scholarly journals Asymmetric Cellulosic Membranes: Current and Future Aspects

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1160
Author(s):  
Tuerxun Duolikun ◽  
Nadiah Ghazali ◽  
Bey Fen Leo ◽  
Hwei Voon Lee ◽  
Chin Wei Lai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Potential Application ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Wound Dressings ◽  
Future Expectations ◽  
Functional Quality ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Cellulosic Membrane ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Membrane Science ◽  
Potential Use

In this paper, we report our attempt to elaborate on cellulose-based materials and their potential application in membrane science, especially in separation applications. Furthermore, the cellulosic membrane has received attention for potential use as biomaterials such as novel wound-dressings and hemodialysis materials. In this mini-review, we mainly focus on the separation and antimicrobial properties of cellulosic membranes and the advanced synthesis/processing methods for superior functional quality for various potential applications. Finally, we conclude with the market and the impact of developments of future expectations.

scholarly journals Chitosan/Essential Oils Formulations for Potential Use as Wound Dressing: Physical and Antimicrobial Properties

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 2223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Pereira dos Santos ◽  
Pedro Henrique Medeiros Nicácio ◽  
Francivandi Coêlho Barbosa ◽  
Henrique Nunes da Silva ◽  
André Luís Simões Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Essential Oil ◽  
Antimicrobial Properties ◽  
Wound Dressings ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Diffusion Method ◽  
Mechanical Resistance ◽  
Film Forming ◽  
Good Transparency ◽  
The Impact

Film-forming emulsions and films, prepared by incorporating different concentrations of clove essential oil (CEO) and melaleuca essential oil (MEO) into chitosan (CS) were obtained and their properties were evaluated. Film-forming emulsions were characterized in terms of qualitative assessment, hydrogen potential and in vitro antibacterial activity, that was carried by the agar diffusion method, and the growth inhibition effects were tested on the Gram-positive microorganism of Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative microorganisms of Escherichia coli, and against isolated fungi such as Candida albicans. In order to study the impact of the incorporation of CEO and MEO into the CS matrix, the appearance and thickness of the films were evaluated. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements, a swelling test, scanning electron microscopy and a tensile test were carried out. Results showed that the film-forming emulsions had translucent aspect with cloudy milky appearance and showed antimicrobial properties. The CEO had the highest inhibition against the three strains studied. As regards the films’ properties, the coloration of the films was affected by the type and concentration of bioactive used. The chitosan/CEO films showed an intense yellowish coloration while the chitosan/MEO films presented a slightly yellowish coloration, but in general, all chitosan/EOs films presented good transparency in visible light besides flexibility, mechanical resistance when touched, smaller thicknesses than the dermis and higher wettability than chitosan films, in both distilled water and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The interactions between the chitosan and EOs were confirmed by. The chitosan/EOs films presented morphologies with rough appearance and with EOs droplets in varying shapes and sizes, well distributed along the surface of the films, and the tensile properties were compatible to be applied as wound dressings. These results revealed that the CEO and MEO have a good potential to be incorporated into chitosan to make films for wound-healing applications.

scholarly journals Artificial skin composites

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Agata Ładniak
Keyword(s):  
Wound Dressings ◽  
Skin Damage ◽  
Skin Substitutes ◽  
Significant Deterioration ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact

<p>Skin injuries are a health problem and can lead to serious, significant deterioration in the quality of life and, consequently, even illness and disability. Therefore, after wounding, immediate regeneration of the tissue is necessary to avoid further complications and pathogenesis. Consequently, many wound healing strategies have been developed, leading to the progress in constructing of multifunctional tissue substitutes for the skin, biomembranes, scaffolds and intelligent dressings. The field of science focusing on the creation of the above-mentioned products is tissue engineering (TE). Its main goal is to find a system that is able to replace or be a model that perfectly mimics the form and function of the skin. Research carried out on such constructs is mainly based on the analysis of mechanical properties (porosity, elasticity), as well as the assessment of the impact of individual components on processes related to the formation of new tissue as cell proliferation and differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis - through <em>in vivo</em> studies (using animal models: mice, New Zealand rabbits) and <em>in vitro</em> (most often using mouse fibroblasts - L929). Skin constructions may have potential applications as wound dressings or skin substitutes in cases of severe skin damage.</p>

scholarly journals Air-Filled Bubbles Stabilized by Gold Nanoparticle/Photodynamic Dye Hybrid Structures for Theranostics

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 415
Author(s):  
Roman Barmin ◽  
Polina Rudakovskaya ◽  
Olga Gusliakova ◽  
Olga Sindeeva ◽  
Ekaterina Prikhozhdenko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Nanoparticles ◽  
Gold Nanoparticle ◽  
Photoacoustic Imaging ◽  
Ultrasound Contrast Agents ◽  
Zinc Phthalocyanine ◽  
Hybrid Structures ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Average Size ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use

Microbubbles have already reached clinical practice as ultrasound contrast agents for angiography. However, modification of the bubbles’ shell is needed to produce probes for ultrasound and multimodal (fluorescence/photoacoustic) imaging methods in combination with theranostics (diagnostics and therapeutics). In the present work, hybrid structures based on microbubbles with an air core and a shell composed of bovine serum albumin, albumin-coated gold nanoparticles, and clinically available photodynamic dyes (zinc phthalocyanine, indocyanine green) were shown to achieve multimodal imaging for potential applications in photodynamic therapy. Microbubbles with an average size of 1.5 ± 0.3 μm and concentration up to 1.2 × 109 microbubbles/mL were obtained and characterized. The introduction of the dye into the system reduced the solution’s surface tension, leading to an increase in the concentration and stability of bubbles. The combination of gold nanoparticles and photodynamic dyes’ influence on the fluorescent signal and probes’ stability is described. The potential use of the obtained probes in biomedical applications was evaluated using fluorescence tomography, raster-scanning optoacoustic microscopy and ultrasound response measurements using a medical ultrasound device at the frequency of 33 MHz. The results demonstrate the impact of microbubbles’ stabilization using gold nanoparticle/photodynamic dye hybrid structures to achieve probe applications in theranostics.

Development of Strategies for Glycopeptide Synthesis: An Overview on the Glycosidic Linkage

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (21) ◽  
pp. 2475-2497
Author(s):  
Andrea Verónica Rodríguez-Mayor ◽  
German Jesid Peralta-Camacho ◽  
Karen Johanna Cárdenas-Martínez ◽  
Javier Eduardo García-Castañeda
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Synthesis ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Phase Synthesis ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Biological Sources ◽  
Synthetic Routes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use

Glycoproteins and glycopeptides are an interesting focus of research, because of their potential use as therapeutic agents, since they are related to carbohydrate-carbohydrate, carbohydrate-protein, and carbohydrate-lipid interactions, which are commonly involved in biological processes. It has been established that natural glycoconjugates could be an important source of templates for the design and development of molecules with therapeutic applications. However, isolating large quantities of glycoconjugates from biological sources with the required purity is extremely complex, because these molecules are found in heterogeneous environments and in very low concentrations. As an alternative to solving this problem, the chemical synthesis of glycoconjugates has been developed. In this context, several methods for the synthesis of glycopeptides in solution and/or solid-phase have been reported. In most of these methods, glycosylated amino acid derivatives are used as building blocks for both solution and solid-phase synthesis. The synthetic viability of glycoconjugates is a critical parameter for allowing their use as drugs to mitigate the impact of microbial resistance and/or cancer. However, the chemical synthesis of glycoconjugates is a challenge, because these molecules possess multiple reaction sites and have a very specific stereochemistry. Therefore, it is necessary to design and implement synthetic routes, which may involve various protection schemes but can be stereoselective, environmentally friendly, and high-yielding. This review focuses on glycopeptide synthesis by recapitulating the progress made over the last 15 years.

Value assessment of antimicrobials and the implications for development, access, and funding of effective treatments: Australian stakeholder perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Nadine T. Hillock ◽  
Tracy L. Merlin ◽  
Jonathan Karnon ◽  
John Turnidge ◽  
Jaklin Eliott
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Healthcare Resource ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Value Assessment ◽  
Antimicrobial Drugs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Stakeholder Perspective ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use

Abstract Background The frameworks used by Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies for value assessment of medicines aim to optimize healthcare resource allocation. However, they may not be effective at capturing the value of antimicrobial drugs. Objectives To analyze stakeholder perceptions regarding how antimicrobials are assessed for value for reimbursement purposes and how the Australian HTA framework accommodates the unique attributes of antimicrobials in cost-effectiveness evaluation. Methods Eighteen individuals representing the pharmaceutical industry or policy-makers were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and thematically analyzed. Results Key emergent themes were that reimbursement decision-making should consider the antibiotic spectrum when assessing value, risk of shortages, the impact of procurement processes on low-priced comparators, and the need for methodological transparency when antimicrobials are incorporated into the economic evaluation of other treatments. Conclusions Participants agreed that the current HTA framework for antimicrobial value assessment is inadequate to properly inform funding decisions, as the contemporary definition of cost-effectiveness fails to explicitly incorporate the risk of future resistance. Policy-makers were uncertain about how to incorporate future resistance into economic evaluations without a systematic method to capture costs avoided due to good stewardship. Lacking financial reward for the benefits of narrower-spectrum antimicrobials, companies will likely focus on developing broad-spectrum agents with wider potential use. The perceived risks of shortages have influenced the funding of generic antimicrobials in Australia, with policy-makers suggesting a willingness to pay more for assured supply. Although antibiotics often underpin the effectiveness of other medicines, it is unclear how this is incorporated into economic models.

scholarly journals The Impact of “Manipulated News” on Student Attitudes and Perceptions and Their Participation in the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110197
Author(s):  
Chesca Ka Po Wong ◽  
Runping Zhu ◽  
Richard Krever ◽  
Alfred Siu Choi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Survey Research ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use

While the impact of fake news on viewers, particularly marginalized media users, has been a cause of growing concern, there has been little attention paid to the phenomenon of deliberately “manipulated” news published on social media by mainstream news publishers. Using qualitative content analysis and quantitative survey research, this study showed that consciously biased animated news videos released in the midst of the Umbrella Movement protests in Hong Kong impacted on both the attitudes of students and their participation in the protests. The findings raise concerns over potential use of the format by media owners to promote their preferred ideologies.

Canadian Ice Wine Production: A Case for the Use of Weather Derivatives

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Cyr ◽  
Martin Kusy
Keyword(s):  
Jel Classification ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
Weather Derivatives ◽  
Wine Production ◽  
Option Values ◽  
Temperature Variable ◽  
Ice Wine ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Use ◽  
Underlying Variable

AbstractWeather derivatives are a relatively new form of financial security that can provide firms with the ability to hedge against the impact of weather related risks to their activities. Participants in the energy industry have employed standardized weather contracts trading on organized exchanges since 1999 and the interest in non-standardized contracts for specialized weather related risks is growing at an increasing rate. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential use of weather derivatives to hedge against temperature related risks in Canadian ice wine production. Specifically we examine historical data for the Niagara region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the largest icewine producing region of the world, to determine an appropriate underlying variable for the design of an option contact that could be employed by icewine producers. Employing monte carlo simulation we derive a range of benchmark option values based upon varying assumptions regarding the stochastic process for an underlying temperature variable. The results show that such option contracts can provide valuable hedging opportunities for producers, given the historical seasonal temperature variations in the region. (JEL Classification: G13, G32, Q14, Q51, Q54)

The Potential Applications of Raman Spectroscopy in Unravelling Complex Palaeowildfire Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Theurer ◽  
David Muirhead ◽  
David Jolley ◽  
Dmitri Mauquoy
Keyword(s):  
Raman Spectroscopy ◽  
Carbonaceous Material ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Intensity Changes ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Ecosystem Studies ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Unique Relationship

&lt;p&gt;Raman spectroscopy represents a novel methodology of characterising plant-fire interactions through geological history, with enormous potential. Applications of Raman spectroscopy to charcoal have shown that this is an effective method of understanding intensity changes across palaeofire regimes. Such analyses have relied on the determination of appropriate Raman parameters, given their relationship with temperature of formation and microstructural changes in reference charcoals. Quantitative assessments of charcoal microstructure have also been successfully applied to the assessment of carbonaceous maturation under alternate thermal regimes, such as pyroclastic volcanism. Palaeowildfire systems in association with volcanism may present a complex history of thermal maturation, given interactions between detrital charcoals and volcanogenic deposition. However, whilst palaeofire and volcanic maturation of carbonaceous material are well understood individually, their interaction has yet to be characterised. Here we present the first analysis of palaeofire charcoals derived from volcanic ignition utilising Raman spectroscopy. Our results indicate that complex interactions between volcanism and palaeofire systems may be better understood by the characterisation of charcoal microstructure, alongside palaeobotanical and ecosystem studies. Understanding the unique relationship between wildfires and volcanism, and the impact that this has on the fossil record, may better assist our understanding of wildfire systems in deep history. Further still, this highlights the potential for better understanding the socioecological impacts of modern and future wildfire systems closely associated with volcanic centres.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;

IIOT and Real Time Data Analytics - Maximizing the Impact on Safety and Productivity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Daher ◽  
Nesma Aldash
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Seamless Integration ◽  
Location Services ◽  
Industrial Internet ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
The Impact

Abstract With the global push towards Industry 4.0, a number of leading companies and organizations have invested heavily in Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT's) and acquired a massive amount of data. But data without proper analysis that converts it into actionable insights is just more information. With the advancement of Data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, numerous methods can be used to better extract value out of the amassed data from various IIOTs and leverage the analysis to better make decisions impacting efficiency, productivity, optimization and safety. This paper focuses on two case studies- one from upstream and one from downstream using RTLS (Real Time Location Services). Two types of challenges were present: the first one being the identification of the location of all personnel on site in case of emergency and ensuring that all have mustered in a timely fashion hence reducing the time to muster and lessening the risks of Leaving someone behind. The second challenge being the identification of personnel and various contractors, the time they entered in productive or nonproductive areas and time it took to complete various tasks within their crafts while on the job hence accounting for efficiency, productivity and cost reduction. In both case studies, advanced analytics were used, and data collection issues were encountered highlighting the need for further and seamless integration between data, analytics and intelligence is needed. Achievements from both cases were visible increase in productivity and efficiency along with the heightened safety awareness hence lowering the overall risk and liability of the operation. Novel/Additive Information: The results presented from both studies have highlighted other potential applications of the IIOT and its related analytics. Pertinent to COVID-19, new application of such approach was tested in contact tracing identifying workers who could have tested positive and tracing back to personnel that have been in close proximity and contact therefore reducing the spread of COVID. Other application of the IIOT and its related analytics has also been tested in crane, forklift and heavy machinery proximity alert reducing the risk of accidents.

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