Na[Tc(CO)(CNp-F-ArDArF2)4]: an isocyanide analogue of the elusive Na[Tc(CO)5]

The first crystalline technetium complex in a negative oxidation state, [Tc−I(CO)(CNp-F-ArDArF2)4]−, was isolated and structurally characterized as its [Na(Crypt-2.2.2)]+ salt. It mirrors the properties of the textbook organometallic compound Na[Tc(CO)5], which has eluded isolation and structural characterization until today. [Na(Crypt-2.2.2)][Tc−I(CO)(CNp-F-ArDArF2)4] reacts expectedly as a nucleophile, which is demonstrated by reactions with HCl and ClSnMe3. They give the unprecedented monohydrido and trimethylstannyl complexes of technetium

Detection and count of Salmonella enterica in pork meat products

A direct plating technique for the enumeration S. enterica in 90 pig meat samples was evaluated in comparison with a three tube-MPN procedure. For the detection of S. enterica the ISO 6597:2002 method was employed. Pork samples were collected at retail level in northern Italy. A total of 15 (16.7%) Salmonella positive samples were detected. By the use of the MPN method, S. enterica was countable m 12 (80.0%) samples, while the direct count gave positive results in two (13.3%) samples only The ISO 6597.2002 method identified 12 (80 %) contaminated samples out of 15. The enumeration levels of S. enterica ranged from 0.03 MPN/g to \u3e 110 MPN/g by the MPN method, and from 10 CFU/g to 180 CFU/g by direct plating. Seven Salmonella serovars were detected. S. Typhimurium, S. Derby, S. Give, S. Rissen, S. Livingstone, S. Brandenburg and S. London, with S. Typhimurium and S. Derby as the predominant ones

Effects of a community scorecard on improving the local health system in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: qualitative evidence using the most significant change technique.

BACKGROUND: More than a decade of conflict has weakened the health system in the Democratic Republic of Congo and decreased its ability to respond to the needs of the population. Community scorecards have been conceived as a way to increase accountability and responsiveness of service providers, but there is limited evidence of their effects, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This paper describes the implementation of community scorecards within a community-driven reconstruction project in two provinces of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. METHODS: Between June 2012 and November 2013, 45 stories of change in the health system were collected from village development committee, health committee, community members (20 men and 18 women) and healthcare providers (n = 7) in 25 sites using the Most Significant Change technique. Stories were analyzed qualitatively for content related to the types and mechanisms of change observed. RESULTS: The most salient changes were related to increased transparency and community participation in health facility management, and improved quality of care. Quality of care included increased access to services, improved patient-provider relationships, improved performance of service providers, and improved maintenance of physical infrastructure. Changes occurred through many different mechanisms including provider actions in response to information, pressure from community representatives, or supervisors; and joint action and improved collaboration by health facility committees and providers. CONCLUSIONS: Although it is often assumed that confrontation is a primary mechanism for citizens to change state-provided services, this study demonstrates that healthcare providers may also be motivated to change through other means. Positive experiences of community scorecards can provide a structured space for interface between community members and the health system, allowing users to voice their opinions and preferences and bridge information gaps for both users and frontline healthcare providers. When solutions to problems identified through the scorecard are locally accessible, users and healthcare providers are able to work together to implement mutually acceptable solutions that improve quality of health services, and make them more responsive to users' needs

