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Screen-printed electrodes-based sensors can be successfully used to determine all kinds of analytes with great precision and specificity. However, obtaining a high-quality sensor can be difficult due to factors such as lack of reproducibility, surface contamination or other manufacturing challenges. An important step in ensuring reproducible results is the cleaning step. The aim of the current work is to help researchers around the world who struggle with finding the most suitable method for cleaning screen-printed electrodes. We evaluated the cleaning efficiency of different chemical compounds and cleaning methods using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The percentage differences in polarization resistance (Rp) before and after cleaning were as follows: acetone—35.33% for gold and 49.94 for platinum; ethanol—44.50% for gold and 81.68% for platinum; H2O2—47.34% for gold and 92.78% for platinum; electrochemical method—3.70% for gold and 67.96% for platinum. Thus, we concluded that all the evaluated cleaning methods seem to improve the surface of both gold and platinum electrodes; however, the most important reduction in the polarization resistance (Rp) was obtained after treating them with a solution of H2O2 and multiple CV cycles with a low scanning speed (10 mV/s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although superficial wounds are often easy to treat for healthy individuals, there are some more severe types of wounds (burns, ulcers, diabetic wounds, etc.) that are a challenge for clinicians. A good therapeutic result is based on the delivery of a treatment at the right time, for the right patient. Our goal was to sum up useful knowledge regarding wound healing and wound treatments, based on creams and hydrogels with various active ingredients. We concluded that both preparations have application in preventing infections and promoting healing, but their efficacy is clearly conditioned by the type, depth, severity of the wound and patient profile. However, due to their superior versatility and capability of maintaining the integrity and functionality of the active ingredient, as well as it is controlled release at site, hydrogels are more suited for incorporating different active ingredients. New wound healing devices can combine smart hydrogel dressings with physical therapies to deliver a more efficient treatment to patients if the indications are appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to rapidly spreading infectious diseases and the high incidence of other diseases such as cancer or metabolic syndrome, there is a continuous need for the development of rapid and accurate diagnosis methods. Screen-printed electrodes-based biosensors have been reported to offer reliable results, with high sensitivity and selectivity and, in some cases, low detection limits. There are a series of materials (carbon, gold, platinum, etc.) used for the manufacturing of working electrodes. Each version comes with advantages, as well as challenges for their functionalization. Thus, the aim is to review the most promising biosensors developed using screen-printed electrodes for the detection/quantification of proteins, biomarkers, or pathogenic microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]