The Transitions Study recruited a heterogeneous cohort at baseline in relation to the nature and severity of mental health problems and levels of functional impairment. The variation in clinical presentations within the cohort, from mild, through moderate to severe levels of psychopathology and impairment, increases the likelihood of the Transitions Study ultimately being able to achieve its aims of empirically testing a clinical staging model for mental disorders.

The metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) UiO-66-NH2 and HKUST-1 were adhered to chemically inert polypropylene (PP) fibrous mats with poly­(ether-block-amide), aka PEBA or PeBax, using a phase inversion technique. Two types of PeBax were used to investigate the effects of a hydrophilic vs hydrophobic treatment on uptake and permeation properties of the chemical warfare agent simulant 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). Furthermore, the underlying PP fiber density was altered to understand CEES permeation properties. It was found that using the hydrophobic PeBax 2533 and a higher fiber density led to better barrier properties, with the best material providing ∼250 min protection to a permeation rate of 0.1 μg/min/cm2 in comparison to ∼150 min for the activated carbon fiber Stedcarb. CEES uptake ranged from ∼1.0 to 2.4 mol/kg for composites in comparison to 3.6 mol/kg for the pure MOF. Furthermore, the technique allowed for incorporation of different MOFs, and even a mixture of MOFs, on the same fiber substrate. Finally, the PeBax formulation was able to stabilize HKUST-1 against moisture, potentially opening the door for applications of this MOF in high-humidity environments.