A Pbx1-dependent genetic and transcriptional network regulates spleen ontogeny

The genetic control of cell fate specification, morphogenesis and expansion of the spleen, a crucial lymphoid organ, is poorly understood. Recent studies of mutant mice implicate various transcription factors in spleen development, but the hierarchical relationships between these factors have not been explored. In this report, we establish a genetic network that regulates spleen ontogeny, by analyzing asplenic mice mutant for the transcription factors Pbx1, Hox11 (Tlx1), Nkx3.2 (Bapx1) and Pod1 (capsulin, Tcf21). We show that Hox11 and Nkx2.5, among the earliest known markers for splenic progenitor cells, are absent in the splenic anlage of Pbx1 homozygous mutant (-/-) embryos, implicating the TALE homeoprotein Pbx1 in splenic cell specification. Pbx1 and Hox11 genetically interact in spleen formation and loss of either is associated with a similar reduction of progenitor cell proliferation and failed expansion of the splenic anlage. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that Pbx1 binds to the Hox11 promoter in spleen mesenchymal cells, which co-express Pbx1 and Hox11. Furthermore, Hox11 binds its own promoter in vivo and acts synergistically with TALE proteins to activate transcription, supporting its role in an auto-regulatory circuit. These studies establish a Pbx1-Hox11-dependent genetic and transcriptional pathway in spleen ontogeny. Additionally, we demonstrate that while Nkx3.2 and Pod1 control spleen development via separate pathways, Pbx1 genetically regulates key players in both pathways, and thus emerges as a central hierarchical co-regulator in spleen genesis

The Italian National Registry for FSHD: an enhanced data integration and an analytics framework towards Smart Health Care and Precision Medicine for a rare disease

Background: The Italian Clinical network for FSHD (ICNF) has established the Italian National Registry for FSHD (INRF), collecting data from patients affected by Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) and their relatives. The INRF has gathered data from molecular analysis, clinical evaluation, anamnestic information, and family history from more than 3500 participants. Methods: A data management framework, called Mediator Environment for Multiple Information Sources (MOMIS) FSHD Web Platform, has been developed to provide charts, maps and search tools customized for specific needs. Patients’ samples and their clinical information derives from the Italian Clinical network for FSHD (ICNF), a consortium consisting of fourteen neuromuscular clinics distributed across Italy. The tools used to collect, integrate, and visualize clinical, molecular and natural history information about patients affected by FSHD and their relatives are described. Results: The INRF collected the molecular data regarding FSHD diagnosis conducted on 7197 subjects and identified 3362 individuals carrying a D4Z4 Reduced Allele (DRA): 1634 were unrelated index cases. In 1032 cases the molecular testing has been extended to 3747 relatives, 1728 carrying a DRA. Since 2009 molecular analysis has been accompanied by clinical evaluation based standardized evaluation protocols. In the period 2009–2020, 3577 clinical forms have been collected, 2059 follow the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation form (CCEF). The integration of standardized clinical information and molecular data has made possible to demonstrate the wide phenotypic variability of FSHD. The MOMIS (Mediator Environment for Multiple Information Sources) data integration framework allowed performing genotype–phenotype correlation studies, and generated information of medical importance either for clinical practice or genetic counseling. Conclusion: The platform implemented for the FSHD Registry data collection based on OpenClinica meets the requirement to integrate patient/disease information, as well as the need to adapt dynamically to security and privacy concerns. Our results indicate that the quality of data collection in a multi-integrated approach is fundamental for clinical and epidemiological research in a rare disease and may have great value in allowing us to redefine diagnostic criteria and disease markers for FSHD. By extending the use of the MOMIS data integration framework to other countries and the longitudinal systematic collection of standardized clinical data will facilitate the understanding of disease natural history and offer valuable inputs towards trial readiness. This approach is of high significance to FSHD medical community and also to rare disease research in general

A Complete Triad of Zero-Valent 17-Electron Monoradicals of Group 7 Elements Stabilized by m-Terphenyl Isocyanides

The first consistent series of mononuclear 17-electron complexes of three Group 7 elements has been isolated in crystalline form and studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic methods. The paramagnetic compounds have a composition of [M0(CO)(CNp-F-ArDarF2)4] (M = Mn (1), Tc (3), Re (6); ArDArF2 = 2,6-(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)2­C6H3)) and are stabilized by four sterically encumbering isocyanides, which prevent the metalloradicals from dimerization. They have a square pyramidal structure with the carbonyl ligands as apexes. The frozen-solution EPR spectra of the rhenium and technetium compounds are clearly anisotropic with large 99Tc and 185,187Re hyperfine interactions for one component. High-field EPR (Q band and W band) has been applied for the elucidation of the EPR parameters of the manganese(0) complex

Utility of Doppler-Ultrasound and Liver Elastography in the Evaluation of Patients with Suspected Pregnancy-Related Liver Disease

