Assessing customer satisfaction and loyalty in the retail sector

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in children: a systematic review.

The United Nations and the World Health Organization have designated antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major health priority and developed action plans to reduce AMR in all healthcare settings. Establishment of institutional antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) is advocated as a key intervention to reduce antibiotic consumption in hospitals and address high rates of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. We searched PUBMED and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews (1/2007-3/2017) to identify studies reporting about the effectiveness of ASPs in general paediatric wards and paediatric intensive care units (PICU), on reducing antibiotic consumption, on using broad spectrum/restricted antibiotics, and on antibiotic resistance and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Neonatal units and antifungal agents were excluded. Of 2509 titles and abstracts, nine articles were eligible to be included in the final analysis. All studies reported on the reduction of broad spectrum/restricted antibiotics or antibiotic consumption. One study reported on the reduction of HAI in a PICU, and another evaluated bacterial resistance, showing no effect following ASP implementation. Prospective audit on antibiotic use was the most common ASP core component (eight of nine studies). Antibiotic pre-authorisation was described in two articles. Other described interventions were providing guidelines or written information (five of nine articles), and training of healthcare professionals (one article). There is limited evidence about reducing antibiotic consumption and broad-spectrum/restricted agents following ASP implementation, specifically in PICU. Data evaluating the impact of ASPs on HAI and AMR in PICU is lacking. In addition, there is limited information on effective components of a successful ASPs in PICUs

Modelling of Hg Removal from Gaseous Streams and its Fixation in Hydroxyapatite-Based Adsorbents Modified with Copper Sulphide

In this work, a mathematical model of a fixed-bed process for elemental mercury removal from gaseous streams is proposed. Advective and diffusive processes were taken into account in the macroscopic mass balance along the bed, and diffusive process was considered in the microscopic mass balance inside the adsorbent particle in which the adsorption process occurs. In addition, a chemical reaction term was used to represent the mercury fixation by the adsorbent. The proposed model was implemented in the Environment for Modelling, Simulation and Optimization dynamic simulator. Model parameters were estimated based on experimental breakthrough curves, by minimizing the least-square function. The model satisfactorily described two experimental breakthrough curves of mercury removal using adsorbents with different preparation methods, both with high mercury fixation capacity. The proposed mathematical model was also able to consistently describe the mercury concentrations in the bed and in the particle

Safe therapeutics of murine melanoma model using a novel antineoplasic, the partially methylated mannogalactan from Pleurotus eryngii

A heteropolysaccharide was isolated by cold aqueous extraction from edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii (“King Oyster”) basidiocarps and its biological properties were evaluated. Structural assignments were carried out using mono- and bidimensional NMR spectroscopy, monosaccharide composition, and methylation analyses. A mannogalactan having a main chain of (1 → 6)-linked α-D-galactopyranosyl and 3-O-methyl-α-D-galactopyranosyl residues, both partially substituted at OH-2 by β-D-Manp (MG-Pe) single-unit was found. Biological effects of mannogalactan from P. eryngii (MG-Pe) were tested against murine melanoma cells. MG-Pe was non-cytotoxic, but reduced in vitro melanoma cells invasion. Also, 50 mg/kg MG-Pe administration to melanoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice up to 10 days decreased in 60% the tumor volume compared to control. Additionally, no changes were observed when biochemical profile, complete blood cells count (CBC), organs, and body weight were analyzed. Mg-Pe was shown to be a promising anti-melanoma molecule capable of switching melanoma cells to a non-invasive phenotype with no toxicity to melanoma-bearing mice