A technical review of face mask wearing in preventing respiratory COVID-19 transmission

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries have recommended their citizens to adopt social distance, hand hygiene, and face mask wearing. However, wearing face masks has not been well adopted by many citizens. While the reasons are complex, there is a general perception that the evidence to support face mask wearing is lacking, especially for the general public in a community setting. Face mask wearing can block or filter airborne virus-carrying particles through the working of colloid and interface science. This paper assesses current knowledge behind the design and functioning of face masks by reviewing the selection of materials, mask specifications, relevant laboratory tests, and respiratory virus transmission trials, with an overview of future development of reusable masks for the general public. This review highlights the effectiveness of face mask wearing in the prevention of COVID-19 infection.     

锥形光纤间耦合特性的分析与检测

将通信光纤的末端拉制成锥形，利用光信号在光纤锥形区特有的传输和耦合特性，实现了光纤的耦合、连接和分束。用耦合模理论分析了锥形光纤间的传输和耦合性质，给出了光信号两锥形光纤间的耦合与两锥形光纤的距离和锥形区重叠长度等实验结果。     

Design of high-capacity,reversible polymeric adsorbents for acidic gases

Polyethyleneimine (PEIM) samples crosslinked by a commercial epoxy resin (Epon 828) were prepared, and their adsorption capacity for acidic gases was studied. The swelling and deswelling characteristics of the crosslinked samples were also examined as part of this program. Reactivation of these adsorbents could be carried out by heat, or by a combination of heat and treatment in dilute alkalies.     

Nanoscale surface of carbon nanotube fibers for medical applications: Structure and chemistry revealed by TOF-SIMS analysis

Surface structure and related chemistry understanding is a vital element in the design of high biocompatible materials since adsorption and adhesion of biological components are involved. These features are even more important in the case of nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fibers. In our preliminary work we synthesised CNTs based fibers for medical applications. This new hybrid system combines polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with CNTs and polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), a biodegradable copolymer. The surface properties of this material are investigated in order to guarantee a biocompatible response. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) was found to be an ideal tool for fiber characterisation owing to its capacity to provide chemical specificity combined with detection limits beyond the reach of techniques previously used. Complementary morphological information is provided by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The corroboration of both data enables us to define the chemistry and structure of this new formulation.     

涤纶织物热定型后动态力学行为

利用Rhcovibron DDV-II-EA型动态粘弹谱仪测试了PET平纹布在不同温度热定型后的布样及其经、纬纱的动态力学性质。发现布及其纱的动态力学-温度谱与原纤维的截然不同。在[Ε]-T 曲线上出现[Ε]峰,[Ε]_max值随织物热定型温度的增高呈指数下降,峰位向高温移动。同时在Ε’’-T曲线上出现双损耗模量峰,相应的松弛转变活化能相差半个数量级。初步分析认为,与织布过程及随后的织物热定型有关。     

Vergleichende Messungen des Zeta-Potentials von Faserstoffen durch Elektroosmose und Strömungsstrom/Strömungspotential

An apparatus for the determination of zetapotential is described, which allows measurement of both streaming potential and streaming current as well as electroosmosis with one and the same fiber diaphragm with various electrodes (calomel, Ag/AgCl, palladium). Measurements with glass fibers, fibers of polyacrylonitrile and of polyester, and with cellulose pulp show that identical values for the electrokinetic parameters are obtained independent of voltage applied during electroosmosis resp. pressure difference during streaming measurements. This allows the conclusion that the zetapotential in dilute electrolyte solution is here an unequivocally determinable figure.

