Piperacillin/tazobactam‐induced neurotoxicity in a hemodialysis patient: A case report

Antibiotics are potentially a cause of neurotoxicity in dialysis patients, the most common are the beta‐lactams as ceftazidime and cefepime, and few cases have been reported after piperacillin/tazobactam use. This report presents a case of a hypertensive and diabetic 67‐year‐old woman in regular hemodialysis, which previously had a stroke. She was hospitalized presenting pneumonia, which was initially treated with cefepime. Two days after treatment, she presented dysarthria, left hemiparesis, ataxia, and IX and X cranial nerves paresis. Computed tomography showed no acute lesions and cefepime neurotoxicity was hypothesized, and the antibiotic was replaced by piperacillin/tazobactam. The neurologic signs disappeared; however, 4 days after with piperacillin/tazobactam treatment, the neurological manifestations returned. A new computed tomography showed no new lesions, and the second antibiotic regimen withdrawn. After two hemodialysis sessions, the patient completely recovered from neurological manifestations. The patient presented sequentially neurotoxicity caused by two beta‐lactams antibiotics. This report meant to alert clinicians that these antibiotics have dangerous neurological effects in chronic kidney disease patients.     

Influence of the intrinsic layer characteristics on a-Si:H p–i–n solar cell performance analysed by means of a computer simulation

In this paper a set of one-dimensional simulations of a-Si:H p–i–n junctions under different illumination conditions and with different intrinsic layer are presented. The simulation program ASCA permits the analysis of the internal electrical behaviour of the cell allowing a comparison among the different internal configurations determined by a change in the input set. Results about the internal electric configuration will be presented and discussed outlining their influence on the current tension characteristic curve. Considerations about the drift–diffusion and the generation–recombination balance distributions, outlined by the simulation, can be used to explain the correlation between the basic device output, the i-layer characteristics (thickness and DOS), the incident radiation intensity and photon energy.     

Experimental Investigation of FRP-Strengthened RC Beam-Column Joints

The results of a comprehensive experimental program, aimed at providing a fundamental understanding of the behavior of shear-critical exterior reinforced concrete (RC) joints strengthened with fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) under simulated seismic load, are presented in this study. The role of various parameters on the effectiveness of FRP is examined through 2/3-scale testing of 18 exterior RC joints. Conclusions are drawn on the basis of certain load versus imposed displacement response characteristics, comprising the strength (maximum lateral load), the stiffness, and the cumulative energy dissipation capacity. The results demonstrate the important role of mechanical anchorages in limiting premature debonding, and they provide important information on the role of various parameters, including: area fraction of FRP; distribution of FRP between the beam and the column; column axial load; internal joint (steel) reinforcement; initial damage; carbon versus glass fibers; sheets versus strips; and effect of transverse beams.     

Development and evaluation of antimicrobial natamycin‐incorporated film in gorgonzola cheese conservation

Conservation of food products depends on product quality and packaging suitability. The objective of this work was to develop and evaluate the antimicrobial efficiency of natamycin‐incorporated film in the production process of Gorgonzola cheese. It aims to optimize the production process and increase shelf‐life and food safety for the consumer. Films with different concentrations of natamycin were produced and tested in Gorgonzola cheeses to evaluate its efficiency against Penicillium roqueforti on the cheese surface. Films with 2 and 4% natamycin presented satisfactory results for fungus inhibition and the amount of natamycin released to the cheese was below that allowed by the legislation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-degree-of-freedom output feedback controllers for discrete-time nonlinear systems

A discrete-time, model-based output feedback control structure for nonlinear processes is developed in the present work. The structure makes use of a closed-loop observer, while at the same time it guarantees that the overall feedback controller possesses integral action. An algebraic transformation is applied on the observer states to insure that the input/output gain of the observer matches the model upon which the static state feedback control law is based. The resulting control algorithm is a two-degree-of-freedom control law, in the sense that the output and the set point are processed in different ways. The control structure is shown not only to have the same properties as the standard model-state feedback structure, but also that it emerges from a model algorithmic control framework. Finally, a simulation example using an exothermic CSTR operating at an open-loop unstable steady state is used to evaluate the closed-loop performance of the proposed method.     

A Matrix–Matrix Multiplication methodology for single/multi-core architectures using SIMD

In this paper, a new methodology for speeding up Matrix–Matrix Multiplication using Single Instruction Multiple Data unit, at one and more cores having a shared cache, is presented. This methodology achieves higher execution speed than ATLAS state of the art library (speedup from 1.08 up to 3.5), by decreasing the number of instructions (load/store and arithmetic) and the data cache accesses and misses in the memory hierarchy. This is achieved by fully exploiting the software characteristics (e.g. data reuse) and hardware parameters (e.g. data caches sizes and associativities) as one problem and not separately, giving high quality solutions and a smaller search space.     

Low-cost sensor to detect overtaking based on optical flow

The automotive industry invests substantial amounts of money in driver-security and driver-assistance systems. We propose an overtaking detection system based on visual motion cues that combines feature extraction, optical flow, solid-objects segmentation and geometry filtering, working with a low-cost compact architecture based on one focal plane and an on-chip embedded processor. The processing is divided into two stages: firstly analog processing on the focal plane processor dedicated to image conditioning and relevant image-structure selection, and secondly, vehicle tracking and warning-signal generation by optical flow, using a simple digital microcontroller. Our model can detect an approaching vehicle (multiple-lane overtaking scenarios) and warn the driver about the risk of changing lanes. Thanks to the use of tightly coupled analog and digital processors, the system is able to perform this complex task in real time with very constrained computing resources. The proposed method has been validated with a sequence of more than 15,000 frames (90 overtaking maneuvers) and is effective under different traffic situations, as well as weather and illumination conditions.     

Characterization of poly(diethoxyphosphazene) by size exclusion chromatography and viscometry

Two samples of poly(diethoxyphosphazene) (PDEP) having very different molecular weights have been studied by viscometry and size exclusion chromatography in THF solution. The results obtained, together with light scattering data of these samples, allow the calculation of the Mark-Houwink constants a=0.65 and K=2.5 10^-4 in THF at 25°C. The method of calculation employed takes into account the great polydispersity of the samples. The characteristic ratio of the unperturbed dimensions was also calculated giving C_n = r²_o/n² 18, a value slightly higher than those previously reported for poly(dihexoxyphosphazene), C_n13 and poly (dichlorophosphazene), C_n13.5.