Micro- and Nanoplastics Produced from Textile Finishes: A Review.

The problem of increasing plastic pollution has emerged as a significant societal issue. Plastics can originate from various sources, and there is growing concern among researchers to study and investigate this new category of pollution. The plastic waste is found at the macro, micro, and nanoscale, and its study has had great significance according to the perspective of posing hazardous impacts on living organisms.

Assessment of the effects of the use of preconsumer cotton waste on the quality of rotor yarns.

Due to the shortage of raw fiber materials and stricter legislative conditions, it has become necessary to process even the more contaminated fiber wastes that contain only a small amount of useable fibers. Hence, this paper investigates the impact of different cleaning channels on the Rieter R37 rotor spinning machine in controlling spinning strategy and yarn quality using recovered blowroom cotton waste fibers. The study involves spinning 98-tex yarns with different cleaning channels during the spinning process, using recovered blowroom cotton waste in blends with virgin cotton processed into slivers by two methods.

Surface treatment of artificial implants with hybrid nanolayers: results of antibacterial tests, leachates and scanning electron microscope analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of surface-treated hernia implants modified by a hybrid nanolayer with incorporated Ag, Cu, and Zn cations using the sol-gel method.

Methods: The materials (polypropylene, polyester, and polyvinylidene difluoride) were activated by vacuum plasma treatment or UV C radiation, then modified and tested for bacterial strains of (gram-negative) and (gram-positive). The AATCC 100 (2019) method for quantitative and the ISO 20645 agar plate propagation method for qualitative evaluation of microbiological efficacy were used.

A thing about karate in physical culture.

This paper deals with karate activity in the areas of physical culture in the broad sense. It is a concise and clear approach to the topic, which aimed to conceptualise the inclusion of karate in areas of physical culture as a contemporarily attractive physical activity. Karate was described here as a combat sport, martial art, and self-defence system in the following areas of physical culture: physical education, physiotherapy, recreation, sports, and tourism.

Bioproduced Nanoparticles Deliver Multiple Cargoes via Targeted Tumor Therapy In Vivo.

This study recognized biologically produced gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as multiple cargo carriers with a perspective of drug delivery into specialized tumor cells in vivo. Paclitaxel (PTX), transferrin, and antimiR-135b were conjugated with AuNPs and their uptake by mouse tumor cells in an induced breast cancer model was investigated. Each of the above-mentioned molecules was conjugated to the AuNPs separately as well as simultaneously, loading efficiency of each cargo was assessed, and performance of the final product (FP) was judged.

Effect of mowing versus abandonment of mesic grasslands in Central Europe on biomass use for biogas production: Implications for semi-natural ecosystem conservation.

The economic management of lignocellulosic biomass from semi-natural grasslands is now a challenge across Europe. The abandonment of mowing these grasslands leads to the gradual degradation of these ecosystems. This study investigates how chemical and biological factors affect the suitability of biomass from abandoned grasslands for biogas production.

Standard versus individualised positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) compared by electrical impedance tomography in neurocritical care: a pilot prospective single centre study.

Background: Individualised bedside adjustment of mechanical ventilation is a standard strategy in acute coma neurocritical care patients. This involves customising positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), which could improve ventilation homogeneity and arterial oxygenation. This study aimed to determine whether PEEP titrated by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) results in different lung ventilation homogeneity when compared to standard PEEP of 5 cmHO in mechanically ventilated patients with healthy lungs.

Automatic variable extraction from 3D coxal bone models for sex estimation using the DSP2 method.

Thanks to technical progress and the availability of virtual data, sex estimation methods as part of a biological profile are undergoing an inevitable evolution. Further reductions in subjectivity, but potentially also in measurement errors, can be brought by approaches that automate the extraction of variables. Such automatization also significantly accelerates and facilitates the specialist's work.

Application of MTT assay for probing metabolic activity in bacterial biofilm-forming cells on nanofibrous materials.

The quantification of cellular metabolic activity via MTT assay has become a widespread practice in eukaryotic cell studies and is progressively extending to bacterial cell investigations. This study pioneers the application of MTT assay to evaluate the metabolic activity of biofilm-forming cells within bacterial biofilms on nanofibrous materials. The biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli on nanomaterials electrospun from polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), and polyamide (PA) was examined.

Trimetallic nanocomposites developed for efficient bimodal imaging fluorescence and magnetic resonance.

Despite several attempts, bimodal imaging still represents a challenge. Generally, it is accepted that dual-modality in imaging can improve sensitivity and spatial resolution, namely, when exploiting fluorescence (FI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), respectively. Here, a newly developed combination of (i) protein-protected luminescent Au-Ag nanoclusters (LGSN) manifesting themselves by fluorescent emission at 705 nm and (ii) superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) embedded within the same protein and creating contrast in MR images, has been investigated in phantoms and applied for bimodal imaging of a mouse as a proof of principle.

Thermally Stabilised Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanofibrous Materials Produced by Scalable Electrospinning: Applications in Tissue Engineering.

Electrospinning is a widely employed manufacturing platform for tissue engineering applications because it produces structures that closely mimic the extracellular matrix. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) electrospun nanofibers as scaffolds for tissue engineering. Nanofibers were created by needleless direct current electrospinning from PVA with two different degrees of hydrolysis (DH), namely 98% and 99% and subsequently heat treated at 180 °C for up to 16 h to render them insoluble in aqueous environments without the use of toxic cross-linking agents.

Effect of Drying Methods on the Thermal and Mechanical Behavior of Bacterial Cellulose Aerogel.

Bacterial cellulose (BC) presents significant promise as a biomaterial, boasting unique qualities such as exceptional cellulose purity, robust mechanical strength, heightened crystalline structure, and biodegradability. Several studies have highlighted specific effects, such as the impact of dehydration/rehydration on BC tensile strength, the influence of polymer treatment methods on mechanical properties, the correlation between microorganism type, drying method, and Young's modulus value, and the relationship between culture medium composition, pH, and crystallinity. Drying methods are crucial to the structure, performance, and application of BC films.

Analysis of nanomaterial biocoronas in biological and environmental surroundings.

A biomolecular coating, or biocorona, forms on the surface of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) immediately as they enter biological or environmental systems, defining their biological and environmental identity and influencing their fate and performance. This biomolecular layer includes proteins (the protein corona) and other biomolecules, such as nucleic acids and metabolites. To ensure a meaningful and reproducible analysis of the ENMs-associated biocorona, it is essential to streamline procedures for its preparation, separation, identification and characterization, so that studies in different labs can be easily compared, and the information collected can be used to predict the composition, dynamics and properties of biocoronas acquired by other ENMs.

Microplastic pollution promotes soil respiration: A global-scale meta-analysis.

Microplastic (MP) pollution likely affects global soil carbon (C) dynamics, yet it remains uncertain how and to what extent MP influences soil respiration. Here, we report on a global meta-analysis to determine the effects of MP pollution on the soil microbiome and CO emission. We found that MP pollution significantly increased the contents of soil organic C (SOC) (21%) and dissolved organic C (DOC) (12%), the activity of fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (FDAse) (10%), and microbial biomass (17%), but led to a decrease in microbial diversity (3%).

Assessment of climate change on river streamflow under different representative concentration pathways.

Climate change and excessive greenhouse gas emissions profoundly impact hydrological cycles, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, necessitating assessments of their effects on water resource management, agriculture, soil fertility, nutrient transport, hydropower generation, and flood risk. This study investigates climate change repercussions on streamflow in the Zarrineh River Basin, Iran, across three decadal intervals (2020-2029, 2055-2064, and 2090-2099) aiming to develop effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. Four General Circulation Models (GCMs), chosen based on distinct Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) determined by the annual mean temperature gradient, are employed.

Dramatic loss of microbial viability in bentonite exposed to heat and gamma radiation: implications for deep geological repository.

Bentonite is an integral part of the engineered barrier system (EBS) in deep geological repositories (DGR) for nuclear waste, but its indigenous microorganisms may jeopardize long-term EBS integrity. To predict microbial activity in DGRs, it is essential to understand microbial reactions to the early hot phase of DGR evolution. Two bentonites (BCV and MX-80) with varied bentonite/water ratios and saturation levels (compacted to 1600 kg.

Bilayer Scaffolds of PLLA/PCL/CAB Ternary Blend Films and Curcumin-Incorporated PLGA Electrospun Nanofibers: The Effects of Polymer Compositions and Solvents on Morphology and Molecular Interactions.

Tissue engineering scaffolds have been dedicated to regenerating damaged tissue by serving as host biomaterials for cell adhesion, growth, differentiation, and proliferation to develop new tissue. In this work, the design and fabrication of a biodegradable bilayer scaffold consisting of a ternary PLLA/PCL/CAB blend film layer and a PLGA/curcumin (CC) electrospun fiber layer were studied and discussed in terms of surface morphology, tensile mechanical properties, and molecular interactions. Three different compositions of PLLA/PCL/CAB-60/15/25 (TBF1), 75/10/15 (TBF2), and 85/5/10 (TBF3)-were fabricated using the solvent casting method.

Comparison of Mechanical Property Simulations with Results of Limited Flexural Tests of Different Multi-Layer Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.

This article is focused on the experimental study of flexural properties in different multi-layer carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites and correlations with the results of finite element method (FEM) simulations of mechanical properties. The comparison of the results shows the possibility of reducing the number of experimental specimens for testing. The experimental study of flexural properties for four types of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites with twill weaves (2 × 2) was carried out.

Effects of expanded graphite's structural and elemental characteristics on its oil and heavy metal sorption properties.

Expanded graphite has promising potential environmental applications due to its porous structure and oleophilic nature, which allow it to absorb large quantities of oil. The material is produced by intercalating graphite and applying heat to convert the intercalant into gas to cause expansion between the layers in the graphite. Using different intercalants and temperature conditions results in varying properties of expanded graphite.

Long-term dissolution of thermo- and pH-responsive, F magnetic resonance-traceable and injectable polymer implants.

F magnetic resonance (F MR) tracers stand out for their wide range of applications in experimental and clinical medicine, as they can be precisely located in living tissues with negligible fluorine background. This contribution demonstrates the long-term dissolution of multiresponsive fluorinated implants designed for prolonged release. Implants were detected for 14 (intramuscular injection) and 20 (subcutaneous injection) months by F MR at 4.

Analytical methods for quantifying PS and PVC Nanoplastic attachment to activated sludge Bacteria and their impact on community structure.

Nanoplastics are anticipated to be ubiquitous in various environmental compartments. However, challenges in analytical methods hinder our understanding of risks related to specific nanplastics characteristics such as size and chemical compositions, and interactions between nanoplastics and microorganisms. In this study, we applied fit-for-purpose analytical methods and techniques to understand how nanoplastic chemical composition influences their interaction with bacteria collected from activated sludge.

One year of active moss biomonitoring in the identification of PAHs in an urbanized area-prospects and implications.

Classical monitoring of air pollution provides information on environmental quality but involves high costs. An alternative to this method is the use of bioindicators. The purpose of our work was to evaluate atmospheric aerosol pollution by selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons conducted as part of annual active biomonitoring ("moss-bag" technique) with the use of three moss species: Pleurozium schreberi, Sphagnum fallax, and Dicranum polysetum.

Modelling and optimising the performance of graphene oxide-CuSnS-polyaniline nanocomposite as an adsorbent for mercury ion removal.

Finding a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly technique for the removal of mercury ion (Hg) in water and wastewater can be a challenging task. This paper presents a novel and efficient adsorbent known as the graphene oxide-CuSnS-polyaniline (GO-CTS-PANI) nanocomposite, which was synthesised and utilised to eliminate Hg from water samples. The soft-soft interaction between Hg and sulphur atoms besides chelating interaction between -N and Hg is the main mechanism for Hg adsorption onto the GO-CTS-PANI adsorbent.