Cotton Gauze Research Articles

Surface Modification of Cotton Gauze for Increased Adsorption of Enveloped and Nonenveloped Viruses from Water

Surface Modification of Cotton Gauze for Increased Adsorption of Enveloped and Nonenveloped Viruses from Water

Novel and efficient Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporators embedded on leno weave cotton gauze for efficient solar-driven desalination

Solar-driven desalination is considered an alternative to the conventional desalination due to its nearly zero carbon footprint and ease of operating in remote areas. Water can be purified wherever sunlight is available, providing a viable solution to water shortage. Metal chalcogenide-based materials are revolutionary for solar evaporators due to their excellent photothermal conversion efficiency, facile synthesis methods, stability, and low cost. Herein we present a prototype Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator embedded on leno weave cotton gauze (Bi/CoTe@CG) using the sonication process. The nano-solar evaporator was synthesized using a simple hydrothermal approach to provide an opportunity to scale up. The as designed solar evaporator consisting of 5 % Bi/CoTe@CG showed an excellent water flux of 2.38 kg m−2 h−1 upon one sun radiation (1 kW m−2), considered among the highest literature-reported values. The introduced solar evaporator showed excellent solar efficiency of 96.7 %, good stability, and reusability for five cycles of one hour. The best doping ratio of Bi in CoTe was obtained as Bi0.5Co9.5Te with a contact angle of 11.9° in powder form. The hydrophilic nature of the designed solar-evaporator increased the water interaction with the embedded nano-solar evaporator, which helps the transfer of the heat to nearby water molecules, break their hydrogen bonding and increase the evaporation rate. The ion concentration, of the desalinated pure water collected using Bi/CoTe@CG, decreased by many orders of magnitude and it is far below the limit of WHO standards for Na+ and K+. Thus, a self-floating Bi-doped CoTe nano-solar evaporator deposited on cotton gauze (CG) is an excellent solar evaporator for seawater desalination. The proposed solar evaporator is another step towards introducing environmentally friendly desalination methods.

Mussel‐Inspired Recombinant Adhesive Protein‐Based Functionalization for Consistent and Effective Antimicrobial Treatment in Chronic Inflammatory Skin Diseases

AbstractChronic inflammatory skin diseases, characterized by a vicious cycle of infection and hyperinflammation, necessitate consistent and effective antimicrobial treatment of target lesions to achieve practical therapeutic outcomes. Antimicrobial dressing materials offer notable advantages over conventional therapeutic drugs, including ease of application, extended contact time, and targeted antimicrobial action, resulting in enhanced efficacy in breaking the vicious cycle. In line with these advantages, this study aims to develop a plug‐and‐playable recombinant adhesive protein (RAP) inspired by the adhesive properties of marine mussels, serving as a durable and effective surface functionalization strategy. By genetically recombining mussel foot protein with antimicrobial peptides, RAP effectively incorporates antimicrobial properties into biomaterials for treating chronic inflammatory skin diseases. The durable adhesion of RAP ensures long‐lasting antimicrobial functionality on target surfaces, MFP making it a promising approach to inhibit chronic inflammation. In addition, when dip‐coated onto cotton gauze, RAP can be utilized as an antimicrobial patch, effectively suppressing chronic inflammation through the inhibition of bacteria‐induced toll‐like receptor signaling. These findings underscore the potential of nature‐inspired protein‐based surface functionalization of biomaterials as a compelling approach to advance the treatment of chronic inflammatory skin diseases.

Implementing an adaptive, two-tiered SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance program on a university campus using passive sampling

Building-level wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) has been increasingly applied upstream from wastewater treatment plants to conduct targeted monitoring for SARS-CoV-2. In this study, a two-tiered, trigger-based wastewater surveillance program was developed on a university campus to monitor dormitory wastewater. The objective was to determine if passive sampling with cotton gauze as a sampling medium could be used to support institution-level public health action. Two nucleocapsid gene targets (N1 and N2) of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the endogenous fecal indicator pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were quantified using RT-qPCR. >500 samples were analyzed during two contrasting surveillance periods. In the Fall of 2021 community viral burden was low and a tiered sampling network was able to isolate individual clinical cases at the building-scale. In the Winter of 2022 wastewater signals were quickly elevated by the emergence of the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant. Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 shifted surveillance objectives from isolating cases to monitoring trends, revealing both the benefits and limitations of a tiered surveillance design under different public health situations. Normalization of SARS-CoV-2 by PMMoV was not reflective of upstream population differences, suggesting saturation of the material occurred during the exposure period. The passive sampling method detected nearly all known clinical cases and in one instance was able to identify one pre-symptomatic individual days prior to confirmation by clinical test. Comparisons between campus samplers and municipal wastewater influent suggests that the spread of COVID-19 on the campus was similar to that of the broader community. The results demonstrate that passive sampling is an effective tool that can produce semi-quantitative data capable of tracking temporal trends to guide targeted public health decision-making at an institutional level. Practitioners of WBS can utilize these results to inform surveillance program designs that prioritize efficient resource use and rapid reporting.

