Toxoplasma gondii in animals and food: results of four-years monitoring by the official italian zoonoses informative system.

When considering human toxoplasmosis, food remains the main source of infection. Whether is meat from susceptible animals that naturally harbour Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts or food like fresh vegetables or fishery products (mussels, fish) contaminated by environmentally derived oocysts, information about animal toxoplasmosis prevalence should continue to be under the spotlight. Directive 2003/99/EC of the European Parliament and the Council classifies toxoplasmosis and its causative agent as a class B zoonosis/agent for which monitoring depends on the epidemiological situation. Surveillance systems on animal toxoplasmosis are different across Europe and regulated by national legislation. In Italy, administrative regions are called annually to submit data on animal toxoplasmosis to SINZOO (Zoonoses Informative System) that is part of the Veterinary Informative System managed by the Italian Ministry of Health. Foodborne zoonoses data collected at the national level are then processed and summarized by EFSA to became part of the annual EFSA/ECDC joint European Union summary reports on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and foodborne outbreaks. No foodborne outbreaks of toxoplasmosis have been reported in Italy during 2017, the most recent year for which a report is available. Unfortunately, prevalence data are often the results of fragmented researches or clinical investigations but, nevertheless, they provide baseline data to monitor epidemiological trends for guiding public health preventive measures. Over the past four years (2014-2017), in Italy, sheep, cattle, pig, goats, wild boars and wild ruminants were the main species tested besides pet animals. Prevalence of the infection ranged: 3.49-11.10% in cattle (209 to 2289 animals tested); 11.46-34.55% in pigs (37 to 2051 animals tested); 18.01-45.72% in sheep (912 to 2682 animals tested); 5.98-23.25% in goats (234 to 432 animals tested. Positive among wildlife ranged from 0 to 10.24% for wild boars (26 to 901 animals tested) and from 0.76 to 11.25% for wild ruminants (240 to 394 animals tested). For cats, that are solely responsible for contamination with environmentally-resistant oocysts, the prevalence ranged from 19.48 to 34.77% (77 to 696 animals tested). Although these data cannot support epidemiological analyses, they suggest that pigs and small ruminants are still the major sources of meatborne toxoplasmosis. Cattle are also under a special watch list since beef consumption has been predicted as the most important source of meatborne toxoplasmosis at least in Italy and the Netherlands as resulting from quantitative risk assessment studies. Cattle are often found positive to serological screening although direct detection of T. gondii via biological assay or PCR is uncommon with lack of concordance between antibodies and parasite DNA detection. The informative system also reports very limited information on food such as fresh vegetables or fishery products that can be contaminated by T. gondii oocysts dispersed in the environment although 1 sample of mussels and 3 samples of fish resulted positive by PCR in 2017. These findings suggest that surveillance on animal toxoplasmosis and meat and other food contamination with T. gondii should be enhanced since it is one of the few effective tools to control the parasite diffusion and prevent the transmission of the zoonosis

Results of five years monitoring for Toxoplasma gondii infection in animals by the official Italian Zoonoses Informative System (SINZOO)

In order to drive effective public health preventive measures for human toxoplasmosis a scrupulous epidemiological monitoring of animal toxoplasmosis is essential. BACKGROUND AND AIM:T. gondii is the fourth most important parasite in the world and second out of 14 foodborne pathogens in the USA and in Europe. Meat-borne transmission of T. gondii causes most of food-borne infections in Europe (EFSA-European Food Safety Authority). SINZOO is part of the Veterinary Informative System of the Italian Ministry of Health. It collects and transmit data to EFSA, published in the annual EFSA/ECDC summary reports on zoonoses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of SINZOO for epidemiological surveillance of toxoplasmosis in Italy. METHODS:Among animal species tested in Italy between 2015 and 2019 the ones most commonly reared for human consumption (sheep, cattle, pig, goats) were selected, moreover wild boars, wild ruminants, cats. RESULTS:Infection rates ranged from 0.73% in wild boars to 45.72% in sheep. Total number of tested animals ranged from 37 pigs in 2015 to 3449 sheep in 2018. Besides a relevant incidence among wild boars in 2018 (45%) and 2019 (32%), higher infection rates were more often reported among sheep and pigs. Between 2018 and 2019 67% of the overall analyses were carried out in one region (Sardinia), mostly on one species (sheep) and emerged from targeted research or clinical investigation. In fact in 2019 83.45% of analyses were performed following clinical suspicions while only 8.43% came from official controls, highlighting toxoplasmosis underestimation by the national veterinary health system. CONCLUSIONS:Despite EFSA recognizes the relevance of toxoplasmosis, this is not included among zoonoses under mandatory notification, making animal epidemiological surveillance rather scarce and uneven. Data reported to SINZOO suggest that T. gondii is still a relevant hazard to monitor by meat inspection and in-farm survey, for effective epidemiological evaluations and appropriate public health interventions. This issue characterizes Italy and Europe, highlighting that toxoplasmosis monitoring should be made mandatory and with uniform rules

Dual inhibition of TGFβ and AXL as a novel therapy for human colorectal adenocarcinoma with mesenchymal phenotype

