Orientation-dependent oxidation behavior of Cu under In-situ E-Beam irradiation.

Herein, we present an atomic in-situ investigation of Cu oxidation along different orientations stimulated by high-energy electron beams (E-Beam) in transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By following the microstructural evolution of the Cu substrate in real time, high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) images reveal an orientation-dependent oxidation mechanism, whereby Cu along [110] zone axis migrates onto the surface and be oxidized while Cu along [100] zone axis is oxidized completely both in bulk and at the surface. The different oxidation mechanisms can be attributed to the differing diffusion rates of oxygen in Cu structures along directions. Moreover, the growth of Cu oxides is found to follow a layer-by-layer mechanism, where Cu mostly migrates onto nanocrystal {110} planes. This behavior would lead to the oxides wider in geometric shape and therefore promote the aggregation of adjacent oxides. These findings have important implications for the practical use of copper-based materials in oxidizing environments.

Nonthermal plasma air disinfection for the inactivation of airborne microorganisms in an experimental chamber and indoor air.

AIMS: Airborne transmission of diseases presents a serious threat to human health, so effective air disinfection technology to eliminate microorganisms in indoor air is very important. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a non-thermal plasma (NTP) air disinfector in both laboratory experiments and real environments. METHODS AND RESULTS: An experimental chamber was artificially polluted with a bioaerosol containing bacteria or viruses. Additionally, classroom environments with and without people present were used in field tests. Airborne microbial and particle concentrations were quantified. A 3.0 log10 reduction in the initial load was achieved when a virus-containing aerosol was disinfected for 60 min and a bacteria-containing aerosol was disinfected for 90 min. In the field test, when no people were present in the room, NTP disinfection decreased the airborne microbial and particle concentrations (P < 0.05). When people were present in the room, their constant activity continuously contaminated the indoor air, but all airborne indicators decreased (P < 0.05) except for planktonic bacteria (P = 0.094). CONCLUSIONS: NTP effectively inactivated microorganisms and particles in indoor air.

Effects of neuropeptide Y on the immune-protection and intestinal tract of juvenile Micropterus salmoides.

Neuropeptide Y is known to be directly or indirectly involved in immune regulation. The immune effects of NPY include immune cell transport, helper T cell differentiation, cytokine secretion, staining and killer cell activity, phagocytosis and production of reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigated the immunoprotective effect of synthetic NPY on largemouth bass larvae. For the first time, the dose and time effects of NPY injection on largemouth bass was explored, and then Poly I:C and LPS infection was carried out in juvenile largemouth bass, respectively, after the injection of NPY. The results showed that NPY could reduce the inflammatory response by inhibiting the expression of il-1ß, tgf-ß, ifn-γ and other immune factors in head kidney, spleen and brain, and alleviate the immune stress caused by strong inflammatory response in the early stage of infection. Meanwhile, NPY injection ameliorated the intestinal tissue damage caused by infection. This study provides a new way to protect juvenile fish and improve its innate immunity.

Deep Fusion of Multi-Template Using Spatio-Temporal Weighted Multi-Hypergraph Convolutional Networks for Brain Disease Analysis.

Conventional functional connectivity network (FCN) based on resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) can only reflect the relationship between pairwise brain regions. Thus, the hyper-connectivity network (HCN) has been widely used to reveal high-order interactions among multiple brain regions. However, existing HCN models are essentially spatial HCN, which reflect the spatial relevance of multiple brain regions, but ignore the temporal correlation among multiple time points. Furthermore, the majority of HCN construction and learning frameworks are limited to using a single template, while the multi-template carries richer information. To address these issues, we first employ multiple templates to parcellate the rs-fMRI into different brain regions. Then, based on the multi-template data, we propose a spatio-temporal weighted HCN (STW-HCN) to capture more comprehensive high-order temporal and spatial properties of brain activity. Next, a novel deep fusion model of multi-template called spatio-temporal weighted multi-hypergraph convolutional network (STW-MHGCN) is proposed to fuse the STW-HCN of multiple templates, which extracts the deep interrelation information between different templates. Finally, we evaluate our method on the ADNI-2 and ABIDE-I datasets for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) analysis. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is superior to the state-of-the-art approaches in MCI and ASD classification, and the abnormal spatio-temporal hyper-edges discovered by our method have significant significance for the brain abnormalities analysis of MCI and ASD.

Response of Neuropeptides to Hunger Signals in Teleost.

INTRODUCTION: The perception of hunger is a complex physiological process that requires precise coordination between the central and peripheral tissues. METHODS: In this study, tilapia fasted for 24 h was chosen to establish a hunger model to study the mechanism of homeostasis recovery under the joint regulation of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues. RESULTS: The gastric and intestinal contents of tilapia were predominantly depleted after a fasting period of 9 h and 24 h, respectively. The serum glucose level significantly decreased at the 9-h and 24-h fasting, respectively, and the glucokinase-dependent glucosensing mechanism in the liver was identified as well as the significant activation of phospho-AMPK. However, fasting for 24 h did not activate glucosensing mechanisms and AMPK signaling pathways in the hypothalamus. On the other hand, significant reductions were observed in the mRNA levels of the lipid synthesis-related genes fas and accα, and the serum triglyceride levels as well. The mRNA levels of npy, agrp, pomc, and cart in the hypothalamus fluctuated during the fasting period without significant differences. With in situ hybridization npy signals upregulated in the ventral zone of posterior periventricular nucleus after 24-h fasting, pomc signals enhanced in the lateral tuberal nucleus. Based on the serum metabolomic analysis, the levels of branched-chain amino acids, butyrate, and short-chain acylcarnitine decreased, while those of medium- and long-chain acylcarnitine increased. CONCLUSION: Fasting for 24 h resulted in changes in npy and pomc signals within the hypothalamus and triggered the glucosensing mechanism in the liver of tilapia. This study is beneficial for elucidating the response of neuropeptides in the CNS to the changes of nutritional factors when hungry.

The competitive advantage of Microcystis aeruginosa over Scenedesmus obliquus weakened by exposure to polylactic acid microplastics.

Aquatic ecosystems are heavily affected by microplastics (MPs), and its impacts on aquatic life have received extensive attention. However, it is still unclear how biodegradable MPs influence the growth and competition of phytoplankton. In this study, the response of growth dynamics, alternation in algal cell morphology and toxin-producing capability, and changes in the extracellular process of Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) and Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) were systematically studied in monoculture and co-culture conditions with and without the presence of polylactic acid MPs (PLA-MPs). The results indicated that although the loss of cell integrity was observed, PLA-MPs addition (50 mg/L) caused a 1.40- and 1.36-fold increase in cell densities of M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus in monoculture systems, respectively. This suggests the PLA-MPs more favored the growth of M. aeruginosa. This effect was manifested in co-culture conditions, because the degradation of PLA-MPs provided additional inorganic carbon in the experimental systems and benefited the growth of both M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus. Meanwhile, the synthesis of microcystins from the toxic M. aeruginosa was substantially reduced upon PLA-MPs exposure, which reduced the competitive advantage of M. aeruginosa over S. obliquus. Thus; the cell density of M. aeruginosa and S. obliquus showed 1.15- and 1.88-folds increasing compared to that without PLA-MPs addition. This interaction between PLA-MPs and algae weakened the competitive advantage of M. aeruginosa over S. obliquus, but their competitive outcomes remained unchanged. The results provided new insights into understanding the potential ecological risks of biodegradable plastics in aquatic ecosystems.

Metal(loid)s in organic-matter-polluted urban rivers in China: Spatial pattern, ecological risk and reciprocal interactions with aquatic microbiome.

Black-odorous urban rivers can serve as reservoirs for heavy metals and other pollutants, in which sewage-derived labile organic matter triggering the water blackening and odorization largely determine the fate and ecological impact of the heavy metals. Nonetheless, information on the pollution and ecological risk of heavy metals and their reciprocal impact on microbiome in organic matter-polluted urban rivers remain unknown. In this study, sediment samples were collected and analyzed from 173 typical black-odorous urban rivers in 74 cities across China, providing a comprehensive nationwide assessment of heavy metal contamination. The results revealed substantial contamination levels of 6 heavy metals (i.e., Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Li), with average concentrations ranging from 1.85 to 6.90 times higher than their respective background values in soil. Notably, the southern, eastern, and central regions of China exhibited particularly elevated contamination levels. In comparison to oligotrophic and eutrophic waters, the black-odorous urban rivers triggered by organic matter exhibited significantly higher proportions of the unstable form of these heavy metals, indicating elevated ecological risks. Further analyses suggested the critical roles of organic matter in shaping the form and bioavailability of heavy metals through fueling microbial processes. In addition, most heavy metals had significantly higher but varied impact on the prokaryotic populations relative to eukaryotes.

In Situ Atomic-Scale Deciphering of Multiple Dynamic Phase Transformations and Reversible Sodium Storage in Ternary Metal Sulfide Anode.

Ternary metal sulfides (TMSs), endowed with the synergistic effect of their respective binary counterparts, hold great promise as anode candidates for boosting sodium storage performance. Their fundamental sodium storage mechanisms associated with dynamic structural evolution and reaction kinetics, however, have not been fully comprehended. To enhance the electrochemical performance of TMS anodes in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), it is of critical importance to gain a better mechanistic understanding of their dynamic electrochemical processes during live (de)sodiation cycling. Herein, taking BiSbS3 anode as a representative paradigm, its real-time sodium storage mechanisms down to the atomic scale during the (de)sodiation cycling are systematically elucidated through in situ transmission electron microscopy. Previously unexplored multiple phase transformations involving intercalation, two-step conversion, and two-step alloying reactions are explicitly revealed during sodiation, in which newly formed Na2BiSbS4 and Na2BiSb are respectively identified as intermediate phases of the conversion and alloying reactions. Impressively, the final sodiation products of Na6BiSb and Na2S can recover to the original BiSbS3 phase upon desodiation, and afterward, a reversible phase transformation can be established between BiSbS3 and Na6BiSb, where the BiSb as an individual phase (rather than respective Bi and Sb phases) participates in reactions. These findings are further verified by operando X-ray diffraction, density functional theory calculations, and electrochemical tests. Our work provides valuable insights into the mechanistic understanding of sodium storage mechanisms in TMS anodes and important implications for their performance optimization toward high-performance SIBs.

Controlling internal nutrients loading at low temperature using oxygen-loading zeolite and submerged macrophytes enhances environmental resilience to subsequent high temperature.

Nutrients releasing from anoxic sediment can be enhanced in summer because the dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) migration are susceptible to temperature. Herein, we proposed a method to hinder the aquatic environmental deterioration in warm seasons through consecutive application of oxygen- and lanthanum-modified zeolite (LOZ) and submerged macrophytes (V. natans) at low temperature scenario (5 °C, with depleted DO in water), and the effect was examined with drastic increasing the ambient temperature to 30 °C. The investigation was conducted in a microcosm scale including sediment cores (with a diameter of 11 cm, height of 10 cm) and overlying water (with depth of 35 cm). During the 60 days experiment, application of LOZ at 5 °C facilitated slower releasing and diffusion of oxygen from LOZ and the growth of V. natans. Thereby, when the temperature was increased to 30 °C and maintained for 35 days, the DO reached 10.01 mg/L, and the release of P and N from the sediment was reduced by 86% and 92%, respectively. This was achieved from the joint efforts of adsorption, biological conversion, chemical inactivation, and assimilation. Also, the LOZ inhibited 80% N2O, 75% CH4, and 70% CO2 emissions primary by promoting V. natans growth and reshaping microbiota. Meanwhile, the colonization of V. natans benefited the sustainable improvement in the water quality. Our results addressed the time that the remediation of anoxic sediment can be applied.

An Integrated Liver Function, Systemic Inflammation, and Tumor Characteristic Score Predicts Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Resection.

BACKGROUND: Several scoring systems are currently used to predict prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but none of them integrates liver function, systemic inflammation, and tumor characteristics in a unified model. The current study aimed to develop and validate a novel prognostic score that integrates liver function, systemic inflammation, and tumor characteristics in a unified model to predict the prognosis of HCC after curative resection. METHODS: Patients with HCC who underwent curative liver resection were included in a training set (n = 1027). Multivariate Cox regression was performed to determine the risk factors for a poor prognosis. A prognostic score was developed by assigning points for risk factors in proportion to beta coefficients in a Cox multivariable model. Predictive performance and distinction ability of the prognostic score were further evaluated in two independent validation cohorts treated with either curative resection (n = 281) or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (n = 404) and compared with 16 other models. RESULTS: The prognostic predictive system, named the function-inflammation-burden-alpha-fetoprotein (FIBA) score, was derived by assigning points for six independent predictors including albumin, total bilirubin, lymphocyte count, diameter of the largest tumor, number of tumors, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The FIBA score showed an outperformed predictive value compared with other systems in both training and validation cohorts by giving the highest C-index, likelihood ratio chi-square values, and Wald test values as well as the lowest Akaike information criterion. CONCLUSION: The FIBA score can be used to stratify HCC patients treated with curative resection. Meanwhile, the FIBA score performs well against other prognostic scoring systems and is potentially broadly applicable to a TACE-treated patient cohort.

Cone-beam computed tomography is not a mandatory procedure in adrenal venous sampling for primary hyperaldosteronism.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the necessity of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in adrenal venous sampling (AVS). METHODS: This retrospective study included 120 consecutive patients with primary hyperaldosteronism who underwent AVS. Based on the learning curve of the interventional radiologists, the patients were divided into the learning (n = 36) and proficiency (n = 84) groups chronologically. Based on the imaging pattern of the right adrenal vein (RAV), the patients were divided into the typical (n = 36) and atypical (n = 84) groups. The success rate, radiation dose, and sampling time were compared among the entire study population and each subgroup. RESULTS: A total of 69 patients underwent CBCT, whereas 51 patients did not. The overall success rate was 85.8%, and no difference was noted between patients with and without CBCT (P = 0.347). However, radiation dose (P = 0.018) and sampling time (P = 0.001) were significantly higher in patients who underwent CBCT than in patients who did not. In learning group, CBCT improved success rate from 62.5 to 96.4% (P = 0.028), whereas it was not found in the proficiency group (P = 0.693). Additionally, success rate in patients with an atypical RAV imaging pattern was significantly higher when CBCT was used than when it was not used (P = 0.041), whereas no difference was noted in patients with typical RAV imaging pattern (P = 0.511). CONCLUSION: For physicians not very experienced doing AVS, there is a clear significant improvement in success rate when CBCT is used. However, CBCT only has minimal benefit for experienced operators, meanwhile CBCT may take an extra time and increase the radiation dose during AVS.

Unraveling Atomic-Scale Origins of Selective Ionic Transport Pathways and Sodium-Ion Storage Mechanism in Bi2 S3 Anodes.

It is a major challenge to achieve a high-performance anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with high specific capacity, high rate capability, and cycling stability. Bismuth sulfide, which features a high theoretical specific capacity, tailorable morphology, and low cost, has been considered as a promising anode for SIBs. Nevertheless, due to a lack of direct atomistic observation, the detailed understanding of fundamental intercalation behavior and Bi2 S3 's (de)sodiation mechanisms remains unclear. Here, by employing in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, consecutive electron diffraction coupled with theoretical calculations, it is not only for the first time identified that Bi2 S3 exhibits specific ionic transport pathways preferred to diffuse along the (110) direction instead of the (200) plane, but also tracks their real-time phase transformations (de)sodiation involving multi-step crystallographic tuning. The finite-element analysis further disclosed multi-reaction induced deformation and the relevant stress evolution originating from the combined effect of the mechanical and electrochemical interaction. These discoveries not only deepen the understanding of fundamental science about the microscopic reaction mechanism of metal chalcogenide anodes but also provide important implications for performance optimization.

Liver resection versus microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma in ideal candidates for ablation per Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging: a propensity score matching and inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection (LRE) and microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been widely compared. AIMS: To compare the therapeutic outcomes of percutaneous MWA and LRE for HCC in ideal candidates for ablation according to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging METHODS: Between August 2013 and November 2020, 483 consecutive patients meeting criteria for "ideal candidates for ablation" per the BCLC staging initially treated with MWA (n = 168) or LRE (n = 315) were included. Patients were further divided into BCLC-0 (n = 116) and BCLC-A (n = 367) groups. Overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS) and post-procedure-related complication rates were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) in the overall population and subgroups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine whether the treatment modality was an independent prognostic factor. RESULTS: LRE had a better RFS and similar OS and post-procedure-related complication rates compared to MWA in the overall population and in the BCLC-A subgroup both before and after PSM and IPTW. However, the OS, RFS and post-procedure-related complication rates were equivalent between the two groups before and after PSM and IPTW in patients with BCLC-0 disease. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that LRE was associated with better RFS over MWA in overall population (p = 0.003; HR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.51-0.87) and BCLC-A disease (p = 0.046; HR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.56-0.99), while it did not differ in OS. CONCLUSION: An 'ideal candidate for ablation' according to the BCLC staging system may not be an ideal candidate for MWA. However, patients with BCLC-0 may be the optimal population for MWA.

Atomic-Scale Tracking of Dynamic Nucleation and Growth of an Interfacial Lead Nanodroplet.

Revealing the evolutional pathway of the nucleation and crystallization of nanostructures at the atomic scale is crucial for understanding the complex growth mechanisms at the early stage of new substances and spices. Real-time discrimination of the atomic mechanism of a nanodroplet transition is still a formidable challenge. Here, taking advantage of the high temporal and spatial resolution of transmission electron microscopy, the detailed growth pathway of Pb nanodroplets at the early stage of nucleation was directly observed by employing electron beams to induce the nucleation, growth, and fusion process of Pb nanodroplets based on PbTiO3 nanowires. Before the nucleation of Pb nanoparticles, the atoms began to precipitate when they were irradiated by electrons, forming a local crystal structure, and then rapidly and completely crystallized. Small nanodroplets maintain high activity and high density and gradually grow and merge into stable crystals. The whole process was recorded and imaged by HRTEM in real time. The growth of Pb nanodroplets advanced through the classical path and instantaneous droplet coalescence. These results provide an atomic-scale insight on the dynamic process of solid/solid interface, which has implications in thin-film growth and advanced nanomanufacturing.

Current Status and Factors Associated with Clean Operating Rooms: A Survey of Hospitals in China.

Background: Indoor air quality is controlled in the clean operating room (OR) to reduce the risk of surgical-site infections (SSIs). The aim of this study is to assess the usage and management of clean ORs in China and to identify factors associated with the risk of SSIs. Methods: An online survey was distributed to hospitals in China from August 5 to September 5, 2018 via the WeChat account of the Shanghai International Forum for Infection Control and Prevention. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: basic information (hospital type, level, and number of beds) and usage and management (number of ORs, usage time, maintenance mode, test frequency, compliance with current standards, and comfort of healthcare workers). The significance of factors associated with the cleanliness and maintenance of clean ORs was assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Among 1,308 responding hospitals, 25.7% failed to comply with current standards. "Maintenance mode" had a significant effect on compliance with current standards for clean ORs (p < 0.0001) and "professional" maintenance was superior to "outsource or no" maintenance (odds ratio = 0.511, 95% confidence interval = 0.367-0.711). There was a significant difference in the comfort of healthcare workers in clean ORs that complied with current standards vs. those that did not (39.92% [388/972] vs. 64.28% [216/336], respectively, p < 0.0001). Humidity was the chief complaint among healthcare workers. Conclusion: Maintenance of clean ORs was significantly associated with the compliance of current standards. Noncompliance with current standards was associated with greater risks of SSIs. Maintenance of ORs for prevention of SSIs should consider the costs and benefits.

Electron Tomography Reveals Porosity Degradation Spatially on Individual Pt-Based Nanocatalysts.

Probing porosity evolution is essential to understand the degradation mechanism of electrocatalytic activity. However, spatially dependent degradation pathways for porous catalysts remain elusive. Here, we reveal the multiple degradation behaviors of individual PtCu3 nanocatalysts spatially by three-dimensional (3D) electron tomography. We demonstrate that the surface area-volume ratio (SVR) of cycled porous particles decreases linearly rather than reciprocally with particle size. Additionally, an improved SVR (about 3-fold enhancement) results in increased oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) efficiency at the early stage. However, in the subsequent cycles, the degradation of catalytic activity is due to the excessive growth of pores, the reduction of reaction sites, and the chemical segregation of Cu atoms. The spatial porosity evolution model of nanocatalysts is applicable for a wide range of catalytic reactions, providing a critical insight into the degradation of catalyst activity.

Curcumin loading and colon release of pectin gel beads: Effect of different de-esterification method.

Low methoxyl citrus pectin (LMP) de-esterified from high hydrostatic pressure assisted enzymatic (HHP-pectin) and two other traditional methods was characterized, and curcumin-pectin calcium gel beads were prepared to study curcumin-loading and colon-targeted delivery abilities. It was found there was no significant difference among different LMP on amorphous structure, while significantly higher Rha/GalA ratio of HHP-pectin indicated higher rhamnogalacturonan Ⅰ (RG-I) proportion and branching extent. Curcumin was well embedded in LMP beads with improved stability. HHP-pectin beads showed significantly higher hardness, chewiness and encapsulation efficiency, while lower swelling ratio. Moreover, in vitro simulated digestion showed gel beads can deliver curcumin to colon and inhibit premature release. HHP-pectin beads could release curcumin more quickly in colon, probably because of differences on texture properties, which may be depended on molecular structure. Thus, LMP especially HHP-pectin calcium gel as colon-targeted delivery system for curcumin may have potential application in function food and drug delivery.

