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The rapid development of artificial intelligence places high demands on human-machine interfaces. Various types of huma-machine interfaces have been implemented, including smart keyboards, electronic skins, and wearable motion sensors. Handwriting behavior has a high degree of interaction freedom, and handwriting characteristics offer high-security standards for human-machine systems. Herein, we propose a portable smart pen integrated with triboelectric displacement vector sensors to trace handwriting trajectories for human-machine interactions and biometric identification. A triboelectric pressure sensor array is evenly distributed along the pen case to sense displacement vectors, and an additional triboelectric sensor is placed on top of the pen to detect vertical force. By leveraging the resin pen refill as a tribopositive material and a nanowired polyethylene tribonegative layer attached to a Cu electrode, triboelectric signals are generated during the writing/moving process. The calculation and analysis of the sensor signals enable the recognition of handwritten patterns, including Latin letters and Arabic numerals. Moreover, the smart pen can be used to authenticate users based on their unique handwriting patterns, which can help take human-machine interfaces and cyber security to the next level. Furthermore, a custom smart pen operation mode that enables the control of a slide presentation demonstrates the smart pen's potential for various human-machine interface applications.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different environmental disinfection methods on reducing contaminated surfaces (CSs) by the Omicron BA.2.2 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the fever clinic between March 20 and May 30, 2022, and to analyze the influences and related factors of CSs. This study includes survey data from 389 positive patients (SPPs) and 204 CSs in the fever clinic, including the CS type, disinfection method, length of time spent in the clinic, cycle threshold (CT) value, name, age, weight, mask type, mask-wearing compliance, hand-mouth touch frequency and sex. Associations between study variables and specified outcomes were explored using univariate regression analyses. Mask-wearing compliance had a significant negative correlation with CSs (r = − 0.446, P = 0.037). Among the 389 SPPs, 22 SPPs (CRP, 5.66%) caused CSs in the separate isolation room. A total of 219 SPPs (56.30%) were male. The mean age of SPPs was 4.34 ± 3.92 years old, and the mean CT value was 12.44 ± 5.11. In total, 9952 samples with exposure history were taken, including 204 (2.05%) CSs. Among the CSs, the positive rate of flat surfaces was the highest in public areas (2.52%) and separate isolation rooms (4.75%). Disinfection methods of ultraviolet radiation + chemical irradiation significantly reduced the CSs in both the public area (0% vs. 4.56%) and the separate isolation room (0.76% vs. 2.64%) compared with the chemical method alone (P

To investigate the effect of different environmental disinfection methods on reducing contamination of surfaces (CSS) of omicron BA.2.2 of Sars-Cov-2 in the fever clinic between March 20 to May 30, 2022 and analyze influence and related factors of the CSS. This study includes survey data from 389 positive patients (SPP) and 204 CSS in the fever clinic including the CSS type, the disinfection method; the duration time in the clinic, CT value, name, age, weight, mask type and gender of the SPP. Associations between study variables and specified outcomes were explored using uni-variate regression analyses. Among the 389 SPP, 22 SPP (CRP, 5.66%) caused CSS in the separate isolation room. 219 SPP (56.30%) were male. The mean age of SPP was 4.34±3.92 years old and the mean CT value was 12.44±5.11. In total, sampling times with exposure history were 9952, including 204 (2.05%) of CSS. Among the CSS, the positive rate of flat surface is the highest in either public area (2.52%) or separate isolation room (4.75%). Disinfection methods of Ultraviolet radiation + Chemical can significantly reduce the CSS in either public area (0% vs 4.56%) or separate isolation room (0.76% vs 2.64%) compared with the chemical alone (P＜0.05). Compared with ordinary SPP, the CRP is older (6.04y vs 4.23y) and the male proportion is higher (72.73% vs 55.31%). In particular, it is found that SPP contaminated their surroundings and therefore imposed risks for other people. Environment disinfection should be emphasized in Ultraviolet radiation + Chemical. The findings may be useful to guide infection control practice to omicron BA.2.2 of Sars-Cov-2.

In order to analyze the proposed method, this paper takes the cockpit as the complex system, since the traditional cockpit design evaluation method can set up an actual engineering prototype. Although this method can realize the accurate evaluation of the internal structure layout, control devices, and interface display of the cockpit, it is difficult to make modifications once the production is completed, which is not suitable for multi-scheme comparison and rapid iteration in the early stage of civil aircraft design. In this regard, this paper establishes the civil aircraft cockpit physical environment and the corresponding virtual cockpit environment based on the virtual-real matching technology, then proposes a mixed reality simulation evaluation method so as to realize the real-time ergonomic evaluation of the digital human body followed by a real person. Experimental results show that this mixed reality simulation evaluation method can effectively improve the evaluation accuracy of cockpit design, ensure the efficiency of multi-scheme comparison and optimization iteration in the early stage of cockpit design.

In order to obtain stable and high-precision motion tracking in mixed reality (MR) simulation of the complex system, an optical-inertial hybrid tracking method is proposed, which combines the accuracy of optical motion capture equipment and the robustness of inertial motion capture equipment, and can reduce the occlusion problem of entity scene on the premise of ensuring the localization accuracy. The method has been applied to the ergonomic evaluation of large civil aircraft development processes, and the effectiveness and usability of the method have been verified.

Background Allergic rhinitis (AR) in children is a major respiratory inflammatory disease with a high incidence that is increasing yearly. In China, 54.93% of children with asthma have AR, which often requires synchronous treatment. House dust mites (HDMs) are common allergens that often cause attacks of AR and asthma. Reducing allergen exposure is one of the most important measures to control and treat AR and asthma attacks. Hestelia Mite Bait, containing 0.1% emamectin, is a new tool for trapping and killing dust mites, reducing the number of dust mites on mattresses and thereby potentially reducing stimulation by allergens and ultimately improving asthma and rhinitis symptoms. This single-centre, randomized, double-blind, cross-placebo trial will explore the improvement in AR in asthmatic children after dust mite exposure reduction. Methods We will recruit 60 children (aged 3–12 years) who have been diagnosed with AR and asthma and are allergic to dust mites as confirmed by a serum allergen test. Participants will randomly receive the Hestelia Mite Bait intervention for 8 weeks and the placebo intervention for 8 weeks. There will be a 4-week washout period between the two interventions. The primary outcome is the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of AR symptoms; the secondary outcomes include the Rhinitis Control Assessment Test (RCAT) score, Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) score, changes in the dust mite level, drug usage for asthma and AR, Asthma Control Questionnaire-5 (ACQ-5) score, and frequencies of acute asthma attacks, emergency visits, and hospitalizations. Discussion This study aims to scientifically and objectively evaluate the effects of mite bait on rhinitis and asthma improvement after dust mite exposure reduction and provides a convenient means for future prevention and treatment of allergic diseases involving the airways in children. Trial registration www.chictr.org.cn ChiCTR1900024688. Registered on July 21, 2019

Signed languages are not as pervasive a conversational medium as spoken languages due to the history of institutional suppression of the former and the linguistic hegemony of the latter. This has led to a communication barrier between signers and non-signers that could be mitigated by technology-mediated approaches. Here, we show that a wearable sign-to-speech translation system, assisted by machine learning, can accurately translate the hand gestures of American Sign Language into speech. The wearable sign-to-speech translation system is composed of yarn-based stretchable sensor arrays and a wireless printed circuit board, and offers a high sensitivity and fast response time, allowing real-time translation of signs into spoken words to be performed. By analysing 660 acquired sign language hand gesture recognition patterns, we demonstrate a recognition rate of up to 98.63% and a recognition time of less than 1 s. Wearable yarn-based stretchable sensor arrays, combined with machine learning, can be used to translate American Sign Language into speech in real time.

Summary Internet-connected clothing/textiles is a promising but underexplored option for future personalized health care. Here, we report a textile-based sensor (TS) system with art design for wearable biomonitoring and interacting over the Internet. The TS is capable of delivering a sensitivity up to 3.88 V/kPa for ambient tiny pressure sensing. Made of durable materials, the TS exhibits remarkable robustness after more than 80,000 cycles of continuous operation. A wireless biomonitoring system (WBS) has been developed for timely processing of the acquired human pulse wave signals, wirelessly transmitting and displaying the patient’s health data via an APP interface onto a smartphone. The WBS was used to effectively diagnose obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome during a whole night of sleep even with body movements. The textile-based wireless biomonitoring system represents a solid step toward constructing a body area network for personalized health care in the era of the Internet of Things.

A PVA/PAAm (polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylamide) hydrogel vascular graft reinforced by a braided fiber stent was prepared in the present work, and a series of characterizations were carried out for evaluating the comprehensive performance of the reinforced hydrogel vascular graft (RHVG), including the morphology, the mechanical properties and the biocompatibility. The results show that hydrogel with a mass ratio of 5:8 (PVA:PAAm) is the best candidate for developing an implantation-oriented vascular graft, whose overall performance is the closest to the requirements of clinical applications. The surface of the PVA/PAAm hydrogel is smooth, and the porous structure is uniform and stable. When the longitudinal strain of the RHVG was 50%, the tensile strength reached 905.6 ± 63.1 kPa, much higher than that of a swine common carotid artery (185 kPa). Moreover, the circumferential tensile strength was significantly enhanced by the integration of the stent, and the circumferential compression recovery reached 93.4 ± 6.7%, showing satisfactory structural stability. Furthermore, the suture retention force approached (9.89 ± 0.64 N), higher than that of a canine femoral artery (7.90 ± 0.36 N). More importantly, the radial dynamic compliance reached 3.11 ± 0.09% under testing pressure of 80–120 mmHg, which is 6.9 times that of a commercial expanded polytetrafluoroethylene vascular graft. Lastly, the RHVG has satisfying cytocompatibility and a low hemolysis rate. In summary, the present work may pave the way for developing a novel small-diameter vascular graft for clinical implantation.

Precisely detecting epidermal pulse waves with pressure sensors is crucial for pulse-based personalized health-monitoring technologies. However, developing a pressure sensor that simultaneously demonstrates high sensitivity and an ultrabroad pressure range and a convenient fabrication process for large-scale production is a considerable challenge. Herein, by utilizing a commercial conductive fabric (CF) and a silica gel film, we develop a high-performance pressure sensor (HPPS) for the monitoring of human physiological signals. Based on convenient turnover formwork technology, the silica gel film was fabricated by replicating the microstructure of the sandpaper surface. This microstructure and the plain weave structure on the CF surface together provide a sharp increase in the contact-separation area and structural compressibility, which are beneficial for the enhancement of output performance. Made of these two materials, the graded microstructured HPPS holds high sensitivity (4.5 mV/Pa), an ultrabroad pressure range (0-30 kPa), a wide working frequency bandwidth (up to 35 Hz), decent stability (>50,000 cycles), and a simple fabrication process that is suitable for large-scale production. Given these noticeable features, the developed HPPS not only succeeds in precisely detecting subtle pulse waves on various positions of different people but can also objectively capture changes in cardiovascular parameters caused by exercise training at different intensities in real time. These findings exhibit the enormous potential application of HPPS in tracking an individual's health status and comprehensively evaluating exercise intensity.

Human-machine interfaces enable the exchange of information between people and machines, which plays a crucial role in artificial intelligence. In this field, sensors based on magnetism, electricity, mechanics, and optics are used to construct interactive interfaces and have an important role in sensing human behavior. Here, we present a vibration sensor based human-machine interface (HMI) with an unlimited sensing area on a ubiquitous surface by detecting and positioning an external vibration source. To accurately perceive an external minute vibration, we proposed triboelectric vibration sensors (TVS) designed by mimicking the ampulla in the lateral line of a fish. Imitating the cilia wrapped in the ampulla structure, the tribo-pair of TVS were designed as nanowire arrays and hemispherical pore structures. It achieved a high force sensitivity of 0.97 V/N when the force is less than 1 N and a broad frequency range from 1 to 3 kHz. Given the excellent performance of the TVS, an in-plane vibration source detection and location system was developed, which utilizes the time difference in the arrival estimation method based on correlation analysis. As a demonstration, a TVS-based intelligent virtual digital keyboard was developed by sensing and locating the position of the keystroke for interactive input and importer authentication according to the bionic features. Furthermore, a customized multifunctional desktop interactive system was established by functionalizing an ordinary table for convenient electrical appliance control. In this way, ordinary surfaces such as tables, walls, and doors have the potential to be converted into multifunctional interactive interfaces. The proposed TVS-based HMI in this work can be immediately and extensively adopted in a variety of applications for portable computer peripherals, cyber security, and intelligent home systems.

Developing a small-diameter vascular graft with a satisfactory performance in terms of mechanical and biological properties remains a challenging issue because of comprehensive requirements from clinical applications. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyacrylamide (PAAm) hydrogels exhibit many desirable characteristics for small-diameter vascular grafts because of their tunable mechanical properties, especially high compliance. However, poor cells adhesion hinders their application for endothelialization in situ. Therefore, in the present work, polydopamine (PDA) and tetrapeptide Arg-Glu-Asp-Val (REDV) were used to functionalize the hydrogels surface and improve cells adhesion. A series of characterizations were systematically conducted to examine the applicability of coated hydrogels to small-diameter vascular grafts. Results showed that bare and coated hydrogels have appropriate structural stability, and no significant differences in tensile properties could be found after being coated with PDA or PDA-REDV. The hydrophilicity of the hydrogels decreased with the coatings of PDA and especially PDA-REDV to improve protein adsorption, porcine iliac artery endothelial cells (PIECs) adhesion, viability, proliferation, and spreading on the hydrogels. Lower hemolysis percentages and higher blood clotting index values were attained for the hydrogels, suggesting their satisfactory hemocompatibility. Overall, the present work provided insights into the development of a novel hydrogel-based small-diameter vascular graft. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:117-127, 2020.

Compound K (CK) is a rare, tetracyclic, triterpenoid compound with important medical properties, such as antitumor and anti-inflammatory activities. Herein, an efficient biosynthetic pathway of CK was constructed in metabolically engineered Yarrowia lipolytica for the first time, and the engineered strain, YL-CK0, produced 5.1 mg/L CK. The production of CK was further increased by 5.96-fold to 30.4 mg/L with overexpression of key genes in the MVA pathway and fusion of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (PPDS) and NADPH-P450 reductase. Finally, 161.8 mg/L CK production was achieved by fed-batch fermentation in a 5 L fermenter using the strain YL-MVA-CK. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on heterologous CK synthesis with the highest titer in Y. lipolytica. This study demonstrates the feasibility of producing high-value triterpenoid compounds using Y. lipolytica as a platform.

Human biomechanical energy is considered as a potential solution for providing electricity to wearable electronics due to its fluctuating amplitude and low frequency. Here, we present a waterproof and high-performance triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based insole to scavenge human motion energy for the sustainable working of portable devices. In the protocol, an airtight-cavity-airbag structural insole based on a TENG was designed to collect mechanical energy. An elastic airbag was used to drive the contact and separation of triboelectric layers through their corresponding expansion and contraction. Owing to these structural innovations, this TENG-based insole performs with outstanding electrical output, is able to generate an alternating current with a maximum power of 5.47 mW under human walking, and can charge a 960 μF capacitor to 1.5 V in 9 min. With this novel structure, the designed insole can be a great wearable energy harvesting device for driving wearable electronics with energy converted from human motion. The results suggest broad potential applications ranging from powering personal sensing devices to the Internet of Things.

