Not all superabsorbent wound dressings are born equal: theory and experiments

Among the advanced wound dressing types, superabsorbent (SA) dressings form an important class of dressings, particularly for the management of medium to highly exuding wounds. However, SA dressings are not all made the same. This educational article describes distinct, common SA dressing designs, which differ fundamentally in structure and composition, and, thereby, in their exudate absorption function and clinical efficacy. The diverse design families of SA dressings, including dressings with an SA polymer-sheet core, versus dressings with an air laid core, where the SA polymer grains are embedded in fluff, relate to different manufacturing processes, production techniques and associated fabrication costs. These fundamental structural and material differences across SA dressing designs from different manufacturers naturally lead to wide variations in the fluid handling characteristics of the products, which are analysed here using both theoretical and experimental bioengineering laboratory approaches. This work is primarily aimed at promoting critical thinking among health professionals who should ask manufacturers to present relevant testing data for an informed clinical decision-making with regards to the choice of the safest and best performing SA dressing for each treated wound case.

Multifunctional Zinc Oxide/Silver Bimetallic Nanomaterial-Loaded Nanofibers for Enhanced Tissue Regeneration and Wound Healing

Native skin repair requires wound care products that not only protect the wound from bacterial infection, but also accelerate wound closure and minimize scarring. Nanomaterials have been widely applied for wound healing due to their multifunctional properties. In a previous study, we prepared and characterized electrospinning zinc oxide/silver/polyvinylpyrrolidone/polycaprolactone (ZnO/Ag/PVP/PCL) nanofibers using ZnO and Ag nanoparticles, and evaluated their antibacterial effect in vitro. In this work, further characterization studies were performed, which confirmed that the ZnO/Ag nanoparticles were physically embedded and evenly distributed in the ZnO/Ag/PVP/PCL nanofibers, enabling the sustained release of Ag and Zn. In addition, the bimetallic nanofibers showed satisfactory fluid handling and flexibility. In vivo wound healing and histology studies showed that the ZnO/Ag/PVP/PCL nanofibers had a better anti-inflammatory, skin tissue regeneration, and wound healing effect than monometallic nanofibers or a commercially available wound plaster (Yunnan Baiyao). Therefore, ZnO/Ag/PVP/PCL bimetallic nanofibers may be a safe, efficient biomedical dressing for wound healing.

Radiation sterilization of Honey and Honey-Alginate Wound Dressing from Stingless Bee (Tetragonula biroi) Collected from Sta. Maria, Laguna, Philippines

This study was conducted to determine the effect of radiation sterilization on alginate wound dressing containing honey from the Philippine stingless bee, Tetragonula biroi. Our results show that a radiation dose of 30 kGy did not affect the antibacterial property of honey against Staphylococcus aureus. Electron-beam irradiation did not produce significant alterations in the physicochemical properties (pH, total soluble solids, and flavonoids); however, the total phenolics was significantly increased in honey with higher irradiation doses. Demonstrating that irradiation can be applied to honey with negligible physicochemical effects, honey was incorporated in alginate and exposed to a sterilization dose of 25 kGy using an electron beam facility. Irradiation did not affect the physicochemical properties (pH, moisture content, gel fraction, moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), and fluid handling capacity) of the honey alginate wound dressing (HAWD). The perspectives for the potential use of irradiated HAWD as a natural product-based substitute for commercial wound care products may be considered.

Effects of IV Fluids in Dogs and Cats With Kidney Failure

Intravenous fluid therapy has long been the mainstay of treatment of kidney disease, including acute kidney injury and uremic crisis associated with chronic kidney disease. Careful management of fluid dose is critical, as animals with kidney disease may have marked derangements in their ability to regulate fluid homeostasis and acid-base status. Understanding of the physiology of renal fluid handling is necessary, along with repeated attention to parameters of fluid status, electrolytes, and acid-base balance, to achieve optimal hydration status and avoid further damage or decrease in function from dehydration or overhydration.

STABILITY ANALYSIS OF GLOBE VALVE USING CLASSICAL TECHNIQUES

The importance of globe valve in fluid handling and control cannot be overemphasized. It is useful in oil and gas applications. If globe valve is not properly modelled, its primary purpose of regulation of fluid flow may be defeated. In this work, model of globe valve is developed from basic mechanical principles. The resulting model is a second order system whose response to a step input signal gives no overshoot. Further stability analysis with bode plot, Nyquist plot and root locus plot give a stable system indicating that the developed globe valve model is suitable for relevant areas of application.

Epoxy\Epoxy Composite\Epoxy Hybrid Composite Coatings for Tribological Applications—A Review

Epoxy composite coating systems generally find their usage in applications such as, fluid handling systems to protect components from corrosive media. However, their use in demanding tribological applications such as, in sliding components of machines, are known to be limited. This is often attributed to their low load bearing capacity combined with poor thermal stability under severe p-v regimes. Researchers have tried to enhance the tribological properties of the epoxy coatings using a combination of several types of micro/nano sized fillers to produce composite or hybrid composite coatings. Hence, this review paper aims to focus on the recent advances made in developing the epoxy coating systems. Special attention would be paid to the types and properties of nano-fillers that have been commonly used to develop these coatings, different dispersion techniques adopted and the effects that each of these fillers (and their combinations) have on the tribological properties of these coatings.