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Poloxamers, also known as Pluronics®, are block copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO), which have an amphiphilic character and useful association and adsorption properties emanating from this. Poloxamers find use in many applications that require solubilization or stabilization of compounds and also have notable physiological properties, including low toxicity. Accordingly, poloxamers serve well as excipients for pharmaceuticals. Current challenges facing nanomedicine revolve around the transport of typically water-insoluble drugs throughout the body, followed by targeted delivery. Judicious design of drug delivery systems leads to improved bioavailability, patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes. The rich phase behavior (micelles, hydrogels, lyotropic liquid crystals, etc.) of poloxamers makes them amenable to multiple types of processing and various product forms. In this review, we first present the general solution behavior of poloxamers, focusing on their self-assembly properties. This is followed by a discussion of how the self-assembly properties of poloxamers can be leveraged to encapsulate drugs using an array of processing techniques including direct solubilization, solvent displacement methods, emulsification and preparation of kinetically-frozen nanoparticles. Finally, we conclude with a summary and perspective.

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is widely used to fabricate conductive organic coatings for electrodes in electrophysiology. As these devices move toward clinical translation, establishing sterilization methods that preserve their functional properties is essential. Ethylene oxide (EtO) is routinely used for sterilizing heat- and moisture-sensitive medical devices due to its high penetration efficiency and low thermal load. However, the absence of systematic studies evaluating its impact on PEDOT:PSS raises concerns about the compatibility of EtO sterilization with organic electrophysiology interfaces. Here, we report the first comprehensive evaluation of EtO sterilization on PEDOT:PSS electrodes electrochemically deposited onto cortical interfaces designed for intraoperative monitoring and stimulation. EtO exposure induced only minimal changes in surface topography, with no detectable alteration of the electrical or electrochemical performance of the electrodes. Impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and charge-injection capacity measurements all revealed that EtO-treated electrodes retained properties comparable to untreated controls. Moreover, EtO-sterilized PEDOT:PSS coatings demonstrated robust long-term stability under accelerated lifetime testing, exhibiting negligible degradation over extended operation. These findings demonstrate that EtO sterilization is fully compatible with PEDOT:PSS-based bioelectronic interfaces and constitutes a viable pathway toward their safe and effective integration into clinical electrophysiology. This work represents an important step toward translating organic conducting polymer technologies into real-world biomedical applications.

Ethylene Oxide (EO), a volatile organic compound, has garnered considerable attention for its potential impact on human health. Yet, the ramifications of EO exposure on the cognitive functionality of the elderly remain unclear. The aim of this study is to determine whether EO exposure in the elderly correlates with cognitive function. In this cross-sectional study, an analysis was conducted on 471 participants from the 2013 to 2014 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). T1, T2, and T3 was used to represent the low, moderate, and high tertiles of log10-transformed HbEO levels, respectively. Weighted linear regression analysis, weighted logistic regression analysis, and restricted cubic spline models were employed to assess the association between HbEO and standardized z-scores of four cognitive tests. Firstly, analysis of variable characteristics across the different log10-transformed HbEO groups revealed that HbEO was higher in males, non-Hispanic whites, and smokers and that Z scores for Delayed Recall Test (DRT), Animal Fluency Test (AFT), and Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) decreased as HbEO increased ( p  < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, the log10-transformed HbEO levels were found to be negatively correlated with DRT-Z scores (T3 vs. T1 in Model 3: β (95% CI) = − 0.35 (− 0.54, − 0.15), p  = 0.002, p for trend = 0.002). In addition, Stratified analyses showed that the four cognitive scores were negatively correlated with HbEO levels in those under 80 years of age. And men had worse AFT scores compared to women. Overall, the four Z-scores roughly trended downward as log10-transformed HbEO rose. Based on the findings of this research, EO exposure may be associated with adverse performance in the DRT among elderly individuals in the United States.

Ethylene oxide (EO) is an industrial chemical used in the production of both consumer and non-consumer products.Additionally, it is utilized as a gaseous sterilant for medical devices. As an anti-aging hormone, kloth involved in various physiological processes. At present, the association between EO exposure and klotho remains uncertain. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 1696 participants aged 40–79 years in the 2013–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included. EO exposure was measured using the hemoglobin adducts of EO (HbEO) in human whole blood or erythrocytes. Klotho levels were also measured in blood samples. Linear regression, smooth curve fitting, and subgroup analyses were used to assess whether HbEO was associated with klotho level. After full adjustment for confounders, the negative association between log2HbEO and klotho was observed after multivariate adjustment (β=−17.29, 95% CI = − 28.42 ~ − 6.17, P  = 0.002). When EO was categorized into quintiles, the fifth quintile exhibited significant differences compared to the lowest quintile (β=−70.79, 95% CI = − 122.54 ~ − 19.04, P  = 0.007). The curve fitting shows an inverse “L-shaped” relationship between log2HbEO and klotho ( P for nonlinearity = 0.04). In summary, a negative and nonlinear relationship was found between log2HbEO and klotho. Further research is required to confirm the causality of this connection and clarify the underlying mechanisms.

HighlightsThe cycle performance of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based all-solid-state lithium batteries with LiCoO2 cathode was greatly improved via coating LiCoO2 with high-voltage stable Li3AlF6.At the upper cutoff voltage of 4.2 V, the poor electrochemical performance is mainly originated from the structure collapse of LiCoO2 at the surface instead of the decomposition of PEO.When the voltage reaches 4.5 V or even higher potentials, the intensive electrochemical decomposition of PEO-based solid polymer electrolyte accelerated interfacial degradation.Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) is considered as a promising solid-state electrolyte for all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs). Nevertheless, the poor interfacial stability with high-voltage cathode materials (e.g., LiCoO2) restricts its application in high energy density solid-state batteries. Herein, high-voltage stable Li3AlF6 protective layer is coated on the surface of LiCoO2 particle to improve the performance and investigate the failure mechanism of PEO-based ASSLBs. The phase transition unveils that chemical redox reaction occurs between the highly reactive LiCoO2 surface and PEO-based SPE, resulting in structure collapse of LiCoO2, hence the poor cycle performance of PEO-based ASSLBs with LiCoO2 at charging voltage of 4.2 V vs Li/Li+. By sharp contrast, no obvious structure change can be found at the surface of Li3AlF6-coated LiCoO2, and the original layered phase was well retained. When the charging voltage reaches up to 4.5 V vs Li/Li+, the intensive electrochemical decomposition of PEO-based SPE occurs, leading to the constant increase of cell impedance and directly causing the poor performance. This work not only provides important supplement to the failure mechanism of PEO-based batteries with LiCoO2, but also presents a universal strategy to retain structure stability of cathode–electrolyte interface in high-voltage ASSLBs.

Aloe Vera is an ancient medicinal plant especially known for its beneficial properties for human health, due to its bioactive compounds. In this study, nanofibers with antioxidant activity were successfully obtained by electrospinning technique with the addition of a natural Aloe Vera skin extract (AVE) (at 0, 5, 10 and 20 wt% loadings) in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solutions. The successful incorporation of AVE into PEO was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and antioxidant activity by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging (ABTS) and ferric reducing power (FRAP) assays. The incorporation of AVE introduced some changes in the PEO/AVE nanofibers morphology showing bimodal diameter distributions for AVE contents in the range 10-20 wt%. Some decrease in thermal stability with AVE addition, in terms of decomposition onset temperature, was also observed and it was more evident at high loading AVE contents (10 and 20 wt%). High encapsulation efficiencies of 92%, 76% and 105% according to DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays, respectively, were obtained at 5 wt% AVE content, retaining AVE its antioxidant capacity in the PEO/AVE electrospun nanofibers. The results suggested that the obtained nanofibers could be promising materials for their application in active food packaging to decrease oxidation of packaged food during storage.

Ethylene oxide (EtO) gas is a widely used industrial chemical and known health hazard. Multiple studies have determined that EtO exposure can be measured via hemoglobin adduct levels, and EtO exposure increases the risk of cancer and neurocognitive deficits, especially with occupational exposure. Emerging studies indicate that neighboring communities are also at risk. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of known covariates and EtO hemoglobin adduct levels to neurocognitive performance in older U.S. adults. This exploratory study drew its sample from the publicly available NHANES dataset. The 2013–2014 NHANES measured EtO exposure via hemoglobin adducts and the cognitive domain of neurocognitive function using the CERAD, Animal Fluency, and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSST) tests. Motor function was measured using grip strength. Participants were grouped into background (≤27.36 pmol/gHb) or elevated (>27.36 pmol/gHb) EtO exposure. Hierarchical linear regression, independent t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were performed. A total of 10,175 individuals were sampled: 489 were included in the cognitive analyses, and 436 were included in the motor analyss. Elevated EtO adduct levels significantly predicted low Animal Fluency, DSST, CERAD, and combined grip strength scores. Our findings are supported by the extant literature citing neurotoxic EtO exposure effects. Further study in known EtO-exposed communities is warranted.

Purpose Ethylene oxide (EO) is a prevalent industrial contaminant found in the environment and is related to various diseases such as cancers and hypertension. To the best of our knowledge, the association between EO and testosterone has not been explored. The aim of this article was to evaluate the relationship between EO and total testosterone (TT) in the United States population. Methods In this study, hemoglobin ethylene oxide (HbEO) levels were utilized to evaluate the exposure to EO. The data of this study were collected from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2013–2016. A total of 3300 participants were enrolled in this study and were separated into 5 groups based on the quintile of HbEO. Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between HbEO and TT. Subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate the connection between HbEO and TT in different stratifications. Results In the results, there was a positive relationship between log 10 -transformed HbEO and TT in the fully adjusted model [β = 37.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 18.15–56.01, p = 0.004]. After log 10 -transformed HbEO transferred into a categorical variable based on the quintiles (Q1-Q5), the positive association remained in the highest group (Q5) compared to the lowest group (Q1) [β = 46.09, 95%CI: 12.29–79.90, p = 0.013]. Moreover, subgroup analysis demonstrated that the positive connection between log 10 -transformed HbEO and TT was stronger in males than females. Conclusion The level of HbEO was positively related to TT in the U.S. population and the relation was more obvious in men compared to women.

In this work, the preparation and characterization of composites from cellulose acetate (CA)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibers (NFs) with incorporated zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using solution blow spinning (SBS) is reported. CA–PEO nanofibers were produced by spinning solution that contained a higher CA-to-PEO ratio and lower (equal) CA-to-PEO ratio. Nanoparticles were added to comprise 2.5% and 5% of the solution, calculated on the weight of the polymers. To have better control of the SBS processing conditions, characterization of the spinning suspensions is carried out, which reveals a decrease in viscosity (two- to eightfold) upon the addition of NPs. It is observed that this variation of viscosity does not significantly affect the mean diameters of nanofibers, but does affect the mode of the nanofibers’ size distribution, whereby lower viscosity provides thinner fibers. FESEM–EDS confirms ZnO NP encapsulation into nanofibers, specifically into the CA component based on UV-vis studies, since the release of ZnO is not detected for up to 5 days in deionized water, despite the significant swelling of the material and accompanied dissolution of water-soluble PEO. Upon the dissolution of CA nanofibers into acetone, immediate release of ZnO is detected, both visually and by spectrometer. ATR–FTIR studies reveal interaction of ZnO with the CA component of composite nanofibers. As ZnO nanoparticles are known for their bioactivity, it can be concluded that these CA–PEO–ZnO composites are good candidates to be used in filtration membranes, with no loss of incorporated ZnO NPs or their release into an environment.

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a known carcinogen and mutagen associated with increased incidence of breast and blood cancers. The largest medical sterilization facility in Michigan had been assessed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as imposing an additional cancer risk greater than one in one thousand in nearby neighborhoods. This prompted the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (now referred to as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) to conduct an air quality modeling study of the ambient EtO impacts of the sterilization facility, followed by 24 h Summa canister sampling and TO-15 analysis in two phases. Inverse modeling of the measured 24 h EtO concentrations during the second phase yielded estimates of 594 lbs/year for the facility’s total emissions of EtO and 0.247 µg/m3 for the urban background concentration. The inverse-modeled emissions are similar to reported emissions by the facility operator based on indoor air measurements and simple mass balance assumptions, while the inferred background concentration agrees with estimates from other field investigations. The estimated peak 24 h exposure to EtO caused by the sterilization facility in nearby neighborhoods was 1.83 μg/m3 above the background level, corresponding to an additional cancer risk of approximately one in one hundred, if assumed to represent annual mean exposure.