Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is widespread and mostly causes asymptomatic infections in immunocompetent hosts, but it may lead to severe and life-threatening diseases in immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant patients and congenitally infected children, representing a significant public health concern. Although there are no licensed CMV vaccines, the development of a CMV vaccine is considered a high priority due to its potential to reduce the burden associated with CMV-related complications, and several approaches are under investigation. The objective of this systematic review was to synthesize the evidence on various CMV vaccines currently under clinical development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanoplastics (NPs) are plastic particles, typically less than 100 nm in size, that result from daily life products as well as the degradation of larger plastic debris. Due to their small size and chemical composition, they can interact with biological systems in ways that larger plastic particles cannot. Humans are continuously exposed to NPs and several studies showed the potentially toxic effects of these latter on health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study, an integrated approach combining UHPLC-HRMS, H NMR spectroscopy, and sensory analysis unveiled the unique lipid fingerprint of long-ripened Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Coppa Piacentina. Lipidomic profiling revealed significant alterations in lipid classes, including triacylglycerols, sphingolipids, and their oxidation products, which likely contribute to the distinctive flavor, texture, and nutritional properties of this traditional Italian product. UHPLC-HRMS analysis identified various lipid species, highlighting dynamic changes occurring throughout the 240-day ripening process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with nosocomial pneumonia (NP) caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) and to compare them to patients with NP caused by carbapenem-susceptible (CS)-GNB.
Methods: Prospective observational multicenter study including patients with bacteremic NP caused by GNB from the ALARICO Network (June 2018-January 2020). The primary outcome measure was 30-day mortality.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
November 2024
Prostate cancer (PCa) is a common cancer among men, and it has a multifactorial etiology. Cadmium (Cd), a toxic heavy metal classified as a carcinogen by the IARC, can cause various acute and chronic effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to update previous findings on the association between Cd exposure and PCa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aim: Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index is a widely used test for non-invasively assessing liver fibrosis. We aimed to investigate the association between FIB-4 index and risk of all-cause mortality in patients at high cardiovascular (CV) risk and to determine whether coexisting renal dysfunction mediates this association.
Methods And Results: Single-center prospective study of 994 patients with established or suspected coronary artery disease undergoing coronary angiography, followed for a median of 44 months.
The development of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) is a well-recognized sequela of irradiation to the brain in pediatric tumors, particularly in medulloblastoma, glioma, and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. So far, only one case of cerebral cavernoma after chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been described. We describe a case of a patient with medulloblastoma aged 18 months at the time of oncological diagnosis who was treated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by HSCT and who developed CCM two years later.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNowadays, society is oriented toward reducing the production of plastics, which have a significant impact on the environment. In this context, the recycling of existing plastic objects is currently a fundamental step in the mitigation of pollution. Very recently, the outstanding development of artificial intelligence (AI) has concerned and continues to involve a large part of the industrial and informatics sectors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe NA62 experiment at CERN, configured in beam-dump mode, has searched for dark photon decays in flight to electron-positron pairs using a sample of 1.4×10^{17} protons on dump collected in 2021. No evidence for a dark photon signal is observed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid, precise identification and quantification of specific biomarkers, toxins, or pathogens is currently a key strategy for achieving more efficient diagnoses. Herein a dopamine-biotin monomer was synthetized and oxidized in the presence of hexamethylenediamine, to obtain adhesive coatings based on polydopamine-biotin (PDA-BT) on different materials to be used in targeted molecular therapy. Insight into the structure of the PDA-BT coating was obtained by solid-state C NMR spectroscopy acquired, for the first time, directly onto the coating, deposited on alumina spheres.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
August 2024
Plastic pollution is a growing concern. It can form smaller particles called microplastics (<5 mm). Microplastics can break down into even smaller pieces called nanoplastics (<1 μm).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoronary artery disease (CAD), particularly three-vessel coronary disease (3VD), is the main cause of death in industrialized countries. Chronic kidney disease is an independent risk factor for CAD. The CHADS-VASc score shows a good ability to predict CV events in high-risk population independently from atrial fibrillation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOropouche fever is caused by Oropouche virus (OROV), transmitted primarily through the bite of infected midges, particularly of the genus . The virus is mainly circulating in Central and South America where several countries reported an ongoing outbreak. We report here two imported cases of OROV infection identified in Italy, late May-early June 2024.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMycotoxins are well-known secondary metabolites produced by several fungi that grow and occur in different crops during both pre-harvest and post-harvest conditions. The contamination and occurrence of mycotoxins currently represent some of the major issues in the entire agri-food system. The quantification of mycotoxins in different feeds and foodstuffs is extremely difficult because of the low concentration ranges; therefore, both sample collection and preparation are essential to providing accurate detection and reliable quantification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEGFR aberrations are reported in a subset of myofibroblastic lesions with kinase domain duplication (EGFR-KDD) and exon 20 mutations being assigned to infantile fibrosarcomas (IFS), mesoblastic nephroma, and fibrous hamartoma of infancy (FHI), respectively. In this retrospective study, we correlated molecular findings with the histomorphology of 14 myofibroblastic lesions harboring such genetic changes identified by NGS. We additionally performed DNA methylation profiling (DNAmp) and immunohistochemistry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHip fracture is a common condition in older adults, leading to disability and mortality. Several studies have demonstrated the association between nutritional status and the risk of a negative health outcome after fractures. In this systematic review, we evaluated the association between malnutrition and mortality, changes in mobility/living arrangements, and postoperative complications, such as delirium, in older patients with hip fractures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSafe water is a global public health concern amid increasing scarcity and pollution. Bottled water production and consumption contribute to these problems. This study examines tap water consumption in Italy, assessing associated sociodemographic factors and related health outcomes such as obesity and self-perceived health status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe increasing population, food demand, waste management concerns, and the search for sustainable alternatives to plastic polymers have led researchers to explore the potential of waste materials. This study focused on a waste of pine nut processing referred to in this paper as pine nut skin. For the first time, its nutritional profile, potential bioactive peptide, contaminants, and morphological structure were assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Psychological stress can be a common risk factor for the development of oral and systemic disease; therefore, analysis of a pathophysiologic mechanisms that may explain this association may be significant in planning preventive strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate the association amongst academic stress, periodontal health, and salivary cortisol and nitrite and nitrate levels in a sample of university students.
Methods: Participants (N = 14) were classified into 2 groups according to their exposure to academic stress due to periods of university exams (n = 6 and n = 8, respectively).