Functional electrical stimulation (FES) leg cycling exercise in paraplegia: a pilot study for the definition and assessment of exercise testing protocols and efficacy of exercise

A custom FES-cycling ergometer equipped with an electric motor and an integrated feedback system for accurate control of exercise workrate and cadence has been employed in this study. This experimental setup allowed the imposition of arbitrary workrate profiles with high precision and provided the potential for highly-sensitive exercise testing. One aim of the work described in this thesis was to propose and evaluate novel protocols for incremental exercise test (IET) and step exercise test (SET). Valid protocols would allow reliable estimation of the key markers of cardiopulmonary fitness in SCI subjects performing FES-cycling. Measures which can be used to evaluate the effect on cycling performance of changes in stimulation parameters, and which might therefore be used to optimise them, were also investigated. Thus, a second aim of this work was to determine whether oxygen uptake and a new measure of stimulation cost (i.e. the total rate of stimulation charge applied to the stimulated muscle groups during cycling) are sensitive enough to allow discrimination between the efficacy of different activation patterns during constant-power cycling. A discussion on the concept of metabolic efficiency in AB and SCI subjects is presented in this thesis. Efficiency of FES-cycling is much lower than that of voluntary cycling. Therefore, a third aim of this work was to define new efficiency measurements that are more appropriate for the SCI population. Two volunteer subjects took part in this study and the data obtained from the tests they performed are presented as case studies. The main outcome shows feasibility of the two exercise testing protocols. Moreover, the first report of a ventilatory threshold in SCI subjects during FES-cycling has been provided here. Oxygen uptake and stimulation cost measurements both allow discrimination between the efficacy of different muscle activation patterns. However, stimulation cost is more easily determined in real time, and responds more rapidly and with greatly improved signal-to-noise properties than oxygen uptake

Hydrogen peroxide-mediated killing of Caenorhabditis elegans by Enterococcus italicus and Lactococcus garvieae isolated from food

In this study, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to assess the pathogenic potential of two species isolated from food, Enterococcus italicus and Lactococcus garvieae, for which few indications on pathogenicity are available. We identified the conditions under which E. italicus and L. garvieae are able to kill the nematode and suggest that the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) by these two bacteria was involved in the death of C. elegans in our model system. The efficacy of E. italicus and L. garvieae to kill C. elegans differed, most likely related to each species' distinct ability to accumulate H2O2 (4.9 mM and 0.9–1.1 mM, respectively). Genome analysis of both species revealed that the genome of E. italicus contains a gene encoding a NADH oxidase which shows high amino acidic similarity with H2O2 -forming NOX-1 enzymes, while that of L. garvieae contains a gene codifying for a water-forming NADH-oxidase (NOX-2). Reverse transcriptase-PCR experiments carried out in presence of flavin adenine dinucleotide (50 mM) confirmed the presence of the two different genes and likely explains the different toxicity of E. italicus and L. garvieae against C. elegans in our study. The results obtained show for the first time the production of H2O2 in E. italicus and L. garvieae and indicate its toxic effect in the nematode C. elegans

Acute myocardial infarction and stroke registries. The Italian experience

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death and hospitalisation in nearly all European countries and accounted for almost 40% of all deaths in 2013. With the exception of few rigorous but limited studies carried out in some geographical areas, data available on CVD incidence and prevalence is generally limited and of poor quality, despite the magnitude of the CVD phenomenon. The EUROCISS Project, supported by the Health Monitoring Programme of the DG SANCO from 2000 to 2007, provided general guidance and updated methods for the surveillance of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Stroke. The Italian population-based registry of major coronary and cerebrovascular events was set up following EUROCISS recommendations; it also took into account the experience acquired by Italy in the MONICA project since the mid-1980s and continued with the coordination of the EUROCISS The project: “A population-based AMI register: assessing the feasibility for a pilot study to implement a surveillance system of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Mediterranean countries according to EUROCISS recommendations” in the framework of the EuroMed Programme, followed major practical and operative issues for the implementation of a population-based registry for coronary and cerebrovascular events, which are here described. This paper includes the definition of target population, data sources, events, indicators, quality methods, and the description of a software used to implement the registry

Acute myocardial infarction and stroke registries. The italian experience

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading causes of death and hospitalisation in nearly all European countries and accounted for almost 40% of all deaths in 2013. With the exception of few rigorous but limited studies carried out in some geographical areas, available data on CVD incidence and prevalence are generally limited and of poor quality, despite the magnitude of the CVD phenomenon. The EUROCISS Project, supported by the Health Monitoring Programme of the DG SANCO from 2000 to 2007, provided general guidance and updated methods for the surveillance of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Stroke. The Italian population-based registry of major coronary and cerebrovascular events was set up following EUROCISS Project recommendations; it also took into account the experience acquired by Italy in the WHO-MONICA project since the mid-1980s and continued with the coordination of the EUROCISS Project. The project: “A population-based AMI register: assessing the feasibility for a pilot study to implement a surveillance system of AMI in Mediterranean countries according to EUROCISS recommendations”, in the framework of the EuroMed Programme, followed major practical and operative issues for the implementation of a population-based registry for coronary and cerebrovascular events, which are here described. This paper includes the definition of target population, data sources, events, indicators, quality methods, and the description of a software used to implement the registry

Global transcriptional landscape and promoter mapping of the gut commensal Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003

Background: Bifidobacterium breve represents a common member of the infant gut microbiota and its presence in the gut has been associated with host well being. For this reason it is relevant to investigate and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the establishment, persistence and activities of this gut commensal in the host environment. Results: The assessment of vegetative promoters in the bifidobacterial prototype Bifidobacterium breve UCC2003 was performed employing a combination of RNA tiling array analysis and cDNA sequencing. Canonical −10 (TATAAT) and −35 (TTGACA) sequences were identified upstream of transcribed genes or operons, where deviations from this consensus correspond to transcription level variations. A Random Forest analysis assigned the −10 region of B. breve promoters as the element most impacting on the level of transcription, followed by the spacer length and the 5’-UTR length of transcripts. Furthermore, our transcriptome study also identified rho-independent termination as the most common and effective termination signal of highly and moderately transcribed operons in B. breve. Conclusion: The present study allowed us to identify genes and operons that are actively transcribed in this organism during logarithmic growth, and link promoter elements with levels of transcription of essential genes in this organism. As homologs of many of our identified genes are present across the whole genus Bifidobacterium, our dataset constitutes a transcriptomic reference to be used for future investigations of gene expression in members of this genus

Genomics of the genus Bifidobacterium reveals species-specific adaptation to the glycan-rich gut environment

Bifidobacteria represent one of the dominant microbial groups that occur in the gut of various animals, being particularly prevalent during the suckling period of humans and other mammals. Their ability to compete with other gut bacteria is largely attributed to their saccharolytic features. Comparative and functional genomic as well as transcriptomic analyses have revealed the genetic background that underpins the overall saccharolytic phenotype for each of the 47 bifidobacterial (sub)species representing the genus Bifidobacterium, while also generating insightful information regarding carbohydrate resource sharing and crossfeeding among bifidobacteria. The abundance of bifidobacterial saccharolytic features in human microbiomes supports the notion that metabolic accessibility to dietary and/or host-derived glycans is a potent evolutionary force that has shaped the bifidobacterial genome

Antibiotic resistance and virulence of faecal enterococci isolated from food-producing animals in Tunisia

Antimicrobial agents exert a selection pressure not only on pathogenic, but also on commensal bacteria of the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The aim of this work was to determine the occurrence of different enterococcal species and to analyse the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms implicated, as well as the genetic diversity in enterococci recovered from faecal samples of food-producing animals (poultry, beef and sheep) in Tunisia. Antimicrobial resistance and the mechanisms implicated were studied in 87 enterococci recovered from 96 faecal samples from animals of Tunisian farms. Enterococcus faecium was the most prevalent species detected (46 %), followed by E. hirae (33.5 %). High percentages of resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline were found among our isolates, and lower percentages to aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin were identified. Most of the tetracycline-resistant isolates carried the tet(M) and/or tet(L) genes. The erm(B) gene was detected in all erythromycin-resistant isolates. The ant(6)-Ia, aph(3)-Ia and aac(6)-aph(2) genes were detected in nine aminoglycoside-resistant isolates. Of our isolates, 11.5 % carried the gelE gene and exhibited gelatinase acitivity. The esp gene was detected in 10 % of our isolates and the hyl gene was not present in any isolate. The predominant species (E. faecium and E. hirae) showed a high genetic diversity by repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP)-PCR. Food animals might play a role in the spread through the food chain of enterococci with virulence and resistance traits to humans. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg and the University of Milan

Un MOOC sui GIS per i docenti universitari. Esperienza del progetto My Geo

MY GEO \ue8 un progetto europeo (Partenariati Strategici Erasmus Pus) il cui scopo \ue8 promuovere l'occupabilit\ue0 dei giovani attraverso l'acquisizione di competenze relative alla GIScience. Uno dei risultati del progetto \ue8 la diffusione dei GIS nella didattica universitaria, rivolgendosi ai docenti che intendono utilizzare la GIScience nella propria offerta formativa. Al fine di facilitare l\u2019adozione di strumenti della GIScience il progetto preparer\ue0 un MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) rivolto ai docenti. UNED (Universidad Nacional de Educaci\uf2n a Distancia) ha redatto la prima proposta di MOOC che \ue8 stato discusso con diversi docenti nei paesi coinvolti nel progetto My Geo: Spagna, Belgio e Italia. Il MOOC proposto \ue8 costruito sul modello pedagogico di T-PACK (Hong Stonier, 2015; Rickles, Ellul, Haklay, 2017; Su et al., 2017). L'Universit\ue0 di Padova, coordinatrice del progetto, ha realizzato il confronto con i docenti italiani attraverso tre metodologie: focus group in presenza; interviste telefoniche individuali; questionari online. Sono stati contattati attraverso 3 solleciti mail 78 docenti, tra questi 22 hanno partecipato attivamente attraverso una delle tre metodologie previste. Il MOOC \ue8 stato ritenuto efficace ma allo steso tempo si propone che possa essere flessibile e adattato al background professionale del docente. Altri suggerimenti riguardano la struttura del MOOC: deve essere pedagogicamente significativo e capace di distinguersi da altri tutorial video gi\ue0 disponibili nel web, ogni argomento deve essere presentato in modo chiaro coinvolgendo il docente sin dall'inizio e offrendo casi di studio relativi al proprio insegnamento. Quasi tutti hanno affermato di essere interessati a utilizzare tale strumento a supporto della propria attivit\ue0 didattica; tuttavia si evidenzia come l\u2019acquisizione di competenze GIS sia un'attivit\ue0 che assorbe molto tempo ai docenti universitari

Serum BPIFB4 levels classify health status in long-living individuals

People that reach extreme ages (Long-Living Individuals, LLIs) are object of intense investigation for increase/decrease of genetic variant frequencies, genetic methylation levels, protein abundance in serum and tissues. The aim of these studies is the discovery of the mechanisms behind LLIs extreme longevity and the identification of markers of well-being. We have recently associated a BPIFB4 haplotype (LAV) with exceptional longevity under a homozygous genetic model, and identified that CD34(+) of LLIs subjects express higher BPIFB4 transcript as compared to CD34(+) of control population. It would be of interest to correlate serum BPIFB4 protein levels with exceptional longevity and health status of LLIs