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Diagnosis of renal or perinephric abscess is still a challenge for physicians. This study investigated the effect of location and size of abscess and the time of diagnosis on treatment outcomes.This retrospective analysis enrolled 159 adult patients with renal, perinephric or mixed-type (renal plus perinephric) abscess hospitalized between June 2001 and June 2006. The outcomes of these patients were classified into "poor" and "success" in order to elucidate associated risk factors. 106 patients had clear information of the timing of diagnosis and were categorized into "early" and "delayed" diagnosis groups, depending on whether the diagnosis was made within or after 5 days of admission.Compared with the early diagnosis group (n = 78), the delayed diagnosis group (n = 28) were older (59.9 +/- 15.9 vs 50.9 +/- 14.9 years, p=0.005) and had less costovertebral angle knocking pain (85.7% vs 51.3%, p=0.021), a higher rate of renal insufficiency (57.1% vs 15.4%, p0.001) and hospital stay over 22 days (71.4% vs 24.4%, p0.001). There was no significant difference between these two groups in clinical outcomes. Compared with renal abscess, both perinephric and mixed-type abscess had higher rates of larger abscess (5 cm in diameter) [84.1% vs 25.6%, p0.001; and 55.6% vs 25.6%, p=0.012, respectively] and lower rates of Escherichia coli infection (24.4% vs 59.4%, p0.001; and 26.7% vs 59.4%, p=0.021, respectively). Among all culture-positive patients, the proportion of Klebsiella pneumoniae was 25.6%. Perinephric abscess had higher rates of percutaneous (56.3% vs 31.5%; p=0.005) and surgical drainage (29.2% vs 7.6%; p=0.001) than renal abscess. In multivariate analysis, ageor =65 years (p=0.006; odds ratio [OR], 7.008; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.75-28.141), thrombocytopenia (p=0.002; OR [95% CI], 10.434 [2.344-46.444]), and abscess without drainage (p=0.001; OR [95% CI], 9.984 [2.640-37.758]) were independent factors for poor outcome (mortality or nephrectomy).Old age, renal insufficiency and lack of costovertebral angle knocking pain may contribute to delayed diagnosis of renal or perinephric abscess, and prolonged hospital stay. The location and size of abscess did not affect clinical outcome in this study, which might be due to adequate abscess drainage. K. pneumoniae is not uncommon in renal or perinephric abscess in Taiwan.

To characterize the clinical and microbiological features of tuberculous arthritis and to clarify the factors affecting treatment outcome.We retrospectively reviewed 51 adult patients with a diagnosis of tuberculous arthritis at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou over a 14-year period.There were 35 males and 16 females with a mean age of 58.9 years (range, 32 to 89 years). The mean duration of symptoms and signs before diagnosis was 25.4 months (range, 0.25 to 180 months). Joint pain (96.1%) and swelling (90.2%) were two major presentations. Forty five (88.2%) patients had monoarthritis. Knee (26.7%) was the most frequently involved one. Twenty six (51.0%) patients had roentgenologic evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Forty three patients (84.3%) had positive TB culture of synovial fluid and/or tissue. Of which, 27 (63%) had positive acid-fast bacillus smear. Twenty five patients had sputum for mycobacterial smear and culture, and 17 of them had positive TB culture. Thirty six patients received post-treatment follow-up for 3 to 110 months. Among them, 8 had relapses and 28 had treatment success. Compared the relapse to the success, the former had a higher ratio of drug resistant strains (odds ratio, 7.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.025-59.337; p=0.047) and had a longer treatment duration (22.0 +/- 4.4 vs 13.2 +/- 4.1 months; p=0.001).Tuberculous arthritis often occurred in elderly people with male predominance. Drug resistant strain may cause a relapse of tuberculous arthritis, which may result in longer treatment duration. Routine chest X-ray and sputum for mycobacterial smear and culture could be necessary to find concurrent pulmonary TB.

