Age and environment are the main drivers shaping the wild common sole (Solea solea) microbiota.

Microbiota plays an essential role in fish growth and health and may be influenced by the changing environmental conditions. Here, we explored the microbiota of wild common sole, one of the most important fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea, collected from different areas in the North Adriatic Sea. Our results show that the sole microbiota differs from that of the surrounding environment and among the different body sites (gill, skin and gut).

Neonatal diagnosis of Marcus Gunn jaw-winking syndrome.

This report highlights the importance for neonatologists/pediatricians of considering Marcus Gunn jaw-winking syndrome among differential diagnoses of ptosis. A detailed clinical assessment is crucial to promptly recognize and appropriately manage it.

A case report of confusing meningoencephalocele.

The clinical approach plays a pivotal role in neonates with evidence of a skull mass, together with the need of monitoring unclear cases. Indeed, apparently transient alterations of the skull may be neural tube defects, which need prompt treatment.

[Occupational safety and health risks in seaport: an update of narrative review].

Seaports are complex systems in which workers can be exposed to a large variety of safety and health risks. Nevertheless, a little literature is available concerning this topic, if we exclude the specific area of shipbuilding industry. Objectives.

Screening eye diseases in babies: an Italian experience on 5000 healthy, consecutive newborns.

Introduction: Visual performance of eyes with congenital pathologies is conditioned by an early diagnosis. Families having problems in accessing health services risk to delay or miss both an early diagnosis and an early treatment and amblyopia (lazy eye) prevention.

Methods: In our hospital, all full-term, healthy newborns are thoroughly examined by an ophthalmologist in the maternal ward, 1 to 3 days after birth.

DNA damage and repair capacity in workers exposed to low concentrations of benzene.

DNA damage and cellular repair capacity were studied in 18 male fuel tanker drivers and 13 male filling-station attendants exposed to low and very low concentrations of benzene, respectively, and compared to 20 males with no occupational exposure (controls). Exposure to airborne benzene was measured using passive personal samplers, and internal doses were assayed through the biomarkers t,t-muconic acid, S-phenylmercapturic acid and urinary benzene. DNA damage was evaluated using tail intensity (TI) determined by the comet assay in peripheral lymphocytes.

[Occupational safety and health risks in dock work: a narrative literature review. ].

Background: Seaports are complex systems where workers can be exposed to a large variety of safety and health risks. Nevertheless, the literature available on this topic is scarce, if we exclude the specific area of the shipbuilding industry.

Objectives And Methods: The aim of this paper is to provide a review of the scientific evidence concerning the occupational risks in seaports.

Micronuclei and chromosome aberrations in subjects occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs: a multicentric approach.

Objectives: Recently published works showed that occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs (ANPD) is still frequent in hospital settings, despite significant safety policy improvements. The aim of this study was to assess the current level of occupational exposure to ANPD and any potentially associated cytogenetic damages in hospital nurses routinely handling ANPD.

Methods: Occupationally ANPD-exposed (n = 71) and ANPD-unexposed (n = 77; control) nurses were recruited on a voluntary basis from five hospitals in Northern and Central Italy.

[Monitoring of the occupational and environmental exposure to low doses of benzene].

Aim: To verify which of the various biomarkers of internal dose of benzene can be considered reliable for biological monitoring of exposure to the low concentrations present nowadays in working and living environments.

Materials And Methods: The specific literature was analyzed to assess the reliability of the different biomarkers of internal dose.

Results And Conclusions: T,t-muconic acid is a non specific biomarker for benzene, valid for exposure to concentrations up to one order of magnitude less than the threshold limit of 3250 microg/m3.

Impact of perinatal practices for early-onset group B Streptococcal disease prevention.

Background: Prevention of residual cases of neonatal group B streptococcus (GBS) early-onset disease (EOGBS) has become a goal in the past decade. This study is aimed at evaluating changes in the incidence of EOGBS over a 9-year period after the implementation of a screening-based approach and comparing 2 different protocols for managing healthy-appearing at-risk newborns (ARNs).

Methods: A screening-based strategy was introduced in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) in 2003.

Biological monitoring of occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in hospital settings.

Background: In view of the evidence of cytotoxicity of chemotherapic antineoplastic drugs (AD), current guidelines recommend the evaluation of the health risks of hospital personnel exposed to these compounds. Biological monitoring is the main tool to evaluate all possible drug intake and measure workers' real risk.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess occupational exposure toAD in a large hospital in Northern Italy in order to verify the effectiveness of the structural and procedural improvements carried out over the last decade.

Maternal serum protein S forms in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction.

Objectives: The clinical relevance of protein S deficiency in pregnant women remains controversial. Major debate exists regarding which parameter (total protein S antigen, free protein S antigen or functional protein S) should be evaluated in order to define protein S deficiency. The present study aimed to identify which of these parameters correlate with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Biomarkers of internal dose for the assessment of environmental exposure to benzene.

The urinary excretion of t,t-muconic acid (t,t-MA), S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) and urinary benzene and the influence of a smoking habit and of exposure to urban traffic on the urinary excretion of these biomarkers were investigated in 137 male adults from the general population. All subjects were not occupationally exposed to benzene and resident in two cities in Puglia (Southern-Italy). Environmental exposure to benzene was measured using passive personal samplers.

A study protocol for the evaluation of occupational mutagenic/carcinogenic risks in subjects exposed to antineoplastic drugs: a multicentric project.

