GNSS Radio Frequency Interference Monitoring from LEO Satellites: An In-Laboratory Prototype.

The disruptive effect of radio frequency interference (RFI) on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals is well known, and in the last four decades, many have been investigated as countermeasures. Recently, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites have been looked at as a good opportunity for GNSS RFI monitoring, and the last five years have seen the proliferation of many commercial and academic initiatives. In this context, this paper proposes a new spaceborne system to detect, classify, and localize terrestrial GNSS RFI signals, particularly jamming and spoofing, for civil use.

Herbs for Voice Database: Developing a Rational Approach to the Study of Herbal Remedies Used in Voice Care.

Herbs have been used for voice care since ancient times and many herbal remedies are still in use in every geographical areas and cultures, both as traditional medicine and as sources of botanicals used in commercial products. Many of these plants are used as extracts and other phytopreparates, and a full phytochemical analysis is sometimes incomplete or lacking. The mechanisms of action of these botanicals include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, mucolytic, and other general activities; nevertheless, mechanisms that could be specifically referred to voice are often unknown, as well as the corresponding molecular targets and therefore a rational approach in the use of these remedies is hard to be applied by phoniatricians.

The effect of parnaparin sodium on in vitro fertilization outcome: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: In-vitro and in-vivo models suggest the influence of low-molecular weight heparin on conception in infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures (IVF). In this randomized controlled trial we assessed whether a low-molecular weight heparin (parnaparin) could affect IVF outcomes.

Materials And Methods: 271cycles were analyzed in 247 women having a first or subsequent IVF cycle at Fertility Center of Humanitas Research Hospital.

External validation of the DASH prediction rule: a retrospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: Essentials Predicting recurrences may guide therapy after unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE). We evaluated the DASH score in 827 patients with unprovoked VTE to verify prediction accuracy. A DASH score ≤ 1 had a cumulative recurrence risk at 1 year of 3.

CCN2 (CTGF) gene polymorphism is a novel prognostic risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes in hemodialysis patients.

Background: The very high cardiovascular (CV) mortality and morbidity rates in hemodialysis (HD) patients are greatly related to atherosclerosis. CCN2 (connective tissue growth factor/CTGF) is a profibrotic factor that is secreted by endothelial cells, involved in atherogenesis, promoting fibroblast proliferation and matrix production. CCN2 protein is significantly increased in complicated fibrous plaques and enhances monocyte migration into atherosclerotic lesions.

Chemical composition and biological properties of Rhododendron anthopogon essential oil.

The essential oil of Rhododendron anthopogon was investigated by GC-MS, and seventeen compounds (representing approximately 98% of the oil) were identified. The major components of the aerial parts of the oil were the monoterpenes alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene and the sesquiterpene delta-cadinene. Biological studies revealed a weak topical anti-inflammatory activity; a significant killing effect against some Gram-positive reference strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcusfecalis, Bacillus subtilis was measured; Mycobacterium tuberculosis reference strain and a clinical isolate of Candida, C.

Identification of poisonous plants by DNA barcoding approach.

The plant exposures are one of the most frequent poisonings reported to poison control centres. The diagnosis of intoxicated patients is usually based on the morphological analysis of ingested plant portions; this procedure requires experience in systematic botany, because the plant identification is based on few evident traits. The objective of this research is to test DNA barcoding approach as a new universal tool to identify toxic plants univocally and rapidly.

2-aryl-3-(1H-azol-1-yl)-1H-indole derivatives: a new class of antimycobacterial compounds - conventional heating in comparison with MW-assisted synthesis.

2-Aryl-3-(1H-imidazol-1-yl and 1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-1H-indole derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in-vitro antifungal and antimycobacterial activities. These indole derivatives were devoid of antifungal activity against the tested strains of Candida spp. Yet, they exhibited an interesting antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis reference strain H(37)Rv.

Antimycobacterial activity of new 3,5-disubstituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one derivatives. Molecular modeling investigations.

3H-1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2-one derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Oxadiazolone derivatives showed an interesting antimycobacterial activity against the reference strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv. Molecular modeling investigations were performed and showed that the active compounds possess all necessary features to target the protein active site of the mycobacterial cytochrome P450-dependent sterol 14alpha-demethylase in the sterol biosynthesis pathway as the calculated free energy of binding were in agreement with the corresponding MIC values.

Antifungal and antimycobacterial activity of 1-(3,5-diaryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-imidazole derivatives.

1-(3,5-Diaryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1H-imidazole derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antifungal and antimycobacterial activities. These imidazole derivatives showed an excellent antifungal activity against a clinical strain of Candida albicans and an interesting antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv reference strain.

Synthesis, antifungal and antimycobacterial activities of new bis-imidazole derivatives, and prediction of their binding to P450(14DM) by molecular docking and MM/PBSA method.

New bis-imidazole derivatives have been synthesized and their antifungal and antimycobacterial activity was determined. Almost all compounds exhibited a moderate to good activity against two clinical isolates of Candida albicans 3038 and Candida glabrata 123. The same compounds showed an interesting killing activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv reference strain.

New biologically active epidioxysterols from Stereum hirsutum.

From the fungus Stereum hirsutum have been isolated and identified two new epidioxysterols 1, 4, together with two known ones 2 and 3. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and chemical reactions. Epidioxysterols 1-4 have been shown to possess a significant activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and antimicrobial activity evaluation of monogalactosyl diglycerides.

