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Topic Review
Polymeric Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery
The complexity of some diseases—as well as the inherent toxicity of certain drugs—has led to an increasing interest in the development and optimization of drug-delivery systems. Polymeric nanoparticles stand out as a key tool to improve drug bioavailability or specific delivery at the site of action. The versatility of polymers makes them potentially ideal for fulfilling the requirements of each particular drug-delivery system. In this review, a summary of the state-of-the-art panorama of polymeric nanoparticles as drug-delivery systems has been conducted, focusing mainly on those applications in which the corresponding disease involves an important morbidity, a considerable reduction in the life quality of patients—or even a high mortality. A revision of the use of polymeric nanoparticles for ocular drug delivery, for cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as nutraceutical delivery, was carried out, and a short discussion about future prospects of these systems is included.
  • 2.0K
  • 27 Jul 2020
Topic Review
Bioplastic of Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Vegetal-Fibers as Biopackaging Alternatives
This is an overview of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)–vegetal fiber composites, the effects of the fiber type, and the production method's impact on the mechanical, thermal, barrier properties, and biodegradability, all relevant for biopackaging. To acknowledge the behaviors and trends of the biomaterials reinforcement field, the researchers searched for granted patents focusing on bio-packaging applications and gained insight into current industry developments and contributions.
  • 2.0K
  • 23 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Dynamic Crosslinking Hydrogel Dressings
One of the most advanced, promising and commercially feasible research issues in the field of hydrogel dressings is to obtain functions to achieve improved therapeutic effects and even intelligent wound repair. In addition to the advantages of ordinary hydrogel dressings, functional hydrogel dressings can also adjust their chemical/physical properties to meet different wound types, respond accordingly, actively create a healing environment conducive to wound repair, and control drug release to provide lasting benefits.
  • 2.0K
  • 12 May 2023
Topic Review
Clear Aligners - 3D Printing
The recent introduction of three-dimensional (3D) printing is revolutionizing dentistry and is even being applied to orthodontic treatment of malocclusion. Clear, personalized, removable aligners are a suitable alternative to conventional orthodontic appliances, offering a more comfortable and efficient solution for patients. Including improved oral hygiene and aesthetics during treatment. Contemporarily, clear aligners are produced by a thermoforming process using various types of thermoplastic materials. The thermoforming procedure alters the properties of the material, and the intraoral environment further modifies the properties of a clear aligner, affecting overall performance of the material. Direct 3D printing offers the creation of highly precise clear aligners with soft edges, digitally designed and identically reproduced for an entire set of treatment aligners; offering a better fit, higher efficacy, and reproducibility. Despite the known benefits of 3D printing and the popularity of its dental applications, very limited technical and clinical data are available in the literature about directly printed clear aligners. 
  • 2.0K
  • 14 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Nanomaterials in Dentistry
       Nanomaterials are commonly considered as those materials in which the shape and molecular composition at a nanometer scale can be controlled. Subsequently, they present extraordinary properties that are being useful for the development of new and improved applications in many fields, including medicine. In dentistry, several research efforts are being conducted, especially during the last decade, for the improvement of the properties of materials used in dentistry.
  • 2.0K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bioadhesive Biomaterials for Medical Application
This entry deliberates about the importance of polymer based bioadhesive biomaterial’s medical application in healthcare and redefining healthcare management. Nowadays application of bioadhesion in health sector is one of the great interest for various researchers, due to its recent advances in their formulation development. Actually, this area of study is considered as an active multidisciplinary research approach, where engineers, scientists—including chemists, physicists, biologists, and medical experts—materials’ producers, and manufacturers combine their knowledge in order to provide a better healthcare. Moreover, while discussing about the implications of value-based healthcare, it is necessary to mention that health comprises three main domains namely: physical, mental, and social health that prioritized not only the quality healthcare, but it also enables to measure the outcomes of medical interventions. In addition, this conceptual article provides an understanding about the consequences of natural or synthetic polymer based bioadhesion of biomaterials and its significance for redefining healthcare management as a novel approach. Furthermore, research assumptions highlights that the quality healthcare concept has recently become a burning topic where, healthcare service providers, private research institutes, government authorities, public service boards, associations and academics took initiative to restructure the health care system to create value for patients and increase their satisfaction, and lead ultimately to a healthier society.