Background: Some industrial hygiene studies have assessed occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs; other epidemiological investigations have detected various toxicological effects in exposure groups labeled with the job title. In no research has the same population been studied both environmentally and epidemiologically. The protocol of the epidemiological study presented here uses an integrated environmental and biological monitoring approach.

Levels of antibodies against protein C and protein S in pregnancy and in preeclampsia.

Objectives: The clinical relevance of antibodies anti-protein C and anti-protein S in pregnancy remains controversial. We evaluate whether, in the absence of thrombophilic diseases, maternal plasma levels of antibodies (IgM and IgG) change during pregnancy and in preeclampsia (PE), with and without superimposed fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Methods: A retrospective cohort of 50 women with PE (n = 30) and PE + FGR (n = 20) and 70 controls [first trimester (n = 20); second trimester (n = 20); third trimester (n = 30)] were enrolled in the study.

Validity of new biomarkers of internal dose for use in the biological monitoring of occupational and environmental exposure to low concentrations of benzene and toluene.

Objectives: This study analyzes the validity of new, more sensitive and specific urinary biomarkers of internal dose, namely, urinary benzene for benzene and urinary toluene and S-benzylmercapturic acid (SBMA) for toluene, to assess their efficacy when compared to traditional biomarkers for biological monitoring of occupational exposure to low concentrations of these two toxic substances.

Methods: Assessment was made of 41 workers occupationally exposed to benzene and toluene, 18 fuel tanker drivers and 23 filling-station attendants, as well as 31 subjects with no occupational exposure to these toxic substances (controls). Exposure to airborne benzene and toluene was measured using passive Radiello personal samplers worn throughout the work shift.

Urinary biomarkers and low-level environmental benzene concentration: assessing occupational and general exposure.

The categories of urban workers undergoing prolonged exposure to gasoline due to vehicle emissions, evaporation and traffic fumes are considered occupationally exposed to benzene, even if at low concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the specificity of unmetabolized benzene excreted in urine (UBz) and S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) as biomarkers of exposure to very low levels of benzene, and to study the impact of putative individual confounders like smoking and alcohol habits, co-exposure to other toxicants and body mass index on the exposure assessment. Environmental and biological monitoring of exposure to benzene were performed in 114 Urban Policemen.

Myocardial infarction and arterial thrombosis in identical newborn twins with homozygosity for the PAI-1 4 G/5 G polymorphism.

Myocardial infarction in the perinatal period, in the absence of congenital heart disease or coronary artery lesions, is rare. The most common etiology described are the thromboembolism and perinatal asphyxia. We report a case of monozygotic twins who developed, after birth, acute vascular events and both had PAI-1 4G/4G homozygosity.

Validation of an HPLC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of phenylmercapturic acid, benzylmercapturic acid and o-methylbenzyl mercapturic acid in urine as biomarkers of exposure to benzene, toluene and xylenes.

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and fully validated, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance, for the simultaneous determination of phenylmercapturic acid, benzylmercapturic acid and o-methylbenzyl mercapturic acid in human urine as biomarkers of exposure to benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX).

Increased plasma concentrations of antiprothrombin antibodies in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.

Background: Antiphospholipid antibodies are associated with recurrent fetal loss, but the clinical relevance of antiprothrombin (aPT) antibodies remains controversial. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship of plasma concentrations of aPT antibodies (IgG, IgM, and IgA isotypes) and recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) not associated with antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome.

Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, we measured plasma aPT antibodies in 100 pregnant women at 8-12 weeks of gestation who had histories of recurrent abortion not associated with antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome.

Development and validation of a sensitive HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the direct determination of glucosamine in human plasma.

A sensitive and specific HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method for the direct determination of glucosamine in human plasma has been developed and validated. Plasma samples were analyzed after a simple, one-step protein precipitation clean-up with trichloroacetic acid using a polymer-based amino high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column and a water/acetonitrile mobile phase elution gradient, with d-[1-(13)C]glucosamine as the internal standard. Detection was performed by mass spectrometry, using an electrospray source and employing multiple reaction monitoring to separately monitor glucosamine and the internal standard.

Simultaneous determination of low levels of methotrexate and cyclophosphamide in human urine by micro liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a novel solid-phase extraction (SPE) liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the simultaneous determination of two antineoplastic drugs, cyclophosphamide (CP) and methotrexate (MTX), in human urine using trophosphamide as internal standard. The method showed good precision and accuracy (mean RSD 2.8% and 0.

[Occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs in a hospital setting: biological and environmental monitoring].

Objective: To estimate the occupational exposure of hospital personnel handling antineoplastics drugs using a highly sensitive and specific analitycal method in biological and environmental samples.

Design: To develop analitycal methods for the biological and environmental monitoring of more than one substance.

Setting: Five departments of the Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi (Bologna, Italy) involved in the preparation and administration of antineoplastic drugs.

Development and validation of a capillary high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray tandem mass spectrometric method for the quantification of bisphenol A in air samples.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic industrial chemical that affects the endocrine system even at low concentrations. A new method, based on capillary high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS) analysis, has been developed to determine BPA in atmospheric samples. The method involves collection of air samples (typically 2 m(3)) on glass fiber filters, with ultrasonic extraction and sample concentration under vacuum before analysis.

[Acquired factor VIII hemophilia in a geriatric patient].

Acquired hemophilia is a rare coagulopathy in adults, associated with bleeding complications. Although the etiology of this disorder remains obscure, an autoimmune mechanism produces the development of autoantibodies against factor VIII. About half of cases are associated with other conditions, mainly post-partum, underlying cancer, autoimmune disease.