Value of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in major orthopedic surgery: relation to the onset of venous thromboembolism.

This study evaluated (a) the possible changes of plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes during hospitalization to predict venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing elective total hip replacement and (b) the sensitivity and specificity of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes in the late incidence of deep vein thrombosis when these patients are discharged from the hospital. In 50 consecutive patients (18 men, mean age = 63 ± 8 years) a venous blood sample was obtained from each patient before surgery and postsurgery on days 5 ± 2, 9 ± 2, and 45 to evaluate the thrombin-antithrombin III complexes by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as a part of a larger surveillance program. Six of 50 patients devel oped deep vein thrombosis, diagnosed by phlebography on the 45th day postsurgery. From the day before until the ninth day after surgery, mean values of the thrombin-antithrombin III complexes increased to a greater extent in patients with deep vein thrombosis than in those without, although the differences were not significant (from 14.8 ± 11.2 ng/mL to 36.2 ± 19.1 ng/mL in the former group and from 13.6 ± 3.3 ng/mL to 22.4 ± 5.1 ng/mL in the latter, p = NS). On the 45th day after surgery the mean value of the thrombin-antithrombin III com plexes reduced less in patients with deep vein thrombosis (up to 9.9 ± 1.9 ng/mL and to 25.2 ± 17.2 ng/mL, respectively, p = NS). In addition, thrombin-antithrombin III complexes re mained over the level reached on the fifth day only in the patients who developed deep vein thrombosis. On the 45th day after surgery, thrombin-antithrombin III complexes exhibited a sensitivity of 17%, a specificity of 86%, and an accuracy of 78% in differentiating the presence and absence of deep vein thrombosis as compared with phlebography. We conclude that after total hip replacement (a) serial measurement of the throm bin-antithrombin III complexes does not appear helpful in pre dicting venous thromboembolism during hospitalization, and (b) measurement of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes has a low diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing delayed deep vein thrombosis. However, the greater and persistent increase of thrombin-antithrombin III complexes level in patients who de veloped deep vein thrombosis may deserve further investiga tions

Spotlight on the Compositional Quality of Probiotic Formulations Marketed Worldwide

On the worldwide market, a great number of probiotic formulations are available to consumers as drugs, dietary supplements, and functional foods. For exerting their beneficial effects on host health, these preparations should contain a sufficient amount of the indicated living microbes and be pathogen-free to be safe. Therefore, the contained microbial species and their amount until product expiry are required to be accurately reported on the labels. While commercial formulations licensed as drugs are subjected to rigorous quality controls, less stringent regulations are generally applied to preparations categorized as dietary supplements and functional foods. Many reports indicated that the content of several probiotic formulations does not always correspond to the label claims in terms of microbial identification, number of living organisms, and purity, highlighting the requirement for more stringent quality controls by manufacturers. The main focus of this review is to provide an in-depth overview of the microbiological quality of probiotic formulations commercialized worldwide. Many incongruences in the compositional quality of some probiotic formulations available on the worldwide market were highlighted. Even if manufacturers carry at least some of the responsibility for these inconsistencies, studies that analyze probiotic products should be conducted following recommended and up-to-date methodologies

Microbiological quality and resistance to an artificial gut environment of two probiotic formulations

The quality control of probiotic products is the focus of numerous organizations worldwide. Several studies have highlighted the poor microbiological quality of many commercial probiotic formulations in terms of the identity of the contained microorganisms, viability, and purity, thus precluding the expected health benefits and representing a potential health risk for consumers. In this paper, we analyzed the contents of two probiotic formulations, one composed of an encapsulated mixture of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, and one by a lyophilized yeast. The microorganisms contained in the products were quantified and identified using up-to-date methodologies, such as MALDI-TOF MS and metagenomic analysis. Moreover, as acid and bile tolerance is included among the criteria used to select probiotic microorganisms, in vitro tests were performed to evaluate the behavior of the formulations in conditions mimicking the harsh gastric environment and the intestinal fluids. Our results indicate the high quality of the formulations in terms of the enumeration and identification of the contained organisms, as well as the absence of contaminants. Moreover, both products tolerated the acidic conditions well, with encapsulation providing further protection for the microorganisms. A good tolerance to the simulated artificial intestinal conditions was also evidenced for both preparations

3-iodothyronamine affects thermogenic substrates’ mobilization in brown adipocytes

