1,720,961 research outputs found
Un dispositivo per la disinfezione di ambienti confinati
No full textIntroduzione: la disinfezione degli ambienti chiusi è una tematica importante, in particolare in ambito sanitario anche
al fine di prevenire le Infezioni Correlate all’Assistenza Sanitaria e Sociosanitaria (ICAS). Recenti metodi, basati sulla
Ionizzazione Radio-Catalitica (IRC), emergono come un possibile approccio per la disinfezione. L’obiettivo è verificare
l’efficacia di uno strumento a IRC sul controllo della contaminazione microbica in spazi confinati.
Metodi: lo studio con disegno pre/post è stato commissionato e finanziato da Tradelectric Srl ed è stato condotto dal 4
marzo al 3 aprile 2015 in un laboratorio dell’Università degli Studi di Siena. Il sistema IRC trasforma l’umidità
dell’aria, sfruttando un processo foto-catalitico, attraverso una luce ultravioletta che irradia una superficie di biossido di
titanio, in specie reattive dell’ossigeno, tra cui perossido di idrogeno (H2O2), radicale idrossile (•OH), anione superossido
(O2
-) e ozono (O3). L’efficacia è stata valutata contando le Unità Formanti Colonie (UFC) presenti su due mensole
mediante piastre da contatto, incubate a 36°C e lette dopo 48 ore dal campionamento. Lo studio ha previsto confronti
durante l’attività/inattività del dispositivo e la verifica del grado di efficacia a differenti livelli di umidità e di contaminazione
microbica delle superfici. È stata eseguita la regressione lineare per verificare una possibile correlazione tra contaminazione
e trascorrere del tempo. Sono stati eseguiti confronti tra i coefficienti di regressione lineare delle superfici a
diverso grado di contaminazione nel range di umidità più alto per valutare possibili differenze tra i due andamenti nel
tempo ed il test di Wilcoxon, per dati appaiati, per valutare possibili differenze giorno per giorno.
Risultati: nel primo periodo, per valori di umidità decrescenti dal 55 al 50 percento, è stato evidenziato un aumento
medio di 3,72 UFC al giorno; nel periodo successivo, corrispondente ad un netto aumento dell’umidità fino a raggiungere
valori medi compresi tra il 56 ed il 70 percento, si è assistito ad una riduzione media di 3,70 UFC al trascorrere di
ogni giorno. Il confronto tra i coefficienti di regressione lineare ed il test di Wilcoxon, per dati appaiati, tra le superfici a
diverso grado di contaminazione non hanno fatto emergere differenze statisticamente significative.
Conclusioni: per un’umidità ambientale che si attesta nel range 50-55% è emerso che il dispositivo, usato in modo continuativo,
in ambienti confinati, con minima immissione e ripresa di aria, sia in grado di controllare la contaminazione
microbica. Per valori di umidità >60% il dispositivo riesce a ridurre la contaminazione microbica in maniera importante
Radio catalytic ionization: an innovative approach for indoors disinfection
No full textIs infection of indoors is a crucial problem, particularly in
healthcare settings for preventing healthcare-associated infections.
Recent methods, based on the Radio Catalytic Ionization
(RCI), emerged as a possible approach to disinfect the
environments. The aim is to test the efficacy of a RCI device
to control microbial contamination on a confined setting.
Methods
A pre/post design study was conducted from January to April
2015 in a laboratory of the University of Siena, Italy. RCI
system transforms air moisture in Reactive Oxygen Species,
including H2O2, trough a photo-catalytic process, mediated by
an ultraviolet light which irradiates a titanium dioxide surface.
The device was tested with three levels of humidity: 35–40%,
50–60% and >60%. Efficacy on disinfection was assessed
counting the number of Colony Forming Unit (CFU) on two
shelves trough contact plates incubated at 36C and read at
48 h from sampling. Comparisons were performed during the
activity/inactivity of the device at different levels of humidity.
Moreover, it was studied the effect of the RCI device in time.
Linear regression, ANOVA and Wilcoxon paired sample tests
were performed for evaluating possible differences.
Results
When the humidity was around 35–40% the device tended to
contrast the contamination level (below 30 CFU). Similar
results were achieved when the humidity level was set at 50–
60%; when the level of humidity was higher (>60%), it was
noted a significant decreasing trend of microbial contamination
that ended up with 10–5 CFU. The reduction of CFU
occurred after a latency of 2–3 days of continue exposition
(linear regression showed a coefficient 3.70 with
p < 0.0001).
