Kidney disease is characterised by the improper functioning of the kidney as a result of kidney damage caused by hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress. The moderate hyperglycaemia seen in prediabetes can be treated using a combination of metformin and lifestyle interventions (low-calorie diets and exercising). However, patients have been reported to over-rely on pharmacological interventions, thus decreasing the efficacy of metformin, which leads to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In this study, we investigated the effects of a rhenium (V) compound in ameliorating renal dysfunction in both the presence and absence of dietary modification. Kidney function parameters, such as fluid intake and urine output, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), kidney injury molecule (KIM 1), creatinine, urea, albumin and electrolytes, were measured after 12 weeks of treatment. After treatment with the rhenium (V) compound, kidney function was restored, as evidenced by increased GRF and reduced KIM 1, podocin and aldosterone. The rhenium (V) compound ameliorated kidney function by preventing hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress in the kidney in both the presence and absence of dietary modification. Full article

Titanium oxide (TiO₂) and oxynitride (N-TiO₂) coatings can increase nitinol stents’ cytocompatibility with endothelial cells. Methods of TiO₂ and N-TiO₂ sputtering and cytocompatibility assessments vary significantly among different research groups, making it difficult to compare results. The aim of this work was to develop an integral cytocompatibility index (ICI) and a decision tree algorithm (DTA) using the “EA.hy926 cell/TiO₂ or N-TiO₂ coating” model and to determine the optimal cytocompatible coating. Magnetron sputtering was performed in a reaction gas medium with various N₂:O₂ ratios and bias voltages. The samples’ morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The cytocompatibility of the coatings was evaluated in terms of their cytotoxicity, adhesion, viability, and NO production. The ICI and DTA were developed to assess the cytocompatibility of the samples. Both algorithms demonstrated the best cytocompatibility for the sample sputtered at U_bias = 0 V and a gas ratio of N₂:O₂ = 2:1, in which the rutile phase dominated. The DTA provided more detailed information about the cytocompatibility, which depended on the sputtering mode, surface morphology, and crystalline phase. The proposed mathematical models relate the cytocompatibility and the studied physical characteristics. Full article

Magnetically soft-soft MnFe₂O₄-Fe₃O₄ core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized through a seed-mediated method using the organometallic decomposition of metal acetyl acetonates. Two sets of core-shell nanoparticles (S1 and S2) of similar core sizes of 5.0 nm and different shell thicknesses (4.1 nm for S1 and 5.7 nm for S2) were obtained by changing the number of nucleating sites. Magnetic measurements were conducted on the nanoparticles at low and room temperatures to study the shell thickness and temperature dependence of the magnetic properties. Interestingly, both core-shell nanoparticles showed similar saturation magnetization, revealing the ineffective role of the shell thickness. In addition, the coercivity in both samples displayed similar temperature dependencies and magnitudes. Signatures of spin glass (SG) like behavior were observed from the field-cooled temperature-dependent magnetization measurements. It was suggested to be due to interface spin freezing. We observed a slight and non-monotonic temperature-dependent exchange bias in both samples with slightly higher values for S2. The effective magnetic anisotropy constant was calculated to be slightly larger in S2 than that in S1. The magnetothermal efficiency of the chitosan-coated nanoparticles was determined by measuring the specific absorption rate (SAR) under an alternating magnetic field (AMF) at 200–350 G field strengths and frequencies (495.25–167.30 kHz). The S2 nanoparticles displayed larger SAR values than the S1 nanoparticles at all field parameters. A maximum SAR value of 356.5 W/g was obtained for S2 at 495.25 kHz and 350 G for the 1 mg/mL nanoparticle concentration of ferrogel. We attributed this behavior to the larger interface SG regions in S2, which mediated the interaction between the core and shell and thus provided indirect exchange coupling between the core and shell phases. The SAR values of the core-shell nanoparticles roughly agreed with the predictions of the linear response theory. The concentration of the nanoparticles was found to affect heat conversion to a great extent. The in vitro treatment of the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line and HT-29 human colorectal cancer cell was conducted at selected frequencies and field strengths to evaluate the efficiency of the nanoparticles in killing cancer cells. The cellular cytotoxicity was estimated using flow cytometry and an MTT assay at 0 and 24 h after treatment with the AMF. The cells subjected to a 45 min treatment of the AMF (384.50 kHz and 350 G) showed a remarkable decrease in cell viability. The enhanced SAR values of the core-shell nanoparticles compared to the seeds with the most enhancement in S2 is an indication of the potential for tailoring nanoparticle structures and hence their magnetic properties for effective heat generation. Full article

