Acremonium spp. are filamentous, cosmopolitan fungi frequently isolated from plant debris and soil, they are known to result in invasive infections in the setting of severe immunosuppression. In this letter, we present a case of catheter-related fungaemia associated with Acremonium spp. in a patient with chronic renal failure. After removal of the subclavian catheter, the patient was treated successfully with voriconazole, with a loading dose of 400 mg followed by a maintenance dose of 200 mg bid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper reporting Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in a relatively immunocompetent host. We also discuss the diagnosis and treatment of Acremonium spp. associated infections in the context of current literature.
REF: A novel fungal pathogen under the spotlight--Acremonium spp. associated fungaemia in an immunocompetent host.
Purnak T, Beyazit Y, Sahin GO, Shorbagi A, Akova M.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702621 Acessado em 11/06/12
segunda-feira, 11 de junho de 2012
quinta-feira, 8 de março de 2012
Environmental monitoring: settle plates
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
Environmental monitoring: settle plates
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
One of the series of learning articles, an overview of settle plates for environmental monitoring.
Settle plates are Petri-dishes, typically of either 9cm or 14cm diameter, containing different fill volumes of agar (normally between 20 and 30 mL). Settle plates are designed to detect any viable micro-organisms that may directly settle on or in the product (that is micro-organisms that are carried in the air-stream, although a person who leans over a plate can also potentially deposit micro-organisms). At determined monitoring locations (ideally positioned and exposed either side of the testing environment) the lids of the dishes are removed and the plates are exposed to the air for a defined period of time. In theory, micro-organisms and units containing micro-organisms settle out of the air under gravity, and are deposited onto horizontally positioned agar plates. This theoretically works better in turbulent or laminar airflows. The efficiency can be described as the ‘settling rate’.
The settling rate depends partly on the characteristics of the particles and on the air-flows. Larger units will tend to settle faster (due to gravitational effects) and settling is facilitated by still air-flows (which should not occur within a correctly designed uni-directional air-flow zone). Smaller particles have a lower tendency to settle due to sir resistance and air currents. The principle behind settle plates is that most micro-organisms in air are in association with particles. Generally the ‘complete particle’ (micro-organism in association with the ‘carrier’) is 12mm diameter or larger[i].
Outside of uni-directional air, such as the main cleanroom itself, then the greater the degree of turbulence there is. The amount of air turbulence is proportional to the amount of time that particles remain suspended in the air. Thereby, the greater the amount of air turbulence then the longer the particles will remain suspended in the air (this is not always a bad thing, as particles can be blown away from a critical zone, depending upon the design of the room). This can, however, influence the reliability of the settle plate and here the additional use of active air-samplers can provide additional assurance for the microbiologist assessing the cleanroom cleanliness.
The phenomenon of gravitational settling is, however, a debatable issue. The prevailing view, as discussed above, is that as most micro-organisms are associated with physical particles they will be large enough to settle out of the air due to gravity i. The dissenting view is that micro-organism carrying particles or any micro-organisms not associated with units as being light enough to remain in the air-stream for several minutes and possibly be carried out of the air-stream and not settle[ii]. Much of this debate thereby centres on the size of the particles in the air and the airflow.
The exposure time of the settle plate can be varied, although there is probably little value in exposing plates for less than one hour. For consistency of sampling, for aseptic filling, the EU GMP Guide recommends a four hour exposure time. This time should not be exceeded without strong justification, and even then there will probably be a challenge from the regulatory authority. For exposure times under four hours, such as when a shorter activity is being monitored, the result obtained should be extrapolated using the simple equation:
Count x 240 = cfu / 4 hours
Time exposed (minutes)
The risk from any exposure is desiccation. The depth and condition of the agar are the key variables, as is the cleanroom environment. The agar in the plate will dry out faster if the airflow is excessively high or if the air humidity is low. Therefore the exposure time of settle plates under the conditions of use (a particular cleanroom or uni-directional airflow cabinet) must be validated.
[i] Whyte, W. (1986): ‘Sterility assurance and models for assessing airborne bacterial contamination’, Journal of Parenteral Science and Technology, 40, pp188-197
[ii] Sykes, G. (1970): ‘The control of airborne contamination in sterile areas’, Aerobiology: Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium, in Silver, I. H. (ed.), Academic Press, London
REF: http://pharmig.blogspot.com/2010/07/environmental-monitoring-settle-plates.html ACESSADO EM 08/03/12
domingo, 11 de dezembro de 2011
DIRETRIZES DO SER HUMANO
Você recebera lições
Você estara matriculado na escola da vida em periodo integral
Você terá oportunidades para aprender a cada dia que passa
Voce podera usar estas oportunidades ou deixá-las passar simplesmente
Não há erros, apenas lições
O crescimento é resultado de um processo de tentativas e erros;
uma experimentação
Os experimentos fracassados são tão parte do processo quanto os experimentos que funcionam
uma lição se repetirá até que tenha sido aprendida
esta lição será apresentada a voce sob várias formas até que vc tenha aprendido
quando conseguir isso, poderá então passar para a próxima lição
se você está vivo, sempre haverá uma lição para aprender
lá não é melhor que aqui
quando o seu lá se transformar em aqui, voce apenas estara obtendo outro lá que, mais uma vez, parecerá melhor que aqui
Os outros são apenas espelhos da sua própria imagem
Voce não pode amar ou detestar alguma coisa em outra pessoa sem que isso reflita alguma coisa
que voce ama ou detesta de si mesmo
É voce quem escolhe o que quer fazer da sua vida
vocÊ tem todas as ferramentas e recursos de que precisa
O que vocÊ faz com eles, é problema seu
a escolha é sua
as respostas estão dentro de vocÊ
as respostas as questões da vida estão dentro de voce
tudo que voce tem a fazer é prestar atenção, ouvir e confiar
Você estara matriculado na escola da vida em periodo integral
Você terá oportunidades para aprender a cada dia que passa
Voce podera usar estas oportunidades ou deixá-las passar simplesmente
Não há erros, apenas lições
O crescimento é resultado de um processo de tentativas e erros;
uma experimentação
Os experimentos fracassados são tão parte do processo quanto os experimentos que funcionam
uma lição se repetirá até que tenha sido aprendida
esta lição será apresentada a voce sob várias formas até que vc tenha aprendido
quando conseguir isso, poderá então passar para a próxima lição
se você está vivo, sempre haverá uma lição para aprender
lá não é melhor que aqui
quando o seu lá se transformar em aqui, voce apenas estara obtendo outro lá que, mais uma vez, parecerá melhor que aqui
Os outros são apenas espelhos da sua própria imagem
Voce não pode amar ou detestar alguma coisa em outra pessoa sem que isso reflita alguma coisa
que voce ama ou detesta de si mesmo
É voce quem escolhe o que quer fazer da sua vida
vocÊ tem todas as ferramentas e recursos de que precisa
O que vocÊ faz com eles, é problema seu
a escolha é sua
as respostas estão dentro de vocÊ
as respostas as questões da vida estão dentro de voce
tudo que voce tem a fazer é prestar atenção, ouvir e confiar
segunda-feira, 5 de dezembro de 2011
Rodotorula mucilaginosa
Rhodotorula is a pigmented yeast, part of the Basidiomycota phylum, quite easily identifiable by distinctive orange/red colonies when grown on SDA (Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar). This distinctive colour is the result of pigments that the yeast creates to block out certain wavelengths of light that would otherwise be damaging to the cell. Colony colour can vary from being cream coloured to orange/red/pink or yellow.
Rhodotorula is a common environmental inhabitant. It can be cultured from soil, water, and air samples. It is able to scavenge nitrogenous compounds from its environment remarkably well, growing even in air which has been carefully cleaned of any fixed nitrogen contaminants. In such conditions, the nitrogen content of the dry weight of Rhodotorula can drop as low as 1%, compared to around 14% for most bacteria growing in normal conditions. [1]
REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodotorula Acessado em 05/12/11
segunda-feira, 10 de outubro de 2011
Rhodococcus spp
Rhodococcus is a genus of aerobic, nonsporulating, nonmotile Gram-positive bacteria closely related to Mycobacteria and Corynebacteria.[1][2] While a few species are pathogenic, most are benign and have been found to thrive in a broad range of environments, including soil, water, and eukaryotic cells.
REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodococcus Acessado em 10/10/11
Rhodococcus is a genus of non-motile, non-sporulating, aerobic gram-positive filamentous rods of the phylum Actinobacteria (1). These organisms reside in soil and water environments and are classified as one of the most industrial important organisms. Studies have shown these organisms to grow in both mesophilic (4) and psychrophilic (5) conditions. Strains of Rhodococcus contain enzymes that carry out biologically relevant reactions such as biodesulfurization of fossil fuels, degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and utilization of a wide variety of other organic compounds as energy sources (4). Therefore, Rhodococcus plays an important role in the global recycling of carbon. Additionally, Rhododcoccus is used commercially as a biocatalyst in the production of fossil fuels, bioactive steroids, and acrylamide (1). The production of dioxygenases by Rhodococcus for the degradation of PCBs has become increasingly important to researchers, as they search for a method to degrade the biologically toxic compounds. Additionally, the ability of Rhodococcus to be used in bioremediaion may be essential in decontaminating polluted land and waterways throughout the United States.
Acessado em: http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Rhodococcus 10/10/11
REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodococcus Acessado em 10/10/11
Rhodococcus is a genus of non-motile, non-sporulating, aerobic gram-positive filamentous rods of the phylum Actinobacteria (1). These organisms reside in soil and water environments and are classified as one of the most industrial important organisms. Studies have shown these organisms to grow in both mesophilic (4) and psychrophilic (5) conditions. Strains of Rhodococcus contain enzymes that carry out biologically relevant reactions such as biodesulfurization of fossil fuels, degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and utilization of a wide variety of other organic compounds as energy sources (4). Therefore, Rhodococcus plays an important role in the global recycling of carbon. Additionally, Rhododcoccus is used commercially as a biocatalyst in the production of fossil fuels, bioactive steroids, and acrylamide (1). The production of dioxygenases by Rhodococcus for the degradation of PCBs has become increasingly important to researchers, as they search for a method to degrade the biologically toxic compounds. Additionally, the ability of Rhodococcus to be used in bioremediaion may be essential in decontaminating polluted land and waterways throughout the United States.
Acessado em: http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Rhodococcus 10/10/11
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