Evaluation of the Impact of Refined Quality Control Management Model on the Qualified Rate of Disinfection and Sterilization of Surgical Instruments in the Sterilization Supply Center

Objective:To evaluate the application value of a refined quality control management model for a sterilization supply center.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the work situation of the sterilization supply center from January 2021 to January 2023.The work situation before January 31,2022,was classified as the control group;a routine quality control management model was implemented,and the work situation after January 31,2022,was classified as the observation group.The quality of medical device management and department satisfaction between the two groups were compared.Results:The timely recovery and supply rate,classification and cleaning pass rate,disinfection pass rate,packaging pass rate,sterilization pass rate,and department satisfaction score in the observation group were all higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Implementing a refined quality control management model in the sterilization supply center can improve the quality management level of medical devices and department satisfaction and is worthy of promotion.

Effect of power supply parameters on discharge characteristics and sterilization efficiency of magnetically driven rotating gliding arc

Plasma sterilization is a new generation of high-tech sterilization method that is fast,safe,and pollution free.It is widely used in medical,food,and environmental protection fields.Home air sterilization is an emerging field of plasma application,which puts higher requirements on the miniaturization,operational stability,and operating cost of plasma device.In this study,a novel magnetically driven rotating gliding arc(MDRGA)discharge device was used to sterilize Lactobacillus fermentation.Compared with the traditional gas-driven gliding arc,this device has a simple structure and a more stable gliding arc.Simulation using COMSOL Multiphysics showed that adding permanent magnets can form a stable magnetic field,which is conducive to the formation of gliding arcs.Experiments on the discharge performance,ozone concentration,and sterilization effect were conducted using different power supply parameters.The results revealed that the MDRGA process can be divided into three stages:starting,gliding,and extinguishing.Appropriate voltage was the key factor for stable arc gliding,and both high and low voltages were not conducive to stable arc gliding and ozone production.In this experimental setup,the sterilization effect was the best at 6.6 kV.A high modulation duty ratio was beneficial for achieving stable arc gliding.However,when the duty ratio exceeded a certain value,the improvement in the sterilization effect was slow.Therefore,considering the sterilization effect and energy factors comprehensively,we chose 80%as the optimal modulation duty ratio for this experimental device.

A novel Ag/ZnO core-shell structure for efficient sterilization synergizing antibiotics and subsequently removing residuals

The massive use of antibiotics has led to the aggravation of bacterial resistance and also brought environmental pollution problems.This poses a great threat to human health.If the dosage of antibiotics is reduced by increasing its bactericidal performance,the emergence of drug resistance is certainly delayed,so that there's not enough time for developing drug resistance during treatment.Therefore,we selected typical representative materials of metal Ag and semiconductor ZnO nano-bactericides to design and synthesize Ag/ZnO hollow core-shell structures(AZ for short).Antibiotics are grafted on the surface of AZ through rational modification to form a composite sterilization system.The research results show that the antibacterial efficiency of the composite system is significantly increased,from the sum(34.7%+22.8%-57.5%)of the antibacterial efficiency of AZ and gentamicin to 80.2%,net synergizes 22.7%,which fully reflects the effect of 1+1>2.Therefore,the dosage of antibiotics can be drastically reduced in this way,which makes both the possibility of bacterial resistance and medical expenses remarkably decrease.Subsequently,residual antibiotics can be degraded under simple illumination using AZ-self as a photocatalyst,which cuts off the path of environmental pollution.In short,such an innovative route has guiding significance for drug resistance.

FPGA-based plasma sterilization device for wound-edge recognition

There is a currently a lack of large-area plasma sterilization devices that can intelligently identify the shape of a wound for automatic steriliza-tion.For this reason,in this work,a plasma sterilization device with wound-edge recognition was developed using afield-programmable gate array(FPGA)and a high-performance image-processing platform to realize intelligent and precise sterilization of wounds.SOLIDWORKS was used to design the mechanical structure of the device,and it was manufactured using 3D printing.The device used an improvement of the traditional Sobel detection algorithm,which extends the detection of edges in only the x and y directions to eight directions(0○,45○,90○,135○,180○,225○,270○,and 315○),completing the wound-edge detection by adaptive thresholding.The device can be controlled according to different shapes of sterilization area to adjust the positioning of a single plasma-jet tube in the horizontal plane for two-dimensional move-ment;the distance between the plasma-jet tube and the surface of the object to be sterilized can be also adjusted in the vertical direction.In this way,motors are used to move the plasma jet and achieve automatic,efficient,and accurate plasma sterilization.It was found that a good sterilization effect could be achieved at both the culture-medium level and the biological-tissue level.The ideal sterilization parameters at the culture-medium level were a speed of 2 mm/s and aflow rate of 0.6 slm,while at the biological-tissue level,these values were 1 mm/s and 0.6 slm,respectively.

