Interactions of Nitroxide-Conjugated and Non-Conjugated Glycodendrimers with Normal and Cancer Cells and Biocompatibility Studies.

Poly(propyleneimine) glycodendrimers fully modified with maltose units were administered to different cancer cell lines and their effect on cell viability was evaluated by using MTS assay and flow cytometry. The mechanism of dendrimer-cell interactions was investigated by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique by using a new nitroxide-conjugated glycodendrimer. The nitroxide groups did not modify both the biological properties (cell viability and apoptosis degree) of the dendrimers in the presence of the cells and the dendrimer-cell interactions.

Dendrimers and Polyamino-Phenolic Ligands: Activity of New Molecules Against Legionella pneumophila Biofilms.

Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, an aquatic bacterium often found within the biofilm niche. In man-made water systems microbial biofilms increase the resistance of legionella to disinfection, posing a significant threat to public health. Disinfection methods currently used in water systems have been shown to be ineffective against legionella over the long-term, allowing recolonization by the biofilm-protected microorganisms.

Evaluation of Escherichia coli viability by flow cytometry; a method for determining bacterial responses to antibiotic exposure.

Background: In this study, we check for the presence of specific resistance genes by PCR and then we used flow cytometry to evaluate antibiotic-induced effects in different strains of Escherichia coli.

Methods: The presence of resistance genes was investigated by PCR in 10 strains of Escherichia coli isolated from Foglia River. Bacterial responses to different antibiotics were also tested with flow cytometry techniques by evaluating both the degree of decrease in viability and the light scatter changes in all of the strains.

Evaluation of ultraviolet irradiation efficacy in an automated system for the aseptic compounding using challenge test.

Objective: Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation efficacy in the intravenous compounding robot APOTECAchemo was evaluated to define the best operative conditions in terms of sterility and time optimization.

Design: The challenge test was used against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis spores and Candida albicans. Inoculated plates were placed inside the robot and irradiated for different times.

Evaluation of Escherichia coli viability by flow cytometry: A method for determining bacterial responses to antibiotic exposure.

Background: In this study, we check for the presence of specific resistance genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then we used flow cytometry (FCM) to evaluate antibiotic-induced effects in different strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli).

Methods: The presence of resistance genes was investigated by PCR in 10 strains of E.

A multi-approach study of influence of growth temperature and nutrient deprivation in a strain of Aeromonas hydrophila.

In the present study we investigated the behavior of an Aeromonas hydrophila strain in prolonged nutrient deprivation condition analyzing the possible link among survival, cell morphology and adhesive characteristics and correlating them with the expression of the 43kDa outer membrane protein (OMP). The strain was inoculated in mineral and drinking chlorinated water, and in Nutrient Broth as a control with incubation at 4 and 24°C for 176days. Specimens were analyzed at different times during starvation stress.

Chemical and microbiological monitoring of air in two waste incineration plants.

The study evaluated emissions from two incinerator plants and occupational exposure of workers during a six-year monitoring period (2004-2009). Chemical and microbiological analyses were performed by collecting environmental and staff individual air samples. Inspirable and respirable particulate and metals were measured in both environmental and staff samples; concentrations of Volatile Organic Compounds and the presence of microorganisms were investigated only in environmental samples.

Isolation of a strain of Aspergillus fumigatus able to grow in minimal medium added with an industrial cyanide waste.

The present note refers the results about the isolation of an Aspergillus fumigatus strain able to grow on an industrial cyanide waste as nitrogen source. The fungus was selected from an alkaline unpolluted soil in enrichment cultures in 50 ml of Minimal Medium added with 20 mmol glucose and supplemented initially with 0.1 mmol KCN and then with 70 μl of a waste solution from a jewelry industry containing free cyanide and cyanide complexes of heavy metal ions including copper, silver, nickel, and others.

Putative virulence properties of Aeromonas strains isolated from food, environmental and clinical sources in Italy: a comparative study.

The distribution of virulence properties in 142 strains of Aeromonas isolated from diarrhoeic patients, food and surface water in Italy and identified by biochemical and molecular methods was investigated. The virulence properties studied were the presence of genes for the aerolysin (aerA), heat-stable cytotonic enterotoxin (ast), heat-labile cytotonic enterotoxin (alt), cytotoxic enterotoxin (act); and cytotoxicity for Vero cells and adhesion on Hep-2 cells. A.

Determination of viability of Aeromonas hydrophila in increasing concentrations of sodium chloride at different temperatures by flow cytometry and plate count technique.

Aeromonads in waters and foods can represent a risk to human health. Factors such as sodium chloride concentration and temperature can affect growth and viability of several food and water-borne pathogens. The behaviour of an Aeromonas hydrophila strain in the presence of 1.

Inactivation of Legionella pneumophila by combined systems of copper and silver ions and free chlorine.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of copper and silver ions and of free chlorine in different combinations and concentrations (0.4 to 0.8-0.

Techniques for the recovery of enteric viruses from artificially contaminated marine sediments.

Viruses are an important component of aquatic microbial communities and marine sediments may represent an optimal means for their survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate different methods for virus recovery from marine sediments. Three methods were used for virus recovery from artificially contaminated sediments: elution and centrifugation technique, sonication technique, and mechanical disgregation followed by elution and centrifuge technique.

Influence of different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous on Aeromonas spp. growth.

This paper evaluates the influence of nitrogen and phosphorous on the growth of Aeromonas previously isolated from irrigation water. Three strains respectively of three species of Aeromonas (A. hydrophila, A.

Determination of the viability of Aeromonas hydrophila in different types of water by flow cytometry, and comparison with classical methods.

The presence of Aeromonas spp. in water can represent a risk for human health. Therefore, it is important to know the physiological status of these bacteria and their survival in the environment.

Isolation of Escherichia coli O157 from human and bovine faeces in the Urbino area, Italy.

We examined 476 faecal samples from subjects aged from 0 to >60 years, 283 with diarrhoea and 193 with illnesses involving other sites or clinically healthy, and 154 samples of faeces of healthy cattle, in order to define the diffusion of E. coli O157 in the Urbino area. The samples were seeded by both direct streaking onto cefixime tellurite sorbitol Mac Conkey agar (CT-SMAC) and previous enrichment in cefixime tellurite tryptone soya broth for human specimens and in cefixime vancomicin tryptone soya broth for bovine samples.