Antibiofilm effect of mesoporous titania coatings on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Activation of photocatalytic titania by ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation has been proposed as a good approach for combating bacteria. Titania powder, in solution or immobilized on a surface, has excellent UVA-assisted killing properties on several microorganisms. However, these properties could not be demonstrated in biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a resistant opportunistic human pathogen that can cause severe complications in patients who are immunocompromised or have burn wounds or cystic fibrosis. P. aeruginosa biofilms have detrimental effects on health and industry, causing serious economic damage. In this study, the effect of titania photocatalysis for controlling P. aeruginosa biofilms was investigated by employing different coatings obtained through sol-gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly. Biofilms were grown on non-mesoporous and mesoporous titania surfaces with different pore sizes, which were achieved based on the use of surfactants Brij-58 and Pluronics-F127. In addition, two structural forms of titania were assayed: amorphous and anatase. As well as inhibiting biofilm formation, these coatings significantly enhanced the bactericidal effect of UVA on P. aeruginosa biofilms. The most efficient surface with regard to total antibacterial effect was the mesoporous Brij-58-templated anatase film, which, compared to control biofilms, decreased the number of viable bacteria by about 5 orders, demonstrating the efficacy of this methodology as a disinfection system.

Reliability of superficial peroneal, sural, and medial plantar nerve conduction studies: analysis of statistical methods.

UNLABELLED: The reliability of medial plantar, sural, and superficial peroneal nerve conduction studies (NCS) has not been widely studied. These nerves are usually involved in distal sensory neuropathies and their serial study is relevant in the clinical setting. PURPOSE: To determine the inter- and intrarater reliability of superficial peroneal, sural, and medial plantar NCS in healthy participants. METHODS: Two raters performed the bilateral NCS twice in 20 healthy participants (23.5 +/- 3.5 years). Reliability was analyzed by the Bland-Altman method and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Variability was established by the coefficient of variation. RESULTS: The Bland-Altman method showed a good level of intra- and interrater agreement for all nerves. The amplitude (rater 1) and latency of the medial plantar nerve and the amplitude of the sural nerve (rater 2) had an intrarater ICC of >or=0.75. Interrater analysis showed concordance levels between moderate and very low. The highest coefficients of variations were found for amplitude and the lowest for nerve conduction velocity. CONCLUSIONS: Although the Bland-Altman method confirmed a good intra- and interrater reliability of the studied nerves, ICC analyses showed mixed results. These statistical approaches are complementary, and each one has advantages and disadvantages that must be considered in their application and interpretation.