Aluminum surface layer strengthening using intense pulsedbeam radiation of substrate film system

The paper presents formation of the substrate film system (Zr-Ti-Cu/Al) by electric arc spraying of cathode having the appropriate composition. It is shown that the intense beam radiation of the substrate film system is accompanied by formation of the multi-phase state, the microhardness of which exceeds the one of pure A7 aluminum by = 4.5 times

Real-Life Use of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam for the Treatment of Bloodstream Infection Due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Neutropenic Hematologic Patients: a Matched Control Study (ZENITH Study)

We sought to assess the characteristics and outcomes of neutropenic hematologic patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bloodstream infection (BSI) treated with ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T). We conducted a multicenter, international, matched-cohort study of PA BSI episodes in neutropenic hematologic patients who received C/T. Controls were patients with PA BSI treated with other antibiotics. Risk factors for overall 7-day and 30-day case fatality rates were analyzed. We compared 44 cases with 88 controls. Overall, 91% of episodes were caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. An endogenous source was the most frequent BSI origin (35.6%), followed by pneumonia (25.8%). There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between groups. C/T was given empirically in 11 patients and as definitive therapy in 41 patients. Treatment with C/T was associated with less need for mechanical ventilation (13.6% versus 33.3%; P = 0.021) and reduced 7-day (6.8% versus 34.1%; P = 0.001) and 30-day (22.7% versus 48.9%; P = 0.005) mortality. In the multivariate analysis, pneumonia, profound neutropenia, and persistent BSI were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality, whereas lower mortality was found among patients treated with C/T (adjusted OR [aOR] of 0.19; confidence interval [CI] 95% of 0.07 to 0.55; P = 0.002). Therapy with C/T was associated with less need for mechanical ventilation and reduced 7-day and 30-day case fatality rates compared to alternative agents in neutropenic hematologic patients with PA BSI. IMPORTANCE Ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of difficult to treat infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) in the general nonimmunocompromised population. However, the experience of this agent in immunosuppressed neutropenic patients is very limited. Our study is unique because it is focused on extremely immunosuppressed hematological patients with neutropenia and bloodstream infection (BSI) due to PA (mainly multidrug resistant [MDR]), a scenario which is often associated with very high mortality rates. In our study, we found that the use of C/T for the treatment of MDR PA BSI in hematological neutropenic patients was significantly associated with improved outcomes, and, in addition, it was found to be an independent risk factor associated with increased survival. To date, this is the largest series involving neutropenic hematologic patients with PA BSI treated with C/T

Use of poultry manure and plant cultivation for the reclamation of burnt soils

Annual (Pisum sativum L. and Vicia sativa L.) and perennial (Trifolium repens L. and Lotus corniculatus L.) leguminous species were grown in pots containing samples from the ash layers of two Cambisols under Pinus sylvestris L., which has been affected by high-intensity wildfires 3 and 15 days before the sampling. The gramineous Lolium perenne L. was cultivated as a second plant after Trifolium and Lotus harvesting. Three treatments were compared: soils without fertilization and soils fertilized with two doses of poultry manure (1 and 2 g total N kg-1 dry soil). The aim of the work was to study the capacity of the ash layer to sustain vegetation and the influence of plants and organic manure on the recovery of vegetation cover, ash layer fixation and soil structure formation to avoid erosion. The ash samples were able to sustain vegetation without fertilization. The organic manure increased the yields of all the plants tested, the lower dose being the optimal for the first crop whereas the higher dose was beneficial for the second crop. The annual legumes grew very quickly. The mixture of Trifolium and Lotus seemed very suitable for reclamation of soil degraded by wildfires because Trifolium produced more phytomass than Lotus in the first growing stages whereas the development of Lotus was higher in the later growing stages. Ash layer conditions did not inhibit nodulation, which was, however, stimulated by the organic manure, particularly in the case of Lotus. Lolium after perennial legumes was the best plant combination because it produced the highest phytomass, particularly root phytomass, and thus improved vegetation cover and ash layer fixation. All the plants tested improved the formation of soil aggregates, particularly the combination of perennial legumes and Lolium. However, wet aggregate stability was higher when plants were grown on soils fertilized with poultry manure than when plants were cropped on unmanured soils, which points to the favourable influence of the organic manure on soil aggregation.Peer reviewe