[18F]FDG-6-P as a novel in vivo tool for imaging staphylococcal infections

Background Management of infection is a major clinical problem. Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium which colonises approximately one third of the adult human population. Staphylococcal infections can be life-threatening and are frequently complicated by multi-antibiotic resistant strains including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) imaging has been used to identify infection sites; however, it is unable to distinguish between sterile inflammation and bacterial load. We have modified [18F]FDG by phosphorylation, producing [18F]FDG-6-P to facilitate specific uptake and accumulation by S. aureus through hexose phosphate transporters, which are not present in mammalian cell membranes. This approach leads to the specific uptake of the radiopharmaceutical into the bacteria and not the sites of sterile inflammation. Methods [18F]FDG-6-P was synthesised from [18F]FDG. Yield, purity and stability were confirmed by RP-HPLC and iTLC. The specificity of [18F]FDG-6-P for the bacterial universal hexose phosphate transporter (UHPT) was confirmed with S. aureus and mammalian cell assays in vitro. Whole body biodistribution and accumulation of [18F]FDG-6-P at the sites of bioluminescent staphylococcal infection were established in a murine foreign body infection model. Results In vitro validation assays demonstrated that [18F]FDG-6-P was stable and specifically transported into S. aureus but not mammalian cells. [18F]FDG-6-P was elevated at the sites of S. aureus infection in vivo compared to uninfected controls; however, the increase in signal was not significant and unexpectedly, the whole-body biodistribution of [18F]FDG-6-P was similar to that of [18F]FDG. Conclusions Despite conclusive in vitro validation, [18F]FDG-6-P did not behave as predicted in vivo. However at the site of known infection, [18F]FDG-6-P levels were elevated compared with uninfected controls, providing a higher signal-to-noise ratio. The bacterial UHPT can transport hexose phosphates other than glucose, and therefore alternative sugars may show differential biodistribution and provide a means for specific bacterial detection

Basics of collaborative research data management: Requirements for a Schleswig-Holstein state initiative on research data management

Das Papier "Grundlagen eines partnerschaftlichen Forschungsdatenmanagements - Anforderungen an eine schleswig-holsteinische Landesinitiative zum Forschungsdatenmanagement" umreißt die Anforderungen für eine schleswig-holsteinische Landesinitiative zum Forschungsdatenmanagement (FDM-SH). Hierfür wird zunächst das Umfeld, in dem eine solche Initiative entstehen und agieren soll, beschrieben. So beeinflussen sowohl die Eigenheiten der regionalen Forschungslandschaft wie auch die Entwicklungen im Bereich der Nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI) die Ausprägungen von Landesinitiativen. Die speziellen Anforderungen werden durch den Vergleich mit anderen Landesinitiativen, die Analyse von spezifischen Umfrageergebnissen aus Schleswig-Holstein sowie die Berücksichtigung der Anforderungen der NFDI gesammelt. Der Ansatz des partnerschaftlichen Forschungsdatenmanagements (FDM) spiegelt das Anliegen Schleswig-Holsteins wider, die Herausforderungen für ein zeitgemäßes FDM vor Ort gemeinsam zu bewältigen und dabei sowohl Know-how zu teilen als auch Ressourcen zu schonen

Step by step: reconstruction of terrestrial animal movement paths by dead-reckoning

Background: Research on wild animal ecology is increasingly employing GPS telemetry in order to determine animal movement. However, GPS systems record position intermittently, providing no information on latent position or track tortuosity. High frequency GPS have high power requirements, which necessitates large batteries (often effectively precluding their use on small animals) or reduced deployment duration. Dead-reckoning is an alternative approach which has the potential to ‘fill in the gaps’ between less resolute forms of telemetry without incurring the power costs. However, although this method has been used in aquatic environments, no explicit demonstration of terrestrial dead-reckoning has been presented.Results: We perform a simple validation experiment to assess the rate of error accumulation in terrestrial dead-reckoning. In addition, examples of successful implementation of dead-reckoning are given using data from the domestic dog Canus lupus, horse Equus ferus, cow Bos taurus and wild badger Meles meles.Conclusions: This study documents how terrestrial dead-reckoning can be undertaken, describing derivation of heading from tri-axial accelerometer and tri-axial magnetometer data, correction for hard and soft iron distortions on the magnetometer output, and presenting a novel correction procedure to marry dead-reckoned paths to ground-truthed positions. This study is the first explicit demonstration of terrestrial dead-reckoning, which provides a workable method of deriving the paths of animals on a step-by-step scale. The wider implications of this method for the understanding of animal movement ecology are discussed

