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The Evaluation of Industrial Practice Program at Study Program of Fashion - Department of In­dustrial Technology State University of Malang Based on CIPP Mo­del. The study aims to evaluate the Industrial Practice (PI) pro­gram and the obstacles that occurred during PI. The re­search uses a mixed approach/sequential mixed methods. The re­­sults show that: (1) PI program has been formulated and based on phi­lo­so­phi­cal, func­­­tional, cul­tural and introspective aspects; (2) PI program has been accomplished quitely good and very ef­fective reviewed from the aspects of inputs, processes, and outcomes, and (3) the fac­tors that has not been effective and become the obstacles are students’ competency, learning facilities and in­fra­structure, monitoring, students’ work pace, guidan­ce to mas­ter­ing tools/new technologies and materials used in industry, and the students’ performance evaluation given by the in­dus­try. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi program Praktik Industri (PI) dan kendala yang terjadi. Penelitian ini meng­gunakan pendekatan campuran/mixed methods sekuensial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan: (1) Program PI telah di­rumuskan dan di­lan­da­si aspek filosofis, fungsional, kultural, dan introspektif; (2) program PI telah ter­lak­sana cukup bagus dan sangat efektif ditinjau dari aspek input, proses, dan hasil; dan (3) faktor-faktor yang belum efektif dan menjadi kendala adalah kom­pe­ten­si mahasiswa, sa­ra­na dan pra­­sarana perkuliahan, mo­nitoring, kecepatan kerja maha­siswa, bim­bingan pe­­nguasaan alat/teknologi baru dan bahan produksi di in­dustri, ser­ta penilaian industri terhadap kinerja mahasiswa.

Purpose. To examine the macular findings obtained with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) in infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Materials and Methods. The macular SD OCT images of 190 premature infants were analyzed. Data regarding central foveal thickness (CFT), cystoid macular edema (CME), and cyst grading were compared. The relationships of CFT with gestational age and birth weight were investigated. Results. The results were obtained from 358 eyes of 179 infants (81 females and 98 males) of a mean gestational age of 30.9±2.7 weeks and a mean birth weight of 1609±477 g. ROP was diagnosed in 126 eyes and CME in 139 eyes. A significantly greater percentage of eyes with ROP were found to have CME (54%) compared to eyes without ROP (31%; P=0.001). The incidence of CME was 46.3% for stage 1 ROP, 57.1% for stage 2, and 87.5% for stage 3. There was a weakly inverse correlation between CFT, gestational age, and birth weight (P=0.025, r=-0.227; P=0.002, r=-0.182, resp., Spearman correlation test). Conclusions. High-quality SD OCT images can be obtained from premature infants using the iVue system. Severity and frequency of CME in premature infants increase as stage of ROP increases.

We report a young male patient who developed plasma cell myeloma/plasmacytoma 11 years after having received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for AML. The patient received a second transplantation from the same donor without immunosuppression and developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Our observation has two aspects that warrant attention: first, insufficiency of long-term tolerance to prevent GVHD in the absence of immunosuppression and second, a stromal or genetic susceptibility to develop hematologic malignancies despite of a complete donor-type chimerism.

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) is an emerging worldwide pathogen. Pulmonary aspergillosis primarily affects severely immunocompromised patients and is also a particularly critical condition for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. A recently designed gallium polypyridyl catecholate complex, GaS1, has previously demonstrated in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. In the present work GaS1 activity was assessed against A. fumigatus clinical isolates in a novel air-liquid-interface lung infection model, mimicking the conditions found in the CF airways. Furthermore, in this study both a solution for nebulisation and dry powders for inhalation were developed with a view to optimising GaS1 delivery to the lung. The solution for nebulisation was characterised for its osmolality and pH, while the dry powders were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and laser light scattering particle size analysis. The aerodynamic deposition profiles of all formulations were determined using a next generation impactor. GaS1, tested in a concentration range of 0.016-0.5 mg/mL, inhibited the growth of A. fumigatus lung isolates in a complex host-environment-mimicking medium at the non-toxic concentration of 0.063 mg/mL. A marked dose-dependent antifungal activity of GaS1 was also observed in the presence of differentiated human distal lung epithelial cells (NCI-H441) at the air liquid interface, with nearly no fungal growth detected at the macroscopic and microscopic level. A solution for nebulisation and three different dry powder inhaler formulations, prepared by spray-drying GaS1 with different concentrations of L-leucine, displayed suitable aerodynamic characteristics for GaS1 delivery to the lungs, while maintaining excellent antifungal activity. Overall, the results obtained highlight the potential of gallium-polypyridyl catecholate complexes for the management of difficult-to-treat A. fumigatus pulmonary infections., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Infections caused by the airborne fungal pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, are increasing in severity due to growing numbers of immunocompromised individuals and the increasing incidence of antifungal drug resistance, exacerbating treatment challenges. Gallium has proven to be a strong candidate in the fight against microbial pathogens due to its iron-mimicking capability and substitution of Ga(III) in place of Fe(III), disrupting iron-dependent pathways. Since the antimicrobial properties of 2,2'-bipyridine and derivatives have been previously reported, we assessed the in vitro activity and proteomic effects of a recently reported heteroleptic Ga(III) polypyridyl catecholate compound against A. fumigatus. This compound has demonstrated promising growth-inhibition and impact on the A. fumigatus proteome compared to untreated controls. Proteins associated with DNA replication and repair mechanisms along with lipid metabolism and the oxidative stress responses were elevated in abundance compared to control. Crucially, a large number of mitochondrial proteins were reduced in abundance. Respiration is an important source of energy to fuel metabolic processes required for growth, survival and virulence, the disruption of which may be a viable strategy for the treatment of microbial infections., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: There are no conflicts to declare. Ethical approval: Not required. Consent for publication: Not relevant., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Biological Inorganic Chemistry (SBIC).)

Objective: To recalculate the estimated fetal weight (EFW) based on ultrasound measurements in patients complicated with isolated polyhydramnios, using 14 current formulas to observe which formula better predicts the EFW., Methods: This study examined pregnant women who gave birth in the hospital between January 2015 and January 2020. Maximum vertical pocket (MVP) was classified as, mild, moderate, and severe polyhydramnios, and the patients' measurements were reanalyzed using 14 formulas. The estimation of birth weight (EBW) alongside observed birth weight (OBW) facilitated the computation of statistical indices, namely the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) expressed as [(EBW - OBW)/OBW × 100], the mean percentage error (MPE) denoted as (EBW - OBW)/(OBW × 100), and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals., Results: A total of 564 polyhydramnios patients were included in the study. When looking at the MAPE, the lowest rate (7.65) was found in the Hadlock 2 formula. Hadlock 1, Hadlock 3, and Shinozuka formulas demonstrated MAPE values most closely aligned with Hadlock 2. Weiner I and Thurnau were the formulas with the highest MAPE values. When the cut-off values for MAPE were taken as 10%, 4/14 of the formulas (Weiner I-II, Vintzleos and Thurnau) gave results above 10%. Among 14 formulas, 3 (21.4%) had positive (sonographic overestimation) (Hadlock 3, Shinozuka, and Vintzleos) and the other 11 (78.6%) had negative MPE (sonographic underestimation)., Conclusion: The Hadlock 2 formula had the lowest MAPE in predicting birth weight in patients with polyhydramnios, closely followed by the Hadlock 1, Hadlock 3, and Shinozuka formulas., (© 2024 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Persisters are antibiotic-tolerant bacteria, playing a role in the recalcitrance and relapse of many bacterial infections, including P. aeruginosa pulmonary infections in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Among novel antimicrobial strategies, the use of probiotics and their products is emerging as a particularly promising approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-persisters activity of culture filtrate supernatants of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (LRM-CFS) against P. aeruginosa in artificial sputum medium (ASM), which resembles the CF lung environment. Planktonic persisters of two clinical strains of P. aeruginosa (PaCF1 and PaCF4) were obtained following two different procedures: (i) exposing stationary-phase cultures to cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) in LB medium; (ii) incubating stationary-phase cultures with high doses of tobramycin (128-fold MIC) in ASM. In addition, persisters from biofilm were obtained by exposing 48 h old biofilm of P. aeruginosa to 128 x MIC of ciprofloxacin. LRM-CFS at dilutions of 1:6 and 1:4 resulted in being bactericidal in ASM against both PaCF1 and PaCF4 persisters obtained after CCCP or tobramycin treatment. Moreover, LRM-CFS at dilution 1:4 caused a reduction of antibiotic-tolerant bacteria in the biofilm of both P. aeruginosa strains. Overall, LRM-CFS represents a promising adjuvant therapeutic strategy against P. aeruginosa recalcitrant infections in CF patients.

