Search results for "logistic models"
showing 10 items of 602 documents
A new model for germination of fungi.
2010
Abstract The objective of this study was to design a germination model dedicated to fungi. The percentage of germinated spores, P(%), depended on the maximum percentage of germination P max (%), the germination time, τ (h) and a design parameter, d (-) according to : P = P max 1 − 1 1 + t τ d . The model was capable to fit satisfactorily either apparent symmetric and asymmetric shapes of germination curves. The accuracy of τ determined by using the logistic or the present model was at least twice that obtained by the Gompertz equation. In contrast to the logistic model, the new model is by essence asymmetric. Therefore, its use is consistent with skewed distributions of the individual germi…
Risk factors for breakthrough invasive fungal infection during secondary prophylaxis.
2008
BACKGROUND: Intensive chemotherapy with severe neutropenia is associated with invasive fungal infections (IFIs) leading to high mortality rates. During leukaemia induction chemotherapy, IFI often prohibited further curative treatment, thus predisposing for leukaemia relapse. Continuing myelosuppressive chemotherapy after diagnosis of IFI has become feasible with the now expanding arsenal of safe and effective antifungals. Secondary prophylaxis of IFI is widely administered, but reliable data on outcome and risk factors for recurrent IFI during subsequent chemotherapy are not available. This study determines risk factors for recurrent IFI in leukaemia patients. METHODS: From 25 European canc…
Trends, risk factors and outcomes of health care associated infections within the Italian network SPIN-UTI
2013
Summary Background Implementing infection control measures in light of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance data can prevent HAIs. Surveillance has been associated with a reduction of HAI in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, though the reasons for this improvement remain unclear. Aim To evaluate changes in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates during three surveys of the Italian Nosocomial Infections Surveillance in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) network (SPIN-UTI) six-year project and to explore sources of variation of indicators of HAI in the 65 participating ICUs. Methods The SPIN-UTI network adopted the European protocols for patient-based HAI surveillance. Cumulative…
Factors influencing hospital infection control policies in Italian hospitals
2003
A study was undertaken to determine the resources available in Italian hospitals for the control of nosocomial infections and the factors favouring a successful approach. During January-May 2000 a questionnaire about infection control was sent to the hospital health director of all Italian National Health System hospitals treating acute patients and with more than 3500 admissions in 1999. An active programme was defined as a hospital infection control committee (HICC) meeting at least four times in 1999, the presence of a doctor with infection control responsibilities, a nurse employed in infection control and at least one surveillance activity and one infection control guideline issued or …
Serological prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Luanda (Angola): Geospatial distribution and its association with socio-demographic and …
2020
We report a study on toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Luanda, Angola, determining the seroprevalence, geospatial distribution and its association with socio-economic features, dietary habits and hygiene and health conditions. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM were quantified in serum samples of women attended at the Lucrecia Paim Maternity Hospital between May 2016 and August 2017. The IgG avidity test and qPCR assay were used for dating the primary infection. Data were collected by questionnaire after written consent, and spatial distribution was assessed through a Kernel Density Function. The potential risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection were evaluated using bivariate and…
Multiplicity and history have a detrimental effect on survival in patients with T1G3 bladder tumors selected for conservative treatment.
2008
Purpose: In the absence of Tis tumor we assessed whether history and multiplicity have a detrimental effect on conservative treatment in carefully selected patients with T1G3 bladder carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Between January 1976 and December 1999, 165 select patients with T1G3 bladder tumors were conservatively treated with transurethral resection plus adjuvant intravesical therapy. Patients with concomitant or previous Tis, previous T1G3, tumor size greater than 3 cm and more than 3 lesions were excluded from analysis. Repeat transurethral resection was not routinely performed. However, cytology had to be negative for atypia before the start of adjuvant intravesical therapy. Resul…
The GiSAS study: Rationale and design of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial on aripiprazole, olanzapine and haloperidol in the long-term treatme…
2011
Given the controversy about the comparative efficacy of first- compared with second-generation antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia, more large-scale evidence is needed to guide clinicians in their prescriptions. Most randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted in centers of excellence on highly selected samples, poorly representative of real-world patients, and often suffered conflicts of interest as they were sponsored by drug companies. The primary aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of haloperidol, olanzapine and aripiprazole in a representative sample of schizophrenia patients. The GiSAS trial is an open-label, independent, pragmatic RCT in Itali…
Time trends of human papillomavirus types in invasive cervical cancer, from 1940 to 2007.
2013
Contribution over time of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in human cancers has been poorly documented. Such data is fundamental to measure current HPV vaccines impact in the years to come. We estimated the HPV type-specific distribution in a large international series of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) over 70 years prior to vaccination. Paraffin embedded ICC cases diagnosed between 1940 and 2007 were retrieved from eleven countries in Central-South America, Asia and Europe. Included countries reported to have low-medium cervical cancer screening uptake. Information on age at and year of diagnosis was collected from medical records. After histological confirmation, HPV DNA detection was per…
Fear of cancer progression in patients with stage IA malignant melanoma.
2018
We aimed to determine the prevalence and importance of fear of cancer progression (FoP) in melanoma patients with stage IA tumours to assess psychosocial and demographic factors associated with severity of FoP and to determine the relationship of FoP and quality of life (QoL). One hundred and thirty-six patients with stage IA melanoma completed the short version of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (FoP-Q-SF), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the EORTC-QLQ-C30. We found a mean FoP-Q-SF sum score of 30.2 points (±8.4 points SD). In this study, 33% of patients reported high FoP at or above the cutoff-value of 34 points. Higher FoP was found in women (p < 0.01), young (…
Is first-line single-agent mitoxantrone in the treatment of high-risk metastatic breast cancer patients as effective as combination chemotherapy? No …
2002
BACKGROUND: To determine whether patients with high-risk metastatic breast cancer draw benefit from combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 260 women with measurable metastatic breast cancer fulfilling high-risk criteria, previously untreated with chemotherapy for their metastatic disease, were randomized to receive either mitoxantrone 12 mg/m(2) or the combination of fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 50 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2) (FEC) every 3 weeks. Treatment was continued until complete remission plus two cycles, or until disease progression. In the case of partial remission or stable disease, treatment was stopped after 12 cycl…