Evaluating the Performance of UV Disinfection across the 222-365 nm Spectrum against Aerosolized Bacteria and Viruses.

Bioaerosols play a significant role in the transmission of many infectious diseases, especially in enclosed indoor environments. Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection has demonstrated a high efficacy in inactivating microorganisms suspended in the air. To develop more effective and efficient UV disinfection protocols, it is necessary to evaluate and optimize the effectiveness of UV disinfection against aerosolized bacteria and viruses across the entire UV spectrum. In this study, we evaluated the performance of UV disinfection across the UV spectrum, ranging from 222 to 365 nm, against aerosolized bacteria and viruses, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella enterica, MS2, P22, and Phi6. Six commonly available UV sources, including gas discharge tubes and light-emitting diodes with different emission spectra, were utilized, and their performance in terms of inactivation efficacy, action spectrum, and energy efficiency was determined. Among these UV sources, the krypton chloride excilamp emitting at a peak wavelength of 222 nm was the most efficient in inactivating viral bioaerosols. A low-pressure mercury lamp emitting at 254 nm performed well on both inactivation efficacy and energy efficiency. A UV light-emitting diode emitting at 268 nm demonstrated the highest bacterial inactivation efficacy, but required approximately 10 times more energy to achieve an equivalent inactivation level compared with that of the krypton chloride excilamp and low-pressure mercury lamp. This study provides insights into UV inactivation on bioaerosols, which can guide the development of effective wavelength-targeted UV air disinfection technologies and may significantly help reduce bioaerosol transmission in public areas.

[The mechanism of SSO regulating SiO(2)-induced lipid metabolism disorders in macrophages was explored based on lipid metabolomics].

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Sulfo-N-succinimidyloleate (SSO) regulating lipid metabolism disorder induced by silicon dioxide (SiO(2)) . Methods: In March 2023, Rat alveolar macrophages NR8383 were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into control group (C), SSO exposure group (SSO), SiO(2) exposure group (SiO(2)) and SiO(2)+SSO exposure group (SiO(2)+SSO). NR8383 cells were exposure separately or jointly by SSO and SiO(2) for 36 h to construct cell models. Immunofluorescence and BODIPY 493/ 503 staining were used to detect cluster of differentiation (CD36) and intracellular lipid levels, the protein expression levels of CD36, liver X receptors (LXR), P-mammalian target of rapamycin (P-mTOR) and cholinephosphotransferase 1 (CHPT1) were detected by Western blot, respectively, and lipid metabolomics was used to screen for different lipid metabolites and enrichment pathways. Single-factor ANOVA was used for multi-group comparison, and LSD test was used for pair-to-group comparison. Results: SiO(2) caused the expression of CD36 and P-mTOR to increase (P=0.012, 0.020), the expression of LXR to decrease (P=0.005), and the intracellular lipid level to increase. After SSO treatment, CD36 expression decreased (P=0.023) and LXR expression increased (P=0.000) in SiO(2)+SSO exposure group compared with SiO(2) exposure group. Metabolomics identified 87 different metabolites in the C group and SiO(2) exposure group, 19 different metabolites in the SiO(2) exposure group and SiO(2)+SSO group, and 5 overlaps of different metabolites in the two comparison groups, they are PS (22∶1/14∶0), DG (O-16∶0/18∶0/0∶0), PGP (i-13∶0/i-20∶0), PC (18∶3/16∶0), and Sphinganine. In addition, the differential metabolites of the two comparison groups were mainly concentrated in the glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism pathways. The differential gene CHPT1 in glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway was verified, and the expression of CHPT1 decreased after SiO(2) exposure. Conclusion: SSO may improve SiO(2)-induced lipid metabolism disorders by regulating PS (22∶1/14∶0), DG (O-16∶0/18∶0/0∶0), PGP (i-13∶0/i-20∶0), PC (18∶3/16∶0), SPA, glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism pathways.

The safety and efficacy of balanced crystalloid vs. normal saline in non-cardiac surgeries - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Balanced crystalloid and normal saline are routinely used in clinical anesthesia, but their safety and efficacy in non-cardiac surgeries are still unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI, from January 1980 to March 2023, were searched. Studies comparing balanced crystalloid (BC) with normal saline (NS) during non-cardiac surgeries were included. The primary outcomes were clinical outcomes (acidosis, renal insufficiency, and mortality), and the secondary outcomes were pH value, Na+, Cl- and creatinine levels, and vasopressor requirement. RESULTS: Forty-three RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. Low evidence revealed that the development of acidosis was lower in the BC group than in the NS group (OR: 0.05, 95% CI: 0.01-0.43, I2=80.8%, p=0.00), and no between-group difference exists in renal insufficiency and mortality. At the end of surgery and on postoperative day 1 (POD 1), the pH value was higher, and the levels of Na+ and Cl- were lower in the BC group. No between-group difference exists in creatinine level and vasopressor requirement. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative balanced crystalloids can maintain the stability of acid-base and electrolyte balance and reduce acidosis compared with saline, but they cannot reduce postoperative renal insufficiency and mortality.

