Karen Leonas - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Karen Leonas

Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Mar 20, 1993

ABSTRACT

Elsevier eBooks, 2005

Publisher Summary Among health care professionals today, there is increasing concern over exposur... more Publisher Summary Among health care professionals today, there is increasing concern over exposure to, and transference of, various microorganisms that are commonly carried through bodily fluids. The increase in the presence of resistant pathogens that can be transmitted is also of concern. These issues have led to the production and development of innovative new products in the textile industry. Textiles have the potential to be suitable barriers but they must prevent the transmission of bacteria and fluids found in the operating room. Protective surgical apparel can play an important role in minimizing disease transmission in the operating theater. Bacterial and viral diseases are spread through both airborne and blood-borne pathways. There are a number of factors that contribute to the occurrence of hospital-acquired infections. It is known that various protocols in the operating theatre and routine care of patients have a significant impact on the healthcare associated infections. One factor that reduces these infections is the use of appropriate personal protective apparel that includes surgical gowns and drapes. Protective surgical apparel can play an important role in minimizing disease transmission in the operating theater. This chapter discusses the characteristics that govern the suitability of a fabric as a barrier to the transmission of bacteria. To do that, it is necessary to have an understanding of the mechanism of bacterial transmission through fabrics and to be familiar with those fabric characteristics that influence this transmission.

Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, May 19, 2020

With an increase in automation, fashion retailers started to offer a self-checkout option in thei... more With an increase in automation, fashion retailers started to offer a self-checkout option in their stores to meet diverse consumers’ demand. Self-checkout technology has great potential to enhance the shopping experience of millennials, who increasingly dominate the market with increasing buying power, placing convenience as their top priority in the shopping process. However, despite the potential, it is unclear what drives and inhibits millennials to use self-checkout in the fashion retail context. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine millennials’ intention to use self-checkout in the fashion retail environment with regard to their perceptions of benefits and risks. Data were collected from 352 millennials through an online survey. Perceived benefits and risks identified in this study are the key antecedents of the intention to use self-checkout in the fashion retail stores. Also, individuals who have a low need for human interaction are more likely to use self-checkout.

Journal of textile and apparel technology and management, Oct 15, 2018

Plastics pollution in our waterways has been of concern for many years. More recently, microplast... more Plastics pollution in our waterways has been of concern for many years. More recently, microplastics have been identified and from that the subcategory of microfibers has been noted. Microfiber pollution is an emerging issue and research is ongoing by those in the environmental sciences, textile sciences, apparel technology, apparel brands and retailers to better understand and mitigate the associated impacts. . Like many of today’s global challenges, this is a complex issue and to develop effective solutions it will require expertise from different scientific disciplines to investigate this issue. Collaboration among the many disciplines will be necessary to develop a better understanding of the underlying causes and propose feasible solutions to address this concern.

Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Jan 31, 1996

Six fabrics used as the cover component of personal floatation devices (PFDs) were evaluated duri... more Six fabrics used as the cover component of personal floatation devices (PFDs) were evaluated during exposure to laboratory-simulated accelerated weathering. Factors that influence the disintegration were examined including fiber type, coloring agents, water type, and length of exposure. Disintegration was determined by monitoring changes in physical properties. Fabrics of similar fibers, yarn construction, and fabric construction but of different colors had significantly different disintegration rates. The fabrics that were neon-colored degraded significantly faster than did two of the non-neon-colored fabrics in the study. The white fabric degraded the most rapidly. Various water types including simulated sea water, lake water, and deionized water resulted in no significant differences in the disintegration rate of the fabrics.

