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The diurnal and seasonal variations of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in fine particles were investigated in an area predominantly affected by traffic emissions in Beşiktaş, Istanbul between 2017 and 2018. PM 2.5 samples were collected at high time resolutions of 2 h during the daytime and 12 h during the nighttime for six sampling campaigns over all seasons. Five inorganic water-soluble ions (SO 4 2- , NH 4 + , NO 3 - , PO 4 -3 , and NO 2 - ) were determined using ion chromatography. Source analysis was investigated with principal component analysis (PCA) and bivariate polar plots. In descending order, WSIs concentrations were SO 4 2- >NH 4 + > NO 3 - > PO 4 -3 >NO 2 - during the different seasons. The high time-resolved concentrations ranged as follows: sulfate 1.2-1118.1, ammonium 0.3-289.9, phosphate 2.9-107.6, nitrate 4.6-179.7, and nitrite 0.8-9.0 ng/m 3 , with yearly averages of 226.5, 59.0, 58.4, 37.9, and 3.3 ng/m 3 , respectively. Except for phosphate, all WSIs had strong seasonal variations with high concentrations during the winter and low concentrations during the summer. Molar ratios revealed that the formation of ammonium sulfate was less likely than ammonium nitrate. Principal component analysis resolved secondary aerosols (43.9%), residential heating (34.6%), shipping emissions (8.7%), and vehicle emissions (6.7%) as the major sources of WSIs, OC, EC, and PM 2.5 in Beşiktaş, Istanbul. Sulfate aerosol originated mainly from two nearby areas, SW and NE, of the sampling site tentatively due to residential heating and shipping emissions, respectively., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The objective of this study was to investigate bacterial resistance trends, infection sites and the relationship between resistance and admittance to the intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 53,316 bacteria identified between 1999 and 2008 were evaluated. Multidrug resistance was characterized when gram-negative bacilli (GNB) presented resistance to two or more classes of antibiotics. Gram-positive cocci (CPC) were assessed for resistance to penicillin, oxacillin and vancomycin. GNB were the most common (66.1%) isolate. There was a 3.7-fold overall increase in multidrug resistant GNB over the study period; Acinetobacter baumanii and Staphylococcus aureus were the most prevalent. Highest increases were recorded for Klebsiella pneumoniae (14.6-fold) and enterococci (73-fold). The resistance rates for GNB and GPC were 36% and 51.7%, respectively. Most multidrug resistant GNB and GPC were recovered from ICU patients (p-value<0.001). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci were isolated during this decade with an increase of 18.7% by 2008. These data confirm the worldwide trend in multidrug bacterial resistance., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pivotal ranolazine trials did not require optimization of conventional medical therapy including coronary revascularization and antianginal drug therapy prior to ranolazine use. This case series describes the use of ranolazine for the treatment of chronic stable angina refractory to maximal medical treatment in a veterans population., Results: A total of 18 patients with a median age of 66 years were identified. All patients had prior percutaneous coronary intervention and/or coronary artery bypass graft surgery; 83% had three-vessel coronary artery disease, with left main disease present in 39% of patients. Prior to initiating ranolazine, antianginal use consisted of beta blockers (94%), long-acting nitrates (83%) and calcium channel blockers (61%). Median blood pressure (116.2/61.8 mmHg) and pulse (65 beats per min) were controlled. Median preranolazine angina episodes and sublingual nitroglycerin (SLNTG) doses per week were 14 and 10, respectively, with a Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina grade of III-IV in 67% of patients. After initiation of ranolazine, median angina episodes per week and SLNTG doses used per week decreased to 0.7 and 0, respectively, with CCS grade of III-IV declining to 17%. Of the 18 subjects enrolled, 44% had complete resolution of angina episodes., Conclusion: The addition of ranolazine to maximally tolerated conventional antianginal drug therapy post coronary revascularization was associated with decreases in angina episodes and SLNTG utilization and improvement in CCS angina grades. Ranolazine may provide an effective treatment option for revascularized patients with refractory angina., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We estimated genetic gains for popcorn varieties using selection indexes in a fourth cycle of intrapopulation recurrent selection developed in the campus of the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense. Two hundred full-sib families were obtained from the popcorn population UNB-2U of the third recurrent selection cycle. The progenies were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications at sites in two different environments: the Colégio Estadual Agrícola Antônio Sarlo, in Campos dos Goytacazes, and the Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (PESAGRO-RIO), in Itaocara, both in the State of Rio de Janeiro. There were significant differences between families within sets in all traits, indicating genetic variability that could be exploited in future cycles. Thirty full-sib families were selected to continue the program. The selection indexes used to predict the gains were those of Mulamba and Mock, Smith and Hazel. The best results were obtained with the Mulamba and Mock index, which allowed the prediction of negative gains for the traits number of diseased ears and ears attacked by pests, number of broken plants and lodging, as well as ears with poor husk cover. It also provided higher gains for popping expansion and grain yield than with the other indexes, giving values of 10.55 and 8.50%, respectively, based on tentatively assigned random weights.

With the aim of estimating genetic parameters and identifying superior popcorn combinations, 10 parents were crossed in a circulant diallel and evaluated together with the 15 resulting hybrids at two locations in two growing seasons for grain yield, number of broken plants, number of partially husked ears and popping expansion. The hybrids were less sensitive to environmental variations than the parents of the diallel in the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 growing seasons. The genetic parameters suggested possible genetic gains for grain yield and popping expansion, mainly. Bidirectional dominance could have occurred for popping expansion. Heterobeltiosis for grain yield seems to be a common effect in popcorn. The intrapopulation breeding for popping expansion may offer superior genetic gains, but for grain yield, interpopulation breeding is required. The performance of UNB2U-C1 x BRS Angela indicated this hybrid for experimental cultivation in the northern and northwestern Fluminense region in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among neonates., Design: Prospective surveillance of HAIs was conducted during 2 years. Infections beginning within 48 hours of birth were defined as HAIs of maternal origin. Death occurring during an active episode of HAI was considered related to HAI., Setting: Seven neonatal units located in three Brazilian cities., Patients: All admitted neonates were included and observed until discharge., Results: Twenty-two percent of 4,878 neonates had at least one HAI. The overall incidence density was 24.9 per 1,000 patient-days, and 28.1% of all HAIs were maternally acquired. HAI rates ranged from 12.3% in the group with a birth weight (BW) of more than 2,500 g to 51.9% in the group with a BW of 1,000 g or less. The main HAIs were bloodstream infection (BSI) and pneumonia. Coagulase-negative staphylococci, Enterobacter species, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the main pathogens. Forty percent of all deaths were related to HAI. Central venous catheter (CVC)-associated BSIs per 1,000 CVC-days ranged from 17.3 (BW, 1,501 to 2,500 g; device utilization [DU], 0.11) to 34.9 (BW, < or = 1,000 g; DU, 34.92). Ventilator-associated pneumonia per 1,000 ventilator-days ranged from 7.0 (BW, < or = 1,000 g; DU, 0.34) to 9.2 (BW, 1,001 to 1,500 g; DU, 0.14)., Conclusions: The high proportion of HAIs of maternal origin highlights perinatal care issues in Brazil and the need to improve the diagnosis of neonatal HAIs. The very low BW group and device-associated infections should be priorities for prevention strategies in this population.

A prospective cohort study was conducted during a 15-month period to compare nosocomial infections (NIs) among pediatric patients without (n = 989 and with (n = 50) symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Patients with symptomatic HIV infection presented higher overall NI incidence density rates (relative risk, 1.65; P= .0001), and may represent a population at high risk for the acquisition of NI.