Nosocomial meningitis in intensive care: a 10-year retrospective study and literature review

Sofia R. Valdoleiros,Cristina Torrão,Laura S. Freitas,Diana Mano,Celina Gonçalves,Carla Teixeira 대한중환자의학회 2022 Acute and Critical Care Vol.37 No.1

Background: Nosocomial meningitis is a medical emergency that requires early diagnosis, prompt initiation of therapy, and frequent admission to the intensive care unit (ICU).Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in adult patients diagnosed with nosocomial meningitis who required admission to the ICU between April 2010 and March 2020. Meningitis/ventriculitis and intracranial infection were defined according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.Results: An incidence of 0.75% of nosocomial meningitis was observed among 70 patients. The mean patient age was 59 years and 34% were ≥65 years. Twenty-two percent of patients were in an immunocompromised state. A clear predisposing factor for nosocomial meningitis (traumatic brain injury, basal skull fracture, brain hemorrhage, central nervous system [CNS] invasive procedure or device) was present in 93% of patients. Fever was the most frequent clinical feature. A microbiological agent was identified in 30% of cases, of which 27% were bacteria, with a predominance of Gram-negative over Gram-positive. Complications developed in 47% of cases, 24% of patients were discharged with a Glasgow coma scale <14, and 37% died. No clinical predictor of complications was identified. Advanced age (≥65 years old) and presence of complications were associated with higher hospital mortality. Conclusions: Nosocomial meningitis in intensive care has a low incidence rate but high mortality and morbidity. In a critical care patient with CNS-related risk factors, a high level of suspicion for meningitis must be employed, but diagnosis is hindered by several confounding factors.

SPIF-A: on the development of a new concept of incremental forming machine

R.J. Alves de Sousa,J.A.F. Ferreira,J.B. Sá de Farias,J.N.D. Torrão,D.G. Afonso,M.A.B.E Martins 국제구조공학회 2014 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.49 No.5

This paper presents the design and project of an innovative concept for a Single PointIncremental Forming (SPIF) Machine. Nowadays, equipment currently available for conducting SPIF resultmostly from the adaptation of conventional CNC machine tools that results in a limited range of applicationsin terms of materials and geometries. There is also a limited market supply of equipment dedicated toIncremental Sheet Forming (ISF), that are costly considering low batches, making it unattractive forindustry. Other factors impairing a quicker spread of SPIF are large forming times and poor geometricalaccuracy of parts. The following sections will depict the development of a new equipment, designed toovercome some of the limitations of machines currently used, allowing the development of a sounding basisfor further studies on the particular features of this process. The equipment here described possesses sixdegrees-of freedom for the tool, for the sake of improved flexibility in terms of achievable tool-paths and anextra stiffness provided by a parallel kinematics scheme. A brief state of the art about the existing SPIFmachines is provided to support the project’s guidelines.

Analysis of activity in open-source communities using social network analysis techniques

María del Rocío Martínez-Torres 기술경영경제학회 2014 ASIAN JOURNAL OF TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION Vol.22 No.1

mechanism by which the development of the project is supported. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the online participation in virtual communities using social network analysis techniques in order to obtain the main patterns of behaviour of users within communities. Several open-source communities related to Linux ports to embedded processors have been studied, obtaining a set of indicators by modelling them as a social network. Exploratory factor analysis has been used to extract the main dimensions related to the participation process. Participation inequality, hierarchy and the cohesion of the community constitute the main dimensions characterizing the participation mechanism within communities. Obtained results highlight the necessity of guiding the organization and development of the community to achieve successful target software.

Tools to Prioritize Construction Phase Sustainability Actions (CPSAs) and to Measure CPSAs Implementation

O'Connor, James T.,Torres, Neftali,Kralik, Nancy,Woo, Jeyoung Korea Institute of Construction Engineering and Ma 2018 Journal of construction engineering and project ma Vol.8 No.1

Achieving sustainability targets on construction projects has increasingly become one of the prime strategies for construction organizations. To provide more detailed guidance on sustainability implementation on projects, Construction Industry Institute (CII) Research Team (RT) 304 developed a catalog of the Construction Phase Sustainability Actions (CPSAs). The primary objective of this paper was the development of two support tools, the CPSA Screening Tool and the CPSA Implementation Index, that could be used to enable efficient application of CPSAs, support sustainability-related decisions, and measure CPSA implementation and performance. The authors developed the tools in four stages: conceptual, detailed planning, tool programming, and testing. The tools were then demonstrated on a capital project to confirm their efficacy and applicability. This paper presents the background, inputs and outputs, and the algorithms of each tool. The CPSA Screening Tool can prioritize the CPSAs most relevant to a project; the CPSA Implementation Index enables continuous monitoring of implementation levels.