Conclusion
Reduction of the number of CFU seems to correlate with the
percentage of moisture of the air, particularly when the values
were above 60%; low levels of humidity seem to control the
microbial contamination. Confined environments with controlled
humidity level could benefit of RCI system
Risk adjusted mortality after hip replacement surgery: A retrospective study
Full text linkIntroduction. Hip replacement (HR) operations are increasing. Short term mortality is an indicator of quality; few studies include risk adjustment models to predict HR outcomes. We evaluated in-hospital and 30-day mortality in hospitalized patients for HR and compared the performance of two risk adjustment algorithms. Materials and methods. A retrospective cohort study on hospital discharge records of patients undergoing HR from 2000 to 2005 in Tuscany Region, Italy, applied All-Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups (APR-DRG) and Elixhauser Index (EI) risk adjustment models to predict outcomes. Logistic regression was used to analyse the performance of the two models; C statistic (C) was used to define their discriminating ability. Results. 25 850 hospital discharge records were studied. In-hospital and 30-day crude mortality were 1.3% and 3%, respectively. Female gender was a significant (p < 0.001) protective factor under both models and had the following Odds Ratios (OR): 0.64 for in-hospital and 0.51 for 30-day mortality using APR-DRG and 0.55 and 0.48, respectively, with EI. Among EI comorbidities, heart failure and liver disease were associated with in-hospital (OR 9.29 and 5.60; p < 0.001) and 30-day (OR 6.36 and 3.26; p < 0.001) mortality. Increasing age and APR-DRG risk class were predictive of all the outcomes. Discriminating ability for in-hospital and 30-day mortality was reasonable with EI (C 0.79 and 0.68) and good with APR-DRG (C 0.86 and 0.82). Conclusions. Our study found that gender, age, EI comorbidities and APR-DRG risk of death are predictive factors of in-hospital and 30-day mortality outcomes in patients undergoing HR. At least one risk adjustment algorithm should always be implemented in patient management
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
Patient discomfort during carotid artery stenting: a comparison study between iodixanol versus iopamidol
No full textBackground The aim of this study was to compare the adverse effects of iodixanol and iopamidol in terms of patient's discomfort in subjects undergoing carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods We retrospectively analyzed data of all successful CAS procedures performed in our department during a 15-year period study. All patients judged to be collaborative were included. From December 2000 to December 2005, we adopted iopamidol as contrast media (CM), thereafter iodixanol. Any transient unpleasant sensation of bitter taste or warmth perceived by the patient after intra-arterial injection of CM was recorded. Injection-associated discomfort was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS) score. Comparison between the 2 CMs with regard to the overall discomfort was carried out by using the Mann–Whitney test. Spearman correlation was performed to assess the correlation among discomfort, age, and CM used. A univariate analysis was performed for slightly bitter taste and warmth sensation to compare these clinical outcomes and CM used; subsequently, a logistic multivariate analysis regression was performed with the “backward elimination.” Results Data from 1,633 patients were evaluated. A total of 608 patients underwent CAS procedure using iopamidol, and 1,025 using iodixanol. The total amount of CM used during a single procedure was 85 ± 17 mL/patient (range 60–135). The median VAS value was statistically significantly lower in the iodixanol group than in the iopamidol group (P < 0.001). A significant Spearman correlation coefficient was found between age and discomfort for both CMs used (Spearman rho 0.18 for iodixanol, 0.17 for iopamidol). The univariate analysis showed that patients undergoing CAS with iopamidol had an odds ratio (OR) of 8.48 (P < 0.001) to perceive warmth sensation. When adjusted for age and gender, the multivariate analysis still showed an OR of 8.03. For slightly bitter taste sensation, the crude analysis showed an OR of 1.31 (P = 0.018); adjusting for age and gender, OR became 1.15 and the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.257). Conclusions During CAS, less overall discomfort was reported in patients receiving iodixanol than iopamidol; in terms of warmth sensation, patients undergoing procedure using iopamidol as CM have a higher risk to perceive this clinical symptom than iodixanol. Slightly bitter taste seems to have a statistically significant relation with age and gender, and not with CM used. 
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
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