Cholesterol-Containing Liposomes Decorated With Au Nanoparticles as Minimal Tunable Fusion Machinery

Membrane fusion is essential for the basal functionality of eukaryotic cells. In physiological conditions, fusion events are regulated by a wide range of specialized proteins, operating with finely tuned local lipid composition and ionic environment. Fusogenic proteins, assisted by membrane cholesterol and calcium ions, provide the mechanical energy necessary to achieve vesicle fusion in neuromediator release. Similar cooperative effects must be explored when considering synthetic approaches for controlled membrane fusion. We show that liposomes decorated with amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (AuLips) can act as minimal tunable fusion machinery. AuLips fusion is triggered by divalent ions, while the number of fusion events dramatically changes with, and can be finely tuned by, the liposome cholesterol content. We combine quartz-crystal-microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), fluorescence assays, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with molecular dynamics (MD) at coarse-grained (CG) resolution, revealing new mechanistic details on the fusogenic activity of amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and demonstrating the ability of these synthetic nanomaterials to induce fusion regardless of the divalent ion used (Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺). The results provide a novel contribution to developing new artificial fusogenic agents for next-generation biomedical applications that require tight control of the rate of fusion events (e.g., targeted drug delivery).     

The contribution of organizational culture,structure, and leadership factors in the digital transformation of SMEs: a mixed-methods approach

Cognition, Technology & Work - Contributing to the scarce literature on how companies can deal with their business model of digital transition, this work explores the digital transformation...     

Recycling Tetrafluoroethylene–Perfluoroalkyl Vinylether Copolymer (PFA) Using Extrusion Process

Tetrafluoroethylene–perfluoroalkyl vinylether copolymer (PFA) has a broad application ranging from biomedical and aerospace to corroding environments in the chemical industry. Despite a low share in end-of-life products, PFA processing can produce up to 30% of waste. Thus, understanding how recycled fluorinated polymers affect product performance is crucial to ensure primary recycling, besides economic and environmental reasons. In this paper, the utilization feasibility of PFA waste materials is investigated, i.e., recycled PFA (PFAr) in closed-loop recycling. The effect of PFAr loading (5–100 wt.%) on the thermal, mechanical, rheological, and color properties and chemical resistance are studied. Thermal properties and chemical resistance showed no significant changes in all ranges of PFAr content tested. The addition of higher loads of PFAr (≥50 wt.%) leads to a reduction in mechanical properties, particularly stress-strength analysis and elongation at break. However, elastic modulus and hardness have improved concurrently with an increase in the degree of crystallinity. The decrease in complex viscosity and yellowing of the samples occurred probably induced by a polymer chain degradation. Despite that, the addition of up to 10 wt.% of PFAr proved to be an effective alternative to reusing PFA residues based on mechanical recycling.     

Synthesis and properties of alkali-activated iron ore tailings blended with metakaolin

In this study, synthesis, microstructural characteristics, mechanical properties, and environmental compatibility of alkali-activated binders derived from iron ore tailings (IOT)—with partial replacement with metakaolin (MK)—were investigated. The binders were produced with a NaOH solution, IOT, and MK. A thermal cure at 100°C was used and the MK was applied as a partial replacement of IOT in three proportions (10, 20, and 30 wt%). The IOT-based specimens presented an average of 98.0 and 18.0 MPa at 7 days age of curing for compressive and flexural strength, respectively. The mechanical properties of the alkali-activated binders with MK decreased as the substitution ratio increased. By the microstructural analysis, it was found a zeolite-type phase in alkali-activated IOT, while in the binders blended with MK, three new mineral phases were identified. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared, quantitative X-ray diffraction, and environmental analysis suggest that the Fe species present in IOT acted in the alkali-activation reaction.     

Silicon Application to Soil Increases the Yield and Quality of Table Grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) Grown in a Semiarid Climate of Brazil

Silicon - Silicon (Si) acts to reduce biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Herein, we aimed to assess the impact of an amorphous silica-based fertilizer (ASF) applied to soil on the yield,...