A critical review of biogas production and usage with legislations framework across the globe.

This review showcases a comprehensive analysis of studies that highlight the different conversion procedures attempted across the globe. The resources of biogas production along with treatment methods are presented. The effect of different governing parameters like feedstock types, pretreatment approaches, process development, and yield to enhance the biogas productivity is highlighted. Biogas applications, for example, in heating, electricity production, and transportation with their global share based on national and international statistics are emphasized. Reviewing the world research progress in the past 10 years shows an increase of ~ 90% in biogas industry (120 GW in 2019 compared to 65 GW in 2010). Europe (e.g., in 2017) contributed to over 70% of the world biogas generation representing 64 TWh. Finally, different regulations that manage the biogas market are presented. Management of biogas market includes the processes of exploration, production, treatment, and environmental impact assessment, till the marketing and safe disposal of wastes associated with biogas handling. A brief overview of some safety rules and proposed policy based on the world regulations is provided. The effect of these regulations and policies on marketing and promoting biogas is highlighted for different countries. The results from such studies show that Europe has the highest promotion rate, while nowadays in China and India the consumption rate is maximum as a result of applying up-to-date policies and procedures.

Long-term grazing exclosure: implications on water erosion and soil physicochemical properties (case study: Bozdaghin rangelands, North Khorasan, Iran).

Grazing exclosure (GE) is used to improve rangelands in the dry area of the world, so it is important to investigate its effects on soil physicochemical and erodibility properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of long-term GE on the physicochemical and erodibility properties of soil and vegetation as compared with open grazing (OG) areas in Bozdaghi region of North Khorasan province, Iran. Soil and vegetation data were sampled from two sites in the grazing exclosure and the open grazing in early autumn in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Therefore, in each area (GE and OG), three transects of 500-m length and 200-m intervals) were set up. Along each transect, five soil samples were taken at the depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm in a random-systematic method (15 soil samples in each area) and transferred to the laboratory. In the laboratory, some soil physicochemical properties such as saturation percentage, soil texture (clay, silt, and sand), bulk density, porosity, percentage of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), exchangeable sodium, potassium, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured and Soil Erodibility Index (SEI) was calculated by using the modified clay ratio relation. After installing the transects (with a length of 50 m) in three blocks in each area, the parameters of species composition and canopy cover were investigated by the linear-contact method. Data analysis was performed by using an independent t test on Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 23 software. The results indicate that the application of GE in the Bozdaghi area has a significant positive effect on soil physicochemical properties (P < 0.05). Also, the application of GE has increased the amount of SOM and TN in the surface layer of the soil by about twice as much as the OG pastures. Due to these changes, during 20 years in the GE area, the effects of GE can be positively assessed. According to the obtained results, especially the positive changes in vegetation and the soil physicochemical and erodibility properties, it is recommended to execute the GE plan in the study area.

Moderate grazing is the best measure to achieve the optimal conservation and soil resource utilization (case study: Bozdaghin rangelands, North Khorasan, Iran).

The study of the variability of physical and chemical factors of soil due to different intensities of livestock grazing can help in the management and maintenance of soil and vegetation. Accordingly, the effect of livestock grazing intensities on soil properties and vegetation in Bozdaghin rangelands of North Khorasan province was investigated. To investigate the effect of different livestock grazing intensities, Three 5-hectare plots in the study area were determined under different treatments (ungrazed (UG), moderate grazing (MG), and heavy grazing (HG)), and the effect of three grazing intensities on vegetation and soil physicochemical and erodibility properties (SPEP) was evaluated. The soil sampling process was performed at depths of 0-15, 15-30 cm and SPEP including soil saturation moisture (SSM), soil texture (percentage of clay, sand, and silt), absorbable potassium (K), electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic matter (SOM), absorbable phosphorus (P), acidity (pH), and bulk density were evaluated, and Soil Erodibility Index (SEI) was calculated by implementing the modified clay ratio relation. To assess the impact of various grazing intensities on all measured characteristics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Duncan tests were utilized to compare the means and their grouping. The results showed that HG compared to MG causes worrying consequences in the first soil depth. Also with increasing grazing intensity, plant production percentage (P < 0.05) and vegetation density (P < 0.01) decreased, and the amount of bare soil (P < 0.01) increased. Also, with increasing grazing intensity, the amount of pH, EC, clay, saturated moisture, and N decreased (P < 0.01), but the amount of silt, sand, K, P, calcium (Ca), lime, and SOM increased (P < 0.01). UG improves soil quality, MG intensity causes optimal conservation and utilization of soil resources, and HG intensity causes severe changes in rangeland soil properties. In areas with MG intensity, due to the increase of the percentage of vegetation (an increase of SOM and prevents the direct impact of raindrops on the soil aggregates) and as a result improvement of soil structure and texture, an increase of water infiltration, and decrease of runoff, and the rate of soil erodibility and water erosion, the rangeland soil decreases and results in sustainable production. This results in optimal conservation and utilization of soil resources. So to sustainably exploit and balance the conservation of biodiversity, livestock production, and soil carbon and nitrogen management, MG is recommended.

