Hypochlorous acid as an antiseptic in the care of patients with suspected COVID-19 infection.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease, is transmitted by aerosols or by contact with infected surfaces. The route of entry to the body is through the nasal, oral or conjunctival mucosa. Health workers must use effective protection measures against the entry of the virus into mucous membranes, both physical and antiseptic filters. There is an antiseptic used in Ophthalmology that we believe could have virucidal action against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, formulated based on 0.01% hypochlorous acid. An exhaustive search has been carried out in the databases of Pubmed and Web of Science to identify relevant articles on the virucidal activity of hypochlorous acid in different concentrations until October 4, 2020. There is evidence of the virucidal efficacy of 0.01% hypochlorous acid against SARS-CoV-2. According to the different scientific publications reviewed, hypochlorous acid has virucidal efficacy against different viruses, among them, SARS-CoV-2. The 0.01% hypochlorous acid could act as an effective antiseptic against SARS-CoV-2, exerting a barrier on the mucosa to prevent COVID-19 infection. It can be used on the eyes, nose and mouth. We consider it necessary to assess its use in the protocol for patient health care in ophthalmology consultations, as well as to recommend its use to the general population to reduce viral load and/or prevent transmission of infection. Additional in vivo studies would be required to confirm its antiseptic action

Aging model for solid lubricants used in weapon stronglinks: tribological performance and hardware review

The solid lubricant used most extensively in strong links throughout the enduring stockpile contains MoS{sub 2}, which is known to react with oxygen and water vapor resulting in a change in the material`s friction and wear behavior. The authors have examined the frictional behavior of this lubricant as a function of oxidation, in support of efforts to quantify the impact of changes in the material on the dynamic behavior of the MC2969 strong link. Their results show that the friction response of oxidized lubricant is strongly influenced by the amount of burnishing performed on the lubricant after deposition. Low levels of burnish leave a thick film, of which only the near surface degrades during oxidation. Rapid wear of the oxidized material leaves a surface whose properties are the same as non-oxidized material. Higher levels of burnish leave a thinner film of lubricant such that the entire film may be oxidized. The friction coefficient on this surface reaches a steady state value greater than that of non oxidized material. In addition to these fundamental differences in steady state behavior, they have shown that the initial friction coefficient on oxidized surfaces is related to the amount of sulfide converted to sulfate, regardless of the oxidation conditions used. Measurements on parts returned from the stockpile show that the friction behavior of aged hardware is consistent with the behavior observed on controlled substrates containing thin lubricant films

54Nm*069~d~) p% "K';*9 %&j, Electrical Contact Performance Degradati@ '~~fi 4?-.~ĩ n Electromechanical Components~~l !? &g& P ?

Abstract Detailed materials evaluations have been performed for MC2969 Intent Stronglink switch monitor circuit parts returned from the field out of retired weapon systems. Evaluations of local contact resistance, surface chemical composition and surface roughness and wear have been determined as a function of component level contact loop resistance testing position. Several degradation mechanisms have been identified and correlated with the component level measurements. Operational degradation produces surface smoothing and wear with each actuation of the monitor circuit, while aging degradation is observed in the segregation of contaminant species and alloy constituent elements to the surface in the stressed wear regions. Introduction Electromechanical devices perform fimctions critical to nuclear safety and weapon system performance and are susceptible to degradation caused by materials aging. Electrical contacts in electromechanical devices need to maintain low contact loop resistance (CLR), while keeping friction coefilcients within design range to insure proper operation. Electrical contacts in the devices are of slidlng or rotary design, and require some form of dynamic contact wiping as a part of normal switch operation. Contamination and corrosion of exposed electrical contact surfaces can occur through outgassing of contaminants or volatile species from surrounding materials, or through loss of hermeticity of the electromechanical device. Modification of the surface layers of contacts can also occur through oxidation or segregation of alloy constituent elements. Since low CLR values are obtained by using uncoated metal surfaces, reaction with adsorbed species can readily produce surface layers that are nonconductive. If these modified surface layers can not easily be removed by the dynamic wiping action of the contacts, then the resulting CLR may be high enough to limit signal transmission through the device. On the other han~the same dynamic wiping process utilized to clean the contacts during use also produces adhesive wear transfer buildup on the contacts and generates particulate wear debris that may introduce electrical shorts into the device. In order to make predictions for service life extensio% the role of each of these processes in device performance must be understood

Electrical Contact Performance Degradation in Electromechanical Components

Detailed materials evaluations have been performed for MC2969 Intent Stronglink switch monitor circuit parts returned from the field out of retired weapon systems. Evaluations of local contact resistance, surface chemical composition and surface roughness and wear have been determined as a function of component level contact loop resistance testing position. Several degradation mechanisms have been identified and correlated with the component level measurements. Operational degradation produces surface smoothing and wear with each actuation of the monitor circuit, while aging degradation is observed in the segregation of contaminant species and alloy constituent elements to the surface in the stressed wear regions

Activation of the alternative pathway of complement during the acute phase of typical haemolytic uraemic syndrome

Haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopenia and acute renal failure. We studied the activation state of classical and alternative pathways of complement during the acute phase of Shiga toxin-associated HUS by performing a prospective study of 18 patients and 17 age-matched healthy controls to evaluate C3, C3c, C4, C4d, Bb and SC5b-9 levels. SC5b-9 levels were increased significantly in all patients at admission compared to healthy and end-stage renal disease controls, but were significantly higher in patients presenting with oliguria compared to those with preserved diuresis. C3 and C4 levels were elevated significantly at admission in the non-oliguric group when compared to controls. No significant differences were found for C4d values, whereas factor Bb was elevated in all patients and significantly higher in oliguric patients when compared to both controls and non-oliguric individuals. A positive and significant association was detected when Bb formation was plotted as a function of plasma SC5b-9 at admission. Bb levels declined rapidly during the first week, with values not significantly different from controls by days 3 and 5 for non-oligurics and oligurics, respectively. Our data demonstrate the activation of the alternative pathway of complement during the acute phase of Stx-associated HUS. This finding suggests that complement activation may represent an important trigger for the cell damage that occurs during the syndrome.Fil: Ferraris, J. R.. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Ferraris, V.. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Acquier, Andrea Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Sorroche, P. B.. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Saez, M. S.. Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Ginaca, A.. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutierrez"; ArgentinaFil: Mendez, Carlos Fernando. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Odontología. Cátedra de Farmacología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas; Argentina; Argentin

Effect of Tocilizumab on LDL and HDL Characteristics in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. An Observational Study

Background In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), qualitative alterations of low and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL, respectively) might partially explain their increased cardiovascular risk. Tocilizumab has been associated with an increase in lipids, including triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol levels. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of tocilizumab on certain LDL and HDL characteristics (oxidized LDL levels, HDL-associated enzymes, chemical composition of both total HDL and HDL3c subpopulation, and their capacity to promote cellular cholesterol efflux) at baseline and 3 months after the start of treatment in patients with RA. Methods Twenty-eight RA patients (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria) with indication of treatment with tocilizumab were included in the present study. Clinical assessment [Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ)], disease activity score 28 (DAS28), high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) concentration, lipid profile, and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels were evaluated in all patients at baseline and after 3 months of treatment with tocilizumab. Lipoprotein characteristics were evaluated through the levels of oxidized LDL (OxLDL), the activity of paraoxonase (PON) 1, the composition of total HDL and small, dense HDL3c subpopulation, and their ability to promote cellular cholesterol efflux. Results After 3 months of treatment with tocilizumab, HAQ (− 23%, p  0.05) in the whole group. Conclusions Treatment with tocilizumab reduced hsCRP levels and displayed positive effects on certain lipoprotein-related parameters, such as a potent decrease inLp(a) and a reduction in OxLDL levels. Moreover, HDL capacity to promote cellular cholesterol efflux was maintained after 3 months of treatment.Fil: Pierini, Florencia S.. Hospital Italiano. Instituto Universitario. Escuela de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Botta, Eliana Elizabeth. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Soriano Guppy, Enrique Roberto. Hospital Italiano. Instituto Universitario. Escuela de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Martin, Maximiliano Emanuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Boero, Laura Estela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Meroño, Tomás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Saez, María Soledad. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Lozano Chiappe, Ezequiel Silvano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: Cerda, Osvaldo. Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Rehabilitación Psicofísica; ArgentinaFil: Citera, Gustavo. Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Rehabilitación Psicofísica; ArgentinaFil: Gandino, Ignacio. Hospital Italiano. Instituto Universitario. Escuela de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Rosa, Javier. Hospital Italiano. Instituto Universitario. Escuela de Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Sorroche, Patricia. Hospital Italiano; ArgentinaFil: Kontush, Anatol. Sorbonne University; Francia. Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale; FranciaFil: Brites, Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica; Argentin