Solution-grown indium oxide (In₂O₃) based thin-film transistors (TFTs) hold good prospects for emerging advanced electronics due to their excellent mobility, prominent transparency, and possibility of low-cost and scalable manufacturing; however, pristine In₂O₃ TFTs suffer from poor switching characteristics due to intrinsic oxygen-vacancy-related defects and require external doping. According to Shanmugam’s theory, among potential dopants, phosphorus (P) has a large dopant–oxygen bonding strength (E_M-O) and high Lewis acid strength (L) that would suppress oxygen-vacancy related defects and mitigate dopant-induced carrier scattering; however, P-doped In₂O₃ (IPO) TFTs have not yet been demonstrated. Here, we report aqueous solution-grown crystalline IPO TFTs for the first time. It is suggested that the incorporation of P could effectively inhibit oxygen-vacancy-related defects while maintaining high mobility. This work experimentally demonstrates that dopant with high E_M-O and L is promising for emerging oxide TFTs. Full article

The present work is a continuation of our translational research focusing on the use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to solve the global problem of antibiotic resistance. In vivo fieldwork was done with 300 breeding farm cows with serous mastitis. Ex vivo assays revealed that after cow treatment with the antibiotic drug Spectromast LC^TM, S.dysgalactiae susceptibility to 31 antibiotics dropped by 22.9%, but after treatment with Argovit–C^TM AgNPs, it was raised by 13.1%. This was explained by the fact that the percentage of isolates with an efflux effect after Spectromast LC treatment resulted in an 8% increase, while Argovit-C-treatment caused a 19% decrease. The similarity of these results to our previous results on S. aureus isolates from mastitis cows treated with the antibiotic drug Lactobay and Argovit–C^TM AgNPs was shown. So, mastitis treatments with Argovit-C^TM AgNPs can partially return the activity of antibiotics towards S.dysgalactiae and S. aureus, while, in contrast, treatments with antibiotic drugs such as Spectromast LC and Lactobay enhance bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The results of this work strengthen the hope that in the future the use of AgNPs as efflux pump inhibitors will recover the activity of antibiotics, and thus will preserve the wide spectrum of antibiotics on the market. Full article

In recent decades, the demand for biomedical imaging tools has grown very rapidly as a key feature for biomedical research and diagnostic applications. Particularly, fluorescence imaging has gained increased attention as a non-invasive, inexpensive technique that allows real-time imaging. However, tissue auto-fluorescence under external illumination, together with a weak tissue penetration of low wavelength excitation light, largely restricts the application of the technique. Accordingly, new types of fluorescent labels are currently being investigated and, in this search, phosphorescent nanoparticles promise great potential, as they combine the interesting size-dependent properties of nanoscale materials with a long-lasting phosphorescence-type emission that allows optical imaging well after excitation (so avoiding autofluorescence). In this work, core-shell structures consisting of SrAlO:Eu,Dy luminescent cores encapsulated within a biocompatible silica shell were prepared, showing a green persistent phosphorescence with an afterglow time of more than 1000 s. A high-energy ball milling procedure was used to reduce the size of the starting phosphors to a size suitable for cellular uptake, while the silica coating was produced by a reverse micelle methodology that eventually allows the excitation and emission light to pass efficiently through the shell. Confocal fluorescence microscopy using HeLa cancer cells confirmed the potential of the all-ceramic composites produced as feasible labels for in vitro optical imaging. Full article