Evaluation of the Antibacterial Activity of Eco-Friendly Hybrid Composites on the Base of Oyster Shell Powder Modified by Metal Ions and LLDPE

Transforming biological waste into high-value-added materials is currently attracting extensive research interest in the medical and industrial treatment fields. The design and use of new antibacterial systems are urgently needed. In this study, we used discarded oyster shell powder (OSP) to prepare calcium oxide (CaO). CaO was mixed with silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) ions as a controlled release and antibacterial system to test the antibacterial activity. The inhibition zones of various modified metals were between 22 and 29 mm for Escherichia coli (E. coli) and between 21 and 24 mm for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). In addition, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) combined with CaO and metal ion forms can be an excellent alternative to a hybrid composite. The strength modulus at 1% LLDPE to LLDPE/CaO Ag increased from 297 to 320 MPa. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of LLDPE/CaO/metal ions against E. coli had an antibacterial effect of about 99.9%. Therefore, this hybrid composite material has good potential as an antibacterial therapy and biomaterial suitable for many applications.

Highly active and reusable silica-aerogel-supported platinum–cobalt bimetallic catalysts for the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

In this study, platinum–cobalt bimetallic catalysts supported on mesoporous silica aerogel (SAG), abbreviated as PCx/SAG,x= 1–6, were prepared by facile chemical reduction and a simple, efficient microwave-assisted method using Co and Pt precursors.

Silica aerogel-supported cobalt nanocomposites as efficient catalysts toward hydrogen generation from aqueous ammonia borane

For the Co/SAG catalyst, the Co nanoparticles (<5 nm in diameter) were well distributed in the SAG matrix, and as the M/AB ratio was increased to 0.2, the hydrogen release from aqueous NH₃BH₃ was complete within 3 min.

Taiwanese patients' concerns and coping strategies: transition to cardiac surgery

OBJECTIVE

To explore patients' concerns during the admission transition to cardiac surgery.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative design.

SETTING

Four hospitals in northern Taiwan, Republic of China.

PATIENTS

A purposive sample consisting of 40 adult patients (20 men and 20 women) who planned to have cardiac surgery. Age range was 20 to 70 years (mean 50.1 years).

OUTCOME MEASURES

The types, levels, components, coping strategies, context, and conceptual framework of patients' concerns.

INTERVENTION

Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and then analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Ninety percent of subjects (N = 36) reported two types of concerns: certain (80%) and uncertain (10%). Their certain concerns reflected three levels of concerns: "Caring about" or "Thinking about" (52%); "Worrying about" or "Being afraid of" (43%); and "Experiencing a mortal fear of" (30%), ordered from the weakest to the strongest. The components of patients' concerns were the process of recovery; hospital experiences, including maintaining daily activities, pain at admission, and expectant discomforts and disabilities in the intensive care unit; death; unfinished responsibilities and life goals, significant persons, and places; financial needs; and poor quality of care. Strategies developed to manage their concerns included (1) The use of person-focused effort (both cognitive and psychomotor), (2) Seeking help from others, including family members, friends, other patients, and health professionals, and (3) Turning to metaphysical power. The context for the phenomenon of Taiwanese subjects' concerns concerning cardiac surgery during the admission transition were "Being a person," resuming normality, and empowerment of self.

CONCLUSION

The types, levels, components, and coping strategies of patients' concerns during the admission transition to cardiac surgery were discovered and delineated. The background context and conceptual framework for the phenomenon also were developed from the data analysis to describe and depict this phenomenon.

[Isolation of bacteria which could perform nitrification and denitrification simultaneously by gene probe]

The bacteria which could perform nitrification and denitrification simultaneously from nitrogen containing wastes in Taiwan were isolated by using the probes made from random DNA fragments of Thiosphaera pantotropha. Two isolates were identified and named Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. faecalis strain 1 and strain 2 respectively. The effects on nitrification and denitrification by different medium pH, oxygen content, addition of different electron donors or inhibitors were studied. The isolates not only could perform nitrification, but also denitrification even in the presence of oxygen. Potassium cyanide could inhibit denitrification; hydrazine and hydroxyamine could inhibit nitrification. Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. faecalis strain 2 shows better denitrification.

Turning points of recovery from cardiac surgery during the intensive care unit transition

OBJECTIVE

To explore the turning points of recovery from cardiac surgery of patients during the intensive care unit recovery transition.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative design.

SETTING

Three hospitals in northern Taiwan, Republic of China.

PATIENTS

A convenience sample consisting of 30 adult patients (15 men and 15 women) who had undergone cardiac surgery. Age range was 20 to 67 years (mean, 46.6 years).

OUTCOME MEASURES

The component, context, type, and positive or negative impact of turning points on patients' health.

INTERVENTION

Data were collected through semistructured interviews and then analyzed by using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Turning points, which included events, nursing actions, and time, were examined in terms of the preceding conditions and the positive or negative health outcomes. Participants in this study fell into four main groups with regard to turning point experiences during the intensive care unit transition: those having experiences of turning points with both positive and negative outcomes (57%); those having experiences of turning points with a positive outcome only (33%); those having no experience of a turning point with either a positive or negative outcome (7%); and those having experiences of turning points with a negative outcome only (3%). Four classes of turning point experiences identified from the data encompassed "precedingness," inclusiveness, comparativeness, and multiplicity.

CONCLUSIONS

We delineated the components, context, types, and positive or negative impact of turning points on patients' health after cardiac surgery during the intensive care unit transition. We also drew information on the nature, definition, and conceptual frameworks from data analysis to describe this phenomenon.