Ambulatory Evaluation of ECG Signals Obtained Using Washable Textile-Based Electrodes Made with Chemically Modified PEDOT:PSS.

A development of washable PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate) polyamide textile-based electrodes is an interesting alternative to the traditional Ag/AgCl disposable electrodes, usually used in clinical practice, helping to improve medical assessment and treatment before apparition or progress of patients' cardiovascular symptoms. This study was conducted in order to determine whether physical properties of PEDOT:PSS had a significant impact on the coated electrode's electrocardiogram (ECG) signal quality, particularly after 50 washing cycles in a domestic laundry machine. Tests performed, included the comparison of two PEDOT:PSS solutions, in term of viscosity with emphasis on wetting tests, including surface tension and contact angle measurements. In addition, polyamide textile fabrics were used as substrate to make thirty electrodes and to characterize the amount of PEDOT:PSS absorbed as a function of time. The results showed that surface tension of PEDOT:PSS had a significant impact on the wetting of polyamide textile fabric and consequently on the absorbed amount. In fact, lower values of surface tension of the solution lead to low values contact angles between PEDOT:PSS and textile fabric (good wettability). Before washing, no significant difference has been observed among signal-to-noise ratios measured (SNR) for coated electrodes by the two PEDOT:PSS solutions. However, after 50 washing cycles, SNR decreased strongly for electrodes coated by the solution that had low viscosity, since it contained less solid contents. That was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy images (SEM) and also by analyzing the color change of electrodes based on the calculation of CIELAB color space coordinates. Moreover, spectral power density of recorded ECG signals has been computed and presented. All cardiac waves were still visible in the ECG signals after 50 washing cycles. Furthermore, an experienced cardiologist considered that all the ECG signals acquired were acceptable. Accordingly, our newly developed polyamide textile-based electrodes seem to be suitable for long-term monitoring. The study also provided new insights into the better choice of PEDOT:PSS formulation as a function of a specific process in order to manufacture cheaper electrodes faster.

Comparative Study on Conductive Knitted Fabric Electrodes for Long-Term Electrocardiography Monitoring: Silver-Plated and PEDOT:PSS Coated Fabrics.

Long-term monitoring of the electrical activity of the heart helps to detect the presence of potential dysfunctions, enabling the diagnosis of a wide range of cardiac pathologies. However, standard electrodes used for electrocardiogram (ECG) acquisition are not fully integrated into garments, and generally need to be used with a gel to improve contact resistance. This article is focused on the development of washable screen-printed cotton, with and without Lycra, textile electrodes providing a medical quality ECG signal to be used for long-term electrocardiography measurements. Several samples with different Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) concentrations were investigated. Silver-plated knitted fabric electrodes were also used for comparison, within the same process of ECG signal recording. The acquisition of ECG signals carried out by a portable medical device and a low-coast Arduino-based device on one female subject in a sitting position. Three textile electrodes were placed on the right and left forearms and a ground electrode was placed on the right ankle of a healthy female subject. Plastic clamps were applied to maintain electrodes on the skin. The results obtained with PEDOT:PSS used for electrodes fabrication have been presented, considering the optimal concentration required for medical ECG quality and capacity to sustain up to 50 washing cycles. All the ECG signals acquired and recorded, using PEDOT:PSS and silver-plated electrodes, have been reviewed by a cardiologist in order to validate their quality required for accurate diagnosis.

Sulfur mustard cutaneous injury characterization based on SKH-1 mouse model: relevance of non-invasive methods in terms of wound healing process analyses.

BACKGROUND: To date, sulphur mustard (SM) cutaneous toxicity has been commonly assessed on account of several animal models such as pigs and weanling pigs. Few experiments however, have been carried out on mice so far. In this study, we aimed at quantifying spontaneous wound healing processes after SM exposure on a SKH-1 mouse model through non-invasive methods over an extended period of time. METHODS: Animals were exposed to 10 µL net SM in a vapor cup system. Measurements of barrier function (Transepidermal water loss), elasticity, skin color exposed to SM vapors were determined by evaporimetry, cutometer and image analysis on 23 animals up to 28 days. Results were subsequently correlated with histological and biochemical analyses. RESULTS: The TEWL parameter stands as a top-ranking criterion to keep track of skin barrier restoration after SM cutaneous intoxication in our SKH-1 mouse model. The R2 and R6 elasticity parameters or L° for the skin color exhibited their ability to be restored after 28 days of SM exposure. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that bio-engineering methods are eligible to evaluate new treatments on SM-induced skin SKH-1 mouse lesions, thus making an allowance for less invasive methods such as histological, genomic or proteomic approaches.

Steady electrocorticogram characteristics predict specific stress-induced behavioral phenotypes.