The effect of pre-breeding vitamin E and selenium injection on reproductive performance, antioxidant status, and progesterone concentration in estrus-synchronized Mehraban ewes.

The present study was conducted to assess the effects of pre-breeding vitamin E and selenium (ESe) injections on the reproductive performance, antioxidant status, and serum progesterone (P4) concentration in estrus-synchronized Mehraban ewes. During the breeding season, 38 ewes (3-4 years) were divided into two groups (n = 18), and the synchronization of estrus was achieved by intravaginal insertion of 0.3 g progesterone CIDR device for 13 days followed by 350 IU eCG at CIDR withdrawal. Ewes were kept under pasture conditions and exposed to Mehraban rams 48 h following CIDR withdrawal. The experimental treatments were control and ESe injection. The ESe group was received three intramuscular (5 mL) injections of Ese (0.5 mg/mL of selenium as sodium selenite and 50 IU vitamin E as DL-α- tocopheryl) once every 2 weeks. Specifically, Ese was administered at 2 weeks before CIDR insertion, at the times of CIDR insertion and CIDR withdrawal. Fertility, prolificacy, lambing rate, and birth weight were recorded after parturition. Blood samples were collected at CIDR insertion, CIDR withdrawal, 5, 10, and 15 days after ram exposure. Fertility, prolificacy, lambing rate, and birth weight did not improve by Ese treatment, but viability of lambs was higher in ESe than control (P < 0.05). Serum total antioxidant capacity at day 5 and P4 at day 10 after ram exposure was higher in ESe than control (P < 0.05). In conclusion, sheep breeders can use ESe at CIDR insertion and withdrawal times to potentiate antioxidant status and progesterone profile of estrus-synchronized Mehraban ewes.

Proposed Scheme to Generate Bright Entangled Photon Pairs by Application of a Quadrupole Field to a Single Quantum Dot.

Entangled photon sources are crucial for quantum optics, quantum sensing, and quantum communication. Semiconductor quantum dots generate on-demand entangled photon pairs via the biexciton-exciton cascade. However, the pair of photons are emitted isotropically in all directions, thus limiting the collection efficiency to a fraction of a percent. Moreover, strain and structural asymmetry in quantum dots lift the degeneracy of the intermediate exciton states in the cascade, thus degrading the measured entanglement fidelity. Here, we propose an approach for generating a pair of entangled photons from a semiconductor quantum dot by application of a quadrupole electrostatic potential. We show that the quadrupole electric field corrects for the spatial asymmetry of the excitonic wave function for any quantum dot dipole orientation and fully erases the fine-structure splitting without compromising the spatial overlap between electrons and holes. Our approach is compatible with nanophotonic structures such as microcavities and nanowires, thus paving the way towards a deterministic source of entangled photons with high fidelity and collection efficiency.

THE EFFECT OF HSP60 ON FERTILIZATION AND PRE-IMPLANTATION EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT IN MICE: AN IN VITRO STUDY.

CONTEXT: Heat Shock Protein 60 (HSP60) is a chaperone protein which is involved in proteins transfer and re-folding of proteins. OBJECTIVE: Importance of HSP60 in sperm capacitation and facility of sperm-oocyte membrane binding was confirmed, therefore in this study the effect of HSP60 on the rate of in vitro fertilization and the cleavage rate in mouse embryo was investigated. DESIGN: Ten male mice and twenty five female mice were involved to collect sperms and oocytes required for this study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sperms were collected from the epididymis of male mouse and oocytes were collected from the oviduct of female mouse following ovarian hyperstimulation. Then, capacitated sperms and oocytes were placed together in fertilization medium in four groups in the presence of different concentrations of HSP60 (10, 50 and 100 ng/mL) and in the absence of HSP60. After calculation of the fertilization rate, zygotes were transformed into the other medium for development and the cleavage rate was monitored to blastocyst stage. RESULTS: There was not a significant difference in the rate of fertilization between 10 ng/mL HSP60 group and the control group. The rate of fertilization and two-cell embryo development decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in 100 ng/mL HSP60 compared to other experimental and control groups. Further, the rate of two-cell embryo development increased significantly (P≤0.05) in 10 ng/mL HSP60 compared to other experimental and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that HSP60 in low dose had a positive effect on two-cell embryo development, however it did not have any significant effect on the fertilization rate. Conversely, HSP60 had adverse effects on the fertilization and cleavage rates at higher doses.

Universal fine-structure eraser for quantum dots.

We analyze the degree of entanglement measurable from a quantum dot via the biexciton-exciton cascade as a function of the exciton fine-structure splitting and the detection time resolution. We show that the time-energy uncertainty relation provides means to measure a high entanglement even in presence of a finite fine-structure splitting when a detection system with high temporal resolution is employed. Still, in many applications it would be beneficial if the fine-structure splitting could be compensated to zero. To solve this problem, we propose an all-optical approach with rotating waveplates to erase this fine-structure splitting completely which should allow obtaining a high degree of entanglement with near-unity efficiency. Our optical approach is possible with current technology and is also compatible with any quantum dot showing fine-structure splitting. This bears the advantage that for example the fine-structure splitting of quantum dots in nanowires and micropillars can be directly compensated without the need for further sample processing.

Antibacterial and anti-PmrA activity of plant essential oils against fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is recognized as one of the major cause of infections in communities and hospitals. In this study, anti-pneumococcal and anti-efflux pump activity of two medicinal plants (Thymus daenensis and Origanum vulgare) essential oils were evaluated. Checkerboard assay test was performed for investigation of the effects of selected EOs on ciprofloxacin (CIP) and ethidium bromide (EtBr) uptake in pmrA-overexpressed fluoroquinolone-resistant pneumococcus. Using quantitative real-time RT-PCR the PmrA efflux pump gene (pmrA) expression was evaluated following treatment with selected EOs. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was performed for identifying the major components of the tested EOs. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for pneumococcus isolates were 0·625-2·5 µl ml-1 for T. daenensis and 1·25-5 µl ml-1 for O. vulgare EOs. We confirmed that in all strains T. daenensis and O. vulgare have a total or partial synergistic effects with CIP and EtBr (FICI from 0·14 to 0·75). In other hand MIC/2 concentration of T. daenensis and O. vulgare EOs caused a significant downregulation of pmrA gene (P < 0·05) in seven of eight strains. This study showed that T. daenensis and O. vulgare EOs have strong antimicrobial and anti-efflux pump activity against clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae and might be useful in controlling pneumococcal infections. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study introduced Thymus daenensis and Origanum vulgare essential oil as new antibacterial and anti-efflux pump agents against fluoroquinolone-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae clinical isolates. These findings indicate that combination of these two essential oils with fluoroquinolone antibiotics may provide alternative methods to overcome the fluoroquinolone-resistant S. pneumoniae.

Immunological evaluation of chitosan nanoparticles loaded with tetanus toxoid.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was aimed at comparing tetanus toxoid (TT)­loaded-chitosan nanoparticles with aluminum hydroxide as a common vaccine adjuvant. BACKGROUND: Tetanus remains to be a major public health problem. Nanoparticles have been extensively used as immune adjuvants. Tetanus toxoid (TT) encapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles is considered to be a promising tetanus vaccine candidate. METHODS: TT­loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method. The nanoparticles were studied by SEM for their size and morphology. In vivo study was conducted to evaluate the immunity response using mice divided into 4 groups and injected with encapsulated toxoid. The immune responses were then measured using indirect ELISA. RESULTS: The purity and integrity of antigen were confirmed by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The size of nanoparticles was estimated at 100 nm. As a result, the IgG antibody levels were 1.9, 1.76, and 0.87 in chitosan nanoparticles, aluminum hydroxide, and TT alone groups, respectively. Also, the immune responses were significantly higher in immunized groups compared to control groups vaccinated with free adjuvant vaccines (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The quality and efficacy of toxoid­loaded chitosan nanoparticles were reasonable. It enhanced the immune responses as much as aluminum hydroxide adjuvant does and thus may be a good alternative candidate (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 16).

