Are Radial Pressure Waves Effective for the Treatment of Moderate or Mild to Moderate Erectile Dysfunction? A Randomized Sham Therapy Controlled Clinical Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Radial wave therapy is commercialized as an option for the management of erectile dysfunction. However, the mechanism of action of the radial waves differs substantially from shock waves, so the evidence gathered for shock wave therapy cannot be extrapolated, and there are very few clinical trials with the radial wave. AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of radial wave therapy compared with sham therapy for the treatment of moderate and mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial was realized. Eighty patients with moderate erectile dysfunction, without sickle cell anemia, anticoagulation treatment, comorbidities, or conditions associated with secondary erectile dysfunction were included. The efficacy and safety were assessed at 6 and 10 weeks after randomization. Patients were randomized 1:1 to 1 of 2 arms: (i) 6 weekly sessions of radial wave therapy (RW group) or (ii) 6 weekly sessions of sham therapy (control group). All patients received sildenafil 25 mg. OUTCOME: The primary outcome was the mean change in the International Index of Erectile Function - Erectile Function (IIEF-EF) domain score at 6 weeks after randomization. RESULTS: Eighty men were randomized. The average baseline IIEF-EF score was 16.3 (Standard Deviation - SD 3.2), and the median baseline Erection Hardness Score (EHS) was 3 (IQR 1). At 6 weeks after randomization, the mean change in the IIEF-EF score was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5-5.2) in the RW group and 4.2 (95% CI 2.5-5.9) in the control group. No differences were observed between groups (P value =.742). No change was observed in the median EHS score in the evaluations. No serious adverse events occurred in 2 (5%) patients after radial wave therapy, and in 1 (2.5%) patient after sham therapy. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Knowledge of the effectiveness of radial waves protocols used for the treatment of moderate erectile dysfunction, helps doctors and patients in making decisions about the use of this therapy. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: One strength is conducting the study with high methodological standards to minimize risk biases. Our results are limited to the evaluation of 1 specific protocol in moderate and mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: No difference was found in this study between men with moderate and mild to moderate erectile dysfunction treated with radial waves and men treated with placebo sham therapy. Studies with different protocols of radial waves are necessary. Sandoval-Salinas C, Saffon JP, Martínez JM, et al. Are Radial Pressure Waves Effective for the Treatment of Moderate or Mild to Moderate Erectile Dysfunction? A Randomized Sham Therapy Controlled Clinical Trial. J Sex Med 2022;19:738-744.

Locating Ships Using Time Reversal and Matrix Pencil Method by Their Underwater Acoustic Signals.

This paper presents a technique, based on the matrix pencil method (MPM), for the compression of underwater acoustic signals produced by boat engines. The compressed signal, represented by its complex resonance expansion, is intended to be sent over a low-bit-rate wireless communication channel. We demonstrate that the method can provide data compression greater than 60%, ensuring a correlation greater than 93% between the reconstructed and the original signal, at a sampling frequency of 2.2 kHz. Once the signal was reconstituted, a localization process was carried out with the time reversal method (TR) using information from four different sensors in a simulation environment. This process sought to achieve the identification of the position of the ship using only passive sensors, considering two different sensor arrangements.

Acinetobacter Baumannii Multiresistente y su Relación con la Producción de Biopelículas

Resumen Introducción: Acinetobacter baumannii es la bacteria Gram negativa asociada a infecciones intrahospitalarias por su gran facilidad de supervivencia en condiciones adversas y el desarrollo de multirresistencia a diversos antimicrobianos. Durante años se han registrado brotes hospitalarios en diferentes países asociados a esta bacteria, lo que aumentó el interés de estudio de las biopelículas y los genes involucrados en su producción, debido a que se demostró una asociación a la resistencia antibiótica. Objetivos: Establecer relacion entre la multirresistencis a los diferentes antibioticos y la formacion de biopeliculas en aislamientos de Acinetobacter baumannii. Métodos: Se estudió cepas de Acinetobacter baumannii utilizando reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) en tiempo real para la detección de genes bap, csuE, ompA, oxa-51 de 191 muestras, de igual manera se realizó la cuantificación de la biopelícula formada siguiendo la técnica descrita por Badmasti y Azizi. Resultados: Se realizó este estudio sobre 191 cepas de Acinetobacter baumannii provenientes de dos centros hospitalarios para la identificación de genes asociados a las biopelículas y posterior cuantificación de acuerdo a la técnica descrita por Badmasti y Azizi. Demostrando una asociación entre las biopelículas y la resistencia bacteriana de Acinetobacter baumannii. Conclusiones: Los resultados demostraron una asociación positiva entre la cantidad de biopelícula formada y la resistencia antibiótica, bacterias formadoras fuertes de biopelículas presentan mayor resistencia a los carbapenems. En cuanto a los genes, el gen ompA demostró una asociación con la cantidad de biofilm producido, bap y csuE son genes involucrados en el primer paso de formación de biofilm, pero no se asocian con la cantidad formada por la bacteria.

