Evaluation of the virucidal efficacy of Klaran UVC LEDs against surface-dried norovirus.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a highly contagious pathogenic virus that is transmitted through contaminated food, water, high-touch surfaces and aerosols. Globally, there are an estimated 685 million infections annually due to norovirus, including 200 million affecting children under the age of 5. HuNoV causes approximately 50, 000 child deaths per year and costs an estimated USD $60 billion annually in healthcare. This study sought to determine the inactivation profile of ultraviolet subtype C (UVC) against norovirus using a UVC light-emitting diode (LED) array, KL265-50V-SM-WD. The array emitted radiation at 269 nm peak wavelength and a measured fluence of 1.25 mW cm-2 at a 7 cm source-surface distance. Since the HuNoV is not cultivable, the study utilized feline calicivirus (FCV) ATCC VR-782, a recommended surrogate as challenge organism. The test followed modified ASTM E2197. Assessment of virus inactivation was performed using a plaque assay method. With irradiance at a UVC dose of 22.5 mJ cm-2, the study obtained 99.9 % virus reduction (3 log reduction). The results demonstrate that the UVC LED array can provide effective inactivation of HuNoV.

Low-dose whole thorax radiation therapy for COVID-19 pneumonia: inpatient onboarding process for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The mortality of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) has been associated with a pulmonary inflammatory response resulting in hypoxemia and rapid clinical decline. PREVENT is an ongoing prospective multicenter Phase II randomized controlled trial where patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia are randomized to low dose radiation therapy (RT) versus control (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04466683). We describe the inpatient onboarding process of the center contributing the largest number of patients to this trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: COVID-19 hospital admissions were attained by the clinical research manager and radiation oncologist daily. Text message contact was made with infectious disease, critical care, and nursing staff with reciprocal discussion of the trial protocol and approval for virtual consulting of the patient. Witnessed informed consent was obtained first by telephone and later in person. Simulation and treatment (performed without a computer plan) was performed on a linear accelerator with one personal protective equipment-protected therapist moving in and out of the treatment room, and a second therapist manning the console. Following on-site dose calculation by physics, the radiation oncologist approved the fields prior to treatment delivery. RESULTS: Between August 28, 2020 and October 6, 2020, the first 10 enrolled patients on this multicenter trial were randomized and treated at our institution; no team member (research staff, radiation oncology) contracted COVID-19 while employing this protocol. CONCLUSION: This represents the first published protocol to address efficient and safe recruitment of COVID-19 patients for a radiation oncology trial, serving as a model for conducting recruitment of COVID-19 patients for clinical trials.

Exploration of a rare population of Chinese chestnut in North America: stand dynamics, health and genetic relationships.

With the transport of plants around the globe, exotic species can readily spread disease to their native relatives; however, they can also provide genetic resistance to those relatives through hybrid breeding programmes. American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was an abundant tree species in North America until its decimation by introduced chestnut blight. To restore chestnut in North America, efforts are ongoing to test putative blight-resistant hybrids of Castanea dentata and Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima), but little is known about the ecology of C. mollissima. In a forest in northeastern USA in which C. mollissima has become established, we explored questions of stand dynamics, health and genetic relationships of C. mollissima offspring to an adjacent parent orchard. We found that C. mollissima was adapted and randomly distributed among native species in this relatively young forest. The genetics of the C. mollissima population compared with its parents indicated little effect of selection pressure as each of the parent trees contributed at least one offspring. The ease with which this exotic species proliferated calls to question why C. mollissima is rare elsewhere in forests of North America. It is likely that a time window of low animal predation allowed seedlings to establish, and the shallow soil at this site limited the maximum forest canopy height, permitting the characteristically short-statured C. mollissima to avoid suppression. Our results indicate that because C. mollissima exhibited pioneer species characteristics, hybrids between C. mollissima and C. dentata have the potential to be successful pioneer species of future forests in North America, and we challenge the paradigm that exotic tree species are wholly detrimental to native biodiversity. We contend that exotic tree species should be assessed not only by their level of threat to native species, but also by their potential positive impacts on ecosystems via hybrid breeding programmes.