A subset of colorectal cancer (CRC) with a mesenchymal phenotype (CMS4) displays an aggressive disease, with an increased risk of recurrence after surgery, reduced survival, and resistance to standard treatments. It has been shown that the AXL and TGFβ signaling pathways are involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, metastatic spread, and unresponsiveness to targeted therapies. However, the prognostic role of the combination of these biomarkers and the anti-tumor effect of AXL and TGFβ inhibition in CRC still has to be assessed. To evaluate the role of AXL and TGFβ as negative biomarker in CRC, we conducted an in-depth in silico analysis of CRC samples derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus. We found that AXL and TGFβ receptors are upregulated in CMS4 tumors and are correlated with an increased risk of recurrence after surgery in stage II/III CRC and a reduced overall survival. Moreover, we showed that AXL receptor is differently expressed in human CRC cell lines. Dual treatment with the TGFβ galunisertib and the AXL inhibitor, bemcentinib, significantly reduced colony formation and migration capabilities of tumor cells and displayed a strong anti-tumor activity in 3D spheroid cultures derived from patients with advanced CRC. Our work shows that AXL and TGFβ receptors identify a subgroup of CRC with a mesenchymal phenotype and correlate with poor prognosis. Dual inhibition of AXL and TGFβ could represent a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with this aggressive disease

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI

Search for stop and higgsino production using diphoton Higgs boson decays

Results are presented of a search for a "natural" supersymmetry scenario with gauge mediated symmetry breaking. It is assumed that only the supersymmetric partners of the top-quark (stop) and the Higgs boson (higgsino) are accessible. Events are examined in which there are two photons forming a Higgs boson candidate, and at least two b-quark jets. In 19.7 inverse femtobarns of proton-proton collision data at sqrt(s) = 8 TeV, recorded in the CMS experiment, no evidence of a signal is found and lower limits at the 95% confidence level are set, excluding the stop mass below 360 to 410 GeV, depending on the higgsino mass

Severe early onset preeclampsia: short and long term clinical, psychosocial and biochemical aspects

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy specific disorder commonly defined as de novo hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks gestational age. It occurs in approximately 3-5% of pregnancies and it is still a major cause of both foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide1. As extensive research has not yet elucidated the aetiology of preeclampsia, there are no rational preventive or therapeutic interventions available. The only rational treatment is delivery, which benefits the mother but is not in the interest of the foetus, if remote from term. Early onset preeclampsia (<32 weeks’ gestational age) occurs in less than 1% of pregnancies. It is, however often associated with maternal morbidity as the risk of progression to severe maternal disease is inversely related with gestational age at onset2. Resulting prematurity is therefore the main cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in patients with severe preeclampsia3. Although the discussion is ongoing, perinatal survival is suggested to be increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia by expectant, non-interventional management. This temporising treatment option to lengthen pregnancy includes the use of antihypertensive medication to control hypertension, magnesium sulphate to prevent eclampsia and corticosteroids to enhance foetal lung maturity4. With optimal maternal haemodynamic status and reassuring foetal condition this results on average in an extension of 2 weeks. Prolongation of these pregnancies is a great challenge for clinicians to balance between potential maternal risks on one the eve hand and possible foetal benefits on the other. Clinical controversies regarding prolongation of preterm preeclamptic pregnancies still exist – also taking into account that preeclampsia is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the Netherlands5 - a debate which is even more pronounced in very preterm pregnancies with questionable foetal viability6-9. Do maternal risks of prolongation of these very early pregnancies outweigh the chances of neonatal survival? Counselling of women with very early onset preeclampsia not only comprises of knowledge of the outcome of those particular pregnancies, but also knowledge of outcomes of future pregnancies of these women is of major clinical importance. This thesis opens with a review of the literature on identifiable risk factors of preeclampsia

Search for anomalous production of events with three or more leptons in pp collisions at √s = 8TeV

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published articles title, journal citation, and DOI.A search for physics beyond the standard model in events with at least three leptons is presented. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.5fb-1 of proton-proton collisions with center-of-mass energy s=8TeV, was collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2012. The data are divided into exclusive categories based on the number of leptons and their flavor, the presence or absence of an opposite-sign, same-flavor lepton pair (OSSF), the invariant mass of the OSSF pair, the presence or absence of a tagged bottom-quark jet, the number of identified hadronically decaying τ leptons, and the magnitude of the missing transverse energy and of the scalar sum of jet transverse momenta. The numbers of observed events are found to be consistent with the expected numbers from standard model processes, and limits are placed on new-physics scenarios that yield multilepton final states. In particular, scenarios that predict Higgs boson production in the context of supersymmetric decay chains are examined. We also place a 95% confidence level upper limit of 1.3% on the branching fraction for the decay of a top quark to a charm quark and a Higgs boson (t→cH), which translates to a bound on the left- and right-handed top-charm flavor-violating Higgs Yukawa couplings, λtcH and λctH, respectively, of |λtcH|2+|λctH|2<0.21

Measurement of associated W plus charm production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

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Search for massive resonances in dijet systems containing jets tagged as W or Z boson decays in pp collisions at √s=8 TeV

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