1,720,975 research outputs found
Epidemiologia delle micosi profonde in terapia intensiva : risultati del primo anno di un’indagine a livello nazionale
No full textAntifungal susceptibility profiles of Candida isolates from a prospective survey of invasive fungal infections in Italian intensive care units
No full textThe antifungal susceptibility pattern of 302 Candida isolates collected during an Italian survey on invasive fungal infections in the intensive care setting was investigated. The results were correlated with some epidemiological data and compared to the antifungal profiles obtained in a previous survey. No resistance to echinocandins was detected. The overall resistance to fluconazole was 12.6%, to posaconazole 6%, and to voriconazole 7.1%. C. tropicalis and C. parapsilosis accounted for more than half of all fluconazole resistance. The decreased susceptibility to fluconazole is not uncommon (12.3%) and appears to be increasing, particularly among C. parapsilosis isolates from 2% in '90s to 25.8% in the present study. A routine antifungal susceptibility testing of this species is therefore recommended
Attività in vitro di Synercid in combinazione con teicoplanina nei cofronti di stafilococchi multiresistenti
No full text
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
In vitro activity of conventional antifungal drugs and natural essences against the yeast-like alga Prototheca
No full textBACKGROUND: Two outbreaks of mastitis due to the yeast-like alga Prototheca zopfii recently occurred in dairy herds in Lombardia (Italy) involving 180 and 150 lactating cows, respectively. OBJECTIVES: To determine the in vitro susceptibility of Prototheca isolates to conventional antifungal agents and to essential oils. METHODS: Twenty P. zopfii isolated from milk during these outbreaks, six P. zopfii isolated from fresh water and two Prototheca sp. reference strains were submitted to antifungal susceptibility testing by broth microdilution assay following the CLSI guidelines for yeasts. RESULTS: The tested isolates were shown to be resistant to fluconazole and caspofungin. A wide range of voriconazole MICs was observed. In contrast, amphotericin B, itraconazole and posaconazole appeared active with MICs < or = 1 mg/L. Bergamot and tea tree oils seemed to exert an interesting activity against this yeast-like alga. CONCLUSIONS: Difficulties in treating animals with conventional drugs and the potent in vitro activity of essential oils demonstrated here raise the interest in further investigations on the therapeutic use of these non-conventional natural products
BIOFILM PRODUCTION BY CANDIDA BLOODSTREAM ISOLATES: PREVALENCE AND CORRELATION WITH PATIENTS’ OUTCOME
No full textCandida biofilm production on medical devices has been recognized as an increasing clinical problem. The Candida biofilm lifestyle results in antifungal drug resistance and protection of the fungus from host defences. However, discrepant results were obtained in studies correlating in vitro biofilm forming ability and clinical outcome of candidemia (Tumbarello et al. JCM 2007; Shin et al. JCM 2002).
The aims of the present study were: 1) To investigate the prevalence of biofilm producers among Candida bloodstream isolates from intensive care unit (ICU) patients; 2) To correlate the biofilm production with patients’ outcome.
Material and Methods. A total of 297 Candida bloodstream isolates collected during the ECMM-FIMUA epidemiological study on deep-seated Candida infections in ICU patients (2006-2008) were studied. Biofilm formation was determined as described by Ramage et al. (AAC 2001). Briefly, 100 μL of yeast suspension in RPMI 1640 broth were inoculated in flat-bottom 96-well microtitre plates. Biofilm production was measured after 24h by using the 2,3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulphophenil)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) reduction assay. The absorbance was read spectrophotometrically at 490 nm. The percentage transmittance (%T), calculated from absorbance, was inversely proportional to the cellular density of the biofilm. Biofilm production was scored as 6+ (%T ≤ 5), 5+ (%T 6–10), 4+ (%T 11–20), 3+ (%T 21–40), 2+ (%T 41–60) or 1+ (%T > 60). The test was done in triplicate. Isolates showing scores of 6+ or 5+ were considered high producers of biofilm, and those with scores of 1+ or 2+ were considered poor producers. The relationship between biofilm formation (high vs poor) and patient outcome at day 30 after diagnosis of candidemia was measured by odds ratio (OR).
Results. 32.3% (96 out of 297 tested blood isolates) exhibited a high biofilm forming ability, namely 55.5% of C. tropicalis isolates, 34% of C. albicans, 26% C. glabrata, and 23 % of C. parapsilosis isolates.
A similar mortality rate was observed in patients with infection due to high and poor biofilm producer C. albicans (18/45, 40% vs 6/16, 37.5%, OR 1.11) as well as non albicans Candida isolates (19/32, 59.3% vs 59.4%, OR 1.017).
Conclusions. The rate of high biofilm producers among Candida bloodstream isolates is relevant, but this characteristic does not seem to be a significant predictor of mortality in this patient population
- …
