Room Equipment Research Articles

A miniaturized air-lift membrane bioreactor for decentralized sewage treatment

Abstract In recent years, with the rapid development of rural economy and the improvement of living standards of local residents, the rural sewage discharge tends to concentrate and increase in amount, leading to growing concentration on the issue of rural sewage discharge and reuse. Nevertheless, the progress of sewage treatment has relatively been slow due to the backward level of technical management. In this study, a set of rural decentralized integrated membrane bioreactor system is developed in order to satisfy rural domestic sewage's characteristic of decentralization, including anaerobic tank, membrane bioreactor, clean water tank, aeration fan, suction pump and isolation plate. This invention possesses both technological advantages of the original membrane bioreactor and convenient operation which can be used to purify and to treat the domestic sewage of the scattered households, improving the flexibility of the sewage treatment. MBR equipment process flow chart Refluxed pipe of mixture and sludge Aerator ipe Outlet pipe Intake ipe Regulating pool Anaerobic pool Anoxic pool Aerobic pool Equipment room Figure Schematic diagram of construction Concri cfontmd Oto a rrm vrtlo, Lift 1 eg laI o i lLi) Pn iI I'll wellil, . Figure 2

Analysis of the Effect of Using External Venetian Blinds on the Thermal Comfort of Users of Highly Glazed Office Rooms in a Transition Season of Temperate Climate—Case Study

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is among the most urgent social development tasks due to the scale of energy consumption in this industry. At the same time, it is essential to meet high requirements for indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort. The issue of overheating is most often analysed in summer but it also occurs in transition seasons, when the cooling systems do not operate. The paper attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of external mobile shading elements on the microclimate of rooms with large glazed areas in the transition season. Passive solutions, such as shading elements, which limit the increase of indoor temperature, do not always allow the acquisition and maintenance of comfortable solutions for the duration of the season, as demonstrated by the authors. Temporary cooling of the rooms may be necessary to maintain comfortable conditions for the users, or other solutions should be devised to improve comfort (e.g., reduction of clothing insulation characteristics). The novelty of the study consists in the analysis of comfort in a “nearly zero energy consumption” building (NZEB) during a period not analyzed by other scientists. This is a transition period during which heating/cooling systems do not operate. The research task set by the authors involved the assessment of the possibility to reduce office space overheating in the transition season (spring) by using external shading equipment in rooms with large glazed areas. An additional research task aimed at checking the extent to which user behaviour, such as reduction in clothing insulation characteristics, can improve comfort in overheated rooms. The results of the tests reveal that the difference in the ambient air temperature between a room with external venetian blinds and an identical room with no venetian blinds in the transition season, i.e., from 27 March to 6 April 2017, ranged from 12.3 to 2.1 °C. The use of a shading system (external venetian blinds positioned at an angle of 45°) reduced the number of discomfort hours by 92% (during working hours) compared to the room without external venetian blinds. A reduction in the thermal insulation of the clothes worn by people working in the room with no venetian blinds helped to reduce the number of discomfort hours by 31%.

A STUDY ON RIGHT TO EDUCATION (RTE) ACT, 2009 AND ITS COMPLIANCE IN SCHOOLS OF GOLAGHAT DISTRICT OF ASSAM

Purpose of the study: The purpose of the present research is to find out the awareness as well as compliance of various schools under SSA (2001) and other relevant Acts with the various government guidelines in the education sector. The major factors which are being identified for the survey are likely pupil-teacher ratio, infrastructure, health and hygiene and training provided to SMC’s.
 Methodology: In conducting the following survey, descriptive research and convenience sampling has been employed. To study the current compliance of various schools under SSA (2001), a structured questionnaire has been prepared. The final questionnaire has been prepared after including various compliances on the aspects of Pupil-Teacher Ratio, Infrastructure, Health and Hygiene and SMC training. The data collected was systematically tabulated and analyzed qualitatively.
 Main Findings -The findings of the study revealed that the majority of schools in Golaghat district have very less provision for visually impaired/ low vision children and children’s magazines, newspapers and other kinds of books in the library are missing within the school premises. The lack of provisions of uninterrupted running water has proved to be a major hindrance in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in the schools of the district. As far as other infrastructural conditions are concerned most of the schools surveyed lacks separate classrooms and basic facilities like separate rooms for the headmaster, staff room for teachers, computer room, sports equipment and space for assembly.
 Application of the study: The results of the research can be used by the child rights commission of concerned state who has the responsibility of monitoring RTE act implementation in all the schools of the state and based on the findings of the study they can make a necessary intervention to implement the RTE act.
 Novelty and originality of the study: In this research, RTE compliance of various schools under SSA (2001), is studied using a structured questionnaire by considering major factors likely pupil-teacher ratio, infrastructure, health and hygiene and training provided to School Management Committees (SMC).

