The risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection from the administration of different classes of antibiotics and their combinations to children in an oncological hospital

Patients in pediatric oncological hospitals are at risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in patients who are treated with antibiotics of different classes and their combinations by way of a retrospective analysis of 122 patient records. It was shown that the administration of antibacterial chemotherapeutic drugs that belong to the classes of nitrofurans (enterofuryl), sulfonamides (biseptol), cephalosporins, and macrolides/azalides significantly increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. On the contrary, treatment with antibiotics of different classes, such as linezolid, colistin, and metronidazole, significantly reduced the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The use of penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and carbapenems was not associated with the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. The administration of one or two antimicrobial drugs of different classes increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection while a combination of three different types of antimicrobial drugs lowered the rate of this infection in pediatric patients.Patients in pediatric oncological hospitals are at risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in patients who are treated with antibiotics of different classes and their combinations by way of a retrospective analysis of 122 patient records. It was shown that the administration of antibacterial chemotherapeutic drugs that belong to the classes of nitrofurans (enterofuryl), sulfonamides (biseptol), cephalosporins, and macrolides/azalides significantly increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. On the contrary, treatment with antibiotics of different classes, such as linezolid, colistin, and metronidazole, significantly reduced the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The use of penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and carbapenems was not associated with the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. The administration of one or two antimicrobial drugs of different classes increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection while a combination of three different types of antimicrobial drugs lowered the rate of this infection in pediatric patients

Clostridium difficile инфекции у пациентов детского онкологического стационара: проблемы культивирования анаэробной кишечной флоры и лечения

In recent years, the number of infectious diseases caused by Clostridium difficile in the world has grown with a significant increase in relapses and mortality in patients, particularly among the cancer patients in hospitals. There is also observed an increase in the resistance of Clostridium difficile to the first-line drugs, namely metronidazole and vancomycin, which makes the search for new methods of treatment and prevention of this infection even more urgent. In this review, we analyze the recent data on the methods of cultivation and isolation of the pure bacterial culture of Clostridium difficile and other anaerobic enteropathogens over the course of enterocolitis treatment with antimicrobial drugs in pediatric patients with oncopathology. Novel approaches to the therapy of this infection are discussed. В последние годы в мире наблюдается рост числа инфекционных заболеваний, вызванных Clostridium difficile со значительным увеличением рецидивов и смертности, в том числе среди онкологических больных – пациентов стационаров. Отмечается также рост резистентности Clostridium difficile к препаратам первой линии терапии, а именно к метронидазолу и ванкомицину, что делает актуальным поиск новых методов лечения и профилактики данной инфекции. Мы проанализировали данные последних лет по методам культивирования Clostridium difficile, связанные с получением чистой культуры Clostridium difficile и других анаэробных энтеропатогенов при энтероколитах у детей с онкопатологией на фоне приема антимикробных препаратов, а также современные подходы к терапии данной инфекции.

Designing an Ab2-type alloy (TIZr-CrMNMO) for the hybrid hydrogen storage concept

The hybrid hydrogen storage method consists of the combination of both solid-state metal hydrides and gas hydrogen storage. This method is regarded as a promising trade-off solution between the already developed high-pressure storage reservoir, utilized in the automobile industry, and solid-state storage through the formation of metal hydrides. Therefore, it is possible to lower the hydrogen pressure and to increase the hydrogen volumetric density. In this work, we design a non-stoichiometric AB2 C14-Laves alloy composed of (Ti0.9Zr0.1)1.25Cr0.85Mn1.1Mo0.05. This alloy is synthesized by arc-melting, and the thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors are evaluated in a high-pressure Sieverts apparatus. Proper thermodynamic parameters are obtained in the range of temperature and pressure from 3 to 85 ◦C and from 15 to 500 bar: ∆Habs. = 22 ± 1 kJ/mol H2, ∆Sabs. = 107 ± 2 J/K mol H2, and ∆Hdes. = 24 ± 1 kJ/mol H2, ∆Sdes. = 110 ± 3 J/K mol H2. The addition of 10 wt.% of expanded natural graphite (ENG) allows the improvement of the heat transfer properties, showing a reversible capacity of about 1.5 wt.%, cycling stability and hydrogenation/dehydrogenation times between 25 to 70 s. The feasibility for the utilization of the designed material in a high-pressure tank is also evaluated, considering practical design parameters.Fil: Puszkiel, Julián Atilio. Helmholtz-zentrum Geesthacht; Alemania. Instituto de Investigaciones Energéticas de Cataluña; España. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia de Área de Aplicaciones de la Tecnología Nuclear. Gerencia de Investigación Aplicada CAB. Departamento Fisicoquímica de Materiales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Bellosta von Colbe, José M.. Helmholtz-zentrum Geesthacht; AlemaniaFil: Jepsen, Julian. Helmholtz-zentrum Geesthacht; Alemania. Helmut Schmidt University; AlemaniaFil: Mitrokhin, Sergey V.. Lomonosov Moscow State University; RusiaFil: Movlaev, Elshad. Lomonosov Moscow State University; RusiaFil: Verbetsky, Victor. Lomonosov Moscow State University; RusiaFil: Klassen, Thomas. Helmholtz-zentrum Geesthacht; Alemania. Helmut Schmidt University; Alemani