Grayscale abdomen ultrasound (US) is routinely performed in pregnant women with suspected pregnancy-related liver dysfunction, but its diagnostic yield is very low. We aimed to investigate the association between Doppler-US findings, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and different causes of pregnancy-related liver dysfunction. This is a prospective cohort study of pregnant women referred to our tertiary center for any suspected gastrointestinal disease between 2017 and 2019 and undergoing Doppler-US and liver elastography. Patients with previous liver disease were excluded from the analysis. For group comparisons of categorical and continuous variables, the chi-square test or Mann-Whitney test, and the McNemar test were used, as appropriate. A total of 112 patients were included in the final analysis, of whom 41 (36.6%) presented with suspected liver disease: 23 intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), six with gestational hypertensive disorders and 12 cases with undetermined causes of elevated liver enzymes. Values of LSM were higher and significantly associated with a diagnosis of gestational hypertensive disorder (AUROC = 0.815). No significant differences at Doppler-US or LSM were found between ICP patients and controls. Patients with undetermined causes of hypertransaminasemia showed higher hepatic and splenic resistive indexes than controls, suggesting splanchnic congestion. The evaluation of Doppler-US and liver elastography is clinically useful in patients with suspected liver dysfunction during pregnancy. Liver stiffness represents a promising non-invasive tool for the assessment of patients with gestational hypertensive disorders

A protocol for Italian validation of DEMQoL-Proxy Scale: assessing the Quality of Life of people with moderate or mild dementia

In this paper, we propose an adaptation of a protocol for a tool's validation. We have utilized this phases-theory to validate in Italian language an instrument to assess Quality of Life for people with moderate or mild dementia. We will explain the example of our Italian validation of DEMQoL-Proxy considering each De Vellis's phase. We will explain our application of De Vellis's model to Italian example described. For the first three phases, we reproduced the original validating study in which authors (Smith et al., 2005) defined what to measure, how generate a set of items and the structure of the scale. Indeed, for the last five phases we explained the adaptation of De Vellis's model to Italian validation. We hope that this model could be effective to validating goals, for researchers and in particular for all professionals who deal with caregivers and patients with moderate and mild dementia. Furthermore, the measurement of the Quality of Life makes the scale widely useful within the various professional specialties and setting. Finally, thanks to the methodological assumptions adopted following the De Vellis's eight-phase model, we can affirm that this first Italian pre-validation of the DEMQoL-Proxy seems to be an excellent forerunner for its effective validation in the Italian context

Improvement of Fresh Ovine “Tuma” Cheese Quality Characteristics by Application of Oregano Essential Oils

In the present work, oregano essential oils (OEOs) were applied to process the fresh ovine cheese "Tuma" obtained by pressed cheese technology. Cheese making trials were performed under industrial conditions using ewe's pasteurized milk and two strains of Lactococcus lactis (NT1 and NT5) as fermenting agents. Two experimental cheese products (ECP) were obtained through the addition of 100 (ECP100) and 200 (ECP200) & mu;L/L of OEO to milk, while the control cheese product (CCP) was OEO-free. Both Lc. lactis strains showed in vitro and in vivo ability to grow in the presence of OEOs and to dominate over indigenous milk lactic acid bacteria (LAB) resistant to pasteurization. In the presence of OEOs, the most abundant compound found in cheese was carvacrol, constituting more than 65% of the volatile fraction in both experimental products. The addition of OEOs did not influence ash, fat, or protein content, but it increased by 43% the antioxidant capacity of the experimental cheeses. ECP100 cheeses showed the best appreciation scores by the sensory panel. In order to investigate the ability OEOs to be used as a natural preservative, a test of artificial contamination was carried out, and the results showed a significant reduction of the main dairy pathogens in OEO-added cheeses

NUP98-fusion transcripts characterize different biological entities within acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the AIEOP-AML group.

In the last years, collaborative studies have joined to link the degree of genetic heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to clinical outcome,1, 2 allowing risk stratification before therapy and guiding post-induction treatment of children with AML. So far, still half of these patients, whose disease is usually characterized by a grim prognosis, lack a known biomarker offering opportunities of targeted treatment