Efficacy of physical and chemical treatments on the inactivation of bovine leukosis virus present in milk

Rocío Silvia Sandoval-Monzón,Irma Cecilia Karla Arévalo-Rodriguez,Aldo Alberto Carrillo-Torres,Luis Felipe Ruiz-García 대한백신학회 2021 Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research Vol.10 No.1

Purpose: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of pasteurization, freezing, the addition of formaldehyde and peroxymonosulfate on the inactivation of the bovine leukemia virus (BLV) present in milk. Materials and Methods: A sheep bioassay was carried out in 40 sheep, which were intraperitoneally inoculated with leukocytes from milk infected by the BLV previously treated with one of the virus inactivation methods. Five study groups were evaluated: (1) control group: milk without previous treatment, (2) pasteurization group: milk treated by pasteurization, (3) freezing group: milk treated by freezing for 36 hours, (4) formaldehyde group: 0.1% formaldehyde, and (5) peroxymonosulfate group: 0.05% peroxymonosulfate. The inoculated animals were followed for 10 weeks. Results: At week 10 post-inoculation, all the animals (8/8) of the control group and the peroxymonosulfate group were seropositive to BLV, while no animals were seropositive (0/8) to BLV in the remaining three groups. Statistically significant differences were found between the pasteurization, freezing and formaldehyde groups with respect to the control (p<0.001) and peroxymonosulfate groups (p<0.001). Conclusion: The results indicate that pasteurization, freezing and formaldehyde processes are efficient in inactivating the BLV and can be used in milk to prevent the transmission of the virus.

100-Hz Electroacupuncture but not 2-Hz Electroacupuncture is Preemptive Against Postincision Pain in Rats

Marcelo Lourenço Silva,Josie Resende Torres Silva,Wiliam Alves Prado 사단법인약침학회 2016 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.9 No.4

Preemptive analgesia involves introducing an analgesic before noxious stimulation. Electroacupuncture (EA) activates descending mechanisms that modulate nociceptive inputs into the spinal dorsal horn. This study evaluated whether preoperative EA is more effective than postoperative EA in reducing incision pain in rats. The nociceptive threshold to mechanical stimulation was utilized to examine the effects of an intraperitoneal injection of saline (0.1 mL/kg) or naloxone (1 mg/kg) on antinociception induced by a 20-minute period of 2-Hz or 100-Hz EA applied to the Zusanli (ST36) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints before surgical incision, or 10 minutes after or 100 minutes after surgical incision of the hind paw. The extent of mechanical hyperalgesia after the incision was significantly attenuated by the application of 100-Hz EA preoperatively, but not by its application at 10 minutes or 100 minutes postoperatively. By contrast, 2-Hz EA was effective against postoperative hyperalgesia when applied 10 minutes or 100 minutes after surgery but not when it was applied preoperatively. Only the effect of 2-Hz EA applied 10 minutes after surgery was sensitive to naloxone. The present study showed for the first time that 100-Hz EA, but not 2-Hz EA, exerts a nonopioidergic preemptive effect against postincision pain in rats.

