High-Impact Polystyrene Reinforced with Reduced Graphene Oxide as a Filament for Fused Filament Fabrication 3D Printing.

Graphene and its derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO), due to their properties, have been enjoying great interest for over two decades, particularly in the context of additive manufacturing (AM) applications in recent years. High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) is a polymer used in 3D printing technology due to its high dimensional stability, low cost, and ease of processing. However, the ongoing development of AM creates the need to produce modern feedstock materials with better properties and functionality. This can be achieved by introducing reduced graphene oxide into the polymer matrix. In this study, printable composite filaments were prepared and characterized in terms of morphology and thermal and mechanical properties. Among the obtained HIPS/rGO composites, the filament containing 0.5 wt% of reduced graphene oxide had the best mechanical properties. Its tensile strength increased from 19.84 to 22.45 MPa, for pure HIPS and HIPS-0.5, respectively. Furthermore, when using the HIPS-0.5 filament in the printing process, no clogging of the nozzle was observed, which may indicate good dispersion of the rGO in the polymer matrix.

Nanocomposite Cellulose Fibres Doped with Graphene Oxide and Their Biocidal Properties.

The paper presents a method of obtaining composite cellulose fibres (CEL) doped with graphene oxide (GO) and the influence of GO nanoparticles on the structure and properties of the obtained fibres. Composite fibres (GO/CEL) were prepared using wet method from 5% CEL solutions in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc) containing GO (0; 0.21; 0.50; 0.98; 1.97% w/w) dispersion in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The fibres were coagulated in distilled water and methanol. Optical microscopy allowed us to demonstrate a good degree of GO additive dispersion in the CEL matrix. Surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), which indicated interactions between the matrix and the additive. Strength tests have shown that GO/CEL fibres are characterised by high values of elongation at break (7.7-19.5%) and tenacity (~133-287 [MPa]). The obtained composite fibres are characterized by good biocidal properties against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), Gram-positive bacteria (Staphilococcus aureus), and fungi Candida albicans, and the resistance to microorganisms depends on the surface zeta potential value and the isoelectric point (IEP) of GO/CEL fibres.

Parasitic zoonoses; public health and veterinary perspectives.

The importance of parasitic zoonoses continues to increase on both local and global scales as interactions between people and animals become more frequent through global travel, intensification of agriculture, habitat devastation, and changes in world trade patterns. A current and real threat is the potential for a deliberate introduction of a zoonotic disease through the prospect of bioterrorism. Parasitic zoonoses represent significant problems in public health, animal agriculture and conservation, and the meat industry. There is an urgent need for integration of medical and veterinary services, continuous disease surveillance in both humans and animals, the teaching of zoonoses to medical doctors, and intensified research on zoonotic agents and diseases. The convergence of both public health and veterinary services currently represents a real challenge for managing zoonotic diseases.