It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, June 26, 2020
3D printed insoles offers new hope for patients with diabetes
Scientists from Staffordshire University claim that new 3D printed insoles can significantly improve the foot health of people suffering with diabetes.
STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY
IMAGE: 3D PRINTED INSOLES CAN BE ADAPTED FOR INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FOOT ULCERS. view more
CREDIT: STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY
Scientists from Staffordshire University claim that new 3D printed insoles can significantly improve the foot health of people suffering with diabetes.
This study offers hope for millions of patients with diabetes who are at risk of developing foot ulcers, which in many cases end up in amputation. It presents the first quantitative evidence in support of optimised cushioning in diabetic footwear as part of standard clinical practice.
In the study carried out in Malta, 15 participants with diabetic foot disease were asked to walk in footwear fitted with made to measure 3D-printed insoles designed by the Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies (CBRT) at Staffordshire University. These footbeds were used to change the stiffness of the entire sole across a spectrum of very soft to very stiff.
Dr Chatzistergos, Associate Professor at CBRT and the lead author of ths study said: "The optimum stiffness is clearly related to the patient's body mass index (BMI). This study adds to our earlier findings and concludes that stiffer materials are needed for people with a higher BMI."
Collaborators Dr Alfred Gatt and Dr Cynthia Formosa from the University of Malta and Visiting Fellows at CBRT provided clinical support for this study and led the experiments in Malta. Dr Gatt noted: "We hope that the results reported within this study will generate interest amongst all professionals managing this debilitating condition."
Further work is now underway to develop a method to help professionals identify the optimum cushioning stiffness on a patient-specific basis. Professor Nachi Chockalingam, Director of CBRT and a co-inventor of the technology said "With numerous patients losing their limbs to diabetic foot disease, our research will help clinicians effectively manage this disease."
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Self-compacting concrete becomes more sustainable thanks to using granite residue
UNIVERSITY OF CÓRDOBA
IMAGE: A UCO STUDY PROVES THE FEASIBILITY OF SUBSTITUTING UP TO 40% OF CONVENTIONAL AGGREGATES OF SELF-COMPACTING MORTAR FOR GRANITE SLUDGE, THUS REDUCING THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT view more
CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF CÓRDOBA
The basis of the construction industry clashes head-on with environmental sustainability. Extracting raw materials and turning them into building materials has high energetic costs. Granite production, totaling 614,000 tons in Spain in 2013, leaves behind it a series of residues that are difficult to manage. This is the case of granite sludge, the material that results from the mixture of dust particles given off during the cutting process and the water used to cool the blade. When granite sludge is dumped at a landfill and the water evaporates, the silicon dust ends up going into the atmosphere and can be inhaled, with negative health consequences. It can also interfere with normal soil mechanics.
Aiming to properly manage these residues and in doing so prevent health and environmental problems, three University of Cordoba research groups have joined forces to analyze the feasibility of using granite sludge to substitute conventional aggregates in self-compacting mortar.
In this vein, "it is possible to substitute up to 40% of conventional aggregates for granite sludge while still maintaining the mortar's qualities of durability, strength and compaction" according to the lead researcher working on the study, Angélica Lozano, from the the Construction Engineering group at UCO. Thus, granite sludge becomes a sustainable alternative to using conventional aggregates.
Working in synergy with each other are the groups of "Construction Engineering", "Materials and Applications" and "Plasma Physics: Characterization, Models and Applications", led by Professors José Ramón Jiménez, José María Fernández and Antonio Rodero respectively. Two aims are accomplished: managing a residue that is bad for our health, and the environmental sustainability of self-compacting concrete, currently one of the most sought-after materials in the building industry since it can be compacted without having to apply compaction energy. Despite the advantages of this new material, the need for a high percentage of aggregates to be extracted is not environmentally sustainable. However, using granite sludge will greatly help solve the problem of this lack of sustainability.
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Lozano-Lunar, A., Dubchenko, I., Bashynskyi, S., Rodero A., Fernández J.M., Jiménez, J.R. (2020 Performance of self-compacting mortars with granite sludge as aggregate. Construction and Building Materials. Volume 251, 118998, ISSN 0950-0618 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118998
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekA
Early childhood vaccinations might protect children from COVID-19
A group of Lithuanian and Kurdish scientists have raised a hypothesis that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could protect children from COVID-19.
KAUNAS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
IMAGE: "WE ARE THE FIRST GROUP TO PROPOSE CHILDREN PROTECTION THROUGH MMR VACCINE AND TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM BY SEQUENCE HOMOLOGY BETWEEN SARS-COV-2 WITH MEASLES AND RUBELLA VIRUSES ", SAYS PROF KODZIUS.... view more
CREDIT: KTU
A group of Lithuanian and Kurdish scientists have raised a hypothesis that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could protect children from COVID-19. The hypothesis is based on the discovered sequence similarity of the 30 amino acid residues between glycoproteins of SARS-CoV-2, measles and rubella viruses. An experimental analysis is required in order to support the hypothesis.
An ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID?19) has claimed more than 450 thousand lives already; globally, more than 9 million cases of COVID?19 infection have been confirmed.
According to detailed data of COVID-19-infected patients from China, Italy, and South Korea, the disease is less common and milder in children younger than 10 years of age.
The reasons why children are less susceptible to COVID-19 remain unclear. However, the research carried out at Charmo University in Iraq and at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania, provided evidence that MMR vaccination might be a reason why children have protection against the disease.
The hypothesis is backed up by the sequence similarity data between the SARS-CoV-2 with both measles and rubella viruses.
"The antibodies produced in children due to the MMR vaccine could recognize some protein parts (epitopes) on the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. These antibodies, particularly in the epithelial layer of respiratory airways, block binding, and entering the virus into the cells", explains Prof Rimantas Kodzius from KTU Panevezys Faculty of Technology and Business.
SARS-CoV-2 is a single- strand, positive-sense RNA virus. S protein is a key immunogenic protein of SARS-CoV-2 that induces the host immune system; the latter fights off the foreign particles that enter the human body by producing antibodies. Humans are routinely immunized against several viral diseases in early childhood, which usually induces broad immunity against the viral particles.
Immunological principle based on the antibody cross-reaction recognizing antigens in two different microbes inspired the group of scientists lead by Prof Kodzius of KTU, to look for homology sequence searching in SARS-CoV-2 and the viruses that commonly are prevented by vaccination during childhood. It was discovered that 30 amino acid residues share similarities between the Spike (S) glycoprotein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Fusion glycoprotein of Measles virus as well as with the envelope glycoprotein of the Rubella virus.
"We are the first group to propose children protection through MMR vaccine and to support the claim by sequence homology between SARS-CoV-2 with measles and rubella viruses", says Prof Kodzius.
Prof Rimantas Kodzius, KTU and Prof Dana Khdr Sabir, Charmo University, Iraq
According to scientists, recent studies show that the levels of antibodies against MMR vaccination may persist for 15-20 years. Therefore, the protection against COVID-19 could last up to 15-20 years. However, experimental research including testing purified spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 against the polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies of measles and rubella viruses in vivo and in vitro is required in order to support the hypothesis.
Prof Rimantas Kodzius spent a year teaching and researching at The American University of Iraq Sulaimani (AUIS) in Iraq, Kurdistan region, Sulaimani city. That is how his cooperation with the local researchers began.
"In uncertain times like the COVID-19 pandemic, the collaboration yields results. The phone connection, the internet is available, and the work is possible even without travel", says Prof Kodzius, who has joined KTU in 2018.
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New research confirms higher rates of new coronavirus in Latinx populations
A study of testing results across Johns Hopkins Medicine testing sites highlights coronavirus racial disparities in the Baltimore-Washington area
JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE
In a new analysis of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, test results for nearly 38,000 people has found a positivity rate among LATINX populations about three times higher than for any other racial and ethnic group. The findings, published June 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), add to evidence that there are much higher COVID-19 infection rates among U.S. minorities, particularly in Latinx communities.
"We suspected socially and economically marginalized groups were being heavily impacted by COVID-19," says Diego A. Martinez, Ph.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and one of the study report's authors. "Our study is believed to be among the first in measuring such differences in a diverse region."
The researchers concluded that crowded living conditions and continuous working at jobs due to economic necessity and essential worker status contributed to the higher rate of positive tests in the Latinx community.
"It is clear that the systematic exclusion of this population from health care services has contributed to the disparities we see today," says Kathleen R. Page, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and a study member, who also cared for many of the patients. "This pandemic has taught us that we are all interconnected. At the very least, we must engage with communities early and provide language and culturally appropriate information and services, removing as many barriers to care as possible."
The investigators analyzed results of diagnostic tests performed between March 11 and May 25 across five Johns Hopkins Health System hospitals, including emergency departments and 30 outpatient clinics in the Baltimore-Washington area.
Out of 37,727 adults and children tested, 6,162 tests came back positive. Of those tests, the positivity rate for Latinx was 42.6%, significantly higher than those who identified as Black (17.6%); Other (17.2%); or white (8.8%). Overall, about half of those Latinx who tested positive were women and half were men, and most (61.5%) were between the ages of 18 and 44.
The study also found that the number of positive cases in each group peaked at different times: Latinx patient cases peaked later in the study period, on May 10 at 53.4%, compared with Black patients, among whom cases peaked on April 19 (29.6%), and white patients, on April 16 (16.1%). Researchers say that as testing volume in Maryland increased for all racial and ethnic groups, positivity rates declined.
Among those who tested positive, 2,212 were admitted to a Johns Hopkins Health System hospital. The study data show that Latinx patients were less likely to be admitted to the hospital (29.1%) compared with Black (41.7%) and white (40.1%) patients. Of the patients who were hospitalized, Latinx patients were younger (18 to 44 years); more likely to be male (64.9%); and had much lower rates of comorbidities, such as hypertension (44.8%), congestive heart failure (41.1%), pulmonary disease (20.7%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (19.2%) than Black or white patients. Eighty-two percent of Black patients and 70.4% of white patients had hypertension; 56.1% of Black patients and 56.6% of white patients had congestive heart failure; 32.9% of Black patients and 33.9% of white patients had pulmonary disease; and 27.9% of Black patients and 30% of white patients had COPD. However, more Black patients had diabetes (52.8%), compared with Latinx (32.8%) and white (29.6%) patients.
Page calls the findings "staggering." She says that a majority of the Latinx patients are often immigrants with limited English proficiency who work in low-wage, essential jobs, such as construction and cleaning. "Many of these patients tell me they delayed coming to the hospital until absolutely necessary because they were worried about medical bills, and were not sure if they could receive care because of their immigration status," she says. "Most of the patients I've met are not eligible for benefits, have no health insurance, and rent rooms in crowded houses. The need to work, lack of occupational protections and crowded living conditions have led to high transmission in this community."
While the Baltimore-Washington area represents a small subsection of the Latinx community, researchers suspect similar health disparities will be found elsewhere around the nation, but their degree and causes might differ -- depending on the region. "Knowing what is driving these health disparities in each region is much-needed evidence to develop tailored policies and interventions to better serve all of our people," Martinez says.
The researchers say their data are already informing practices and planning across the Johns Hopkins Health System, and they hope their findings lead to changes elsewhere to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in minority populations. "Protecting Latinx individuals, building trust and reducing barriers to engagement in public health initiatives, such as providing equal protection for workers; reducing the threat of deportation; and performing charity care for those unable to afford health care and, should be essential as our nation grapples with strategies to contain the impact of COVID-19," Martinez says. He adds that local health officials will likely see higher success by engaging community-based organizations, such as churches, which have experience addressing concerns of the vulnerable Latinx population.
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Other researchers who worked on this study include Jeremiah S. Hinson, M.D., Ph.D., Eili Y. Klein, Ph.D., Nathan A. Irvin, M.D., Mustapha Saheed, M.D., and Scott R. Levin, Ph.D.
Martinez reported support from the Johns Hopkins Health System. Martinez, Hinson, Klein and Levin reported receiving grant support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
USA
Nearly 70% of patients make personal or financial sacrifices to afford medications
The 2020 Medication Access Report uncovers the impact of common medication access challenges, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
COVERMYMEDS
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COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 23, 2020 -- Nearly 70 percent of patients have made personal or financial sacrifices to afford prescribed medications1 according to new research released by CoverMyMeds, highlighting the impact of one of the most common medication access challenges. The 2020 Medication Access Report, and corresponding Prescription Decision Support, Electronic Prior Authorization, Specialty Patient Support and COVID-19 sub-reports, investigate healthcare barriers that impede access to prescriptions, contribute to increased provider burden and motivate patient consumerism. The report also examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare and assesses how the market is responding to these challenges with tools that inform medication decisions, streamline administrative tasks and support remote healthcare. Click here to access the full report.
"Navigating the patient journey can be complex, especially for patients who encounter significant barriers--such as medication cost, clinical requirements and enrollment processes--to obtain their prescription," said Eric Weidmann, MD. Chief Medical Officer of eMDs. "The complexity of obtaining access to medications can also take a toll on providers who are faced with increasingly burdensome administrative tasks, especially during the pandemic. As a practicing physician, I appreciate the benefits of technology to help streamline many traditionally-manual processes, inform my conversations with patients and support my prescribing decisions."
Key takeaways from the 2020 Medication Access Report include:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of Americans to face healthcare insecurity:
As of June 5, 2020, 44 million people -- over a quarter of the U.S. workforce -- had filed for first-time unemployment benefits since March 2020, when much of the U.S. economy began to shut down in response to the pandemic. This is six times the number of claims during the peak of the Great Recession.2
When asked what medication barriers their patients are experiencing due to COVID-19, 30 percent of providers said their patients are unable to pay for prescriptions.3
Since the beginning of COVID-19, more than 20 percent of patients said they've used a cash price program to help afford medications.4
The COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked adoption of many healthcare technologies, but there is still room for growth.