Diurnal changes in pathogenic and indicator virus concentrations in wastewater

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been commonly used for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. As sampling times and methods (i.e. grab vs composite) may vary, diurnal changes of viral concentrations in sewage should be better understood. In this study, we collected untreated wastewater samples hourly for 4 days at two wastewater treatment plants in Wales to establish diurnal patterns in virus concentrations and the physico-chemical properties of the water. Simultaneously, we also trialled three absorbent materials as passive samples as a simple and cost-efficient alternative for the collection of composite samples. Ninety-six percent of all liquid samples (n = 74) and 88% of the passive samplers (n = 59) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, whereas 87% and 97% of the liquid and passive samples were positive for the faecal indicator virus crAssphage, respectively. We found no significant daily variations in the concentration of the target viruses, ammonium and orthophosphate, and the pH and electrical conductivity levels were also stable. Weak positive correlations were found between some physico-chemical properties and viral concentrations. More variation was observed in samples taken from the influent stream as opposed to those taken from the influent tank. Of the absorbent materials trialled as passive samples, we found that tampons provided higher viral recoveries than electronegative filter paper and cotton gauze swabs. For all materials tested, viral recovery was dependent on the virus type. Our results indicate that grab samples may provide representative alternatives to 24-h composite samples if taken from the influent tank, hence reducing the costs of sampling for WBE programmes. Tampons are also viable alternatives for cost-efficient sampling; however, viral recovery should be optimised prior to use.

Novel Physically-Crosslinked Caffeine and Vitamin C-Loaded PVA/Aloe Vera Hydrogel Membranes for Topical Wound Healing: Synthesis, Characterization and In-Vivo Wound Healing Tests

Novel physically-crosslinked PVA membranes blended with Aloe vera extract were fabricated by solution-casting method. Physically-crosslinking process is depending on the rearrangement of PVA chains forming intermolecular hydrogen bonding with removal of water molecules using propanol as a stabilizing agent. The structure of crosslinked membranes was characterized by FT-IR, SEM, TGA, and XRD analyses and confirmed via gel faction and swelling ratio studies. Caffeine and vitamin C loaded-PVA/Aloe vera membranes were bio-assessed in terms of their impact on the wound healing using Wistar albino rats as an animal model. In vitro evaluation includes protein adsorption showed that the fabricated membranes improved significantly the wound healing ability via enhancing the tissue platelet aggregation. In addition, resulting adequate in vitro release behavior for the loaded ingredients in the potential application. In-vivo results displayed that rats full-thickness wounds were remarkably reduced after PVA/Aloe vera/Vitamin C membranes treatment, as shown by a reduction in the area of the wounds when compared to wounds treated with cotton gauze and PVA/Aloe vera membranes. Furthermore, the treated wounds with PVA/Aloevera/caffeine show more wound closer comparing to that incorporate vitamin C and the PVA/Aloevera incorporated both caffeine and vitamin C give the most significant healing that show reappearance of hair covered the wound area. Histological examinations of wounds covered in membranes showed a successful re-epithelialization, demonstrating caffeine's and vitamin C’s efficacy. These results demonstrated that, PVA/Aloe Vera/Caffeine and PVA/Aloe vera/vitamin C membrane have remarkable wound healing and skin regeneration properties.Graphical

Biodegradable and pH-Responsive Amphiphilic Poly(succinimide) Derivatives for Triggered Release of Antibiotics for Management of Infected Wounds.

