BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is transmitted via infectious respiratory particles. Infectious respiratory particles are released when an infected person breathes, coughs, or speaks. Several studies have measured respiratory particle concentrations through focusing on activities such as breathing, coughing, and short speech. However, few studies have investigated the effect of speech duration. METHODS: This study aimed to clarify the effects of speech duration and volume on the respiratory particle concentration. Study participants were requested to speak at three voice volumes across five speech durations, generating 15 speech patterns. Participants spoke inside a clean booth where particle concentrations and voice volumes were measured and analyzed during speech. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that as speech duration increased, the aerosol number concentration also increased. Through focusing on individual differences, we considered there might be super-emitters who emit more aerosol particles than the average human. Two participants were identified as statistical outliers (aerosol number concentration, n = 1; mass concentration, n = 1). CONCLUSIONS Considering speech duration may improve our understanding of respiratory particle concentration dynamics. Two participants were identified as potential super-emitters.
Humans ; Male ; Speech/physiology* ; Adult ; Female ; COVID-19/transmission* ; Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets ; Voice ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Time Factors ; Young Adult ; Aerosols/analysis*

The wound mechanism, injury characteristics and treatment principles of anti-armored vehicle ammunition against armored crew in the past 20 years are summarized in this paper. Shock vibration, metal jet, depleted uranium aerosol and post armor breaking effect are the main factors for wounding armored crew. Their prominent characteristics are severe injury, high incidence of bone fracture, high rate of depleted uranium injury, and high incidence of multiple/combined injuries. During the treatment, attention must be paid on that the space of armored vehicle is limited, and the casualties should be moved outside of the cabin for comprehensive treatment. Especially, the management of depleted uranium injury and burn/inhalation injury are more important than other injuries for the armored wounds.
Humans ; Uranium/analysis* ; Respiratory Aerosols and Droplets ; Motor Vehicles ; Burns/therapy* ; Multiple Trauma

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of budesonide aerosol inhalation on the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB in asthmatic mice.

METHODSTwenty-four healthy male BALB/c mice aged 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 each): normal saline (control group), asthma model (asthma group) and budesonide-treated asthma (BUD group). Asthma was induced by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminium hydroxide suspension and aerosol inhalation of OVA solution. Mice were sacrificed 24 hours after the last challenge. Eosinophil count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was determined. Pathological examination of the lung tissues was performed and the expression levels of GR and NF-κB were measured by immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTSEosinophil count in the BALF was significantly higher in the asthma and BUD groups than in the control group (P<0.05). BUD treatment decreased eosinophil count in the BALF compared with the asthma group (P<0.05). The lung tissues in the BUD group showed a less severe infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes compared with the asthma group. The percentage of GR-positive cells in the asthma group decreased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05), and the percentage of GR-positive cells in the BUD group increased significantly compared with the asthma group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the percentage of NF-κB-positive cells increased significantly in the asthma group (P<0.05), and the percentage of NF-κB positive cells in the BUD group was significantly reduced compared with the asthma group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe action mechanism of budesonide in treating asthmatic mice may be related to the upregulation of GR expression and the inhibition of NF-κB activity.

Aerosols ; Animals ; Asthma ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Budesonide ; administration & dosage ; Eosinophils ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; analysis ; Receptors, Glucocorticoid ; analysis

With the establishment of HPLC and LC-MS methods to determine the related substances and the content of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in ipratropium bromide aerosol products, several packing material-related impurities were identified, including antioxygen BHT and antioxygen 2246. Results showed that these leachable additives from the packing materials may present at a relative high level in the drug solution, and the low content of API in the drug products is usually due to the adsorption of the packing material as well as the leaking of contents. The current available assay methods for the control of ipratropium bromide aerosol products are often lack of specificity and unable to assure the drug quality effectively. To meet the increasing attention on the regulations of drug packing materials, our research would be a pilot study, indicating that the inappropriate packing materials could cause the migration and adsorption of the active ingredients, and the importance to have compatibility studies between packing materials and drugs.
Aerosols ; Antioxidants ; analysis ; Bronchodilator Agents ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Butylated Hydroxytoluene ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Incompatibility ; Drug Packaging ; Ipratropium ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Quality Control ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

BACKGROUND: Legionella pneumophila is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia. After L. pneumophila is inhaled through contaminated aerosols, it is phagocytized by alveolar macrophages, multiplies in a specialized phagosome approximately 10 h postinfection, and eventually leads to the death of host cells. Currently available diagnostic tests for Legionella pneumonia have some limitations. This study was conducted to find diagnostic biomarkers for Legionella pneumonia using virulence gene expression profiling in a murine experimental model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A/J mice were intranasally inoculated with L. pneumophila serogroup 1, and lungs were harvested 4, 8, 24, and 48 h postinfection. The strain grown in buffered yeast extract broth was used as reference samples. Cy-dye labeled cDNA samples were prepared with total RNA from lungs or broth culture, and hybridized on the oligo-microarray slide containing 2,895 genes of L. pneumophila serogroup 1. Virulence gene expression patterns were analyzed using a MIDAS software from TIGR (www.tigr.org). RESULTS: Among a total of 332 virulence genes examined, 17 genes including sidA, lepB, the genes related to flagella assembly (fliR and fliP), LPS lipid A biosynthesis, and the enhanced entry protein EnhA were up-regulated at all four time points. We further confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR that the expression of fliP gene was highly expressed in lung tissue as well as in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from the mouse infected with L. pneumophila serogroup 1. CONCLUSIONS: Through gene expression analysis of L. pneumophila in a mouse model, several candidate biomarkers for diagnosing Legionnaires' disease could be identified.
Aerosols ; Animals ; Biomarkers ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Chimera ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; DNA, Complementary ; Flagella ; Gene Expression ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Legionella ; Legionella pneumophila ; Legionnaires' Disease ; Lipid A ; Lung ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; Mice ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Phagosomes ; Pneumonia ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcription ; RNA ; Sprains and Strains ; Yeasts

OBJECTIVETo establish an optimized method for extracting saponins from Radix et Rhizoma Notoginseng (Sanqi).

METHODHPLC coupled with charged aerosol detector (CAD) was used for saponins determination. Peak areas of the main saponins notoginsenoside R1, ginsenosides Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rg2, Rh1 and Rd in Sanqi were monitored to evaluate the extract effectiveness. One-factor analysis was conducted to investigate the factors of particle size, solvent, extraction method and soaking time. Orthogonal experiment design L9 (3(4)) with different level of concentration of solvents, extraction time, extraction times and volume of the solvent, was implemented to determine the optimized extract condition.

RESULTThe optimum extract technique was that the dried and well pulverized (passed through a 80 mesh (180 +/-7.6) microm sample 1.0 g was extracted in 20 mL methanol by reflux (1.5 h) after soaked at room temperature for 0.5 h.

CONCLUSIONThe optimized technique is simple and high extraction efficiency. It provide basic data for further study on Sanqi.

Aerosols ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Saponins ; analysis ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of different drying methods on the content of anthraquinones and tannins in water extract from Radix et Rhiroma Rhei (DHY).

METHODDHY was dried by freeze drying, vacuum drying, drying under normal press and spray drying respectively until its moisture has been 5%. The content of anthraquinones and tannins of samples by different drying methods was determined and compared with.

RESULTThe content of total anthraquinones, free anthraquinones, conjugated anthraquinones and tannins of samples by different drying methods was some different. Samples with freeze drying were highest and samples with drying under normal press at 100 degrees C were low.

CONCLUSIONTemperature is an important pole in drying process water extract from Radix et Rhiroma Rhei. In our study water extract from Radix et Rhiroma Rhei was stable under 60 degrees C on the whole and unstable when drying exceed in 90 degrees C.

Aerosols ; Anthraquinones ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Freeze Drying ; Preservation, Biological ; methods ; Pressure ; Rheum ; chemistry ; Tannins ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Temperature ; Water ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDA new inhalable insulin aerosol (Inh-Ins) was developed in China. The aim of this multicenter clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this new Inh-Ins as a treatment of type 2 diabetes. Regular porcine insulin (RI) was used as a control.

METHODSThis study is a prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group multicenter clinical trial in which 253 qualified patients with type 2 diabetes received the insulin Glargine daily at bedtime plus either a pre-meal Inh-Ins or a pre-meal subcutaneous RI for 12 weeks. HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), the 1-hour-postprandial blood glucose (1hPBG) and the 2-hour-postprandial blood glucose (2hPBG) were measured. Events were monitored for adverse effects.

RESULTSAfter 12 weeks, the HbA1c decreased significantly from baseline in both treatment groups, with no significant difference between the two regimens. In the Inh-Ins group, FPG, both 1hPBG and 2hPBG significantly declined from baseline after the 8th- and 12th-weeks of treatment. The reduced values of FPG or 1hPBG between the two groups showed a more significant hypoglycemic effect with the Inh-Ins than the RI. After 12 weeks, the pulmonary carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLco) was significantly lower in Inh-Ins group than in the RI. The main side effects of Inh-Ins were coughing, excessive sputum, and hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSIONSInh-Ins was effective in decreasing HbA1c like the RI. It was better in lowering the FPG and the 1hPBG than the RI. Its main side effects were coughing, excessive sputum, and hypoglycemia. Also, Inh-Ins slightly impaired DLco.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aerosols ; Aged ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Cough ; chemically induced ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; drug therapy ; Female ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; analysis ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; chemically induced ; Insulin ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo investigate the seasonal characteristics and the sources of elements and ions with different sizes in the aerosols in Beijing.

METHODSSamples of particulate matters (PM2.5), PM10, and total suspended particle (TSP) aerosols were collected simultaneously in Beijing from July 2001 to April 2003. The aerosol was chemically characterized by measuring 23 elements and 18 water-soluble ions by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and ion chromatography (IC), respectively.

RESULTSThe samples were divided into four categories: spring non-dust, spring dust, summer dust, and winter dust. TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 were most abundant in the spring dust, and the least in summer dust. The average mass ratios of PM > 10, PM2.5-10, and PM2.5 to TSP confirmed that in the spring dust both the large coarse (PM > 10) and fine particles (PM2.5) contributed significantly in summer PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM > 10 contributed similar fractions to TSP, and in winter much PM2.5. The seasonal variation characteristics of the elements and ions were used to divide them into four groups: crustal, pollutant, mixed, and secondary. The highest levels of crustal elements, such as Al, Fe, and Ca, were found in the dust season, the highest levels of pollutant elements and ions, such as As, F-, and Cl-, were observed in winter, and the highest levels of secondary ions (SO4(2-), NO3-, and NH4+) were seen both in summer and in winter. The mixed group (Eu, Ni, and Cu) showed the characteristics of both crustal and pollutant elements. The mineral aerosol from outside Beijing contributed more than that from the local part in all the reasons but summer, estimated using a newly developed element tracer technique.

Aerosols ; China ; Chromatography, Ion Exchange ; Environmental Monitoring ; Particle Size ; Particulate Matter ; analysis ; chemistry ; Seasons ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic

OBJECTIVETo develop a new sampling medium for detecting of bioaerosols.

METHODSThe sampling media were tested by using Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens under static and active conditions, preliminary applications were performed using AGI-10 and high volume sampler.

RESULTSThe average recovery rates were raised to 24.7%, 58.2%, 40.5%, 44.1%, 20.5%, and 15.4%, respectively in six consecutive experiments under static condition for 60 min at room temperature. Four kinds of sampling media were singled out after static experiments, which were referred to as "samplutions" PD1, PX2, TD1, and TX2, respectively. Under the active condition, the protective efficacy of PD1, PX2, TD1, and TX2 was 226% (153/47), 553% (111/17), 150% (120/48), and 268% (419/114), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe samplutions have some effects on the subsequent nucleic acid detection, which could be avoided by employing standard nucleic acid extraction procedure. The newly developed samplution can be applied to the detection of bioaerosols.

Aerosols ; analysis ; Air Microbiology ; Air Pollutants ; analysis ; Environmental Monitoring ; methods ; Escherichia coli ; isolation & purification ; Nucleic Acids ; isolation & purification ; Sampling Studies ; Serratia marcescens ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus aureus ; isolation & purification