Astaxanthin effectiveness in preventing multiple sclerosis in animal model.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to reveal the effect of therapeutic and prophylactic potential of astaxanthin in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) as an acceptable model for the study of multiple sclerosis (MS). BACKGROUND: Astaxanthin has powerful antioxidant activities as well as several essential biological functions while multiple sclerosis prevention is highly regarded by researchers. METHODS: The astaxanthin potential in prevention of multiple sclerosis was examined in the chronic model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by using female C57BL/6 mice induced with oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). Splenocytes were assessed to measure the levels of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, proliferation rate and FoxP3+Treg cell frequency. Immunohistochemical examinations were performed on spinal cord and brain tissue. RESULTS: Astaxanthin reduced splenocytes proliferation index and proinflammatory cytokine levels, and vice versa increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. Immunohistochemical studies of the spinal cord and brain showed that the infiltration with inflammatory cells was highly confined in the central nervous system. Protective effects of astaxanthin were visible by assigning low score recording in clinical behavior and disease severity. CONCLUSION: Astaxanthin is a powerful tool for intervention in EAE on a model of multiple sclerosis, so it can be studied further to prevent and treat MS (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 41).

Chimeric Allografts Induced by Short-Term Treatment With Stem Cell Mobilizing Agents Result in Long-Term Kidney Transplant Survival Without Immunosuppression: II, Study in Miniature Swine.

Transplantation is now lifesaving therapy for patients with end-stage organ failure but requires lifelong immunosuppression with resultant morbidity. Current immunosuppressive strategies inhibit T cell activation and prevent donor-recipient engagement. Therefore, it is not surprising that few host cells are demonstrated in donor grafts. However, our recent small animal studies found large numbers of recipient stem cells present after transplantation and pharmacological mobilization, resulting in a chimeric, repopulated organ. We now confirm these findings in a well-characterized large animal preclinical model. Here, we show that AMD3100 and FK506 mobilization of endogenous stem cells immediately post kidney transplantation combined with repeat therapy at 1, 2, and 3 months led to drug-free long-term survival in maximally immunologically mismatched swine. Three long-term recipients have stable chimeric transplants, preserved antidonor skin graft responses, and normal serum creatinine levels despite withdrawal of all medication for 3 years.

Novel Mutation in Exon 1 of the BMP15 Gene and its Association with Reproduction Traits in Sheep.

The BMP15 gene is a growth factor and a member of the transforming growth factor ß (TGFß) superfamily, specifically expressed in oocytes. In the present study, polymorphism of BMP15 gene exon 1 was studied using single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and direct DNA sequencing methods in 170 Mehraban and Lori sheep ewes. A 231-bp fragment in BMP15 exon 1 was amplified by PCR reactions. Two genotypes (GG and AG) with a new point mutation at position 121 bp of the studied fragment (c.379G>A in reference GenBank number AF236078.1 sequence), deducing an amino acid exchange in the codified amino acid sequence (p.Glu41Lys) were identified in the studied populations. The AG and GG frequencies were 74.4% and 25.6% in Mehraban and 44.7% and 55.3% in Lori sheep, respectively. Frequencies of the A and G alleles were 37.2% and 62.8% in Mehraban and 22.4% and 77.6% in Lori sheep, respectively. Two different secondary structures of protein were predicted for encoded precursor protein. The genotypes GG and AG did not have any significant association with the studied reproductive traits, but the AA genotype is likely to have a lethal or sterility effect.

Acoustical gas-leak detection in the presence of multiple reflections, dispersion, and uncorrelated noise using optimized residual complexity.

Precise acoustical leak detection calls for robust time-delay estimates, which minimize the probability of false alarms in the face of dispersive propagation, multiple reflections, and uncorrelated background noise. Providing evidence that higher order modes and multi-reflected signals behave like sets of correlated noise, this work uses a regression model to optimize residual complexity in the presence of both correlated and uncorrelated noise. This optimized residual complexity (ORC) is highly robust since it takes into account both the level and complexity of noise. The lower complexity of the dispersive modes and multiple reflections, compared to the complexity of the plane mode, points to the robustness of ORC against multiple reflections and dispersion. Experimental investigations using recorded sounds of gas leaking from a pipe confirm the robustness of ORC against multiple reflections. Numerical simulations also show robustness against dispersive modes, even when they disturb the linearity of the cross-spectrum phase. Comparisons with other methods-mutual information, cross correlation, and residual complexity-underline the general advantages of ORC in terms of robustness in the presence of reflection and dispersion, against both correlated and uncorrelated noise, and to short signals.

Cost versus life cycle assessment-based environmental impact optimization of drinking water production plants.

Empowering decision makers with cost-effective solutions for reducing industrial processes environmental burden, at both design and operation stages, is nowadays a major worldwide concern. The paper addresses this issue for the sector of drinking water production plants (DWPPs), seeking for optimal solutions trading-off operation cost and life cycle assessment (LCA)-based environmental impact while satisfying outlet water quality criteria. This leads to a challenging bi-objective constrained optimization problem, which relies on a computationally expensive intricate process-modelling simulator of the DWPP and has to be solved with limited computational budget. Since mathematical programming methods are unusable in this case, the paper examines the performances in tackling these challenges of six off-the-shelf state-of-the-art global meta-heuristic optimization algorithms, suitable for such simulation-based optimization, namely Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2), Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II), Indicator-based Evolutionary Algorithm (IBEA), Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm based on Decomposition (MOEA/D), Differential Evolution (DE), and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The results of optimization reveal that good reduction in both operating cost and environmental impact of the DWPP can be obtained. Furthermore, NSGA-II outperforms the other competing algorithms while MOEA/D and DE perform unexpectedly poorly.

Performance Assessment of the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Method for Rapid Detection of Susceptibility to Ethambutol and Molecular Prediction of Extensively Drug-resistant Tuberculosis in Clinical Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION: The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was employed for rapid detection of ethambutol (EMB) resistant clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 182 clinical isolates of M tuberculosis collected from different regions, 103 strains were entered in the investigation. DNA was extracted by Chelex 100 method and PCR was performed using specific primers for embB gene. Polymerase chain reaction products were digested with HaeIII and NlaII restriction endonucleases and the patterns of restriction fragments were analysed. Some randomly selected samples were sequenced. RESULTS: Out of 103 studied strains, 52 were resistant to EMB. The cases of secondary tuberculosis were 53 (51.50 ± 1.77%), and primary cases 50 (48.50 ± 1.77%; p > 0.05). From 63 extensively drug-resistant (XDR), pre-XDR and multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates, 27 (87%), 18 (81.8%) and 7 (70%) strains were resistant to EMB, respectively. Results of PCR-RFLP method showed that from 27R EMB XDR isolates, 13 (sensitivity 48% with CI: 0.307, 0.66 and specificity 100%), from 18R EMB pre-XDR strains, 4 (sensitivity 22% with CI: 0.09, 0.45 and specificity 100%) and of 7R EMB MDR, 2 (sensitivity 28% with CI: 0.082, 0.64 and specificity 100%) had mutation in ATG-Met codon 306. Results of sequencing were concordant with RFLP method. Overall, sensitivity of the molecular method was 36.5% (CI: 0.09, 0.45) and specificity 100%. None of the 40 pansusceptible strains was embB306 mutants. Extensively drug-resistant strains had a higher proportion of embB306 mutants (43%) than pre-XDR and MDR isolates (odds ratio 6.78; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Fast detection of susceptibility to EMB drug is possible by PCR-RFLP. The embB306 locus is a candidate marker for rapid prediction of high resistance consisting of MDR and XDR forms to anti-tuberculosis drugs using this method.

Incidence of acute myocardial infarction in Islamic Republic of Iran: a study using national registry data in 2012.

Population-based data on myocardial infarction rates in the Islamic Republic of Iran have not been reported on a national or provincial scale. In a cross-sectional study, data were collected on 20 750 new cases of myocardial infarction (ICD10 codes I21-22) admitted to hospitals and registered by the Iranian Myocardial Infarction Registry in 2012. The crude and age-adjusted incidence for the 31 provinces and the whole country were directly calculated per 100 000 people using the WHO standard population. Overall, males comprised 72.4% of cases and had a significantly lower mean age at incidence than women [59.6 (SD 13.3) years versus 65.4 (SD 12.6) years]. The male:female incidence ratio was 2.63. The age-standardized myocardial infarction incidence rate was 73.3 per 100 000 in the whole country (95% CI: 72.3%-74.3%) and varied significantly from 24.5 to 152.5 per 100 000 across the 31 provinces. The study provides baseline data for monitoring and managing cardiovascular diseases in the country.

Application of the Pearl model to analyze fecal coliform data from conditionally approved shellfish harvest areas in seven Texas bays.

The U.S. National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) 14/43 standard states that conditionally approved shellfish growing areas must be closed for harvest when the geometric mean of fecal coliform concentration exceeds the NSSP limit of 14 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL, or the estimated 90th percentile of fecal coliform concentrations exceeds 43 MPN/100 mL for a five-tube test. The authors hypothesized that the NSSP 14/43 standard is not sufficient to protect the public from risks from consumption of biologically contaminated shellfish and the standard should be modified to 8/26 MPN/100 mL. To verify this hypothesis, the authors analyzed fecal coliform data from conditionally approved shellfish harvest areas of seven Texas bays using the Pearl sanitation model. Results showed that the shellfish closure rules mandated by the Texas Department of State Health Services actually enforced the "Pearl" limits of 8/26 MPN/100 mL, and not the NSSP limit of 14/43 MPN/100 mL.

Influence of sepsis on higher daily dose of amikacin pharmacokinetics in critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Severe sepsis is a major problem as cause of high rates morbidity and mortality in intensive care units (ICU). Aminoglycosides are an important group of antimicrobials used for severe sepsis. However, aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics in ICU patients may be altered during sepsis, which can affect the drug concentrations. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine the relationship between amikacin disposition kinetics after a 25 mg/kg loading dose and hemodynamic response to sepsis, as well as clinical parameters, in a population of critically ill patients. METHODS: In this work, 30 patients who were candidate to amikacin therapy following Gram negative sepsis were enrolled. The pharmacokinetic profile of amikacin by a non-compartmental model was calculated for each patient. RESULTS: Mean volume of distribution was 0.36 ± 0.07 L/kg and mean serum amikacin clearance was 3.88 ± 0.97 ml/min/kg. In the case of Vd, APACHE II score correlation was significant. In the case of amikacin clearance, two covariates including creatinine clearance and Sr Cr significant correlation was found. CONCLUSIONS: It appears necessary to use higher amikacin dosage (≥ 25 mg/kg) considering hemodynamic response of patients to sepsis. To achieve therapeutic drug concentration a close drug monitoring and a shift from the population mean toward a value more representative of the critically ill patient subpopulation is crucial.  

Reliability of calcium-binding protein S100B measurement toward optimization of hyperosmolal therapy in traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Osmotherapy is a cornerstone for the management of severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Hypertonic saline (HTS) has advantages as being preferred osmotic agent, but there is inadequte knowledge regarding dose and its saftey in comparison to mannitol. S100B, as a specific neuroinflammatory biomarker in TBI might be a reliable therapeutic index following osmotic therapy. AIM: To compare both administration ways of HTS 5% (bolus and infusion) with mannitol upon S100B as a therapeutic tool for monitoring treatment in TBI patients. METHOD: Adult patients wih modrate to severe TBI were recruited and have randomly received one of the three protocols: 125 cc of HTS 5% every 6 hrs (N: 11) as bolus; 500 cc of HTS 5% (N: 12) as infusion for 24 hrs; or 1 g/kg mannitol of 20% (N: 10) as a bolus, repeated with a dose of 0.25-0.5 g/kg every 6 hrs based on patient's response for 3 days. Serum S100B, blood pressure, serum sodium and osmolality and Glascow coma score (GCS) were measured at baseline and daily for 3 days. RESULTS: Initial serum S100B level in TBI patients was higher than control group (p < 0.0001). Levels of measured S100B have decreased for all treatment groups, but reduction wasn't significantly after hyperosmolal therapy. GCS level increased significantly in infusion group (p = 0.002) and there were negative and significant correlation between serum S100B level and GCS level in some days. Mean arterial pressure increased significantly in HTS groups (bolus: p = 0.002, infusion < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: S100B is closely related to the pathophysiological mechanism in TBI and may be useful as a therapeutic tool for treatment monitoring in TBI patients HTS is a safe and effective osmotic agent in TBI setting.  

Coxiella burnetii Pathogenesis: Emphasizing the Role of the Autophagic Pathway.

Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), the etiological agent of the Q fever disease, ranks among the most sporadic and persistent global public health concerns. Ruminants are the principal source of human infections and diseases present in both acute and chronic forms. This bacterium is an intracellular pathogen that can survive and reproduce under acidic (pH 4 to 5) and harsh circumstances that contain Coxiella-containing vacuoles. By undermining the autophagy defense system of the host cell, C. burnetii is able to take advantage of the autophagy pathway, which allows it to improve the movement of nutrients and the membrane, thereby extending the vacuole of the reproducing bacteria. For this method to work, it requires the participation of many bacterial effector proteins. In addition, the precise and prompt identification of the causative agent of an acute disease has the potential to delay the onset of its chronic form. Moreover, to make accurate and rapid diagnoses, it is necessary to create diagnostic devices. This review summarizes the most recent research on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnosis approaches of C. burnetii. This study also explored the complicated relationships between C. burnetii and the autophagic pathway, which are essential for intracellular reproduction and survival in host cells for the infection to be effective.