Multifunctional Cotton Impregnated with Multilayer Chitosan/Lignin Nanocoating and Ag Nanoparticles

he demand for clothes with antimicrobial and UV protective properties is continually growing. In an attempt to develop a simple and efficient treatment for cotton fabrics, layer-by-layer deposition of chitosan and magnesium lignosulfonate followed by in situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) was performed. Magnesium lignosulfonate acts as a stabilizing agent and UV blocker while NaBH4 is applied as a reducing agent. The influence of the number of bilayers (4 and 12) and the initial concentration of AgNO3 solution (10 mM and 20 mM) on UV protection factor (UPF) and antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Grampositive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and yeast Candida albicans was studied. The presence of nanocoating on the surface of cotton fabric is confirmed by FTIR and XPS analyses. XPS and FESEM analyses reveal a successful synthesis of Ag NPs on the surface of cotton fibers with an average dimension of 35 nm. A four bilayer coating is sufficient to reach maximum 50+ UV protection. Maximum reduction of all investigated microorganisms is achieved with 12 bilayers and application of 20 mM AgNO3 solution

Spherical assemblies of titania nanotubes generated through aerosol processing

We report on the possibility to build hierarchically organized three-dimensional (3D) titania spherical particles having high surface-to-volume-ratio, by aerosol processing of nanotubular building blocks. Morphology and crystal structure of titania based spherical assemblies, obtained in the temperature range from 150 to 650°C, were characterized by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy, x-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Initial shape of 1D building units, nanotubes, was well preserved in the spherical assemblies processed at 150 and 450°C. Processing at 650°C resulted in a collapse of the nanotubular building blocks and formation of the assemblies of irregularly shaped TiO2 nanoparticles. Structural analysis revealed several phase transitions in titania spherical assemblies in course with the temperature increase indicating possibility of in-situ phase composition adjustment during aerosol processing. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l

Quality of facility-based maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic: online survey investigating maternal perspectives in 12 countries of the WHO European Region

Background Multi-country studies assessing the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as defined by WHO Standards, are lacking. Methods Women who gave birth in 12 countries of the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020 - March 15, 2021 answered an online questionnaire, including 40 WHO Standard-based Quality Measures. Findings 21,027 mothers were included in the analysis. Among those who experienced labour (N=18,063), 41·8% (26·1%- 63·5%) experienced difficulties in accessing antenatal care, 62% (12·6%-99·0%) were not allowed a companion of choice, 31·1% (16·5%-56·9%) received inadequate breastfeeding support, 34·4% (5·2%-64·8%) reported that health workers were not always using protective personal equipment, and 31·8% (17·8%-53·1%) rated the health workers’ number as “insufficient”. Episiotomy was performed in 20·1% (6·1%-66·0%) of spontaneous vaginal births and fundal pressure applied in 41·2% (11·5% -100%) of instrumental vaginal births. In addition, 23·9% women felt they were not treated with dignity (12·8%-59·8%), 12·5% (7·0%-23·4%) suffered abuse, and 2·4% (0·1%-26·2%) made informal payments. Most findings were significantly worse among women with prelabour caesarean birth (N=2,964). Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Croatia, Romania, Serbia showing significant lower QMNC Indexes and Luxemburg showing a significantly higher QMNC Index than the total sample. Younger women and those with operative births also reported significantly lower QMNC Indexes. Interpretation Mothers reports revealed large inequities in QMNC across countries of the WHO European Region. Quality improvement initiatives to reduce these inequities and promote evidence-based, patient-centred respectful care for all mothers and newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond are urgently needed. Funding The study was financially supported by the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy. Study registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847336This research was funded by the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste Italy

Ultra-Fast Oleophobic-Hydrophilic Switching Surfaces for Anti-Fogging, Self-Cleaning, and Oil-Water Separation

Smooth copolymer–fluorosurfactant complex film surfaces are found to exhibit fast oleophobic–hydrophilic switching behavior. Equilibration of the high oil contact angle (hexadecane = 80°) and low water contact angle (110°), which, when combined with the inherent ultrafast switching speed, yields oil–water mixture separation efficiencies exceeding 98%

Regional differences in the quality of maternal and neonatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study

