Immunohistochemical investigations on Brucella ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)

Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, an infectious disease common to humans as well as to terrestrial and aquatic mammals. Since 1994 several cases of Brucella spp. infection have been reported in marine mammals worldwide. Indeed, since human brucellosis ranks as one of the most common bacterial zoonotic infections on a global scale, it is necessary to increase our knowledge about it also in the marine environment. Brucella ceti, which is phenotypically similar to other smooth brucellae as B. abortus and B. melitensis, shares with the latter two the same surface antigens that are routinely used for the serological diagnosis of Brucella spp. infection. Marine mammal Brucella spp. infections are characterized by a pathogenicity similar to their terrestrial counterparts, with the occurrence of abortion, stillbirth and orchitis and an involvement of the host’s central nervous system (CNS), similarly to what happens in mankind. While sero-epidemiological data suggest that Brucella spp. infection is widespread globally, detecting Brucella spp.-associated antigens by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in tissues from infected animals is often troublesome. The present study was aimed at investigating, by means of IHC based upon the utilization of an anti-Brucella LPS monoclonal antibody (MAb), the CNS immunoreactivity (IR) shown by B. ceti-infected, neurobrucellosis-affected striped dolphins

Assessment of hygienic quality of some types of cheese sampled from retail outlets

The authors evaluated the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus enterotoxin, in 2 132 samples selected from six types of cheese on the basis of recorded consumption in Italy in 2004. In L. monocytogenes-positive samples the precise level of contamination was determined. To define the physical-chemical characteristics of the selected natural cheeses, the pH values, water activity and sodium chloride content were determined. The results suggest that blue and soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola and Taleggio) are more likely to be contaminated with L. monocytogenes. The mean prevalence of L. monocytogenes in the six types of cheese was 2.4% (from 0.2% in Asiago and Crescenza to 6.5% in Taleggio), with contamination levels of up to 460 MPN/g. No presence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157 was found in any sample. Staphylococcus enterotoxin was found in 0.6% of the samples examined. Physical and chemical parameter values confirmed that all types of cheese are considered capable of supporting the growth of L. monocytogenes. The study confirmed the need to apply effective control at production and sales levels to reduce the probability of contamination by L. monocytogenes. This micro-organism can attain high levels of contamination in food products, such as cheeses that have a long shelf-life when associated with difficulties of maintaining appropriate storage temperatures in both sales points and in the home

Disfonia post-trauma discorsivo del rachide cervicale: fisiopatologia e casi clinici

Disfonia post-trauma discorsivo del rachide cervicale: fisiopatologia e casi clinic

Efficacia a lungo termine del trattamento logopedico riabilitativo nella vocal cord dysfunction (VCD)

Efficacia a lungo termine del trattamento logopedico riabilitativo nella vocal cord dysfunction (VCD

Ruolo degli score auto valutativi nello screening dei cantanti affetti da patologia da reflusso faringo-laringeo

Ruolo degli score auto valutativi nello screening dei cantanti affetti da patologia da reflusso faringo-laringe

Due casi di metaemoglobinemia acuta per sospetto avvelenamento da sodio nitrito

La metaemoglobinemia acuta ha tra le cause l’ingestione o l’inalazione di oltre 40 sostanze ossidanti come nitriti, nitrati, ossido di carbonio, alcuni farmaci, clorati. In questo lavoro, viene descritto un caso di metaemo-globinemia acuta in due soggetti per probabile intossicazione alimentare, conseguente all’assunzione di un preparato di carne, tacchino alla canzanese, contenente notevoli quantità di nitrito di sodio. Per i due soggetti, trattati tempestivamente con blu di metilene e ossigenoterapia in camera iperbarica, si è avuta la restitutio ad integrum. Le indagini epidemiologiche, svolte per chiarire la dinamica dell’episodio, hanno permesso di ipotizzare tra le cause di contaminazione del tacchino alla canzanese quella dello scambio di prodotti all’atto dell’acquisto e il non rispetto, nel loro utilizzo, delle regole necessarie per la preparazione di alimenti destinati all’uomo

Polymerase chain reaction and bacteriological comparative analysis of raw milk samples and buffalo mozzarella produced and marketed in Caserta in the Campania region of Italy

To help identify an epidemiological link between the consumption of buffalo mozzarella prepared with raw milk (not heat-treated) and cases of human brucellosis, 80 samples of raw buffalo milk and 315 samples of mozzarella were tested for the presence of Brucella spp. Samples originated from Caserta, the province with the highest number of Brucella-positive buffalo herds in Campania, the region in which 96.02% of all cases of human brucellosis reported in 2000-2005 were recorded. To take into account possible seasonal variations, between February 2006 and March 2007, samples were purchased directly from 72 dairy outlets that were representative of the province. Samples were tested for Brucella spp. using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and bacterial isolation. Samples tested negative for Brucella using both methods. Spiked samples were then prepared and tested by PCR and bacterial isolation and the sensitivity, specificity, repeatability, reproducibility and limit of detection were determined. The PCR limit of detection was below 1 colony-forming unit (cfu)/g. The repeatability and reproducibility of the method were 100% (p = 0.95), the sensitivity was 96.7% (p = 0.95) and the specificity was 100% (p = 0.95)

Comparazione fra polymerase chain reaction e isolamento batteriologico in campioni di latte crudo e mozzarella di bufala prodotta in provincia di Caserta, regione Campania (Italia)

Per contribuire all’individuazione di un possibile nesso epidemiologico tra consumo di mozzarella di bufala preparata con latte crudo (non trattato al calore) e casi di brucellosi umana, sono stati analizzati, per ricerca di Brucella spp., 80 campioni di latte bufalino crudo e 315 campioni di mozzarella. Gli alimenti esaminati sono stati prelevati in caseifici della provincia di Caserta dove è presente la più alta concentrazione di allevamenti bufalini sierologicamente positivi alla brucellosi in Campania, regione che, nel periodo 2000-2005, ha registrato il 96,02% dei casi di brucellosi umana notificati in Italia. Al fine de valutare possibili variazioni stagionali, i campioni sono stati acquistati in 72 rivendite associate a caseifici nel periodo febbraio 2006-marzo 2007. La ricerca di Brucella spp. è stata effettuata utilizzando polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ed eseguendo contemporaneamente l’isolamento microbiologico. I campioni esaminati sono risultati negativi alla ricerca di Brucella con entrambi i metodi utilizzati. Sono stati, inoltre, definiti i parametri di sensibilità, specificità, ripetibilità, riproducibilità e il limite di rilevazione del metodo molecolare, esaminando campioni artificialmente contaminati, sia con metodo PCR sia con isolamento microbiologico classico. Il limite di rilevazione è risultato inferiore a 1 UFC/g, ripetibiltà e riproducibilità sono stati pari a 100% (p=0,95), sensibilità a 96,7% (p=0,95) e specificità a 100% (p=0,95)

Evaluation of the Electroglottographic signal variability by amplitude-speed combined analysis

Background: Until now, it has been impossible to discriminate a pathology of the vocal folds and, in many instances, even to distinguish normal from pathological voices with an electroglottographic signal (EGG). Objectives: To introduce a method for analyzing electroglottographic signals and for extracting features able to characterize phonation quantitatively. Methods: The EGG signal recorded during a continuous vocal phonation is processed in order to obtain the first derivative, which is related to the velocity of movements and contact of the vocal folds. The average fundamental frequency is computed and its corresponding period is taken as the typical duration of the EGG cycle. After each glottal cycle has been identified, the EGG signal and its derivative are locally normalized in time. For each glottal cycle, the amplitude and related velocity signals are plotted in an X-Y graph thus forming a multi-layer display where each EGG cycle appears as a circular trace. This X-Y representation can be viewed as a polar graph: by increasing the angle from 0 to 360° with incremental steps corresponding to the time normalization re-sampling of the EGG cycle, mean value and variance are computed. The results are the curve of the amplitude-velocity mean cycle and the related variance curve. The shape of the mean loop is strictly associated with the relationships between amplitude-velocity changes and phonation phases. The surrounding area represents the variability of local vocal phenomena around the above mean curve. The phonation process can be characterized in more detail by computing couples of indices (mean and variance) as obtained by dividing the polar graph in 4 quadrants, roughly associated with the different phases of the glottal cycle. In our study we carried out the EGG analysis of 21 cases of normal voice and 21 cases of pathological voice, considering the variability based on the combined amplitude-velocity analysis. Results: In normal subjects, the global variability indices (VI) (expression of Amplitude and Velocity variation) and the four VI of different physiological phases of glottal wave (VI1 , VI2 , VI3 and VI4 ), were definitely lower than in pathological subjects. Such difference was statistically significant (p<0.03). Conclusions: The above method for analyzing the EGG signal proved to be efficient to discriminate normal subjects from pathological ones. Additional trials with more subjects are needed to confirm this preliminary data and to evaluate possible differences between different pathologies