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Objective: Health workers may be exposed to some occupational risks due to the nature of their work and one of them is infectious diseases. One of the ways to prevent infectious diseases is vaccination and this study was carried out to evaluate the vaccination status and perspectives of emergency medicine physicians. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted on 311 emergency medicine physicians working in emergency departments. Results: Of the participants, 22.5% had seasonal flu vaccine, 83.0% had at least one dose of tetanus-diphtheria vaccine, 90.7% had at least one dose of hepatitis b vaccine, and 63.0% had at least one dose of the measles-rubella-mumps vaccine and 43.1% had at least one dose of chickenpox vaccine. 16.5% of those working as research assistants, 22.6% of specialists, and 40.0% of faculty members had the seasonal flu vaccine (p

Objectives: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a disease with high mortality due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to viral pneumonia. In addition to its effects on the respiratory system, coronavirus is known to have serious systemic effects on the cardiovascular system. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between prolonged QTc duration and COVID-19 specific pulmonary involvement Methods: Between December 2020 and February 2021, 112 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 in our COVID-19 outpatient clinic and met the inclusion criteria were evaluated for the association between cardiac variables (heart rate, PR width, QRS width, fQRS, and QTc interval), other patient characteristics and lung involvement. Results: A significant difference was found between the QTc intervals of COVID-19 patients with and without lung involvement (p < 0.026). In the ROC analysis for the QTc interval, which was found to be significant in the multivariate regression analysis, the cut-off value of 419.5 ms had a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 51.6% in predicting pulmonary involvement. Conclusions: Prolonged QTc duration may be useful in predicting COVID-19 pulmonary involvement in patients admitted to the emergency department.

Objectives To compare the efficacy of in-vivo and in-vitro stone attenuation in the prediction of stone composition using non-contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (NCCT). Methods This study included a total of 104 patients with renal stones who received percutaneous nephrolithotomy treatment for renal stones between December 2016 and December 2019 and underwent NCCT before the procedure. Preoperative (in-vivo) and postoperative (in-vitro) kidney stone attenuations were compared using the NCCT images of the patients. Renal stone fragments were analysed with the infrared spectrophotometer method. Results The mean age of the 104 patients was 49.5 (interquartile range: 37–61) years. According to the receiver operating characteristics analysis, the cut-off values for the prediction of uric acid stones were determined to be 556 HU for the in-vivo and 774 HU for the in-vitro attenuation measurement. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 96.6%, respectively, for the in-vivo and 90.9 and 91%, respectively, for the in-vitro images. The cut-off values for the prediction of calcium stones were determined to be 824 HU and 1065 HU for the in-vivo and in-vitro attenuation measurements, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity were 97.3 and 96% for the in-vivo and 96 and 96% for the in-vitro images. Conclusions In-vivo stone attenuation measurement in NCCT was slightly superior to in-vitro measurement due to the reduction in the composition and size of the stone. Our findings show that NCCT in-vivo stone attenuation might differentiate uric acid and calcium stones from the other stone types.

In this study, we aimed to compare the results of split-cuff nipple and modified Lich-Gregoir ureteroneocystostomy, which are the most commonly used techniques in stage ≥ 3 iatrogenic distal ureteral injuries.The files of patients who were treated for iatrogenic distal ureteral injuries in our clinic between January 2013 and January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 60 patients who underwent either intra-vesical split-cuff nipple ureteroneocystostomy (Group A) or extra-vesical modified Lich-Gregoir ureteroneocystostomy (Group B) operations were included in the study. The success of ureteroneocystostomy was defined as no additional surgery requirement, no progression of hydronephrosis on imaging, and normal contrast transition on imaging.Thirty-four patients underwent split-cuff nipple and 26 patients underwent modified Lich-Gregoir ureteroneocystostomy. The treatment was successful in 53 (88.3%) patients and failed in seven (11.7%). Complications occurred in 19 (31.7%) patients, of whom 14 (23.3%) had minor and five (8.3%) had major complications. The rate of postoperative complications was significantly higher in Group A than in Group B (p = 0.019). There was no significant difference between Group A and Group B in terms of the success ratio (p = 1), rate of major complications (p = 0.372), and postoperative hospitalization times (p = 0.254).In this study, a higher complication rate was found in patients with iatrogenic ureteral injuries who underwent ureteroneocystostomy with the split-cuff ureteral nipple technique compared to those who underwent this operation with the modified Lich-Gregoir technique. However, no significant difference was observed between these two techniques in terms of treatment success and major complications.

To examine the parameters affecting the need for additional procedures in the primary ureteroscopy treatment in patients with ureteral stones above the iliac crest level.Seventy-one patients were included in the study who were ≥ 18 years old and had undergone ureteroscopy (URS) for ureteral stones above the iliac crest level between 2018-2020 and had a non-contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography before the procedures were included in the study. Patients and stone characteristics were prospectively collected. The results were evaluated six weeks after URS. The absence of any residual fragment was thought to indicate stone-free status. The patients with failure were referred for the additional procedures.The median patient age was 51 years [interquartile range (IQR): 18-66]. The median transverse stone diameter was 9.5 mm (IQR: 7.1-11.4), and the median ureteral wall thickness (UWT) was 5.8 mm (IQR: 4.3-6.5). In the univariate analysis, UWT (p 0.001), presence of multiple stones (p = 0.008), and stone length (p = 0.022) affected stone-free status. The multivariate analysis revealed UWT as the only independent factor affecting the need for additional procedures after URS (p = 0.028). In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the best threshold value for UWT according to the outcomes was identified as 5.8 mm.Ureteral wall thickness was the only independent parameter determining the need for additional procedures and affecting the treatment outcomes after the URS procedure.Untersuchung der Parameter, die die Notwendigkeit zusätzlicher Eingriffe der primären Ureteroskopie-Behandlung bei Patienten mit Harnleitersteinen oberhalb des Beckenkamms beeinflussen.Einundsiebzig Patienten, die ≥ 18 Jahre alt waren und sich zwischen 2018 und 2020 einer Ureteroskopie (URS) wegen Harnleitersteinen oberhalb des Beckenkamms unterzogen und eine nicht kontrastverstärkte abdominale Computertomographie hatten, bevor die Verfahren in die Studie aufgenommen wurden. Patienten und Steinmerkmale wurden prospektiv erhoben. Die Ergebnisse wurden sechs Wochen nach URS ausgewertet. Es wurde angenommen, dass das Fehlen jeglicher Restfragmente auf einen steinfreien Status hinweist. Die Patienten mit Misserfolg wurden auf die zusätzlichen Verfahren verwiesen.Das mediane Patientenalter betrug 51 Jahre [Interquartilbereich (IQR): 18–66]. Der mediane transversale Steindurchmesser betrug 9,5 mm (IQR: 7,1–11,4) und die mediane Ureterwanddicke (UWT) betrug 5,8 mm (IQR: 4,3–6,5). In der univariaten Analyse beeinflussten UWT (p0,001), das Vorhandensein mehrerer Steine (p = 0,008) und die Steinlänge (p=0,022) den steinfreien Status. Die multivariate Analyse ergab, dass UWT der einzige unabhängige Faktor ist, der die Notwendigkeit zusätzlicher Verfahren nach URS beeinflusst (p = 0,028). In der Receiver-Betriebskennlinienanalyse wurde der gemäß den Ergebnissen beste Schwellwert für UWT mit 5,8 mm ermittelt.Die Harnleiterwanddicke war der einzige unabhängige Parameter, der die Notwendigkeit zusätzlicher Verfahren bestimmte und die Behandlungsergebnisse nach dem URS-Verfahren beeinflusste.

It has been reported that there is a relationship between erectile dysfunction and endothelial dysfunction. However, a practical and non-invasive method to clinically evaluate this relationship has not yet been determined. The cardio-ankle vascular index is a marker of arteriosclerosis that develops as a result of endothelial dysfunction.To investigate the correlation between the cardio-ankle vascular index and the presence and severity of erectile dysfunction.This was a case-control study including 74 patients that presented to the urology department of our institution with erectile dysfunction (without cardiovascular risk factors) and 86 healthy individuals of similar age. The patients with erectile dysfunction and the control group were evaluated using the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5). Cardio-ankle vascular index and ankle-brachial pressure index measurements were performed using the VaSera VS-1000 (Fukuda-Denshi Company, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) device.The mean age was 59.8 ± 1.3 years for the erectile dysfunction group and 57.9 ± 1.1 years for the control group. The mean right (R)-cardio-ankle vascular index values of the erectile dysfunction and control groups were 9.20 ± 2.6 and 8.11 ± 1.8, respectively (p = 0.014), and their mean left (L)-cardio-ankle vascular index values were 9.08 ± 2.7 and 7.96 ± 1.2, respectively (p = 0.008). The mean International Index of Erectile Function score of the patients with erectile dysfunction was 10.1 ± 3.6. An inverse correlation was found between the R-cardio-ankle vascular index and L-cardio-ankle vascular index and the International Index of Erectile Function score (r = -0.411, p = 0.011, and r = -0.454, p 0.001, respectively).According to our findings, the cardio-ankle vascular index was higher in patients with erectile dysfunction than in healthy individuals.

© 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLCComposite membranes, which are composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/polyethersulfone (PES)/halloysite nanotubes (HNT), have a high potential to be an alternative candidate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. In this context, PVP/sulfonated PES matrix decorated by sulfonated HNT was successfully fabricated via the electrospinning method. The fabricated PEMs were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, TGA, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), water uptake capacity, swelling property, ion exchange capacity tests, and fuel cell performance tests. The results of morphological characterization showed that smooth and bead-free alignments with randomly oriented fibers were achieved. It is found that the mass percentage of sHNT increased the thickness, and accordingly, the surface area of swelling and water uptake capacity were enhanced. Therefore, the mechanism of the proton transfer increased, and the proton conductivity values were also increased with temperature. In addition, ion exchange capacity values progressively increased as the content of sHNT enhanced up to 1%. The fabricated sPES/PVP-sHNT-1.0 membrane stood out of among other membranes higher current density of 450 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V. To sum up, these fabricated nanofibrous composite membranes showed a high potential for use as fuel cells.

OBJECTIVE: Our study examined young, middle, and oldest-old patients who visited the emergency department (ED) and their differences. METHODS: The research was executed retrospectively, utilizing the medical data of patients aged 65 and over who applied to the ED of a research hospital in Kayseri for the two years between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. The patients were young-old, between 65 and 74 years old; aged 75 to 84 were middle-old, and those aged 85 and over were classified as oldest-old. RESULTS: 84415 (13.7%) older patients visited the ED during the study period. The patients’ median age was 74 years, IQRs (69- 80) and 53.9% (n=45466) were female. 53.4% of the patients were young-old, 33.4% middle-old, and 13.2% were oldest-old. 7.2% (n=6060) of the hospitalized patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, and 7.8% (n=1719) died. Among the first three reasons for admitting the patients to the ED, 20% (n=16874) had COVID-19, 14.4% (n=12131) had gastrointestinal symptoms, and 13.9% (n=11718) had circulatory system symptoms. Oldest-old patients were brought to the ED by ambulance more (38.4% vs. 50.9% vs. 63.2% p< 0.001), stayed longer in the ED (81 vs. 103 vs. 116 minutes, p

Datura Stramonium (DS), ülkemizde kırsal alanlarda herhangi bir tarıma ihtiyaç duymadan yabani olarak yetişir. DS astım- bronşit gibi solunum sistemi hastalıklarında, hemoroidde ve egzema vb. dermatolojik hastalıklarda bitkisel ilaç olarak da kullanılabilmektedir. İçerdiği atropin nedeniyle insanlarda midriazis, taşikardi, kuru cilt, flushing, üriner retansiyon, gibi antikolinerjik semptomlara yol açabilmekte; santral sinir sistemini etkilediğinde ise huzursuzluk,ajitasyon,halusinasyon, konvülziyon dan koma ve ölüme kadar semptomlara neden olabilmektedir. Bizde acil servise bilinç değişikliği, ajitasyon, psikiyatrik rahatsızlık ön tanısı ile getirilen hastanın, deliryum ve antikolinerjik zehirlenme bulguları ile seyretmesi, sonra Datura Stramonium intoksikasyonu tanısı alması, ilk tedavisinin yapıldıktan sonra yoğun bakıma yatırılmasını ve şifa ile taburculuğu içeren olguyu anlatmayı amaçladık.

In the literature, there is not sufficient data on factors affecting the development of complications in patients with penile fracture after early surgical intervention.To investigate the predictors of long-term complications in patients who underwent immediate surgical repair for penile fracture.This clinical study included a total of 31 cases of penile fracture in which surgical treatment was performed within the first 24 h and penile fracture was confirmed during the operation. The patients with and without late complications were compared in terms of parameters such as age, tear size of the tunica albuginea of the penis, bilateral involvement of the corpora cavernosa involvement, urethral injuries, and duration from penile fracture to surgery.The median age of the patients was 42 years (interquartile range: 34-51 years). The median time from penile fracture to surgery was 13 h (8-18 h). The median tear size was 16 mm (11-21 mm). Late complications were seen in 13 (41.9%) patients in the post-operative period. Erectile dysfunction developed in five (16.1%) patients in the post-operative period. There was no statistically significant relationship between age, tear size, time from penile fracture to surgery, and bilateral corporeal involvement in terms of erectile dysfunction development. Painful erections, penile deviations, urethral strictures, tunical scars, and re-fracture were the other late complications. There was a significant relationship between the development of any complication and time from penile fracture to surgery (p = 0.028) and tear size (p = 0.031). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis of complication development, the cut-off value for the time from penile fracture to surgery was 13.5 h.We found that the longer time interval between penile fracture and surgery worsened the patient outcomes. In addition, tear size was determined to be a predictor for long-term complications. In our opinion, early treatment of penile fracture can prevent severe complications in these cases.

There is remarkable interest in the fabrication of polymeric composite nano/micro-fibers by electrospinning for many applications ranging from bioengineering to water/air filtration. In almost all of these applications, the mechanical properties of both the polymer fibers and their assemblies, are significant. In this study, unmodified, 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) or 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) modified halloysite clay nanotube (HNT) reinforced polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers were successfully synthesized via the electrospinning. The morphology and mechanical features of the obtained electrospun fibers were investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and AFM-based nanoindentation for single fibers in nanoscale, respectively. Besides, scanning electron microscopy and tensile strength tests were used to investigate whole fibrous structures in microscale. The AFMresults, accompanied by SEM and tensile strength, support the conclusion that silane-modification affected positively the morphology and mechanical characteristics of electrospun PCL nanofibers. Therefore, it was concluded that the morphological and mechanical features from the single fibers in the nanofiber mats were related to the whole fibrous structure.

© 2021 Taiwan Institute of Chemical EngineersBackground: The increasing costs of polymer materials and the environmental pollution caused by their waste make the use of recycled materials increasingly important. Waste polyvinyl(butyral) (PVB-W) recycled from end-of-life vehicle windshields has attracted intensive attention as a usable and abundant resource. However, large amounts of PVB-W are still buried in landfills due to the lack of recycling techniques and difficulty in achieving uniform control over the properties of the recycled polymer. Methods: As an opportunity, this work reports the recycling of PVB by chemical and the fabrication of its electrospun nanofibers, which can be used in various applications such as textile, coating, filtration, and adsorption. In this regard, the electrospun nanofibers were fabricated from both recycled and commercial PVB in random or aligned morphology using the static or rotating collector. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized through various techniques. (i.e. infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and nanoindentation). Findings: The results showed that recycled PVB nanofibers and commercial PVB (C-PVB) nanofibers have similar physicochemical and morphological features, and recycled PVB nanofibers are of the same quality as commercial PVB nanofibers, which can serve the industry in many fields. This research can initiate an innovative path to PVB-W based fibrous materials with desired properties, which will widen the reuse of PVB-W.

The design of appropriate materials is required for biomedical applications (e.g. drug delivery systems) in improving people's health care processes. This study focused on the incorporation of nanosized hydroxyapatite (n-HA) with different ratios (ranging from 0.1 wt% to 0.5 wt%) into the poly (e-caprolactone)/ poly (ethylene oxide) (PCL/PEO) blend matrix loaded or unloaded with curcumin. Composite fibrous material systems were successfully fabricated by the electrospinning technique without the occurrence of bead defects. In addition to the morphological and physicochemical properties of the material systems obtained, the in vitro curcumin release performance was investigated. Further, anti-cancer activity against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was examined by MTT assay. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterizations of the fabricated fibrous materials exhibited the interaction of PCL/PEO, n-HA, and curcumin. The 0.3 wt% n-HA incorporated fibrous materials showed a much slower curcumin release manner along with the highest cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells. The findings obtained from this research are expected to contribute to the appropriate design of nanofiber-based composite materials not only for drug delivery systems but also for the fabrication of biomaterials toward different biomedical applications.

The development of fibers with desired drug release properties has gained a high research interest for water-soluble drugs with controlled drug delivery systems obtained by coaxial electrospinning technique. The objective of this study is to achieve the controlled-release of doxycycline hyclate (DOXH) from the fabricated electrospun fibers. In this case, three different electrospun core/shell fibers have been successfully fabricated using this technique and the model drug, DOXH, has been entrapped in the core layers. The results of the structural properties and in vitro release studies have been compared with electrospun monostructural fibers fabricated by conventional electrospinning technique. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images have proved that the fabricated electrospun fibers have core/shell structures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has shown convenient interaction and compatibility between polymers and the model drug. X-ray diffraction analysis has revealed that all the encapsulated DOXH are transferred into amorphous physical state and lost its crystalline state in the fibers. Moreover, drug release studies have demonstrated that the electrospun core/shell fibers show a better-controlled release than the monostructural fibers. It can be concluded that the fibers obtained by blending hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers such as poly(epsilon-caprolactone) and poly(ethylene oxide) in both shell and core sides are promising candidate for controlled drug release.

In this work, electrospun fibrous membranes based on the polycaprolactone (PCL)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) blended with pure, 3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) modified halloysite nanotubes (HNT) were prepared by electrospinning for curcumin (Cur) delivery system. The morphological and physicochemical properties of the fabricated membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In vitro release of from the Cur loaded fibrous membranes was examined in simulated physiological condition by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Besides, in vitro cytotoxicity on the MCF-7 breast carcinoma cells was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the silane-modified HNTs (HNT-APTES and HNT-GPTMS) displayed a much higher Cur loading capacity while APTES modified HNT had the maximum encapsulation efficiency. Moreover, in vitro Cur release studies demonstrated that PCL/PEO-Cur/HNT-APTES membrane has a slower release profile. The release mechanism of Cur from all membranes was fitted by the Peppas-Sahlin kinetic model indicating a pseudo-Fickian and non-Fickian release. Additionally, the PCL/PEO-Cur/HNT-APTES membrane showed the highest toxicity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In conclusion, the uses of this Cur loaded PCL/PEO electrospun fibrous membranes blended with the APTES modified HNT can be used to loading of other drugs for controlled drug delivery system, especially as an anticancer carrier.

The fabrication of electrospun composite nanofiber mats used as drug delivery systems with controlled release property is of general interest in biomaterial sciences. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MWCNTs on the release profile of the hydrophilic drug. For this aim, tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) loaded poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/TCH-multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) composite fibrous mats were fabricated by electrospinning process, and the drug release profile, release kinetics and cytotoxicity were evaluated to determine the potential for utilization as drug delivery systems. Furthermore, the morphological and physicochemical properties of the composite PLA/PVP/TCH-MWCNTs fibrous mats were characterized. The results demonstrated that TCH and MWCNTs were successfully loaded into the PLA/PVP biopolymeric matrix and the addition of TCH or MWCNTs did not alter the uniform and beadless fibrous structure of the PLA/PVP fibers, resulting in increased Young's modulus and maintained the fibrous structure of the composite mats. Moreover, MWCNTs loaded electrospun mats showed much more controlled drug release manner, increased significantly the drug encapsulation efficiency and reduced the burst release of TCH. In vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that the PLA/PVP/TCH-MWCNTs composite mats did not have a toxic effect on the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). With the improved physicochemical and mechanical properties, controlled drug release-profile and cytocompatibility, the fabricated composite nanofiber mats may be used as therapeutic materials for the biomedical applications as drug delivery systems.

