Intraneural Device for Electrostimulation of Vagus Nerve in Rats: A Feasibility Study for Modulating Glucose Tolerance.

Objectives: This study introduces EMPATIC (Electro-Modulation of PAncreaTic Islet Cells), a miniaturized intraneural device designed for transversal insertion into small nerves with a mean diameter of 400 μm. EMPATIC aims to modulate glucose tolerance through intraneural vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) in rats.

Materials And Methods: EMPATIC design was optimized to fit into the cervical vagus nerve of rats and was developd through thin film microtechnologies.

Dosimetry for repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: a translational study from Alzheimer's disease patients to controlledinvestigations.

Recent studies have indicated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could enhance cognition in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients, but to now the molecular-level interaction mechanisms driving this effect remain poorly understood. While cognitive scores have been the primary measure of rTMS effectiveness, employing molecular-based approaches could offer more precise treatment predictions and prognoses. To reach this goal, it is fundamental to assess the electric field (E-field) and the induced current densities () within the stimulated brain areas and to translate these values tosystems specifically devoted in investigating molecular-based interactions of this stimulation.

Comparison of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Dosimetry between Structured and Unstructured Grids Using Different Solvers.

In recent years, the interest in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has surged, necessitating deeper understanding, development, and use of low-frequency (LF) numerical dosimetry for TMS studies. While various ad hoc dosimetric models exist, commercial software tools like SimNIBS v4.0 and Sim4Life v7.

On the effects of 30.5 GHz sinusoidal wave exposure on glioblastoma organoids.

Introduction: Glioblastoma (grade IV) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, representing one of the biggest therapeutic challenges due to its highly aggressive nature. In this study, we investigated the impact of millimeter waves on tridimensional glioblastoma organoids derived directly from patient tumors. Our goal was to explore novel therapeutic possibilities in the fight against this challenging disease.

Bloodstream Infection Caused by in an Immunocompetent Patient.

is a facultative anaerobe Gram-positive bacillus, which is considered a zoonotic pathogen. causes erysipeloid, mainly in occupational groups such as veterinarians, slaughterhouse workers, farmers, and fishermen. Two cutaneous forms (localised and generalised) and a septicaemic form have been described.

Impact of Whole Genome Sequencing to investigate transmission of Serratia marcescens in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are at increased risk of health care-associated infections. Serratia marcescens represent the third most common pathogen in NICU outbreaks. Here we present an outbreak investigation performed using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) analyses and the control measures implemented to limit the spread of S.

Enterobacter asburiae ST229: an emerging carbapenemases producer.

Enterobacter asburiae, member of the Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) group, shows an increasing clinical relevance being responsible for infections like pneumonia, urinary tract infections and septicemia. The aim of the present study was the investigation of the genomic features of two XDR E. asburiae ST229 clinical strains co-carrying blaNDM-1 and blaVIM-1 determinants, collected in October 2021 and in June 2022, respectively.

Involvement of Mitochondria in the Selective Response to Microsecond Pulsed Electric Fields on Healthy and Cancer Stem Cells in the Brain.

In the last few years, pulsed electric fields have emerged as promising clinical tools for tumor treatments. This study highlights the distinct impact of a specific pulsed electric field protocol, PEF-5 (0.3 MV/m, 40 μs, 5 pulses), on astrocytes (NHA) and medulloblastoma (D283) and glioblastoma (U87 NS) cancer stem-like cells (CSCs).

Clinical isolates of ST131 OXA-244-positive , Italy, December 2022 to July 2023.

The dissemination of carbapenemase-producing although still at low level, should be continuously monitored. OXA-244 is emerging in Europe, mainly in . In Italy, this carbapenemase was reported from an environmental river sample in 2019.

One-year surveillance for hypervirulent detected carbapenem-resistant superbugs.

Hypervirulent (hvKp) can cause infections in clinically healthy people, such as young and immunocompetent patients. Genes involved in the capsule synthesis or those encoding the siderophores have been adopted as predictors of hvKp. Certain sequence types, such as ST23 and ST86, have been associated with hvKp strains, too.

In Vitro Imaging and Molecular Characterization of Ca Flux Modulation by Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields.

In recent years, the application of pulsed electric fields with very short durations (nanoseconds) and extremely high amplitudes (MV/m) has been investigated for novel medical purposes. Various electric protocols have been explored for different objectives, including the utilization of fractionated pulse doses to enhance cell electrosensitization to the uptake of different markers or an increase in apoptosis. This study focused on the use of fluorescence imaging to examine molecular calcium fluxes induced by different fractionated protocols of short electric pulses in neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) and mesenchymal stem cells (HaMSCs) that were electroporated using nanosecond pulsed electric fields.

Concomitant Resistance to Cefiderocol and Ceftazidime/Avibactam in Two Carbapenemase-Producing Isolates from Two Lung Transplant Patients.

In this study, we present two cases of , one KPC-33- and one NDM-1-producing, showing resistance to cefiderocol and ceftazidime/avibactam, collected in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Northern Italy from two patients who had recently undergone lung transplantation. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to investigate the molecular features of these strains.

Rapid spread of a novel NDM-producing clone of CC147, Northern Italy, February to August 2023.

New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM)-producing () ST147 caused a large multi-hospital outbreak in Italy from 2018 to 2021. We describe a new ST6668 NDM-producing clone, belonging to CC147, which rapidly spread across hospitals in the Pavia province (Northern Italy) from February to August 2023. Genomic analyses revealed that ST6668 is different from ST147 and fast evolving.

Combining Genome Surveillance and Metadata To Characterize the Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Circulating in an Italian Hospital over a 9-Year Period.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Genomic-based surveillance has greatly improved our ability to track the emergence and spread of high-risk clones, but the full potential of genomic data is only reached when used in conjunction with detailed metadata. Here, we demonstrate the utility of an integrated approach by leveraging a curated collection of clinical and epidemiological metadata of S.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Sparked Off a Large-Scale Outbreak of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from the Endemic Strains at an Italian Hospital.

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial pathogen that poses a serious threat due to the rise of incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDR A. baumannii clones have caused several outbreaks worldwide.

Surveillance in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Allowed the Isolation of a Strain of VIM-Producing .

Here, we describe the isolation of a strain of the genus encoding a VIM carbapenemase, the first to our knowledge. The strain, isolated from a rectal swab of a 10-day-old newborn admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), was identified through whole-genome sequencing analyses as . The strain harbored the carbapenemases gene .

Changes in hydration of liposome membranes exposed to nanosecond electric pulses detected by wide-field Coherent anti-Stokes Raman microspectroscopy.

Electropulsation has become a powerful technological platform for electromanipulation of cells and tissues for various medical and biotechnological applications, but the molecular changes that underlay the very first initiation step of this process have not been experimentally observed. Here, we endowed a wide-field Coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering platform with an ad-hoc electromagnetic exposure device and we demonstrated, using artificial lipid vesicles (i.e.

MiRNA-Mediated Fibrosis in the Out-of-Target Heart following Partial-Body Irradiation.

Recent reports have shown a link between radiation exposure and non-cancer diseases such as radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD). Radiation exposures are often inhomogeneous, and out-of-target effects have been studied in terms of cancer risk, but very few studies have been carried out for non-cancer diseases. Here, the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of RIHD was investigated.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in inpatients: a snapshot from an Italian hospital.

Objectives: This study aimed to characterize livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) strains isolated from patients admitted to Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, located in an Italian region with high livestock density.

Methods: The starting dataset was composed by 353 MRSA strains isolated from blood cultures between 2011 and 2019 and in 954 MRSA isolated from nasal swabs, wound swabs, skin swabs, ulcer swabs, conjunctival swabs, urine and respiratory samples collected between 2018 and 2019. LA-MRSA was identified based on being MRSA resistant to tetracycline and negative for the PCR amplification of scn locus.