Introduction: Depending on the individual, exposure to an intense stressor may, or may not, lead to a stress-induced pathology. Predicting the physiopathological evolution in an individual is therefore an important challenge, at least for prevention. In this context, we developed an ethological model of simulated predator exposure in rats: we call this the multisensorial stress model (MSS). We hypothesized that: (i) MSS exposure can induce stress-induced phenotypes, and (ii) an electrocorticogram (ECoG) recorded before stress exposure can predict phenotypes observed after stress. Methods: Forty-five Sprague Dawley rats were equipped with ECoG telemetry and divided into two groups. The Stress group (n = 23) was exposed to an MSS that combined synthetic fox feces odor deposited on filter paper, synthetic blood odor, and 22 kHz rodent distress calls; the Sham group (n = 22) was not exposed to any sensorial stimulus. Fifteen days after initial exposure, the two groups were re-exposed to a context that included a filter paper soaked with water as a traumatic object (TO) reminder. During this re-exposure, freezing behavior and avoidance of the filter paper were measured. Results: Three behaviors were observed in the Stress group: 39% developed a fear memory phenotype (freezing, avoidance, and hyperreactivity); 26% developed avoidance and anhedonia; and 35% made a full recovery. We also identified pre-stress ECoG biomarkers that accurately predicted cluster membership. Decreased chronic 24 h frontal Low θ relative power was associated with resilience; increased frontal Low θ relative power was associated with fear memory; and decreased parietal ß2 frequency was associated with the avoidant-anhedonic phenotype. Discussion: These predictive biomarkers open the way to preventive medicine for stress-induced diseases.

Washable and Reliable Textile Electrodes Embedded into Underwear Fabric for Electrocardiography (ECG) Monitoring.

A medical quality electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is necessary for permanent monitoring, and an accurate heart examination can be obtained from instrumented underwear only if it is equipped with high-quality, flexible, textile-based electrodes guaranteeing low contact resistance with the skin. The main objective of this article is to develop reliable and washable ECG monitoring underwear able to record and wirelessly send an ECG signal in real time to a smart phone and further to a cloud. The article focuses on textile electrode design and production guaranteeing optimal contact impedance. Therefore, different types of textile fabrics were coated with modified poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) in order to develop and manufacture reliable and washable textile electrodes assembled to female underwear (bras), by sewing using commercially available conductive yarns. Washability tests of connected underwear containing textile electrodes and conductive threads were carried out up to 50 washing cycles. The influence of standardized washing cycles on the quality of ECG signals and the electrical properties of the textile electrodes were investigated and characterized.

Experimental Quantification of Delayed Radiation-Induced Organ Damage in Highly Irradiated Rats With Bone Marrow Protection: Effect of Radiation Dose and Organ Sensitivity.

The evolution of organ damage following extensive high-dose irradiation remains largely unexplored and needs further investigation. Wistar rats [with or without partial bone marrow protection (∼20%)] were irradiated at lethal gamma-ray doses (12, 14, and 16 Gy) and received antibiotic support. While total-body-irradiated rats did not survive, bone marrow protection (achieved by protecting hind limbs behind a lead wall) combined with antibiotic support allowed survival of 12-Gy and 14-Gy irradiated rats for more than 3 mo, with a late phase of body weight loss and altered clinical status. Histological analysis of radiation-induced damages in visceral organs (liver, kidney, and ileum), performed 64 and 104 d after high-dose body irradiation, indicates that the extent and the evolution of damage depend on both the irradiation dose and organ. A dose-related aggravation of lesions was observed in the liver and kidney but not in the ileum. In contrast to the liver, alterations in the kidney and ileum aggravate with time, emphasizing the need to develop new efficient countermeasures to protect both the gastrointestinal tract and kidney from late-occurring radiation effects. Specifically, the complex evolution of organ damage presented in this paper offers the possibility to explore and then validate specific therapeutic windows using candidate drugs targeted to each injured visceral organ.

The extent of irradiation-induced long-term visceral organ damage depends on cranial/brain exposure.

In case of high-dose radiation exposure, mechanisms controlling late visceral organ damage are still not completely understood and may involve the central nervous system. To investigate the influence of cranial/brain irradiation on late visceral organ damage in case of high-dose exposure, Wistar rats were irradiated at 12 Gy, with either the head and fore limbs or the two hind limbs protected behind a lead wall (head- and hind limbs-protected respectively), which allows long-term survival thanks to bone marrow protection. Although hind limbs- and head-protected irradiated rats exhibited similar hematopoietic and spleen reconstitution, a late body weight loss was observed in hind limbs-protected rats only. Histological analysis performed at this time revealed that late damages to liver, kidney and ileum were attenuated in rats with head exposed when compared to animals whose head was protected. Plasma measurements of inflammation biomarkers (haptoglobin and the chemokine CXCL1) suggest that the attenuated organ damage in hind limbs-protected rats may be in part related to reduced acute and chronic inflammation. Altogether our results demonstrate the influence of cranial/brain exposure in the onset of organ damage.

Does analogical transfer involve a term-to-term alignment?

According to dominant models of reasoning by analogy, analogical transfer requires subjects to first define a full one-to-one correspondence between the base and the target problems. Accordingly, these models predict that if there is a cross-mapping between the base and the target (cross-mapping exists when similar or identical elements in the base and the target play different roles), the time spent transferring a property from the base to the target will be greater. The present results are inconsistent with this prediction. Indeed, if the mapping task is more difficult in the cross-mapping condition than in the control condition, the time needed to make the transfer is not affected by the presence of a cross-mapping. Consequently, we conclude that the mapping phase is not a necessary condition for transfer.