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IntroductionDuring pandemics, such as the SARS-CoV-2, filtering facepiece respirators plays an essential role in protecting healthcare personnel. The recycling of respirators is possible in case of critical shortage, but it raises the question of the effectiveness of decontamination as well as the performance of the reused respirators.MethodDisposable respirators were subjected to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) treatment at single or successive doses of 60 mJ/cm2 after a short drying cycle (30 min, 70°C). The germicidal efficacy of this treatment was tested by spiking respirators with two staphylococcal bacteriophages (vB_HSa_2002 and P66 phages). The respirator performance was investigated by the following parameters: particle penetration (NaCl aerosol, 10–300 nm), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry and mechanical tensile tests.ResultsNo viable phage particles were recovered from any of the respirators after decontamination (log reduction in virus titre >3), and no reduction in chemical or physical properties (SEM, particle penetrations 2 (50 cycles). When respirators had been used by healthcare workers and undergone decontamination, they had particle penetration significantly greater than never donned respirators.ConclusionThis decontamination procedure is an attractive method for respirators in case of shortages during a SARS pandemic. A successful implementation requires a careful design and particle penetration performance control tests over the successive reuse cycles.

Cannabis sativa is known for its recreational use, but also for its therapeutic potential. There has been wide discussion over the use of cannabis for medical purposes in recent years, especially because a consensus has not been reached regarding its risk/benefit balance. Among the more common modes of administration, vaping with a vaporiser is most frequently used for self-medication. Vaping seems to be a better alternative to preventing adverse health effects due to toxic compounds produced during combustion when cannabis is smoked. However, the delivery kinetics and efficiency of most portable vaporisers are not fully characterised with an appropriate vaping regime. This determination requires a specific vaping machine operating under realistic puffing conditions. In this study, a vaping machine was conceived to fit with the common uses of portable vaporisers that requires conditions different from those used for electronic cigarettes. The experimental setup in this study was optimised to sample aerosolised cannabinoids. The delivery kinetics, efficiency, and decarboxylation yields of two commercially available vaporisers (DaVinci® and Mighty Medic®) were evaluated for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Among all tested sampling supports, the glass fibre filter is the most efficient medium to collect mixed THC and CBD aerosols. From the delivery kinetics of cannabinoids, a single-parameter model was used to calculate the extraction coefficient of each vaporiser. The results show that the Mighty Medic® vaporiser had a higher extraction coefficient (0.39) and a more immediate release of cannabinoids than the DaVinci® vaporiser (0.16), which had a gradual and slower rate of vaporisation. This parameter could be a quantitative input in pharmacokinetic models of administration of volatile compounds using vaporisers and a useful tool for the comparison of vaporisers.

The emergence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) has given cannabis smokers a new method of inhaling cannabinoids. E-cigs differ from traditional marijuana cigarettes in several respects. First, it is assumed that vaporizing cannabinoids at lower temperatures is safer because it produces smaller amounts of toxic substances than the hot combustion of a marijuana cigarette. Recreational cannabis users can discretely “vape” deodorized cannabis extracts with minimal annoyance to the people around them and less chance of detection. There are nevertheless several drawbacks worth mentioning: although manufacturing commercial (or homemade) cannabinoid-enriched electronic liquids (e-liquids) requires lengthy, complex processing, some are readily on the Internet despite their lack of quality control, expiry date, and conditions of preservation and, above all, any toxicological and clinical assessment. Besides these safety problems, the regulatory situation surrounding e-liquids is often unclear. More simply ground cannabis flowering heads or concentrated, oily THC extracts (such as butane honey oil or BHO) can be vaped in specially designed, pen-sized marijuana vaporizers. Analysis of a commercial e-liquid rich in cannabidiol showed that it contained a smaller dose of active ingredient than advertised; testing our laboratory-made, purified BHO, however, confirmed that it could be vaped in an e-cig to deliver a psychoactive dose of THC. The health consequences specific to vaping these cannabis preparations remain largely unknown and speculative due to the absence of comprehensive, robust scientific studies. The most significant health concerns involve the vaping of cannabinoids by children and teenagers. E-cigs could provide an alternative gateway to cannabis use for young people. Furthermore, vaping cannabinoids could lead to environmental and passive contamination.

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) filled with low contents of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) was prepared using different ways to monitor the dispersion of MWCNT. The influence of the dispersion on thermal conductivity and transmittance was measured. High degree of transparence can be achieved with 0.02 phr of well dispersed MWCNT. Time-to-ignition (TTI) was also measured on 2- or 4-mm-thick specimens heated using radiative unidirectional source. Time-to-ignition was found to decrease with the incorporation of MWCNT because more heat is absorbed at the surface. Higher time-to-ignition was observed for partially translucent composites, due to different absorption in-depth profiles. It can be assumed that time-to-ignition can be controlled by the dispersion of MWCNT into the polymeric matrix. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Therapeutic cannabis administration is increasingly used in Western countries due to its positive role in several pathologies. Dronabinol or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) pills, ethanolic cannabis tinctures, oromucosal sprays or table vaporizing devices are available but other cannabinoids forms can be used. Inspired by the illegal practice of dabbing of butane hashish oil (BHO), cannabinoids from cannabis were extracted with butane gas and the resulting concentrate (BHO) was atomized with specific vaporizing devices. The efficiency of “cannavaping,” defined as the “vaping” of liquid refills for e-cigarettes enriched with cannabinoids, including BHO, was studied as an alternative route of administration for therapeutic cannabinoids. The results showed that illegal cannavaping would be subjected to marginal development due to the poor solubility of BHO in commercial liquid refills (especially those with high glycerin content). This prevents the manufacture of liquid refills with high BHO concentrations adopted by most recreational users of cannabis to feel the psychoactive effects more rapidly and extensively. Conversely, “therapeutic cannavaping” could be an efficient route for cannabinoids administration because less concentrated cannabinoids-enriched liquid refills are required. However, the electronic device marketed for therapeutic cannavaping should be carefully designed to minimize potential overheating and contaminant generation.

[EN] Reconstruction of monuments often raises the question of stones replacement. It must be aesthetically durable, which means the stone must age like the original one. This study presents an image processing chain, from capture to visualisation, to compare stones at different states of aging: recently extracted from quarry, weathered on old buildings, and cleaned on monuments recently restored. This tool includes: (1) a digital still camera calibration, (2) a chromatic adaptation transform and (3) a resizing process. To test it, a case study was conducted to assess the compatibility of three types of limestone. This graphical tool helps the selection of replacement materials by visual comparison between several possible stones in order to select them by aging properties and visual resemblance., [ES] En el ámbito de la sustitución de piedras en los monumentos, frecuentemente se plantea el problema de la selección de las piedras de reemplazo. De hecho, la reconstrucción debe ser estéticamente duradera, es decir, la piedra sustituida debe envejecer como la piedra original. Este estudio presenta una cadena de procesamiento de imágenes, desde la adquisición hasta la visualización, que permite comparar imágenes de piedras en varias etapas de su envejecimiento: recién extraída de la cantera, envejecida en edificios antiguos, y decapada con arena en monumentos recién restaurados. Esta herramienta incluye: (1) una calibración de cámara digital, (2) una transformación de adaptación cromática y (3) una etapa de redimensión. Para testear el método propuesto, un estudio de caso se llevó a cabo para evaluar la compatibilidad de tres tipos de caliza. Esta herramienta gráfica puede ayudar la selección de materiales de reemplazo con envejecimiento complejo como la piedra natural.