Monogalactosyl diglycerides with medium to long fatty acid acyl chains, were prepared and examined for antimicrobial activity against Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and fungi. The study of their in vitro antimicrobial activity confirms the significant activity of some monogalactosyl diacylglycerol analogues and establishes for the galactose series that the 1,2-disubstitution and the octanoyl chain are the proper structural features for the maximum activity.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and in vitro studies on the hydrolysis of antimicrobial monoglycosyl diglycerides by pancreatic lipase.

Monoglucosyl and monogalactosyl diglycerides (MGDGs) with medium-long length acyl chains, identified as active components in Euphorbiaceae, were synthesized. They were examined for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. MGDGs with two octanoyl groups at both 1- and 2-positions showed the most potent activity.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis and antimicrobial activity evaluation of monoglucosyl diglycerides.

Monoglucosyl diglycerides with medium-long length fatty acid acyl chains were prepared and examined for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. The study of their in vitro antimicrobial activity confirms the significant activity of some monoglucosyl diacylglycerol analogues and establishes for the glucose series that the 1,2-disubstitution and the octanoyl chain are the proper structural features for the maximum activity.

Antifungal and antimycobacterial activity of new imidazole and triazole derivatives. A combined experimental and computational approach.

Objectives: To synthesize new antimycobacterial and antifungal drugs that act by binding to sterol 14alpha-demethylase (14DM) and to characterize the drug-target protein interactions using computer-based molecular simulations.

Methods: Different series of imidazole and triazole derivatives having an azomethine linkage to pyridine 2-carboxamidrazone were designed and synthesized. Molecular dynamic simulations of the sterol 14DM (a mixed-function oxidase involved in sterol synthesis in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms) complexed with new azole derivatives have been performed to both qualify and quantify the protein-ligand interactions.

Antimycobacterial activity of new 3-substituted 5-(pyridin-4-yl)-3H-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-one and 2-thione derivatives. Preliminary molecular modeling investigations.

3H-1,3,4-Oxadiazole-2-thione and 3H-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-one derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Oxadiazolone derivatives showed an interesting antimycobacterial activity against the tested strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv, whereas the corresponding thione derivatives were devoid of activity. Molecular modeling investigations showed that the active compounds may interact at the active site of the mycobacterial cytochrome P450-dependent sterol 14alpha-demethylase in the sterol biosynthesis pathway and that their binding free energy values are in agreement with their MIC values.

Prevalence and clinical significance of a greater ambulatory versus office blood pressure ('reversed white coat' condition) in a general population.

Background: Attention has recently been directed to a condition termed 'reversed white coat' because of an average 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) uncharacteristically greater than office BP. No data are available, however, on the prevalence of this condition in the general population, as well as on its relationship to BP, age, gender, antihypertensive treatment and cardiac organ damage.

Methods: In 3200 individuals (participation rate 64%), randomly selected to be representative of the residents of Monza (Milan, Italy) for sex and decades of age (25 to 74 years), we measured office BP (average of three measurements, sphygmomanometry), ambulatory BP (automatic readings every 20 min, Spacelabs 90207) and left ventricular mass (echocardiography).

Three scenarios of clinical claim reimbursement for nosocomial infection: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We studied the extent to which hospitals can expect to receive reimbursement for costs relating to nosocomial infections (NI) under the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) system of clinical claims and calculated the loss of reimbursement due to missed or incorrect registration of infective complications on hospital discharge records (HDR). We calculated clinical claim reimbursement in three scenarios: the good, in which all NI are recorded on HDR; the bad, in which a proportion of NI recorded on HDR observed at the 41 participating hospitals; the ugly, in which none of the NI are recorded on HDR. We analysed in which patients the recording of infective complications changed the DRG clinical claim and the economic consequences on reimbursements.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates belonging to katG gyrA group 2 are associated with clustered cases of tuberculosis in Italian patients.

Fifty-one consecutive isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, collected during a 2-year period in the north-east of Italy, were subjected to IS6110-RFLP analysis to detect the presence of clusters and assigned to one of the three genotypic groups delineated by single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes katG and gyrA. All the isolates collected from the local population belonged to group 2 or 3, while group 1 isolates were found only in specimens collected from African immigrants. Clustered cases of tuberculosis, which are likely to be related to recently transmitted infection, were found to be significantly associated with katG gyrA group 2.

New cerebrosides from Euphorbia peplis L.: antimicrobial activity evaluation.

The less polar fraction of the methanolic extract from the plant Euphorbia peplis L. exhibited interesting antifungal and antitubercular activity. A complex mixture of four glucocerebrosides was responsible for this activity.

Development of a microdilution method to evaluate Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug susceptibility.

A new rapid microdilution method, employing the dye resazurin as an indicator of mycobacterial growth, was developed to evaluate drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis reference strain H37Rv and of 13 M. tuberculosis susceptible or multidrug-resistant clinical strains. Different growth conditions were evaluated.

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of (3,4-diaryl-3H-thiazol-2-ylidene)-hydrazide derivatives.

[5-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-ylthio]acetic acid (3,4-diaryl-3H-thiazol-2-ylidene)-hydrazide derivatives were synthesized and tested for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity. Some compounds showed an interesting activity against a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv and three clinical isolates of M. tuberculosis.