Chronic lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa play a significant role in the mortality and morbidity of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The widespread bacterial resistance to conventional antimicrobials demands identifying new strategies to complement or replace current antibiotic therapies. In this study, we evaluated the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and antivirulence properties of cell-free supernatants (CFS) from several Lactobacillus probiotic strains against P. aeruginosa isolated from the sputum of CF patients. A strong and fast antibacterial activity of CFS from different strains of lactobacilli was observed at acidic pH towards P. aeruginosa, both in planktonic and biofilm mode of growth, in conditions mimicking CF lung. Interestingly, although when adjusted at pH 6.0, CFS lost most of their antibacterial potential, they retained some antivirulence activity towards P. aeruginosa, largely dependent on the dose, exposure time, and the Lactobacillus-P. aeruginosa strain combination. In vivo testing in the invertebrate Galleria mellonella model disclosed the lack of toxicity of acidic CFS and their ability to prevent P. aeruginosa infection. For the first time, the results revealed lactobacilli postbiotic activities in the context of the pulmonary environment, pointing to innovative postbiotics' uses in anti-infective therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this article declare that they do not have any conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

It is widely agreed that microbial biofilms play a major role in promoting infection and delaying healing of chronic wounds. In the era of microbial resistance, probiotic strains or their metabolic products are emerging as an innovative approach for the treatment of hard-to-heal (chronic) wounds due to their antimicrobial, healing, and host immune-modulatory effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of cell-free supernatants (CFS) from Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG against mono- and dual-species biofilms of wound pathogens in a 3D in vitro infection model. Mature biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were obtained on collagen scaffolds in the presence of a simulant wound fluid (SWF) and treated with CFS at different doses and time intervals. At 1:4 dilution in SWF, CFS caused a marked reduction in the colony forming-unit (CFU) numbers of bacteria embedded in mono-species biofilms as well as bacteria released by the biofilms in the supernatant. CFU count and electron microscopy imaging also demonstrated a marked antibiofilm effect against dual-species biofilms starting from 8 h of incubation. Furthermore, CFS exhibited acceptable levels of cytotoxicity at 24 h of incubation against HaCaT cells and, differently from ciprofloxacin, failed to induce resistance after 15 passages at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Overall, the results obtained point to L. rhamnosus GG postbiotics as a promising strategy for the treatment of wound biofilms.

Bacteriotherapy is emerging as a strategic and effective approach to treat infections by providing putatively harmless bacteria (i.e., probiotics) as antagonists to pathogens. Proper delivery of probiotics or their metabolites (i.e., post-biotics) can facilitate their availing of biomaterial encapsulation via innovative manufacturing technologies. This review paper aims to provide the most recent biomaterial-assisted strategies proposed to treat infections or dysbiosis using bacteriotherapy. We revised the encapsulation processes across multiscale biomaterial approaches, which could be ideal for targeting different tissues and suit diverse therapeutic opportunities. Hydrogels, and specifically polysaccharides, are the focus of this review, as they have been reported to better sustain the vitality of the live cells incorporated. Specifically, the approaches used for fabricating hydrogel-based devices with increasing dimensionality (D)-namely, 0D (i.e., particles), 1D (i.e., fibers), 2D (i.e., fiber meshes), and 3D (i.e., scaffolds)-endowed with probiotics, were detailed by describing their advantages and challenges, along with a future overlook in the field. Electrospinning, electrospray, and 3D bioprinting were investigated as new biofabrication methods for probiotic encapsulation within multidimensional matrices. Finally, examples of biomaterial-based systems for cell and possibly post-biotic release were reported.

The culture confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB) with culture conversion representing proof of cure. However, over 40% of TB samples fail to isolate MTB even though many patients remain infectious due to the presence of viable non-culturable forms. Previously, we have shown that two short cationic peptides, T14D and TB08L, induce a hormetic response at low concentrations, leading to a stimulation of growth in MTB and the related animal pathogen Mycobacterium bovis (bTB). Here, we examine these peptides showing they can influence the mycobacterial membrane integrity and function through membrane potential reduction. We also show this disruption is associated with an abnormal reduction in transcriptomic signalling from specific mycobacterial membrane sensors that normally monitor the immediate cellular environment and maintain the non-growing phenotype. We observe that exposing MTB or bTB to these peptides at optimal concentrations rapidly represses signalling mechanisms maintaining dormancy phenotypes, which leads to the promotion of aerobic metabolism and conversion into a replicative phenotype. We further show a practical application of these peptides as reagents able to enhance conventional routine culture methods by stimulating mycobacterial growth. We evaluated the ability of a peptide-supplemented sample preparation and culture protocol to isolate the MTB against a gold standard routine method tested in parallel on 255 samples from 155 patients with suspected TB. The peptide enhancement increased the sample positivity rate by 46% and decreased the average time to sample positivity of respiratory/faecal sampling by seven days. The most significant improvements in isolation rates were from sputum smear-negative low-load samples and faeces. The peptide enhancement increased sampling test sensitivity by 19%, recovery in samples from patients with a previously culture-confirmed TB by 20%, and those empirically treated for TB by 21%. We conclude that sample decontamination and culture enhancement with D-enantiomer peptides offer good potential for the much-needed improvement of the culture confirmation of TB.

The aim of the study is to compare the perinatal outcomes of twin pregnancies resulting from assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment in which granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was used with those in which it was not. In this retrospective study, the clinical data of 122 dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies were reviewed. Pregnancies were divided into two groups, G-CSF-treated and non-G-CSF treated. Maternal age, gestational week at birth, oligohydramnios, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, first-trimester bleeding, gestational diabetes, rupture of membrane, foetal congenital anomalies, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, birth weight (BW), small for gestational age, BW discordance, Apgar score and placental weight were compared between the groups.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administrations increase pregnancy outcomes and do not have a negative effect on perinatal outcomes in singleton pregnancies. What the results of this study add? This study showed that the perinatal outcome of dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies conceived after assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment was similar in the GSF administrated and non-GSF administrated groups. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Using G-CSF to increase the success of ART does not seem to have an adverse outcome in the dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies.

Therapy of lung infections sustained by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients is challenging due to the presence of a sticky mucus in the airways and the ability of the bacterium to form biofilm, which exhibits increased antibiotic tolerance. A lung-directed bacteriotherapy through the airway administration of probiotics could represent an alternative approach to probiotic diet supplementation to improve the benefits and clinical outcomes of this kind of intervention in CF patients. This study aims to evaluate the ability of probiotic strains to grow in artificial sputum medium (ASM), mimicking the CF lung microenvironment, and to affect the planktonic and biofilm growth of CF clinical strains of P. aeruginosa in the same conditions. The results demonstrate that Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) can grow in ASM. LP inhibited the planktonic growth of P. aeruginosa , while both lactobacilli reduced the pre-formed biofilm of P. aeruginosa . Interestingly, LP was demonstrated to reduce the amount of polysaccharides in the extracellular matrix of P. aeruginosa biofilms and to potentiate the antibiofilm effects of tobramycin. Overall, the results indicated that LP is a promising candidate as an adjuvant in the antimicrobial therapy of P. aeruginosa infections in CF patients.

