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The antimicrobial and hemostatic activities of wound dressings have been drawing more and more attention in the healthcare or medical industry. Here, quaternary ammonium groups were introduced in the chitosan backbone by way of copolymerization, and the quaternized chitosan was coated on cotton fabric through the pad–dry–cure process. Compared with 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride-treated cotton, the breaking strength of chitosan-block-poly(3-[dimethyl-[2-(2-methylprop-2-enoyloxy)ethyl]azaniumyl]propane-1-sulfonate) (CS-b-pSBMA)-coated cotton (cotton/SBMA) was not affected by the addition of CS-b-pSBMA. The SBMA-coated cotton displayed good liquid adsorptive activity with or without pressure. As a dressing material, cotton/SBMA exhibited good hemostatic activity and hemocompatibility. After being challenged with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus for 60 min, cotton/SBMA showed good antimicrobial properties, and 100% of bacteria were inhibited within the contact time. These attractive functions make quaternized-chitosan-coated cotton fabrics a good candidate for wound-dressing materials.

The ionic pair self-assembly (IPSAM) composed of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and (phenylthio)acetic acid (PTA) was prepared and the effect of phenolic acids (PAs) (e.g. cinnamic acid (CA), hydroxycinnamic acid (HCA), and dihydroxycinnamic acid (DHCA)) on the upper critical solution temperature (UCST) and the temperature-responsive releasing property of IPSAM were investigated. PEI/PTA ionic pair showed a UCST behavior and the PAs decreased the UCST effective in the order of DHCA > HCA > CA. The PAs were thought to attach to the PEI chain of PEI/PTA ionic pair as pendants. According to the interfacial tensiometry, PEI/PTA(3/7) ionic pair was found to be air/water interface-active due to their amphiphilic property. CA had little effect on the interfacial activity of the ionic pair. HCA and HDCA significantly decreased the interfacial activity possibly because they are more polar than CA thus the hydrophilic and lipophilic balance of PEI/PTA ionic pair could be broken by their attachment to PEI chains. IPSAM was found as nanoparticles whose diameter was tens of nanometer and PAs had little effect on the shape and the size of IPSAM, once the UCST of PEI/PTA/PA ionic pair was above room temperature where the TEM micrographs were taken. If the UCST of PEI/PTA/PA ionic pair was below room temperature, no particulate matters were found on the TEM micrographs. The release degree of cargo loaded in IPSAM increased slowly with time lapse below UCST. Whereas, the release degree increased rapidly with time lapse above UCST, possibly because of the thermally-induced disintegration of IPSAM.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are insoluble particles with a diameter of fewer than 100 nanometers. Two main methods have been utilized in orthodontic therapy to avoid microbial adherence or enamel demineralization. Certain NPs are included in orthodontic adhesives or acrylic resins (fluorohydroxyapatite, fluorapatite, hydroxyapatite, SiO2, TiO2, silver, nanofillers), and NPs (i.e., a thin layer of nitrogen-doped TiO2 on the bracket surfaces) are coated on the surfaces of orthodontic equipment. Although using NPs in orthodontics may open up modern facilities, prior research looked at antibacterial or physical characteristics for a limited period of time, ranging from one day to several weeks, and the limits of in vitro studies must be understood. The long-term effectiveness of nanotechnology-based orthodontic materials has not yet been conclusively confirmed and needs further study, as well as potential safety concerns (toxic effects) associated with NP size. Resumo Nanopartículas (NPs) são partículas insolúveis com diâmetro inferior a 100 nanômetros. Dois métodos principais têm sido utilizados na terapia ortodôntica para evitar a aderência microbiana ou a desmineralização do esmalte: NPs são incluídas em adesivos ortodônticos ou resinas acrílicas (fluoro-hidroxiapatita, fluorapatita, hidroxiapatita, SiO2, TiO2, prata, nanopreenchimentos) e NPs são revestidas nas superfícies de equipamentos ortodônticos, ou seja, uma camada fina de TiO2 dopado com nitrogênio nas superfícies do braquete. Embora o uso de NPs em ortodontia possa tornar acessível modernos recursos, pesquisas anteriores analisaram as características antibacterianas ou físicas por um período limitado de tempo, variando de 24 horas a várias semanas, por isso devem ser compreendidos os limites dos estudos in vitro. A eficácia de longo prazo de materiais ortodônticos com base em nanotecnologia ainda não foi confirmada de forma conclusiva, o que exige mais estudos, bem como potenciais preocupações de segurança (efeitos tóxicos) associadas ao tamanho da NP.

Abstract: Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is based on the participation and combination of different biomaterials, cells, and bioactive molecules to generate biosynthetic grafts for bone regeneration. Electrospinning has been used to fabricate fibrous scaffolds, which provide nanoscale architecture comprising interconnecting pores, resembling the natural hierarchy of tissues and enabling the formation of artificial functional tissues. Electrospun fibers for BTE applications have been mostly produced from polymers (chitosan, alginate, polycaprolactone, polylactic acid) and bioceramics (hydroxyapatite). Stem cells are among the most prolific cell types employed in regenerative medicine owing to their self-renewal and differentiation capacity. Most importantly, bioactive molecules, such as synthetic drugs, growth factors, and phytocompounds, are consistently used to regulate cell behavior inducing differentiation towards the osteoblast lineage. An expanding body of literature has provided evidence that these electrospun fibers loaded with bioactive molecules support the differentiation of stem cells towards osteoblasts. Thus, this review briefly describes the current development of polymers and bioceramic-based electrospun fibers and the influence of bioactive molecules in these electrospun fibers on bone tissue regeneration.

This clinical report describes how a hollow obturator prosthesis was designed and fabricated for an 82-year-old partially edentulous patient with a large palatal defect. Computer-aided design (CAD) was used to design, articulate, and align the mandibular denture with the obturator prosthesis. The prosthesis was printed, adjusted chairside, rescanned, and made hollow by using a CAD software program. The prosthesis was printed in resin with a dental 3D printer. Quantitative evaluations of clinical (prosthesis dimensions, rest, and occlusal vertical dimensions) and virtual (surface area, volume, weight, interpoint mismatches, spatial overlap) parameters found that the 3D-printed prosthesis required an additional 5% chairside modification. The greatest differences in volume (24.7% less) and weight (22.2% less) were observed when the modified obturator bulb was made hollow via CAD. Hollowing the bulb, therefore, reduced the spatial overlap in volume by 16.8%.

Formation of super-hydrophobic and corrosion-resistant coatings can provide significant corrosion protection to magnesium alloys. However, it remains a grand challenge to produce such coatings for magnesium-lithium alloys due to their high chemical reactivity. Herein, a one-step hydrothermal processing was developed using a stearic-acid-based precursor medium, which enables the hydrothermal conversion and the formation of low surface energy materials concurrently to produce the super-hydrophobic and corrosion-resistant coating. The multiscale microstructures with nanoscale stacks and microscale spheres on the surface, as well as the through-thickness stearates, lead to the super-hydrophobicity and excellent corrosion resistance of the obtained coating.

In-situ incorporation of layered double hydroxides (LDH) nanocontainers into plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings on AZ91 Mg alloy has been achieved in the present study. Fumarate was selected as Mg corrosion inhibitor for exchange and intercalation into the nanocontainers, which were subsequently incorporated into the coating. It was found that the thickness and compactness of the coatings were increased in the presence of LDH nanocontainers. The corrosion protection performance of the blank PEO, LDH containing PEO and inhibitor loaded coatings was evaluated by means of polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The degradation process and corrosion resistance of PEO coating were found to be greatly affected by the loaded inhibitor and nanocontainers by means of ion-exchange when corrosion occurs, leading to enhanced and stable corrosion resistance of the substrate.

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene/toluene diisocyanate (HTPB/TDI) system is widely used in composite solid propellants. The migrations of plasticizers and water molecules from solid propellants and surrounding environment to the inhibitor have always been the important issues. This study focuses on the preparation, characterization and anti-migration behavior of graphene oxide (GO)/HTPB nanocomposite liner. The GO/HTPB (GH) composite liners affect the migration of small molecules through a tighter cross-linked structure and weakening function of small molecule adsorption. The anti-migration performance of the liner at different temperatures was analyzed, and the influence of the added amount of GO on the anti-migration performance and adhesion performance was also systematically studied. The overall performance of the liner is optimized when the amount of GO filler is 0.3 wt%. After adding 0.3 wt% GO, the concentration of dioctyl sebacate (DOS) migrated into the liner is decreased by 23.28%, and the concentration of water molecules is decreased by 51.89%, indicating that the introduction of GO can significantly improve the anti-migration performance of the liner. In addition, the bond strength is greatly increased from 0.25 MPa to 0.95 MPa, which meets the application requirements of the current propellant system. This research provides an important way for the preparation of structure-function synergistic anti-migration composite liners.

Gradiently denitrated gun propellant (GDGP) prepared by a “gradient denitration” strategy is obviously superior in progressive burning performance to the traditional deterred gun propellant. Currently, the preparation of GDGP employed a tedious two-step method involving organic solvents, which hinders the large-scale preparation of GDGP. In this paper, GDGP was successfully prepared via a novelty and environmentally friendly one-step method. The obtained samples were characterized by FT-IR, Raman, SEM and XPS. The results showed that the content of nitrate groups gradiently increased from the surface to the core in the surface layer of GDGP and the surface layer of GDGP exhibited a higher compaction than that of raw gun propellant, with a well-preserved nitrocellulose structure. The denitration process enabled the propellant surface with regressive energy density and good progressive burning performance, as confirmed by oxygen bomb and closed bomb test. At the same time, the effects of different solvents on the component loss of propellant were compared. The result showed that water caused the least component loss. Finally, the stability of GDGP was confirmed by methyl-violet test. This work not only provided environmentally friendly, simple and economic preparation of GDGP, but also confirmed the stability of GDGP prepared by this method.

In an effort for further improvement of LSCF hollow fiber membrane properties in oxygen purification application, this work studied the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with different molecular weight of 2000, 3400 and 6000 Da as a pore former. A well-prepared hollow fiber membrane was successfully fabricated via extrusion followed by a sintering method. The results showed that the addition of PEG increased the viscosity of the dope suspension and formed a constant asymmetric pore configuration of the membrane after sintering at 1250 °C. The increasing molecular weight of PEG also leads to a decrease in the mechanical strength of the membranes, indicating that finger-like pores were sacrificed by forming irregular pores. The gas tightness was also examined under room temperature which showed that membrane with PEG 3400 achieved the best tightness with the nitrogen permeability of 3.55 × 10−5 mol·m−2·s−1·Pa−1. The oxygen permeation of the membranes was also influenced by the addition of PEG, where the highest oxygen permeation flux of 6.07 × 10−8 mol·cm−2·s−1 was obtained using a hollow fiber membrane with PEG 3400 due to the existence of the lowest dense layer thickness.

Objective: The present article aimed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of carboplatin (CP) using the formulation of chitosan-poly (lactic glycolic acid) nanoparticles (CS-PLGA NPs). Methods: Nanoparticles were synthesized by an ionic gelation method and were characterized for their morphology, particle size, and surface potential measurements by TEM and zeta sizer. This study was highlighted for the evaluation of drug entrapment, loading and in vitro drug release capabilities of the prepared nanoparticles by spectrophotometric analysis. The stability study was also conducted after 3 months for their particle size, zeta potential, drug loading and encapsulation efficiencies. Further, ovarian cancer cell line PEO1 was used to evaluate the toxicity and efficacy of nano-formulation by MTT assay. Additionally, the study was evaluated for apoptosis using flow cytometric analysis. Result: The CS-PLGA-CP NPs were uniform and spherical in shape. The particle size and zeta potential of CS-PLGA-CP NPs were measured to be 156 ±6.8 nm and +52 ±2.4 mV, respectively. High encapsulation (87.4 ± 4.5 %) and controlled retention capacities confirmed the efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles in a time and dose-dependent manner. The cytotoxicity assay results also showed that CS-PLGA-CP NPs have a high efficiency on PEO1 cells compared to the free drug. The flow cytometric result showed 64.25 % of the PEO1 cells were apoptotic, and 8.42 % were necrotic when treated with CS-PLGA-CP NPs. Conclusion: Chitosan-PLGA combinational polymeric nanoparticles were not only steady but also non-toxic. Our experiments revealed that the chitosan-PLGA nanoparticles could be used as a challenging vehicle candidate for drug delivery for the therapeutic treatment of ovarian cancer.

