A review of hollow fibers in application-based learning: from textiles to medical

Hollow fibers are highly valued in the textile industry. Their physical properties and other superior characteristics make them a crucial material for innovations in textiles in the medical field, where they could provide solutions to therapeutic challenges. The inner lumen of hollow fibers has potential for use in medical and healthcare devices. For example, hollow fibers could be used to deliver drugs to a target site, enhance blood purification, promote cell cultures, and enable drug screening. The use of hollow fibers could have beneficial effects for medical and therapeutic performance; a market for hollow fiber-based medical clothing is anticipated for promotion of an efficient, long-term, and convenient commercial medical therapy. This review discusses the development of medical textiles and describes the use of hollow fibers in different medical contexts, as well as the benefits of their use and their potential industrial applications in medical textiles and clothing.

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Functionalization of polymers and nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, textile and biomedical applications: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters ◽

10.1007/s10311-020-01089-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pooyan Makvandi ◽

Sidra Iftekhar ◽

Fabio Pizzetti ◽

Atefeh Zarepour ◽

Ehsan Nazarzadeh Zare ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Treatment ◽

Textile Industry ◽

Biomedical Applications ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Medical Field ◽

Functionalization Of Polymers ◽

Surface Decoration ◽

Commercial Polymers

Abstract The inert nature of most commercial polymers and nanomaterials results in limitations of applications in various industrial fields. This can be solved by surface modifications to improve physicochemical and biological properties, such as adhesion, printability, wetting and biocompatibility. Polymer functionalization allows to graft specific moieties and conjugate molecules that improve material performances. In the last decades, several approaches have been designed in the industry and academia to graft functional groups on surfaces. Here, we review surface decoration of polymers and nanomaterials, with focus on major industrial applications in the medical field, textile industry, water treatment and food packaging. We discuss the advantages and challenges of polymer functionalization. More knowledge is needed on the biology behind cell–polymer interactions, nanosafety and manufacturing at the industrial scale.

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Evaluation of the Technological Potential of Grape Peels Through Patent Document Analysis: Agro-industrial Waste with Biotechnological Potential

Recent Patents on Nanotechnology ◽

10.2174/1872210514999200730172649 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

Author(s):

Euzelia Lima de Souza ◽

Ingrid Lessa Leal ◽

Marcelo Andres Umsza-Guez ◽

Bruna Aparecida Souza Machado

Keyword(s):

Waste Product ◽

The United States ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Natural Form ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Research Technology ◽

Technological Potential ◽

Promising Area ◽

Patent Documents ◽

Grape Peel

Background: Grape (Vitis viniferaL.) is consumed by old world populations in its natural form and is used to produce wine or juice. Currently, China is the largest grape producer in the world. The red grapes stand out because of their phytochemical composition, more specifically their high resveratrol levels. Resveratrol is a compound that has a number of different beneficial effects on health and is mainly used in the food and cosmetic industries. Grape peel is a waste product and new strategies based on nanotechnology can minimize its environmental impact and add value to this residue. Objectives: The first objective of this study was to evaluate the technological potential of utilizing grape peel by researching and analyzing information extracted from patent documents filed worldwide in order to identify the main countries that hold the research technology, the main depositors and inventors, and the main areas of application. The second aim was to research and investigate grape peel products that have been created using nanotechnology. Methods: An analysis of all patented documents related to grape peel processes, products, or different industrial applications that may use nanotechnology was carried out. This was achieved by undertaking a Derwent Innovation Index (DII) database search. Results: A total of 752 patent documents were identified in the surveyed area. These were assessed for depositor country of origin, type of depositor, inventors, evolution of deposits over time, and areas of application. Only 6% of the total represented products and processes in the nanotechnology area. There was a growth in the number of patent filings from 2015, which showed that the researched area is a current and developing technology with new application possibilities. The main depositing countries were China, the United States, and Japan, which dominate the researched technology. The identified documents discussed using grape peel to develop new food, medical and dental products. Conclusion: Over the last few years, different approaches have been suggested for the production of nanoproducts based on grape peel. The results from this study showed that although incipient, nanotechnology is a promising area of research that can be explored by universities and companies because the products could have significant positive characteristics and, even though they are made out of a byproduct, have great application potential.

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Shedding New Light on Mountainous Forest Growth: A Cross-Scale Evaluation of the Effects of Topographic Illumination Correction on 25 Years of Forest Cover Change across Nepal

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13112131 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 2131

Author(s):

Jamon Van Den Hoek ◽

Alexander C. Smith ◽

Kaspar Hurni ◽

Sumeet Saksena ◽

Jefferson Fox

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

Classification Accuracy ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Forest Growth ◽

Forest Cover Change ◽

Scale Evaluation ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Affect Detection

Accurate remote sensing of mountainous forest cover change is important for myriad social and ecological reasons, but is challenged by topographic and illumination conditions that can affect detection of forests. Several topographic illumination correction (TIC) approaches have been developed to mitigate these effects, but existing research has focused mostly on whether TIC improves forest cover classification accuracy and has usually found only marginal gains. However, the beneficial effects of TIC may go well beyond accuracy since TIC promises to improve detection of low illuminated forest cover and thereby normalize measurements of the amount, geographic distribution, and rate of forest cover change regardless of illumination. To assess the effects of TIC on the extent and geographic distribution of forest cover change, in addition to classification accuracy, we mapped forest cover across mountainous Nepal using a 25-year (1992–2016) gap-filled Landsat time series in two ways—with and without TIC (i.e., nonTIC)—and classified annual forest cover using a Random Forest classifier. We found that TIC modestly increased classifier accuracy and produced more conservative estimates of net forest cover change across Nepal (−5.2% from 1992–2016) TIC. TIC also resulted in a more even distribution of forest cover gain across Nepal with 3–5% more net gain and 4–6% more regenerated forest in the least illuminated regions. These results show that TIC helped to normalize forest cover change across varying illumination conditions with particular benefits for detecting mountainous forest cover gain. We encourage the use of TIC for satellite remote sensing detection of long-term mountainous forest cover change.

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Long-Term Caloric Restriction Attenuates β-Amyloid Neuropathology and Is Accompanied by Autophagy in APPswe/PS1delta9 Mice

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13030985 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 985

Author(s):

Luisa Müller ◽

Nicole Power Guerra ◽

Jan Stenzel ◽

Claire Rühlmann ◽

Tobias Lindner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Caloric Restriction ◽

Neuroprotective Effect ◽

Resonance Spectroscopy ◽

Neuroprotective Effects ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Positron Emission ◽

Pet Ct ◽

Amyloid Aβ ◽

Β Amyloid

Caloric restriction (CR) slows the aging process, extends lifespan, and exerts neuroprotective effects. It is widely accepted that CR attenuates β-amyloid (Aβ) neuropathology in models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by so-far unknown mechanisms. One promising process induced by CR is autophagy, which is known to degrade aggregated proteins such as amyloids. In addition, autophagy positively regulates glucose uptake and may improve cerebral hypometabolism—a hallmark of AD—and, consequently, neural activity. To evaluate this hypothesis, APPswe/PS1delta9 (tg) mice and their littermates (wild-type, wt) underwent CR for either 16 or 68 weeks. Whereas short-term CR for 16 weeks revealed no noteworthy changes of AD phenotype in tg mice, long-term CR for 68 weeks showed beneficial effects. Thus, cerebral glucose metabolism and neuronal integrity were markedly increased upon 68 weeks CR in tg mice, indicated by an elevated hippocampal fluorodeoxyglucose [18F] ([18F]FDG) uptake and increased N-acetylaspartate-to-creatine ratio using positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) imaging and magnet resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Improved neuronal activity and integrity resulted in a better cognitive performance within the Morris Water Maze. Moreover, CR for 68 weeks caused a significant increase of LC3BII and p62 protein expression, showing enhanced autophagy. Additionally, a significant decrease of Aβ plaques in tg mice in the hippocampus was observed, accompanied by reduced microgliosis as indicated by significantly decreased numbers of iba1-positive cells. In summary, long-term CR revealed an overall neuroprotective effect in tg mice. Further, this study shows, for the first time, that CR-induced autophagy in tg mice accompanies the observed attenuation of Aβ pathology.

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Photocatalytic Activity Enhancement of Low-pressure Cold-Sprayed TiO2 Coatings Induced by Long-term Water Vapor Exposure

Journal of Thermal Spray Technology ◽

10.1007/s11666-021-01244-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Seremak Wioletta ◽

Baszczuk Agnieszka ◽

Jasiorski Marek ◽

Gibas Anna ◽

Winnicki Marcin

Keyword(s):

Titanium Dioxide ◽

Photocatalytic Activity ◽

Water Vapor ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Low Pressure ◽

Oxygen Depletion ◽

Amorphous Structure ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Additional Parameter

AbstractThis work shows that the titanium dioxide coatings obtained by low-pressure cold gas spraying with the use of the sol–gel amorphous TiO2 powder are characterized by photocatalytic activity despite their partial amorphous content. Moreover, the research outcome suggests that the decomposition rate of organic pollutants is enhanced after long-term exposure to moisture. The condensation humidity test is not detrimental to the continuity and integrity of the coating, but the phase composition of coatings changes—with the exposure to water vapor, the portion of the amorphous phase crystallizes into brookite. The mechanism responsible for the conversion of amorphous TiO2 into brookite is attributed to the water-driven dissolution and reprecipitation of TiO6 octahedra. It has been shown that an additional parameter necessary for the stabilization of the brookite is the oxygen depletion of the amorphous structure of titanium dioxide. Considering the results presented in this paper and the advantages of a portable, low-pressure cold spray system for industrial applications, it is expected that TiO2 coatings produced from a sol–gel feedstock powder can be further developed and tested as efficient photocatalysts.