Wound infection has become a healthy economic burden globally. Current wound management mainly relies on the use of antibiotics; however, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics can easily result in antibiotic resistance. This study proposes a biodegradable, biocompatible, and pH-responsive amphiphilic 11-aminoundecanoic acid-grafted polysuccinimide (AUA-PSI) as a nanocarrier for drug encapsulation via nanoprecipitation. The succinimide groups in the backbone of PSI allow facile postfunctionalization via an aminolysis reaction. The degree of substitution of AUA can be modulated to adjust the degradation rate, pH sensitivity, and drug-release profile. Antibiotic rifampicin was incorporated with AUA-PSI to form Rif-AUA-PSI nanoparticles and demonstrated pH-responsiveness and antimicrobial activity. Because of the elevation of the pH value from pH = ∼ 5.5 in healthy skin to pH > 7 in an infected wound, Rif-AUA-PSI nanoparticles begin to decompose and release Rif upon the hydrolysis of succinimide/amide and deprotonation of carboxyl groups. The effective suppression of bacterial growth by Rif-AUA-PSI nanoparticles was demonstrated using a plate count method. More importantly, Rif-AUA-PSI nanoparticles were physically deposited on cotton gauze bandages as an antibiotic wound dressing. The Rif-AUA-PSI-modified gauze was applied to infected wounds on rats for wound management. The results show fast wound healing and inhibition of bacterial growth, which demonstrate that the method promotes modulable amphiphilicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, pH-responsiveness, and facile modification for nanomedicine and medical devices.

Next-generation of smart dressings: Integrating multiplexed sensors and theranostic functions

Non-healing wounds represent a significant burden for healthcare systems and society, giving rise to severe economic and human issues. Currently, the use of dressings and visual assessment represent the primary and standard care for wounds. Conventional dressings, like cotton gauze, provide only passive physical protection. Besides, they end up paradoxically hampering the wound-healing process by producing tissue damage and pain when removed during routine check-ups. In response to these limitations, researchers, engineers, and technologists are developing innovative dressings that incorporate advanced diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities, coined as “smart dressings”. Now, the maturation of smart dressing is bringing them closer to real-life applications, leading to an exciting new generation of these devices. The next generation of smart dressings is capable of monitoring in real-time multiple biomarkers while including pro-healing capabilities in a single platform. Such multiplexed and theranostic smart dressings are expected to offer a timely biomarker-directed diagnosis of non-healing wounds while enabling rapid, automated, and personalized treatments of infection and chronicity. Herein, we provide an insightful overview of these advantageous devices, delving into the diverse spectrum of possible engineering strategies. This encompasses the use of electrochemical and optical platforms with diverse multiplexing architectures, such as multi-zone sensing arrays and multi-layered devices. Open or closed-loop theranostic mechanisms using various stimuli-responsive materials that could be internally or externally controlled are also included. Finally, a critical discussion on the main challenges and future directions of smart dressings is also offered.

Thermo- and pH-responsive cotton gauzes as drug delivery system obtained by gamma radiation and chemical initiator

The grafting of stimuli-responsive polymers into medical devices to create functional materials has attracted the attention of scientific community. The capacity of these polymers to change its conformation reversibly as function of variables of the environment in which it is applied, is well taken into account to create drug delivery systems. Because cotton gauzes are materials of priority use in biomedical area, and they are susceptible to develop biofilm on its surface contaminating skin wounds. This work proposes the modification of cotton gauze with a dual stimuli-responsive copolymer, composed of two monomers such as methacrylic acid and N-isopropylacrylamide, through a grafting copolymerization induced by chemical initiator and gamma radiation. Experimental conditions were evaluated for each method. Grafting was verified by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and scanning electron microscopy as well as its thermal behavior was determined through thermogravimetric analysis. Critical pH was confirmed by potentiometric titrations finding a value of 4.7 for grafted cotton gauzes and their critical temperature ranging between 31 and 34 °C, which was determined by water uptake as function of temperature. The loading and release of norfloxacin were tested, finding that grafted gauzes exhibited affinity for this drug and it is released under simulated physiological conditions of temperature and pH. Norfloxacin-loaded gauzes show their efficiency inhibiting Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus growth in a contaminated environment, at different pH values. This improvement of cotton gauzes can serve as barrier to avoid the formation of biofilm in surgical conditions and for wound healing.

Veiled Reading, Reading Veils: Textile Curtains and the Experiences of Medieval French Manuscripts, 1200–1325

Abstract: Building on groundbreaking studies by Christine Sciacca and Morgan Simms Adams, this article addresses an understudied phenomenon of medieval French manuscript culture: the sewing of textile curtains—fabric pieces made of silk, linen, or cotton gauze—above or beside illuminations to protect and veil them. Presenting a corpus of forty-six manuscripts of medieval French texts that once contained curtains, I demonstrate how this practice extended beyond the realm of Latin and devotional books to some of the most popular vernacular illuminated book traditions of the thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. Through a series of examples, the different performative potentialities of the veil—its affordances—are shown to far exceed its presumed protective function. Indeed, I argue that the textile curtain, operating at the intersection of touch and sight, should be considered an important part of how certain French books were experienced in the Middle Ages.

A pH-Sensitive and mitochondria-modulating intelligent multilayered dressing system for a comprehensive therapeutic strategy of diabetic wounds

Diabetic wounds management remains a significant global challenge due to impaired wounds healing, bleeding, and infection. Oxidative stress (OS), resulting from dysregulated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), plays a crucial role in the diabetic wounds pathogenesis. Furthermore, diabetic infected wounds can induce excessive ROS production and an acidic microenvironment due to the accumulation of bacterial metabolic products. Thus, a pH-sensitive intelligent dressing could serve as an ideal carrier for precise regulation of mtROS and promote faster diabetic wounds healing. In this study, we fabricated a pH-sensitive and mitochondria-modulating intelligent multilayered dressing system. We synthesized mesoporous silica-coated selenium particles (SS) for mtROS regulation and infection resistance. These SS were then loaded into a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/(N-[(2-hydroxy-3-trimethylamine) propyl] chitosan chloride, HTCC) hydrogel for pH-sensitive controlled release, blood coagulation, and antibacterial treatment. Finally, the resulting system was cross-linked with carboxymethyl cotton gauze (CG) to enhance hemostatic ability and reduce adhesiveness. Experimental results from cellular and animal models of diabetic wounds demonstrated that HTCC/PVA/SS-CG dressing promotes faster hemostasis, protects against microbial infection, and accelerates diabetic wounds healing through its mitochondria-modulating action, which offers a comprehensive treatment strategy for diabetic wounds and shows promising prospects for clinical transformation.

Recent Advances in Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Strategies for Diabetic Wound Healing Application.

Diabetic ulcers are the second largest complication caused by diabetes mellitus. A great number of factors, including hyperchromic inflammation, susceptible microbial infection, inferior vascularization, the large accumulation of free radicals, and other poor healing-promoting microenvironments hold back the healing process of chronic diabetic ulcer in clinics. With the increasing clinical cases of diabetic ulcers worldwide, the design and development of advanced wound dressings are urgently required to accelerate the treatment of skin wounds caused by diabetic complications. Electrospinning technology has been recognized as a simple, versatile, and cost-reasonable strategy to fabricate dressing materials composed of nanofibers, which possess excellent extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking morphology, structure, and biological functions. The electrospinning-based nanofibrous dressings have been widely demonstrated to promote the adhesion, migration, and proliferation of dermal fibroblasts, and further accelerate the wound healing process compared with some other dressing types like traditional cotton gauze and medical sponges, etc. Moreover, the electrospun nanofibers are commonly harvested in the structure of nonwoven-like mats, which possess small pore sizes but high porosity, resulting in great microbial barrier performance as well as excellent moisture and air permeable properties. They also serve as good carriers to load various bioactive agents and/or even living cells, which further impart the electrospinning-based dressings with predetermined biological functions and even multiple functions to significantly improve the healing outcomes of different chronic skin wounds while dramatically shortening the treatment procedure. All these outstanding characteristics have made electrospun nanofibrous dressings one of the most promising dressing candidates for the treatment of chronic diabetic ulcers. This review starts with a brief introduction to diabetic ulcer and the electrospinning process, and then provides a detailed introduction to recent advances in electrospinning-based strategies for the treatment of diabetic wounds. Importantly, the synergetic application of combining electrospinning with bioactive ingredients and/or cell therapy was highlighted. The review also discussed the advantages of hydrogel dressings by using electrospun nanofibers. At the end of the review, the challenge and prospects of electrospinning-based strategies for the treatment of diabetic wounds are discussed in depth.

