Development and Validation of an HPLC-UV Method for the Quantification of Acyclovir and Ganciclovir in the Plasma of Pediatric Immunocompromised Patients.

Acyclovir and ganciclovir comprise the prophylaxis and treatment of herpesvirus and cytomegalovirus infections occurring in immunocompromised patients. Their therapeutic drug monitoring is fundamental because of interindividual variability leading to side effects and drug resistance and is performed through several techniques, such as liquid chromatography coupled with UV spectrophotometry (HPLC-UV) or mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Therefore, we developed and validated a low-cost, non-time-consuming, and low-sample-consuming HPLC-UV method.

Quantification of 7 cannabinoids in cannabis oil using GC-MS: Method development, validation and application to therapeutic preparations in Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy.

The use of therapeutic cannabis preparations in Friuli Venezia Giulia is increasingly expanding. Even if cannabis oil finds its applications in several disorders affecting adults and children, it is not yet a standardized product and, to ensure the quality of the preparation, a quantitative analysis must be carried out before dispensing it to patients. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is a frequently used technique for quantification of cannabinoids, the active compounds of .

Competencies for Point-of-care Ultrasonography in ICU: An ISCCM Expert Panel Practice Recommendation.

Srinivasan S, Kumar PG, Govil D, Gupta S, Kumar V, Pichamuthu K, . Competencies for Point-of-care Ultrasonography in ICU: An ISCCM Expert Panel Practice Recommendation. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(S2):S7-S12.

ISCCM Guidelines on Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Replacement Therapy.

Unlabelled: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex syndrome with a high incidence and considerable morbidity in critically ill patients. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) remains the mainstay of treatment for AKI. There are at present multiple disparities in uniform definition, diagnosis, and prevention of AKI and timing of initiation, mode, optimal dose, and discontinuation of RRT that need to be addressed.

Identification of the seeding mechanism in the spinodal instability of dewetting liquids.

Hypothesis: Spinodal dewetting is one of the basic processes inducing a spontaneous withdrawal of a liquid from a substrate surface. In the accepted theory, thickness fluctuations generated by thermally activated capillary waves are amplified by the competing actions of surface tension and disjoining pressure. Ubiquitous sub-nanometric substrate roughness also produces thickness fluctuations and may play a role analogous but even more efficient in seeding the process.

A new proof of evidence of cysteamine quantification for therapeutic drug monitoring in patients with cystinosis.

Background: To date, measurement of intracellular cystine is used for the therapeutic monitoring of patients affected by cystinosis in treatment with cysteamine. Since this method is time and sample consuming, development of a faster method to quantify cysteamine would be extremely useful in order to help clinicians to adjust dosages of cysteamine and to define better the pharmacokinetic profile of this drug. The aim of the study was to develop a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the quantification of cysteamine in plasma samples and to test its applicability on plasma samples derived from patients with nephropathic infantile cystinosis in treatment with cysteamine.

Hospital indicators after implementation of bed regulation strategies: an integrative review.

Objectives: to analyze the scientific evidence available in literature on hospital indicators after implementation of bed regulation strategies.

Methods: this is an integrative review conducted with studies available in five databases and in the reference database of the Center for Study and Research in Nursing Services Management in October 2019. Articles on hospital bed management, available in full in English, Spanish or Portuguese, without temporal delimitation were included.

Feasibility, tolerance and effectiveness of enteral feeding in critically ill patients in prone position.

Aim: To assess the feasibility, tolerance and effectiveness of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation in the prone position for severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: Prospective observational study conducted in a multidisciplinary critical care unit of a tertiary care hospital from January 2013 until July 2015. All patients with ARDS who received invasive mechanical ventilation in prone position during the study period were included.

Procalcitonin (in COVID-19): The Incessant Quest.

Savio RD. Procalcitonin (in COVID-19): The Incessant Quest. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(1):1-2.

Basic Critical Care for Management of COVID-19 Patients: Position Paper of the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, Part II.

In a resource-limited country like India, rationing of scarce critical care resources might be required to ensure appropriate delivery of care to the critically ill patients suffering from COVID-19 infection. Most of these patients require critical care support because of respiratory failure or presence of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. As there is no pharmacological therapy available, respiratory support in the form of supplemental oxygen, noninvasive ventilation, and invasive mechanical ventilation remains mainstay of care in intensive care units.

Basic Critical Care for Management of COVID-19 Patients: Position Paper of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine, Part-I.

With more than 23 million infections and more than 814,000 deaths worldwide, the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still far from over. Several classes of drugs including antivirals, antiretrovirals, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antibiotics have been tried with varying levels of success. Still, there is lack of any specific therapy to deal with this infection.

Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine Position Statement for Central Venous Catheterization and Management 2020.

Background And Purpose: Short-term central venous catheterization (CVC) is one of the commonly used invasive interventions in ICU and other patient-care areas. Practice and management of CVC is not standardized, varies widely, and need appropriate guidance. Purpose of this document is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based and up-to-date, one document source for practice and management of central venous catheterization.

Gas permeation through rubbery polymer nano-corrugated membranes.

The purpose of this investigation is to fabricate PDMS membranes with reliable surface roughness in order to reduce the surface resistances and to study its impact on the permeation rate. The permeance of CO through PDMS membranes with rough surfaces at nanoscale is studied and compared with the one of membranes with flat surfaces. At very low thickness, rough membranes have a permeance greater than that of membranes with flat surfaces.

Plastic ingestion in aquatic-associated bird species in southern Portugal.

Excessive use of plastics in daily life and the inappropriate disposal of plastic products are severely affecting wildlife species in both coastal and aquatic environments. Birds are top-predators, exposed to all threats affecting their environments, making them ideal sentinel organisms for monitoring ecosystems change. We set a baseline assessment of the prevalence of marine plastic litter affecting multi-species populations of aquatic birds in southern Portugal.

Simultaneous Electro-Optical Tracking for Nanoparticle Recognition and Counting.

We present the first detailed experimental observation and analysis of nanoparticle electrophoresis through a nanochannel obtained with synchronous high-bandwidth electrical and camera recordings. Optically determined particle diffusion coefficients agree with values extracted from fitting electrical transport measurements to distributions from 1D Fokker-Planck diffusion-drift theory. This combined tracking strategy enables optical recognition and electrical characterization of nanoparticles in solution, which can have a broad range of applications in biology and materials science.

High prevalence of hpv multiple genotypes in women with persistent chlamydia trachomatis infection.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis interaction with HR-HPV types has highlighted a central role in cervical cancer development. The aim of this study was to investigate HPV prevalence and genotypes distribution in women at risk for C. trachomatis infection and negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy.

Up-regulation of the monocyte chemotactic protein-3 in sera from bone marrow transplanted children with torquetenovirus infection.

Background: Torquetenovirus (TTV) represents a commensal human virus producing life-long viremia in approximately 80% of healthy individuals of all ages. A potential pathogenic role for TTV has been suggested in immunocompromised patients with hepatitis of unknown etiology sustained by strong proinflammatory cytokines.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the sera immunological profile linked to TTV infection in bone marrow transplant (BMT) children with liver injury.

Hydrogen induced optically-active defects in silicon photonic nanocavities.

We demonstrate intense room temperature photoluminescence (PL) from optically active hydrogen- related defects incorporated into crystalline silicon. Hydrogen was incorporated into the device layer of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer by two methods: hydrogen plasma treatment and ion implantation. The room temperature PL spectra show two broad PL bands centered at 1300 and 1500 nm wavelengths: the first one relates to implanted defects while the other band mainly relates to the plasma treatment.

In vivo detection of polyomaviruses JCV and SV40 in mesenchymal stem cells from human umbilical cords.

Background: Multipotent stromal cells are present in the Wharton's jelly matrix (WJSC) of the umbilical cord and can be used as an allogeneic source of cells to treat immunological disorders. Recently it was demonstrated that adult bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchimal stromal cells (MSC) are susceptible to infection with viruses showing potential oncogenic properties, such as the polyomavirus JC (JCV). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of human polyomaviruses (JCV, BK Virus-BKV, SV40, and Merkel cell polyomavirus-MCPyV) in WJSC, and explore the risk of infection.

No evidence of Polyomavirus and EBV infections in Italian patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia infected chronically with HCV.

Mixed cryoglobulinemia is a lymphoproliferative disorder associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV). In patients chronically affected by HCV the prevalence of mixed cryoglobulinemia is variable ranging from 0% to 56%. To verify whether polyomaviruses (PyV) play a role in this disorder a total of 222 blood samples from 63 HCV chronic patients, 43 with mixed cryoglobulinemia, 59 chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 50 polytransfused patients, and 50 blood donors were evaluated for Merkel (MCPyV), BKV, JCV, and SV40.

Enhanced 1.54 μm emission in Y-Er disilicate thin films on silicon photonic crystal cavities.

We introduce an Y-Er disilicate thin film deposited on top of a silicon photonic crystal cavity as a gain medium for active silicon photonic devices. Using photoluminescence analysis, we demonstrate that Er luminescence at 1.54 μm is enhanced by coupling with the cavity modes, and that the directionality of the Er optical emission can be controlled through far-field optimization of the cavity.

Specific protein profile in cerebrospinal fluid from HIV-1-positive cART-treated patients affected by neurological disorders.

Cytokines/chemokines are involved in the immune response of infections, including HIV-1. We defined the profile of 48 cytokines/chemokines in cerebrospinal fluid from 18 cART patients with chronic HIV-1 infection by Luminex technology. Nine patients were affected with leukoencephalopathies: five with John Cunningham virus (JCV) + progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and four with JCV-not determined leukoencephalopathy (NDLE).

Energy transfer and enhanced 1.54 μm emission in Erbium-Ytterbium disilicate thin films.

α-(Yb1-xErx)2Si2O7 thin films on Si substrates were synthesized by magnetron co-sputtering. The optical emission from Er3+ ions has been extensively investigated, evidencing the very efficient role of Yb-Er coupling. The energy-transfer coefficient was evaluated for an extended range of Er content (between 0.

The role of the surfaces in the photon absorption in Ge nanoclusters embedded in silica.

The usage of semiconductor nanostructures is highly promising for boosting the energy conversion efficiency in photovoltaics technology, but still some of the underlying mechanisms are not well understood at the nanoscale length. Ge quantum dots (QDs) should have a larger absorption and a more efficient quantum confinement effect than Si ones, thus they are good candidate for third-generation solar cells. In this work, Ge QDs embedded in silica matrix have been synthesized through magnetron sputtering deposition and annealing up to 800°C.

Antimicrobial resistance among nosocomial isolates in a teaching hospital in goa.

Background: Emergence of polyantimicrobial resistant strains of hospital pathogens has presented a challenge in the provision of good quality in-patient care. Inappropriate use of antibiotics in the hospital is largely responsible for this catastrophe. Bacteriological surveillance of the cases of nosocomial infections is crucial for framing an evidence-based antimicrobial policy for a hospital.