Improved functionalization of oleic acid-coated iron oxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles can providemultiple benefits for biomedical applications in aqueous environments such asmagnetic separation or magnetic resonance imaging. To increase the colloidal stability and allow subsequent reactions, the introduction of hydrophilic functional groups onto the particles’ surface is essential. During this process, the original coating is exchanged by preferably covalently bonded ligands such as trialkoxysilanes. The duration of the silane exchange reaction, which commonly takes more than 24 h, is an important drawback for this approach. In this paper, we present a novel method, which introduces ultrasonication as an energy source to dramatically accelerate this process, resulting in high-quality waterdispersible nanoparticles around 10 nmin size. To prove the generic character, different functional groups were introduced on the surface including polyethylene glycol chains, carboxylic acid, amine, and thiol groups. Their colloidal stability in various aqueous buffer solutions as well as human plasma and serum was investigated to allow implementation in biomedical and sensing applications.status: publishe

Innleggelse i fødeavdeling i fødselens latensfase

Tittel: Innleggelse i fødeavdeling i fødselens latensfase. Hensikt: Å beskrive friske lavrisikofødende kvinner ved innkomst til fødeavdelingen. Dette for å få økt kunnskap og forståelse for hvordan lavrisikofødende blir vurdert for innleggelse og ivaretatt sett opp mot dagens retningslinjer og klinisk praksis. Problemstilling: «I hvilken fase av fødselen innlegges friske, lavrisikofødende kvinner i fødeavdeling? En kartlegging av kvinner som ble innlagt i latensfasen og i aktiv fase av fødsel». Studiedesign: En kvantitativ studie med prospektivt innsamlet datamateriale fra en norsk kvinneklinikk. Resultater: En større andel av kvinnene ble innlagt i fødselens latensfase (59 %) enn i fødselens aktive fase (41 %). Å være førstegangsfødende var assosiert med økt risiko for innleggelse i latensfasen sammenlignet med å være flergangsfødende (RR 1,40, 95 % KI 1,18-1,66). Ikke-medikamentell smertelindring var mer brukt blant kvinnene som ble innlagt i latensfasen (64,8 %) enn i aktiv fase (41,9 %) (p < 0,001). En større andel av kvinnene som ble innlagt i latensfasen fikk anlagt EDA (56,1%) sammenlignet med kvinnene innlagt i aktiv fase (21,3 %). Innleggelse i latensfasen var assosiert med høyere risiko for å få anlagt EDA sammenlignet med innleggelse i aktiv fase (RR 2,63, 95 % KI 1,86-3,72). Kvinnene som ble innlagt i latensfasen hadde en lengre gjennomsnittlig fødselsvarighet enn kvinnene innlagt i aktiv fase (454 minutter cersus 329 minutter, p<0,001). Konklusjon: Flertallet av kvinnene ble innlagt i fødeavdeling i fødselens latensfase. Disse kvinnene brukte i større grad både ikke-medikamentell smertelindring og epiduralanalgesi, og hadde en lengre fødselsvarighet enn kvinnene som ble innlagt i fødselens aktive fase. Studien antyder at det er diskrepans mellom gjeldende retningslinjer og kvinners behov for støtte, omsorg og smertelindring i latensfasen og at det trengs tydeligere retningslinjer for jordmødre og mer forskning på temaet for å kunne tilpasse omsorgen bedre til kvinnenes behov

Measures to Achieve the Energy Efficiency Improvement Targets in the Multi-Apartment Residential Sector

Abstract Directive (EU) 2018/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency sets a target of 32.5 % energy efficiency to be achieved by 2030, with a possible upward revision in 2023. The directive also stipulates that the obligation to achieve annual energy savings must continue to be met after 2020. In addition, a revised directive on the energy performance of buildings was adopted in May 2018. It includes measures to speed up the renovation of buildings and the transition to more energy-efficient systems, as well as to improve the energy efficiency of new buildings, thus using smart energy management systems [1]. Buildings consume the most energy and have the greatest energy saving potential. They are therefore crucial to achieving the European Union’s energy saving targets. The EU allocated around 14 billion EUR to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the period of 2014–2020, of which 4.6 billion EUR was intended for residential buildings. In addition, the Member States have earmarked 5.4 billion EUR of public co-financing for the improvement of all types of buildings, of which around 2 billion EUR is allocated to residential buildings. Multi-apartment residential buildings in Latvia are in a technically unsatisfactory condition. In Latvia, the service life of multi-apartment residential buildings has been artificially extended. In addition, there is also the problem of reduced construction quality. Housing problems affect all layers of society, but they are most acute for low- and middle-income people. The aim of the research is to study, using the co-financing of the European Union Structural Funds, the activities performed during the renovation process of multi-apartment residential buildings in Latvia and to identify the shortcomings.</jats:p

Assessing of supply chain performance by adopting Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) model

Abstract This paper aims at an assessing of a supply chain performance by adopting the Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) Model. The supply chain activities are divided into five core processes, i.e. plan, source, make, delivery and return. Each level of the SCOR model is weighted using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP). The mapping of SCOR Model consists of 5 core processes at 1st level, 21 performance matrices at 2nd level, and 28 Key Performance Indicator (KPI) at 3th level. The result shows that the supply chain performance is 68,231. Referring to the performance indicators, the performance achieved by the supply chain at this time is in the average category. Proposed improvement strategies are designed based on lean supply chain principles, through the implementation of Gemba Kaizen which consists of 17 proposed strategies.</jats:p

Investigation of Filtration and Shale Inhibition Characteristics of Chitosan‑<i>N</i>‑(2-hydroxyl)-propyl trimethylammonium Chloride as Drilling Fluid Additives

Hydrated shale formations often lead to severe drilling problems and may lead to wellbore instability. These instabilities can result in issues such as bit balling, borehole collapse, formation damage, stuck pipe, and low drilling rates. Keeping these fundamental issues with drilling in shale formation in mind, this study is aimed at designing a water-based drilling fluid system for effective shale inhibition, ensuring enhanced wellbore stability and drilling efficiency. The designed mud system comprises a typical base fluid along with newly synthesized chitosan derivative chitosan-N-(2-hydroxyl)-propyl trimethylammonium chloride (HACC) as an additive. This additive was found to be soluble in water and conducive for shale inhibition. The derived product was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Various drilling fluid tests, including filtration and rheological experiments, were conducted to evaluate its proficiency as a drilling mud additive. The results showed improvement in rheological and filtration properties after hot rolling at 100 °C in comparison to a conventional shale inhibitor, polyethylenimine. As we increase the concentration of synthesized chitosan derivative from 0.3 to 1.5 w/v%, the filtration loss is reduced from 40% to 65% as compared to the base fluids. Shale recovery tests were also conducted using shale samples from an Indian field to assess its viability for field application. The addition of 0.3 to 1.5 w/v% chitosan derivative resulted in high shale recovery above 88% to 96% at 100 °C compared to polyethylenimine, which showed a change in recovery from 62% to 73%. HACC intercalates into clay platelets, reducing the interlayer spacing between particles and preventing clay from hydrating and swelling. This mechanism of inhibition is evaluated by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and zeta potential analysis. This bolsters the hypothesis of using the synthesized chitosan derivative as a shale inhibitor