Low-Frequency Ultrasound Effects on Cellulose Nanocrystals for Potential Application in Stabilizing Pickering Emulsions.

Cellulose, in the form of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), is a promising biomaterial for stabilizing Pickering emulsions (PEs). PEs are commonly formed using low-frequency ultrasound (LFU) treatment and impact CNC properties. The present study investigated the specific effects of LFU treatment on CNCs' chemical and physical properties. CNCs were characterized using dynamic light scattering, ζ;-potential determination, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and contact angle measurement. CNC suspensions were studied using rheological analysis and static multiple light scattering. LFU treatment broke CNC aggregates and modified the rheological behavior of CNC suspensions but did not affect the CNCs' chemical or crystallographic structures, surface charge, or hydrophilic properties. During the storage of CNC suspensions and PEs, liquid crystal formation was observed with cross-polarized light. Hypotheses related to the impact of liquid crystal CNCs on PE stability were proposed.

Phase Diagram of Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Cellulose Nanocrystals.

Cellulose is a promising renewable and biocompatible biopolymer for stabilizing Pickering emulsions (PEs). In the present study, PEs were produced by low-frequency ultrasounds with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and caprylic/capric triglycerides. Phase diagrams allowed to understand mechanisms of formation and long-term stabilization of PEs. Emulsion type, continuous phase viscosity, and yield of oil incorporation were studied after PEs formation. Droplet size, oil release, and stability were measured weekly up to 56 days of storage. Results showed that oil mass fraction above 70% w/w led to unstable W/O PEs. Lower oil mass fraction formed O/W PEs of stability depending on CNC content and oil mass fraction. Droplet size stability increased with CNCs/oil ratio. A very low CNCs/oil ratio led to phase separation and oil release. High CNC content stabilized oil droplets surface, increased aqueous phase viscosity, and prevented creaming. Highly stable PEs were produced for CNC content above 3% (w/w) and oil mass fraction below 50% (w/w). Mechanisms for PEs formation and stabilization were proposed for various CNC contents and oil mass fractions.

Development of Chitosan Green Composites Reinforced with Hemp Fibers: Study of Mechanical and Barrier Properties for Packaging Application.

The use of bioresourced packaging materials is an interesting solution for ecological issues. This work aimed to develop novel chitosan-based packaging materials reinforced with hemp fibers (HF). For this purpose, chitosan (CH) films were filled with 15%, 30%, and 50% (w/w) of two kinds of HF: Untreated fibers cut to 1 mm (UHF) and steam exploded fibers (SEHF). The effect of HF addition and HF treatments on chitosan composites was studied in terms of mechanical properties (tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EB), and Young's modulus (YM)), barrier properties (water vapor (WVP) and oxygen permeabilities), and thermal properties (glass transition (Tg) and melting temperatures (Tm)). The addition of HF, whether untreated or steam exploded, increased the TS of chitosan composites by 34-65%. WVP was significantly reduced by the addition of HF but no significant change was observed for O2 barrier property, which was in the range between 0.44 and 0.68 cm3·mm/m2·d. Tm of the composite films increased from 133 °C for CH films to 171 °C for films filled with 15% SEHF. However, no significant modification was observed for Tg (105-107 °C). The present study showed that the developed biocomposites had improved properties, mainly the mechanical resistance. Their use in food packaging will help industrials the move toward a sustainable development and circular economy.

Study and optimization of oil-in-water emulsions formulated by low- and high-frequency ultrasounds.

OBJECTIVE: A combined treatment using both low-frequency (20 kHz) and high-frequency ultrasounds (1.63 MHz) is a promising new process to stabilize emulsions with minimalist formulation. In order to optimize process parameters, a Doehlert experimental design was performed with oil-in-water emulsions, presently used for cosmetic products, composed of water, caprylic/capric triglycerides and oleic acid. METHODS: Effects of treatment time, oil content and oleic acid content were studied on emulsion properties (droplet size, polydispersity index, ζ-potential and yield of oil incorporation) and on emulsion stability after a 28-day storage (creaming index, Turbiscan stability index (TSI) and oil release). RESULTS: From experimental data, a model was established that allowed to study effects of each parameter and their interactions on emulsion formation and stability. Oleic acid content had a great impact on emulsion formation: It reduced droplet size, PDI and ζ-potential and increased yield of oil incorporation. However, a critical value could be highlighted, beyond which oleic acid effects reversed. Treatment time had an important beneficial effect on emulsion stability as it decreased creaming index, TSI and oil release after 28 days of storage. Oil content had a negative effect on emulsion formation and on emulsion stability. However, treatment time and oil content often had a beneficial synergistic effect. CONCLUSION: The optimized conditions for emulsion processing were obtained through a desirability approach. They were experimentally validated.

OBJECTIF: Un traitement combiné utilisant à la fois des ultrasons à basse fréquence(20 kHz) et à haute fréquence (1,63 MHz) est un nouveau procédé prometteur pour stabiliser les émulsions avec une formulation minimaliste. Afin d'optimiser les paramètres du procédé, un plan d'expériences de Doehlert a été réalisé avec des émulsions huile-dans- eau, actuellement utilisées pour des produits cosmétiques, composées d'eau, de triglycérides capryliques/capriques et d'acide oléique. METHODES: Les effets du temps de traitement, de la teneur en huile et de la teneur en acide oléique ont été étudiés sur les propriétés des émulsions (taille des gouttelettes, indice de polydispersité, potentiel-ζ et rendement d'incorporation de l'huile) et sur la stabilité des émulsions après un stockage de 28 jours (indice de crémage, indice de stabilité au Turbiscan (TSI) et relargage de l'huile). RESULTATS: A partir des données expérimentales, un modèle a été établi et a permis d'étudier les effets de chaque paramètre et leurs interactions sur la formation et la stabilité des émulsions. La teneur en acide oléique a eu un impact important sur la formation des émulsions : elle a réduit la taille des gouttelettes, le PDI et le potentiel-ζ, et a augmenté le rendement d'incorporation de l'huile. Cependant, une valeur critique a pu être mise en évidence, au-delà de laquelle les effets de l'acide oléique s'inversent. Le temps de traitement a eu un effet bénéfique important sur la stabilité des émulsions car il a diminué l'indice de crémage, le TSI et le relargage d'huile après 28 jours de stockage. La teneur en huile a eu un effet négatif sur la formation des émulsions et sur leur stabilité. Cependant, le temps de traitement et la teneur en huile ont souvent eu un effet synergique bénéfique. CONCLUSION: Les conditions optimisées pour le traitement des émulsions ont été obtenues par une approche de désirabilité. Elles ont été validées expérimentalement.

Review of High-Frequency Ultrasounds Emulsification Methods and Oil/Water Interfacial Organization in Absence of any Kind of Stabilizer.

Emulsions are multiphasic systems composed of at least two immiscible phases. Emulsion formulation can be made by numerous processes such as low-frequency ultrasounds, high-pressure homogenization, microfluidization, as well as membrane emulsification. These processes often need emulsifiers' presence to help formulate emulsions and to stabilize them over time. However, certain emulsifiers, especially chemical stabilizers, are less and less desired in products because of their negative environment and health impacts. Thus, to avoid them, promising processes using high-frequency ultrasounds were developed to formulate and stabilize emulsifier-free emulsions. High-frequency ultrasounds are ultrasounds having frequency greater than 100 kHz. Until now, emulsifier-free emulsions' stability is not fully understood. Some authors suppose that stability is obtained through hydroxide ions' organization at the hydrophobic/water interfaces, which have been mainly demonstrated by macroscopic studies. Whereas other authors, using microscopic studies, or simulation studies, suppose that the hydrophobic/water interfaces would be rather stabilized thanks to hydronium ions. These theories are discussed in this review.

Interest of Pickering Emulsions for Sustainable Micro/Nanocellulose in Food and Cosmetic Applications.

In the present review, natural and non-toxic particles made of micro/nanocellulose were specifically targeted as stabilizers of emulsions located at dispersed and continuous phases interfaces (called Pickering Emulsions, PEs). PEs are biphasic systems stabilized by solid particles with a recent interest in food and cosmetic domains. PEs have been more and more studied in the last ten years due to their advantages compared to conventional emulsions with surfactants. PEs have already been stabilized with various types of particles and particularly cellulose. Even if some studies showed that PEs were more stable when cellulose was chemically modified, numerous other recent studies showed that unmodified micro/nanocellulose is also promising biomaterial to stabilize PEs. Micro/nanocelluloses can be extracted by various green processes from numerous agricultural wastes and co-products, as banana peels, corncob, ginkgo seed shells, lime residues, mangosteen rind, oil palm empty fruit bunches, pistachio shells, as well as wheat straw. Main green processes used to treat cellulose are grinding, high pressure homogenization, microfluidization, enzymatic hydrolysis, subcritical water, extrusion, electron beam irradiation, cryocrushing, microwaves or sonication. PEs formulated with cellulose clearly participate to a global sustainable development but, additional studies will be necessary to better understand PEs stability and improve properties.

Genetic rescue increases fitness and aids rapid recovery of an endangered marsupial population.

Genetic rescue has now been attempted in several threatened species, but the contribution of genetics per se to any increase in population health can be hard to identify. Rescue is expected to be particularly useful when individuals are introduced into small isolated populations with low levels of genetic variation. Here we consider such a situation by documenting genetic rescue in the mountain pygmy possum, Burramys parvus. Rapid population recovery occurred in the target population after the introduction of a small number of males from a large genetically diverged population. Initial hybrid fitness was more than two-fold higher than non-hybrids; hybrid animals had a larger body size, and female hybrids produced more pouch young and lived longer. Genetic rescue likely contributed to the largest population size ever being recorded at this site. These data point to genetic rescue as being a potentially useful option for the recovery of small threatened populations.

Health visitors have much to offer pre-registration child branch student nurses.

The primary care workforce has recently become the focus of several reports, which highlight the preparation and upskilling of nurses for a move to acute care in the community and plans to widen the community and primary care workforce. This paper explores current health plans in relation to pre-registration nurse education and identifies the health visitor as having key qualities and skills to manage child branch student nurses' community placements. A health visitor's perspective reinforces the discussion and highlights how the current climate offers a valuable opportunity for health visitors to promote a positive learning environment. Numerous learning opportunities are identified in the community placement, which can serve to equip student nurses with key nursing and interprofessional skills, such as leadership, management, assessment, communication and negotiation. A student's perspective is offered to provide an example of how a positive experience in the community can enhance student learning. This discussion concludes that the health visitor can be a valuable mentor to offer pre-registration student nurses a supportive environment in which to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and encourage students to flourish as caring and compassionate nurses.

Pelvic floor muscle training with biofeedback and bladder training in elderly women: a feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: It is generally assumed that interventions used to treat urinary incontinence (UI) in young women could simply be applied to older competent and motivated women, but these assumptions have not been formally tested. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of using physical therapies to treat UI in older women. DESIGN: Twelve-week time series. SETTINGS AND SUBJECTS: We recruited women older than 75 years with UI from an outpatient urology clinic and a waiting list for incontinence surgery. METHODS: After a baseline evaluation, the women collected data on their incontinence symptoms and bladder habits for 3 weeks using the 72-hour voiding diary and the 24-hour pad test. They then received 6 physical therapy treatments consisting of a combination of bladder training and pelvic floor muscle training assisted with biofeedback for 6 weeks. This was followed by another 3-week period of data collection and a final evaluation. RESULTS: Ten women participated in the study; 7 completed it. They were all comfortable with the treatment. They complied with the study demands in terms of attendance at treatment session (100%), data collection (96%), and completion of exercises at home (82%). The authors observed a decrease in the number of incontinent and urgency episodes. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study demonstrates that some women older than 75 years are good candidates to undertake physical therapies for UI and follow study demands. Random controlled studies that include this population will provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of these therapies.