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A challenge test based on the inoculum of a multi-strain cocktail of Listeria innocua and Salmonella enterica viable cells was carried out to evaluate the capacity of an accelerated manufacturing technique (including conventional fermentation of the meat batter followed by freezing, slicing and drying) to guarantee the safety of Milano-type fermented sausages. The counts of S. enterica decreased by 1.5 and 1.6 log CFU/g in the sausages inoculated with 2 and 4 log CFU/g, respectively, while a less notable reduction (0.4 log CFU/g) was recorded for L. innocua, independently from the inoculum load. The comparison between the main microbiological and physico-chemical features of non- inoculated fermented sausages, produced through either the accelerated or the traditional process, highlighted significant differences in the percent R.H. and aw values, as well as pH In both cases, the absence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes was ascertained. These outcomes encourage further investigation on the fate of these foodborne pathogens during a shelf-life challenge test. No differences were highlighted for the main sensory parameters analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycotoxin contamination of feed and feed materials represent a serious health hazard. This study details the occurrence of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ), zearalenone (ZEN) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in 826 feed and 617 feed material samples, collected in two Italian Regions (Umbria and Marche) from 2018 to 2022 analyzed using a UPLC-FLD platform. The developed method was validated and accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) with satisfactory accuracy and precision data obtained in repeatability and intralaboratory reproducibility conditions. Feed had a higher incidence of contaminated samples (26%) with respect to feed materials (6%). AFB 1 was found up to 0.1045 mg/kg in cattle feeds and 0.1234 mg/kg in maize; ZEN was detected up to 6.420 mg/kg in sheep feed while OTA was rarely reported and in lower concentrations (up to 0.085 mg/kg). Co-contamination of at least two mycotoxins was reported in 0.8% of the analyzed samples. The incidence of above maximum content/guidance level samples was 2% for feed and feed materials while almost 3-fold-higher for maize (5.8%) suggesting how mycotoxin contamination can affect some matrices more than others. Obtained data can be useful to improve official monitoring plans and therefore further raise awareness of this issue between agriculture stakeholders, healthcare entities and non-professionals.

In this study, we describe a Salmonella enterica serovar ( S .) Rissen strain with a reduced susceptibility to meropenem, isolated from a urinary infection in an 89-year-old woman in 2018 during activity surveillance in Italy (Enter-Net Italia). The genomic characteristics, pathogenicity, and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms were investigated via a genomic approach. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed a "susceptible, increased exposure" phenotype to meropenem in the S . Rissen strain (4_29_19). Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using both the NovaSeq 6000 S4 PE150 XP platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and MinION (Oxford Nanopore). The S. Rissen 4_29_19 strain harboured two plasmids: a pKpQIL-like plasmid carrying the bla KPC-3 resistance gene in a Tn 4401a transposon (pKPC_4_29_19), and a ColE-like plasmid (p4_4_29_19) without resistance genes, highly prevalent among Enterobacterales. Comparative analysis revealed that the pKPC_4_29_19 plasmid was highly related to the pKpQIL reference plasmid (GU595196), with 57% coverage and 99.96% identity, but lacking a region of about 30 kb, involving the FIIK 2 replicon region and the entire transfer locus, causing the loss of its ability to conjugate. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a pKpQIL-like plasmid, carrying bla KPC-3 , highly diffused in Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, has been identified in a Salmonella strain in our country. The acquisition of bla KPC genes by Salmonella spp. is extremely rare, and is reported only sporadically. In zoonotic bacteria isolated from humans, the presence of a carbapenem resistance gene carried by mobile genetic elements, usually described in healthcare-associated infection bacteria, represents an important concern for public health.

Background: Several studies have identified traumatic history among forensic patients and its association with criminal behaviors and psychiatric diagnoses. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is highly prevalent in forensic settings causing a serious deterioration of the primary psychiatric disorder., Aims: Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD and the role of traumatic experiences and abuse in the development of severe psychiatric disorders in a sample of psychiatric offenders., Methods: Fifty-three patients admitted in Italian high intensity therapeutic facilities-the Residenze per l'Esecuzione delle Misure di Sicurezza (REMS)-were evaluated with the Trauma Experience Checklist (TEC) and the Millon Clinical Multiaxal Inventory (MCMI-III) to study lifetime traumatic memories and general psychopathology, respectively., Results: Preliminary findings show that about 41% ( N = 22) of psychiatric offenders were affected by PTSD, often not due to a single episode but to multiple lifetime traumas. Therefore, lifetime traumatic experiences and specifically sexual abuse are significant risk factors for the development of a personality disorder, which is present in the 38% ( N = 20) of the sample., Conclusions: The high PTSD prevalence and the strong association found between trauma and abuse with the development of a personality disorder emphasizes the importance of an early evaluation and intervention on traumatic experiences in this difficult population of psychiatric patients; in fact, the treatment of psychiatric offenders is actually vague and devoid of scientific evidence. Our results open up the perspective on the use of known and specific interventions for trauma, such as EMDR and Mindfulness., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Bianchini, Paoletti, Ortenzi, Lagrotteria, Roncone, Cofini and Nicolò.)

This work aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of 87 Salmonella Infantis strains isolated in Italy from 2016 to 2019 along the food chain of broiler meat production and in humans and to determine the genetic profiles of the strains in order to establish a possible correlation with the antimicrobial pattern. All isolates were tested by the disk diffusion method to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility toward sixteen antimicrobials, and the broth microdilution method was used to confirm extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production. PCR and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were applied to characterize ESBL-encoding and AmpC β-lactamase genes and to analyze the S . Infantis strains genetic profiles respectively. S . Infantis isolates showed high prevalence of resistance, in particular toward nalidixic acid (97.7%), tetracycline (96.5%), sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (91%) and cefepime (72.4%). The 80.5% of isolates were ESBL, cefotaxime-resistant, carrying the bla CTX-M1 gene. The most prevalent PFGE profile was XbaI.0126 (35.6%). The remaining strains had a genetic homology from 81% to 97% with the XbaI.0126 profile. The strains belonging to these profiles were isolated from different matrices collected along the broiler food chain independently on the year and from the region and there was no correlation between the PFGE profiles and resistance patterns. We found two ESBL-producing S. Infantis strains with the same XbaI.2621 profile isolated from humans and from poultry feces, not yet reported in Italy. Our findings confirmed the diffusion of ESBL-multi drug resistant (MDR) S . Infantis along the broiler food chain and in humans and underlined the importance of continuous monitoring to control and to reduce the prevalence of this bacterium, applying a global One Health approach.

Contaminated pork is a significant source of foodborne Salmonellosis. Pork is contaminated at the slaughterhouse and the intestinal content is the predominant source of Salmonella for carcass contamination. The prevalence of Salmonella -positive pigs increases significantly when the time of transport to the slaughterhouse is longer than two hours. The hypothesis behind this study is that transport to the slaughterhouse increases the load of Salmonella in feces and determines a shift of the fecal microbiota in finishing pigs. Fecal samples were collected in a pig herd positive for Salmonella spp., the day before the transport and at the slaughterhouse. Salmonella loads were estimated by the most probable number (MPN) technique, according to the ISO/TS 6579-2:2012/A1. Moreover, the fecal bacteria composition was assessed by sequencing the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Our study showed that the load of Salmonella increases after transport, confirming that this phase of the production chain is a critical point for the control of Salmonella contamination. A lower richness and an increased beta-diversity characterized the fecal microbiota composition of Salmonella -positive animals after transport. In this stage, a natural Salmonella infection causes a disruption of the fecal microbiota as observed in challenge studies.

The onion non-edible outside layers represent a widely available waste material deriving from its processing and consumption. As onion is a vegetable showing many beneficial properties for human health, a study aiming to evaluate the use of extract deriving from the non-edible outside layers was planned. An eco-friendly extraction method was optimized using a hydroalcoholic solution as solvent. The obtained extract was deeply characterized by in vitro methods and then formulated in autoadhesive, biocompatible and pain-free hydrogel polymeric films. The extract, very soluble in water, showed antioxidant, radical scavenging, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, suggesting a potential dermal application for wounds treatment. In vitro studies showed a sustained release of the extract from the hydrogel polymeric film suitable to reach concentrations necessary for both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. Test performed on human keratinocytes showed that the formulation is safe suggesting that the projected formulation could be a valuable tool for wound treatment.

The present study evaluated the safety, nutritional and sensory properties of fish pâtés made from smoked tench ( Tinca tinca ) pulp. Two formulations of tench pâté were produced, one of which included olive oil and the other contained mascarpone cheese. The prepared pâté jars were thermally treated according to the method applied in the canning industry. The inactivation of Clostridium botulinum during thermal treatment was determined through a challenge test study, demonstrating the complete depletion of targeted bacteria. Tench pâtés showed high nutritional properties, especially the formulation with olive oil, which was characterised by lower contents of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids and a high level of monounsaturated fatty acids. The two experimental formulations possessed a specific sensory profile, due to the ingredients incorporated into the products. Consumers' evaluation established differences in the acceptance of the two products: the formulation with added olive oil was more appreciated by consumers, who displayed a higher purchase intent for this product. The study suggests that minced smoked tench is not only a promising ingredient for pâté production but that it also represents a value-added product able to contribute to freshwater food consumption., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest, (©Copyright: the Author(s), 2019.)

