Left ventricular assist device-related infections: does the time of onset matter?

Journal of Artificial Organs - A frequent complication of left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) is the LVAD-associated infections (LVADIs). Contamination may occur during initial surgery/admission...     

Electrospun Bacteria‐Gold Nanoparticle/Polymer Composite Mesofiber Nonwovens for Catalytic Application

Polymer composite nonwovens with living Micrococcus luteus (ML), a very common gram‐positive bacterium present on human skin, are prepared by electrospinning followed by coating via the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of poly(p‐xylylene) (PPX). The encapsulated living ML convert Au(III) ions to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) when the composite nonwovens are dipped in an aqueous chloroauric acid solution. As a result of this process, AuNPs are formed on the ML. The ML‐immobilized AuNPs can be used for catalytic reactions with acetone as the solvent at a very low gold concentration. Despite the presence of acetone, ML survive the catalytic reaction. Interestingly, the catalytic reactions are possible only when the ML in the nonwovens are alive. In contrast, nonwovens with dead ML do not show any significant catalytic activity.     

Inadequate antibiotic dosing in patients receiving sustained low efficiency dialysis

International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - Background Patients requiring SLED are often critically ill and/or hemodynamically unstable, and often need antibiotic therapy for life-threatening...     

Maternal Depressive Symptoms Mediate the Association between Socio-economic Status and Adolescent Weight Outcomes: A Longitudinal Analysis

Introduction The prevalence of pediatric obesity is an issue in the United States, in which approximately one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. Youth living in low socioeconomic (SES) households are at an increased risk for developing obesity; yet, research is needed to understand the mechanisms that might better explain the relationship between SES and obesity risk. Maternal depression presents a potential mechanism by which SES might predict a later risk for obesity in pediatric populations. Methods The present study used a national dataset from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development—Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (NICHD-SECCYD) to examine whether maternal depressive symptoms (at an age of 9 years) mediated the association between early SES (the income-to-needs ratio measured at an age of 1 month) and adolescent weight outcomes [Body Mass Index z-scores (zBMI) for age and sex, at an age of 15 years]. Results The results suggested that greater maternal depressive symptoms helped to explain a significant amount of the variance of lower SES predicting poorer weight outcomes in adolescents. Discussion These findings illustrate the role of maternal depressive symptoms in explaining how SES predicts adolescent weight outcomes. Implications are discussed, and future research is needed to identify women from lower SES households who are experiencing depressive symptoms to provide support and initiate points of early intervention to address relevant health outcomes in youths.