Flotac and Mini-Flotac for uro-microscopic diagnosis of Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) in dogs

Background: Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) is a nematode that resides in the urinary bladder and rarely in ureters or in the kidney pelvis of various carnivores, especially foxes and dogs. Urine sedimentation technique is actually the only diagnostic tool that permits the identification of C. plica eggs, but its sensitivity is low and when an infection is suspected (or when it is necessary to confirm treatment efficacy) more than one examination of urine sediment should be performed. The present paper reports a clinical case of natural C. plica infection in a dog from southern Italy. In addition, two new techniques, FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC, were used for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine and compared with the technique of sedimentation. Results: Using FLOTAC with fresh urine and sodium chloride as flotation solution, were obtained the best results for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine in term of eggs counted (mean eggs per 10 ml of urine = 70.3 FLOTAC vs 40.3 Mini FLOTAC vs 32.8 sedimentation) and coefficient of variation (CV%) (6.2 FLOTAC vs 13.4 Mini-FLOTAC vs 32.9 sedimentation). Conclusions: The FLOTAC was the more sensitive method, but also the Mini-FLOTAC could be a valid alternative diagnostic method because gave better results than the classical sedimentation and can be used in place of the FLOTAC in laboratories where the centrifugation step cannot be performed. © 2014 Maurelli et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Examining the Relationship of Clinical and Laboratory Parameters With Infectiousness to Phlebotomus perniciosus and Its Potential Infectivity in Dogs With Overt Clinical Leishmaniasis

Infected dogs are considered the main domestic animal reservoirs for Leishmania infantum parasite. Infectiousness to competent phlebotomine vectors has been associated with many factors, the main being the severity of the disease exhibited by infected dogs. This study examines the relationship between different clinical parameters and the infectiousness to colonized Phlebotomus perniciosus sand flies having a blood meal on dogs. Data obtained in the present study come from an untreated group of Leishmania sick dogs submitted to xenodiagnosis for the evaluation of a spot on insecticide solution. Seventeen dogs were diagnosed as affected by leishmaniasis through clinical examination, immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) serology, and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The disease severity (clinical score) was staged by using a numeric value derived from eight clinical and parasitological parameters. Xenodiagnosis was performed on caged dogs exposed for 1.5 h to sand-fly bites. The following parameters related to sand flies were examined: blood feeding (% of blood engorged females), promastigote detection (% of promastigote-positive sand flies), promastigote burden, and the promastigote stage maturation (potential transmissibility rate). Statistical relationship between the clinical score and entomological parameters was investigated, as well as the possible correlation between each clinical and laboratory parameters and sand fly infection/infectivity. The severity of clinical score may influence the blood feeding by, and the probability of promastigote detection in, sand flies; skin lesions seem to be the main factor that influences the rate of blood feeding. Promastigote burden is related to IFAT titer, skin lesions, and clinical score. All entomological parameters are strongly related among them. This study confirms that both P. perniciosus infection and infectivity are influenced by a dog’s clinical condition

High-Mobility Group Box 1 Protein in Human and Murine Skin: Involvement in Wound Healing

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The Italian National Project of Astrobiology-Life in Space-Origin, Presence, Persistence of Life in Space, from Molecules to Extremophiles

The \u2018\u2018Life in Space\u2019\u2019 project was funded in the wake of the Italian Space Agency\u2019s proposal for the development of a network of institutions and laboratories conceived to implement Italian participation in space astrobiology experiments

Energy Resolution Performance of the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter

The energy resolution performance of the CMS lead tungstate crystal electromagnetic calorimeter is presented. Measurements were made with an electron beam using a fully equipped supermodule of the calorimeter barrel. Results are given both for electrons incident on the centre of crystals and for electrons distributed uniformly over the calorimeter surface. The electron energy is reconstructed in matrices of 3 times 3 or 5 times 5 crystals centred on the crystal containing the maximum energy. Corrections for variations in the shower containment are applied in the case of uniform incidence. The resolution measured is consistent with the design goals

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

miR-200a Modulates the Expression of the DNA Repair Protein OGG1 Playing a Role in Aging of Primary Human Keratinocytes

Oxidative DNA damage accumulation may induce cellular senescence. Notably, senescent cells accumulate in aged tissues and are present at the sites of age-related pathologies. Although the signaling of DNA strand breaks has been extensively studied, the role of oxidative base lesions has not fully investigated in primary human keratinocyte aging. In this study, we show that primary human keratinocytes from elderly donors are characterized by a significant accumulation of the oxidative base lesion 8-OH-dG, impairment of oxidative DNA repair, and increase of miR-200a levels. Notably, OGG1-2a, a critical enzyme for 8-OH-dG repair, is a direct target of miR-200a and its expression levels significantly decrease in aged keratinocytes. The 8-OH-dG accumulation displays a significant linear relationship with the aging biomarker p16 expression during keratinocyte senescence. Interestingly, we found that miR-200a overexpression down-modulates its putative target Bmi-1, a well-known p16 repressor, and up-regulates p16 itself. miR-200a overexpression also up-regulates the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β expression. Of note, primary keratinocytes from elderly donors are characterized by NRPL3 activation and IL-1β secretion. These findings point to miR-200a as key player in primary human keratinocyte aging since it is able to reduce oxidative DNA repair activity and may induce several senescence features through p16 and IL-1β up-regulation

Resveratrol induces long-lasting IL-8 expression and peculiar EGFR activation/distribution in human keratinocytes: mechanisms and implications for skin administration.

Anti-inflammatory and skin tumour preventing effects of resveratrol have been extensively studied pre-clinically and resveratrol has been proposed for clinical investigations. To provide a basis or/and limitations for topical administration to human skin, molecular mechanisms underlying resveratrol effects towards normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) were evaluated. NHEK were challenged by either resveratrol alone or by its combination with TNFalpha or TGFalpha, and time-dependent molecular events were monitored. Interleukin 8 (IL-8) expression and its mRNA stability, ERK1/2, p65/RelA, and EGFR phosphorylation were determined. Intracellular distribution of EGFR/P-EGFR was measured in the membrane, cytoplasmic, and nuclear fractions. Specific DNA binding activity of NFκB (p65/RelA) and AP-1(c-Fos), NHEK proliferation, and molecular markers of apoptosis/cell cycle were detected. Resveratrol induced delayed, long-lasting and steadily growing IL-8 gene and protein over-expression as well as enhanced EGFR phosphorylation, both abrogated by the EGFR kinase inhibitor PD168393. However, resveratrol did not act as a phosphatase inhibitor. ERK phosphorylation was transiently inhibited at early time-points and activated at 6-24 h. Accordingly, c-Fos-specific DNA binding was increased by resveratrol. Cellular distribution of EGFR/P-EGFR was shifted to membrane and nucleus while cytosolic levels were reduced concomitant with enhanced degradation. Notwithstanding high nuclear levels of EGFR/P-EGFR, spontaneous and TGFalpha-triggered cell proliferation was strongly suppressed by resveratrol mainly through cell cycle arrest.Resveratrol synergized with TNFα in the induction of delayed, long-lasting IL-8 expression through sustained EGFR-ERK axis activation. The time course indicates that resveratrol metabolites could be implicated. Topical administration of Resv to psoriatic patients over-expressing TNFα, IL-8 and EGFR-ERK in the skin should be cautiously considered. Since high nuclear levels of EGFR correspond to increased risk of tumorigenesis, chronic resveratrol application to the skin may be potentially dangerous. Wound healing acceleration by resveratrol could not be envisaged due to its anti-proliferative effects towards normal keratinocytes