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In this study, it was aimed to comparatively investigate the grain properties of shoe upper leathers produced for different purposes. Thus, six different types of shoe upper leather (cracked, antique, patent, nappa, nubuck, printed) were provided from three different footwear companies. The tensile strength and elongation at break (TS EN ISO 3376), single and double edge tear strength (TS EN ISO 3377-1, TS EN ISO 3377-2), cracking and bursting resistance (TS 4137 EN ISO 3378, TS EN ISO 3379), flex resistance (TS EN ISO 5402-1) as well as dry and wet rubbing fastness tests (TS EN ISO 11640) were applied to leathers that have similar thicknesses. The results of the study gave information about the physical strength and product performances of different upper leather types. The data were evaluated comparatively and the effects of shoe upper leather types on quality and performance were evaluated. © 2022 Toate drepturile asupra acestei ediţii sunt rezervate editorilor.
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Background Since March 2020, Chile has been affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused disruptions throughout the world, greatly impacting health services and healthcare workers. Objective To describe the demographic characteristics related to the COVID-19 pandemic in orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic surgery residents in Chile. Methods We conducted an on-line survey requesting data on demographics, work, exposure to and infection by COVID-19, symptoms, and protection practices. Results A total of 567 surgeons answered the survey;37 (6.4%) had had COVID-19, without gender differences. Therewas a higher rate of infectionamong residents, 9 from73 (12.3%), than among surgeons, 28 from 494 (5.7%), as well as higher rates of infection among those working more than 60 hours (p<0.05). Among those infected, 31 (83.8%) were from the Metropolitan Region (MR), where the rate of infection was significantly higher compared with other regions (p< 0.05). Only 8 (21.6%) of those infected had medical history. Hospitalization was required by 3 (5.4%), 1 of them in the Intensive care Unit (ICU), and the remaining were handled at home. The most frequent location of infection was the workplace, with the common areas being the main suspected sites, followed by outpatient clinics and orthopedic surgery wards. In total, 40.5% (15) of the sample reported having infected other individuals. There was also an impact in the surgeon s income: 14.8% (84) reported a decrease lower than 20%, and 45% (256), a decrease higher than 50%. This decrease was higher among surgeons than among residents, and higher among those from the MR compared to other regions (p< 0.05). Conclusion Even though orthopedic surgery practice has been reduced by the pandemic, orthopedic surgeons have been exposed to the risk of infection by COVID-19. The workplace seems to be the site that poses the greatest risk, especially the common areas.Copyright © 2022 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.
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Introduction and Objectives: Limited healthcare access and resource inequities pose significant barriers to care, all of which have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. DFUs represent an especially challenging medical problem to prevent and treat due to the resource intensive care required. We sought to evaluate the feasibility of multidisciplinary, mobile, DFU outreach clinics to improve access to care. Method(s): Our clinic model focused on creating mobile diabetic foot clinics staffed by volunteer clinical providers who specialize in Vascular Surgery, Diabetes, and Podiatry. We recruited volunteer healthcare providers from an academic medical center. We partnered with local community centers with established programs providing services to unhoused individuals. Result(s): Between June 2020 and August 2022, a total of 130 unhoused individuals were seen at four mobile clinics set up at different locations. Diabetic foot care was provided by volunteers from seven departments: Endocrinology/Diabetes, Vascular Surgery and Vascular Lab, Podiatry, Addiction Medicine, Smoking Cessation, and Financial. On average, 32 healthcare provider volunteers participated at each clinic. Services provided include: vitals, blood glucose, HgA1c, lipid panel testing, ankle-brachial index, podiatric exam, wound care, medical education, COVID vaccination/booster, insurance enrollment, and new socks and shoes. Of 130 unhoused patients, 29% had hypertension (38), 34% had abnormal ABI (44), and 14% had diabetes (18). Fifteen patients were further identified as high risk for developing DFU-associated amputation (12%) and were provided with ambulatory follow-ups. Conclusion(s): In our pilot experience, it is feasible to provide consistent comprehensive DFU care through mobile outreach clinics. By using the infrastructure of partner organizations and healthcare expertise of an academic center, our clinics could integrate into existing community services. [Formula presented]Copyright © 2022
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Background: In the past two decades, the human coronavirus (HCoV) outbreaks have gripped the international communities almost six times in different forms [HCoV-OC43 (2001);HCoV-NL63 (2004);SARS-CoV (2003);HCoV HKU1 (2005);MERS-CoV (2012);SARS-CoV--2 (2019)]. These emerging pathogens have been proven very challenging from medical perspec-tives, economic conditions, and psychological impact on human society. Introduction: SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus, has evidenced a historic yet troublesome pandemic across the globe. In humans, its clinical manifestations may range from asymptomatic, severe pneumonia to mortality. Bats are the natural reservoirs of a variety of viruses belonging to the family Coronaviridae. Most of the bats harboring coronaviruses mainly reside in Asian and African regions. Objective(s): The objective was to describe the various characteristic features of all coronaviruses, clinical manifestations, and complications associated with SARS-CoV-2. The major goal was to highlight the involvement of the strong immune system of bats in the cross-species transmission of coronaviruses in intermediate hosts and, finally, zoonotic transmission in humans. Methodology: A systematic literature search was conducted for high quality research and review ar-ticles. We searched the databases for articles published between the year 1972 to 2020 with search terms zoonosis, coronaviruses, zoonotic transmissions, clinical manifestations, and the immune system of bats. Conclusion(s): The domestic and non-domestic animals come in closer contact with humans. Some requisite measures should be taken to decrease the contact with livestock to prevent further threatening viral transmissions. Furthermore, the remarkable immune system of bats is required to in-quire thoroughly to develop novel therapeutics to conquer the evolving coronaviruses in the future.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Background: The pandemic caused by the spread of COVID19 generated throughout the world great changes in all areas of life. Social distancing was carried out very drastically in some countries, and even in the field of dental care, some countries prohibited the practice of dentistry. Objective(s): To demonstrate that the dental office is safe regarding the possibility of contagion of Sars-Cov-2 as long as good biosecurity protocols are used. Method(s): A structured survey of 19 questions was applied to 103 patients who subsequently attended a periodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery office in Mexico, to receive care from these specialties between April 2020 and July 2021. The questions posed in this survey were aimed at knowing the opinion of the patients regarding the measures that this establishment has for the prevention of the transmission of COVID19, as well as questions regarding the possible effects of attending this office in contagion of the disease from patients and their families. Result(s): A total of 18 (17.5%) patients reported having suffered COVID19, and none reported that they fell ill after the consultation. None of the clinic's specialists and assistants have fallen ill with COVID-19 during the pandemic. Conclusion(s): It is not necessary to suspend or condition dental care during times of pandemics such as what happened with COVID19, as long as strict safety protocols are observed within clinical facilities.Copyright © 2022 The Authors
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Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are most at risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 infection. Their preparedness, as a result of provision and access to personal protective equipment (PPE), training programmes and awareness and practices on infection prevention and control measures, is integral for the prevention of infectious disease transmission. Objective(s): This study was conducted to assess the preparedness and practices of HCWs during COVID-19 first wave outbreak in Brunei Darussalam. Method(s): A cross-sectional study using a pre-designed and self-administered web-based questionnaire was conducted among HCWs from government and private health sectors ranging from primary to tertiary health facilities in Brunei Darussalam. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and chi-square test was used for statistical significance. Result(s): A total of 511 HCWs participated in the study. Nurses (64%) and HCWs based at hospitals (66%) made up the majority of the study participants, with 74% having occupational exposure to COVID-19 cases. More than 99% of HCWs used respiratory PPE, and 94% used gloves. 74% had undergone respirator fit testing and 65% had received PPE awareness session within the last one year. Coverage in training programmes was found to be low among HCWs from private health facilities. Conclusion(s): Majority of HCWs who had received updated training programmes and therefore were better prepared came from government health facilities. HCWs from private health facilities lacked preparedness training programmes and as such, there needs to be improvement to enhance preparedness measures in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and for future infectious disease outbreaks. Copyright © The Author(s) 2021.
