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Children/adolescents with cancer can develop adverse effects impacting gross motor function. There is a lack of gross motor function assessment tools that have been validated for this population. The aim of this multicenter cross-sectional study was to preliminary validate the 88-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) for use in children/adolescents with cancer, exploring internal consistency and floor/ceiling effect. Inclusion criteria regarded children/adolescents diagnosed with cancer on treatment or <1 year off therapy. The internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α, and the floor-ceiling effects were calculated through percentage. This study involved 217 participants with heterogeneous neoplasm conditions. Internal consistency was good, with a Cronbach's α of 0.989. Floor-ceiling effect analysis reveals that several items obtained a dichotomous scoring distribution in each of the five sub-scales of the GMFM-88. This can be explained by the heterogeneous clinical characteristics of the target population. The preliminary validation of GMFM-88 in a group of children/adolescents affected by cancer suggests that some items are not able to discriminate between different gross motor function levels, and therefore it does not represent an informative tool to measure gross motor function in children with cancer. Future research is needed to define which ones could be more useful for clinical practice.

Evidence of the relationship between physical activity and gut microbiota composition is steadily increasing. The purpose of the study is to compare the gut microbiota composition of a group of elite male soccer players with a group of subjects with different physical activity levels. Cross-sectional studies were performed on 91 healthy young males, in detail: 17 elite soccer players (23.7 ± 4.2 yrs, BMI 23.2 ± 1.2 kg/m 2 ); 14 with high levels of physical training (24.5 ± 5.6 yrs, BMI 22.7 ± 0.8 kg/m 2 ); 23 with moderate levels of physical training (29.3 ± 3.9 yrs, BMI 22.5 ± 0.8 kg/m 2 ); and 37 healthy men without exercise habits (28.1 ± 5.9 yrs, BMI 22.4 ± 1.0 kg/m 2 ). Relative microbiota composition was determined by analyzing DNA extracted from stool samples. The quality and quantity of extracted DNA were assessed using a Qubit Fluorometer. Differences between subjects' populations were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni's post-hoc test was employed to identify localized effects. Elite soccer players and subjects with high physical activity levels showed a significantly higher prevalence of the nine microbiota populations analyzed than subjects with moderate physical training or who were sedentary. No differences were found in the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio among the different study populations. This study reports the gut microbiota parameters of elite footballers for the first time. In addition, it brings new insights into the effects of different levels of physical activity on the composition of the gut microbiota., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © Institute of Sport – National Research Instutite.)

Neonatal screening for SMA has allowed the identification of infants who may present with early clinical signs. Our aim was to establish whether the presence and the severity of early clinical signs have an effect on the development of motor milestones. Infants identified through newborn screening were prospectively assessed using a structured neonatal neurological examination and an additional module developed for the assessment of floppy infants. As part of the follow-up, all infants were assessed using the HINE-2 to establish developmental milestones. Only infants with at least 24 months of follow-up were included. Normal early neurological examination (n = 11) was associated with independent walking before the age of 18 months while infants with early clinical signs of SMA (n = 4) did not achieve ambulation (duration follow-up 33.2 months). Paucisymptomatic patients (n = 3) achieved ambulation, one before the age of 18 months and the other 2 between 22 and 24 months.  Conclusion: Our findings suggest that early clinical signs may contribute to predict motor milestones development. What is Known: • There is increasing evidence of heterogeneity among the SMA newborns identified via NBS. • The proposed nosology describes a clinically silent disease, an intermediate category ('paucisymptomatic') and 'symptomatic SMA'. What is New: • The presence of minimal clinical signs at birth does not prevent the possibility to achieve independent walking but this may occur with some delay. • The combination of genotype at SMN locus and clinical evaluation may better predict the possibility to achieve milestones., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In this exploratory study, we investigate the variation in the facial skin microbiome architecture through aging and their functional association with host genetic factors in a cohort of healthy women, living in the same area and without cutaneous diseases. Notably, facial skin microbiota (SM) samples were collected from a cohort of 15 healthy Caucasian females, firstly divided into three age groups (younger women aged 20-35 years old; middle aged women of 36-52 years old; and older women aged 53-68 years old). Then, the recruited cohort was divided into two groups based on their facial hydration level (dry and normal skin). The facial SM revealed a different composition in the three analyzed aging groups and between normal and dry skins. The middle-aged women also revealed functional variations associated with collagen biosynthesis and oxidative stress damage repair. Otherwise, the association between selected host SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and the facial SM profile showed significant associations, suggesting a negative correlation with collagen metabolism and ROS damage protection. Finally, the composition and functionality of the facial SM seemed to affect the aging process through the two aging-correlated pathways of host ROS damage repair and collagen metabolism. Our exploratory data could be useful for future studies characterizing the structure, function, and dynamics of the SM in the aging process to design personalized therapeutic agents focusing on potential genomic targets, microbes, and their metabolites., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The possibility to identify patients with spinal muscular atrophy through neonatal screenings has highlighted the need for clinical assessments that may systematically evaluate the possible presence of early neurological signs. The aim of this study was to use the Hammersmith Neonatal Neurological Examination (HNNE) and a module specifically designed for floppy infants to assess the possible variability of neurological findings in infants identified through neonatal screening. The infants included in this study were identified as part of a pilot study exploring neonatal screening in two Italian regions. A neurological examination was performed using the HNNE and an additional module developed for the assessment of floppy infants. Seventeen infants were identified through the screening. One patient had 1 SMN2 copy, 9 had 2 copies, 3 had 3, and 4 had more than 3 copies. Nine of the 17 infants (53%) had completely normal results on both scales, 3 had minimal signs, and the other 5 had more obvious clinical signs. The number of SMN2 copies was related to the presence of abnormal neurological signs (p = 0.036) but two SMN2 copies were associated with variable clinical signs as they were found in some infants with respectively normal examination or obvious severe early signs., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combination of both scales increases the possibility to detect neonatal neurological signs and to define different early patterns of involvement also identifying paucisymptomatic patients., What Is Known: • The use of new therapeutic options in presymptomatic SMA patients leads to a dramatic reduction of the onset and severity of the diesease. • The already existing tools commonly used in Type I SMA (HINE and CHOP-intend) may not be suitable to identify minor neurological signs in the neonatal period., What Is New: • Combining the HNNE and the floppy infant module, we were able to identify early neurological signs in SMA infants identified through newborn screening and may help to predict the individual therapeutic outcome of these patients. • Iinfants with 2 SMN2 copies identified through the screening had a more variable neonatal examination compared to those with three or more copies, in agreement with similar findings in older infants., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

During the last years, many evidences have been accumulating about the phytohormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) as a multifaceted compound in the microbial world, with IAA playing a role as a bacterial intra and intercellular signaling molecule or as an effector during pathogenic or beneficial plant-bacteria interactions. However, pretty much nothing is known on the mechanisms that bacteria use to modulate IAA homeostasis, in particular on IAA active transport systems. Here, by an approach combining in silico three-dimensional (3D) structural modeling and docking, mutagenesis, quantitative gene expression analysis, and HPLC FLD auxin quantitative detection, for the first time a bacterial multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transporter was demonstrated to be involved in the efflux of IAA, as well as of its conjugate IAA-Lysine, in the plant pathogenic hyperplastic bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. nerii strain Psn23. Furthermore, according to the role proved to be played by Psn23 MatE in the development of plant disease, and to the presence of Psn23 MatE homologs in all the genomospecies of the P. syringae complex, this membrane transporter could likely represent a promising target for the design of novel and selective anti-infective molecules for plant disease control., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

A multiphasic approach was used to decipher the phenotypic features, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic position of 46 Curtobacterium spp. strains isolated from dry beans and other annual crops in Iran and Spain. Pathogenicity tests, resistance to arsenic compounds, plasmid profiling and BOX-PCR were performed on the strains. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) was also performed on five housekeeping genes (i.e., atpD, gyrB, ppk, recA, and rpoB) of all the strains, as well as five pathotype strains of the species. Pathogenicity test showed that six out of 42 strains isolated in Iran were nonpathogenic on common bean. Despite no differences found between pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains in their plasmid profiling, the former were resistant to different concentrations of arsenic, while the latter were sensitive to the same concentrations. Strains pathogenic on common bean were polyphyletic with at least two evolutionary lineages (i.e., yellow-pigmented strains versus red/orange-pigmented strains). Nonpathogenic strains isolated from solanaceous vegetables were clustered within either the strains of C. flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens or different pathovars of the species. The results of MLSA and BOX-PCR analysis were similar to each other and both methods were able to discriminate the yellow-pigmented strains from the red/orange-pigmented strains. A comprehensive study of a worldwide collection representing all five pathovars as well as nonpathogenic strains of C. flaccumfaciens is warranted for a better understanding of the diversity within this phytopathogenic bacterium.

The plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi, the causal agent of olive and oleander knot disease, uses the so-called "indole-3-acetamide pathway" to convert tryptophan to indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) via a two-step pathway catalyzed by enzymes encoded by the genes in the iaaM/iaaH operon. Moreover, pathovar nerii of P. savastanoi is able to conjugate IAA to lysine to generate the less biologically active compound IAA-Lys via the enzyme IAA-lysine synthase encoded by the iaaL gene. Interestingly, iaaL is now known to be widespread in many Pseudomonas syringae pathovars, even in the absence of the iaaM and iaaH genes for IAA biosynthesis. Here, two knockout mutants, ΔiaaL and ΔiaaM, of strain Psn23 of P. savastanoi pv. nerii were produced. Pathogenicity tests using the host plant Nerium oleander showed that ΔiaaL and ΔiaaM were hypervirulent and hypovirulent, respectively and these features appeared to be related to their differential production of free IAA. Using the Phenotype Microarray approach, the chemical sensitivity of these mutants was shown to be comparable to that of wild-type Psn23. The main exception was 8 hydroxyquinoline, a toxic compound that is naturally present in plant exudates and is used as a biocide, which severely impaired the growth of ΔiaaL and ΔiaaM, as well as growth of the non-pathogenic mutant ΔhrpA, which lacks a functional Type Three Secretion System (TTSS). According to bioinformatics analysis of the Psn23 genome, a gene encoding a putative Multidrug and Toxic compound Extrusion (MATE) transporter, was found upstream of iaaL. Similarly to iaaL and iaaM, its expression appeared to be TTSS-dependent. Moreover, auxin-responsive elements were identified for the first time in the modular promoters of both the iaaL gene and the iaaM/iaaH operon of P. savastanoi, suggesting their IAA-inducible transcription. Gene expression analysis of several genes related to TTSS, IAA metabolism and drug resistance confirmed the presence of a concerted regulatory network in this phytopathogen among virulence, fitness and drug efflux., (Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Protection of plants against bacterial diseases still mainly relies on the use of chemical pesticides, which in Europe correspond essentially to copper-based compounds. However, recently plant diseases control is oriented towards a rational use of molecules and extracts, generally with natural origin, with lower intrinsic toxicity and a reduced negative environmental impact. In this work, polyphenolic extracts from vegetable no food/feed residues of typical Mediterranean crops, as Olea europaea, Cynara scolymus, and Vitis vinifera were obtained and their inhibitory activity on the Type Three Secretion System (TTSS) and the Quorum Sensing (QS) of the Gram-negative phytopathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. nerii strain Psn23 was assessed. Extract from green tea (Camellia sinensis) was used as a positive control. Collectively, the data obtained through gfp-promoter fusion system and real-time PCR show that all the polyphenolic extracts here studied have a high inhibitory activity on both the TTSS and QS of Psn23, without any depressing effect on bacterial viability. Extracts from green tea and grape seeds were shown to be the most active. Such activity was confirmed in planta by a strong reduction in the ability of Psn23 to develop hyperplastic galls on explants from adult oleander plants, as well as to elicit hypersensitive response on tobacco. By using a newly developed Congo red assay and an ELISA test, we demonstrated that the TTSS-targeted activity of these polyphenolic extracts also affects the TTSS pilus assembly. In consideration of the potential application of polyphenolic extracts in plant protection, the absence of any toxicity of these polyphenolic compounds was also assessed. A widely and evolutionary conserved molecular target such as Ca2+-ATPase, essential for the survival of any living organism, was used for the toxicity assessment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Escherichia coli strain DH5α was successfully employed in the decolorization of commercial anthraquinone and azo dyes, belonging to the general classes of acid or basic dyes. The bacteria showed an aptitude to survive at different pH values on any dye solution tested, and a rapid decolorization was obtained under aerobic conditions for the whole collection of dyes. A deep investigation about the mode of action of E. coli was carried out to demonstrate that dye decolorization mainly occurred via three different pathways, specifically bacterial induced precipitation, cell wall adsorption, and metabolism, whose weight was correlated with the chemical nature of the dye. In the case of basic azo dyes, an unexpected fast decolorization was observed after just 2-h postinoculation under aerobic conditions, suggesting that metabolism was the main mechanism involved in basic azo dye degradation, as unequivocally demonstrated by mass spectrometric analysis. The reductive cleavage of the azo group by E. coli on basic azo dyes was also further demonstrated by the inhibition of decolorization occurring when glucose was added to the dye solution. Moreover, no residual toxicity was found in the E. coli-treated basic azo dye solutions by performing Daphnia magna acute toxicity assays. The results of the present study demonstrated that E. coli can be simply exploited for its natural metabolic pathways, without applying any recombinant technology. The high versatility and adaptability of this bacterium could encourage its involvement in industrial bioremediation of textile and leather dyeing wastewaters.