Gastric Per Oral Pyloromyotomy for Post-Vagotomy-Induced Gastroparesis Following Esophagectomy

BackgroundFollowing the success of per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for achalasia, application of this minimally invasive skillset has broadened to other disease processes. Since 2013, gastric per-oral pyloromyotomy (GPOP) has become an increasingly accepted therapy for refractory gastroparesis. Although it does not treat the underlying etiology of the disease, pyloromyotomy has demonstrated measurable improvements in gastric emptying scintigraphy, nausea, and quality of life. Gastroparesis is a common complication of esophagectomy due to the inherent vagotomy that occurs during creation of the gastric conduit. Fifteen to 30% of post-esophagectomy patients develop gastroparesis with a large portion of them reporting symptoms refractory to medical therapy, botox injection, and endoscopic dilation. Therefore, GPOP may have the potential to offer symptomatic relief to a significant population of debilitated post-esophagectomy patients. Materials and MethodsThe procedure was recorded using standard operating room equipment. Materials utilized included high-definition single-channel gastroscope, therapeutic overtube, clear endoscopic cap, triangle tip (TT) knife, ERBE energy source, endoscopic clips, sclerotherapy needle, methylene blue with epinephrine, and CO2 insufflator. ResultsWe present a video of GPOP for a 71-year-old male with post-vagotomy-induced gastroparesis after esophagectomy. His pre-operative course was significant for persistent nausea and vomiting, diet intolerance, 20 lb weight loss, and frequent hospitalizations for aspiration pneumonia. Post-operatively, the patient recovered well and was discharged home on post-operative day 1 on a liquid diet. At 3-week follow-up, his nausea, vomiting, and PO intolerance had improved. At 6-month follow-up, he had no recent admissions for aspiration pneumonia and his pylorus remained widely patent on EGD. ConclusionsGPOP status post-esophagectomy presented multiple challenges: difficulty maintaining field of view and insufflation, establishing tension and counter tension for the mucosotomy, and a limited working space. With care and patience, endoscopists trained to perform POEM may apply their skillset to help a large population of patients suffering with post-esophagectomy gastroparesis.

USING DISCRETE-EVENT SIMULATION TO FIND WAYS TO REDUCE PATIENT WAIT TIME IN A GLAUCOMA CLINIC.

Long wait times is one of the most common complaints from patients visiting the glaucoma clinic at the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan (UM). Long wait times have also been reported as a barrier to glaucoma care in other clinics as well. To address this issue, we develop a discrete-event simulation model to identify bottlenecks in the clinic that cause the majority of patient wait time. Different policies in terms of resource supplementation, i.e. adding staff and the corresponding equipment and exam rooms, are then accordingly proposed. We evaluate each of them using our simulation model through a series of what-if experiments. The most beneficial policy, considering the trade-off between patient wait time and resource supplementation expense, is proposed to the clinic to carry out in practice.

Design Method of Engine Room Equipment Layout Based on Improved Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation

Engine room is the place where marine power equipments, pipelines and other equipments are arranged centrally. In order to optimize the design process of engine room equipment layout, this paper proposes a method for the optimization design of engine room layout baesd on improved fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. By constructing the personnel activity space model and equipment space model, formulating the engine room environment constraint conditions dominated by personnel experience factors and obtaining the feasible scheme of engine room equipment layout. By designing the evaluation model of equipment layout plan in the engine room, formulating the evaluation method dominated by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation algorithm and obtaining the optimal layout scheme. Based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, the improved method directly retains the influence of the design experience factors of personnel, which can make engine room equipment layout and pipelines more in line with engineering requirements, as well as provide better equipment accessibility and personnel accessibility.

