Glycaemic variability, infections and mortality in a medical-surgical intensive care unit.

In critically ill patients, glycaemic variability (GV) was reported as a better predictor of mortality than mean blood glucose level (BGL). We compared the ability of different GV indices and mean BGLs to predict mortality and intensive care unit-acquired infections in a population of ICU patients.Retrospective study on adult ICU patients with ≥ three BGL measurements. GV was assessed by SD, coefficient of variation (CV) and mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion (MAGE), and by one timeweighted index, the glycaemic lability index (GLI), and compared with mean BGL. We studied 2782 patients admitted to the 12-bed medical-surgical ICU of a teaching hospital from January 2004 until December 2010.Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between GV and ICU mortality and ICU-acquired infections. The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to compare the discriminatory ability of GV and mean BGL for infections and mortality.Mortality was 16.6%, and 30% of patients had at least one infection. Patients with infections or diabetes or who were treated with insulin had a higher mean BGL and GV than other patients. GLI, SD, CV and MAGE were significantly associated with infections and mortality; mean BGL was not. Quartiles of increasing GLI were independently associated with higher mortality and an increased infection rate. Patients in the upper quartile of mean BGL and GLI had the strongest association with infections (odds ratio, 5.044 [95% CI, 1.695-15.007]; P = 0.004).High GV is associated with higher risk of ICUCrit acquired infection and mortality

Chemoselective Synthesis of Functionalized Conjugated Nitroalkenes

The present one-pot methodology to obtain conjugated nitroalkenes from aldehydes and nitroalkanes is mild, and highly selective, and proceedsin good yields also on a large scale

A Novel Chemoselective 'One-Pot' Procedure for the Simultaneous Denitration-Deoxygenation of 2-Nitroketones by TsNHNH2-NaBH4

Chemoselctive conversion of both the carbonyl group and the carbon bearing the nitro group, of 2-nitro ketones, into two methylenes is performed in one-pot, under mild conditions

Novel process for the synthesis of 7-chloro-4-(piperazin-1-yl)-quinoline

BREVETTO CONCESSOThe patent describes a novel process for the synthesis of 7-chloro-4-(piperazin-1-yl)-quinoline and a new crystalline for

Epidermal growth factor in cutaneous repair processes

Donor areas on patients undergoing plastic surgery were treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) to stimulate tissue regeneration. Morphometric analyses showed that cutaneous explants, treated with EGF, presented a higher number of microvessels (p < 0.01) and mesenchimal cells (p < 0.01), than untreated areas, while EGF did not improve epidermal thickening. By electron microscopy, better histoarchitectural maturation of cellular and extracellular dermal compartments was observed after EGF application. This work provides evidence that EGF does stimulate skin repair by promoting the formation of mature cutaneous tissue. Donor areas on patients undergoing plastic surgery were treated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) to stimulate tissue regeneration. Morphometric analyses showed that cutaneous explants, treated with EGF, presented a higher number of microvessels (p < 0.01) and mesenchimal cells (p < 0.01), than untreated areas, while EGF did not improve epidermal thickening. By electron microscopy, better histoarchitectural maturation of cellular and extracellular dermal compartments was observed after EGF application. This work provides evidence that EGF does stimulate skin repair by promoting the formation of mature cutaneous tissue

Morphometric study of chromatin pattern in freeze-fractured rat liver nuclei during malignancy evolution.

Computerized image analysis was performed on freeze-fractured nuclei isolated from normal rat liver and rat liver with diethylnitrosamine induced hepatocarcinomas. Chromatin particles belonging to heterochromatin and interchromatin nuclear regions were measured, distributed into histograms and statistically processed. The ratio between nucleosome filaments (5-10 nm range diameter) and solenoid fibres (25-35 nm range) and Tukey's fitting line were calculated. The N/S ratio shows an inverse trend in treated nuclear samples with respect to the controls indicating that the malignancy progression is accompanied by characteristic derangement of the chromatin arrangement which can be evaluated by morphometric analysis