Impact of salt intake on inflammation markers in cardiovascular disease: a retrospective observational case-control study

Background. Salt intake currently poses a serious threat due to the cardiovascular challenge incurred by excessive sodium consumption.Objectives. The identification of markers associated with high salt intake in hypertensive patients.Methods. A retrospective observational case-control study surveyed 251 persons, including 194 hypertensive patients with stable salt intake. The intake was assessed in the “Charlton: SaltScreener” questionnaire. General, biochemical blood panels and interleukin levels (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18) were evaluated in the outcome of medical examination. Statistical data processing was performed with R using the RStudio software.Results. The mean patient age in survey was 72.47 ± 9.8 years, women prevailed in the selected cohort (n = 151, 60.1%). All patients were assigned in cohorts by the daily salt intake rate, ≤5 g (n = 12), 6–10 g (n = 144), >10 g salt per day (n = 38). The largest cohort (74.2%) united patients consuming 6–10 g salt per day, whereas only 6.2% patients consumed salt <5 g/day. Final analysis included patients consuming ≥6 g/day and having a C-reactive protein (CRP) level <20 mg/L. The analysis elicited an association between the monocyte count, CRP and salt intake towards the statement that higher salt intake leads to higher monocyte counts at CRP <20 mg/L in blood. Modelling revealed a close monocyte count–salt intake relationship, with a low-to-high intake transition sharply increasing the probability of elevated absolute monocyte count in blood provided the CRP level is <20 mg/L.Conclusion. The study infers a direct relationship between salt intake >10 g/day and blood monocyte count. However, its significance ceases at CRP rising to ≥20 mg/L

Trends in studying urban runoff: a retrospective analysis

The paper is a retrospective analysis of trends in quantitative empirical and theoretical studies of urban surface runoff from the mid-19th century to the early 90s of the 20th century, when the largest Soviet scientific school for such studies in the city of Kharkov was dissolved. As shown in the paper, the calculation methods for estimating peak discharges of urban surface runoff can be traced back to a pioneering work by T.J. Mulvaney (1850), which laid the foundation for the “rational method”. Later this method was developed in the works by E.Kuichling (1889) and D.E.Lloyd-Davies (1906

Politisches Entscheiden im Kalten Krieg

Wer sich für die krisenhaften Zuspitzungen in der Politik des Kalten Kriegs interessiert, kommt um eine Analyse der hinter diesen Prozessen liegenden Kulturen des Entscheidens nicht herum. Als Spitzenereignis steht die Kubakrise dafür, wie eine falsche Weichenstellung von Seiten der beteiligten Politiker die Welt in den Atomkrieg hätte führen können. »Wer als erster schießt, ist als zweiter tot«, so resümierte ein amerikanischer General das spieltheoretische Dilemma in diesen Jahrzehnten. Aber nicht nur im Militärischen, sondern auch in vielen anderen politischen Kontexten standen sich West und Ost politisch, ökonomisch und mit Blick auf die jeweilige Gesellschaftspolitik konfrontativ gegenüber und prägten in Abgrenzung und in Parallelität zueinander eigene Stile des Entscheidens. Die Konkurrenz zum jeweiligen Gegner, der Glaube an die Machbarkeit politischer Visionen und die Steuerung der Gesellschaft trieb die theoretischen wie auch praktischen Bemühungen dazu an. Wie die Politik in Ost und West in ihren Spitzen, aber auch in den untergeordneten Instanzen den Vorgang des Entscheidens konzipierte und durchführte, wie man sich bei diesen Prozessen von Experten aus Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft beraten ließ und auf welche Weise politische Institutionen Informationen aufnahmen und verarbeiteten – das sind die Kernfragen des vorliegenden Bandes, denen die Autorinnen und Autoren anhand verschiedener Fallbeispiele aus USA und UdSSR, BRD, DDR und Tschechoslowakei nachgehen

Subsurface disorder and electro-optical properties of proton-exchanged LiNbO3 waveguides produced by different techniques

It has been established, that proton-exchanged LiNbO3 waveguides have a marked subsurface layer with structural disorder inducing degradation of electro-optical properties of these waveguides. At the same time, such a subsurface disorder is found to be less pronounced in soft proton-exchanged (SPE) waveguides in comparison with annealed proton-exchanged (APE) ones. The experimental samples of phase modulators fabricated by SPE technique exhibit a better electro-optical efficiency compared to the LiNbO3 modulators produced by the standard and improved APE techniques