514. Shedding of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli by Colonized Patients during Procedures and Patient Care Activities

BackgroundContaminated environmental surfaces contribute to transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens such as multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli. We hypothesized that medical procedures and patient care activities facilitate environmental dissemination of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli in hospitalized patients.MethodsWe conducted a cohort study of hospitalized patients in contact precautions for carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing or carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) to determine the frequency of environmental shedding during procedures and care activities. Perirectal, wound, and skin were cultured for the gram-negative bacilli of interest. Prior to each procedure or activity, surfaces in the room and portable equipment used for procedures were disinfected. After procedures, high-touch surfaces and portable equipment were cultured; negative control cultures were collected after 1 hour in the absence of a procedure.ResultsOf 60 participants, 38 (63%) were in contact precautions for ESBL-producing gram-negative bacilli and 22 (37%) for CR-GNB. Thirty-four (57%) participants had positive perirectal, wound, or skin cultures. Contamination of surfaces with the colonizing multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli occurred frequently during procedures and activities such as wound care, assistance with meals, and urinary catheter or colostomy care (11% to 29% of procedures/activities), whereas contamination was rare in the absence of a procedure (1%). Contamination was recovered from 6 of 56 (10%) portable devices used for procedures.ConclusionEnvironmental shedding of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli occurs frequently during medical and non-medical procedures in hospitalized patients. Our results suggest that there is a need for effective strategies to disinfect surfaces and equipment after procedures.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Field investigation on operation parameters and performance of air conditioning system in a subway station

Ventilation and air conditioning system in subway stations accounts for about 50% of the total energy consumption of the subway stations. The energy consumption ratio of public area to equipment room is about 6.5:3.5. In order to understand the energy saving potential of public areas and equipment rooms, a field measurement for a typical subway station in central China was conducted from 19 to 29 September 2018. The field testing parameters include weather conditions, indoor air temperature and humidity, supply and return air flow rate, chilled water temperature, and flow rate. Meanwhile, some parameters recorded by the system control panel, such as pump frequency, chiller power demand, and energy consumption, were also collected. The paper studied the operating characteristics of the ventilation and air conditioning system and the cooling load pattern of the subway station, focusing on the following three aspects: cooling capacity and power demand of the chiller under different conditions, dynamic cooling capacity of the air handling units, and cooling load characteristics of the equipment rooms. Different operation conditions influence the operation of chiller. It was found that the real power demands under two operation conditions, i.e. minimum and all fresh air modes, are 121 and 77 kW, and the corresponding coefficient of performances are 4.33 and 4.77, respectively. The actual cooling capacity at night is about 80% that of the daytime, and is about 40% of the design value, which indicates that the air handling units operate under partial load. During the testing period, the actual cooling load is about 10–50% of the design load, of which 50–95% is sensible cooling load. These data can help readers understand the overall situation of a typical subway station adequately and provide numerical basis for energy saving optimization of the ventilation and air conditioning system.

Surgical instrument standardization – A pilot cost consciousness curriculum for surgery residents

IntroductionSurgical cost is astronomical in the US and instrument standardization is one potential mechanism for cost savings. This study describes a core competency based, multidisciplinary curriculum and evaluates resident attitudes towards operating room equipment standardization. Materials and methodsAs part of a quality improvement initiative, surgery residents participated in an hour-long mixed curriculum consisting of brief didactics and small group exercises. Participants developed an equipment standardization plan for laparoscopic appendectomy and cholecystectomy. Participants also completed surveys to assess their attitudes towards 11 potential barriers to implementation as “improves, no change, or worsens”. ResultsFifteen general surgery residents participated. In general, participants felt that standardization improves or does not change metrics including surgeon autonomy, resident training experience, and patient safety. ConclusionOur pilot curriculum addresses a gap in resident education about surgical cost. Residents generally regard equipment standardization as either improving or not changing hospital metrics.

Training and Transfer Effect of FluoroSim, an Augmented Reality Fluoroscopic Simulator for Dynamic Hip Screw Guidewire Insertion: A Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial.

