Improvement of protective and comfort properties of face masks using superabsorbent polymer containing nanofibers

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 668-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çağlar Sivri
Keyword(s):  
Face Mask ◽  
Air Permeability ◽  
Absorption Capacity ◽  
Poly Vinyl Alcohol ◽  
Superabsorbent Polymer ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Face ◽  
Ft Ir ◽  
The Right ◽  
Nanofiber Coating

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel face mask prototype having a superabsorbent nanofibrous coating with a homogenous distribution. Design/methodology/approach Superabsorbent nanofibers were manufactured via electrospinning method using Poly(vinyl alcohol)/superabsorbent polymer (PVA/SAP) aqueous polymer solutions and they were simultaneously coated onto face masks in order to develop their virus protection and comfort properties. Absorbency, air permeability, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and SEM investigations were carried out for characterization. Findings SEM investigations revealed that face masks were homogenously coated with nanofibers. Picks obtained from FT-IR spectra proved that all mask samples have PVA/SAP content indicating their absorbent feature. Liquid absorption capacity and air permeability tests have shown that nanofiber coating increased the hydrophilicity of face masks while air permeability decreased in reverse. Final prototype has been found to be promising for industrial, scientific and medical applications with its improved protection and comfort characteristics. Research limitations/implications The implication of the research is to investigate the morphological, physical and transfer difference of face masks that are coated with nanofibers and uncoated face masks. This is useful in selection of the right face mask with optimum surface, absorbency and transfer properties. Originality/value Compared to commercial product in the market, the face mask developed within the study has a more regularly distributed nanofiber coating.

Library leadership in Nigeria and COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Arinola Arapasopo ◽  
Clement Ola Adekoya
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Library Leadership ◽  
Leadership Crisis ◽  
The Face ◽  
Transformational And Transactional Leadership

Purpose The current scourge of COVID-19 in educational enterprise requires that libraries tame the wave of the pandemic through effective leadership. This paper aims to investigate library leadership in Nigeria and COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive research design was used for the study. A structured questionnaire designed with Google Form and administered online was used to elicit data from 137 heads of academic and public libraries and their deputies in South West, Nigeria. Findings It was found that transformational and transactional leadership styles were more effective than laissez-faire style in managing libraries during crisis. Library operations were reduced during the COVID-19 era, and communication and meetings were conducted via social media. The spread of the pandemic was curtailed through enforcement of the use of face mask and nose covers and awareness campaign through posters and handbills. Practical implications It is the library heads with effective leadership styles that will be productive in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value This study is novel, as it approaches the handling of COVID-19 in libraries from the perspective of the leadership styles of the library leaders. No studies have emanated from Africa in this area. The few available narratives are centred around the Western countries. Meanwhile, managers of libraries in Nigeria are not immune to leadership crisis in the handling of the COVID-19 in their respective libraries.

The influence of operational excellence on the culture and agility of organizations: evidence from industry

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
André M. Carvalho ◽  
Paulo Sampaio ◽  
Eric Rebentisch ◽  
João Álvaro Carvalho ◽  
Pedro Saraiva
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Organizational Dynamics ◽  
Organizational Agility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Cultural Paradigm ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right ◽  
Operational Excellence

PurposeThis article offers a novel approach that brings together management, engineering and organizational behavior. It focuses on the understanding of organizational dynamics in an era of technological change, upholding the importance of organizational agility and of the cultural paradigm in the management of organizations.Design/methodology/approachIn this work, the authors present the conclusions from a set of studies carried out in organizations operating in technical and technological industries. The authors assessed the capabilities of these organizations in terms of operational excellence maturity and its impact on the organizational culture and organizational agility.FindingsResults show the importance of operational excellence either in developing or expanding organizational agility capabilities while reinforcing the cruciality of an excellence-oriented culture to sustain these efforts over time.Originality/valueIncreasingly unstable business environments have led to a growing interest in how to develop and maintain operational excellence in the face of continued and disruptive change. However, this interest has, so far, been advanced with little empirical evidence to support the corresponding predictions. This work offers the first practical evidence that continued focus and optimization of operations, with the right cultural alignment, helps organizations survive and thrive in increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous environments.