Sterilization Effect of Cooking Process for Guilin Rice Noodles Based on Heat Conduction Model

Guilin rice noodles, a unique cuisine from Guilin, Guangxi, is renowned both domestically and internationally as one of the top ten “Guilin Classics”. Utilizing a heat conduction model, this study explores the effectiveness of the cooking process in sterilizing Guilin rice noodles before consumption. The model assumes that a large pot is filled with boiling water which is maintained at a constant high temperature heat resource through continuous gentle heating. And the room temperature is set as the initial temperature for the preheating process and the final temperature for the cooling process. The objective is to assess whether the cooking process achieves satisfactory sterilization results. The temperature distribution function of rice noodle with time is analytically obtained using the separation of variables method in the three-dimensional cylindrical coordinate system. Meanwhile, the thermal diffusion coefficient of Guilin rice noodles is obtained in terms of Riedel’ theory. By analyzing the elimination characteristics of Pseudomonas cocovenenans subsp. farinofermentans, this study obtains the optimal time required for effective sterilization at the core of Guilin rice noodles. The results show that the potential Pseudomonas cocovenenans subsp. farinofermentans will be completely eliminated through continuously preheating more than 31 seconds during the cooking process before consumption. This study provides a valuable reference of food safety standards in the cooking process of Guilin rice noodles, particularly in ensuring the complete inactivation of potentially harmful strains such as Pseudomonas cocovenenans subsp. farinofermentans.

Surgical Management of Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis with Instrumentation at the Yaounde Central Hospital: Comparison of Unilateral versus Bilateral Pedicle Screw Fixation Combined with Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Introduction: The choice of adopting unilateral pedicle screw fixation or using bilateral pedicle screw fixation in lumbar spinal stenosis remains controversial. In our context, very few studies have been performed comparing the clinical effectiveness of unilateral versus bilateral fixation in the surgical management of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Objective: Evaluate the impact on quality of life and clinical efficacy of unilateral spondylodesis compared to bilateral spondylodesis in the surgical management of lumbar spinal canal stenosis at the Yaounde Central Hospital. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study for a period of 4 years, from June 2015 to June 2019. It involved all patients operated for lumbar canal stenosis and who underwent spondylodesis or spinal fusion at the neurosurgery department of the Yaounde Central Hospital. Results: A total of 68 participants were recruited during our study period. 32 (47%) of the study population were in the 50 - 60 age group, with a mean age of 56.98 years ranging from 41 to 75 years. Females, housewives and farmers were the most affected. In our study, 72% of patients had unilateral spondylodesis and 28% had bilateral fusion. Preoperatively, 71% of patients had insurmountable pain, refractory to medical treatment. At 3 months postoperatively, 73.7% of patients with bilateral setup had moderate pain compared to 69% of those with unilateral setup. At 6 months postoperatively, 79% of patients with bilateral fusion had mild pain compared to 82% of patients with unilateral setup. At 1 year postoperatively, all patients had mild pain. Preoperatively, 66.2% of patients were unable to walk and 19.1% of patients were bedridden according to the Oswestry score. At 3 months postoperatively, 10.2% of patients with unilateral setup were unable to walk compared to 10.5% of patients with bilateral fixation, while 67.3% of patients with unilateral fixation had moderate disability compared to 52.6% of patients with bilateral fixation. At 6 months postoperatively, 51% of patients with unilateral setup had moderate disability compared to 47.4% of patients with bilateral fixation, while 42.9% of patients with unilateral fixation had mild disability compared to 42.1% of patients with bilateral fixation. At 1 year postoperatively, 81.6% of patients who underwent unilateral fixation had only mild disability compared to 73.7% of patients with bilateral fixation. Conclusion: The assessment of quality of life according to the set-up used shows similar results at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year, with no statistically significant differences. Single-sided pedicle screw fixation combined with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion or mounting has the advantage of being faster, with less bleeding and is less expensive compared to bilateral fixation.

Risk Assessment of Hydrogen Peroxide Low- Temperature Plasma Sterilization Using Different Monitoring Methods

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the application value of biological monitoring and different types of chemical indicator cards in batch monitoring of hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization.The goal is to standardize the selection of loading conditions for this sterilization method and avoid positive biological monitoring results.Methods:Physical monitoring,Class I chemical indicator card monitoring,Class IV chemical indicator card monitoring,and biological monitoring were used to monitor the hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization process.The sterilization effect on instruments inside the Johnson&Johnson 100S plasma sterilizer was monitored and the qualification of various monitoring methods was compared.Results:The comparison showed that when non-standard or adsorption-prone packaging materials were used,the interception rate of biological monitoring and Class IV chemical indicator cards was significantly higher than that of physical monitoring and Class I chemical indicator cards.These methods more intuitively and effectively detected sterilization failures.Conclusion:Biological monitoring and Class IV chemical indicator cards are safe,fast,accurate,and easy to interpret in hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization,especially for monitoring instruments inside packages.They provide a reliable basis for the release of sterilized instrument packages.Identifying the reasons for positive biological monitoring results in hydrogen peroxide low-temperature plasma sterilization and taking effective measures promptly can minimize associated risks.

Study on Explants Sterilization and Callus Induction of Aquilegia oxysepala

[Objective] The aim was to study the explants sterilization and callus induction of Aquilegia oxysepala.[Method] the seeds of Aquilegia oxysepala were sterilized by different kinds and concentrations of disinfectants,and the pollution rate and pollution speed were investigated so as to find the best way to build sterile seedling setup.Taking the roots,stem segments and leaves of the sterile seedlings from Aquilegia oxysepala seeds as explants,the optimum explants and medium were screened by adding MS basic medium with different hormone proportions.[Result] The best germicidal treatment was as follows：explants were soaked in 75% alcohol for 30 s firstly,washed by sterile water for 5 times,then soaked in 0.2% mercuric chloride liquid for 2 min,finally washed by sterile water for 5 times again.The sterilization treatment could get the lowest pollution rate,the highest germinating capacity and the best sterile seedling.Roots were the optimum explants for the callus induction of Aquilegia oxysepala,meanwhile the optimal medium was MS＋0.6 mg/L 2,4-D＋0.5 mg/L 6-BA.[Conclusion] The research provides technical support for the large scale production of Aquilegia oxysepala and also makes a contribution to the medicinal and ornamental value of Aquilegia oxysepala.

Sterilization Effect on Microorganisms by High Electrostatic Voltage

利用静电高压在室温条件下做了两种细菌和一种真菌(金黄色葡萄球菌,绿脓杆菌和白色念珠菌)的灭菌实验。实验中用了星形线和芒刺极两种电极结构,研究了这三种菌的存活率与电压、电晕功率和处理时间的关系。作者等也研究了正、负高压。正、负脉冲高压和交流高压对灭菌效果的影响。实验结果表明,适当选取条件,这三种菌完全可被电晕放电场杀死。静电灭菌是一种新方法,到目前为止,特别是对非液体物质的静电灭菌,尚未见报道。尽管这一技术还需进一步研究,但它为寻找新的灭菌途径提供了可能。

The Sterilization Technology of Medicinal Flowers

This paper reviewed the latest progress on the sterilization technology of medicinal flowers, and briefly introduced its principle and application. Compared with the traditional chemical sterilization and autoclave sterilization techniques, irradiation sterilization, light radiation sterilization and gas sterilization own their unique advan- tages for different drugs sterilization requirements, which are worth further promotion.

Radiation sterilization of tissue allografts:A review

Tissue substitutes are required in a number of clinical conditions for treatment of injured and diseased tissues.Tissues like bone,skin,amniotic membrane and soft tissues obtained from human donor can be used for repair or reconstruction of the injured part of the body.Allograft tissues from human donor provide an excellent alternative to autografts.However,major concern with the use of allografts is the risk of infectious disease transmission.Therefore,tissue allografts should be sterilized to make them safe for clinical use.Gamma radiation has several advantages and is the most suitable method for sterilization of biological tissues.This review summarizes the use of gamma irradiation technology as an effective method for sterilization of biological tissues and ensuring safety of tissue allografts.

