OPENMODS 2.0 “Instrument Jamming Meeting” report

Major achievements The feedback provided by potential users on their needs was very much appreciated. They underlined the importance of having: ● an easy to deploy instrument (i.e.: from small fishing boats); ● multi-parameter sensors in ONE device; ● less maintenance effort and prioritized the variables to measure. Although, there are technical limitations and different solutions and there is no one tool that can do everything, which is low cost, has high resolution and low maintenance, the outcomes of the platforms/sensors/communications working group meet the main requirements that emerged. Priority was given to: ● a platform that will operate in drifter mode which is extremely easy to deploy and perfect for studies associated with search and rescue operations (another need that has emerged). It also constantly guarantees the knowledge of the instrument position. The platform can be easily converted into the moored mode. ● temperature and pressure sensors. The sensors will be low -cost with the idea to replace them rather than calibrate them; ● LoRaWAN communications preferably with Bluetooth integration for the in-situ download of the data

On natural metalinguistic abilities in aphasia: a preliminary study

Natural metalinguistic abilities, which are put into play without explicit instructions, constitute the cognitive basis for a 'reflexive' use of language, a particular manifestation of the executive function when applied to language and verbal behaviour. This reflexive use entails a specific attentional activity by speakers and hearers with regard to linguistic outputs, and an intentional experience-based control over the language use. Putting into play natural metalinguistic abilities can be considered a significant factor for explaining different kinds of adaptive processes. Our results permit us to conclude that an impairment of metalinguistic abilities is involved in aphasia to different degrees. Moreover, the examination of preserved metalinguistic abilities provides an alternative way for assessing the degree of severity of impaired communicative behaviour by people with aphasia. Our procedure, presumably, will also be useful for suggesting new factors when designing therapeutic programmes

Structural Disorder Provides Increased Adaptability for Vesicle Trafficking Pathways

Vesicle trafficking systems play essential roles in the communication between the organelles of eukaryotic cells and also between cells and their environment. Endocytosis and the late secretory route are mediated by clathrin-coated vesicles, while the COat Protein I and II (COPI and COPII) routes stand for the bidirectional traffic between the ER and the Golgi apparatus. Despite similar fundamental organizations, the molecular machinery, functions, and evolutionary characteristics of the three systems are very different. In this work, we compiled the basic functional protein groups of the three main routes for human and yeast and analyzed them from the structural disorder perspective. We found similar overall disorder content in yeast and human proteins, confirming the well-conserved nature of these systems. Most functional groups contain highly disordered proteins, supporting the general importance of structural disorder in these routes, although some of them seem to heavily rely on disorder, while others do not. Interestingly, the clathrin system is significantly more disordered (,23%) than the other two, COPI (,9%) and COPII (,8%). We show that this structural phenomenon enhances the inherent plasticity and increased evolutionary adaptability of the clathrin system, which distinguishes it from the other two routes. Since multi-functionality (moonlighting) is indicative of both plasticity and adaptability, we studied its prevalence in vesicle trafficking proteins and correlated it with structural disorder. Clathrin adaptors have the highest capability for moonlighting while also comprising the most highly disordered members. The ability to acquire tissue specific functions was also used to approach adaptability: clathrin route genes have the most tissue specific exons encoding for protein segments enriched in structural disorder and interaction sites. Overall, our results confirm the general importance of structural disorder in vesicle trafficking and suggest major roles for this structural property in shaping the differences of evolutionary adaptability in the three routes

IGG ANTIBODIES TO HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6 (HHV-6) IN ITALIAN PEOPLE

Sera from a sample of healthy Italian people were tested in an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for reactivity to a Human Herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) strain called CV, isolated from a baby with exanthem subitum (Portolani et al., 1990). Seropositivity values of 83.78%, 92.68% and 63.64% were found in subjects aged 3 months-6 years, 6-18 years and over 18 years respectively. Sera from cordal blood, sera from subjects with evidence of active infection by Cytomegalovirus (CMV) or by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), sera from seropositive adults to Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV) were also investigated for antibodies to the same HHV-6 strain. Values of antibody incidence and antibody content to HHV-6 in these groups of sera were generally higher than in the other groups. HHV-6 reinfections of both endogenous and exogenous origin and antibody cross-reactivity were considered among the reasons of this increase. HHV-6 seropositivity values in healthy Italian people and in people from different countries were also discussed in the light of the antigenic characteristics of the HHV-6 strains used and of the different test conditions

Encephalomyeloradiculopathy associated with Epstein-Barr virus: primary infection or reactivation?

Introduction - Encephalomyeloradiculopathy (EMR) is a new syndrome, characterized by extensive involvement of the nervous system at different levels, including brain, medulla and spinal roots. We describe a patient presenting with prodromal febrile illness, followed by a wide infection of the nervous system with transverse myelitis anti less severe meningitis, encephalitis and polyradiculopathy. The patient was treated with high-dose corticosteroids, antibiotics and acyclovir; in spite of therapy his condition improved very slowly, with severe neurological sequelae. Material and methods - Antiviral antibodies were searched for in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by commercially available ELISA kits. Viral investigations were performed by eel culture isolation and search for viral antigens, and genomic nucleic acids were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results - Virological and serological studies evidenced a primary infection by cytomegalovirus (CMV), possibly responsible for the prodromal illness, persisting in the course of the disease. PCR performed in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), DNA collected early and in the CSF drawn 30 days after the onset of the disease showed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA. The serum panel of EBV antibodies was typical of an intercurrent virus reactivation, more than of a primary infection. Conclusion - EBV is known to be highly infectious for the nervous system, in this case of EMR the presence of DNA sequences in the PBMCs and CSF suggests that EBV plays a role in the development of this newly described syndrome

Prevalenza degli herpesvirus nel tessuto epatico da soggetti con epatite C

We report the results of a study on the search for herpesvirus DNA in liver biopsy from patients with chronic hepatitis C and from a control group without hepatitis. Thirty-four liver samples from hepatitis C patients were examined, 12 of which (35.3%) were positive for at least one herpesvirus DNA, whereas among the 19 control liver samples only 2 were positive (10.5%; p= 0.049). Liver biopsies from 7 patients, 3 with acute hepatitis of unknown origin, 3 with non alcoholic steatoheapatitis and 1 with autoimmune hepatitis were investigated too and three positive samples were found. The prevalence of herpesvirus DNA higher in patients with hepatitis C than in individuals without hepatitis is discussed and the possible influence of herpesviruses both on the clinical course and on the therapy of hepatitis C is considered

Detection of Epstein-Barr virus DNA in cerebrospinal fluid from immunocompetent individuals with brain disorders

Fifty four cerebrospinal fluid samples obtained from as many immunocomponent patients with disorders of the central nervous system were investigated for the presence of herpesvirus DNA by nested polymerase chain reaction in order to determine an etiological diagnosis. Four of these samples proved positive for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus DNA (7.4%). The result of this diagnostic study is reported to draw insiders' attention to the possible presence of EBV in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with central nervous system diseases