Endometritis associated with Enterococcus casseliflavus in a mare: A case report

Abstract Infectious endometritis is one of the main causes of subfertility/infertility in the mare. In this report, we present the first case of endometritis in mare associated with a strain of Enterococcus casseliflavus, an unusual gram-positive bacterium which can also be a zoonotic agent. Furthermore, the isolated strain showed a worrying multidrug-resistant profile. The accurate finding of a successful antimicrobial treatment and consequently, the pregnancy diagnosis indicate the importance to isolate, identify and define the antibiotic resistance profile of bacteria associated with endometritis

The current spectrum and prevalence of intestinal parasitosis in Campania (region of southern Italy) and their relationship with migration from endemic countries

Background: In Italy, the current clinical–epidemiological features of intestinal parasitosis and the impact of recent massive migration flows from endemic areas on their distribution are not very well known. Methods: An analysis was carried out involving 1766 patients (720 natives and 1046 immigrants) observed during the period 2009–2010 (the 'current group') and 771 native patients observed during the period 1996–1997 (the 'historical group'), a time at which immigration in the area was minimal. Patients were analyzed for intestinal parasitosis at four healthcare centres in Campania. Results: A wide variety of intestinal parasites was detected in the study subjects. Immigrants had a significantly higher prevalence of parasitosis and multiple simultaneous infections than natives in both groups. In both study groups of natives, the detection of at least one parasite was significantly associated with a history of travel to endemic areas. Among immigrants, we found an inverse correlation between the frequency of parasite detection and the amount of time spent in Italy. No circulation of parasites was found among contacts of parasitized patients. Conclusions: Intestinal parasites are still a cause of intestinal infection in Campania. Although immigrants have a significantly higher prevalence of parasitosis than natives, this does not increase the risk of infection for that population. This is likely due to the lack of suitable biological conditions in our area

CNS inflammatory demyelinating events after COVID-19 vaccines: A case series and systematic review

BackgroundVaccinations provided the most effective tool to fight the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. It is now well established that COVID-19 vaccines are safe for the general population; however, some cases of rare adverse events following immunization have been described, including CNS Inflammatory Demyelinating Events (CIDEs). Although observational studies are showing that these events are rare and vaccines' benefits highly outweigh the risks, collecting and characterizing post-COVID-19 vaccine CIDEs might be relevant to single out potential risk factors and suggest possible underlying mechanisms. MethodsHere we describe six CIDEs, including two acute transverse myelitis (ATM), three multiple sclerosis (MS), and one neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), occurring between 8 and 35 days from a COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, we performed a systematic literature search of post-COVID-19 vaccines CIDEs, including ATM, ADEM, MS, and NMOSD/MOGAD, published worldwide between December 2020 and December 2021, during 1 year of the vaccination campaign. Clinical/MRI and CSF/serum characteristics were extracted from reviewed studies and pooled-analyzed. ResultsForty-nine studies were included in the systematic review, reporting a total amount of 85 CIDEs. Considering our additional six cases, 91 CIDEs were summarized, including 24 ATM, 11 ADEM, 47 MS, and nine NMOSD/MOGAD. Overall, CIDEs occurred after both mRNA (n = 46), adenoviral-vectored (n = 37), and inactivated vaccines (n = 8). Adenoviral-vectored vaccines accounted for the majority of ADEM (55%) and NMOSD/MOGAD (56%), while mRNA vaccines were more frequent in MS new diagnoses (87%) and relapses (56%). Age was heterogeneous (19-88) and the female sex was prevalent. Time from vaccine to symptoms onset was notably variable: ADEM and NMOSD/MOGAD had a longer median time of onset (12.5 and 10 days) compared to ATM and MS (6 and 7 days) and further timing differences were observed between events following different vaccine types, with ATM and MS after mRNA-vaccines occurring earlier than those following adenoviral-vectored ones. ConclusionBoth the prevalence of vaccine types for certain CIDEs and the heterogeneity in time of onset suggest that different mechanisms-with distinct dynamic/kinetic-might underly these events. While epidemiological studies have assessed the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, descriptions and pooled analyses of sporadic cases may still be valuable to gain insights into CIDE's pathophysiology

