Intestinal perforation due to adult tapeworm of Taenia: a case report and review of the literature

Taeniasis is an intestinal helminth infection due to adult tapeworms belonging to the genus Taenia. Taeniasis remains a major burden in low-income countries in Asia. We present a case of intestinal perforation caused by adult tapeworm of Taenia in a 50-year-old Nepali male. The patients presented to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and intermittent vomiting. Following clinical presentations and imaging features, gastrointestinal perforation was suspected. Surgical removal of adult tapeworm of Taenia, suspected to be T. saginata or T. asiatica, was carried out during exploratory laparotomy, which was followed by an uneventful postoperative period. In addition to case presentation, we systematically review published case reports on taeniasis-related intestinal perforation. A learning point from this case is clinician should maintain a clinical suspicion of taeniasis as a possible cause of intestinal perforation in endemic areas

Stability of added and in situ-produced vitamin B12 in breadmaking

Vitamin B12 exists naturally in foods of animal origin and is synthesised only by certain bacteria. New food sources are needed to ensure vitamin B12 intake in risk groups. This study aimed to investigate the stability of added cyanocobalamin (CNCbl, chemically modified form) and hydroxocobalamin (OHCbl, natural form) and in situ-synthesised vitamin B12 in breadmaking. Samples were analysed both with a microbiological (MBA) and a liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) method to test applicability of these two methods.Proofing did not affect CNCbl and OHCbl levels. By contrast, 21% and 31% of OHCbl was lost in oven-baking steps in straight-and sponge-dough processes, respectively, whereas CNCbl remained almost stable. In sourdough baking, 23% of CNCbl and 44% of OHCbl were lost. In situ-produced vitamin B12 was almost as stable as added CNCbl and more stable than OHCbl. The UHPLC method showed its superiority to the MBA in determining the active vitamin B12. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Earthquake loss estimation for the Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Valley is geologically located on lacustrine sediment basin, characterized by a long history of destructive earthquakes. The past events resulted in large structural damage, loss of human life’s and property, and interrupted the social development. In recent years, the earthquake risk in this area has significantly increased due to uncontrolled development, poor construction practices with no earthquake safety provisions, and lack of awareness amongst the general public and government authorities. In this context, this study explores the realistic situation of earthquake losses due to future earthquakes in Kathmandu Valley. To this end, three municipalities: (a) Kathmandu Metropolitan City, (b) Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City and (c) Bhaktapur Municipality are selected for a case study. The earthquake loss estimation in the selected municipalities is performed through the combination of seismic hazard, structural vulnerability, and exposure data. Regarding the seismic input, various earthquakes scenario considering four seismic sources in Nepal are adopted. For what concerns the exposure, existing literature describing the construction typologies and data from the recent national census survey of 2011 are employed to estimate ward level distribution of buildings. The economic losses due to the earthquake scenarios are determined using fragility functions. Finally, the ward level distribution of building damage and the corresponding economic losses for each earthquake scenario is obtained using the OpenQuake-engine. The distribution of building damage within the Kathmandu Valley is currently being employed in the development of a shelter model for the region, involving various local authorities and decision makers