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We report on the rare case of a male toddler presenting with myoclonic epilepsy characterized by daily episodes of upward movements of the eyebrows, and myoclonic jerks of both head and upper limbs. In addition, the child showed speech delay, tremors, and lack of motor coordination. Next Generation Sequencing analysis (NGS) performed in trio revealed in the proband the c.889C>T de novo missense variant in the KCNA2 gene in heterozygous state. This is the first case of myoclonic epilepsy in a toddler due to a c.889C>T KCNA2 missense variant. The patient was treated with valproic acid and ethosuximide with a good clinical response. At 6 years old, follow-up revealed that the proband was seizure-free with tremors and clumsiness in movements. According to the literature, this case supports the correlation between myoclonic epilepsy and KCNA2 alterations. This evidence suggests that performing genomic testing including the KCNA2 gene in preschool patients affected by myoclonic epilepsy, especially when associated with delayed neurodevelopment. Our goal is to expand the phenotypical spectrum of this rare condition and adding clinical features following a genotype-first approach.

The dramatic increase in infections caused by critically multidrug-resistant bacteria is a global health concern. In this study, we characterized the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) of K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, E. cloacae and A. baumannii isolated from both surgical wound and rectal swab of a single Italian patient. Bacterial identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS and the antimicrobial susceptibility was carried out by Vitek 2 system. The characterization of ARGs was performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) methodology (MiSeq Illumina apparatus). K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis and E. cloacae were resistant to most β-lactams and β-lactam/β-lactamases inhibitor combinations. A. baumannii strain was susceptible only to colistin. The presence of plasmids (IncN, IncR, IncFIB, ColRNAI and Col (MGD2)) was detected in all Enterobacterales but not in A. baumannii strain. The IncN plasmid and blaNDM-1 gene were found in K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis and E. cloacae, suggesting a possible transfer of this gene among the three clinical species. Conjugation experiments were performed using K. pneumoniae (1 isolate), P. mirabilis (2 isolates) and E. cloacae (2 isolates) as donors and E. coli J53 as a recipient. The blaNDM-1 gene was identified by PCR analysis in all transconjugants obtained. The presence of four different bacterial species harboring resistance genes to different classes of antibiotics in a single patient substantially reduced the therapeutic options.

Background The megalichthyids are one of several clades of extinct tetrapodomorph fish that lived throughout the Devonian–Permian periods. They are advanced “osteolepidid-grade” fishes that lived in freshwater swamp and lake environments, with some taxa growing to very large sizes. They bear cosmine-covered bones and a large premaxillary tusk that lies lingually to a row of small teeth. Diagnosis of the family remains controversial with various authors revising it several times in recent works. There are fewer than 10 genera known globally, and only one member definitively identified from Gondwana. Cladarosymblema narrienense Fox et al. 1995 was described from the Lower Carboniferous Raymond Formation in Queensland, Australia, on the basis of several well-preserved specimens. Despite this detailed work, several aspects of its anatomy remain undescribed. Methods Two especially well-preserved 3D fossils of Cladarosymblema narrienense, including the holotype specimen, are scanned using synchrotron or micro-computed tomography (µCT), and 3D modelled using specialist segmentation and visualisation software. New anatomical detail, in particular internal anatomy, is revealed for the first time in this taxon. A novel phylogenetic matrix, adapted from other recent work on tetrapodomorphs, is used to clarify the interrelationships of the megalichthyids and confirm the phylogenetic position of C. narrienense. Results Never before seen morphological details of the palate, hyoid arch, basibranchial skeleton, pectoral girdle and axial skeleton are revealed and described. Several additional features are confirmed or updated from the original description. Moreover, the first full, virtual cranial endocast of any tetrapodomorph fish is presented and described, giving insight into the early neural adaptations in this group. Phylogenetic analysis confirms the monophyly of the Megalichthyidae with seven genera included (Askerichthys, Cladarosymblema, Ectosteorhachis, Mahalalepis, Megalichthys, Palatinichthys, and Sengoerichthys). The position of the megalichthyids as sister group to canowindrids, crownward of “osteolepidids” (e.g.,Osteolepis and Gogonasus), but below “tristichopterids” such as Eusthenopteron is confirmed, but our findings suggest further work is required to resolve megalichthyid interrelationships.