Jugnoo: expansion or consolidation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Sushmita Biswal Waraich ◽  
Ajay Chaturvedi
Keyword(s):  
Chief Executive ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
Business Opportunity ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Short Period ◽  
New Business ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right

Learning outcomes The student will be able to understand the concept of spotting an opportunity and exploiting the same. The student will be able to comprehend the various challenges faced in the development of a business idea. The student will be able to understand the strategies that need to be adopted to cope with and grow, in a competitive business environment. Case overview/synopsis Samar Singla, the Chief Executive Officer of Jugnoo, had sensed a business opportunity in auto rickshaw aggregation. He was convinced that being among the initial players in the market of auto rickshaw aggregation, there would be very little competition. He only had to play his cards right, to become the top auto aggregator. As Singla started the business, there were challenges like inducting the auto rickshaw drivers as partners, training them, hiring the right team, putting the right strategies in place and to expand the business. Singla launched and achieved robust growth in the new business, in a short period of time. Soon, however, Jugnoo felt competition breathing down their neck – form cab aggregators who were already dominant players in the cabs aggregation segment, in the large cities. To hedge their risks, Singla added other services such as “Meal” (meal delivery) and “Fatafat” (goods delivery) – as B2C and B2B services. These services, however, had to be closed soon after because of stiff competition from the local players. Singla also adopted the inorganic growth path by acquiring “Sabkuch,” a grocery delivery logistics firm; “Yelo,” a platform that provided online access to businesses and “BookMyCab,” a taxi aggregation company. Faced with tapering growth after an initial steep rise, Singla had to confront a dilemma about the right method of ensuring growth in the face of competition. Complexity academic level Under graduate, masters in business administration and post graduation in the areas of entrepreneurship and strategy. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

The merger of Baltimore Hebrew University with Towson University: three leadership models converge

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 1595-1613
Author(s):  
Hana Bor ◽  
Rebecca Shargel
Keyword(s):  
Private University ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Public University ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Difficulties ◽  
Creative Solutions ◽  
The Face ◽  
Hebrew University ◽  
The Right

PurposeThe study aims to learn how a small private university dedicated to Judaic studies successfully merged with a large public university? Our study investigates how Baltimore Hebrew University (BHU) successfully integrated into the much larger Towson University (TU), while maintaining its unique Jewish identity.Design/methodology/approachHow did leadership facilitate a successful merging of a small private university with a large public university? Our case study investigates how BHU successfully integrated into the much larger TU. Given that past research has focused primarily on the financial aspects, the purpose of the present study is to analyze how leaders successfully navigated the complex processes of integrating the two institutions through envisioning, communicating and planning effectively. This research uniquely investigates the role of leadership as the driving force in moving the merger forward and facilitating the process. The authors analyzed the circumstances that facilitated the merger and discovered that leadership pushed this merger forward, particularly the confluence of three approaches—visionary, transformational and servant leadership. This research has implications for guiding future mergers of smaller colleges with larger universities. This case study is particularly timely, during this uncertain age of COVID-19, when many universities are considering creative solutions, including potential mergers with other institutions, in the face of increasing financial difficulties.FindingsImplications of this research can help illuminate future mergers of smaller colleges with larger universities in cases where the smaller institution desires to retain its strong cultural or historical identity. The authors found that the “right leadership on the ground” is a crucial component needed for a successful merger, particularly in a higher education setting.Research limitations/implicationsOur research provides a concrete example that can be used help campus administrators assess whether they have the leadership structure in place to successfully navigate a merger as a path forward.Originality/valueThis case study is particularly timely, during this uncertain age of COVID-19, when many universities are considering creative solutions, including potential mergers with other institutions, in the face of increasing financial difficulties.

scholarly journals Covid-19 Mask Detection

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1319-1323
Keyword(s):  
Face Mask ◽  
Classification Model ◽  
World Health ◽  
Live Streaming ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
The Right ◽  
Facial Images

The corona epidemic poses a global health problem and therefore effective preventive measures are worn in public places,according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The COVID-19 epidemic has forced governments around the world to impose restrictions on the transmission of the virus. Reports show that wearing the right face while in public places and at work clearly reduces the risk of transmission. An effective and economical way to use machine learning is to create a safe environment for device setup. A hybrid model using the depth of the face mask detection machine will be introduced. The face mask detection databasecontains a mask and in addition to the facial images, we will use OpenCV to perform real-time facial detection from live streaming via our webcam. We will use the database to create a COVID-19 face mask detector from a computer view using Python, OpenCV, and Tensor Flow and Cameras. We aim to determine whether the person in the picture/video is wearing a face mask or not with the help of computer vision and in-depth reading and to show the same with caution. Steps to modeling are data collection, pre-processing, data classification, model testing, and modeling

scholarly journals Face Mask Detection

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1520-1523
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Video Stream ◽  
Still Images ◽  
Railway Stations ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right

Businessesare constantly overhauling their existing infrastructure and processes to be more efficient, safe, and usable for employees, customers, and the community. With the ongoing pandemic, it's even more important to have advanced applications and services in place to mitigate risk. For public safety and health, authorities are recommending the use of face masks and coverings to control the spread of Coronovirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is devastation to themankind irrespective of caste, creed, gender, and religion. Using a face mask can undoubtedly help in managing the spread of the virus. COVID-19 face mask detector uses deep learning techniques to successfully test whether a person is wearing a face mask or not. Using a deep learning method called Convolutional Neural Network, got an accuracy of 98.6 %. It can work with still images and also works with a live video stream. Cases in which the mask is improperly worn are when the nose and mouth are partially covered is considered as the mask is not worn. Our face mask identifier is the least complex in structure and gives quick results and hence can be used in CCTV footage to detect whether a person is wearing a mask perfectly so that he does not pose any danger to others. Mass screening is possible and hence can be used in crowded places like railway stations, bus stops, markets, streets, mall entrances, schools, colleges, etc. By monitoring the placement of the face mask on the face, we can make sure that an individual wears it the right way and helps to curb the scope of the virus

Cerebellopontomandibular vascular malformation: a rare type of cerebrofacial arteriovenous metameric syndrome

2005 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun-Seung Kang ◽  
Moon Hee Han ◽  
Bae Ju Kwon ◽  
Byung-Woo Yoon ◽  
Kee-Hyun Chang
Keyword(s):  
Arteriovenous Malformations ◽  
Gait Ataxia ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Rare Type ◽  
Lower Face ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Facial Region ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right ◽  
Type 3

✓ The concept of a cerebrofacial arteriovenous metameric syndrome (CAMS) recently has been posited. A 22-year-old woman presented with gait ataxia. She had unilateral angiomatous lesions involving the lower face, the auricle, and the retromastoid area, as well as the tongue on the right side. Angiography revealed the presence of extensive arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in the ipsilateral cerebellum and pons, in addition to those located in the facial region. The authors report a case of multiple AVMs of the face, cerebellum, and pons, corresponding to CAMS Type 3, and include a review of the literature.

From strategy to numbers: how to penetrate overseas market for ChinaSoft, when Chinese ITO and BPO industry being re-structured in 2012

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Victor Jun Zeng
Keyword(s):  
Market Share ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Competitive Strategy ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
Entry Modes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organic Growth ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right

Subject area Business strategy. Study level/applicability This case study is appropriate for MBA and EMBA courses, especially for courses oriented to emerging markets such as China. It can be used in Business Strategic Management or similar courses, combined with the methodology lectures of Managing Entry Modes and Competitive Strategy. This case study provides material for understanding/studying the development of a large Chinese software enterprise. Case overview As a result of Chinese ITO and BPO market in the face of re-structuring in 2012, Huawei invested in ChinaSoft in May and Vance info merged with HiSoft in August, both of which make ChinaSoft the third largest market-share owner. However, ChinaSoft has a dilemma in its strategic planning for the next three years. If it cannot break through the suppression from the first and the second placed companies, it may lag behind very soon. If it strives for the No. 2 position in market share, is organic growth or M&A strategy the right approach to adopt? Thus, ChinaSoft is now in need of strategic reform and restructuring. The case study analyzes the approaches that Chinese enterprises can adopt in order to sustain overall cost leadership strategies and avoid the related risks in the ITO and BPO industry. Expected learning outcomes This case study intends to encourage students to learn and use methodologies such as Porter's competitive strategy framework; Rugman and Collinson's theory, selecting and managing entry modes; four basic global strategies, by Hill and Jones. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Serendipitous lightning: an entrepreneurial case study from Mongolia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Turner ◽  
Richard Pech
Keyword(s):  
Soviet Union ◽  
Transition Economy ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Rare Phenomenon ◽  
The Soviet Union ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Right