Multifunctional hemostatic polysaccharide-based sponge enhanced by tunicate cellulose: A promising approach for photothermal antibacterial activity and accelerated wound healing

Fast and effective hemostasis and protection against wound infection play a crucial role in trauma care. In this study, a sponge scaffold with a self-expanding interpenetrating macropore structure was designed via two-step cross-linking method for hemostasis and photothermal antimicrobial activity. Oxidized Konjac glucomannan (OKGM) and chitosan (CS) were crosslinked once to form a dynamic covalent bonding network, and a basic three-dimensional fiber porous network framework was constructed by uniformly dispersing Tunicate nanocellulose (TCNCs). Secondary crosslinking introduced Polydopamine (PDA NPs) into the sponge, while dynamic hydrogen bonds were interleaved to stabilize the frame. PDA NPs enhanced the sponge's antibacterial and antioxidant properties due to its good photothermal conversion efficiency and oxygen radical scavenging ability. Compared to cotton gauze and gelatin sponges, the composite sponges showed superior blood cell adhesion and platelet activation. In tests on rat liver trauma models, composite sponges showed shorter hemostasis time (12 ± 2.17 s) and less blood loss (0.1 ± 0.052 g). Sponges can protect wound tissue through their adhesion properties. In the full-thickness wound model infected with S. aureus, the composite sponge accelerated wound healing. Overall, this composite sponge has great potential for clinical use as a wound dressing.

Enhancing saline water evaporation rates via floatable, conductive nanoparticles embedded in superhydrophobic cotton gauze at air-water interface

A significant portion of the earth's surface is composed of water, and all breathing organisms require freshwater to survive. Unfortunately, most of the water on earth's surface is saltwater, not freshwater, and very soon, freshwater will become short in supply in many locations. The principles of water evaporation for saltwater desalination play a crucial role in solving this crisis using renewable resources. Even though the implementation of this solution is hindered by several challenges, such as the delicate nature of solar thermal devices, intricate fabrication methods, and the high cost associated with these devices. This study demonstrates a model for enhancing saline water evaporation rates with an affordable and energy-efficient approach using floatable superhydrophobic cotton gauze with conductive nanoparticle inclusions. The fabrication process of the floatable superhydrophobic cotton gauze involves a multi-step process that begins with the application of spray coating a double layer of base coat homogenized with conductive nanoparticles—carbon black, pristine graphene, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a subsequent layer with hydrophobic silica nanoparticles on cotton gauze, making the conductive nanoparticle-embedded superhydrophobic cotton gauze. This results in the cotton gauze floating on the air-water interface. The next step involves exposing the air-water interface to simulated solar infrared (IR) light, which has a power of 125 W and a light density of approximately 440 W/m2. In this study, the base coat layer adhesives were homogenized with 0.05 %, 0.1 %, and 0.5 % of conductive nanoparticles. As a result of this process, the whole incident light is converted into heat at the air-water interface of different types of base fluid, including saltwater, tap water, and deionized (DI) water. The water evaporation tests were carried out to assess the effectiveness of the air-water interface heating and evaluate its ability to transform light into heat under ambient pressure. Test results indicated that 0.1 % of carbon black, graphene, and CNT nanoparticle-embedded superhydrophobic cotton gauze offered superior water evaporation results than 0.05 % and 0.5 % of the same nanoparticles. The evaporation rate of saltwater is significantly improved by over 7.73 % when using 0.1 % of carbon black nanoparticles embedded in superhydrophobic cotton gauze. The temperature of the superhydrophobic cotton gauze, which contains 0.1 % of carbon black nanoparticles, increased from 18.5 °C to 72.8 °C during the evaporation process. This results in an evaporation rate of 4.4 mg/h.cm2, demonstrating the effectiveness of 0.1 % of carbon black nanoparticle-embedded superhydrophobic cotton gauze in enhancing the water evaporation rate. The higher temperature at the air-water interface, instead of heating the bulk quantity of the saltwater was exhibited in the floatable conductive nanoparticle-embedded superhydrophobic cotton gauze, providing a possible explanation for the enhanced evaporation and freshwater productions.

Developing easy-to-use, cost-effective wound dressing material by coating commercial cotton bandages with nanomaterials

Abstract Commercial cotton gauze bandages are applied on wounds to prevent contact with dust and/or pathogens, while ensuring enough aeration for accelerated wound healing. More often than not, these bandages are used in conjunction with antiseptic (topical) agents to avoid any post-dressing infections. Additionally, healing medications need to be orally administered to accelerate the healing process and manage the pain. Mechanical debridement remains a problem upon removal of the wound dressing material which leads to delayed healing. In the present work, commercial bandages have been modified to have anti-microbial properties and the capability of localised drug delivery to minimise the local pain and post-dressing infections at a wound site. To achieve this diclofenac sodium (an anti-inflammatory drug) loaded biodegradable, polycaprolactone-based nanofibrous mat has been layered on top of a commercial cotton bandage whose surface has been modified with the coating of chitosan and zinc oxide nanoparticles. The chitosan coating over the cotton gauze bandage brings in the antibacterial properties, while the zinc oxide nanoparticles provide ultra-violet protection. The drug loaded nanofibrous mat releases diclofenac sodium under a simulated wound microenvironment. The article delineates the nanomaterials on cotton gauze bandages as an effective alternative to commonly used cotton gauze bandages for wound dressing applications.

Shengji solution accelerates the wound angiogenesis of full-thickness skin defect in rats via activation of TGF-β1/Smad3-VEGF signaling pathway

ABSTRACT Shengji solution is made according to the classic prescription – Shengji prescription. Shengji solution is a external prescription of traditional Chinese medicine with the functions of nourishing blood, relieving pain, producing muscle and shrinking the wound. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of Shengji solution on dorsal full-thickness skin defects in rats. We also detected the activation of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1)/SMAD3/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathways in the wound-healing process. The results showed that the wound was cleaned with normal saline followed by bandaging with cotton gauze according to the groups, respectively: (a) control group; (b) Kangfuxin group, the wound was moistened with Kangfuxin solution; (c) Shengji solution group, the wounds were moistened with Shengji solution; (d) Shengji solution+SB431542 inhibitor group, the wound was moistened with Shengji solution, and then SB431542 inhibitor (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally for 5 days. On the 14th day after operation, the wound-healing rate of Shengji solution group was more than 95% and also greater than that in the control group and Shengji solution+SB431542 inhibitor group. Besides, Shengji solution could inhibit the inflammation and capillary production by enhancing the epithelial regeneration, dermal repair and angiogenesis. Moreover, Shengji solution could also increase CD34 content, the expressions of TGF-β1, VEGF proteins and the phosphorylation of SMAD3 in wound granulation tissue. In conclusion, Shengji solution can accelerate the dermal cutaneous wound healing in rats, stimulate angiogenesis and collagen synthesis by activating TGF-β1/SMAD3/VEGF pathway.

Fabrication and Facile Surface Derivatization of Poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐Based Wound Dressing Materials Imparting Anti‐Infective, Excessive Biofluid Drainage, and Easy‐to‐Peel Characteristics

AbstractThe rapid emergence of antimicrobial resistance warrants an antibiotic‐free approach to counter the bacterial threat in all possible applications of environmental and biomedical domains. In the context of smart wound dressing, besides imparting anti‐infective characteristics in a nonconventional fashion, it is also essential to imbibe multifunctional attributes like excessive biofluid drainage, easy‐to‐peel, optimal gas permeation, etc., for which appropriate material design is a prime requisite. In this work, poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)− an FDA approved biocompatible polyester− is chosen for imparting antimicrobial properties by surface derivatization with molecularly‐dispersed ionic silver over quaternary ammonium moieties through a facile room temperate and organic solvent‐free approach. To render the other characteristics mentioned above, two different systems comprising PCL with varying porosity, namely, electrospun fibers and polyester‐coated cotton gauze, are developed. The dressing materials are thoroughly characterized and assessed for their structural, surface chemical, morphological, wettability, antibacterial, and peel strength properties as a function of surface derivatization steps. The bactericidal performance of the quaternary ammonium‐functionalized surfaces has enhanced manifold (≈7–10) after derivatizing with ionic silver. The in vivo efficacy study employing the dressing materials reveals ionic silver derivatized electrospun fibers as the most promising candidate, followed by cotton gauze‐coated with 5% PCL.