The Bangladesh economy has largely benefited from the growth of the clothing and textile manufact... more The Bangladesh economy has largely benefited from the growth of the clothing and textile manufacturing sector, yet it faces considerable challenges in efficiently managing the natural resources required for textile wet processing, particularly water and energy. The complicated and heterogeneous structure of Small-Medium Enterprises (SME) textile processing factories are a barrier to the diffusion of industry-wide standards. This study demonstrates how an innovative and collaborative approach involving many stakeholders between the Responsible Sourcing Initiative (RSI) and Partnership for Cleaner Textile, (PaCT) has been developed to identify and address resource management challenges in the Bangladeshi clothing industry. Stakeholders included in this collaborative initiative are the Bangladeshi government, the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the private sector including global clothing brands and textile manufacturing facilities. The study also highlights the success of the PaCT program in ten different textile processing factories around Dhaka, Bangladesh in reduction of cost, natural resource use, and pollution generation (GHG, wastewater effluent). The initiative is well recognized and highly valued throughout the industry and has shown potential in water and energy conservation in industry processing. If the low-cost resource savings recommendations are implemented in 50 percent of the textile processing units in Bangladesh, the estimated annual savings would be 75 million USD; 63 billion liters of water; 650 million cubic meters of gas and 300 gigawatt-hours of electricity. Additionally, a significant reduction in wastewater and greenhouse gas (GHG) generation would be observed in textile and apparel wet processing facilities.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Jun 1, 1996

Fibers and Polymers, Oct 1, 2010

American Journal of Infection Control, Feb 1, 1997

Background: Relationships between selected fabric characteristics and the barrier effectiveness o... more Background: Relationships between selected fabric characteristics and the barrier effectiveness of surgical gown fabrics to liquid strike-through and bacterial transmission were examined. Methods: Eight commercially available surgical gowns were evaluated in this study. Five of the gowns were disposable and were produced from nonwoven fabrics. Three of the gowns were reusable and were produced from woven fabrics. Standard test methods were used to evaluate the fabrics. Fabric characteristics evaluated included thickness, weight, pore size, and oil and water repellency. Yarn count was determined for the woven fabrics to establish the number of yarns per inch in both the warp (lengthwise) and fill (crosswise) fabric direction. Resistance of the fabrics to the penetration of microorganism suspensions under a hydrostatic pressure was determined. Microorganisms used in this study were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Scanning electron micrographs are presented to illustrate differences among fabrics. Results: Results of this study showed that fabric characteristics of construction, repellency, and pore size contributed to gown performance. Liquid strike-through was not always accompanied by bacterial transmission. Conclusions: Higher fabric repellency ratings and smaller pore size generally corresponded with higher barrier properties.

Journal of textile and apparel technology and management, Feb 28, 2018

Textile science and clothing technology, 2020

Environmental footprints and eco-design of products and processes, Jun 17, 2018

The luxury sector is a well-established global industry worth approximately US$200 billion a year... more The luxury sector is a well-established global industry worth approximately US$200 billion a year; although successful, the luxury market is quietly being re-framed to align with key and emerging trends in the industry. The concept of sustainability is gaining increased attention by the industry and consumers. Many companies including H&M, Levi’s, and Nike have already incorporated sustainable development and supply chain partner that focus on sustainability into their business models. Sustainability being inconsistent with value associated with the luxury sector, which is a leading sector known for high margins and social reputation, reports have criticized luxury brands for lagging behind others with regard to sustainable development. Considering their ‘value network’ in a conventional way and ignoring emerging needs and social conditions may be the reasons why the existing luxury companies have not adopted sustainability practices more quickly. Under increasing pressure to implement sustainable development throughout the industry, some new luxury entrepreneurs are emerging with remarkable perspectives on sustainable development. They break the traditional business innovation known to the luxury sector and are implementing the concept of sustainable development as a direction in their business strategies. In addition, they are moving toward developing a circular economy to realize ‘sustainability’ in their supply chains. In this chapter, redefinition of luxury, trends in the luxury market, adoption of sustainability among luxury brands and consumers, disruptive business model innovation, and the circular economy are discussed. At last, a case study on sustainable luxury swimwear entrepreneurs is presented.

Innovate to Elevate, Dec 31, 2022

International nonwovens journal, Dec 1, 2005

A surgical face mask is an important medical device used to protect both surgical patients and op... more A surgical face mask is an important medical device used to protect both surgical patients and operating room personnel from the transfer of microorganisms, body fluids and particulate material. In this research, the effect of repellent finish on filtration ability of surgical face masks was studied. In determining the filtration ability of surgical face masks, a technique using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) was used to determine particle capture. Small particles present on/in nonwoven fabrics of the face masks were located using LSCM. Then, image analysis was used to quantify the small particles by total area to evaluate the filtration ability. The results showed that the filtration layer was the primary contributor to the barrier effectiveness of the surgical face mask. Statistical analysis was performed and the results showed that although repellent finish decreased the filtration ability of the cover layer, it did not affect the filtration ability of the filtration layer.

Journal of Environmental Polymer Degradation, 1993

... Page 2. 46 Leonas and Gorden additives are being incorporated into the polymer to enhance deg... more ... Page 2. 46 Leonas and Gorden additives are being incorporated into the polymer to enhance degradation. Introduction ... provided. Microorganisms were introduced by using water sam-ples from more than 20 aquatic systems around Illinois. ...

Textile Research Journal, Sep 1, 2000

A one-bath process to apply both antimicrobial and fluorochemical repellent finishes to nonwoven ... more A one-bath process to apply both antimicrobial and fluorochemical repellent finishes to nonwoven surgical gown fabrics is investigated in this study. The finishes are applied to two nonwovens: a polypropylene spunbonded/meltblown/spunbonded fabric and a wood pulp/polyester spunlaced fabric. Four different add-on levels of the finishes are applied to each fabric, resulting in sixteen finish combinations per fabric. Results show that both finishes are compatible for application in a one-bath process, and the antimicrobial and repellent properties are adequate with this process. Minimum chemical add-on levels of the antimicrobial and oil repellent finishes to achieve acceptable antimicrobial and repellent properties are determined for each fabric. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial finish is not affected by the repellent finish, but the effectiveness of the repellent finish varies with the add-on level of the antimicrobial finish.

Journal of Environmental Polymer Degradation, Oct 1, 1994

The degradation of four formulations of yard waste-filled collection bags was evaluated in a fiel... more The degradation of four formulations of yard waste-filled collection bags was evaluated in a fieldscale test of 15.5-or 3 l-m-long windrows at a community yard waste composting site. Variables of bag contents, bag chemical composition, and length of exposure were evaluated. Chemical compositions of the bags included (1) low-density polyethylene (LDPE) + 6% cornstarch + 2 levels of prooxidant0 (2) LDPE + 9% cornstarch + prooxidants, and (3) LDPE without cornstarch but with photooxidation enhancers. Results showed that all products weakened and/or disintegrated to some extent. However, the bags with 6% starch disintegrated too slowly to allow timely processing of the compost. The bags with 9% starch and other additives to promote multiple degradation mechanisms degraded at the fastest rate of those evaluated here. The photodegradable bags with solar exposure during composting disintegrated rapidly, but when turned to expose new surfaces to light, further strength losses occurred slowly.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, May 1, 1991

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Aug 20, 2021

PurposeThis study aims to investigate consumer knowledge of environmentally sustainable apparel (... more PurposeThis study aims to investigate consumer knowledge of environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) and examine the impact of communication on consumer knowledge of ESA.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a quantitative survey focused on Millennial and Generation Z consumers. Two communication methods, hangtags and product webpages, were involved. First, two instruments were established to measure consumers’ objective and subjective knowledge of ESA. Second, two questionnaires were developed to collect participants’ knowledge before and after reading hangtags or product webpages.FindingsThere were 385 useable responses. It was found that participants’ knowledge about waste and cotton production’s water issues was less than their knowledge of other subjects and did not increase after reading the related information on hangtags or webpages. Participants’ subjective knowledge was significantly higher than their objective knowledge after communication. The positive effects of communicating with consumers via hangtags and webpages on consumers’ subjective knowledge were confirmed. Additionally, the ESA information provided via hangtags was more effective than webpages in improving consumers’ objective knowledge.Originality/valueThis study makes up for the deficiency in the literature. It provides in-depth insights on consumers’ knowledge of ESA by investigating consumer knowledge before and after communication based on consumer knowledge structure. The textile and apparel industry can use this study’s findings to improve communication with consumers and aid in sustainable product distribution.