Enhancement of denitrification in biofilters by immobilized biochar under low-temperature stress.

Efficient removal of nitrate under low temperature is challenging because of the reduction of the microbial activity. This study successfully explored the promotion on the performance of denitrification utilizing the immobilized biochar in biofilters under low temperature (6 ± 2 °C). The results showed that the immobilized biochar increased the denitrification rate by 76.8% and decreased the nitrous oxide emissions by 82.5%. Mechanistic studies revealed that the immobilized biochar increased the activities of the denitrifying enzymes and three enzymes involved in glycolysis. Furthermore, the immobilized biochar elevated the activity of the electron transport system by 31.8%. Finally, structural equation model explained that the increase of nitrate reductase activity was a crucial factor to enhance the total nitrogen removal efficiency in biofilters with immobilized biochar. Overall, the use of immobilized biochar can be a novel strategy to enhance nitrogen removal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in biofilters under low temperature.

Monitoring the Cleanliness of Reusable Surgical Instruments in Central Sterile Supply Department by Adenosine Triphosphate Method.

BACKGROUND: Cleaning is very important in reusable surgical instruments (RSI) reprocessing. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) method is widely used to assess cleanliness, but few studies focus on using this method on RSIs. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the ATP Bioluminescence Assay for monitoring the cleanliness of RSIs. METHODS: The study was conducted in three central sterile supply departments (CSSD) from 2015 to 2020. Surgical scissors, hemostatic forceps, and other non-lumen instruments were sampled after cleaning. The surface of each instrument was swabbed in a uniform manner, including hinged joints and teeth, and the amount of ATP (amol) was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 871 RSIs were tested, the mean ATP lg (amol) was 2.829 ± 0.539 and the qualified rate was 80.57%. Washer-disinfector cleaning was more efficient than manual cleaning, the mean ATP lg (amol) were 2.776 ± 0.513 and 2.948 ± 0.575, respectively; the qualified rates were 84.97% and 70.59%, respectively. With the time of bare instruments expose to environment increased, the qualified rate was decreased (Ptrend = 0.044). CONCLUSION: ATP levels are stable and repeatable for continuous monitoring of the cleanliness of RSIs. It is a rapid and viable method for assessing the cleanliness of RSIs. Washer-disinfector cleaning is recommended and cleaned instruments should be placed in sterile packaging in good time. HIGHLIGHTS: The ATP method is viable for assessing the cleanliness of RSI in CSSDs.

Ultraviolet-Light-emitting-diode activated monochloramine for the degradation of carbamazepine: Kinetics, mechanisms, by-product formation, and toxicity.

Monochloramine (NH2Cl) oxidant combined with a Ultraviolet (UV)-Light-emitting-diode (LED) light source forms a new advanced oxidation process (AOP), which can achieve high-efficiency degradation of carbamazepine (CBZ). The degradation of CBZ displayed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics (R2 > 0.98, kCBZ = 0.0043 cm2 mJ-1 at pH 7). The degradation of CBZ was dependent on UV-LED wavelength, with maximum degradation efficiency observed at 265 nm since it was the lowest wavelength studied among UV-LEDs. Variation in pH across the range, which might be expected under normal environmental conditions (pH 6-8), and the presence of Cl- had no significant effect on the degradation efficiency of CBZ, while the presence of HCO3- and natural organic matter (NOM) inhibited degradation. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments detected OH in the system. Probe compounds were used to distinguish the contribution of reactive chlorine species (RCS). It was proved that OH and Cl played major roles and OH was responsible for around 50% of the observed degradation of CBZ. Eight transformative products (TPs) in the degradation process of CBZ were identified, with a generally decreasing toxicity. The concentration of disinfection by-products (DBPs) formed during CBZ degradation was all within limits of WHO and China standard for drinking water. Although the concentration of nitrogen-containing DBPs (N-DBPs) was the lowest, N-DBPs were the main contributors to toxicity, and these would require more attention in practical applications. UV-LED/NH2Cl AOP was identified as an effective way to degrade pharmaceutically active compounds.