Objective: To compare women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth across Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS-II) regions in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Women participating in the cross-sectional IMAgiNE EURO study who gave birth in Portugal from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, completed a structured questionnaire with 40 key WHO standards-based quality measures. Four domains of QMNC were assessed: (1) provision of care; (2) experience of care; (3) availability of human and physical resources; and (4) reorganizational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequencies for each quality measure within each QMNC domain were computed overall and by region. Results: Out of 1845 participants, one-third (33.7%) had a cesarean. Examples of high-quality care included: low frequencies of lack of early breastfeeding and rooming-in (8.0% and 7.7%, respectively) and informal payment (0.7%); adequate staff professionalism (94.6%); adequate room comfort and equipment (95.2%). However, substandard practices with large heterogeneity across regions were also reported. Among women who experienced labor, the percentage of instrumental vaginal births ranged from 22.3% in the Algarve to 33.5% in Center; among these, fundal pressure ranged from 34.8% in Lisbon to 66.7% in Center. Episiotomy was performed in 39.3% of noninstrumental vaginal births with variations between 31.8% in the North to 59.8% in Center. One in four women reported inadequate breastfeeding support (26.1%, ranging from 19.4% in Algarve to 31.5% in Lisbon). One in five reported no exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (22.1%; 19.5% in Lisbon to 28.2% in Algarve). Conclusion: Urgent actions are needed to harmonize QMNC and reduce inequities across regions in Portugal. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.Funding text 1: This work was supported by the Ministry of Health, Rome - Italy, in collaboration with the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste - Italy. This study was supported by Portuguese fundings through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, IP, in the scope of the projects EPIUnit - UIDB/04750/2020, ITR - LA/P/0064/2020, and HEILab - UIDB/05380/2020, and by the European Social Fund (ESF) and FCT (SFRH/BPD/117597/2016; RC postdoctoral fellowship). We are grateful to the women who dedicated their time to complete the survey, to Associação Portuguesa pelos Direitos da Mulher na Gravidez e Parto (APDMGP) for support with survey dissemination and to nurse Louise Semião for assistance provided in back-translation of the questionnaires. Special thanks to the IMAgiNE EURO study group for their contribution to the development of this project and support for this manuscript.; Funding text 2: This work was supported by the Ministry of Health, Rome ‐ Italy, in collaboration with the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste ‐ Italy. This study was supported by Portuguese fundings through FCT ‐ Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, IP, in the scope of the projects EPIUnit ‐ UIDB/04750/2020, ITR ‐ LA/P/0064/2020, and HEILab ‐ UIDB/05380/2020, and by the European Social Fund (ESF) and FCT (SFRH/BPD/117597/2016; RC postdoctoral fellowship). We are grateful to the women who dedicated their time to complete the survey, to Associação Portuguesa pelos Direitos da Mulher na Gravidez e Parto (APDMGP) for support with survey dissemination and to nurse Louise Semião for assistance provided in back‐translation of the questionnaires. Special thanks to the IMAgiNE EURO study group for their contribution to the development of this project and support for this manuscript. ; Funding text 3: IMAgiNE EURO project was supported by the Ministry of Health, Rome ‐ Italy, in collaboration with the Institute for Maternal and Child Health IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste ‐ Italy. This study was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia; European Social Fund (ESF) Funding informatio

Multifunctional Properties of Polyester Fabrics Modified by Corona Discharge/Air RF Plasma and Colloidal TiO2 Nanoparticles

In this study the possibility of tailoring the textile nanocomposite materials based on the polyester fabric and TiO2 nanoparticles that can simultaneously provide desirable level of antibacterial activity, UV protection, and self-cleaning effects with long-term durability was investigated. To enhance the binding efficiency of colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles, the surface of polyester fabrics was activated by low-pressure RF air plasma, and corona discharge at atmospheric pressure. Obtained functionalized textile materials provided maximum antibacterial efficiency against gram-negative bacterium E. coli. High values of UV protection factor (UPF) indicate the maximum UV blocking efficiency (50+) of these fabrics. The results of self-cleaning test with blueberry juice stains and photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution confirmed excellent photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles deposited on the fiber surface. POLYM. COMPOS., 32:390-397, 2011. (C) 2010 Society of Plastics Engineer

Functionalization of cotton fabrics with corona/air RF plasma and colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles

This study discusses the possibility of using a corona discharge at atmospheric pressure and air RF plasma at low pressure for the cotton fibre activation prior to deposition of colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles in order to enhance antibacterial, UV protective and self-cleaning properties. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles on the surface of cotton fibres. XPS elemental mapping indicated that TiO2 nanoparticles were more evenly distributed across the surface of untreated and corona pre-treated cotton fabrics in comparison with RF plasma pre-treated fabric. Atomic absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed that the equivalent total content of TiO2 in the cotton fabrics pre-treated by corona and RF plasma was 31% higher than in the fabric that did not undergo any treatment prior to loading of TiO2 nanoparticles. In order to achieve maximum bacteria (Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli) reduction, untreated cotton fabric had to be loaded with colloidal TiO2 nanoparticles twice, but only once following corona or RF plasma pre-treatment. Deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles onto cotton fabrics provided maximum UV protective rating of 50+. Extraordinary photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles deposited onto cotton fabrics was proved by self-cleaning of blueberry juice stains and photodegradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under UV illumination

The influence of triangular silver nanoplates on antimicrobial activity and color of cotton fabrics pretreated with chitosan

The effect of cotton fabric pretreatment with biopolymer chitosan (CHT) on deposition of colloidal triangular silver nanoplates was studied. Also, the influence of deposited silver nanoparticles on color and antimicrobial activity of cotton fabrics was evaluated. Characterization of colloidal silver nanoparticles as well as silver nanoparticles deposited on cotton fabrics was performed using electron microscopy (TEM and FESEM), XRD analysis, atomic absorption spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption, and reflectance spectroscopy. The cotton fabric turned from white to blue color upon deposition of triangular silver nanoplates. Antimicrobial activity of CHT pretreated cotton fabric impregnated with silver nanoparticles was tested against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, and fungi Candida albicans. Deposited silver nanoparticles imparted excellent antimicrobial properties to cotton fabric. The standard sterilization procedure of cotton fabric for antimicrobial activity testing resulted in color change of the fabric from blue to yellow. This color change is most likely consequence of transformation of triangular silver nanoplates into nanodiscs and/or their agglomeration into spheroids

Negative influence of Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles on biodegradation of cotton fabrics

Recently, many efforts have been made to efficiently impregnate different textile materials with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles in order to provide antimicrobial, UV protective or self-cleaning properties. Evidence of their environmental risks is limited at this point. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of Ag and TiO2 nanoparticles on biodegradation of cotton fabrics. Biodegradation behavior of cotton fabrics impregnated with Ag and TiO2 NPs from colloidal solutions of different concentrations was assessed according to standard test method ASTM 5988-03 and soil burial test. Degradation of cotton fabrics was also evaluated by enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase. The morphology of fibers affected by biodegradation was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In order to get better insight into biodegradation process, dehydrogenase activity of soil has been determined. Ag and particularly TiO2 nanoparticles suppressed the biodegradation of cotton fabrics. The dehydrogenase activity of soil with cotton fabrics impregnated with TiO2 nanoparticles was the weakest. Severe damage of cotton fibers during the biodegradation process was confirmed by SEM