FluoroSim, a novel fluoroscopic simulator, can be used to practice dynamic hip screw (DHS) guidewire insertion in a high-fidelity clinical scenario. Our aim was to demonstrate a training effect in undergraduate medical students who are not familiar with this operation and its simulation. Forty-five undergraduate medical students were recruited and randomized to either training (n = 23) or control (n = 22) cohorts. The training cohort had more exposure to FluoroSim (5 attempts each week) over a 2-week period (with a 1-week washout period in between) compared with the control cohort (a single attempt 1 week apart) over a 2-week period. Five real-time objective performance metrics were recorded: (1) tip-apex distance (TAD) (mm), (2) predicted cut-out rate (%), (3) total procedural time (sec), (4) total number of radiographs (n), and (5) total number of guidewire retries (n). At baseline, there was no significant difference in the performance metrics, which confirmed the absence of a selection bias. The intragroup training effect demonstrated a significant improvement in all metrics for the training cohort only. A significant difference between groups was demonstrated as the training cohort significantly outperformed the control cohort in 3 metrics (procedural time [25%], number of radiographs [57%], and number of guidewire retries [100%]; p < 0.001). A learning curve showed an inversely proportional correlation between frequency of attempts and procedural time as well as the number of digital fluoroscopic radiographs that were made, indicating the development of psychomotor skills. There was also an improved baseline of the learning curve after the 1-week washout period, suggesting skill retention. Skill acquisition with the FluoroSim system was demonstrated with repeat exposure in a safe, radiation-free high-fidelity clinical simulation with actual operating room equipment. The task of DHS guidewire insertion requires cognitive and psychomotor skills that take a variable number of attempts to acquire, as demonstrated on the learning curve. Additional work is required to demonstrate that the skill tested by the FluoroSim is the same skill that is required for intraoperative DHS guidewire insertion. However, use of the FluoroSim provides improvement in skills with extra-clinical training opportunities for orthopaedic trainees. FluoroSim has demonstrated validity and training effect. It has the potential to be approved for possible use on patients in the operating room to help surgeons with the operation. Consequently, operating time, accuracy of TAD, and surgical outcomes may all be improved.

Quantitative Modelling of Deposition of Airborne Molecular Contamination

During the fabrication, micro-chips circuits are very sensitive to all kinds of contamination present in the environments fluid in contact with the wafers [1]. Therefore the fabrication is done in clean rooms and makes use of clean mini-environments (e.g. FOUPs). Historically such clean environments contain an extremely low concentration of particulate contamination, obtained by intensive filtering through different types of particle filters including HEPA filters. In contrast, the air is not purified in terms of molecular, volatile contaminants, except locally inside some specific process equipment. Measurement in state-of-art clean rooms reveal the presence of many molecular contaminants coming from different sources (environmental pollution in the intake air, but also from components and materials in the clean room construction or equipment and from process steps that make use of volatile chemicals). The dominant species are organic compounds comprising a benzene ring with various ligands. The relative molecular concentration is on the order of 1 ppb, corresponding to a molecule volume concentration, C, = 1x1010 molec./cm3. A question that typically arises in this context is that of how clean the air or gas ambient needs to be. This study addresses this issue by presenting a simple but quantitative model, built from first principles, to establish the relation between the amount of contamination in the air and the surface concentration of the contaminants that deposits on the wafer as a function of the exposure time and other relevant parameters. The transfer of contaminants from the air ambient to the surface occurs in 2 steps. Surface reaction: at the surface adhesion of molecules takes placeBulk transport in the air: the contaminants that have deposited are replenished from the volume of the air towards the surface At the surface, the initial adsorption flux, ja, is given by the the thermal bombardment flux (= arrival flux) multiplied with the sticking probability (hi) of species, I, as shown in equation (1) (blue dash-dot line). Where: v th= average thermal velocity (air: 470 m/s) Ci = volumetric density of species i in air ambient adjacent to the surface. The hi = sticking coefficient of species i on the surface, ranges typically from 10-6 to 1 [2,3]. When the resulting surface concentration of species i, si , increases, the reverse process, desorption, will occur simultaneously. A simple mass balance shows that for a case with a sticking coefficient approaching 1 and with a molecule volume concentration of 1x1010 molec./cm3 , (i.e. 1 ppb) a surface concentration of 1x1012 molec./cm2 on an infinitely large flat surface, would require all the contaminants from a volume contained in a layer with a thickness of 1 m adjacent to the surface. This simple assessment illustrates that the supply and transport from the ambient is an important limiting phenomenon. Below the focus is on estimating the potential maximum contamination achieved, assuming a sticking probability = 1. This provides an estimation for the upperlimit for the case with a lower sticking probability. The transport of contaminants in the air occurs by convection and by diffusion. In clean room ambient, laminar flow patterns are quite typical. One can approximate the transport by defining a static boundary layer adjacent to the wafer surface (with a thickness L BL) in which the (lateral) velocity is approximated as 0. Outside the boundary layer the flow is assumed to be intense enough to maintain a constant contamination concentration C i, ∞. During an initial transient phase contaminants diffuse from within the static boundary layer to the surface from a layer proportional to the diffusion length SQRT(Dt) (black dashed line). As soon as the diffusion length reaches the edge of the static boundary layer the supply flux of contaminants reaches a constant value and is determined by diffusion over the static boundary layer thickness (red solid lines). Combining the initial transient and the steady state supply yields equation (2). The values thus obtained for C = 1x1010 molec/cm3 are shown in figure 1 for 3 different values of the boundary layer thickness (LBL). Fig 1 Black and red lines represent the surface contamination as a function of time for a sticking coefficient of 1, C= 1x1010 mol/cm3 and for a static boundary layer thickness of 0.1, 1 or 10 cm. References Saga and T. Hattori, J. Electrochem. Soc 144, p. L253 (1997).Hendriks, Microelectronic Engineering, 25, p. 185 (1994).Den et al., J. Electrochem. Soc 153, G149 (2006). Figure 1

