Application of a comfort index for evaluating tactile and thermo-physiological comfort properties of surgical gowns

The primary objective of this study is to develop a mathematical tool to calculate a global desirability index value (comfort index) for disposable surgical gowns which will enhance the market value for the product. The mathematical tool is based on the desirability function approach, by using its different modules such as maximization, minimization, and target as per the objectives chosen. Three different disposable nonwoven surgical gowns, such as Fabrics C (44.35 g/m2, 0.32 mm thickness & 11 micron pore size), A (46.31 g/m2, 0.29 mm thickness & 10 micron pore size) & S (44.71 g/m2, 0.36 mm thickness & 8.9 micron pore size), intended for hospital application have been used. The developed model focuses on predicting tactile and thermophysiological comfort, by considering the importance of certain physical properties, leading to the comfort of the wearer. Results reveal that out of the three gowns, Fabric C gown fetches the best comfort index value of 0.5689 followed by the Fabric S and A gowns with the values of 0.3009 and 0.1969 respectively

Application of a comfort index for evaluating tactile and thermo-physiological comfort properties of surgical gowns

146-153The primary objective of this study is to develop a mathematical tool to calculate a global desirability index value (comfort index) for disposable surgical gowns which will enhance the market value for the product. The mathematical tool is based on the desirability function approach, by using its different modules such as maximization, minimization, and target as per the objectives chosen. Three different disposable nonwoven surgical gowns, such as Fabrics C (44.35 g/m2, 0.32 mm thickness & 11 micron pore size), A (46.31 g/m2, 0.29 mm thickness & 10 micron pore size) & S (44.71 g/m2, 0.36 mm thickness & 8.9 micron pore size), intended for hospital application have been used. The developed model focuses on predicting tactile and thermophysiological comfort, by considering the importance of certain physical properties, leading to the comfort of the wearer. Results reveal that out of the three gowns, Fabric C gown fetches the best comfort index value of 0.5689 followed by the Fabric S and A gowns with the values of 0.3009 and 0.1969 respectively

Development of fragment-specific osteopontin antibodies and ELISA for quantification in human metastatic breast cancer

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is associated with human cancers, and circulating blood OPN may have diagnostic or prognostic value in clinical oncology. Methods: To evaluate OPN as a cancer biomarker, we generated and characterized five novel mouse monoclonal antibodies against the human full-length OPN (fl-OPN). Epitopes recognized by four antibodies (2C5, 2F10, 2H9, and 2E11) map to N-terminal OPN (aa1-166); one (1F11) maps to C-terminal OPN (aa167-314). These antibodies recognize recombinant and native OPN by ELISA and immunoblot, cross reacting with human and mouse OPN. Two of these novel antibodies ( 2F10 and 1F11) were used to develop a quantitative enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) for fl-OPN. Results: In comparison with commercially available ELISAs, our assay had high accuracy in measuring fl-OPN standards, and high sensitivity. Specifically, our ELISA has a linear dose response between 0.078 ng/ml- 10 ng/ml, with a sensitivity of 13.9 pg/ml. We utilized this assay to quantify fl-OPN in the plasma of healthy volunteers in comparison with patients with metastatic breast cancer. The average circulating plasma fl-OPN in healthy volunteers was 1.2 ng/ml, compared to 4.76 ng/ml in patients with metastatic breast cancer (p = 0.0042). Although the increase in fl-OPN in cancer patients is consistent with previous studies, the measured quantity varied greatly between all existing fl-OPN ELISAs. Conclusion: Because OPN is a complex molecule with diversity from alternative splicing, post-translational modification, extracellular proteolytic modification, and participation in protein complexes, we suggest that further understanding of specific isoform recognition of multiple OPN species is essential for future studies of OPN biomarker utility

Development of fragment-specific osteopontin antibodies and ELISA for quantification in human metastatic breast cancer

Abstract Background Osteopontin (OPN) is associated with human cancers, and circulating blood OPN may have diagnostic or prognostic value in clinical oncology. Methods To evaluate OPN as a cancer biomarker, we generated and characterized five novel mouse monoclonal antibodies against the human full-length OPN (fl-OPN). Epitopes recognized by four antibodies (2C5, 2F10, 2H9, and 2E11) map to N-terminal OPN (aa1-166); one (1F11) maps to C-terminal OPN (aa167-314). These antibodies recognize recombinant and native OPN by ELISA and immunoblot, cross reacting with human and mouse OPN. Two of these novel antibodies (2F10 and 1F11) were used to develop a quantitative enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for fl-OPN. Results In comparison with commercially available ELISAs, our assay had high accuracy in measuring fl-OPN standards, and high sensitivity. Specifically, our ELISA has a linear dose response between 0.078 ng/ml-10 ng/ml, with a sensitivity of 13.9 pg/ml. We utilized this assay to quantify fl-OPN in the plasma of healthy volunteers in comparison with patients with metastatic breast cancer. The average circulating plasma fl-OPN in healthy volunteers was 1.2 ng/ml, compared to 4.76 ng/ml in patients with metastatic breast cancer (p = 0.0042). Although the increase in fl-OPN in cancer patients is consistent with previous studies, the measured quantity varied greatly between all existing fl-OPN ELISAs. Conclusion Because OPN is a complex molecule with diversity from alternative splicing, post-translational modification, extracellular proteolytic modification, and participation in protein complexes, we suggest that further understanding of specific isoform recognition of multiple OPN species is essential for future studies of OPN biomarker utility.</p

Viable SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a hospital room with COVID-19 patients

OBJECTIVES: Because the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in aerosols but failure to isolate viable (infectious) virus are commonly reported, there is substantial controversy whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted through aerosols. This conundrum occurs because common air samplers can inactivate virions through their harsh collection processes. We sought to resolve the question whether viable SARS-CoV-2 can occur in aerosols using VIVAS air samplers that operate on a gentle water vapor condensation principle. METHODS: Air samples collected in the hospital room of two coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients, one ready for discharge and the other newly admitted, were subjected to RT-qPCR and virus culture. The genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 collected from the air and isolated in cell culture were sequenced. RESULTS: Viable SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8 m away from the patients. The genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from the material collected by the air samplers was identical to that isolated from the newly admitted patient. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus