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Background Candidemia is a pervasive problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality in health care settings. This study aimed to determine the changing distribution of Candida species and the emergence of uncommon species. Methods This was a cross-sectional study performed in two Cairo University hospitals between 2019 and 2020. All Candida species isolates recovered from blood cultures of adults and pediatrics patients admitted to the hospitals were included. Candida isolates were identified by chromogenic Candida agar and Vitek2 YST identification card. Candida kefyr was confirmed by chip array. Results Candida species were responsible for 1.6% of bloodstream infections in adults and 10.8% in pediatric patients. C. albicans was the most prevalent species representing 27.8% in adults and 48.3% in pediatrics. Non-albicans species (NAC) represented the most isolated Candida species among adults and pediatrics (72.2% and 51.6%, respectively) with the predominance of C. tropicalis (27.8% and 22.5%, respectively) followed by C. parapsilosis (16.7% and 10.8%, respectively). The uncommon Candida, which is Candida species other than C. albicans, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, and C. krusei, represents 16.6% and 14% of all candidemia in adults and pediatrics, respectively. Only one of each of C. lusitaniae, C. utilis, and C. kefyr were detected in adults. C. lusitaniae was the most frequently recovered uncommon Candida among pediatrics resulting in 6.4% of candidemia followed by C. famata (4.3%), C. utilis (2.2%), and C. kefyr (1.1%). Conclusions C. albicans is still the primary species isolated from pediatrics and adults with candidemia despite the considerable shift to the non-albicans species. C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis are the most prevalent NAC. The increased prevalence of uncommon Candida species is alarming and necessitates a prompt stewardship program.

Defects of concrete piles can occur at any point during the construction of piles. Most common types of pile integrity issues are; presence of voids, inconsistency in concrete mix, entrapped groundwater or slurry, and geometric dislocation. These defects can be categorized based on the place in the construction sequence at which the defect occurs. This research introduces several numerical models of defected piles with various scenarios in order to identify, locate, and quantify the necking occurring in these piles. The finite element software (ADINA) is used to simulate the studied models. The soil domain is modeled as an axisymmetric space around the concrete pile. Five diameters of piles (40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 cm) are studied. Necking is modeled at three different locations along the pile namely; upper, middle, and bottom third. Four ratios between the necking diameter and pile diameter are also studied. The dynamic force used in this research is that simulating the pile integrity test (PIT) case, with 2.5 N impact load applied at the pile head, half wave of sinusoidal pattern, and 0.5 kilo hertz frequency. The time domain of the dynamic force analysis is equal to 0.0175 sec, and applied in 450 steps.

Background Hand coverage and reconstruction gives a challenge for plastic surgery. In this study we introduce a method for hand coverage and reconstruction by dermal substitutes which easy and simple to use. Objectives The aim of this study is to know the versatility of dermal substitutes in reconstruction & coverage of complex hand defects. Patients and Methods This was a cohort study conducted on 20 patients with hand tissue loss; to evaluate the versatility of dermal substitutes in reconstruction & coverage of complex hand defects. Patients attending El Helmeia armed forces hospital (plastic and reconstructive department) & Ain shams university hospital with follow up duration up to 6 months. All patients had clean wound & complex hand defects with exposed tendon and/or bone, Defects post trauma and after tumour excision and Post burn hypertrophic scars, keloid or contractures. Results We found that; the mean age of all patients was (23.5 ± 8.82) years. Regarding gender of the patients, the majority (80%) of patients were males; while (20%) were females. Regarding side of raw area; (55%) of patients had Rt-sided raw area, and (45%) had Lt-sided raw area. Regarding site of raw area; (20%) of patients had Finger-tip raw area, (20%) had Palm raw area, (10%) had Volar surface of little and ring raw area, (10%) had Volar surface of little finger raw area, (25%) had Dorsum raw area, (10%) had Dorsum of lateral 4 fingers raw area, while (5%) had Dorsum of middle finger raw area. Regarding Etiology of raw area; (70%) of raw areas caused by Trauma, (15%) caused after burn keloid removal, (10%) caused after burn contracture, and (5%) caused by donor site. Regarding Intervention data; (50%) of patients used Integra dermal substitute; and (50%) used Pelnac dermal substitute. Regarding follow up data; the average Time of removal was (3.65 ± 0.49) weeks, and the average Time for follow up was (3.25 ± 1.12) months. Comparative study between 20 hand tissue loss patients revealed; highly significant increase in Post-operative STSG satisfaction rate (70%); with highly significant statistical difference (p Conclusion The use of dermal substitutes cons gives an alternative reconstructive option for managing extended skin avulsion injuries of the upper extremity; it reduces postoperative immobilization, minimizes donor site morbidity and provides good functional and esthetic results in a single surgical procedure.

Aim To study the relationship between melatonin levels and Melatonin membrane receptor 1A (MTNR1A) SNP (rs13140012) in end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) in Alexandria, Egypt on maintenance hemodialysis with or without atherosclerosis. Materials and methods 40 end-stage renal disease patients on regular hemodialysis were divided into 2 subgroups, one with (n = 20) and one without atherosclerosis (n = 20) and normal subjects (n = 40). Serum melatonin, carotid intimal medial thickness (CIMT) were measured. Melatonin membrane receptor 1A (MTNR1A) SNP (rs13140012) genotyping was done using 5'nuclease Allelic discrimination. Results Serum melatonin was significantly lower in ESRD patients [1.6 to 11.30 (pg/mL) with a median of 2.5] than the control group [20.50 to 56.40 (pg/mL) with a median of 35.20]. Serum melatonin was significantly lower in atherosclerotic patients subgroup [1.6–2.50 (pg/mL) with a median value of 2.30] than non-atherosclerotic patients subgroup [2.0–11.30 (pg/mL) with a median of 4.9]. No significant association was found between serum melatonin and (MTNR1A) SNP (rs13140012) (p = 0.633). Conclusion These results lead us to suggest that melatonin production is impaired in ESRD patients (included in this pilot study), and this impairment is more evident in atherosclerotic ESRD patients., Health sciences; Renal system; Internal medicine; Endocrinology; Clinical research; Diagnostics; Melatonin; Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP); rs13140012; Atherosclerosis; End-stage renal disease (ESRD); Hemodialysis (HD); Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT)

A different approach is by using sol-gel technique to modify the surface of blend fabrics to render them dyeable with one class of dyes e.g. anionic, nonionic and functional dyes. The sol-gel technique involves the formation of mineral phases, starting from molecular precursors, following an inorganic polymerization reaction. The reaction is usually at room temperature in water or solvents and different range of pH conditions. The first step in the sol-gel process of silica consists of hydrolysis of silicon alkoxides, then condensation forming the silica nanoparticles and depending on the reaction conditions, these particles can grow and form the sol which can be deposited on the surface of the substrate forming a film. In this section two selected silane precursors were used APTES [(3-Aminopropyl) – triethoxysilane)], GPTMS [(3-glycidoxypropyl) –trimethoxysilane], to modify PET/W, PET/C, cotton and polyester fabrics via film coating with nanosol.

The sol-gel technique is a new technique which offers an effective way of modifying fabrics, and it has been proven to be simple, effective, and has many advantages. It is interesting to explore on the viability of using sol-gel technology to modify surfaces of various fabric blends.

The sol-gel technique offers an effective way of modifying fabrics, and has many advantages. In this paper, silica nano particles in the solid form were prepared from TEOS precursor; further application of these silica nanoparticles to polyester wool, and polyester cotton blends as well as polyester and cotton fabrics is carried out. Improved fabrics printability, as well as acquiring antibacterial properties were achieved. The basic idea for using sol-gel technology to modify fabric blend surfaces in order to solve their coloration problems and to attain solid shades using a single set of dyes.

