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Background: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in our country. It is a preventable disease and early carcinoma cervix can be cured by proper treatment. Lack of countrywide well accepted screening program of cervical cancer may be a cause of this hidden advancement of disease. Objectives: To assess the clinical and pathological profile of patients with cervical cancer. Method: This cross sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Gynaeoncology of National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH) from January, 2011 to December, 2011. Initially 76 patients were enrolled in the study by purposive sampling. Thereafter they were scrutinized by eligibility criteria and ultimately 67 patients were finalized. A case record form was prepared which was pre-structured, interview and observation based and peer reviewed. Data regarding socio-demographic, clinical and pathological profiles were collected in standard data sheet. Data were recorded, compiled, edited and analyzed. P-value was determined as significant at <0.05. Results: The mean age of 67 patients were 44.9±12.01 years (age range: 20-75 years). 74.6% patients were married, 79.1% were housewife and 50.7% were illiterate/only can sign. The household income was <10,000 BDT/month in case of 58.2% cases whereas 10,000-25,000 in 38.8% cases. Among study population 47.8% and 31.3% adenoc patients were staged as stage-II and stage-III, on the contrary 19.4% and 1.5% were staged as stage I and IV. Majority of patients 86.57% are suffering from aqueous cell carcinoma and only 13.43% had carcinoma. Most of the patient in advanced stage 32.75% in stage IIIB, 29.3% stage IIB. In this study all patients had excessive P/V discharge, among them 67.16% foul smelling and 19.4% blood stained, 764.1% irregular P/V bleeding and 86.56% postcoital bleeding. Regarding identifiable risk factors grand mutipara 79.1%, low socioeconomic group 58.2% and early marriage 49.25%, Conclusion: There are several risk factors available among our cervical cancer patients like early marriage, multipariy, low socioeconomic coditioand, multiple sex partner. Most of them are suffering from squamous cell carcinoma. The alarming clinical presentation such as blood stained or foul smelling PV discharge, irregular PV bleeding and postcoital bleeding should be considered seriously for seeking medical attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, is a challenging condition associated with substantial morbidity. Theories on the cause of the disease include retrograde menstruation, coelomic metaplasia, altered immunity, stem cells, and genetics. Management of endometriosis must be individualized according to the desired treatment outcome, whether it is relief of pain, improvement of fertility, or the prevention of recurrence. For alleviation of endometriosis-associated pain, medical treatment is generally successful, with no medical agent being more efficacious than another in spite of significantly differing side-effect profiles. Surgical therapy has also been demonstrated to reduce pain scores in comparison with expectant management, although conservative surgery has been frequently associated with recurrence. Endometriois has been associated with infertility; however, the mechanisms by which it affects fertility are still not fully understood. For treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility, suppressive medical treatment has been proven to be detrimental to fertility and should be discouraged, while surgery is probably efficacious for all stages. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with intrauterine insemination is recommended in early-stage and surgically corrected endometriosis. Combined surgery with Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog treatment has been proposed to be first-line therapy, followed by in vitro fertilization (IVF) as second-line therapy in advanced cases. This article reviews the proposed mechanisms of endometriosis pathogenesis, its current management strategies and its effects on fertility, and treatments of endometriosis-associated infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 65-year old (para 6) menopausal lady diagnosed from primary carcinoma of vagina. The woman has presented with several symptoms, which include retention of urine, pervaginal bleeding, and pelvic pain. Radical vaginal hysterectomy and excision are performed to treat the patient. Several common factors of vaginal carcinoma, includes smoking habit, HIV infection, and vaginal irritation.

Wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) are transforming personalized healthcare through innovative applications. However, integrating electronics into textiles for e-textile manufacturing exacerbates the rapidly growing issues of electronic waste (e-waste) and textile recycling due to the complicated recycling and disposal processes needed for mixed materials, including textile fibers, electronic materials, and components. Here, first closed-loop recycling for wearable e-textiles is reported by incorporating the thermal-pyrolysis of graphene-based e-textiles to convert them into graphene-like electrically conductive recycled powders. A scalable pad-dry coating technique is then used to reproduce graphene-based wearable e-textiles and demonstrate their potential healthcare applications as wearable electrodes for capturing electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and temperature sensors. Additionally, recycled graphene-based textile supercapacitor highlights their potential as sustainable energy storage devices, maintaining notable durability and retaining ≈94% capacitance after 1000 cycles with an areal capacitance of 4.92 mF cm⁻ 2 . Such sustainable closed-loop recycling of e-textiles showcases the potential for their repurposing into multifunctional applications, promoting a circular approach that potentially prevents negative environmental impact and reduces landfill disposal., (© 2024 The Author(s). Small published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: The molecular basis and mechanisms of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA) pathogenesis are still unknown. Despite being a rare and benign neoplasm, JNA is a locally aggressive and potentially destructive head and neck neoplasm, typically found in young males. The advancement of genome technologies and analytical tools has provided an unparalleled opportunity to explore the intricacy of JNA. The present study provides the first evidence of the involvement of Y-chromosome genes in JNA., Methods: A total of 13 JNA patients at an advanced disease stage and five age-matched male controls were registered for this study. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis was conducted followed by functional analysis to understand the molecular mechanism of the JNA., Results: WES analysis revealed a high prevalence of mutations in 14 genes within the protein-coding, male-specific region of the Y-chromosome of young males (mean age: 13.8 ± 2.4) with JNA. These mutations, occurring at 28 distinct positions, were characterized as moderate to high impact and were prevalent in nine JNA patients but not in the control group. The most frequently mutated genes were USP9Y and UTY, followed by KDM5D, DDX3Y, and TSPY4. The expression of USP9Y, UTY, and DDX3Y was found to be co-modulated, implying their coordinated regulation as a complex. Furthermore, somatic mutations were detected in genes previously linked to JNA., Conclusion: The wide array of genetic mutations in the Y-chromosome male-specific region, along with the somatic alterations identified in JNA, provides novel insights into JNA pathophysiology., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Energy harvesting textiles have emerged as a promising solution to sustainably power wearable electronics. Textile-based solar cells (SCs) interconnected with on-body electronics have emerged to meet such needs. These technologies are lightweight, flexible, and easy to transport while leveraging the abundant natural sunlight in an eco-friendly way. In this Review, we comprehensively explore the working mechanisms, diverse types, and advanced fabrication strategies of photovoltaic textiles. Furthermore, we provide a detailed analysis of the recent progress made in various types of photovoltaic textiles, emphasizing their electrochemical performance. The focal point of this review centers on smart photovoltaic textiles for wearable electronic applications. Finally, we offer insights and perspectives on potential solutions to overcome the existing limitations of textile-based photovoltaics to promote their industrial commercialization.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) have emerged as a revolutionary solution for personalized healthcare, enabling the continuous collection and communication of diverse physiological parameters when seamlessly integrated with the human body. Among various methods employed to create wearable e-textiles, printing offers unparalleled flexibility and comfort, seamlessly integrating wearables into garments. This has spurred growing research interest in printed e-textiles, due to their vast design versatility, material options, fabrication techniques, and wide-ranging applications. Here, a comprehensive overview of the crucial considerations in fabricating printed e-textiles is provided, encompassing the selection of conductive materials and substrates, as well as the essential pre- and post-treatments involved. Furthermore, the diverse printing techniques and the specific requirements are discussed, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each method. Additionally, the multitude of wearable applications made possible by printed e-textiles is explored, such as their integration as various sensors, supercapacitors, and heated garments. Finally, a forward-looking perspective is provided, discussing future prospects and emerging trends in the realm of printed wearable e-textiles. As advancements in materials science, printing technologies, and design innovation continue to unfold, the transformative potential of printed e-textiles in healthcare and beyond is poised to revolutionize the way wearable technology interacts and benefits., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) have emerged as a promising platform for seamless integration of electronic devices into everyday life, enabling nonintrusive monitoring of human health. However, the development of efficient, flexible, and scalable energy storage solutions remains a significant challenge for powering such devices. Here, we address this challenge by leveraging the distinct properties of two-dimensional (2D) material based heterostructures to enhance the performance of wearable textile supercapacitors. We report a highly scalable and controllable synthesis method for graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) through a microfluidization technique. Subsequently, we employ an ultrafast and industry-scale hierarchical deposition approach using a pad-dry method to fabricate 2D heterostructure based textiles with various configurations suitable for wearable e-textiles applications. Comparative analyses reveal the superior performance of wearable textile supercapacitors based on 2D material heterostructures, demonstrating excellent areal capacitance (∼105.08 mF cm -2 ), high power density (∼1604.274 μW cm -2 ) and energy density (∼58.377 μWh cm -2 ), and outstanding capacitive retention (∼100% after 1000 cycles). Our findings highlight the pivotal role of 2D material based heterostructures in addressing the challenges of performance and scalability in wearable energy storage devices, facilitating large-scale production of high-performance wearable supercapacitors.