  • 1.9K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Bioconversion of Starch Base Food Waste into Bioethanol
Food wastes are organic wastes or biodegradables. They are generated from various sources such as restaurants and cafeterias, industrial sectors, commercial and domestic kitchens, food processing plants, and other areas where a large number of people consume food. The global demand for fuel keeps increasing daily. The massive depletion of fossil fuels and their influence on the environment as pollution is a severe problem. Meanwhile, food waste disposal is also a complex problem in solid-waste management since one-third of every food consumed is discarded as waste. The standard waste management methods, including food waste incineration and landfilling, are considered hazardous to the environment. Food waste constituents are majorly starch-based and contain various biomolecules, including sugar, lipids, proteins, vitamins, cellulose, etc. These polysaccharides can be hydrolysed into monosaccharides such as glucose, which can then be fermented using microorganisms to produce ethanol through the fermenting of sugars derived from enzymatic hydrolysis treatment of food wastes. The human food system is rich in starch, which can be a potential resource for bioethanol production.
  • 1.9K
  • 20 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Production of Refractory Materials with Silicon Dioxide
Organization of environmentally-friendly production of refractory materials based on the principles of cost-effective use of energy and material resources through use of energy-saving technologies and replacement of natural raw materials with industrial and agricultural waste is gaining relevance. Scientists are increasingly interested in creating high-temperature materials using silica of plant origin. Its source is rice husk, a multi-tonnage waste from rice production. Organo-mineral in its nature, rice husk determines the uniqueness of the structure and properties of the materials obtained from it. Use of this waste allows to produce porous, high-strength silicon carbide refractories with properties corresponding to classical analogs, while benefiting from environmental, economic and technological aspects.
  • 1.9K
  • 05 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Microneedle-mediated protein delivery
Microneedle (MN) patches, consisting of micro/miniature-sized needles, are a promising tool to perforate the stratum corneum and to release drugs and proteins into the dermis following a non-invasive route. 
  • 1.9K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Lipid Bilayers on Silicon Substrates
Artificial membranes are models for biological systems that are important for several applications. In the present entry we talk about artificial membranes such as supported lipid bilayers (SLB) and ways to self- assemble them. We mainly focus on the results of a new dry evaporation process in high vacuum, i.e., physical vapor deposition, to make samples of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) on silicon substrates. We have characterized the main phase transitions and adhesion of our SLBs using high-resolution ellipsometry and AFM techniques. The finding of this new SLB fabrication approach is relevant for the understanding the interaction of lipid bilayers in contact with surfaces in dry environments, with the aim to develop new kinds of lab-on-chip bionanosensors. This discovery is especially relevant in the context of the viability of organisms covered with lipid bilayer structures. An example of this kind of interaction occurs between bilayer-protected viruses, e.g., corona viruses, and solid surfaces, allowing the virus to stay active during long periods of time. The prolonged stability of SLBs on dry SiO2/Si substrates detected in our research can explain the long-term stability of some viruses deposited or adsorbed on dry surfaces, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 
  • 1.9K
  • 03 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Deep Eutectic Solvents for Biomass-Based Waste Valorization
Biomass waste streams are potential feedstocks for a variety of products such as fuels, polymers, and building blocks. The deep eutectic solvents (DESs), eutectic mixtures of Lewis (or Brønsted) acids and bases with incomplete proton transfer, were intentionally designed by choosing two or more distinct components that could interact via hydrogen bonding. The DESs, often with non-stoichiometric ratios between components, present melting points significantly lower than the starting materials and produce mixtures of charged and neutral species. 
  • 1.9K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Zirconium and Titanium Phosphates
Zirconium and titanium phosphates are a group of laminar tetravalent metal phosphates that have attracted intensive investigation interests. Unlike zirconium phosphates, titanium phosphates can be also synthesized in another morphology, exhibiting the form of nanorods, and thus are known as nanofibrous titanium phosphates.  The different synthetic routes of zirconium and titanium phosphates and their current and prospective applications with a special mention to the their plausible applications in the field of biotechnology are discussed. 
  • 1.9K
  • 25 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Chitosan Adsorbent
Chitin is mentioned as the second most abundant and important natural biopolymer in worldwide scale. The main sources for the extraction and exploitation of this natural polysaccharide polymer are crabs and shrimps. Chitosan (poly-β-(1 → 4)-2-amino-2-deoxy-d-glucose) is the most important derivative of chitin and can be used in a wide variety of applications including cosmetics, pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, food, etc., giving this substance high value-added applications. Moreover, chitosan has applications in adsorption because it contains amino and hydroxyl groups in its molecules, and can thus contribute to many possible adsorption interactions between chitosan and pollutants (pharmaceuticals/drugs, metals, phenols, pesticides, etc.). However, it must be noted that one of the most important techniques of decontamination is considered to be adsorption because it is simple, low-cost, and fast. 
