This work had as main objectives to characterize two bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) previously isolated from non-fermented seafood, in order to evaluate their potential as new ...food protective agents. The two bacteriocinogenic isolates were identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) using genus- and species-specific primers, and confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing, as
Enterococcus faecium and
Pediococcus pentosaceus. The antimicrobial spectrum of each strain included several indicator microorganisms, some of them also isolated from seafood. Growth of
Listeria innocua,
L. monocytogenes,
Staphylococcus aureus,
Bacillus cereus and other LAB species were inhibited, although no inhibition of Gram-negative microorganisms was observed. Proteolytic, but not lipolytic or glycolytic enzymes, completely inactivated the antimicrobial effect of both cell-free supernatants confirming the proteinaceous nature of the inhibitors. The antimicrobial activity was maintained after treatment with NaCl, SDS, Triton X-100, Tween 20, Tween 80 and EDTA after 2 h or 5 h of exposure and both bacteriocins were stable over a wide range of pH and temperatures. Production of bacteriocin by
E. faecium (bacALP7) was detected initially at exponential phase and reached a maximum activity of 25,600 AU/ml in the early stationary phase, whereas bacteriocin production by
P. pentosaceus ALP57 (bacALP57) reached the maximum at exponential phase with 12,800 AU/ml. The bacteriocins did not kill
L. monocytogenes ESB54 nor
L. innocua 2030c however, cellular growth was reduced. The partially purified bacteriocins, bacALP7 and bacALP57, were below 6.5 kDa in size as determined by Tricine-SDS gel electrophoresis.
E. faecium and
P. pentosaceus contained DNA fragments corresponding in size to those recorded for enterocin B and pediocin PA-1, respectively. Sequencing of the fragments from both bacteriocins confirmed the homology. To our knowledge, for the first time two LAB producing bacteriocins similar to pediocin PA-1 and enterocin B, were isolated from non-fermented shellfish. The adaptation of the cultures to seafood matrices may be advantageous in terms of application as a biopreservation strategy for reduction of
L. monocytogenes levels in seafood products.
There were increased reports of fevers and febrile reactions in young children (particularly children aged <5 years) receiving the Seqirus/CSL Southern Hemisphere 2010 trivalent inactivated influenza ...vaccine (IIV3). Modifying the vaccine manufacturing process by increasing the minimum concentration of splitting agent (sodium taurodeoxycholate TDOC) from 0.5% w/v to 1.5% w/v for all strains resolved this issue. The current analysis compared fever rates in three pediatric studies of Seqirus IIV3 (S-IIV3) or quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (S-IIV4), prepared using the modified manufacturing process, with fever rates in three pediatric studies of historical (pre-2010) IIV3 formulations. The historical IIV3 formulations, S-IIV3, and S-IIV4 had 0/3, 2/3, and 4/4 vaccine strains split at 1.5% TDOC, respectively.
For each study, fever rates (any grade and severe) were determined for the following age subgroups (as applicable), using the fever intensity grading system used in the S-IIV3/S-IIV4 studies: 6 months to <3 years; 3 to <5 years; 5 to <9 years; and 9 to <18 years.
For each age subgroup, the any grade and severe fever rates were lower in the S-IIV3/S-IIV4 studies than in the historical IIV3 formulation studies, with the greatest differences in fever rates observed in the youngest age groups. In the 6 months to <3 years group, the any grade fever rate was 7.0% (severe fever: 2.5%) in one S-IIV4 study compared with 38.7% to 40.0% (severe fever: 9.6% to 17.8%) in the historical IIV3 formulation studies. In the 3 to <5 years subgroup, the any grade fever rate was 4.9% (severe fever: 1.2%) in one S-IIV4 study compared with 34.1% to 36.0% (severe fever: 6.3% to 16.5%) in the historical IIV3 formulation studies.
This analysis provides clinical evidence that the modified manufacturing process improved the fever profile across all pediatric age groups, in particular, in children aged <5 years.
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•Reuse music medieval parchments contain rare finds of lost local music tradition of great musicological interest.•Combining paleographic analysis with scientific investigation helps ...to recovery dating, provenance, origin, and attribution of reused manuscripts.•Selected noninvasive and portable photographic and spectrochemical techniques help increase the readability of texts and identify writing materials.•Comparing the relative ratios of the chemical elements of medieval inks can confirm the attribution of different manuscripts to the same original volume and differentiate the stages of writing.
In this research, we analyzed two handwritten music parchments, dated back between the late 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, using non-invasive multiband (MBI) and reflectance transformation imaging (RTI), portable Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), and External Reflection FTIR spectrometry (ER-FTIR). The two parchments were discovered in different libraries in Northern Italy, in Milan and Pavia, respectively, as covers of paper books (a manuscript and a printed book). Since the findings represent a valuable evidence of rare Lombard polyphonic music of the late Middle Ages, they have aroused great musicological and philological interest leading to the fusion of humanistic disciplines with multiple analytical set-ups to get insights into their story. The paleographic, stylistic, and musical similarity of the two manuscripts raised questions about their origin: whether the two fragments were originally part of the same musical manuscript disassembled at a later period and reused as book covers, and whether different portions of the manuscripts were written at different stages of time. The study addressed the origin of the parchments through the non-invasive spectrochemical and superficial characterization of the inks and parchment substrate. The results of the proposed multi-analytical approach proved effective and reliable in the morphological and chemical distinction of medieval inks from inks applied in later periods and identifying parchment manufacturing processes and degradation products. In addition, relative ratios Cu/Fe and Zn/Cu were used as fingerprints for black inks confirming the common origin of the two medieval musical manuscripts and the writing of different portions of the manuscripts using the same ink, likely within a short period. Overall, this study highlights not only the synergic contribution of a multidisciplinary approach, but also limitations and analytical strategies to overcome critical drawbacks in the analysis of historical manuscripts.
Highlights • First report of Seqirus IIV4 in children aged 5–17 years. • Immunogenicity of Seqirus IIV4 was noninferior to a US-licensed comparator IIV4. • Fever rates were similar for both vaccines ...in children 5–8 years and 9–17 years.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong ...biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year‐on‐year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non‐vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its ‘Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles’, which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly.
Objective
To examine the association between nondefect adverse birth outcomes and in utero exposure to zidovudine (ZDV)‐containing regimens versus non‐ZDV antiretroviral (ARV) regimens.
Design
...Analysis of prospectively‐collected data.
Setting
Global.
Population
HIV‐infected pregnant women prenatally exposed to antiretrovirals.
Methods
Estimation of prevalence of and risk for nondefect adverse birth outcomes among HIV‐infected women.
Main outcome measures
Prevalence of and risk for nondefect adverse birth outcomes.
Results
Among 12 780 singleton birth outcomes with in utero ZDV exposure, 96.1% were live births; 3.9% were spontaneous abortions, induced abortions or stillbirths. Among live births, 16.4% were low birthweight (LBW); 12.3% were premature. Among 1904 outcomes with in utero exposure to non‐ZDV ARV regimens, 85.8% were live births; 14.2% were spontaneous abortions, induced abortions or stillbirths. Among live births, 14.1% were LBW; 12.4% were premature. Relative risk comparing exposure to ZDV‐containing ARV regimens to non‐ZDV ARV regimens for spontaneous abortions was 0.18 (95% confidence interval 95% CI 0.14–0.22); induced abortions 0.28 (95% CI 0.22–0.36); stillbirths 0.76 (95% CI 0.51–1.12); premature births 1.00 (95% CI 0.87–1.15) and LBW 1.17 (95% CI 1.02–1.33).
Conclusion
Prevalence of nondefect adverse birth outcomes is lower among outcomes with in utero ZDV exposure versus in utero non‐ZDV ARV exposure. The risks for spontaneous and induced abortions were no different for ZDV‐containing regimens versus non‐ZDV ARV regimens. For premature births and stillbirths, there was no significant difference in risk between the two regimens. The risk of LBW was statistically significantly higher among ZDV‐containing regimens versus non‐ZDV ARV regimens.
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ZDV‐containing regimens do not increase the risk for nondefect adverse birth outcomes.
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ZDV‐containing regimens do not increase the risk for nondefect adverse birth outcomes.
Some recent studies evaluated the role of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (2-18FFDG) as a radiopharmaceutical for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in patients with ...Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). This article aims to perform a systematic review in this setting. A comprehensive computer literature search in PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane library databases regarding the role of 2-18FFDG PET/CT in patients with COVID-19 was carried out. This combination of key words was used: (A) “PET” OR “positron emission tomography” AND (B) “COVID” OR “SARS”. Only pertinent original articles were selected; case reports and very small case series were excluded. We have selected 11 original studies of 2-18FFDG PET/CT in patients with COVID-19. Evidence-based data showed first preliminary applications of this diagnostic tool in this clinical setting, with particular regard to the incidental detection of interstitial pneumonia suspected for COVID-19. To date, according to evidence-based data, 2-18FFDG PET/CT cannot substitute or integrate high-resolution CT to diagnose suspicious COVID-19 or for disease monitoring, but it can only be useful to incidentally detect suspicious COVID-19 lesions in patients performing this imaging method for standard oncological and non-oncological indications. Published data about the possible role of 2-18FFDG PET/CT in patients with COVID-19 are increasing, but larger studies are warranted.
Laparoscopic anterior lumbar interbody fusion (L-ALIF), which employs laparoscopic cameras to facilitate a less invasive approach, originally gained traction during the 1990s but has subsequently ...fallen out of favor. As the envelope for endoscopic approaches continues to be pushed, a recurrence of interest in laparoscopic and/or endoscopic anterior approaches seems possible. Therefore, evaluating the current evidence base in regard to this approach is of much clinical relevance. To this end, a systematic literature search was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using the following keywords: "(laparoscopic OR endoscopic) AND (anterior AND lumbar)." Out of the 441 articles retrieved, 22 were selected for quantitative analysis. The primary outcome of interest was the radiographic fusion rate. The secondary outcome was the incidence of perioperative complications. Meta-analysis was performed using RStudio's "metafor" package. Of the 1,079 included patients (mean age, 41.8±2.9 years), 481 were males (44.6%). The most common indication for L-ALIF surgery was degenerative disk disease (reported by 18 studies, 81.8%). The mean follow-up duration was 18.8±11.2 months (range, 6-43 months). The pooled fusion rate was 78.9% (95% confidence interval CI, 68.9-90.4). Complications occurred in 19.2% (95% CI, 13.4-27.4) of L-ALIF cases. Additionally, 7.2% (95% CI, 4.6-11.4) of patients required conversion from L-ALIF to open surgery. Although L-ALIF does not appear to be supported by studies available in the literature, it is important to consider the context from which these results have been obtained. Even if these results are taken at face value, the failure of endoscopy to have a role in the ALIF approach does not mean that it should not be incorporated in posterior approaches.
•Different genetic context carries qnrVC in Enterobacterales from aquatic matrices.•qnrVC and blaKPC are co-carried in conjugative plasmids in Enterobacterales•Description of qnrVC variants in ...Enterobacter and Klebsiella
Objective: In contrast to other qnr families, qnrVC has been reported mainly in Vibrio spp. inserted in class 1 integrons. This study aimed to identify the variants of qnrVC genes detected in KPC-2-producing Enterobacter and Klebsiella strains isolated from Brazilian coastal waters and the genetic contexts associated with their occurrence.
Methods: qnrVC variants were identified by Sanger sequencing. Stains were typified by PFGE. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation assays, and WGS were applied to identify the strains’ antimicrobial resistance profile, qnrVC and blaKPC-2 co-transference, and qnrVC genetic context.
Results: qnrVC1 was identified in 15 Enterobacter and three Klebsiella, and qnrVC4 in two Enterobacter strains. PFGE revealed 12 clonal profiles of Enterobacter and one of Klebsiella. Strains were resistant to aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, fosfomycin, quinolones, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Co-transference of qnrVC and blaKPC were obtained from five representative Enterobacter strains, which showed resistance to ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate, and reduced susceptibility to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, meropenem, and ciprofloxacin. WGS analysis from representative strains revealed one K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae, one E. soli, four E. kobei, and seven isolates belonging to Enterobacter Taxon 3. Long-read WGS showed qnrVC and blaKPC carried by the same replicon on Klebsiella and Enterobacter strains, and the qnrVC association with not previously described genetic environments composed of insertion sequences and truncated genes. These contexts occurred in small and high-molecular-weight plasmids belonging to IncFII, IncP6, pKPC-CAV1321, and IncU groups.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that the dissemination of qnrVC among Enterobacterales in Brazilian coastal waters is associated with several genetic recombination events.
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