Cinnamaldehyde Loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) Microparticles for Antifungal Delivery Application against Resistant Candida albicans and Candida glabrata

Researchers have explored natural products to combat the antibiotic resistance of various microorganisms. Cinnamaldehyde (CIN), a major component of cinnamon essential oil (CC-EO), has been found to effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew, as well as their production of toxins. Therefore, this study aimed to create a delivery system for CIN using PLGA microparticles (CIN-MPs), and to compare the antifungal activity of the carried and free CIN, particularly against antibiotic-resistant strains of Candida spp. The first part of the study focused on synthesizing and characterizing the PLGA MPs, which had no toxic effects in vivo and produced results in line with the existing literature. The subsequent experiments analyzed the antifungal effects of MPs-CIN on Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, both resistant (R) and sensitive (S) strains and compared its efficacy with the conventional addition of free CIN to the culture medium. The results indicated that conveyed CIN increased the antifungal effects of the product, particularly towards C. albicans R. The slow and prolonged release of CIN from the PLGA MPs ensured a constant and uniform concentration of the active principle within the cell

Towards evidence-based conservation of subterranean ecosystems

Subterranean ecosystems are among the most widespread environments on Earth, yet we still have poor knowledge of their biodiversity. To raise awareness of subterranean ecosystems, the essential services they provide, and their unique conservation challenges, 2021 and 2022 were designated International Years of Caves and Karst. As these ecosystems have traditionally been overlooked in global conservation agendas and multilateral agreements, a quantitative assessment of solution-based approaches to safeguard subterranean biota and associated habitats is timely. This assessment allows researchers and practitioners to understand the progress made and research needs in subterranean ecology and management. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature focused on subterranean ecosystems globally (terrestrial, freshwater, and saltwater systems), to quantify the available evidence-base for the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We selected 708 publications from the years 1964 to 2021 that discussed, recommended, or implemented 1,954 conservation interventions in subterranean ecosystems. We noted a steep increase in the number of studies from the 2000s while, surprisingly, the proportion of studies quantifying the impact of conservation interventions has steadily and significantly decreased in recent years. The effectiveness of 31% of conservation interventions has been tested statistically. We further highlight that 64% of the reported research occurred in the Palearctic and Nearctic biogeographic regions. Assessments of the effectiveness of conservation interventions were heavily biased towards indirect measures (monitoring and risk assessment), a limited sample of organisms (mostly arthropods and bats), and more accessible systems (terrestrial caves). Our results indicate that most conservation science in the field of subterranean biology does not apply a rigorous quantitative approach, resulting in sparse evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. This raises the important question of how to make conservation efforts more feasible to implement, cost-effective, and long-lasting. Although there is no single remedy, we propose a suite of potential solutions to focus our efforts better towards increasing statistical testing and stress the importance of standardising study reporting to facilitate meta-analytical exercises. We also provide a database summarising the available literature, which will help to build quantitative knowledge about interventions likely to yield the greatest impacts depending upon the subterranean species and habitats of interest. We view this as a starting point to shift away from the widespread tendency of recommending conservation interventions based on anecdotal and expert-based information rather than scientific evidence, without quantitatively testing their effectiveness.Peer reviewe

Feeding of preterm infants and fortification of breast milk

The administration of the adequate amount of nutrients helps to improve a correct short-term linear growth and long-term neurocognitive development. To reduce the extra-uterine growth delay in very low birth weight infants (VLBW) the best strategy of nutrition (parenteral or enteral) should be established rapidly, since the first day of life. In preterm infants, nutrition can be administered parenterally and enterally. Prematurity is the most frequent indication for parenteral nutritional support due to intestinal functional immune deficiency, deficiency of digestive enzymatic systems and reduced nutritional reserve of these infants. In terms of enteral nutrition, breast milk is the first choice. In case of preterm and VLBW infants, fortifiers are used to overcome breast milk’s protein and mineral deficiencies. When breast milk is not available, specific infant formula is the alternative

Feeding dysfunctions and failure to thrive in neonates with congenital heart diseases

