The Association between the L3 Skeletal Muscle Index Derived from Computed Tomography and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Urinary Tract Infection in the Emergency Department.

The occurrence of a critical event during a urinary tract infection (UTI) can have a significant impact on mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association between the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and critical events in patients with a UTI. From April 2019 to March 2022, a total of 478 patients who met the diagnostic criteria of a UTI and underwent an abdominal CT were included in this study. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess independent predictors of critical events. The primary outcome was any critical event, defined as the initiation of dialysis, invasive ventilation, initiation of vasoactive medications, cardiac arrest, or death. The UTI patients were divided into two groups: those with a low SMI (n = 93) and those with a high SMI (n = 385). In multivariate analysis, a low SMI, diabetes mellitus, altered mentality, lactate levels, and creatinine levels were identified as significant predictors of critical events. A low SMI is an independent factor associated with the occurrence of critical events in UTI patients during hospitalization. Patients with a low SMI, indicating muscle wasting, may have less resilience to infections and a higher risk of experiencing severe complications. Considering the SMI along with other clinical factors can help health care providers assess and manage UTI patients.

Melamine sponge-based copper-organic framework (Cu-CPP) as a multi-functional filter for air purifiers.

COVID-19 has drawn great attention on the necessity for establishing pathogen-free indoor air. This paper offers an insight into the potential application of a multi-purpose filter to remove fine particulates and disinfect pathogens using melamine sponge with a copper-organic framework. In-situ growth dip coating method was applied to coat Cu-based coordination polymer particle (Cu-CPP) on melamine sponge (MS). The integration of Cu-CPPs with high crystallinity and highly active surface area (1,318.1 m2/g) enabled Cu-CPP/MS to have an excellent capture rate (99.66%) and an instant disinfection rate of 99.54% for Escherichia coli. Electrostatic attraction seemed to play a crucial role in capturing negative-charged pathogens effectively by positive charges on Cu-CPP arising from unbalanced copper ions in Cu-CPP. Disinfection of pathogens was mainly attributed to catalytically active Cu2+ sites. Organic ligand played an important role in bridging and maintaining Cu2+ ions within the framework. This study highlights the design of a new capture-and-disinfection (CDS) air filter system for pathogens using Cu-CPP/MS. It can be applied as a substitute for conventional high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Electronic Supplementary Material: Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s11814-021-1000-4 and is accessible for authorized users.