Extraction of antibacterial active compounds from dry leaves of African plants of the Combretaceae family

The dry leaves of two African plants of the Combretaceae family, furnished by the botanist of the St. Jean de Dieu hospital of Tangueita (Benin, central Africa),were extracted with a sequence of 5 solvents with increasing polarity (from cyclohexane to water).The raw materials, obtained from these extractions following solvent evaporations, were tested for antibiotic activity against gram negative and gram positive bacterial strains. According to the results of a modified Kirby-Bauer test, no promising effect was obtained against Gram negative bacteria while interesting dose-effect activities were observed against Gram positive strains. In particular, from G. senegalensis active compounds were found in the low polarity extract (dichloromethane) which, at a concentration of 800 μg/disk (13 mm diameter disk), resulted in a grow inhibition crown of 4.7 mm and 2.6 mm on Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus MSSA, respectively. An higher amount of the aqueous extract (4760 μg/disk) also produced a good result as 5.7 mm and 5.0 mm crowns were observed. The extracts from C. micranthum showed an inhibiting effect in the more polar extracts (i.e. from ethanol and water) which gave 1 mm of grow inhibition crown on both strains at a concentration of 1000 μg/disk. The most promising extract from each plant was partially purified and then tested on some clinical relevant bacterial strains: S. aureus MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Corynebacterium striatum, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophylus influenzae, Escherichia coli, obtaining a good killing effects on the Gram positive bacteria of the panel

Pulse phase-coherent timing and spectroscopy of CXOU J164710.2−45521 outbursts

We present a long-term phase-coherent timing analysis and pulse-phase resolved spectroscopy for the two outbursts observed from the transient anomalous X-ray pulsar CXOU J164710.2−455216. For the first outburst we used 11 Chandra and XMM–Newton observations between 2006 September and 2009 August, the longest baseline yet for this source. We obtain a coherent timing solution with P = 10.61065583(4) s, Ṗ = 9.72(1) × 10−13 s s−1 and P̈ = –1.05(5) × 10−20 s s−2. Under the standard assumptions this implies a surface dipolar magnetic field of ∼1014 G, confirming this source as a standard B magnetar. We also study the evolution of the pulse profile (shape, intensity and pulsed fraction) as a function of time and energy. Using the phase-coherent timing solution we perform a phase-resolved spectroscopy analysis, following the spectral evolution of pulse-phase features, which hints at the physical processes taking place on the star. The results are discussed from the perspective of magnetothermal evolution models and the untwisting magnetosphere model. Finally, we present similar analysis for the second, less intense, 2011 outburst. For the timing analysis we used Swift data together with 2 XMM–Newton and Chandra pointings. The results inferred for both outbursts are compared and briefly discussed in a more general framework.DV was supported by the grants AYA 2010-21097-C03-02, ACOMP/2012/135, AYA 2012-39303 and SGR 2009-811. NR was supported by a Vidi NWO grant, Ramon y Cajal Fellowship, AYA 2012-39303 and SGR 2009-811

DO JURORS HOLD AUDITORS TO A DIFFERENT NEGLIGENCE STANDARD UNDER U.S. GAAP AND IFRS?

In order to fulfill the requirements of East Carolina University’s Honors College, I created the research study described in this paper to examine the effects on auditor liability under United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles compared to the International Financial Reporting Standards. The Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board have been working towards convergence between U.S. GAAP, a rules-based system, and IFRS, a principles-based system. This research study examines whether potential jurors would hold auditors to a different negligence standard between rules-based and principles-based accounting. This study also explores how juror assessments of auditor responsibility differ when auditor liability is limited, as opposed to, unlimited. An experiment was conducted with students at a large state university representing jurors. I found evidence that auditor liability was held to a higher dollar value under unlimited liability and when relevant accounting standards were rules-based

Treatment of recurrent genotype 4 hepatitis C after liver transplantation: early virological response is predictive of sustained virological response. An AISF RECOLT-C group study

Introduction. Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 is predominant in the Middle East and Northern Africa, even if it has recently spread to Southern Europe. Data about the treatment of post-liver transplantation (LT) genotype 4 hepatitis C recurrence are scarce. We report a retrospective analysis of post-LT genotype 4 hepatitis C treatment in 9 Italian transplant centres, focusing on the overall survival rates and treatment outcome. Results. Among 452 recipients, we identified 17 HCV genotype 4 patients (16 males, 1 female) transplanted between 1998 and 2007. All patients received combined antiviral treatment with conventional doses of interferon (recombinant or pegylated) and ribavirin after histological diagnosis of hepatitis C recurrence. The observed overall survival after LT was 100% at 1 year and 83.3% at 5 years. More than 1/3 (35.3%) of patients achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) and 40% (data available in 15 subjects) an early virological response (EVR), which was significantly associated with the achievement of SVR (overall accuracy: 85.7%; predictive values of EVR absence/presence 80/88.8%; chi-square p < 0.05). Conclusion. In conclusion, in post-LT genotype 4 hepatitis C treatment, SVR rates are similar to genotype 1. Patients who don't show an EVR are not likely to achieve a SVR

