Concerns about Wearing Masks to Avoid COVID-19 Infection in China: Assessment of an Internet-based Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has the potential to spread from person to person in close contact settings. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released a handbook on COVID-19 in the context of disseminating health information among the public, specifically related to wearing masks correctly and adopting preventive measures to avoid the COVID-19 infection. OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to assess the level of mask knowledge, behavior related to mask usage, and major information channels in China. METHODS An Internet-based survey was conducted primarily using the DingXiang Doctor WeChat public accounts, and there were 10,304 respondents to the survey. The data about mask knowledge and behavior were recollected and analyzed. RESULTS The findings revealed that 64.49% of the participants practiced protective mask behavior, 97.93% believed that wearing masks is effective against COVID-19, 96.85% chose the mask that has two of more layers of washable, breathable fabric, 70.57% wore masks correctly, and 51.62% changed masks within four hours. Gender, age, occupation, and education level had significant effects on behavior, while marital and infection status of family members were not significant. There were ten major information channels, such as WeChat public account (89.55%), news applications (55.78%), WeChat (50.12%), television/radio (45.05%), microblogs (44.24%), friends/relatives/colleagues (27.84%), websites (25.99%), SMS (17.29%), community outreach (16.58%), and newspapers (7.53%). CONCLUSIONS This study elucidated that the Chinese netizens’ protective mask behavior was far lower than mask knowledge. Improved information channels and adequate information on wearing masks are necessary to improve the public’s protective mask behavior, particularly among the males, elderly, and people with less education.

Effect of Paper vs. Bioplastic Bags on Food Waste Collection and Processing

Purpose The most abundant among the separately collected waste materials in Italy is food waste. This research aims to evaluate the influence of the type of collection bag on the food waste management chain. In Italy, the food waste collection is mainly based on bioplastic bags. As an alternative, a new type of recycled paper bag shows potential advantages. Methods The two types of collection bag were compared evaluating the weight loss of food waste during the household storage, by means of an experimental assessment simulating the domestic dynamic bag filling. Moreover, the biomethane production of bags under anaerobic conditions was measured at the lab-scale level with Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) tests. Results During the household storage, the breathable fabric of the paper allows for higher weight losses, ranging on average between + 29 and + 44% compared to bioplastic. BMP tests, carried out under different conditions (temperature, inoculum), showed a 2–14 times higher generation of methane by paper bags compared to bioplastic bags, when referred to 1 kg of inserted food waste. Conclusions Collecting the food waste inside paper bags shows advantages compared to the use of bioplastic bags. First, the waste collection is benefitted thanks to the lower weight of material to be transported to treatment plants, leading also to the possibility of decreasing the collection frequency. Moreover, paper resulted more compatible than bioplastic with the anaerobic digestion treatment, which is currently rapidly increasing as a food waste management option. Graphic Abstract

Preparation of fluorine-free anti-acid and breathable composite fabric based on modified SBS/pitch electrospun nanofibers

To develop a fluorine-free material of acidproof and breathable fabric, styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) blended with pitch was directly deposited on polyester/cotton blended fabric through electrospinning to fabricate a nanofibrous membrane composite fabric. Acrylic acid (AA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were used to graft SBS to improve compatibility between SBS and pitch, and the modified temperatures were set at 40°C, 60°C and 80°C. The effects of different grafting monomers and temperatures on the properties of SBS/pitch membrane composite fabrics were explored by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis; morphological structures, acid-resistant properties and breathability (vapor permeability and air permeability) were also examined. The results showed that modified SBS/pitch membrane composite fabrics possessed good acid resistance and modest breathability. SBS-g-MMA/pitch (means SBS grafted by MMA) exhibited the highest acid resistance due to more evenly distributed beads than original SBS/pitch membrane composite fabrics and higher roughness than SBS-g-AA/pitch (means SBS grafted by AA) membrane composite fabrics. By systematically changing the grafting temperature, SBS-g-MMA/pitch membrane composite fabrics for which SBS was grafted by MMA at 80°C presented appropriate air permeability (120.5 mm/s), modest water vapor transport rate (13,656.45 g/(m2·d)), good tensile strength (1203 N) and bursting strength (616 N), and the best acid resistance (143°); meanwhile the acid penetration level reached level 3, which was attributed to the low surface energy caused by the fused ring from the pitch and the rough surface caused by the micro-beads in the nanofibers. The obtained modified SBS/pitch membrane composite fabric could be potentially applied in acidproof fabrics.

Facile method for tent fabrics with eco-friendly/durable properties using waterborne polyurethane/lignin: Preparation and evaluation

In this paper, a novel facile strategy is reported for fabricating an environment friendly, aging-resistant, and waterproof-breathable fabric using a “pad-knife” coating technique and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) containing isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and lignin as an antioxidant agent. Morphology, hydrophobic property, accelerated weathering aging property and artificial degradation performance as well as water vapor transmission and tensile property are characterized. Results show that, IPDI can effectively prevent PU discoloration. Lignin amount affects the morphological structure, tearing strength, WVTR and hydrostatic pressure capability of coated fabrics. Moreover, a 2% lignin addition provides fabrics with enhanced waterproof-breathable properties and tearing strength performance compared with pure WPU coated fabrics after accelerated weathering exposure. The facile coating technology can be applied to protective and functional textiles for military and civil polyester tents.

Evaluating the Mechanical Properties of Waterproof Breathable Fabric Produced by a Coating Process

The purpose of this research was to evaluate mechanical properties of a waterproof breathable fabric. A spacer knit with a cotton inner face and a polyester (PET) outer face was coated in order to obtain a waterproof breathable fabric. The applied coat was a mixture of an acrylic paste and a fluorocarbon resin. The treated fabric has undergone several tests to evaluate its mechanical properties. Tensile strength, flexural strength, abrasion resistance, and wrinkle recovery behavior were measured and discussed. After the coating treatment, the fabric was rigidified by 25% and 19% in wale and course directions, respectively. The coated PET face of the spacer fabric was not altered even after 125,000 abrasion cycles. A stiffer fabric was obtained after the coating treatment. However, fabric recovery behavior was ameliorated by 78% and 72% according to wale and course directions, respectively. The coated fabric can be used to produce raincoats and jackets.

Research and analysis on the crotch comfort of the male boxer underwear under thermohydro environment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the fit and thermal and moisture comfort factors to provide some reference value for the functional design of underwear. Design/methodology/approach The body size data of 100 male youths are measured to analyze the body shape of the lower body. Based on the complete body size, the authors selected the matching underwear, and obtained the relevant data for the mathematical model of thermal and moisture using Grey correlation analysis method. Findings In allusion to the defect of fit comfort and thermal-moisture comfort of the crotch, this paper presented a mathematical model, and experimental results showed that breathable fabric and breathable volume are the key factors. Originality/value It was clarified that which is the key to the thermal and moisture comfort. At the same time, male lower body characteristics index is clear.

Transferring Microelectromechanical Devices to Breathable Fabric Carriers with Strain-Engineered Grippers

ABSTRACTStretchable electronics fabrication generally relies on fine-tuning adhesion forces, putting some restrictions on what the carrier layer can be. In contrast to adhesion, mechanical tangling makes more kinds of carrier materials available. Antibacterial, conductive, heat-responsive and other functions can be brought in by fiber networks as long as they are compatible with the highly selective silicon etch process. Mechanical grippers can also bring electronic contacts from one side of a mesh to the other, which is difficult to do on continuous thin films of other soft materials like silicone or polyimide. Our solution uses mechanical strain to produce large arrays of redundant grippers from planar thin-film designs.

Evaluation of the Moisture Transfer Property of Waterproof Breathable Fabric Under Low-Temperature Conditions Depending on the Pore Size and Distribution

The moisture transfer properties of four types of waterproof breathable fabrics with different pore sizes and distributions under low temperatures were examined. The structure, thickness, and pore shape of the fabric by scanning electron microscopy and capillary flow porometer compared depending on the manufacturing method. The effects of these parameters on the wearing comfort as determined by water vapor transmission rate and analyzing the temperature/humidity changes in the microclimate using the human–clothing–environment simulator. The coating type membrane was the thickest, whereas the nano web specimen was the thinnest. The results showed that at subzero temperatures, there was little difference in the vapor pressure change of the microclimate depending on the pore size. In the case of the waterproof breathable fabric produced in various forms depending on the function, however, the evaluation should performed based on the actual clothing wearing conditions, rather than in the standard state, is needed.