SHORT PALAEOECOLOGICAL NOTES ON THE MIDDLE SERRAVALLIAN-BASAL TORTONIAN OSTRACODS FROM THE TREMITI ISLANDS

The paleoecological significance of the ostracod faunas  from the middle Serravallian-basal Tortonian of the Tremiti islands is briefly discussed. The fauna is typical  of the bathyal environment throughout the investigated interval. Compositional changes recorded in the assemblages, however, indicate that bottom water conditions varied. Within the middle Serravallian, ostracods point to the existence of a lower thermospheric environment with possible feeble psychrospheric influences. In the latest Serravallian-basal Tortonian, the start of a gradual shift towards upper thermospheric conditions is recognizable. The species Bradleya (?) saxolensis Russo, 1966 is herein redescribed and placed into the genus Agrenocythere Benson, 1972.&nbsp

L’esperienza della Società Chimica Italiana

La sezione SCI FVG è Organo Periferico della Società Chimica Italiana, Associazione Scientifica che si occupa della divulgazione della cultura chimica in qualsiasi settore in cui la Chimica opera. La Sezione FVG provvede a ciò tramite iniziative che coinvolgono principalmente le scuole della regione, le Università di Trieste e di Udine, gli Ordini dei Chimici, nonché aziende ed enti pubblici e privati. Al momento le principali attività sono i Giochi della Chimica, competizioni di Chimica tra studenti delle scuole secondarie di secondo grado e il convegno “I Giovani e la Chimica”, che si svolge a scadenza biennale, dedicato allo scambio di esperienze tra dottorandi dei due atenei. Per l’8 ottobre 2015, è previsto il Convegno “Chimica, Ambiente, Territorio”, scambio di esperienze tra docenti rivolto al mondo della scuola, dell’università e alla cittadinanza.The Section SCI FVG is affiliated to the Italian Chemical Society, the scientific organization which invests in promoting chemical knowledge all over the country. The Section FVG invests in chemical education in Friuli Venezia Giulia in collaboration with schools, Universities (Trieste and Udine), industries, the professional chemist representative groups and the general public. Nowadays, Section SCI FVG promotes “I Giochi della Chimica”, chemical games among students from 14 to 18 and “I Giovani e la Chimica”, a convention for young talents from universities held every two years. On 8th October 2015, the section organized the convention “Chimica, Ambiente, Territorio” an exchange of ideas among teachers from FVG aimed at schools, universities and the general public

Atomi, ioni o molecole? Quali sono le particelle in un reticolo cristallino? Un’indagine accurata sulle sostanze solide può fornire qualche traccia... Esperienze per il secondo ciclo dell’istruzione

Un’analisi sistematica di alcune caratteristiche fisiche all’interno di un gruppo di sostanze solide di varia natura fa sì che esse possano essere distinte grossomodo in tre categorie: i metalli, i solidi ionici e i solidi molecolari. Paragonando poi i comportamenti diversi di questi tre tipi di solidi a una stessa sollecitazione, si può avanzare qualche ipotesi circa la natura delle particelle che formano i loro reticoli cristallini.The investigation of the physical features of solids shows that they can be classified into three fundamental groups: metallic solids, ionic solids and molecular solids. Furthermore, a study of these features for each group of solids, allows us to reflect upon the nature of particles which compose their pattern

Determination of Phenolic Compounds in Wine: A Review

One of the main constituents in wines is the phenolic compounds that comprise the phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans and stilbenes. Those have an important paper on the wines properties like flavor, appearance, astringent and antimicrobial properties. Moreover, phenolics have been extensively study in having antioxidant properties that may help in the prevention of disease like certain types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, strokes and other diseases related to aging. So is important the development of the phenolic compounds determination methods to be more selective, fast and easy operation. This paper brings a review of the methods employed on phenolics determination until this year

Olfaction and Colour Vision: What Can They Tell Us about Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with the pathological accumulation of alpha synuclein in the brain and peripheral nerve tissue. Early stages of synucleinopathies, often present clinically with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder (RBD). Clinical markers that indicate early progression from RBD to manifest synucleinopathies include abnormal dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging, motor and non-motor symptoms. Despite the high diagnostic strength of DAT imaging and motor abnormalities, they are not the earliest biomarkers. Non-motor signs of neurodegeneration such as colour vision and olfaction abnormalities are detectable by clinical examination as early as 20 years before disease onset. Detailed analysis of olfactory and colour vision dysfunction can provide valuable information regarding brain pathologies, further specifying clinical phenotypes, and giving clues to underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders