Prevalence of Anisakis spp. and Hysterothylacium spp. larvae in teleosts and cephalopods sampled from waters off Sardinia.

A study was carried out on the presence of Anisakis and Hysterothylacium larvae in fish and cephalopods caught in Sardinian waters. A total of 369 specimens of 24 different species of teleosts and 5 species of cephalopods were collected from different fishing areas of Sardinia. Larvae were detected and isolated by both visual inspection and enzymatic digestion. These methods allowed Anisakis type I and type II third-stage larvae and Hysterothylacium third-and fourth-stage larvae to be detected. The prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance were calculated. The results obtained showed the highest prevalence of Anisakidae in Zeus faber (100%) and of Anisakis in Micromesistius poutassou (87.5%). The highest prevalence of Anisakis type I larvae was in M. poutassou (81.2%), and that of Anisakis type II larvae was in Todarodes sagittatus (20%). The highest values for prevalence, mean intensity, and mean abundance for Hysterothylacium were found in Z. faber. These prevalences and the mean intensity and abundance were higher than those reported by different authors in other Mediterranean areas. This may be because the enzymatic digestive method used in this research resulted in higher recovery levels. The data suggest that Sardinia may be a high-risk area for zoonotic diseases and that measures such as information campaigns, aimed at both sanitary service personnel and consumers, should be employed to limit the spread of such zoonosis. Copyright © International Association for Food Protection

Efficacy of 1998 <i>vs</i> 2006 first-line antiretroviral regimens for HIV infection: an ordinary clinics retrospective investigation

Purpose: The evidence suggesting increased HAART efficacy over time comes from randomized trials or cohort studies. This retrospective multicenter survey aimed to assess the variation over time in the efficacy and tolerability of first-line HAART regimens in unselected patients treated in ordinary clinical settings. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data of all patients starting first-line HAART regimens in 1998 and 2006 at adhering centers in the Italian CISAI group. Results: For the 543 patients included, mean age was 39.1 ± 9.8y in 1998 and 41.0 ± 10.7y in 2006 (p=0.03), with a similar proportion of males. Baseline mean log10 HIV-RNA was 4.56 ± 0.97 copies/mL in 1998 vs 4.91 ± 0.96 copies/mL in 2006 (p&lt;0.001); baseline mean CD4 T-cell counts were 343 ± 314/mm3 in 1998 vs 244 ± 174/mm3 in 2006 (p&lt;0.001). The following outcomes were significantly improved at 48w in 2006: proportion with undetectable HIV-RNA (86.3% vs 58.0%; p&lt;0.001); mean increase in CD4 T-cells count (252 ± 225 vs 173 ± 246; p&lt;0.001); HAART modification (20.1% vs 29.2%; p=0.02); HAART interruption (7.3% vs 14.6%; p=0.01); proportion reporting optimal adherence (92.2% vs 82.7%, p=0.03). No differences were observed in the prevalence of grade 3-4 WHO toxicities (26.4% vs 26.6%; p=0.9). Multivariate logistic regression showed that being treated in 1998 remained an independent predictor of virological failure after several adjustments, including adherence. Conclusions: Our data from patients not included in clinical trials or cohort studies provide an additional line of evidence that the effectiveness of HAART significantly improved in 2006. Treated patients, however, were significantly older and more frequently late HIV presenters in 2006 than in 1998.</br

Designing and implementing a multi-scalar approach to Maritime Spatial Planning: The case study of Italy

The Italian coastal and marine space includes areas with remarkable differences in terms of oceanographic characteristics, maritime uses, natural habitats, species distribution, landscape and cultural heritage. In Italy, coastal and marine management competencies are shared among national, regional, and for some aspects even local authorities. This geographic heterogeneity and governance complexity required the adoption of a multiscalar approach to Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). Such an approach aims at implementing decision-making and spatial planning at multiple and nested scales. In the case of Italy, the multi-scalar approach included the definition of national guidelines and the development of three maritime spatial (MS) plans, one for each maritime area (Adriatic, Ionian and Central Mediterranean, and Tyrrhenian and Western Mediterranean), including subareas and nested planning units. The development of the MS plans involved competent Ministries, the coastal Regions and several researchers. Based on the description of the adopted six-phase methodology and the exemplification of results of the Italian MSP process, this paper discusses the most relevant features and common challenges of multi-scalar MSP (i.e. co-planning, vertical and horizontal integration, multi-level governance, scalability, flexibility, integration of data and knowledge with different resolution, multi-scalar stakeholder engagement). Finally, the paper reflects on some novel aspects of the adopted multi-scalar approach and identifies actions to grant efficacy to this approach during the next phases of the Italian MSP proces

