18 research outputs found
Closed-Loop Recirculating Manifold for Matrix Isolation in Flow Injection Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Analysis of Silver Electrolysis Solutions
Two flow injection procedures have been investigated for the determination of some elements in silver electrolysis solutions, for which the problem of the formation of silver acetylide needs to be addressed. A single line manifold was found to give acceptable results for limited time periods, but for prolonged operation it was necessary to remove the silver. This was achieved with a recirculating reactor in which the silver was precipitated as the chloride and retained on a filter of nylon fibers. Good recoveries of copper, iron, nickel and zinc from solutions containing up to 100 g/l. silver were obtained with over 95% of the silver retained on the filter. The filter was regenerated rapidly by flushing with ammonia solution
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Flow Injection Determination of Mercury with Preconcentration by Amalgamation on a Gold-Platinum Gauze by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London
Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study
Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world.
Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231.
Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001).
Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication
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On-line sample manipulation for analytical atomic spectrometry
The overall objective of this thesis has been to improve the performance characteristics of analytical atomic spectrometers using on-line flow based front-end chemistry and various separation schemes with minimum or no physical modification of the instrument. The underlying philosophy was to develop methods which were rapid, and easy to operate using the minimum amounts of sample and reagent and which generated the minimum amount of waste and were amenable to automation. A method for the on-line preconcentration of copper was developed. This method uses a precipitation and dissolution approach and the manifold was directly coupled to an atomic absorption spectrometer. Using a novel semi-automated flow injection manifold design an order of magnitude improvement in detection limit over conventional aspiration was obtained. Using a precipitation reaction, potentially hazardous material was removed on-line from samples before their introduction into the spectrometer. There was a kinetic limitation of the reaction involved in this method, but using a recirculating loop manifold this was overcome and the method was successfully applied to the on-line determination of various trace metals in solutions containing high amounts of silver. A flow injection method for the rapid on-line determination of trace metals in solutions containing high concentrations of sodium nitrate was developed. This method was developed as fast diagnostic procedure using special in-line mixers to dilute the samples on-line and thereby reduce the effect of the matrix. The method was successfully applied to samples obtained from the Royal Canadian Mint. Using flow injection sample introduction and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry detection the determination of mercury was achieved using a gas/solid reaction. The approach was to generate a cold vapor of mercury, by reaction with a reductant, and trapping it on a gold/platinum gauze and releasing it by controled heating and passing it to the ICP-MS for detection and quantification. This method was successfully applied to a variety of water samples. Matrix effects were reduced and sensitivity and detection limit were improved. A study of solid/liquid reactions for the on-line matrix separation and preconcentration of trace elements in sea water was carried out. The method involved on-line adjustment of the pH of the sample solutions and then passing the sample over an ion-exchange chelating resin. The analytes were retained on the resin and the matrix was washed away to waste. The analytes were removed from the resin with acid and introduced into the ICP-MS for detection and quantification. This sample cleanup procedure was successfully applied to the determination of several trace elements in spiked sea water standard reference materials
Self-Super-Resolution of an MRI Image with Assistance of the DSTTD System
Motivation. In the modern world of information technology, the need for ensuring the safety of wireless transmissions while transiting through a given network is growing rapidly. The process of transmitting images via a wireless network is fraught with difficulty. There is a possibility that data may be corrupted while being transmitted, which would result in an image with low resolution. Both of these issues were investigated head-on in this research methodology using the aiding double space-time block coding (DSTTD) system and the self-super-resolution (SSR) method. Description. In recent times, medical image transmission over a wireless network has received a significant amount of attention, as a result of the sharing of medical images between patients and doctors. They would want to make sure that the image was sent in a risk-free and protected manner. Arnold cat map, often known as ACM, is a well-known and widely implemented method of image transmission encryption that has been in use for quite some time. At the receiver end, SSR is now being employed in order to view the transmitted medical image in the finest possible resolution. It is anticipated that in the near future, image transmission through wireless DSTTD will be technically feasible. This is performed in order to maximize the benefits that the system has to offer in terms of both spatial diversity and multiplexing as much as is possible. Conclusion. The SSR approach is used in order to represent the image in a document pertaining to human resources. ACM is used so that the image may be sent in a risk-free and protected way. The adoption of a DSTTD-based architecture for wireless communication is suggested. A comparison of the results is provided, and PSNR and SSIM values are detailed towards the results and discussion of the article