Potential Use of MALDI-ToF Mass Spectrometry for Rapid Detection of Antifungal Resistance in the Human Pathogen Candida glabrata.

The echinocandins are relatively new antifungal drugs that represent, together with the older azoles, the recommended and/or preferred agents to treat candidaemia and other forms of invasive candidiasis in human patients. If "time is of the essence" to reduce the mortality for these infections, the administration of appropriate antifungal therapy could be accelerated by the timely reporting of laboratory test results. In this study, we attempted to validate a MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry-based assay for the antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) of the potentially multidrug-resistant pathogen Candida glabrata against anidulafungin and fluconazole. The practical applicability of the assay, reported here as MS-AFST, was assessed with a panel of clinical isolates that were selected to represent phenotypically and genotypically/molecularly susceptible or resistant strains. The data show the potential of our assay for rapid detection of antifungal resistance, although the MS-AFST assay performed at 3 h of the in vitro antifungal exposure failed to detect C. glabrata isolates with echinocandin resistance-associated FKS2 mutations. However, cell growth kinetics in the presence of anidulafungin revealed important cues about the in vitro fitness of C. glabrata isolates, which may lead to genotypic or phenotypic antifungal testing in clinical practice

Utilizzo di un nuovo saggio molecolare per la rilevazione diretta di specie di <i>Candida</i> clinicamente rilevanti da emocolture positive

Not available

Hierarchically Porous Gd3+-Doped CeO2 Nanostructures for the Remarkable Enhancement of Optical and Magnetic Properties

Rare earth ion-doped CeO2 has attracted more and more attention because of its special electrical, optical, magnetic, or catalytic properties. In this paper, a facile electrochemical deposition route was reported for the direct growth of the porous Gd-doped CeO2. The formation process of Gd-doped CeO2 composites was investigated. The obtained deposits were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD, and XPS. The porous Gd3+- doped CeO2 (10 at% Gd) displays a typical type I adsorption isotherm and yields a large specific surface area of 135 m2/g. As Gd3+ ions were doped into CeO2 lattice, the absorption spectrum of Gd3+-doped CeO2 nanocrystals exhibited a red shift compared with porous CeO2 nanocrystals and bulk CeO2, and the luminescence of Gd3+-doped CeO2 deposits was remarkably enhanced due to the presence of more oxygen vacancies. In addition, the strong magnetic properties of Gd-doped CeO2 (10 at% Gd) were observed, which may be caused by Gd3+ ions or more oxygen defects in deposits. In addition, the catalytic activity of porous Gd-doped CeO2 toward CO oxidation was studied

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death for COVID-19 in people with Parkinson disease or parkinsonism over a 15-month period: A cohort study

Background and purpose: The patterns of long-term risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization for COVID-19, and related death are uncertain in people with Parkinson disease (PD) or parkinsonism (PS). The aim of the study was to quantify these risks compared to a control population cohort, during the period March 2020–May 2021, in Bologna, Northern Italy. Methods: ParkLink Bologna cohort (759 PD, 192 PS) and controls (9226) anonymously matched (ratio&nbsp;=&nbsp;1:10) for sex, age, district, and comorbidity were included. Data were analysed in the whole period and in the two different pandemic waves (March–May 2020 and October 2020–May 2021). Results: Adjusted hazard ratio of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04–1.7) in PD and 1.9 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;1.3–2.8) in PS compared to the controls. The trend was detected in both the pandemic waves. Adjusted hazard ratio of hospitalization for COVID-19 was 1.1 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.8–1.7) in PD and 1.8 (95% CI&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.97–3.1) in PS. A higher risk of hospital admission was detected in PS only in the first wave. The 30-day mortality risk after hospitalization was higher (p&nbsp;= 0.048) in PS (58%) than in PD (19%) and controls (26%). Conclusions: Compared with controls, after adjustment for key covariates, people with PD and PS showed a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection throughout the first 15 months of the pandemic. COVID-19 hospitalization risk was increased only in people with PS and only during the first wave. This group of patients was burdened by a very high risk of death after infection and hospitalization

Vascular risk factors in glaucoma: the results of a national survey

Background The role of vascular risk factors in glaucoma is still being debated. To assess the importance of vascular risk factors in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), data from the medical history of 2,879 POAG patients and 973 age-matched controls were collected and analyzed. Methods Design: observational survey. Setting: 35 Italian academic centers. Study population: POAG patients and age-matched controls. In order to reduce bias consecutive patients were included. Observation procedures: data concerning vascular risk factors were collected for all patients with a detailed questionnaire. A complete ophthalmological examination with assessment of intraocular pressure (IOP), visual field, optic disc, and systemic blood pressure was performed. Main outcome measures: the ESH-ESC (European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology) guidelines were used to calculate the level of cardiovascular risk. Crude and adjusted estimates of the odds ratios (OR) were calculated for all cardiovascular risk factors in POAG and controls. Results The study included 2,879 POAG patients and 973 controls. POAG cases had a significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p=0.001) and systolic perfusion pressure (p=0.02) as compared with controls. Also mean IOP was significantly higher in the POAG group (p=0.01), while diastolic perfusion pressure was not significantly different in the two groups. Myopia was more prevalent in the POAG group (23 vs 18%, p=0.005) as well as a positive family history for glaucoma (26 vs 12%, p= 0.004). POAG patients tended to have a higher cardiovascular risk than controls: 63% of glaucoma cases vs 55% of controls (OR: 1.38, p=0.005) had a “high” or “very high” cardiovascular risk. Conclusions The level of cardiovascular risk was significantly higher in glaucoma patients than in controls

Run Away or Stick Together? The Impact of Organization-Specific Adverse Events on Alliance Partner Defection

Alliances are inter-organizational relationships wherein partners agree to engage in joint action and share benefits and burdens. But when might an adverse event that strikes one partner become too burdensome for another partner? Extant theories of alliance instability provide incomplete answers, which is problematic: for stricken organizations, anticipating whether their non-stricken partners will remain in the alliance can be essential for survival. Integrating insights from alliance dynamics and organizational stigma literatures, we theorize how an organization-specific adverse event affects a non-stricken partner's decision to continue with or defect from an alliance by considering factors that shift the balance between cohesive and disruptive forces. We propose that high stigmatization risk will increase the probability of partner defection through two disruptive mechanisms: relational uncertainty and stigma anxiety. Building on the idea that the same factors contributing to alliance formation may also condition partner defection, we theorize about the roles of partner resource interdependencies, relational embeddedness, and perceived partner similarity in amplifying or attenuating disruptive mechanisms triggered by an adverse event. We extend the research on partner defection and alliance instability by advancing an event-based view of alliance instability and specifying the conditions under which an alliance partner might defect

Bilingualism and regional entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship makes important contributions to both regional and national economies, however, entrepreneurship rates vary significantly across and within regions. We apply the communication accommodation theory lens to examine the role that bilingualism plays in regional entrepreneurship. We use aggregated firm and district level longitudinal data on eight north-eastern districts in the region of South Tyrol (Italy) during 2000-2015 and demonstrate positive direct effect of bilingualism on entrepreneurship activity and non-linear effect on business dynamics. Results can be generalizable to other European regions