Fabrication of noble metal–based antimicrobial nanosystems

Recently, the outbreak of diverse infectious diseases mainly caused by microbes led to increase in the human mortality rate. Microbes being small cell structures are more powerful to fight with human cells for their proliferation as well as subsequent growth. At times, it pioneers the world with its contagiousness (for example, swine flu, SARS-CoV-2, dengue virus, etc.) causing greater impact to public health. Numerous efforts are in progress to design and develop efficient antimicrobial systems. Antimicrobial systems include self-disinfecting surfaces, wall coatings, paints, sanitizers, etc., to improve their microbial resistance to surfaces as well as killing of pathogens. Noble metal–based antimicrobial systems are pioneers of the field right from history. Under the broad category of noble metal nanostructures, silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and copper (Cu) prove its excellence as high-ranked antimicrobial markers. Yet, there exist some challenges to uplift its efficacy, henceforth fabrication process with its associated theory for building competent antimicrobial nanosystems with noble metals should be paid attention. The crucial factor is the fabrication step within which their properties would be tuned greatly. By proper design of fabrication process, noble metals could possibly function rapidly to destroy the microbial colonization by breaking the respiratory chains of pathogens of concern. Development of hydrophobic surfaces for noble metal nanomaterial–based antimicrobial systems is increasing in recent era, since it can act as shield against bio film formation by the microbial adherence to surfaces. This chapter entitles the diverse fabrication procedures with their mechanisms, pairing process of noble metals, surface modifications, tuning parameters at synthetic stages for engineering the noble metal–based antimicrobial nanosystems to enrich the higher biocidal resistance. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social media for learning: perceptions and behaviors

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a particular interest in integrating social media as an educational tool to support the distance learning process. The main problem with this study is the way students invest in networking opportunities for learning. Special emphasis is placed on the Everyday Informal Learning. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 284 students registered at the University of Sharjah and King Saud University. The results indicate that the participants’ extensive use of social media pushes them to easily experience Everyday Informal Learning;The sample appreciates the role of social media in facilitating communication and interaction among colleagues, and acknowledges its usefulness despite some perceived limitations such as the occasional lack of credibility and the ease of switching from educational to personal use;These results are in line with the concept of Online Cooperative Learning Theory as it confirms that the best way to learn through these networks is through collective participation methods. Given these results, the authors consider the idea of including social media as a Formal tool for Learning in educational institutions has become very suggestive, especially in this era in which the efficiency of online space has been demonstrated to preserve education in times of epidemics. Besides, the cost of integrating some advanced educational platforms like Learning Management Systems in some countries in the world makes social networks a better alternative;some countries like Bulgaria have turned to learning via social media during times of quarantine due to the Coronavirus. Therefore, the authors recommend that more research should be done on social media as Formal Learning tools to ask about their suitability for the courses and programs offered by universities in the world, in various disciplines. © 2020