A Study of the Correlation between Bacterial Culture and Histological Examination in Children with Helicobacter pylori Gastritis

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections in the world, and it is currently estimated that approximately half of the world’s population is infected with the bacterium. The correct diagnosis and effective treatment of H. pylori gastric infection are essential in controlling this condition. The available diagnostic methods have advantages and limitations related to factors such as age of patients, technical difficulty level, costs and extensive accessibility in hospitals. The eradication therapy of H. pylori infection is still a challenge for gastroenterologists. One of the main causes of failure in H. pylori eradication is antibiotic resistance. Biopsy cultures are the most widely used methods among the antimicrobial susceptibility tests. In case of a negative culture, H. pylori can be clearly recognised in histological sections. The sensitivity and specificity of histology for the diagnosis depend on clinical settings, density of colonisation and the experience of the histopathologist. A prospective study was performed in order to analyse patients with H. pylori gastric infection with positive histology and positive culture versus positive histology and negative culture

DIAGNOSTICUL COMPUTER-TOMOGRAFIC ÎN URGENŢA PEDIATRICĂ

Introducere. Examinarea prin computer-tomograf (CT) deţine un rol important în orientarea diagnostică în Urgenţă. Obiective. Ne-am propus să identifi căm utilitatea examinării CT, în urgenţa pediatrică. Material şi metode. Studiul are un design cross-secţional, referindu-se la anul 2010. Din cele 92.959 de vizite înregistrate la Unitatea de Primiri Urgenţe, a Spitalului Clinic de Urgenţă pentru Copii „M.S. Curie“, Bucureşti, un număr de 9.258 pacienţi reprezentau urgenţe (lotul A), iar 90 constituiau urgenţe majore (lotul B). S-au efectuat un număr de 102 examinări CT. Datele au fost exprimate procentual. Rezultate. Procentul de vizite asociat cu examinare CT, a fost de 1% în lotul A şi 1‰, exprimat global. Toţi pacienţii lotului B au fost supuşi investigaţiei CT. Principalele indicaţii au fost: traumatismele cranio-cerebrale (TCC) – 50%, hipertensiune intracraniană (HIC) – 35%, politraumatisme – 12,7% şi suspiciunile de malformaţii – 5,9%. Rata de detecţie globală a unei leziuni a fost de 51%. Pentru TCC, rata a fost de 49%, identifi cându-se următoarele leziuni: edem cerebral difuz (19%), hemoragii intracraniene (15,6%), fracturi osoase (15,6%), leziuni de părţi moi (29%). Pentru HIC, rata de detecţie a fost de 43%, pentru politraumatisme 84,6%, iar pentru suspiciunile de malformaţii 100%. Ratele de detecţie lezională, pe diverse categorii de indicaţii (senzitivitatea metodei) nu diferă semnifi cativ statistic faţă de alte studii. Concluzie. La pacienţii de vârstă pediatrică, indicaţiile de CT, în urgenţă, s-au efectuat după o atentă selecţie a cazurilor, iar examinarea s-a dovedit utilă în cazul traumatismelor şi a suspiciunilor de hipertensiune intracraniană

An Overview of the Factors Influencing Apple Cider Sensory and Microbial Quality from Raw Materials to Emerging Processing Technologies

Given apple, an easily adapted culture, and a large number of apple varieties, the production of apple cider is widespread globally. Through the fermentation process, a series of chemical changes take place depending on the apple juice composition, type of microorganism involved and technology applied. Following both fermentations, alcoholic and malo-lactic, and during maturation, the sensory profile of cider changes. This review summarises the current knowledge about the influence of apple variety and microorganisms involved in cider fermentation on the sensory and volatile profiles of cider. Implications of both Saccharomyces, non-Saccharomyces yeast and lactic acid bacteria, respectively, are discussed. Also are presented the emerging technologies applied to cider processing (pulsed electric field, microwave extraction, enzymatic, ultraviolet and ultrasound treatments, high-pressure and pulsed light processing) and the latest trends for a balanced production in terms of sustainability, authenticity and consumer preferences

Endoscopical Aspects of <em>Helicobacter pylori</em> Gastritis in Children

The current gold standard for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in children remains upper endoscopy plus mucosal biopsies. Endoscopy has the advantage of being able to detect complications of Helicobacter pylori infection and to rule out other upper gastro-intestinal pathologies. An additional advantage of endoscopy with gastric biopsy is that it allows physicians to obtain mucosa for urease testing, histological examination and bacterial culture. In children, there is a high correlation between antral nodularity at endoscopy and the presence of Helicobacter pylori infection. The authors have proposed to investigate the correlations between macroscopic aspects during endoscopy and histological findings, in order to identify those endoscopic and histopathological features that can help the clinician in clinical practice

