Klebsiella pneumoniae cryptogenic liver abscess and endophthalmitis – a case report and review of literature

Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as the predominant pathogenic agent of liver abscess in Asia, and the incidence is increasing worldwide. Hypervirulent strains are associated with septic metastatic dissemination in the eyes, lungs, and central nervous system, causing severe morbidity. We present the case of a 54year old man, with no previous comorbidities, admitted in emergency for the blind red painful eye. Further investigation documented septic endophthalmitis with transscleral extension and orbital cellulitis. Thoraco-abdominal computed tomography evidenced a hepatic abscess as the locus of the primary infection. Intravenous antibiotherapy with cefuroxime, followed by meropenem and vancomycin were efficient for managing the hepatic abscess. However, as the eyeball was perforated at the admission, evisceration was performed. The vitreous sample revealed Klebsiella pneumoniae, with a positive string test as the etiologic agent. The diagnostic and therapeutic management required a permanent collaboration between an ophthalmologist, infectious diseases specialist, surgeon, and radiologist

Blockchain-Based Educational Certificates: A Proposal

The development of science and technology is very fast and even increases year by year, especially in the education system. However, in practice, a lot of learning systems continue to employ traditional methods and thus, learning becomes a less active process. Thanks to the technological improvements that have taken place over time, the concept of Blockchain could be integrated in the educational sector. Although mainly used for digital currencies, it seems that it could significantly impact healthcare, pharmaceutical industry/drug supply chain management, and now, the educational sector. Hence, Blockchain is used by the majority of current systems as a secure mechanism for confirming and transferring student data, academic credentials, and databases of educational organizations. Thanks to Blockchain, which gives students a powerful tool to manage and share their learning success, employers can rely on trustworthy, realistic representations of students’ potential based on academic achievement (trusted verification). This chapter aims to define the concept of Blockchain, both in general terms and within the educational system. It also aims to carry out a case study among students and establish correlations between their answers

The Influence of Perinatal Education on Breastfeeding Decision and Duration

Objectives: to evaluate factors influencing breastfeeding duration in an integrative model, considering both the organization of medical care and the perinatal education.Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study with data collected in a face to face interview of 1,008 mothers with children aged between 9 and 14 months The questionnaire focused on the main characteristics of a Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital initiative and the type of perinatal education received by pregnant women. Correlation and partial correlation tests, non-parametric tests and classification tests were applied. Data were processed in SPSS 12.0 software.Results: The positive effects of Mother Baby Friendly Hospitals Organization initiative organization were confirmed. However, the main differentiator for breastfeeding duration was the level of formal education of pregnant mothers and the active seeking of perinatal education (r = 0.22, p< 0.001). The perinatal counseling was correlated with breastfeeding duration only for the subgroup participating to structured, dedicated time slot apart from the regular medical consultation (r = 0.079; p = 0.014), independently of mother’s age, education, residence, time to first breastfeeding contact, type of birth delivery and rooming in. Our results support a broader approach to perinatal education than medical counseling during pregnancy to increase the voluntary participation of future mothers to the perinatal educational programs.Conclusion: As mothers’ motivation to maintain the optimum duration of breastfeeding is a determinant factor, an earlier and sustained educational process, before pregnancy and after birth delivery, is necessary in order to create a general favorability for exclusive breastfeeding

THE INFLUENCE OF STEAM ON SOME CHEMICAL SOIL PROPERTIES - REVIEW

Soil forms a thing mantle over the Eart¢s surface and acts as the interface between the atmosphere and lithosphere, the outermost shell of the Earth. It is a multiphase system, consisting of mineral material, plant roots, water and gases, and organic matter at various stages of decay (Bardgett R., 2005,). Soil temperature influence plant nutrients uptake through a multitude of chemical, physical and biological processes that intercat over wide range of spatial and temporal scales (BassiriRad H, 2005) Steaming is traditionally used in glasshouses to sterilise the soil and control both weeds and diseases prior to crop establishment. Steam is applied under pressure beneath metal pans forced down onto freshly formed beds for periods of 3-8 minutes. The steam raises the soil temperature to 70-100 °C killing most weed seeds to a depth of at least 10 cm. The increase in inorganic substances in soil due to steaming means an increased fertility as more nutrients become available for the plant (Bond et al., 2003

The dermoscopic rainbow pattern - a review of the literature

The “rainbow” pattern is a relatively new dermoscopic term that describes a bluish-reddish coloration together with various colors of the rainbow observable mainly through polarized light dermoscopy. Despite several theories, the rainbow pattern has not yet been clearly associated with any particular histological structure. This feature has been described in skin lesions with abundant vascularization such as Kaposi’s sarcoma, basal cell carcinoma, scars, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and others. In this paper we conducted a review of the available studies regarding the appearance of the rainbow pattern in different pathologies. Furthermore, we present a detailed description of the physical phenomenon in order to obtain a better understanding of this peculiar dermoscopic feature. </p

Chemical composition, diuretic, and antityrosinase activity of traditionally used romanian cerasorum stipites

Cherry stems (CS) represent a by-product intensively used in Eastern European countries as a traditional remedy for urinary tract disorders. Ethnopharmacological evidences sustain the use of CS as aqueous preparations (infusion and decoction), but few data were previously reported about phytochemical profile and pharmacological potential of CS hydroalcoholic extracts. In this regard, we aimed to evaluate the phenolic profile, in vitro antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory potential, and in vivo diuretic activity of 70% hydroethanolic cherry stems extract and cherry stems decoction (CSD). LC-DAD-ESI/MSn analysis revealed the presence of flavonoid-type compounds as main constituents for both preparations, especially flavanones (naringenin glycosides). Antioxidant activity evaluated through DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP methods was superior for cherry stems extract, probably due to the presence of phenolic-derived compounds in higher amounts than CSD. On the other hand, tyrosinase inhibitory potential and diuretic effect exerted by CSD were stronger, highlighting that other types of hydrophilic secondary metabolites are responsible for this bioactivity. Overall, our findings indicate that CS preparations could be used as promising mild diuretic agents and encourage further investigations regarding the correlation between their chemical composition and bioactive potential.This work was supported by a Grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CCCDI—UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-5360, within PNCDI III.” The authors MID, LB, and ICFRF are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); national funding by F.C.T. and P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract for MID and LB contracts. To FEDER-Interreg Es-paña- Portugal programme for financial support through the project TRANSCoLAB 0612_TRANS_CO_LAB_2_P.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio