scholarly journals Performance of Cleanroom Garment Fabrics When Processed in an Industrial Laundry, Comparing Irradiation and Autoclave Sterilisation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran Broadbridge ◽  
Davey Stoker ◽  
Greg Cochran ◽  
G Kuzma
Keyword(s):  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Gamma Irradiation ◽  
Pore Size ◽  
Abrasion Resistance ◽  
Performance Effects ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Sample Set ◽  
Barrier Efficiency ◽  
Better Than

EU GMP Annex 1 requires that “reusable garments should be replaced based at a set frequency determined by qualification, or if damage is identified.” [1] In the UK, most cleanroom garments supplied to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors are washed and sterilised by gamma irradiation. This study compares cleanroom garment fabric performance across the lifespan of multiple fabrics. Previous research has shown that cleanroom garment fabrics terminally sterilised by gamma irradiation remain suitable for use for up to 50 processes, however, these studies often focus on a limited number of samples. This study uses a large sample set, analysing the performance up to 100 processes and compares the performance effects of gamma irradiation vs autoclaving, as an alternative sterilisation method. Multiple market leading cleanroom garment fabrics were washed and dried using a standard industrial cleanroom laundry process and sterilised by either gamma irradiation or autoclave. They were tested for particle barrier efficiency, abrasion resistance, pore size, and tensile strength as new, then at set process counts throughout their life, 10, 20, 30, 50, 70 and 100 processes. A process is equal to one wash/dry/sterilisation cycle. The results show that not all cleanroom garment fabrics deteriorate equally and that some market leading fabrics may not provide adequate performance throughout life, even if they are suitable when new. They also show that autoclaving is comparable with irradiation in durability and performance over a fabric’s life, in some cases performing better than irradiation above process counts of 50.

scholarly journals Effects of Room Temperature Stretching and Annealing on the Crystallization Behavior and Performance of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Hollow Fiber Membranes

Membranes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanhui Tang ◽  
Yakai Lin ◽  
Hanhan Lin ◽  
Chunyu Li ◽  
Bo Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Pore Size ◽  
Hollow Fiber ◽  
Polyvinylidene Fluoride ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Crystallization Behavior ◽  
Hollow Fiber Membranes ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Stretching Ratio

A treatment consisting of room temperature stretching and subsequent annealing was utilized to regulate the morphology and performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes. The effects of stretching ratios and stretching rates on the crystallization behavior, morphology, and performance of the PVDF membranes were investigated. The results showed that the treatment resulted in generation of the β crystalline phase PVDF and increased the crystallinity of the membrane materials. The treatment also brought about the orientation of the membrane pores along the stretching direction and led to an increase in the mean pore size of the membranes. In addition, as the stretching ratio increased, the tensile strength and permeation flux were improved while the elongation at break was depressed. However, compared to the stretching ratio, the stretching rate had less influence on the membrane structure and performance. In general, as the stretching ratio was 50% and the stretching rate was 20 mm/min, the tensile strength was increased by 36% to 7.47 MPa, and the pure water flux was as high as 776.28 L/(m2·h·0.1bar), while the mean pore size was not changed significantly. This research proved that the room temperature stretching and subsequent annealing was a simple but effective method for regulating the structure and the performance of the PVDF porous membranes.

NATURAL RUBBER/CARBON BLACK NANOCOMPOSITES PREPARED BY ULTRASONICALLY AIDED EXTRUSION

2013 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaesun Choi ◽  
Avraam I. Isayev
Keyword(s):  
Tensile Strength ◽  
Carbon Black ◽  
Natural Rubber ◽  
Ultrasonic Treatment ◽  
Abrasion Resistance ◽  
Chain Scission ◽  
Ultrasonic Waves ◽  
Ultrasonic Power ◽  
Bound Rubber ◽  
And Performance

