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Online forums play an important role in connecting people who have crossed paths with cancer. These communities create networks of mutual support that cover different cancer-related topics, containing an extensive amount of heterogeneous information that can be mined to get useful insights. This work presents a case study where users' posts from an Italian cancer patient community have been classified combining both count-based and prediction-based representations to identify discussion topics, with the aim of improving message reviewing and filtering. We demonstrate that pairing simple bag-of-words representations based on keywords matching with pre-trained contextual embeddings significantly improves the overall quality of the predictions and allows the model to handle ambiguities and misspellings. By using non-English real-world data, we also investigated the reusability of pretrained multilingual models like BERT in lower data regimes like many local medical institutions.

Online forums play an important role in connecting people who have crossed paths with cancer. These communities create networks of mutual support that cover different cancer-related topics, containing an extensive amount of heterogeneous information that can be mined to get useful insights. This work presents a case study where users’ posts from an Italian cancer patient community have been classified combining both count-based and prediction-based representations to identify discussion topics, with the aim of improving message reviewing and filtering. We demonstrate that pairing simple bag-of-words representations based on keywords matching with pre-trained contextual embeddings significantly improves the overall quality of the predictions and allows the model to handle ambiguities and misspellings. By using non-English real-world data, we also investigated the reusability of pretrained multilingual models like BERT in lower data regimes like many local medical institutions.

Allergy to natural rubber latex emerged as one of the main allergies at the beginning among some professional groups and the general population. Sensitization and development of latex allergy have been attributed to exposure to products containing residual latex proteins. The prevailing cross-reactivity of latex proteins with other food allergens is of great concern. Numerous purified allergens are currently available, which greatly help in patient management, thus determining their specific profile. We conducted a multicenter study to investigate changes, from the ROC analysis, in the characteristics of patients with latex allergy by measuring its major protein components. Sensitization to latex proteins is crucial because it highlights the cross reactivity to inhalants (pollen) and food (fruit). It is very essential in an accurate and specific clinical setting.

The fundamental moment of prosthetic rehabilitation is the "temporary". Although the meaning of the term diminishes its importance, the provisional has fundamental biological, aesthetic and functional functions. The oral cavity must maintain an adequate level of oral hygiene to carry out this delicate phase in the best possible way; a result achieved only with the collaboration of the prosthetic dentist with the hygienist and the patient, as if they were a biological system in motion. The different methods of hygiene are effective in maintaining a good level of oral health; but they could, if too aggressive, affect the prosthetic restoration. Our objective in vitro is to understand, after applying a known bacterial load, which hygiene method is the most effective in removing bacterial biofilm but at the same time is less aggressive towards resinous material.

The systematic analysis of parameters impacting implant primary stability is difficult to achieve with human cadavers or animal models, particularly for complex trans-sinus procedures to determine the effects of cortical layers and bone engagement on implant stability before and after a simulated load in vitro. Solid rigid polyurethane blocks, partially intersected by an 8-mm-thick space, were created to imitate tri-cortical situations, the presence of the sinus cavity, and the posterior maxilla with different degrees of bone atrophy. Implants were inserted through the cavity at an angle of 30˚ (scenarios 1 and 2) to imitate the clinical protocol. Controls simulating uni-cortical anchorage and no sinus cavity were also included (controls 1 and 2). Four parameters were measured: peak insertion torque, insertion work, resistance to lateral bending loads and extraction torque. Scenarios 1 and 2 displayed similar peak insertion torque to control 2, where all three groups anchored equal amounts of bone surrogate. The distribution of surrogate bone in contact with trans-cavity implants influenced both extraction torque and the degree of lateral bending. Sufficient peak insertion torque can be attained with a trans-sinus tricortical implant anchorage providing sufficient apical and coronal bone is engaged.

Unstructured clinical notes contain a huge amount of information. We investigated the possibility of harvesting such information through an NLP-based approach. A manually curated ontology is the only resource required to handle all the steps of the process leading from clinical narrative to a structured data warehouse (i2b2). We have tested our approach at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo (Italy) on pathology reports collected since 2008.

