Differential sandwich theorems for higher-order derivatives of p-valent functions involving a generalized differential operator

In the present article, we obtain some applications of first order differential subordination, superordination and sandwich results for higher-order derivatives of p-valent functions involving a generalized differential operator. Some of our results improve and generalize previously known results

Increased 30-Day Mortality in Very Old ICU Patients with COVID-19 Compared to Patients with Respiratory Failure without COVID-19

Purpose: The number of patients ≥ 80 years admitted into critical care is increasing. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) added another challenge for clinical decisions for both admission and limitation of life-sustaining treatments (LLST). We aimed to compare the characteristics and mortality of very old critically ill patients with or without COVID-19 with a focus on LLST. Methods: Patients 80 years or older with acute respiratory failure were recruited from the VIP2 and COVIP studies. Baseline patient characteristics, interventions in intensive care unit (ICU) and outcomes (30-day survival) were recorded. COVID patients were matched to non-COVID patients based on the following factors: age (± 2 years), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (± 2 points), clinical frailty scale (± 1 point), gender and region on a 1:2 ratio. Specific ICU procedures and LLST were compared between the cohorts by means of cumulative incidence curves taking into account the competing risk of discharge and death. Results: 693 COVID patients were compared to 1393 non-COVID patients. COVID patients were younger, less frail, less severely ill with lower SOFA score, but were treated more often with invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) and had a lower 30-day survival. 404 COVID patients could be matched to 666 non-COVID patients. For COVID patients, withholding and withdrawing of LST were more frequent than for non-COVID and the 30-day survival was almost half compared to non-COVID patients. Conclusion: Very old COVID patients have a different trajectory than non-COVID patients. Whether this finding is due to a decision policy with more active treatment limitation or to an inherent higher risk of death due to COVID-19 is unclear.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of Fermentation Conditions (culture media and incubation temperature) on Exopolysaccharide Production by Streptococcus thermophilus

2nd International Conference on Biology, Environment and Chemistry (ICBEC). 28-30 december, 2011, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.This work investigates the influence of incubation temperature and culture media on exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. The S. thermophilus BN1 an EPS-producer strain isolated from cow milk was examined in this study. Skimmed milk, whole milk and cheese whey, were selected as culture media and two different temperatures were also tested. The EPS produced in the different studied conditions was purified and quantified. The strain BN1 was able to produce EPS in all established conditions. However, significant differences were observed in the amounts of produced EPS. The production of EPS reached the maximum values at 37°C in skimmed milk with amount of 548 PDM mg l-1, followed by the amounts of 375 PDM mg l-1 and 325 PDM mg l -1 respectively in whey and whole milk. In addition, a slight significant difference was noted on the biomass, pH and lactic acid values obtained from the three fermented substrates (p <0.05). The present results demonstrate that incubation temperature (37°C) had a significant (P<0.05) effect on the EPS production by S. termophilus BN1.Peer Reviewe

Image denoising algorithm based on the convolution of fractional Tsallis entropy with the Riesz fractional derivative

Image denoising is an important component of image processing. The interest in the use of Riesz fractional order derivative has been rapidly growing for image processing recently. This paper mainly introduces the concept of fractional calculus and proposes a new mathematical model in using the convolution of fractional Tsallis entropy with the Riesz fractional derivative for image denoising. The structures of n x n fractional mask windows in the x and y directions of this algorithm are constructed. The image denoising performance is assessed using the visual perception, and the objective image quality metrics, such as peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and structural similarity index (SSIM). The proposed algorithm achieved average PSNR of 28.92 dB and SSIM of 0.8041. The experimental results prove that the improvements achieved are compatible with other standard image smoothing filters (Gaussian, Kuan, and Homomorphic Wiener). © 2016 The Natural Computing Applications Foru

Influence of lactose and sucrose on growth and acetaldehyde production by three strains of Streptococcus thermophilus

Under CC BY 3.0 license. © The Author(s).-- Trabajo presentado en la International Conference on Applied Life Sciences (ICALS2012), celebrada en Turquía del 10 al 12 de septiembre de 2012. Turkey, September 10-12, 2012This investigation describes three strains of Streptococcus thermophilus on the basis of production of acetaldehyde as aroma compounds. The strains under study (BN1, BN2 and BN3) were isolated from Algerian raw milk and were identified according to microbiological, biochemical, and genetic criteria. The growth of the strains and the determination of acetaldehyde were performed on M17 medium added to 0.5 and 3% (w/v) of lactose and sucrose. It was observed that the produced biomass (log cfu/ml), reached high values in the presence of 3% (w/v) of lactose and sucrose compared to that posted with 0.5% (w/v). The strains appeared to produce acetaldehyde. This production was more powerful in the case of concentration 3% (w/v) of lactose and sucrose. Strain BN1 produced approximately 205±75μmol and 218±90μmol of acetaldehyde respectively in the presence of 3% (w/v) of lactose and sucrose. This ratio was significantly higher (P<0.01) compared to that quantified with strains BN2 and BN3.Peer Reviewe

Isolation of an exopolysaccharide-producing Streptococcus thermophilus from Algerian raw cow milk

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a key role in the development of the organoleptic and textural qualities of fermented dairy products. The exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by LAB are of great technological interest since they improve the rheological characteristics of these products and help reduce syneresis. In the present work, an EPS-producing Streptococcus thermophilus strain was isolated from Algerian raw cow milk. Its identity was confirmed by biochemical and molecular methods. The presence in its genome of a priming glycosyltransferase gene was confirmed by PCR. The strain's growth and EPS production in milk was analysed and the molar mass of the EPS produced determined by HPLC. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.This research was performed with financial support from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (AGL2010-18430).Peer Reviewe

Clinicomycological profile of pityriasis versicolor in Assam

Background: Geographical variation in the distribution of Malassezia species associated with pityriasis versicolor (PV) has led to the necessity of studying epidemiological, mycological, and clinical characteristics of PV. Aims: To study the epidemiological, mycological, and clinical characteristics of PV in a tertiary care hospital. Settings and Design: The study was carried out with a cross-sectional design. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and sixty-two consecutive PV patients were subjected to detailed history, clinical examination, and investigations. Skin scrapings were processed by direct microscopy and culture. Isolates were identified by phenotypic characteristics and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Association of Malassezia species with clinical and epidemiological characteristics was studied. Statistical analysis of the data was done using statistical software. Results: Maximum number of PV cases (33.9%) belonged to the age group of 21–30 years with a male preponderance. 61.4% of the patients had a sedentary lifestyle, 70.2% showed the gradual onset of the disease, 51.1% presented with pruritus and in 66.4% of the patients symptoms were continuous. Most commonly involved body site was neck (27.8%), 77.09% of the lesions were bilaterally asymmetrical, 87.4% were macular, and 89.3% were hypopigmented. Malassezia furfur (77.3%) was the predominant species. Sedentary lifestyle (61.4%) and increased sweating (48%) were the most commonly associated predisposing factors. Conclusion: PV is more common in males. Distribution of Malassezia species varies significantly from those reported in other parts of India. M. furfur was the most common species responsible for PV in our region. Hence, further studies are required to evaluate the exact cause of this variation