Prior to COVID-19, only 11 percent of patients used telehealth services.5 Now, 67 percent say they are more likely to use telehealth services moving forward.4
Despite increased utilization, over 30 percent of providers said lack of integration within EHR and privacy concerns were challenges they faced with telemedicine.3
80 percent of providers surveyed listed patients' lack of technology skills as a telemedicine challenge.3
Many Americans face medication access challenges, such as affordability barriers and manual processes that can delay care:
When patients cannot afford their prescriptions, 29 percent admit to abandoning their medications while 52 percent seek affordability options through their physician, a labor-intensive process which creates additional work for the provider and can delay the patient's time to therapy.1
55 percent of patients reported delays in time to therapy due to a prescribed medication requiring prior authorization.1
82 percent of patients say they spent at least one hour or more making multiple phone calls to track down needed information to begin specialty therapies.1 As a result of this time-consuming administrative work, nearly one in 10 patients reported waiting eight weeks or more to receive their first dose of therapy.1
"The 2020 Medication Access Report uses industry statistics, market research and new survey data to highlight critical barriers that can limit patients' access to medications," said Miranda Gill MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Senior Director, Provider Services and Operations at CoverMyMeds. "The report also highlights important strides in creating innovative solutions that help patients overcome many of these disruptive obstacles. However, there needs to be more widespread adoption and collaboration across the healthcare industry to see the true benefits of these solutions: streamlining inefficiencies which can help improve patients' health outcomes."
The 2020 Medication Access Report is published by CoverMyMeds, part of McKesson Prescription Technology Solutions, with an advisory board of leaders from BestRx, Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina, Cerner Corporation, eMDs, Express Scripts, Horizon Government Affairs, Humana, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs, National Patient Advocate Foundation, OptumRx, Orsini Healthcare, RelayHealth Pharmacy Solutions, RxCrossroads and University of Virginia Health System.
To view the full 2020 Medication Access Report, click here.
Sources
1 - CoverMyMeds Patient and Provider Surveys, 2020 Survey based on responses from 1,000 patients and 400 providers.
CoverMyMeds, part of McKesson Prescription Technology Solutions, is a fast-growing healthcare technology company that has been recognized as a "Best Place to Work" by Glassdoor and a "Best Company to Work For" by FORTUNE. CoverMyMeds' solutions help patients get the medications they need to live healthy lives by seamlessly connecting the healthcare network to improve medication access; thereby increasing speed to therapy and reducing prescription abandonment. CoverMyMeds' network includes 75 percent of electronic health record systems (EHRs), 96 percent of pharmacies, 700,000 providers and most health plans and PBMs. By facilitating appropriate access to medications, the company can help its customers avoid millions of dollars each year in administrative waste and avoidable medical spending caused by prescription abandonment. Visit https://www.covermymeds.com/main/ for more information.
Exciting new developments for polymers made from waste sulfur
Significant progress made in the development of new sulfur polymers that provide an environmentally friendly alternative to some traditional petrochemical based plastics
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
Researchers at the University of Liverpool are making significant progress in the quest to develop new sulfur polymers that provide an environmentally friendly alternative to some traditional petrochemical based plastics.
University of Liverpool chemist and Royal Society Research Fellow, Dr Tom Hasell and his team, have published two papers which demonstrate practical and exciting developments for sulfur polymer technologies and application.
This new research builds on their game changing discovery in 2019 when they reported a new catalytic process to make polymers out of sulfur.
Sulfur is a waste product from many industrial processes and in recent years a growing number of materials scientists have become interested in using it as an environmentally alternative to oil from which to manufacture plastics. As well as being in plentiful supply, sulfur also has the added advantage of leading to more easily recyclable polymers.
In a paper published in Angewandte Chemie, Dr Hasell and colleagues make an exciting discovery that addresses the weakness of sulfur polymers, a factor that has limited its application.
Led by PhD student Peiyao Yan, the paper demonstrates that adding a second type of bonding, urethane bonds, to the materials increases the strength of sulfur polymers by up to 135 times. The way this second type of bonding is introduced means that its amount can be controlled, and in turn controls the physical properties of the polymers.
The strengthened sulfur polymers were found to have shape-memory effects - they can be set in one shape, before being temporarily deformed into another. When heated a little, they 'remember' the previous shape and go back to it. This setting process and temporary deformation can be repeated multiple times.
This is a first for sulfur polymers, and despite these unusual properties, the sulfur bonds of the polymers mean they are still easy to recycle and opens up potential applications in areas such as soft robotics, medicine, and self-repairing objects.
In a second paper, published in Chemical Science, Dr Hasell's group teamed up with researchers at Flinders University in Australia to show that sulfur polymers could form rubber like materials that could be easily self-repaired to their original strength within minutes, just by applying an amine catalyst that helps the bonds in the broken surfaces heal back together.
This new kind of rubber and catalyst can be used with low energy consumption to make flexible, repairable, sustainable objects - providing a very real and useful application for these new sulfur polymers.
Dr Tom Hasell said: "Both of these papers really show the potential of polymers made from waste sulfur to be a viable replacement material for some traditional petrochemical based plastics.
