: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) is mainly characterized by renal involvement with progressive bilateral development of renal cysts and volumetric increase in the kidneys, causing a loss of renal function, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and kidney failure. The occurrence of mosaicism may modulate the clinical course of the disease. Mosaicism is characterized by a few cell populations with different genomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOmega-3 fatty acids are critical components of cell membranes, including those in the retina. Specifically, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the primary omega-3 fatty acids that have been studied for their potential benefits in retinal health, preventing the progression of retinopathy. Several studies have shown that a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of developing diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: As COVID-19 is integrated into existing infectious disease control programs, it is important to understand the comparative clinical impact of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with symptomatic healthcare-associated COVID-19 or influenza reported to the nationwide, hospital-based surveillance system in Switzerland. Included patients were adults (≥18 years) hospitalized for ≥3 days in tertiary care and large regional hospitals.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on hospitals worldwide. In such a context of tension in healthcare systems, efficiently allocating hospital resources is a crucial aspect of crisis management. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of readmitted patients and to determine risk factors for hospital readmission using data from the Swiss COVID-19 Hospital-Based Surveillance system (CH-SUR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntimicrob Resist Infect Control
October 2024
Background: Increasing nosocomial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported. However, data describing peripheral venous catheter associated bloodstream infections (PVC-BSI) are limited.
Aims: To describe the epidemiology and risk factors for PVC-BSI during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Objectives: Catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CABSI) cause preventable morbidity. We compared the microbiological etiology of CABSI across different types of central and peripherally-inserted catheters.
Methods: We analyzed prospectively collected CABSI data in a 2100-bed hospital network in Switzerland between 2016 and 2022.
Chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a common complication in dialysis patients which is not fully addressed by pharmacological and dialytic therapy. The objective was to review the literature on the effects of extracorporeal blood purification modalities on CKD-aP. The population comprised patients aged ≥18 years on chronic dialysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo compounds were discovered in the well-studied BaO-YO-SiO phase field. Two different experimental routines were used for the exploration of this system due to the differences of synthetic conditions and competition with a glass field. The first phase BaY[SiO]O was isolated through a combination of energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis and diffraction techniques which guided the exploration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Glaucoma is a major cause of incurable ocular morbidity and poses significant challenges in its management due to the limited treatment options and potential adverse effects. Nicotinamide, a naturally occurring diet-rich nutrient, has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent for glaucoma, offering neuroprotective effects and the potential modulation of intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation pathways. This comprehensive review sought to analyze the current literature on nicotinamide in glaucoma management, exploring its mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety profile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diffusion of microplastics in meat products is an emerging topic, as their impact on animal and human health is still largely unknown. The present study aimed to preliminarily determine the number and the quality of microplastics diffusion in beef hamburgers (n = 10) through Fourier-transformed infrared micro-spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode analysis. Microplastics were detected in all analyzed samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objective: Renal replacement therapy (RRT) plays a critical role in antimicrobial removal, particularly for low-molecular-weight drugs with low plasma protein binding, low distribution volume and hydrophilicity. Medium cut-off (MCO) membranes represent a new generation in dialysis technology, enhancing diffusive modality efficacy and increasing the cut-off from 30 to 45 kDa, crucial for middle molecule removal. This monocentric randomized crossover pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of continuous haemodialysis with MCO membrane (MCO-CVVHD) on the removal of piperacillin, tazobactam and meropenem compared with continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration with standard high-flux membrane (HFM-CVVHDF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Enkephalins, endogenous opioid peptides, are involved in the regulation of renal function. One derived molecule, proenkephalin A, also known as penKid, has been demonstrated to be a reliable biomarker for kidney function and its plasma concentration correlates with measured glomerular filtration rate. penKid is used for prediction and diagnosis of AKI and need of renal replacement therapy (RRT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are common environmental pollutants, but their toxicity framework remains elusive. This research focused on ten PFAS, evaluating their impacts on two ecotoxicologically relevant model organisms from distinct trophic levels: the crustacean Daphnia magna and the unicellular green alga Raphidocelis subcapitata. The results showed a greater sensitivity of R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Continuous fluid infusions delivered between therapies by piggy-back systems avoid disconnection and reconnection of central venous catheters (CVCs), thereby reducing opportunities for line contamination. However, the impact of continuous versus intermittent infusions on central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) is unknown.
Aim: To investigate the effect of temporary infusion interruption and line disconnection, with or without use of a 70% isopropyl alcohol cap (IPA-C) on CLABSI rates in haematology patients.
Background: In the initial phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, masking has been widely accepted in healthcare institutions to mitigate the risk of healthcare-associated infection. Evidence, however, is still scant and the role of masks in preventing healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 acquisition remains unclear.We investigated the association of variation in institutional mask policies with healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 infections in acute care hospitals in Switzerland during the BA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cell-free nucleic acids (cf-NAs) represent a promising biomarker of various pathological and physiological conditions. Since its discovery in 1948, cf-NAs gained prognostic value in oncology, immunology, and other relevant fields. In peritoneal dialysis (PD), blood purification is performed by exposing the peritoneal membrane.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMixed anion halide-chalcogenide materials have recently attracted attention for a variety of applications, owing to their desirable optoelectronic properties. We report the synthesis of a previously unreported mixed-metal chalcohalide material, CuBiSeCl (), accessed through a simple, low-temperature solid-state route. The physical structure is characterized through single-crystal X-ray diffraction and reveals significant Cu displacement within the CuSeCl octahedra.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial action, cytotoxicity, cleaning ability, and erosion of dentine of hypochlorous acid (HClO) obtained from an electrolytic device at two different concentrations (Dentaqua) and three concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl).
Methods: Microbiological test-The root canals of sixty single-rooted extracted human teeth were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and divided into 6 groups (n = 10), according to decontamination protocol: DW (control); 1% NaOCl; 2.5% NaOCl; 5.
Erythrocytes (RBCs) have a highly specialized and organized membrane structure and undergo programmed cell death, known as eryptosis. Our preliminary data show a significant increase in the eryptosis during peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis. The objectives of the present study were assessment of the incrementation of eryptosis in PD patients with peritonitis, evaluation of the relationship between systemic eryptosis in peritonitis and specific peritonitis biomarkers in PD effluent (PDE), and confirmation of the induction of eryptosis by peritonitis in a vitro setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study evaluated the antimicrobial effect and cytotoxicity of hypochlorous acid(HClO) obtained from an innovative electrolytic device.
Design: The root canals of fifty extracted human teeth were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and divided into 5 groups (n = 10): DW (control); 2% chlorhexidine gel(CHX); 2.5% sodium hypochlorite(NaOCl); 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO.
: Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have altered immunity. Patients on hemodialysis (HD) present a coexistence of immunodeficiency and activation of the immune system. We evaluated the immunophenotypic profile induced by the medium cut-off of Theranova filter during a single HD session in the same individual.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe diffusion of microplastics in the food supply chain is prompting public concern as their impact on human health is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize microplastics in skim-milk powder samples (n = 16) from different European countries (n = 8) through Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode analysis. The present study highlights that the use of hot alkaline digestion has enabled the efficacious identification of microplastics in skim-milk powders used for cheesemaking across European countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFarming externalities are believed to co-vary negatively, yet trade-offs have rarely been quantified systematically. Here we present data from UK and Brazilian pig production systems representative of most commercial systems across the world ranging from 'intensive' indoor systems through to extensive free range, Organic and woodland systems to explore co-variation among four major externality costs. We found that no specific farming type was consistently associated with good performance across all domains.
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