Changes in deep abdominal muscle thickness during common trunk-strengthening exercises using ultrasound imaging.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study design. OBJECTIVES: To characterize changes in muscle thickness in the transversus abdominis (TrA) and internal oblique (IO) muscles during common trunk-strengthening exercises, and to determine whether these changes differ based on age. BACKGROUND: Although trunk-strengthening exercises have been found to be useful in treating those with low back pain (LBP), our understanding of the relative responses of the TrA and IO muscles during different exercises is limited. METHODS AND MEASURES: Six commonly prescribed trunk-strengthening exercises were performed by 120 subjects (40 subjects per age group: 18-30, 31-40, and 41-50 years). Ultrasound imaging was used to measure the thickness of the TrA and IO during the resting and contracted state of each exercise. The average thickness of the muscles while in the contracted position was divided by the thickness values in the resting position for each exercise, based on 2 performances of each exercise. Two 3-by-6 repeated-measures analyses of variance were used to determine significant changes in muscle thickness of the TrA and IO, based on age group and exercise performed. RESULTS: For both muscles, the trunk exercise-by-age interaction effect (TrA, P = .358; IO, P = .217) and the main effect for age (TrA, P = .615; IO, P = .219) were not significant. A significant main effect for trunk exercise for both muscles (P<.001) was found. The horizontal side-support (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.95 +/- 0.69; IO, 1.88 +/- 0.52) and the abdominal crunch (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.74 +/- 0.48; IO, 1.63 +/- 0.41) exercises resulted in the greatest change in muscle thickness for both muscles. The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.73 +/- 0.36; IO, 1.14 +/- 0.33) and quadruped opposite upper and lower extremity lift (mean +/- SD contracted-rest thickness ratio: TrA, 1.59 +/- 0.49; IO, 1.25 +/- 0.36) exercises resulted in changes in TrA muscle thickness with minimal changes in IO muscle thickness. CONCLUSION: Changes in TrA and IO muscle thickness differed across 6 commonly prescribed trunk-strengthening exercises among healthy subjects without LBP. These differences did not vary by age. This information may be useful for informing exercise prescription.

Upper-extremity volume measurements in women with lymphedema: a comparison of measurements obtained via water displacement with geometrically determined volume.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Upper-extremity (UE) swelling following breast cancer treatment is a frequent manifestation of lymphedema. In order to document outcomes from lymphedema treatments, reliable, valid, and practical measurements of UE swelling are necessary. The purpose of this study was to compare geometric methods of determining UE volumes with water displacement methods. SUBJECTS: The edematous hand, forearm, and upper arm of 50 women with UE swelling secondary to lymphedema were measured. METHODS: Upper-extremity volumes were determined by water displacement using arm and hand volumeters. Displaced water was weighed to determine volume. Circumferential girth measurements were taken. Width and depth measurements of the hand were taken with a tension-controlled caliper. Geometric volume formulas for a cylinder, frustum, rectangular solid, and trapezoidal solid were used to calculate volumes of the arm and hand at different measurement intervals. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients [2,1] for interrater and intrarater reliability of all water and geometric measurements of the arm and hand were.91 to.99 and.92 to.99, respectively. Water displacement correlated with geometric measurements in the arm (r=.97-.98) and in the hand (r=.81-.91). The limits of agreement (LOA) indicated that water and geometric measurements of arm volume differed by 479 to 655 mL. Scatterplots of the LOA data indicated in that geometric volumes were either larger or smaller than water volumes. The smallest standard error of measurement for the arm measurements was for the 6-cm frustum method at 115 mL; for the hand measurements, the smallest standard error of measurement was for the frustum method at 16 mL. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Volume of an edematous UE calculated by geometric formulas correlated strongly with volume determined by water displacement. Although strongly correlated, the measurements obtained by the 2 methods did not agree.