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common neonatal congenital malformation. The variety and severity of clinical presentation depend on the cardiac structures involved and their functional impact. The management of newborns with CHD requires a multidisciplinary approach, in which the nutritional aspect plays an important role. An adequate caloric intake during either preand post-surgical period, in fact, improves the outcome of these patients. In addition, the failure to thrive of these children in childhood has been related to long-term cognitive delay (attention deficit disorders, aggressive behaviour and poor social and emotional development). To date, there is a lack of standardized feeding protocols and caloric goals about how to feed neonates with CHD, and current practice varies widely between centres. The latest American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition guidelines reiterate the importance of proteins, and recommend early start of enteral nutrition, also in the most severe heart diseases, such as univentricular forms. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the most frequent and feared complication of early feeding of these newborns, often represents an obstacle in spreading this practice. Furthermore, as demonstrated in premature infants, breastfeeding seems to reduce the incidence of NEC. That is why breastfeeding must be encouraged, even if it can be difficult for these mothers due to delivery complications, associated with infant disease. In addition, eating difficulties may persist even after discharge, because these patients require nutritional support through nasogastric tubes or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies

Fomitiporia punctata missing: ITS-LSU analysis in Lombardia detects the polyphagous pathogen F. mediterranea only

Fomitiporia punctata (P. Karst.) Murrill is a wood decay fungus on broadleaves. It has only recently been reevaluated as a distinct species with respect to Phellinus punctatus (P. Karst.) Pilát sensu lato species complex, a group taxonomically complex to discriminate. In turn, F. mediterranea M. Fisch. was recognized as an independent species in 2002 based on strains isolated from Vitis vinifera L. in Germany. Since that moment, the species has been increasingly reported in Europe and Southern regions particularly, with special focus on its pathogenicity for some cultivated woody plants. Nevertheless, it has not been clarified yet whether F. punctata and F. mediterranea are sympatric in south Europe and South of Alps in particular. Aim of this work was to investigate whether F. punctata and F. mediterranea are both present in Lombardia by considering different provinces and hosts. Samplings in different provinces and environments in Lombardia provided the culture collection of DSTAUnipv (MicUNIPV) with over 60 dikaryon strains in pure culture morphologically recognized as belonging to P. punctatus sensu lato. ITS analysis on a subset including strains from Pavia, Varese, Como and Brescia provinces revealed the presence of F. mediterranea only, whereas no strains were attributed to F. punctata. For a strain subset, LSU sequences were obtained as well. Interspecific discrimination was furtherly explored by both ITS and ITS-LSU approach with respect to all available sequences in Genbank belonging to P. punctatus sensu lato and including sequences specifically referred to F. mediterranea. The cladograms clearly show that all the MicUNIPV isolates lie in F. mediterranea clade, as well as other available Italian strains examined by different authors in previous years. On the other hand, all the European strains lying in putative F. punctata clade come from areas lying North of Alps. Notwithstanding, F. mediterranea clades also include strains from German and Swiss vineyards (based on Fischer’s results). Despite the wide majority of currently available F. mediterranea sequences is thus referred to Mediterranean regions, the Northern front of this species is likely to be placed in correspondence of Alps, except for accidental introduction further North as a parasite of cultivated plants. The role of cultivated and wild host plants as carriers for F. mediterranea is discussed with respect to the sister species F. punctata (Fig. 1a-1b). Adaptation of F. mediterranea to other allochthonous species is discussed as well. In conclusion, this study confirmed that F. punctata and F. mediterranea are not sympatric in Lombardia; data thus suggest F. mediterranea only is present South of Alps. Since F. mediterranea is an important pathogen for several plants (unlikely F. punctata), it is of major concern to discriminate the two species, as well as to define the native ranges and whether climate change may favour F. mediterranea emergence

White-Nose Syndrome Confirmed in Italy: A Preliminary Assessment of Its Occurrence in Bat Species

Although no mass mortality has been recorded so far, the precise demographic effect of white-nose syndrome (WNS) on European bats still remains to be ascertained. Following the first isolation of P. destructans in Italy, further surveys were performed to assess the distribution of the fungus in NW Italy and its effects on bats. Data were collected from March 2019 to April 2020 at sites used for hibernation (six sites) and/or for reproduction (four sites) in Piedmont and Aosta Valley. A total of 138 bats, belonging to 10 species, were examined to identify clinical features possibly related to the fungal presence. Culture from swabs and the molecular identification of isolates confirmed the presence of P. destructans in bats from five sites, including two maternal roosts. Dermal fungal infiltration, the criterion to assess the presence of WNS, was observed in biopsies of bats belonging to Myotis blythii, M. daubentonii, M. emarginatus and M. myotis. This is the first report of the disease in Italy. The results suggest a greater susceptibility to the infection of the genus Myotis and particularly of M. emarginatus, possibly due to the long length of its hibernation period. Other fungal dermatophytes were also observed

Évaluation de l'exposition au mercure des colonies de chauves-souris d'Italie du nord à travers l'analyse du guano

National audienc