Diagnostic and epidemiological landscape of anaerobic bacteria in Europe, 2020-2023 (ANAEuROBE).

Introduction: Despite being implicated in a wide spectrum of community- and healthcare-acquired infections, anaerobes have not yet been incorporated into systematic surveillance programs in Europe.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre retrospective observational study analysing all anaerobic strains isolated from blood cultures in 44 European Hospital Centres over a 4-year period (2020-2023). Diagnostic approach, epidemiology, and antimicrobial susceptibility according to EUCAST v.

The Role of Quantitative Real-Time PCR in the Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis Diagnosis: A Retrospective Study.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) reports significant mortality rates among critically ill patients. A prompt microbiological diagnosis is essential to establish a coherent antifungal treatment. Despite its low sensitivity and prolonged turn-around time, culture represents the conventional diagnostic technique.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of linezolid in a case of pulmonary nocardiosis: a case report.

This clinical case discusses a man between 60 and 70 years old with lung adenocarcinoma who developed a infection. Because it is an intracellular bacterium, we need to start antibiotic treatment and maintain for a year. For initial therapy, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SMX/TMP) is the preferred antibiotic, but it can cause side effects, such as liver damage.

Exploring Oral Narrative Abilities of Chilean School-Age Children With Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Study.

Narrative abilities are essential for school achievement and quality of life, yet children with Down syndrome (DS) often struggle with these skills. This work explores the oral narrative abilities of school-age Chilean children with DS. The participants were 11 children with DS aged between 7;2 and 12;1 (years; months).

Sequencing Analysis of Invasive Carbapenem-Resistant Isolates Secondary to Gastrointestinal Colonization.

represent a common invasive infection etiological agent, whose potential carbapenem-resistance and hypermucoviscosity complicate the patient's management. Infection development often derives from gastrointestinal colonization; thus, it is fundamental to monitor asymptomatic colonization through surveillance protocols, especially for intensive care and immunocompromised patients. We described a six-month routine screening protocol from the Policlinico of Catania (Italy), while blood samples were collected from the same patients only in cases of a systemic infection suspicion.

Liver Transplantation for Polycystic Disease: Experience and Results of a Single-Center Series.

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a hereditary condition, and its symptoms are due to the growth of cysts. Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment. A retrospective single-center analysis was conducted on the 10 LTs performed for PLD between 2004 and 2023.

A Novel In Vivo Method Using to Evaluate α-Glucosidase Inhibition by Natural Products for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment.

Background: Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes, is one of the diseases of greatest concern worldwide, and research into natural compounds that are capable of regulating glycemia and insulin resistance is therefore gaining importance. In the preclinical stages, is considered a promising in vivo model for research into this disease. Most studies have been carried out using mutant strains and observing changes in their phenotype rather than directly measuring the effects within the worms.

Preservation of Liver Graft Using the Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) System: A single-center experience.

Introduction: The hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE) system has been developed to improve the quality of previously considered suboptimal liver grafts, reduce complications, and increase the number of available donors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results since its implementation in the liver transplant (LT) program at our center.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis of all LTs with HOPE from August 2022 to November 2023 with a minimum follow-up of 3 months.

Development of three biofuel CRMs for the quality parameters in biodiesel and wood pellet via a joint research project.

Biomass is a key element in biofuels which can be defined as a fuel produced through contemporary biological processes, and its increased use can support the EU's aims of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Information on the nature and the quality of the biomass or biofuel is important in order to support the optimization of their combustion with respect to realizing higher efficiencies and lower emissions during energy production. Three reference materials were produced by a collaborative approach among national metrology institutes and designated institutes within the scope of the EMPIR project: BIOFMET.

[The CCM Project "Phenotypic and molecular screening methodologies for the detection of coloniza-tions due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)"].

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs) are globally considered to be a major threat to public health. National and international guidelines emphasize the importance of routine active surveillance policies to prevent their transmission. Consequently, screening for the evaluation of the status of colonization by CREs in hospitalized patients in Italy is considered essential to contain and control the spread of these microorganisms and their evolution towards infection.

Coordinated variation in the immune systems and microbiomes of healthy humans is linked to tonic interferon states.

Human immune systems are highly variable, with most variation attributable to non-genetic sources. The gut microbiome crucially shapes the immune system; however, its relationship with the baseline immune states of healthy humans remains incompletely understood. Therefore, we performed multi-omic profiling of 110 healthy participants through the ImmunoMicrobiome study.

