraction, and (4) freeze-drying and ethanolic extraction. The results demonstrated that all samples showed high antioxidant potential, and the highest antioxidant activity was obtained for the extract of pecan nut shell. As for the quantification of compounds by HPLC, the olive leaf presented the highest content of phenolic compounds in the extract, mainly oleuropein. Finally, the antimicrobial activity analysis revealed the extracts' bactericidal potential against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . The present study shows that green extraction can extract bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, highlighting the importance of choosing the drying method and solvent for future uses of these natural resources by the industry.