Synergistic antibacterial action of AgNP-ampicillin conjugates: Evading β-lactamase degradation in ampicillin-resistant clinical isolates.

Objectives: Antibiotic resistance towards penicillin has been attempted to counter by chemically modifying ampicillin through the conjugation with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The current study optimizes the conditions for synthesizing and characterizing AgNP-ampicillin to quantify the conjugation extent, evaluate the antibacterial efficacy, and explore the underlying antibacterial mechanisms.

Materials And Methods: AgNPs were synthesized from silver nitrate by chemical reduction method, silica-coated with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and amine functionalized by (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES), which was then conjugated with ampicillin via the carbodiimide chemistry.

The PGPB paradox: A critical review of field performance and practical constraints in agriculture.

While PGPB have historically been applied in agriculture, their formal recognition in the last century has driven intensive research into their role as sustainable tools for improving crop yield and stress tolerance. As they are primarily sourced from wild or native environments, the widespread enthusiasm has led to heightened expectations surrounding their potential, often based on the assumption that biological solutions are inherently safer and more effective than synthetic inputs. However, despite their popularity, increasing reports of inconsistent or limited performance under real-world, field conditions have raised critical questions about their credibility as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents.

Simulation-Based Training in Aortic Aneurysm Surgery: Toward a New Educational Standard.

Simulation-based training is transforming the education of vascular surgeons in the management of aortic aneurysms (AAs), addressing limitations in traditional apprenticeship models amid declining open surgical volumes and increasing reliance on complex endovascular techniques. This review explores the current landscape of simulation technologies, including computational modeling, fluid-structure interaction, patient-specific 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and robotic platforms. These tools enable high-fidelity, anatomically accurate, and physiologically realistic training environments.

Conducting Domain Walls in van der Waals Ferroelectric NbOI.

In this study, using a set of scanning probe microscopy techniques, we investigate the electronic properties of the domain walls in the layered ferroelectric semiconductor of the transition metal oxide dihalide family, NbOI. Although the uniaxial ferroelectricity of NbOI allows only 180° domain walls, the pristine 2D flakes, where polarization is aligned in-plane, typically exhibit a variety of as-grown domain patterns outlined by the electrically neutral and charged domain walls. The electrically biased probing tip can modify the as-grown domain structures.