Circulation and Seasonality of Respiratory Viruses in Hospitalized Patients during Five Consecutive Years (2019-2023) in Perugia, Italy.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the non-pharmacological interventions adopted to counter its spread appear to have led to changes in the normal circulation and seasonality of respiratory viruses. Our study aims to investigate changes related to the circulation of respiratory viruses, not SARS-CoV-2, among hospitalized patients in Perugia, Central Italy, between 2019 and 2023. The samples were collected from individuals who went to the emergency room (ER) or were hospitalized and analyzed using a molecular multiplex test.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection is Associated with Age- and Gender-Specific Changes in the Nasopharyngeal Microbiome.

Background: The recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dramatically exposed our gap in understanding the pathogenesis of airborne infections. Within such a context, it is increasingly clear that the nasal cavity represents a critical checkpoint not only in the initial colonization phase but also in shaping any infectious . This is particularly relevant to COVID-19 in that the nasal cavity is characterized by high-level expression of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), all along the respiratory tract.

A model-independent redundancy measure for human versus ChatGPT authorship discrimination using a Bayesian probabilistic approach.

The academic and scientific world in general is increasingly concerned about their inability to determine and ascertain the identity of the writer of a text. More and more often the question arises as to whether a scientific article or work handed in by a student was actually produced by the alleged author of the questioned text. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly debated due to its dangers of undeclared use.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike Protein S1 Induces Methylglyoxal-Derived Hydroimidazolone/Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (MG-H1/RAGE) Activation to Promote Inflammation in Human Bronchial BEAS-2B Cells.

The pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a hyperinflammatory response. The mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation are scantly known. Methylglyoxal (MG) is a glycolysis-derived byproduct endowed with a potent glycating action, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the main one being MG-H1.

Case report: endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure.

Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by . In humans, it can manifest clinically as an acute or chronic disease and endocarditis, the most frequent complication of chronic Q fever is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. We report a severe case of endocarditis in a 55-year-old man with a history of aortic valve replacement affected by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and living in a non-endemic area for .

Immune correlates of protection by vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

In chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) the efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remains unclear as most studies have focused on humoral responses. Here we comprehensively examined humoral and cellular responses to vaccine in CLL patients. Seroconversion was observed in 55.

Evidence, probability and relative plausibility.

A comparison is made between probability and relative plausibility as approaches for the interpretation of evidence. It is argued that a probabilistic approach is capable of answering the criticisms of the proponents of relative plausibility. It is also shown that a probabilistic approach can answer the problem of overlapping where there is evidence that each side claims supports its theory of what happened.

A High-Risk Profile for Invasive Fungal Infections Is Associated with Altered Nasal Microbiota and Niche Determinants.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the communities of microorganisms that populate the surfaces exposed to the external environment, termed microbiota, are key players in the regulation of pathogen-host cross talk affecting the onset as well as the outcome of infectious diseases. We have performed a multicenter, prospective, observational study in which nasal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected for microbiota predicting the risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in patients with hematological malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that the nasal and oropharyngeal microbiota are different, although similar characteristics differentiate high-risk from low-risk samples at both sites.

Bayesian evaluation of dynamic signatures in operational conditions.

Forensic handwriting examiners (FHE) activities are focused on comparative analysis of handwritten objects such as signatures. Their role is to provide and evaluate evidence for and against the authenticity of a questioned signature. In recent years, cases involving handwritten signatures captured on electronic devices have become more commonplace.

Use of the Er:YAG Laser in Conservative Dentistry: Evaluation of the Microbial Population in Carious Lesions.

The aim of this study is to investigate the Erbium:Yttrio-Aluminum-Granate (Er:YAG) laser photothermal and mechanical effects on cariogenic species concentration and on the microbial load composition of therapeutic cavities, in order to evaluate the possible micro-organisms reduction and make a comparison with manual and rotating conventional therapy (CT). A clinical trial was designed, including adults with active deep carious lesions on permanent teeth who were divided into two groups, i.e.

Small Molecule CCR4 Antagonists Protect Mice from Infection and Allergy.

The ability to regulate the recruitment of immune cells makes chemokines and their receptors attractive drug targets in many inflammatory diseases. Based on its preferential expression on T helper type 2 (Th2) cells, C-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) has been widely studied in the context of allergic diseases, but recent evidence on the expression of CCR4 in other cell types has considerably expanded the potential applications of CCR4 antagonism. However, the current number of approved indications, as well as the portfolio of CCR4-targeting drugs, are still limited.

Minor or adult? Introducing decision analysis in forensic age estimation.

Nowadays, forensic age estimation takes an important role in worldwide forensic and medico-legal institutes that are solicited by judicial or administrative authorities for providing an expert report on the age of individuals. The authorities' ultimate issue of interest is often the probability that the person is younger or older than a given age threshold, which is usually the age of majority. Such information is fundamental for deciding whether a person being judged falls under the legal category of an adult.

Bayesian multivariate models for case assessment in dynamic signature cases.

Dynamic signatures are recordings of signatures made on digitizing devices such as tablet PCs. These handwritten signatures contain both dynamic and spatial information on every data point collected during the signature movement and can therefore be described in the form of multivariate data. The management of dynamic signatures represents a challenge for the forensic science community through its novelty and the volume of data available.

Accelerate Pheno™ blood culture detection system: a literature review.

Accelerate Pheno™ (ACC) is a fully automated system providing rapid identification of a panel of bacteria and yeasts, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of common bacterial pathogens responsible for bloodstream infections and sepsis. Diagnostic accuracy for identification ranges from 87.9 to 100%, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing categorical agreement is higher than 91%.

Hijacking SARS-CoV-2/ACE2 Receptor Interaction by Natural and Semi-synthetic Steroidal Agents Acting on Functional Pockets on the Receptor Binding Domain.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS)-CoV-2. In light of the urgent need to identify novel approaches to be used in the emergency phase, we have embarked on an exploratory campaign aimed at repurposing natural substances and clinically available drugs as potential anti-SARS-CoV2-2 agents by targeting viral proteins. Here we report on a strategy based on the virtual screening of druggable pockets located in the central β-sheet core of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike's protein receptor binding domain (RBD).

Is recurrence possible in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Case series and systematic review of literature.

Can a patient diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) be infected again? This question is still unsolved. We tried to analyze local and literature cases with a positive respiratory swab after recovery. We collected data from symptomatic patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Italian Umbria Region that, after recovery, were again positive for SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory tract specimens.

Anti-Biofilm Properties of CNCM I-3856 and ATCC 53103 Probiotics against .

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is characterized by the presence of a polymicrobial biofilm where plays a key role. Previously, we demonstrated that CNCM (French National Collection of Cultures of Microorganisms) I-3856 is helpful in resolving experimental simulated BV in mice. In this study, we analyzed its capacity to affect biofilms and to potentiate the activity of standard antimicrobial agents.

Frequency and clinical correlates of antiphospholipid antibodies arising in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection: findings from a multicentre study on 122 cases.

Objectives: COVID-19 features include disseminated intravascular coagulation and thrombotic microangiopathy indicating a hypercoagulable state. We aimed to investigate antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) prevalence and clinical relationships in a large cohort of COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We analysed the prevalence and titres of serum aPL in 122 patients with COVID-19 and 157 with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) and 91 with other autoimmune rheumatic diseases (oARD) for comparison.

Measles immunity in healthcare workers of an Italian hospital.

Background: In Italy, 4991 cases of measles were reported in 2017 and 322 involved healthcare workers (HCWs). These professionals are at high risk of infection and transmission of virus both to other hospital staff and importantly, to patients, some of whom may be at risk of severe illness and complications. According to the Italian National Immunization and Prevention Plan, all HCWs should have demonstrable evidence of immunity to measles and specific hospital surveillance is recommended.

Improving the etiological diagnosis of osteoarticular infections with the commercial multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction SeptiFast®.

Detection of etiological agents is pivotal for adequate therapy of osteoarticular bacterial infections. Culture often lacks sensitivity, especially in patients under antibiotic therapy. The present study investigates the potential clinical utility of the commercial multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction SeptiFast® (SF) in the etiological diagnosis of osteoarticular infections.

Are Inconclusive Decisions in Forensic Science as Deficient as They Are Said to Be?

Many quarters of forensic science use reporting formats such as "identification," "inconclusive," and "exclusion." These types of conclusions express opinions as to whether or not a particular person or object is the source of the material or traces of unknown source that is of interest in a given case. Rendering an "inconclusive" conclusion is sometimes criticized as being inadequate because-supposedly-it does not provide recipients of expert information with helpful directions.

Intravenous immunoglobulin protects from experimental allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis via a sialylation-dependent mechanism.

Intravenous immunoglobuin (IVIG) exerts protective effects in experimental allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) via a sialylation-dependent mechanism. The protection was associated with reduced recruitment of eosinophils, diminished goblet cell hyperplasia, suppressed Th2 and Th17 responses and reciprocally enhanced regulatory T cells and IL-10, and decreased IgE levels in the circulation.