206 research outputs found
Case report. emergency CABG following failure of PTCA in a COVID-19 patient
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2) is affecting people worldwide representing a public health emergency. The effect of concomitant COVID-19 on patients who underwent cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is still undefined. Both SARS-Cov-2 infection and CPB can develop a cytokines storm and haemostatic disarrangements leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and post-perfusion lung syndrome, respectively. SARS-Cov-2 infection may trigger and exacerbate post-inflammatory state after CPB resulting in higher risk of post-surgical adverse outcomes. International guidelines lack to provide standard management protocols for pre-operative COVID-19 patients requiring non-deferrable cardiac surgery intervention. We present a report of a successful coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) emergency operation in a COVID-19 patient, who presented unstable angina and coronary artery dissection during cardiac catheterization and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
CTX-M-15 Type Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacter cloacae In Bioaerosol of a Municipal Solid Waste Recycling Plant: A New Possible Reservoir of Infection?
Background: Although there are many reports of antibiotic resistant microorganisms
released from the treated municipal wastewater, less attention has been given to
other waste treatment activities. We report the occurrence of antibiotic resistant
strains isolated from the working setting of a solid waste recycling plant in Italy
which serves 195 municipalities.
Methods: To assess microbial contamination levels, several sampling points were
chosen for their relevance in evaluating exposure of the workers to biological
risk, especially during indoor operations. Active sampling was carried out using
the Surface Air System and Rodac plate method was applied to surface sampling.
Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibilities were obtained by Vitek2
System (bioMĂ©rieux, France) and by the agar-diffusion method. The presence of
resistance genes was investigated by multiplex PCR assay.
Results: In all sampling points a significant contamination of aerosol was detected,
although the total microbial counts resulted within the limit proposed by the
National authority (10000 CFU/sqm). The counts of Enterobacteriaceae were
always above the limit of 100 CFU/sqm and strains of Enterobacter cloacae resistant
to third generation cephalosporins were detected, carrying the blaCTX-M15 gene.
Conclusions: The contamination of workplace with multidrug-resistant strains is
a crucial area for public health actions to avoid the conjunction of factors that
promote evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance
Erectile dysfunction in hyperuricemia: A prevalence metaâanalysis and metaâregression study
AbstractBackgroundWhether and to what extent an association exists between hyperuricemia and erectile dysfunction (ED) has not yet been fully determined.ObjectiveTo define pooled prevalence estimates and correlates of erectile dysfunction in men with hyperuricemic disorders.Materials and methodsA thorough search of Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases was performed. Data were combined using randomâeffects models and the betweenâstudy heterogeneity was assessed by Cochrane's Q and I2 tests. A funnel plot was used to assess publication bias.ResultsOverall, 8 studies included gave information about 85,406 hyperuricemic men, of whom 5023 complained of erectile dysfunction, resulting in a pooled erectile dysfunction prevalence estimate of 33% (95% Confidence Interval: 13â52%; IÂČ = 99.9%). The funnel plot suggested the presence of a publication bias. At the metaâregression analyses, among the available covariates that could affect estimates, only type 2 diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ÎČ = 0.08; 95% Confidence Interval: 0.01, 0.15, p = 0.025). At the subâgroup analysis, the pooled erectile dysfunction prevalence decreased to 4% (95% Confidence Interval: 0%â8%) when only the largest studies with the lowest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus were included and increased up to 50% (95% Confidence Interval: 17%â84%) when the analysis was restricted to studies enrolling smaller series with higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus.ConclusionsA not negligible proportion of men with hyperuricemia can complain of erectile dysfunction. While a pathogenetic contribution of circulating uric acid in endothelial dysfunction cannot be ruled out, the evidence of a stronger association between hyperuricemia and erectile dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus points to hyperuricemia as a marker of systemic dysmetabolic disorders adversely affecting erectile function
How do gender and education interact in physical inactivity patterns in different domains among adults?
O objetivo do estudo foi identificar interação entre gĂȘnero e escolaridade na ocorrĂȘncia de inatividade fĂsica em diferentes domĂnios (deslocamento, domicĂlio, lazer e trabalho) em adultos de FlorianĂłpolis, Santa Catarina. Os dados foram coletados de setembro/2009 a janeiro/2010 com indivĂduos de 20 a 59 anos. Empregou-se um delineamento transversal de base populacional e a inatividade fĂsica em cada domĂnio foi definida como a nĂŁo participação em atividades fĂsicas especĂficas, avaliadas por questionĂĄrio validado aplicado por entrevistas face a face. Foram entrevistados 1720 adultos. Nos homens, a prevalĂȘncia de inatividade fĂsica foi mais elevada do que entre as mulheres no deslocamento (56,9% versus 44,5%; p < 0,001, respectivamente) e no domicĂlio (79,0% versus 40,4%; p < 0,001 respectivamente). No lazer, a inatividade fĂsica foi mais frequente entre as mulheres (58,1% versus 45,5%; p < 0,001). InteraçÔes entre gĂȘnero e escolaridade foram estatisticamente significativas no deslocamento (p = 0,004), domicĂlio (p < 0,001) e lazer (p = 0,04). No deslocamento, os homens foram mais inativos do que as mulheres dos cinco aos oito anos completos de estudo. A inatividade fĂsica no domicilio foi maior entre os homens em todos os nĂveis de escolaridade, com redução na magnitude das diferenças percentuais entre os gĂȘneros, conforme o aumento da escolaridade. No lazer, as mulheres foram mais inativas do que os homens a partir dos nove anos de estudo. Constataram-se diferentes interaçÔes entre gĂȘnero e escolaridade conforme os padrĂ”es de inatividade fĂsica em seus diferentes domĂnios.The aim of the study was to identify interactions between gender and education on the prevalence of physical inactivity in different domains (commuting, household, leisure and work) among adults of Florianopolis, Brazil. Data were collected from September/2009 to January/2010 with individuals 20-59 years old. This was a cross-sectional population-based study, and physical inactivity in each domain was defined as non-participation in specific physical activities, using a validated Brazilian questionnaire administered by face to face interviews. We interviewed 1720 adults. In men, the prevalence of physical inactivity was higher than among women in commuting (56.9% versus 44.5%; p < 0.001, respectively) and at home (79.0% versus 40.4%; p < 0.001, respectively). In leisure, physical inactivity was higher among women (58.1% versus 45.5%; p < 0.001). Interactions between gender and education were statistically significant in commuting (p = 0.004), household (p < 0.001) and leisure (p = 0.04). Men were more inactive than women from five to eight years of schooling. Household physical inactivity was higher among men at all levels of education, with a reduction in the magnitude of the percentage differences between the genders, with increasing of education. In leisure, women were more inactive than men since nine years of study. Different interactions between gender and schooling were observed according to the patterns of physical inactivity in different domains
Around the tangent cone theorem
A cornerstone of the theory of cohomology jump loci is the Tangent Cone
theorem, which relates the behavior around the origin of the characteristic and
resonance varieties of a space. We revisit this theorem, in both the algebraic
setting provided by cdga models, and in the topological setting provided by
fundamental groups and cohomology rings. The general theory is illustrated with
several classes of examples from geometry and topology: smooth quasi-projective
varieties, complex hyperplane arrangements and their Milnor fibers,
configuration spaces, and elliptic arrangements.Comment: 39 pages; to appear in the proceedings of the Configurations Spaces
Conference (Cortona 2014), Springer INdAM serie
Gut, oral, and nasopharyngeal microbiota dynamics in the clinical course of hospitalized infants with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis
IntroductionRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and hospitalization in infants worldwide. The nasopharyngeal microbiota has been suggested to play a role in influencing the clinical course of RSV bronchiolitis, and some evidence has been provided regarding oral and gut microbiota. However, most studies have focused on a single timepoint, and none has investigated all three ecosystems at once.MethodsHere, we simultaneously reconstructed the gut, oral and nasopharyngeal microbiota dynamics of 19 infants with RSV bronchiolitis in relation to the duration of hospitalization (more or less than 5 days). Fecal samples, oral swabs, and nasopharyngeal aspirates were collected at three timepoints (emergency room admission, discharge and six-month follow-up) and profiled by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.ResultsInterestingly, all ecosystems underwent rearrangements over time but with distinct configurations depending on the clinical course of bronchiolitis. In particular, infants hospitalized for longer showed early and persistent signatures of unhealthy microbiota in all ecosystems, i.e., an increased representation of pathobionts and a depletion of typical age-predicted commensals.DiscussionMonitoring infant microbiota during RSV bronchiolitis and promptly reversing any dysbiotic features could be important for prognosis and long-term health
Long-term disability trajectories in relapsing multiple sclerosis patients treated with early intensive or escalation treatment strategies
Background and aims: No consensus exists on how aggressively to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) nor on the timing of the treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate disability trajectories in RRMS patients treated with an early intensive treatment (EIT) or with a moderate-efficacy treatment followed by escalation to higher-efficacy disease modifying therapy (ESC).
Methods: RRMS patients with â©Ÿ5-year follow-up and â©Ÿ3 visits after disease modifying therapy (DMT) start were selected from the Italian MS Registry. EIT group included patients who received as first DMT fingolimod, natalizumab, mitoxantrone, alemtuzumab, ocrelizumab, cladribine. ESC group patients received the high efficacy DMT after â©Ÿ1 year of glatiramer acetate, interferons, azathioprine, teriflunomide or dimethylfumarate treatment. Patients were 1:1 propensity score (PS) matched for characteristics at the first DMT. The disability trajectories were evaluated by applying a longitudinal model for repeated measures. The effect of early versus late start of high-efficacy DMT was assessed by the mean annual Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) changes compared with baseline values (delta-EDSS) in EIT and ESC groups.