We employ dielectric metamaterials to construct an all-dielectric negative refractive waveguide (NRW) in which the negative Goos–Hänchen effect is used to trap the incident wave in simulation. The use of a dielectric metamaterial eliminates the ohmic losses from metal, which not only lengthens photon-trapping time but also enables the NRW to maintain the ability to slow light. In addition, we validate numerical simulation with experimental measurements, which agree with the simulation results with a frequency offset of

The cathodic polarization characteristics of CuO and YBa2Cu3O7-δ electrodes were studied in the temperature range 600 to 800°C and at oxygen partial pressures ranging from 10−4 to 0.21 atm. The activity of oxygen reduction on a CuO electrode is closely related to the electronic conductivity and the oxygen ion vacancy density in the surface layer of the electrode. The oxygen ion vacancies created in CuO by doping with Li and the modification of the electronic conductivity by adding Ag provide a new way of enhancing the activity of an oxide electrode for oxygen reduction. It is demonstrated that the rate limiting steps for oxygen reduction at high overpotential and low overpotential are oxygen adsorption and charge transfer on CuO, respectively.

Here we develop submicron L-shaped magnetic resonators with four-fold rotational symmetry to ease the burden of the orientation issue, and demonstrate a compelling artificial magnetic response up to 44.7 THz (wavelength 6.7 μm) along with the properties of scalability and broad bandwidth directly from magnetic field coupling. In addition, the stored electromagneticenergy is highly localized inside the resonators, resulting in a significant nonlinear enhancement to promise micro-quantitative analysis. We suggest that the artificial magnetism demonstrated at mid-infrared ranges will radically impact the field of infrared optics, biological and security imaging, and chemical sensing.

Background Abscesses involving the inguinal region as manifestations of complex soft-tissue infections are rare, and the infectious route is usually unclear. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the importance of imaging study and whether the clinical presentations differ between the extrapelvic and intrapelvic origin. Methods Patients who presented with inguinal abscess between January 2003 and December 2010 were evaluated retrospectively. All patients received broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and debridement. Imaging studies, including computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, were performed in all patients to elucidate the origin and extent of infectious disease, and the results were reviewed. Clinical data, laboratory examination findings, and culture results were analyzed. Results Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the study: 13 patients whose infections were of extrapelvic origin (Group 1) and 15 patients of intrapelvic origin (Group 2). Imaging studies yielded information that helped guiding the treatment. Gram-positive coccus infection was more frequent in Group 1 (p < 0.001), while mixed pathogen and anaerobic bacterial infection were more frequent in Group 2 (p = 0.002 and p = 0.006, respectively). Group 2 had a higher incidence of history of malignancy and chronic renal failure (p = 0.044 and p = 0.038, respectively). Conclusions Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are helpful in diagnosing cases of inguinal abscess and determining the extent of infection. In patients presenting with acute pyogenic inguinal abscess, a higher prevalence of chronic renal failure and history of malignancy were found in those with an intrapelvic, as compared with an extrapelvic, origin of infection.

Background To the best of our knowledge, no study has compared gram-negative bacillary hematogenous pyogenic spondylodiscitis (GNB-HPS) with gram-positive coccal hematogenous pyogenic spondylodiscitis (GPC-HPS) regarding their clinical characteristics and outcomes. Methods From January 2003 to January 2013, 54 patients who underwent combined antibiotic and surgical therapy in the treatment of hematogenous pyogenic spondylodiscitis were included. Results Compared with 37 GPC-HPS patients, the 17 GNB-HPS patients were more often found to be older individuals, a history of cancer, and a previous history of symptomatic urinary tract infection. They also had a less incidence of epidural abscess formation compared with GPC-HPS patients from findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Constitutional symptoms were the primary reasons for initial physician visits in GNB-HPS patients whereas pain in the affected spinal region was the most common manifestation in GPC-HPS patients at initial visit. The clinical outcomes of GNB-HPS patients under combined surgical and antibiotic treatment were not different from those of GPC-HPS patients. In multivariate analysis, independent predicting risk factors for GNB-HPS included a malignant history and constitutional symptoms and that for GPC-HPS was epidural abscess. Conclusions The clinical manifestations and MRI presentations of GNB-HPS were distinguishable from those of GPC-HPS.