Gibberella fujikuroi (Sawada) Wollenweber, the new parasitical fungus on rice in the Republic of Macedonia

The recent observation of Gibberella fujikuroi (Sawada) Wollenworth (teleomorph) (anamorf: Fusarium moniliforme Sheld.) Fusarium fujikuroi Nirenberg (anamorph), F. moniliforme J. Sheld. (synonym), the causal agent of Bakanae disease in rice fields, provides an opportunity to observe the characteristics of the pathogen and the possibility of prevention in Kocani area. Plant material with Gibberella fujikuroi symptoms was collected from rice (Oryza sativa) over the period of 3 years (from 2006 to 2008). Within this study, the presence and damage caused by this pathogenic fungus were confirmed. The objective of this study was a continuous field observation of symptoms in order to establish the percentage of infection and use of laboratory methods for proper protection

Vitamin D3 Supplementation at 5000 IU Daily for the Prevention of Influenza-like Illness in Healthcare Workers: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial.

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections in populations at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of preventing viral infections in healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that vitamin D3 supplementation at 5000 IU daily reduces influenza-like illness (ILI), including COVID-19, in healthcare workers. We conducted a prospective, controlled trial at a tertiary university hospital. A random group of healthcare workers was invited to receive 5000 IU daily vitamin D3 supplementation for nine months, while other random healthcare system workers served as controls. All healthcare workers were required to self-monitor and report to employee health for COVID-19 testing when experiencing symptoms of ILI. COVID-19 test results were retrieved. Incidence rates were compared between the vitamin D and control groups. Workers in the intervention group were included in the analysis if they completed at least 2 months of supplementation to ensure adequate vitamin D levels. The primary analysis compared the incidence rate of all ILI, while secondary analyses examined incidence rates of COVID-19 ILI and non-COVID-19 ILI. Between October 2020 and November 2021, 255 healthcare workers (age 47 ± 12 years, 199 women) completed at least two months of vitamin D3 supplementation. The control group consisted of 2827 workers. Vitamin D3 5000 IU supplementation was associated with a lower risk of ILI (incidence rate difference: -1.7 × 1

International nosocomial infection control consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 36 countries, for 2004-2009

The results of a surveillance study conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) from January 2004 through December 2009 in 422 intensive care units (ICUs) of 36 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe are reported. During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN; formerly the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system [NNIS]) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infections, we gathered prospective data from 313,008 patients hospitalized in the consortium's ICUs for an aggregate of 2,194,897 ICU bed-days. Despite the fact that the use of devices in the developing countries' ICUs was remarkably similar to that reported in US ICUs in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were significantly higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals; the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC ICUs of 6.8 per 1,000 central line-days was more than 3-fold higher than the 2.0 per 1,000 central line-days reported in comparable US ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia also was far higher (15.8 vs 3.3 per 1,000 ventilator-days), as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (6.3 vs. 3.3 per 1,000 catheter-days). Notably, the frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to imipenem (47.2% vs 23.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (76.3% vs 27.1%), Escherichia coli isolates to ceftazidime (66.7% vs 8.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolates to methicillin (84.4% vs 56.8%), were also higher in the consortium's ICUs, and the crude unadjusted excess mortalities of device-related infections ranged from 7.3% (for catheter-associated urinary tract infection) to 15.2% (for ventilator-associated pneumonia). Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Real stentless aortic valve new type of aortic root reconstructive surgery

Ideal aortic valve prosthesis: no resistance to forward flow, low stress gradient, no leak when closed, no damage to blood cells, no thromboembolism, should resist wear (durability), should not produce noise, easy and simple way of implantation. How to do it

Bipolaris sorokiniana (teleomorph Cochliobolus Sativus): Causer of barley leaf lesions and root rot in Macedonia

Diseased barley plants (Hordeum vulgare), were noticed in the area of Kumanovo, Bitola, Probistip, Skopje and Kocani, at the beginning of March, 2006. Our investigations were carried out in the period from 2006 to 2009. The plants were highly diseased, probably in the stage of germination, dwarfed with necrotic leaves and with poorly developed root. A rotten root collar was noticed notice in some plants, which could be easily pulled out from the soil. Plants infected in a later developing stage became yellow from the top of the leaf, and many brown-olive, oval shape lesions were noticed. Conidia of Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoen., were isolated from symptomatic lesions. Pseudothecia with asci and ascospores from teleomorph Cochliobolus sativus, were found on the barley straw in the same field the previous year

A Pilot Study Comparing Aortic Valve Area Estimates Derived from Fick Cardiac Output with Estimates Based on Cheetah-NICOM Cardiac Output.

Contains fulltext : 221539.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Cardiac output during cardiac catheterization is often estimated using the modified Fick method (CO(Fick)). In this proof-of-concept, prospective non-randomized study carried out in a single academic healthcare centre, we examined whether replacing CO(Fick) in the Gorlin formula with Cheetah-NICOM monitor cardiac output (CO(Cheetah)) could produce an accurate and precise estimate of aortic valve area in patients with severe aortic stenosis. In twenty-six subjects, CO(Fick) and CO(Cheetah) were obtained concurrently. A spot and 3-minute running average of CO(Cheetah) was used. Bland and Altman analysis was used to derive bias, 95% limits of agreement (LOA) and confidence intervals (CI). The mean difference (bias) between AVA(Cheetah) (average) and AVA(Fick) was 0.11 cm(2) and the 95% LOA were ±0.42 cm(2). The 95% CI of the bias was 0.02-0.2 cm(2). The bias and 95% LOA of AVA(Cheetah) (spot value) were 0.14 ± 0.42cm(2), with a 95% CI of 0.06-0.23 cm(2). No proportional bias was present. AVA(Cheetah) thus appears to be a reasonably accurate measure of AVA in patients with severe aortic stenosis compared to AVA(Fick) measured using a modified Fick CO. However, the limits of agreement were not narrow enough to consider AVA(Cheetah) and AVA(Fick) interchangeable

Vitamin D3 Supplementation at 5000 IU Daily for the Prevention of Influenza-like Illness in Healthcare Workers: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of acute respiratory infections in populations at risk. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of preventing viral infections in healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to assess the hypothesis that vitamin D3 supplementation at 5000 IU daily reduces influenza-like illness (ILI), including COVID-19, in healthcare workers. We conducted a prospective, controlled trial at a tertiary university hospital. A random group of healthcare workers was invited to receive 5000 IU daily vitamin D3 supplementation for nine months, while other random healthcare system workers served as controls. All healthcare workers were required to self-monitor and report to employee health for COVID-19 testing when experiencing symptoms of ILI. COVID-19 test results were retrieved. Incidence rates were compared between the vitamin D and control groups. Workers in the intervention group were included in the analysis if they completed at least 2 months of supplementation to ensure adequate vitamin D levels. The primary analysis compared the incidence rate of all ILI, while secondary analyses examined incidence rates of COVID-19 ILI and non-COVID-19 ILI. Between October 2020 and November 2021, 255 healthcare workers (age 47 ± 12 years, 199 women) completed at least two months of vitamin D3 supplementation. The control group consisted of 2827 workers. Vitamin D3 5000 IU supplementation was associated with a lower risk of ILI (incidence rate difference: −1.7 × 10−4/person-day, 95%-CI: −3.0 × 10−4 to −3.3 × 10−5/person-day, p = 0.015) and a lower incidence rate for non-COVID-19 ILI (incidence rate difference: −1.3 × 10−4/person-day, 95%-CI −2.5 × 10−4 to −7.1 × 10−6/person-day, p = 0.038). COVID-19 ILI incidence was not statistically different (incidence rate difference: −4.2 × 10−5/person-day, 95%-CI: −10.0 × 10−5 to 1.5 × 10−5/person-day, p = 0.152). Daily supplementation with 5000 IU vitamin D3 reduces influenza-like illness in healthcare workers