A Review and Perspective of Environmental Disinfection Technology Based on Microwave Irradiation

Purpose of Review In the context of COVID-19 sweeping the world, the development of microbial disinfection methods in gas, liquid, and solid media has received widespread attention from researchers. As a disinfection technology that can adapt to different environmental media, microwave-assisted disinfection has the advantages of strong permeability, no secondary pollution, etc. The purpose of this review is to put forward new development requirements for future microwave disinfection strategies by summarizing current microwave disinfection methods and effects. From the perspective of the interaction mechanism of microwave and microorganisms, this review provides a development direction for more accurate and microscopic disinfection mechanism research. Recent Findings Compared to other traditional environmental disinfection techniques, microwave-assisted disinfection means have the advantages of being more destructive, free of secondary contamination, and thorough. Currently, researchers generally agree that the efficiency of microwave disinfection is the result of a combination of thermal and non-thermal effects. However, the performance of microwave disinfection shows the differences in the face of different environmental media as well as different types of microorganisms. Summary This review highlights the inactivation mechanism of microwave-assisted disinfection techniques used in different scenarios. Suggestions for promoting the efficiency and overcoming the limitations of low energy utilization, complex reactor design, and inaccurate monitoring methods are proposed.

High-performance electret and antibacterial meltblown nonwovens doped with nanoparticles of boehmite and ZnO for air filtration (preprint)

The current pandemic caused by Covid-19 triggered intensively the development of high-performance air filters. Polypropylene (PP) is widely used as the raw material of meltblown nonwovens that is the core layer in air filters, such as, masks. In this study, an electret PP meltblown nonwoven with antibacterial activity was developed, and nano boehmite (AlOOH) and nano-ZnO employed as electret and antibacterial agent, respectively. 0.5-2.0 wt% of AlOOH and 1.0 wt% of ZnO were doped into PP matrix using a twin-screw extruder and the resulting masterbatches applied as raw materials to afford nonwovens via a meltblown process. The as-prepared nonwovens were characterized by means of SEM, IR and DSC/TG, and after corona charging, the filtration efficiency, charge decay and antibacterial properties were evaluated. More than 1.0 wt% dosage of AlOOH endowed the nonwoven with high filtration efficiency and 1.0 wt% of ZnO brought about antibacterial activity. Corona charging was an effective means to make the nonwovens electret charged and the charges were quicker to decay in air than in a sealed bag. The as-prepared meltblown nonwoven would be a remarkably promising filter in air filtration.

Spike Protein Targeting "Nano-Glue" that Captures and Promotes SARS-CoV-2 Elimination (preprint)

The global emergency caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics can only be solved with adequate preventive and therapeutic strategies, both currently missing. The electropositive Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with abundant {beta}-sheet structure serves as target for COVID-19 therapeutic drug design. Here, we discovered that ultrathin 2D CuInP2S6 (CIPS) nanosheets as a new agent against SARS-CoV-2 infection, which also able to promote viral host elimination. CIPS exhibits extremely high and selective binding capacity with the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, with consequent inhibition of virus entry and infection in ACE2-bearing cells and human airway epithelial organoids. CIPS displays nano-viscous properties in selectively binding with spike protein (KD < 1 pM) with negligible toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Further, the CIPS-bound SARS-CoV-2 was quickly phagocytosed and eliminated by macrophages, suggesting CIPS could be successfully used to capture and facilitate the virus host elimination with possibility of triggering anti-viral immunization. Thus, we propose CIPS as a promising nanodrug for future safe and effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy, as well as for use as disinfection agent and surface coating material to constrain the SARS-CoV-2 spreading.

COVID-19, Type-2 Diabetes, and Associated Health Outcomes in China: Results from a Nationwide Survey of 10,545 Adults (preprint)

ObjectiveThis study examined the associations between type-2 diabetes (T2DM) and self-reported/familial COVID-19 infection and investigated health-related outcomes among those with diabetes during Chinas nationwide quarantine. MethodsThe 2020 China COVID-19 Survey was administered anonymously via social media (WeChat) across China. It was completed by 10,545 adults in all of mainland Chinas 31 provinces. The survey consisted of 74 items covering sociodemographic characteristics, preventive measures for COVID-19, lifestyle behaviors, and health-related outcomes during the period of quarantine. Regression models examined associations among study variables, adjusting for covariates. ResultsDiabetes was associated with a six-fold increased risk of reporting COVID-19 infection among respondents or their family members. Among patients with diabetes, individuals who rarely wore masks had double the risk of suspected COVID-19 infection compared with those who always wore masks, with an inverse J-shaped relationship between face mask wearing and suspected COVID-19 infection. People with T2DM tended to have both poor knowledge of COVID-19 and poor compliance with preventive measures, despite perceiving a high risk of personal infection (40.0% among respondents reporting T2DM and 8.0% without T2DM). Only 54-55% of these respondents claimed to consistently practice preventive measures, including wearing face masks. Almost 60% of those with T2DM experienced food or medication shortages during the quarantine period, which was much higher than those without T2DM. Importantly, respondents who experienced medication shortages reported a 63% higher COVID-19 infection rate. ConclusionsT2DM was associated with an increased risk of self-reported personal and family member COVID-19 infection, which is mitigated by consistent use of face masks. FundingThe project is supported in part by research grants from the China Medical Board (Grant number: 16-262), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant Number: 2017YFC0907200 & 2017YFC0907201), the University Alliance of the Silk Road (Grant number: 2020LMZX002), and Xian Jiaotong University Global Health Institute. Research in ContextO_ST_ABSEvidence before this studyC_ST_ABSDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become increasingly clear that the risk factors for initial infection and subsequent poor health outcomes include, but are not limited to, social vulnerability, economic status, older age, and obesity. While community-wide masking has been recommended by the World Health Organization to control COVID-19, its overall effectiveness has not been clearly evaluated. Added value of this studyThrough an anonymous survey disseminated and promoted through WeChat, the largest social media platform in China, we sought to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wellbeing, and health-related behaviors of adults in China. Specifically, this study examined how individuals with chronic diseases managed the threat, including their COVID-19 related knowledge, attitudes, and adherence to preventive measures such as wearing face masks, and their disease-related self-care. Implications of the available evidenceThis study demonstrates that type-2 diabetes mellitus is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection, which is mitigated by consistent use of face masks.

Discussion on diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary malignancies during the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia / 中华肿瘤杂志

From December 2019, the new coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) broke out in Wuhan, Hubei, and spread rapidly to the nationwide. On January 20, 2020, the National Health Committee classified COVID-19 pneumonia as one of B class infectious diseases and treated it as class A infectious disease. During the epidemic period, the routine diagnosis and treatment of tumor patients was affected with varying degrees. In this special period, we performed the superiority of the multi-disciplinary team of diagnosis and treatment, achieved accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with hepatobiliary malignant tumors, provided support for these patients with limited medical resources, and helped them to survive during the epidemic period.On the basis of fully understanding the new coronavirus pneumonia, the treatment strategy should be changed timely during the epidemic, and more appropriate treatment methods should be adopted to minimize the adverse effect of the epidemic on tumor treatment.