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Fully adaptive computations of the resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are presented in two and three space dimensions using a finite volume discretization on locally refined dyadic grids. Divergence cleaning is used to control the incompressibility constraint of the magnetic field. For automatic grid adaptation a cell-averaged multiresolution analysis is applied which guarantees the precision of the adaptive computations, while reducing CPU time and memory requirements. Implementation issues of the open source code CARMEN-MHD are discussed. To illustrate its precision and efficiency different benchmark computations including shock-cloud interaction and magnetic reconnection are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal antimicrobial treatment of infective endocarditis requires identification and susceptibility patterns of pathogens. Sonication of explanted heart valves could increase the identification and culture of pathogens, as shown in prosthetic joint and pacemaker/ICD infections. We tested 26 explanted heart valves from 20 patients with active definite endocarditis for added diagnostic value of sonication to the standard microbiological workup in a prospective diagnostic proof of concept study. Two sonication protocols (broth enrichment vs. centrifugation) were compared in an additional 35 negative control valves for contamination rates. We selected sonication/centrifugation based on acceptable false positive rates (11.4%; 4/35). Sonication/enrichment yielded many false positive results in negative controls (28.6%; 10/35), mainly Propionibacterium acnes (next-generation sequencing excluded technical problems). Compared to direct culture only, adding sonication/centrifugation (including molecular testing) significantly increased the diagnostic yield from 6/26 to 17/26 valves (p = 0.003). Most importantly, culture positives almost doubled (from 6 to 10), providing unique quantitative information about antimicrobial susceptibility. Even if direct molecular testing was added to the standard workup, sonication/centrifugation provided additional diagnostic information in a significant number of valves (8/26; 31%; p = 0.013). We concluded that sonication/centrifugation added relevant diagnostic information in the workup of heart valves with infective endocarditis, with acceptable contamination rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the antifungal effectiveness of polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) modified by nanoparticles (NPs) and to compare it with conventional acrylic resins for denture bases. The present study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Searches were performed using PubMed, SCOPUS, SciELO, EMBASE, and LILACS. Eligibility criteria were as recommended by PRISMA. The studies presented great variability regarding NP type, synthesis method, antifungal evaluation method, and antifungal effect. The most commonly used NPs were silver (AgNP) and zinc oxide (ZnONP), ranging in size from 10 to 100 nm. The incorporation methods were mechanical or agitated. Despite PMMA modification by ZnONP being shown in vitro to be a combination with the best antifungal effect, future studies are still needed to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration for Candida spp. and assess its biocompatibility before the protocol is clinically tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to adapt a model of hind limb immobilization to newly weaned female rats and to determine the morphology of shortened soleus and plantaris muscles. Female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control zero ( n = 3) and control and free ( n = 8), animals aged 21 and 31 days, respectively, submitted to no intervention, and immobilized ( n = 25), animals aged 21 days submitted to immobilization for 10 days and sacrificed at 31 days of age. The device used for immobilization had advantages such as easy connection, good fit, and low cost. The immobilized rats showed a reduction in muscle fiber area and in connective tissue. The adaptation of this immobilization model originally used for adult rats was an excellent alternative for newly weaned rats and was also efficient in inducing significant hind limb disuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]