Assessment of biofilms formation of bacterial and fungal isolates using qualitative Congo red agar and semiquantitative crystal violet microtiter methods.

Introduction. Sixty-five percent of human infections are caused by bacteria or yeasts able to form biofilms. This feature makes them more resistant to antimicrobials and antifungals.

[Molecular identification and in vitro antifungal susceptibility of blood isolates of the Candida parapsilosis species complex in Venezuela].

Background: Candida parapsilosis is a species complex consisting of Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis, and Candida metapsilosis. Studies worldwide have described its epidemiology and susceptibility to antifungal agents.

Aims: The aims of this study were to carry out the molecular identification of blood isolates belonging to the Candida parapsilosis species complex, and to determine their in vitro susceptibility to antifungals of systemic use.

Drug Treated Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective and Bipolar Disorder Patients Evaluated by qEEG Absolute Spectral Power and Mean Frequency Analysis.

Objective: Research of electroencephalograph (EEG) power spectrum and mean frequency has shown inconsistent results in patients with schizophrenic, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders during medication when compared to normal subjects thus; the characterization of these parameters is an important task.

Methods: We applied quantitative EEG (qEEG) to investigate 38 control, 15 schizophrenic, 7 schizoaffective and 11 bipolar disorder subjects which remaine under the administration of psychotropic drugs (except control group). Absolute spectral power (ASP), mean frequency and hemispheric electrical asymmetry were measured by 19 derivation qEEG.

[Distribution and antifungal susceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from six health care centers in the metropolitan area of Caracas, Venezuela (years 2003-2005)].

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and antifungal susceptibility of Candida clinical isolations coming from patients with candidiasis in six health care centers of Caracas, Venezuela metropolitan area. The laboratory reports were retrospectively revised from January 2003 through August 2005. The isolated yeasts identification was carried out by conventional methods and antifungal susceptibility was evaluated by ATB-fungus (bioMérieux, France) and Etest (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden).