Preparation and Activity of Hemostatic and Antibacterial Dressings with Greige Cotton/Zeolite Formularies Having Silver and Ascorbic Acid Finishes.

The need for prehospital hemostatic dressings that exert an antibacterial effect is of interest for prolonged field care. Here, we consider a series of antibacterial and zeolite formulary treatment approaches applied to a cotton-based dressing. The design of the fabric formulations was based on the hemostatic dressing TACGauze with zeolite Y incorporated as a procoagulant with calcium and pectin to facilitate fiber adherence utilizing silver nanoparticles, and cellulose-crosslinked ascorbic acid to confer antibacterial activity. Infra-red spectra were employed to characterize the chemical modifications on the dressings. Contact angle measurements were employed to document the surface hydrophobicity of the cotton fabric which plays a role in the contact activation of the coagulation cascade. Ammonium Y zeolite-treated dressings initiated fibrin equal to the accepted standard hemorrhage control dressing and showed similar improvement with antibacterial finishes. The antibacterial activity of cotton-based technology utilizing both citrate-linked ascorbate-cellulose conjugate analogs and silver nanoparticle-embedded cotton fibers was observed against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae at a level of 99.99 percent in the AATCC 100 assay. The hydrogen peroxide levels of the ascorbic acid-based fabrics, measured over a time period from zero up to forty-eight hours, were in line with the antibacterial activities.

Intrafibrillar Dispersion of Cuprous Oxide (Cu2O) Nanoflowers within Cotton Cellulose Fabrics for Permanent Antibacterial, Antifungal and Antiviral Activity.

With increasingly frequent highly infectious global pandemics, the textile industry has responded by developing commercial fabric products by incorporating antibacterial metal oxide nanoparticles, particularly copper oxide in cleaning products and personal care items including antimicrobial wipes, hospital gowns and masks. Current methods use a surface adsorption method to functionalize nanomaterials to fibers. However, this results in poor durability and decreased antimicrobial activity after consecutive launderings. In this study, cuprous oxide nanoparticles with nanoflower morphology (Cu2O nanoflowers) are synthesized in situ within the cotton fiber under mild conditions and without added chemical reducing agents from a copper (II) precursor with an average maximal Feret diameter of 72.0 ± 51.8 nm and concentration of 17,489 ± 15 mg/kg. Analysis of the Cu2O NF-infused cotton fiber cross-section by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the internal formation, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the copper (I) reduced oxidation state. An exponential correlation (R2 = 0.9979) between the UV-vis surface plasmon resonance (SPR) intensity at 320 nm of the Cu2O NFs and the concentration of copper in cotton was determined. The laundering durability of the Cu2O NF-cotton fabric was investigated, and the superior nanoparticle-leach resistance was observed, with the fabrics releasing only 19% of copper after 50 home laundering cycles. The internally immobilized Cu2O NFs within the cotton fiber exhibited continuing antibacterial activity (≥99.995%) against K. pneumoniae, E. coli and S. aureus), complete antifungal activity (100%) against A. niger and antiviral activity (≥90%) against Human coronavirus, strain 229E, even after 50 laundering cycles.

Assessment of Cellulose Nanofiber-Based Elastase Biosensors to Inflammatory Disease as a Function of Spacer Length and Fluorescence Response.

Inflammatory disease biomarker detection has become a high priority in point-of-care diagnostic research in relation to chronic wounds, with a variety of sensor-based designs becoming available. Herein, two primary aspects of biosensor design are examined: (1) assessment of a cellulose nanofiber (CNF) matrix derived from cotton ginning byproducts as a sensor transducer surface; and (2) assessment of the relation of spacer length and morphology between the CNF cellulose backbone and peptide fluorophore as a function of sensor activity for porcine pancreatic and human neutrophil elastases. X-ray crystallography, specific surface area, and pore size analyses confirmed the suitability of CNF as a matrix for wound care diagnostics. Based upon the normalized degree of substitution, a pegylated-linker connecting CNF transducer substrate to peptide fluorophore showed the greatest fluorescence response, compared to short- and long-chain alkylated linkers.

Molecular level characterization of the effect of roasting on the extractable components of glandless cottonseed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Roasting is a technological process in some food applications of agricultural products. To investigate the composition changes of the extractable functional/bioactive components of cottonseed, in this work, glandless cottonseed kernels were roasted at 110, 120, 140 and 150 °C for 15 min, respectively. The UV/vis data of the 80 % ethanol extracts found that roasting increased the level of phenolic compounds. Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry of the extracts identified about 44 % to 55 % of total formulas as potential phenolic compounds. Roasting (up to 140 °C) mainly increased carbohydrate-, lignin-, and tannin-like compounds while lipid-like compounds decreased. The compositional changes at 150 °C were less than those at 140 °C, attributed to devolatilization at the higher temperature. The information of chemical profiling of cottonseed and the roasting impact would be greatly useful in enhanced utilization of cottonseed as nutrient and functional foods or food supplements.

A Transparent Poly(vinyl alcohol) Ion-Conducting Organohydrogel for Skin-Based Strain-Sensing Applications.

The increasing demand for cost-efficient and user-friendly wearable electronic devices has led to the development of stretchable electronics that are both cost-effective and capable of maintaining sustained adhesion and electrical performance under duress. This study reports on a novel physically crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based hydrogel that serves as a transparent, strain-sensing skin adhesive for motion monitoring. By incorporating Zn2+ into the ice-templated PVA gel, a densified amorphous structure is observed through optical and scanning electron microscopy, and it is found that the material can stretch up to 800% strain according to tensile tests. Fabrication in a binary glycerol:water solvent results in electrical resistance in the kΩ range, a gauge factor of 0.84, and ionic conductivity on the scale of 10-4 S cm-1 , making it a potentially low-cost candidate for a stretchable electronic material. This study characterizes the relationship between improved electrical performance and polymer-polymer interactions through spectroscopic techniques, which play a role in the transport of ionic species through the material.

Nanocellulose as a colorimetric biosensor for effective and facile detection of human neutrophil elastase.

Nanocellulose has functionalities suitable for efficient sensor transducer surface design including crystallinity, biocompatible and high specific surface area. Here we explore two forms of nanocellulose as transducer surfaces to enable colorimetric detection of human neutrophil elastase (HNE), and a wide range of inflammatory diseases. A deep eutectic solvent (DES) was utilized to mediate formation of cotton cellulose nanocrystals (DCNCs) employed to prepare a peptide-cellulose conjugate as a protease sensor of HNE. The tetrapeptide-cellulose analog on DCNC is contrasted with an analogous derivative of TEMPO-oxidized wood cellulose nanofibrils (WCNFs). DCNCs showed greater degree of substitution of HNE tetrapeptide and sensitivity to the elastase than WCNFs, despite the smaller surface area and pore sizes. XRD models revealed the higher crystallinity and larger crystallite sizes of DCNCs, indicating the well-arranged cellulose chains for immobilization of the tetrapeptide on (110) lattice reflections of cellulose crystals. The sensitivity of DCNCs-based colorimetric sensor was less than 0.005 U/mL, which would provide a convenient, sensitive sensor applicable for improved colorimetric point of care protease biomarker detection.

Segal crystallinity index revisited by the simulation of X-ray diffraction patterns of cotton cellulose Iß and cellulose II.

The Segal method estimates the amorphous fraction of cellulose Iß materials simply based on intensity at 18° 2θ in an X-ray diffraction pattern and was extended to cellulose II using 16° 2θ intensity. To address the dependency of Segal amorphous intensity on crystal size, cellulose polymorph, and the degree of polymorphic conversion, we simulated the diffraction patterns of cotton celluloses (Iß and II) and compared the simulated amorphous fractions with the Segal values. The diffraction patterns of control and mercerized cottons, respectively, were simulated with perfect crystals of cellulose Iß (1.54° FWHM) and cellulose II (2.30° FWHM) as well as 10% and 35% amorphous celluloses. Their Segal amorphous fractions were 15% and 31%, respectively. The higher Segal amorphous fraction for control cotton was attributed to the peak overlap. Although the amorphous fraction was set in the simulation, the peak overlap induced by the increase of FWHM further enhanced the Segal amorphous intensity of cellulose Iß. For cellulose II, the effect of peak overlap was smaller; however the lower reflection of the amorphous cellulose scattering in its Segal amorphous location resulted in smaller Segal amorphous fractions. Despite this underestimation, the relatively good agreement of the Segal method with the simulation for mercerized cotton was attributed to the incomplete conversion to cellulose II. The (1-10) and (110) peaks of cellulose Iß remained near the Segal amorphous location of cellulose II for blends of control and mercerized cotton fibers.

Silver-cotton nanocomposites: Nano-design of microfibrillar structure causes morphological changes and increased tenacity.

The interactions of nanoparticles with polymer hosts have important implications for directing the macroscopic properties of composite fibers, yet little is known about such interactions with hierarchically ordered natural polymers due to the difficulty of achieving uniform dispersion of nanoparticles within semi-crystalline natural fiber. In this study we have homogeneously dispersed silver nanoparticles throughout an entire volume of cotton fiber. The resulting electrostatic interaction and distinct supramolecular structure of the cotton fiber provided a favorable environment for the controlled formation of nanoparticles (12 ± 3 nm in diameter). With a high surface-to-volume ratio, the extensive interfacial contacts of the nanoparticles efficiently "glued" the structural elements of microfibrils together, producing a unique inorganic-organic hybrid substructure that reinforced the multilayered architecture of the cotton fiber.

Bisphenol A migration from polycarbonate baby bottle with repeated use.

This study was to quantify the migration of bisphenol A (BPA), from new polycarbonate (PC) baby bottle into the water filled in the bottle, with repeated use up to 100 times and extraction by water temperature ranging from 40 degrees C to 100 degrees C. BPA was determined by GC-MS, operated in the selected ion monitoring mode. The concentrations of BPA, migrated from brand-new PC baby bottle, were 0.03ppb and 0.13ppb at 40 degrees C and 95 degrees C, respectively. However, the concentration of BPA from the bottle used for 6months, were 0.18ppb and 18.47ppb at 40 degrees C and 95 degrees C, respectively. The levels of BPA migration were rapidly increased when the water temperature was over 80 degrees C. The variations of BPA level were divided into three regions; lag effect, steady and aging, which showed different increasing rate. PC baby bottle after being utilized 60 times which was correspond to the baby bottle used for 3months started aging. It also showed an increasing rate of 4.9x10(-2)ppbtime(-1). These results are explained by increase in d-spacing of PC baby bottle. The d-spacing of PC baby bottle increases with repeated use from 0.499nm in brand-new bottles to 0.511nm with bottles which had been used for 6months.