Interventional Radiology Suite: A Primer for Trainees.

Familiarity with different instruments and understanding the basics of image guidance techniques are essential for interventional radiology trainees. However, there are no structured references in the literature, and trainees are left to “pick it up as they go”. Puncture needles, guidewires, sheath systems, and catheters represent some of the most commonly used daily instruments by interventional radiologists. There is a large variety of instruments, and understanding the properties of each tool will allow trainees to better assess which type is needed for each specific procedure. Along with understanding the tools required to perform various interventional radiology procedures, it is important for trainees to learn how to organize the room, procedural table, and various equipment that is used during the procedure. Minimizing clutter and improving organization leads to improved efficiency and decreased errors. In addition, having a fundamental knowledge of fluoroscopy, the most commonly used imaging modality, is an integral part of beginning training in interventional radiology.

MUTU PELAYANAN PUSKESMAS RAMAH ANAK

The city of Magelang is one of the implementers of a child-friendly service quality program. Children have the right to obtain satisfactory health services, one of which is the service of childfriendly health centers. Children who come to the Puskesmas are expected to get comfort during the examination process. Research conducted at the Puskesma of Magelang City showed that the perceived quality of child-friendly Puskesmas services provided by health workers was good, but the assessment to the satisfaction of the quality of children's services was still lacking especially in terms of infrastructure such as the absence of food and beverage facilities for children. mother and child while breastfeeding such as the ASI corner room, a playground in the waiting room and playground equipment for children during health checks. This facility is very useful for making children not anxious or afraid when examined so as to eliminate the trauma of children during health checks. In the absence of trauma, it is hoped that children will be easily invited to seek treatment at the Puskesmas when they are sick, so that they can be treated quickly. Management organization policy is needed to fulfill infrastructure facilities for children. The better quality ofservice provided will further increase customer satisfaction.

