Publications by authors named "Juan Carlos Torres"

Introduction: The objective of this study was to compare the continuous infusion of cefepime with the intermittent infusion in patients with sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacilli (GNB).

Methods: Randomized 1:1 multicenter double-blinded placebo-controlled study with allocation concealment; multicenter study in the intensive care units of Colombia. Patients with sepsis, severe sepsis or septic shock, and GNB-suspected bacteremia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Intensive care unit-acquired weakness is a common complication that negatively impacts patients' recovery during and after hospital stays.
  • A clinical trial assessed a multi-component early mobility protocol compared to standard care in ICU patients, focusing on pain control and delirium prevention.
  • Results showed that the intervention group had significantly less muscle weakness and better mobility scores at discharge, although there were no notable differences in ventilation-free days or mortality rates.
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In Chile, since January 2023, a sudden and pronounced increase in strandings and mortality has been observed among South American (SA) sea lions (Otaria flavescens), prompting significant concern. Simultaneously, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAIV H5N1) in avian species has emerged since December 2022. To investigate the cause of this unexpected mortality, we conducted a comprehensive epidemiological and pathologic study.

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Currently, a high percentage of the world's population lives in urban areas, and this proportion will increase in the coming decades. In this context, indoor positioning systems (IPSs) have been a topic of great interest for researchers. On the other hand, Visible Light Communication (VLC) systems have advantages over RF technologies; for instance, they do not need satellite signals or the absence of electromagnetic interference to achieve positioning.

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Wireless communication is growing quickly and now allows technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT). It is included in many smart sensors helping to reduce the installation and system costs. These sensors increase flexibility, simplify deployment and address a new set of applications that was previously impossible with a wired approach.

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Visible light communication systems can be used in a wide variety of applications, from driving to home automation. The use of wearables can increase the potential applications in indoor systems to send and receive specific and customized information. We have designed and developed a fully organic and flexible Visible Light Communication system using a flexible OLED, a flexible P3HT:PCBM-based organic photodiode (OPD) and flexible PCBs for the emitter and receiver conditioning circuits.

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The main characteristic of liquid crystals is that their properties, both electrical and optical, can be modified through a convenient applied signal, for instance a certain voltage. This tunable behavior of liquid crystals is directly related to the orientation of their nanometric components with respect to a director direction. However, the initial alignment is a fabrication-dependent parameter and may be either planar or homeotropic.

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"Recently, it has been shown that the heart can be protected against the ischemia-reperfusion injury if brief coronary occlusions are performed just at the beginning of the reperfusion. This procedure has been called postconditioning (PostC). It can also be elicited by pharmacological interventions, which are named pharmacological PostC.

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Within the limits of current technology, many applications of a virtual environment will trade-off accuracy for speed. This is not an acceptable compromise in a medical training application where both are essential. Efficient algorithms must therefore be developed.

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Validation studies of the new DentalPrint software were carried out with experimental bite marks in pigskin. The bite marks were digitally photographed according to the ABFO guidelines for evidence collection. Dental casts used in the experiment were scanned in 3D and 2D, and comparison overlays were generated using DentalPrint and Adobe Photoshop software, respectively.

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Sucrose-fed rats (HTG) develop hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and other features of the metabolic syndrome. This condition, nowadays a world epidemic, is more prevalent in males and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Weanling male and female rats were given either tap water in control (C) or 30% sucrose solution in HTG groups and commercial rat chow for 3, 5, or 8 months.

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In myocardial damage due to ischemia-reperfusion, the administration of insulin together with glucose and potassium may be protective, although in some patients and animal models, it is ineffective. In a rat model (HTG) with characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, induced by sucrose feeding, ischemia-reperfusion of the isolated heart evidences a less favorable outcome than in control animals, particularly males. We investigated the effect of insulin infusion during the reperfusion period in isolated hearts from control and HTG male and female rats.

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Bite mark analysis assumes the uniqueness of the dentition can be accurately recorded on skin or an object. However, biting is a dynamic procedure involving three moving systems, the maxilla, the mandible, and the victim's reaction. Moreover, bite marks can be distorted by the anatomic location of the injury or the elasticity of the skin tissue.

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