This study aims to investigate the mutual effect of integrating alginate (Alg) into N,O-carboxymethyl chitosan (NOCC) – aldehyde hyaluronic acid (AHA) network regarding degradation behavior and ...biocompatibility of the hybrid hydrogel. The introduction of Alg not only generated the synergistic effect between electrostatic interaction and Schiff-base crosslinking, which was proved to significantly enhance the system stability and prolong degradation time, but also circumvented the limitation of bio-inert property of Alg-based composites. This approach is versatile and does not required extra effort to modify chemical compositions of the hydrogel components. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis was used to study the crosslinking mechanism of obtained fast gelling hybrid. The variation of volume ratios between three constituent components was found to modulate the gel-forming ability, biodegradation and biocompatibility of acquired hydrogel networks. Among investigated formulations, 6:4(1:1) NOCC-Alg-AHA sample possessed desired interconnected porous structure as shown by SEM technique, appropriate water uptake capacity, extended degradation time and excellent cell attachment and proliferation through in vitro studies, which is a promising injectable scaffold and/or encapsulating substrate for tissue engineering applications.
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•Prolong degradation rate of NOCC - AHA hydrogel without chemical modification by adding Alg.•Investigate the effect of hybrid crosslink at different volume ratio of NOCC, AHA and Alg.•Resolve the bio-inert of Alg to enhance cell adhesion and proliferation by endogenous interactions within the system.•Be used as an in-situ base to load inorganic phases, cells or drugs for further application in tissue engineering.
Sodium ternary layered oxides, typically NaNi
1/3
Mn
1/3
Co
1/3
O
2
(NMC), are layered structures analogous to LiNi
1/3
Mn
1/3
Co
1/3
O
2
, and have been utilized extensively in sodium-ion batteries ...(SIBs). The cathode material was successfully synthesized by a sol-gel process followed by a calcination step at 900 °C for 12 h. The triple-phase integration denoted as P2, O1 and O3 in the NMC sample was evidently revealed on XRD diagrams. The composite cathode material acted as an O3 purity phase that exhibited relatively good performance that delivered an initial capacity of 140 mAh g
−1
and sustained reversible capacities of nearly 110 mAh g
−1
after 100 cycles. The kinetics of sodium intercalation of sol-gel NMC upon reversible Na
+
insertion/de-insertion was evaluated via galvanostatic intermittence titration technique (GITT) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The diffusion coefficients of Na
+
deduced from the GITT curve were found to lie within a wide range, 10
−9
–10
−12
cm
2
s
−1
for the charge process and 10
−13
–10
−17
cm
2
s
−1
for the discharge process. This implies that the kinetics of Na
+
extraction out of the Na
x
Ni
1/3
Mn
1/3
Co
1/3
O
2
host could be much more favored than Na
+
insertion. Additionally, the evolution of diffusion coefficient and charge transfer resistance are consistent with the complex phase transition generally observed in sodium layered oxides.
Biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) is an ideal bone substitute with controllable bioresorption/biodegradation by changing its relative amount of hydroxyapatite (HA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) ...compositions. This study investigated the effect of synthetic conditions on the physicochemical properties and the remineralization behaviors of BCP materials in artificial saliva (AS). BCPs were obtained under the sonochemical condition at pH of 5.0 (BCP_5), 7.0 (BCP_7), and 9.0 (BCP_9), and all were sintered at 800, 1000, and 1200 °C. The HA/β-TCP ratio of BCPs increased according to the pH increase during the synthesis process. BCP_5 sintered at 800 °C with the highest β-TCP contents demonstrated (1) fast neutralization capacity to prevent enamel from dissolving in acidic saliva and (2) remineralization ion supply, and (3) new apatite formation found in acidic AS, indicating its high potential remineralization agent for dental care applications.
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•BCPs synthesized at pH 5.0 with high β-TCP had fast neutralization capacity in acidic saliva and ion supply.•BCPs synthesized at pH 5.0 generated new apatite formation in acidic and neutral artificial saliva.•BCPs sintered at 800 and 1000 °C achieved better remineralization properties than 1200 °C.
