Prevalence and risk factors for thermotolerant species of Campylobacter in poultry meat at retail in Europe

Abstract The thermotolerant species Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, Campylobacter lari and Campylobacter upsaliensis are the causative agents of the human illness called campylobacteriosis. This infection represents a threat for the health of consumers in Europe. It is well known that poultry meat is an important food vehicle of Campylobacter infection. As emerged from the reported scientific literature published between 2006 and 2016, poultry meat sold at retail level in Europe represents an important source of the pathogen. The contamination level of poultry meat sold at retail can vary depending on pre- and post-harvest factors. Among the pre-harvest measures, strict biosecurity practices must be guaranteed; moreover, among post-harvest control measures scalding, chilling and removal of faecal residues can reduce the contamination level of Campylobacter. An additional issue is represented by increasing proportion of Campylobacter isolates resistant to tetracyclines, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid, thus feeding a serious concern on the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment for human campylobacteriosis in a near future

Contribution of the autochthonous lactic acid bacteria population in a\ud production of raw milk Mozzarella cheese- CONTRIBUTO DELLA POPOLAZIONE LATTICA AUTOCTONA\ud IN UNA PRODUZIONE DI MOZZARELLA AL LATTE CRUDO\ud CON STARTER TERMOFILI COMMERCIALI

Mozzarella cheese is one of the most popular members of the Pasta Filata cheeses.The present research was aimed at\ud investigating the microbial population of a raw milk Mozzarella cheese manufacture\ud produced in the hinterland of the Marche region by using a commercial starter\ud culture of thermophilic cocci. At this aim, both molecular and phenotypic\ud assays were performed. The polyphasic approach utilized revealed an high diversity\ud of the autochthonous LAB population investigated, both at the species and\ud strain level.\ud Keywords: Mozzarella cheese, autochthonous lactic acid bacteria, RAPD, PFGE,\ud acidifying activit

Quality and safety of traditional foods: the role of microbiology

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Parameters of flow in porous alluvial aquifers evaluated by tracers

Dye tracer tests, DNA biotracer, alluvial aquifer Marche, multiwell tests

Effect of temperature and relative humidity on algae biofouling on different fired brick surfaces

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of environmental temperature and relative humidity on algae biofouling that often occurs on porous and rough fired brick surfaces. Brick samples were chosen since their common use on building facades. Accelerated growth tests were performed under different relative humidities and different temperatures. Results showed the effects of different temperature conditions in terms of algae growth delay and reduction of the covered area. All the relative humidity conditions tested substantially showed no growth from an engineering standpoint. The modified Avrami's law succeeded in modelling the biofouling under the different environmental conditions

Hydraulic contacts identification in the aquifers of limestone ridges: tracer tests in the Montelago pilot area (Central Apennines)

The investigated area, located in the inner part of the Marche region (central Italy) and belonging to the carbonate Umbria- Marche ridges in the central Apennines, is characterised by very complex geo-structural setting and widespread karst phenomena that make difficult the definition of the relation among the aquifers basing only on the hydrogeological survey. Hence, the presence of different flowpaths among aquifers of the Umbria-Marche hydrostratigraphic sequence and of tectonic contacts among the different structures is verified using tracer tests. In particular, the tests showed that the Calcare Massiccio and the Maiolica aquifers are connected under certain tectonic conditions. A new tracer given by a single stranded DNA molecule and traditional fluorescent dyes have been injected into the Montelago sinkhole in different periods (during the recharge and during the discharge) and recovered in several points along the expected hydrogeological basin, using either manual and automatic sampling. Fluorescent traps were positioned in creeks, rivers and springs. The DNA molecule is useful to trace surface water and groundwater, is detectable even at very low concentrations, no significant change in water density and viscosity can be observed and its use is not dangerous for the environment. The results stress the suitability of DNA as hydrogeological tracer, capable to identify connections among aquifers and study different flowpaths even in high flow conditions when traditional tracers are more and more diluted. Moreover, fluorescein tracer allowed for the transport parameter determination, giving mean velocities ranging from 100 to 3000 m/day and mean residence time from some tens to hundreds of hours, and determining the aquifer volumes

Entry inhibition of HSV-1 and -2 protects mice from viral lethal challenge

The present study focused on inhibition of HSV-1 and -2 replication and pathogenesis in vitro and in vivo, through the selective targeting of the envelope glycoprotein D. Firstly, a human monoclonal antibody (Hu-mAb#33) was identified that could neutralise both HSV-1 and -2 at nM concentrations, including clinical isolates from patients affected by different clinical manifestations and featuring different susceptibility to acyclovir in vitro. Secondly, the potency of inhibition of both infection by cell-free viruses and cell-to-cell virus transmission was also assessed. Finally, mice receiving a single systemic injection of Hu-mAb#33 were protected from death and severe clinical manifestations following both ocular and vaginal HSV-1 and -2 lethal challenge. These results pave the way for further studies reassessing the importance of HSV entry as a novel target for therapeutic intervention and inhibition of cell-to-cell virus transmission

Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts from wheat sourdoughs of the Marche region

The need for a greater diversification of baked products has given rise to the on-going search for yeast and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with optimal baking potential. Thirty-six yeasts and 118 LAB, isolated from nine type I sourdoughs that were sampled in bakeries located in the Marche region (central Italy), were molecularly and phenotypically characterized. The polyphasic approach used revealed the biodiversity of the microbial communities investigated and two yeasts and ten LAB cultures with the potential to be used in sourdough bread-making processes were identified

Dose-Dependent Impairment of the Immune Response to the Moderna-1273 mRNA Vaccine by Mycophenolate Mofetil in Patients with Rheumatic and Autoimmune Liver Diseases

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 in patients with immune-mediated diseases under different treatments. Anti-trimeric spike protein antibodies were tested in 287 patients with rheumatic or autoimmune diseases (10% receiving mycophenolate mofetil, 15% low-dose glucocorticoids, 21% methotrexate, and 58% biologic/targeted synthetic drugs) at baseline and in 219 (76%) 4 weeks after the second Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine dose. Family members or caretakers were enrolled as the controls. The neutralizing serum activity against SARS-CoV-2-G614, alpha, and beta variants in vitro and the cytotoxic T cell response to SARS-CoV-2 peptides were determined in a subgroup of patients and controls. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody development, i.e., seroconversion, was observed in 69% of the mycophenolate-treated patients compared to 100% of both the patients taking other treatments and the controls (p < 0.0001). A dose-dependent impairment of the humoral response was observed in the mycophenolate-treated patients. A daily dose of >1 g at vaccination was a significant risk factor for non-seroconversion (ROC AUC 0.89, 95% CI 0.80-98, p < 0.0001). Moreover, in the seroconverted patients, a daily dose of >1 g of mycophenolate was associated with significantly lower anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers, showing slightly reduced neutralizing serum activity but a comparable cytotoxic response compared to other immunosuppressants. In non-seroconverted patients treated with mycophenolate at a daily dose of >1 g, the cytotoxic activity elicited by viral peptides was also impaired. Mycophenolate treatment affects the Moderna-1273 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity in a dose-dependent manner, independent of rheumatological disease

Autonomic cardiac profile in male and female healthcare professionals with and without preschoolers: differences evidenced by heart rate variability analysis

A reduced nocturnal cardiac vagal modulation has been observed in working women with preschoolers. Whether this adaptation also occurs in men remains an open question. The aim of this study was to analyze the cardiac autonomic profile of two groups of healthcare male professionals, one with and one without preschoolers, to be compared to females. Twenty-five working men with preschoolers (M_KID, age 35.41 ± 4.01 years) and 25 without (M_NOKID, 34.48 ± 6.00 years) were compared with 25 working women with preschoolers (W_KID, 37.7 ± 5.6 years) and 25 without (W_NOKID, 35.4 ± 7.2 years). A 24-h Holter electrocardiogram was performed for time and frequency domain analysis of the beat-to-beat variations of RR interval (RR) variability, during daytime (DAY) and nighttime (NIGHT). The power of RR variability in the high frequency band (HFRR) was considered as an index of cardiac vagal modulation. RR variability indices were similar in M_KID and M_NOKID during both DAY and NIGHT. In contrast, W_KID showed a reduced nocturnal HFRR compared to W_NOKID. The comparison of working men with and without preschoolers revealed no differences in the cardiac autonomic profile, in contrast with women. This suggests that sex and/or gender may represent a crucial factor in the cardiac neural control in the parental condition