Transmission of Group B Streptococcus in late-onset neonatal disease: a narrative review of current evidence

Group B streptococcus (GBS) late-onset disease (LOD, occurring from 7 through 89 days of life) is an important cause of sepsis and meningitis in infants. The pathogenesis and modes of transmission of LOD to neonates are yet to be elucidated. Established risk factors for the incidence of LOD include maternal GBS colonisation, young maternal age, preterm birth, HIV exposure and African ethnicity. The mucosal colonisation by GBS may be acquired perinatally or in the postpartum period from maternal or other sources. Growing evidence has demonstrated the predominant role of maternal sources in the transmission of LOD. Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) to prevent early-onset disease reduces neonatal GBS colonisation during delivery; however, a significant proportion of IAP-exposed neonates born to GBS-carrier mothers acquire the pathogen at mucosal sites in the first weeks of life. GBS-infected breast milk, with or without presence of mastitis, is considered a potential vehicle for transmitting GBS. Furthermore, horizontal transmission is possible from nosocomial and other community sources. Although unfrequently reported, nosocomial transmission of GBS in the neonatal intensive care unit is probably less rare than is usually believed. GBS disease can sometime recur and is usually caused by the same GBS serotype that caused the primary infection. This review aims to discuss the dynamics of transmission of GBS in the neonatal LOD

Image charge screening: a new approach to enhance magnetic ordering temperatures

We have tested the concept of image charge screening as a new approach to enhance magnetic ordering temperatures and superexchange interactions in ultra thin films. Using a 3 monolayer NiO(100) film grown on Ag(100) and an identically thin film on MgO(100) as model systems, we observed that the Neel temperature of the NiO film on the highly polarizable metal substrate is 390 K while that of the film on the poorly polarizable insulator substrate is below 40 K. This demonstrates that screening by highly polarizable media may point to a practical way towards designing strongly correlated oxide nanostructures with greatly improved magnetic properties.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Ambiente e colture officinali

The aromatic and medicinal plants is studied in the book by an agronomic and productive point of view. Objective of this research is to deepen the relationships among the aromatic and medicinal plants and the environment. This interaction finds confirmation because the quality and the quantity of the active principles of the aromatic and medicinal plants are strongly influenced by the characteristics of the territory and the environmen