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The quantitative assessment of human error risk in computerized aircraft cockpit need a comprehensive understanding of performance shaping factor (PSF) effects on interaction tasks and the dependency between PSFs. This study employed stepwise logistic regression analysis and mediating effect analysis to explore PSF dependencies based on 872 air accident report data. Among the 14 PSFs of the established PSF taxonomy, five PSFs have significant influences on crew error. Further dependency analysis shows that a significant mediating effect exists in 16 PSF combinations, however, only 8 combinations should be considered in the actual human reliability analysis (HRA) process (indirect effect exceeds 20%). The study proposes an empirical method for identifying and assessing PSF dependencies. The results can be used to develop new or modify existing HRA methods according to the civil aviation context, as well as provide guidance to human error risk prevention and mitigation from broader perspectives in addition to interface facet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repair of nasal cartilage lesions and defects is still a difficult problem in nasal surgery, and nasal cartilage tissue engineering will be an effective way to solve this problem. Hydrogel has excellent application potential in tissue engineering. In order to produce a 3D printable scaffold for cartilage regeneration, we prepared gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)/hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA)/bacterial cellulose (BC) composite hydrogel. The composite hydrogel was characterized by swelling, mechanical properties, and printing performance test. Compared with GelMA/HAMA hydrogel, the addition of BC not only significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the hydrogels, but also improved the printing fidelity. At the same time, the mouse chondrocyte cell line (ATDC5) was used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the composite hydrogel. After 7 d of culture, the cells encapsulated within the composite hydrogels proliferated significantly and maintain the expression of specific proteins. In addition, the cell viability of the encapsulated ATDC5 cells in the 3D bioprinted hybrid constructs was evaluated. In summary, these results indicate that BC-enhanced GelMA/HAMA hydrogel is a promising candidate material for nasal cartilage repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of vascularization is the basic prerequisite for the survival and functionalization of three-dimensional (3 D) tissue-engineered constructs. The application of hydrogel to tissue regeneration has promoted the research and development of regenerative medicine. In this study, we fabricated the composite scaffold composed of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and proved the potential of the scaffold to promote angiogenesis. To characterize the physical properties of the composite scaffold, the mechanical strength, swelling ratio and internal microstructure were tested. The biocompatibility of the GelMA/CMCS scaffold was evaluated by live/dead test and CCK-8. To evaluate the cell distribution, CD31 expression and endothelial differentiation of seeded rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the scaffolds, the cytoskeletal staining, immunofluorescence staining and real-time PCR were performed. The composite GelMA/CMCS scaffolds seeded with BMSCs showed excellent mechanical properties, CD31 expression and vasculogenesis genes expression, compared with the pure GelMA scaffold. Furthermore, the activity of BMSCs in 3 D printed GelMA/CMCS scaffolds proved the feasibility of the bioprinting of cells-laden GelMA/CMCS composite scaffolds. In conclusion, our study demonstrated the potential of GelMA/CMCS composite scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regenerating jute into high-tech nanofibers is an alternative way to use jute fibers. In this work, trifluoro acetic acid (TFA) was used as a solvent to dissolve jute fibers for fabricating nanofibers via electrospinning. Nanofibers from raw jute (JNFs) and treated jute fibers (TJNFs) were successfully fabricated from a needle-based electrospinning unit, and electrospinning parameters, such as polymer concentration, flow rate, and applied voltage, were investigated. The morphology of the electrospun JNFs and TJNFs was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their chemical structure by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis. To understand the thermal stability and decomposition behavior, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of the electrospun nanofibers was performed. SEM analysis showed there are no significant difference in surface morphology between JNFs and TJNFs. The TGA results confirmed that the as-spun nanofibers have excellent thermal stability which makes them less prone to degradation. This work provides insights into converting jute fibers into high-performance nanofibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The infections and delayed wound healing after cesarean delivery is one of the most complicated issues in surgical medicinal field. In the present investigation, designed novel polysialic acid loaded gelatin (PSA-Gel) composite hydrogels cross-linked by tannic acid (TA) has been developed and used as a facile wound dressing to improve cesarean wound healing ability with prevent bactericidal infections. The cross-linking effect was predominant when the TA content was lower, resulting in the formation of a cross-linked network. An effective TA cross-linking effect on the PSA-Gel hydrogel matrix was achieved when the amount of TA was around 15 wt %. The morphology of as-fabricated hydrogels was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with an average pore sizes of PSA-Gel, PSA-Gel-TA-5%, PSA-Gel-TA-10%, and PSA-Gel-TA-15% hydrogels were 95.4 ± 12.6 μm, 120.4 ± 8.2 μm, 165.3 ± 21.6 μm, and 270.2 ± 32.5 μm, respectively. The effects of hydrogels on the swelling ratio, in vitro degradation, and mechanical properties were systemically evaluated. The TA cross-linked PSA-Gel hydrogels display strong antimicrobial behavior against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria strains. Moreover, PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels also displayed favorable cytotoxicity toward L929 fibroblast cell lines. Finally, the therapeutic and wound healing potential of the PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels has been studied in vivo using the excision wound model in rats. The results indicate that the PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels have a greater and significant effect on wound closure and increased the wound healing rate compared with native PSA-Gel hydrogels and untreated control group at 94%, 73% and 65% on day 21. The findings suggest that PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels are promising dressing materials for the treatment of wound healing. TA-reinforced PSA-Gel hydrogels with cross-linked network were developed. PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels exhibited enhanced mechanical properties. PSA-Gel-TA hydrogels had excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. PSA-Gel hydrogels ell viability properties were improved by TA treatment. TA-reinforced PSA-Gel hydrogels significantly accelerated the wound healing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Objective: Chemokine C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) plays a critical role in inflammation-related diseases in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the role of CCL2 in ischemic stroke remains unclear. Research Design: To investigate the role of CCL2 in ischemic stroke, we performed oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) on human brain astrocytes. Methods and Procedures: To assess cell proliferation, the CCK-8 assay was performed. Cell apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. qRT-PCR and western blotting were utilized to measure gene expression. Main Outcomes and Results: Our results suggest that CCL2 and its receptor CCR2 are upregulated in OGD cells. Moreover, a CCL2 antibody significantly alleviated the ischemic/hypoxic-induced suppression of growth in human brain astrocytes. Human recombinant protein, CCL2, inhibited the growth of human brain astrocytes under normoxia conditions. These results demonstrate that CCL2 upregulation suppresses the recovery of human brain astrocytes under ischemic/hypoxic conditions. This effect was abolished by the ERK inhibitor PD98059. Therefore, CCL2/CCR2 activation may suppress the growth of human brain astrocytes through enhancing the activity of ERK1/2. Conclusions: Our results not only developed a deeper understanding of the role of CCL2 in human brain astrocytes but also provided novel insight into potential treatments for ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper aims to provide an overview of concepts, progress, and challenges of life preservers, which may promote the importance of life preservers, and present several urgent issues on life preservers. Background: Although life preservers are required on an airplane in some overwater operations by the regulations of many countries, some airlines and many passengers have ignored life preservers. Method: Different requirements for life preservers are presented and compared. Then the progress on life preservers is analyzed. Based on these analyses, two problems of existing life preservers are summarized, and corresponding challenges are also proposed. Results: The difficulty of donning life preservers has been repeatedly proved through some major attempts to solve the problem. Furthermore, existing life preservers may make the passengers at risk of flight over cold water due to lack of thermal protection. Conclusion: Life preservers play a vital role in ensuring passenger safety in awater-related accident, but several urgent issues must be addressed on further improvement of life preservers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fit-for-purpose operational equipment for women undertaking law enforcement has generated significant discussion and research internationally over several years. This research addresses the need to ensure optimum safety and fit for women who require ballistic vests as part of their policing roles. It examined whether bras can improve the performance of unisex ballistic vests for women of all bust sizes. A survey of 273 female Victoria Police officers was conducted. The results showed that unisex ballistic vests are not suitable for women with larger breasts when combined with commercial sports bras. Conversely, women with smaller breasts experienced limited issues. Although wire-free bras are recommended for use with ballistic vests, officers with larger breasts reported that they preferred to wear underwire bras. Women with larger breasts experienced more problems with unisex ballistic vests than women with small breasts. Sports bras are not designed to be worn under body armour for prolonged periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents the stab resistance and thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabrics prepared from high-performance fibres of aramid (i.e. Kevlar®) and ballistic nylon. The fabric samples were coated with boron carbide to improve the stab resistance properties. The quasistatic stab tests were performed using NIJ 0115.00 standard knife (P1) on the Instron tensile testing machine. The thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabric samples were evaluated by measuring the air permeability, water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance. It was observed that the application of the coating significantly increased the stab resistance properties of the fabrics. Furthermore, the air permeability was significantly reduced; whereas, the water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance were significantly increased with the application of coating. Hence, the coated fabrics will have to compromise the comfort aspects to achieve the desired protection level, which is the prime requirement for the stab resistant textile materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental impact of textile supply chain of selected cotton, wool and polyester apparels consumed in Australia was accessed in this study using life cycle assessment methodology. The environmental impact category, climate change was used for this assessment. Climate change is related to the emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and the reference unit of climate change impact category is kg CO2 equivalent. The environmental impact of these apparels was then scaled up based on their total consumption in Australia in 2015. The results highlight the differences in environmental impact between the three apparels. This study demonstrates that the main contributor to climate change is the consumer use stage for cotton and polyester apparel whereas wool apparel production process contributes more impact than consumer use stage. Energy use is the main factor of environmental impact. Sensitivity analysis was carried out based on the different parameters used to develop baseline model, such as change of transport from airfreight to sea freight; change of transport distance, change of consumer laundering behaviour. Around 10% CO2 equivalent emission can be reduced from base case by reducing washing machine energy up to 40%. A high efficient washing machine and full load machine wash can save energy and reduce carbon emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, nanotechnology environmental health and safety (nanoEHS) is gaining attention. We previously found that silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) could induce vascular endothelial damage. However, the subsequent toxicologic response to SiNPs-induced endothelial damage was still largely unknown. In this study, we explored the inflammation-coagulation response and thrombotic effects of SiNPs in endothelial cells and zebrafish embryos. For in vitro study, swollen mitochondria and autophagosome were observed in ultrastructural analysis. The cytoskeleton organization was disrupted by SiNPs in vascular endothelial cells. The release of proinflammatory and procoagulant cytokines including IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, PECAM-1, TF and vWF, were markedly elevated in a dose-dependent manner. For in vivo study, based on the NOAEL for dosimetry selection, and using two transgenic zebrafish, Tg(mpo:GFP) and Tg(fli-1:EGFP), SiNPs-induced neutrophil-mediated inflammation and impaired vascular endothelial cells. With the dosage higher than NOAEL, SiNPs significantly decreased blood flow and velocity, exhibiting a blood hypercoagulable state in zebrafish embryos. The thrombotic effect was assessed by o-dianisidine staining, showed that an increasing of erythrocyte aggregation occurred in SiNPs-treated zebrafish. Microarray analysis was used to screen the possible genes for inflammation-coagulation response to SiNPs in zebrafish, and the JAK1/TF signaling pathway was further verified by qRT-PCR and Western blot assays. For in-deepth study, il6st was knocked down with specific morpholinos. The whole-mount in situ hybridization and qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression jak1 and f3b were attenuated in il6st knockdown groups. In summary, our data demonstrated that SiNPs could induce inflammation-coagulation response and thrombotic effects via JAK1/TF signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the comfort properties of 3D-knitted seamless female body armour vests evaluated by using a thermal manikin. The vests were designed as a complete garment with eliminating the conventional cutting and sewing, to improve fit and comfort for female police officers. The vests were tested on thermal manikin dressed with vests only and manikin dressed with a police officer’s uniform including the vests. Both dry thermal insulation and evaporative resistance were evaluated for comfort properties. The results showed that five-layer assembly of fitted-vest provided an acceptable level of thermal insulation. However, the evaporative resistance of the loose-vest showed better results compared to the fitted-vest, which was proved by the lower surface temperature on the thermal imaging. This research