THE PLEASURE FACTOR IN THE ANTHROPIC ENVIRONMENT AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF BEAUTY

The paper represents a socio-geographic analysis of the products, objects and entities designed and manufactured for an anthropic environment use, looking to evaluate the different types of pleasure and the emotional feedback generated by these elements. The analysis of the four types of pleasure, as well as the innate preference for beauty, was conducted in the urban areas of Lisbon, based on the observations collected in April 2014, with no claims to have gathered all the relevant examples for this modelcity. The conclusion is that the design-approach based on pleasure in the anthropic environment can now be significantly and systematically applied to help create a better environment, in terms of human emotional responses to it

A short observational study regarding the lifestyle intervention in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients - cohort 2010

To evaluate the results in metabolic control at newly discovered type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients regarding the lifestyle optimization only. In this short (1 year) observational study we included a number of 1855 newly discovered T2DM patients. We compared body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), HbA1c, triglycerides (TG), high density level cholesterol (HDLc) all these recorded initially at the diagnosis and then 1 year later. At baseline 52.91% males and 52.41% females were recommended only lifestyle and the rest was treated with metformin, sulfonylurea or insulin. After one year the patients who remained on lifestyle only decreased with only 5%, demonstrating that lifestyle optimization remains one of the most important "therapeutic" tools in the metabolic control of T2DM patients studied.Adipobiology 2012; 4: 103-106

Mixed Etiology COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CAPA)—A Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has proved to be a significant risk addition for invasive infections with Aspergillus. Even though there are plenty of data about the COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), especially involving Aspergillus fumigatus, recent studies are presenting cases of CAPA involving more than one species of Aspergillus. We report the first case of a SARS-CoV-2 patient associating co-infection with, most likely, Aspergillus section Fumigati and Aspergillus section Flavi from Romania, and we review the existing medical literature in order to shed light upon mixed etiology cases of CAPA. Since mortality remains high in these cases, there is an acute need for more information about the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Aspergillus spp., and the therapies for CAPA. The emerging number of cases and the high mortality rate must be considered an incentive for future research

Applications of Polymers for Organ-on-Chip Technology in Urology

Organ-on-chips (OOCs) are microfluidic devices used for creating physiological organ biomimetic systems. OOC technology brings numerous advantages in the current landscape of preclinical models, capable of recapitulating the multicellular assemblage, tissue–tissue interaction, and replicating numerous human pathologies. Moreover, in cancer research, OOCs emulate the 3D hierarchical complexity of in vivo tumors and mimic the tumor microenvironment, being a practical cost-efficient solution for tumor-growth investigation and anticancer drug screening. OOCs are compact and easy-to-use microphysiological functional units that recapitulate the native function and the mechanical strain that the cells experience in the human bodies, allowing the development of a wide range of applications such as disease modeling or even the development of diagnostic devices. In this context, the current work aims to review the scientific literature in the field of microfluidic devices designed for urology applications in terms of OOC fabrication (principles of manufacture and materials used), development of kidney-on-chip models for drug-toxicity screening and kidney tumors modeling, bladder-on-chip models for urinary tract infections and bladder cancer modeling and prostate-on-chip models for prostate cancer modeling

Study of the Influence of the Dielectrophoretic Force on the Preferential Growth of Bacterial Biofilms in 3D Printed Microfluidic Devices

Understanding the effect of different electric potentials upon the preferential formation of biofilms inside microfluidic devices could represent a step forward in comprehending the mechanisms that govern biofilm formation and growth. 3D printed microfluidic devices were used to investigate the influence of the dielectrophoretic forces on the formation and growth of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 biofilms. Bacterial suspensions of 2.5 McF were pushed through microfluidic channels while simultaneously applying various potential differences between 10 and 60 V. The overall electric field distribution within the channel was simulated using the COMOSL software. The effect of the electric potential variation on the preferential biofilm formation was determined using an adjusted microtiter plate technique, as well as a qualitative method, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). SEM images were used to describe the morphology of the biofilm surface. The conclusions show that the dielectrophoretic forces, resulting due to inhomogeneity of the electric field, have more visible effects upon the cells up to 40 V. Above this magnitude, due to a more homogenous distribution of the electric field, the formation and growth of the biofilm become more uniform. At around 60 V, the distance between the high electric gradient regions decreases, leading to an almost uniform distribution of the electric field and, therefore, to a shift from dielectrophoretic to electrophoretic forces acting upon the bacterial cells

Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Urinary Tract Infections Associated with Gut Microbiota in CoV and Non-CoV Patients in a Urological Clinic during the Pandemic: A Single Center Experience

