Search results for "Invasive"

Scope for Growth of the intertidal Lessepsian bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis (Fischer 1870) at varying environmental variables

2009

The concept of energy available to organismal growth (i.e. scope for growth; SFG) assumes a central role in studying the behaviour of successful invaders in aquatic habitats: the higher the energy allocated to growth and reproduction, the greater the likelihood of stability/persistence in space over time of aquatic populations. When successful invaders find useful life conditions (i.e., allowing to reach maximum SFG), they compete for space and resources with indigenous species, altering the functioning of entire ecosystems. The Indo-Pacific bivalve Brachidontes pharaonis offers an excellent model for the study of “Lessepsian migration” and the successive colonization at new Mediterranean l…

Optimizing intravesical chemotherapy in patients with non muscle invasive bladder carcinoma.

2008

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Patients with COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among patients admitted to an intensive care unit with COVID-19 and mortality of those who developed VAP. We performed a systematic search on PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science from inception to 2nd March 2021 for nonrandomized studies specifically addressing VAP in adult patients with COVID-19 and reporting data on at least one primary outcome of interest. Random effect single-arm meta-analysis was performed for the occurrence of VAP and mortality (at the longest follow up) and ICU length of stay. Twenty studies were included in the systematic review and meta-an…

Short-Term Outcomes of Patients With COVID-19 Undergoing Invasive Mechanical Ventilation: A Retrospective Observational Study From Wuhan, China.

2020

Background: COVID-19 has spread rapidly worldwide. Many patients require mechanical ventilation. The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical course and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 undergoing mechanical ventilation and identify factors associated with death. Methods: Eighty-three consecutive critically ill patients with confirmed COVID-19 undergoing invasive mechanical ventilation were included in this retrospective, single-center, observational study from January 31 to March 15, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and mechanical ventilation data were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality after endotracheal intubation. The secon…

Invasive mussels directly threat intertidal vermetid reef: some evidences from a Sicilian MPA

2009

Biological invasions pose a great threat to natural communities. Brachidontes pharaonis is an Eritrean mussel that has accessed in the Mediterranean sea shortly after the opening of the Suez Canal. At the beginning it had a restrained distribution with small local populations along the Israeli intertidal coast. More than a hundred years later it spread westward as far as NW Sicily, colonizing some hyperaline and natural habitats. Previous studies along the Israeli coast have proved that anthropogenic habitat modi#- cations occurring on vermetid reefs may promote the colonization of this invasive mussel causing a reduction of the indigenous mussel Mytilaster minimus. This study focuses on a …

CD11b Regulates Fungal Outgrowth but Not Neutrophil Recruitment in a Mouse Model of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis

2019

Abstract Background and Aims: In immunosuppressed individuals Aspergillus (A.) fumigatus is a frequent cause of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) which is highly associated with relevant morbidity and mortality. Moreover, it often occurs in patients suffering from leukocyte-adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD1) which is triggered by a functional loss of CD18 in ß2 integrin receptors as these receptors consist of an alpha subunit (CD11a-CD11d) and CD18 as the common beta subunit. ß2 integrin receptors are differentially expressed by leukocytes, and are required for cell-cell interaction, transendothelial migration, uptake of opsonized pathogens, and cell signaling processes. Here, we asked …

Interleukin 10 restores lipopolysaccharide-induced alterations in synaptic plasticity probed by repetitive magnetic stimulation

2020

Systemic inflammation is associated with alterations in complex brain functions such as learning and memory. However, diagnostic approaches to functionally assess and quantify inflammation-associated alterations in synaptic plasticity are not well-established. In previous work, we demonstrated that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation alters the ability of hippocampal neurons to express synaptic plasticity, i.e., the long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory neurotransmission. Here, we tested whether synaptic plasticity induced by repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique used in clinical practice, is affected by LPS-induc…

The Value of Median Nerve Sonography as a Predictor for Short- and Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Prospective…

2016

Objectives To investigate the prognostic value of B-mode and Power Doppler (PD) ultrasound of the median nerve for the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Prospective study of 135 patients with suspected CTS seen 3 times: at baseline, then at short-term (3 months) and long-term (15–36 months) follow-up. At baseline, the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve was measured with ultrasound at 4 levels on the forearm and wrist. PD signals were graded semi-quantitatively (0–3). Clinical outcomes were evaluated at each visit with the Boston Questionnaire (BQ) and the DASH Questionnaire, as well as visual analogue scales for the pat…

Invasive crayfish increase habitat connectivity: a case study in a large boreal lake

2013

Several studies have shown that distinct compartments of lake ecosystems are coupled via transportation of organic matter, nutrients and energy across habitat boundaries. Here we evaluate the potential of the invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana)) to modify energy pathways in large boreal lakes. Using a stable isotope mixing model and calculation of the isotopic niches we estimated the contribution of different food sources to the diets of crayfish captured from different habitats, and from that inferred their potential to transport energy across the littoral-profundal gradient. The crayfish caught from the littoral area utilized mainly littoral food sources, whereas the…

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs): A Unique Model of Cancer Metastases and Non-invasive Biomarkers of Therapeutic Response

2021

Late-stage cancer metastasis remains incurable in the clinic and is the major cause death in patients. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are thought to be metastatic precursors shed from the primary tumor or metastatic deposits and circulate in the blood. The molecular network regulating CTC survival, extravasation, and colonization in distant metastatic sites is poorly defined, largely due to challenges in isolating rare CTCs. Recent advances in CTC isolation and ex vivo culture techniques facilitates single-cell omics and the development of related animal models to study CTC-mediated metastatic progression. With these powerful tools, CTCs can potentially be used as non-invasive biomarkers pr…