Sustainable natural fiber reinforced composites have attracted significant interest due to the growing environmental concerns with conventional synthetic fiber as well as petroleum-based resins. One promising approach to reducing the large carbon footprint of petroleum-based resins is the use of bio-based thermoset resins. However, current fiber-reinforced bio-based epoxy composites exhibit relatively lower mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural strength, and modulus, which limits their wider application. Here the fabrication of high-performance composites using jute fibers is reported, modified with graphene nanoplates (GNP) and graphene oxide (GO), and reinforced with bio-based epoxy resin. It is demonstrated that physical and chemical treatments of jute fibers significantly improve their fiber volume fraction ( V f ) and matrix adhesion, leading to enhanced mechanical properties of the resulting Jute/Bio-epoxy (J/BE) composites. Furthermore, the incorporation of GNP and GO further increases the tensile and flexural strength of the J/BE composites. The study reveals the potential of graphene-based jute fiber-reinforced composites with bio-based epoxy resin as a sustainable and high-performance material for a wide range of applications. This work contributes to the development of sustainable composites that have the potential to reduce the negative environmental impact of conventional materials while also offering improved mechanical properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Global Challenges published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Electroconductive textile yarns are of particular interest for their use as flexible and wearable sensors without compromising the properties and comfort of usual textiles. However, the detection of fine actions of the human body is quite challenging since it requires both the relatively higher sensitivity and stability of the sensor. Herein, highly sensitive, ultra-stable, and extremely durable piezoresistive wearable sensors were prepared by loading N-doped rGO and polydopamine-coated carbon nanotubes into silicon rubber tube. The wearable sensors thus produced show an excellent ability to sense subtle movement or stimuli with good sensitivity and repeatability. Furthermore, by bending the straight conductive silicon rubber tube (CSRT) into three different patterns, its sensitivity was then dramatically increased. Finally, the CSRT was found capable of sensing cardiorespiratory signals, indicating that the sensor would be an important step toward realizing bio-signal sensing for next-generation personalized health care applications., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing Interests., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Smart wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) that can detect and differentiate multiple stimuli, while also collecting and storing the diverse array of data signals using highly innovative, multifunctional, and intelligent garments, are of great value for personalized healthcare applications. However, material performance and sustainability, complicated and difficult e-textile fabrication methods, and their limited end-of-life processability are major challenges to wide adoption of e-textiles. In this review, we explore the potential for sustainable materials, manufacturing techniques, and their end-of-the-life processes for developing eco-friendly e-textiles. In addition, we survey the current state-of-the-art for sustainable fibers and electronic materials (i.e., conductors, semiconductors, and dielectrics) to serve as different components in wearable e-textiles and then provide an overview of environmentally friendly digital manufacturing techniques for such textiles which involve less or no water utilization, combined with a reduction in both material waste and energy consumption. Furthermore, standardized parameters for evaluating the sustainability of e-textiles are established, such as life cycle analysis, biodegradability, and recyclability. Finally, we discuss the current development trends, as well as the future research directions for wearable e-textiles which include an integrated product design approach based on the use of eco-friendly materials, the development of sustainable manufacturing processes, and an effective end-of-the-life strategy to manufacture next generation smart and sustainable wearable e-textiles that can be either recycled to value-added products or decomposed in the landfill without any negative environmental impacts.