Results: The study cohort included 2702 RRMS patients. The PS matching procedure produced 363 pairs, followed for a median (interquartile range) of 8.5 (6.5-11.7) years. Mean annual delta-EDSS values were all significantly (p < 0.02) higher in the ESC group compared with the EIT group. In particular, the mean delta-EDSS differences between the two groups tended to increase from 0.1 (0.01-0.19, p = 0.03) at 1 year to 0.30 (0.07-0.53, p = 0.009) at 5 years and to 0.67 (0.31-1.03, p = 0.0003) at 10 years.
Conclusion: Our results indicate that EIT strategy is more effective than ESC strategy in controlling disability progression over time
Long-term mortality prediction after operations for type A ascending aortic dissection
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are few long-term mortality prediction studies after acute aortic dissection (AAD) Type A and none were performed using new models such as neural networks (NN) or support vector machines (SVM) which may show a higher discriminatory potency than standard multivariable models.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We used 32 risk factors identified by Literature search and previously assessed in short-term outcome investigations. Models were trained (50%) and validated (50%) on 2 random samples from a consecutive 235-patient cohort. NN were run only on patients with complete data for all included variables (N = 211); SVM on the overall group. Discrimination was assessed by receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) and Gini's coefficients along with classification performance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 84 deaths (36%) occurring at 564 ± 48 days (95%CI from 470 to 658 days). Patients with complete variables had a slightly lower death rate (60 of 211, 28%). NN classified 44 of 60 (73%) dead patients and 147 of 151 (97%) long-term survivors using 5 covariates: immediate post-operative chronic renal failure, circulatory arrest time, the type of surgery on ascending aorta plus hemi-arch, extracorporeal circulation time and the presence of Marfan habitus. Global accuracies of training and validation NN were excellent with AUC respectively 0.871 and 0.870 but classification errors were high among patients who died. Training SVM, using a larger number of covariates, showed no false negative or false positive cases among 118 randomly selected patients (error = 0%, AUC 1.0) whereas validation SVM, among 117 patients, provided 5 false negative and 11 false positive cases (error = 22%, AUC 0.821, p < 0.01 versus NN results). An html file was produced to adopt and manipulate the selected parameters for practical predictive purposes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Both NN and SVM accurately selected a few operative and immediate post-operative factors and the Marfan habitus as long-term mortality predictors in AAD Type A. Although these factors were not new per se, their combination may be used in practice to index death risk post-operatively with good accuracy.</p
Risk of Getting COVID-19 in People With Multiple Sclerosis
Background and Objectives
Several studies have assessed risk factors associated with the severity of COVID-19 outcomes in
people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The potential role of disease-modifying therapies
(DMTs) and demographic and clinical factors on the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection
has not been evaluated so far. The objective of this study was to assess risk factors of contracting
SARS-CoV-2 infection in PwMS by using data collected in the Italian MS Register (IMSR).
Methods
Acase-control (1:2) studywas set up. Cases included PwMSwith a confirmed diagnosis ofCOVID-19,
and controls included PwMS without a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Both groups were propensity
scoreâmatched by the date of COVID-19 diagnosis, the date of last visit, and the region of
residence. No healthy controls were included in this study. COVID-19 risk was estimated by multivariable
logistic regression models including demographic and clinical covariates. The impact of DMTs
was assessed in 3 independent logistic regression models including one of the following covariates: last
administeredDMT, previousDMTsequences, or the place where the last treatment was administered.
Results
A total of 779 PwMS with confirmed COVID-19 (cases) were matched to 1,558 PwMS without
COVID-19 (controls). In all 3 models, comorbidities, female sex, and a younger age were significantly
associated (p < 0.02)with a higher risk of contractingCOVID-19. Patients receiving natalizumab as last
DMT(OR[95%CI]: 2.38 [1.66â3.42], p < 0.0001) and those who underwent an escalation treatment
strategy (1.57 [1.16â2.13], p = 0.003) were at significantly higher COVID-19 risk. Moreover, PwMS receiving their last DMT requiring
hospital access (1.65 [1.34â2.04], p < 0.0001) showed a significant higher risk than those taking self-administered DMTs at home.
Discussion
This case-control study embedded in the IMSR showed that PwMS at higher COVID-19 risk are younger, more frequently
female individuals, and with comorbidities. Long-lasting escalation approach and last therapies that expose patients to the
hospital environment seem to significantly increase the risk of SARS-CoV2 infection in PwMS.
Classification of Evidence
This study provides Class III evidence that among patients with MS, younger age, being female individuals, having more
comorbidities, receiving natalizumab, undergoing an escalating treatment strategy, or receiving treatment at a hospital were
associated with being infected with COVID-19. Among patients with MS who were infected with COVID-19, a severe course
was associated with increasing age and having a progressive form of MS, whereas not being on treatment or receiving an
interferon beta agent was protective
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