The Evolution of Antimicrobial Resistance in and New Strategies to Fight It.

is considered one of the prioritized ESKAPE microorganisms for the research and development of novel treatments by the World Health Organization, especially because of its remarkable persistence and drug resistance. In this review, we describe how this can be acquired by the enzymatic degradation of antibiotics, target site modification, altered membrane permeability, multidrug efflux pumps, and their ability to form biofilms. Also, the evolution of drug resistance in , which is mainly driven by mobile genetic elements, is reported, with particular reference to plasmid-associated resistance, resistance islands, and insertion sequences.

COVID-19 pulmonary phenotypes and longitudinal patterns in the first wave of the pandemic.

Background: The long-term evolution of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized during the pandemic's first wave remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to identify COVID-19 pulmonary phenotypes and their longitudinal patterns over a 12-month follow-up.

Methods: COVID-19 patients discharged from Pisa University Hospital (Italy) between March-September 2020, were evaluated at T3, T12, and T24 months post-discharge.

Distal Access Catheter Improves Balloon Guide and Stent Retriever Thrombectomy Outcomes in Nonagenarians.

Background And Purpose: The safety and effectiveness of endovascular techniques in elderly patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) remain controversial. We investigated the angiographic and clinical outcomes of nonagenarians treated with different endovascular techniques using a balloon guide catheter (BGC), distal aspiration catheter (DAC), and/or stent retriever (SR).

Methods: We analyzed the data from the Registry of Combined versus Single Thrombectomy Techniques (ROSSETTI) of consecutive nonagenarian patients with anterior circulation LVO and compared the outcomes of those treated with BGC+noDAC+SR (101-group), BGC+DAC+SR (111-group), and noBGC+DAC+SR (011-group).

Development and evaluation of a kidney health questionnaire and estimates of chronic kidney disease prevalence in the Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol (CHRIS) study.

Background: Kidney diseases are a public health burden but are poorly investigated in the general population. In light of inadequate survey tools, we developed a novel questionnaire for use in population-based studies, to retrospectively assess kidney diseases.

Methods: The questionnaire covered general kidney diseases, reduced kidney function, and renal surgeries.

Cross-Cutting Approach for the Characterization of Microbial Emerging Hazards in Agriculture Settings from Circular Economy-Driven Wastewater Streams.

The recycling of biowaste from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in agriculture represents a circular economy-driven source of water and nutrients to support food system sustainability. However, biowaste may represent the source of emerging hazards of anthropogenic and animal origin that can transfer from agricultural soils to related food production, posing a risk to consumers' health, as in the case of outbreaks due to the consumption of ready-to-eat leafy vegetables contaminated with pathogenic . From this perspective, we propose a combined strategy based on both classical methods and culture-independent metagenomics approaches to identify microbial hazards relevant to foodborne diseases in WWTP-related biowastes.

Trauma Center model application in the University Hospital of Pisa: a single-center comparative study.

The Trauma Center, Hub, is a highly specialized hospital indicated for complex major trauma management after stabilization at a 1st level hospital, Spoke. Although in the United States this organization demonstrated its effectiveness in mortality, in the Italian context, data available are limited. On 30 September 2018, the University Hospital of Pisa formalized the introduction of the Trauma Center, optimizing Emergency Department (ED) organization to guarantee the highest standard of care.

The serine-rich repeat glycoprotein Srr2 mediates Streptococcus agalactiae interaction with host fibronectin.

Background: Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a commensal of healthy adults and an important pathogen in newborns, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. GBS displays several virulence factors that promote colonisation and host infection, including the ST-17 strain-specific adhesin Srr2, previously characterised for its binding to fibrinogen. Another common target for bacterial adhesins and for host colonization is fibronectin, a multi-domain glycoprotein found ubiquitously in body fluids, in the extracellular matrix and on the surface of cells.

Ex Vivo Antiplatelet Effects of Oral Anticoagulants.

Background: The impact of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) on platelet function is still unclear. We conducted a comprehensive ex vivo study aimed at assessing the effect of the four currently marketed NOACs on platelet function.

Methods: We incubated blood samples from healthy donors with concentrations of NOACs (50, 150 and 250 ng/mL), in the range of those achieved in the plasma of patients during therapy.

Transition from an in-person to a telemedicine diabetic retinopathy screening program.

Purpose: Timely screening and treatment are essential for preventing diabetic retinopathy blindness. Improving screening workflows can reduce waiting times for specialist evaluation and thus enhance patient outcomes. This study assessed different screening approaches in a Brazilian public healthcare setting.

Associations Between Dietary Patterns and Kidney Health Assessed in the Population-Based CHRIS Study Using Reduced Rank Regression.

Objective: While diet plays a key role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) management, the potential for diet to impact CKD prevention in the general population is less clear. Using a priori knowledge, we derived disease-related dietary patterns (DPs) through reduced rank regression (RRR) and investigated associations with kidney function, separately focusing on generally healthy individuals and those with self-reported kidney diseases, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Eight thousand six hundred eighty-six participants from the population-based Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol study were split into a group free of kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes (n = 6,133) and a group with any of the 3 conditions (n = 2,553).

Rapidpulse cyclic aspiration system for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusions.

Background: The best strategy to achieve optimal reperfusion outcomes during mechanical thrombectomy remains to be defined. The RapidPulse Cyclic Aspiration System is a novel technology, delivering high-frequency pulsed vacuum forces to increase the efficiency of aspiration thrombectomy.

Methods: Prospective, multicenter, open-label, core lab-adjudicated, two-arm study comparing safety and efficacy of a feasibility version of the RapidPulse system compared with contemporary controls.

Digital droplet PCR versus quantitative PCR for lipoprotein (a) kringle IV type 2 repeat polymorphism genetic characterization.

Background: Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] level variability, related to atherothrombotic risk increase, is mainly attributed to LPA gene, encoding apolipoprotein(a), with kringle IV type 2 (KIV2) copy number variation (CNV) acting as the primary genetic determinant. Genetic characterization of Lp(a) is in continuous growth; nevertheless, the peculiar structural characteristics of this variant constitute a significant challenge to the development of effective detection methods. The aim of the study was to compare quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) in the evaluation of KIV2 repeat polymorphism.

Characterization of the dispirotripiperazine derivative PDSTP as antibiotic adjuvant and antivirulence compound against .

is a major human pathogen, able to establish difficult-to-treat infections in immunocompromised and people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The high rate of antibiotic treatment failure is due to its notorious drug resistance, often mediated by the formation of persistent biofilms. Alternative strategies, capable of overcoming resistance, include antivirulence compounds which impair bacterial pathogenesis without exerting a strong selective pressure, and the use of antimicrobial adjuvants that can resensitize drug-resistant bacteria to specific antibiotics.

A Combined Magnetoelectric Sensor Array and MRI-Based Human Head Model for Biomagnetic FEM Simulation and Sensor Crosstalk Analysis.

Magnetoelectric (ME) magnetic field sensors are novel sensing devices of great interest in the field of biomagnetic measurements. We investigate the influence of magnetic crosstalk and the linearity of the response of ME sensors in different array and excitation configurations. To achieve this aim, we introduce a combined multiscale 3D finite-element method (FEM) model consisting of an array of 15 ME sensors and an MRI-based human head model with three approximated compartments of biological tissues for skin, skull, and white matter.

Antioxidant treatment for oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and varicocele: a DBPC trial to evaluate the impact of age and body mass index.

Oxidative stress is one of the main mechanisms responsible for male infertility. Various conditions such as varicocele, obesity, advanced age, and lifestyle can lead to an increase in reactive oxygen species, causing an oxidative imbalance in the reproductive environment. Spermatozoa are sensitive to reactive oxygen species and require energy to carry out their main function of fertilizing the egg.

New Antimicrobial Strategies to Treat Multi-Drug Resistant Infections Caused by Gram-Negatives in Cystic Fibrosis.

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) suffer from recurrent bacterial infections which induce inflammation, lung tissue damage and failure of the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure to combinatorial antibiotic therapies triggers the appearance of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. The development of alternative antimicrobial strategies may provide a way to mitigate antimicrobial resistance.

A comprehensive update on the morphology and distribution of the invasive scaffold-web spider Eidmannella pallida (Araneae, Nesticidae) with a focus on new records from Italy.

Updated non-native distributional data of the invasive spider Eidmannella pallida (Emerton, 1875), Nesticidae, are herein summarized together with the morphological characters of the species. We report all the known localities from the literature. Furthermore, we present and discuss recent findings for the Italian peninsula.

Squamous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity in Patient with Fanconi Anemia: A Challenging Reconstruction with Double-barrel Free Fibula Flap Case Report.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a very rare form of aplastic anemia. Patients with FA have a higher risk of developing solid tumors such as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, higher risk of local recurrence, and impaired resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments than the normal population. In this article, we describe the challenging clinical case of a patient with FA who underwent surgery for the removal of a large squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity.

A Web-Based COVID-19 Tool for Testing Residents in Retirement Homes: Development Study.

Background: Long-term care facilities have been widely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Empirical evidence demonstrated that older people are the most impacted and are at higher risk of mortality after being infected. Regularly testing care facility residents is a practical approach to detecting infections proactively.

Multi-centric study for development and validation of a CT head rule for mild traumatic brain injury in direct oral anticoagulants: the HERO-M nomogram.

Background: Nomograms are easy-to-handle clinical tools which can help in estimating the risk of adverse outcome in certain population. This multi-center study aims to create and validate a simple and usable clinical prediction nomogram for individual risk of post-traumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) in patients treated with Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs).

Methods: From January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019, all patients on DOACs evaluated for an MTBI in five Italian Emergency Departments were enrolled.