University of Seville

About: University of Seville is a education organization based out in Seville, Andalucía, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 20098 authors who have published 47317 publications receiving 947007 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidad de Sevilla.

Lipopolysaccharide intranigral injection induces inflammatory reaction and damage in nigrostriatal dopaminergic system.

Abstract: The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is still poorly understood. To address the hypothesis that immune-mediated events, such as microglial activation, may be involved in the dopaminergic neurodegeneration, we have studied the effect that intranigral injection of the immunostimulant lipopolysaccharide has on monoaminergic neurotransmitters in rats. Activation of microglial cells, visualized by immunohistochemistry with a specific monoclonal antibody, was already obvious 2 days after injection. In relation to the biochemical parameters studied, we found a significant decrease of dopamine levels in both the substantia nigra and striatum up to at least 21 days after intranigral injection of lipopolysaccharide. This result was supported by the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase activity and the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neuronal bodies, shown by immunohistochemistry. These alterations of the dopaminergic system did not reverse during the interval studied (21 days); conversely, the serotoninergic system suffered only transient damage. In addition, we found that the neurotoxic effect of lipopolysaccharide was not mediated by nitric oxide. Based on our results we suggest that the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system is susceptible to damage by inflammatory events and that these may be implicated in neurodegeneration processes such as Parkinson's disease.

Effect of appropriate combination therapy on mortality of patients with bloodstream infections due to carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (INCREMENT): a retrospective cohort study

Abstract: Summary Background The best available treatment against carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of appropriate therapy and of appropriate combination therapy on mortality of patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to CPE. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we included patients with clinically significant monomicrobial BSIs due to CPE from the INCREMENT cohort, recruited from 26 tertiary hospitals in ten countries. Exclusion criteria were missing key data, death sooner than 24 h after the index date, therapy with an active antibiotic for at least 2 days when blood cultures were taken, and subsequent episodes in the same patient. We compared 30 day all-cause mortality between patients receiving appropriate (including an active drug against the blood isolate and started in the first 5 days after infection) or inappropriate therapy, and for patients receiving appropriate therapy, between those receiving active monotherapy (only one active drug) or combination therapy (more than one). We used a propensity score for receiving combination therapy and a validated mortality score (INCREMENT-CPE mortality score) to control for confounders in Cox regression analyses. We stratified analyses of combination therapy according to INCREMENT-CPE mortality score (0–7 [low mortality score] vs 8–15 [high mortality score]). INCREMENT is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01764490. Findings Between Jan 1, 2004, and Dec 31, 2013, 480 patients with BSIs due to CPE were enrolled in the INCREMENT cohort, of whom we included 437 (91%) in this study. 343 (78%) patients received appropriate therapy compared with 94 (22%) who received inappropriate therapy. The most frequent organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (375 [86%] of 437; 291 [85%] of 343 patients receiving appropriate therapy vs 84 [89%] of 94 receiving inappropriate therapy) and the most frequent carbapenemase was K pneumoniae carbapenemase (329 [75%]; 253 [74%] vs 76 [81%]). Appropriate therapy was associated with lower mortality than was inappropriate therapy (132 [38·5%] of 343 patients died vs 57 [60·6%] of 94; absolute difference 22·1% [95% CI 11·0–33·3]; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0·45 [95% CI 0·33–0·62]; p vs 85 [41%] of 208; adjusted HR 1·63 [95% CI 0·67–3·91]; p=0·28). However, combination therapy was associated with lower mortality than was monotherapy in the high-mortality-score stratum (30 [48%] of 63 vs 64 [62%] of 103; adjusted HR 0·56 [0·34–0·91]; p=0·02), but not in the low-mortality-score stratum (17 [24%] of 72 vs 21 [20%] of 105; adjusted odds ratio 1·21 [0·56–2·56]; p=0·62). Interpretation Appropriate therapy was associated with a protective effect on mortality among patients with BSIs due to CPE. Combination therapy was associated with improved survival only in patients with a high mortality score. Patients with BSIs due to CPE should receive active therapy as soon as they are diagnosed, and monotherapy should be considered for those in the low-mortality-score stratum. Funding Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases, European Development Regional Fund, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, and Innovative Medicines Initiative.

Fluid flow induced by nonuniform ac electric fields in electrolytes on microelectrodes. II. A linear double-layer analysis

Abstract: Frequency-dependent fluid flow in electrolytes on microelectrodes subjected to ac voltages has recently been reported. The fluid flow is predominant at frequencies of the order of the relaxation frequency of the electrode-electrolyte system. The mechanism responsible for this motion has been termed ac electro-osmosis: a continuous flow driven by the interaction of the oscillating electric field and the charge at the diffuse double layer on the electrodes. This paper develops the basis of a theoretical approach to this problem using a linear double layer analysis. The theoretical results are compared with the experiments, and a good correlation is found.

Accounting for Intangibles: A Literature Review

Abstract: The purpose of Financial Accounting is to provide users of financial statements with information that is useful for efficient decision making. According to the FASB [1978, par. 34], financial reporting should provide information that is useful to present and potential investors and creditors and other users in making rational investment, credit, and similar decisions. Consequently, any event that is likely to affect a firm's current financial position or its future performance should be reported in its annual accounts. In order to provide the users of financial statements with relevant information for investment and credit decision making, standard setting bodies should develop guidelines for the identification of intangible elements, a set of criteria for their valuation and adequate standards for financial reporting. This paper intends to provide a starting point for that endeavor by reviewing the literature published to date in three areas: (i) the economic nature, definition and classification of intangibles, (ii) the relevance of intangibles for investment and lending decisions, and (iii) the ways in which the current accounting model may be modified in order to provide useful information on the determinants of the firms' financial position in their financial statements.