"Not only as a substitute material, but as one that is easier to recycle, and has exciting new properties for materials chemists to explore.
"We are excited to see what ideas researchers have for using these new findings, in particular the memory shape and "re-programming" properties."
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The collaborative research between the two research groups in Liverpool and at Flinders was made possible by support from the Royal Society and the Australian Research Council which supported visits and student exchanges. Peiyao Yan was supported through the Chinese Scholarship Council.
The research has benefited from new research facilities at the University of Liverpool, the Stephenson institute for Renewable Energy, and the Materials Innovation Factory.
The paper `Inverse Vulcanized Polymers with Shape Memory, Enhanced Mechanical Properties, and Vitrimer Behavior' (doi.org/10.1002/anie.202004311) is published in Angewandte Chemie.
The paper `Chemically induced repair, adhesion, and recycling of polymers made by inverse vulcanization' (doi.org/10.1039/D0SC00855A) is published in Chemical Science.
Wet wipes and sanitary products found to be microplastic pollutants in Irish waters
IMAGE: FROM LEFT, DR LIAM MORRISON OF NUI GALWAY WITH PHD STUDENT ANA MENDES AND MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY GRADUATE STUDENT OISÍN Ó BRIAIN AT GRATTAN BEACH NEAR GALWAY CITY. view more
CREDIT: AENGUS MCMAHON
NEWS RELEASE
Researchers from Earth and Ocean Sciences and the Ryan Institute at NUI Galway have carried out a study on the contribution of widely flushed personal care textile products (wet wipes and sanitary towels) to the ocean plastic crisis.
Dr Liam Morrison led the study, which showed that sediments adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant are consistently strewn with white microplastic fibres that are comparable to those from commercially available consumer sanitary products (wet wipes and sanitary towels). The article has been published in the international journal Water Research and was co-authored by NUI Galway PhD student Ana Mendes and Maynooth University graduate Oisín Ó Briain.
In most studies to date, white fibres are likely underestimated, because of the commonly used filtration procedure to capture microplastic fibres as filters are commonly white, making visual identification of microscopic white fibres against a white background difficult. This is significant given the global growth of non-woven synthetic fibre products and their ubiquity in wastewater.
Speaking today, President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: "Our University has made sustainability a strategic priority, and for the world to address climate change, we have a duty to examine the behaviour of individuals and corporations that can help our planet. This research highlights the need for us to adapt our behaviours and tackle the ubiquity of plastic in so many products."
An urban rural gradient involving three locations from Galway City (close to Mutton Island and adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant) to counties Clare (Bell Harbour) and Mayo (Bellacragher) were investigated in this study. The total number of fibres found near Mutton Island was 6083 microplastics fibres per kilogram of sediment, while the rural sites had much lower levels (Bell Harbour, 1627 and Bellacragher 316). The total number of white fibres was 5536, 788, and 265 per kilogram of sediment for Mutton Island, Bell harbour and Bellacragher respectively. Incredibly, 91% of microplastic fibres at Mutton Island are likely derived from wet wipes and sanitary towels.
Lead researcher of the study, Dr Liam Morrison from Earth and Ocean Sciences and Ryan Institute at NUI Galway, said: "COVID-19 may have brought its own challenges for the oceans including the increased use of disinfectant wipes during the pandemic which potentially may end up as microplastic fibres in the sea. It is widely known that microplastics can act as vectors for contaminants including bacteria and viruses and are potentially harmful for public health and marine life."
The nearby intertidal zone at Mutton Island is prone to the accumulation of high volumes of washed-up sewage-derived debris on a frequent basis. Excessive microplastic loading in sediments in December 2017 was likely induced by heavy precipitation episodes during a south-westerly storm front. Elevated debris loading on this occasion may result from combined sewer overflows, where excessive input of drainage water exceeds wastewater treatment effluent capacity and is released untreated in the overflow. Dr Morrison said: "This was significant in the context of climate change, where we are likely to see increased rainfall events and flooding."
While most microplastics may be removed by the wastewater treatment process, combined sewage overflows associated with periods of heavy rainfall give rise to the release of sewage waste containing wipes and sanitary towels, impacting on public health and the environment. Combined sewer overflows and the subsequent shoreline deposition of sanitary waste have not previously been thoroughly investigated as a source of white microplastic fibres in the marine environment. The study found that wet wipes and sanitary towels are a source of unaccounted white microplastic fibres in the marine environment and not all flushable wipes are biodegradable. In fact 50% of the wipes labelled "flushable" in this study were shown to contain microplastics. The lack of regulation for hygiene and sanitary products results in a failure to identify the plastic composition of these materials. This demonstrates the consequences of misleading labelling of non-woven textile personal care products.