ABSTRACT Significant efforts have been made in rubber research to improve the dispersion of carbon black (CB) in rubbers to achieve better processibility and performance of tires and rubber products. In addressing these issues, the present study is an attempt to further improve the processibility and dispersion by means of application of ultrasonic waves. Natural rubber (NR)/CB nanocomposites at loadings from 15 to 60 phr were prepared by ultrasonically aided extrusion at ultrasonic amplitudes up to 7.5 μm. A die pressure significantly decreased with an increase of amplitude, especially at higher loadings, indicating an improvement in processibility. Ultrasonic power consumption was almost insensitive to loadings. The complex dynamic viscosity, storage, and loss moduli of compounds and vulcanizates at loadings of 15, 25, 35, and 60 phr were reduced by the ultrasonic treatment at an amplitude of 7.5 μm, indicating NR chain scission. Bound rubber in compounds decreased by the ultrasonic treatment. The maximum torque in curing curves, cross-link density, gel fraction, hardness, M100, M300, tensile strength, and abrasion resistance of vulcanizates at loadings of 15, 25, 35, and 60 phr decreased at an amplitude of 7.5 μm, due to the NR chain scission, whereas the elongation at break increased. Atomic force microscope (AFM) studies of vulcanizates showed a penetration of rubber chains into agglomerates at an amplitude of 7.5 μm, indicating an improvement of dispersion of CB. Based on AFM images, a dispersion index was introduced, showing that the ultrasonic treatment at an amplitude of 7.5 μm led to a better dispersion of CB in vulcanizates. Comparison of NR/CB compounds and vulcanizates with those of NR/carbon nanotube (CNT) of an earlier study was carried out. In general, the CB-containing NR showed significantly lower modulus and abrasion resistance but higher tensile strength and bound rubber than CNT-containing NR.

Application Fuzzy Logic System for Accurate Sheet Trim Shower Position

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-192
Author(s):  
Yudi Wibawa
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Fuzzy Logic Controller ◽  
Dc Motor ◽  
Automation System ◽  
Paper Making ◽  
System A ◽  
Accurate Position ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Logic System

This paper aims to study for accurate sheet trim shower position for paper making process. An accurate position is required in an automation system. A mathematical model of DC motor is used to obtain a transfer function between shaft position and applied voltage. PID controller with Ziegler-Nichols and Hang-tuning rule and Fuzzy logic controller for controlling position accuracy are required. The result reference explains it that the FLC is better than other methods and performance characteristics also improve the control of DC motor.

scholarly journals Applicability and performance of EUCAST’s rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) on primarily sterile body fluids in blood culture bottles in laboratory routine with total lab automation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Kaur Jasuja ◽  
Stefan Zimmermann ◽  
Irene Burckhardt
Keyword(s):  
Blood Culture ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Reference Method ◽  
Body Fluids ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Mueller Hinton ◽  
Mueller Hinton Agar ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Sterile Body Fluids ◽  
Better Than

AbstractOptimisation of microbiological diagnostics in primarily sterile body fluids is required. Our objective was to apply EUCAST’s RAST on primarily sterile body fluids in blood culture bottles with total lab automation (TLA) and to compare results to our reference method Vitek2 in order to report susceptibility results earlier. Positive blood culture bottles (BACTEC™ Aerobic/Anaerobic/PEDS) inoculated with primarily sterile body fluids were semi-automatically subcultured onto Columbia 5% SB agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar, Schaedler/KV agar and Mueller-Hinton agar. On latter, cefoxitin, ampicillin, vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, meropenem and ciprofloxacin were added. After 6 h, subcultures and RAST were imaged and MALDI-TOF MS was performed. Zone sizes were digitally measured and interpreted following RAST breakpoints for blood cultures. MIC values were determined using Vitek2 panels. During a 1-year period, 197 Staphylococcus aureus, 91 Enterococcus spp., 38 Escherichia coli, 11 Klebsiella pneumoniae and 8 Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found. Categorical agreement between RAST and MIC was 96.5%. Comparison showed no very major errors, 2/7 (28.6%) and 1/7 (14.3%) of major errors for P. aeruginosa and meropenem and ciprofloxacin, 1/9 (11.1%) for K. pneumoniae and ciprofloxacin, 4/69 (7.0%) and 3/43 (5.8%) for Enterococcus spp. and vancomycin and ampicillin, respectively. Minor errors for P. aeruginosa and meropenem (1/8; 12.8%) and for E. coli and ciprofloxacin (2/29; 6.5%) were found. 30/550 RAST measurements were within area of technical uncertainty. RAST is applicable and performs well for primarily sterile body fluids in blood culture bottles, partially better than blood-based RAST. Official EUCAST evaluation is needed.

scholarly journals The Potential of Advanced Placement to Improve College Outcomes and Narrow Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities

2021 ◽  
pp. 1932202X2110186
Author(s):  
Sarah Fierberg Phillips ◽  
Brett Lane
Keyword(s):  
Advanced Placement ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Latino Students ◽  
Socioeconomic Disparities ◽  
Low Income Students ◽  
College Outcomes ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Better Than

The U.S. economy requires a highly educated workforce, yet too few black, Latino, and low-income students attend, persist, and graduate from college. The present study examines the college outcomes of participants in a model Advanced Placement® (AP) intervention to shed light on its effectiveness and determine whether improving AP participation and performance is a promising strategy for closing persistent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in college outcomes. Findings suggest the college outcomes of program participants are better than those of similar students statewide while also highlighting variation within and across subgroups. At the same time, they confirm that AP participation and performance predict college outcomes and suggest that improving AP participation and performance among low-income white, black, and Latino students could be a useful strategy for closing persistent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in college outcomes.

scholarly journals First-of-a-kind muography for nuclear waste characterization

2018 ◽  
Vol 377 (2137) ◽  
pp. 20180048 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Mahon ◽  
Anthony Clarkson ◽  
Simon Gardner ◽  
David Ireland ◽  
Ramsey Jebali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Waste ◽  
Imaging System ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Laboratory Facility ◽  
Waste Container ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University

In the last decade, there has been a surge in the number of academic research groups and commercial companies exploiting naturally occurring cosmic-ray muons for imaging purposes in a range of industrial and geological applications. Since 2009, researchers at the University of Glasgow and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) have pioneered this technique for the characterization of shielded nuclear waste containers with significant investment from the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Sellafield Ltd. Lynkeos Technology Ltd. was formed in 2016 to commercialize the Muon Imaging System (MIS) technology that resulted from this industry-funded academic research. The design, construction and performance of the Lynkeos MIS is presented along with first experimental and commercial results. The high-resolution images include the identification of small fragments of uranium within a surrogate 500-litre intermediate level waste container and metal inclusions within thermally treated GeoMelt® R&D Product Samples. The latter of these are from Lynkeos' first commercial contract with the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. The Lynkeos MIS will be deployed at the NNL Central Laboratory facility on the Sellafield site in Summer 2018 where it will embark upon a series of industry trials. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue ‘Cosmic-ray muography’.

A study of factors which influence the job satisfaction of stockpeople on commercial pig farms

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 95-95
Author(s):  
R C Segundo ◽  
P R English ◽  
G Burgess ◽  
S A Edwards ◽  
O MacPherson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Farm Livestock

The role of stockmanship in relation to the wellbeing of farm animals has been emphasised in the UK Codes of Recommendations for the Welfare of Farm Livestock (MAFF, 1983). Moreover, previous research work has demonstrated important effects of good and bad stockmanship not only on welfare but also on growth, lactational and reproductive performance of pigs and other farm livestock (Hemsworth et al, 1987). There is a need, therefore, to establish the factors which motivate and demotivate stockpeople since the degree of job satisfaction is likely to have a considerable influence on the attitude and performance of stockpeople and on their empathy with the animals in their care. With this objective in mind, a questionnaire was designed to investigate the aspects which could have an influence on the job satisfaction of the stockpeople involved in pig production.

How do resources and diversification strategy explain the performance consequences of internationalization?

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Chen ◽  
Yiwei Jiang ◽  
Chengqi Wang ◽  
Wen Chung Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Product Diversification ◽  
Firm Resources ◽  
Diversification Strategy ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Performance Consequences ◽  
Performance Effects ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how firm resources and diversification strategy explain the performance consequences of internationalization of emerging market enterprises. Design/methodology/approach – The paper conducts a regression analysis by using a novel panel data set comprising of 685 listed Chinese firms over the period of 2008-2011. Findings – The results show that the relationship between internationalization and performance is inverse U-shaped. Further, marketing resources play a greater role in enhancing the performance effects of internationalization than technological resources do. Related product diversification enhances the performance effects, while unrelated product diversification does the contrary. Research limitations/implications – The study focusses on listed firms in one country, and as a result, the findings cannot be generalized to non-listed firms and firms in other countries. Practical implications – This paper offers guidelines for international managers to improve performance of internationalization by developing a particular type of resources and diversification strategy. Originality/value – This paper extends the literature on the functional form of the internationalization-performance relationship, and further suggests that the analysis of the performance consequences of internationalization should go beyond the nexus between internationalization and performance, and focusses on firm-specific resources and strategies that may facilitate or constrain the performance effects of internationalization.

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