Highlights • There is a possible association between Epstein–Barr virus infection and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. • The significant relation between anti TPO titer and serum EBNA-1 IgG levels in healthy control subjects may suggest a possible association between EBV and thyroid autoimmunity. • The serological EBV status did not differ in patients with euthyroid versus hypothyroid HT., Background Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is now considered one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of different types of EBV antibodies in patients with HT in comparison to healthy controls, and to detect any correlation between EBV serological markers and different laboratory findings in HT patients. Subjects & methods This case-control study was conducted on 120 subjects divided into two groups: Sixty patients with HT (patients group), and sixty age and sex matched healthy volunteers (control group). All the participants were subjected to: Thyroid ultrasound, laboratory assessment including: Serum thyroid -stimulating hormone (TSH), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO Ab) and anti-thyroglobulin antibody (anti-TG Ab). Four types of EBV antibodies (VCA IgM, VCA IgG, EA IgG, and EBNA-1IgG) were measured in serum using ELISA. Results The mean serum levels of EBV VCA IgG and EA IgG were significantly higher in HT patients group in comparison to control group. In euthyroid HT patients, a significant positive correlation was observed between the age and EBV EA IgG. While in hypothyroid HT patients, a significant positive correlation between thyroid isthmus and EBNA-1IgG was observed. A significant negative correlation was found between the serum FT3 and EBNA-1IgG and a significant positive correlation was observed between serum TSH and EBV VCA IgG. Conclusions The high serum levels of EBV VCA IgG and EBV EA IgG in patients with HT suggest a possible association between EBV and HT.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health disaster imposing a nationwide lockdown. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on physical, nutritional, psychosocial life, and work aspects on the population of Saudi Arabia.Data collection was based on the fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and was analyzed by the Likert-type scale. A total of 2828 individuals participated during their COVID-19 quarantine. The data were collected during June 10-17, 2020 using the psychosocial FCV-19S.COVID-19 quarantine was negatively correlated with the physical, nutritional, psychosocial life and work aspects of the Saudi Arabia's population (The lockdown period was associated with an increase in the COVID-19 fear score. The degree FCV-19S was varied in different categories in several aspects. Low levels of physical activity and weight gained were observed during the lockdown period.

In the field of textiles, introducing pH-sensitive dyes onto fibrous materials is a promising approach for the development of flexible sensor. In this study, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) textile surface with halochromic properties was fabricated by plasma-assisted sol-gel coating, followed by immobilization of two different azo pH-indicator dyes; namely Brilliant yellow and Congo red by conventional printing technique of fabrics. 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) was used as a coupling agent for attaching the pH-sensitive dyes through its terminal amines. The surface immobilization of APTES on PET fabric was conducted by the pad-dry-cure method. Moreover, the influence of oxygen plasma pre-treatment and the method of post-treatment either by oxygen plasma or by thermal treatment on the stability of sol-gel based matrix was investigated. The morphology and chemistry of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane coated PET surfaces were examined by using surface sensitive methods including electrokinetic and time-dependent contact angle measurements as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, fastness tests of the printed fabrics and color strength were carried out to assess the effectiveness of the fabric surface modification. Results indicate that sol-gel matrix exhibited a more stability by thermal post-treatment at 150 C for 5 min. Also, the results revealed that the printed fabrics with halochromic properties demonstrated sufficient stability against leaching by washing. The current work opens up a novel opportunity to develop flexible sensors based on fibrous materials, which have the potential to be employed in variable industrial applications.

Background: Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG), a multifunctional plasma protein, has a regulatory role in homeostasis, angiogenesis, and immunity; which in turn could greatly affect tumor control and metastasis. Objectives: To assess the possible role of HRG in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) tumorgenesis and follow-up. Design and Methods: HRG was quantitatively measured in serum by ELISA and its expression was assessed by real-time PCR (qPCR) in 35 patients with ALL and compared to same 25 ALL patients after induction therapy and 30 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. Results: HRG-serum protein (at cutoff value 63.55 pg/ml) and HRG-RNA (at cut-off value 0.955) were positive in all ALL patients before therapy, but in only 76% after therapy for HRG-protein and 60% for HRG-RNA and they could not be detected in the control group; P < 0.001. Additionally, the serum HRG level showed a significant positive correlation with its expression level, bone marrow blast percentage, peripheral blood blast count, P < 0.01. Also its serum and expression levels were positively related to the poor risk Philadelphia chromosome; P < 0.01. Conclusions: HRG (protein and RNA) might be considered as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker in ALL. HRG-serum protein level, detected by simple methodology of ELISA, has more significant advantages than its expression level, motivating its application in large clinical studies as a potential marker.

POLYESTER (PET) fabrics that containing nitrogen can be considered as a potential material for multipurpose applications. For this purpose, primary attention is given to introduce nitrogen-containing functional group onto the surface of PET fabrics using synthesized UV-curable polyurethane acrylate built-in amine. Moreover, the effect of incorporation the amino groups on the printing behavior of polyester fabric was evaluated. Polyurethane acrylate built-in amine resins were prepared either by one-shot sonochemical polymerization or by using conventional thermal synthesis procedure. Then, UV-curable coatings were prepared by mixing the prepared polyurethane acrylate built-in amine resin with the main components of UV curable coatings such as monomer as a diluent and 2-Hydroxy-4`-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-methylpropiophenone as photo-initiator. The prepared built-in amine photopolymers were characterized by (H1-NMR), (FTIR), and (GPC). The morphology of the cured coating was also examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, fastness properties of the printed fabrics and color strength were carried out to assess the effectiveness of the incorporation of the nitrogen groups on the stability of the coating layer. The results showed that, the IR Spectra of vinyl terminated PU polymers has a characteristic peak of N-H stretching at 3326 cm−1 accredited to the formation of urethane bond. It was also found that treatment of PET fabric with polyurethane acrylates resin containing built-in amine results in an increase in the affinity to acid dyes. The current work opens up a novel opportunity to develop nitrogen-containing PET fabrics.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease affecting all organ systems due to alterations of both innate and adaptive immune systems. Given the importance of several factors that may be incriminated in deregulation of immune system in SLE, we aimed to study MTNR1β gene polymorphisms rs10830963 C/G, serum levels of melatonin and pro-inflammatory cytokines; TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in SLE patients and the correlation of these parameters to SLE disease activity and damage index at time of study. Subjects were subdivided into 2 groups: group I: 40 SLE patients attending Alexandria main university hospital and outpatient clinic, and group II: 40 control cases of apparently healthy individuals matched for age and sex. For all cases, MTNR1β gene polymorphism rs10830963 was analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR, serum levels of melatonin, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by ELISA. Activity index (SLEDAI) and damage index (SLEDDI) were assessed in SLE patients. MTNR1β gene polymorphism rs10830963 genotype in SLE patients showed that 50% had GG, 35% CG and 15% CC. The control group had significantly lower ratios, 5% had GG, 15% CG and 80% CC (P0.001). Serum melatonin level was decreased in SLE patients (P0.001). Serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were increased in SLE patients compared to controls (P0.001, P0.001, P0.001 respectively). There was no correlation between serum melatonin level, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β with SLEDAI or SLEDDI. In conclusion, MTNR1β gene polymorphism rs10830963 G allele may contribute in SLE pathogenesis. Inflammatory cytokines; TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β may have role in SLE disease manifestations. Targeting immunoregulators as melatonin and proinflammatory cytokines in SLE treatment strategy can be a promising way to SLE cure.

Aim: To study the relationship between obesity, insulin resistance, vitamin D deficiency and sclerostin as a bone biomarker. Materials and methods: Cross-section study of 75 subjects grouped into 3 groups; obese (n = 31), overweight (n = 23) and normal (n = 21) subjects. Sclerostin, fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose and 25(OH)D were measured and anthropometric measures were taken. Results: 25(OH)D was lower in obese subjects than overweight and control groups (mean ± SD 5.27 ± 5.14 vs. 12.55 ± 6.99 vs.17.65 ± 4.07 ng/L, p