Use of cytobrush for bacteriological and cytological diagnosis of endometritis in mares

Background and Aim: A combined microbial and cytological examination of uterine samples is the main diagnostic method for endometritis in mares. This study aimed to describe a procedure for using the same uterine cytobrush (CB) for both bacteriological and cytological evaluation. Materials and Methods: The procedure consists of rolling the CB onto a sterilized glass slide immediately after collection and before the transfer into a sterile saline solution. In Experiment 1, a comparison between bacteriological results of the cotton swab (CS) and CB or pellet was made in 10 mares; in Experiment 2, bacteriological and cytological results were compared between different processing methods of CB in 28 mares; in other 6 mares, a CB was processed for cytology only, to investigate the reasons for the low cellularity of the pellet. Results: The agreement between culture results from the CB and CS was evaluated, and a comparison between the cytological data obtained by different processing methods of CB was performed. The perfect agreement between the CB and CS microbiological results was found. The described procedure enables useful diagnostic smears for cytology. Moreover, the seeding of both the tip of CB and the saline solution used for the transport produced accurate bacteriological results. Conclusion: The protocol described in this study for the use of CB for both cytological and bacteriological analysis could be used for the diagnosis of endometritis. To maximize diagnostic sample quality, cytology slides must be prepared with meticulous care in the field to preserve cellular integrity and minimize artifacts

Bioactive Metabolite Survey of Actinobacteria Showing Plant Growth Promoting Traits to Develop Novel Biofertilizers

The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has caused harmful impacts on the environment with the increase in economic burden. Biofertilizers are biological products containing living microorganisms capable of improving plant growth through eco-friendly mechanisms. In this work, three actinobacterial strains Streptomyces violaceoruber, Streptomyces coelicolor, and Kocuria rhizophila were characterized for multiple plant growth promoting (PGP) traits such as indole acetic acid production, phosphate solubilization, N-2-fixation, and drought and salt tolerance. Then, these strains were investigated for their secreted and cellular metabolome, revealing a rich arsenal of bioactive molecules, including antibiotics and siderophores, with S. violaceoruber being the most prolific strain. Furthermore, the in vivo assays, performed on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), resulted in an improved germination index and the growth of seedlings from seeds treated with PGP actinobacteria, with a particular focus on S. violaceoruber cultures. In particular, this last strain, producing volatile organic compounds having antimicrobial activity, was able to modulate volatilome and exert control on the global DNA methylation of tomato seedlings. Thus, these results, confirming the efficacy of the selected actinobacteria strains in promoting plant growth and development by producing volatile and non-volatile bioactive molecules, can promote eco-friendly alternatives in sustainable agriculture

Combined addition of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase improves quality of cooled stored stallion semen.

During cold storage stallion spermatozoa experience undergo oxidative stress, which can impair sperm function and fertilizing capacity. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) are the main endogenous enzymatic antioxidants in stallion seminal plasma, and counteract reactive oxygen species. Semen dilution reduces the endogenous antioxidant concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate whether addition of 15 IU/mL each of SOD, CAT, and GPX to diluted stallion semen would ameliorate a reactive oxygen-mediated decrease in semen quality during 72 h of storage at 5 °C. Ejaculates (n = 7) were divided in two aliquots and diluted in INRA 96 without (control) or with addition of antioxidants. Semen analysis was performed at the time of dilution and every 24 h during chilled storage. Antioxidant supplementation completely inhibited the storage-dependent increase in activated caspase 3 (P < 0.05). Concomitantly, the antioxidant-supplemented samples had a greater percentage of viable, motile and rapidly moving sperm than control samples after 72 h storage (P < 0.05). The DNA damage, as evaluated by TUNEL assay and SCSA, increased with storage time (P < 0.05). Antioxidant supplementation did not prevent, but did significantly reduce the increase in DNA strand breakage. The results indicate part of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway leading to effector caspase activation was inhibited, although an activation of molecules with endonuclease activity still occurred. In conclusion, adding equal concentrations of SOD, CAT and GPX to a semen extender suppressed caspase-3 activation and improved preservation of stallion sperm motility and viability during 72 h of storage at 5 °C

In-lab characterization of HYPSOS, a novel stereo hyperspectral observing system: first results

HYPSOS (HYPerspectral Stereo Observing System, patented) is a novel remote sensing instrument able to extract the spectral information from the two channels of a pushbroom stereo camera; thus it simultaneously provides 4D information, spatial and spectral, of the observed features. HYPSOS has been designed to be a compact instrument, compatible with small satellite applications, to be suitable both for planetary exploration as well for terrestrial environmental monitoring. An instrument with such global capabilities, both in terms of scientific return and needed resources, is optimal for fully characterizing the observed surface of investigation. HYPSOS optical design couples a pair of folding mirrors to a modified three mirror anastigmat telescope for collecting the light beams from the optical paths of the two stereo channels; then, on the telescope focal plane, there is the entrance slit of an imaging spectrograph, which selects and disperses the light from the two stereo channels on a bidimensional detector. With this optical design, the two stereo channels share the large majority of the optical elements: this allowed to realize a very compact instrument, which needs much less resources than an equivalent system composed by a stereo camera and a spectrometer. To check HYPSOS actual performance, we realized an instrument prototype to be operated in a laboratory environment. The laboratory setup is representative of a possible flight configuration: the light diffused by a surface target is collimated on the HYPSOS channel entrance apertures, and the target is moved with respect to the instrument to reproduce the in- flight pushbroom acquisition mode. Here we describe HYPSOS and the ground support equipment used to characterize the instrument, and show the preliminary results of the instrument alignment activities

Myomectomy in infertile women: More harm than good?

Adhesion formation following gynecological surgery remains a challenge. The adoption of minimally invasive surgical approaches, such as conventional or robotic-assisted laparoscopy combined with meticulous microsurgical principles and the application of adhesion–reducing substances, is able to reduce the risk of de novo adhesion formation but do not eliminate it entirely. Myomectomy is the most adhesiogenic surgical procedure and postoperative adhesions can have a significant impact on the ability to conceive. Therefore, when surgery is performed as infertility treatment, attention should be paid to whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Among several factors, the size and the location of fibroids are the most accountable factors in terms of adhesion development and post surgical infertility; therefore, the search for effective strategies against adhesion formation in this setting is of paramount importance. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the incidence and factors of adhesion formation and the best preventive measures current available

Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Serum IgG4 in Chronic Periaortitis. An Analysis of 113 Patients

Objective: Chronic periaortitis (CP) is a rare fibro-inflammatory disorder that incorporates idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms, and perianeurysmal retroperitoneal fibrosis. CP is included in the spectrum of IgG4-related disease. Since CP patients rarely undergo diagnostic biopsies, serum IgG4 levels are often used to classify CP as IgG4-related. However, the clinical and prognostic significance of serum IgG4 in CP is unknown.Methods: We measured serum IgG4 in active CP patients and compared the clinical characteristics, response to therapy and outcome of patients with high and normal levels. We also tested the diagnostic significance of IgG4 by comparing its levels in CP patients, healthy and disease controls (malignancies, Erdheim-Chester disease, large-, and small-vessel vasculitis).Results: We studied 113 consecutive patients with active CP. Twenty-four (21.2%) had high serum IgG4 (&gt;135 mg/dL). The demographic, laboratory, and clinical characteristics of patients with high and normal IgG4 were similar, and so were the rates of ureteral obstruction and the disease characteristics on CT, MRI, and 18F-FDG-PET. Patients with high IgG4 only had a higher frequency of extra-retroperitoneal fibro-inflammatory lesions (p = 0.005). There were no significant differences in response to therapy and relapses between the two groups. Serum IgG4 levels did not discriminate CP from controls.Conclusions: Serum IgG4 levels are high in a minority of CP patients and do not identify specific clinical or prognostic subgroups; only a higher frequency of extra-retroperitoneal lesions is found in high-IgG4 patients. Serum IgG4 levels do not help in the differential diagnosis between CP and its mimics