Magnetic resonance cavitation imaging for the monitoring of ultrasound therapies.

Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach that can be used to generate thermal and non-thermal bioeffects. Several non-thermal FUS therapies rely on FUS-induced oscillations of microbubbles (MBs), a phenomenon referred to as cavitation. Cavitation monitoring in real time is essential to ensure both the efficacy and the safety of FUS therapies.

Therapeutic efficacy of intracerebral hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

The conditions supporting the generation of microglia-like cells in the central nervous system (CNS) after transplantation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) have been studied to advance the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we explored the transplantation efficacy of different cell subsets and delivery routes with the goal of favoring the establishment of a stable and exclusive engraftment of HSPCs and their progeny in the CNS of female mice. In this setting, we show that the CNS environment drives the expansion, distribution and myeloid differentiation of the locally transplanted cells towards a microglia-like phenotype.

The illegal rearing and slaughtering of pigs in the wild on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia favor an increase in the biomass of Trichinella britovi in wild boars (Sus scrofa) but do not affect the serological prevalence of infection.

Background: Worms of the nematode genus Trichinella are zoonotic pathogens with a worldwide distribution. The first report of Trichinella on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia was for Trichinella britovi, one of the four species of this genus circulating in Europe, which was identified in 2005 following an outbreak of trichinellosis in humans due to the consumption of pork from pigs reared in the wild. Since then, T.

Cardio-pulmonary nematodes of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) of Sardinia, Italy.

Cardio-pulmonary parasites, such as Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, and Eucoleus aerophilus, pose a significant concern on account of pulmonary and cardiac problems they induce in dogs. While the red fox is known to be a key reservoir host for A. vasorum and may also play a role in transmitting C.

An innovative hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy approach benefits CLN1 disease in the mouse model.

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) can establish a long-lasting microglia-like progeny in the central nervous system of properly myeloablated hosts. We exploited this approach to treat the severe CLN1 neurodegenerative disorder, which is the most aggressive form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses due to palmitoyl-protein thioesterase-1 (PPT1) deficiency. We here provide the first evidence that (i) transplantation of wild-type HSPCs exerts partial but long-lasting mitigation of CLN1 symptoms; (ii) transplantation of HSPCs over-expressing hPPT1 by lentiviral gene transfer enhances the therapeutic benefit of HSPCs transplant, with first demonstration of such a dose-effect benefit for a purely neurodegenerative condition like CLN1 disease; (iii) transplantation of hPPT1 over-expressing HSPCs by a novel intracerebroventricular (ICV) approach is sufficient to transiently ameliorate CLN1-symptoms in the absence of hematopoietic tissue engraftment of the transduced cells; and (iv) combinatorial transplantation of transduced HSPCs intravenously and ICV results in a robust therapeutic benefit, particularly on symptomatic animals.

Monitoring MR-guided high intensity focused ultrasound therapy using transient supersonic shear wave MR-elastography.

The aim of the paper is to propose an all-in-one method based on magnetic resonance-supersonic shear wave imaging (MR-SSI) and proton resonance frequency shift (PRFS) to monitor high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) thermal ablations.Mechanical properties have been shown to be related to tissue damage induced by thermal ablations. Monitoring elasticity in addition to temperature changes may help in ensuring the efficacy and the accuracy of HIFU therapies.

dysregulation as a possible mechanism of immune evasion in SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA-virus infections.

One of the mechanisms by which viruses can evade the host's immune system is to modify the host's DNA methylation pattern. This work aims to investigate the DNA methylation and gene expression profile of COVID-19 patients, divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic, and healthy controls, focusing on genes involved in the immune response. In this study, changes in the methylome of COVID-19 patients' upper airways cells, the first barrier against respiratory infections and the first cells presenting viral antigens, are shown for the first time.

A new versatile MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) device for the treatment of musculoskeletal tumors.

Magnetic Resonance (MR) Imaging-guided High Intensity focused Ultrasound (MRgHIFU) is a non-invasive, non-ionizing thermal ablation therapy that is particularly interesting for the palliative or curative treatment of musculoskeletal tumors. We introduce a new modular MRgHIFU device that allows the ultrasound transducer to be positioned precisely and interactively over the body part to be treated. A flexible, MR-compatible supporting structure allows free positioning of the transducer under MRI/optical fusion imaging guidance.

Design, Development and Validation of a Knee Brace to Standardize the US Imaging Evaluation of Knee Osteoarthritis.

Objective: A repeatable and reliable follow-up of knee injuries would be desirable to prevent delayed diagnosis and to monitor the efficacy of the applied treatment over time. Ultrasound (US) techniques are an attractive option to this purpose, since they are safe, low-cost and non-invasive. However, its use in the clinical practice is limited by the high dependency on the operator's experience.

First molecular description of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus in wild boars from Italy with pathomorphological and epidemiological insights.

Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is a zoonotic parasite affecting suids worldwide which are the definitive hosts for this helminth species. Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus is of significant economic and management concern due to its pathogenicity, causing intestinal obstruction and perforation in the definitive hosts. Current study is the preliminary investigation from Sardinia, Italy, reporting the pathomorphological findings and molecular characterization of M.