Investigation and low energy improvement of the thermal environment of work areas in the Qingdao Metro in winter

Few studies have investigated the thermal environment of the work area hall in underground metro stations during winter. Two underground stations were chosen within Qingdao Metro Lines 2 and 3 to investigate the thermal environment in the work area hall in northern city metros in China. Air temperatures and wind velocity parameters were identified as key influencing factors and were continuously measured in the work area. The study found that the thermal environment fluctuates frequently in the work area throughout the day. Changes in temperatures and wind speeds were periodically caused by piston wind flowing from the platform level. To improve this heating situation in the work area in winter, the study proposes recycling waste heat from the power equipment rooms, using the air source but through the water cycle heat pump system. Insights from the study may help save energy and improve the thermal environment, and could be applied across metro stations in north China cities in winter. Practical application: The thermal comfort of the working area in the metro station hall is extremely poor as indicated by a study of Qingdao Metro stations. This paper explores the application of a heat pump as a means of heating the working area to improve the cold and damp winter environment for the metro staff using waste heat from the machine rooms.

Survey of isolation room equipment and resources in an academic hospital.

The purpose of this paper, a point prevalence study, is to quantify the incidence of isolation and identify the type of communicable diseases in isolation. The paper evaluates isolation precaution communication, availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as other equipment necessary for maintaining isolation precautions. A standardised audit tool was developed in accordance with the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (May 2009). Data were collected from 14 March 2017 to 16 March 2017, through observation of occupied isolation rooms in an academic hospital in Dublin, Ireland. The data were subsequently used for additional analysis and discussion. In total, 14 per cent (125/869) of the total inpatient population was isolated at the time of the study. The most common isolation precaution was contact precautions (96.0 per cent). In all, 88 per cent of known contact precautions were due to multi-drug resistant organisms. Furthermore, 96 per cent of patients requiring isolation were isolated, 92.0 per cent of rooms had signage, 90.8 per cent had appropriate signs and 93.0 per cent of rooms had PPE available. Finally, 31 per cent of rooms had patient-dedicated and single-use equipment and 2.4 per cent had alcohol wipes available. The audit tool can be used to identify key areas of noncompliance associated with isolation and inform continuous improvement and education. Currently, the rate of isolation is unknown in Ireland and standard guidelines are not established for the evaluation of isolation rooms. This audit tool can be used as an assessment for isolation room compliance.

Design of Multi-village and Multi-source Drinking Water Joint Transfer and Supply Project--Taking Jin’e District of Hengxi Town in Yinzhou District as an Example

Water is the source of life. Improving and consolidating the safety of rural drinking water is of great significance to ensuring the quality of rural drinking water and promoting rural economic development. Taking Jin Epian Drinking Water Safety Promotion Project in Hengxi Town of Yinzhou District as an example, this paper briefly analyses the design of the project, hoping to provide experience support for the development and progress of the project. Jin’e area Drinking Water Safety Promotion Project is located in the upstream of Hengxi Reservoir, Hengxi Town. The drinking water of Jin’e area had poor filtration and disinfection facilities, and the water quality and quantity were difficult to meet the requirements. According to field investigation, considering the uneven spatial and temporal distribution of water resources and the difference of water supply in each village, and considering the current situation of water use in each village, combined with factors such as geographic location of the project, the overall layout of the project needs to be carried out. The main construction contents included centralized water treatment equipment room, clear pool, pumping room and water pipeline laying, with a total investment of 25.6 million yuan. Through the implementation of this project, the water quality and quantity of the existing water supply system and drinking water can be significantly improved, the utilization rate of water resources can be increased.

Characterization of Clostridioides difficile isolates recovered from hospitalized patients and the hospitals environment and air: A multicenter study

In healthcare settings, contamination of environment with toxigenic and hypervirulent Clostridioides difficile strains is a serious concern. Here, we assessed whether patients with C. difficile have a role to play in the dissemination of C. difficile in our settings or other sources are implicated in its circulation. A total of 700 fecal specimens and 1435 environmental samples from surfaces, equipment and air of rooms occupied by patients suspected of C. difficile infection were taken from 4 tertiary hospitals in Tehran, Iran between April 2016 and August 2017. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and detection of resistance genes were performed for the environmental isolates. The clinical and environmental isolates of C. difficile were subjected to Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis.Forty three (6.14%) and 2 (0.13%) isolates of C. difficile were recovered from the clinical and environmental samples, respectively. In the clinical settings, 2 patients were suspected of recurrent C. difficile infection. Thirty distinct pulsotypes were found among the C. difficile isolates including 28 singletons and 2 common types. One of the two environmental isolates was isolated from floor in the Medical ward, of pulsotype/ribotype/toxinotype PT10/New ribotype/toxinotype V, harbored cdtA/B and tcdC-A, and resistant to ciprofloxacin. The other one was isolated from air of a room in ICU, assigned to PT11/RT001/toxinotype 0, belonged to tcdC-sc3 genotypes and resistant to metronidazole. The environmental isolates did not generate amplicons in PCR assays targeting vanA and nim genes.This study provided evidence for dissemination of genetically diverse strains of C. difficile in hospitalized patients, presence of C. difficile in hospital air, existence of binary toxin positive/antibiotic-resistant isolate on the floor and intra-hospital dissemination of this pathogen.