  • 1.9K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Design and Preparation of Chitosan Hydrogels
Flexible wearable sensors show great potential for applications in wearable devices, remote health monitoring, artificial intelligence, soft robotics, and artificial skin due to their stretchability, bendability, thinness and portability, and excellent electrical properties. Chitosan (CS) is the only alkaline polysaccharide present in nature, which is deacetylated from chitin, and has attracted great interest in the biomedical field due to biocompatibility, non-toxicity, biodegradability, antimicrobial ability and safety. Tremendous efforts have focused on the advancement of chitosan-based hydrogels (CS-Gels) to realize multifunctional wearable sensing by modifying hydrogel networks with additives/nanofillers/functional groups.
  • 1.9K
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Hyaluronic acid-based theranostic nanomedicines
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural mucopolysaccharide and has many useful advantages, including biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, chemical versatility, non-toxicity, biodegradability, and high hydrophilicity. Numerous tumor cells overexpress several receptors that have a high binding affinity for HA, while these receptors are poorly expressed in normal body cells. HA-based drug delivery carriers can offer improved solubility and stability of anticancer drugs in biological environments and allow for the targeting of cancer treatments. Based on these benefits, HA has been widely investigated as a promising material for developing the advanced clinical cancer therapies in various formulations, including nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, and hydrogels, combined with other materials.
  • 1.9K
  • 31 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Application of Nanosheets in Nanomedicine
The term “nanosheets” has been coined recently to describe supported and free-standing “ultrathin film” materials, with thicknesses ranging from a single atomic layer to a few tens of nanometers. Owing to their physicochemical properties and their large surface area with abundant accessible active sites, nanosheets (NSHs) of inorganic materials such as Au, amorphous carbon, graphene, and boron nitride (BN) are considered ideal building blocks or scaffolds for a wide range of applications encompassing electronic and optical devices, membranes, drug delivery systems, and multimodal contrast agents, among others. In the specific case of nanomaterials applied to medicine (nanomedicine), this multidisciplinary field has captured the interest of researchers and engineers from different disciplines.
  • 1.9K
  • 08 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Hydrogels for Oral Tissue Engineering
Oral health is crucial to daily life, yet many people worldwide suffer from oral diseases. With the development of oral tissue engineering, there is a growing demand for dental biomaterials. Addressing oral diseases often requires a two-fold approach: fighting bacterial infections and promoting tissue growth. Hydrogels are promising tissue engineering biomaterials that show great potential for oral tissue regeneration and drug delivery.
  • 1.9K
  • 10 May 2023
Topic Review
Environmental Applications of Nanocellulose-Based Membranes
Extensive research and development in the production of nanocellulose, a green, bio-based, and renewable biomaterial has paved the way for the development of advanced functional materials for a multitude of applications. From a membrane technology perspective, the exceptional mechanical strength, high crystallinity, tunable surface chemistry, and anti-fouling behavior of nanocellulose, manifested from its structural and nanodimensional properties are particularly attractive. Thus, an opportunity has emerged to exploit these features to develop nanocellulose-based membranes for environmental applications including water filtration, environmental remediation, and for the development of pollutant sensors and energy devices.
  • 1.9K
  • 09 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Commercial Antimicrobial Wound Dressings Based on Polyhexanide-Releasing Membranes
The prevalence of chronic, non-healing skin wounds in the general population, most notably diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers and pressure ulcers, is approximately 2% and is expected to increase, driven mostly by the aging population and the steady rise in obesity and diabetes. Non-healing wounds often become infected, increasing the risk of life-threatening complications, which poses a significant socioeconomic burden. Aiming at an improved management of infected wounds, a variety of wound dressings that release the antiseptic polyhexanide (poly(hexamethylene biguanide); PHMB), has been introduced in the wound-care market. An overview of the main characteristics and applications of PHMB and of the main fabrication methods and characteristics of commercial PHMB-releasing wound dressings is presented.
  • 1.9K
  • 05 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Cobalt–Chromium Dental Alloys
Co–Cr dental alloys consist of Co, Cr and also other metals (e.g., gallium, iron, molybdenum, nickel, ruthenium, tungsten). Since the 1990s, regulations have emerged to protect European patients and also monitor recent scientific knowledge. The use of metals and, therefore, dental alloys has been highly regulated by directives and regulations. Europe has, therefore, developed a regulatory package to protect all players involved in alloys, whether they are metal producers, manufacturers of alloys and medical devices, healthcare professionals and patients. Objective information is provided about Co–Cr dental alloys, with regard to both the latest toxicological data and regulatory developments from 2020–2025. The release of metal ions and the problem of wear particles are also discussed. With the recent change of regulatory status of Co, it is necessary to know the many repercussions (economic, technical etc.) of their use precisely in order to then allow actors to modify their daily work. The legislative changes also bring the need to propose new alternatives to Co-Cr dental alloys.  
  • 1.9K
  • 21 Jan 2021
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