The field of probiotic applications is rapidly expanding, including their use for the control of respiratory tract infections. Nevertheless, probiotics ability to colonize the lung environment and to compete with pulmonary pathogens is still a poorly investigated research area. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the adhesion ability of a number of commercial probiotic strains to the human lung epithelial cell line A549. Furthermore, we assessed probiotic ability to prevent host cell adhesion of one of the major lung pathogens in cystic fibrosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and to reduce the pathogen-induced inflammatory response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in terms of cytokine release. Lactobacillus acidophilus displayed the highest adhesion ability to A549 cells evaluated as percent of adhered bacteria compared to the inoculum. In agreement with such an observation, L. acidophilus was the most efficient in preventing adhesion to A549 cells of a P. aeruginosa isolate from CF sputum. Three-color fluorescence labeling of A549 cells, P. aeruginosa , and L. acidophilus , and confocal microcopy image analyses revealed a likely exclusion effect played by both live and UV-killed L. acidophilus towards P. aeruginosa . Such results were confirmed by CFU count. When co-cultured with PBMCs, both live and UV-killed L. acidophilus reduced the amount of IL-1β and IL-6 in culture supernatants in a statistically significant manner. Overall, the results obtained point to L. acidophilus as an interesting candidate for further studies for a potential aerogenous administration to control P. aeruginosa infections.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication of lung injuries, commonly associated with bacterial, fungal and viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 viral infections. ARDS is strongly correlated with patient mortality and its clinical management is very complex, with no effective treatment presently available. ARDS involves severe respiratory failure, fibrin deposition in both airways and lung parenchyma, with the development of an obstructing hyaline membrane drastically limiting gas exchange. Moreover, hypercoagulation is related to deep lung inflammation, and a pharmacological action toward both aspects is expected to be beneficial. Plasminogen (PLG) is a main component of the fibrinolytic system playing key roles in various inflammation regulatory processes. The inhalation of PLG has been proposed in the form of the off-label administration of an eyedrop solution, namely, a plasminogen-based orphan medicinal product (PLG-OMP), by means of jet nebulisation. Being a protein, PLG is susceptible to partial inactivation under jet nebulisation. The aim of the present work is to demonstrate the efficacy of the mesh nebulisation of PLG-OMP in an in vitro simulation of clinical off-label administration, considering both the enzymatic and immunomodulating activities of PLG. Biopharmaceutical aspects are also investigated to corroborate the feasibility of PLG-OMP administration by inhalation. The nebulisation of the solution was performed using an Aerogen ® Solo TM vibrating-mesh nebuliser. Aerosolised PLG showed an optimal in vitro deposition profile, with 90% of the active ingredient impacting the lower portions of a glass impinger. The nebulised PLG remained in its monomeric form, with no alteration of glycoform composition and 94% of enzymatic activity maintenance. Activity loss was observed only when PLG-OMP nebulisation was performed under simulated clinical oxygen administration. In vitro investigations evidenced good penetration of aerosolised PLG through artificial airway mucus, as well as poor permeation across an Air-Liquid Interface model of pulmonary epithelium. The results suggest a good safety profile of inhalable PLG, excluding high systemic absorption but with good mucus diffusion. Most importantly, the aerosolised PLG was capable of reversing the effects of an LPS-activated macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line, demonstrating the immunomodulating activity of PLG in an already induced inflammatory state. All physical, biochemical and biopharmaceutical assessments of mesh aerosolised PLG-OMP provided evidence for its potential off-label administration as a treatment for ARDS patients.

The therapeutic efficacy of topically administered drugs, however powerful, is largely affected by their bioavailability and, thus, ultimately, on their aqueous solubility and stability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ionic liquids (ILs) as functional excipients to solubilise, stabilise, and prolong the ocular residence time of diacerein (DIA) in eye drop formulations. DIA is a poorly soluble and unstable anthraquinone prodrug, rapidly hydrolysed to rhein (Rhe), for the treatment of osteoarthritis. DIA has recently been evaluated as an antimicrobial agent for bacterial keratitis. Two ILs based on natural zwitterionic compounds were investigated: L-carnitine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Carn6), and betaine C6 alkyl ester bromide (Bet6). The stabilising, solubilising, and mucoadhesive properties of ILs were investigated, as well as their cytotoxicity to the murine fibroblast BALB/3T3 clone A31 cell line. Two IL-DIA-based eye drop formulations were prepared, and their efficacy against both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined. Finally, the eye drops were administered in vivo on New Zealand albino rabbits, testing their tolerability as well as their elimination and degradation kinetics. Both Bet6 and Carn6 have good potential as functional excipients, showing solubilising, stabilising, mucoadhesive, and antimicrobial properties; their in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo ocular tolerability pave the way for their future use in ophthalmic applications.

Three killer toxins that were previously investigated, one excreted by Kluyveromyces wickerhamii and two by different strains of Wickerhamomyces anomalus, were produced at the pilot scale, lyophilized and characterized, and the formulates were assessed for their zymocidial effect against Brettanomyces bruxellensis spoilage yeast. A comparative analysis allowed the evaluation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against a sensitive strain. Fungicidal and fungistatic concentrations were used to evaluate the cytocidal effect using a cytofluorimetric approach that confirmed the lethal effect of all lyophilized formulates against B. bruxellensis spoilage yeasts. Moreover, the potential killer toxins' cytotoxicity against human intestinal cells (Caco-2) were evaluated to exclude any possible negative effect on the consumers. Finally, the effective lethal effect of all three lyophilized killer toxins toward B. bruxellensis sensitive strain were tested. The results indicated that all of them acted without dangerous effects on the human epithelial cells, opening the way for their possible commercial application. In particular, D15 showed the lowest MIC and the highest activity, was evaluated also in wine, revealing a strong reduction of Brettamonyces yeast growth and, at the same time, a control of ethyl phenols production.