CD103+ Dendritic Cells Control Th17 Cell Function in the Lung

Th17 cells express diverse functional programs while retaining their Th17 identity, in some cases exhibiting a stem-cell-like phenotype. Whereas the importance of Th17 cell regulation in autoimmune and infectious diseases is firmly established, the signaling pathways controlling their plasticity are undefined. Using a mouse model of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, we found that lung CD103+ dendritic cells (DCs) would produce IL-2, dependent on NFAT signaling, leading to an optimally protective Th17 response. The absence of IL-2 in DCs caused unrestrained production of IL-23 and fatal hyperinflammation, which was characterized by strong Th17 polarization and the emergence of a Th17 stem-cell-like population. Although several cell types may be affected by deficient IL-2 production in DCs, our findings identify the balance between IL-2 and IL-23 productions by lung DCs as an important regulator of the local inflammatory response to infection

Davanti allo schermo. I cattolici tra cinema e media, cultura e società (1940-1970)

Il volume contiene alcuni esiti delle ricerche condotte nell’ambito del progetto PRIN 2012 I cattolici e il cinema in Italia tra gli anni ’40 e gli anni ’70, coordinato dall’Università degli Studi di Milano, capitalizzando riflessioni emerse nel corso di una serie di convegni che si sono succeduti dal 2014 al 2016.The issue contains some outcomes of the research project PRIN 2012 The Catholics and Cinema in Italy between the 40s and the 70s, coordinated by University of Milan, capitalizing reflections shared during a series of congresses between 2014 and 2016

The X-Ray Outburst of the Galactic Center Magnetar over Six Years of Chandra Observations

The magnetar SGR J1745−2900, discovered at a distance of parsecs from the Milky Way central black hole, Sagittarius A*, represents the closest pulsar to a supermassive black hole ever detected. Furthermore, its intriguing radio emission has been used to study the environment of the black hole, as well as to derive a precise position and proper motion for this object. The discovery of SGR J1745−2900 has led to interesting debates about the number, age, and nature of pulsars expected in the Galactic center region. In this work, we present extensive X-ray monitoring of the outburst of SGR J1745−2900 using the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the only instrument with the spatial resolution to distinguish the magnetar from the supermassive black hole (2"4 angular distance). It was monitored from its outburst onset in 2013 April until 2019 August, collecting more than 50 Chandra observations for a total of more than 2.3 Ms of data. Soon after the outburst onset, the magnetar emission settled onto a purely thermal emission state that cooled from a temperature of about 0.9–0.6 keV over 6 yr. The pulsar timing properties showed at least two changes in the period derivative, increasing by a factor of about 4 during the outburst decay. We find that the long-term properties of this outburst challenge current models for the magnetar outbursts.N.R., D.V., and A.B. are supported by the H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant “MAGNESIA” under grant agreement No. 817661 (PI: Rea). N.R., F.C.Z., D.V., A.B., and D.F.T. also acknowledge support from grants SGR2017-1383 and PGC2018-095512-BI00. F.C.Z. is supported by a Juan de la Cierva fellowship. A.P. acknowledges financial support from grants ASI/INAF I/037/12/0, ASI/INAF 2017-14-H.0 (PI: Belloni) and from INAF grant “Sostegno alla ricerca scientifica main streams dell’INAF,” Presidential Decree 43/2018 (PI: Belloni). D.H. acknowledges support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant, the Fonds de recherche du Québec–Nature et Technologies (FRQNT) Nouveaux Chercheurs program, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). G.L.I., S.M., and R.T. have been partially supported by PRIN-MIUR 2017. J.A.P. acknowledges support by the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2019/071) and by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (PGC2018-095984-B-I00). G.P. is supported by the H2020 ERC Consolidator Grant “Hot Milk” under grant agreement No. 865637. L.S. acknowledges financial contributions from ASI-INAF agreements 2017-14-H.O and I/037/12/0 and from “iPeska” research grant (PI: Andrea Possenti) funded under the INAF call PRIN-SKA/CTA (resolution 70/2016). We acknowledge support from the PHAROS COST Action (CA16214)