Meningococcal Carriage in ‘Men Having Sex With Men’ With Pharyngeal Gonorrhoea

We assessed the characteristics of Neisseria meningitidis pharyngeal carriage in a cohort of ‘men having sex with men’, including patients with pharyngeal Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection. In the period 2017-2019, among all the oropharyngeal samples tested for gonorrhoea from MSM attending a STI Clinic in Bologna (Italy), we randomly selected 244 N. gonorrhoeae-positive samples and 403 negatives (n=647). Pharyngeal specimens were tested for N. meningitidis presence, by the detection of sodC gene. N. meningitidis-positive samples were further grouped by PCR tests for the major invasive genogroups (i.e., A, B, C, W, and Y). A molecular assay, targeting capsule transporter gene, was used to determine meningococcal capsular status. Overall, 75.8% (491/647) of samples tested positive for sodC gene, indicating a pharyngeal meningococcal carriage. Meningococcal colonisation was significantly more frequent in younger subjects (P=0.009), with no association with HIV infection. Non-groupable meningococci represented most of pharyngeal carriages (about 71%). The commonest N. meningitidis serogroup was B (23.6%), followed by C (2.1%), Y (1.8%) and W (1.1%). Meningococci were often characterized by the genetic potential of capsule production. Interestingly, a negative association between N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae was found: pharyngeal gonorrhoea was significantly more present in patients without meningococcal carriage (P=0.03). Although preliminary, our data added knowledge on the epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in MSM communities at high risk of gonococcal infections, gaining new insights into the interactions/dynamics between N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae

Multifuncionalidad en la planificación del paisaje forestal: una aplicación/un estudio de caso en el Sur de Italia

Forest Landscape Management Plan (FLMP) is intended to have an intermediate role between forest management plans on a regional level and forest management on a unit level. FLMP addresses long-term management issues, with special attention to social and environmental functions, normally not meticulously considered when working on a single forest property level. This paper presents a method to evaluate forest multifunctionality, in order to define management guidelines and support forest planning. A FLMP was conducted in a district of the Basilicata region (Italy). A total of 92 inventory plots comprising the main forest types: i) turkey oak, Hungarian oak, and sessile oak forests (Quercus cerris L. dominant), ii) downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens Willd. dominant), iii) Mediterranean evergreen oak forests (Quercus ilex L. dominant), were considered. Technicians evaluated the multifunctionality of each area by estimating — in the context of an Index of Importance of Function (I) — the capacity of each forest to fulfil different functions. The index was successively aggregated according to forest type and forest system (high forest and coppice). The results showed that the higher level of multifunctionality was found in the high forests. According to the synthetic indicators of multifunctionality, the turkey oak forests obtained the highest values among all forest types. The last part of the paper illustrates an approach to multi-functional forest management, analysing how different silvicultural systems are able to fulfil the main forest functions. This method, as shown in the results, seems to provide a useful support for technicians to evaluate multifunctionality related to forest types and different silvicultural treatments.El Plan de Manejo del Paisaje Forestal (PMPF) tiene un papel de intermediario entre los planes de manejo forestal a nivel nacional y regional y los planes de ordenación forestal a nivel de cada propiedad forestal. El PMPF toma en consideración de aspectos de gestión a largo plazo, con especial atención a las funciones sociales y ambientales, que por lo general no son consideradas cuidadosamente en caso de planificación a nivel de propiedad forestal individual. El trabajo presenta un método para evaluar la multifuncionalidad del bosque, con el fin de definir las directrices de gestión y de apoyar el proceso de planificación forestal. En un distrito de la región de Basilicata, en el Sur de Italia, un PMPF ha sido desarrollado y llevado a cabo. En el Plan se consideraron un total de 92 áreas de estudio que abarcan los principales tipos de bosques: i) bosques de roble turco, roble húngaro y roble albar (Quercus cerris L. dominante) ii) bosques de roble pubescente (Quercus pubescens Willd. dominante), y iii) bosques de robles mediterráneos siempre verdes (Quercus ilex L. dominante). Los técnicos evaluaron la multifuncionalidad de cada zona mediante la estimación — Índice de Importancia de la Función (I) — de la capacidad de cada bosque respectiva para cumplir diferentes funciones. El índice ha sido agrupado en función del tipo de bosque y del tipo de sistema forestal (monte alto y monte bajo). Los resultados de un estudio de técnicas que muestran el nivel más alto de la multifuncionalidad es para el monte alto en comparación con el monte bajo. Teniendo en cuenta el tipo de bosque los bosques de roble turco han obtenido los más altos valores de multifuncionalidad. La última parte del documento describe un caso de gestión forestal con un enfoque multifuncional y analiza cómo los diferentes sistemas silvícultural cumplen las principales funciones del bosque. De acuerdo con los resultados observados, el método parece ser de gran ayuda para los técnicos para evaluar la multifuncionalidad relacionados con diferentes tipos de bosques y tratamientos silvícolas

Accuracy of elastic fusion biopsy in daily practice: results of a multicenter study of 2115 patients

OBJECTIVES: To assess the accuracy of Koelis fusion biopsy for the detection of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer in the everyday practice. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 2115 patients from 15 institutions in four European countries undergoing transrectal Koelis fusion biopsy from 2010 to 2017. A variable number of target (usually 2-4) and random cores (usually 10-14) were carried out, depending on the clinical case and institution habits. The overall and clinically significant prostate cancer detection rates were assessed, evaluating the diagnostic role of additional random biopsies. The cancer detection rate was correlated to multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging features and clinical variables. RESULTS: The mean number of targeted and random cores taken were 3.9 (standard deviation 2.1) and 10.5 (standard deviation 5.0), respectively. The cancer detection rate of Koelis biopsies was 58% for all cancers and 43% for clinically significant prostate cancer. The performance of additional, random cores improved the cancer detection rate of 13% for all cancers (P < 0.001) and 9% for clinically significant prostate cancer (P < 0.001). Prostate cancer was detected in 31%, 66% and 89% of patients with lesions scored as Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Clinical stage and Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score were predictors of prostate cancer detection in multivariate analyses. Prostate-specific antigen was associated with prostate cancer detection only for clinically significant prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Koelis fusion biopsy offers a good cancer detection rate, which is increased in patients with a high Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score and clinical stage. The performance of additional, random cores seems unavoidable for correct sampling. In our experience, the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score and clinical stage are predictors of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer detection; prostate-specific antigen is associated only with clinically significant prostate cancer detection, and a higher number of biopsy cores are not associated with a higher cancer detection rate

Distribution of ermB, ermF, tet(W), and tet(M) resistance genes in the vaginal ecosystem of women during pregnancy and puerperium

The inhabitants of the vaginal ecosystem can harbor genetic determinants conferring antimicrobial resistance. However, detailed data about the distribution of resistance genes in the vaginal microbiome of pregnant women are still lacking. Therefore, we assessed the presence of macrolide (i.e., erm genes) and tetracycline (i.e., tet genes) resistance markers in the vaginal environment of Caucasian women at different gestational ages. Furthermore, the detection of resistance genes was related to the composition of the vaginal microbiota. A total of 228 vaginal samples, collected at different trimesters of pregnancy or during the puerperium, were tested for the presence of ermB, ermF, tet(W), and tet(M) by in-house end-point PCR assays. The composition of the vaginal microbiota was assessed through a microscopic evaluation (i.e., Nugent score) and by means of sequencing V3–V4 hypervariable regions of the bacterial 16 rRNA gene. Overall, the most detected resistance gene was tet(M) (76.7%), followed by ermB (55.2%). In 17% of women, mainly with a ‘normal’ vaginal microbiota, no resistance genes were found. Except for tet(W), a significant correlation between the positivity of resistance genes and a dysbiotic vaginal status (i.e., bacterial vaginosis (BV)) was noticed. Indeed, samples positive for at least one resistance determinant were characterized by a decrease in Lactobacillus spp. and an increase of BV-related genera (Prevotella, Gardnerella, Atopobium, Sneathia). A high predominance of vaginal Lactobacillus spp. (&gt;85%) was associated with a lower risk of tet(W) gene detection, whereas the presence of Megasphaera (&gt;1%) increased the risk of positivity for all analyzed genes. Different types of vaginal microbiota are associated with peculiar resistance profiles, being a lactobacilli-dominated ecosystem poor in or free of resistance genes. These data could open new perspectives for promoting maternal and neonatal health

High Levels of Exosomes Expressing CD63 and Caveolin-1 in Plasma of Melanoma Patients

BACKGROUND: Metastatic melanoma is an untreatable cancer lacking reliable and non-invasive markers of disease progression. Exosomes are small vesicles secreted by normal as well as tumor cells. Human tumor-derived exosomes are involved in malignant progression and we evaluated the presence of exosomes in plasma of melanoma patients as a potential tool for cancer screening and follow-up. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We designed an in-house sandwich ELISA (Exotest) to capture and quantify exosomes in plasma based on expression of housekeeping proteins (CD63 and Rab-5b) and a tumor-associated marker (caveolin-1). Western blot and flow cytometry analysis of exosomes were used to confirm the Exotest-based findings. The Exotest allowed sensitive detection and quantification of exosomes purified from human tumor cell culture supernatants and plasma from SCID mice engrafted with human melanoma. Plasma levels of exosomes in melanoma-engrafted SCID mice correlated to tumor size. We evaluated the levels of plasma exosomes expressing CD63 and caveolin-1 in melanoma patients (n = 90) and healthy donors (n = 58). Consistently, plasma exosomes expressing CD63 (504+/-315) or caveolin-1 (619+/-310) were significantly increased in melanoma patients as compared to healthy donors (223+/-125 and 228+/-102, respectively). While the Exotest for CD63+ plasma exosomes had limited sensitivity (43%) the Exotest for detection of caveolin-1+ plasma exosomes showed a higher sensitivity (68%). Moreover, caveolin-1+ plasma exosomes were significantly increased with respect to CD63+ exosomes in the patients group. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We describe a new non-invasive assay allowing detection and quantification of human exosomes in plasma of melanoma patients. Our results suggest that the Exotest for detection of plasma exosomes carrying tumor-associated antigens may represent a novel tool for clinical management of cancer patients

the effects of climate change on the multifunctional role of basilicata s forests the effects induced on yield and co2 absorption

The first studies on the possible impact of climate change on European forests and the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies began in the 1990s and resulted in the identification of risk assessment models and forest management tools. The prediction of climate change impacts on forests has been based using the evidence theory or Dempster-Shafer (DS)'s theory, appropriately spatialised. The implemented evidence lines refer to the concepts of vulnerability and resilience. The results of the DS model, applied to the Basilicata region, were utilised to assess the loss in biomass production capacity and CO2 absorption ability of different forest-derived biomasses. The loss in stumpage value and in the estimated CO2 absorption shows a reduction over time of forest system's economic value that is basically higher in 2050 than in 2100. The applied methodological approach has shown that the high degree of spatial and information detail may be helpful to produce good predictions to envisage environmental policy strategies for the monitoring and mitigation of the damages caused by the climate change, with a view to ensuring the ecosystems' capacity to produce positive externalities, including air carbon sequestration capacity

A quasi-dimensional numerical model to assess the performance of a Scroll expander

Nowadays, scroll expanders are widely used in small-scale power generation systems, such as Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs). The development of appropriate mathematical models can help the design of such expanders, leading to optimized geometries, which in turn will result in better scroll performance and efficiency. In this work, a quasi-dimensional numerical model is developed to analyze the performance of a scroll expander.UN MODELLO NUMERICO QUASI-DIMENSIONALE PER LA VALUTAZIONE DELLE PRESTAZIONI DI UN ESPANSORE SCROLL Nei sistemi di generazione di energia di piccola potenza, come i cicli Rankine organici, si riscontra un ampio utilizzo di espansori di tipo Scroll. Lo sviluppo di appropriati modelli matematici può aiutare la progettazione di questo tipo di espansori, consentendo di ottimizzare i loro parametri geometrici per migliorarne l’efficienza. Nel presente articolo viene presentato un modello numerico quasi-dimensionale che può essere utilizzato per determinare le performances di espansori di tipo Scroll