The predictive value of various indicators of sperm for male fertility

Introduction. DNA fragmentation of sperm is one of the possible causes of reduced fertility potential of men. However, a significant correlation between conventional semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation was not found. This fact determines the relevance of the study of the influence of various parameters of sperm on male fertility.Materials and methods. The study included 60 men, aged 26–36 years (median – 30 years) with idiopathic infertility and the level of DNA fragmentation of sperm is higher than 15 %. These men were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, after 3 months in vitro fertilization performed partners of these men. DNA fragmentation of sperm cells was determined by TUNEL (upper limit of normal – 15 %). The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) of the ejaculate were determined by chemiluminescence (upper limit of normal – 0.64 mV/s).Results. The frequency of pregnancy in vitro fertilization was following: 62.8 and 64.7 % (p > 0.05) for the total number sperm of spermatozoa < 38 × 106 /ejaculate and ≥ 39 × 106 /ejaculate, respectively; 63.3 and 63.6 % (p > 0.05) for mobility (a + b) of spermatozoa < 40 and ≥ 40 %, respectively; 58.3 and 64.6 % (p > 0.05) for normal forms of spermatozoa < 4 and ≥ 4 %, respectively; 67.3 and 20.0 % (p < 0.05) for the level of DNA fragmentation of sperm ≤ 15 and > 15 %, respectively; 64.9 and 33.3 % (p < 0.05) for the level of ROS in semen ≤ 0.64 and > 0.64 mV/s, respectively.Conclusion. The probability of pregnancy after in vitro fertilization significantly depends on the levels of sperm DNA fragmentation in the sperm and level of ROS in semen

Риск развития Clostridium difficile инфекции, связанный с применением различных групп антибиотиков и их сочетаний, у детей в онкологическом стационаре

Patients in pediatric oncological hospitals are at risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in patients who are treated with antibiotics of different classes and their combinations by way of a retrospective analysis of 122 patient records. It was shown that the administration of antibacterial chemotherapeutic drugs that belong to the classes of nitrofurans (enterofuryl), sulfonamides (biseptol), cephalosporins, and macrolides/azalides significantly increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. On the contrary, treatment with antibiotics of different classes, such as linezolid, colistin, and metronidazole, significantly reduced the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The use of penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and carbapenems was not associated with the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. The administration of one or two antimicrobial drugs of different classes increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection while a combination of three different types of antimicrobial drugs lowered the rate of this infection in pediatric patients.Пациенты детского онкологического стационара находятся в группе риска развития Clostridium difficile инфекции. Цель данного исследования состояла в определении степени риска развития Clostridium difficile инфекции в детском онкологическом стационаре при применении различных групп антибиотиков и их сочетаний. В результате было показано, что применение антибактериальных химиотерапевтических препаратов, принадлежащих к группам нитрофуранов (энтерофурил), сульфаниламидов (бисептол), цефалоспоринов и макролидов/азалидов, достоверно повышало риск развития Clostridium difficile инфекции у детей – пациентов стационара. Применение таких антибиотиков, как линезолид, колистин и метронидазол, достоверно снижало риск развития Clostridium difficile инфекции. Применение пенициллинов, аминогликозидов, фторхинолонов, гликопептидов, карбопенемов не было связано с риском развития Clostridium difficile инфекции у детей, находящихся на лечении в онкологическом стационаре. Применение одного или двух антибактериальных химиотерапевтических препаратов, принадлежащих к разным группам, увеличивало риск развития Clostridium difficile инфекции по сравнению с применением препаратов трех групп

ГИПЕРБАРИЧЕСКАЯ ОКСИГЕНАЦИЯ В ЛЕЧЕНИИ ПОЗДНИХ ПОСТЛУЧЕВЫХ ЦИСТИТОВ

Radiotherapy (RT) alone or in combination with other treatment modalities is widely used in the treatment of urological and gynecological cancers. Despite the fact that there is continuous technical improvement of equipment and RT procedures, the frequency of complications due to this treatment option remains high in the early and late periods and generally requires complex and long-term care. One of the leading pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the development of these complications is vascular endothelial damage and hence decreased blood and oxygen supply to the tissues of pelvic organs. Postradiation cystitis is one of the commonest complications of RT. Among various treatment modalities for postradiation hemorrhagic cystitis, hyperbaric oxygenation yielded good results particularly in cases of ineffective standard treatments.Лучевая терапия (ЛТ) как самостоятельно, так и в комбинации с другими видами терапии широко применяется при лечении онкоурологических и онкогинекологических заболеваний. Несмотря на постоянное техническое совершенствование оборудования и методов проведения ЛТ, частота осложнений такого вида лечения в ранние и отдаленные сроки остается высокой и, как правило, требуется сложное и длительное лечение. Одним из ведущих патогенетических механизмов развития данных осложнений является повреждение эндотелия сосудов и, как следствие, снижение кровоснабжения и оксигенации тканей органов таза. Одним из наиболее частых осложнений радиотерапии является постлучевой цистит. Среди различных методов лечения постлучевого геморрагического цистита гипербарическая оксигенация показала хорошие результаты, особенно в тех случаях, когда стандартные методы лечения оказывались неэффективными