The Effect of Air Plasma on Sterilization of Escherichia coli in Dielectric Barrier Discharge

In this work, a Dielectric Barrier Discharge （DBD） air plasma was used to sterilize Escherichia eoli （E. coli） on the surface of medical Polyethylene Terephthalate （PET） film. The leakage of cellular DNA and protein by optical absorbance measurement at 260 nm and 280 nm, together with transmission electron microscopy （TEM） about cell morphology were performed after sterilization to analyse inactivation mechanisms. The results indicated that the DBD air plasma was very effective in E. coli sterilization. The plasma germicidal efficiency depended on the plasma treatment time, the air-gap distance, and the applied voltage. Within 5 min of plasma treatment, the germicidal efficiency against E. coli could reach 99.99%. An etching action on cell membranes by electrons, ions and radicals is the primary mechanism for DBD air plasma sterilization, which leads to the effusion of cellular contents （DNA and protein） and bacterial death.

Effects of sterilization treatments on the analysis of TOC in water samples

Decomposition experiments conducted with and without microbial processes are commonly used to study the effects of environmental microorganisms on the degradation of organic pollutants.However,the effects of biological pretreatment （sterilization） on organic matter often have a negative impact on such experiments.Based on the principle of water total organic carbon （TOC） analysis,the effects of physical sterilization treatments on determination of TOC and other water quality parameters were investigated.The results revealed that two conventional physical sterilization treatments,autoclaving and 60 Co γ-radiation sterilization,led to the direct decomposition of some organic pollutants,resulting in remarkable errors in the analysis of TOC in water samples.Furthermore,the extent of the errors varied with the intensity and the duration of sterilization treatments.Accordingly,a novel sterilization method for water samples,0.45 μm micro-filtration coupled with ultraviolet radiation （MCUR）,was developed in the present study.The results indicated that the MCUR method was capable of exerting a high bactericidal effect on the water sample while significantly decreasing the negative impact on the analysis of TOC and other water quality parameters.Before and after sterilization treatments,the relative errors of TOC determination could be controlled to lower than 3% for water samples with different categories and concentrations of organic pollutants by using MCUR.

Sterilization of Staphylococcus Aureus by an Atmospheric Non-Thermal Plasma Jet

An atmospheric non-thermal plasma jet was developed for sterilizing the Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus）. The plasma jet was generated by dielectric barrier discharge （DBD）, which was characterized by electrical and optical diagnostics. The survival curves of the bacteria showed that the plasma jet could effectively inactivate 10 6 cells of S. aureus within 120 seconds and the sterilizing efficiency depended critically on the discharge parameter of the applied voltage. It was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） that the cell morphology was seriously damaged by the plasma treatment. The plasma sterilization mechanism of S. aureus was attributed to the active species of OH, N 2 ＋ and O, which were generated abundantly in the plasma jet and characterized by OES. Our findings suggest a convenient and low-cost way for sterilization and inactivation of bacteria.

Computerised tomography vs magnetic resonance imaging for modeling of patient-specific instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty

AIM: To summarise and compare currently available evidence regarding accuracy of pre-operative imaging, which is one of the key choices for surgeons contemplating patient-specific instrumentation(PSI) surgery.METHODS: The MEDLINE and EMBASE medical literature databases were searched, from January 1990 to December 2013, to identify relevant studies. The data from several clinical studies was assimilated to allow appreciation and comparison of the accuracy of each modality. The overall accuracy of each modality was calculated as proportion of outliers > 3% in the coronal plane of both computerised tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). RESULTS: Seven clinical studies matched our inclusion criteria for comparison and were included in our study for statistical analysis. Three of these reported series using MRI and four with CT. Overall percentage of outliers > 3% in patients with CT-based PSI systems was 12.5% vs 16.9% for MRI-based systems. These results were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Although many studies have been undertaken to determine the ideal pre-operative imaging modality, conclusions remain speculative in the absence of long term data. Ultimately, information regarding accuracy of CT and MRI will be the main determining factor. Increased accuracy of pre-operative imaging could result in longer-term savings, and reduced accumulated dose of radiation by eliminating the need for post-operative imaging and revision surgery.

Development of a new atmospheric pressure cold plasma jet generator and application in sterilization

This paper reports that a new plasma generator at atmospheric pressure, which is composed of two homocentric cylindrical all-metal tubes, successfully generates a cold plasma jet. The inside tube electrode is connected to ground, the outside tube electrode is connected to a high-voltage power supply, and a dielectric layer is covered on the outside tube electrode. When the reactor is operated by low-frequency （6 kHz-20 kHz） AC supply in atmospheric pressure and argon is steadily fed as a discharge gas through inside tube electrode, a cold plasma jet is blown out into air and the plasma gas temperature is only 25-30℃. The electric character of the discharge is studied by using digital real-time oscilloscope （TDS 200-Series）, and the discharge is capacitive. Preliminary results are presented on the decontamination of E.colis bacteria and Bacillus subtilis bacteria by this plasma jet, and an optical emission analysis of the plasma jet is presented in this paper. The ozone concentration generated by the plasma jet is 1.0× 10^16cm^-3 which is acquired by using the ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy.

Current concepts in total knee arthroplasty: Patient specific instrumentation

Patient specific instrumentation(PSI) in total knee arthroplasty(TKA) promises faster operation time(by using less instruments and individual cutting jigs), less blood loss, faster rehabilitation, better implant sizing and accuracy, superior overall outcome, and at the end- less costs. However, as evident for every new development, its superiority remains to be provenover the conventional systems. Whilst dissatisfaction is reported to be eminent in up to 30% of patients having undergone conventional TKA, it is unclear, whether PSI can address to these patients as a suitable option in the future. The author believes that the current evidence does not support superiority of PSI in TKA over conventional systems. However, future long-term level I and II studies might aid to show its cost-effectiveness stating same results, accuracy, and overall outcome with less operation time.

Evaluation of behaviors of earth and rockfill dams during construction and initial impounding using instrumentation data and numerical modeling

In this study,the behavior of Gavoshan dam was evaluated during construction and the first impounding.A two-dimensional（2D） numerical analysis was conducted based on a finite difference method on the largest cross-section of the dam using the results of instrument measurements and back analysis.These evaluations will be completed in the case that back analysis is carried out in order to control the degree of the accuracy and the level of confidence of the measured behavior since each of the measurements could be controlled by comparing it to the result obtained from the numerical model.Following that,by comparing the results of the numerical analysis with the measured values,it is indicated that there is a proper consistency between these two values.Moreover,it was observed that the dam performance was suitable regarding the induced pore water pressure,the pore water pressure ratio r;,settlement,induced stresses,arching degree,and hydraulic fracturing probability during the construction and initial impounding periods.The results demonstrated that the maximum settlement of the core was 238 cm at the end of construction.In the following 6 years after construction（initial impounding and exploitation period）,the accumulative settlement of the dam was 270 cm.It is clear that 88% of the total settlement of the dam took place during dam construction.The reason is that the clay core was smashed in the wet side,i.e.the optimum moisture content.Whereas the average curving ratio was 0.64 during dam construction; at the end of the initial impounding,the maximum amount of curving ratio in the upstream was 0.81,and the minimum（critical） amount in the downstream was 0.52.It was also concluded that this dam is safe in comparison with the behaviors of other similar dams in the world.

Sterilization of Cotton Fabrics Using Plasma Treatment

Microbial contamination induces surface deformations and strength degradation of cotton fabrics by invading deeply into the fibers. In this study, the sterilization effects of low pressure plasmas on bacteria-inoculated cotton fabrics were investigated. Oxygen plasma treatment completely sterilized the cotton fabrics inoculated with various concentrations of staphylococcus aureus. Also, the influence of plasma treatment on physical properties of fabrics was examined. It was found that the plasma treatment did not affect ultimate tensile strength and surface morphology of the fabrics because it took advantage of relatively low plasma temperature.

A Novel Aircraft Air Conditioning System with a Sterilization Unit by Ultra-High-Temperature Air Stream

An aircraft cabin is a narrow,closed-space environment.To keep the air quality in cabin healthy for passengers,especially during an epidemic such as SARS-CoV-2(or 2019-nCoV)in 2020,a novel aircraft air conditioning system,called the ultra-high-temperature instantaneous sterilization air conditioning system(UHTACS),is proposed.Based on the proposed system,a simulation of the UHT-ACS is analysed in various flight states.In the UHT-ACS,the mixing air temperature of return and bleed air can reach temperature up to 148.8°C,which is high enough to kill bacilli and viruses in 2一8 s.The supply air temperature of the UHT-ACS in a mixing cavity is about 12 C in cooling mode both on the ground and in the air.The supply air temperature is about 42 C in heating mode.Compared with the air conditioning systems(ACS)of traditional aircraft the supply air temperatures of the UHT-ACS in the mixing cavity are in good agreement with those of a traditional ACS with 60%fresh air and 40%return air.Furthermore the air temperature at the turbine outlet of the UHT-ACS is higher than that of a traditional ACS which will help to reduce the risk of icing at the outlet.Therefore the UHT-ACS can operate normally in various flight states.