Objective: It is widely agreed that infection and the formation of biofilms play a major role in increasing inflammation and delaying wound healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in vitro, the antimicrobial activity of the wound irrigation solution, Granudacyn (Mölnlycke Health Care AB, Sweden) against planktonic bacteria and mature biofilms of clinically relevant bacterial species., Method: Quantitative evaluation of bacterial numbers and confocal and/or scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate the wound irrigation solution's antimicrobial/antibiofilm activity in standard laboratory conditions as well as in a three-dimensional (3D) collagen wound infection model., Results: The wound irrigation solution exhibited a rapid and strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains isolated from infected wounds in planktonic form, with a reduction in bacterial number of >4 Logs after as little as one minute of treatment. The wound irrigation solution also exerted an evident activity against preformed biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus (>3 Log and >1 Log reduction in colony forming unit number, respectively, after 15 minutes of incubation). Although the wound irrigation solution was partially inhibited in the presence of simulated wound fluid, it maintained a marked antibiofilm activity in in vivo-like conditions (ie. in a 3D collagen wound infection model) with a strong killing and a mild debridement effect, which was superior to standard saline., Conclusion: The results obtained in this study suggest that although the wound irrigation solution used might be partially inhibited by wound exudate, it has the potential to effectively kill wound infecting planktonic as well as biofilm bacteria.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of different intestinal microorganisms of patients with normal pregnancies and HG and to compare these frequencies between the two groups., Materials and Methods: This case-control study was carried out in Baskent University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and included 20 patients; 10 of whom had normal pregnancies and 10 of whom had HG. A stool flora scan was routinely planned for all patients. Transient and continuous fecal bacteria and fungal flora were analyzed. All data were evaluated statistically and their relationships with clinical condition were discussed., Results: The study group consisted of 20 pregnant women with a mean age of 31.5 years. All patients were nonsmokers and free of chronic diseases and of any medications. Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria groups, fungal colonies, and parasites were examined and bowel pH values were measured separately for each patient. Bacterial and fungal species outside the reference ranges were recorded for each patient. There was a statistically significant increase in Clostridium spp. ( p :.01) and Candida spp. ( p :.033) and a statistically significant decrease in Bifidobacterium spp.( p :.008) in patients with HG compared to women with normal pregnancies. There was a significant difference between the group with HG and the group with normal pregnancies in terms of flora dysbiosis ( p :.001)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that gut dysbiosis may be a factor in HG. The effect of the severity of gut dysbiosis on the disease may be the subject of future studies.

Background: To evaluate the relationship between IL-1α -889C/T (rs1800587), IL-1β -511C > T (rs16944), TNFα -308G > A (rs1800629), TNFα -238G > A (rs361525), IL-6 -174G > C (rs1800795), and IL-6 -572G > C (rs1800796) polymorphisms and the susceptibility to transposition of the great arteries (TGA)., Methods: A prospective analysis was performed on mothers whose newborns were diagnosed as having TGA. For each case of TGA, a mother who gave birth to a healthy neonate in the same period was randomly selected for the control group. The sample size was calculated before planning the study with 80% power and 5% alpha., Results: Twenty-seven mothers whose newborn had TGA anomalies (group 1) and 27 mothers whose newborn had no TGA (group 2) were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of maternal age, pregestational body mass index, gestational age at birth and infant sex (p > 0.05). The genotype and allele distributions of IL-1α -889C/T (rs1800587), IL-1β -511C > T (rs16944), TNFα -308G > A (rs1800629), TNFα -238G > A (rs361525), IL-6 -174G > C (rs1800795) and IL-6 -572G > C (rs1800796) gene variants were not different between the two groups (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: There was no relation between IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα promoter gene polymorphisms and TGA occurrence in our study group., Trial Registration: This present prospective case-control study was conducted in Baskent University Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, between May 2020 and November 2021. Ethical approval was obtained from the university's Clinical Research Ethics Commitee (No: KA20/211) in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objective: To compare the surgical outcomes and early postoperative complications of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation performed by residents with those performed by attending physicians., Methods: This is a retrospective, case-control study. Data were gathered from chart reviews of consecutive cases of AGV model FP7 implantation between January 2014 and July 2017. Postoperative 1-year results of patients who had at least 3 months follow-up were evaluated., Results: One hundred and forty-four eyes of 144 patients were included in this study: 72 patients in the resident group, and 72 age- and sex-matched patients in the attending group. Hyphema and shallow anterior chamber were significantly more common in the resident group vs. attending group (25% vs. 2.8% and 19.4% vs. 7.0%; P = 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively). Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) was more common in resident vs. attending group (30.6% vs. 1.4%; P < 0.001). No significant difference in mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was found at any postoperative follow-up visits between the surgery groups ( P > 0.05, for all). The number of postoperative visits within 3 months was similar between the groups ( P = 0.84)., Conclusion: Resident-performed AGV surgery lowered IOP, similar to attending-performed surgery. More frequent complications were observed in the resident group, which might be due to the predominance of NVG in this group., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Oman Ophthalmic Society.)