Fruit-based fermented beverages : contamination sources and emerging technologies applied to assure their safety

The food and beverage market has become broader due to globalization and consumer claims. Under the umbrella of consumer demands, legislation, nutritional status, and sustainability, the importance of food and beverage safety must be decisive. A significant sector of food production is related to ensuring fruit and vegetable conservation and utilization through fermentation. In this respect, in this review, we critically analyzed the scientific literature regarding the presence of chemical, microbiological and physical hazards in fruit-based fermented beverages. Furthermore, the potential formation of toxic compounds during processing is also discussed. In managing the risks, biological, physical, and chemical techniques can reduce or eliminate any contaminant from fruitbased fermented beverages. Some of these techniques belong to the technological flow of obtaining the beverages (i.e., mycotoxins bound by microorganisms used in fermentation) or are explicitly applied for a specific risk reduction (i.e., mycotoxin oxidation by ozone). Providing manufacturers with information on potential hazards that could jeopardize the safety of fermented fruit-based drinks and strategies to lower or eliminate these hazards is of paramount importance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IMAGING IN THE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Introduction. The Computerised Tomography (CT) plays a crucial role in the emergency diagnosis. Objective. Our purpose was to identify CT-scan’s utility in Pediatric Emergency Department. Materials and methods. We used a cross-sectional approach, for the year 2010. From a total of 92959 visits in the Emergency Room (ER) of the “Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children “M.S. Curie”, Bucharest, 9258 patients were considered emergencies (group A) and 90 patients were major emergencies (group B). We performed 102 CT scans. Results were given as percents. Results. The global percent of ER visits associated with a CT scan was 1% within the group A and it scored 1‰ from all ER visits. All patients from group B underwent a CT scan. Main indications were: major head injuries - 50%, intracranial hypertension – 35%, polytrauma – 12.7%, suspicions of malformations – 5.9%. The global detection rate for any kind of lesion was 51%. For brain trauma the rate scored 49%, identifying the following lesions: diffuse cerebral edema (19%), intracranial hemorrhage (15.6%), skull fractures (15.6%) and other facial or visceral lesions (29%). For intracranial hypertension the method’s sensitivity was 43%, for multiple trauma 84.6% and for malformations’ suspicions 100%. The lesions’ detection rate, for different clinical conditions (or the method’s sensitivity) is similar with other medical studies. Conclusion. In all pediatric patients, indication of a CT scan was made after a careful selection of cases. The method proved to be useful for managing all kind of trauma and intracranial hypertension situations

Evaluation of Volatile Compounds during Ageing with Oak Chips and Oak Barrel of Muscat Ottonel Wine

The aim of this work was to compare the variations of alcohols compounds in white wine Muscat Ottonel variety aged in the presence of untoasted oak chips, toasted oak chips and untoasted barrel, considering three ageing periods&mdash;30, 60, and 90 days. The liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry were used to compare the concentrations of the volatile constituents of Muscat Ottonel wines. A total of 51 volatile compounds were quantified. Alcohols, terpenic and carboxylic acids decreased with ageing time, whereas esters, lactones, and phenolic compounds increased due esterification processes. The chips toast level, method, and duration of ageing, significantly influenced the content of aromatic compounds. Partial least squares regression (PLS-R) clearly discriminated the initial wine and also the wines aged with toasted and untoasted medium. The compounds (alcohols and terpenes) that impart distinctive aroma of Muscat Ottonel were enhanced by untoasted medium. Light toasted oak chips enhanced wood volatile components (acetovanillone and p-vinyl guaiacol). This study provides important scientific results on the ageing of Muscat Ottonel wines with practical economic benefits to winemakers. Alternative less expensive ageing methods and improved control on the wood components extraction process, may contribute to obtaining high-quality wines

Strategies to Improve the Potential Functionality of Fruit-Based Fermented Beverages

It is only recently that fermentation has been facing a dynamic revival in the food industry. Fermented fruit-based beverages are among the most ancient products consumed worldwide, while in recent years special research attention has been granted to assess their functionality. This review highlights the functional potential of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented fruit beverages in terms of chemical and nutritional profiles that impact on human health, considering the natural occurrence and enrichment of fermented fruit-based beverages in phenolic compounds, vitamins and minerals, and pro/prebiotics. The health benefits of fruit-based beverages that resulted from lactic, acetic, alcoholic, or symbiotic fermentation and specific daily recommended doses of each claimed bioactive compound were also highlighted. The latest trends on pre-fermentative methods used to optimize the extraction of bioactive compounds (maceration, decoction, and extraction assisted by supercritical fluids, microwave, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, high pressure homogenization, or enzymes) are critically assessed. As such, optimized fermentation processes and post-fermentative operations, reviewed in an industrial scale-up, can prolong the shelf life and the quality of fermented fruit beverages