Recommended Resting-State fMRI Acquisition and Preprocessing Steps for Preoperative Mapping of Language and Motor and Visual Areas in Adult and Pediatric Patients with Brain Tumors and Epilepsy.

Resting-state (rs) fMRI has been shown to be useful for preoperative mapping of functional areas in patients with brain tumors and epilepsy. However, its lack of standardization limits its widespread use and hinders multicenter collaboration. The American Society of Functional Neuroradiology, American Society of Pediatric Neuroradiology, and the American Society of Neuroradiology Functional and Diffusion MR Imaging Study Group recommend specific rs-fMRI acquisition approaches and preprocessing steps that will further support rs-fMRI for future clinical use. A task force with expertise in fMRI from multiple institutions provided recommendations on the rs-fMRI steps needed for mapping of language, motor, and visual areas in adult and pediatric patients with brain tumor and epilepsy. These were based on an extensive literature review and expert consensus.Following rs-fMRI acquisition parameters are recommended: minimum 6-minute acquisition time; scan with eyes open with fixation; obtain rs-fMRI before both task-based fMRI and contrast administration; temporal resolution of ≤2 seconds; scanner field strength of 3T or higher. The following rs-fMRI preprocessing steps and parameters are recommended: motion correction (seed-based correlation analysis [SBC], independent component analysis [ICA]); despiking (SBC); volume censoring (SBC, ICA); nuisance regression of CSF and white matter signals (SBC); head motion regression (SBC, ICA); bandpass filtering (SBC, ICA); and spatial smoothing with a kernel size that is twice the effective voxel size (SBC, ICA).The consensus recommendations put forth for rs-fMRI acquisition and preprocessing steps will aid in standardization of practice and guide rs-fMRI program development across institutions. Standardized rs-fMRI protocols and processing pipelines are essential for multicenter trials and to implement rs-fMRI as part of standard clinical practice.

Analysis of risk factors for stone remnants and recurrence after lateral decubitus percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the risk factors for stone remnants and recurrence after lateral decubitus percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), providing insights to enhance the stone-free rate and reduce the stone recurrence rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 356 patients with renal or upper ureteral stones who underwent lateral decubitus PCNL from January 2015 to August 2022. Among them, 271 patients had complete clinical and follow-up data. General clinical information, perioperative data, and follow-up data were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for stone remnants and recurrence after lateral decubitus PCNL. RESULTS: The stone-free rate after lateral decubitus PCNL was 88.6% (195/271), and the stone recurrence rate within three years was 28.1% (76/271). Stone size (p<0.001) and stone co-infection (p=0.047) were identified as independent risk factors for stone remnants after lateral decubitus PCNL. Multiple stones (p=0.003) were an independent risk factor for stone recurrence after lateral decubitus PCNL. CONCLUSIONS: Stone size and stone co-infection are independent risk factors for stone remnants after lateral decubitus PCNL. Multiple stones are an independent risk factor for stone recurrence after lateral decubitus PCNL.

Salvaged single-unit cord blood transplantation for 26 patients with hematologic malignancies not in remission

Treatments for patients with hematologic malignancies not in remission are limited, but a few clinical studies have investigated the effects of salvaged unrelated cord blood transplantation (CBT). We retrospectively studied 19 patients with acute leukemia, 5 with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS with refractory anemia with excess blasts [RAEB]), and 2 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who received 1 CBT unit ≤2 loci human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-mismatched after undergoing myeloablative conditioning regimens between July 2005 and July 2014. All of them were in non-remission before transplantation. The infused total nucleated cell (TNC) dose was 4.07 (range 2.76-6.02)×107/kg and that of CD34+ stem cells was 2.08 (range 0.99-8.65)×105/kg. All patients were engrafted with neutrophils that exceeded 0.5×109/L on median day +17 (range 14-37 days) and had platelet counts of >20×109/L on median day +35 (range 17-70 days). Sixteen patients (61.5%) experienced pre-engraftment syndrome (PES), and six (23.1%) patients progressed to acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The cumulative incidence rates of II-IV acute GVHD and chronic GVHD were 50% and 26.9%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 27 months (range 5-74), 14 patients survived and 3 relapsed. The estimated 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and non-relapse mortality (NRM) rates were 50.5%, 40.3%, and 35.2%, respectively. Salvaged CBT might be a promising modality for treating hematologic malignancies, even in patients with a high leukemia burden.