IntroductionThe aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and determinants of AKI in a large cohort of cardiac arrest patients.MethodsWe reviewed all patients admitted, for at least 48 hours, to our Dept. of Intensive Care after CA between January 2008 and October 2012. AKI was defined as oligo-anuria (daily urine output <0.5 ml/kg/h) and/or an increase in serum creatinine (≥0.3 mg/dl from admission value within 48 hours or a 1.5 time from baseline level). Demographics, comorbidities, CA details, and ICU interventions were recorded. Neurological outcome was assessed at 3 months using the Cerebral Performance Category scale (CPC 1–2 = favorable outcome; 3–5 = poor outcome).ResultsA total of 199 patients were included, 85 (43%) of whom developed AKI during the ICU stay. Independent predictors of AKI development were older age, chronic renal disease, higher dose of epinephrine, in-hospital CA, presence of shock during the ICU stay, a low creatinine clearance (CrCl) on admission and a high cumulative fluid balance at 48 hours. Patients with AKI had higher hospital mortality (55/85 vs. 57/114, p = 0.04), but AKI was not an independent predictor of poor 3-month neurological outcome.ConclusionsAKI occurred in more than 40% of patients after CA. These patients had more severe hemodynamic impairment and needed more aggressive ICU therapy; however the development of AKI did not influence neurological recovery.

Aonidiella aurantii (Mask.) which was accidentally introduced in Sicily in 1968 has since become a dangerous pest requesting special treatments in citrus groves. Experiments have been carried out on Citrus lemon to evaluate the efficacy of several organophosphorous compounds partly in mixture with white oil and this latter applied sole (cf. table 1). The results obtained against young females are set out in table 2; they show excellent results with almost all compounds whereas the same pesticides had a rather poor effect on mature females (cf. table 3). It is concluded that the replacement of white oils by organophosphorous compounds is not justified providing that the control is directed against larvae and young females. This means that a proper timing is essential to obtain a satisfactory mortality, thus avoiding the use of detrimental broad acting pesticides.

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I danni che ogni anno il Prays citri MILL. arreca agli agrumi siciliani sono notevoli. Le infestazioni pih gravi si registrano nelle annate in cui le piante fioriscono tardivamente e nelle quali lo sviluppo dell'in setto ~ favorito da un decorso climatico caldo-umido.Pur essendo noto che in natura questo fitofago ~ combattuto da numerosi entomofagi, questi, essendo aetIa gran maggioranza aspecifici non riescono a contenere, entro limiti tollerabili, la popolazione del fitofago. A ci6 bisogna aggiungere che i trattamenti con sostanze chimiche pre e post-antesi eseguiti contro il Prays, sebbene diano risultati soddisfacenti (LIoTT• & MINEO, 1962), si risolvono, tuttavia, anche a dalmo degli altri insetti utili. Da qui l'opportunit~ di sostituire, quando ~ possibile, i trattamenti post-antesi effettuati con sostanze organiche di sintesi con mezzi biologici.A tale scopo, mediante saggi di laboratorio e trattamenti in campo ~ stata studiata l'attivits del Bacillus thuringiensis contro le larve del Prays.Una preparazione sporale di detto germe, allestita dagli Autori (**) e contenente 4.10 ~~ spore per g, impiegata ill laboratorio in sospensione acquosa alla concentrazione di 1.10 s spore per ml, ha determinato in laboratorio il 100 % di mortalit~ tra larve di 4a e 5 a et~ di Prays. In campo, per ottenere il medesimo tasso di mortalits su poche piantine di Citrus infestate artificialmente con larve di diversa etk, ~ stato necessario irrorare le medesime con una sospensione sporale contenente 3,3.109 spore per ml. Mortalit~ del 91,2 % e del 77,8 % ~ stata ottenuta rispettivamente con concentrazioni di 2,5.109 e 2,5.108 spore per ml. Questi esperimenti, primi nel suo genere contro la tignola degli agrumi, (*) La memoria originale ~ stata publicata per esteso nel

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