Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the treatment of Clostridioides Difficile (CD)-infected patients given the increasing number of co-infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this context, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) shows promise in modulating the immune system’s function and alleviating the burdens associated with this condition. Methods: To achieve this goal, we performed a comparative, retrospective, single-center study on 86 patients (admitted between January 2020 and March 2022). We based our approach on specific inclusion criteria: 1. The study group included 46 co-infected patients (COVID-19 and CD) receiving antibiotics and FMT; 2. In the control group, 40 co-infected patients received antibiotics only. Our results showed no significant group differences in terms of gender, age, risk factors such as cardiovascular and neurological diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity (p > 0.05), or in pre-treatment inflammatory status, evaluated by white blood cell (WBC) count and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. We report a significant decrease in inflammatory syndrome (CRP, WBC) in coinfected patients receiving FMT in addition to antibiotics (p < 0.05), with a lower relapse rate and mitigation of cramping and abdominal pain (91.3%). In addition, a higher level of fibrinogen, persistent moderate abdominal pain (82.5%), and a significantly higher CD infection relapse rate (42.5%) were recorded in co-infected patients treated only with antibiotics (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our study provides new data to support the multiple benefits of FMT in the case of COVID-19 and CD co-infection by improving patients’ quality of life and inflammatory syndrome.

BackgroundIn the context of an increase number of primary and revision total hip and total knee arthroplasty performed yearly, an increased risk of complication is expected. Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains the most common and feared arthroplasty complication. Ralstonia pickettii is a Gram-negative bacterium, that has also been identified in biofilms. It remains an extremely rare cause of PJI. There is no report of an identification of R. pickettii on an extracted spacer loaded with antibiotic.Case presentationWe present the case of an 83-years-old Caucasian male patient, that underwent a right cemented total hip replacement surgery. The patient is diagnosed with an early PJI with no isolated microorganism. A debridement and change of mobile parts is performed. At the beginning of 2016, the patient in readmitted into the Orthopedic Department for sever, right abdominal and groin pain and elevated serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. A joint aspiration is performed with a negative microbiological examination. A two-stage exchange with long interval management is adopted, and a preformed spacer loaded with gentamicin was implanted. In July 2016, based on the proinflammatory markers evolution, a shift a three-stage exchange strategy is decided. In September 2016, a debridement, and changing of the preformed spacer loaded with gentamicin with another was carried out. Bacteriological examination of the tissues sampled intraoperatively was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From the sonication fluid, no bacteria were isolated on culture or identified using the bbFISH assay. During the hospitalization period, the patient received i.v. ceftazidime 3x2g/day and p.o. ciprofloxacin 2x750mg/day, antibiotic therapy that was continued after discharge with p.o. ciprofloxacin 2x750mg/day for 6 weeks. In February 2017, a reimplantation of a revision prosthesis is performed. The retrieved spacer is sonicated, and after 4 days of incubation of the sonication fluid, R. pickettii is isolated. A long term antibiotic therapy with cotrimoxazole being prescribed.ConclusionsBacteria culture of sonication fluid remains the gold standard in diagnosing prosthetic joint infections. R. pickettii remains an extremely rare cause of prosthetic joint infection. Optimal management of R. pickettii prosthetic joint infections of has not been established.

At present, it is necessary to identify specific biochemical, molecular, and genetic markers that can reliably aid in screening digestive cancer and correlate with the degree of disease development. Has-miR-129-5p is a small, non-coding molecule of RNA, circulating in plasma, gastric juice, and other biological fluids; it plays a protective role in tumoral growth, metastasis, etc. Furthermore, it is involved in various diseases, from the development of digestive cancer in cases of downregulation to neurodegenerative diseases and depression. Methods: We examined meta-analyses, research, and studies related to miR-129-5-p involved in digestive cancer and its implications in cancer processes, as well as metastasis, and described its implications in neurological diseases. Conclusions: Our review outlines that miR-129-5p is a significant controller of different pathways, genes, and proteins and influences different diseases. Some important pathways include the WNT and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways; their dysregulation results in digestive neoplasia and neurodegenerative diseases.

The paper presents a study based on the experimental research on the surface quality of the medical implants used for the partial resurfacing of the femoral condylar surface of the knee obtained by single point incremental forming process. The present paper discusses the measuring of the roughness of parts obtained through the previously mentioned process and highlights the factors that influence it. The initial roughness of the punch, the punch diameter, and the friction coefficient between the punch and the blank were considered. Also, the mathematical models that define different roughness parameters were determined.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a developing process with a multifactorial causality in which changes of the synovial fluid characteristics occur. Hypothesis: synovial fluid pH in severe OA is correlated with other patient parameters. Synovial fluid pH from 50 patients with severe OA (knee/hip) was determined. The results were assessed and correlations with the patients antropologic data and biological markers were analyzed. 50 patients (26 knee OA and 24 hip OA) were analyzed. The average synovial fluid pH was 7.35 indicating slightly lower levels than in normal joints. Higher pH values were observed in males, under 60 years, secondary OA, Rh+ and Hbg under 13.5g/dL. Lower pH values were obtained in females, age under 60 years, primary OA, Rh-, Hbg over 13.5g/dL, hypertensive and diabetic patients. The synovial fluid pH may not be an appropriate biomarker for severe OA disease. Some patient variables might be correlated with synovial blood pH.

This paper provides an analysis from a biomechanical perspective of the medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy surgery, a medical procedure commonly used in treating knee osteoarthritis. The aim of this research is to improve the analysed surgical strategy by establishing optimal values for several very important parameters for the geometric planning of this type of surgical intervention. The research methods used are numerical and experimental. We used finite element, a numerical method used to study the intraoperative behavior of the CORA area for different positions of the initiation point of the cut of the osteotomy plane and for different correction angles. We also used an experimental method in order to determine the maximum force which causes the occurrence of cracks or microcracks in the CORA area. This helped us to determine the stresses, the maximum forces, and the force-displacement variations in the hinge area, elements that allowed us to identify the optimal geometric parameters for planning the surgery.

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Using antibiotic impregnated cement is an important mean to treat and prevent periprostetic joint infections. This complication requires for treatment important financial and technical resources. Adding antibiotics to orthopaedic cement may alter its mechanical properties with possible reduced time of prosthesis survival rate. This study analyze the mechanical properties of cement mixed with antibiotics in the operation room, which helps reducing costs and permit a more specific antibiotic local therapy. All tested antibiotics used in this study does not change the mechanical behavior of the orthopaedic cement when mixed in therapeutic doses, all alterations seems to be at a level below clinical significance. Mixing antibiotics in Orthopedic cement leads to minor decrease of the mechanical properties for cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, meropenem and vancomycin and a mechanical significant decrease for gentamicin and clindamycin.