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Yields and nitrogen uptake of grain sorghum in various rotations, including lucerne, annual legume and long fallow

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar9890255 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 255 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

ICR Holford

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Uptake ◽

Grain Sorghum ◽

Grazing Management ◽

First Year ◽

Red Clay ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

South Wales ◽

Establishment Method ◽

Soil Evidence

Long-term yields, nitrogen uptake and responsiveness of grain sorghum following three lucerne rotations, an annual legume rotation, long fallowing, and continuous wheat growing were measured on a black earth and red clay in northern New South Wales. The three lucerne rotations compared two methods of lucerne establishment (with or without a cover crop) and two methods of grazing management (short or extended grazing).There were large beneficial effects of lucerne leys on the first grain sorghum crop, whether they were measured as grain yield, nitrogen content of the foliage and grain, or nitrogen uptake. The effect was much smaller in the second year but it increased in the third and fourth years, in direct relation to the rainfall during the sorghum flowering period. The effect was larger on the black earth than on the red clay, reflecting the much higher lucerne yields on the former soil. Evidence indicated that the nitrogen contribution from lucerne after the first year was no greater than the nitrogen accumulated by long fallowing, and this was attributed to very low rainfall and lucerne yields during the four year ley period.The annual legume rotation suffered from drought and insect damage in most years, and following sorghum yields tended to be lower than those achieved by long fallowing.Differences in the effects of establishment method and grazing management on total lucerne yields were reflected in the differences in subsequent grain sorghum yields. Largest differences were on the black earth where extended grazing lowered the total yields of lucerne and subsequent grain sorghum. Sowing lucerne under wheat had little effect on total yields of lucerne or sorghum.

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The beneficial effects of Lactobacillus fermented black barley on high fat diet-induced fatty liver in rats

Food & Function ◽

10.1039/d1fo00290b ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Qi Guan ◽

Xinwen Ding ◽

Lingyue Zhong ◽

Chuang Zhu ◽

Pan Nie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Liver ◽

High Fat Diet ◽

Metabolic Disorders ◽

High Fat ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Phytochemical Composition

Long term high-fat diet (HF) can cause metabolic disorders, which might induce fatty liver. Fermented whole cereal food exhibit healthy potential due to their unique phytochemical composition and probiotics. In...

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Hallucinogenic/psychedelic 5HT2A receptor agonists as rapid antidepressant therapeutics: Evidence and mechanisms of action

Journal of Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1177/0269881120986422 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026988112098642

Author(s):

Rafael Guimarães dos Santos ◽

Jaime EC Hallak ◽

Glen Baker ◽

Serdar Dursun

Keyword(s):

Health Care Systems ◽

Treatment Compliance ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Antidepressant Effects ◽

Care Systems ◽

Drug Treatments ◽

Fast Acting

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the most prevalent mental health disorders worldwide, and it is associated with a reduced quality of life and enormous costs to health care systems. Available drug treatments show low-to-moderate response in most patients, with almost a third of patients being non-responders (treatment-resistant). Furthermore, most currently available medications need several weeks to achieve therapeutic effects, and the long-term use of these drugs is often associated with significant unwanted side effects and resultant reductions in treatment compliance. Therefore, more effective, safer, and faster-acting antidepressants with enduring effects are needed. Together with ketamine, psychedelics (or classic or serotoninergic hallucinogens) such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin, and ayahuasca are among the few compounds with recent human evidence of fast-acting antidepressant effects. Several studies in the 1950s to 1970s reported antidepressive and anxiolytic effects of these drugs, which are being confirmed by modern trials (LSD, one trial; psilocybin, five trials; ayahuasca, two trials). The effects of these drugs appear to be produced primarily by their agonism at serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) receptors, especially the 5-HT2A receptor. Considering the overall burden of MDD and the necessity of new therapeutic options, the promising (but currently limited) evidence of safety and efficacy of psychedelics has encouraged the scientific community to explore more fully their beneficial effects in MDD.

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Verbal threat learning does not spare loved ones

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84921-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cristina Morato ◽

Pedro Guerra ◽

Florian Bublatzky

Keyword(s):

Fear Learning ◽

Pain Experience ◽

Trauma Research ◽

Learning History ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Electric Shocks ◽

History Of ◽

Threat Cues ◽

Verbal Threat

AbstractSignificant others provide individuals with a sense of safety and security. However, the mechanisms that underlie attachment-induced safety are hardly understood. Recent research has shown beneficial effects when viewing pictures of the romantic partner, leading to reduced pain experience and defensive responding. Building upon this, we examined the inhibitory capacity of loved face pictures on fear learning in an instructed threat paradigm. Pictures of loved familiar or unknown individuals served as signals for either threat of electric shocks or safety, while a broad set of psychophysiological measures was recorded. We assumed that a long-term learning history of beneficial relations interferes with social threat learning. Nevertheless, results yielded a typical pattern of physiological defense activation towards threat cues, regardless of whether threat was signaled by an unknown or a loved face. These findings call into question the notion that pictures of loved individuals are shielded against becoming threat cues, with implications for attachment and trauma research.

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