Liquid flow spinning mass-manufactured paraffin cored yarn for thermal management and ultra-high protection

Thermal management and ultra-high protection textiles are critical for polar scientists, astronauts and firefighters. Phase change materials (PCMs) effectively retard huge thermal changes, and thermal damage by absorbing or releasing heat during phase transition. However, due to the materials and engineering challenges inherent in PCMs based textiles, commercial PCMs usually suffer with high rigidity, no-breath-ability, easy leakage and abrasion, limiting their potential applications. Herein, we proposed a mass-producible liquid flow spinning (LFS) method, in which molten paraffin is poured into continuous hollow silicon tubes and then wrapped by staple fibers to form paraffin-coated yarns (PCYs) on a friction spinning frame. The obtained PCYs showed enhanced mechanical properties (break strength of 7.80 N, wear resistance of 2000 cycles) due to the novel core-sheath yarn structure. Besides, thanks to the high melting enthalpy (60.967 J/g) of PCYs, the yarns showed the excellent temperature regulating effect. A double-sided joint PCYs fabric (PCYF) is fabricated to study the PCYs performance further, results show that the PCYF can withstand 10,000 cycles of abrasion without breakage and PCMs leakage. Furthermore, owing to the much gaps provided by the stretch fibers and interweaving points, the fabric exhibits good breathability. In particular, compared with commercial PCMs based textiles, our PCYF is superior in thermal protection performance (9 °C lower). The fireproof performance is also excellent as our PCYF can withstand flame temperatures higher than 1142 °C. The PCYs production method provided here could pave the way for human thermal protection textiles

Processed Food as a Risk Factor for the Development and Perpetuation of Crohn’s Disease—The ENIGMA Study

(1) Background: Developing countries have experienced a rapid recent rise in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) incidence and emerging evidence suggests processed foods and food additives may predispose one to the development and perpetuation of Crohn’s disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate processed food and food additive intake in CD patients and controls, in Australia (high CD incidence), Hong Kong (intermediate incidence) and mainland China (emerging incidence). (2) Methods: In 274 CD patients (CD), 82 first-degree relatives (FDR), 83 household members (HM) and 92 healthy unrelated controls (HC) from Australia (n = 180), Hong Kong (HK) (n = 160) and mainland China (n = 191) we estimated early life (0–18 years), recent (12 months), and current processed and food additive intake, using validated questionnaires and a 3-day-food diary. (3) Results: Early life processed food intake: Combining all regions, CD were more likely to have consumed soft drinks and fast foods than HM, more likely to have consumed processed fruit and snacks than their FDR, and more likely to have consumed a range of processed foods than HC. HK and China CD patients were more likely to have consumed a range of processed foods than HC. Recent food-additive intake (12-months): Combining all regions, CD patients had significantly higher intakes of aspartame and sucralose, and polysorbate-80, than HC, and more total emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and titanium dioxide than FDR and HC. HK and China CD patients had a higher intake of almost all food additives than all controls. Current additive intake (3-days): Australian and HK CD patients had higher total food-additive intake than FDR, and HK CD patients had a higher intake of total food-additives and emulsifiers than HM. (4) Conclusions: CD patients have been exposed to more processed food and food additives than control groups, which may predispose them to CD development and ongoing inflammation