Biocidal Activity of Phyto-Derivative Products Used on Phototrophic Biofilms Growing on Stone Surfaces of the Domus Aurea in Rome (Italy)

Hypogean or enclosed monuments are important cultural heritage sites that can suffer biodegradation. Many of the stone walls of the prestigious Domus Aurea are overwhelmed by dense biofilms and so need intervention. Room 93 was chosen as a study site with the aim to test the efficacy of phyto-derivatives as new biocides. Laboratory studies were performed comparing the effects of liquorice leaf extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.), lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) and a combination of both. In situ studies were also performed to test the effect of liquorice. The results were compared with those of the commonly used synthetic biocide benzalkonium chloride. The effects on the biofilms were assessed by microscopy along with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. The phototrophs in the biofilms were identified morphologically, while the heterotrophs were identified with culture analysis and 16S gene sequencing. Results showed that the mixed solution liquorice/lavender was the most effective in inhibiting the photosynthetic activities of biofilms in the laboratory tests; while, in situ, the effect of liquorice was particularly encouraging as an efficient and low-invasive biocide. The results demonstrate a high potential biocidal efficacy of the phyto-derivatives, but also highlight the need to develop an efficient application regime

Toward a more sustainable mining future with electrokinetic in situ leaching

This is the final version. Available on open access from AAAS via the DOI in this recordData and materials availability: All data needed to evaluate the conclusions in the paper are present in the paper and/or the Supplementary Materials. Additional data related to this paper may be requested from the authors.Metals are currently almost exclusively extracted from their ore via physical excavation. This energy-intensive process dictates that metal mining remains among the foremost CO2 emitters and mine waste is the single largest waste form by mass. We propose a new approach, electrokinetic in situ leaching (EK-ISL), and demonstrate its applicability for a Cu-bearing sulfidic porphyry ore. In laboratory-scale experiments, Cu recovery was rapid (up to 57 weight % after 94 days) despite low ore hydraulic conductivity (permeability = 6.1 mD; porosity = 10.6%). Multiphysics numerical model simulations confirm the feasibility of EK-ISL at the field scale. This new approach to mining is therefore poised to spearhead a new paradigm of metal recovery from currently inaccessible ore bodies with a markedly reduced environmental footprint.Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA

Practical issues in early switching from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy in children with uncomplicated acute hematogenous osteomyelitis: Results from an italian survey

Background: The European Society of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) guidelines for acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHOM) have been published recently. In uncomplicated cases, an early (2-4 days) switch to oral empirical therapy, preferentially with flucloxacillin, is recommended in low methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus settings. We conducted a survey with the aim of evaluating the behaviors of Italian pediatricians at this regard. Methods: An open-ended questionnaire investigating the empiric therapy adopted in uncomplicatedAHOMchildren according to age was sent by email to 31 Italian pediatric clinics taking care of children with infectious diseases, and results were analyzed. Results: The preferred intravenous (IV) regimen was a penicillin plus an aminoglycoside (n = 10; 32.3%) in children aged <3 months, and a combination of a third-generation cephalosporin plus oxacillin (n = 7; 22.6%), or oxacillin alone (n = 6; 19.4%) in those 653 months. In every age class, amoxicillin-clavulanate was the first-choice oral antibiotic. Other antibiotics largely used orally included clindamycin, rifampicin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Flucloxacillin was never prescribed. Only 3 centers switched to oral therapy within 7 days in children 653 months of age. The most commonly reported reason influencing the time to switch to oral therapy concerned caregivers\u2019 adherence to oral therapy. Conclusion: Adherence to guidelines was poor, and early transition to oral therapy in the clinical practice was rarely adopted. Given the large use of potentially effective, but poorly studied, oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin/clavulanate, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and rifampicin, our data may stimulate further studies of this regard

Scrapie-Specific Pathology of Sheep Lymphoid Tissues

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases often result in accumulation of disease-associated PrP (PrPd) in the lymphoreticular system (LRS), specifically in association with follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) and tingible body macrophages (TBMs) of secondary follicles. We studied the effects of sheep scrapie on lymphoid tissue in tonsils and lymph nodes by light and electron microscopy. FDCs of sheep were grouped according to morphology as immature, mature or regressing. Scrapie was associated with FDC dendrite hypertrophy and electron dense deposit or vesicles. PrPd was located using immunogold labelling at the plasmalemma of FDC dendrites and, infrequently, mature B cells. Abnormal electron dense deposits surrounding FDC dendrites were identified as immunoglobulins suggesting that excess immune complexes are retained and are indicative of an FDC dysfunction. Within scrapie-affected lymph nodes, macrophages outside the follicle and a proportion of germinal centre TBMs accumulated PrPd within endosomes and lysosomes. In addition, TBMs showed PrPd in association with the cell membrane, non-coated pits and vesicles, and also with discrete, large and random endoplasmic reticulum networks, which co-localised with ubiquitin. These observations suggest that PrPd is internalised via the caveolin-mediated pathway, and causes an abnormal disease-related alteration in endoplasmic reticulum structure. In contrast to current dogma, this study shows that sheep scrapie is associated with cytopathology of germinal centres, which we attribute to abnormal antigen complex trapping by FDCs and abnormal endocytic events in TBMs. The nature of the sub-cellular changes in FDCs and TBMs differs from those of scrapie infected neurones and glial cells suggesting that different PrPd/cell membrane interactions occur in different cell types

Acute idiopathic scrotal edema in children

a case of acute idiopathic scrotal edem

Dynamic and reversible restructuring of the ER induced by PDMP in cultured cells

In many cells, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contains segregated smooth and rough domains, but the mechanism of this segregation is unclear. Here, we used a HeLa cell line, inducibly expressing a GFP fusion protein [GFP-b(5)tail] anchored to the ER membrane, as a tool to investigate factors influencing ER organisation. Induction of GFP-b(5)tail expression caused proliferation of the ER, but its normal branching polygonal meshwork architecture was maintained. Experiments designed to test the effects of drugs that alter ceramide levels revealed that treatment of these cells with Phenyl-2-decanoyl-amino-3-morpholino-1-propanol-hydrocholride (PDMP) generated patches of segregated smooth ER, organised as a random tubular network, which rapidly dispersed after removal of the drug. The effect of PDMP was independent of its activity as sphingolipid synthesis inhibitor, but could be partially reversed by a membrane-permeant Ca(2+) chelator. Although the smooth ER patches maintained connectivity with the remaining ER, they appeared to represent distinct domains differing in protein and lipid composition from the remaining ER. PDMP did not cause detachment of membrane-bound ribosomes, indicating that smooth ER patch generation was due to a reorganisation of pre-existing ribosome-free areas. Our results demonstrate a dynamic relationship between smooth and rough ER and have implications for the mechanisms regulating ER architecture

Le diverse facce dell'infezione da Bartonella henselae

E' presentato il caso di una infezione da B.henselae caratterizzato da febbre persistente.Si sottolinea la necessità di considerare l’infezione da B. henselae tra le diagnosi differenziali in caso di febbri persistenti associate a quadri di coinvolgimento reumatologico: artralgie, miopatie, artriti e tendiniti sono manifestazioni cliniche dell’infezione da Bartonella meno note rispetto alla forma classica di malattia e il loro riconoscimento permette di risparmiare indagini invasive, stressant

Magrezza e calo ponderale in una adolescente: è sempre DCA?

Caso clinico di una adolescente, ricoverata per calo ponderale e "difficltà all'alimentazione". Gli esami ematochimici sono risultati nella norma. E' stato escluso un disturbo del comportamento alimentare (DCA) e per il persistere della sintomatologia, è stata eseguita una gastroscopia cha ha evidenziato una gastrite cronica. Per la persistenza dei sintomi, è stata eseguita una radiografia del tubo digerente che ha evidenziato una acalasia esofagea, con conseguente intervento chirurgico

Magrezza e calo ponderale in una adolescente: è sempre DCA?

Caso clinico di una adolescente, ricoverata per calo ponderale e "difficltà all'alimentazione". Gli esami ematochimici sono risultati nella norma. E' stato escluso un disturbo del comportamento alimentare (DCA) e per il persistere della sintomatologia, è stata eseguita una gastroscopia cha ha evidenziato una gastrite cronica. Per la persistenza dei sintomi, è stata eseguita una radiografia del tubo digerente che ha evidenziato una acalasia esofagea, con conseguente intervento chirurgico