Study and tailoring of screen-printed resistive films for disposable strain gauges

The present work aims at fabrication and characterization of the novel dispersion based piezoresistive strain gauges. The novelty of present work is in the material-set and technique used to synthesize the low-cost, graphite powder based composites of various proportions without the need for additional pre-treatment or functionalization. When filler and resins are properly formulated, they can be printed in variety of shapes over different substrates such as glass, acrylic, plastics (such as PVC, PDMS, PMMA, PET, PI), metal foils, paper etc. They may be of great interest to integrate mechanical, chemical or temperature sensing functions in many electronic circuits and devices. In the current work, the resistive composite dispersions are screen-printed on glass substrate to fabricate the strain gauges and to study their piezoresistive strain performance. Graphite particles in the powder are found to have irregular shape and size. Thickness of screen-printed films varies in the range 13–27μm. Gauge factors ranging from 17 up to 70 is achieved for the strain gauges having satisfactory stability, linearity and repeatability. The variation in GF is found to be less than 2%. Maximum hysteresis and nonlinearity were observed to be less than 2% FSO (Full Scale Output). Repeatability is found to be minimum 98%. The dispersion composition is tuned to obtain a better sensitivity. Regarding temperature effects, all the strain gauge samples exhibited a negative value of TCR, lowest being -2×10−4 /ºC. Graphite powder and printing ink are inexpensive and commercially-available. Also, technique used to fabricate strain gauges avoids high-end equipment and expensive clean room facilities. These devices are robust, easy to scale & pattern, safely disposable strain gauges with are fairly good performance fabricated at low cost. These features make them a good candidate for pressure sensors, weigh bridges, displacement sensors, crack sensors, strain sensors etc. The real time potential applications are in different sectors such as automotive, aerospace, biomedical, oceanography and industrial purposes.

Company Profile: Aldevron Expands to Facilitate Emerging Therapies.

Company Profile: Aldevron Expands to Facilitate Emerging Therapies.

Transformative Surgical Team Training

Introduction:Sudden onset disasters exceed the capabilities of local health services. Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs), including the Australian Medical Assistance Team (AUSMAT), are a vital element of the Australian Governments capacity to respond to regional and international sudden-onset disasters. AUSMAT has the capacity to deploy an EMT Type 2 surgical field hospital and has been successfully verified by the World Health Organisation (WHO). All AUSMAT members must complete AUSMAT Team Member training. The National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, Darwin, Australia is responsible for all AUSMAT training.Aim:To educate and train the Surgical Team (perioperative nurses, surgeons, and anesthetists) in preparation for AUSMAT deployments in the austere environment.Methods:Prior to 2015, the surgical AUSMAT training was conducted via two courses: one for perioperative nurses and a separate course for surgeons and anesthetists. In 2015, the course was redesigned with the aim of collaborative training with all the Surgical Team Members. The new Surgical Team Course (STC) engages all three professions to learn alongside each other and discuss potential difficulties in techniques, the daily running of the operating room, and ethical discussions.Results:Since the rejuvenation of the STC, 15 surgeons, 17 anesthetists, and 18 perioperative nurses have completed the course. The attendees are familiarized with operational and clinical guidelines, the surgical field hospital, and operating room equipment including CSSD. A pivotal component of the course focuses on the essentials of medical records and Minimum Data Set reporting for EMTs as defined by WHO.Discussion:Since 2015, the NCCTRC has successfully run two courses. The revised collaborative model for AUSMAT STC has enhanced the quality of the program and subsequent learning experiences for participants.