The samples of sanitary-related macro debris (wipes and sanitary towels) collected from the intertidal zone near Mutton Island in Galway City following a heavy rainfall event were mostly comprised of the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with only a quarter of the samples analysed presenting as a mix of PET and cellulose, and over 80% of the wipes in the shoreline waste were identified as non-flushable due to their polymer composition following the International Water Services Flushability Group and non-woven textile industry guidelines (INDA/EDANA, 2018; IWSFG, 2018).
Given the global distribution and projected growth of the non-woven textile industry (as non-woven textiles form the base material of many sanitary products), this is a concern. European production of non-woven textiles for hygiene and sanitary products exceeded one million tonnes in 2016 alone and these products frequently cause blockages in sewage systems globally, incurring significant technical and financial costs to wastewater utilities.
These products are a consistent feature of global plastic pollution surveys and in comparison, microplastic fibres from clothing are generally coloured or multi-coloured. To date the role of these white microplastic fibres as significant components of wastewater effluent remained poorly understood. The quantities of wet wipes washing up on beaches in the UK has increased 400% in the last decade (Marine Conservation Society, 2019*).
Dr Morrison added: "There is a need for increased public awareness of microplastic pollution in the environment and human behaviour should shift away from the inapt disposal of sanitary products down the toilet and instead divert to alternative land-based waste management."
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Funding for the study was based on research grant-aided by the Marine Institute and funded by the Marine Research Programme of the Irish Government under the framework of the JPI Oceans (PLASTOX).(Grant-Aid Agreement No. PBA/ME/15/03).
*Reference: MCS, 2019. Great British Beach Clean 2019 Report. Marine Conservation Society, Herefordshire, UK.
A blue spark to shine on the origin of the Universe
An interdisciplinary team of scientists has demonstrated that it is possible to build an ultra-sensitive sensor based on a new fluorescent molecule able to detect the nuclear decay key to knowing whether or not a neutrino is its own antiparticle
UNIVERSITY OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY
IMAGE: ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF THE NEW FLUORESCENT MOLECULE THAT CAN SHED LIGHT ON THE ELUSIVE NATURE OF NEUTRINOS. view more
CREDIT: UPV/EHU
Why is our Universe made of matter? Why does everything exist as we know it? These questions are linked to one of the most important unsolved problems in particle physics. This problem is that of the nature of the neutrino, which could be its own antiparticle, as argued by the unfortunate Italian genius Ettore Majorana almost a century ago. If this were so, it could explain the mysterious cosmic asymmetry between matter and antimatter.
Indeed, we know that the Universe is made almost exclusively of matter. However, the Big Bang theory predicts that the early Universe contained the same amount of matter and antimatter particles. This prediction is consistent with the "small Big Bangs" that form in proton collisions at CERN's giant LHC accelerator, where a symmetrical production of particles and antiparticles is always observed. So, where did the antimatter of the early Universe go? A possible mechanism points to the existence of heavy neutrinos that were its own antiparticle, and therefore, could decay into both matter and antimatter. If a second phenomenon occurs, called violation of charge and parity (that is, if the neutrino slightly favors in its decay the production of matter over that of antimatter), then it could have injected an excess of the first over the second. After all the matter and antimatter in the Universe were annihilated (with the exception of this small excess), the result would be a cosmos made only of matter, of the leftovers from the Big Bang. We could say that our Universe is the remnant of a shipwreck.
It is possible to demonstrate that the neutrino is its own antiparticle by observing a rare type of nuclear process called neutrinoless double beta decay (bb0nu), in which concurrently two neutrons (n) of the nucleus are transformed into protons (p) while two electrons (e) are emitted out of the atom. This process can happen in some rare isotopes, such as Xenon-136, which has in its nucleus 54 p and 82 n, in addition to 54 e when is neutral. The NEXT experiment (directed by J.J. Gómez-Cadenas, DIPC and D. Nygren, UTA), located in the underground laboratory of Canfranc (LSC), looks for these decays using high pressure gas chambers.
When a Xe-136 atom undergoes spontaneous bb0nu decay, the result of the process is the production of a doubly charged ion of Barium-136 (Ba2+); with 54 e and a nucleus made of 56 p and 80 n; and two electrons (Xe à Ba2+ + 2e).
So far, the NEXT experiment has focused on observing these two electrons, whose signal is very characteristic of the process. However, the bb0nu process that is meant to be observed is extremely rare and the signal that is expected is of the order of one bb0nu decay per ton of gas and year of exposure. This very weak signal can be completely masked by background noise due to the ubiquitous natural radioactivity. However, if in addition to observing the two electrons, the barium ionized atom is also detected, the background noise can be reduced to zero, since natural radioactivity does not produce this ion. The problem is that observing a single ion of Ba2+ in the midst of a large bb0nu detector is technically so challenging that until recently it was considered essentially unfeasible. However, a number of recent works, the latest of which has just been published in the journal Nature, suggest that the feat may be feasible after all.
The work, conceived and led by the researchers F.P. Cossío, Professor at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Scientific Director of Ikerbasque, and J.J. Gómez-Cadenas, Professor Ikerbasque at the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC), includes an interdisciplinary team with scientists from DIPC, the UPV/EHU, Ikerbasque, the Optics Laboratory of the University of Murcia (LOUM), the Materials Physics Center (CFM, a joint center CSIC-UPV/EHU), POLYMAT, and the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Gómez-Cadenas has pointed out that "the result of this interdisciplinary collaboration that combines, among other disciplines, particle physics, organic chemistry, surface physics and optics, is a clear example of the commitment that DIPC has recently shown to developing new research lines. The purpose is not only to generate knowledge in other fields, different from the centre's usual ones, but also to look for hybrid grounds and create interdisciplinary projects that, in many cases, like this one, can be the most genuine".
The research is based on the idea, proposed by one of the authors of the article, the prestigious scientist D. Nygren (inventor, among other devices of the Time Projection Chamber technology applied by many particle physics experiment, including NEXT). In 2016, Nygren proposed the feasibility to capture Ba2+ with a molecule capable of forming a supramolecular complex with it and to provide a clear signal when this occurs, thus yielding a suitable molecular indicator. Nygren and his group at UTA then went into designing "on-off" indicators, in which the signal of the molecule is highly enhanced when a supra-molecular complex is formed. The group led by Cossío and Gómez-Cadenas has followed a different path, designing a fluorescent bicolor indicator (FBI) which combines a large intensity enhancement and a dramatic color shift when the molecule captures Ba2+. The synthesis of FBI was done under the direction of DIPC researcher I. Rivilla. If an FBI molecule with no barium is illuminated with ultraviolet light, it emits fluorescence in the range of green light, with a narrow emission spectrum of about 550 nm. However, when this molecule captures Ba2+, its emission spectrum shifts towards blue (420 nm). The combination of both features results in a spectacular enhancement of the signal, thus making it very suitable for a future Ba2+ detector.
It is interesting to note that the experimental multiphoton microscopy systems used in the LOUM by P. Artal's group for the green/blue spectral detection are based on those developed previously for imaging the cornea of the human eye in vivo. This is an example of interlacing the use of a unique technology in the world for biomedical applications on a fundamental problem of particle physics. "The effort to combine basic science and new instrumental implementations is essential to open new research avenues to answer the many questions that we scientists ask ourselves every day," says J.M. Bueno, Professor of Optics at LOUM.
As Cossío has explained, "the most difficult task in the chemical part of the work was to design a new molecule that would meet the strict (almost impossible) requirements imposed by the NEXT experiment. This molecule had to be very bright, capture barium with extreme efficiency (bb0nu is a very rare event and no cation could be wasted) and emit a specific signal that would allow the capture to be detected without background noise. In addition, the chemical synthesis of the new FBI sensor had to be efficient in order to have enough ultra-pure samples for installation within the detector. The most rewarding part was to check that, after many efforts by this multidisciplinary team, actually our specific and ultra-sensitive FBI sensor worked as planned".
Besides the design and characterization of FBI, the paper offers the first demonstration of the formation of a supramolecular complex in dry medium. This landmark result has been achieved preparing a layer of FBI indicators compressed over a silica pellet and evaporating over such a layer a salt of barium perchlorate. Z. Freixa, Ikerbasque Professor at the UPV/EHU says, with a smile: "the preparation of FBI on silica has been a quick-but-not-so-dirty solution for this proof of concept. A bit of home alchemy". The vacuum sublimation experiment was done by the CSIC scientist at CFM C. Rogero and her student P. Herrero-Gómez. Rogero, an expert in physics of surfaces says: "it was one of those Eureka moment, when we realized that we had in my lab just the tools to carry on the experiment. We evaporated the perchlorate and got FBI shinning in blue almost at the first attempt"
The next step of this research project is the construction of an FBI based sensor for the detection of the neutrinoless double beta decay or bb0nu, for which Gomez-Cadenas, F. Monrabal from DIPC and D. Nygren and collaborators at UTA are developing a conceptual proposal.
This work is a significant advance towards building a future "barium-tagging" NEXT experiment to look for noise-free bb0nu events through the identification of the two electrons and the barium atom produced in the reaction. This experiment would have a great potential to find out if the neutrino is its own antiparticle, which could lead to answer fundamental questions about the origin of the Universe.
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Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC)
DIPC is a research centre whose mission is to conduct and catalyse cutting-edge research in physics and related disciplines as well as to convey scientific culture to society. Located in Donostia / San Sebastian, DIPC was born from a strategic alliance between public institutions and private companies. Since 2008, DIPC is a 'Basque Excellence Research Center' (BERC) of the Department of Education of the Basque Government, and recently in 2019 it has been recognized as a "Severo Ochoa" Center of Excellence by the Spanish Research Agency.
The University of the Basque Country (Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea) is the main institution of higher education in the Basque Country and one of the most important in Spain in terms of quantity of teaching results, research, and technological innovation and development. It is currently listed among the 500 best universities in the world, according to the Shanghai ranking. The UPV/EHU is present in all the territories of the Basque Autonomous Region. It is a public university, with a research vocation, rooted in the Basque culture, open to the world, which develops an important intellectual leadership within the society in which it is embedded and with a clear ethical and social commitment. Three campuses, twenty study centers and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs are its academic credentials. More than 50,000 people attend the university every day, including students, faculty and research and management staff, to carry out their work. The UPV/EHU has the status of Campus of International Excellence, awarded by the Ministry of Education after an independent assessment, and has fostered, in collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, a cross-border campus that is unique in Europe.
IKERBASQUE is the result of an initiative by the Department of Education of the Basque Government that aims to reinforce the Basque scientific system through the attraction, recovery and retention of researchers from all around the world.
Optics Laboratory of the University of Murcia (LOUM)
The LOUM is a research group headed by Prof. Pablo Artal that develops advanced optical instrumentation for use in biomedicine. It is one of the world's leading groups in the implementation of adaptive optics and wavefront manipulation techniques for the evaluation and correction of vision.
Born in 1999 as a joint initiative of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), CFM aims to foster the frontiers of knowledge in advanced materials science research, by bringing together permanent teams with a track record of excellence in scientific research, thereby creating an environment of international excellence, based on diversity and equal opportunities, that actively contributes to promoting scientific culture. The quality of the CFM's activity has been recognised by the Basque Government, which has awarded the MPC association, the CFM's instrumental body, the status of Basque Excellence Research Centre (BERC).
Basque Center for Macromolecular Design and Engineering POLYMAT Fundazioa (POLYMAT, UPV/EHU)
POLYMAT was recognised in 2012 by the Basque Government as Basque Excellence Research Centre (BERC). Located in Donostia / San Sebastian, its mission is to be an internationally oriented and strategic research centre in polymers in collaboration with the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and in cooperation with the main research centres in its field at a national and international level, in accordance with the interests of society, contributing to its development and social welfare. The main objective is to contribute to the social challenges of the 21st century, such as energy, sustainability and health, by promoting the dissemination and transfer of knowledge in polymeric materials for their use by the scientific community and society in general.
The University of Texas at Arlington is a public research university in Arlington, Texas, midway between Dallas and Fort Worth. The university was founded in 1895 and was in the Texas A&M University System for several decades until joining The University of Texas System in 1965.
Freiburg biologists Dr. Anna Westermeier, Max Mylo, Prof. Dr. Thomas Speck and Dr. Simon Poppinga and Stuttgart structural engineer Renate Sachse and Prof. Dr. Manfred Bischoff show that the trap of the carnivorous plant is under mechanical prestress. In addition, its three tissue layers of each lobe have to deform according to a special pattern. The team has published its results in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.
The diet of the Venus flytrap consists mainly of crawling insects. When the animals touch the sensory hairs inside the trap twice within about 20 seconds it snaps shut. Aspects such as how the trap perceives its prey and how it differentiates potential prey from a raindrop falling into the trap were already well known to scientists. However the precise morphing process of the halves of the trap remained largely unknown.
In order to gain a better understanding of these processes, the researchers have analyzed the interior and exterior surfaces of the trap using digital 3D image correlation methods. Scientists typically use these methods for the examination of technical materials. Using the results the team then constructed several virtual traps in a finite element simulation that differ in their tissue layer setups and in the mechanical behavior of the layers.
Only the digital traps that were under prestress displayed the typical snapping. The team confirmed this observation with dehydration tests on real plants: only well-watered traps are able to snap shut quickly and correctly by releasing this prestress. Watering the plant changed the pressure in the cells and with it the behavior of the tissue. In order to close correctly, the traps also had to consist of three layers of tissue: an inner which constricts, an outer which expands, and a neutral middle layer.
Speck and Mylo are members of the Living, Adaptive and Energy-autonomous Materials Systems (livMatS) cluster of excellence of the University of Freiburg. The Venus flytrap serves there as a model for a biomimetic demonstrator made of artificial materials being developed by researchers at the cluster. The scientists use it to test the potential uses of materials systems that have life-like characteristics: the systems adapt to changes in the environment and harvest the necessary energy from this environment.
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The research was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the framework of the livMatS cluster of excellence, by the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg for Sciences, Research and Arts within the framework of the BioElast project, and by the academic research alliance JONAS ("Joint Research Network on Advanced Materials and Systems") established jointly with BASF SE and the University of Freiburg.
Original publication:
Sachse R, Westermeier A, Mylo M, Nadashi J, Bischoff M, Speck T, Poppinga S. (2020) Snapping mechanics of the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, doi: 10.1073/pnas.2002707117
