Project description:Rationale Microplastics are a pressing global concern and inhalation of microplastic fibers has been associated with interstitial and bronchial inflammation in flock workers. However, how microplastic fibers affect the lungs is unknown. Objectives Our aim was to assess the effects of 12x31 µm nylon 6,6 (nylon) and 15x52 µm polyethylene terephthalate (polyester) textile microplastic fibers on lung epithelial growth and differentiation. Methods We used human and murine alveolar and airway-type organoids as well as air-liquid interface cultures derived from primary lung epithelial progenitor cells and incubated these with either nylon or polyester fibers or nylon leachate. In addition, mice received one dose of nylon fibers or nylon leachate and 7 days later organoid-forming capacity of isolated epithelial cells was investigated. Results We observed that nylon microfibers, more than polyester, inhibited developing airway organoids and not established ones. This effect was mediated by components leaching from nylon. Epithelial cells isolated from mice exposed to nylon fibers or leachate, also formed fewer airway organoids, suggesting long-lasting effects of nylon components on epithelial cells. Part of these effects were recapitulated in human air-liquid interface cultures. Transcriptome analysis revealed upregulation of Hoxa5 post-exposure to nylon fibers. Inhibiting Hoxa5 protein during nylon exposure restored airway organoid formation, confirming Hoxa5's pivotal role in the effects of nylon. Conclusions These results suggest that components leaching from nylon 6,6 may especially harm developing airways and/or airways undergoing repair and we strongly encourage to characterize both hazard of and exposure to microplastic fibers in more detail.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic is currently causing a severe disruption and shortage in the global supply chain of necessary personal protective equipment (e.g., N95 respirators). The U.S. CDC has recommended use of household cloth by the general public to make cloth face coverings as a method of source control. We evaluated the filtration properties of natural and synthetic materials using a modified procedure for N95 respirator approval. Common fabrics of cotton, polyester, nylon, and silk had filtration efficiency of 5-25%, polypropylene spunbond had filtration efficiency 6-10%, and paper-based products had filtration efficiency of 10-20%. An advantage of polypropylene spunbond is that it can be simply triboelectrically charged to enhance the filtration efficiency (from 6 to >10%) without any increase in pressure (stable overnight and in humid environments). Using the filtration quality factor, fabric microstructure, and charging ability, we are able to provide an assessment of suggested fabric materials for homemade facial coverings.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic is currently causing a severe disruption and shortage in the global supply chain of necessary personal protective equipment (e.g., N95 respirators). The U.S. CDC has recommended use of household cloth by the general public to make cloth face coverings as a method of source control. We evaluated the filtration properties of natural and synthetic materials using a modified procedure for N95 respirator approval. Common fabrics of cotton, polyester, nylon, and silk had filtration efficiency of 5-25%, polypropylene spunbond had filtration efficiency 6-10%, and paper-based products had filtration efficiency of 10-20%. An advantage of polypropylene spunbond is that it can be simply triboelectrically charged to enhance the filtration efficiency (from 6 to >10%) without any increase in pressure (stable overnight and in humid environments). Using the filtration quality factor, fabric microstructure, and charging ability, we are able to provide an assessment of suggested fabric materials for homemade facial coverings.
Project description:BackgroundEstimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using estimated glomerular filtration rate creatinine (eGFRcr) is central to clinical practice but has limitations. We tested the hypothesis that serum metabolomic profiling can identify novel markers that in combination can provide more accurate GFR estimates.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional study of 200 African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) and 265 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants with measured GFR (mGFR). Untargeted gas chromatography/dual mass spectrometry- and liquid chromatography/dual mass spectrometry-based quantification was followed by the development of targeted assays for 15 metabolites. On the log scale, GFR was estimated from single- and multiple-metabolite panels and compared with eGFR using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology equations with creatinine and/or cystatin C using established metrics, including the proportion of errors >30% of mGFR (1-P30), before and after bias correction.ResultsOf untargeted metabolites in the AASK and MESA, 283 of 780 (36%) and 387 of 1447 (27%), respectively, were significantly correlated (P ≤ 0.001) with mGFR. A targeted metabolite panel eGFR developed in the AASK and validated in the MESA was more accurate (1-P30 3.7 and 1.9%, respectively) than eGFRcr [11.2 and 18.5%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both)] and estimating GFR using cystatin C (eGFRcys) [10.6% (P = 0.02) and 9.1% (P < 0.05), respectively] but was not consistently better than eGFR using both creatinine and cystatin C [3.7% (P > 0.05) and 9.1% (P < 0.05), respectively]. A panel excluding creatinine and demographics still performed well [1-P30 6.4% (P = 0.11) and 3.4% (P < 0.001) in the AASK and MESA] versus eGFRcr.ConclusionsMultimetabolite panels can enable accurate GFR estimation. Metabolomic equations, preferably excluding creatinine and demographic characteristics, should be tested for robustness and generalizability as a potential confirmatory test when eGFRcr is unreliable.
