Self-pigmenting textiles grown from cellulose-producing bacteria with engineered tyrosinase expression.

Environmental concerns are driving interest in postpetroleum synthetic textiles produced from microbial and fungal sources. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a promising sustainable leather alternative, on account of its material properties, low infrastructure needs and biodegradability. However, for alternative textiles like BC to be fully sustainable, alternative ways to dye textiles need to be developed alongside alternative production methods. To address this, we genetically engineer Komagataeibacter rhaeticus to create a bacterial strain that grows self-pigmenting BC. Melanin biosynthesis in the bacteria from recombinant tyrosinase expression achieves dark black coloration robust to material use. Melanated BC production can be scaled up for the construction of prototype fashion products, and we illustrate the potential of combining engineered self-pigmentation with tools from synthetic biology, through the optogenetic patterning of gene expression in cellulose-producing bacteria. With this study, we demonstrate that combining genetic engineering with current and future methods of textile biofabrication has the potential to create a new class of textiles.

Schizophrenia, recovery and the self: An introduction to the special issue on metacognition.

In this special issue, work is presented linking metacognition among persons with schizophrenia with a range of psychosocial outcomes including vocational functioning, empathy, motivation, self-evaluation, and other cognitive functions. This overview will highlight how these works allow for the quantitative study of processes which underpin alterations in self-experience in schizophrenia, which in turn allows self-experience to be studied as part of a larger set of brain-based and social phenomena whose interaction influences the trajectory of one's life and illness. We explore the hypothesis that metacognitive capacity, as a node in a larger biopsychosocial network, may be accessible by psychosocial treatment and, if successfully targeted, may disrupt the processes which perpetuate disability. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.

Interactive Versus Passive Distraction and Parent Psychoeducation as Pain Management Techniques During Pediatric Venepuncture: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current research was to compare the relative efficacy of interactive and passive distraction, with or without parental psychoeducation, on child pain and distress during a venepuncture. We also compared the effect of parental psychoeducation on parental distress, knowledge of distraction strategies, and engagement in distraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 213 children scheduled for a venepuncture, and one of their parents, who were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 conditions; interactive distraction, passive distraction, interactive distraction with parent psychoeducation, and passive distraction with parent psychoeducation. Analyses of covariances were used to investigate the impact of distraction type and the use of parent psychoeducation on child and parent pain-related outcome variables. RESULTS: Statistical analyses revealed no significant differences between groups for child-reported pain and distress. The parents of children who received interactive distraction reported significantly higher levels of distress than the parents of children who received passive distraction. Parents who received parent psychoeducation had a significantly higher level of knowledge than parents who did not receive psychoeducation, but did not engage in more effective pain management behavior. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that distraction type did not have a significantly different influence on child pain-related outcome variables. In addition, while psychoeducation was demonstrated to be effective in increasing parental knowledge, it was not sufficient to change parental behavior.