An alternative spectrophotometric ferric reducing activity power (FRAP) method for quantification of total reducing capacity (TRC) was developed. The method is based on the reduction of FeIII to FeII by antioxidant compounds containing 2,2’-bipyridine (bipy) in aqueous solution. Absorbance values recorded at 521 nm, characteristic of the Fe(bipy)3 2+ complex formed, were used to determine the TRC of some plants-derived beverages. For the teas samples, the TRC values obtained with the proposed method and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC) reagent had an excellent agreement (adjusted correlation coefficient (r2) = 0.951). Concerning herbs samples, the TRC values obtained with the proposed FRAP method correlated very well with values obtained using the 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS•+) method (adjusted r2 = 0.975). It can be inferred from these results that other beverages derived from plants (e.g., beers, wines, and fruits juices) could also be analyzed with this new FRAP assay. In addition, the reducing capacity of 21 phenolic derivatives was determined with the proposed method in order to elucidate their structure-reactivity relationship. As expected, the phenolic derivative structure changes greatly the TRC values obtained with this proposed FRAP assay. © 2019 Sociedade Brasileira de Química.

Objectives: To identify common methodological challenges and review relevant initiatives related to the re-use of patient data collected in routine clinical care, as well as to analyze the economic benefits derived from the secondary use of this data. Through the use of several examples, this article aims to provide a glimpse into the different areas of application, namely clinical research, genomic research, study of environmental factors, and population and health services research. This paper describes some of the informatics methods and Big Data resources developed in this context, such as electronic phenotyping, clinical research networks, biorepositories, screening data banks, and wide association studies. Lastly, some of the potential limitations of these approaches are discussed, focusing on confounding factors and data quality.

Converging lines of evidence implicate the beta-amyloid peptide (Ass) as causative in Alzheimer's disease. We describe a novel class of compounds that reduce A beta production by functionally inhibiting gamma-secretase, the activity responsible for the carboxy-terminal cleavage required for A beta production. These molecules are active in both 293 HEK cells and neuronal cultures, and exert their effect upon A beta production without affecting protein secretion, most notably in the secreted forms of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Oral administration of one of these compounds, N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester, to mice transgenic for human APP(V717F) reduces brain levels of Ass in a dose-dependent manner within 3 h. These studies represent the first demonstration of a reduction of brain A beta in vivo. Development of such novel functional gamma-secretase inhibitors will enable a clinical examination of the A beta hypothesis that Ass peptide drives the neuropathology observed in Alzheimer's disease.

A recent survey on the microflora associated with the leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera Cicadellidae), the vector of “flavescence dorée” (FD), showed the presence of bacteria belonging to the genus Asaia. These bacteria are symbionts of insects of the genus Anopheles, malarial mosquito vectors. We focused on the association between Asaia sp. and S. titanus with the aim to evaluate a possible role of this microorganism as a symbiotic control agent. After development of artificial feeding systems for S. titanus, quantitative PCR on insects or feeds DNA was performed with specific primers. Results underlined that Asaia sp. was dominant in the insect microflora. A strain of Asaia expressing a green fluorescent protein was used to perform recolonization of the body of S. titanus, showing the colonization by the bacterium of salivary glands, guts, female and male reproductive organs of the insect. In situ hybridization with specific probes was performed on insect dissections, confirming the presence of the bacterium in spermatic bundles and in Malpighian tubules. Easy cultivability, dominance within the bacterial population in the insect body, cryogenic preservability and easiness for genetic manipulation demonstrated by the overall data make Asaia sp. an optimal candidate for carrying factors for FD control.

