Ascorbic acid treatment to improve the light fastness or as reducing agent on silk fabric dyed with pulverised natural dyes

Purpose – This study aims to improve the natural dyeing recipe with better light fastness using ascorbic acid (vitamin C) with pulverised plant dyes. Design/methodology/approach – Silk fabrics pre-mordanted with alum (aluminium ammonium sulphate) were dyed using six types of plant dyes available in Sarawak, Malaysia, namely, Engkerabai leaves (Psychotria viridiflora), Ketapang leaves (Terminalia catappa), mangrove bark (Ceriops tagal), Sepang wood (Caesalpinia sappan), mangosteen husk (Garcinia mangostana) and onion skin (Allium cepa). Then, the dyed samples were immersed in vitamin C. The dyed and vitamin C-treated silk samples were exposed to direct sunlight for 40 h to test whether vitamin C had any effect on the light fastness of the dyed samples. Findings – It was found that the fabric samples using vitamin C for after-treatment, particularly Engkerabai, Ketapang, mangrove and mangosteen, exhibited better light fastness. The colours of the four samples changed and looked darker when compared to the non-treated fabric samples. However, it was observed that vitamin C had a reverse effect on Sepang wood and onion skin. The acidic aqueous solution of vitamin C discharged the dyed samples instead. Originality/value – In conclusion, depending on the plant types, vitamin C can be used to improve the light fastness of natural dyes or as a reducing agent for natural dyes

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Targeted RNAi of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway genes in acute myeloid leukemia cells

In this study, RNA interference (RNAi) was carried out as an experimental technique to knockdown three mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway genes, raf-1, mekk1 and mlk3 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Conventionally, RNAi knockdown experiments target a single gene for functional studies or therapeutic purposes. We wanted to explore the potential differences or similarities between targeting single targets or multiple target genes in a single application. We achieved knockdown of gene expression levels of between 40 and 60% for the RNAi experiments, with better knockdown observed in single target gene experiments in comparison with the multiple target gene experiment. Microarray analysis indicated that the transfection process had most likely induced the immune response from the cells in every RNAi treatment. This might indicate that when the MAPK signaling pathway is partially blocked, in tandem with the immune response, the cells will begin signaling for apoptosis leading to cellular death of the leukemic cells

Dyeing using Pulverized Mangosteen husk and Sepang wood on Cotton and Silk

The traditional way of natural dyeing is a complex process that lacks in convenience in terms of preparation and storage as fresh plant materials need to be processed immediately. Dried plant materials are expected to have a better shelf life and it would be more convenient if the plants are pulverized into powder form. This paper highlights an on-going research to evaluate the dyeing and colour shades of pulverized Mangosteen husk and Sepang wood on cotton and silk. Two sachets containing the powder of each plant sample were boiled separately and only one sachet was left to stay in the dye bath. The dyeing experiments were carried out using alum mordant. It was observed that the shades of the fabrics dyed with the sachet that remained in the dyebath were more vibrant. The Mangosteen produced light brownish-yellow shades, while the Sepang wood produced deep red shades. Finally, the Shibori technique was used to create textile design to highlight the interesting textured effects of natural colours instead of the direct dyeing that only produced a flat coloured fabric

Predictors for anastomotic leak, postoperative complications, and mortality after right colectomy for cancer: Results from an international snapshot audit

Background: A right hemicolectomy is among the most commonly performed operations for colon cancer, but modern high-quality, multination data addressing the morbidity and mortality rates are lacking. Objective: This study reports the morbidity and mortality rates for right-sided colon cancer and identifies predictors for unfavorable short-term outcome after right hemicolectomy. Design: This was a snapshot observational prospective study. Setting: The study was conducted as a multicenter international study. Patients: The 2015 European Society of Coloproctology snapshot study was a prospective multicenter international series that included all patients undergoing elective or emergency right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection over a 2-month period in early 2015. This is a subanalysis of the colon cancer cohort of patients. Main Outcome Measures: Predictors for anastomotic leak and 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality were assessed using multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression models after variables selection with the Lasso method. Results: Of the 2515 included patients, an anastomosis was performed in 97.2% (n = 2444), handsewn in 38.5% (n = 940) and stapled in 61.5% (n = 1504) cases. The overall anastomotic leak rate was 7.4% (180/2444), 30-day morbidity was 38.0% (n = 956), and mortality was 2.6% (n = 66). Patients with anastomotic leak had a significantly increased mortality rate (10.6% vs 1.6% no-leak patients; p 65 0.001). At multivariable analysis the following variables were associated with anastomotic leak: longer duration of surgery (OR = 1.007 per min; p = 0.0037), open approach (OR = 1.9; p = 0.0037), and stapled anastomosis (OR = 1.5; p = 0.041). Limitations: This is an observational study, and therefore selection bias could be present. For this reason, a multivariable logistic regression model was performed, trying to correct possible confounding factors. Conclusions: Anastomotic leak after oncologic right hemicolectomy is a frequent complication, and it is associated with increased mortality. The key contributing surgical factors for anastomotic leak were anastomotic technique, surgical approach, and duration of surgery