Statement of problem Cement at the restorative margin after implementation of the manufacturer’s recommended procedure for cement cleanup has not been extensively evaluated. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to use microcomputed tomography (μCT) to evaluate the number, volume, and width of voids left at the margin when dental cement is cleaned during the cementation process as per 2 manufacturer-prescribed methods for cement cleanup by evaluating a self-adhesive resin cement and a resin-modified glass ionomer cement. Material and methods Twenty molar Ivorine Typodont prepared teeth were scanned, and lithium disilicate crowns were milled and cemented to the prepared teeth as per the manufacturer-recommended cementation process. Two methods of cement cleanup were performed: the excess cement was tack-polymerized with a polymerization light, or a delay of 3 minutes was used for the excess cement to reach partial polymerization, and the excess cement was removed with a sharp sickle scaler. These 2 methods of cement cleanup were performed with 2 cements: a resin-modified glass ionomer cement and a self-adhesive resin. Each specimen was then scanned with a μCT machine. The buccal margin of each specimen, from mesiobuccal line angle to distobuccal line angle, was examined, and the number, volume, and width of any voids remaining at the margin open to the environment were measured. For statistical analysis, the specimens were first grouped by method of cement cleanup and then grouped by cement type. The Wilcoxon ranked sum test was implemented because of the lack of a normal distribution and the heterogeneity of the data (α=.05). Results No statistically significant difference was found in the median number of voids, median volume of voids, or median width per void between the 2 cleanup methods, irrespective of cement type (P>.05). Significant differences were found in the median number of voids, median volume of voids, and median width per void when comparing cement types, irrespective of cement cleanup methods (P Conclusions The choice of cement may be more important than the method of cement cleanup when considering voids left at the margin. Microcomputed tomography is an excellent nondestructive tool for volumetric measurements of voids at the margin.

Prefabricated dowels do not always provide intraradicular sealing in the root canal dentin, and the lack of sealing predisposes the dowel to adhesive failure and debonding. It is unclear if fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels provide better sealing.The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the intraradicular sealing and morphological fit of prefabricated dowels and fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels in root canal dentin. The thickness of the resin cement layer and push-out bond strength were determined to assess their effects on the sealing of the dowels.A total of 50 permanent maxillary central incisors were endodontically treated and divided into 2 subgroups (n=25). In one group, prefabricated dowels were cemented; in the second group, fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels were placed. The thickness of the resin cement layer was assessed in 3 different locations: coronal, middle, and apical of the root canal dentin with fluorescence confocal laser microscopy. The push-out bond strength was then determined, and intraradicular sealing observed by using scanning electron microscopy.Fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels showed a closer intraradicular fit and seal in the root canal dentin, and the morphology of the apical portion of the fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels showed a sealing area with the gutta percha in the apical portion. The mean thickness of the resin cement layer was significantly reduced for the fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels compared with the prefabricated dowels (P.05) in the cervical area (197.0 μm versus 311.0 μm) and in the apical portion of the root canal (57.3 μm versus 131.6 μm). The mean push-out strength was higher for the fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels (22.98 N/mmThe morphological fit of fiber-reinforced composite resin dowels provides better intraradicular sealing in the cervical and apical portions, reducing the resin cement thickness. The increased push-out strength can therefore be assumed to result from increased frictional retention compared with prefabricated dowels.

Welded hollow spherical joints are commonly used in reticulated shell structures. Corrosion on the surface of the joints can significantly reduce their compression capacity. Pitting corrosion is a typical corrosion type on steel structures. A corrosion pit forms at random locations and has a random size. Its random size is indicated by random planar size and thickness – that is, multiple-random pitting corrosion. In this work, a series of non-linear numerical analyses was conducted to investigate the influences of these parameters on the mass loss and compression capacity of welded hollow spherical joints. The aim of this work was to construct a probabilistic distribution model of the compression capacity of the joints with multiple-random pitting corrosion and establish the relationship of the probabilistic distribution model with the specified corrosion and geometric parameters. The work also provided a method for determining the probabilistic model of the joints under actual conditions. This work could serve as a basis for the stochastic analysis of integral structures connected by welded hollow spherical joints with random pitting corrosion.

Various bowel preparation agents have been developed for effective and safe bowel cleansing before colonoscopy. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in the elderly. A 2 L PEG solution with ascorbic acid (PEG-Asc) was developed to reduce the volume of standard 4 L PEG. Several cases of

Chitosan (CS) is a natural and biopolymer that are suitable biomedical properties such as; biocompatibility, non-toxicity, biodegradability and bioactive polymer that’s reason with a very large application (fabrication of biomedical scaffolds, implants). Some of the biocompatible thermoplastic polymers (PLA, PEEK, PLGA, PE, PP, PMMA, PET and etc.) are most widely used in biomedical field as per their properties from last two decades. Poly-vinyl chloride (PVC) thermoplastic polymer are most widely used in medical field but there are some limitations of their uses. For enhancement of PVC thermoplastic polymers properties sometimes add some bioactive and biocompatible fillers or other bioactive thermoplastic polymers. In this review paper try to link and discussed about the possible reinforcement CS in PVC thermoplastic polymer for biomedical applications.

A living cell is an active environment where the organization and dynamics of chromatin are affected by different forms of activity. Optical experiments report that loci show subdiffusive dynamics and the chromatin fiber is seen to be coherent over micrometer-scale regions. Using a bead-spring polymer chain with dipolar active forces, we study how the subdiffusive motion of the loci generate large-scale coherent motion of the chromatin. We show that in the presence of extensile (contractile) activity, the dynamics of loci grows faster (slower) and the spatial correlation length increases (decreases) compared to the case with no dipolar forces. Hence, both the dipolar active forces modify the elasticity of the chain. Interestingly in our model, the dynamics and organization of such dipolar active chains largely differ from the passive chain with renormalized elasticity.

The major aspect of this research paper is to investigate the data of Nano particles that exists in human urine The important aspect of this research paper is to study and investigate the Nano Particles present in the human urine to identify or recognise the human .The major use of nanoparticles is its presence in human biological fluid, urine and Blood. It is widely used in cosmetics, personal care, medicine, agriculture, food safety, and pharmacy. The level of the concentration of Nano particles present in human urine is analysed for defining Biometrics. It has raised a growing concern when excess or deficient may cause toxicity because of these Nano particles emerged due to the human beings and Environment. The assessment of Nano particles (size distribution and determination) is becoming a very big challenge to the human beings because of the need of the new and updated analytical instrumentation. The concentration of Nano particles is different to each and every individual. The results obtained from this investigation provides Biometric Authentication which is helpful in identifying a person and also it provides ancillary information to the primary biometrics as soft biometrics and even it can be considered for disease analysis.

