Soft Robotic Surrogate Lung

Previous artificial lung surrogates used hydrogels or balloon-like inflatable structures without reproducing the alveolar network or breathing action within the lung. A physiologically accurate, air-filled lung model inspired by soft robotics is presented. The model, soft robotic surrogate lung (SRSL), is composed of clusters of artificial alveoli made of platinum-cured silicone, with internal pathways for air flow. Mechanical tests in conjunction with full-field image and volume correlation techniques characterize the SRSL behavior. SRSLs enable both healthy and pathological lungs to be studied in idealized cases. Although simple in construction, the connected airways demonstrate clearly the importance of an inflatable network for capturing basic lung behavior (compared to more simplified lung surrogates). The SRSL highlights the potentially damaging nature of local defects caused by occlusion or overdistension (present in conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). The SRSL is developed as a potential upgrade to conventional surrogates used for injury risk predictions in trauma. The deformation of the SRSL is evaluated against blast trauma using a shock tube. The SRSL was compared to other conventional trauma surrogate materials and showed greatest similarity to lung tissue. The SRSL has the potential to complement conventional biomechanical studies and reduce animal use in basic biomechanics studies, where high severity protocols are used

Toward Continuous Monitoring of Breath Biochemistry: A Paper-Based Wearable Sensor for Real-Time Hydrogen Peroxide Measurement in Simulated Breath

Exhaled breath contains a large amount of biochemical and physiological information concerning one’s health and provides an alternative route to noninvasive medical diagnosis of diseases. In the case of lung diseases, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an important biomarker associated with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung cancer and can be detected in exhaled breath. The current method of breath analysis involves condensation of exhaled breath, is not continuous or real time, and requires two separate and bulky devices, complicating the periodic or long-term monitoring of a patient. We report the first disposable paper-based electrochemical wearable sensor that can monitor exhaled H2O2 in artificial breath calibration-free and continuously, in real time, and can be integrated into a commercial respiratory mask for on-site testing of exhaled breath. To improve precision for sensing H2O2, we perform differential electrochemical measurement by amperometry in which screen-printed Prussian Blue-mediated and nonmediated carbon electrodes are used for differential analysis. We were able to measure H2O2 in simulated breath in a concentration-dependent manner in real time, confirming its functionality. This proposed system is versatile, and by modifying the chemistry of the sensing electrodes, our method of differential sensing can be extended to continuous monitoring of other analytes in exhaled breath

Monolithic solder-on nanoporous Si-Cu contacts for stretchable silicone composite sensors

We report a method of creating solderable, mechanically robust, electrical contacts to interface (soft) silicone-based strain sensors with conventional (hard) solid-state electronics using a nanoporous Si-Cu composite. The Si-based solder-on electrical contact consists of a copper-plated nanoporous Si top surface formed through metal-assisted chemical etching and electroplating, and a smooth Si bottom surface which can be covalently bonded onto silicone-based strain sensors through plasma bonding. We investigated the mechanical and electrical properties of the contacts proposed under relevant ranges of mechanical stress for applications in physiological monitoring and rehabilitation. We also produced a series of proof-of-concept devices, including a wearable respiration monitor, leg band for exercise monitoring and Squeeze-ball for monitoring rehabilitation of patients with hand injuries or neurological disorders, to demonstrate the mechanical robustness and versatility of the technology developed, in real-world applications

Autocatalytic metallization of fabrics using Si ink, for biosensors, batteries and energy harvesting

Commercially available metal inks are mainly designed for planar substrates (for example, polyethylene terephthalate foils or ceramics), and they contain hydrophobic polymer binders that fill the pores in fabrics when printed, thus resulting in hydrophobic electrodes. Here, a low‐cost binder‐free method for the metallization of woven and nonwoven fabrics is presented that preserves the 3D structure and hydrophilicity of the substrate. Metals such as Au, Ag, and Pt are grown autocatalytically, using metal salts, inside the fibrous network of fabrics at room temperature in a two‐step process, with a water‐based silicon particle ink acting as precursor. Using this method, (patterned) metallized fabrics are being enabled to be produced with low electrical resistance (less than 3.5 Ω sq−1). In addition to fabrics, the method is also compatible with other 3D hydrophilic substrates such as nitrocellulose membranes. The versatility of this method is demonstrated by producing coil antennas for wireless energy harvesting, Ag–Zn batteries for energy storage, electrochemical biosensors for the detection of DNA/proteins, and as a substrate for optical sensing by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. In the future, this method of metallization may pave the way for new classes of high‐performance devices using low‐cost fabrics

Self-powered ultrasensitive and highly stretchable temperature-strain sensing composite yarns

With the emergence of stretchable/wearable devices, functions, such as sensing, energy storage/harvesting, and electrical conduction, should ideally be carried out by a single material, while retaining its ability to withstand large elastic deformations, to create compact, functionally-integrated and autonomous systems. A new class of trimodal, stretchable yarn-based transducer formed by coating commercially available Lycra® yarns with PEDOT:PSS is presented. The material developed can sense strain (first mode), and temperature (second mode) and can power itself thermoelectrically (third mode), eliminating the need for an external power-supply. The yarns were extensively characterized and obtained an ultrahigh (gauge factor ∼3.6 × 105, at 10–20% strain) and tunable (up to about 2 orders of magnitude) strain sensitivity together with a very high strain-at-break point (up to ∼1000%). These PEDOT:PSS-Lycra yarns also exhibited stable thermoelectric behavior (Seebeck coefficient of 15 μV K−1), which was exploited both for temperature sensing and self-powering (∼0.5 μW, for a 10-couple module at ΔT ∼ 95 K). The produced material has potential to be interfaced with microcontroller-based systems to create internet-enabled, internet-of-things type devices in a variety of form factors

Eliciting student feedback for course development: the application of a qualitative course evaluation tool among business research students

Student evaluations of teaching and learning are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of high-quality, student-centred education. Insights into student perceptions of their learning experience provide important information that can be used to inform course design and development. The majority of course evaluations take the form of quantitative surveys, but research suggests that a reliance on survey data alone can be problematic from a teaching and learning perspective. Qualitative course evaluations have been cited as a viable alternative to quantitative evaluations, but less research has been conducted into their efficacy when compared to quantitative evaluations. The study on which this article reports attempted to contribute to addressing this shortcoming by describing and assessing a novel approach to eliciting qualitative feedback from students in a research methodology course at a higher education institution in South Africa. Conventional content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative feedback received from students. The qualitative course evaluation approach was then appraised in terms of the degree to which it has the potential to overcome the shortcomings associated with quantitative course evaluations and the extent to which the information gathered could be used to improve the design and delivery of the academic programme

Brain MR patterns in inherited disorders of monoamine neurotransmitters: An analysis of 70 patients

Inherited monoamine neurotransmitter disorders (iMNDs) are rare disorders with clinical manifestations ranging from mild infantile hypotonia, movement disorders to early infantile severe encephalopathy. Neuroimaging has been reported as non-specific. We systematically analysed brain MRIs in order to characterize and better understand neuroimaging changes and to re-evaluate the diagnostic role of brain MRI in iMNDs

Expression of the Lantibiotic Mersacidin in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FZB42

Lantibiotics are small peptide antibiotics that contain the characteristic thioether amino acids lanthionine and methyllanthionine. As ribosomally synthesized peptides, lantibiotics possess biosynthetic gene clusters which contain the structural gene (lanA) as well as the other genes which are involved in lantibiotic modification (lanM, lanB, lanC, lanP), regulation (lanR, lanK), export (lanT(P)) and immunity (lanEFG). The lantibiotic mersacidin is produced by Bacillus sp. HIL Y-85,54728, which is not naturally competent

A meta-analysis of genome-wide data from five European isolates reveals an association of COL22A1, SYT1, and GABRR2 with serum creatinine level

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Serum creatinine (S_CR) is the most important biomarker for a quick and non-invasive assessment of kidney function in population-based surveys. A substantial proportion of the inter-individual variability in S_CRlevel is explicable by genetic factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of S_CRundertaken in five population isolates ('discovery cohorts'), all of which are part of the European Special Population Network (EUROSPAN) project. Genes showing the strongest evidence for an association with S_CR(candidate loci) were replicated in two additional population-based samples ('replication cohorts').</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After the discovery meta-analysis, 29 loci were selected for replication. Association between S_CRlevel and polymorphisms in the collagen type XXII alpha 1 (<it>COL22A1</it>) gene, on chromosome 8, and in the synaptotagmin-1 (<it>SYT1</it>) gene, on chromosome 12, were successfully replicated in the replication cohorts (p value = 1.0 × 10^-6and 1.7 × 10^-4, respectively). Evidence of association was also found for polymorphisms in a locus including the gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor rho-2 (<it>GABRR2</it>) gene and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2-J1 (<it>UBE2J1</it>) gene (replication p value = 3.6 × 10^-3). Previously reported findings, associating glomerular filtration rate with SNPs in the uromodulin (<it>UMOD</it>) gene and in the schroom family member 3 (<it>SCHROOM3</it>) gene were also replicated.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>While confirming earlier results, our study provides new insights in the understanding of the genetic basis of serum creatinine regulatory processes. In particular, the association with the genes <it>SYT1 </it>and <it>GABRR2 </it>corroborate previous findings that highlighted a possible role of the neurotransmitters GABA_Areceptors in the regulation of the glomerular basement membrane and a possible interaction between GABA_Areceptors and synaptotagmin-I at the podocyte level.</p

Diversity, Phylogeny and Expression Patterns of Pou and Six Homeodomain Transcription Factors in Hydrozoan Jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyi

Formation of all metazoan bodies is controlled by a group of selector genes including homeobox genes, highly conserved across the entire animal kingdom. The homeobox genes from Pou and Six classes are key members of the regulation cascades determining development of sensory organs, nervous system, gonads and muscles. Besides using common bilaterian models, more attention has recently been targeted at the identification and characterization of these genes within the basal metazoan phyla. Cnidaria as a diploblastic sister group to bilateria with simple and yet specialized organs are suitable models for studies on the sensory organ origin and the associated role of homeobox genes. In this work, Pou and Six homeobox genes, together with a broad range of other sensory-specific transcription factors, were identified in the transcriptome of hydrozoan jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbyi. Phylogenetic analyses of Pou and Six proteins revealed cnidarian-specific sequence motifs and contributed to the classification of individual factors. The majority of the Craspedacusta sowerbyi Pou and Six homeobox genes are predominantly expressed in statocysts, manubrium and nerve ring, the tissues with sensory and nervous activities. The described diversity and expression patterns of Pou and Six factors in hydrozoan jellyfish highlight their evolutionarily conserved functions. This study extends the knowledge of the cnidarian genome complexity and shows that the transcriptome of hydrozoan jellyfish is generally rich in homeodomain transcription factors employed in the regulation of sensory and nervous functions