FMF revisited

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Urban wastewater disinfection by iron chelates mediated solar photo-Fenton: Effects on seven pathogens and antibiotic resistance transfer potential

The effects of solar photo-Fenton (SPF) process mediated by the iron chelate Fe3+ imminodisuccinic acid (Fe:IDS) on both the inactivation of seven relevant pathogens and the potential for antibiotic resistance transfer (degradation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and after treatment regrowth), in real secondary treated urban wastewater, were investigated for the first time. A comparison with results obtained by sunlight/H2O2 process and Fe3+ ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (Fe:EDDS) SPF was also carried out. ARGs were quantified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in samples before and after (3 h) the treatment. The persistence of the selected pathogens and ARGs was also evaluated in regrowth tests (72 h) under environmentally mimicking conditions. Fe:IDS SPF resulted to be more effective (from 1.4 log removal for Staphylococcus spp. to 4.3 log removal for Escherichia coli) than Fe:EDDS SPF (from 0.8 log removal for Pseudomonas aeruginosa to 2.0 log removal for Total coliphages) and sunlight/H2O2 (from 1.2 log removal for Clostridium perfringens to 3.3 log removal for E. coli) processes for the seven pathogens investigated. Potential pathogens regrowth was also severely affected, as no substantial regrowth was observed, both in presence and absence of catalase. A similar trend was observed for ARGs removal too (until 0.001 fold change expression for qnrS after 3 h). However, a poor effect and a slight increase in fold change was observed after treatment especially for gyrA, mefA and intl1. Overall, the effect of the investigated processes on ARGs was found to be ARG dependent. Noteworthy, coliphages can regrow after sunlight/H2O2 treatment unlike SPF processes, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance transfer by transduction mechanism. In conclusion, Fe:IDS SPF is an attractive solution for tertiary treatment of urban wastewater in small wastewater treatment plants as it can provide effective disinfection and a higher protection against antibiotic resistance transfer than the other investigated processes

Adaptive Mechanisms of Renal Bile Acid Transporters in a Rat Model of Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Liver Cirrhosis

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in advanced liver cirrhosis, a consequence of reduced kidney perfusion due to splanchnic arterial vasodilation and intrarenal vasoconstriction. It clinically manifests as hepatorenal syndrome type 1, type 2, or as acute tubular necrosis. Beyond hemodynamic factors, an additional mechanism may be hypothesized to explain the renal dysfunction during liver cirrhosis. Recent evidence suggest that such mechanisms may be closely related to obstructive jaundice. Methods: Given the not completely elucidated role of bile acids in kidney tissue damage, this study developed a rat model of AKI with liver cirrhosis induction by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) inhalation for 12 weeks. Histological analyses of renal and liver biopsies were performed at sacrifice. Organic anion tubular transporter distribution and apoptosis in kidney cells were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Circulating and urinary markers of inflammation and tubular injury were assayed in 21 treated rats over time (1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks of CCl4 administration) and 5 controls. Results: No renal histopathological alterations were found at sacrifice. Comparing treated rats with controls, organic anion transporters were differentially expressed and localized. High serum bile acid values were detected in cirrhotic animals, while caspase-3 staining was negative in both groups. Increased levels of serum inflammatory and urinary tubular injury biomarkers were observed during cirrhosis progression, with a peak after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Conclusions: These findings suggest possible adaptive tubular mechanisms for bile acid transporters in response to cirrhosis-induced AKI

Downregulation of miRNA17-92 cluster marks Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: We aimed to evaluate the phenotype, function, and microRNA (miRNA)17-92 cluster expression in Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell subsets and the correlation with immune response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: Peripheral blood from 10 early RA untreated patients and 10 healthy donors (HD) was obtained. Polyclonal Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell lines were generated and analysed by flow cytometry. Analysis of miRNA17-92 cluster expression was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and expression of mRNA target genes was also studied. Results: A remarkable change in the distribution of Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell functional subsets was observed in the peripheral blood of RA patients compared with HD, with an expansion of effector subsets and reduction of naive cells which was accompanied by modifications in proinflammatory cytokine expression. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with a TEM (effector memory) phenotype and producing proinflammatory cytokines were correlated with disease activity score (DAS28). The comparison of miRNA expression among Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell subsets from RA patients and HD showed a lower level of miR-106a-5p and miR-20a-5p, and a higher level of miR-21a-5p, among Vγ9Vδ2 TEM cells, and a lower level of miR-19b-3p among Vγ9Vδ2 TCM (central memory) cells was also found. These differentially expressed miRNAs correlated with higher levels of expression of interleukin (IL)-8, IL-6, and PDCD4 genes. Conclusions: Our results provide evidence for a role of miR-106a, miR-19-3p, miR-20a, and miR-21a in the regulation of Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell function in RA patients and suggest the possibility that the miRNA17-92 family and Vγ9Vδ2 T cells contribute to the pathogenesis of RA

Integrated geophysical survey to recognize ancient Picentias buried walls, in the Archaeological Park of Pontecagnano Faiano (Southern Italy)

There is no information on previous geophysical prospections carried out in the Archaeological Park of Pontecagnano- Faiano, in order to reconstruct the ancient settlement of Picentia, an Etrusco-Campanian and Roman settlement near Salerno (Southern Italy). Therefore, an integrated geophysical survey based on magnetic, geoelectric and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) prospections was executed in the Park. The methods provided a basic map of buried ancient structures at depth from 0.1-0.2 to about 1.5 meters. Magnetic data were processed analyzing the analytical signal of the vertical derivative of the measured gradient and this substantially reduced a strong fence effect. The results of the geophysical prospections showed archaeological structures located close to those discovered in the excavated areas. The shape of the anomalies are usually elongated with well-defined geometrical characteristics. Many anomalies are arranged along orthogonal directions and they are very coherent with the excavated structures, namely the quarters structures of the ancient Picentia

Renal function and physical fitness after 12-mo supervised training in kidney transplant recipients

To evaluate the effect of a 12-mo supervised aerobic and resistance training, on renal function and exercise capacity compared to usual care recommendations

The LISA beamline at ESRF.

This contribution provides a description of LISA, the new Italian Collaborating Research Group beamline operative at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. A presentation of the instruments available and optical devices is given as well as the main X-ray parameters (flux, energy resolution, focal spot dimensions, etc.) and comparison with theoretical calculations. The beamline has been open to users since April 2018 and will be ready at the opening of the Extremely Brilliant Source in late-2020

Longitudinal Analysis of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Active and Sedentary Kidney Transplant Recipients

Despite the benefits of physical activity on cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), the long-term effects of exercise have been poorly investigated. This is a three-year observational study comparing graft function and cardiovascular risk factors in active KTRs (AKTRs) vs. sedentary KTRs (SKTRs). Methods: KTRs with stable renal function were assigned to active or sedentary group in relation to the level of daily physical activity based on World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations (<150 or >150 min/week, respectively). Complete blood count, renal function indices, lipid profile, blood pressure and anthropometric measures were collected yearly for an observation period of three years. The comparisons between the two groups were performed by repeated measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs), with age as a covariate. Results: Fifty-four subjects were included in the study. Thirty of them were identified as AKTRs (M/F 26/4, aged 45 \ub1 12 years) and 24 as SKTRs (M/F 18/6, aged 51 \ub1 14 years). Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups except body mass index (BMI) that was significantly higher in SKTRs (p = 0.043). Furthermore, over the three-year observation period, BMI decreased in AKTRs and increased in SKTRs (p = 0.006). Graft function was stable in AKTRs, while it showed a decline over time in SKTRs, as indicated by the rise in serum creatinine levels (p = 0.006) and lower eGFR (p = 0.050). Proteinuria, glucose and uric acid levels displayed a decrease in AKTRs and an increase in SKTRs during the three-year period (p = 0.015, p = 0.004 and p = 0.013, respectively). Finally, concerning lipid profiles, AKTRs had a significant reduction over time of triglycerides levels, which conversely showed a clinically relevant increase in SKTRs (p = 0.014). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that regular weekly exercise training may counteract the increased cardiovascular risks and also prevent graft function decline in KTRs

Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination in Dialysis Patients: Epidemiological Analysis and Evaluation of the Clinical Progress

This study investigated the impact of the fourth COVID-19 pandemic wave on dialysis patients of Romagna territory, assessing the associations of vaccination status with infection risk, clinical severity and mortality. From November 2021 to February 2022, an epidemiological search was conducted on 829 patients under dialysis treatment for at least one month. The data were then analyzed with reference to the general population of the same area. A temporal comparison was also carried out with the previous pandemic waves (from March 2020 to October 2021). The epidemiological evolution over time in the dialysis population and in Romagna citizens replicated the global trend, as the peak of the fourth wave corresponded to the time of maximum diffusion of omicron variant (B.1.1.529). Of 771 prevalent dialysis patients at the beginning of the study, 109 (14.1%) contracted SARS-CoV-2 infection during the 4-month observation period. Vaccine adherence in the dialysis population of the reference area was above 95%. Compared to fully or partially vaccinated subjects, the unvaccinated ones showed a significantly higher proportion of infections (12.5% vs. 27.0% p = 0.0341), a more frequent need for hospitalization (22.2% vs. 50.0%) and a 3.3-fold increased mortality risk. These findings confirm the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in keeping infectious risk under control and ameliorating clinical outcomes in immunocompromised patients

Rapid biolayer interferometry measurements of urinary CXCL9 to detect cellular infiltrates noninvasively after kidney transplantation

Introduction: measuring the chemokine CXCL9 in urine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) can diagnose acute cellular rejection (ACR) noninvasively after kidney transplantation, but the required 12- to 24-hour turnaround time is not ideal for rapid, clinical decision-making. Methods: we developed a biolayer interferometry (BLI)−based assay to rapidly measure urinary CXCL9 in 200 pg/ml in subjects with ACR and ≤100 pg/ml in subjects with stable kidney function without cellular infiltrates. In samples obtained after treatment for ACR, BLI CXCL9 measurements detected biopsy-proven intragraft infiltrates despite treatment-induced reduction in serum creatinine. Discussion: together, our proof-of-principle results demonstrate that BLI-based urinary CXCL9 detection has potential as a point-of-care noninvasive biomarker to diagnose and guide therapy for ACR in kidney transplantation recipients