Modification of Cotton and Leather Surfaces Using Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma and TiO2-SiO2-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanopowders

Surface modification of textile fabrics and leathers is very versatile and allows the products quality improvement. In this work, cotton and leather substrates were pre-treated with cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) and further coated with TiO₂-SiO₂-reduced graphene oxide composites in dispersion form. By using a Taguchi scheme, this research evaluated the effect of three significant parameters, i.e., the pre-treatment with CAPP, organic dispersion coating and TiO₂-SiO₂-reduced graphene oxide (TS/GR) composites, that may affect the morpho-structural properties and photocatalytic activity of modified cotton and leather surfaces. The characteristics of cotton/leather surfaces were evaluated by morphological, structural, optical and self-cleaning ability using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The self-cleaning performance of the obtained cotton and leather samples was evaluated by photocatalytic discoloration of berry juice surface stains under UV light irradiation for 12 h. The successfulness of coating formulations was proven by the SEM analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The XRD patterns and ATR-FTIR spectra revealed the cellulose and collagen structures as dominant components of cotton and leather substrates. The CAPP treatment did not damage the cotton and leather structures. The photocatalytic results highlighted the potential of TiO₂-SiO₂-reduced graphene oxide composites in organic dispersion media, as coating formulations, for further use in the fabrication of innovative self-cleaning photocatalytic cotton and leather products.

Analysis of Functionalized Ferromagnetic Memory Alloys from the Perspective of Developing a Medical Vascular Implant

Durable biocompatible metal vascular implants are still one of the significant challenges of contemporary medicine. This work presents the preparation of ferromagnetic biomaterials with shape memory in metal strips based on FePd (30 at% Pd) that is either not doped or doped with Ga and Mn, coated with poly(benzofuran-co-arylacetic acid) or polyglutamic acid. The coating of the metal strips with polymers was achieved after the metal surface had been previously treated with open-air cold plasma. The final functionalization was performed to induce anti-thrombogenic/thrombolytic properties in the resulting materials. SEM-EDX microscopy and X-ray photoelectron microscopy (XPS) determined the morphology and composition of the metal strips covered with polymers. In vitro tests of standardized thromboplastin time (PTT) and prothrombin time (PT) were performed to evaluate the thrombogenicity of these biofunctionalized materials for future possible monitoring of the implant in patients.

Pulmonary hypertension in patients with end stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis

Background

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious cardiovascular complication in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) via arterio-venous fistulas (AVF).

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), AVF flow volume (AVF-FV) and cardiac output (CO) and to highlight the impact of their augmentation, as well as of the duration of HD, on the occurrence of PH in patients with ESRD.

Methods

Our study group consisted of 51 dialyzed patients, with ESRD, without history of PH. We determined by ultrasonography the systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (PAPs), the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), the cardiac output (CO), PVR and AVF-FV.

Results

We documented PH in 27 (52.94%) patients. All had elevated PVR, higher AVF-FV and CO comparing to patients without PH. They were undergoing HD for a longer period and had lower EF than those without PH. For all patients, we documented strong correlations between PAPs and PVR (r = 0.933, P < 0.001) and the duration of HD (r = 0.702, P < 0.001), but moderate ones with AVF-FV (r = 0.583, P < 0.001) and CO (r = 0.519, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In patients with ESRD undergoing HD, PH was a common finding being associated with increased PVR, a longer duration of HD and chronic glomerulonephritis as etiology for ESRD. The majority of patients with PH had altered left ventricular systolic function, predisposing them to an increased risk to develop heart failure.

Alterations of heart rate variability and turbulence in female patients with hyperthyroidism of various severities

Objective

The objective of the this study is to document the existence of statistically significant differences between parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT), determined in women with overt hyperthyroidism (hT), compared to controls and to highlight their correlations with the level of thyroid hormones and the incidence of arrhythmias.

Methods

We studied the HRV in time and frequency domain, and the HRT in a group of 113 women with overt hT, without other cardiovascular risk factors or comorbidities, admitted to the endocrinology clinic of our hospital, between 2012 and 2016. Depending on the severity and duration of hT and levels of thyroid hormones, the patients were assigned to three groups: mild and moderate forms, severe hT with thyrotoxicosis and persistent cases with a relapse of hT. We performed 24 h Holter monitoring in all patients.

Results

HRV parameters in time domain (TD) were significantly depressed in patients comparing to controls. All patients had abnormal, positive values of turbulence onset (TO) with significant statistically differences (P < 0.0001) comparing to controls. Although positive, the values of turbulence slope (TS) decreased according to the severity of hT.

Conclusion

Patients with hT had depressed values of HRV parameters in TD, correlated with the severity of the thyroid disease and with the incidence of arrhythmias. All patients presented pathological values of TO. TS values were positive, but lower compared to controls.

High-risk pulmonary embolism in a patient with acute dissecting aortic aneurysm

In the last decades, an increased incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) and acute dissection (AD) of aortic aneurysms has been registered mostly due to increased availability of advanced imaging techniques. They seldom occur concomitantly in the same patient. In this paper, we present the clinical challenges and controversies of diagnosis and therapy in a 70-year-old male patient with an atypical presentation of high-risk PE occurring concomitantly with a silent AD of a thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Hyperthyroidism and sick sinus syndrome, a rare but challenging association: A study of three cases

Hyperthyroidism is usually associated with sinus tachycardia or supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, but rarely with dysfunction of the sinus node or other conduction disturbances. Evidence of bradyarrhythmia in patients with hyperthyroidism is clinically relevant, but the fact that several drugs with negative chronotropic effects (beta-blockers and calcium channel antagonists) are frequently used in the management of these patients must be taken into account. In the presence of sick sinus syndrome (SSS) or other conductance disturbances, therapy with agents that delay the activity of sinus node or atrioventricular conduction can lead to extreme bradycardia with syncope. In this paper, aspects of diagnosis and therapy in three patients with SSS and hyperthyroidism, admitted in the Clinic of Endocrinology or/and Cardiology of the County Hospital, Timisoara, have been presented.

Hyperthyroidism and sick sinus syndrome, a rare but challenging association: A study of three cases

Hyperthyroidism is usually associated with sinus tachycardia or supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, but rarely with dysfunction of the sinus node or other conduction disturbances. Evidence of bradyarrhythmia in patients with hyperthyroidism is clinically relevant, but the fact that several drugs with negative chronotropic effects (beta-blockers and calcium channel antagonists) are frequently used in the management of these patients must be taken into account. In the presence of sick sinus syndrome (SSS) or other conductance disturbances, therapy with agents that delay the activity of sinus node or atrioventricular conduction can lead to extreme bradycardia with syncope. In this paper, aspects of diagnosis and therapy in three patients with SSS and hyperthyroidism, admitted in the Clinic of Endocrinology or/and Cardiology of the County Hospital, Timisoara, have been presented.