Species diversity and molecular insights into phlebotomine sand flies in Sardinia (Italy)-an endemic region for leishmaniasis.

This study provides updated information on the distribution of the phlebotomine sand fly species and their genetic characterization in Sardinia, a Mediterranean island where leishmaniasis is endemic. From April to November 2017, sand flies were trapped in five different capture sites using sticky traps and light traps as collection methods, operated nearby sheep, poultry, cat, and dog shelters. Phlebotomine specimens (n = 513) collected were morphologically and molecularly identified as Phlebotomus perniciosus (249/513, 48.

Vector Competence of Italian Populations of for Some Bluetongue Virus Strains Responsible for Recent Northern African and European Outbreaks.

The distribution of Bluetongue virus (BTV) in Europe can be represented by two distinct and interconnected epidemiological systems (episystems), each characterized by different ecological characteristics and vector species. This study investigated the vector competence of Italian populations of and to some representative BTV strains after artificial oral infection. The BTV strains were selected according to their ability to spread to one or both episystems and included BTV-4 ITA, responsible of the recent Italian and French BTV-4 outbreaks; the BTV-2 strain which caused the first BTV incursion in Italy, Corsica, and Balearic Islands; BTV-4 MOR, responsible for the epidemic in Morocco; and BTV-8, the strain which spread through Europe between 2006 and 2008.

Bluetongue virus detection in new species in Sardinia, Italy.

Bluetongue is an infectious disease transmitted by biting midges. is considered the main vector in the Mediterranean basin but other species have been implicated in the Bluetongue virus (BTV) transmission. During 2017, BTV serotype 4 re-occurred in Sardinia causing outbreaks in sheep farms.

infection of wild mammals in Japan and Sardinia (Italy).

The gullet worms, classical Gongylonema pulchrum and newly differentiated Gongylonema nepalensis, are prevalent in various mammals in Japan and Sardinia, Italy, respectively. The former species is cosmopolitan in distribution, dwelling in the mucosa of the upper digestive tract of a variety of domestic and wild mammals, and also humans. At present, the geographical distribution of G.

First record of Gongylonema nepalensis in domestic and wild ruminants in Europe.

The gullet worm, Gongylonema pulchrum, is cosmopolitan in distribution, infecting a variety of mammals including domestic and wild ruminants. Gongylonema nepalensis recently collected from the esophageal epithelium of water buffaloes in Nepal was separated from G. pulchrum based on its distinctly shorter left spicule relative to body length and unique nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox-1).

Genomic signatures of adaptive introgression from European mouflon into domestic sheep.

Mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) became extinct from mainland Europe after the Neolithic, but remnant populations from the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia have been used for reintroductions across Europe since the 19-century. Mouflon x sheep hybrids are larger-bodied than mouflon, potentially showing increased male reproductive success, but little is known about genomic levels of admixture, or about the adaptive significance of introgression between resident mouflon and local sheep breeds. Here we analysed Ovine medium-density SNP array genotypes of 92 mouflon from six geographic regions, along with data from 330 individuals of 16 domestic sheep breeds.

An adaptive and fully automatic method for estimating the 3D position of bendable instruments using endoscopic images.

Background: Flexible bendable instruments are key tools for performing surgical endoscopy. Being able to measure the 3D position of such instruments can be useful for various tasks, such as controlling automatically robotized instruments and analyzing motions.

Methods: An automatic method is proposed to infer the 3D pose of a single bending section instrument, using only the images provided by a monocular camera embedded at the tip of the endoscope.

Trichinella britovi from domestic to wild animals of Sardinia, Italy.

The zoonotic nematode Trichinella britovi has been documented in animals and/or humans of the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia since 2004. From 2005 to 2007 in the Sardinia island, several surveys had shown that T. britovi was circulating among backyard and free-ranging pigs reared in the Orgosolo municipality but all attempts had failed to detect this parasite in wild susceptible animals.

Genetic and pathological characteristics of Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans from meningoencephalitis in autochthonous goats and mouflons, Sardinia, Italy.

In this study, we examined in Sardinia the brain of 555 autochthonous sheep, 50 goats, and 4 mouflons which were found affected by neurological signs. We found 6 goats and one mouflon with meningoencephalitis caused by Cryptococcus sp. There was no evidence of cryptococcal infections in any of the examined sheep.

Angiostrongylus chabaudi Biocca, 1957: a new parasite for domestic cats?

Background: Natural infection with a species of Angiostrongylus has been reported only once in wildcats from central Italy by Biocca in 1957. The causative species of this infection was identified as Angiostrongylus chabaudi. Following this report, this parasite had never been found in either wild or domestic cats.

Simultaneous infection by four feline lungworm species and implications for the diagnosis.

Besides Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, other parasites belonging to the superfamily Metastrongyloidea, namely Oslerus rostratus, Troglostrongylus brevior and to the family Trichuridae, i.e. Eucoleus aerophilus (syn.