Using metabolomics technique to investigate the response to liraglutide treatment produces helpful information regarding the effects of drug on metabolic regulation. This study tested whether loss of weight by liraglutide combined with decreasing acylcarnitines (AcylCNs) represent an effective strategy to improve insulin sensitivity in obese insulin-resistant females. AcylCN profiles by tandem mass spectrometry, plasma glycosylated hemoglobin, lactate, pyruvate, serum fasting glucose, creatinine, and insulin were assessed for obese insulin-resistant females before and after treatment with liraglutide for 3 months and non-obese females. All studied parameters in obese insulin-resistant females before treatment were significantly higher than control subjects except C0 and C3 levels which were significantly low. Liraglutide treatment was effective in weight loss, increased C0 and C3 levels and decreased values of all other studied parameters comparing with before treatment but still higher than control. However, creatinine level was unaffected by treatment. This study can conclude that circulating AcylCN profiles can reflect mitochondrial overload that happen in response to obesity. Also, AcylCNs can be used as markers for diagnosis of metabolic disorders. Liraglutide treatment leads to durable improvements in weight reduction and glycometabolic control and the utilization of intracellular glucose.

A novel route for the production of polyacryloamidoxime nano-fibers is described. The innovative solution blowing spinning technique is used for the production of polyacryloamidoxime nano-fibers. The polyacryloamidoxime was prepared by the amidoximation of the acrylonitrile groups in a non-aqueous medium (DMF) using the least possible amount of hydroxylamine. A comparison study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the amidoximation reaction in aqueous or non-aqueous media. As the presented method is acquiring only 0.5 g/g hydroxylamine, at 50 °C for 7 h to achieve 63.1 % conversions, also solution blowing is an alternative technique for manufacturing of micro- and nano-fibers. The morphological structure, the chemical nature as well as the dyeability of the obtained fibers are illustrated. The obtained nano polyacryloamidoxime fibers show superior adsorption ability toward copper ions. Results showed that the present work presents a promising synthesis root for spinnable polyacryloamidoxime.

Purpose: Was to study the results of open surgical reconstruction of huge abdominal aortic aneurysms (HAAAs) & their complications. Patients and methods: Twenty eight patients with huge abdominal aortic aneurysms were studied in the period from October 2012- March 2015. The diagnosis was done by: history, clinical examination, various imaging which included: Duplex Ultrasound, CTA, MRA, DSA & Mid-stream aortography. Open aortic reconstruction was done by using Bifurcated graft (Collagen coated or PTFE ) or aneurysmorrhaphy in two cases of mycotic saccular aneurysms. Results: The age incidence ranged from 45-78 years with a mean of 64 years. Male sex was predominant than female sex with M:F ratio 6:1. There was a history of Diabetes mellitus, smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, obesity, myocardial infarction (seven cases) & renal impairment (two cases). The most common presentation of AAAs were abdominal pain, back pain, pulsating abdominal mass & acute abdomen (in two leaking AAAs). The size of the aneurysm (diameter) ranged between 12-22 cm with a mean of 16 cm, the size was measured by Duplex Ultrasound & CTA. Postoperative Morbidity: lower limb ischemia due to arterial thrombosis was present in two cases & distal embolization in two cases, thrombectomy & embolectomy were done respectively & successfully except one big toe amputated after embolectomy. Myocardial infarction occurred in four cases, two of them died. Another two cases developed uraemia, one of them died. Leaking abdominal aortic aneurysms occurred in two cases, one of them died. The overall all mortality rate within thirty postoperative days was four cases (14.3%), no intraoperative mortality. Conclusion: The morbidity & mortality rates were proportional with increase in size of the aneurysm & increase with the presence of preoperative cardiac, renal dysfunction & risk factors.

Recycling of textile waste materials has attracted significant attention for fabrication low-cost dye adsorbent from aqueous solutions. Viscose cellulosic waste fibers are supposed to give an answer to the finding low-cost adsorbent materials. In this research work, viscose waste fibers (VF) were modified by selective oxidation to improve the ability to absorb cationic dyes during wastewater treatment. For this purpose, different treatment parameters were investigated such as sodium periodate concentration, and time of selective oxidation with sodium chlorite. Then, unmodified and oxidized viscose fibers (OVF) were ball milled to produce viscose powder (VP) and oxidized viscose powder (OVP), respectively. The morphology of obtained viscose powders was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, methylene blue adsorption onto viscose cellulose fiber waste (VF) and oxidized viscose fibers (OVF) was studied as a function of contact time (0–80 min), adsorbent dosage (1–9 g/L), MB solution initial pH (3–9) and MB initial concentration (20–80 mg/L). The results showed that MB adsorption onto VF and OVF is a rapid favorable chemisorption process that can be well described by the Langmuir model. The higher adsorption capacity of OVF than VF was related to the increase of the carboxylic group. The oxidized viscose fiber can be used as a potential adsorbent for water treatment.

