Insulin analogues glargine 300 U/mL and 100 U/mL: The same active principle for two different drugs

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Population Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis for Maximizing the Effectiveness of Ceftobiprole in the Treatment of Severe Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcal Infections

Ceftobiprole is a fifth-generation cephalosporin used for different Gram-positive bacterial infections. A population pharmacokinetic analysis was conducted in real-life clinical patients to assess the adequacy of current dosages. Population pharmacokinetics was conducted using non-linear mixed effect modeling. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to determine the probability of target attainment (PTA) of free trough or steady-state concentration over MIC (fCtrough/MIC or fCss/MIC) >= 1 or >= 4 associated with both the standard and intensified dosing regimens adjusted for renal function. Cumulative fraction of response (CFR) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) were also calculated. A total of 132 patients with 503 concentrations were included. Most of them (107/132, 81.1%) had hospital- or community-acquired pneumonia, endocarditis, and bacteremia. A three-compartment model adequately fitted ceftobiprole concentration-time data. Estimated glomerular filtration rate significantly affected drug clearance. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the optimal target of fCtrough/MIC or fCss/MIC >= 4 is achieved only with the use of the standard dosages administered by continuous infusion (CI) against MRSA infections in patients with preserved renal function. Intensified dosages administered by CI are needed in patients with impaired renal function and/or augmented renal clearance against MRSA and in patients with preserved renal functions against MRSE

Symptomatic pseudoarthrosis secondary to a stress fracture of the acromion

Summary. Fractures of the acromion are uncommon clinical entities, and stress fractures are even more rare, with few cases reported. Due to their rarity, stress fractures are often misdiagnosed. Here, we report a case of an elderly patient with an acromion stress fracture, which was overlooked, resulting in nonunion followed by the displacement of the distal portion of the acromion. The purpose of this report was to discuss this rare fracture, highlighting the importance of an accurate evaluation of radiological imaging as well as clinical data

Regeneration of Exhausted Palladium-Based Membranes: Recycling Process and Economics

The aim of the present work is the recycling treatment of tubular α-Al2O3-supported ceramic membranes with a Pd/Ag selective layer, employed in hydrogen production with integrated CO2 capture. A nitric acid leaching treatment was investigated, and recovered ceramic supports were characterized, demonstrating their suitability for the production of novel efficient membranes. The main objective was the metal dissolution that preserved the support integrity in order to allow the recovered membrane to be suitable for a new deposition of the selective layer. The conditions that obtained a satisfactory dissolution rate of the Pd/Ag layer while avoiding the support to be damaged are as follows: nitric acid 3 M, 60 °C and 3.5 h of reaction time. The efficiency of the recovered supports was determined by nitrogen permeance and surface roughness analysis, and the economic figures were analysed to evaluate the convenience of the regeneration process and the advantage of a recycled membrane over a new membrane. The experimentation carried out demonstrates the proposed process feasibility both in terms of recycling and economic results.This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 760944 (MEMBER project)

Limited Sampling Strategies to Monitoring Mycophenolic Acid Exposure in a Heterogeneous Population of Heart Transplant Recipients: A Pilot Study

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) represents a cornerstone in heart transplant (HTx) treatment. The area under the 12-hour concentration-time curve (AUC0-12h) of mycophenolic acid (MPA) -MMF’s active drug- is associated with treatment outcome. Nonetheless, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of MPA AUC0-12h is impractical to assess in clinical practice and Limited Sampling Strategies (LSSs) represent a consolidated tool to estimate AUC0-12h. Two LSSs were previously generated in a selected cohort of HTx recipients treated with MMF and cyclosporine (CsA). This pilot study aimed to test these LSSs in a cohort of non-selected HTx recipients treated with MMF combined with CsA or tacrolimus (TAC). Complete PK profile was performed in 40 adults HTx recipients. MPA-AUC0-12h was estimated by two algorithms, LSS3 and LSS4, based on 3 and 4 time-points. The evaluation was made through linear regression and Bland-Altman analyses. Both LSS3 and LSS4 tended to underestimate the value of MPA-AUC0-12h (mean percentage prediction error, MPE%: −6.0%; and −4.8%, respectively). Nonetheless, high correlations (r: 0.92 and 0.94, respectively) and goodness of fit of linear regression models (R2: 0.84 and 0.88, respectively) emerged for both LSSs. A study with a wider and more homogenous sample size should be performed to support these results

26th Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2017): Part 3 - Meeting Abstracts - Antwerp, Belgium. 15–20 July 2017

This work was produced as part of the activities of FAPESP Research,\ud Disseminations and Innovation Center for Neuromathematics (grant\ud 2013/07699-0, S. Paulo Research Foundation). NLK is supported by a\ud FAPESP postdoctoral fellowship (grant 2016/03855-5). ACR is partially\ud supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Status, distribution and numbers of the Dipper, Cinclus cinclus, within the Regional Park of the Gola della Rossa and Frasassi area (Marche, Italy)

The data presented are based on status, distribution and numbers of the Dipper, Cinclus cinclus, within the Regional Park of the Gola Rossa and Frasassi area (Umbria, Italy). The Dipper feeds especially on larvae and nymphs of aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates such as the Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera, used as biotic indicators with the “Extended Biotic Index” method

Prevalencia del ritmo de emergencia al anochecer frente al amanecer en la cigala Nephrops Norvegicus (Crustacea: Decapoda)

7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table[EN] The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, can be captured by haul nets only during the emergence from its burrow. In the last few decades, an extensive field research revealed distinct diel (24-h-based) catchability patterns at different depths. Laboratory experiments suggested that burrow emergence (used as a proxy of catchability) is endogenously controlled via a circadian system. Results were usually presented in terms of mean effects without a quantification of inter-individual variability and arrhythmia. Here, we studied the burrow emergence of 52 adult Nephrops by an infrared actograph endowed with an artificial burrow. Animals were exposed to 12-12 h light-darkness cycle, simulating photic condition of the lower shelf. Forty-five animals showed rhythmic emergence (87%), while seven were arrhythmic (13%). Rhythmic animals were clustered according to their timing of emergence: 54% at dusk and 4% at dawn. Moreover, other animals showed fully diurnal or nocturnal emergence (10% and 19%, respectively). The comparison of our results with those derived from temporally scheduled trawling indicates that bimodal catch patterns observed in shelf populations are poorly observed during individual experiments in the laboratory, where the same light conditions are simulated. Nephrops burrow emergence seems to be the result of a mixed endogenous-exogenous control, while arrhythmia could also be present in the wild[ES] La cigala, Nephrops norvegicus, es capturada con arte de arrastre cuando emerge de su madriguera. En las últimas décadas, una extensa investigación de campo ha revelado distintos patrones diarios (24-h) de capturas en diferentes profundidades. Se ha observado en experimentos de laboratorio que la emergencia desde la madriguera (interpretable como capturabilidad), está bajo el control endógeno de un sistema circadiano. En estos estudios los resultados se han presentado como efecto promedio en la población experimental, sin una cuantificación de la variabilidad inter individual o del porcentaje de arritmicidad. En este trabajo se estudió la actividad de emergencia desde la madriguera de Nephrops en 52 animales mediante un actógrafo de infrarrojos en un tanque dotado de una madriguera artificial, con un fotoperiodo de 12-12 luz-oscuridad, a fin de simular las condiciones fóticas de la plataforma marina. Cuarenta y cinco animales mostraron una emergencia rítmica (87%), mientras que siete fueron arrítmicos (13%). Los animales rítmicos fueron agrupados de acuerdo al momento de emergencia: 54% al “atardecer” y 4% al “amanecer”, mientras que otros mostraron una emergencia totalmente diurna o nocturna (10% y 19%, respectivamente). La comparación de nuestros resultados con los datos procedentes de pescas experimentales de arrastre, indica que los patrones bimodales de captura observados en poblaciones de la plataforma, son pobremente reproducidos en laboratorio, donde se simulan las mismas condiciones fóticas del fondo marino. La emergencia de Nephrops desde la madriguera parece estar controlada por un proceso tanto endógeno como exógeno, mientras que la arritmicidad podría ser observada también en el campoThis work was completed during a fellowship at the Marine Science Institute, promoted by Coop. Cypraea and supported by Italia Lavoro Spa. V. Sbragaglia is now a Predoctoral Fellow within the Fomación Personal Investigador (FPI) scheme (MICINN). J. Aguzzi is a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Ramón y Cajal Program (MICINN). The data presented in this work were obtained during the RITFIM project (CTM2010-16274), which was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN)Peer Reviewe

Lipid rafts as viral entry routes and immune platforms: A double-edged sword in SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Lipid rafts are nanoscopic compartments of cell membranes that serve a variety of biological functions. They play a crucial role in viral infections, as enveloped viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can exploit rafts to enter or quit target cells. On the other hand, lipid rafts contribute to the formation of immune synapses and their proper functioning is a prerequisite for adequate immune response and viral clearance. In this narrative review we dissect the panorama focusing on this singular aspect of cell biology in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection and therapy. A lipid raft-mediated mechanism can be hypothesized for many drugs recommended or considered for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as glucocorticoids, antimalarials, immunosuppressants and antiviral agents. Furthermore, the additional use of lipid-lowering agents, like statins, may affect the lipid composition of membrane rafts and thus influence the processes occurring in these compartments. The combination of drugs acting on lipid rafts may be successful in the treatment of more severe forms of the disease and should be reserved for further investigation

Different Traits, Different Evolutionary Pathways: Insights from <i>Salamandrina</i> (Amphibia, Caudata)

Species delimitation is often based on a single or very few genetic or phenetic traits, something which leads to misinterpretations and often does not provide information about evolutionary processes. Here, we investigated the diversity pattern of multiple phenetic traits of the two extant species of Salamandrina, a genus split only after molecular traits had been studied but the two species of which are phenetically very similar. The phenetic traits we studied are size, external body shape and head colour pattern, in a model comparison framework using non-linear mixed models and unsupervised and supervised clustering. Overall, we found high levels of intra-specific variability for body size and shape, depending on population belonging and habitat, while differences between species were generally lower. The habitat the salamanders dwell in also seems important for colour pattern. Basing on our findings, from the methodological point of view, we suggest (i) to take into account the variability at population level when testing for higher level variability, and (ii) a semi-supervised learning approach to high dimensional data. We also showed that different phenotypic traits of the same organism could result from different evolutionary routes. Local adaptation is likely responsible for body size and shape variability, with selective pressures more similar across species than within them. Head colour pattern also depends on habitat, differently from ventral colour pattern (not studied in this paper) which likely evolved under genetic drift