Electronic textiles (e-textiles) have drawn significant attention from the scientific and engineering community as lightweight and comfortable next-generation wearable devices due to their ability to interface with the human body, and continuously monitor, collect, and communicate various physiological parameters. However, one of the major challenges for the commercialization and further growth of e-textiles is the lack of compatible power supply units. Thin and flexible supercapacitors (SCs), among various energy storage systems, are gaining consideration due to their salient features including excellent lifetime, lightweight, and high-power density. Textile-based SCs are thus an exciting energy storage solution to power smart gadgets integrated into clothing. Here, materials, fabrications, and characterization strategies for textile-based SCs are reviewed. The recent progress of textile-based SCs is then summarized in terms of their electrochemical performances, followed by the discussion on key parameters for their wearable electronics applications, including washability, flexibility, and scalability. Finally, the perspectives on their research and technological prospects to facilitate an essential step towards moving from laboratory-based flexible and wearable SCs to industrial-scale mass production are presented., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Wearable e-textiles have gained huge tractions due to their potential for non-invasive health monitoring. However, manufacturing of multifunctional wearable e-textiles remains challenging, due to poor performance, comfortability, scalability, and cost. Here, we report a fully printed, highly conductive, flexible, and machine-washable e-textiles platform that stores energy and monitor physiological conditions including bio-signals. The approach includes highly scalable printing of graphene-based inks on a rough and flexible textile substrate, followed by a fine encapsulation to produce highly conductive machine-washable e-textiles platform. The produced e-textiles are extremely flexible, conformal, and can detect activities of various body parts. The printed in-plane supercapacitor provides an aerial capacitance of ∼3.2 mFcm -2 (stability ∼10,000 cycles). We demonstrate such e-textiles to record brain activity (an electroencephalogram, EEG) and find comparable to conventional rigid electrodes. This could potentially lead to a multifunctional garment of graphene-based e-textiles that can act as flexible and wearable sensors powered by the energy stored in graphene-based textile supercapacitors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing Interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Personal protective clothing is critical to shield users from highly infectious diseases including COVID-19. Such clothing is predominantly single-use, made of plastic-based synthetic fibers such as polypropylene and polyester, low cost and able to provide protection against pathogens. However, the environmental impacts of synthetic fiber-based clothing are significant and well-documented. Despite growing environmental concerns with single-use plastic-based protective clothing, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant increase in their use, which could result in a further surge of oceanic plastic pollution, adding to the mass of plastic waste that already threatens marine life. In this review, the nature of the raw materials involved in the production of such clothing, as well as manufacturing techniques and the personal protective equipment supply chain are briefly discussed. The environmental impacts at critical points in the protective clothing value chain are identified from production to consumption, focusing on water use, chemical pollution, CO 2 emissions, and waste. On the basis of these environmental impacts, the need for fundamental changes in the business model is outlined, including increased usage of reusable protective clothing, addressing supply chain "bottlenecks", establishing better waste management, and the use of sustainable materials and processes without associated environmental problems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Sustainable Systems published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for rapid tools and technologies to combat highly infectious viruses. The excellent electrical, mechanical and other functional properties of graphene and graphene-like 2D materials (2DM) can be utilized to develop novel and innovative devices to tackle COVID-19 and future pandemics. Here, the authors outline how graphene and other 2DM-based technologies can be used for the detection, protection, and continuous monitoring of infectious diseases including COVID-19. The authors highlight the potential of 2DM-based biosensors in rapid testing and tracing of viruses to enable isolation of infected patients, and stop the spread of viruses. The possibilities of graphene-based wearable devices are discussed for continuous monitoring of COVID-19 symptoms. The authors also provide an overview of the personal protective equipment, and potential filtration mechanisms to separate, destroy or degrade highly infectious viruses, and the potential of graphene and other 2DM to increase their efficiency, and enhance functional and mechanical properties. Graphene and other 2DM could not only play a vital role for tackling the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but also provide technology platforms and tools for the protection, detection and monitoring of future viral diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Advanced Functional Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Natural fiber reinforced composites (FRC) are of great interests, because of their biodegradability, recyclability, and environmental benefits over synthetic FRC. Natural jute FRC could provide an environmentally sustainable, light weight, and cost-effective alternative to synthetic FRC. However, the application of natural jute FRC is limited because of their poor mechanical and interfacial properties. Graphene and its derivatives could potentially be applied to modify jute fiber surface for manufacturing natural FRC with excellent mechanical properties, and lower environmental impacts. Here, we review the physical and chemical treatments, and graphene-based modifications of jute fibers, and their effect on mechanical properties of jute FRC. We introduce jute fiber structure, chemical compositions, and their potential applications first. We then provide an overview of various surface treatments used to improve mechanical properties of jute FRC. We discuss and compare various graphene derivative-based surface modifications of jute fibers, and their impact on the performance of FRC. Finally, we provide our future perspective on graphene-based jute fibers research to enable next generation strong and sustainable FRC for high performance engineering applications without conferring environmental problems., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The increasing frequency of S. aureus antimicrobial resistance has spurred interest in identifying alternative therapeutants. We investigated the S. aureus- inhibitory capacity of B. velezensis strains in mouse and bovine models. Among multiple B. velezensis strains that inhibited S. aureus growth in vitro , B. velezensis AP183 provided the most potent inhibition of S. aureus proliferation and bioluminescence in a mouse cutaneous wound ( P = 0.02). Histology revealed abundant Gram-positive cocci in control wounds that were reduced in B. velezensis AP183-treated tissues. Experiments were then conducted to evaluate the ability of B. velezensis AP183 to prevent S. aureus biofilm formation on a tracheostomy tube substrate. B. velezensis AP183 could form a biofilm on a tracheostomy tube inner cannula substrate, and that this biofilm was antagonistic to S. aureus colonization. B. velezensis AP183 was also observed to inhibit the growth of S. aureus isolates originated from bovine mastitis cases. To evaluate the inflammatory response of mammary tissue to intramammary inoculation with B. velezensis AP183, we used high dose and low dose inocula in dairy cows. At the high dose, a significant increase in somatic cell count (SCC) and clinical mastitis was observed at all post-inoculation time points ( P < 0.01), which resolved quickly compared to S. aureus- induced mastitis; in contrast, the lower dose of B. velezensis AP183 resulted in a slight increase of SCC and no clinical mastitis. In a subsequent experiment, all mammary quarters in four cows were induced to have grade 1 clinical mastitis by intramammary inoculation of a S. aureus mastitis isolate; following mastitis induction, eight quarters were treated with B. velezensis AP183 and milk samples were collected from pretreatment and post-treatment samples for 9 days. In groups treated with B. velezensis AP183, SCC and abundance of S. aureus decreased with significant reductions in S. aureus after 3 days post-inoculation with AP183 ( P = 0.04). A milk microbiome analysis revealed significant reductions in S. aureus relative abundance in the AP183-treated group by 8 days post-inoculation ( P = 0.02). These data indicate that B. velezensis AP183 can inhibit S. aureus biofilm formation and its proliferation in murine and bovine disease models., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Afroj, Brannen, Nasrin, Al Mouslem, Hathcock, Maxwell, Rasmussen-Ivey, Sandage, Davis, Panizzi, Wang and Liles.)