Capturing and decoding human motions with textile-based wearables would usher in exciting opportunities for consumer electronics, human–machine interface, and robotics. Transforming textiles into multifunctional materials represents an appealing strategy for implementing human-integrated wearable systems with reconfigurable form factors and designer functions. To this end, significant roadblocks exist primarily due to the challenges in integrating state-of-the-art electronics and power units onto textiles through schemes compatible with the clothing design and processing. Here we present a holistic design and integration of an all-textile triboelectric sensor (ATTS) which is capable of perceiving human motions with a high sensitivity of 1.1 V kPa−1 and a broad pressure-sensitive range from 100 Pa to 400 kPa. The ATTS can be integrated with arbitrary commercial garments. We further demonstrated an ATTS-based smart glove that can capture human gestures for remotely controlling a virtual reality (VR) enabled teleoperated robotic gripper that can dexterously handle delicate objects with a wide range of shapes, sizes, and mechanical properties. Our ATTS technology has the potential for enabling more capable human–machine interfaces and providing dexterity to robots in societally pervasive areas such as teleoperated surgery and advanced manufacturing.

Background and Purpose. Poststroke aphasia (PSA) often coexists with upper extremity (UE) motor dysfunction. However, whether the presence of PSA affects UE motor performance, and if language function associates with UE motor performance, are unclear. This study is aimed at (1) comparing the motor status of UE between patients with PSA and without PSA and (2) investigating the association between language function and UE motor status in patients with PSA. Methods. Patients with stroke were compared and correlated from overall and three periods (1-3 months, 4-6 months, and >6 months). Fugl-Meyer assessment for the upper extremity (FMA-UE) and action research and arm test (ARAT) were used to compare the UE motor status between patients with PSA and without PSA through a cross-sectional study among 435 patients. Then, the correlations between the evaluation scale scores of UE motor status and language function of patients with PSA were analyzed in various dimensions, and the language subfunction most closely related to UE motor function was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. Results. We found that the scores of FMA-UE and ARAT in patients with PSA were 14 points ((CI) 10 to 18, p < 0.001 ) and 11 points lower ((CI) 8 to 13, p < 0.001 ), respectively, than those without PSA. Their FMA-UE ( r = 0.70 , p < 0.001 ) and ARAT ( r = 0.62 , p < 0.001 ) scores were positively correlated with language function. Regression analysis demonstrated that spontaneous speech ability may account for UE motor function ( R 2 = 0.51 , p < 0.001 ; R 2 = 0.42 , p < 0.001 ). Consistent results were also obtained from the analyses within the three time subgroups. Conclusion. Stroke patients with PSA have worse UE motor performance. UE motor status and language function showed positive correlations, in which spontaneous speech ability significantly accounts for the associations.

Additional file 1.

BackgroundDue to the lack of a sensitive, specific and rapid detection method, aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia caused byMycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae, MP) is a constantly challenging issue. This retrospective study aimed to compare the diagnostic methods forMycoplasma pneumoniaein children and evaluate their values.MethodsFrom November 2018 to June 2019, 830 children with community-acquired pneumonia were selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. On the first day of hospitalization, sputum, throat swab and venous blood samples were collected to analyse MP-IgM (particle agglutination, PA), MP-IgM (immune colloidal gold technique, GICT), MP-DNA, MP-RNA (simultaneous amplification and testing, SAT) and MP-DNA (real-time polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR).ResultsAmong these 830 children, RT-PCR showed that the positive rate was 36.6% (304/830), in which the positive rate of macrolide resistance (A2063G mutation) accounted for 86.2% of cases (262/304). Using RT-PCR as the standard, MP-RNA (SAT) had the highest specificity (97.5%), and MP-IgM (PA) had the highest sensitivity (74.0%) and Youden index (53.7%). If MP-RNA (SAT) was combined with MP-IgM (PA), its Kappa value (0.602), sensitivity (84.2%), specificity (78.7%) and Youden index (62.9%) were higher than those of singleM. pneumoniaedetection.ConclusionsOur research indicated that a combination of MP-RNA (SAT) plus MP-IgM (PA) might lead to reliable results as an early diagnostic method for children with clinical manifestations ofMycoplasma pneumoniaepneumonia.

Rootstocks are among the primary factors that influence fruit yield and quality as well as melon development. To understand the differences in the molecular mechanisms and gene expression networks of fruit development between grafted and nongrafted plants in oriental melon, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome and proteome dynamic gene/protein expression profiles during fruit development in oriental melon (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa). Using pairwise comparisons between grafted and nongrafted samples by transcriptome analysis, we identified a large number of candidate genes involved in hormonal signaling pathways, transcription factors, resistance-related biosynthetic pathways and photosynthesis-related metabolic pathways. Many transcription factor-encoded genes were significantly more strongly expressed in the grafted samples, for example, AP2/ERF, C2H2, MYB, bHLH, and AUX/IAA, which are well-known participants in the regulation of developmental processes and hormonal signaling metabolism. Some differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and determined plant resistance. In addition, some differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were enriched in photosynthesis-related pathways, which could improve fruit quality and yield. Moreover, through weighted gene coexpression network analyses, we identified modules of coexpressed genes and hub genes specifically related to grafting for different fruit developmental stages. The results suggested that graft-related modules and hub genes were primarily associated with photosynthate metabolism and hormonal signaling pathways. The results obtained in this study provide a valuable resource for dissecting the role of candidate genes governing graft-related metabolism in oriental melon fruit, suggesting an interesting correlation with the effects of rootstock on fruit development.

Reusing waste materials to create energy harvester will not just reduce the environmental pollution, but also generate renewable electricity by scavenging environmental energy to power wireless electronic devices, which will make our life more environmental friendly. In this study, we first turn waste milk carton into fully packaged arc-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (AS-TENG) which can scavenge both wind and water flow energy for long-term wireless environmental monitoring. In general, the milk carton is laminated (from inside out) with a layer of polyethylene (PE), a layer of aluminum (Al) foil and a pulp layer. Such laminated material is suitable as the electrical unit of the AS-TENG. The arc-shaped design of AS-TENG is implemented to disrupt the flow, leading to vortex induced vibration, and thus contact electrification of the AS-TENG results in power generation. By optimizing the structural parameters systematically, the AS-TENG achieves an instantaneous peak voltage of 600 V, and a current of 40 μA. Moreover, a self-powered wireless environmental monitoring system using AS-TENG as power supply is developed for in-situ real time water quality (pH value) monitoring and landslide early warning in natural environment. This study provides solid progress toward the practical applications of TENGs in environmental monitoring.

Good sleep is considered to be the cornerstone for maintaining both physical and mental health. However, nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from various sleep disorders. To date, polysomnography (PSG) is the most commonly used sleep-monitoring technology,however, it is complex, intrusive, expensive and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, present noninvasive monitoring technologies cannot simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, multi-parameter monitoring and comfort. Here, we present a single-layered, ultra-soft, smart textile for all-around physiological parameters monitoring and healthcare during sleep. With a high-pressure sensitivity of 10.79 mV/Pa, a wide working frequency bandwidth from 0 Hz to 40 Hz, good stability, and decent washability, the single-layered ultra-soft smart textile is simultaneously capable of real-time detection and tracking of dynamic changes in sleep posture, and subtle respiration and ballistocardiograph (BCG) monitoring. Using the set of patient generated health data, an obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) monitoring and intervention system was also developed to improve the sleep quality and prevent sudden death during sleep. This work is expected to pave a new and practical pathway for physiological monitoring during sleep.

The fingertip-pulse waveform carries abundant information regarding human physiological condition that is fundamental for directly extracting physiological parameters. Making the surfaces of ordinary objects that are often in contact with fingertips, such as tables and computers, capable of perceiving dynamic epidermal pulse signals has great significance for accurately assessing health conditions without restrictions on time and place. Here, we demonstrate the materials and design of a nanohemispherical pressure sensor that can be attached to ubiquitous objects' surfaces to monitor fingertip pulse. The portable sensor achieved an ultrasensitivity of 49.8 mV/Pa, a prominent response time of less than 6 ms, and long-term durability of more than 4 months. As demonstrated, the sensor is utilized to measure subtle fingertip-pulse waves and extract characteristic points of the waveform on the surface of keyboards, mobile phones, and human skin. Given the superior performance of the sensor, a real-time, wireless arteriosclerosis monitoring system is developed. By analyzing the characteristic parameters of the pulse waveforms measured from 54 volunteer participants, the antidiastole of arteriosclerosis could be instructively diagnosed. The sensor proposed in this work is expected to be a competitive alternative to current complicated medical equipment and to be extensively applied in wireless cardiovascular monitoring systems.

Polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) fabrics with woven structures have proved to be quite effective for use on large diameter artificial blood vessels. However, their use within small-diameter artificial blood vessels has been associated with poor long-term patency, a problem resulting from slow endothelialization on PET and an over hyperplasia of smooth muscle cells. Previous research from our laboratory has revealed that ICAM-1 can be used as a marker to investigate cell adhesion, an effect which was closely associated with cell behavior on the surface of polycaprolactone (PCL) films. Moreover, we found that the coarseness or pore size of the surface exerts considerable influence on cell adhesion and proliferation on PCL films. In this study, we successfully fabricated six types of PET woven fabrics with varying gradients of tightness and porosities. Levels of ICAM-1 expression (membrane ICAM-1 & soluble ICAM-1) were then determined in these woven fabrics. Our results show that increased levels of mICAM-1 and decreased levels of sICAM-1 expression were obtained in HUVECs seeded on these six samples. These findings indicate that cell adhesion and proliferation on fabric surfaces were strongly influenced by their structural parameters, in particular the initial adhesion between the cell and fabric surface. In addition, we also found that extracellular matrix adhesion tends to prefer flat and tight surfaces, which promotes cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, as well as the endothelialization on the surface of PET fabrics. These findings provide some novel insights with regard to the design and application of small-diameter artificial blood vessels. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 954-964, 2018.

Acute thrombosis remains the main limitation of small-diameter vascular grafts (inner diameter &lt, 6 mm) for bridging and bypassing of small arteries defects and occlusion. The use of hydrogel tubes represents a promising strategy. However, their low mechanical strength and high swelling tendency may limit their further application. In the present study, a hydrogel vascular graft of Ca alginate/polyacrylamide reinforced with a braided fiber strut was designed and fabricated with the assistance of a customized casting mold. Morphology, structure, swellability, mechanical properties, cyto- and hemocompatibility of the reinforced graft were characterized. The results showed that the reinforced graft was transparent and robust, with a smooth surface. Scanning electron microscopic examination confirmed a uniform porous structure throughout the hydrogel. The swelling of the reinforced grafts could be controlled to 100%, obtaining clinically satisfactory mechanical properties. In particular, the dynamic circumferential compliance reached (1.7 &plusmn, 0.1)%/100 mmHg for 50&ndash, 90 mmHg, a value significantly higher than that of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts. Biological tests revealed that the reinforced graft was non-cytotoxic and had a low hemolysis percentage (HP) corresponding to (0.9 &plusmn, 0.2)%. In summary, the braided fiber-reinforced hydrogel vascular grafts demonstrated both physical and biological superiority, suggesting their suitability for vascular grafts.