The aim of the study was to compare the profile of COVID-19 (CoV)-infected patients with non-COVID-19 (non-CoV) patients who presented with a multidrug-resistant urinary tract infection (MDR UTI) associated with gut microbiota, as well as analyze the risk factors for their occurrence, the types of bacteria involved, and their spectrum of sensitivity. Methods: We conducted a case–control study on patients admitted to the urology clinic of the “Parhon” Teaching Hospital in Iasi, Romania, between March 2020 and August 2022. The study group consisted of 22 CoV patients with MDR urinary infections associated with gut microbiota. For the control group, 66 non-CoV patients who developed MDR urinary infections associated with gut microbiota were selected. Electronic medical records were analyzed to determine demographics, characteristics, and risk factors. The types of urinary tract bacteria involved in the occurrence of MDR urinary infections and their sensitivity spectrum were also analyzed. Results: Patients in both groups studied were over 60 years of age, with no differences in gender, environment of origin, and rate of comorbidities. Patients in the CoV group had a higher percentage of urosepsis (54.5% versus 21.2%, p p p > 0.05), antibiotic therapy (77.3% versus 87.9%, p > 0.05), and the presence of permanent urinary catheters (77.27% versus 84.85%, p > 0.05). Escherichia coli (31.8% versus 42.4%, p > 0.05), Klebsiella spp. (22.7% versus 34.8%, p > 0.05), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.3% versus 9.1%, p > 0.05) were the most common urinary tract bacteria found in the etiology of MDR urinary infections in CoV and non-CoV patients. A high percentage of the involved MDR urinary tract bacteria were resistant to quinolones (71.4–76.2% versus 80.3–82%, p > 0.05) and cephalosporins (61.9–81% versus 63.9–83.6%, p > 0.05), both in CoV and non-CoV patients. Conclusions: Patients with urological interventions who remain on indwelling urinary catheters are at an increased risk of developing MDR urinary infections associated with gut microbiota resistant to quinolones and cephalosporins. Patients with MDR UTIs who have CoV-associated symptoms seem to have a higher rate of urosepsis and a longer hospitalization length

Easy and Affordable: A New Method for the Studying of Bacterial Biofilm Formation

Background: Bacterial biofilm formation (BBF) proves itself to be in the spotlight of microbiology research due to the wide variety of infections that it can be associated with, the involvement in food spoilage, industrial biofouling and perhaps sewage treatment. However, BBF remains difficult to study due to the lack of standardization of the existing methods and the expensive equipment needed. We aim to describe a new inexpensive and easy to reproduce protocol for a 3D-printed microfluidic device that can be used to study BBF in a dynamic manner. Methods: We used the SolidWorks 3D CAD Software (EducationEdition 2019–2020, Dassault Systèmes, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France) to design the device and the Creality3D Ender 5 printer (Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China) for its manufacture. We cultivated strains of Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For the biofilm evaluation we used optical coherence tomography (OCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and crystal violet staining technique. Results: Based on the analysis, Enterococcus faecalis seems to produce more biofilm in the first hours while Pseudomonas aeruginosa started to take the lead on biofilm production after 24 h. Conclusions: With an estimated cost around €0.1285 for one microfluidic device, a relatively inexpensive and easy alternative for the study of BBF was developed

Factors Associated with Increased Risk of Urosepsis during Pregnancy and Treatment Outcomes, in a Urology Clinic

Background and Objectives: Urosepsis is a significant cause of maternal and fetal mortality. While certain risk factors for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in pregnant women are well established, those associated with an elevated risk of urosepsis in pregnant women with upper UTIs remain less defined. This study aims to identify factors linked to an increased risk of urosepsis and examine urologic treatment outcomes in such cases. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis on 66 pregnant women diagnosed with urosepsis over a nine-year period. A control group included 164 pregnant women with upper UTIs, excluding urosepsis, admitted during the same timeframe. This study highlights factors potentially contributing to urosepsis risk, including comorbidities like anemia, pregnancy-related hydronephrosis or secondary to reno-ureteral lithiasis, prior UTIs, coexisting urological conditions, and urologic procedures. Outcomes of urologic treatments, hospitalization duration, obstetric transfers due to fetal distress, and complications associated with double-J catheters were analyzed. Results: Pregnant women with urosepsis exhibited a higher prevalence of anemia (69.7% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.006), 2nd–3rd grade hydronephrosis (81.8% vs. 52.8%, p = 0.001), and fever over 38 °C (89.4% vs. 42.1%, p = 0.001). They also had a more intense inflammatory syndrome (leukocyte count 18,191 ± 6414 vs. 14,350 ± 3860/mmc, p = 0.001, and C-reactive protein (CRP) 142.70 ± 83.50 vs. 72.76 ± 66.37 mg/dL, p = 0.001) and higher creatinine levels (0.77 ± 0.81 vs. 0.59 ± 0.22, p = 0.017). On multivariate analysis, factors associated with increased risk for urosepsis were anemia (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.622, 95% CI 1.220–5.634), 2nd–3rd grade hydronephrosis (OR 6.581, 95% CI 2.802–15.460), and fever over 38 °C (OR 11.612, 95% CI 4.804–28.07). Regarding outcomes, the urosepsis group had a higher rate of urological maneuvers (87.9% vs. 36%, p = 0.001), a higher rate of obstetric transfers due to fetal distress (22.7% vs. 1.2%, p = 0.001), and migration of double-J catheters (6.1% vs. 0.6%, p = 0.016), but no maternal fatality was encountered. However, they experienced the same rate of total complications related to double-J catheters (19.69% vs. 12.80%, p > 0.05). The pregnant women in both groups had the infection more frequently on the right kidney, were in the second trimester and were nulliparous. Conclusions: Pregnant women at increased risk for urosepsis include those with anemia, hydronephrosis due to gestational, or reno-ureteral lithiasis, and fever over 38 °C. While the prognosis for pregnant women with urosepsis is generally favorable, urological intervention may not prevent a higher incidence of fetal distress and the need for obstetric transfers compared to pregnant women with uncomplicated upper UTIs