Easy preparation of liposome@pda microspheres for fast and highly efficient removal of methylene blue from water

Mussel-inspired chemistry was usefully exploited here with the aim of developing a high-efficiency, environmentally friendly material for water remediation. A micro-structured material based on polydopamine (PDA) was obtained by using liposomes as templating agents and was used for the first time as an adsorbent material for the removal of methylene blue (MB) dye from aqueous solutions. Phospholipid liposomes were made by extrusion and coated with PDA by self-polymerization of dopamine under simple and mild conditions. The obtained Liposome@PDA microspheres were characterized by DLS and Zeta potential analysis, TEM microscopy, and FTIR spectroscopy. The effects of pH, temperature, MB concentration, amount of Liposome@PDA, and contact time on the adsorption process were investigated. Results showed that the highest adsorption capacity was obtained in weakly alkaline conditions (pH = 8.0) and that it could reach up to 395.4 mg g−1 at 298 K. In addition, adsorption kinetics showed that the adsorption behavior fits a pseudo-second-order kinetic model well. The equilibrium adsorption data, instead, were well described by Langmuir isotherm. Thermodynamic analysis demonstrated that the adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous (∆G0 = −12.55 kJ mol−1, ∆H0 = 13.37 kJ mol−1 ) in the investigated experimental conditions. Finally, the applicability of Liposome@PDA microspheres to model wastewater and the excellent reusability after regeneration by removing MB were demonstrated

First studies on Giardia duodenalis in the water buffalo

A cross-sectional survey of Giardia duodenalis infection in the water buffalo was carried out in Central Italy. The survey was conducted on a sample of 90 farms, selected using a grid approach within a Geographical Information System, followed by proportional allocation. On each farm, faecal samples were collected from three to five asymptomatic buffalo calves, aged from 1 to 9 weeks (total number = 347). Each faecal sample was tested for the presence of copro-antigens of G. duodenalis using a commercially available ELISA. Out of the 90 farms, 27 (30.0%) resulted positive. With respect to animals, out of the 347 faecal samples, 63 (18.1%) were found to have antigens of G. duodenalis. The results of the logistic regression model showed a positive association between the positivity to G. duodenalis and the presence of sheep on farm

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

Microarray analysis of Shigella flexneri-infected epithelial cells identifies host factors important for apoptosis inhibition

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Shigella flexneri </it>inhibits apoptosis in infected epithelial cells. In order to understand the pro-survival effects induced by the bacteria, we utilized apoptosis-specific microarrays to analyze the changes in eukaryotic gene expression in both infected and uninfected cells in the presence and absence of staurosporine, a chemical inducer of the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. The goal of this research was to identify host factors that contribute to apoptosis inhibition in infected cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The microarray analysis revealed distinct expression profiles in uninfected and infected cells, and these changes were altered in the presence of staurosporine. These profiles allowed us to make comparisons between the treatment groups. Compared to uninfected cells, <it>Shigella-</it>infected epithelial cells, both in the presence and absence of staurosporine, showed significant induced expression of <it>JUN</it>, several members of the inhibitor of apoptosis gene family, nuclear factor κB and related genes, genes involving tumor protein 53 and the retinoblastoma protein, and surprisingly, genes important for the inhibition of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. We confirmed the microarray results for a selection of genes using <it>in situ </it>hybridization analysis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Infection of epithelial cells with <it>S. flexneri </it>induces a pro-survival state in the cell that results in apoptosis inhibition in the presence and absence of staurosporine. The bacteria may target these host factors directly while some induced genes may represent downstream effects due to the presence of the bacteria. Our results indicate that the bacteria block apoptosis at multiple checkpoints along both pathways so that even if a cell fails to prevent apoptosis at an early step, <it>Shigella </it>will block apoptosis at the level of caspase-3. Apoptosis inhibition is most likely vital to the survival of the bacteria <it>in vivo</it>. Future characterization of these host factors is required to fully understand how <it>S. flexneri </it>inhibits apoptosis in epithelial cells.</p

Buccal mucosa is a promising graft in Peyronie's disease surgery. Our experience and a brief literature review on autologous grafting materials

AIM: Peyronie's Disease (PD) is an under reported acquired benign condition that, at the moment, is not curable with medical therapy. Surgery represent the gold standard of treatment. Surgical approaches are several and they consist in "plication techniques" or plaque incision/excision with grafting of resulting albuginea defect. Among grafting procedures, albuginea defect substitution with autologous materials demonstrated over the years not inferior results respect to heterologous grafts. Buccal mucosa graft (BMG) is not usually emphasized in many review articles and clinical series are yet limited. METHODS: We present our experience with seventeen plaque incision procedures and BMG in surgical correction of complex penile curvatures due to PD performed in a period of 30 months. Our analyses was focused on buccal mucosa graft characteristics as major determinant of the surgical success. We also conducted a brief literature review on autologous grafting materials used in reconstructive penile surgery for PD. RESULTS: Our cosmetics and functional results consists in a 100% of functional penile straightening with no relapses and 5,8% of de novo erectile dysfunction. Mean age was 56.4 years, mean follow-up of 22.5 (6-36) months. No complications graft related were observed. Operative time was 115.3 minutes in mean. Over 94% of patients referred they were "really much better" and "much better" satisfied based on PGI-I questionnaire administrated at the last follow- up visit. CONCLUSION: BMG is revealing as an optimal choice for reconstructive surgery in PD. Anatomical characteristics consisting in the great elasticity, the quick integration time and the easy harvesting technique lead to high cosmetics and functional success rate, without omitting economical and invasiveness aspects

Genomic Content of Bordetella pertussis Clinical Isolates Circulating in Areas of Intensive Children Vaccination

BACKGROUND: The objective of the study was to analyse the evolution of Bordetella pertussis population and the influence of herd immunity in different areas of the world where newborns and infants are highly vaccinated. METHODOLOGY: The analysis was performed using DNA microarray on 15 isolates, PCR on 111 isolates as well as GS-FLX sequencing technology on 3 isolates and the B. pertussis reference strain, Tohama I. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our analyses demonstrate that the current circulating isolates are continuing to lose genetic material as compared to isolates circulating during the pre-vaccine era whatever the area of the world considered. The lost genetic material does not seem to be important for virulence. Our study confirms that the use of whole cell vaccines has led to the control of isolates that were similar to vaccine strains. GS-FLX sequencing technology shows that current isolates did not acquire any additional material when compared with vaccine strains or with isolates of the pre-vaccine era and that the sequenced strain Tohama I is not representative of the isolates. Furthermore, this technology allowed us to observe that the number of Insertion Sequence elements contained in the genome of the isolates is temporally increasing or varying between isolates. CONCLUSIONS: B. pertussis adaptation to humans is still in progress by losing genetic material via Insertion Sequence elements. Furthermore, recent isolates did not acquire any additional material when compared with vaccine strains or with isolates of the pre-vaccine era. Herd immunity, following intensive vaccination of infants and children with whole cell vaccines, has controlled isolates similar to the vaccine strains without modifying significantly the virulence of the isolates. With the replacement of whole cell vaccines by subunit vaccines, containing only few bacterial antigens targeting the virulence of the bacterium, one could hypothesize the circulation of isolates expressing less or modified vaccine antigens

Intercalibration of the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at start-up

Calibration of the relative response of the individual channels of the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS detector was accomplished, before installation, with cosmic ray muons and test beams. One fourth of the calorimeter was exposed to a beam of high energy electrons and the relative calibration of the channels, the intercalibration, was found to be reproducible to a precision of about 0.3%. Additionally, data were collected with cosmic rays for the entire ECAL barrel during the commissioning phase. By comparing the intercalibration constants obtained with the electron beam data with those from the cosmic ray data, it is demonstrated that the latter provide an intercalibration precision of 1.5% over most of the barrel ECAL. The best intercalibration precision is expected to come from the analysis of events collected in situ during the LHC operation. Using data collected with both electrons and pion beams, several aspects of the intercalibration procedures based on electrons or neutral pions were investigated