Investigating the Role of Gut Microbiota in Pediatric Patients with Severe COVID-19 or MIS-C.

Severe COVID-19 and MIS-C are rare but serious outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The onset of MIS-C often involves the gastrointestinal system, suggesting a potential connection with gut microbiota. This study aims to compare the gut microbiota of children with severe COVID-19 and those with MIS-C using various biomolecular approaches.

Expression profiles of circulating miRNAs in an endangered Piedmontese sheep breed during the estrus cycle.

Introduction: The preservation of locally endangered breeds is essential for maintaining ecosystem services that benefit both society and the environment. Reproductive fitness becomes a crucial consideration in this context. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that play a key role in post-transcriptional regulation.

Cerebrospinal fluid L-lactate as a diagnostic marker for infectious-inflammatory disorders in the central nervous system of cattle.

Introduction: Bacterial infection of the central nervous system (CNS) poses a clinical challenge and is a leading cause of neurological disorders in cattle. Human studies have demonstrated an increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) L-lactate levels in bacterial meningitis. The aims of this study were to establish a Reference Interval (RI) for L-lactate in bovine CSF and assess its potential as a biomarker for detecting infectious-inflammatory disorders.

Extracellular Vesicle-Enclosed Oxidative Stress- and Inflammation-Related microRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Vitamin D Responsivity: A Pilot Study on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients with or without COVID-19.

The relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels, genomic response to vitamin D (Vit.D), and positivity to SARS-CoV-2 remains understudied. In this pilot study, during the follow-up of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and COVID-19, we investigated this issue by analyzing the molecular contents of serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) from six groups of IBD patients (n = 32), classified according to anti-SARS-CoV-2 status, 25(OH)D level, and Vit.

Lentils pasta by-product in a complete extruded diet for dogs and its effect on extrusion, digestibility, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Introduction: Recently, increasing effort has been directed toward environmental sustainability in pet food. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extrusion parameters, nutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, palatability and insulinemic and glycaemic curves of a complete diet for dogs in which the main carbohydrate source was a red lentil pasta by-product (LP).

Methods: Five experimental diets were formulated: a basal diet (CO) based on rice and a poultry by-product meal; three experimental diets where LP substituted rice at 33, 66, or 100% (LP33, LP66, and LP100, respectively); and a diet formulated on 70% of the basal diet (CO) plus 30% LP (LPS) to evaluate the digestibility of LP ingredient.

miR-15a targets the HSP90 co-chaperone Morgana in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Morgana is a ubiquitous HSP90 co-chaperone protein coded by the CHORDC1 gene. Morgana heterozygous mice develop with age a myeloid malignancy resembling human atypical myeloid leukemia (aCML), now renamed MDS/MPN with neutrophilia. Patients affected by this pathology exhibit low Morgana levels in the bone marrow (BM), suggesting that Morgana downregulation plays a causative role in the human malignancy.

RNA-binding protein transcripts as potential biomarkers for detecting Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and for predicting its progression to Cholangiocarcinoma.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a persistent inflammatory liver condition that affects the bile ducts and is commonly diagnosed in young individuals. Despite efforts to incorporate various clinical, biochemical and molecular parameters for diagnosing PSC, it remains challenging, and no biomarkers characteristic of the disease have been identified hitherto. PSC is linked with an uncertain prognosis, and there is a pressing need to explore multiomics databases to establish a new biomarker panel for the early detection of PSC's gradual progression into Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and for the development of effective therapeutic interventions.

Sterile inflammation via TRPM8 RNA-dependent TLR3-NF-kB/IRF3 activation promotes antitumor immunity in prostate cancer.

Inflammation is a common condition of prostate tissue, whose impact on carcinogenesis is highly debated. Microbial colonization is a well-documented cause of a small percentage of prostatitis cases, but it remains unclear what underlies the majority of sterile inflammation reported. Here, androgen- independent fluctuations of PSA expression in prostate cells have lead us to identify a prominent function of the Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M Member 8 (TRPM8) gene in sterile inflammation.

Adaptation Response in Sheep: Ewes in Different Cortisol Clusters Reveal Changes in the Expression of Salivary miRNAs.

Farm procedures have an impact on animal welfare by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that induces a wide array of physiological responses. This adaptive system guarantees that the animal copes with environmental variations and it induces metabolic and molecular changes that can be quantified. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in the regulation of homeostasis and emerging evidence has identified circulating miRNAs as promising biomarkers of stress-related disorders in animals.

Productive Performances of Slow-Growing Chicken Breeds and Their Crosses with a Commercial Strain in Conventional and Free-Range Farming Systems.

Local chicken breeds play a vital role in promoting sustainability by preserving genetic diversity, enhancing resilience, and supporting local economies. These breeds are adapted to local climates and conditions, requiring fewer external resources and inputs for their maintenance. By conserving and utilizing local chicken breeds, sustainable farming practices can be incentivized, maintaining ecosystem balance and ensuring food security for future generations.

The role of tumor microenvironment in drug resistance: emerging technologies to unravel breast cancer heterogeneity.

Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, at both inter- and intra-tumor levels, and this heterogeneity is a crucial determinant of malignant progression and response to treatments. In addition to genetic diversity and plasticity of cancer cells, the tumor microenvironment contributes to tumor heterogeneity shaping the physical and biological surroundings of the tumor. The activity of certain types of immune, endothelial or mesenchymal cells in the microenvironment can change the effectiveness of cancer therapies via a plethora of different mechanisms.