Project description:Toward the objective of developing platform technologies for anti-infective materials based upon photodynamic inactivation, we employed electrospinning to prepare a non-woven textile comprised of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers embedded with a porphyrin-based cationic photosensitizer; termed PAN-Por(+). Photosensitizer loading was determined to be 34.8 nmol/mg material; with thermostability to 300 °C. Antibacterial efficacy was evaluated against four bacteria belonging to the ESKAPE family of pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus; vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium; Acinetobacter baumannii; and Klebsiella pneumonia), as well as Escherichia coli. Our results demonstrated broad photodynamic inactivation of all bacterial strains studied upon illumination (30 min; 65 ± 5 mW/cm²; 400-700 nm) by a minimum of 99.9996+% (5.8 log units) regardless of taxonomic classification. PAN-Por(+) also inactivated human adenovirus-5 (~99.8% reduction in PFU/mL) and vesicular stomatitis virus (>7 log units reduction in PFU/mL). When compared to cellulose-based materials employing this same photosensitizer; the higher levels of photodynamic inactivation achieved here with PAN-Por(+) are likely due to the combined effects of higher photosensitizer loading and a greater surface area imparted by the use of nanofibers. These results demonstrate the potential of photosensitizer-embedded polyacrylonitrile nanofibers to serve as scalable scaffolds for anti-infective or self-sterilizing materials against both bacteria and viruses when employing a photodynamic inactivation mode of action.
Project description:Transparent and flexible electrodes are widely used on a variety of substrates such as plastics and glass. Yet, to date, transparent electrodes on a textile substrate have not been explored. The exceptional electrical, mechanical and optical properties of monolayer graphene make it highly attractive as a transparent electrode for applications in wearable electronics. Here, we report the transfer of monolayer graphene, grown by chemical vapor deposition on copper foil, to fibers commonly used by the textile industry. The graphene-coated fibers have a sheet resistance as low as ~1 kΩ per square, an equivalent value to the one obtained by the same transfer process onto a Si substrate, with a reduction of only 2.3 per cent in optical transparency while keeping high stability under mechanical stress. With this approach, we successfully achieved the first example of a textile electrode, flexible and truly embedded in a yarn.
Project description:Background and objectivesRed blood cell (RBC) units in hypothermic storage degrade over time, commonly known as the RBC storage lesion. These older RBC units can cause adverse clinical effects when transfused, as older RBCs in the unit lyse and release cell-free haemoglobin (Hb), a potent vasodilator that can elicit vasoconstriction, systemic hypertension and oxidative tissue injury after transfusion. In this study, we examined a novel method of washing ex vivo stored single RBC units to remove accumulated cellular waste, specifically cell-free Hb, using tangential flow filtration (TFF) driven by a centrifugal pump.Materials and methodsThe TFF RBC washing system was run under hypothermic conditions at 4°C, at a constant system volume with 0.9 wt% saline as the wash solution. The RBC washing process was conducted on 10 separate RBC units. For this proof-of-concept study, RBC units were expired at the time of washing (60-70 days old). Cell-free Hb was quantified by UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy and analysed via the Winterbourn equations. Pre- and post-wash RBC samples were analysed by Hemox Analyser, Coulter counter and Brookfield rheometer. The RBC volume fraction in solution was measured throughout the wash process by standard haematocrit (HCT) analysis.ResultsNo substantial decrease in the HCT was observed during the TFF RBC washing process. However, there was a significant decrease in RBC concentration in the first half of the TFF RBC wash process, with no significant change in RBC concentration during the second half of the TFF cell wash process with an 87% overall cell recovery compared with the total number of cells before initiation of cell washing. Utilization of the extinction coefficients and characteristic peaks of each Hb species potentially present in solution was quantified by Winterbourn analysis on retentate and permeate samples for each diacycle to quantify Hb concentration during the washing process. Significant cell-free Hb reduction was observed within the first four diacycles with a starting cell-free Hb concentration in the RBC unit of 0.105 mM, which plateaus to a constant Hb concentration of 0.01 mM or a total extracellular Hb mass of 0.2 g in the resultant washed unit. The oxygen equilibrium curve showed a significant decrease in P50 between the initial and final RBC sample cell wash with an initial P50 of 15.6 ± 1.8 mm Hg and a final P50 of 14 ± 1.62 mm Hg. Cooperativity increased after washing from an initial Hill coefficient of 2.37 ± 0.19 compared with a final value of 2.52 ± 0.12.ConclusionOverall, this study investigated the proof-of-concept use of TFF for washing single RBC units with an emphasis on the removal of cell-free Hb from the unit. Compared with traditional cell washing procedures, the designed system was able to more efficiently remove extracellular Hb but resulted in longer wash times. For a more complete investigation of the TFF RBC washing process, further work should be done to investigate the effects of RBC unit storage after washing. The designed system is lightweight and transportable with the ability to maintain sterility between uses, providing a potential option for bedside ex vivo transfusion in clinical applications.
Project description:Environmental DNA (eDNA) is one of the fastest developing tools for species biomonitoring and ecological research. However, despite substantial interest from research, commercial and regulatory sectors, it has remained primarily a tool for aquatic systems with a small amount of work in substances such as soil, snow and rain. Here we demonstrate that eDNA can be collected from air and used to identify mammals. Our proof of concept successfully demonstrated that eDNA sampled from air contained mixed templates which reflect the species known to be present within a confined space and that this material can be accessed using existing sampling methods. We anticipate this demonstration will initiate a much larger research programme in terrestrial airDNA sampling and that this may rapidly advance biomonitoring approaches. Lastly, we outline these and potential related applications we expect to benefit from this development.
Project description:Assembling thermoelectric modules into fabric to harvest energy from body heat could one day power multitudinous wearable electronics. However, the invalid 2D architecture of fabric limits the application in thermoelectrics. Here, we make the valid thermoelectric fabric woven out of thermoelectric fibers producing an unobtrusive working thermoelectric module. Alternately doped carbon nanotube fibers wrapped with acrylic fibers are woven into ?-type thermoelectric modules. Utilizing elasticity originating from interlocked thermoelectric modules, stretchable 3D thermoelectric generators without substrate can be made to enable sufficient alignment with the heat flow direction. The textile generator shows a peak power density of 70?mWm-2 for a temperature difference of 44?K and excellent stretchability (~80% strain) with no output degradation. The compatibility between body movement and sustained power supply is further displayed. The generators described here are true textiles, proving active thermoelectrics can be woven into various fabric architectures for sensing, energy harvesting, or thermal management.
Project description:Textile electronics are poised to revolutionize future wearable applications due to their wearing comfort and programmable nature. Many promising thermoelectric wearables have been extensively investigated for green energy harvesting and pervasive sensors connectivity. However, the practical applications of the TE textile are still hindered by the current laborious p/n junctions assembly of limited scale and mechanical compliance. Here we develop a gelation extrusion strategy that demonstrates the viability of digitalized manufacturing of continuous p/n TE fibers at high scalability and process efficiency. With such alternating p/n-type TE fibers, multifunctional textiles are successfully woven to realize energy harvesting on curved surface, multi-pixel touch panel for writing and communication. Moreover, modularized TE garments are worn on a robotic arm to fulfill diverse active and localized tasks. Such scalable TE fiber fabrication not only brings new inspiration for flexible devices, but also sets the stage for a wide implementation of multifunctional textile-electronics.