Aim: In this study, the antibacterial activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures of different shapes, including nanoparticles, nanoflowers and nanoflakes, was evaluated. Methods: The optical and morphological properties of the synthesized nanostructures were characterized by double-beam ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Microdilution method was conducted, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was calculated to compare the antibacterial activity of the morphologically different nanostructures. Results: The SEM showed that ZnO-NPs were spherical in shape with a size of 100 nm. The EDX spectrum also showed that the synthesized ZnO-NPs were mainly composed of zinc, with the minimum contaminants being carbon and oxygen. The XRD analysis confirmed that the nature of the synthesized materials was ZnO with an average grain size of 3 nm to 21 nm. The greatest antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and for ZnO nanoflakes, against Escherichia coli. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the antibacterial activity of nano-ZnO is shape-dependent.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore perceptions and willingness to get coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccination among pregnant and lactating women in Jordan.Methods: A cross-sectional study using a 29-item web-based questionnaire was conducted. Sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine acceptance, confidence in the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine, perception of risk for COVID-19, and acceptance to participate in COVID-19 booster vaccine clinical trials were prospectively evaluated. Logistic regression was used to identify factors that might affect the participants' acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine and their willingness to enroll in clinical trials of a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine.Results: Among all participants (pregnant and lactating women, n = 584), 328 (56.2%) intended to receive the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Predictors of booster dose acceptance were a medical-related degree (OR 1.62, CI 1.06-2.5, p = 0.028), income (OR 0.677, CI 0.52-0.88, p = 0.004), living residency (OR 0.44, CI 0.32-0.60, p < 0.001), knowing pregnant/lactating women previously infected with infectious microbe (OR 1.539, CI 1.07-2.23, p = 0.022), commitment to immunization for children (OR 3.01, CI 1.03-8.82, p = 0.044), receiving an influenza vaccine (OR 1.46, CI 1.04-2.05, p = 0.031), and worried about infectious microbes (OR 1.32, CI 1.15-1.52, p < 0.001). Among participants, only 22.9% were willing to participate in clinical trials of the booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The biggest motivator for participation was the participants' desire to help find the best vaccine during pregnancy/lactation (57.5%) while the main barrier towards participation was not wanting to expose themselves and their babies to more side effects (88.0%).Conclusion: This study reported reasonable acceptance of vaccination in a sample of pregnant/lactating women. Vaccination hesitancy for the booster dose was in-line with similar studies on the primary series around the globe, but the willingness to participate in clinical trials was lower than non-pregnant/nonlactating women.

Protein nanomaterials are well-defined, hollow protein nanoparticles comprised of virus capsids, virus-like particles, ferritin, heat shock proteins, chaperonins and many more. Protein-based nanomaterials are formed by the self-assembly of protein subunits and have numerous desired properties as drug-delivery vehicles, including being optimally sized for endocytosis, nontoxic, biocompatible, biodegradable and functionalized at three separate interfaces (external, internal and intersubunit). As a result, protein nanomaterials have been intensively investigated as functional entities in bionanotechnology, including drug delivery, nanoreactors and templates for organic and inorganic nanomaterials. Several variables influence efficient administration, particularly active targeting, cellular uptake, the kinetics of the release and systemic elimination. This review examines the wide range of medicines, loading/release processes, targeted therapies and treatment effectiveness.

Background: Naturally occurring protein cages, both viral and non-viral assemblies, have been developed for various pharmaceutical applications. Protein cages are ideal platforms as they are compatible, biodegradable, bioavailable, and amenable to chemical and genetic modification to impart new functionalities for selective targeting or tracking of proteins. The ferritin/apoferritin protein cage, plant-derived viral capsids, the small Heat shock protein, albumin, soy and whey protein, collagen, and gelatin have all been exploited and characterized as drug-delivery vehicles. Protein cages come in many shapes and types with unique features such as unmatched uniformity, size, and conjugations. Objectives: The recent strategic development of drug delivery will be covered in this review, emphasizing polymer-based, specifically protein-based, drug delivery nanomedicine platforms. The potential and drawbacks of each kind of protein-based drug-delivery system will also be highlighted. Methods: Research examining the usability of nanomaterials in the pharmaceutical and medical sectors were identified by employing bibliographic databases and web search engines. Results: Rings, tubes, and cages are unique protein structures that occur in the biological environment and might serve as building blocks for nanomachines. Furthermore, numerous virions can undergo reversible structural conformational changes that open or close gated pores, allowing customizable accessibility to their core and ideal delivery vehicles. Conclusion: Protein cages' biocompatibility and their ability to be precisely engineered indicate they have significant potential in drug delivery and intracellular administration.

Despite the technological advancement in the era of personalized medicine and therapeutics development, infectious parasitic causative agents remain one of the most challenging areas of research and development. The disadvantages of conventional parasitic prevention and control are the emergence of multiple drug resistance as well as the non-specific targeting of intracellular parasites, which results in high dose concentration needs and subsequently intolerable cytotoxicity. Nanotechnology has attracted extensive interest to reduce medication therapy adverse effects including poor bioavailability and drug selectivity. Numerous nanomaterials-based delivery systems have previously been shown in animal models to be effective in the treatment of various parasitic infections. This review discusses a variety of nanomaterials-based antiparasitic procedures and techniques as well as the processes that allow them to be targeted to different parasitic infections. This review focuses on the key prerequisites for creating novel nanotechnology-based carriers as a potential option in parasite management, specifically in the context of human-related pathogenic parasitic agents.