Due to the alarming spread of bacterial resistance to conventional drugs, the sole use of antibiotics to fight lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) is not resolutive, and novel strategies to replace or complement the use of antibiotics are highly desirable. Among these strategies, the use of probiotics is emerging as a particularly attractive approach. Probiotic administration via the oral route has demonstrated an ability to improve lung function and to reduce infection and exacerbation rates in CF patients through mechanisms mainly attributable to the gut-lung axis. Nevertheless, some studies reported no beneficial effect of probiotic intake suggesting that there is margin for improvement of such innovative intervention in CF. The present review aims to address the rationale behind probiotic use in CF and discuss the hypothesis that nasal/aerosol administration of appropriate probiotic strains may help to exert a direct beneficial effect on the respiratory tract, increasing the effectiveness of probiotic interventions in CF patients.

Olive leaves extract (OLE) has been extensively studied as antioxidant and antibiotic and these characteristics make it particularly interesting for use on wounds. For this reason, the aim of this study was to introduce OLE in microparticles (MP) of hyaluronic acid (MPHA-OLE) or chitosan (MPCs-OLE) to obtain a spray patch for the treatment of wounds in anatomical areas that are difficult to protect with traditional patches. The MP were characterized for particle size and ability to protect OLE from degradation, to absorb water from wound exudate, to control OLE release from MP. The MPHA and MPCs medicated or not and mixtures of the two types in different proportions were studied in vitro on fibroblasts by the scratch wound healing assay. The MP size was always less than 5 µm, and therefore, suitable for a spray patch. The MPCs-OLE could slow down the release of OLE therefore only about 60% of the polyphenols contained in it were released after 4 h. Both MPHA and MPCs could accelerate wound healing. A 50% MPHA-OLE-50% MPCs-OLE blend was the most suitable for accelerating wound healing. The MPHA-OLE-MPCs-OLE blends studied in this work were shown to have the characteristics suitable for a spray patch, thus giving a second life to the waste products of olive growers.

Traditional fermented foods are obtained by a complex consortium of autochthonous microorganisms producing a wide variety of bioactive compounds, thus representing a reservoir of strains with new functional properties. Here, doughs obtained using five different wholegrain flours were singly fermented with selected yeast strains, which were evaluated for their functional traits. Lactate, volatile fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid isomers produced by fermented doughs were detected by HPLC, while dough anti-inflammatory capacity was measured on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by flow cytometry. Yeast potential probiotic activity was assessed by evaluating their resistance to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. For the first time we report evidence of yeast strains producing high levels of the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer CLA 10-12tc and propionic acid, which are known for their specific health benefits. Moreover, such yeast strains showed an anti-inflammatory capacity, as revealed by a significantly decreased production of the strongly pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β. All our Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were remarkably resistant to simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, as compared to the commercial probiotic strain. The two strains S. cerevisiae IMA D18Y and L10Y showed the best survival percentage. Our novel yeast strains may be exploited as valuable functional starters for the industrial production of cereal-based innovative and health-promoting fermented foods.

Despite the considerable progress made in recent years, our understanding of the human immune response to microbial biofilms is still poor. The aim of the present study was to compare the in vitro response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to biofilms and planktonic cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis, two bacterial species particularly relevant in patients with cystic fibrosis or undergoing endovascular catheterization, respectively. PBMC isolated from healthy donors were co-cultured with 24 h-old biofilms or with exponentially growing cells of both species. Following 24 h of co-culture, the expression of early activation markers and the levels of cytokines in the culture supernatants were assessed by flow cytometry, while biofilm biomass and architecture were evaluated by crystal violet staining, CFU count, and confocal microscopy. Around 20% of PBMC was activated in response to both biofilms and planktonic cells of P. aeruginosa . In contrast, planktonic cells of S. epidermidis induced a statistically higher degree of activation than their biofilm counterpart (25% versus 15%; p < 0.01). P. aeruginosa biofilms stimulated pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine production at statistically significant levels higher than its planktonic counterpart, while an opposite trend was observed with S. epidermidis . Differences in the architecture of the biofilms and in the number of PBMC infiltrating the biofilms between the two bacterial species may at least partially explain these findings. Collectively, the results obtained highlighted marked differences in the host-cell response depending on the species and the mode of growth (biofilms versus planktonic cultures), allowing speculations on the different strategies adopted by P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis to persist in the host during the course of chronic infections.