Pharmacological Rescue of Mitochondrial Deficits in iPSC-Derived Neural Cells from Patients with Familial Parkinson's Disease

Cooper, O.,Seo, H.,Andrabi, S.,Guardia-Laguarta, C.,Graziotto, J.,Sundberg, M.,McLean, J. R.,Carrillo-Reid, L.,Xie, Z.,Osborn, T.,Hargus, G.,Deleidi, M.,Lawson, T.,Bogetofte, H.,Perez-Torres, E.,Clark American Association for the Advancement of Scienc 2012 Science Translational Medicine Vol.4 No.141

<P>Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder caused by genetic and environmental factors that results in degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway in the brain. We analyzed neural cells generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from PD patients and presymptomatic individuals carrying mutations in the PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) and LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) genes, and compared them to those of healthy control subjects. We measured several aspects of mitochondrial responses in the iPSC-derived neural cells including production of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial respiration, proton leakage, and intraneuronal movement of mitochondria. Cellular vulnerability associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in iPSC-derived neural cells from familial PD patients and at-risk individuals could be rescued with coenzyme Q(10), rapamycin, or the LRRK2 kinase inhibitor GW5074. Analysis of mitochondrial responses in iPSC-derived neural cells from PD patients carrying different mutations provides insight into convergence of cellular disease mechanisms between different familial forms of PD and highlights the importance of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in this neurodegenerative disease.</P>

Effect of sucrose and pectin addition on physical, chemical, thermal and rheologicalproperties of frozen/thawed pineapple pulps

Márcia Cavalcante Conceição,Tatiana Nunes Fernandes,Mônica Elisabeth Torres Prado,Jaime Vilela de Resende 한국유변학회 2012 Korea-Australia rheology journal Vol.24 No.3

Pectin (0-1.0g/100mL) and sucrose (0-20g/100mL) were added to pineapple pulp to improve their rheo\-logical properties, thermal properties and stability after freezing and thawing processes. The properties of the mixes were characterized before and after freezing and thawing. Samples were frozen at -20oC, and the freeze concentration was evaluated every 60min. The thawing rate was evaluated at 19oC and quantified by photographic editing and image analysis software. The thawing rates and values for the freeze con\-centration were leveled out at pectin concentrations above 0.5g/100mL pectin, which indicated that pectin functions to maintain structural homogeneity during freezing. In the thawed samples, the plastic viscosity values were leveled out from pectin concentrations (0.25-0.75g/100mL) as the sucrose concentration increased when compared to unfrozen samples. The differences between the rheological parameters of the unfrozen and frozen/thawed pulps, the higher yield stress values after thawing were attributed to the size of suspended particles in the pulp. Applications can specify formulations of frozen products containing pec\-tin, where these properties can be handled after thawing the product.

Clinical Variables and Genetic Risk Factors Associated with the Acute Outcome of Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review

Nuria P Torres-Aguila,Caty Carrera,Elena Muiño,Natalia Cullell,Jara Cárcel-Márquez,Cristina Gallego-Fabrega,Jonathan González-Sánchez,Alejandro Bustamante,Pilar Delgado,Laura Ibañez,Laura Heitsch,Jerz 대한뇌졸중학회 2019 Journal of stroke Vol.21 No.3

Stroke is a complex disease and one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality among the adult population. A huge variety of factors is known to influence patient outcome, including demographic variables, comorbidities or genetics. In this review, we expound what is known about the influence of clinical variables and related genetic risk factors on ischemic stroke outcome, focusing on acute and subacute outcome (within 24 to 48 hours after stroke and until day 10, respectively), as they are the first indicators of stroke damage. We searched the PubMed data base for articles that investigated the interaction between clinical variables or genetic factors and acute or subacute stroke outcome. A total of 61 studies were finally included in this review. Regarding the data collected, the variables consistently associated with acute stroke outcome are: glucose levels, blood pressure, presence of atrial fibrillation, prior statin treatment, stroke severity, type of acute treatment performed, severe neurological complications, leukocyte levels, and genetic risk factors. Further research and international efforts are required in this field, which should include genome-wide association studies.

Sintering of Mechanically Alloyed YSZ Nanocrystalline Powders

De la Torre,M. A. Lopez,Dura O. J.,Hernandez M.,Garcia-Cordobes M.,Herranz G.,Sanchez-Bautista C.,Rodriguez G. P. 한국분말야금학회 2006 한국분말야금학회 학술대회논문집 Vol.2006 No.1

We report on the mechanical and structural properties of nanocrystalline 8% and 10% mol yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) obtained using mechanical alloying (MA). The as-milled powders show a body-centered cubic structure with grain sizes in the nanometer scale. After uniaxial pressing and sintering the compacts exhibit good mechanical properties. We discuss the correlation of these enhanced properties with the microstructural changes induced by heat treatment.