Background: Homophobia or the reaction against homosexuals could be based on the structural ideology of the society, on its institutions or on power relationships, which can incite contempt, sometimes even to deadly violence, regarding those not complying the national culture reference model. Such behaviors are born from the belief that homosexuality must be fought against and opposed as it threatens social order, and could be increased augmented by the campaigns of politicians spread in the mass media. Methods: The aim of this study is to investigate and compare homophobia in Italy and Spain, two Mediterranean countries related from a cultural and traditional background and for general acceptance of homosexuals, and to verify the role of current national culture on recently rising homophobic attitude. Italian and Spanish subjects were studied by means of self-administered questionnaires consisting of: Modern Homophobia Scale to evaluate homophobic attitudes, Homophobia Scale to evaluate the affective, cognitive and behavioral components towards homosexuality, Stereotype Content Model to identify stereotypes about homosexuality, the scale of 11 Emotions and the subscale of Prejudice Attitude Test assessing the social distance, to assess the prejudicial behavior across the two countries. Results: Results showed that despite homophobia levels are low for both populations, with positive emotion and stereotype, Italians showed a greater social distance and a lower quantity and quality of contacts with homosexuals than Spanish. Comparing for political orientation, ideological right-flaw Italians resulted in significantly higher personal discomfort, aggressiveness and cognitive negativism, and lower quantity of contacts than Spanish. Social distance was higher scored in right-flaw than left-flaw oriented subjects from both Italy and Spain, with Italians scoring higher than Spanish. An alternative interpretation of homophobic attitude in Italy, known for recently rising attempts to homosexuals, was provided in comparison with Spain. Political orientation could provide for the differences observed in social distance in each country, but not between them. Specifically, this study’s results indicate that genderist and homophobic campaigns from the Italian right parties could have transmitted values and attitudes of greater prejudice and rejection towards homosexuals. Conclusions: This research contributes to the objective of raising awareness about the mechanisms underlying the homophobic matrix conveyed from national culture, politics and mass media, and its consequences on psycho-social disease.

This study assessed a technology-aided program (monitoring responding, and ensuring preferred stimulation and encouragements) for promoting physical activity with 11 participants with severe/profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Each participant was provided with an exercise device (e.g. a static bicycle and a stepper) and exposed to the program according to an ABAB design, in which A and B represented baseline and intervention phases, respectively. Data recording concerned (a) the participants' responses with the exercise device (e.g. pedaling) during baseline and intervention phases and (b) their heart rates during the last intervention phase. The results showed that all participants had significant increases in responding with the exercise devices during the intervention phases. Heart-rate values during the intervention sessions indicated that the participants' responding during those sessions mostly amounted to moderate-intensity physical activity, with potential benefits for their overall physical condition. Implications of the findings and questions for future research in the area were discussed.

Infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) have limited therapeutic options. Sulbactam-durlobactam is a combination of two βlactamase inhibitors with activity against CRAB under phase 3 clinical investigation. We performed a systematic review on in vitro studies reporting A. baumannii resistances against sulbactam/durlobactam. We considered “resistant” species to be those with MIC ≥ 8 mg/L. Ten studies were included in the review (9754 tested isolates). Overall, 2.3% of A. baumannii were resistant to sulbactam/durlobactam, and this percentage rose to 3.4% among CRAB subgroups and to 3.7% among colistin-resistant strains. Resistance was 100% among metallo β-lactamase-producing strains. Overall, in 12.5% of cases, sulbactam/durlobactam resistance was associated with the production of NDM-1, in 31.7% of cases with the substitutions in the PBP3 determinants, and in the remaining cases the resistance mechanism was unknown. In conclusion, A. baumannii resistance towards sulbactam/durlobactam is limited, except for MBL-producing strains.

Introduction. The Biolabo Solea 100 is a fully automated coagulation analyser using an optical system to detect coagulation designed to meet the needs of small- and medium-sized laboratories. This study aimed to evaluate the analytical performance in terms of bias, precision, and interference of the Biolabo Solea 100 coagulometer under routine laboratory conditions. In addition, a comparison was made with Stago STA-R MAX. Materials and Methods. Imprecision and bias were evaluated for activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), and prothrombin time (PT) at the medical decision levels. The results of 200, 181, and 206 plasma samples for APTT, FIB, and PT, respectively, were compared with those obtained by Stago STA-R MAX. In addition, the interference level of bilirubin, haemoglobin, triglycerides, and fractionated heparin was evaluated. Results. Repeatability, intermediate imprecision, bias, and total error are overall below the defined limits of acceptability. Of interest is the high degree of agreement between Solea 100 and STA-R MAX with respect to PT (s), which fits perfectly with the theoretical line of identity (y = 0 + 1.00x). No interferences were found within the limits stated by the manufacturer, with some exceptions for APTT with heparin and APTT and PT for higher bilirubin concentrations. Conclusions. In conclusion, the performance of the Solea 100 optical analyser is satisfactory and adequate for the determination of routine coagulation tests. Moreover, they are perfectly comparable to mechanical systems, such as STA-R MAX and other upper-level analysers, even considering the low interference levels under routine conditions.

