View on Scopus Species of four chrysidoid families, Bethylidae, Dryinidae, Embolemidae, and Sclerogibbidae that occurred in Iran are reviewed. A total of 54 species within 27 genera from Iran are ...listed. The family Bethylidae with 34 species belonging to 16 genera was the largest group followed by Dryinidae with 17 species belonging to eight genera. The known Bethylidae species from Iran certainly represent a very small piece of the world fauna, distributed mainly in the Palaearctic region. Of the seventeen species of Dryinidae, the known distribution of ten species is known yet limited to the Palaearctic region, but five species are distributed in the north of the Afrotropical region (Arabian peninsula). The families, Embolemidae and Sclerogibbidae each represented by two and a single species in Iran, respectively. Embolemus huberi Olmi is here recorded from Kirghizstan, Turkey and Turkmenistan for the first time. Until now, no species of the families Plumariidae and Scolebythidae have been recorded from Iran. Despite the importance and diversity of both bethylids and dryinids, it seems that the least attempts have been done to study their fauna in Iran.
To evaluate the ability of the BioFire FilmArray Blood Culture Identification (BCID) panel to rapidly detect pathogens producing late-onset ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a severe infection ...often produced by Gram-negative bacteria. These microorganisms are frequently multidrug resistant and typically require broad-spectrum empiric treatment.
In the context of an international multicentre clinical trial (MagicBullet), respiratory samples were collected at the time of suspicion of VAP from 165 patients in 32 participating hospitals in Spain, Greece and Italy. Microorganisms were identified using the BCID panel and compared with results obtained by conventional microbiologic techniques.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most commonly identified species, representing 54.7% (70/128) of microorganisms. The BCID panel showed high global specificity (98.1%; 95% confidence interval, 96–100) and negative predictive values (96.6%) and a global sensitivity and positive predictive value of 78.6% (95% confidence interval, 70–88) and 87.3%, respectively, for these microorganisms. Importantly, the BCID panel provided results in only 1 hour directly from respiratory samples with minimal sample processing times.
The BCID panel may have clinical utility in rapidly ruling out microorganisms causing VAP, specifically multidrug-resistant Gram-negative species. This could facilitate the optimization of empiric treatment.
Between January 1989 and June 1997, 533 patients (423 male, 110 female, mean age 61 years, range 22–89 years) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were observed at our center. We report on 419 ...patients retrospectively compared for different treatments: liver transplantation (LT; 55 patients), resective surgery (RS; 41 patients), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE; 171 patients) and percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI; 152 patients). The 3‐ and 5‐year actuarial survival rates were, respectively, 72% and 68% for LT, 64 and 44% for RS, 54 and 36% for PEI, and 32 and 22% for TACE. Survival curves were compared for sex, age, tumor characteristics, alphafetoprotein level, Child class, and etiology of cirrhosis. All patient‐related characteristics examined (sex, age) are not significantly related to patient survival. Tumor‐related variables and associated liver disease variables significantly conditioned survival in relation to different treatments. LT seems to be the treatment of choice for monofocal HCC less then 5 cm in diameter and in selected cases of plurifocal HCC.
Although right hemiliver transplant from living donors (LD) is gaining acceptance as a way to overcome the critical organ shortage, splitting a liver for two adults from cadaveric donor (CD) is still ...controversial.
From May 1999 to August 2004 we performed nine right hemiliver transplants using segments 5-6-7-8 from CD and 18 from LD.
We compared the two procedures to evaluate both the technical aspects and the patients' outcomes. In the CD group, three recipients died (33%), two of whom were UNOS Status 2A. Patient and graft survivals were 67% (median follow-up: 23 months).
Among the LD group, three recipients died (17%) and two were retransplanted; one because of arterial thrombosis and the other as a consequence of small-for-size syndrome. Patient and graft survivals were 83% and 72%, respectively (median follow-up: 8 months). There were five early complications in the CD group (55%) and five (27%) in the LD group. Two patients in the LD group experienced a late stenosis of the biliary anastomosis.
Data from our early experience show that better results are achieved by right hemiliver transplants from LD; the morbidity and mortality are higher among the CD group. We believe that this finding is probably a consequence of better preoperative donor evaluation, shorter ischemia time, better logistics, and learning curve. Recipient selection is crucial; this kind of graft is at high risk of poor function, technical complications, and infections. Further experience will help to clarify the reliability of right hemiliver transplants from CD.
The Eco-Marathon is a challenge organized by Shell in which student teams compete in designing energy-efficient vehicles. The event spark debate about the future of mobility and inspire engineers to ...push the boundaries of fuel efficiency. The aim of the present work consists of the numerical and experimental investigation of the aerodynamic performance of a Shell Eco Marathon prototype designed by a group of students of the University of Cassino, Italy. The car design has been provided by means of detailed 3D CFD modelling with Comsol Multiphysics®. The numerical tool has been validated against experiments conducted at the Laboratory of Industrial Measurements (LaMI) of the University of Cassino. In particular, a scale model of the car has been investigated in an open chamber wind tunnel by means of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique, for different free stream velocities within the range 11 – 23 m/s. Measurements have been associated to a proper uncertainty analysis. The experimental data has been compared to numerical results obtained employing different turbulence models and the validated numerical tool has been applied to the simulation of the full-scale car model, allowing to analyse the wake flow structures, and estimate the overall drag coefficient.
In the period 1973‐1998, among 2139 allograft recipients treated with standard immunosuppression, posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) developed in 19 patients (0.9%): one plasmacytic ...hyperplasia, two polymorphic PTLD, one myeloma, and 15 lymphomas. PTLD developed 1 year after transplantation (tx) in 14 patients. Five patients were diagnosed at autopsy, 2 were lost to follow up, 3 died before therapy could be instituted, and 1 patient has just started chemotherapy. Of the 8 evaluable patients, 2 received acyclovir and are alive in complete remission (CR) and 6 received chemotherapy ± surgery. Of these 6, 4 died of lymphoma and/or infection, 1 died of unrelated causes in CR, and 1 is alive in CR. PTLD is a severe complication of tx, usually running an aggressive course which may preclude prompt diagnosis and treatment. Nevertheless, therapy is feasible and must be tailored on the histologic subtype. Seventy‐four percent of patients were diagnosed with late‐onset PTLD stressing the need for long‐term follow up.
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