In this study, we aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of Premature Preterm Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) cases diagnosed by classical speculum examination and by placental alpha microglobulin-1 protein (PAMG-1) assay. The medical records of all patients with singleton pregnancies that were diagnosed with PPROM were retrospectively reviewed. Singleton pregnancies with PPROM diagnosis that was confirmed either by direct visualisation of amniotic fluid leaking through the cervix or by placental alpha microglobulin-1 protein (PAMG-1) assay if no amniotic fluid leakage was documented were included in the study. Demographics, prenatal and postnatal characteristics were reviewed from the medical charts and were recorded. The study included 138 pregnancies with PPROM; 111 patients in clinical speculum examination group and 27 in PAMG-1 assay group. There were no significant differences in maternal and pregnancy characteristics between the clinical speculum examination and PAMG-1 assay groups. Foetal outcomes were comparable between clinical speculum examination and PAMG-1 assay groups. In the clinical speculum examination group, there were nine (8.1%) chorioamnionitis cases, however, there were no chorioamnionitis cases in the PAMG-1 assay group during the latency period ( p  = .21).Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Placental alpha microglobulin-1 protein assay uses immunochromatography method to detect trace amount of placental alpha microglobulin-1 protein in vaginal fluids and has high sensitivity and specificity for ROM diagnosis. However, to the best of our knowledge, the clinical outcome of ROM cases detected by classical speculum examination and by placental alpha microglobulin-1 protein assay has not been compared in the literature previously. What do the results of this study add? Although statistically insignificant, cases diagnosed by PAMG-1 assay had lower risk of chorioamnionitis during latency period. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Whether cases diagnosed by PAMG-1 assay represent a milder form of rupture of membranes than cases diagnosed by classical speculum examination group warrants further research.

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.

The co-occurrence of increasing rates of resistance to current antibiotics and the paucity of novel antibiotics pose major challenges for the treatment of bacterial infections. In this scenario, treatments targeting bacterial virulence have gained considerable interest as they are expected to exert a weaker selection for resistance than conventional antibiotics. In a previous study, we demonstrated that a low-molecular-weight quaternized chitosan derivative, named QAL, displays antibiofilm activity against the major pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa at subinhibitory concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate whether QAL was able to inhibit the production of relevant virulence factors of P. aeruginosa . When tested in vitro at subinhibiting concentrations (0.31-0.62 mg/mL), QAL markedly reduced the production of pyocyanin, pyoverdin, proteases, and LasA, as well as inhibited the swarming motility of three out of four P. aeruginosa strains tested. Furthermore, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses demonstrated that expression of lasI and rhlI , two QS-related genes, was highly downregulated in a representative P. aeruginosa strain. Confocal scanning laser microscopy analysis suggested that FITC-labelled QAL accumulates intracellularly following incubation with P. aeruginosa . In contrast, the reduced production of virulence factors was not evidenced when QAL was used as the main polymeric component of polyelectrolyte-based nanoparticles. Additionally, combination of sub-MIC concentrations of QAL and tobramycin significantly reduced biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa , likely due to a synergistic activity towards planktonic bacteria. Overall, the results obtained demonstrated an antivirulence activity of QAL, possibly due to polymer intracellular localization and QS-inhibition, and its ability to inhibit P. aeruginosa growth synergizing with tobramycin.

Objective: To compare the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of patients treated with repeated-dose prostaglandin E2 (dinoprostone) vaginal insert when the first dose fails., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 1.043 pregnant women who received dinoprostone for labor induction between November 2012 and August 2015. Pregnant women were divided into two groups according to the number of dinoprostone administrations: group 1, single-dose dinoprostone (n=1.000), and group 2, repeated-dose dinoprostone (n=43). Intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal outcomes of the pregnant women were compared., Results: Vaginal delivery rate was 65% in group 1 and 30.2% in group 2 (p=0.001). The need for the neonatal intensive care unit was found in 44 pregnant women (4.4%) in group 1 and 6 pregnant women (13.6%) in group 2 (p=0.006)., Conclusion: When obstetric and neonatal data were evaluated in our study, we observed that dinoprostone administration was associated with increased cesarean rates and adverse neonatal outcomes with repeated-dose dinoprostone when the first dose failed.