An in vitro evaluation of the efficacy of tedizolid: implications for the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) are among the most commonly occurring infections and evidence suggests that these are increasing world-wide. The aetiology is diverse, but Staphylococcus aureus predominate and these are often resistant to antimicrobials that were previously effective. Tedizolid is a new oxazolidinone-class antibacterial indicated for the treatment of adults with SSTI caused by Gram-positive pathogens, including S. aureus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of tedizolid in comparison to other clinically used antibacterials against antibiotic sensitive- and resistant-staphylococci, grown in planktonic cultures and as biofilms reflecting the growth of the microorganism during episodes of SSTI. Against a panel of 66 clinical staphylococci, sensitivity testing revealed that a lower concentration of tedizolid was required to inhibit the growth of staphylococci compared to linezolid, vancomycin and daptomycin; with the tedizolid MIC being 8-fold (S. aureus) or 4-fold (S. epidermidis) below that obtained for linezolid. In addition, cfr+ linezolid-resistant strains remained fully susceptible to tedizolid. Against S. aureus biofilms, 10×MIC tedizolid was superior or comparable with 10×MIC comparator agents in activity, and superior to 10×MIC linezolid against those formed by S. epidermidis (65 vs. 33% reduction, respectively). Under flow-conditions both oxazolidinones at 10×MIC statistically out-performed vancomycin in their ability to reduce the viable cell count within a S. aureus biofilm with fewer the 12% of cells surviving compared to 63% of cells. In conclusion, tedizolid offers a realistic lower-dose alternative agent to treat staphylococcal SSTI, including infections caused by multi-drug resistant strains

Aging Adults and Seasonal Influenza: Does the Vitamin D Status (H)Arm the Body?

Vitamin D (VitD), although originally described as an essential hormone for bone and mineral homeostasis, appears to have an active role in regulating specific facets of human immunity. Indeed, VitD has been shown to have significant effects on cytokine production and lymphocyte proliferation. Evidence that VitD affects clearance of selected pathogens is supported by epidemiological and clinical data, while its coadministration with influenza vaccine in mice enhanced both mucosal and systemic antibody responses. This paper aims to examine how VitD may contribute to limiting the burden of influenza infection in the aging and aged adults, a population in which this burden remains considerable. Furthermore, we discuss how VitD status may play a role in host resistance to influenza virus and influence the immunogenicity of the influenza vaccines currently licensed for adults aged 65 years or over by its effects on innate and adaptive immunities

Can we translate vitamin D immunomodulating effect on innate and adaptive immunity to vaccine response?

Vitamin D (VitD), which is well known for its classic role in the maintenance of bone mineral density, has now become increasingly studied for its extra-skeletal roles. It has an important influence on the body's immune system and modulates both innate and adaptive immunity and regulates the inflammatory cascade. In this review our aim was to describe how VitD might influence immune responsiveness and its potential modulating role in vaccine immunogenicity. In the first instance, we consider the literature that may provide molecular and genetic support to the idea that VitD status may be related to innate and/or adaptive immune response with a particular focus on vaccine immunogenicity and then discuss observational studies and controlled trials of VitD supplementation conducted in humans. Finally, we conclude with some knowledge gaps surrounding VitD and vaccine response, and that it is still premature to recommend "booster" of VitD at vaccination time to enhance vaccine response

Reversing T cell immunosenescence: why, who, and how

Immunosenescence is the term commonly used to describe the multifaceted phenomenon encompassing all changes occurring in the immune system during aging. It contributes to render older adults more prone to develop infectious disease and main age-related diseases. While age clearly imposes drastic changes in immune physiology, older adults have heterogeneous health and immune phenotypes. This confronts scientists and researcher to develop more age-specific interventions rather than simply adopting intervention regimes used in younger people and this in order to maintain immune protection in older adults. Thus, this review provides evidences of the central role played by cell-mediated immunity in the immunosenescence process and explores the means by which senescent state of the cell-mediated immune function could be identified and predicted using biomarkers. Furthermore considerations are given to recent advances made in the field of age-specific immune interventions that could contribute to maintain immune protection, to improve quality of life, and/or to promote healthy aging of the growing part of the populatio

Flood modelling on Ile de Ré during Xynthia

Water Qualit

Adaptation of TELEMAC-2D to the regulation of a CNR development during floods

Water Qualit

Estimation oh the from geometric and operation parameter above a Higee distillation column efficiency

Orientadores: Teresa Massako Kakuta Ravagnani, João Alexandre Ferreira da Rocha PereiraDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia QuimicaResumo: As colunas de recheio são equipamentos intensamente aplicados em operações de separação tais como destilação, absorção de dessorção. No entanto, a sua capacidade à transferência de massa em contracorrente é limitada devido à sua inundação. Uma nova tecnologia HIGEE ('high g¿ ¿ alta gravidade é proposta para superar esta limitação. Uma cluna HIGEE utiliza um recheio rotativo que induz acelerações centrífugas acima de 1000 vezes a aceleração da gravidade terrestre. O aumento da força motriz permite o aumento da capacidade e da eficiência da coluna. De acordo com vários autores, o tamanho do equipamento fica consideravelmente reduzido, apresentando vantagens econômicas e operacionais. A principal proposta deste trabalho é avaliar a forma como a coluna com recheio rotatico se comporta quando o raio externo do rotos é aumentado de 8 (Nascimento, 1999 e 2003) para 13cm.Os experimentos foram conduzidos em condições de refluxo total, sendo utilizando dois sistemas destilantes: n-hexano/n-heptano e etanol/água. A velocidade do rotor foi variada de 500 a 2300 rpm, criando acelerações contrifugas de 26 a256 vezes a aceleração da gravidade. O efeito da vazão de vapor, velocidade de rotação e do sistema destilante sobre o coeficiente de transferência de massa, 'K IND. y¿¿a IND. e¿ depende do fluxo de vapor, mas fracamente da velocidade do rotor...Observação: O resumo, na íntegra, poderá ser visualizado no texto completo da tese digitalAbstract: Packed colummns are equipment intensively applied in separations such as distillation, absorption and stripping , absorption and strippig. However, its for counter-current mass transfer is limited due to its flooding. A new HIGEE (high g ¿ high gravity) technology is proposal to overlap this limitation. A HIGEE column uses a rotating machine that promotes centrifugal accelerations above 1000 times the terrestrial gravity acceleration. The increase of the driving force allows the increase of column¿s capacity and efficiency. In accordance with some authors, the equipment size considerably reduced presenting economic and operational advantages. The main proposal of this work is to evaluate how the mass transfer behavior of the HIGEE column changes when the external rotor radius is increased from 8 (Nascimento 1999 and 2003) to 13 cm. The experiments had been conduced in total reflux conditions using two distilling system n-hexane/n-heptane and ethanol/ water. The rotor's speed was vaied from 500 to 2300 rpm , provided centrifugal accelerations from 26 to 556 times higher than terrestrial gravity acceleration. The effect of the vapor outflow, rotation speed and distilling system on mass transfer coefficient 'K IND. y¿¿a IND. e¿ and transfer unit area, 'AUT IND. G¿had been analyzed for each rotor size...Note: The complete abstract is available with the full electronic digital thesis or dissertationsMestradoSistemas de Processos Quimicos e InformaticaMestre em Engenharia Químic

Radiographic pelvimetry in free-ranging Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx carpathicus) from Switzerland

The observation of pelvic anomalies in two Eurasian lynx (subspecies Lynx lynx carpathicus) from a population reintroduced to Switzerland raised the question of the frequency of such anomalies, but no anatomical reference values were available for comparison. This study aimed at providing baseline data on the pelvic morphology of Carpathian lynx from Switzerland, and at detecting potential pelvic anomalies. Measurements of 10 pelvic parameters were performed on the radiographs of 56 lynx taken from 1997–2015. Two ratios (vertical diameter/acetabula; sagittal diameter/transversal diameter) and two areas (pelvic outlet and inlet) were calculated to describe pelvic shape. The results showed that the Eurasian lynx has a mesatipellic pelvis, with a pelvic length corresponding to approximatively 20% of the body length. We found growth-related pelvis size diferences among age classes and evidence of sexual dimorphism in adults: two parameters refecting pelvic width were larger in females, likely to meet the physiological requirements of parturition. By contrast, pelvis length, conjugata vera, diagonal conjugata, sagittal diameter, and tendentially also vertical diameter, were larger in males, in agreement with their larger body size. Outliers were found in fve individuals but apparently without clinical signifcance. Extreme values were likely due to inter-individual diferences and the limited sample size rather than to possible congenital or developmental pathological morphology of the pelvic cavity. We present baseline data of the pelvic morphology, including growth and sexual dimorphism, which may be useful for health monitoring and for determination of age and sex in skeletal remains of Carpathian lynx

Potentially inappropriate prescribing including under-use amongst older patients with cognitive or psychiatric co-morbidities

Objective: the study aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for inappropriate prescribing (IP) and prescribing omission (PO) in elderly with mental co-morbidities. Participants: one hundred fifty consecutive inpatients with mental co-morbidities hospitalised for acute medical illness (mean age 80 ± 9, 70% of women) were considered for the study. Measurements: IP and PO were prospectively indentified according to STOPP/START criteria at hospital admission. Results: over 95% were taking ≥1 medication (median = 7) which amounted to 1,137 prescriptions. The prevalence of IP was 77% and PO was 65%. The most frequent encountered IP concerned drugs adversely affecting fallers (25%) and antiaggregants therapy without atherosclerosis (14%). PO concerned antidepressants with moderate/severe depression (20%) and calcium-vitamin D supplementation (18%). Independent predictors for IP were increased number of concomitant drugs (odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.89), being cognitively impaired (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.55-2.24), and having fallen in the preceding 3 months (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.52-2.61) or hospitalised in the preceding year (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.23). Concerning PO, psychiatric disorder (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.42-2.01) and increase level of co-morbidities (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.48-1.99) were identified. Living in an institutional setting was a predictive maker for both IP (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.27-1.74) and PO (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.32-1.91). Conclusion: IP and PO were highly prevalent raising the need of a greater health literacy concerning geriatric conditions in non-geriatrician practitioners who care elderly as well as in the community, in hospital and institutional settings for improving quality and safety in prescribing medicatio

Dynamic parameters of structures extracted from ambient vibration measurements: an aid for the seismic vulnerability assessment of existing buildings in moderate seismic hazard regions

During the past two decades, the use of ambient vibrations for modal analysis of structures has increased as compared to the traditional techniques (forced vibrations). The Frequency Domain Decomposition method is nowadays widely used in modal analysis because of its accuracy and simplicity. In this paper, we first present the physical meaning of the FDD method to estimate the modal parameters. We discuss then the process used for the evaluation of the building stiffness deduced from the modal shapes. The models considered here are 1D lumped-mass beams and especially the shear beam. The analytical solution of the equations of motion makes it possible to simulate the motion due to a weak to moderate earthquake and then the inter-storey drift knowing only the modal parameters (modal model). This process is finally applied to a 9-storey reinforced concrete (RC) dwelling in Grenoble (France). We successfully compared the building motion for an artificial ground motion deduced from the model estimated using ambient vibrations and recorded in the building. The stiffness of each storey and the inter-storey drift were also calculated