Background: To prevent the viral transmission from higher infected to lower infected area, controlling the vehicular traffic, consequently public movement on roads is crucial. Containment strategies and local cognition regarding pandemic might be helpful to control vehicular movement. This study aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of containment strategies and local cognition for controlling traffic volume during COVID-19 pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh., Method: Six containment strategies were considered to explore their influence on traffic condition, including declaration of general holiday, closure of educational institution, deployment of force, restriction on religious gathering, closure of commercial activities, and closure of garments factories. Newspaper coverage and public concern about COVID-19 were considered as local cognition in this research. The month of Ramadan as a potential event was also taken into account considering it might have an impact on the overall situation. Average daily journey speed (ADJS) was calculated from real-time traffic data of Google Map to understand the vehicular traffic scenario of Dhaka. A multiple linear regression method was developed to comprehend the findings., Results: The results showed that among the containment strategies, declaration of general holiday and closure of educational institutions could increase the ADJS significantly, thereby referring to less traffic movement. Besides, local cognition could not significantly affect the traffic condition, although the month of Ramadan could increase the ADJS significantly., Conclusion: It is expected that these findings would provide new insights into decision-making and help to take appropriate strategies to tackle the future pandemic situation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has not only shaken the global health sector, but also almost every other sector, including economic and education sectors. Newspapers are performing a significant role by featuring the news of COVID-19 from its very onset. The temporal fluctuation of COVID-19 related key themes presented in newspaper articles and the findings obtained from them could offer an effective lesson in dealing with future epidemics and pandemics., Aim and Method: This paper intends to develop a pandemic management framework through an automated content analysis of local newspaper coverage of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. To fulfill the aim, 7,209 newspaper articles are assembled and analyzed from three popular local newspapers named " bdnews24.com", "New Age" , and " Prothom Alo English" over the period from January 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020., Results: Twelve key topics are identified: origin and outbreak of COVID-19, response of healthcare system, impact on economy, impact on lifestyle, government assistance to the crisis, regular updates, expert opinions, pharmaceutical measures, non-pharmaceutical measures, updates on vaccines, testing facilities, and local unusual activities within the system. Based on the identified topics, their timeline of discussion, and information flow in each topic, a four-stage pandemic management framework is developed for epidemic and pandemic management in future. The stages are preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation., Conclusion: This research would provide insights into stage-wise response to any biological hazard and contribute ideas to endure future outbreaks., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical to protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19. However, hospitals have been at risk of running out of the safe and effective PPE including personal protective clothing needed to treat patients with COVID-19, due to unprecedented global demand. In addition, there are only limited manufacturing facilities of such clothing available worldwide, due to a lack of available knowledge about relevant technologies, ineffective supply chains, and stringent regulatory requirements. Therefore, there remains a clear unmet need for coordinating the actions and efforts from scientists, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, and regulatory bodies to develop and produce safe and effective protective clothing using the technologies that are locally available around the world. In this review, we discuss currently used PPE, their quality, and the associated regulatory standards. We survey the current state-of-the-art antimicrobial functional finishes on fabrics to protect the wearer against viruses and bacteria and provide an overview of protective medical fabric manufacturing techniques, their supply chains, and the environmental impacts of current single-use synthetic fiber-based protective clothing. Finally, we discuss future research directions, which include increasing efficiency, safety, and availability of personal protective clothing worldwide without conferring environmental problems.

Contact patterns play a key role in disease transmission, and variation in contacts during the course of illness can influence transmission, particularly when accompanied by changes in host infectiousness. We used surveys among 1642 contacts of 94 Nipah virus case patients in Bangladesh to determine how contact patterns (physical and with bodily fluids) changed as disease progressed in severity. The number of contacts increased with severity and, for case patients who died, peaked on the day of death. Given transmission has only been observed among fatal cases of Nipah virus infection, our findings suggest that changes in contact patterns during illness contribute to risk of infection., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Natural fibers composites are considered as a sustainable alternative to synthetic composites due to their environmental and economic benefits. However, they suffer from poor mechanical and interfacial properties due to a random fiber orientation and weak fiber-matrix interface. Here we report nanoengineered graphene-based natural jute fiber preforms with a new fiber architecture (NFA) which significantly improves their mechanical properties and performances. Our graphene-based NFA of jute fiber preform enhances the Young modulus of jute-epoxy composites by ∼324% and tensile strength by ∼110% more than untreated jute fiber composites, by arranging fibers in a parallel direction through individualization and nanosurface engineering with graphene derivatives. This could potentially lead to manufacturing of high-performance natural alternatives to synthetic composites in various stiffness-driven applications.

Inkjet-printed wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles) are considered to be very promising due to excellent processing and environmental benefits offered by digital fabrication technique. Inkjet-printing of conductive metallic inks such as silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) are well-established and that of graphene-based inks is of great interest due to multi-functional properties of graphene. However, poor ink stability at higher graphene concentration and the cost associated with the higher Ag loading in metal inks have limited their wider use. Moreover, graphene-based e-textiles reported so far are mainly based on graphene derivatives such as graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which suffers from poor electrical conductivity. Here we report inkjet printing of highly conductive and cost-effective graphene-Ag composite ink for wearable e-textiles applications. The composite inks were formulated, characterised and inkjet-printed onto PEL paper first and then sintered at 150 °C for 1 hr. The sheet resistance of the printed patterns is found to be in the range of ~0.08-4.74 Ω/sq depending on the number of print layers and the graphene-Ag ratio in the formulation. The optimised composite ink was then successfully printed onto surface pre-treated (by inkjet printing) cotton fabrics in order to produce all-inkjet-printed highly conductive and cost-effective electronic textiles.

Background: Nipah virus is a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen that can be transmitted between humans. Understanding the dynamics of person-to-person transmission is key to designing effective interventions., Methods: We used data from all Nipah virus cases identified during outbreak investigations in Bangladesh from April 2001 through April 2014 to investigate case-patient characteristics associated with onward transmission and factors associated with the risk of infection among patient contacts., Results: Of 248 Nipah virus cases identified, 82 were caused by person-to-person transmission, corresponding to a reproduction number (i.e., the average number of secondary cases per case patient) of 0.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19 to 0.59). The predicted reproduction number increased with the case patient's age and was highest among patients 45 years of age or older who had difficulty breathing (1.1; 95% CI, 0.4 to 3.2). Case patients who did not have difficulty breathing infected 0.05 times as many contacts (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.3) as other case patients did. Serologic testing of 1863 asymptomatic contacts revealed no infections. Spouses of case patients were more often infected (8 of 56 [14%]) than other close family members (7 of 547 [1.3%]) or other contacts (18 of 1996 [0.9%]). The risk of infection increased with increased duration of exposure of the contacts (adjusted odds ratio for exposure of >48 hours vs. ≤1 hour, 13; 95% CI, 2.6 to 62) and with exposure to body fluids (adjusted odds ratio, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.6 to 11)., Conclusions: Increasing age and respiratory symptoms were indicators of infectivity of Nipah virus. Interventions to control person-to-person transmission should aim to reduce exposure to body fluids. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.)., (Copyright © 2019 Massachusetts Medical Society.)

Multifunctional wearable e-textiles have been a focus of much attention due to their great potential for healthcare, sportswear, fitness, space, and military applications. Among them, electroconductive textile yarn shows great promise for use as next-generation flexible sensors without compromising the properties and comfort of usual textiles. However, the current manufacturing process of metal-based electroconductive textile yarn is expensive, unscalable, and environmentally unfriendly. Here we report a highly scalable and ultrafast production of graphene-based flexible, washable, and bendable wearable textile sensors. We engineer graphene flakes and their dispersions in order to select the best formulation for wearable textile application. We then use a high-speed yarn dyeing technique to dye (coat) textile yarn with graphene-based inks. Such graphene-based yarns are then integrated into a knitted structure as a flexible sensor and could send data wirelessly to a device via a self-powered RFID or a low-powered Bluetooth. The graphene textile sensor thus produced shows excellent temperature sensitivity, very good washability, and extremely high flexibility. Such a process could potentially be scaled up in a high-speed industrial setup to produce tonnes (∼1000 kg/h) of electroconductive textile yarns for next-generation wearable electronics applications.

Natural fiber composites are attracting significant interest due to their potential for replacing synthetic composites at lower cost with improved environmental sustainability. However, natural fiber composites suffer from poor mechanical and interfacial properties. Here, we report coating of graphene oxide (GO) and graphene flakes (G) onto natural jute fibers to improve mechanical and interfacial properties. The coating of graphene materials onto jute fibers enhanced interfacial shear strength by ∼236% and tensile strength by ∼96% more than untreated fibers by forming either bonding (GO) or mechanical interlocking (G) between fibers and graphene-based flakes. This could lead to manufacturing of high-performance and environmental friendly natural fiber composites that can potentially replace synthetic composites in numerous applications, such as the automotive industry, naval vessels, household products, and even in the aerospace industry.

Graphene-based de-icing composites are of great interest due to incredible thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of graphene. Moreover, current technologies possess a number of challenges such as expensive, high power consumption, limited life time and adding extra weight to the composites. Here, we report a scalable process of making highly conductive graphene-based glass fibre rovings for de-icing applications. We also use a scalable process of making graphene-based conductive ink by microfluidic exfoliation technique. The glass fibre roving is then coated with graphene-based conductive inks using a dip-dry-cure technique which could potentially be scaled up into an industrial manufacturing unit. The graphene-coated glass roving demonstrates lower electrical resistances (∼1.7 Ω cm -1 ) and can heat up rapidly to a required temperature. We integrate these graphene-coated glass rovings into a vacuum-infused epoxy-glass fabric composite and also demonstrate the potential use of as prepared graphene-based composites for de-icing applications., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Graphene-based wearable e-textiles are considered to be promising due to their advantages over traditional metal-based technology. However, the manufacturing process is complex and currently not suitable for industrial scale application. Here we report a simple, scalable, and cost-effective method of producing graphene-based wearable e-textiles through the chemical reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to make stable reduced graphene oxide (rGO) dispersion which can then be applied to the textile fabric using a simple pad-dry technique. This application method allows the potential manufacture of conductive graphene e-textiles at commercial production rates of ∼150 m/min. The graphene e-textile materials produced are durable and washable with acceptable softness/hand feel. The rGO coating enhanced the tensile strength of cotton fabric and also the flexibility due to the increase in strain% at maximum load. We demonstrate the potential application of these graphene e-textiles for wearable electronics with activity monitoring sensor. This could potentially lead to a multifunctional single graphene e-textile garment that can act both as sensors and flexible heating elements powered by the energy stored in graphene textile supercapacitors.

A novel genomic and plasmid target-based PCR platform was developed for the detection of Salmonella serovars Heidelberg, Dublin, Hadar, Kentucky, and Enteritidis. Unique genome loci were obtained through extensive genome mining of protein databases and comparative genomic analysis of these serovars. Assays targeting Salmonella serovars Hadar, Heidelberg, Kentucky, and Dublin had 100% specificity and sensitivity, whereas those for Salmonella Enteritidis had 97% specificity and 88% sensitivity. The limits of detection for Salmonella serovars Heidelberg, Kentucky, Hadar, Enteritidis, and Dublin were 12, 9, 40, 13, and 5,280 CFU, respectively. A sensitivity assay was also performed by using milk artificially inoculated with pooled Salmonella serovars, yielding a detection limit of 1 to10 CFU/25 mL of milk samples after enrichment. The minimum DNA detected using the multiplexed TaqMan assay was 75.8 fg (1.53 × 101 genomic equivalents [GE]) for Salmonella Heidelberg, 140.8 fg (2.8 × 101 GE) for Salmonella Enteritidis, and 3.48 pg (6.96 × 102 GE) for Salmonella Dublin. PCR efficiencies were 89.8% for Salmonella Heidelberg, 94.5% for Salmonella Enteritidis, and 75.5% for Salmonella Dublin. Four types of 30 pasteurized milk samples were tested negative by culture techniques and with a genus-specific Salmonella invA gene PCR assay. Among 30 chicken samples similarly tested, 12 (40%) were positive by both culture and the invA PCR. Testing of these 12 samples with the serovar-specific PCR assay detected single and mixed contamination with Salmonella Kentucky, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Salmonella Heidelberg. Five unique primers were designed and tested by multiplex conventional PCR in conjunction with the use of the multiplex TaqMan assay with three of the primers. The diagnostic assays developed in this study could be used as tools for routine detection of these five Salmonella serovars and for epidemiological investigations of foodborne disease outbreaks., (Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.)

Biofilms are dense communities of bacteria enmeshed in a protective extracellular matrix composed mainly of exopolysaccharides, extracellular DNA, proteins, and outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Given the role of biofilms in antibiotic-tolerant and chronic infections, novel strategies are needed to block, disperse, or degrade biofilms. Enzymes that degrade the biofilm matrix are a promising new therapy. We screened mutants in many of the enzymes secreted by the type II secretion system (T2SS) and determined that the T2SS, and specifically phospholipases, play a role in biofilm formation. Mutations in the xcp secretion system and in the plcB and plcN phospholipases all resulted in hyperbiofilm phenotypes. PlcB has activity against many phospholipids, including the common bacterial membrane lipid phosphatidylethanolamine, and may degrade cell membrane debris or OMVs in the biofilm matrix. Exogenous phospholipase was shown to reduce aggregation and biofilm formation, suggesting its potential role as a novel enzymatic treatment to dissolve biofilms.

The chlorophenoxy herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is used extensively worldwide despite its known toxicity and our limited understanding of how it affects non-target organisms. Escherichia coli is a suitable model organism to investigate toxicity and adaptation mechanisms in bacteria exposed to xenobiotic chemicals. We developed a methodical platform that uses atomic force microscopy, metabolomics and biochemical assays to quantify the response of E. coli exposed to sublethal levels of 2,4-D. This herbicide induced a filamentous phenotype in E. coli BL21 and a similar phenotype was observed in a selection of genotypically diverse E. coli strains (A0, A1, B1, and D) isolated from the environment. The filamentous phenotype was observed at concentrations 1000 times below field levels and was reversible upon supplementation with polyamines. Cells treated with 2,4-D had more compliant envelopes, significantly remodeled surfaces that were rougher and altered vital metabolic pathways including oxidative phosphorylation, the ABC transport system, peptidoglycan biosynthesis, amino acid, nucleotide and sugar metabolism. Most of the observed effects could be attributed to oxidative stress, consistent with increases in reactive oxygen species as a function of 2,4-D exposure. This study provides direct evidence that 2,4-D at sublethal levels induces oxidative stress and identifies the associated metabolic changes in E. coli., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We measured the performance of exposure screening questions to identify Nipah virus encephalitis in hospitalized encephalitis patients during the 2012-13 Nipah virus season in Bangladesh. The sensitivity (93%), specificity (82%), positive predictive value (37%), and negative predictive value (99%) results suggested that screening questions could more quickly identify persons with Nipah virus encephalitis.

Background: Accurate etiological diagnosis of meningitis in developing countries is needed, to improve clinical care and to optimize disease-prevention strategies. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and latex agglutination testing are currently the standard diagnostic methods but lack sensitivity., Methods: We prospectively assessed the utility of an immunochromatographic test (ICT) of pneumococcal antigen (NOW Streptococcus pneumoniae Antigen Test; Binax), compared with culture, in 5 countries that are conducting bacterial meningitis surveillance in Africa and Asia. Most CSF samples were collected from patients aged 1-59 months., Results: A total of 1173 CSF samples from suspected meningitis cases were included. The ICT results were positive for 68 (99%) of the 69 culture-confirmed pneumococcal meningitis cases and negative for 124 (99%) of 125 culture-confirmed bacterial meningitis cases caused by other pathogens. By use of culture and latex agglutination testing alone, pneumococci were detected in samples from 7.4% of patients in Asia and 15.6% in Africa. The ICT increased pneumococcal detection, resulting in similar identification rates across sites, ranging from 16.2% in Nigeria to 20% in Bangladesh. ICT detection in specimens from culture-negative cases varied according to region (8.5% in Africa vs. 18.8% in Asia; P< .001), prior antibiotic use (24.2% with prior antibiotic use vs. 12.2% without; P< .001), and WBC count (9.0% for WBC count of 10-99 cells/mL, 22.1% for 100-999 cells/mL, and 25.4% for >or=1000 cells/mL; P< .001 by test for trend)., Conclusions: The ICT provided substantial benefit over the latex agglutination test and culture at Asian sites but not at African sites. With the addition of the ICT, the proportion of meningitis cases attributable to pneumococci was determined to be similar in Asia and Africa. These results suggest that previous studies have underestimated the proportion of pediatric bacterial meningitis cases caused by pneumococci.

Five alternative techniques for diagnosis of malaria were evaluated in 124 clinically diagnosed cerebral malaria cases admitted in a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh. Clinical diagnosis of cerebral malaria was done by WHO criteria. The tests were conventional routine malaria microscopy; prolonged microscopy; dipstick antigen capture assay (Para Sight TM-F test); pigments in peripheral leucocytes and routine microscopy repeated at 12 hours interval. First four tests were done at 0 hours of hospital admission and repeat routine microscopy was added at 12 hours interval. Diagnostic capability of the test was 64%, 65%, 69%, 27% and 63% respectively. None of the tests except pigments in peripheral leucocytes was superior at initial evaluation. Only the dipstick test added 5% more diagnostic possibility compared with routine microscopy as standard. Stratification of diagnostic capability in different ways improved diagnosis 15% and 11% in smear negative cases by dipstick and prolonged microscopy respectively. It was increased by 50% (5/10 patients) with dipstick test in the smear negative patients with history of anti-malarials prior to hospital admission.