In Vitro Characterization of Hydroxyapatite-Based Coatings Doped with Mg or Zn Electrochemically Deposited on Nanostructured Titanium.

Biomaterials are an important and integrated part of modern medicine, and their development and improvement are essential. The fundamental requirement of a biomaterial is found to be in its interaction with the surrounding environment, with which it must coexist. The aim of this study was to assess the biological characteristics of hydroxyapatite (HAp)-based coatings doped with Mg and Zn ions obtained by the pulsed galvanostatic electrochemical method on the surface of pure titanium (cp-Ti) functionalized with titanium dioxide nanotubes (NTs TiO2) obtained by anodic oxidation. The obtained results highlighted that the addition of Zn or Mg into the HAp structure enhances the in vitro response of the cp-Ti surface functionalized with NT TiO2. The contact angle and surface free energy showed that all the developed surfaces have a hydrophilic character in comparison with the cp-Ti surface. The HAp-based coatings doped with Zn registered superior values than the ones with Mg, in terms of biomineralization, electrochemical behavior, and cell interaction. Overall, it can be said that the addition of Mg or Zn can enhance the in vitro behavior of the HAp-based coatings in accordance with clinical requirements. Antibacterial tests showed that the proposed HAp-Mg coatings had no efficiency against Escherichia coli, while the HAp-Zn coatings registered the highest antibacterial efficiency.

Synthesis and Investigation of Antibacterial Activity of Thin Films Based on TiO2-Ag and SiO2-Ag with Potential Applications in Medical Environment.

Multiple antibiotic resistance has now become a major obstacle to the treatment of infectious diseases. In this context, the application of nanotechnology in medicine is a promising alternative for the prevention of infections with multidrug-resistant germs. The use of silver as a powerful antibacterial agent has attracted much interest. TiO2 and SiO2 thin films enhanced with Ag particles have been developed with the aim of maintaining the transparency of the polymer films. Antibacterial activity was evaluated for a Gram-negative species-Escherichia coli-in concentrations of 105 and 104 CFU/mL in different conditions-activation by UV irradiation, single layer and double layer. Increased antibacterial efficacy of TiO2-deposited foil was found for the tests that had been exposed to UV activation. In the case of bilayer tests, the efficiency was higher compared to those in a single layer, as the contact surface between the films and the bacterial suspension increased. Films can be used as a potential method to limit bacterial growth on hospital surfaces, such as telephone screens and medical equipment, given their optimized characteristics and proven antibacterial efficacy.

Disparities of perceived wellness by smoking and professional status among young individuals in Brasov, Brasov County, Romania.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the association of risk factors such as smoking and professional status (students vs employed) as determinants of disparities in perceived wellness among Romanian individuals. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in which 145 participants were enrolled from December 2017 to February 2018, in Brasov, Brasov County, Transylvania, Romania. We used a simplified Perceived Wellness Survey model to measure the holistic individual perceived wellness status by professional and smoking status. Basic descriptive and multivariate analyses of variance were used to assess and contrast participants' characteristics and wellness score distributions. A factor analysis was used to estimate Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values and calculate standardized Cronbach's coefficients. RESULTS: The average age of our participants was 27.7 years. Compared with students, more employed participants tended to smoke electronic cigarettes (p < 0.0001). The association between professional status and perceived wellness was non-significant. Employed participants were nevertheless more likely to regard themselves as more proactive in dealing with emotional (p < 0.0001), environmental (p = 0.0042), and spiritual issues (p = 0.0039). Perceived physical wellness was statistically different by smoking status (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Among our study participants, there is an association between smoking and perceived wellness. For emotional, environmental, and spiritual domains, employed participants are more likely to regard themselves as more confident. Our study demonstrates the direct application of the Perceived Wellness Survey model in predicting the disparities of perceived wellness among young individuals. It allows health agencies to target disparity interventions among populations with high risk of low perceived wellness.

Retrospective epidemiological survey of diagnostic errors and their implications in the development of human trichinellosis in Brasov County-Romania over a period of 10 years.

Trichinellosis is a disease that is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are polymorphic and can be easily confused for several other diseases (Dupouy-Camet et al., 2002). Consuming pork from untested pigs bred in private households elevates risk of contracting trichinellosis. The aims of this paper were to document the frequency and character of misdiagnoses in a ten-year period in an endemic locale (Brasov County, Romania) and to determine whether implementation of an integrated surveillance program significantly reduced the interval between disease and accurate diagnosis and significantly reduced the average length of hospitalization. All 699 cases of trichinellosis in the County were studied from 1983-1992, of which 314 (44.9%) were initially misdiagnosed. The most frequent misdiagnoses (41.7%) attributed disease to digestive disorders, closely followed by respiratory system disorders (32.5%), allergic reactions 4.4%, kidney problems 4.1%, eyes 2.8% and even neurophysical disorders 4.4%. Implementation of a surveillance program substantially shortened the interval prior to accurate diagnosis, and shortened the length of hospitalization.

Identifying risk factors for symptoms of severe trichinellosis--a case study of 143 infected persons in Brasov, Romania 2001-2008.

