The environmental aspect of integrated smart card based services in Thessaloniki

In the framework of the DISTINCT European project, Thessaloniki is one of five cities selected in Europe to analyse and test the effect of using multi-function smart card on the level of service and the general improvements in transport and air quality. The card is being developed for services such as public transport, parking and tolling payments and extended to a city card which includes health applications and access to information. The idea behind that is to encourage the use of smart card in transport and increase the number of public transport users. Early results showed that the potential users of smart card are mainly interested for the electronic payment in public transport and parking and for the access to information from infokiosks

Nanofibers based on polysaccharides from the green seaweed Ulva Rigida

The nanofiber ability of an ulvan-rich extract, originated from the low cost biomass of the alga Ulva rigida, has been achieved for the first time via electrospinning. Ulvan-based uniform nanofibers were produced by being blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The nanofibers have an average diameter controllable down to 84 nm and present a highly ordered crystalline structure under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A new complex fiber is created, which results from ulvan-rich extract and PVA ionic assembly and involves borate esters and divalent cations. The spinnability of this anionic sulfated polysaccharide-rich extract in combination with its interesting biological and physicochemical properties can lead to new biomedical applications such as drug release systems. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Mucormycosis: Ten-year experience at a tertiary-care center in Greece

Presented here are the results of a retrospective analysis of all mucormycoses infections recorded at a tertiary hospital in Greece during the last 10 years. A total of 24 patients were identified, 15 male and 9 female, with ages ranging from 37 to 80 years. Twelve of the patients had soft tissue infections (2 with concomitant pulmonary infections), and 12 had rhinocerebral infections. Transmission could be traced in two cases; to nitroglycerin patches in one patient and to a lemon-tree-thorn scratch in the other. Among the 17 patients who underwent surgery, 11 survived. All seven patients on whom surgery was not performed died. Rapid diagnosis and treatment of mucormycosis are essential for patient survival. The severity of the patient’s underlying condition, the degree of immunosuppression, and prompt surgical treatment are the most important factors contributing to the outcome

Ulvan and ulvan/chitosan polyelectrolyte nanofibrous membranes as a potential substrate material for the cultivation of osteoblasts

A new generation of biomaterials composed of the natural polysaccharides, ulvans extracted from the green seaweed Ulva rigida and chitosan have been investigated. Ulvan, chitosan alone and ulvan/chitosan polyelectrolyte membranes have been synthesised and characterised. The structure of the membranes was altered by the weight ratio of the polyion components. Fibrous and nanofibrous morphology was created, in accordance with a supramolecular self assembly. ATR-FTIR measurements suggested the presence of both polycationic chitosan and polyanionic ulvan in the polyelectrolyte membranes. The cytocompatibility of these new materials was examined by fluorescence microscopy. The results show that ulvan as well as ulvan/chitosan membranes promoted the attachment and proliferation of 7F2 osteoblasts and maintained the cell morphology and viability. Thus, ulvan and chitosan which possess unique properties might have high impact in biomedical applications as potential scaffold materials. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Nanofibrous nonwovens based on dendritic-linear-dendritic poly(ethylene glycol) hybrids

Dendritic-linear-dendritic (DLD) hybrids are highly functional materials combining the properties of linear and dendritic polymers. Attempts to electrospin DLD polymers composed of hyperbranched dendritic blocks of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid on a linear poly(ethylene glycol) core proved unsuccessful. Nevertheless, when these DLD hybrids were blended with an array of different biodegradable polymers as entanglement enhancers, nanofibrous nonwovens were successfully prepared by electrospinning. The pseudogeneration degree of the DLDs, the nature of the co-electrospun polymer and the solvent systems used for the preparation of the electrospinning solutions exerted a significant effect on the diameter and morphology of the electrospun fibers. It is worth-noting that aqueous solutions of the DLD polymers and only 1% (w/v) poly(ethylene oxide) resulted in the production of smoother and thinner nanofibers. Such dendritic nanofibrous scaffolds can be promising materials for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, multifunctionality, and advanced structural architecture. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45949. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc