Clean room

The hybridizations of two-dimensional (2D) metallic materials with semiconducting transition metal oxides (TMOs) register attractive heterojunctions, which can find various applications in photostimulated circumstances. In this work, we developed an ambient-pressure chemical vapor deposition method to directly grow T-VS2 on atomically smooth rutile TiO2 single crystals with different terminations and thus successfully constructed a heterojunction model of VS2 /TiO2 with a well-defined clean interface. Detailed measurements with Kelvin probe force microscopy revealed the facet-dependent charge transfer occurring at the VS2 /TiO2 interfaces, seeing variations not only in the amount and direction of the transferred electrons but also in the photoinduced surface potential changes and the dynamics of photogenerated charge carriers under ultraviolet irradiation...

BACKGROUND: Bladder exstrophy (BE) poses challenges both during the surgical repair and throughout follow-up. In 2013, a multi-institutional BE consortium was initiated, which included utilization of unified surgical principles for the complete primary repair of exstrophy (CPRE), real time coaching, ongoing video capture and review of video footage, prospective data collection, and routine patient data analysis, with the goal of optimizing the surgical procedure to minimize devastating complications such as glans ischemia and bladder dehiscence while maximizing the rate of volitional voiding with continence and long term protection of the upper tracts...

Aim: To present a complex case of Ahmed tube exposure 6 months after the implantation associated with corneal melting and iris prolapse, and the surgical reposition that required multiple allografts and limbal reconstruction. Methods: A 60-year-old patient arrived at the emergency room with tube exposure combined with corneal melting and iris prolapse from a previously placed Ahmed valve 6 months prior. Our approach was to use one corneoscleral graft to repair the melted cornea and avoid further iris prolapse and a second scleral graft to cover the repositioned tube...

Hemodialysis is an important part of nosocomial infection prevention and control (IPC). This study aimed to identify the key potential risk areas and failure modes in hemodialysis rooms in hospitals and put forward a series of improvement measures to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Hemodialysis patients are highly susceptible to COVID-19 and usually have a high incidence of severe illness and mortality after infection with COVID-19. Therefore, IPC in hemodialysis patients is of crucial strategic significance...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Methicillin-resistant coagulase-positive staphylococci (MRCoPS) cause pyoderma, dermatitis, and nosocomial infection. Numerous factors, including indiscriminate antimicrobial use (AMU) in veterinary medicine, cleaning practices, and AMU in hospitals, contribute to MRCoPS. However, the relationship between hospital age and MRCoPS has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MRCoPS in the treatment and operation rooms of new, middle-aged, and old veterinary hospitals...

INTRODUCTION: Quality and safety of a cell product, essential to guarantee the health of patients, depends on many factors including an appropriate environmental monitoring of the manufacturing rooms. Nonetheless, the maintenance of a controlled environment is requested to minimize the risk of contamination. Thus, a timely detection of changes in microbiological trends is important to adopt promptly effective measures against resistant strains that, in turn, may invalidate not only the sanitization procedures but also the safety of the cell product...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the process of implementing a traceability and safe drug manufacturing system in the clean room of a Pharmacy Service to increase patient safety, in accordance with current legislation. METHODS: The process was carried out between September 2021 and July 2022. The software program integrated all the recommended stages of the manufacturing process outlined in the "Good Practices Guide for Medication Preparation in Pharmacy Services" (GBPP)...

High-efficiency and high-quality removal of sulfurized silicone rubber from insulator surfaces is paramount for high-voltage power systems. To address this issue, and aiming to achieve precise and nondestructive cleaning of room temperature vulcanized (RTV) coatings, we selected millisecond laser cleaning technology in this study. Successful and efficient cleaning of the RTV coating was performed by adjusting laser parameters. Characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and confocal microscopy, were employed to comprehensively assess the cleaning effects and ensure the integrity of the substrate surface...

INTRODUCTION: The National Health Service contributes 4%-5% of England and Wales' greenhouse gases and a quarter of all public sector waste. Between 20% and 33% of healthcare waste originates from a hospital's operating room, and up to 90% of waste is sent for costly and unneeded hazardous waste processing. The goal of this study was to quantify the amount and type of waste produced during a selection of common trauma and elective orthopaedic operations, and to calculate the carbon footprint of processing the waste...

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the implementation of visual management in the central sterile supply department, focusing on enhancing work efficiency, improving work quality, reducing errors and accidents, and elevating the satisfaction levels of clinical departments. METHODS: Visual flow diagrams were carefully developed and classified by a dedicated team from July to August 2021, led by an established visual management team. Subsequently, department staff underwent organized training sessions to understand the concepts, requirements, and contents of these visual management flow diagrams through a related examination...

