Background: Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) pose a serious medical and veterinary threat as vectors of tick-borne pathogens. The wide variety of tick repellents available on the market primarily consist of synthetic preparations that may disrupt the ecological balance and accumulate in the environment, leading to harmful effects on humans and animals. The aim of the study was to develop an ecological preparation based on natural raw materials (biopolymers) with the addition of a mixture of essential oils that act as tick repellents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPoly(lactic acid) has great potential in sectors where degradability is an important advantage due to its polymer nature. The medical, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries have shown interest in using PLA. To overcome the limitations of stiffness and brittleness in the polymer, researchers have conducted numerous modifications to develop fibers with improved properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiodegradable craniofacial and cranial implants are a new aspect in terms of reducing potential complications, especially in the long term after surgery. They are also an important contribution in the field of surgical reconstructions for children, for whom it is important to restore natural bone in a relatively short time, due to the continuous growth of bones. The aim of this study was to verify the impact of the technology on biodegradability and to estimate the risk of inappropriate implant resorption time, which is an important aspect necessary to select prototypes of implants for in vivo testing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne of the biggest economic and environmental sustainability problems is the over-reliance on petroleum chemicals in polymer production. This paper presents an overview of the current state of knowledge on biopolymers combined with biosensors in terms of properties, compounding methods and applications, with a focus on medical and environmental aspects. Therefore, this article is devoted to environmentally friendly polymer materials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlastic products, especially in the packaging industry, have become the main commodities penetrating virtually every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, their omnipresence is not neutral to the natural environment. Pollution in the form of microplastics is a global problem.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper presents a comparative study on chitosan degradation in organic acid solutions according to their different dissociation characteristics. More precisely, the aim of the study was to determine the kinetics of the degradation process depending on the different acid dissociation constants (pKa values). The scientists involved in chitosan to date have focused mainly on acetic acid solutions.
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