Agricultural activities lead to the production of large quantities of pruning and residual biomass, the correct disposal of which is a topic of great interest. Unfortunately, although it is an environmentally unacceptable practice, disposal often takes place with uncontrolled combustion in field (open burning). Disposal using biomass boilers produces energy from controlled combustion and the use of abatement systems reduces emissions that are inevitably generated in the combustion processes of solid fuel (CO, CO2, NOx, SO2, PM, etc.). Among the pollutants produced in combustion processes, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are one of the most relevant groups of chemicals that must be monitored for their effect on human health and the environment. This paper reports the data obtained for the emissive characterization of POPs of three different wood biomass prunings (Olive, Citrus and Grapevine) focusing on VOCs, PAHs, PCBs, PCDD/Fs. Emissions samplings were performed at the stack during combustion in a 30 kWth boiler equipped with a multicyclone filter bag for PM abatement in an isokinetic mode in accordance with the CEN and ISO standards methods. Through this work, a complete emission profile of VOCs, PAHs, PCBs, and PCDD/Fs of three different biomass types is provided for the first time, showing that the use of biomass boilers produces quantities of pollutants below the regulatory limits and still lower than those produced by open burning phenomena. Citrus has shown, regarding the other two essences, elevated concentrations in terms of Σ PAH = 174.247 ng/m3, while Olive gave higher results in terms of PCBs and PCDD/Fs (respectively, 39.769 and 3390.63 TEQ pg/Nm3). This is probably due to the high concentration of iron in this biomass (711.44 mg/kg), which during combustion is a catalyst (together with copper) of PCDD/Fs.

Background: Beyond unambiguous advantages of mobile phones (MP), growing evidences document its problematic use and association with mental health issues. Unintentional injuries, such as road traffic or pedestrian accidents, result from dangerous use of the MP (DUMP). The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of DUMP and the addiction to MP in young while driving, cycling or walking (defined as DUMP) relating to some demographic and psychological factors. Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence study was carried out on a sample of 1130 Italian university students. The use and addiction to MP were studied with Italian version of the Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire (MPUQ) and Dependence test of MP (DTMP). The Cognitive Behavioral Assessment 2.0 (CBA 2.0) was used to investigate anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Results: Result statistics showed a continuous use of MP. One third of subjects showed MP addiction, associated to female and younger students. Two thirds showed risk of DUMP, associated to male and older. The obsessive-compulsive disorder was estimated only in a small fraction and significantly correlated with DTMP. Conclusions: Our study points out the importance that information and prevention campaigns targeting specific demographic subpopulations should be sought to raise young awareness for a safe use of MP.

En la intemperie. Poéticas de la fragilidad y la revuelta es el último tomo –y más contemporáneo– de Historia feminista de la literatura argentina, editada por EDUVIM y dirigida por Nora Domínguez, Laura Arnés y María José Punte. Este tomo, coordinado también por Lucía De Leone, se ocupa del siglo XXI. En la introducción nos aguarda un epígrafe de Verónica Gago “La inversión espacial marca una cartografía política de nuevo tipo... estamos construyendo casas abiertas a la calle, al barrio, a las redes comunitarias y un texto y unas paredes que refugian y abrigan sin cesar”. Todas las escrituras están interpeladas por un presente sacudido por movimiento de mujeres, lesbianas, travestis y trans. Conversamos con Nora Domínguez., una de las directoras.

Este trabajo se aproxima a la heterogénea producción ensayística de la escritora mexicana Margo Glantz. Su proyecto de escritura abarca variados gestos genéricos en los que resulta complejo separar el ensayo de la ficción. Los límites entre ambos son imprecisos, con constantes transgresiones. Su escritura se apropia del archivo de la literatura mexicana para reformularlo desde un lugar: el cuerpo de mujer-su propio cuerpo. El artículo se adentra en las lecturas de los imaginarios culturales mexicanos que realiza Glantz a partir de una gramática del cuerpo que, siempre desde el fragmento, le permite contra-hacer y revisar la trama histórica y cultural de América Latina.

The injudicious usage of antibiotics during infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria leads to the emergence of β-lactamases. Among them, the NDM-1 enzyme poses a serious threat to human health. Developing new antibiotics or inhibiting β-lactamases might become essential to reduce and prevent bacterial infections. Nanobodies (Nbs), the smallest antigen-binding single-domain fragments derived from Camelidae heavy-chain-only antibodies, targeting enzymes, are innovative alternatives to develop effective inhibitors. The biopanning of an immune VHH library after phage display has helped to retrieve recombinant antibody fragments with high inhibitory activity against recombinant-NDM-1 enzyme. Nb02NDM-1, Nb12NDM-1, and Nb17NDM-1 behaved as uncompetitive inhibitors against NDM-1 with Ki values in the nM range. Remarkably, IC50 values of 25.0 nM and 8.5 nM were noted for Nb02NDM-1 and Nb17NDM-1, respectively. The promising inhibition of NDM-1 by Nbs highlights their potential application in combating particular Gram-negative infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]