A series of samples of Mg/Zn/Al LDHs (layered double hydroxides) materials was prepared by the co-precipitation and urea hydrolysis methods. They were modified with organic surfactants (acrylate and oleate anions) and characterized by X-ray diffraction, which corroborated the intercalation of anionic species into the interlayer space. The hydrophobized materials were incorporated at low contents (10 and 15 wt.%) to polystyrene, which was synthesized by emulsion polymerization techniques. The polymeric composites were analyzed by thermogravimetry to determine the decomposition temperature. The results demonstrated that the materials with Zn presented the greatest increment in the degradation temperature (7 °C < T < 54 °C). Moreover, the Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, and Coats–Redfern models were compared to obtain the kinetic parameters of degradation process. The obtained order of decomposition of the Coats–Redfern model showed that the decomposition process occurs in at least two stages. Finally, the addition of environmentally friendly modified Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) nanomaterials to the polystyrene (PS) matrix allowed for obtaining polymeric composites with higher thermal stability, retarding the decomposition process of PS.

Transparent high-performance polymers are essential to avoid damage in automotive headlights when exposed to environmental conditions. An approach involving the synthesis of reinforced interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(urethane) (PU) with crystalline cellulose (C) is here proposed. The valorization of single-use cups used for cold beverage applications into reinforcement nanoparticle agents is studied through structural and morphological analysis, revealing intermediate crystallinity (52.51%) with a mixture of Iα (52.9%) and Iβ (46.3%) polymorphs in which the initial fiber had no chemical modification after the involved pretreatments. The effect of dispersing 0.1 wt% of C (d = 29 nm and L= 85–200 nm) into 50/50 and 80/20 PMMA/PU ratios is studied as a reinforcement agent under aging and environmental conditions (ASTM D1435-20) for 672 h. PMMA₈₀/PU₂₀ (σ =4 MPa, ε = 54%, E = 7 MPa) led to lower mechanical properties than PMMA₅₀/PU₅₀ (stress σ =14 MPa, strain ε = 94%, E = 83 MPa). PMMA₅₀/PU₅₀/C is reinforced in σ and ε with C addition (σ = 19 MPa, ε = 41%, E = 585 MPa) while PMMA₈₀/PU₂₀/C reduces both (σ = 3 MPa, ε = 51%, E = 5 MPa). This study indicates that aging increases stress while maintaining strain in the first but decreases in the second. The optical properties indicate no severe damage after aging.

Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) is a perinatal health problem and a vertical infection that promotes neurological fetal damage. ZIKV infects different cellular components at the maternal–fetal interface, including umbilical cord endothelial cells (HUVECs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cellular components that mediate extracellular communication. Viruses have the capacity to hijack and modify the biogenesis machinery of EVs for their own benefit. The present work provides proteomic results (2D electrophoresis) that show the regulation of the expression of proteins involved in autophagy, oxidative stress, and exosome biogenesis in HUVECs infected with ZIKV. We confirmed that Alix and CD9 proteins were downregulated following the infection. Additionally, EVs isolated from infected cells showed the expression of Alix, and CD9 was increased in contrast to the mock condition. Interestingly, nanoparticle tracking and cryo-microscopy assays revealed that these EVs showed an increase in the quantity and size of ZIKV infection to differences in mock conditions. Furthermore, EVs isolated from infected cells showed infectivity, and both RNA and viral proteins were detected. Finally, our cryo-microscopy analysis revealed that the viral infection promoted morphological changes in these extracellular vesicles to identify vesicles with double and triple vesicles and electrodense and double membranes. In conclusion, our data suggest that ZIKV infection can modulate cellular factors involved in the formation and morphology of EVs in HUVECs. Furthermore, these EVs carry viral elements that may contribute to the dissemination of infection. Future studies aimed at the proteomic and lipidomic composition analyses of these EVs are needed to understand the biological implications in vertical infection.

The microstructural characterization of a fan blade of an aircraft gas turbine, manufacturing of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, was conducted in order to evaluate the occurrence of internal damage. The blade analyzed was removed from aeronautical service. An analysis was carried out by using X-ray computed microtomography and scanning electron microscopy in three samples obtained from the tip and the root of the blade, as well as from its midsection, along its length. These results were compared with those obtained through the microstructural characterization by optical microscopy of specimens, approximately of 15×5×4 mm. The results show the occurrence of early-stage erosive wear on the component and morphological changes of the alpha-grains of Ti-6Al-4V alloy, in comparison with those reported in literature. These changes were observed in the longitudinal and transverse sections of specimens of the blade, which could be related to the mechanical stresses which these elements are subjected during their aeronautical service. The results obtained by X-ray computed microtomography did not show evidence of internal cracking. Finally, the morphological changes identified in the alpha-grains may be a critical parameter to removing these important components from service. Additionally, the use of the open-source software 3D Slicer for the reconstruction of images from X-ray computed microtomography may become a viable and valuable option for the analysis of data obtained by mean of this technique.

Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as a sustainable bio-based nanomaterial with potential applications as a filler in polymer coatings. For this reason, the present study aimed to extract CNC from commercial microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and evaluate its effect on structural, optical, moisture uptake, and acoustic attenuation properties of an automotive acrylic paint. CNC was extracted by alkaline peroxide pretreatment followed by acid hydrolysis and analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron and transmission microscopies (SEM and TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). CNCs exhibited a rod-like morphology from 100 to 356 nm and high crystallinity (63%). CLSM analyses demonstrated qualitative evidence of CNC distribution in the acrylic matrix. A relative water uptake study showed that low CNC contents slightly improved barrier properties, whereas those higher increased moisture absorption due to their hydrophilic nature. Acoustic testing indicated enhanced preliminary acoustic attenuation with increasing CNC content, evidenced by lower minimum pressure values. These results provide preliminary evidence that CNCs can serve as a bio-based filler for acrylic coating systems with potential relevance to automotive applications.