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an established method for producing high-purity thin films, but it typically necessitates the pre- and post-processing using a mask to produce structures. This paper presents a novel maskless patterning technique that enables area selective CVD of gold. A focused electron beam is used to decompose the metal-organic precursor Au(acac)Me2 locally, thereby creating an autocatalytically active seed layer for subsequent CVD with the same precursor. The procedure could be included in the same CVD process without the need for clean room lithographic processing...

There are several steps involved when performing high-level disinfection (HLD) of semicritical devices. The recently updated AORN "Guideline for manual high-level disinfection" provides perioperative nurses with evidence-based best practices for performing safe and effective HLD of reusable semicritical items. The guideline also addresses preventing injury to patients and health care workers associated with the handling of high-level disinfectants. This article provides an overview of the guideline and discusses recommendations for selection of a processing method, sterile processing areas, preparation of items for HLD, preparation of high-level disinfectants, manual HLD, drying and storage of items after HLD, and processing records...

Cell phone cleaning Key words: electronic device, disinfect, hand hygiene, bacteria, cell phone. Laundry facility accreditation Key words: linen, laundering, inspection, accreditation standards, Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC). Cleaning hybrid OR floor tracks Key words: hybrid OR, between-patient cleaning, terminal cleaning, maintenance, tracking system. Nail coverings in the perioperative setting Key words: nail lacquer, enhanced nail lacquer, artificial nails, natural nails, hand hygiene.

Seaweeds, rich in high-value polysaccharides with thickening/gelling properties (e.g., agar, carrageenan, and alginate), are extensively used in the food industry for texture customization and enhancement. However, conventional extraction methods for these hydrocolloids often involve potentially hazardous chemicals and long extraction times. In this study, three red seaweed species ( Chondrus crispus , Gelidium Corneum , and Gracilaria gracilis ) commercialized as food ingredients by local companies were chosen for their native gelling biopolymers, which were extracted using water-based methodologies (i...

Hospitals in Europe produce approximately 6 million tons of medical waste annually, about one-third of this originating in operating rooms. Most of it is solid waste, which can be recycled if bodily fluids do not contaminate it. Only 2-3% of hospital waste must be disposed of as infectious waste, and this is much lower than the 50-70% of garbage in the biohazard waste stream. In June 2021, at the main operating room of the Department of General Surgery of the University of Turin, we began a separate collection program for materials consisting of plastic, paper, TNT (material not contaminated by bodily fluids), and biohazardous waste...

Entomological sampling and storage conditions often prioritise efficiency, practicality and conservation of morphological characteristics, and may therefore be suboptimal for DNA preservation. This practice can impact downstream molecular applications, such as the generation of high-throughput genomic libraries, which often requires substantial DNA input amounts. Here, we use a practical Tn5 transposase tagmentation-based library preparation method optimised for 96-well plates and low yield DNA extracts from insect legs that were stored under sub-optimal conditions for DNA preservation...

INTRODUCTION: Structural abnormalities or anomalies in the anterior teeth, also known as the aesthetic zone, are an important problem for patients and a challenge for dentists. Structural abnormalities or tooth anomalies can change in color, shape, and function. Most dentists prefer minimally invasive aesthetic treatment. One of the aesthetic treatment options for anterior teeth is veneers. Veneer is a restoration that covers the labial part of the tooth with a thin layer of material to correct abnormalities in the color, shape, or function of the tooth...

An emerging intervention for control of airborne-mediated pandemics and epidemics is whole-room far-UVC (200-235 nm). Laboratory studies have shown that 222-nm light inactivates airborne pathogens, potentially without harm to exposed occupants. While encouraging results have been reported in benchtop studies and in room-sized bioaerosol chambers, there is a need for quantitative studies of airborne pathogen reduction in occupied rooms. We quantified far-UVC mediated reduction of aerosolized murine norovirus (MNV) in an occupied mouse-cage cleaning room within an animal-care facility...

Latent bloodstain detection remains imperative for crime scene investigators. Widely used luminol offers high sensitivity to human blood, but can produce untrustworthy results from a bleach-cleaned crime scene or in a room not dark enough. Furthermore, dark pigments impede imaging bloodstains covered by dark materials with previously reported bloodstain detection agents. A novel on/off human albumin-sensing dye (SO3C7) is reported herein with a longer emission wavelength (942 nm) than previous materials that allows imaging behind ∼5 mm of black fabric...

BACKGROUND: Biosynthetic meshes afford the cost advantages of being made from fully synthetic material, but are also biodegradable, making them a versatile option that can be used in both clean and contaminated cases. The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety profile and long-term outcomes of using GORE BIO-A (BIO-A) as an adjunct to abdominal wall reconstruction in all wound classes. METHODS: A retrospective review identified patients undergoing abdominal hernia repair using BIO-A from October 2008 to June 2018...