Removal of methylene blue (MB) from water using adsorbent developed from waste wool fiber has been investigated by batch adsorption experiments in the present work. Wool fiber waste (WF) was collected from a local Spinning and Weaving Company, cleaned and further treated with citric acid to increase its adsorption capacity toward basic dyes. Raw and treated WF were ball milled to produce wool powder (WP) and modified wool powder (MWP), respectively. The carboxyl content was increased steadily as the citric acid solution concentration increased. The introduction of the carboxyl groups also has been proved by streaming potential measurements. The effect of contact time, wool dose and dye solution pH on the adsorption process were studied too. The adsorption isotherm was examined using Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R) models. The adsorption equilibrium was attained within 20 minutes with a maximum removal percentage of 70 and 78 for WP and MWP, respectively. The wool dose affects the adsorption process significantly, especially for MWP which removes a higher percentage of MB (86 %) compared to WP (75 %). Both Freundlich and D-R were well fitting the adsorption equilibrium data with R2 > 0.9. The values of Freundlich exponent factor (n) and D-R adsorption energy (E) reveal the chemisorption nature of the MB adsorption on both WP and MWP. This work demonstrated that, chemical and physical modifications of the waste wool fiber with citric acid has enhanced the adsorption of MB.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of employees’ creative problem-solving on organisations’ innovation outcomes, as well as the effects of innovation outcomes on organisations non-financial performance. Based on a sample of 320 participants from diverse organisations, using structural equation modelling techniques, we find that creative problem-solving does not have any effect on innovation outcomes, except with the moderating influence of an innovative culture or communication. We also find that innovation outcomes have a positive relationship with non-financial performance. We make theoretical contributions into the antecedents of innovation outcomes, while offering several practical insights for leading creative employees and managing innovation.

Innovation is a central pillar of any organization’s long-term prosperity and even survival. Uncovering the factors that enable innovation is therefore of paramount importance. The purpose of this ...

A different chemical nature of PET/cotton fibers hinders to attain solid shade during the coloration process. To overcome this problem in current the attempt, surface functionalization of PET/cotton fabric by simple and cost effective sol-gel technology was investigated. By this simple coating method, different anchor sites were introduced onto the PET/cotton fabric surface such as amine, epoxy or hydroxyl. Incorporation of such groups was conducted using two different alkoxysilanes, namely 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or 3-Glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) as coupling agents for C.I. reactive blue 5 and C.I. acid blue 80 dyes. The sol-gel synthesis reactions of used alkoxysilanes were preceded under either acidic or basic condition. The chemistry and morphology of APTES and GPTMS modified PET/cotton surface were studied by utilizing some surface sensitive techniques such as streaming potential measurements, ATR-FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), time-dependent contact angle measurements as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, color strength and fastness tests of the prints were examined to test the effectiveness of the fabric surface modification. It was observed that the isoelectric point value of PET/cotton fabric coated with base-hydrolyzed APTES is shifted toward higher pH value in comparison with PET/cotton fabric coated with base-hydrolyzed GPTMS. Furthermore, the hydrophobicity of sol-gel modified PET/cotton fabric was increased. The results also presented that the PET/cotton blend fabrics after treatment with base-hydrolyzed APTES showed improvement in K/S value and fastness properties.