established that the 3D-knitted seamless body armour vests can provide an effective solution for the body armour requirement for female officers. The results also suggested that increasing the number of layers will increase the weight and reduced level of comfort, however they were effective in providing the necessary protection from low-level stab threats, which was shown in the earlier publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Although the insulinotropic role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in type 2 diabetes mellitus has been substantiated, its role in cardioprotection remains largely unknown. In this study, we explored the effect and mechanism of exendin-4 on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).Methods: HUVECs were treated with 100 µmol/L t-BHP for 4 h, following pretreatment with 2.5–25 nmol/L exendin-4. Cell viability was determined using an dimethyl thiazolyl diphenyl tetrazolium salt (MTT) assay. The percentage of apoptotic cells was determined by fluorescence microscopy after Hoechst/PI staining. Expression of cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3(caspase-3), beta-cell lymphoma 2(Bcl-2), protein kinase B(AKT), and phosphorylated AKT was detected by western blotting.Results: Exendin-4 reduced the percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis when HUVECs were exposed to t-BHP. Exendin-4 downregulated caspase-3 activity and increased Bcl-2 protein levels in t-BHP-treated HUVECs. These exendin-4-mediated effects were blocked in the presence of an inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K). Exendin-4 reversed t-BHP-mediated inhibition of Akt phosphorylation, which was abrogated by the PI3K inhibitor, wortmannin.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that exendin-4 reduces t-BHP-induced apoptosis of HUVECs. Additionally, PI3K/Akt-Bcl-2-caspase-3 signaling is involved in the exendin-4-mediated modulation of HUVECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adiponectin (ADP) polymorphisms associated with diabetes mellitus in several populations. However, no previous studies have investigated its association with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Our study examined the association between ADP-linked SNPs and DPN susceptibility. Methods: We randomly recruited 160 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and 80 healthy individuals. Results: The C allele of rs3821799 increased DPN susceptibility. In normal individuals, GG of rs3774261 carriers had 7.1 times higher DPN susceptibility than AA carriers. The haplotype analyzes indicated CGG might increase DPN susceptibility. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that ADP gene polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility to DPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past decade, the textile and apparel industries around the globe have been trying to adjust to a rapidly changing business environment. While the manufacturing bases have moved into the developing countries, the developed countries have gone high tech in a bid to maintain an edge over the low-cost competitors. Apparel purchasing is moving out of the physical domain into the virtual domain and mass customisation seems to be the only way to win and retain buyers. Ten years back, jeans maker Levi Strauss announced something just as revolutionary: It will begin offering customised versions of its classic denims to fit every woman's body type. The term Mass customisation well defined the aforementioned process of providing fit garments according to the body size. Mass customisation in the apparel industry is a revolutionary one. It provides a product according to the choice of the consumers. This paper reviews the role of mass customisation in the competitive apparel industry. The requirements and future challenges for mass customisation are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Seams and stitching in a body armour could affect their protective and comfort performance. The seamless technology is a method used to eliminate cutting and sewing processes in making knitted garments. This method is adopted to avoid the traditional cut and sew method used to accommodate the bust contour for female body armour design. The 3D knitting technology Shima Seiki SES-S.WG®and its whole garment WG-SDS-ONE APEX3 program were used to develop a seamless female body armour for fit and comfort. The Kevlar–wool and 100% Kevlar fabrics were produced as weft-knit single jersey using the whole garment knitting machine. The physical properties of the fabrics produced were measured. These properties were used to design two different styles of 3D seamless female body armour vests, the loose-vest and bra-vest. The knitted fabrics and the 3D seamless female body armour vests were engineered to confirm the design. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Phosphorus and boron containing materials have the feature of increasing char formation, which can be effectively used as flame retardants especially in textiles. This paper discusses the ionic addition of phosphorus and boron esters to polyamide-6,6 (PA66), and its effect on the charring level. A mixture of phosphoric acid–boric acid ester at different degrees of esterification (ED) was prepared and two theoretical mechanisms for the esterification reaction were suggested. Ionically grafted polymer films were prepared by introducing the ester of highest ED to PA66–formic acid solution via three different processes: open air (cold) grafting, ultraviolet irradiation grafting, and hot vacuum oven grafting. Thermogravimetry was conducted for all synthesized esters and films, and the formation of new bonds between the ester and PA66 was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sustainable alternative to some synthetic dyes and dyeing auxiliaries could be substitution by their corresponding natural counterparts. This is in response to a growing premium market for goods with the natural tag brought about by the increasing consumer awareness about conserving and preserving the environment. Currently, natural dyes are used only by hobbyists and craftsmen in a small scale of operation. The present market trend prompts investigations into all aspects of large-scale application of natural dyes. This may encompass the social, economic and technical aspects. A critical technical consideration is the means of increasing colour yield during dyeing. In achieving this, the use of by-products or consequent acquisition of functionality will be an added benefit. In this study, chitosan, a bio-polysaccharide derived from the exoskeleton of crustaceans, has been investigated for enhancing dye uptake while imparting antimicrobial attribute to cotton fabric. Pad-dyeing of natural dyes, from the Acacia family, in the presence of a controlled amount of chitosan resulted in darker shades by approximately 20% as compared to without chitosan. Key performance parameters such as fastness of dyed fabric to washing, rubbing and light were evaluated and found to be satisfactory. In addition, chitosan imparted excellent antibacterial properties to the cotton fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abaya is a traditional Muslim woman’s outer garment. It is black in colour, and must be worn over the normal day-to-day clothing according to Islamic law. It is mandatory to wear Abaya in Arabian Gulf countries irrespective of the outside environmental temperature, which can be up to 50°C. Having many layers of clothing including Abaya makes it extremely uncomfortable for the wearer in a hot environment. Thermal comfort performance is, therefore, essential for fabrics used for Abaya. This study investigated some commercially available woven Abaya fabrics for thermal resistance, air permeability, thermal comfort, vapour resistance and fabric structural and surface properties. The results indicated that the Abaya fabrics with different weave structures, fibre composition and fabric weight have greater influence on the fabric thermal comfort performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Effective prediction of the long-term performance of natural fibre-reinforced cementitious materials is vital for their application. In this study, coir fibres of two different average lengths were combined with cementitious materials and chemical agents to form coir fibre-reinforced cementitious composites (CFRCCs). The composites long-term performance was assessed and compared with two different accelerated ageing processes, i.e. a cement-saturated water ageing, and alternate freeze–thaw ageing. The flexural properties were compared with the properties of the reference mortar. Overall, the flexural strength of 400 days naturally aged CFRCC specimens was weaker than that of the reference mortar. The toughness and ductility of the fibre-reinforced specimens, however, improved. The cement-saturated water ageing method gave a precise prediction of the flexural strength development of 400-day-old specimens, and the freeze–thaw ageing method worked very well for the toughness performance estimation of CFRCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ultrasonics has shown the potential to reduce the cost and environmental impact of textile processing. This work investigates the impact of ultrasonic scouring on fibre entanglement caused during the scouring process. Levels of fibre entanglement were quantified by measuring fibre length using OFDA4000 after carding. A significant reduction in fibre entanglement after ultrasonic scouring was observed and this was due to a reduced fibre migration in the wash bath when compared with the mechanical agitation seen in conventional scouring process. Fibre cuticle scale damage resulting from the ultrasonic irradiation may also have contributed to the reduction in fibre entanglement. A reduced level of fibre entanglement from ultrasonic wool scouring leads to a reduction in fibre breakage during carding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many classes of alpaca fibres contain a certain amount of coarse fibres, which are strong and stiff, and cause discomfort to the end users of the alpaca fibre products. It is therefore desirable to separate the coarse fibres from the fine alpaca fibres. This paper reports trial results on alpaca dehairing using a cashmere dehairing machine. The diameters of alpaca fleece, dehaired alpaca fibres and removed alpaca fibres were analysed, and the fibre lengths before and after dehairing have been compared. The results indicate that it is feasible to dehair alpaca fibres using a cashmere dehairing facility. The dehaired alpaca fibres are cleaner, bulkier and softer, with around 1.5 μm reduction in average fibre diameter, but the dehairing process shortens the dehaired fibre length considerably. The dehairing effectiveness of coarse fibre removal using the cashmere dehairing technology has also been discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]