Herrn Prof. Dr.R. C. Schulz mit den herzlichsten Glückwünschen zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Tailoring the properties of electrospun PHBV mats: Co-solution blending and selective removal of PEO

Microstructure, surface topography, thermal and mechanical features of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) electrospun non-woven mats were modified, modulated and tailored through blending with different polyethylene oxide (PEO) amounts (20, 30 and 50% wt/wt). The optimal parameters of the soaking protocol for the selective removal of the sacrificial polymer were accurately identified by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy, simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential analyses (TG-DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The complete PEO removal after soaking in H₂O for 7 days with daily refreshment was confirmed. The resulting samples were only comprised of PHBV fibers characterized by a remarkable decrease of the average size with respect to the respective blends. Their surface topography was corrugated and rough and presented nodules, pits, nanopores, shallow and elongated nanostructured indents/grooves along the fiber axis. A remarkable reduction (>75%) of the tensile modulus (E) of electrospun PHBV mats (15–20 MPa) was obtained, maintaining comparable elongation at break (ε_max) values (20–30%).     

Optical Gas Sensor Fabrication Based on Porphyrin-Anchored Electrostatic Self-Assembly onto Tapered Optical Fibers

Tapered optical fibers with nano-assembled coatings of thicknesses of order tens of nanometres were used for the detection of ammonia gas. The film coating was composed of alternate layers of tetrakis-(4-sulfophenyl) porphine (TSPP) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), which were deposited using the electrostatic self-assembly process (ESA). Exposure of a PAH/TSPP nano-assembled non-adiabatic tapered optical fiber with a waist diameter of 10 µm to ammonia induced significant optical changes in the transmission spectrum of the optical fiber. The fiber optic sensor showed a linear sensitivity to the concentration of ammonia in the range of 10–100 ppm, with response and recovery times less than 100 and 240 sec, respectively. The 3σ limit of detection (LOD) was estimated to be ca. 2 ppm.     

Structural evolution and degradation mechanism of Vectran® fibers upon exposure to UV-radiation

Vectran^® fibers are widely used in military and aerospace industries as high performance fibers. However, they are susceptible to degradation and undergo structural changes when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation in service. The focus of this work is to investigate the photochemical aging behavior and mechanism of the Vectran^® fibers. The morphologies, mechanical properties, chemical structures and behaviors against UV irradiation have been studied. The tensile test results reveal that the tensile strength decreases quickly when the fibers are exposed to Xenon lamp irradiation. The morphology of the Vectran^® fiber surface is damaged after accelerated aging. Crystallinity content analysis illustrates that the degree of the fiber structural ordering is decreased due to irradiation. Fourier transformed infrared analyses (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the accelerated aged fibers prove the chemical structural changes of the Vectran^® fibers. For the first time, the possible photodegradation mechanism of Vectran^® fiber is proposed in both air and N₂ environments. The rate of degradation and number of chain scissions are greater in air than in N₂. The radicals generated by chain scissions can directly abstract a hydrogen atom or can react with O₂ creating hydroxyl OH/COOH end groups in air atmosphere. The diaryl ethers may be formed due to the replacement of the H atoms in aromatic rings for linking up two aromatic rings.     

A simple fabrication method for tapered capillary tip and its applications in high‐speed CE and ESI‐MS

Fabrication of capillaries with tapered tips is an important technique that is required in many analytical chemistry areas, such as ESI‐MS, CE, electrochemical analysis, and microinjection. This paper describes a simple and effective grinding‐based fabrication method for capillaries with tapered tips. A novel grinding mode utilizing the combination of rotation and precession of an elastic capillary was developed, which significantly improved the controllability to the grinding process as well as the capillary tip shape. The capillary was fabricated by fixing it in an electric drill installed perpendicularly, and grind the capillary tip rotated around its own axis as well as the drill axis on sandpapers. Compared with conventional fabrication techniques for capillary tips, the present method is easy to control the capillary tip shape in routine laboratories without the requirement of expensive equipments or poisonous reagent (e.g. hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution). Various capillaries with different tip diameters and tip taper angles could be fabricated using the present method with good controllability and reproducibility. These capillaries were applied in high‐speed CE and ESI‐MS analysis to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of this fabrication method.