8 research outputs found
Polyglycerol coated polypropylene surfaces for protein and bacteria resistance
Polyglycerol (PG) coated polypropylene (PP) films were synthesized in a two-
step approach that involved plasma bromination and subsequently grafting
hyperbranched polyglycerols with very few amino functionalities. The influence
of different molecular weights and density of reactive linkers were
investigated for the grafted PGs. Longer bromination times and higher amounts
of linkers on the surface afforded long-term stability. The protein adsorption
and bacteria attachment of the PP-PG films were studied. Their extremely low
amine content proved to be beneficial for preventing bacteria attachment
Success or failure of critical steps in community case management of malaria with rapid diagnostic tests: a systematic review
Background: Malaria still causes high morbidity and mortality around the world, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Community case management of malaria (CCMm) by community health workers (CHWs) is one of the strategies to combat the disease by increasing access to malaria treatment. Currently, the World Health Organization recommends to treat only confirmed malaria cases, rather than to give presumptive treatment. Objectives. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the success or failure of critical steps in CCMm with rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Methods. The databases of Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the library of the \u27Malaria in Pregnancy\u27 consortium, and Web of Science were used to find studies on CCMm with RDTs in SSA. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, subsequently risk of bias was assessed and data extracted. Results: 27 articles were included. CHWs were able to correctly perform RDTs, although specificity levels were variable. CHWs showed high adherence to test results, but in some studies a substantial group of RDT negatives received treatment. High risk of bias was found for morbidity and mortality studies, therefore, effects on morbidity and mortality could not be estimated. Uptake and acceptance by the community was high, however negative-tested patients did not always follow up referral advice. Drug or RDT stock-outs and limited information on CHW motivation are bottlenecks for sustainable implementation. RDT-based CCMm was found to be cost effective for the correct treatment of malaria in areas with low to medium malaria prevalence, but study designs were not optimal. Discussion. Trained CHWs can deliver high quality care for malaria using RDTs. However, lower RDT specificity could lead to missed diagnoses of non-malarial causes of fever. Other threats for CCMm are non-adherence to negative test results and low referral completion. Integrated CCM may solve some of these issues. Unfortunately, morbidity and mortality are not adequately investigated. More information is needed about influencing sociocultural aspects, CHW motivation and stock supply. Conclusion: CCMm is generally well executed by CHWs, but there are several barriers for its success. Integrated CCM may overcome some of these barriers
An evaluation of thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis compton suppression methods for biological reference materials
Active Antibacterial and Antifouling Surface Coating via a Facile One-Step Enzymatic Cross-Linking
Prevention of microbial
contamination of surfaces is one of the
biggest challenges for biomedical applications. Establishing a stable,
easily produced, highly antibacterial surface coating offers an efficient
solution but remains a technical difficulty. Here, we report on a
new approach to create an in situ hydrogel film-coating on glass surfaces
made by enzymatic cross-linking under physiological conditions. The
cross-linking is catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP)/glucose
oxidase (GOD)-coupled cascade reactions in the presence of glucose
and results in 3D dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) scaffolds bound to
the surface of glass. These scaffolds continuously release H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> as long as glucose is present in the system. The resultant
polymeric coating is highly stable, bacterial-repellent, and functions
under physiological conditions. Challenged with high loads of bacteria
(OD<sub>540</sub> = 1.0), this novel hydrogel and glucose-amended
coating reduced the cell viability of Pseudomonas putida (Gram-negative) by 100% and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) by ≥40%, respectively. Moreover, glucose-stimulated
production of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> by the coating system was
sufficient to kill both test bacteria (at low titers) with >99.99%
efficiency within 24 h. In the presence of glucose, this platform
produces a coating with high effectiveness against bacterial adhesion
and survival that can be envisioned for the applications in the glucose-associated
medical/oral devices