Use of temperature changes and pro-inflammatory biomarkers to diagnose bacterial infections in patients with severe cerebral trauma

Toros Andrew,Grodzinsky Ewa,Karlsson Nadine,Nilsson Martin,Märta Sund Levander 대한신경집중치료학회 2022 대한신경집중치료학회지 Vol.15 No.1

Background: In patients undergoing neurosurgeries, inflammation and infection are strongly related; however, inflammation can be present without infection. Midregional proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) is a relatively new sepsis biomarker that is rarely used clinically. Recently, the concept of DiffTemp was introduced, that is, a >1°C rise from individual normal temperature accompanied by malaise, as a more accurate definition of temperature assessed as fever. The aim of the present study was to examine the importance of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells, procalcitonin, and MR-proADM levels and DiffTemp.Methods: This prospective, comparative study had a quantitative approach. Forty-two patients, aged >18 years and presenting with severe cerebral trauma were included from a neurosurgery intensive care unit. The outcome variable was infection; group 0, no infection (n=11); group 1, suspected infection (n=15); and, group 2, confirmed infection (n=16). Group assignments were performed using biomarkers, medical records, bacterial cultures, and International Classification of Diseases-10, and by the clinical assessment of criteria for nosocomial infections by a neurosurgeon.Results: On comparing groups 1 and 2, MR-proADM and DiffTemp were associated with a higher risk of confirmed infection (odds ratio, 5.41 and 17.14, respectively). Additionally, DiffTemp had a 90.9% specificity in patients with no infection and a 93.8% sensitivity in patients with confirmed infections. CRP and procalcitonin levels were not associated with an increased risk of confirmed infection.Conclusion: Increased levels of MR-proADM were associated with a higher risk of confirmed infection. DiffTemp was associated with a higher risk of having a confirmed infection.

Detached Eddy Simulation of the Nonaerated Skimming Flow over a Stepped Spillway

Toro, Juan Pablo,Bombardelli, Fabiá,n A.,Paik, Joongcheol American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 Journal of hydraulic engineering Vol.143 No.9

<P>The unsteady three-dimensional (3D), nonaerated, skimming flow over a stepped spillway is investigated by means of a detached eddy simulation (DES). Special emphasis is placed on the description of the instantaneous velocity and vorticity fields on the step cavities, as well as on the 3D, long-term, average flow structure at a Reynolds number of approximately 10(5). Mean-flow velocities obtained from simulations on both relatively-coarse and fine meshes at different locations in the spillway are in very good agreement with particle image velocimetry (PIV) data published elsewhere. Nondimensional profiles of turbulence intensity and Reynolds stresses are also close to data, although numerical values are larger than the experimental counterparts. Snapshots of velocity vectors reveal that the flow near the pseudo-bottom is continuously flapping, and that it intermittently interacts with ejections of positive vorticity emanating from the cavities. As a result of the interaction between the shear flow and the 3D cavity flow, patches of positive and negative vorticity are carried away downstream, eventually interacting with the free surface. It is also found that the ratios of redistribution among components (terms) of the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) at the step edges are very similar to those universal values for the intermediate region of open-channel flows. It is additionally shown that large-scale structures extracted from isosurfaces of the Q-criterion correspond primarily to well-organized, randomly-distributed thin tubes of vorticity. The instantaneous flow field revealed in this paper is considered crucial for modeling the even more complex aerated region. (C) 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.</P>

전송계의 왜에 대한 최적등화품

Toro, M.J.Di 대한전자공학회 1969 전자공학회지 Vol.6 No.3

Multiplex Centrality Measurements Applied to Islanded Microgrids

Vladimir Toro,Eduardo Mojica-Nava,Naly Rakoto-Ravalontsalama 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2021 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.19 No.1

This paper presents four centrality measurements applied to an alternating current (AC) microgrid (MG)modeled as a multiplex network. The MG secondary control is separated into a frequency and a power-sharinglayers, each one with a different adjacency matrix. A physical layer is also considered with an admittance matrixrepresenting the impedances among the inverters. Centrality measures are used to determine the importance ofnodes in separate layers, thereafter adjacency and Laplacian matrices are redefined to calculate the role of nodesin the multiplex system. First, a global adjacency matrix is calculated by the matrix sum of each adjacency matrix. Second, the adjacency matrix is calculated by a supra-Laplacian matrix. The first eigenvalue of the perturbed matrixis used to determine the diffusivity in the network using as leaders the sets obtained by the centrality measures. The role of the nodes in the system is verified in a simulated MG model of 37 nodes. Degree centrality and energyLaplacian measures present similar sets of nodes; however, the fastest set of nodes is found using the Eigenvectormeasurements for uniform and supra Laplacian approach

Suicide Attempts and Risk Factors among Children and Adolescents

Fevziye Toros,Nursel Gamsiz Bilgin,Tayyar Sasmaz,Resul Bugdayci,Handan Camdeviren 연세대학교의과대학 2004 Yonsei medical journal Vol.45 No.SUP

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of suicide attempts, and to identify the risk factors for suicide attempts in Turkish children and adolescents between the ages 10 and 20 years. Multi-step, stratified, cluster sampling was used. A stratified sample of 4256 students was selected as representative of the city's school children population. Data was obtained with a pair of structured questionnaires designed to evaluate the presence and risk factors of suicide attempts, both in the children and adolescents and their parents. These questionnaires investigated family environment, subject characteristics, and various risk factors for suicide attempts. Child Beck Depression Inventory (CBDI) was administered to all children and adolescents. After the data quality control process, the study sample was reduced to 4143 children and adolescents. Children and adolescents were divided two groups according to the experience or non-experience of suicide attempts: group 1 (n=80) and group 2 (n=4063), respectively. Three categories of independent variables were assessed: adolescent, family, and socioeconomic characteristics. Logistic regression models were based on the children and adolescents and on parent reports. The prevalence of suicide attempts as reported by the children and adolescents was 1.93% (n=80).The mean age of group 1 was higher than that of group 2 (p=0.002, t=-3.172), as was the mean score of CBDI (p=0.000, t=-9.083). Logistic regression analysis indicated that having problems with parents, using illicit drugs, and psychiatric problems in relatives best predicted suicide attempts in Turkish children and adolescents.

Contribution of functionally graded material modelling on finite element simulation of rod end parts in automotive steering system

Serkan Toros,Kayhan Altinel 대한기계학회 2016 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.30 No.7

One of the most important manufacturing steps of the rod end materials is the induction process by which the both hardness of the surfaces and the toughness of the part can be adjusted at the same time. In the study, rod end materials which are inducted and non-inducted are simulated in the view of the fatigue life properties. In the simulations, the rod end parts are defined as functionally graded materials where the mechanical properties of the materials are varying with the dimensions. Additionally, the noninducted material properties or fully strengthened material properties are defined for the geometry in order to comprehend the contribution of the definitions on the congruity of the finite element simulation results with the experiments. When the materials properties of the rod end part are defined as functional graded, the simulation results are found to be much more close to the experimental results.

Potato virus Y HCPro localization at distinct, dynamically related and environment-influenced structures in the cell cytoplasm.

del Toro, Francisco,Fern?ndez, F?tima Tena,Tilsner, Jens,Wright, Kathryn M,Tenllado, Francisco,Chung, Bong Nam,Praveen, Shelly,Canto, Tomas APS Press 2014 Molecular plant-microbe interactions Vol.27 No.12

<P>Potyvirus HCPro is a multifunctional protein that, among other functions, interferes with antiviral defenses in plants and mediates viral transmission by aphid vectors. We have visualized in vivo the subcellular distribution and dynamics of HCPro from Potato virus Y and its homodimers, using green, yellow, and red fluorescent protein tags or their split parts, while assessing their biological activities. Confocal microscopy revealed a pattern of even distribution of fluorescence throughout the cytoplasm, common to all these modified HCPros, when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana epidermal cells in virus-free systems. However, in some cells, distinct additional patterns, specific to some constructs and influenced by environmental conditions, were observed: i) a small number of large, amorphous cytoplasm inclusions that contained α-tubulin; ii) a pattern of numerous small, similarly sized, dot-like inclusions distributing regularly throughout the cytoplasm and associated or anchored to the cortical endoplasmic reticulum and the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton; and iii) a pattern that smoothly coated the MT. Furthermore, mixed and intermediate forms from the last two patterns were observed, suggesting dynamic transports between them. HCPro did not colocalize with actin filaments or the Golgi apparatus. Despite its association with MT, this network integrity was required neither for HCPro suppression of silencing in agropatch assays nor for its mediation of virus transmission by aphids.</P>

Genotype–environment interaction for milk production of Gyr cattle in Brazil and Colombia

Alejandra Maria Toro‑Ospina,Ricardo Antonio Faria,Dominguez-Castaño Pablo,Santana Mario Luiz,Gonzalez Luis Gabriel,Espasandin Ana Carolina,Silva Josineudson Augusto II Vasconcelos 한국유전학회 2023 Genes & Genomics Vol.45 No.2

Background Genotype by environment interactions (G × E) can play an important role in cattle populations and should be included in breeding programs in order to select the best animals for different environments. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the G × E for milk production of Gyr cattle in Brazil and Colombia by applying a reaction norm model used genomics information, and to identify genomic regions associated with milk production in the two countries. Methods The Brazilian and Colombian database included 464 animals (273 cows and 33 sires from Brazil and 158 cows from Colombia) and 27,505 SNPs. A two-trait animal model was used for milk yield adjusted to 305 days in Brazil and Colombia as a function of country of origin, which included genomic information obtained with a single-step genomic reaction norm model. The GIBBS3F90 and POSTGSf90 programs were used. Results The results obtained indicate G × E based on the reranking of bulls between Brazil and Colombia, demonstrating environmental differences between the two countries. The findings highlight the importance of considering the environment when choosing breeding animals in order to ensure the adequate performance of their progeny. Within this context, the reranking of bulls and the different SNPs associated with milk production in the two countries suggest that G × E is an important effect that should be included in the genetic evaluation of Dairy Gyr cattle in Brazil and Colombia. Conclusion The Gyr breeding program can be optimized by choosing a selection environment that will allow maximum genetic progress in milk production in different environments within and between countries.

Changes in Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Spleen-Qi Deficiency Syndrome

Agnese Olivera-Toro,Rubén Fossion,Lei Li,Rosa E. López-Gómez,Emma López-Espinosa,Ismael Jiménez-Estrada,Salvador Quiroz-González 사단법인약침학회 2019 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.12 No.4

Many functional diseases are related to dysautonomia, and heart rate variability has been used to assess dysautonomia. However, heart rate variability has not been studied in Spleen-Qi deficiency syndrome (SQDS). Healthy volunteers (n Z 37) and patients with SQDS (n Z 67), recruited from the Clinic of the State University of Ecatepec Valley were included in the study. Outcome measures were average heart rate, standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals, low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) power, and the LF/HF ratio. Also, intestinal peristalsis, gastrointestinal symptoms (GSs), fatigue, and level of attention were measured. Standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals (17 Æ 2.3%) and HF (14 Æ 3.1%) were lower in SQDS patients (17 Æ 1.3%) than in healthy volunteers. SQDS patients had higher heart rate, LF power, LF/HF ratio, and fatigue scores (9.6 Æ 1.12%, 16 Æ 2.1%, 22 Æ 3.8%, and 21 Æ 4.1%). The fatigue correlated positively with the LF/HF ratio and negatively with HF power. The SQDS group had lower concentration performance (16.2 Æ 1.9%) in the d2 test. The intestinal peristalsis showed a reduction (15 Æ 1.3%) as compared with control. GS score and peristalsis correlated negatively with HF. Our results suggest that the pathology of SDQS could be associated with a low vagal tone which causes a decrease in peristalsis, increased fatigue, reduced attention, and appearance of GSs.

Evaluation of two microcosm systems for co-treatment of LDPEoxo and lignocellulosic biomass for biochar production

Alejandra Castillo-Toro,Juan F. Mateus-Maldonado,Diana N. Céspedes-Bernal,Leonardo Peña-Carranza,Adriana I. Páez-Morales,Raúl A. Poutou-Piñales,Juan C. Salcedo-Reyes,Lucía A. Díaz-Ariza,Laura C. Casti 한국생체재료학회 2021 생체재료학회지 Vol.25 No.3

Background: The co-transformation of solid waste of natural and anthropogenic origin can be carried out through solid-state-fermentation systems to obtain bio-products with higher added value and lower environmental impact. Methods: To evaluate the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus on co-transformation of oxo-degradable low-density polyethylene (LDPEoxo) sheets and lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), were assembled two 0.75 L microcosm systems in vertical (VMS) and horizontal (HMS) position. The pre-treated sheets with luminescent O2 plasma discharges were mixed with pine bark, hydrolyzed brewer’s yeast and paper napkin fragments and incubated for 135 days at 20 ± 1.0 °C in the presence of the fungus. With the co-transformation residues, biochar (BC) was produced at 300 ± 1.0 °C (BC300) for 1 h, then used to carry out adsorption studies, using the malachite green dye (MG) at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0 ± 0.2. Finally, the biochar was the substrate for the germination of carnation seeds (Dianthus caryophyllus) and Ray-grass (Lolium sp.) in vitro. Results: For HMS, the decrease in static contact angle (SCA) was 63.63% (p = 0.00824) and for VMS 74.45% (p =0.00219), concerning the pristine. Plastic roughness in VMS was higher (26%) concerning the control. Throughout the 135 days, there were fungal growth and consequently laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) activities. During the first 75 days, CO2 production increased to 4.78 ± 0.01 and 4.98 ± 0.01 mg g-1 for HMS and VMS, respectively. In MG adsorption studies, the highest amount of the colourant adsorbed at both pH 4.0 and 7.0 ± 0.2. Conclusions: Finally, the biochar or the biochar enriched with low concentrations of plant growth-promoting microorganisms and inorganic fertilizer favours the germination of Dianthus caryophyllus and Lolium sp., seeds.