Low-pressure plasma treatments with subsequent immobilization of functional macromolecules from aqueous solution have gained an increasing popularity for its applications in new industrial processes. In this work, two different strategies to endow polyester fabrics (PET) with accessible primary amino groups are compared. (a) NH 2 groups were produced directly using low-pressure ammonia plasma. (b) Negatively charged groups were introduced by low-pressure oxygen plasma to hydrophilize the fabric surfaces and used as anchor groups for the immobilization of water-borne polyelectrolyte copolymers poly(vinyl amine- co -vinyl amide) (PVAm). To study the effects of these surface modifications, a combination of various surface-sensitive characterization techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), streaming potential measurements and time-dependent contact angle measurements were used. Furthermore, the influence of the pre-treatments on the interaction of PET fabrics with water-soluble dyes was evaluated. For that purpose, color strength and fastness tests were carried out to prove the effectiveness of pre-treatments.

Laser ablation (LA) is used as therapeutic modality for reducing the volume of large benign thyroid nodules. The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of LA therapy in patients with benign non-functioning thyroid nodules in a 4-year follow-up and evaluate whether different compactness of nodules may influence the final shrinkage.Fifty-six euthyroid patients (42 females; mean age 54.7 ± 11.7 years) with benign cold thyroid solitary nodules or a dominant nodule within a multinodular goitre underwent LA between July 2009 and March 2012. Nodule volume, thyroid function test and ultrasound were monitored at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure, then annually.With a mean baseline volume of 15.7 ± 11.7 mL, nodule volume decreased by 55.5% (6.5 ± 5.7 mL) 4 years after LA (p .01). Nodules had a significant decrease at 3 and 6 months, thereafter they remained stable, with an insignificant tendency to re-growth at 48 months. Thyroid functions and antibodies were unchanged throughout the follow-up. When dividing nodules into solid and spongiform, the former decreased at 6 months, remained stable up to 24 months, but showed a non-significant tendency to increase thereafter. Spongiform nodules progressively decreased up to 48 months. The difference in nodules' reduction between solid and spongiform nodules was significant from 3 months (p = .04) and became even more significant up to 48 months (p = .001).The LA technique succeeded in reducing thyroid nodules by about 50% at 4 years, but was more effective for spongiform than solid nodules.

Objectives: In this paper, a novel attempt has been made to develop anionic waterborne polyurethane with antibacterial properties. Methods/Analysis: To achieve this goal, a one-pot synthesis was used to incorporate silver nanoparticles into the Waterborne Polyurethane (WPU) via a combination of reduction of silver ions and polymerization reactions. This silver/waterborne nanocomposite was applied as a modifier for preparing antimicrobial viscose fabric with enhanced coloration and fastness properties. Findings: A bacterial reduction of 100% is observed during the antibacterial activity tests of the nanocomposites for both Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm the formation of Ag nanoparticles in WPU. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDX) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to verify the presence of silver/waterborne composites layers. Exploration of the fastness properties and the color strength (K/S) of colored viscose fabrics were also performed. Novelty/Improvement: The obtained results can be considered as a measure of the degree of the interaction between dyes such as cationic and reactive classes and different modified surfaces.

Objectives: Exceptional reaction conditions can be generated by ultrasonic irradiation via acoustic cavitation, which allows for the synthesis of new materials with unusual properties. Inspired by the importance of this efficient and environmentally friendly synthetic route, waterborne polyurethane copolymer with pendant carboxylate in the hard segment is prepared. In this current attempt, 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-propionic acid was used to incorporate ionic groups into polyurethane polymer. Methods/Analysis: Factors affecting the sonochemical polymerization such acoustic power, type of solvent, using of catalyst, and monomers molar ratio were studied. The prepared waterborne polyurethanes were investigated by FTIR and GPC. Furthermore, in the construction of surfaces, the influence of the application of prepared waterborne polyurethane on the interaction of polyester fabrics with methylene blue as cationic dyes was assessed. For that purpose, color strength and fastness tests were carried out to prove the effectiveness of surface modification. Findings: The results indicated that the one-shot sonochemical polymerization by ultrasound at 100 W was more effective in N,Ndimethyl formamide (DMF) than thermally assisted polyurethane polymerization. Novelty/Improvement: The rate of sonochemical polymerization is much faster than thermal polymerization. Improvement in the printability of PET fabrics treated with the prepared polyurethanes.