Antibacterial and Antiviral Functional Materials: Chemistry and Biological Activity toward Tackling COVID-19-like Pandemics.

The ongoing worldwide pandemic due to COVID-19 has created awareness toward ensuring best practices to avoid the spread of microorganisms. In this regard, the research on creating a surface which destroys or inhibits the adherence of microbial/viral entities has gained renewed interest. Although many research reports are available on the antibacterial materials or coatings, there is a relatively small amount of data available on the use of antiviral materials. However, with more research geared toward this area, new information is being added to the literature every day. The combination of antibacterial and antiviral chemical entities represents a potentially path-breaking intervention to mitigate the spread of disease-causing agents. In this review, we have surveyed antibacterial and antiviral materials of various classes such as small-molecule organics, synthetic and biodegradable polymers, silver, TiO2, and copper-derived chemicals. The surface protection mechanisms of the materials against the pathogen colonies are discussed in detail, which highlights the key differences that could determine the parameters that would govern the future development of advanced antibacterial and antiviral materials and surfaces.

Two-dimensional metal organic frameworks for biomedical applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal organic frameworks (MOFs), are an emerging class of layered nanomaterials with well-defined structure and modular composition. The unique pore structure, high flexibility, tunability, and ability to introduce desired functionality within the structural framework, have led to potential use of MOFs in biomedical applications. This article critically reviews the application of 2D MOFs for therapeutic delivery, tissue engineering, bioimaging, and biosensing. Further, discussion on the challenges and strategies in next generation of 2D MOFs are also included. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology.

Family Caregivers' Experiences with Dying and Bereavement of Individuals with Motor Neuron Disease in India.

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Ideal management plan in MND includes palliative care initiated from the time of diagnosis. At present, most of the neurodegenerative conditions are cared for at home. Neuropalliative care is an emerging concept in India and social workers are integral team members in this process. The primary aims of the study were to explore (a) the caregivers' experiences of the end-of-life stage, and (b) the sources of support for individuals and their caregivers with MND at the end-of-life stage. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven bereaved caregivers of individuals with MND from a national tertiary referral care center for neuropsychiatry in South India. Interviews were conducted either in person or by telephone. Thematic analysis was done using the constant comparative method. Major themes derived from the interviews were: (1) Transition from person to patient, (2) support, (3) death, and (4) impact on the caregivers. Mapping of themes identified "Support received during advanced stages" as the central theme influencing all other themes. The need for a care manager seems evident and is a role that can be effectively fulfilled by the care teams' social workers.

Three-dimensional nickel vanadium layered double hydroxide nanostructures grown on carbon cloth for high-performance flexible supercapacitor applications.

This study reports the synthesis of ultrathin Ni-V layered double hydroxide nanosheets on carbon cloth (NVL@CC) through adopting a facile and cost-effective method for flexible supercapacitor applications. The as-synthesized NVL@CC possesses a uniform, mechanically strong and highly ordered porous network with connected pores, ensuring high specific capacitance and enhanced cyclability. A high specific capacity of 1226 C g-1 (2790 F g-1) was obtained at 1 A g-1, and it remained at 430 C g-1 (1122 F g-1) even at a higher current density of 10 A g-1. A hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) was assembled with the NVL@CC electrode as the positive electrode and activated carbon coated carbon cloth as the negative electrode (NVL@CC//AC HSC). The devices showed an excellent energy density of 0.69 mW h cm-3 at a power density of 2.5 mW cm-3 with 100% of the original capacitance being retained at a current density of 5 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the devices exhibited an energy density of 0.24 mW h cm-3 even at a higher power density of 214.4 mW cm-3, surpassing the performances observed for many recently reported flexible supercapacitors. Importantly, the electrochemical performance of the solid-state flexible supercapacitors showed a negligible change upon bending and twisting of the devices. The devices showed no decay in specific capacitance and coulombic efficiency up to 5000 charge-discharge cycles, confirming the excellent cycle life of the HSC device. The performance of NVL@CC indicates the great potential of the material for future flexible energy storage devices.