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Purpose/Objectives: The increase in life expectancy in recent years is closely related to scientific advances in health area. Thus, longevity led to a greater emergence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM). In this scenario, chronic wounds represent a serious public health problem. It is estimated that 85% of lower extremity amputations in individuals with DM are related to the presence of foot ulcers. The perception of changes in the skin, such as deformities, superficial traumas and cracks, is impaired in diabetics due to loss of sensitivity, predisposing the appearance of wounds. Ulcers and other injuries can be prevented through simple measures, such as regular skin inspection, specialized care and the use of adequate footwear;as the greater understanding of self-care, the greater the benefits of treatment. In this sense, Primary Care is an effective mean of assisting such individuals, as health education actions can be carried out for this population, their families and caregivers, with a view of promoting health. In addition, the health education process must take place in parallel with medication and dressings, which are essential, especially the latter, given the specificity of the product and the level of tissue regeneration. The primary objective of this study is to present the educational activities developed by the Extension Project Physiotherapy in the Community of the State University of Paraíba in partnership with the research project Tissue Engineering in Epithelial Repair: Biodegradable Scaffold for Tissue Regeneration, which is developing chitosan/Jatropha mollissima scaffolds, in the Laboratory of Evaluation and Development of Biomaterials from the Northeast of the Federal University of Campina Grande. Methodology: The participants consisted of users of Basic Health Units (BHU) in the city of Campina Grande/Paraiba/Brazil. The educational material on Diabetes and Diabetic Foot Wound Care was produced from documents such as articles, guidelines and booklets. The CANVA application was used to create the images and infographics, to facilitate the understanding of the participants, and it was sent along with an explanatory audio. The disclosure took place on the public profile on Instagram @fisionacomunidadeuepb and also through the WhatsApp application for the diabetic elderly who participate in the project, in addition to face-to-face meetings at BHU, to clarify doubts at previously scheduled times and with a limited number of people due to the covid 19 pandemic. Results: The results included a greater understanding of the process of illness and wound development, as well as awareness of the importance of adherence to treatment and care in the use of dressings, especially. According to the records, the participation in the means used was intense, which suggests that these people will also be multipliers in the health education process. Conclusion/Significance: It is concluded that health education strategies, even at the time of a pandemic, are useful in the process of correct information dissemination, helping the most vulnerable population to understand their disease and, at the same time, help them in self care and responsibility, thus facilitating the intervention used by the health and engineering team.
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Clinical problem or need: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a daily routine for most healthcare providers. However, wearing it is not only a troublesome thing but also time-consuming, which may affect the quality of patient care. In certain emergent scenarios (e.g. out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) or respiratory failure), every second counts. We believed in that "Suit. Pro.";the new version of the traditional PPE will benefit the workflow in managing life-threatened patients and make them comfortable of wearing PPE during the pandemic. The concept of innovation and how it works: The "Suit. Pro." solves the problems while putting your lower extremities in the PPE, which is the rate-determining step in wearing PPE. We made three main adjustments: Widen the leg opening of PPE;Widen the opening of the shoe cover and use a cord lock and a cord to tighten it up instead of an elastic band;Shorten the pants to about 15cm below the knee and lengthen the shoe cover to about 5cm below the knee to make an adequate overlap without redundant length. These adjustments speed up the wearing process and will not compromise the effectiveness of protection. Feasibility and usability: We have performed multiple simulation studies (Film 1) to test the efficacy of the "Suit. Pro." Due to its user-friendly design, our colleagues can wear it smoothly and fast even if they have never used it before. You can wear the "Suit. Pro." running without loosening the shoe cover. Moreover, some colleagues wearing bigger shoes put "Suit. Pro." on easily without losing balance or making their shoes stuck in the pants. The "Suit. Pro." is so easy to wear and not only speeds up the wearing process but makes the whole wearing process more pleasant. Scalability and sustainability: The "Suit. Pro." definitely can be mass-produced by companies because it was redesigned with easily accessible materials. It took us an extra USD2 to remake one suit. There is no concern about sustainability because PPE is disposable.
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Background: A 29-year-old woman, with personal history of atopy, presented with face and neck dermatitis lasting 6 months. During the past year, she worked as a nurse in a COVID-19-dedicated ward. The dermatitis had developed since she started using FFP2 masks. She referred using three FFP2 masks, with similar symptoms: 3 M© 9320+, Halyard© Fluidshield N95 and PM 2.5©. She also mentioned history of contact-hypersensitivity reactions to metals, green clothes and leather shoes for several years. Physical examination exhibited erythematous plaques distributed along the contact area of the elastic bands of the FFP2 masks. Patch tests revealed delayed hypersensitivity to the elastic bands 3 M© 9320+ and PM 2.5© (++), mercapto mix (++), 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) (++), 2-(4-morpholinylmercapto)benzothiazol (MOR) (++), N-cyclohexyl-2-benzothiazolesulfenamide (++), textile dye mix Mx-30 (++), disperse yellow 3 (++), disperse blue 106 (+), potassium dichromate (+), cobalt dichloride (+) and nickel sulfate hexahydrate (+). A latex skin prick test was negative. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) caused by elastic bands of FFP2 masks (3 M© 9320+ and PM 2.5 ©) was diagnosed. She was prescribed methylprednisolone aceponate 0.1% cream bid during five days and masks were changed to a type with cotton cloth bands, with resolution of the complaints. ACD to FFP2 masks components in health care workers can be severe, given the prolonged and continuous contact with the source of allergens. The rubber additives thiurams and dithiocarbamates are the main allergen groups involved in ACD to rubber bands in FFP2 masks. This seems to be the first report caused by mercaptobenzothiazole.
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Objective: Assessment of awareness about COVID-19 among medical personnel and general public. Study Description: It is a Cross-Sectional study carried out in R.Y.Khan from June 2020 to September 2020. Methodology: About 430 subjects (medical personnel and general public) were asked to fill a pre-designed questionnaire by using convenient sampling technique. The questionnaire included information regarding their bio-data and study questions. Then SPSS Version 21 was used for data analysis. Results: Our study shows that 90.5% study subjects think that they are well aware about COVID-19 while 9.5% subjects think that they aren’t. In response to question “Is it lethal?” 25.3% subjects replied Always, 67% said Sometimes and 7.7% said Never. 68.6% subjects said that it is Always transmissible, 15.8% said Sometimes and 15.6% said Never. Regarding modes of its spread, 76.5% subjects agreed to Cough, 67.9% to Handshake, 27.9% to Food-sharing, 35.6% to Room-sharing, 28.6% to Utensils-sharing, 21.2% to Fomites-sharing. 6.7% subjects said that its vaccine is Available, 72.1% replied as Not-Available and 21.2% said that they don’t know. 24.9% subjects said that its specific treatment is Available, 53.3% replied as Not-Available and 21.9% said that they don’t know. 71.9% subjects said that it is preventable by adopting specific preventive measures, 8.8% said it isn’t and 19.3% said that they don’t know. Regarding effectiveness of PPEs as preventive measures, 85.8% subjects agreed to Mask, 57.2% to Gown, 52.3% to Goggles, 45.6% to Head-cover, 35.1% to Shoe-cover, 55.8% to Gloves, 70.7% to Social-distancing, 58.4% to use of Hand-wash/Hand-Sanitizer. Conclusion: There is observed some lack of knowledge in different areas regarding COVID-19, almost equally, among medical personnel as well as among general public that results in spread of infection at exponential rates due to negligence of people including poor understanding and poor compliance to the preventive measures advised by health authorities worldwide.
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The introduction of carbon fiber plate shoes has triggered a plethora of world records in running, which has encouraged shoe industries to produce novel shoe designs to enhance running performance, including shoes containing conductor elements or "grounding shoes" (GS), which could potentially reduce the energy cost of running. The aim of this study was to examine the physiological and perceptual responses of athletes subjected to grounding shoes during running. Ten elite runners were recruited. Firstly, the athletes performed an incremental running test for VO2max and anaerobic threshold (AT) determination, and were familiarized with the two shoe conditions (traditional training shoe (TTS) and GS, the latter containing a conductor element under the insole). One week apart, athletes performed running economy tests (20 min run at 80% of the AT) on a 400 m dirt track, with shoe conditions randomized. VO2, heart rate, lactate, and perceived fatigue were registered throughout the experiment. No differences in any of the physiological or perceptual variables were identified between shoe conditions, with an equal running economy in both TTS and GS (51.1 ± 4.2 vs. 50.9 ± 5.1 mL kg-1 min-1, respectively). Our results suggest that a grounding stimulus does not improve the energy cost of running, or the physiological/perceptual responses of elite athletes.
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Running , Shoes , Athletes , Biomechanical Phenomena , Humans , Lactic Acid , Running/physiologyABSTRACT
Introduction: SARS-CoV-2, responsible for severe human infection with high mortality rate, has been classified as HG3 pathogen. Despite the need to perform autopsy to clarify the pathogenesis of COVID, such procedures are at high risk of contagion due to the direct contact with aerosols and body fluids. To ensure the safety of the personnel against contagion, it is mandatory to follow the SOP for the management of autopsy environment and infected body. Several studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 persists on inanimate surfaces for a long time and is also ubiquitously detected in many human tissues, even after long time after death. Material and Methods: Many international scientific societies have drowned up various guidelines on biosafety and exposure precautions, but none of these is uniquely adopted. So, in the daily practice our greatest difficulty was to identify SOP adherent to the guidelines but applicable to our reality. In our experience, COVID autopsies were performed accordingly to the following SOP: - COVID mortuary refrigerators - BSL3 autopsy facility - Autopsy saw with aspiration system - PPE: surgical scrub, rubber medical shoes, coverall, shoe leggings, FFP3 mask, waterproof gown or apron, eyes protection, two pairs of medical gloves and one of cut-resistant gloves - Sanitization of surgical tools in autoclave - Sanitization of the environments with VHP - Periodic nasopharyngeal swabs from personnel Results and Conclusions: Our work aims to share our experience and to demonstrate that adopting these measures is effective in reducing risk of infection. In fact, the periodic COVID swabs were negative in 100% of cases.
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Objective: To assess the gap between knowledge and practice of PPEs among healthcare professionals during COVID-19. Study design: Cross-Sectional study. Study setting: Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Study Duration: May-August 2020. Methodology: A total of 214 Healthcare professionals (including medical and paramedical staff) were included in this study using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected on pre-designed questionnaire. The questionnaire included information regarding age, sex, job title, working station, etc. then data was entered in and analyzed by using SPSS Version. 21. Numerical variables like age was presented as mean ± standard deviation. Categorical variables like sex, job title, working station were shown as percentages. Results: Our study included the subjects with 88 (41.1%) males and 126 (58.9%) females. Mean age of study subjects came out to be 26.6±3.954 years. It is observed that only 95 (44.4%) of the subjects have PPEs;only 85 (39.7%) were provided PPEs from their respective healthcare authorities and 137 (64%) can afford purchasing PPEs on their own. And there is a major gap seen between the knowledge about PPEs/appreciation of their effectiveness and the practice of PPEs by these healthcare professionals. Regarding PPEs (which include gown, surgical mask, N-95 mask, gloves, goggles, head cover, shoe cover, social distancing, hand sanitizer and hand washing), this lag is seen majorly among the healthcare professionals working in general wards;less among emergency staff and least among the subjects working at flu filter clinic or isolation wards. Conclusion: Majority of healthcare professionals appreciate the effectiveness of PPEs against corona virus but don't bring them into practice;either due to non-availability of PPEs or they have some attitude problem towards it.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been transmitted worldwide rapidly. Present study was done to assess perceived risk by EPPM(Extended Parallel Processing Model) and the risk of COVID-19 infectionamong general population. Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted among 185 general population ofChitradurga district. Questionnaire had three parts, 1. Socio-demographic data along with habits and co-morbidities. 2. Risk perception questions (29) with efficacy, defensive response and perceived threats. 3. A predesigned semi-structured questionnaire (24 questions) regarding their attitudes and practices towards COVID 19. Based on which their risk was assessed depending on score.. Chi-square, ANOVA, t-test and binary logistic regression was applied to find significant association. Results: Among 185 study participants, majority were elders (>60 years) 25.5%, 100 (54.05%) were males, 108 (58.37%) belonged to nuclear family. Perceived risk scores were almost same in all the categories. A total of 106 (57.3%) participants were engaging in danger control processes and 79(42.7%) in fear control processes. Among population, 32.08%, and 44.30% people were in high and medium risk of infection respectively. Everybody is in risk. 85.27% frequently washed hands with soap or sanitizer, 76.8% used mask regularly when they go out, 74.26% do not wash their dress once they come from outside, 70.37% do not wash their shoes, 54.64% use mass transport. Among socio-demographic variables education, type of family and travel history were significantly associated with risk of infection. Conclusion: Perceived risk was equal in almost all classes. The attitude and practice towards COVID 19 during pandemic was not so impressive.
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Wearable technologies are known to improve our quality of life. Among the various wearable devices, shoes are non-intrusive, lightweight, and can be used for outdoor activities. In this study, we estimated the energy consumption and heart rate in an environment (i.e., running on a treadmill) using smart shoes equipped with triaxial acceleration, triaxial gyroscope, and four-point pressure sensors. The proposed model uses the latest deep learning architecture which does not require any separate preprocessing. Moreover, it is possible to select the optimal sensor using a channel-wise attention mechanism to weigh the sensors depending on their contributions to the estimation of energy expenditure (EE) and heart rate (HR). The performance of the proposed model was evaluated using the root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and coefficient of determination (R2). Moreover, the RMSE was 1.05 ± 0.15, MAE 0.83 ± 0.12 and R2 0.922 ± 0.005 in EE estimation. On the other hand, and RMSE was 7.87 ± 1.12, MAE 6.21 ± 0.86, and R2 0.897 ± 0.017 in HR estimation. In both estimations, the most effective sensor was the z axis of the accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. Through these results, it is demonstrated that the proposed model could contribute to the improvement of the performance of both EE and HR estimations by effectively selecting the optimal sensors during the active movements of participants.