Bulbul, Y. Emre/0000-0003-1885-5026; Tort, Serdar/0000-0003-4945-5420; DEMIRTAS KORKMAZ, FUNDA/0000-0003-3978-9427 WOS: 000469332700010 PubMed: 31063838 Potential usage of biodegradable and biocompatible polymeric nanofibers is the most attention grabbing topic for the drug delivery system. In order to fabricate ultrafine fibers, electrospinning, one of the well-known techniques, has been extensively studied in the literature. In the present study, the objective is to achieve the optimum blend of hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymers to be used as a drug delivery vehicle and also to obtain the optimum amount of doxycycline (DOXH) to reach the optimum release. In this case, the biodegradable and biocompatible synthetic polymers, poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), were blended with different ratios for the production of DOXH-loaded electrospun PCL/PEO membranes using electrospinning technique, which is a novel attempt. The fabricated membranes were subsequently characterized to optimize the blending ratio of polymers by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and water contact angle analysis. After the characterization studies, different amounts of DOXH were loaded to the optimized blend of PCL and PEO to investigate the release of DOXH from the membrane used as a drug delivery vehicle. In vitro drug release studies were performed, and in vitro drug release kinetics were assessed to confirm the usage of these nanofiber materials as efficient drug delivery vehicles. The results indicated that 3.5% DOXH-loaded (75:25 w/w) PCL/PEO is the most acceptable membrane to provide prolonged release rather than immediate release of DOXH. Gazi University Research FundGazi University [BAP 06-2018/15]; Scientific and Technical Research Council of TurkeyTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TUBITAK-BIDEB 2211] This work was supported by the Gazi University Research Fund [BAP 06-2018/15]; and S. Melda Eskitoros-Togay was awarded scholarships by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey [TUBITAK-BIDEB 2211].

Electrospun fiber membranes have been utilized to delivery hydrophilic/hydrophobic drugs in the drug delivery systems. They offer several features such as high surface area to volume ratio, high porosity and high productivity. In this paper, quercetin (QU)-loaded and unloaded electrospun membranes were prepared via electrospinning of polycaprolactone (PCL) blended with polyethylene oxide (PEO), polylactic acid (PLA), and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA). The prepared membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and drop shape analysis (DSA). In vitro release of QU from the QU-loaded membranes was examined in simulated physiological condition by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The results of morphological analysis revealed that electrospun membrane prepared by the mixture of PCL and PEO polymers with QU had more smooth, beadless and random morphology. Due to the release study, the highest amount of QU release was obtained within 240 min period. In addition, in vitro cytotoxicity study indicated that the QU-loaded membranes exhibited toxicity on human breast carcinoma cells in 24 h. These results showed that quercetin-loaded PCL and PEO membranes can be used in drug delivery systems as a drug carrier vehicle.

A novel hydrophilic and mechanically robust polysulfone (PSF) nanofiber membrane (NFM) was prepared by electrospinning of a PSF solution blended with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and Al2O3 nanoparticles. The influence of PEI and Al2O3 nanoparticles concentration on the NFM characteristics was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared FT-IR spectroscopy, porosity, water contact angle measurement, and tensile strength test. Filtration performance of the nanofiber membranes (NFMs) were evaluated by the measurement of pure water flux (PWF) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection tests. According to the results, blending PSF solution with 2 wt.% PEI and 0.05 wt.% Al2O3 nanoparticles resulted in formation of NFMs with high porosity and increased mechanical strength, which exhibited a low water contact angle of 23.5 and high water flux of 28,456 L/m(2) h. On the other hand, incorporation of nanoparticles and PEI in the PSF membrane matrix led to increasing of tensile strength that it was changed from 0.15 to 0.69 for pure PSF and PSF/PEI/Al2O3, respectively. A-24 and 48% BSA rejection performances were obtained by nanoparticle incorporated PSF membranes. In conclusion, the studies strongly suggest that blending with hydrophilic additives of NFMs can enhance the hydrophilicity and mechanical strength of PSF membranes and these NFMs can be effectively used in water based membrane systems. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.