Recovery rates of selected body odor substances in different textiles applying various work-up and storage conditions measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

BackgroundBody odor is an important aspect in interpersonal communication. For psychological and chemical research on body odors, suitable procedures for sampling and application, and analysis of body odors are essential. In this study, different textile fabrics (polyester, cotton, and Gazin gauze) were comparatively evaluated in view of their potential suitability for body odor sampling by determining recovery rates of selected body odor substances. In addition, the impact of sample preparation and storage conditions on the recovery rates was determined. ResultsThe recovery rates of dimethyl disulfide, (E)-non-2-enal, 5α-androst-16-en-3-one, 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one, heptanal and 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol were determined under different conditions of storage (storage for 30 min at room temperature or storage for 30 min at room temperature followed by freezing at – 80 °C for 4 weeks) and sample work-up (solvent extraction with and without solvent-assisted flavour evaporation, in the following: SAFE). SAFE led to overall lower recovery rates with a significant effect for (E)-non-2-enal and 5α-androst-16-en-3-one. Nevertheless, the results showed that SAFE can be an essential step when working with a complex matrix. When comparing the different fabrics, except for (E)-non-2-enal no difference between the recovery rates obtained for cotton and polyester became evident. Gazin gauze showed lower recovery rates for all compounds. Finally, our results showed that the here investigated target compounds are stable during storage for four weeks at – 80 °C. Significance and NoveltyThe results show on the one hand that the here investigated compounds were stable during storage and that the fiber type had limited influence on overall recovery rates. On the other hand, they highlight the limitations of using textile materials for sampling of volatile substances, especially with regard to low recovery rates for certain substances and the necessity of material pre-treatment or distillation steps for enabling GC-MS analysis after solvent extraction.

SG-APSIC1048: Lean management dressing set of service unit at Pattani Hospital

Background: Pattani Hospital in southern Thailand has 540 beds and a network of 22 family clinical practice and community locations and 13 primary-care hospitals. We care for patients and soldiers who have wounds from guns and bombs of varying wound size. The central sterilization services department (CSSD) prepares dressing sets with 1 size dressing procedures. Objectives: We sought to improve the sizing of dressing sets within Pattani Hospital and network, to reduce preparation time to ≤3 minutes per set, and to reduce the cost of dressing sets by 8,000 Thai baht (US $240) per month. Methods: We convened a problem-solving meeting to address the sizes of dressing sets in the hospital. We decided that 3 sizes were needed (small, medium, and large) following the size of the wound. We performed a pilot project and evaluated its progress every 2 months. Results: Unique dressing sets were used in 68.18% of cases before the intervention and 88.5% after the sizing changes. Time to prepare the dressing sets decreased from 3 minutes to 1 minute per set. The intervention reduced the costs related to dressing sets from 39,952.50 Thai baht (US $1,194) per month to 25,641 baht (US $766) per month. Furthermore, infectious waste was reduced from 31.8 kg per day to 7.99 kg per day. Conclusions: Multiple sizes of dressing sets were prepared for use with wounds of varying size. The CSSD prepared the dressing sets using medical supplies such as gauze, cotton, and top gauze. This project reduced waste and improved cost-effectiveness, and this procedure will be extended to other care facilities in our network.

Humidity‐Resistant, Broad‐Range Pressure Sensors for Garment‐Integrated Health, Motion, and Grip Strength Monitoring in Natural Environments

AbstractWearable electromechanical sensors are essential to improve health monitoring and off‐site point‐of‐care applications. However, their practicality is restricted by narrow ranges of detection, failure to simultaneously sense static and dynamic pressures, and low durability. Here, an all‐fabric pressure sensor with high sensitivity in a broad range of pressures, from subtle heart pulses to body posture, exceeding that of previously‐reported sensors is introduced. By taking advantage of chemical vapor deposition of p‐doped poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) chloride (PEDOT‐Cl) on two natural textiles (cotton gauze and cotton balls), multiscale tunable pressure sensitivity with low power demand for data read‐out is obtained. To protect the sensor against humidity induced degradations, the sensor is encapsulated with a hydrophobic coating that leads to ultrastability of the sensor performance even after 1 week of exposure to 100% relative humidity and 20 laundry cycles. The sensor reveals excellent performance retention of >99% over 70 000 bending cycles under ambient conditions. The varied utility of this sensor for health monitoring is demonstrated by recording heartbeats, respiration, and joint movements. Furthermore, using this sensor, grip strength is successfully detected by 93.6% accuracy as compared to commercial dynamometer, speaking of its potential as the first fabric‐based sensor allowing for personalized real‐time grip strength analysis.