Application of Nanotechnology in a Novel Air Purifier for Remediation of Airborne Pathogen and to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 occurs via airborne transmission. With a constant and variable spread of COVID-19, indoor air-quality has become a major concern all over the world. People who are infected with COVID can release particles and droplets of respiratory fluids that contain the SARS CoV-2 virus into the air when they exhale (e.g., quiet breathing, speaking, singing, exercise, coughing, sneezing). Once infectious droplets are exhaled, they move outward from the person (the source) into the surrounding environment; these droplets carry the virus and transmit infection. Indoors, the very fine droplets and particles will continue to spread through the air in the room or space and can accumulate. Harmful pathogenic organisms like fungi, bacteria and viruses, as the one responsible for causing contagious diseases like the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 can also be successfully destroyed and neutralized. We have developed and studied the efficiency of the AFL Mini Sanifier II® in a simulated environment of a fiberglass chamber using various types of meters to assess the suspended particulate matter (PM) in the ambient air. We also report the development of a novel face mask that was assessed for safety measures and further improvement by the researchers in the West Texas A&M University. The mask is user friendly and portable, equipped with a small internal fan that supplies a continuous air to the user preventing the suffocating effect caused by the other masks. The novel mini air purifier is equipped with the advanced nanotechnology that cleans and sanitizes both the air and surfaces and subsequently has been shown to reduce common allergy, asthma and hay fever related symptoms. This mask and the mini air purifier function in an advanced way to combat all forms of airborne pathogens including the bacteria, viruses, mold spores and harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) present in the air

Angular‐ and polarization‐independent structural colors based on 1D photonic crystals

Wide‐angle, polarization‐independent structural reflective colors from both directions based on a one‐dimensional photonic crystal are demonstrated. Our device produces a distinct and saturated color with high angular tolerant performance up to ±70° for any polarization state of an incident light wave, which is highly desirable for a broad range of research areas. Moreover, the purity of the color and luminous intensity of the proposed device are improved as compared to conventional colorant‐based color filters and colloidal glasses. The present approach may have the potential to replace existing color filters and pigments and pave the way for various applications, including color displays and image sensor technologies.A 1D photonic crystal‐based structural reflective color with angle‐invariant, polarization‐independent, and high‐purity characteristics is presented. Our proposed device is capable of creating a distinctive color that is insensitive with respect to the angle of incidence up to ±70° regardless of the polarization state of incident light. The presented approach can open the door to numerous applications, such as colored display technologies and imaging sensors.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111776/1/lpor201500029.pd

A comparison between the clinical frailty scale and the hospital frailty risk score to risk stratify older people with emergency care needs

Background. Older adults living with frailty who require treatment in hospitals are increasingly seen in the Emergency Departments (EDs). One quick and simple frailty assessment tool¿the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)¿has been embedded in many EDs in the United Kingdom (UK). However, it carries time/training and cost burden and has significant missing data. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) can be automated and has the potential to reduce costs and increase data availability, but has not been tested for predictive accuracy in the ED. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between and the ability of the CFS at the ED and HFRS to predict hospital-related outcomes. Methods. This is a retrospective cohort study using data from Leicester Royal Infirmary hospital during the period from 01/10/2017 to 30/09/2019. We included individuals aged + 75 years as the HFRS has been only validated for this population. We assessed the correlation between the CFS and HFRS using Pearson's correlation coefficient for the continuous scores and weighted kappa scores for the categorised scores. We developed logistic regression models (unadjusted and adjusted) to estimate Odds Ratios (ORs) and Confidence Intervals (CIs), so we can assess the ability of the CFS and HFRS to predict 30-day mortality, Length of Stay (LOS) > 10 days, and 30-day readmission. Results. Twelve thousand two hundred thirty seven individuals met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 84.6 years (SD 5.9) and 7,074 (57.8%) were females. Between the CFS and HFRS, the Pearson correlation coefficient was 0.36 and weighted kappa score was 0.15. When comparing the highest frailty categories to the lowest frailty category within each frailty score, the ORs for 30-day mortality, LOS > 10 days, and 30-day readmission using the CFS were 2.26, 1.36, and 1.64 and for the HFRS 2.16, 7.68, and 1.19. Conclusion. The CFS collected at the ED and the HFRS had low/slight agreement. Both frailty scores were shown to be predictors of adverse outcomes. More research is needed to assess the use of historic HFRS in the ED

An Assessment Of The AFL Mask® And LUNA Wallmount, The New Developments In The AirPurifier Industry For Preventing The Airborne Pathogens