Isavuconazole and Amphotericin B Synergic Antifungal Activity: In Vitro Evaluation on Pulmonary Aspergillosis Molds Isolates.

Pulmonary aspergillosis is a severe respiratory infection caused by spp., whose resistance profiles and invasive attitude complicate therapeutical strategies. Several aspergillosis cases emerged as superinfections during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic when isavuconazole and amphotericin B became essential antifungal alternatives.

The local molecular signature of human peripheral neuropathic pain.

Focal nerve injuries are often associated with neuropathic pain. Preclinical research suggests altered neuroimmune signalling underlies such neuropathic pain; however, its cause remains poorly understood in humans. In this multicentre cohort study, we describe the local cellular and molecular signature of neuropathic pain at the lesion site, using Morton's neuroma as a human model system of neuropathic pain (n = 22; 18 women) compared with nerves from participants without nerve injury (n = 11; 4 women).

Aztreonam and avibactam combination therapy for metallo-β-lactamase-producing gram-negative bacteria: a comprehensive review.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria represent a challenging healthcare threat, accounting for metallo-β-lactamases (MBL) production increase across the world. MBL-producing Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa represent the main target for ultimate antibiotics combinations due to the difficulty to include carbapenems within the antimicrobial treatment.

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive review of the current knowledge about the aztreonam/avibactam (ATM-AVI) combination, which has emerged as a promising option for treating MBL-producing bacteria.

Unveiling Intrinsic Bulk Photovoltaic Effect in Atomically Thin ReS.

The bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE) offers a promising avenue to surpass the efficiency limitations of current solar cell technology. However, disentangling intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to photocurrent remains a significant challenge. Here, we fabricate high-quality, lateral devices based on atomically thin ReS with minimal contact resistance, providing an optimal platform for distinguishing intrinsic bulk photovoltaic signals from other extrinsic photocurrent contributions originating from interfacial effects.

Longitudinal transcriptional changes reveal genes from the natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathway as critical players underlying COVID-19 progression.

Patients present a wide range of clinical severities in response severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, but the underlying molecular and cellular reasons why clinical outcomes vary so greatly within the population remains unknown. Here, we report that negative clinical outcomes in severely ill patients were associated with divergent RNA transcriptome profiles in peripheral immune cells compared with mild cases during the first weeks after disease onset. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that early-responding cytotoxic natural killer cells were associated with an effective clearance of the virus and a less severe outcome.

Creation and Validation of the Facial Diplegia Scale for Assessment of Bilateral Facial Palsy.

: House-Brackmann (HB) classification and the Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SFGS), both reference tools for the assessment of facial palsy, are not suitable for bilateral facial palsy. The aim of this study was to develop, standardize, and validate the Facial Diplegia Scale (FDS). : The FDS was standardized in a healthy population ( = 111) and validated in 40 patients with diplegia.

Antifungal Susceptibility Data and Epidemiological Distribution of spp.: An In Vitro Five-Year Evaluation at University Hospital Policlinico of Catania and a Comprehensive Literature Review.

Background: Invasive fungal infections represent a concerning healthcare issue, with spp. reported as the main aetiological agent. spp.

Issues with Cefiderocol Testing: Comparing Commercial Methods to Broth Microdilution in Iron-Depleted Medium-Analyses of the Performances, ATU, and Trailing Effect According to EUCAST Initial and Revised Interpretation Criteria.

Background: The rise of multi-drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria necessitates the development of new antimicrobial agents. Cefiderocol shows promising activity by exploiting bacterial iron transport systems to penetrate the outer membranes of resistant pathogens.

Objectives: This study evaluates the efficacy of cefiderocol testing methods and trailing effect impact using a ComASP Cefiderocol panel, disk diffusion (DD), and MIC test strips (MTS) compared to iron-depleted broth microdilution (ID-BMD).

Molecular diversity in fusidic acid-resistant Methicillin Susceptible .

Objectives: The recent emergence of fusidic acid (FA)-resistant has underscored the importance of active surveillance in isolating these strains. The molecular basis of fusidic acid resistance and the carriage of virulence factors in four borderline oxacillin-resistant (BORSA) clinical strains was assessed through phenotypical and genotypical methods.

Methods: All clinical strains were obtained from various hospital units in Sicily antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted.