Tunable Fungal Monofilaments from Food Waste for Textile Applications.

A fungal biorefinery is presented to valorize food waste to fungal monofilaments with tunable properties for different textile applications. Rhizopus delemar is successfully grown on bread waste and the fibrous cell wall is isolated. A spinnable hydrogel is produced from cell wall by protonation of amino groups of chitosan followed by homogenization and concentration. Fungal hydrogel is wet spun to form fungal monofilaments which underwent post-treatments to tune the properties. The highest tensile strength of untreated monofilaments is 65 MPa (and 4% elongation at break). The overall highest tensile strength of 140.9 MPa, is achieved by water post-treatment. Moreover, post-treatment with 3% glycerol resulted in the highest elongation % at break, i.e., 14%. The uniformity of the monofilaments also increased after the post-treatments. The obtained monofilaments are compared with commercial fibers using Ashby's plots and potential applications are discussed. The wet spun monofilaments are located in the category of natural fibers in Ashby's plots. After water and glycerol treatments, the properties shifted toward metals and elastomers, respectively. The compatibility of the monofilaments with human skin cells is supported by a biocompatibility assay. These findings demonstrate fungal monofilaments with tunable properties fitting a wide range of sustainable textiles applications.

Referral of patients with cancer to palliative care: Attitudes, practices and work-related experiences among Swedish physicians.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the attitudes, practices and work-related experiences among Swedish physicians regarding the referral process, integration and transition between oncology care and palliative care (PC). METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was performed with a study-specific questionnaire in 2016-2017 in south-eastern Sweden. Physicians working with cancer patients within surgical specialties, medical specialties and paediatric oncology participated. RESULTS: The vast majority of the 130 participating physicians (99.2%) stated that PC was beneficial for the patient and were positive about early integration of PC (65.5%). Still, only 27.6% of the participants introduced PC at an early stage of non-curable disease. However, paediatric oncologists had a very early introduction of PC in comparison with medical specialties (p = 0.004). Almost 90% of the study population said they wanted to know that the patient had been taken care of by another care facility. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the physicians' positive attitude towards early integration and referral to PC, they often acted late in the disease trajectory. This late approach can reduce the patient's opportunity of improving quality of life during severe circumstances. There is a need for in-depth knowledge of the physicians' challenges in order to bridge the gap between intentions and actions.

Turning food waste to antibacterial and biocompatible fungal chitin/chitosan monofilaments.

Here, cell wall of a zygomycete fungus, Rhizopus delemar, grown on bread waste was wet spun into monofilaments. Using the whole cell wall material omits the common chitosan isolation and purification steps and leads to higher material utilization. The fungal cell wall contained 36.9% and 19.7% chitosan and chitin, respectively. Solid state NMR of the fungal cell wall material confirmed the presence of chitosan, chitin, and other carbohydrates. Hydrogels were prepared by ultrafine grinding of the cell wall, followed by addition of lactic acid to protonate the amino groups of chitosan, and subsequently wet spun into monofilaments. The monofilament inhibited the growth of Bacillus megaterium (Gram+ bacterium) and Escherichia coli (Gram- bacterium) significantly (92.2% and 99.7% respectively). Cytotoxicity was evaluated using an in vitro assay with human dermal fibroblasts, indicating no toxic inducement from exposure of the monofilaments. The antimicrobial and biocompatible fungal monofilaments, open new avenues for sustainable biomedical textiles from abundant food waste.

Rupture and chemical accumulation in contact lenses with dexamethasone eye drop administration after congenital cataract surgery.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether contact lenses used after surgery for congenital cataracts act as a depot for dexamethasone, which would allow the prescribed amount of drops to be reduced, and to examine whether the preservative benzalkonium chloride accumulates in the contact lens matrix, which would suggest a need for more frequent replacements. METHODS: Contact lenses (n = 10) worn by infants treated with dexamethasone eye drops after congenital cataract surgery were analysed with scanning electron microscopy, UV-vis, 1 H-NMR and LDI-MS for chemical deposits and for changes on the contact lens surface. Unused lenses (n = 5) and lenses (n = 4) from patients with no eye drop treatment were analysed as reference. RESULTS: The treated contact lenses displayed ruptured surfaces in comparison with unused and reference lenses. Dexamethasone and BAK were not detected in any of the lenses. A polyethylene oxide component was found in the treated lenses, likely originating from the dexamethasone eye drops or the contact lens solution. CONCLUSION: Dexamethasone and BAK do not accumulate in the contact lenses, and a depot effect of any clinical significance is unlikely. Therefore, the number of drops given after surgery should remain the same regardless of whether the child has contact lenses. The ruptured surface may both decrease the child's comfort and increase the risk of microbial adhesion, and so it is recommended that contact lenses should be replaced once a month throughout the course of anti-inflammatory eye drop treatment after surgery for congenital cataract.

In Vivo Versus In Vitro Degradation of a 3D Printed Resorbable Device for Ligation of Vascular Tissue in Horses.

A resorbable 3D printed polydioxanone (PDO) device is manufactured to facilitate ligation of vascular tissue during surgery. The device must provide sufficient mechanical performance throughout the healing period. Therefore, degradation and mechanical performance of the device are investigated as a function of in vivo and in vitro aging. During aging the PDO device released cyclic and linear water-soluble products. In vivo aging resulted in higher relative number of linear oligomers in comparison to in vitro aging. A major loss of mechanical performance is observed after only 10 days in vivo and the Young's modulus (E) and tensile strength at break (σb ) decreased by 28% and 54%, respectively. This is in contrast to in vitro aging, where no loss of mechanical properties is observed during the same period. The in vivo aged devices exhibit clear holes in the matrices after 28 days, while apparent cracks are observed first after 140 days in vitro. These results highlight the sensitivity of the degradation process of resorbable devices with regards to the interactions of the device with the surrounding environment (tissues) and demonstrate the importance of in vivo testing as compliment to in vitro testing before clinical use of devices.

New Solvent and Coagulating Agent for Development of Chitosan Fibers by Wet Spinning.

Adipic acid was evaluated as a novel solvent for wet spinning of chitosan fibers. A solvent with two carboxyl groups could act as a physical crosslinker between the chitosan chains, resulting in improved properties of the fibers. The performance of adipic acid was compared with conventional solvents, i.e., lactic, citric, and acetic acids. Chitosan solutions were injected into a coagulation bath to form monofilaments. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and its mixture with ethanol (EtOH) were used as coagulation agents. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of uniform chitosan monofilaments with an even surface when using adipic acid as solvent. These monofilaments generally showed higher mechanical strength compared to that of monofilaments produced using conventional solvents. The highest Young's modulus, 4.45 GPa, was recorded for adipic acid monofilaments coagulated in NaOH-EtOH. This monofilament also had a high tensile strength of 147.9 MPa. Furthermore, taking advantage of chitosan insolubility in sulfuric acid (H2SO4) at room temperature, chitosan fibers were successfully formed upon coagulation in H2SO4-EtOH. The dewatering of fibers using EtOH before drying resulted in a larger fiber diameter and lower mechanical strength. Adipic acid fibers made without dehydration illustrated 18% (for NaOH), 46% (for NaOH-EtOH), and 91% (for H2SO4-EtOH) higher tensile strength compared to those made with dehydration.

Carbon Dot-Triggered Photocatalytic Degradation of Cellulose Acetate.

Chemical modification of biopolymers, before use in thermoplastic applications, can reduce the susceptibility to open environment degradation. We demonstrate carbon dots (CDs) as green photocatalytic triggers that can render the common cellulose derivative, cellulose acetate (CA), degradable under open environment relevant conditions. CD-modified cellulose acetate (CA + CD) films were subjected to UV-A irradiation in air and simulated sea water, and the degradation process was mapped by multiple spectroscopic, chromatographic, and microscopy techniques. The addition of CDs effectively catalyzed the deacetylation reaction, the bottleneck preventing biodegradation of CA. The photocatalytically activated degradation process led to significant weight loss, release of small molecules, and regeneration of cellulose fibers. The weight loss of CA + CD after 30 days of UV-A irradiation in air or simulated sea water was 53 and 43%, respectively, while the corresponding values for plain CA films were 12 and 4%. At the same time the weight average molar mass of CA + CD decreased from 62,000 to 11,000 g/mol and 15,000 g/mol during UV-A irradiation in air and simulated sea water, respectively, and the degree of substitution (DS) decreased from 2.2 to 1.6 both in air and in water. The aging in water alone did not affect the weight average molar mass, but the DS was decreased to 1.9. Control experiments confirmed the generation of hydrogen peroxide when aqueous CD dispersion was subjected to UV-A irradiation, indicating a free radical mechanism. These results are promising for the development of products, such as mulching films, with photocatalytically triggered environmental degradation processes.

Intriguing Carbon Flake Formation during Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Carbonization of Sodium Lignosulfonate.

Elongated carbon structures, here denoted as carbon flakes (CF), are revealed after microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization of sodium lignosulfonate. The morphology of formed CF is investigated by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Interestingly, a wide range of length distributions (between 100 and 700 nm) and a relatively constant aspect ratio and thickness are observed, indicating structures clearly different from the carbon spheres commonly formed during hydrothermal carbonization of lignocellulosic biomass. Moreover, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provide further information of the chemical structure, which consist mainly of nanographitic domains with a high degree of defects such as oxygenated functional groups, hybridized sp3 carbon, and aliphatic side chains. Furthermore, new insights into the formation mechanisms are uncovered and the formation is speculated to proceed through the combined effect of microwave irradiation and a heterogeneous solid-solid conversion. The formed CF are anticipated as highly interesting products for a variety of material applications.

Complete Radiologic Response of Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma to Microwave Ablation Combined with Second-Line Palliative Chemotherapy.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a bleak prognosis, especially for the majority of patients diagnosed with metastatic disease. The primary option for palliative treatment is chemotherapy, and responses beyond first-line treatment are rare and typically short. Here, we report a case of a 63-year-old woman with PDAC in the head of the pancreas who was initially successfully treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine. However, disease recurrence with liver and para-aortic lymph node metastases was detected only two months after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. First-line palliative chemotherapy with gemcitabine-nab/paclitaxel was commenced. The results were discouraging, with disease progression (liver and lung metastases) detected at the first evaluation; the progression-free survival was just two months (64 days). Surprisingly, the response to second-line palliative chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil-oxaliplatin was excellent; in combination with the ablation of a liver metastasis, this treatment regimen resulted in a complete radiological response and an 11-month treatment-free interval with a sustained good performance status.

Thermoplastic "All-Cellulose" Composites with Covalently Attached Carbonized Cellulose.

Thermoplastic "all-cellulose" composites were synthesized by covalent functionalization of cellulose acetate (CA) with oxidized carbonized cellulose (OCC). The OCC were manufactured via microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of cellulose followed by oxidation and dialysis. The OCC were of micrometer-size, had plane morphology and contained a variety of oxygen functionalities, enabling transformation into acyl chlorinated OCC under moderate reaction conditions. The synthesis of OCC-modified CA composites and neat CA were performed in the recyclable ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride. The degree of acetylation and amount of OCC were varied to establish their influence on thermal and physical properties of the composites. The OCC-modified CA composites displayed a notably enhanced film-forming ability, which led to improved optical and mechanical properties compared to neat CA. In addition, it was shown that OCC-modified CA composites can be synthesized from waste products, such as paper tissues. The OCC-modification was demonstrated to be a promising route to transparent and strong thermoplastic "all-cellulose" composites with moderate flexibility.

Fully inkjet printed ultrathin microsupercapacitors based on graphene electrodes and a nano-graphene oxide electrolyte.

The advance of miniaturized and low-power electronics has a striking impact on the development of energy storage devices with constantly tougher constraints in terms of form factor and performance. Microsupercapacitors (MSCs) are considered a potential solution to this problem, thanks to their compact device structure. Great efforts have been made to maximize their performance with new materials like graphene and to minimize their production cost with scalable fabrication processes. In this regard, we developed a full inkjet printing process for the production of all-graphene microsupercapacitors with electrodes based on electrochemically exfoliated graphene and an ultrathin solid-state electrolyte based on nano-graphene oxide. The devices exploit the high ionic conductivity of nano-graphene oxide coupled with the high electrical conductivity of graphene films, yielding areal capacitances of up to 313 µF cm-2 at 5 mV s-1 and high power densities of up to ∼4 mW cm-3 with an overall device thickness of only ∼1 µm.

In vitro and in vivo effects of ophthalmic solutions on silicone hydrogel bandage lens material Senofilcon A.

BACKGROUND: Acuvue Oasys silicone hydrogel contact lenses (Senofilcon A) are used as bandage lenses and often combined with ophthalmic solutions in the treatment of ocular diseases. Concerns have been raised regarding the compatibility and effect of eye-drop solutions on the bandage lenses, which have led to frequent replacement of lenses causing clinical problems. Some patients experience pain or discomfort during treatments and the accumulation of drugs and preservatives in lenses has been suggested as a possible reason. The aim with this study was to investigate the effect of ophthalmic solutions on silicone hydrogel bandage lens material Senofilcon A in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The effect of three common ophthalmic solutions Isopto-Maxidex, Timosan and Oftaquix on Acuvue Oasys (Senofilcon A) bandage lenses was evaluated. An in vitro model method was developed where drug and preservative uptake by Acuvue Oasys was monitored with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry. Surface morphology changes of the lenses were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. The method was then implemented for the in vivo pilot study evaluating lenses worn by patients. RESULTS: In vitro model study monitoring the drug and preservatives uptake showed that the active ingredients from all the eye drops together with preservatives were taken up by the lenses in significant amounts. For the in vivo study no traces of active ingredients or preservatives could be found on the worn and treated lenses regardless of time being worn or dosage profiles. The surface morphology changes in the in vivo study were also minor in contrast to the changes observed in the in vitro scanning electron microscopy images. CONCLUSION: The in vivo results demonstrate minor effects of the ophthalmic solutions on the worn lenses. These results do not support the building up of preservatives and drugs on the contact lenses as the cause of pain or discomfort experienced by some patients, which is encouraging for the use of bandage lenses in combination with ophthalmic solutions.

Supramolecular Assembly of Biobased Graphene Oxide Quantum Dots Controls the Morphology of and Induces Mineralization on Poly(ε-caprolactone) Films.

Biobased 2D graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs) were synthesized from waste paper via carbon nanosphere intermediates and evaluated as property-enhancing additives for poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). The morphology of PCL films was controlled by supramolecular assembly of the small, 2D GOQDs in the polymer matrix. Phase behavior studies of PCL-GOQD in the solid state indicated concentration-dependent self-association of GOQD sheets, which was confirmed by SEM observations. Depending on the GOQD concentration, the formation of, e.g., spheres and stacked sheets was observed. GOQDs also induced mineralization on the surface of the films. A calcium phosphate (CaP) mineralization test revealed that the density of growing CaP crystals was controlled by the type of GOQD aggregates formed. Thus, utilization of the aggregation behavior of small GOQD sheets in polymeric matrices paves the way for tuning the morphology and properties of nanocomposites.

Cooperatively assembling donor-acceptor superstructures direct energy into an emergent charge separated state.

A novel supramolecular system composed of diketopyrrolopyrrole electron donors and perylene derived bisimide (PDI) electron acceptors forms superstructures that undergo fast photoinduced charge separation following assembly. This bioinspired route toward functional hierarchical structures, whereby assembly and electronic properties are closely coupled, could lead to new materials for artificial photosynthesis and organic electronics.

First clinical experience with the magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent and superoxide dismutase mimetic mangafodipir as an adjunct in cancer chemotherapy-a translational study.

Preclinical research suggests that the clinically approved magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent mangafodipir may protect against adverse events (AEs) caused by chemotherapy, without interfering negatively with the anticancer efficacy. The present translational study tested if pretreatment with mangafodipir lowers AEs during curative (adjuvant) FOLFOX6 chemotherapy in stage III colon cancer (Dukes' C). The study was originally scheduled to include 20 patients, but because of the unforeseen withdrawal of mangafodipir from the market, the study had to be closed after 14 patients had been included. The withdrawal of mangafodipir was purely based on commercial considerations from the producer and not on any safety concerns. The patients were treated throughout the first 3 of 12 scheduled cycles. Patients were randomized to a 5-minute infusion of either mangafodipir or placebo (7 in each group). AEs were evaluated according to the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and the Sanofi-NCI criteria. The primary end points were neutropenia and neurosensory toxicity. There were four AEs of grade 3 (severe) and one AE of grade 4 (life threatening) in four patients in the placebo group, whereas there were none in the mangafodipir group (P < .05). Of the grade 3 and 4 events, two were neutropenia and one was neurosensory toxicity. Furthermore, white blood cell count was statistically, significantly higher in the mangafodipir group than in the placebo group (P < .01) after treatment with FOLFOX. This small feasibility study seems to confirm what has been demonstrated preclinically, namely, that pretreatment with mangafodipir lowers AEs during adjuvant 5-fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in colon cancer patients.