The current unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) poses a great challenge to the scientific world, demanding immediate development of technologies to fight with and prevent transmission of pathogens, especially in regards to airborne pathogens and surface contaminants. It also urges us to reevaluate designs of advanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). We have been working on the development and assessment of the AFL-Photo Catalytic Oxidation (AFLPCO®) Nanotechnology to combat with airborne pathogens and different forms of impurities and pollutants present in the indoor air. Various types of facemasks are available in the world market and have become the most important personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and the public. Depending upon their filters, they can provide protection against dreaded contagious diseases and several types of pollution. With the current 2 spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic, facemasks and powerful air purification equipment are considered as lifesaving apparatus necessary for survival and living a healthy life. The facemasks filter fine airborne particles from reaching the respiratory system and prevent infection. We have designed a new type of facemask, AFL Mask® and LUNA Wall Mount Sanifier® air purification unit to combat with the airborne pathogen and increased air pollution. The AFL Mask® has proven to prevent the entry of the PM2.5 and airborne pathogen up to 99% and provide internal air, reducing the chances of building up moisture on the face. This newly designed AFL Mask® and LUNA Wall Mount Sanifier® can be used to prevent the pathogens and particulate matters significantly. We also tested the LUNA Wall Mount Sanifier® (LNT2-6000 Model), AFL Car Sanifier® and AFL Mask® for Ozone emission. All the equipment tested were proven safe to international standards in terms of Ozone emission. &nbsp

Talking about frailty: health professional perspectives and an ideological dilemma

Frailty is increasingly used in clinical settings to describe a physiological state resulting from a combination of age-related co-morbidities. Frailty also has a strong 'lay' meaning that conjures a particular way of being. Recent studies have reported how frail older people perceive the term frailty, showing that frailty is often an unwanted and resisted label. While there are many scores and measures that clinicians can use to determine frailty, little has been published regarding how health-care professionals use and make sense of the term. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored how health professionals perceive frailty. Forty situated interviews were conducted with health-care professionals working in an emergency department in the English Midlands. The interview talk was analysed using discourse analysis. The findings show that the health professionals negotiate an 'ideological dilemma' - a tension between contradictory sets of meanings and consequences for action - based on their 'lay' and clinical experience of the term frailty. It is concluded that this dilemma could have a negative impact on the assessment of frailty depending on the system of assessment used

The National Falls and Bone Health Audit: Implications for UK emergency care

Introduction: The National Clinical Audit of Falls and Bone Health, coordinated by the Royal College of Physicians, assesses progress in implementing integrated falls services across the UK against national standards and enables benchmarking between service providers. Nationally, falls are a leading contributor towards mortality and morbidity in older people and account for 700 000 visits to emergency departments and 4 million annual bed days in England alone. Methods: Two rounds of national organisational audit in 2005 and 2008 and one national clinical audit in 2006 were carried out based on indicators developed by a multidisciplinary group. Results: These showed that management of falls and bone health in older people remains suboptimal in emergency departments and minor injury units and opportunities are being missed in carrying out evidence-based risk assessment and management. Conclusions: Older people attending emergency departments in the UK following a fall are receiving a poor deal. There is an urgent need to ensure more effective assessment and management to prevent further falls and fractures

Understanding variation in unplanned admissions of people aged 85 and over:a systems-based approach

AIM: To examine system characteristics associated with variations in unplanned admission rates in those aged 85+.DESIGN: Mixed methods.SETTING: Primary care trusts in England were ranked according to changes in admission rates for people aged 85+ between 2007 and 2009, and study sites selected from each end of the distribution: three 'improving' sites where rates had declined by more than 4% and three 'deteriorating' sites where rates had increased by more than 20%. Each site comprised an acute hospital trust, its linked primary care trust/clinical commissioning group, the provider of community health services and adult social care.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 142 representatives from these organisations were interviewed to understand how policies had been developed and implemented. McKinsey's 7S framework was used as a structure for investigation and analysis.RESULTS: In general, improving sites provided more evidence of comprehensive system focused strategies backed by strong leadership, enabling the development and implementation of policies and procedures to avoid unnecessary admissions of older people. In these sites, primary and intermediate care services appeared more comprehensive and better integrated with other parts of the system, and policies in emergency departments were more focused on providing alternatives to admission.CONCLUSIONS: Health and social care communities which have attenuated admissions of people aged 85+ prioritised developing a shared vision and strategy, with sustained implementation of a suite of interventions.</p

Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging detects dopaminergic neuronal degeneration in a murine model of Parkinson\u27s disease.

Early diagnosis of Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) is required to improve therapeutic responses. Indeed, a clinical diagnosis of resting tremor, rigidity, movement and postural deficiencies usually reflect \u3e50% loss of the nigrostriatal system in disease. In a step to address this, quantitative diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) was used to assess nigrostriatal degeneration in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) intoxication model of dopaminergic nigral degeneration. We now demonstrate increased average diffusion (p\u3c0.005) and decreased fractional anisotropy (p\u3c0.03) in the substantia nigra (SN) of 5- to 7-day MPTP-treated animals when compared to saline controls. Transverse diffusivity demonstrated the most significant differences (p \u3c or = 0.002) and correlated with the numbers of SN dopaminergic neurons (r=-0.75, p=0.012). No differences were found in the striatum, corpus callosum, cerebral cortex, or ventricles. These results demonstrate that DTI may be used as a surrogate biomarker of nigral dopaminergic neuronal degeneration