DESWELLING BEHAVIOR OF POLY(TETRAETHYLENEPENTAMINE EPICHLOROHYDRIN)GELS HYDROPHOBICALLY MODIFIED BY STEARIC ACID

A novel type of polysoap hydrogel based on poly(tetraethylenepentamine-epichlorohydrin)hydrophobically modified by stearic acid was prepared. The deswelling behaviors of polysoap hydrogels werestudied by immersing the gels in buffer solution at various pHs and ionic species. The deswelling of the gelsdid not depend on the cationic species of electrolyte but depended strongly on the anionic species. Acomparison of polysoap gels with the gel unmodified hydrophobically verified the importance of hydrophobicinteraction, which enhances the occurrence of deswelling rate.

Swelling and deswelling kinetics of polyvinyl alcohol and lactic acid hydrogel films

In this work, we studied the swelling and deswelling kinetics of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and lactic acid (LA) hydrogel films between distilled water and acetone phase. The hydrogel films were prepared by dissolve 5.0 g of PVA in hot water. Then, 7.5 g LA solution was slowly added into the clearly PVA solution at room temperature. After that, the mixture solution was subsequently cured in an oven for different curing times at 100°C.

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydrogels Based on Potato Starch/Poly(vinyl Alcohol)/N,N′-Methylenebisacrylamide

Several hydrogels were synthesized by free-radical polymerization in an aqueous medium based on potato starch(PS),poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA),and N,N′-Methylenebisacrylamide(MBAm),being possible to study these hydrogels as a function of the proportion of components incorporated.In this way,the products generated from the synthesis were characterized by swelling and deswelling kinetics,the first swelling being verified with Schott and statistical models,allowing to contrast the proximity between the experimental and theoretical behavior.Additionally,water retention in soil(R%),spectroscopy(FTIR),morphological(SEM),and thermal(TGA and DSC)analysis allowing to know the intrinsic characteristics of the material,increasing in general terms the knowledge of this type of material.In this context,it was possible to verify the characteristics and effectiveness of the synthesis and crosslinking of the main components.The experimental results obtained show that the synthesized hydrogels present representative swellings consistent with kinetic and statistical models,optimal thermal stability depending on the amount of crosslinker,and excellent water retention in environments such as soil,presenting it as an excellent alternative to be used in agro-industrial applications in an eco-friendly way.

Effectiveness of six-step complex decongestive therapy for treating upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery

BACKGROUND Complex decongestive therapy(CDT)is currently recommended as the standard treatment for lymphedema.CDT is a four-step detumescence therapy that can effectively treat upper limb lymphedema after breast cancer surgery,and is considered non-invasive,painless and without side effects.AIM To determine the effectiveness of a six-step CDT involving a foam granule bandage for the treatment of upper extremity lymphedema pressure after breast cancer surgical intervention.METHODS The study included 100 patients with upper extremity lymphedema after breast cancer surgery.The surgical methods were mastectomy plus axillary lymph node dissection and breast preservation plus sentinel lymph node biopsy.The study population was further divided into the experimental group and control group with 50 cases in each group.The control group was given conventional CDT(four-step method),which included skin care,freehand lymphatic drainage,foam granule pressurized bandage,and functional exercise.In the experimental group,a six-step CDT method was applied that involved a foam particle bandage combined with air wave pressure therapy in addition to the four steps of conventional CDT.Patients in both groups were given one course of treatment daily(20 times),and the changes in body moisture and subjective symptoms were measured before and after treatment,preoperatively and 20 times after treatment.RESULTS No statistically significant differences in 50-Hz bioelectrical impedance and extracellular moisture ratio were observed between the two groups before treatment,suggesting comparability of the baseline data.After treatment,the 50-Hz bioelectrical impedance of the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the extracellular moisture ratio was significantly lower than that in the control group.A comparison of the differences between the two groups before and after treatment indicated that the treatment effect in the experimental group was better than that in the control group.After 20 treatments,according to subjective evaluations,the tightness and swelling of the limbs in the experimental group were significantly reduced as compared with those in the control group.CONCLUSION The six-step CDT method can effectively reduce lymphedema,promote lymphatic circulation,and alleviate the subjective symptoms of patients,and thereby improve the quality of life and treatment compliance among patients.