Diffusion of Clostridium perfringens NetB positive strains in healthy and diseased chickens

For over 30 years α toxin was considered the key virulence factor responsible for the appearance of necrotic enteritis (NE) in chickens but, recently, a new toxin related to the occurrence of NE, called NetB, has been described. The aim of this work was to evaluate the CP toxin-type and the NetB gene presence in strains collected from chickens affected or not by enteric diseases. 107 strains were tested: 30 isolated from chickens affected by NE, 54 from subjects affected by other enteric pathologies and 22 from healthy animals. All strains resulted toxin-type A and 26.17% of these was positive also for β2 toxin gene. No strains were positive for cpe gene. 27% (29/107) of CP was NetB positive and 93% (27/29) of these was isolated from birds affected by intestinal disorders. 16 NetB positive strains were obtained from chickens affected by NE (16/30), 9 from animals affected by other intestinal disorders (9/54) and 4 from healthy animals (4/22). A significant difference between the number of NetB positive strains isolated from animals affected by NE and healthy chickens has been observed (P=0.014). However, the finding that the 17.4% of strains isolated from healthy chickens was also positive for NetB, confirm that other virulence factors could play an important role on NE appearance

Outbreak of pseudotuberculosis in commercial guinea fowls (Numida meleagris)

The present paper reports an outbreak of pseudotuberculosis in guinea fowls reared for meat production. The clinical and pathological features as well as the results of the laboratory investigations are described. To the knowledge of the authors this is the first reported case of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection in guinea-fowls

Progression to Type 2 Diabetes in Women with Former Gestational Diabetes: Time Trajectories of Metabolic Parameters

Aim of this study was analyzing the time trajectories of the metabolic parameters in European women with former gestational diabetes (fGDM), and determining predictors of type 2 diabetes onset. A group of seventy-six fGDM women were studied at the outpatient department of the University Clinic of Vienna. They were evaluated yearly with a 3 h-oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) up to 7-years from delivery. At baseline, women also underwent an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function were assessed by both OGTT and IVGTT. Women were divided into progressors (PROG) to diabetes (n = 19) and non-progressors (n = 57). Time trajectories of glycemia and other parameters were analyzed after synchronization to time of diabetes onset or last OGTT. Then, Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to assess the predictive power of studied variables for diabetes onset. We found that, in PROG, time trajectories of glycemia were flat until diabetes onset, when they showed a marked increase (P<0.0001). Insulin sensitivity showed similar marked decrease (P<0.0001) at diabetes onset, together with a tendency to continuous slow decline in the previous years. At contrast, beta-cell function showed only continuous slow decline. Major predictors of diabetes onset were glycemic levels, BMI, insulin resistance, and condition of impaired glucose tolerance. In conclusion, in fGDM, marked deterioration of insulin sensitivity is associated with diabetes onset. Prevention strategies aimed at opposing to the insulin sensitivity derangement may be particularly beneficial

Detection of Clostridium tetani Neurotoxins Inhibited In Vivo by Botulinum Antitoxin B: Potential for Misleading Mouse Test Results in Food Controls

The presence of botulinum neurotoxin-producing Clostridia (BPC) in food sources is a public health concern. In favorable environmental conditions, BPC can produce botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) outside or inside the vertebrate host, leading to intoxications or toxico-infectious forms of botulism, respectively. BPC in food are almost invariably detected either by PCR protocols targeted at the known neurotoxin-encoding genes, or by the mouse test to assay for the presence of BoNTs in the supernatants of enrichment broths inoculated with the tested food sample. The sample is considered positive for BPC when the supernatant contains toxic substances that are lethal to mice, heat-labile and neutralized in vivo by appropriate polyclonal antibodies raised against purified BoNTs of different serotypes. Here, we report the detection in a food sample of a Clostridium tetani strain that produces tetanus neurotoxins (TeNTs) with the above-mentioned characteristics: lethal for mice, heat-labile and neutralized by botulinum antitoxin type B. Notably, neutralization occurred with two different commercially available type B antitoxins, but not with type A, C, D, E and F antitoxins. Although TeNT and BoNT fold very similarly, evidence that antitoxin B antiserum can neutralize the neurotoxic effect of TeNT in vivo has not been documented before. The presence of C. tetani strains in food can produce misleading results in BPC detection using the mouse test

Baseline characteristics (mean±SE) of subjects progressing to type 2 diabetes (PROG) and not progressing (NONPROG).

<p>Values of the variables in the whole cohort are also reported.</p>*<p>Significant difference between PROG and NONPROG</p>†<p>Significant diabetes predictor in univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis</p

Time trajectories of the main metabolic parameters.

<p>OGIS (a), HOMA-R (b), beta-cell glucose sensitivity (c), insulin secretion at 5.5 mmol/l glucose level (d), fasting insulin secretion (e), total insulin secretion (f), rate sensitivity (g), and BMI (h), in PROG. Data (mean±SE) are reported from year −5 to year 0 (time of diabetes onset). The number of subjects at each time sample is: 6, 6, 9, 10, 13, 19 (from year −5 to year 0, respectively).</p

Kaplan-Meier plots of diabetes-free survival.

<p>Plots refer to mean glucose (top), BMI (medium), insulin sensitivity (bottom). For each variable, subjects have been stratified for tertiles (low, medium, high). Numbers of subjects at risk in each stratum at each year have been reported. Log-rank χ² statistics was 13.3 (P = 0.001) for mean glucose, 10.7 (P = 0.005) for BMI, 12.6 (P = 0.002) for insulin sensitivity.</p

Time trajectories of glycemic levels.

<p>Fasting glucose (top), 2 h glucose (center) and mean glucose (bottom) in PROG (solid line) and NONPROG (dashed line). Data (mean±SE) are reported from year −5 to year 0 (time of diabetes onset for PROG, and of last examination for NONPROG). In PROG, the number of subjects at each time sample is: 6, 6, 9, 10, 13, 19 (from year −5 to year 0, respectively); in NONPROG: 45, 51, 48, 38, 25, 57, respectively.</p

Compatibilità, efficacia, sostenibilità come indicatori per l’intervento e la manutenzione tra tradizione e innovazione

The management of restoration interventions, in a complex context such as the case of Venice, requires specific methodologies for the monitoring of the pre- and postintervention conservative state. It is indeed necessary to take into account the current environmental conditions but also the environmental conditions that are expected to occur in the future, with specific regard to both climate change and the effects due to the activation of the system of mobile dams "MOSE". This paper presents some of the preliminary results of the interdisciplinary research programme called "Venezia 2021", relating to the development of a methodology based on a set of indicators and descriptors to assess the vulnerability of the elements of the built heritage and therefore useful for the design of the conservative intervention and its monitoring throughout time. The definition of the intervention and monitoring plan takes advantage of the formulated indicators, which best represent the case study and which best define its vulnerability. Indicators, which can be defined as quantitative or qualitative factors or variables, thus provide an instrument for measuring whether the desired result, value or criterion has been reached or met; they can therefore be useful to assess long-term trends and to provide essential information in the planning of interventions, including with the involvement of stakeholders