The presence of the parasite Trichinella spiralis in humans does not always manifest itself with obvious clinical symptoms; the clinical manifestations of trichinellosis are polymorphic and can cause diagnostic difficulties. Our aim was to identify risk factors that can be linked to the severity of the disease. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 143 cases of trichinellosis admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Brasov, Romania during 2001-2008. We found that children 10 and younger were less prone to exhibit medium or severe symptoms. Patients with leukocytosis had a 1.75 times higher risk of developing medium to severe symptoms relative to those with normal white blood cell counts. Patients with high eosinophil counts had a 2.05 times higher risk of exhibiting average or serious symptoms relative to those with low or normal eosinophil counts. Repeated consumption of contaminated meat increased the chances of developing discernible forms of the disease by 5.25 fold when compared to those who only occasionally ate meat contaminated with Trichinella. Regular consumption of raw or undercooked meat increased the chances of developing medium or severe forms of this disease by 1.67 times when compared to those who consume meat that had been thoroughly cooked.

Molecular characterization and antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus from a multidisciplinary hospital in Romania.

From 2004 to 2005, 60%-72% of invasive Staphylococcus aureus isolates from Romanian hospitals were resistant to methicillin (methicillin-resistant S. aureus [MRSA]), the highest frequency for any European nation. Few reports, however, have addressed the molecular characteristics of S. aureus in Romania. In this study, we utilized spa typing, multilocus sequence typing, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, dru typing, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and detection of virulence factors to characterize 146 S. aureus strains isolated from 2004 to 2005 at the Clinic County Hospital in Brasov. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns for all MRSA isolates and patient demographic data were also obtained. Fifty-six strains (38.4%) were determined to be MRSA by susceptibility testing and SCCmec typing. All MRSA strains were resistant to beta-lactams and tetracycline, but susceptible to nitrofurans, vancomycin, and clindamycin, with inducible clindamycin resistance in 23/28 clindamycin-sensitive/erythromycin-resistant isolates. Molecular typing identified 15 clonal backgrounds (CC 1, 5, 8, 8/239, 9, 15, 20, 22, 25, 30, 45, 80, 97, 101, and 121), only 4 of which were associated with MRSA (CC 1, 8/239, 30, and 80). Spa types 35 (t127, CC 1) and 351 (t030, CC 8/239) accounted for 27.4% and 21.9% of all S. aureus strains, respectively, and 19.6% and 57.1% of all MRSA strains. Both hospital-associated (SCCmec type III) and community-associated (SCCmec type IV) elements were identified within MRSA strains, whereas Panton-Valentine leukocidin was detected in 10 MRSA and 12 methicillin-sensitive S. aureus strains. These results demonstrate the presence of various endemic S. aureus clones within the Clinic County Hospital in Brasov, suggestive of ongoing nosocomial and community transmission.

[Study of germs involved in septicemia]. / Studiu asupra germenilor implicati etiologic in septicemii.

The aims of our study were to determine the etiological spectrum of the systemic infections diagnosed in patients hospitalized in the Brasov County Emergency Hospital between 2000 and 2003. The blood samples were analysed using the BACTEC 9050 hemoculture technique. The most frequent isolated were S. aureus and E. coli, followed by other gram-positive cocci and gram-negative rods.

[Clinical and biological aspects of liver damage in infectious mononucleosis]. / Aspecte clinico-biologice ale afectarii hepatice în mononucleoza infectioasa.

Liver damage, clinical manifest or inapparent is a frequent manifestation of infectious mononucleosis. This study has in view the forms and frequency of manifestation of liver damage in infectious mononucleosis. The retrospective study has included 115 patients with infectious mononucleosis, hospitalised in Brasov Infectious Diseases Hospital between 1.01.1998 and 31.12.2002. The enlargement of the liver as unique manifestation in liver damage was noticed in 27% of the cases; jaundice of the skin and sclerae in 10.4% of the cases; infectious mononucleosis hepatitis in 55.6% of the cases; and in 11.3% of cases high serum levels of GPT were noted. The levels of serum protein were also affected, low-grade increase of protein serum levels--18.2% of the cases, hypoalbuminemia--82.4% of cases and subunitary albumin/globulin ratio in 70.3% of the cases. All these levels might be indicators for liver damage.

[Peripheral eosinophilia associated with ascaridiasis]. / Eozinofilia periferica asociata ascaridiozei.

The positive diagnosis of ascaridiasis is sometimes difficult to identify because the anamnesis is insufficient, the clinical symptoms are poor or not very specific and the paraclinical arguments can be distinguished only in some cases and at different stages of the disease. Furthermore, the coproparasitological examination can ascertain negative results on false basis. Since the specialised literature associates ascaridiasis with peripheral eosinophilia, we attempted to monitor the frequency and the grade of this haematological parameter and its variations when considering the patients sex and age, in order to evaluate its diagnostic value.

[Enterobacteria isolated from different pathological products and their sensitivity to antibiotics]. / Studiu asupra sensibilitatii la antibiotice a enterobacteriilor izolate din diverse produse patologice.

The objectives of the study we have enhanced have focused on identifying the etiological implication of the Enterobacteria isolated from different pathological products and determining their sensitivity to the main antibiotics. We observed that from pharyngeal exudate and sputum the Enterobacter spp. strains were isolated the most frequently while from purulent secretion, urine, puncture liquids and blood, E. coli strains were the most frequently implicated. For all the categories etiologically implicated, there were selected strains resistant to one or more of the antibiotics tested, showing once again the importance of antibiogram in the initiation and control of infections disease treatment.