Pasteurella multocida is a widespread pathogen associated with major animal diseases of economic significance. Despite this, little is known about the capsular types, virulence gene pattern, and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from hosts affected by different diseases, and no data are available in Italy. One hundred eighty six isolates of P. multocida, were taken from different species in different states of health in several Italian regions, and were tested for genes encoding for capsular types (cap) and major virulence factors (tbpA, toxA, hgbB and pfhA). Antimicrobial susceptibility was investigated with the agar diffusion test. The majority of isolates was capA+. However, the distribution differed according to species and disease of origin, with a greater heterogeneity in isolates from rabbits; capE was never found, while capB was detected once. Only capA+ and capF+ strains tested positive for pfhA. Conversely, almost all capD+ isolates were hgbB+. In bovine respiratory disease, pfhA+/tbpA+/capA+ isolates predominated, while tbpA+/toxA+/capD+ isolates predominated in sheep. Overall, low levels of resistance were found, with full susceptibility to ceftiofur and florfenicol. Lower susceptibility to older antimicrobials was recorded, since only approximately 1/3 of the isolates showed susceptibility to tylosin and erythromycin, and resistance to tetracycline (7.5%), and trimethoprim - sulphametoxazole (4.8%) was also observed.

An experimental study for the evaluation of Listeria monocytogenes inactivation during a hot smoking process in tench was performed using Listeria innocua strains. Furthermore, the survival of L. monocytogenes in smoked tench was determined after post-processing in contaminated samples, evaluating the growth potential during storage. L innocua was not detected after the smoking process. In the challenge test, the growth potential of L. monocytogenes was 5.68 log colony forming unit g -1 . The results showed that hot smoking at an inner temperature around 72°C is able to eliminate the microorganism. Nevertheless, the product is able to support the growth of the pathogen if post-process contamination occurs, as the food is suitable for Listeria multiplication. Product recontamination should be prevented by means of appropriate application of hygiene measures., Competing Interests: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Olive mill wastewater polyphenol extract was tested for antimicrobial activity against 64 strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens responsible for mozzarella discolouration. The extract showed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 50 value of 5 mg/mL and a MIC 90 value of 7 mg/mL. The MBC 50 and MBC 90 values corresponded to 6 and 8 mg/mL, respectively. The MIC concentration (7 mg/mL) was demonstrated to have a bacteriostatic effect while maintaining the bacterial concentration on the levels of the inoculum for 48 hours. The 3/2 MIC concentration was responsible for four logs CFU/mL depletion in colony count after 24 h. As the extract concentration decreased from MIC value, no inhibitory effects were recorded., Competing Interests: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

In the present study, a microbiological challenge test in artificially contaminated raw milk Pecorino Umbro cheese during cheese-making was carried out. Raw ewe milk was contaminated by a suspension of particular Listeria monocytogenes strains. The number of L. monocytogenes and L. monocytogenes dynamic growth were evaluated during cheese-making and storage. A significant decrease of the viable count of L. monocytogenes was observed during ripening and L. monocytogenes viable count was below the limit of quantification during storage. The results show that the product is unable to support the growth of the pathogen., Competing Interests: the authors declare no potential conflict of interest.

Epidemiological and clinical studies show that often persons affected by depression and schizophrenia can suffer of impairment of the sexual function. Most antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs have adverse sexual effects but it is difficult to identify if the impairment of the sexual function can be attributed to clinical picture or to the psychopharmacological treatments. Both antidepressants and novel and conventional antipsychotics are associated with significant sexual side effects and the presence of sexual side effects may affect compliance and adherence to treatment. In some specific clinical populations (e.g. youths), these specific side-effects turn out to be one of the most annoying and promote increased drop-out rates and poor adherence to treatment. Nevertheless, these clinical variables are often underestimated or not investigated in the course of follow-up of persons suffering from psychiatric disorders in treatment with psychotropic medications. Growing awareness of the adverse effects of psychotropic drugs has led to attempts to use adjuvants or substitute treatments to resolve sexual dysfunction. Effects on sexual function should be carefully diagnosed and treated; it should clearly discuss with patients in order to preserve an adequate quality of life, promote greater adherence to treatment and promote a good remission and recovery. The aim of this study is to review the most recent and significant literature data regarding association between sexual dysfunction and psychotropic medications, especially highlighting neurobiological and clinical data in order to improve the clinical pratice.