In this study we report a facile, cost effective one step preparation method for the synthesis of Mn doped cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (NPs) through co-precipitation technique. The synthesis was performed at relatively low temperature using a green reagent oxalic acid as reducing agent. The structural and optical attributes of the samples were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Visible spectroscopy and SEM (Scanning electron microscopy). The XRD and FTIR results show the formation of Mn doped ceria NPs having a cubic fluorite structure. The morphology and chemical composition of the prepared sample was realized using SEM and EDX spectrum. The synthesized Mn doped ceria NPs shows greater absorption in the visible region and reduced particle size compared to pure ceria NPs.

Cooking emissions account for a major fraction of urban volatile organic compounds and organic aerosol. Aldehyde species, in particular, are important exposure hazards in indoor residential and occupational environments, and precursors to particulate matter and ozone formation in outdoor air. Formation pathways of aldehydes from oils that lead to their emissions are not well understood. In this work, we investigate the underlying mechanisms involved in the formation of aldehydes from heated cooking oil emissions, through studying how antioxidants and oil composition modulate oxidation chemistry. Our results demonstrate that gaseous emissions are driven by radical-mediated autoxidation reactions in cooking oil, and the composition of cooking oils strongly influences the reaction mechanisms. Antioxidants have a dual effect on aldehyde emissions depending on the rates of radical propagation reactions. We propose a mechanistic framework that can be used to understand and predict cooking emissions under different cooking conditions. Our results highlight the need to understand the rates and mechanisms of autoxidation and other reactions in cooking oils in order to accurately predict the gas- and particle-phase emissions from food cooking in urban atmospheres.

Soft gamma ray irradiation is done on Silver nano colloids prepared using Pepper Nigrum as reducing and stabilizing agent. Change in surface morphology and the structure of the colloid is obtained from Transmission Electron Microscope images and Selected area Electron Diffractogram. Morphology of the gamma irradiated sample is devoid of nano particle clusters and the Selected Area Electron Diffraction pattern confirms the crystal nature as face centered cubic structure of nano silver. UV–visible spectroscopic analysis gives the absorption peaks in the green region. Gamma irradiation results in the reduction in peak intensity without any change in wavelength. A statistical approach is done on treating the gamma irradiated colloidal sample with the as prepared silver nano colloid for measuring the area of affecting fungal infection on a potato-agar medium. It is found that the fungal growth is declined rapidly with the introduction of gamma irradiated silver nano colloid than the as prepared colloid.

Statement of problem Residual cement in the peri-implant sulcus may cause peri-implant mucositis, which can lead to peri-implantitis. Clinical studies comparing the role of the collar height of the definitive restoration and the type of cement used for luting the prosthesis in the amount of residual cement are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this clinical study was to determine the volume of residual cement left undetected in the peri-implant sulcus by an implant prosthesis with 3 different collar heights and 3 luting cements. Material and methods Participants with single implants in the premolar region were divided into 3 groups of 10 according to the distance from the peri-implant soft tissue crest to the implant platform: group low collar (sulcus depth 4 mm). A metal-ceramic crown with an occlusal opening was fabricated on a straight titanium abutment, which facilitated removal of the crown along with the abutment after cementation. The implant luting cements used were composite resin cement (RelyX U200), Type I glass ionomer cement (GC Gold Label 1), and zinc oxide noneugenol interim luting cement (RelyX Temp NE). The modified crown was cemented with 1 cement each during the impression, bisque evaluation, and definitive crown cementation appointments. The crown was retrieved, and the residual cement collected during each appointment. The measurements obtained were statistically analyzed with general linear model analysis followed by post hoc testing using the Bonferroni test (α=.05). Results Mean volume of the residual excess cement (mm3) formed in group low collar was 0.33 ±0.17, 0.26 ±0.17, and 0.08 ±0.08 for subgroups Resin, GIC, and ZNE, respectively. In group medium collar, it was 1.18 ±0.31, 1.08 ±0.3, and 0.61 ±0.32; and in group high collar, it was 2.33 ±0.31, 2.1 ±0.74, and 1.31 ±0.56 for the same subgroup, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the formation of REC between the collar height groups (P .05). Conclusions The collar height of the definitive restoration and the type of luting cement play significant roles in the formation of residual cement in fixed implant-supported restorations.

A new NLO crystal of L-Arginine doped with potassium iodide were harvested from solution growth technique with slow evaporation method. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis exposes the structure. Presence of vibration functional groups in the grown crystal was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Using the spectrum of UV–Vis-NIR the optical transmission and absorption spectra were studied. TGA-DSC studies reveal the decomposition and thermal stabilities of the grown crystals. Kurtz Perry Powder technique determines the second harmonic generation NLO behavior.

To compare post-operative outcomes associated with thymectomy performed using either open or robotic approaches. Retrospective cohort study from a single-center prospective registry consisting of patients undergoing thymectomy between 2000 and 2020. Patients were grouped according to surgical approach (open vs robotic). A propensity-score matching analysis was performed in a 2:1 open to robotic ratio, and surgical outcomes were evaluated. We analyzed 234 thymectomies (155 open; 79 robotic). Myasthenia gravis was present in 23.2% and 32.9% (P = 0.249) in the open and in the robotic group, respectively. All covariates were balanced in the matched groups (open n = 114; robotic n =5 9), except lesion size. The robotic approach was significantly associated with shorter surgical time (median 95 vs 65 minutes, P0.001), lesser clinical (21.1% vs 6.8%, P = 0.016) and surgical (11.4% vs 1.7%, P = 0.036) complications during the same hospitalization, less Clavien-Dindo grade 2 or higher complication rates (28.1 vs 15.3%, P = 0.048), chest tube duration (median: 3 vs 0 days, P0.001) and in-hospital length of stay (median: 5 vs 0 days, P0.001). Bleeding (P = 0.214), ICU length of stay (P = 0.167), reoperation rate (open, 1.8% vs robotic 0%), 90-day mortality (P = 0.341) and readmission rate post discharge (P = 0.277) were similar between the groups. In the matched population with primary thymic epithelial tumors, the completeness of resection rate was similar (open, 92.1% vs robotic 96.8%, P = 0.66.). Robotic thymectomy is associated with improved post-operative outcomes when compared to open thymectomy, without compromising the goals of oncologic surgery. Longer follow-up is needed to ensure oncologic equivalence.