Genome sequences of 10 SARS-CoV-2 viral strains obtained by nanopore sequencing of nasopharyngeal swabs in Malta

The genome sequences of 10 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains from Sliema, Malta, were obtained by Nanopore sequencing using the amplicon sequencing approach developed by the Artic Network. The assembled genomes were analyzed with Pangolin software and assigned to the B.1 lineage, which is widely circulating in Europe.peer-reviewe

Cancer incidence in Priolo, Sicily: a spatial approach for estimation of industrial air pollution impact

The territory around the industrial Sicilian area of Priolo, Italy, has been defined as a contaminated site (CS) of national priority for remediation because of diffuse environmental contamination caused by large industrial settlements. The present study investigates the spatial distribution of cancer into the CS territory (period 1999-2006). Different geographical methods used for the evaluation of the impact of industrial air pollutants were adopted. Using the database of Syracuse Province Cancer Registry, gender-specific standardised incidence ratios were calculated for 35 tumour sites for the CS overall and for each municipality included in the CS. A cluster analysis for 17 selected neoplasms was performed at micro-geographical level. The identification of the priority index contaminants (PICs) present in environmental matrices and a review of their carcinogenicity have been performed and applied in the interpretation of the findings. The area has a higher cancer incidence with respect to the provincial population, in particular excess is registered among both genders of lung, bladder and breast cancers as well as skin melanoma and pleural mesothelioma and there is an a priori evidence of association with the exposure to PICs. The study highlights the need to provide different approaches in CSs where several exposure pathways might be relevant for the population. The presence of potential sources of asbestos exposure deserves specific concern

Hematopoietic progenitor cell liabilities and alarmins S100A8/A9-related inflammaging associate with frailty and predict poor cardiovascular outcomes in older adults

Frailty affects the physical, cognitive, and social domains exposing older adults to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. The mechanisms linking frailty and cardiovascular outcomes are mostly unknown. Here, we studied the association of abundance (flow cytometry) and gene expression profile (RNAseq) of stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) and molecular markers of inflammaging (ELISA) with the cardiorespiratory phenotype and prospective adverse events of individuals classified according to levels of frailty. Two cohorts of older adults were enrolled in the study. In a cohort of pre‐frail 35 individuals (average age: 75 years), a physical frailty score above the median identified subjects with initial alterations in cardiorespiratory function. RNA sequencing revealed S100A8/A9 upregulation in HSPCs from the bone marrow (>10‐fold) and peripheral blood (>200‐fold) of individuals with greater physical frailty. Moreover higher frailty was associated with increased alarmins S100A8/A9 and inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood. We then studied a cohort of 104 more frail individuals (average age: 81 years) with multidomain health deficits. Reduced levels of circulating HSPCs and increased S100A8/A9 concentrations were independently associated with the frailty index. Remarkably, low HSPCs and high S100A8/A9 simultaneously predicted major adverse cardiovascular events at 1‐year follow‐up after adjustment for age and frailty index. In conclusion, inflammaging characterized by alarmin and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in pre‐frail individuals is mirrored by the pauperization of HSPCs in frail older people with comorbidities. S100A8/A9 is upregulated within HSPCs, identifying a phenotype that associates with poor cardiovascular outcomes

Genetic Analysis Reveals a Longevity-Associated Protein Modulating Endothelial Function and Angiogenesis

Long living individuals show delay of aging, which is characterized by the progressive loss of cardiovascular homeostasis, along with reduced endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity, endothelial dysfunction, and impairment of tissue repair after ischemic injury