polyethylene

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bowel preparation is considered as major obstacle before colonoscopy, and it is often reported as the most feared part of the procedure. The aim of this study is to determine the difference in efficacy between a split dose of PEG and the previous day regimen in cleaning the colon, using Boston bowel preparation scale. In addition, also to evaluate patient satisfaction regarding the modality of preparation. METHODS: The study included 200 hospitalized patients undergoing colonoscopy at Beirut hospitals between 2021 and 2023...

Biodegradable poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) has seldom used for dairy packaging due to medium permeability and brittleness. Novel PLLA copolymers, poly (L-lactic acid-co-butylene itaconate-co-glycolic acid) (PLBIGA), were developed by integrating glycolic acid (GA) and poly(butylene itaconate) (PBI) into PLLA's structure using low molecular weight PLLA as a key initiator. Then, packaging materials with better barrier and mechanical properties were obtained by blended PLBIGA with PLLA. Both PLLA/PLBIGA films and polyethylene nylon composite film (PE/NY) were used for stirred yogurt packaging and storage at 4 °C for 25 days...

Soil, particularly in agricultural regions, has been recognized as one of the significant reservoirs for the emerging contaminant of MPs. Therefore, developing a rapid and efficient method is critical for their identification in soil. Here, we coupled HSI systems [i.e., VNIR (400-1000 nm), InGaAs (800-1600 nm), and MCT (1000-2500 nm)] with machine learning algorithms to distinguish soils spiked with white PE and PA (average size of 50 and 300 µm, respectively). The soil-normalized SWIR spectra unveiled significant spectral differences not only between control soil and pure MPs (i...

One of the current challenges in medicine is to achieve a rapid and unequivocal detection and quantification of extremely low levels of disease biomarkers in complex biological samples. Here, we present the development and analytical evaluation of a low-cost smartphone-based system designed for ultrasensitive detection of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using two detection alternatives: electrochemical or optical, by coupling the smartphone with a portable potentiostat or magnifying lenses. An antibody tagged with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and indium tin oxide coated polyethylene terephthalate platform (ITO-PET) have been used to develop a sandwich-type immunoassay...

The efficient delivery of therapeutic proteins to tumor sites is a promising cancer treatment modality. Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) have been successfully used for the protective encapsulation of proteins; however, easy precipitation and lack of controlled release of existing HOFs limit their further application for protein delivery in vivo. In this study, a hypoxia-responsive HOF, self-assembled from azobenzenedicarboxylate/polyethylene glycol-conjugated azobenzenedicarboxylate and tetrakis(4-amidiniumphenyl)methane through charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding, is developed for systemic protein delivery to tumor cells...

Oral route of drug administration is typically the initial option for drug administration because it is both practical and affordable. However, major drawback of this route includes the release of drug at a specified place thus reduces the bioavailability. This could be overcome by utilizing the gastroretentive drug delivery system (GRRDS). Prolonged stomach retention improves bioavailability and increases solubility for medicines that are unable to dissolve in high pH environments. Many recent advancements in the floating, bio adhesive, magnetic, expandable, raft forming and ion exchange systems have been made that had led towards advanced form of drug delivery...

A charge detector has been constructed and mounted inside the vacuum housing of a commercial mass spectrometer (Micromass-Waters Quattro I, Waters Corp., Manchester, UK). The in-house built single-pass charge detector is composed of a designed, complete electronics system that includes a low-noise charge amplifier. Communication to the data acquisition system was enabled, and analog and digital filters were devised, followed by their tuning and programming. Data treatment scripts for data analysis and plotting were automated, and the assembled system was calibrated and tested...

PURPOSE: This research aimed to describe the stress distribution of an endodontically treated tooth with a mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavity restored with direct composite reinforced with polyethylene and e-glass ribbon fiber. METHODS: This research was a descriptive study using the finite element method. A 3D model of the mandibular first molar solid after endodontic treatment with class II MOD preparation was prepared using Solidworks software. Finite element simulation was carried out using Abaqus software...

Photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2 ) reduction is an effective method for in vivo carbon monoxide (CO) generation for antibacterial use. However, the available strategies mainly focus on utilizing visible-light-responsive photocatalysts to achieve CO generation. The limited penetration capability of visible light hinders CO generation in deep-seated tissues. Herein, a photothermal CO2 catalyst (abbreviated as NNBCs) to achieve an efficient hyperthermic effect and in situ CO generation is rationally developed, to simultaneously suppress bacterial proliferation and relieve inflammatory responses...

Functional constipation is a common problem in childhood and has a great impact on social, physical, and emotional functioning of affected children and their caregivers. No organic cause of the constipation can be found in approximately 95% of children, defining the "so-called" chronic functional constipation. Its prevalence has been reported to range from 0.7 to 29.6%, with a median of 12%. The diagnosis of functional constipation is exclusively clinical based on the pediatric diagnostic Rome criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders and does not routinely require laboratory and/or radiological investigations...

BACKGROUD: Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used for the primary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia (FN). Two types of G-CSF are available in Japan, namely G-CSF chemically bound to polyethylene glycol (PEG G-CSF), which provides long-lasting effects with a single dose, and non-polyethylene glycol-bound G-CSF (non-PEG G-CSF), which must be sequentially administrated for several days. METHODS: This current study investigated the utility of these treatments for the primary prophylaxis of FN through a systematic review of the literature...

Rubisco fixes CO2 through the carboxylation of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) during photosynthesis, enabling the synthesis of organic compounds. The natural diversity of Rubisco properties represents an opportunity to improve its performance and there is considerable research effort focusing on better understanding the properties and regulation of the enzyme. This chapter describes a method for large-scale purification of Rubisco from leaves. After the extraction of Rubisco from plant leaves, the enzyme is separated from other proteins by fractional precipitation with polyethylene glycol followed by ion-exchange chromatography...

In the aquatic environment around the world, microplastic contamination has been a common and ongoing issue. Particularly, the ability of microplastics to absorb persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and then transmit these POPs to aquatic creatures has attracted a lot of interest. A stereomicroscope was used to detect the size, shape, and color of the microplastics (MPs), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify the polymer composition of the MPs. To address MP transit, destiny, and mitigation, a study of MP pollution coastal areas is required...

To obtain a multifunctional bacterium that can effectively degrade polyethylene (PE) and sulfonamide antibiotics (SAs), PE and SAs were selected as the primary research objects. Multifunctional degrading bacteria were isolated and screened from an environment in which plastics and antibiotics have existed for a long time. An efficient degrading strain, Raoultella sp., was screened by measuring the degradation performance of PE and SAs. We analyzed the changes in the microbial community of indigenous bacteria using 16S rRNA...

Understanding the impact of various agricultural chemical components on the fate and transport of microplastics (MPs) in the subsurface is essential. In this study, column experiments on saturated porous media were conducted to explore the influence of the coexistence environment of pesticide adjuvants (surfactants) and active ingredients (neonicotinoids) on the transport of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) MPs. An anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)), a nonionic surfactant (nonylphenol ethoxylate (NP-40)), and three neonicotinoid insecticides (acetamiprid, dinotefuran, and nitenpyram) could independently increase MP migration by 8...

Chronic skin wounds, especially infected ones, pose a significant clinical challenge due to their increasing incidence and poor outcomes. The deteriorative microenvironment in such wounds, characterized by reduced extracellular matrix, impaired angiogenesis, insufficient neurogenesis, and persistent bacterial infection, has prompted the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we developed an injectable multifunctional hydrogel (GEL/BG@Cu + Mg) incorporating Gelatin-Tannic acid/ N-hydroxysuccinimide functionalized polyethylene glycol and Bioactive glass doped with copper and magnesium ions to accelerate the healing of infected wounds...

In this study, we systematically analyze the surface tension and Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) of imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) with different anions ([NTf2 ]- , [PF6 ]- , [I]- , and [Br]- ). These anions are combined with the classical 1-alkyl-3-methyl-substituted imidazolium cations ([C n C1 Im]+ ) and a group of oligoether-functionalized imidazolium cations ([(mPEG n )2 Im]+ ) based on methylated polyethylene glycol (mPEG n ). In detail, the influences of the length of the alkyl- and the mPEG n -chain, the anion size, and the water content are investigated experimentally...

BACKGROUND: The accumulation of fast-growing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) wastes has posed numerous threats to the environments and human health. Enzymatic degradation of PET is a promising approach for PET waste treatment. Currently, the efficiency of various PET biodegradation systems requires further improvements. RESULTS: In this work, we engineered whole cell systems with co-display of strong adhesive proteins and the most active PETase for PET biodegradation in E...

The escalating crisis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic contamination in biological wastewater treatment systems is a pressing environmental concern. These microplastics inevitably accumulate in sewage sludge due to the absence of effective removal technologies. Addressing this urgent issue, this study introduces a novel approach using DuraPETase, a potent enzyme with enhanced PET hydrolytic activity at ambient temperatures. Remarkably, this enzyme was successfully secreted from Comamonas testosteroni CNB-1, a dominant species in the active sludge...

Plastic wastes continuously accumulate, causing critical environmental issues. It is urgent to develop efficient strategies to convert them to valuable products. Very recently, two novel approaches for plastic recycling were reported by Huber et al. (Science, 2023, 381, 660-666) and Liu et al. (Science, 2023, 381, 666-671) , where polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics were converted into potentially valuable products, such as alcohols, aldehydes, surfactants, and detergents. The two processes achieved complete degradation, high selectivity of target products, as well as high values of products, showing economic feasibility for industrial scale-up...