We investigated the effect of 3-iodothyronamine (T1AM) on thermogenic substrates in brown adipocytes (BAs). BAs isolated from the stromal fraction of rat brown adipose tissue were exposed to an adipogenic medium containing insulin in the absence (M) or in the presence of 20 nM T1AM (M+T1AM) for 6 days. At the end of the treatment, the expression of p-PKA/PKA, p-AKT/AKT, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-CREB/CREB, p-P38/P38, type 1 and 3 beta adrenergic receptors (β1–β3AR), GLUT4, type 2 deiodinase (DIO2), and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) were evaluated. The effects of cell conditioning with T1AM on fatty acid mobilization (basal and adrenergic-mediated), glucose uptake (basal and insulin-mediated), and ATP cell content were also analyzed in both cell populations. When compared to cells not exposed, M+T1AM cells showed increased p-PKA/PKA, p-AKT/AKT, p-CREB/CREB, p-P38/P38, and p-AMPK/AMPK, downregulation of DIO2 and β1AR, and upregulation of glycosylated β3AR, GLUT4, and adiponectin. At basal conditions, glycerol release was higher for M+T1AM cells than M cells, without any significant differences in basal glucose uptake. Notably, in M+T1AM cells, adrenergic agonists failed to activate PKA and lipolysis and to increase ATP level, but the glucose uptake in response to insulin exposure was more pronounced than in M cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that BAs conditioning with T1AM promote a catabolic condition promising to fight obesity and insulin resistance

Characterization of a Bacillus cereus strain associated with a large feed-related outbreak of severe infection in pigs

Aims: Bacillus cereus is often responsible for foodborne diseases and both local and systemic infections in humans. Cases of infection in other mammals are rather rare. In this study, we report a B. cereus feed-related outbreak that caused the death of 6234 pigs in Italy. Methods and Results: Massive doses of a Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium were recovered from the animal feed, faeces of survived pigs and intestinal content of dead ones. The B. cereus MM1 strain was identified by MALDI-TOF MS and typified by RAPD-PCR. The isolate was tested for the production of PC-PLC, proteases, hemolysins and biofilm, for motility, as well as for the presence of genes encoding tissue-degrading enzymes and toxins. Antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity in Galleria mellonella larvae were also investigated. Our results show that the isolated B. cereus strain is swimming-proficient, produces PC-PLC, proteases, hemolysins, biofilm and carries many virulence genes. The strain shows high pathogenicity in G. mellonella larvae. Conclusions: The isolated B. cereus strain demonstrates an aggressive profile of pathogenicity and virulence, being able to produce a wide range of determinants potentially hazardous to pigs' health. Significance and Impact of Study: This study highlights the proficiency of B. cereus to behave as a devastating pathogen in swine if ingested at high doses and underlines that more stringent quality controls are needed for livestock feeds and supplements

Delivery Mode Shapes the Composition of the Lower Airways Microbiota in Newborns

Radical alterations in the human microbiota composition are well-known to be associated with many pathological conditions. If these aberrations are established at the time of birth, the risk of developing correlated pathologies throughout life is significantly increased. For this reason, all newborns should begin their lives with a proper microbiota in each body district. The present study aimed at demonstrating a correlation between the mode of delivery and the development of a well-balanced microbiota in the lower airways of newborns. 44 pregnant women were enrolled in this study. Microbiological comparative analysis was carried out on tracheobronchial secretions of babies born through vaginal delivery (VD) or caesarean section (CS). All samples showed the presence of bacterial DNA, regardless of the mode of delivery. No viable cultivable bacteria were isolated from the CS samples. On the contrary, VD allowed colonization of the lower airways by alive cultivable bacteria. The identification of bacterial species revealed that Lactobacillus spp. and Bacteroides vulgatus were the most common microorganisms in the lower airways of vaginally-delivered newborns. Data obtained from quantitative PCRs showed a significantly higher total bacterial load, as well as Firmicutes and Lactobacillus spp. amount, in VD samples than CS ones, while no statistically significant difference was found in Torque Teno Virus (TTV) load between samples. Taken together, our findings confirm the hypothesis that passage through the maternal vaginal canal determines more beneficial colonization of the lower airways in newborns

What is the future for nuclear fission technology? A technical opinion from the Guest Editors of VSI NFT series and the Editor of the Journal Nuclear Engineering and Design

The Nuclear Fission Technology (NFT) series of Virtual Special Issues (VSIs) for the Journal Nuclear Engineering and Design (J NED) was proposed in 2023, including the request to potential authors of manuscript to address the following questions: o For how long will (water-cooling based) large size nuclear reactor survive? o Will water-technology based SMRs displace large reactors? o Will non-water-cooling technology SMRs and micro-reactors have an industrial deployment? o Will breeding technology, including thorium exploitation, have due relevance? o Will ‘nuclear infrastructure’ (fuel supply, financial framework, competence by regulators for new designs, waste management, etc.) remain or be sufficiently robust? Several dozen Guest Editors (GEs), i.e., the authors of the present document, managed the activity together with the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the journal. More than one thousand scientists contributed 470+ manuscripts, not evenly distributed among the geographical regions of the world and not necessarily addressing directly the bullet-questions, but certainly providing a view of current research being done. Key conclusions are as follows: (a) Large size reactors are necessary for a sustainable and safe exploitation of nuclear fission technology; (b) The burning of 233U (from thorium) and 239Pu (from uranium) is unavoidable, as well as recycling residual uranium currently part of waste; (c) Nuclear infrastructures in countries that currently use, or are entering the use of, fission energy for electricity production need a century planning; (d) The adoption of small reactors for commercial naval propulsion, hydrogen production and desalination is highly recommended