Purpose How and why does serendipity plays an important role in a relatively small percentage of entrepreneurial successes? The concentration of entrepreneurs in the transition economy of Mongolia stimulated the authors’ desire to research these questions and to attempt to discover instances where serendipity played a major role in an entrepreneur’s success. This study does not pertain to the deliberate search for serendipitous innovation (those that are not a result of pure luck) or where mistakes play a prominent role in accounts of serendipity, e.g. Viagra, Teflon, Post it Notes and a plethora of others. This paper aims to relate to accounts of pure luck as in being in the right place at the right time. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted one intensive face-to-face interview (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) and two brief clarifying sessions conducted over Skype (Melbourne, Australia). During the face-to-face interview, open-ended questions were asked, copious notes were taken and electronic recordings were made. Recordings and notes were transcribed and used to develop this paper. During the Skype interviews, the authors took the opportunity to cross-check and verify responses from the face-to-face interview. This technique allowed the authors to accurately recount stories, points-of-view and to quote the respondent directly. Using qualitative data from the interviews enabled the authors to circumvent exaggeration and to preserve the probity of content within this study. Findings Serendipitous lightning is a rare phenomenon that has been acknowledged in scholarly papers but not fully researched. There are many samples of people finding something new and valuable, but are they attributable to serendipitous lightning? Little has been said about the phenomenon that begs the questions: Is it something that is too difficult to analyse and explain? Can you look for it? Can you plan for it? With no scientific basis, is it unexplainable and best left alone? Research limitations/implications Although Mongolia has experienced an upsurge in entrepreneurial activity since the collapse of the Soviet Union and its economic support, Mongolia may not have been a suitable location for this study. It was a matter of convenience as the authors were there on another project at that time. The scope of the study was limited by the lack of suitable respondents in a city of only 1.3 million inhabitants, which is over half of the total population of Mongolia. Time and costs were major considerations that limited this study. Examples of serendipitous lightning were extremely difficult to identify with the authors finding one suitable interviewee from a total of 55 scoping interviews. This equates to a 0.02% strike rate for the sample; however, there is no suggestion that further examples would not be forthcoming from a larger sample size. Originality/value Serendipitous lightning is a rare phenomenon that has been acknowledged in scholarly articles but has not been fully researched. The authors’ intention was to stimulate discussion of serendipitous lightning and to entice more people to become engaged and interested in researching the phenomenon. In addition, the authors contend that it is serendipitous lightning that ignites the fuse and whether the “flash of brilliance” is recognised and acted on depends heavily on the entrepreneur’s alertness and propensity to act swiftly. As such it is felt that there is evidence supporting the extension of existing theory on serendipity.

The influence of sports policies on the right to fair competition for women

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Rocha Nasser Hissa ◽  
Miguel Nasser Hissa
Keyword(s):  
Athletic Performance ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Olympic Games ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fair Competition ◽  
Body Development ◽  
The Face ◽  
Female Sports ◽  
The Right

Purpose Competitions in high-performance sports are based on the premise of fairness and the absence of advantages for participants. Therefore, several metrics were created to divide participants into categories and neutralize the advantages of some athletes. The division by sex is justified in the face of differences in body development between men and women due to testosterone levels. Faced with the difficulties of determining a single unequivocal criterion for determining sex, major sports entities periodically change the rules that guide the inclusion criteria to compete in the female category. The purpose of this study is to assess whether changes in gender metric rules bring female sports performance closer to male performance, reducing the equality of conditions for female competitors. Design/methodology/approach This is a retrospective study that compared female and male results from the past 5 Olympic games in the 100-metre dash, high jump and javelin throw. Findings The performance in the men's category in the 100-metre dash was superior to the women's in the Olympic Games in Sydney by 8.78% (± 0.16), in Athens by 9.88% (± 0.21), in Beijing by 10.11% (± 0.29), in London by 9.25% (± 0.59) and in Rio de Janeiro by 8.6% (± 0.23). The male high jump was higher than the female by 17.24% (± 1.18) in Sydney, 16.61% (± 1.83) in Athens, 17.01% (± 1.79) in Beijing, 15.47% (± 1.96 higher) in London and 19.67% (± 1.09) in Rio de Janeiro. In the javelin throw, the male superiority was 34.87% (± 2.35) in Sydney, 29.88% (± 4.15) in Athens, 31.87% (± 4.15) in Beijing, 29.44% (± 3.24) in London and 32.31% (± 2.69) in Rio de Janeiro. Research limitations/implications As limitations of the study, this study mentions the lack of hormonal dosage of the athletes involved, the non-evaluation of other modalities with different dynamics of execution and muscular requirements and the non-evaluation of the rules in sexual metrics during the qualifying stages for the games. Practical implications In this manuscript, the authors show that interference of the International Olympic Committee in the sex metric influences the athletic performance of women in some sports. Rules that facilitate participation of transgender athletes, or with sexual differentiation disorder and other forms of hyperandrogenism, improve female athletic performance overall. Originality/value The authors believe that this manuscript is appropriate for publication by International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare because it is an original paper that fits the goals of the publication. This manuscript creates a paradigm for future policies that rule the sex determination metrics in competitive sports.

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