Statement of problem Adhesive resin cement has been the preferred choice for the placement of prosthetic restorations, but evidence-based studies supporting this selection are sparse. Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that restoration placement with the adhesive 4-methacryloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride/methyl methacrylate-tributylborane (4-META/MMA-TBB) resin cement is associated with better longevity of teeth than zinc phosphate cement up to 43 years. Materials and methods Study participants were individuals who had been visiting the clinic regularly for more than 20 years from their first visit between November 1970 and April 1985. The vital teeth with prosthetic restorations (N=454), including cast inlays, onlays, crowns, and fixed partial dentures, of 53 patients were assessed from dental charts and radiographs. Most of the bonding surfaces were precious metal alloy, excluding 4 restorations cemented with zinc phosphate and 6 ceramic crowns cemented with 4-META/MMA-TBB resin cement. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test (α=.05) were used to compare longevity between the 2 materials. Chi-squared tests (α=.001) were also used to examine the occurrence rates of events such as secondary caries, endodontic treatment, and the dislodgement of restorations affecting the longevity of the 2 cements. Results Clinical review examination demonstrated that 55.4% of teeth retained with 4-META/MMA-TBB resin cement had been in service for 30 years compared with 43.5% of those retained with zinc phosphate cement, with a significant difference (P=.006). 4-META/MMA-TBB resin cement also demonstrated lower event occurrence rates than zinc phosphate cement for 3 assessed types of events (P Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, 4-META/MMA-TBB resin adhesive cement demonstrated a higher survival rate than conventional zinc phosphate cement in service for 30 years with a lower occurrence of critical events.

This investigation aimed to study the corrosion performance of low-carbon steel in a soil environment at different temperatures. The steel specimens in the soil were treated at three temperatures: 5, 25 and 60°C. The specimens were embedded in chloride-free soil for 21 days, and then 3.5% (by weight) sodium chloride (NaCl) was added to the soil. The specimens were then kept in the chloride-contaminated soil for 54 days. The results of electrochemical experiments showed superior corrosion performance of the specimens at 60°C, which had the lowest corrosion activity, followed by the specimens at 5 and 25°C. The slow nature of the kinetics of the corrosion reactions at 5°C compared with that at ambient temperature was the reason for this improvement at 5°C. The lower number of microorganisms, including sulfate-reducing bacteria, in the soil at 60°C compared with that at the other temperatures was attributed to the lower corrosion activity of steel in the soil at 60°C compared with the corrosion activity of steel in the soil at other temperatures.

Reuse of coal fly ash (CFA) as construction materials is one of the sustainable methods for mitigating its environmental impacts. However, the potential leaching of heavy metals and the limited effect on mechanical improvement impede the reuse of CFA. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of environmental impact and mechanical improvement of the microbially induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) process on the CFA–soil mixture. Two resources of CFA, named CFA1 and CFA2, were used. CFA1 is classified as off-specification fly ash, and CFA2 is classified as class F-type fly ash. Experimental results showed that the unconfined compressive stress (UCS) of MICP-treated soil increased significantly with the addition of CFA. The MICP-treated 3% CFA1–soil mixture obtained the highest UCS of 2200 kPa, which was much higher than that of the MICP-treated soil (798 kPa). The maximum UCS of the MICP-treated 3% CFA2–soil mixture was 1398 kPa. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the main mineral crystal pattern present in the MICP-treated samples was calcite. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the formed calcium carbonate worked as a bridge to connect soil particles together, attached to the surface of soil or located in the pore side of soil particles. In addition, the batch leaching test indicated that cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), magnesium (Mg), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) were detected in the MICP-treated soil. With the addition of CFA, there was no metal exceeding the maximum contaminant level from the MICP-treated CFA1–soil mixture.

Decades of acidic deposition have depleted soil calcium (Ca) stocks over large areas of eastern Canada. The recovery of soil Ca levels has been limited despite substantial reductions in acidic deposition and will likely take many decades because rates of loss (owing to soil leaching, timber harvesting, and forest regeneration) may equal or exceed those of supply (via atmospheric input and natural mineral weathering). As low soil Ca levels may adversely affect local biota with relatively high Ca requirements, affected sites may benefit from supplementation with an alternative Ca source. A growing body of evidence suggests that the application of wood ash to Ca-deficient forest soils can help counteract the loss of Ca and other nutrients from the soil while boosting forest productivity. Yet the use of wood ash as a forest soil amendment is currently restricted in Canada, and the costs of obtaining permits and transporting/applying the ash make landfilling a more economically viable option. Here, we explore the potential of wood ash amendments in terms of their risks and benefits, dose and application frequency, time to see benefits, and longevity of benefits. After considering these topics in the context of Ca-deficient, acidified forest soils across eastern Canada, we propose that the potential benefits of ash amendments in these areas likely outweigh the risks. Future studies are needed to clarify both the short- and long-term effects of wood ash addition on different tree species in both natural and managed forests, as well as the potential benefits for carbon capture and implications for Ca-deficient aquatic ecosystems.

The rapid degradation of magnesium (Mg)-based implants in physiological environment limits its clinical applications, and alloying treatment is an effective way to regulate the degradation rate of Mg-based materials. In the present study, three Mg alloys, including Mg-0.8Ca (denoted as ZQ), Mg-0.8Ca-5Zn-1.5Ag (denoted as ZQ71) and Mg-0.8Ca-5Zn-2.5Ag (denoted as ZQ63), were fabricated by alloying with calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn) and silver (Ag). The results obtained from electrochemical corrosion tests and in vitro degradation evaluation demonstrated that the three Mg alloys exhibited distinct corrosion resistance, and ZQ71 exhibited the lowest degradation rate in vitro among them. After addition of Zn and Ag, the antibacterial potential of Mg alloys was also enhanced. The in vitro cell experiments showed that all the three Mg alloys had good biocompatibility. After implantation in a rat femoral defect, ZQ71 showed significantly higher osteogenic activity and bone substitution rate than ZQ63 and ZQ, due to its higher corrosion resistance as well as the stimulatory effects of the released metallic ions. In addition, the average daily degradation rate of each Mg alloy in vivo was significantly higher than that in vitro, as could be due to the implantation site located in the highly vascularized trabecular region. Importantly, the correlations between the in vitro and in vivo degradation parameters of the Mg alloys were systematically analyzed to find out the potential predictors of the in vivo degradation performance of the materials. The current work not only evaluated the clinical potential of the three biodegradable Mg alloys as bone grafts but also provided a feasible approach for predicting the in vivo degradation behavior of biodegradable materials.

An experimental program was undertaken to investigate the effects of lignin fibers and freeze-thaw (FT) actions on the shear strength behavior of an expansive soil. Soil specimens were prepared at five lignin fiber contents. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests were carried out on as-compacted specimens and specimens subjected to 10 FT cycles. Scanning electron microscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance tests were performed to reveal the microstructural characteristics. Test results indicate that the inclusion of lignin fibers leads to a significant increase in the cohesion due to the fact that lignin fibers form spatial networks that increase the bonding among soil aggregates. The cohesion-fiber content relationships are linear and their slope is constant regardless of FT actions, which indicates that the contribution of lignin fibers to the cohesion is not impaired by FT cycles. Lignin fibers alleviate the development of FT-induced cracks and the associated reduction in cohesion. Meanwhile, lignin fibers have little impact on the arrangement and contact stress and roughness among soil particles. Therefore, they have little influence on the friction angle of the soil with or without FT histories.

In laminectomy, the laminas above the spinal nerves need to be removed by milling. This process is very dangerous because of the special lesion, and surgeons usually control the milling process by sensing the surgical status. However, in robot-assisted laminectomy, safety monitoring will be difficult because the surgeon is not directly involved. Based on the human tactile perception mechanism, this paper proposes a surgical status perception method using the acceleration sensor and force sensor installed on the robot. The Sinc-convolutional layer is introduced to process high-frequency vibration signals, and the obtained features are processed together with the averaged force signals using a 1D convolutional network. The proposed method classifies the surgical status into 5 categories, and outputs the burr clogging probability. Experiments on animal bones show the effectiveness of the proposed model. In addition, it has also been proved that the fusion of the two tactile signals can significantly improve the status recognition accuracy under changing milling parameters.

Although the clinical use of self-adhesive flowable composite resins is convenient, the decision to use flowable or conventional composite resin remains controversial.The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the in vitro bond strength of self-adhesive flowable composite resins to enamel or dentin compared with conventional composite resins using etch-and-rinse or self-etch adhesive systems.Two independent reviewers performed searches in the PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Wiley, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases for studies reporting on the bond strength of self-adhesive flowable and conventional composite resins to enamel and dentin published from January 2010 up to September 2020. A meta-analysis software program was used for the meta-analysis. Comparisons were conducted using standardized mean differences considering the random-effects model (α=.05).Twenty-two studies were considered for the meta-analysis. Immediate and long-term bond strength to enamel was improved when a conventional composite resin was used in combination with an adhesive system (P.001). Bond strength to dentin was improved by using an adhesive system in combination with a conventional composite resin (P.001).The bond strength of self-adhesive flowable composite resins is lower than that of conventional composite resins, indicating limited ability to bond to enamel and dentin.

Stresses induced by implant-supported prostheses are related to mechanical complications. However, how the manufacturing method affects the generated stresses is unclear.The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the passive fit of 3-unit cobalt-chromium partial prostheses fabricated by using 3 different methods: conventional casting (milled resin with lost-wax method), machined (milling soft metal blocks), or sintered (direct metal laser sintering).Thirty 3-unit implant-supported cobalt-chromium fixed prostheses were fabricated, 10 with each method. Four strain gauges were placed over an in vitro resin model with 2 implants in it; 2 gauges were placed above and 2 on the sides to measure the microdeformations caused by placing the structures above the implants in longitudinal flexion, vertical flexion, or torsion, before and after tightening the screws. An inferential analysis was carried out by using a statistical software program, and the Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied and then complemented with the Mann-Whitney test for multiple comparisons with the Bonferroni correction (α=.01).The mean longitudinal deformation, vertical flexion, and torsional deformation values increased after tightening the screws with each of the 3 fabrication methods. Significant differences (P.01) were found for all 3 methods before and after screw tightening. After screw tightening, the machined structures, followed by sintered structures, and the cast structures (P.05) had smaller deformations in the X, Y, and Z dimensions. The longitudinal deformation was less in machined structures, and vertical flexion deformation was less in machined and sintered structures than in cast structures (P.05).The deformations registered in the in vitro model increase considerably after screw tightening, which indicates the lack of passive fit. Machined structures provide a better passive fit, followed by sintered structures, and the cast structures had the poorest fit.

Solubility between ethanol and diesel impedes the application of ethanol in diesel engines. The objective of the experiment is to compare combustion and emission characteristics of ethanol/diesel fuels using biodiesel, n-pentanol, tetrahydrofuran (THF) as cosolvents respectively on a diesel engine under variable engine loads, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rates, and injection timings. The results show: All tested blends increase the indicated thermal efficiency (ITE) except at low load, and THF/ethanol/diesel fuel exhibits a higher ITE. The Coefficient of Variations of Indicated Mean Effective Pressure (COVIMEP) of ethanol/diesel blends is higher than that of diesel at low load. Under EGR conditions, ethanol/diesel blends run at lower COVIMEP, especially for biodiesel/ethanol/diesel fuel. At higher loads, all ethanol/diesel blends can decrease carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, especially for THF/ethanol/diesel fuel. Excessive retard of injection timing will increase CO and total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions of ethanol/diesel fuels. The soot emissions of THF/ethanol/diesel fuel are lower than those of n-pentanol/ethanol/diesel fuel under higher EGR rates. The effect of injection timing on soot emissions becomes more pronounced at slightly higher EGR rates. Compared to diesel, biodiesel/ethanol/diesel fuel increases nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, especially at medium-low load, whereas n-pentanol/ethanol/diesel and THF/ethanol/diesel fuels reduce NOxat low and high loads, slightly increase NOxemissions at medium loads. In conclusion, THF may be a more promising ethanol/diesel cosolvent compared with high alcohols and biodiesel in terms of fuel economy and emissions, especially under EGR and heavy load conditions.

Abstract: This paper reviews proton-conducting polymer electrolytes comprising different polymers, salts, and acids. The ionic conductivity of plasticized polymer electrolytes has been found to increase with the addition of plasticizers due to the dissociation of ion aggregates or undissociated salt/acid present in the electrolytes, i.e., σ (plasticized polymer electrolytes) > σ (unplasticized polymer electrolytes). Proton-conducting nonaqueous nanocomposite plasticized polymer electrolytes containing poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymers; different ammonium salts and acids as proton conductors; ethylene carbonate (EC), propylene carbonate (PC), dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMA), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC) as plasticizers; fumed silica and alumina as nano-fillers have been discussed in details. Conductivity studies (effect of salt/acid, effect of plasticizers, effect of nano-fillers, and effect of temperature), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry/thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC/TGA) studies for these electrolytes have been discussed and reported in the paper. Nanocomposite plasticized polymer electrolytes showed high ionic conductivity (in the order of 10-1 to 10-2 S/cm) at room temperature along with good thermal and mechanical stability due to the simultaneous addition of both plasticizers and nano-fillers. These nanocomposite polymer electrolytes are the best candidates for use in various electrochemical devices like solid-state batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, sensors, separators, and other electrochromic devices.

The objective of this paper is to present a thorough analysis of the toxicity of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) with the heavy metal cadmium (Cd). These components were studied separately and combined to determine how these environmental toxins affect Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) in fresh water. The combined toxicity of MPs or NPs and Cd to M. aeruginosa showed an aggressive and negative effect after 96 h of exposure. Due to the higher adsorption ability of NPs, the accumulation of Cd inside cells with NPs was lower than that found inside the cells with MPs. But the difference in toxicity between the MPs and NPs was not significant. Meanwhile, the more produce of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) in the presence of NPs, the more complex effect of EPS bonded to heavy metals, which reduce the toxic effect on the algal cells. Notably, the production of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) under different treatments has demonstrated that the presence of combined MPs/NPs with Cd can potentially raise some of the toxin risks harming the aquatic environment. Our findings highlight the great potential ecological risks of the combined Cd and MPs/NPs in the aquatic system.

An E. coli reduction-powered supramolecular polymerization is reported, leading to the fabrication of an NIR photothermal antibacterial agent in situ. To this end, a bifunctional monomer containing...

Although excellent reliability has been reported for sintered silver as a die-attach material under both thermal and power cycling loads in power electronics applications, the promise of this material as a large-area attachment at temperatures beyond 200 °C needs to be investigated. This paper presents insights into the thermomechanical behavior and reliability of sintered silver under extreme thermal cycling conditions. In this study, we bonded sintered silver samples and subjected it to a thermal cycling profile of -40 °C to 200 °C with high ramp rates. We periodically monitored samples under thermal cycling to detect the presence of any failure mechanisms using a scanning acoustic microscope. We also included 95Pb5Sn solder in the study to obtain reference data. Results show the occurrence of cracks in sintered silver followed by a rapid rate of crack growth that exceeded the failure criterion in just 50 cycles. The predominant failure mechanism we observed was adhesive failure. As a large-area attachment, solder exhibited a higher reliability than sintered silver but failed within 100 cycles. Finally, we performed thermomechanical modeling to compute strain energy density values and correlated these with the experimentally observed crack growth rates to formulate a lifetime prediction model for sintered silver.

Component failure due to cold dwell fatigue of titanium and its alloys is a long-standing problem which has significant safety and economic implications to the aviation industry. This can be addressed by understanding the governing mechanisms of time dependent plasticity behaviour of Ti at low temperatures. Here, stress relaxation tests were performed at four different temperatures on three major alloy systems: commercially pure titanium (two alloys with different oxygen content), Ti-6Al-4V (two microstructures with differing β phase fractions) and Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-xMo (two alloys with different Mo content x= 2 or 6, and portion of β phase). Key parameters controlling the time dependent plasticity were determined as a function of temperature. Both activation volume and energy were found to increase with temperature in all six alloys. It was found that the dwell fatigue effect is more significant by oxygen alloying but is suppressed by the addition of Mo. The presence of the β phase did not strongly affect the dwell fatigue, however, it was suppressed at high temperature due to the low strain rate and strain rate sensitivity.

Lycorine-nanoparticles (LYC-NPs) were successfully synthesized using anti-solvent precipitation-freeze drying method, and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Then, the antitumor effects of LYC-NPs against HepG2 cells were investigated, and the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored. Our results showed that LYC-NPs displayed potent antiproliferative against HepG2 cells concentration dependently. Flow cytometry analysis exhibited that LYC-NPs triggered apoptosis and impeded cell cycle in G0/G1 phase. Moreover, the up-regulated expression of cleaved caspases-3 and Bax, and decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and the Bcl-2 expression were involved in LYC-NPs apoptosis, implying that LYC-NPs induced apoptosis via the mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis pathway. Furthermore, LYC-NPs distinctly impaired HepG2 cells migration and invasion with down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 expression. These results indicated that LYC-NPs could be an favorable agent for restraining the growth and metastasis of HepG2 cells.

Hydrogels are widely used materials due to their biocompatibility, their ability to mimic the hydrated and porous extracellular microenvironment, as well as their ability to tune both mechanical an...

A series of bender element tests was carried out to investigate the variation of small-strain stiffness (Gmax) of sand–granulated rubber mixtures under long-term loading. Comparisons were made using two different host sands: a non-crushable material called Sydney sand and a crushable material composed of completely decomposed volcanic rock (CDV). The test results suggested that, at the selected stress states in the study (mean effective confining stress ranged from 250 to 333 kPa), the influence of creep on the stiffness of the pure sand specimens was more pronounced for CDV compared with Sydney sand and the presence of rubber amplified creep effects on both types of mixtures. The influence of creep on Gmax was therefore associated with two major mechanisms: the increased compressibility of specimens predominantly because of grain crushing (contribution of sand fraction), and the increased compressibility because of the presence of soft rubber grains (contribution of the rubber fraction). The significant influence of grain breakage on the relationship between stiffness and creep was confirmed by post-test examination of the grain-size distribution curves of pure CDV samples. For rubber–CDV mixtures, the inclusion of soft and viscoelastic rubber grains prevented breakage, in this way reducing the creep mechanism due to grain crushing, but increased the overall influence of creep on stiffness. These conclusions were drawn based on 20% of rubber by mixture weight, and very similar behaviour was observed for 10% rubber. It was therefore understood that the aggravation of creep induced by the increased deformations due to the presence of rubber, for the given contents of rubber included in the study, was more dominant compared with the adverse influence of rubber on samples’ creep by preventing sand grain breakage.

To increase the in vivo stability of cationic gene carriers and avoid the adverse effects of their positive charge, we synthesized a new shielding material by conjugating low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) to a hyaluronic acid (HA) core. The HA-PEG conjugate assembled with the positively charged complex, forming a protective layer through electrostatic interactions. DNA/polyetherimide/HA-PEG (DNA/PEI/HA-PEG) nanoparticles had higher stability than both DNA/polyethyleneimine (DNA/PEI) and DNA/PEI/HA complexes. Furthermore, DNA/PEI/HA-PEG nanoparticles also showed a diminished nonspecific response toward serum proteins in vivo. The in vivo transfection efficiency was also enhanced by the low cytotoxicity and the improved stability; therefore, this material might be promising for use in gene delivery applications.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) triggered by second near-infrared (NIR-II) light (1000–1400 nm) has shown great potential in tumor ablation because of its good tissue penetrability. However, NIR-II PTT ...

Highly durable and stretchable ionic conductors are indispensable components for flexible electronics. However, fabricating such ionic conductors that are also non-toxic and biodegradable remains a...

Human biomonitoring (HBM) represents the most accurate approach for assessing the exposure to mycotoxins, but traditional matrices fail to provide information about long-term exposure due to the rapid excretion rates and short half-lives of mycotoxins. Hair emerges as a promising matrix considering that contaminants can form stable links with hair components, such as keratins and melanin. Hence, the aim of the present study was to monitor the presence of up to ten mycotoxins (aflatoxins and Fusarium mycotoxins) in human hair samples (n=100) through a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to Q-TOF high resolution mass spectrometry. A prevalence of 43% at concentrations ranging from 2.7 to 106.1 ng/g was observed, being enniatins and aflatoxin B1 the most prevalent compounds. Co-occurrence of up to three mycotoxins was observed in 42% of the positive samples. Retrospective untargeted analysis of hair samples tentatively identified up to 128 mycotoxins and related metabolites. These results confirm the accumulation of toxicologically relevant mycotoxins in hair matrix, thus standing as a suitable matrix for assessing long-term exposure.

Bacterial infections related to medical devices can cause severe problems, whose solution requires in-depth understanding of the interactions between bacteria and surfaces. This work investigates the influence of surface physicochemistry on bacterial attachment and detachment under flow through both empirical and simulation studies. We employed polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates having different degrees of crosslinking as the model material and the extended Derjaguin − Landau − Verwey − Overbeek model as the simulation method. Experimentally, the different PDMS materials led to similar numbers of attached bacteria, which can be rationalized by the identical energy barriers simulated between bacteria and the different materials. However, different numbers of residual bacteria after detachment were observed, which was suggested by simulation that the detachment process is determined by the interfacial physicochemistry rather than the mechanical property of a material. This finding is further supported by analyzing the bacteria detachment from PDMS substrates from which non-crosslinked polymer chains had been removed: similar numbers of residual bacteria were found on the extracted PDMS substrates. The knowledge gained in this work can facilitate the projection of bacterial colonization on a given surface., Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 622, ISSN:0021-9797, ISSN:1095-7103

Effective bond of cement sheath to casing or formation depends on higher tensile strength and lower young's modulus which are a measure of its ability to withstand deformation under load without parting. This work utilized Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) redispersible polymer powder as additive in the class G cement to characterize bonding ability. Tensile strength was measured for samples cured at 90 °C for 3 days, whereas compressive strength was measured for samples cured at 120 °C for 1 day and 3 days under atmospheric pressure. The results showed that, with the addition of beyond 10% by weight of cement (BWOC) of polymer, not only tensile strength was improved, but also reduced young's modulus. Addition of EVA additive beyond 10% BWOC showed significant benefit of flexibility in the cement system. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) indicated that presence of high VA (Vinyl Acetate) has no effect on polymerization of Silicates, which shows it does not hider in the formation of C–S–H phase. Intensity of chemical bond augmented with longer curing time and increased polymer content, as seen in O–H stretching vibration at 3434 cm−1 and from Carboxylate anion at 1571 cm−1 to confirm on hydrolysis. Mercury Intrusion porosimeter (MIP) showed significant reduction in fraction of mesopore sizes within the cement matrix, with the polymer addition.

Epoxy resin powder coating has been successfully applied on the corrosion protection of magnesium lithium alloys. However, poor wear resistance and microcracks formed during the solidification have limited it extensive application. There are limited approaches to exploit such anti-corrosion and mechanical properties of magnesium lithium alloys. Herein, the epoxy resin powder coating with polydopamine modified molybdenum disulfide (MoS2@PDA-EP powder coating with 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 wt.% loading) was well prepared by melt extrusion to investigate its anticorrosion performance and wear resistance. The results revealed that the addition of MoS2@PDA enhanced the adhesion strength between coatings and alloys, wear resistance and corrosion protection of the powder coatings. Among them, the optimum was obtained by 0.2 wt.% MoS2@PDA-EP powder coating which could be attributed to well dispersion and efficient adhesion with coating matrix. To conclude, MoS2@PDA-EP powder coating is meaningfully beneficial for the anticorrosive and wear performance improvement of magnesium lithium alloys.

Objective: We conducted the present study to investigate the anticancer effects of curcumin and chrysin loaded in the alginate-chitosan hydrogel on breast cancer (T47D) and lung cancer (A549). Background: Cancer, which is defined as abnormal cell growth, is one of the biggest public health problems in the world. Natural compounds, such as polyphenols, are used as chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic agents in different types of cancer owing to their antioxidant, antineoplastic, and cytotoxic properties. To improve their bioavailability and releasing behavior, hydrogel systems with high drug loadingg, stability and hydrophilic nature have been designed. Methods: The curcumin-chrysin-loaded alginate-chitosan hydrogels were prepared through the ionic gelation mechanism utilizing CaCl2. The prepared hydrogels were studied by using the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The MTT and DAPI staining assays were employed for cytotoxicity and apoptosis studies of curcumin-chrysin- loaded alginate-chitosan hydrogels. The effects of the curcumin-chrysin-loaded alginate-chitosan hydrogels on the cell cycle of cell lines T47D and A549 were also evaluated using the propidium iodide staining. Results: The curcumin-chrysin-loaded alginate-chitosan hydrogels could significantly (p Conclusion: The alginate-chitosan hydrogels could work best as an enhanced anticancer drug delivery system.