Abstract Introduction: Acinetobacter baumannii is the Gram-negative bacterium associated with hospital infections due to its great ease of survival in adverse conditions and the development of multi-resistance to various antimicrobials. For years, hospital outbreaks have been registered in different countries associated with this bacterium, which increased the interest in studying biofilms and the genes involved in their production, since an association with antibiotic resistance was demonstrated. Objectives: To establish a relationship between multiresistance to different antibiotics and biofilm formation in Acinetobacter baumannii isolates. Methods: acinetobacter baumannii strains were studied using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of bap, csuE, ompA, oxa-51 genes from 191 samples, in addition to the quantification of the biofilm formed following the technique described by Badmasti and Azizi. Results: this study was carried out on 191 Acinetobacter baumannii strains from two hospital centers for the identification of genes associated with biofilms and subsequent quantification according to the technique described by Badmasti and Azizi. Demonstrating an association between biofilms and Acinetobacter baumannii bacterial resistance. Conclusions: the results demonstrated a positive association between the amount of biofilm formed and antibiotic resistance. Strong biofilm-forming bacteria show greater resistance to carbapenems. Regarding the genes, the ompA gene showed an association with the amount of biofilm produced, bap and csuE are genes involved in the first step of biofilm formation, but they are not associated with the amount formed by the bacteria

Prevalence of mastitis in dairy herds in Eastern Antioquia / Prevalencia de mastitis en siete hatos lecheros del oriente antioqueño / Prevalência da mastite em sete rebanhos leiteiros na região leste da Antioquia

Seven dairy cattle farms from eastern Antioquia were tested for mastitis in a cross-sectional study with a non-probabilistic convenience sampling procedure. Each udder quarter of 290 lactating cows was evaluated through the California Mastitis Test in order to determine the prevalence of subclinical mastitis. Milk from positive quarters underwent somatic cell count (SCC), cell culture and antibiotic sensitivity tests. The prevalence of subclinical mastitis per quarter was 19.9% (228 quarters). Only 11 quarters (0.95%) had clinical mastitis. The average SCC for all quarters was 1,105,733 cells/mL. Streptococcus dysgalactiae was the most common bacteria observed (29.5%) in the 226 cultures evaluated, followed by coagulasenegative staphylococci (CNS, 23%), and Staphylococcus aureus (10.3%). The frequency of contagiouspathogens and environmental pathogens was 37.8% and 49.3%, respectively. This study confirms that mastitis remains elevated in this region, suggesting a continuous lack of milking hygiene and education of farm personnel.

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte, y se hizo un muestreo no probabilístico de conveniencia, en siete fincas de ganado de leche localizadas en el oriente antioqueño. Se evaluó cada cuarto de 290 vacas en producción láctea mediante la realización del California Mastitis Test (CMT) con el fin de determinar la prevalencia de mastitis por cuarto y por vaca. A la leche proveniente de los cuartos positivos mayores a trazas, se les realizó recuento de células somáticas (RCS), cultivo y antibiograma. La prevalencia de mastitis subclínica por cuarto fue de 19.9% (228 cuartos) y 11 cuartos (0.95%) presentaron mastitis clínica. El promedio del RCS para todos los cuartos fue de 1.105.733 céls/ml. En los 226 cultivos, Streptococcus dysgalactiae fue la bacteria más común (29.5%), le siguieron estafilococos coagulasa negativo (ECN) (23%) y Staphylococcus aureus (10.3%). La frecuencia de patógenos contagiosos fue 37.8%, entre tanto que la de ambientales fue 49.3%.

Foi realizado um estudo de corte, e se realizou uma amostragem não probabilística em sete fazendas de gado leiteiro localizado no leste da Antioquia. Foram avaliados trimestralmente 290 vacas em produção de leite mediante a implementação do California Mastitis Test (CMT) para determinar a prevalência de mastite subclínica em cada quarto da vaca. Nos quartos positivos foi realizada a contagem de células somáticas (CCS) no leite, o cultivo microbiológico e análises de sensibilidade. A prevalência de mastite subclínica por quarto foi de 19.9% (228 quartos) e 11 (0.95%) apresentaram mastite clínica. A CCS média para todas os quartos foi 1.105.733 células / ml. Em 226 cultivos, o Streptococcus dysgalactiae foi a bacteria mais comum (29.5%), seguido por estafilococus coagulase negativo (ECN) (23%) e Staphylococcus aureus (10.3%). A reqüência de agentes patogénicos contagiosos foi de 37.8% e patógenos ambientais foi de 49.3%.