Effects of godet wheel position on compact siro-spun core yarn characteristics

Cotton-spandex compact siro-spun core yarns (29.2tex/44.4dtex and 14.6tex/44.4dtex) have been prepared on two kinds of compact spinning, viz complete condensing spinning system (CCSS) and lattice apron compact spinning system (LACSS) respectively. Three godet wheel positions on two kinds of compact system have been selected and corresponding yarn covering effect is studied respectively. Especially, the surface morphology and cross-sections of the core yarns are observed. Then, the covering effects are compared and affecting factors are analyzed. Moreover, other yarn properties including yarn hairiness, strength and evenness are also tested and compared. The results indicate that the covering effect of staple fibres is the most even when the godet wheel position is set on left side for both CCSS and LACSS

Fungal transformation of selenium and tellurium located in a volcanogenic sulfide deposit

© 2020 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Peer reviewedPostprin

Fibrinogen deposition on silicone oil-infused silver-releasing urinary catheters compromises antibiofilm and anti-encrustation properties

[Image: see text] Slippery silicone-oil-infused (SOI) surfaces have recently emerged as a promising alternative to conventional anti-infection coatings for urinary catheters to combat biofilm and encrustation formation. Benefiting from the ultralow low hysteresis and slippery behavior, the liquid-like SOI coatings have been found to effectively reduce bacterial adhesion under both static and flow conditions. However, in real clinical settings, the use of catheters may also trigger local inflammation, leading to release of host-secreted proteins, such as fibrinogen (Fgn) that deposits on the catheter surfaces, creating a niche that can be exploited by uropathogens to cause infections. In this work, we report on the fabrication of a silicone oil-infused silver-releasing catheter which exhibited superior durability and robust antibacterial activity in aqueous conditions, reducing biofilm formation of two key uropathogens Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis by ∼99%, when compared with commercial all-silicone catheters after 7 days while remaining noncytotoxic toward L929 mouse fibroblasts. After exposure to Fgn, the oil-infused surfaces induced conformational changes in the protein which accelerated adsorption onto the surfaces. The deposited Fgn blocked the interaction of silver with the bacteria and served as a scaffold, which promoted bacterial colonization, resulting in a compromised antibiofilm activity. Fgn binding also facilitated the migration of Proteus mirabilis over the catheter surfaces and accelerated the deposition and spread of crystalline biofilm. Our findings suggest that the use of silicone oil-infused silver-releasing urinary catheters may not be a feasible strategy to combat infections and associated complications arising from severe inflammation

Chronic salmon calcitonin exerts an antidepressant effect via modulating the p38 MAPK signaling pathway

Depression is a common recurrent psychiatric disorder with a high lifetime prevalence and suicide rate. At present, although several traditional clinical drugs such as fluoxetine and ketamine, are widely used, medications with a high efficiency and reduced side effects are of urgent need. Our group has recently reported that a single administration of salmon calcitonin (sCT) could ameliorate a depressive-like phenotype via the amylin signaling pathway in a mouse model established by chronic restraint stress (CRS). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the antidepressant effect needs to be addressed. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant potential of sCT applied chronically and its underlying mechanism. In addition, using transcriptomics, we found the MAPK signaling pathway was upregulated in the hippocampus of CRS-treated mice. Further phosphorylation levels of ERK/p38/JNK kinases were also enhanced, and sCT treatment was able only to downregulate the phosphorylation level of p38/JNK, with phosphorylated ERK level unaffected. Finally, we found that the antidepressant effect of sCT was blocked by p38 agonists rather than JNK agonists. These results provide a mechanistic explanation of the antidepressant effect of sCT, suggesting its potential for treating the depressive disorder in the clinic

Enhanced antibacterial and anti-adhesive activities of silver–PTFE nanocomposite coating for urinary catheters

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) presents a significant health problem worldwide and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Herein, a silver-polytetrafluoroethylene (Ag-PTFE) nanocomposite coating for catheters was developed via a facile wet chemistry method. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Ag and PTFE, the as-prepared Ag-PTFE-coated catheter exhibited enhanced antibacterial and antiadhesive activities against two CAUTI-associated strains: E. coli WT F1693 and S. aureus F1557. Compared to the uncoated commercial silicone catheters and the Ag-coated catheters, the Ag-PTFE-coated catheters were able to reduce bacterial adhesion by up to 60.3% and 55.2%, respectively. The Ag-PTFE-coated catheters also exhibited strong antibiofilm activity, reducing biofilm coverage by up to 97.4% compared with the commercial silicone catheters. In an in vitro bladder model, the Ag-PTFE-coated catheter displayed excellent anti-infection efficacy against bacteriuria, extending the lifetime of silicone catheters from a mean of 6 days to over 40 days. The Ag-PTFE coating also showed good biocompatibility with fibroblast cells in culture, making it a prospective strategy to overcome current challenges in CAUTI