Evaluation of a silver-impregnated coating to inhibit colonization of orthopaedic implants by biofilm forming methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity of a silver-impregnated coating against a biofilm-forming strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP). METHODS: A clinical MRSP isolate sourced from a failed canine knee implant was evaluated for biofilm production and used in the present study. Using a standard test method and a clinically approved titanium substrate, the antimicrobial activity of a novel silver plasma coating was determined at two times: five minutes after inoculation of the specimens (T0) and after 24 hours of incubation (T24). Scanning electron microscopy was used to evaluate the biofilm formation on specimens. RESULTS: The tested clinical MRSP isolate was classified as a strong biofilm producer. The silver coating significantly reduced the MRSP growth more than four log steps compared to the non-coated specimens and showed more than 99.98% reduction in the number of colony forming units after 24 hours. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that silver-coated surfaces did not manifest detectable biofilm, while biofilm formation was readily observed on the control specimens. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The silver coating exhibited excellent activity against the multidrug resistant biofilm-forming MRSP isolate. The next stage of this work will involve testing in an animal model of orthopaedic infection. Positive results from animal studies would support the introduction of the silver plasma coating as a new strategy for preventing implant contamination, biofilm formation, and surgical infection in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery.The authors thank Bio-Gate AG for providing the Ag/SiOxCy plasma coating on the test discs.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Schattauer Publishers via http://dx.doi.org/10.3415/VCOT-15-08-013

Web-based AHP system

This chapter discusses about the development of a web-based multi criteria decision making system which implements Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method in order to give the best decision/choice to decision makers. It is believed that such system will be able to offer more accurate and acceptable result based on a number of criteria and alternatives that the user has provided. The main objective of this chapter is to provide an understanding of how such a system is build and some idea on how actually Analytical Hierarchical Process is being implemented in the system. It is hoped that after reading this chapter, readers will get the general concept and idea on how similar systems work and function in the future

Navigating the crossroads: Insights into cardiology’s influence on neurointerventional procedures

Since Egaz Moniz introduced angiography, neurovascular interventions have undergone significant advancements. The integration of advanced biomaterials has refined endovascular devices and techniques for complex vascular lesions. The domain of neurointerventions includes neuroendovascular surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, and interventional neurology. Notably, in regions with limited neurointerventional specialists, interventional cardiologists are increasingly treating cerebrovascular strokes. The congruence between coronary and carotid interventions has facilitated the development of adaptable cerebrovascular tools, many inspired by those in cardiac catheter labs. This article provides an overview of key developments in neurointerventions, with a focus on the adaptation of tools between coronary and cerebrovascular procedures

The Diagnostic Use of Measurements of Membrane Binding Sites in Death by Poisoning

A brief introduction is given to benzodiazepine drugs and benzodiazepine receptors, particularly in human brain tissue. Human post-mortem brain tissue samples and their authentic blood samples were collected at the City Mortuary, Glasgow

The Diagnostic Use of Measurements of Membrane Binding Sites in Death by Poisoning

A brief introduction is given to benzodiazepine drugs and benzodiazepine receptors, particularly in human brain tissue. Human post-mortem brain tissue samples and their authentic blood samples were collected at the City Mortuary, Glasgow

Antibiotic Resistance Trends of Gram-negative Bacteria Most Frequently Isolated from Inpatients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Sana'a, Yemen

Objective: To determine the trends of antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria, most frequently isolated from inpatients at the University of Science and Technology Hospital (USTH) in Sana'a, Yemen. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study on the antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative bacteria most frequently isolated from respiratory tract, pus, urine, blood and other types of specimens from inpatients admitted to the USTH. Data were retrieved from the hospital records of culture-positive inpatients in the period from January 2006 to December 2013, and annual trends of resistance were compared using chi-square test for trends at P values < 0.05. Results: Of 2005 Gram-negative bacterial isolates in the period from 2006 to 2013, the most frequently isolated species were Escherichia coli (41.6%), Acinetobacter species (26.7%), Klebsiella species (21.0%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (10.6%). Amikacin and carbapenems were the most active drugs against E. coli, with a decrease in the susceptibility of this species to the third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins and a variable resistance rate to quinolones that significantly increased in 2013. Acinetobacter species susceptibility to most antibiotics decreased significantly over the years of the study, where polymyxin B was the only one found to be effective against this species. On the other hand, the trend of Klebsiella species resistance to imipenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, cefepime, ceftazidime increased over the years of the study. Susceptibility of Klebsiella species to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and moxifloxacin showed fluctuations, while the susceptibility of aminoglycosides (amikacin and gentamicin) and ampicillin-sulbactam showed no difference. The resistance of P. aeruginosa to the majority of antibiotics was not dramatically changed over the years of the study period, but gentamicin resistance rate was considerably dropped from 77.8% in 2008 to 25.9% in 2013. Conclusions: Of the most frequently isolated Gram-negative bacteria in Sana'a, Acinetobacter species has the highest resistance rate to the most commonly used antibiotics, where only polymyxin B is effective against this species. P. aeruginosa shows an unchanging rate of resistance to antibiotics in the USTH despite being quite resistant to antibiotics on a global scale, which could be attributed to the smaller number of P. aeruginosa isolates tested over the study period. Further large-scale studies on the trends of antibiotic resistance rates in hospital-based settings and the best ways to counteract such resistance in Yemen are recommended. &nbsp

