Stefania Ramirez

Background Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may represent an invaluable tool for optimizing antimicrobial therapy in septic patients, but extensive use is burdened by barriers. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a newly established expert clinical pharmacological advice (ECPA) program in improving the clinical usefulness of an already existing TDM program for emerging candidates in tailoring antimicrobial therapy among critically ill patients. Methods This retrospective observational study included an organizational phase (OP) and an assessment phase (AP). During the OP (January–June 2021), specific actions were organized by MD clinical pharmacologists together with bioanalytical experts, clinical engineers, and ICU clinicians. During the AP (July–December 2021), the impact of these actions in optimizing antimicrobial treatment of the critically ill patients was assessed. Four indicators of performance of the TDM-guided real-time ECPA program were identified [total T...

Infection by an animal-like strain of rotavirus (PA260/97) was diagnosed in a child with gastroenteritis in Palermo, Italy, in 1997. Sequence analysis of VP7, VP4, VP6, and NSP4 genes showed resemblance to a G3P[3] canine strain identifi ed in Italy in 1996. Dogs are a potential source of human viral pathogens. Group A rotaviruses are enteric pathogens of humans and animals. Rotaviruses usually exhibit host species restriction, although interspecies transmission or reassortment between animals and humans viruses can occur (1). Sequence analysis of the genes that code for the 2 outer capsid proteins VP7 and VP4, for the inner capsid protein VP6, and for the nonstructural protein NSP4 is useful for gathering epidemiologic information and tracing the origin of unusual rotavirus strains. To date, 15 VP7 genotypes (G types 1–15), 27 VP4 genotypes (P types [1]–[27]), 4 VP6 subgroup specificities (SGs I, II, I+II, and nonI/nonII), and 5 NSP4 genotypes (A–E) have been established in human a...

Il micelio di Phomopsis helianthi, un Ascomicete, \ue8 stato trattato con NaOH all'ebollizione ottenendo una frazione insolubile essenzialmente composta da chitosano e glucani. Il materiale ottenuto \ue8 stato valutato come agente per la rimozione di pesticidi da una soluzione acquosa. Il pesticida usato nella presente sperimentazione \ue8 l'oxadixyl, il quale ha una solubilit\ue0 in acqua pari a 3.4 g/L. L'efficienza della biomassa \ue8 stata provata usando 20, 40 ed 80 mg di materiale fino ad una concentrazione di 3 mM. La biomassa risulta in grado di recuperare fino a 6 mg di oxadixyl per grammo di materiale assorbente. l risultati sperimentali mostrano un'ottima correlazione nell'ambito del modello delle isoterme di Langmuir

I rotavirus di gruppo A sono i pi\uf9 frequenti agenti eziologici di gastroenterite virale sia nell\u2019uomo che in numerose specie animali. Per valutare l\u2019evoluzione di tali virus si \ue8 rivelato utile effettuare l\u2019analisi di sequenza dei geni codificanti per le proteine del capside esterno VP7 e VP4, per la proteina del capside interno VP6 e per la proteina non strutturale NSP4. Attualmente sono stati descritti in natura: 15 genotipi G in base a VP7, 27 genotipi P in base a VP4, 4 sottogruppi VP6 e 5 genotipi NSP4. I rotavirus umani appartengono pi\uf9 frequentemente ai genotipi G1P[8], G3P[8] e G4P[8], che si associano con il SGII (VP6 correlato) e NSP4B, ovvero al genotipo G2P[4], associato a SGII e NSP4A. Recentemente, in Europa ed in Asia, \ue8 stato osservato un incremento nella circolazione di ceppi di rotavirus di genotipo G3, evidenziato anche a Palermo negli anni 2003 e 2005. Allo scopo di investigare l\u2019evoluzione di rotavirus G3 isolati a Palermo dal 1993 al 2005 (57 ceppi su 1012), ne sono stati selezionati 19, rappresentativi del periodo in esame, ed \ue8 stata effettuato il sequenziamento e l\u2019analisi filogenetica dei geni codificanti per VP7, VP4, VP6 e NSP4. Tali ceppi provenivano da bambini (<5 anni) ospedalizzati con gastroenterite acuta all\u2019Ospedale dei Bambini \u201cG. Di Cristina\u201d. Dei ceppi analizzati, 11 sono stati tipizzati come G3P[8] SGII NSP4 B, tre come G3P[9] SGII NSP4 A e uno come G3P[3] SGI NSP4 C. Nell\u2019albero filogenetico di VP7, i rotavirus G3P[8] erano raggruppati insieme a ceppi G3P[9] umani e felini, mentre i G3P[3] siciliani erano in un differente lineaggio insieme a ceppi canini. Le analisi filogenetiche effettuate sugli altri segmenti mostravano la suddivisione dei ceppi G3P[8] in due gruppi in rapporto all\u2019anno di isolamento. Pertanto, il nostro studio ha permesso di accertare che i ceppi di rotavirus G3 circolanti a Palermo dal 1993 al 2005 condividevano caratteristiche comuni nei segmenti genomici analizzati, ed elusivamente mutazioni aa nella sequenza NSP4 sono state riscontrate nei ceppi del 2003 e si sono mantenute anche nel 2005. I periodici incrementi nella circolazione di ceppi G3 sembrano pi\uf9 legati ad una perdita di immunit\ue0 nella popolazione che a mutazioni coinvolgenti determinanti antigeniche. Le sporadiche infezioni da ceppi G3 animali o da riassortanti animali/umani evidenziate nei pazienti palermitani confermano i dati di letteratura riguardo una loro scarsa tendenza a diffondere

espanolLa ingenieria en rehabilitacion tiene entre sus objetivos principales el desarrollo de soluciones que mejoren la calidad de vida de las personas con discapacidad, las cuales, si son desarrolladas a traves de metodologias de investigacion y diseno participativo, pueden presentar ventajas significativas como productos que dan mejor respuesta a las necesidades de la comunidad, mayor aceptacion de los resultados por parte de la misma y el hallazgo de fuentes y nichos potenciales de innovacion. Adicionalmente, dichas metodologias permiten que los beneficios para esta poblacion no se asocien solamente a los resultados o productos generados, sino que complementariamente se logren desde los mismos procesos investigativos a traves de la inclusion y participacion autenticas, generando un mayor impacto social. Este articulo propone un enfoque metodologico para el desarrollo de productos de habilitacion y rehabilitacion en el cual convergen las tendencias de investigacion participativa, ...

Introduction: Antimicrobial treatment is quite common among hospitalized children. The dynamic age-associated physiological variations coupled with the pathophysiological alterations caused by underlying illness and potential drug-drug interactions makes the implementation of appropriate antimicrobial dosing extremely challenging among paediatrics. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) may represent a valuable tool for assisting clinicians in optimizing antimicrobial exposure. Clinical pharmacological advice (CPA) is an approach based on the correct interpretation of the TDM result by the MD Clinical Pharmacologist in relation to specific underlying conditions, namely the antimicrobial susceptibility of the clinical isolate, the site of infection, the pathophysiological characteristics of the patient and/or the drug-drug interactions of cotreatments. The aim of this study was to assess the role of TDM-based CPAs in providing useful recommendations for the real-time personalization of an...

A rotavirus sample collection from 19 consecutive years was used to investigate the heterogeneity and the dynamics of evolution of G1 rotavirus strains in a geographically defined population. Phylogenetic analysis of the VP7 gene sequences of G1P[8] human rotavirus strains showed the circulation of a heterogeneous population comprising three lineages and seven sublineages. Increases in the circulation of G1 rotaviruses were apparently associated with the introduction of novel G1 strains that exhibited multiple amino acid changes in antigenic regions involved in rotavirus neutralization compared to the strains circulating in the previous years. The emergence and/or introduction of G1 antigenic variants might be responsible for the continuous circulation of G1 rotaviruses in the local population, with the various lineages and sublineages appearing, disappearing, or cocirculating in an alternate fashion under the influence of immune-pressure mechanisms. Sequence analysis of VP4-encodin...

Three G3P[9] rotaviruses, detected in children hospitalized with gastroenteritis in Palermo, Italy, were found to be genetically related to strains of either human or feline origin in the VP7, VP4, and VP6 genes. In contrast, in the NSP4 gene the viruses resembled G2P[4] human strains, suggesting a reassortment between AU-1-like and Kun-like strains.

The composition of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from the β- Proteobacteria subclass (βAOB) was studied in the surface and upper-oxycline oxic waters (2- to 50-m depth, ∼200 to 44 μM O 2 ) and within the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) suboxic waters (50- to 400-m depth, ≤10 μM O 2 ) of the eastern South Pacific off northern Chile. This study was carried out through cloning and sequencing of genes coding for 16S rRNA and the ammonia monooxygenase enzyme active subunit ( amoA ). Sequences affiliated with Nitrosospira -like cluster 1 dominated the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries constructed from both oxic and suboxic waters. Cluster 1 consists exclusively of yet-uncultivated βAOB from marine environments. However, a single clone, out of 224 obtained from the OMZ, was found to belong to Nitrosospira lineage cluster 0. To our knowledge, cluster 0 sequences have been derived from βAOB isolated only from sand, soil, and freshwater environments. Sequences in clone libraries of the amoA gene from the ...