Several wine production areas in Europe are afflicted by “flavescence dorée” (FD), a grape yellows caused by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis’, transmitted by the phloem-feeder leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Hemiptera Cicadellidae). Symbiotic control of disease transmission, exploiting natural symbionts of the vector, could represent an innovative strategy against FD diffusion. A study was conducted to characterize the microflora associated to S. titanus specimens, collected from FD-contaminated vineyards in the Italian region of Piedmont. By length heterogeneity PCR we identified a major peak associated with almost all the individuals examined. Characterization by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis confirmed the presence of a major band corresponding to sex-ratio-distorting endosymbionts of the ‘Candidatus Cardinium hertigii’ group; electron microscopy of tissues of S. titanus showed bacterial cells with the typical morphology of ‘Ca. Cardinium hertigii’ together with cell morphologies resembling those of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma vitis’. Our findings suggest that this endosymbiont, named ST1-C, described for the first time in Cicadellidae, is transovarially transmitted and could have a complex life cycle in the insect body; in addition it colocalizes with ‘Ca. Phytoplasma vitis’ several host tissues. These results make ST1-C an interesting candidate for the symbiotic control of FD diffusion.

The alternative sigma factor sigma D directs transcription of a number of genes involved in chemotaxis, motility, and autolysis in Bacillus subtilis (sigmaD regulon). The activity of SigD is probably in contrast to that of FlgM, which acts as an antisigma factor and is responsible for the coupling of late flagellar gene expression to the assembly of the hook-basal body complex. We have characterized the effects of an in-frame deletion mutation of flgM. By transcriptional fusions to lacZ, we have shown that in FlgM-depleted strains there is a 10-fold increase in transcription from three different sigmaD-dependent promoters, i.e., Phag, PmotAB, and PfliDST. The number of flagellar filaments was only slightly increased by the flgM mutation. Overexpression of FlgM from a multicopy plasmid under control of the isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible spac promoter drastically reduced the level of transcription from the hag promoter. On the basis of these results, we conclude that, as in Salmonella typhimurium, FlgM inhibits the activity of SigD, but an additional element is involved in determining the number of flagellar filaments.

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Intensive care of patients with SAH is targeted to recognize and treat the leading cause of death and disability. Hemorrhage, vasospasm, rebleeding, intracranial hypertension can produce ischaemia because the ratio between metabolism (CMRO2) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) is not coupled. Neuro-ICU bedside monitoring provides information on the intracranial dynamics. Aggressive treatment attempts to avoid ischaemia but needs a clipped or thrombosed (via endovascular approach) aneurysm. The authors propose treatment to improve CBF and reduce CMRO2: hypervolemia, hemodilution, hypertension, ICP reduction, normocapnia, mannitol infusion, normothermia or mild hypothermia and sedation with intravenous anaesthetics. Medical complications such as hypovolemia, infections, pulmonary oedema, gastrointestinal bleeding need to be recognized early and treated.

The complex disorders result from collective actions of many genetic and not-genetic factors and their molecular bases remain largely unknown. The analysis of the variation in gene expression could be an important instrument to dissect these complex phenotypes and improve the comprehension of the pathogenetic mechanisms. To this aim we present here CorrelaGenes, a new bioinformatics tool that exploits the expression data publicly available in the GEO database to identify co-expression patterns that could help to untangle the web of pathways leading to complex diseases.

Centro V.I.A. Italia, AAA, FAST, Milano

This paper describes a new technique for clustering short time series coming from gene expression data. The technique is based on the labelling of the time series through temporal trend abstractions and a consequent clustering of the series on the basis of their labels. Clustering is performed at three different levels of aggregation of the original time series, so that the results are organized and visualized as a three-levels hierarchical tree. Results on simulated and on yeast data are shown. The technique appears robust and efficient and the results obtained are easy to be interpreted.

