Microbiology of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a pulmonary infection that appears after 2 days of endotracheal intubation and when invasive mechanical ventilation is used. VAP is considered the most common nosocomial infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) and presents high morbidity and mortality rates, principally when caused by multi-resistant bacteria. Several risk factors are associated with VAP, including the microbiota, advanced age, immunocompromising conditions, pulmonary illness, length of mechanical ventilation, the aspiration technique, tracheostomy, supine positioning, enteral feeding, previous antibiotic exposure, among other endogenous and exogenous factors. The main pathogens are Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterobacteriaceae members, which are considered potentially multidrug-resistant pathogens. Conventional microbiology methods continue to be used for laboratory diagnosis. However, it is necessary to validate rapid and accurate laboratory methods, such as molecular assays that detect multiple gene sequences of a wide range of bacterial species and resistance markers. Therefore, the objective of this chapter is to review and update several aspects related to VAP, including risk factors, etiology, laboratory diagnosis, bacterial virulence and VAP severity, and antibiotic susceptibility

Understanding the ways and the dynamics of collaborative innovation processes: the case of the Maritime Cluster of the Algarve region (Portugal)

The Algarve region has always showed a close relationship with the sea as a result of its excellent natural conditions, historical and cultural reasons, and notorious know-how related with traditional maritime activities, such as fisheries and fish processing, and naval industry; more recently, nautical activities, such as tourism and recreational boating, have been gaining increased importance. The region is also well infrastructured in terms of public R&D institutions which are important cornerstones of the regional and national innovation systems. Through surveys carried out over a population of firms related to fisheries, aquaculture, fish processing and trade, nautical tourism, naval construction, and repair and shipping, we intend to: (1) characterize the innovation processes adopted by the Algarve’s firms of the maritime economy and evaluate some of the main outputs generated by R&D activities promoted by the regional innovation centers; (2) analyze the potential externalities linked to the production and dissemination of information from knowledge spillovers and knowledge networks; and (3) assess the strategic interest associated with the use of knowledge-intensive service activities regarding their role as sources and/or facilitators of innovation in customer organizations, or as carriers of innovation, when they help in transferring knowledge between or within organizations

Behavioral phenotype of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome

OBJETIVO: Identificar, em um grupo de crianças e adolescentes com síndrome de Prader-Willi, as principais características do fenótipo comportamental. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi composta por 11 crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico clínico e citogenético-molecular da síndrome de Prader-Willi. A técnica de coleta de dados foi o Inventário dos Comportamentos de Crianças e Adolescentes entre 6 e 18 anos (CBCL/6-18). A análise de correlação bivariada, com nível de significância p<0,05, foi usada para testar a associação entre as variáveis analisadas. RESULTADOS: Os principais resultados mostraram um perfil comportamental considerado como clínico em várias das escalas do CBCL/6-18. Observou-se um padrão comportamental com alta frequência de respostas de agressão, quebra de regras e oposição. Identificaram-se correlações estatisticamente significativas entre problemas de atenção e sociais e problemas de pensamento e comportamento de quebrar as regras. CONCLUSÕES: Os pacientes investigados representam um grupo com risco psiquiátrico e alterações de comportamento que, em longo prazo, poderão evoluir para transtornos de 2009humor, do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade e transtorno desafiador e de oposição, dentre outrosOBJECTIVE: To identify the main characteristics of the behavioral phenotype of children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome. METHODS: Eleven children and adolescents with clinical and cytogenetic-molecular diagnosis of Prader-Willi syndrome were studied. Data collection was obtained by the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18). Bivariate correlations were used to test the association between the analyzed variables, being significant p<0.05. RESULTS: The behavioral profile obtained was considered as clinical in different scales of the CBCL/6-18 tool. A behavioral pattern with high frequency of aggression, rule breaking and opposition was observed. Statistically significant correlations between attention and social problems and between thought problems and breaking rules were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The studied patients represent a group of psychiatric risk, with behavioral changes that, in the long-term, can lead to mood disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant behavior, among other disordersInstituto Presbiteriano Mackenzie - MackPesquis

Angular momentum of focused beams: beyond the paraxial approximation

We investigate in detail the focusing of a circularly polarized Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam ($\hbar \ell$ orbital angular momentum per photon; $\sigma=1/-1$ for left/right-handed polarization) by a high numerical aperture objective. The diffraction-limited focused beam has unexpected properties, resulting from a strong interplay between the angular spatial structure and the local polarization in the non-paraxial regime. In the region near the beam axis, and provided that $|\ell|\ge 2$ and $\ell$ and $\sigma$ have opposite signs, the energy locally counter-propagates and the projection of the electric field onto the focal plane counter-rotates with respect to the circular polarization of the incident beam. We explicitly show that the total angular momentum flux per unit power is conserved after focusing, as expected by rotational symmetry, but the spin and orbital separate contributions change.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figure

Consortium corn-teak in crop-livestock-forest integration system in the state of Roraima.

Rapport over de kostprijsberekeningen van kersen en frambozen

Nanoecotoxicity and uptake of TiO2@MWCNT hybrid material on Danio rerio embryos.

A process that is being widely used for environmental remediation is photocatalysis. The use of nanotechnology can highly improve this field, and there is already a wide range of nanomaterials employed in photocatalytic research and applications. A material that has been highlighted in this field is the TiO2@MWCNT, this combination increase the photocatalytic efficiency, and therefore being an extremely effective method for remediation of contaminants. Due to the importance of these hybrid materials, the production of such particles has been encouraged. However, concerns about their toxicity and safety when released into the environment should be considered. Therefore, to understand the role of TiO2@MWCNT in the environment, our main objective was to study the photocatalytic activity and toxicity of TiO2@MWCNT composite on Danio rerio embryos (zebrafish). For this purpose, TiO2@MWCNT nanomaterial was synthetized, by mechanical mixing method, and an early life stage assay was performed with zebrafish embryos. The parameters assessed were acute toxicity, hatching rate, growth, yolk sac size, and the sarcomere length. In addition, we employed ?-probe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to observe if nanoparticles were being uptake by zebrafish larvae. Also, the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiO2@MWCNT was assessed through indigo blue dye degradation using UV-Vis spectroscopy. TiO2@MWCNT characterization was performed by SEM, TEM and TGA analysis. Our results shown that the preparation method was efficient to loaded the TiO2 on the surface of MWCNT, and the composite was more photocatalytic than TiO2. Besides, no acute toxicity, nor sublethal effects in Danio rerio embryos was observed until 100 mg L-1. Nevertheless, µ-XRF showed that the larvae were ingesting the nanoparticle. In conclusion, TiO2@MWCNT is a promising material for environmental remediation, presenting high efficiency and low toxicity

Ação inseticida da rotenona para a lagarta-do-cartucho (Spodoptera frugiperda Smith - Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

No laboratório de entomologia da Embrapa Acre foram conduzidos bioensaios, objetivando avaliar a ação inseticida da rotenona sobre lagartas de S. frugiperda. Organizados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, os tratamentos compostos por rotenona (Sigma Aldrich® ?95% de pureza) diluída em acetona p. a. consistiram das concentrações de 0%, 1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% e 10% m v-1 aplicadas por meio das vias de intoxicação de superfície contaminada e aplicação tópica, bem como das concentrações 0%, 0,02%, 0,04%, 0,08%, 0,16%, 0,24%, 0,32% adicionadas à dieta alimentar de lagartas de S. frugiperda. A rotenona, por ter sido tóxica em diferentes contrações pelas três formas de exposição testadas, principalmente por ingestão de dieta alimentar, apresenta-se como uma alternativa promissora para o manejo integrado de lagartas de S. frugiperdaProjeto 03.10.01.026.00.0

Application of a purge-and-trap system for fixed-NH4+ determination by matrix interference free ion chromatography in oil reservoir rocks

A method for fixed-NH4+ determination using a system immersed into an ultrasonic bath for NH3 extraction and ion chromatography for NH4+ determination is proposed. The method is faster, simpler and more sensible (LOD = 4.4 mg g-1 NH4+) than the classical Kjeldahl method