In Vitro Activities of Ertapenem and Imipenem against Clinical Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Collected in Military Teaching Hospital Mohammed V of Rabat

Objective. To study the sensitivity level of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae to Carbapenems (Imipenem, Ertapenem) marketed in Morocco and discusses the place of Ertapenem in the treatment of extended spectrum-beta-lactamase-producing. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of 110 extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae. Isolates obtained from blood cultures, superficial and deep pus, and catheters were conducted. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of Imipenem and Ertapenem were done by the E-test. The modified Hodge test was conducted for resistant or intermediate strains. Results. 99.1% of isolates were susceptible to Imipenem. For Ertapenem, 4 were resistant and 4 intermediate. The modified Hodge test was positive for all 08 isolates. A minimum inhibitory concentration comparison of K. pneumoniae, E. cloacae, and E. coli for Imipenem has noted a significant difference between E. cloacae on one hand and E. coli, K. pneumoniae on the other hand (<0.01). No significant difference was noted for minimum inhibitory concentration of Ertapenem. Conclusion. Our results confirm in vitro effectiveness of Ertapenem against extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae as reported elsewhere. However, the emergence of resistance to Carbapenems revealed by production of carbapenemases in this study confirmed a necessary bacteriological documented infection before using Ertapenem

Observer Design for a Class of Nonlinear Descriptor Systems: A Takagi-Sugeno Approach with Unmeasurable Premise Variables

The Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy observer for dynamical systems described by ordinary differential equations is widely discussed in the literature. The aim of this paper is to extend this observer design to a class of T-S descriptor systems with unmeasurable premise variables. In practice, the computation of solutions of differential-algebraic equations requires the combination of an ordinary differential equations (ODE) routine together with an optimization algorithm. Therefore, a natural way permitting to estimate the state of such a system is to design a procedure based on a similar numerical algorithm. Beside some numerical difficulties, the drawback of such a method lies in the fact that it is not easy to establish a rigorous proof of the convergence of the observer. The main result of this paper consists in showing that the state estimation problem for a class of T-S descriptor systems can be achieved by using a fuzzy observer having only an ODE structure. The convergence of the state estimation error is studied using the Lyapunov theory and the stability conditions are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Finally, an application to a model of a heat exchanger pilot process is given to illustrate the performance of the proposed observer

Role of polymers in microfluidic devices

Polymers are sustainable and renewable materials that are in high demand due to their excellent properties. Natural and synthetic polymers with high flexibility, good biocompatibility, good degradation rate, and stiffness are widely used for various applications, such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and microfluidic chip fabrication. Indeed, recent advances in microfluidic technology allow the fabrication of polymeric matrix to construct microfluidic scaffolds for tissue engineering and to set up a well-controlled microenvironment for manipulating fluids and particles. In this review, polymers as materials for the fabrication of microfluidic chips have been highlighted. Successful models exploiting polymers in microfluidic devices to generate uniform particles as drug vehicles or artificial cells have been also discussed. Additionally, using polymers as bioink for 3D printing or as a matrix to functionalize the sensing surface in microfluidic devices has also been mentioned. The rapid progress made in the combination of polymers and microfluidics presents a low-cost, reproducible, and scalable approach for a promising future in the manufacturing of biomimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering

Linearity measurements of Si/SiGe HBT using a large signal network analyzer and an harmonic load-pull setup

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The locus of points of constant output VSWR around the load optimal impedance: evaluation of power transistors robustness

International audienceThis paper determines the locus of points of constant output voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) around the load optimal impedance at the fundamental frequency. This resolution is very helpful to determine the power transistors robustness. To illustrate this, some measurements results are presented on a Si/SiGe HBT of STMicroelectronics technology. The measurements are realized on two multi-harmonic load-pull test-benches: one passive and one active

Water access and attendance for diarrhea in primary health care centers,Gaza strip

International audienceWater access and sanitation has worsened in Gaza strip since the conflict between Israel and Palestine in January 2009. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between attendance for diarrhea to a Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) in Gaza strip and several potential risk factors including water access. A matched case control study with prospective data record was performed. Cases were patients attending a PHCC for diarrhea, and controls were patients attending for any other cause with no diarrhea within the previous three months or since birth. We matched 133 cases and 133 controls, for date of inclusion, age, gender. All patients attended PHCC and were included in January/February 2010. A stool analysis for bacteria and parasites was performed for cases. Of the 266 patients, 62% (166) have to buy water from a private provider. In multivariate analysis, four variables were independently predictive of diarrhea: public water access (OR: 0.046; 95% CI: 0.005-0.454; P=0.0083), poultry or rabbits at home, and presence of cooker at home. A bacterial cause was found in 5.5% (7) and Giardia duodenalis in 20% (26). Treatments did not comply with WHO recommendations. Efforts should be made to improve water access and to implement guidelines for a better management of diarrhea in Gaza strip. (C) 2011 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygien

Copper(I) Halides (X = Br, I) Coordinated to Bis(arylthio)methane Ligands: Aryl Substitution and Halide Effects on the Dimensionality, Cluster Size and Luminescence Properties of the Coordination Polymers

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