Challenging the Hypothesis of in Utero Microbiota Acquisition in Healthy Canine and Feline Pregnancies at Term: Preliminary Data.

At present, there are no data on the presence of bacteria in healthy canine and feline pregnancies at term. Here, we investigated the uterine microbiome in bitches ( = 5) and queens ( = 3) undergoing elective cesarean section in two facilities. Samples included swabs from the endometrium, amniotic fluid, and meconium, and environmental swabs of the surgical tray as controls.

Potential Impact of Environmental Pollution by Human Antivirals on Avian Influenza Virus Evolution.

Antiviral (AV) drugs are the main line of defense against pandemic influenza. However, different administration policies are applied in countries with different stocks of AV drugs. These policies lead to different occurrences of drug metabolites in the aquatic environment, altering animal behavior with evolutionary consequences on viruses.

Dog Owners' Attitude toward Veterinary Antibiotic Use and Antibiotic Resistance with a Focus on Canine Diarrhea Management.

An ad hoc questionnaire was designed in order to investigate AMR knowledge amongst Italian dog owners, owner expectations concerning pharmacological treatment of canine AD, and client attitudes towards and compliance with alternative strategies to antimicrobial administration. A total of 250 questionnaires were returned. Most of respondents were female, aged 36-70 and workers.

Antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in wild birds hospitalised in a wildlife rescue centre.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the consequence of a hospitalisation period on antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolated from wild bird species admitted in the wildlife rescue centre of the Department of Veterinary Sciences (Turin University, Italy). Samples were collected from 121 raptors and 51 synanthropic animals, at the time of arrival as well as 5 and 10 days afterwards for a total of 372 faecal samples, and the susceptibility of E. coli strains was tested to a panel of seven antibacterials.

Feasibility of 16S rRNA sequencing for cerebrospinal fluid microbiome analysis in cattle with neurological disorders: a pilot study.

Bacterial infection of the central nervous system (CNS) in cattle requires prompt and adequate antimicrobial treatment. The current gold standard for antemortem etiological diagnosis is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, which often yields false negative results. CSF has long been considered a sterile district in healthy patients, but this notion has been recently challenged.

Epidural anesthesia in dogs undergoing hindlimb orthopedic surgery: effects of two injection sites.

This prospective clinical trial evaluated the effects of epidural anesthesia (EA) placed at the lumbosacral compared to the L5-L6 junction in dogs undergoing hindlimb orthopedic surgery. In all, 98 dogs were randomly assigned to receive injection at either L7-S1 (LS group) or L5-L6 (LL group) at the same local anesthetic regimen (1 mg/kg bupivacaine 0.5% and 0.

The RNA-Binding Protein ESRP1 Modulates the Expression of RAC1b in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

RNA binding proteins are well recognized as critical regulators of tumorigenic processes through their capacity to modulate RNA biogenesis, including alternative splicing, RNA stability and mRNA translation. The RNA binding protein Epithelial Splicing Regulatory Protein 1 (ESRP1) can act as a tumor suppressor or promoter in a cell type- and disease context-dependent manner. We have previously shown that elevated expression of ESRP1 in colorectal cancer cells can drive tumor progression.

Circulating skeletal muscle related microRNAs profile in Piedmontese cattle during different age.

Piedmontese cattle is known for double-muscle phenotype. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important role as regulators in skeletal muscle physiological processes, and we hypothesize that plasma miRNAs expression profiles could be affected by skeletal muscle growth status related to age. Plasma samples of cattle were collected during four different ages from first week of life until the time of commercial end of the fattening period before slaughter.

and Digestibility of an Extruded Complete Dog Food Containing Black Soldier Fly () Larvae Meal as Protein Source.

Growing attention is being directed toward insects as a novel and sustainable source of protein for pet food. The aim of the study was to evaluate nutrient digestibility of a diet containing black soldier fly larvae as its main protein source. Moreover, the purpose of the study was to compare the traditional total collection method with the marker method and digestibility method.

Pseudogenes as Competitive Endogenous RNAs: Target Prediction and Validation.

Pseudogenes may regulate expression of their parental genes as well as other protein-coding genes through various mechanisms. One such mechanism is the ability to act as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and participate in microRNA-mediated cross-regulation. Here, we outline how to predict the targets of pseudogene ceRNAs bioinformatically and how to validate them experimentally.

Evaluation of prognostic impact of pre-treatment neutrophil to lymphocyte and lymphocyte to monocyte ratios in dogs with oral malignant melanoma treated with surgery and adjuvant CSPG4-antigen electrovaccination: an explorative study.

The role of systemic inflammation in cancer's progression has been widely investigated, especially in melanoma in humans. Pre-treatment leukocyte counts and ratios play a recognized prognostic role in several types of malignancies, but no information is available regarding canine oral malignant melanoma (COMM). The purpose of this explorative retrospective study was to investigate the prognostic impact of pre-treatment neutrophil to lymphocyte (NLR) and lymphocyte to monocyte (LMR) ratios in dogs with oral malignant melanoma that underwent surgical resection and immunotherapy with adjuvant CSPG4-antigen electrovaccination.

Competing endogenous RNAs and cancer: How coding and non-coding molecules cross-talk can impinge on disease.

Cancers are characterized by several dramatic biological changes. Among the many post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms, microRNAs are known as fine-tune regulators for their transcript silencing ability. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) are transcripts that share microRNA binding elements and can compete for them, thus regulating each other indirectly.