Human heart-type fatty acid-binding protein as an early diagnostic marker of doxorubicin cardiac toxicity

Progressive cardiotoxicity following treatment with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may lead to late onset cardiomyopathy. So, early prediction of toxicity can lead to prevention of heart failure in these patients. The aim of this work was to investigate the role of H-FABP as an early diagnostic marker of anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity together with brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) as an indication of ventricular dysfunction in such patients. Our study was conducted on 40 NHL patients who received 6 cycles of a doxorubicin containing chemotherapy protocol (CHOP), not exceeding the total allowed dose of doxorubicin (500 mg/m2). Ten healthy controls were included in our study. Human heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) was assessed 24 hours after the first cycle of CHOP. Plasma levels of BNP were estimated both before starting chemotherapy and after the last cycle of CHOP. Resting echocardiography was also performed before and at the end of chemotherapy cycles. The ejection fraction (EF) of 8 of our patients decreased below 50% at the end of the sixth cycle. Elevated levels of both H-FABP and BNP were found in all patients wth EF below 50% and both markers showed a positive correlation with each other. We concluded that H-FABP may serve as a reliable early marker for prediction of cardiomyopathy induced by doxorubicin. Thus, in patients with elevated H-FABP, alternative treatment modalities with no cardiac toxicity may be considered in order to prevent subsequent heart failure in these patients

EXPLORANDO O PAPEL DA UNIVERSIDADE PRÍNCIPE SATTAM BIN ABDULAZIZ NA ABORDAGEM DE CAUSAS E CONSEQUÊNCIAS DE FRUSTRAÇÃO ENTRE ESTUDANTES: UM ESTUDO DE CAMPO

Frustration among university students is a prevalent and often overwhelming emotion resulting from a variety of academic, personal, and social pressures, significantly impacting their overall college experience. This study aims to investigate the role of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in addressing the causes and consequences of students’ frustration. We employed a descriptive research methodology and surveyed 87 faculty members from the colleges of Wadi Al-Dawasir and Al-Sukayyia using an 18-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The results indicated that, from the perspective of faculty members, the role of Prince Sattam bin Abdul Aziz University in addressing the causes and consequences of student frustration was moderate. The dimensions of this role were ranked as follows: first, the university's role in raising students' awareness about the causes and consequences of frustration; second, the university's educational role; and third, the university's preventive role in alleviating student frustration. The study proposes a conceptual framework to activate the preventive, awareness-raising, and educational roles of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in addressing the issue of student frustration.A frustração entre os estudantes universitários é uma emoção predominante e muitas vezes avassaladora, resultante de uma variedade de pressões acadêmicas, pessoais e sociais, impactando significativamente a sua experiência universitária em geral. Este estudo tem como objetivo investigar o papel da Universidade Príncipe Sattam bin Abdulaziz na abordagem das causas e consequências da frustração dos estudantes. Empregamos uma metodologia de pesquisa descritiva e entrevistamos 87 professores das faculdades de Wadi Al-Dawasir e Al-Sukayyia usando um questionário de 18 itens. Os dados foram analisados utilizando métodos estatísticos apropriados. Os resultados indicaram que, do ponto de vista dos docentes, o papel da Universidade Príncipe Sattam bin Abdul Aziz na abordagem das causas e consequências da frustração dos estudantes foi moderado. As dimensões deste papel foram ordenadas da seguinte forma: primeiro, o papel da universidade na sensibilização dos estudantes sobre as causas e consequências da frustração; segundo, o papel educativo da universidade; e terceiro, o papel preventivo da universidade no alívio da frustração dos estudantes. O estudo propõe uma estrutura conceitual para ativar os papéis preventivos, de conscientização e educacionais da Universidade Príncipe Sattam bin Abdulaziz na abordagem da questão da frustração dos estudantes

Generalized Fuzzy Soft Connected Sets in Generalized Fuzzy Soft Topological Spaces

In this paper we introduce some types of generalized fuzzy soft separated sets and study some of their properties. Next, the notion of connectedness in fuzzy soft topological spaces due to Karata et al, Mahanta et al, and Kandil  et al., extended to generalized fuzzy soft topological spaces. The relationship between these types of connectedness in generalized fuzzy soft topological spaces is investigated with the help of number of counter examples

A guideline for using web-based AHP system

This chapter discusses the guidelines and step by step procedures in using the web-based multi criteria decision making using Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, which is presented in the previous chapter. Readers will be guided carefully starting from the development of the decision process towards the final decision itself, based on the criteria and choices supplied to the system. It is hoped that from this chapter, readers will be able to learn and understand the process flow of multi criteria decision making using Analytical Hierarchical Process and also be able to use the system without much difficulties, lnsha Alla