Controlling the optical properties of chiral nematic mesoporous organosilica films with bioadditives.

Chiral nematic mesoporous organosilica (CNMO) films have unique iridescent properties that make them attractive candidates for decorations, sensing and photonics. However, it has proven difficult to control the colour and porosity of CNMO films. Here, we have explored the addition of a range of biodegradable and eco-friendly additives to tune the helical pitch and, hence, the colour of the CNMO materials.

Biomarkers Suitable for Early Detection of Intrathoracic Cancers in Primary Care: A Systematic Review.

Intrathoracic cancers, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymoma, present diagnostic challenges in primary care. Biomarkers could resolve some challenges. We synthesized evidence on biomarker performance for intrathoracic cancer detection in low-prevalence settings.

Metastatic community acquired infection, secondary to skin and soft tissue infection: A case report.

is known to cause hospital-acquired infections, primarily in immunocompromised patients. Recently, a distinct syndrome of community-acquired invasive infection has been observed, mainly in the Southeast Asian population. This syndrome is associated with disseminated infection and the formation of multiple organ abscesses.

Cathodic electrodeposition of organic nanocomposite coatings reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals.

A systematic examination of the structure-property relations to create nanocomposite coatings electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of a cathodic polymer - for instance, polyacrylate - reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is discussed in this work. EPD, a scalable and green technique, has also been used in our approach to polymerize dopamine in the presence of CNCs and cathodic polymer to improve adhesion properties. This study investigated the interactions between CNCs, polydopamine (PDA) and the cathodic polyacrylic polymer to elucidate the dispersion state of the nanoparticles in the system by carefully examining -potential, particle size, and electrophoretic mobility dependence in the colloidal suspension.

Self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals confined to square capillaries.

Biological systems exploit restricted degrees of freedom to drive self-assembly of nano- and microarchitectures. Simplified systems, such as colloidal nanoparticles that behave as lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases in confined geometric spaces, may be used to mimic biological structures. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are colloidally stable nanoparticles that self-assemble into chiral nematic () liquid crystalline mesophases.

Halloysite nanotubes enhance the mechanical properties and thermal stability of iridescent cellulose nanocrystal films.

Films of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with chiral nematic organization can show vivid iridescence that arises from their hierarchical structure. Unfortunately, the brittleness of the films limits their potential applications. In this paper, we investigate the incorporation of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) into CNC films to prepare organic-inorganic composite films with enhanced mechanical properties, while preserving the chiral nematic structure and brilliant iridescence.

Intranasal antihistamines in the treatment of idiopathic non-allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Idiopathic rhinitis (IR), previously known as vasomotor rhinitis (VMR), is the most common type of non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) which affects around 100 million people worldwide. The treatment of patients with IR is not standardized. Intranasal antihistamines (INAH) are potent drugs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis but are frequently prescribed in the treatment of IR.

Ipratropium Bromide Nasal Spray in Non-Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of intranasal ipratropium bromide (INIB) to a placebo in reducing nasal symptoms, particularly rhinorrhea, and enhancing quality of life in non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) patients.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted on Medline, Embase, and Cochrane libraries.

Mechanically Responsive Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Cellulose-Nanocrystal-Based Shape-Memory Polymers.

Stimulus-responsive materials that display circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) have attracted great attention for application in chiral sensors and smart displays. However, due to difficulties in the regulation of chiral structures, fine control of CPL remains a challenge. Here, it is demonstrated that cellulose nanocrystal shape-memory polymers (CNC-SMPs) with luminescent components enable mechanically responsive CPL.

Coassembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals and Neutral Polymers in Iridescent Chiral Nematic Films.

Photonic materials based on composite films of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and polymers are promising as they can be renewable and show tunable optical and mechanical properties. However, the influence of polymers on CNC self-assembly is not always well understood, and conflicting results are present in the literature. In this study, we incorporate three neutral, water-soluble polymers-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-with different molecular weights into CNC suspensions at various concentrations prior to obtaining iridescent composite thin films by solvent evaporation.

Cellulose Nanocrystal Gels with Tunable Mechanical Properties from Hybrid Thermal Strategies.

Gels are useful materials for drug delivery, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and 3D printing. These various applications require gels with different mechanical properties that can be easily tuned, also preferably excluding the use of chemical additives, which can be toxic or harmful to the body or environment. Here, we report a novel strategy to synthesize cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) gels with tunable mechanical properties.

Concentric chiral nematic polymeric fibers from cellulose nanocrystals.

Hierarchical biological materials, such as osteons and plant cell walls, are complex structures that are difficult to mimic. Here, we combine liquid crystal systems and polymerization techniques within confined systems to develop complex structures. A single-domain concentric chiral nematic polymeric fiber was obtained by confining cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and hydroxyethyl acrylate inside a capillary tube followed by UV-initiated polymerization.

How hydrogen-bonding interactions and nanocrystal aspect ratios influence the morphology and mechanical performance of polymer nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals.

The performance of polymer nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) is complicated by several factors, primarily CNC-polymer and polymer-polymer interactions. Our current work specifically seeks to address the effects of CNC geometry, CNC-polymer and polymer-polymer interactions on the structure and non-linear mechanical performance of nanocomposites prepared using two water-soluble polymers, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), having different morphological and structural characteristics. PEO and PVA are chosen since they are compatible with CNCs, however, they interact quite differently with CNCs and result in different reinforcement mechanisms.

Using rotation to organize cellulose nanocrystals inside a fiber.

We demonstrate for the first time that continuous rotation of a mixture of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and monomer in a capillary tube results in well-organized structures. In the experiments, a capillary tube charged with an aqueous suspension of CNCs and hydroxyethyl acrylate was continuously rotated, then the structure was fixed in place by UV-initiated polymerization. The organization of the liquid crystalline structure that forms inside the tube depends on the rotation conditions and is captured in the polymer resin.

Impact of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Service on Burnout Development in Eight Intensive Care Units. A National Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the effects of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service on Burnout syndrome (BOS) development in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Design: The authors conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Settings: Eight ICUs within 5 tertiary hospitals in 1 country.

Fast Self-Assembly of Scalable Photonic Cellulose Nanocrystals and Hybrid Films via Electrophoresis.

Nano-enabled, bio-based, functional materials are key for the transition to a sustainable society as they can be used, owing to both their performance and nontoxicity, to gradually replace existing nonrenewable engineering materials. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), produced by acid hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass, have been shown to possess distinct self-assembly, optical, and electromechanical properties, and are anticipated to play an important role in the fabrication of photonic, optoelectronic, and functional hybrid materials. To facilitate CNCs' technological viability, a method suitable for industrial exploitation is developed to produce photonic films possessing long-range chirality on conductive, rigid, or flexible, substrates within a few minutes.

A rheological investigation of oil-in-water Pickering emulsions stabilized by cellulose nanocrystals.

Hypothesis: High and medium internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) exhibited very different performance compared to their peers stabilized with a surfactant. In this paper, we ascribed the difference to the formation of hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions between the CNC nanoparticles on adjacent oil droplets.

Experiments: Rheological properties of CNC-stabilized oil-in-water medium internal phase emulsions (MIPEs, oil content = 65% v/v) and high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs, oil content = 80% v/v) were comprehensively characterized using both oscillatory and rotational tests.

Association of anthelmintic treatment with malaria prevalence, incidence, and parasitemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A chronic helminth infection can alter host immune response and affect malaria infection. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to find the impact of anthelmintic treatment on malaria prevalence, incidence, and parasitemia. Nine and 12 electronic databases were searched on 28 July 2015 and 26 June 2020 for relevant studies.

Effect of thermal treatments on chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal films.

The ability to manipulate the optical appearance of materials is essential in virtually all products and areas of technology. Structurally coloured chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) films proved to be an excellent platform to design optical appearance, as their response can be moulded by organising them in hierarchical architectures. Here, we study how thermal treatments influence the optical appearance of structurally coloured CNC films.

Safety and Efficacy of the Draf IIb Procedure: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: To systematically review the literature to evaluate the indications, safety, and efficacy of the Draf IIb procedure and to evaluate the added advantages of technical factors such as stents and flaps.

Data Sources: Articles published until July 2019 on Medline and Cochrane databases.

Review Methods: After a systematic review based on the 2018 PRISMA guidelines was conducted, 26 of 1533 articles were included and reviewed for indications of Draf IIb; surgical technique; use of flaps, stents, grafts, or mitomycin; complications during and after surgery; and success or recurrence rate.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of ()--(4-propyl-oxybenzyl-idene)benzo[]thia-zol-2-amine.

The title compound, CHNOS, was synthesized by a condensation reaction between 2-amino benzo-thia-zole and 4--propoxybenzaldehyde. The benzo[]thia-zole ring system is nearly planar (r.m.