Circular dichroism and UV-Vis detection of UV-induced damage to nucleic acids.

In this report, we demonstrate that CD spectroscopy can be used as a tool to detect changes to DNA upon irradiation with UV light. We follow the spectroscopic response of DNA samples irradiated at selected exposure times with both CD and UV-Vis spectroscopy. We analyzed four different nucleic acids to evaluate the effect of the sequence on photodegradation.

Formaldehyde Reduction in an Operating Room Setting: Comparison of a Catalytic Surgical Vacuum Device With a Traditional Smoke Evacuator.

Introduction Electrosurgery exposes healthcare workers to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde. Adopting electrosurgical devices that catalytically transform formaldehyde to benign substances has the potential to improve safety in surgical settings. Materials and methods We compared the efficiency of formaldehyde removal of two medical devices.

A Peripherally Located Air Recirculation Device Containing an Activated Carbon Filter Reduces VOC Levels in a Simulated Operating Room.

Electrosurgery procedures produce airborne contaminants including volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The effectiveness of commercial grade activated carbon at removing toluene, a typical VOC, from the air in an enclosed simulated operating room (OR) when interfaced with an air recirculation device was tested. The concentration of toluene in the air was measured using gas sensitive semiconductor VOC sensors.

Increased CO levels in the operating room correlate with the number of healthcare workers present: an imperative for intentional crowd control.

The air in an operating room becomes more contaminated as the occupancy of the room increases. Individuals residing in a room can potentially emit infectious agents. In order to inhibit and better understand the epidemiology of surgical site infections, it is important to develop procedures to track room occupancy level and respiration.

Many Common Pathogens are Present in the Operative Room Air During Surgery.

Background: The main objective of this study was to assess the sanitary measures of operating theaters using next-generation sequencing.

Methods: Air was sampled from the operating room for the whole duration of 10 surgical days of "clean" (no infection cases) procedures (6 hip/knee arthroplasty and 4 spine cases). Controls consisted of samples at the beginning of the day (1 hour before the surgery started) and at the end of the day after terminal cleaning.

A portable negative pressure unit reduces bone cement fumes in a simulated operating room.

In this report, we demonstrate a versatile method for the removal of bone cement fumes from the vicinity of health care workers in a simulated operating room. The mixing of two component bone cement in the perimeter of an operating room releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The use of localized negative pressure within proximity of the mixing vessel is expected to reduce the concentration of VOCs dispersed near the airway of operating room personnel.

Reimbursement Penalties and 30-Day Readmissions Following Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: The U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act created the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program (HACRP).

PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF LEARNING-RELATED NEUROMODULATION IN MOLLUSCAN MECHANOSENSORY NEURONS.

In spite of significant advances in our understanding of mechanisms of learning and memory in a variety of organisms, little is known about how such mechanisms evolve. Even mechanisms of simple forms of learning, such as habituation and sensitization, have not been studied phylogenetically. Here we begin an evolutionary analysis of learning-related neuromodulation in species related to the well-studied opisthobranch gastropod, Aplysia californica.