Growth of selected fungi on biodegradable films

This study presents the data summary on growth speed of selected species of fungi on some of biodegradable polymer materials. Growth speed was assessed on films composed of poly(lactide), poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(hydroxybutyrate) after a month of incubation in 24oC. To assess growth of fungi optical microscopy on densitometric measurements were used. Through these analyses the best growth was confirmed for fungus: Chaetomium globosum (ATTC 6205) on a film made of poly(ε -caprolactone)

Antibacterial films based on PVA and PVA-chitosan modified with poly(hexamethylene guanidine)

In this study, thin, polymeric films consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (Ch) with the addition of poly(hexamethylene guanidine) (PHMG) were successfully prepared. The obtained materials were analyzed to determine their physicochemical and biocidal properties. In order to confirm the structure of PHMG, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-1 NMR) was applied, while in the case of the obtained films, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR-ATR) was used. The surface morphology of the polymer films was evaluated based on atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, color changes, and thermal stability of the obtained materials were determined. Microbiological tests were performed to evaluate the biocidal properties of the new materials with and without the addition of PHMG. These analyses confirmed the biocidal potential of films modified by PHMG and allowed for comparisons of their physicochemical properties with the properties of native films. In summary, films consisting of PVA and PHMG displayed higher antimicrobial potentials against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria in comparison to PVA:Ch-based films with the addition of PHMG.Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Poland (Faculty of Chemistry) [2019/1023]; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech RepublicMinistry of Education, Youth & Sports - Czech Republic [LO1504

Effect of Polymer Additives on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Self-Leveling Rubberised Concrete

The materials based on concrete with an addition of rubber are well-known. The interaction between concrete components and rubber particles is in the majority cases insufficient. For this reason, different substances are introduced into concrete-rubber systems. The aim of this paper is to establish the influence of five different polymer additives, i.e., 1. an aqueous dispersion of a styrene-acrylic ester copolymer (silanised) (ASS), 2. water dispersion of styrene-acrylic copolymer (AS), 3. anionic copolymer of acrylic acid ester and styrene in the form of powder (AS.RDP), 4. water polymer dispersion produced from the vinyl acetate and ethylene monomers (EVA), 5. copolymer powder of vinyl acetate and ethylene (EVA.RDP)) on the properties of the self-leveling rubberised concrete. Scanning electron microscopy has allowed to establish the interaction between the cement paste and rubber aggregates. Moreover, the compressive strength and flexural strength of the studied materials were evaluated. The results indicate that the mechanical properties depend extensively on the type as well as the amount of the polymer additive introduced into the system

Antibacterial Films Based on PVA and PVA–Chitosan Modified with Poly(Hexamethylene Guanidine)

In this study, thin, polymeric films consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (Ch) with the addition of poly(hexamethylene guanidine) (PHMG) were successfully prepared. The obtained materials were analyzed to determine their physicochemical and biocidal properties. In order to confirm the structure of PHMG, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) was applied, while in the case of the obtained films, attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform (FTIR-ATR) was used. The surface morphology of the polymer films was evaluated based on atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, color changes, and thermal stability of the obtained materials were determined. Microbiological tests were performed to evaluate the biocidal properties of the new materials with and without the addition of PHMG. These analyses confirmed the biocidal potential of films modified by PHMG and allowed for comparisons of their physicochemical properties with the properties of native films. In summary, films consisting of PVA and PHMG displayed higher antimicrobial potentials against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria in comparison to PVA:Ch-based films with the addition of PHMG

Wpływ metod leczenia na jakość życia pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 1

Cukrzyca typu 1 jest chorobą przewlekłą, niosącą za sobą ryzyko rozwoju szeregu powikłań wpływających na jakość życia (JŻ). Celem pracy była ocena wpływu stosowanych metod leczenia na jakość życia pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 1. Materiał i metody: Badaniem objęto 90 pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 1 (64,4 % kobiet, wiek od 18 do 65 lat), których podzielono na dwie grupy badawcze: 45 osób leczonych za pomocą osobistej pompy insulinowej (OPI) oraz 45 osób leczonych metodą intensywnej insulinoterapii (IT). Do oceny JŻ wykorzystano kwestionariusz WHOQOL- -Bref. Wyniki: Pacjenci leczeni za pomocą pompy insulinowej deklarują większy stopień zadowolenia z jakości swojego życia aniżeli leczeni intensywną insulinoterapią (odpowiednio 68,9% vs 37,8%, p<0.05). 46,7% pacjentów leczonych OPI było zadowolonych lub bardzo zadowolonych ze swojego stanu zdrowia, w grupie IT odsetek ten sięgał 31.1%, różnice te jednak nie osiągnęły poziomu istotności statystycznej. Pacjenci leczeni OPI wyżej ocenili JŻ w zakresie podskali fizycznej (p<0.001), psychologicznej (p<0.001), relacji społecznych (p<0.001) i środowiskowej (p<0.001). Wnioski: Stosowana metoda leczenia ma wpływ na ocenę jakości życia pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 1. Osoby leczone za pomocą pompy insulinowej znacząco lepiej oceniają jakość swojego życia we wszystkich dziedzinach. Badane grupy pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 1 podobnie oceniają stan swojego zdrowia, niezależnie od metody leczenia. Czas trwania choroby oraz wiek koreluje ujemnie z jakością życia badanych, natomiast płeć nie ma wpływu na ocenę jakości życia