169,962 research outputs found
Valutazione preliminare dell’efficacia di metodo di saggio rapido per ricerca di Campylobacter spp. nella diagnostica di laboratorio
No full textIs MIC increase of meropenem against Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae correlated with the increase of resistance rates against some other antibiotics with Gram-negative activity?
No full textOBJECTIVE:
To assess MIC distribution for meropenem and the other antibiotics with Gram-negative activity against KPC-Kp clinical isolates collected at our hospital in 2013-2016.
METHODS:
Susceptibility of KPC-Kp strains was tested by broth microdilution method, using customized 96-well plates, and was interpreted according to the EUCAST recommendations.
RESULTS:
Among 169 consecutive KPC-Kp clinical isolates 26.6% were susceptible to meropenem. Among meropenem-resistant isolates (124/169), 58.9% had an MIC for meropenem between 16 and 64mg/L. The overall resistance rate for the other antibiotics resulted very high for both ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin (99.0%), moderate for amikacin (37.4%) and low for gentamicin (11.2%), colistin (8.2%) and tigecycline (7.7%). Aminoglycosides had a dichotomous behavior in relation to meropenem MIC increase. Resistance rate for gentamicin persisted <20% across all meropenem MIC values. Conversely, that for amikacin raised from <20% in presence of meropenem MIC ≤8mg/L up to around 80% in presence of meropenem MIC≥64mg/L. Resistance rates for tigecycline and colistin persisted <20% in presence of meropenem MICs up to 64mg/L.
CONCLUSION:
The overall susceptibility rates of antibiotics with Gram-negative activity may greatly vary among KPC-Kp clinical isolates. A tight relationship between meropenem MIC increase and the resistance rate for amikacin was documented
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe 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
Determination of PCT on admission is a useful tool for the assessment of disease severity in travelers with imported Plasmodium falciparum malaria
No full textProcalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) may be useful to predict complicated forms of malaria. A total of 30
consecutive travelers diagnosed with Plasmodium falciparum malaria over a two-year period were included in the study. Patients
with complicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria showed higher levels of parasitemia (P = 0.0001), PCT (P = 0.0018),
CRP (P = 0.0005), bilirubinemia (P = 0.004), and a lower platelet count (P<0.0001) compared with patients with uncomplicated
forms. PCT levels above 5 ng/mL showed the highest value of specificity (0.86) and positive predictive factor (0.67) among
other parameters, and equal sensitivity (0.67) was displayed by CRP levels above 150 mg/dl. None of the patients with
complicated malaria showed PCT levels within normal limits (<0.5 ng/ml). Both PCT and CRP correlated with parasitemia
(P<0.001) and showed areas under ROC curve of 0.83. At multivariate analysis, only PCT was associated with an increased risk
of complicated malaria (OR 8.2, IC 95% 1.2–57.2, P = 0.03). The determination of PCT on admission showed better results
compared to CRP, platelet count, and bilirubinemia and can be useful in non-endemic areas for the initial clinical assessment
of disease severity in travelers with Plasmodium falciparum malaria
FIGURE 3 in Comparative morphology of myrmecophilous immature stages of European Microdon species (Diptera: Syrphidae): updated identification key and new diagnostic characters
No full textFIGURE 3. Details of first instar larvae of M. myrmicae (A, C, E, G) and M. analis (B, D, F, H): A, B—dorsal microsculpture; C, D—ventral microsculpture; E, F—dorsal flower–like sensilla; G, H—ventral flower like sensilla. A, B, C, D = 100 µm; E, F, G = 10 µm; H = 30 µm. FS, flower-like sensilla.Published as part of Scarparo, Giulia, Wolton, Robert, Molfini, Marco, Pinna, Luigi Cao & Ulio, Andrea Di Gi-, 2020, Comparative morphology of myrmecophilous immature stages of European Microdon species (Diptera: Syrphidae): updated identification key and new diagnostic characters, pp. 348-370 in Zootaxa 4789 (2) on page 355, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4789.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/399083
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Population pharmacokinetics of high-dose continuous-infusion meropenem and considerations for use in the treatment of infections due to KPC-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae
No full textWe assessed the population pharmacokinetics of high-dose continuous-infusion (HDCI) meropenem in a cohort of patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) infections. Monte Carlo simulations were used to define the permissible HDCI meropenem regimens that could be safely considered for the treatment of KPC-Kp infections due to meropenem-resistant strains. Permissible doses were arbitrarily defined as those associated with a ≤10% to 15% likelihood of meropenem steady-state concentrations (Css) of >100 mg/liter. Probabilities of target attainment (PTA) of four incremental pharmacodynamic determinants for meropenem efficacy (100% T>1xMIC, 100% T>2xMIC, 100% T>3xMIC, and 100% T>4xMIC, where “T>MIC” represents the time during which the plasma concentration of this time-dependent antibacterial agent is maintained above the MIC for the pathogen) in relation to different classes of renal function were calculated. The cumulative fractions of response (CFR) for the permissible HDCI meropenem regimens were calculated against the MIC distribution of the KPC-Kp clinical isolates that were collected routinely at our University Hospital between 2013 and 2016 (n = 169). Ninety-seven meropenem Css were included in the analysis. The final model included creatinine clearance (CrCL) as a covariate and explained 94% of the population variability. Monte Carlo simulations based on licensed dosages of up to 6 g/day predicted an acceptable PTA (>80%) of 100% T>1xMIC against KPC-Kp with a meropenem MIC of ≤32 mg/liter in patients with a CrCL level of <130 ml/min. Dosages of 8 g/day were needed for achieving the same target in patients with CrCL at levels of 130 to 200 ml/min. In dealing with pathogens with a meropenem MIC of 64 mg/liter, HDCI regimens using meropenem at higher than licensed levels should be considered. In these cases, real-time therapeutic drug monitoring could be a useful adjunct for optimized care. The predicted CFR were >75% in all of the classes of renal function
ECMM-FIMUA epidemiological survey on infections due to Fusarium species in Italy: Disseminated proven infections
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