Eu3+-doped alkali calcium alumino phosphate oxide (OD) and oxyfluoride (OF) glasses were successfully fabricated using the conventional melt-quenching route. Comparative analyses were performed between the two systems to evaluate their physical, optical, photoluminescence and X-ray induced luminescence properties. The OD glass exhibited higher density and refractive index compared to the OF glass, indicating a more compact glass network. However, the molar volume of the OD was lower than that of the OF due to the larger free volume generated by fluoride incorporation. Based on the absorption spectra, both glass systems exhibited almost identical spectral profiles with minor variations in absorbance intensity. In the photoluminescence study, both glass systems exhibited strong red emission at around 612 nm (5D0→7F2 transition) under 394 nm excitation. The OF glass exhibited a higher emission intensity than the OD glass, primarily due to the lower concentration of hydroxyl groups that act as non-radiative quenching centers. Both glass systems exhibited a reddish-orange emission, in good agreement with the CIE 1931 chromaticity coordinates. The X-ray–induced luminescence exhibited a spectral pattern comparable to that of photoluminescence, while differing in excitation source and luminescence mechanism. The integrated scintillation efficiencies of both glass systems were derived from the peak areas of their X-ray–induced luminescence spectra and compared with that of a Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) crystal to evaluate their relative scintillation performance. The glasses were successfully imaged under X-ray excitation, confirming their strong potential as optical probes for medical imaging applications.
This paper presents an efficient stabilized leapfrog finite difference scheme for the ternary Allen–Cahn equations that achieves both computational efficiency and rigorous structure preservation. The scheme treats the nonlinear reaction terms explicitly at the middle time level, yielding a fully linear and decoupled system with a time-independent coefficient matrix. A stabilization technique is incorporated to guarantee the discrete maximum bound principle and energy dissipation. The method is uniquely solvable, and optimal convergence is established in the L∞ norm. Extensive numerical experiments in two- and three-dimensional settings confirm the theoretical results and demonstrate stable long-time performance compared with existing linear schemes.
This review critically assesses the strategies and mechanisms underlying interactions between protein conjugates and probiotics in dairy foods, aiming to detail how these conjugates stabilize probiotics, facilitate gut colonization, and stimulate immunomodulation. Protein-based carriers and complexes play key roles in improving probiotic protection, adhesion, and metabolic activity. Notable strategies include developing milk proteins (e.g., casein and whey proteins), plant-derived protein conjugates, and advanced encapsulation techniques for polysaccharide-protein complexes. The protein shell in conjugates protects probiotics from harsh conditions, enables targeted intestinal release, enhances mucosal adhesion, and contributes to enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Such strategies also can improve probiotic survival and colonization and reduce inflammation (with increased IL-10 and decreased tumor necrosis factor-alpha), enhance mucus secretion (with a rise in mucin 2 [MUC2]), and elevate beneficial gut microbes. Advancements in probiotic research have enabled more precise and targeted applications using protein conjugates and encapsulation systems. These approaches form part of integrative nutrition strategies that deliver precision, protection, and personalization in the design of functional foods, contributing to food nutrition improvement. Moreover, protein conjugates are increasingly recognized as active modulators of probiotic function and immune signaling, rather than passive carriers, thereby offering new avenues for food production.
Abstract Microencapsulation stands as a cornerstone strategy for controlled delivery and stabilization of functional biomolecules, unlocking potential in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and tissue engineering fields. Unlike prior reviews that catalogue general biomaterials and techniques, this work uniquely adopts a bioinspired perspective to compare natural polymers such as alginate, chitosan, gelatin, cellulose, and collagen based on their biomimetic attributes, including hierarchical structures that enhance biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical resilience, and biomolecular activity preservation. This review evaluate key selection criteria alongside major encapsulation methods such as spray/freeze drying, electrospinning, and supercritical fluids, detailing their advantages, limitations, and biomolecule-specific suitability. Furthermore, the characterization strategies for physical, chemical, biological performance, release kinetics, stability, and bioactivity are critically analysed to pinpoint parameters driving encapsulation efficiency and therapeutic outcomes. Therapeutic applications in cancer therapy, wound healing, and regenerative medicine are emphasized through application-driven design principles that prioritize biomimetic mimicry for targeted delivery. Current challenges like scalability, long-term stability, and regulatory hurdles are addressed, alongside emerging directions in smart biomaterials, 3D bioprinting, and in vivo monitoring. This review advances the field by introducing a biomimetic comparison framework absent in existing literature, guiding the rational design of next-generation encapsulation systems that boost clinical translation via enhanced stability, precision targeting, and superior safety-efficacy profiles. Graphical abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with increasing incidence and poor prognosis, with a median survival of approximately 3 years. Although antifibrotic therapies such as nintedanib and pirfenidone offer modest benefits in slowing disease progression. In addition, nerandomilast, a selective phosphodiesterase-4B inhibitor recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), has demonstrated efficacy in slowing disease progression. Acute exacerbations significantly contribute to mortality, with a median survival of approximately 4 months. Current demographic, clinical, physiological, and radiological parameters provide limited prognostic insights, often detecting disease only after substantial pulmonary damage has occurred. This underscores an urgent need for circulating biomarkers capable of detecting early disease progression, including subtle declines in lung function and radiologic progression of fibrosis, before clinically apparent deterioration occurs. Such biomarkers may allow earlier identification of patients at risk of rapid disease progression by detecting biological changes that precede measurable declines in forced vital capacity or radiologic progression on high-resolution computed tomography. Among emerging approaches for disease monitoring and prognostic assessment, blood-based biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for assessing disease progression and prognosis due to their minimally invasive nature. However, the reproducibility and validation of these biomarkers across diverse populations remain suboptimal. Integrating multiple biomarkers with established clinical and radiological parameters holds the potential to enhance prognostic precision. While high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is pivotal for diagnosis, its prognostic utility remains constrained. This review delves into the latest advancements in biomarker research for IPF, shedding light on their prospective applications in disease monitoring, therapeutic stratification, and the paradigm of precision medicine. Purpose: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with increasing incidence and poor prognosis, with a median survival of approximately 3 years. Although antifibrotic therapies such as nintedanib and pirfenidone offer modest benefits in slowing disease progression, nerandomilast, a selective phosphodiesterase-4B inhibitor recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF), has demonstrated efficacy in slowing disease progression. Acute exacerbations significantly contribute to mortality, with a median survival of approximately 4 months. This review aims to summarize current evidence on circulating biomarkers for predicting disease progression in IPF. Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify studies evaluating circulating biomarkers associated with disease progression and prognosis in IPF, with a focus on clinically relevant biomarkers and their relationship with physiological and radiological parameters. Results: Current demographic, clinical, physiological, and radiological parameters provide limited prognostic insights, often detecting disease only after substantial pulmonary damage has occurred. Circulating biomarkers have emerged as promising tools for detecting early disease progression, including subtle declines in lung function and radiologic progression of fibrosis before clinically apparent deterioration occurs. These biomarkers may enable earlier identification of patients at risk of rapid disease progression by capturing biological changes that precede measurable declines in forced vital capacity or progression on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). However, their reproducibility and validation across diverse populations remain suboptimal. Integrating multiple biomarkers with established clinical and radiological parameters may enhance prognostic precision. Conclusion: While HRCT remains pivotal for diagnosis, its prognostic utility is limited. Circulating biomarkers hold significant potential for improving disease monitoring, therapeutic stratification, and advancing precision medicine in IPF, although further validation is required before routine clinical implementation.