Vaccines are strongly recommended globally as an effective measure to prevent serious illness from and spread of COVID-19. Concerns about safety following vaccination continue to be the most common ...reason that people do not accept the vaccine. This retrospective study was carried out on 4341 people who received the first dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, BBIBP-CorV, or mRNA-1273 vaccine at Jio Health Clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Post-injection side effects were either reported by participants or actively collected by health care staff by means of telemedicine. Local side effects were reported by 35.5% of all individuals, with pain being the most common symptom (33.3%). Systemic side effects were reported by 44.2% of individuals, with fever (25.3%) and fatigue (21.4%) being the most common. Age ≤60 years, female gender, and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 were significant independent risk factors for both local and systemic side effects, while a history of allergy was significant as a risk factor for local side effects. A total of 43 individuals (1.0%) reported concerning symptoms of rare severe complications, which were addressed and treated by physicians via Jio Health app.
Bilayer electrospun hollow tube with poloxamer-modified inner surface that promoted cell adhesion and proliferation while inhibited platelet adhesion was fabricated for the application of artificial ...vascular prosthesis. Poloxamer blending is a sustainable, simple, affordable and effective approach toward the proper modification of luminal surface of small-diameter hollow tube by controlling the dynamic of PEG chains in term of blended poloxamer’s concentration.
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•Addition of Poloxamer 407 enhanced the hydrophilicity and bioactivity of electrospun PU/PCL tube’s luminal surface.•Changing PEG tails mobility with poloxamer increased cell adhesion, proliferation and inhibited platelet adhesion.•No pre- or post-treatment was required and no damage to the mat’s structure was reported in with this modification method.•The small-diameter tube with a bioactive inner layer and a hydrophobic outer layer is a promising artificial vascular graft.
In regard of engineering small-diameter vascular graft, a stable surface treatment targeting only the tube lumen toward rapid endothelialization and anti-thrombosis without weakening or deconstructing the prosthesis remains a technical challenge. In this study, a bilayer hollow tube with a hydrophilic inner layer polyurethane/polycaprolactone/Poloxamer (PU/PCL/Poloxamer) was fabricated. Poloxamer 407 was blended with PU/PCL as a one-step surface modification to enhance the hydrophilicity and bioactive properties of the electrospun tube’s luminal surface. Hydrophobic polypropylene glycol backbones anchored poloxamer onto based polymer while hydrophilic side chains migrated to the surface to modify the behaviors of electrospun inner surface. The poloxamer blended surface, interestingly, exhibited complicated attraction and repellent behaviors regulated by the dynamic of PEG chains. Moderate grafting density (2 %–8 %) exhibited high bioactive performance of PEG tails to simultaneously modulate cells' adhesion, elongation and proliferation while restricting platelet adhesion in comparison with PU/PCL and super-hydrophilic PU/PCL/Poloxamer surface. The elevation of poloxamer content in composition resulted in a corresponding increase in both hydrophilicity and tensile strength while maintained the homogenous fibrous structure of electrospun mat. Besides, a hydrophobic outer layer PU/PCL was fabricated to prevent the leakage and permeable transmembrane phenomenon toward the sustain application in vascular engineering.
This research aims to evaluate the influence of different 3D metals (Fe, Co, and Ni) substituted to Mn on the electrochemical performance of P2-NaxMe1/3Mn2/3O2 material, which was synthesized by the ...coprecipitation process followed by calcination at high temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results revealed that the synthesized Mn-rich materials possessed a P2-type structure with a negligible amount of oxide impurities. The materials possessed their typical cyclic voltammogram and charge-discharge profiles; indeed, a high reversible redox reaction was obtained by NaxCo1/3Mn2/3O2 sample. Both NaxCo1/3Mn2/3O2 and NaxFe1/3Mn2/3O2 provided a high specific capacity of above 140 mAh·g−1; however, the former showed better cycling performance with 83% capacity retention after 50 cycles at C/10 and high rate capability. Meanwhile, the Ni-sub NaxNi1/3Mn2/3O2 exhibited excellent cycling stability but a low specific capacity of 110 mAh·g−1 and inferior rate capability. The diffusion coefficient of Na+ ions into the structure tended to decrease with a depth of discharge; those values were in the range of 10−10–10−9 cm2·s−1 and 10−11–10−10 cm2·s−1 in the solid solution region and biphasic region, respectively.
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of sulfolane (SL) as a co-solvent in conventional carbonate-based electrolytes and its compatibility with a LiMn2O4 (LMO) cathode. The amount of SL was ...varied from 10 to 50 vol.% in an EC-DMC mixture (1:1 vol. ratio) within a 1.0-M lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt. The thermal properties of the electrolytes were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Solvent flammability was measured via self-extinguishing time (SET) and ignition time indexes while viscosity was gauged by the Ostwald method. Ionic conductivity was evaluated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic cycling with potential limitation (GCPL) were carried out to evaluate battery performance with the selected electrolytes. The results indicated that an increasing proportion of SL leads to an enhancement of the thermal and oxidation stability of the electrolytes. At 20-vol.% SL and below, the as-synthesized electrolytes exhibited a high ionic conductivity of 7.45 mS.cm-1 (25oC) and enabled LMO to deliver a specific capacity of 103 mAh.g-1 with a capacity retention of 92% after 20 cycles at C/10 rate. Due to such favourable properties, SL can be used as a co-solvent in EC-DMC systems to enhance the safety of lithium-ion batteries under high voltage conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made devastating impacts on public health and global economy. While most people experience mild symptoms, it is highly transmissible and deadly in at-risk populations. ...Telemedicine has the potential to prevent hospitalization and provide remote care.
This retrospective study included 336 people with COVID-19, among which 141 (42%) and 195 (58%) were in Delta and Omicron dominant groups, respectively. Patients were confirmed to have COVID-19 by PCR or rapid test and were cared for via telemedicine. Severe cases were hospitalized for more intensive treatment. RESULTS: The majority of individuals recovered at home (97.02%), while 2.98% required hospitalization. All hospital admissions were in Delta dominant group. No deaths were reported. Delta dominant group was more likely to develop loss of taste and smell, decreased appetite and need longer treatment time than those in Omicron dominant group.
Telemedicine is a safe measure to provide at-home care for people with COVID-19 infections caused by both Delta and Omicron variants.
This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board Committee of University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (IRB No: 22115-DHYD).
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Wound dressings are typically used to provide a favorable environment supporting the intricate process of wound healing. This research aims to fabricate and evaluate an electrospun polycaprolactone ...(EsPCL) membrane coated with various densities of chitosan oligomers (COS) – a biological agent - for application as bioactive wound dressing. Weight calculation was employed to investigate the density of COS coated onto the electrospun PCL membrane. Physicochemical characteristics of the prepared membranes, such as hydrophilicity and mechanical properties were demonstrated and evaluated through standard experimental methods. In vitro assays and mice model were used to investigate the antibacterial activities, cytocompatibility, hemostasis and the in vivo interaction of the membranes. The results showed that COS was coated successfully on the surface of the polymeric membrane, altering its morphology and associated characteristics. The greater concentration of COS led to an increase in the thickness of the membrane, which resulted in stronger antibacterial activities. Moreover, the increase of chitosan oligomers density in the membrane induced faster hemostasis and affected the re-epithelialization and wound healing in mice. Thus, the membrane as a whole and particularly chitosan oligomers were shown to be potential for further studies regarding wound dressing.
•Chitosan oligomer-coated polycaprolactone electrospun membranes were created with different densities of chitosan oligomers.•The membranes showed excellent bio- and hemo-compatibility and antibacterial properties, promoting invivo wound healing.•The polycaprolactone/chitosan oligomer membranes are highly potential for wound dressing application.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fifth most common cancer with rising prevalence in Vietnam. However, there is no data about the mutational landscape and actionable alterations in the Vietnamese ...patients. During post-operative surveillance, clinical tools are limited to stratify risk of recurrence and detect residual disease.
In this prospective multi-center study, 103 CRC patients eligible for curative-intent surgery were recruited. Genomic DNA from tumor tissue and paired white blood cells were sequenced to profile all tumor-derived somatic mutations in 95 cancer-associated genes. Our bioinformatic algorithm identified top mutations unique for individual patient, which were then used to monitor the presence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in serial plasma samples.
The top mutated genes in our cohort were
,
and
. 41.7% of the patients harbored
and
mutations predictive of resistance to Cetuximab and Panitumumab respectively; 41.7% had mutations targeted by either approved or experimental drugs. Using a personalized subset of top ranked mutations, we detected ctDNA in 90.5% of the pre-operative plasma samples, whereas carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was elevated in only 41.3% of them. Interim analysis after 16-month follow-up revealed post-operative detection of ctDNA in two patients that had recurrence, with the lead time of 4-10.5 months ahead of clinical diagnosis. CEA failed to predict recurrence in both cases.
Our assay showed promising dual clinical utilities in residual cancer surveillance and actionable mutation profiling for targeted therapies in CRC patients. This could lay foundation to empower precision cancer medicine in Vietnam and other developing countries.
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