Supramolecular Sensing of Chemical Warfare Agents.

AbstractChemical warfare agents are a class of organic molecules used as chemical weapons due to their high toxicity and lethal effects. For this reason, the fast detection of these compounds in the environment is crucial. Traditional detection methods are based on instrumental techniques, such as mass spectrometry or HPLC, however the use of molecular sensors able to change a detectable property (e. g., luminescence, color, electrical resistance) can be cheaper and faster. Today, molecular sensing of chemical warfare agents is mainly based on the "covalent approach", in which the sensor reacts with the analyte, or on the "supramolecular approach", which involves the formation of non‐covalent interactions between the sensor and the analyte. This Review is focused on the recent developments of supramolecular sensors of organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (from 2013). In particular, supramolecular sensors are classified by function of the sensing mechanism: i) Lewis Acids, ii) hydrogen bonds, iii) macrocyclic hosts, iv) multi‐topic sensors, v) nanosensors. It is shown how the supramolecular non‐covalent approach leads to a reversible sensing and higher selectivity towards the selected analyte respect to other interfering molecules

The gut microbiota of the wood-feeding termite Reticulitermes lucifugus (Isoptera; Rhinotermitidae)

Termite gut is host to a complex microbial community consisting of prokaryotes, and in some cases flagellates, responsible for the degradation of lignocellulosic material. Here we report data concerning the analysis of the gut microbiota of Reticulitermes lucifugus (Rossi), a lower termite species that lives in underground environments and is widespread in Italy, where it causes damage to wood structures of historical and artistic monuments. A 16S rRNA gene clone library revealed that the R. lucifugus gut is colonized by members of five phyla in the domain Bacteria: Firmicutes (49 % of clones), Proteobacteria (24 %), Spirochaetes (14 %), the candidatus TG1 phylum (12 %), and Bacteroidetes (1 %). A collection of cellulolytic aerobic bacteria was isolated from the gut of R. lucifugus by enrichment cultures on different cellulose and lignocellulose substrates. Results showed that the largest amount of culturable cellulolytic bacteria of R. lucifugus belongs to Firmicutes in the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus (67 %). These isolates are also able to grow on xylan and show the largest clear zone diameter in the Congo red test. Reticulitermes lucifugus hosts a diverse community of bacteria and could be considered an acceptable source of hydrolytic enzymes for biotechnological applications

Regeneration of cellulose by water addition to phosphoric acid/cellulose mixture

In the last years, phosphoric acid has been increasingly considered as a simple and economic solvent for cellulose pretreatment before its degradation to glucose. Cellulose swells in 71–80% phosphoric acid solutions, whereas at higher H3PO4 concentrations dissolution appears to occur. In addition, it is reported that regenerated cellulose is more easily fermentable to bioethanol. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism for cellulose regeneration following treatment with phosphoric acid at room temperature. CPMAS 13C NMR spectra revealed a downfield shift of the 13C NMR signals from the regenerated cellulose as compared to the crystalline one. CPMAS 31P NMR spectroscopy showed presence of organic phosphate in the regenerated cellulose. These results suggested that cellulose regeneration consisted in the precipitation of a phosphorylated polymer. Fast field cycling NMR relaxometry confirmed such hypothesis. In fact, the correlation time of water saturated crystalline cellulose was shorter than that measured for the water saturated regenerated cellulose. The phosphate groups bound to the regenerated cellulose surface allow restriction of water mobility, thereby producing longer correlation times. Finally turbidimetric analyses revealed that the mechanism of regeneration consisted in a first reduction of the colloidal cellulose size followed by aggregation, colloidal size increment and flocculation. This study is of paramount importance to understand how phosphoric acid interact with cellulose in order to address its possible uses in biomass transformation for bioenergy purposes

Medications prescriptions in COVID-19 pregnant and lactating women: the Bergamo Teratology Information Service experience during COVID-19 outbreak in Italy

Abstract Objectives The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) outbreak in Italy, especially in Lombardy and Bergamo city, represented probably nowadays one of the first major clusters of COVID-19 in the world. The aim of this report is to describe the activity of Bergamo Teratology Information Service (TIS) in supporting the public and health-care personnel in case of drug prescriptions in suspected/confirmed COVID-19 pregnant and lactating patients during COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Methods All Bergamo TIS requests concerning COVID-19 pregnant and lactating women have been retrospectively evaluated from 1 March to 15 April 2020. Type of medications, drug's safety profile and compatibility with pregnancy and lactation are reported. Results Our service received information calls concerning 48 (9 pregnant, 35 lactating) patients. Among pregnant and lactating women, the requests of information were related to 16 and 60 drugs prescriptions respectively. More than half concerned drugs prescriptions during the first and second trimester (13/16) and during the first six months of lactation (37/60). Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were the most involved. Conclusions Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin at dosages used for COVID-19 may be considered compatible and reasonably safe either in pregnancy and lactation. Antivirals may be considered acceptable in pregnancy. During lactation lopinavir and ritonavir probably exhibit some supportive data from literature that darunavir and cobicistat do not. Tocilizumab may be considered for COVID-19 treatment because no increased malformation rate were observed until now. However caution may be advised because human data are limited and the potential risk of embryo-fetal toxicity cannot be excluded

Analisi della comunità microbica intestinale di Reticulitermes lucifugus (Rossi) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

L’intestino delle termiti ospita una comunità microbica di batteri e flagellati anaerobi, responsabile della degradazione del materiale lignocellulosico. La digestione della lignocellulosa da parte delle termiti dipende dalla simbiosi con microrganismi procarioti ed eucarioti che vivono nel loro intestino. I microrganismi trasformano la cellulosa in zuccheri e acetato, producendo idrogeno, metano e anidride carbonica. Abbiamo analizzato la comunità microbica intestinale di Reticulitermes lucifugus lucifugus, una delle due specie di termiti italiane, che vive in ambienti sotterranei, è distruttiva per le strutture legnose degli ambienti urbani causando seri danni ai monumenti storici e può colonizzare le abitazioni, scavando gallerie all'interno di pali di sostegno, travi e tavole. Studi preliminari sulla comunità microbica dei simbionti di R. lucifugus, hanno descritto alcune specie di protozoi (e.g. Dynenympha sp., Pyrsonimpha flagellata Leidy, Spyrotriconimpha flagellata Grassi e Foà, Holomastigotes elongatum, Triconympha agilis Leidy) ma non ci sono ancora informazioni sui simbionti batterici. Dall’intestino della termite è stato estratto il DNA metagenomico, da cui è stato amplificato l’rDNA 16S tramite PCR (polymerase chain reaction), usando primers universali per i procarioti. E’ stata costruita una libreria i cui cloni sono stati raggruppati in OTU (Operational Taxonomic Units) tramite analisi ARDRA (Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis). Per ogni OTU sono stati sequenziati uno o più cloni e le sequenze sono state confrontate con quelle presenti in banca dati. L’analisi delle sequenze ha evidenziato che la comunità microbica di Reticulitermes lucifugus lucifugus è molto diversificata, sono presenti clostridi, beta e delta proteobatteri, batteri appartenenti al genere Treponema and Uncultured Termite group I, presenti nel microbiota di altre temiti Inoltre per isolare la frazione di batteri cellulosolitici dall’intestino di Reticulitermes lucifugus lucifugus, sono state allestite colture di arricchimento su diversi substrati, quali carta, eucalipto, pino, noce e CMC (carbossimetilcellulosa). Gli isolati ottenuti sono stati caratterizzati e alcuni, risultati positivi al test del rosso congo, identificati. I risultati preliminari di questa analisi mostrano una prevalenza di batteri gram positivi low GC appartenenti al genere Bacillus, ma anche di alpha e beta proteobacteria.La conoscenza più approfondita delle specie batteriche presenti nell’intestino di Reticulitermes lucifugus lucifugus potrebbe fornire utili informazioni per contrastare il loro attacco alle strutture legnose, contribuendo così a preservare il patrimonio artistico italiano

Estimating diagnostic accuracy of tests for latent tuberculosis infection without a gold standard among healthcare workers

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Higher Frequency of T-Cell Response to M. tuberculosis Latency Antigen Rv2628 at the Site of Active Tuberculosis Disease than in Peripheral Blood

RATIONALE: Due to the invasive nature of the procedures involved, most studies of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific immunity in humans have focused on the periphery rather than the site of active infection, the lung. Recently, antigens associated with Mtb-latency and -dormancy have been described using peripheral blood (PB) cells; however their response in the lung is unknown. The objective of this report was to evaluate, in patients prospectively enrolled with suspected active tuberculosis (TB), whether the latency antigen Rv2628 induces local-specific immune response in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells compared to PB cells. MATERIAL/METHODS: Among the 41 subjects enrolled, 20 resulted with active TB. Among the 21 without active disease, 9 were defined as subjects with latent TB-infection (LTBI) [Quantiferon TB Gold In-tube positive]. Cytokine responses to Rv2628 were evaluated by enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay and flow cytometric (FACS) analysis. RD1-secreted antigen stimulation was used as control. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher frequency of Rv2628- and RD1-specific CD4+ T-cells in the BAL of active TB patients than in PB. However the trend of the response to Rv2628 in subjects with LTBI was higher than in active TB in both PB and BAL, although this difference was not significant. In active TB, Rv2628 and RD1 induced a cytokine-response profile mainly consisting of interferon (IFN)-γ-single-positive over double-IFN-γ/interleukin (IL)-2 T-cells in both PB and BAL. Finally, BAL-specific CD4+ T-cells were mostly effector memory (EM), while peripheral T-cell phenotypes were distributed among naïve, central memory and terminally differentiated effector memory T-cells. CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study, we show that there is a high frequency of specific T-cells for Mtb-latency and RD1-secreted antigens (mostly IFN-γ-single-positive specific T-cells with an EM phenotype) in the BAL of active TB patients. These data may be important for better understanding the pathogenesis of TB in the lung

The Shisong Cardiac Center in Cameroon: An Example of a Long-Term Collaboration/Cooperation Toward Autonomy

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are present in nearly 1% of live births; according to WHO, there are 1. 5 million newborns affected by CHD per year and more than 4 million children waiting for cardiac surgery treatment worldwide. The majority of these children (~90%) could be treated, saved and subsequently have a good quality of life but unfortunately, in developing countries with a suboptimal care or no access to care, they are destined to die. Cameroon, one of the 40 poorest countries in the world, is a typical example of this dramatic scenario and this is why we started a collaboration project with a local religious partner (Tertiary Sisters of Saint Francis) in 2001 with the aim of establishing the first cardiac surgery center in this country. There are various well-known organizational models to start a cooperation project in pediatric cardiac surgery in a developing country. In our case, the project included a long-term collaboration with a stable local partner, a big financial investment and a long period of development (10 years or more). It is probably the most difficult model but it is the only one with the greatest guarantee of success in terms of sustainability and autonomy. The aim of this study is to analyze the constructive and problematic aspects of the 17-year collaboration in this project, and to assess possible solutions regarding its critical issues. Although much has been done during this 17-year we are aware that there is still a lot that needs to be done