Literature reviews have described the applications of silver, copper, and zinc ions and metallic particles of Cu, Ti, and Zn oxides, which have been found to be useful antimicrobial reagents for the biofunctionalization of various materials and their surfaces. For this purpose, compositions of water dispersions containing emulsions of synthetic copolymers based on acrylic and vinyl monomers, polysaccharides (hydroxyethyl cellulose and starch), and various additives with wetting and stabilizing properties were used. Many stable water dispersions of different chemical compositions containing bioactive chemical compounds (copper silicate hydrate, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide (and other auxiliary substances)) were developed. They were used for the preparation of thin hybrid coatings having good antimicrobial properties against Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), and yeast fungus (Candida albicans). Polyester (PES) and polylactide (PLA) nonwovens were modified using the dip-coating method, while PES and cotton fabrics were biofunctionalized by means of dip-coating and coating methods. The antimicrobial (antibacterial and antifungal) properties of the textile materials (nonwovens and fabrics) biofunctionalized with the above-mentioned bioactive agents exhibiting antimicrobial properties (CuSiO₃, TiO₂, ZnO, or ZnO∙SiO₂) were strongly dependent on the agents’ content in the water dispersions. The PES and PLA nonwovens, modified on the surface with water compositions containing copper silicate hydrate, showed good antibacterial properties against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, even at a content of 1 wt.% CuSiO₃∙xH₂O, and against the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, at the content of at least 5 wt.% CuSiO₃∙xH₂O. The bacterial growth reduction factor (R) was greater than 99% for most of the samples tested. Good antifungal properties against the fungus Candida albicans were found for the PES and PLA nonwoven fabrics modified with dispersions containing 5–7 wt.% CuSiO₃∙xH₂O and 4.2–5.0 wt.% TiO₂. The addition of TiO₂ led to a significant improvement in the antifungal properties of the PES and PLA nonwovens modified in this way. For the samples of PES WIFP-270 and FS F-5 nonwovens, modified with water dispersions containing 5.0 wt.% CuSiO₃∙xH₂O and 4.2–5.0 wt.% TiO₂, the growth reduction factor for the fungus Candida albicans (R) reached values in the range of 80.9–98.0%. These new biofunctionalized polymeric nonwoven textile materials can find practical applications in the manufacture of filters for hospital air-conditioning systems and for the automotive industry, as well as in air purification devices. Moreover, similar antimicrobial modification of fabrics with the dip-coating or coating methods can be applied, for example, in the fabrication of fungi- and mold-resistant garden furniture.

Emergency cervical cerclage is used to reduce extreme preterm birth in women with advanced cervical dilatation and exposed fetal membranes. Although double-level cerclage has been proposed to provide greater mechanical support than single-level cerclage, evidence comparing these techniques in emergency settings is limited. To compare the effectiveness of emergency double-level versus single-level cerclage, both combined with adjunctive vaginal progesterone, antibiotics and indomethacin in preventing delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. This prospective, multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted at seven tertiary perinatal centers in Poland. Women with singleton pregnancies between 16+0 and 25+6 weeks of gestation, advanced cervical dilatation, and visible fetal membranes were randomized 1:1 to single-level or double-level cerclage. All participants received a standardized management protocol including vaginal progesterone, empirical antibiotics (ceftriaxone, clarithromycin, and metronidazole), perioperative indomethacin, and antenatal corticosteroids when indicated. The primary outcome was delivery before 34 weeks of gestation. Secondary outcomes included gestational age at delivery, latency to delivery, maternal complications, and neonatal outcomes. Time-to-event analyses and Cox regression models were applied. Eighty women underwent emergency cerclage (38 single-level, 42 double-level suture). Delivery before 34 weeks occurred in 27.5% of the overall cohort (23.7% of the single-level group and 31.0% of the double-level cerclage group, p=0.53), which was relatively low rate compared with historical reports in women presenting with advanced cervical dilatation and prolapsed membranes. Gestational age at delivery, latency from cerclage placement to delivery, and rates of delivery before 37, 32, and 28 weeks did not differ significantly between groups. Neonatal outcomes, including survival and major morbidity, were comparable. Procedure-related complications were infrequent. In women with advanced cervical insufficiency and exposed fetal membranes, double-level emergency cerclage combined with adjunctive therapy was not found to improve pregnancy prolongation or perinatal outcomes compared with single-level cerclage.

Many stable water dispersions of various chemical compositions containing bioactive chemical compounds: copper silicate, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (and other auxiliary substances) were developed and fabricated - they were used for preparation of thin hybrid coatings having very good antimicrobial properties against gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and yeast fungus (Candida albicans). Polyester (PES) nonwovens were modified by dip-coating, and PES and cotton fabrics - by dip-coating and coating methods.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of surface modification of porous hyaluronic acid (HA)-based materials with a titanium dioxide (TiO₂) layer deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the selected structural, physicochemical, and antimicrobial properties of materials intended for applications in regenerative medicine. The obtained HA-based materials, enriched with silk and elastin, were analyzed in terms of their rheological behavior, wettability, solubility, and resistance to colonization by clinically relevant bacterial pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae) and environmental filamentous fungi (Aspergillus niger, Chaetomium globosum). The results demonstrated that even a thin, continuous TiO₂ layer formed after 200 ALD cycles reduced the hydrophilicity of the foams, indicating improved durability in aqueous environments. Microbiological tests confirmed enhanced antimicrobial properties of the foams after TiO₂ modification—showing inhibition of both tested bacterial strains and C. globosum within 24 h. These findings suggest that surface functionalization of hyaluronic acid-based foams with a TiO₂ layer can improve both their environmental stability and, to some extent, reduce microbiological risk, while preserving the layered-porous structure of the foams, which is advantageous for biomedical applications.