This paper reviews the Author's contribution to the knowledge of the ultrastructural basis of the prokaryote-eukaryote interactions in different models assessed by an ultrastructural approach. In agreement with the hypothesis of the origin of eukaryotic cells, which are chimeras of several prokaryotes with different morpho-functional specializations, symbiosis had major consequence for evolution of life. In Arthropods, one of the most successful lifestyles, the presence of endosymbiotic prokaryotes, plays an important role in their metabolism. In some cases, genome integration has occurred in the endosymbiotic relationships with the host, proving that intracellular symbiosis is not merely a nutritional supplement. Intracellular symbiotic bacteria are also described in nematodes. In particular, the presence of intracellular Wolbachia in filariae, even if its function is not yet completely known, influences positively the reproductive biology and the survival of the host, as proved by antibiotic treatment against this bacterium. The ultrastructural images reported in this review were obtained using different species of cockroaches, termites, ticks and filarial nematodes. The traditional methods of transmission (TEM), scansion (SEM) and immuno electron microscopy were used. In addition, also freeze-fracture and deep-etching techniques were employed. The cockroaches and the primitive termite Mastotermes darwiniensis host symbiotic bacteria in the ovary and in specialized cells (bacteriocytes) of the fat body. These bacteria have the typical cell boundary profile of gram-negative bacteria and are enveloped in a vacuolar membrane produced by the host cell. Molecular sequence data of 16S rDNA of endosymbionts of five species of cockroaches and M. darwiniensis indicate that they are members of the Flavobacteria-bacteroides group and that the infection occurred in an ancestor common to cockroaches and termites probably after the end of the Paleozoic (250 Ma BP). The symbiotic bacteria are transmitted transovarially and, during embryogenesis, they are integrated into the morphogenetic processes. In particular, we were able to demonstrate that the origin of the bacteriocyte should be looked for in the cells of the haemocyte line (embryonic plasmatocytes). The eggs are infected by the bacteria emerging from the bacteriocytes of the ovaric fat body and, at the end of the vitellogenesis, they are actively phagocytized by the egg membrane. In filarial nematodes, intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus Wolbachia have been described: they have evolved an obligatory mutualistic association with their host. In fact, antibiotic treatments lead to the clearance of bacteria and this loss produces a negative impact on reproduction and survival of the filarial host. We evidenced, by TEM, the degenerative events occurring during the embriogenesis of Brugia pahangi and Dirofilaria immitis after tetracycline treatment. The data suggest that the Wolbachia play a direct role in worm metabolism. Finally, a new additional model of the prokaryote-eukaryote interaction has been described: we have recently discovered a new intracellular alpha-proteobacterium, named Iric ES1, which resides in the ovarian tissues of the tick Ixodes ricinus. The intriguing characteristic of this bacterium is its ability to invade and consume the ovaric mitochondria. From an evolutionary perspective, it is interesting to note that Iric ES1 enters mitochondria in a similar way to that employed by the "predatory" bacterium Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus.

Ticks are known to carry and transmit a number of microbial agents that cause diseases in humans and animals. Among these are members of the order Rickettsiales (alpha-proteobacteria), which include the genera Rickettsia and Ehrlichia. The most common and well-known Rickettsial human disease in Europe is Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF), caused by Rickettsia conorii. In recent years, a number of new Rickettsia species have been discovered in Europe, some of which have been shown to be pathogenic to humans. These discoveries have been facilitated by use of sequence-based molecular identification techniques. In Italy, it is generally believed that R. conorii is the only Rickettsia species present, and clinical tests for MSF rely on antigens raised against this bacterium. We are currently undertaking a molecular screening study of Rickettsiales-bacteria in ticks from various regions of Italy, to check for the potential presence of species from this order recently discovered in other parts of Europe. So far, we have identified a number of additional species in ticks collected from northern, central and southern regions. These include the known pathogens R. helvetica and R. slovaca as well as two species which may or may not be of medical relevance: R. monacensis and R. sp. IRS4. As a part of this survey, we have identified a novel alphaproteobacterium from the medically important tick Ixodes ricinus. This bacterium, tentatively named IricES1, has the unusual property of existing within the mitochondria, as well as the cytoplasm, of ovarian cells. To our knowledge, this is the only known example of a bacterium that is able to enter the mitochondria of animals. Our recently published electron microscopic data indicates that the bacterium enters mitochondria between the inner and outer membranes, and then proceeds to consume the inner mitochondrial matrix. We will present further data on this bacterium, including: 1) its phylogenetic position based on various molecular sequences, 2) its localization within the tick based on in situ hybridization; 3) its distribution among tick populations in Europe; 4) preliminary data on attempts at culturing this bacterium in a variety of cell types. Possible interactions between the bacterium and its host will be discussed. Ticks are known to carry and transmit a number of microbial agents that cause diseases in humans and animals. Among these are members of the order Rickettsiales (alpha-proteobacteria), which include the genera Rickettsia and Ehrlichia. The most common and well-known Rickettsial human disease in Europe is Mediterranean Spotted Fever (MSF), caused by Rickettsia conorii. In recent years, a number of new Rickettsia species have been discovered in Europe, some of which have been shown to be pathogenic to humans. These discoveries have been facilitated by use of sequence-based molecular identification techniques. In Italy, it is generally believed that R. conorii is the only Rickettsia species present, and clinical tests for MSF rely on antigens raised against this bacterium. We are currently undertaking a molecular screening study of Rickettsiales-bacteria in ticks from various regions of Italy, to check for the potential presence of species from this order recently discovered in other parts of Europe. So far, we have identified a number of additional species in ticks collected from northern, central and southern regions. These include the known pathogens R. helvetica and R. slovaca as well as two species which may or may not be of medical relevance: R. monacensis and R. sp. IRS4. As a part of this survey, we have identified a novel alphaproteobacterium from the medically important tick Ixodes ricinus. This bacterium, tentatively named IricES1, has the unusual property of existing within the mitochondria, as well as the cytoplasm, of ovarian cells. To our knowledge, this is the only known example of a bacterium that is able to enter the mitochondria of animals. Our recently published electron microscopic data indicates that the bacterium enters mitochondria between the inner and outer membranes, and then proceeds to consume the inner mitochondrial matrix. We will present further data on this bacterium, including: 1) its phylogenetic position based on various molecular sequences, 2) its localization within the tick based on in situ hybridization; 3) its distribution among tick populations in Europe; 4) preliminary data on attempts at culturing this bacterium in a variety of cell types. Possible interactions between the bacterium and its host will be discussed.

Intracellular bacteria belonging to the genus Wolbachia have been described in filarial nematodes and these microorganisms appear to have evolved an obligatory mutualistic association with their filarial hosts. In fact, antibiotic treatment leads to the clearance of bacteria from worms resulting in a block in embryogenesis and, eventually, death of adult filariae. Currently, the antifilarial action of antibiotic treatment is interpreted as a secondary consequence of the bacteriostatic activity against Wolbachia endosymbionts. Here, we demonstrate by transmission electron microscopy the degenerative events occurring during embryogenesis of Brugia pahangi after tetracycline treatment. After 56 days of treatment the cytoplasm of hypodermal cords was totally void of Wolbachia and numerous vacuoles, residual of cytolitic activity, were observed. In the ovary, the morphology of the oocytes was well conserved 33 days after treatment, but the texture of symbiotic bacteria appeared altered. After 56 days of treatment embryogenesis was dramatically affected and the terminal portion of the ovary appeared totally empty. The authors suggest that the symbiotic bacteria play a direct role in worm metabolism and a long-term bacteriostatic effect may block bacterial activity involved in the active control of cytolysis. As a consequence, the bacteriophorous vacuole is transformed into a digestive vacuole and the whole symbiotic population is disrupted.

Filarial nematodes harbour intracellular symbiotic bacteria belonging to the genus Wolbachia. Wolbachia is thought to play an important role in the biology of the nematode. Moreover, Wolbachia appears to be involved in the immunopathogenesis of filariasis and in the onset of the side-effects of antifilarial therapy. Investigations in these research areas require reliable methods to quantify Wolbachia both in nematodes and in vertebrate tissues. To this purpose, we designed a quantitative real-time PCR targeted on the ftsZ gene of the Wolbachia of Brugia pahangi, a model filarial species maintained in gerbils. The method was applied to quantify Wolbachia in Brugia pahangi, from animals with or without tetracycline treatment. Our results show that tetracycline treatment leads to dramatic reduction or clearance of Wolbachia from the nematode. Results obtained from different replicates were reproducible and the method appeared very sensitive compared to other PCR protocols for Wolbachia detection. Real-time PCR is thus an appropriate method for investigations on the biological role of Wolbachia and on the implication of these bacteria in the pathogenesis of filariasis. With slight modifications of the primers and probe, the protocol we have developed could be applied in studies of the human pathogen Brugia malayi and on the model filarial species Litomosoides sigmodontis.

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation provides both enantio- and diastereoselectivity in formation of bicyclo [2.2.2] octan-2,3-diones and quinuclidin-2-ones, the latter potential precursors to quinine alkaloids. [reaction: see text]

Converging lines of evidence implicate the beta-amyloid peptide (Ass) as causative in Alzheimer's disease. We describe a novel class of compounds that reduce A beta production by functionally inhibiting gamma-secretase, the activity responsible for the carboxy-terminal cleavage required for A beta production. These molecules are active in both 293 HEK cells and neuronal cultures, and exert their effect upon A beta production without affecting protein secretion, most notably in the secreted forms of the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Oral administration of one of these compounds, N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester, to mice transgenic for human APP(V717F) reduces brain levels of Ass in a dose-dependent manner within 3 h. These studies represent the first demonstration of a reduction of brain A beta in vivo. Development of such novel functional gamma-secretase inhibitors will enable a clinical examination of the A beta hypothesis that Ass peptide drives the neuropathology observed in Alzheimer's disease.

The distribution and phylogeny of Wolbachia in filarial species suggests that these endosymbiotic bacteria may be important in the biology of their filarial hosts. An experiment to falsify this hypothesis would be to treat filarial worms with antibiotics which are active against intracellular bacteria. Indeed, it has already been shown that tetracycline treatment inhibits development in a model filarial species (Brugia pahangi) at different stages of the life cycle, in both mosquito and mammalian hosts. Here we discuss these previous data and present new results on the effect of tetracycline on the embryogenesis of the canine filaria Dirofilaria immitis.

All examined species of cockroaches have been shown to harbour intracellular bacteria in specialized cells (bacteriocytes) of the fat body. In termites, bacteria in specialized cells have been observed only in Mastotermes darwiniensis (Isoptera: Mastotermitidae). All of these bacteria have been assigned to the same eubacterial lineage, with the bacteria of M. darwiniensis as the sister group to the cockroach bacteria. While the main steps of the life cycle of cockroach bacteria have been described, little is known about the bacteria of M. darwiniensis. More specifically, no data are available on their behaviour during the development of this termite. Using both optical and electron microscopy methods, we examined embryos of M. darwiniensis at different developmental stages. Our results show that the integration of bacteria during the development of M. darwiniensis is implemented in the same way as in cockroaches. In particular, we observed the aggregation of a large amount of bacteria in a single mass in the yolk sac, with vitellophage-associated bacterial lysis. In cockroaches, a similar process has been described in detail for Periplaneta americana (Blattaria: Blattidae), where the bacterial mass is referred to as the transitory mycetome. The formation of a transitory mycetome could thus be regarded as an ancestral condition for cockroaches and termites.

Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacteria have been shown to be widespread among filarial worms and could thus play some role in the biology of these nematodes. Indeed, tetracycline has been shown to inhibit both the development of adult worms from third-stage larvae and the development of the microfilaraemia in jirds infected with Brugia pahangi. The possibility that these effects are related to the bacteriostatic activity of tetracycline on Wolbachia symbionts should be considered. Here we show that tetracycline treatment is very effective in blocking embryo development in two filarial nematodes, B. pahangi and Dirofilaria immitis. Embryo degeneration was documented by TEM, while the inhibition of the transovarial transmission of Wolbachia was documented by PCR. Phylogenetic analysis on the ssrDNA sequence of the Wolbachia of B. pahangi confirms that the phylogeny of the bacterial endosymbionts is consistent with that of the host worms. The possibility that tetracycline inhibition of embryo development in B. pahangi and D. immitis is determined by cytoplasmic incompatibility is discussed.

Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) were collected from Greenland and Svalbard (N = 319). Twenty-four were infected with Trichinella (7.5%). Molecular analysis (random-amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction) confirmed that all animals were infected with Trichinella nativa. Motile larvae were found in muscle tissue from all foxes after carcasses had been frozen for 1 yr at -18 C. Infective larvae were found in 2 foxes after a total of 4 yr storage at -18 C, which is longer than any previous observations. Morphological examination of the cysts showed large nurse cells and significant deposition of collagen and connective tissue. It is suggested that, within the geographical distribution of T. nativa, the more freeze-resistant isolates are found at higher latitudes.

Cockroaches are known to harbour intracellular bacteria in specialised cells (mycetocytes, or bacteriocytes) of the fat body. In termites, mycetocyte bacteria have been observed only in Mastotermes darwiniensis. These symbionts are thought to have originated from a bacterium that infected an ancestor common to cockroaches and termites. Thus, loss of the infection should have occurred during evolution in all termite lineages, with the exception of that leading to M. darwiniensis. One might suspect that traces of the ancient infection may be present in some termites, in the form of non-mycetocyte intracellular bacteria (e.g. a small number of bacteria within normal cells). Indeed, circumstantial evidence for the presence of intracellular bacteria in two termite species has been reported. However, no data are available on the actual distribution of these bacteria in termites, or on their relationships with the mycetocyte bacteria of cockroaches and M. darwiniensis. In this paper we report results indicating that non-mycetocyte intracellular bacteria are widespread in termites. These results were obtained by electron microscopy on representatives of nine termite species. In addition, sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the non-mycetocyte bacteria of termites belong to the wolbachia group of the alpha-2 subclass of the proteobacteria. These latter bacteria are not related to the mycetocyte bacteria of cockroaches and M. darwiniensis, which belong to the blattabacterium group of the flavobacteria-bacteroides. PCR analyses with primers specific for wolbachia or blattabacterium provided further support for the identification of the observed non-mycetocyte bacteria as members of the wolbachia group.

We report a case of a tourist, coming back from Tanzania, who presented with a foruncle on the left thigh diagnosed as a bacterial infection, which eventually turned out to be a myiasis foruncle. The patient said he had sat on the ground in short trousers. The lesion was covered with petroleum jelly and the larva was observed migrating from the lesion and subsequently extracted with forceps. The morphology of larval spiracles allowed to characterize the species as Cordylobia anthropophaga. Behaviour of the most common myiasis-producing flies, their life cycle and the way of infection are briefly described. Foruncular myiasis is a typical example of a tropical disease that can be misdiagnosed by clinicians in Western Countries where this pathology is uncommon.

Microsporidia are primitive mitochondria-lacking spore-forming eukaryotic protozoa that infect a wide variety of animals and also humans. Of the five genera (Encephalitozoon, Enterocytozoon, Septata, Nosema and Pleistophora) that cause infections in humans, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Septata intestinalis, and Encephalitozoon hellem are being increasingly identified in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). E. bieneusi causes gastrointestinal disease, S. intestinalis causes gastrointestinal and disseminated disease, and E. hellem causes ocular as well as disseminated disease. We have established in continuous culture a strain of microsporidia isolated from the urine and throat washings of an Italian AIDS patient and identified it as Encephalitozoon hellem, based on its ultrastructural morphology, antigenic pattern, and polymerase chain reaction-amplified small subunit ribosomal RNA. We believe that this is the first time that a strain of microsporidia has been isolated from the throat washings of a patient with microsporidiosis.

Manual hyperventilation by Ambu bag is usually and frequently performed during nursing procedures, chest physiotherapy and interhospital transport of severely head injured patients.

Manual ventilation is frequently performed by nurses to control increases in intracranial pressure (ICP) or during physiotherapy in head injured comatose patients. The effects of manual ventilation (n = 251) on ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and EEG have been studied in 18 mechanically ventilated patients. A fall in ICP was easily obtained but a fall in arterial blood pressure was often present at the same time. Thus a reduction in CPP resulted in 36% of occasions. Prophylactic boluses of thiopental (n = 67) before noxious stimuli obtained a fall in ICP in 99% of occasions but resulted in a decrease in CPP in 46%. The fall in ICP, due to the decrease in cerebral blood flow (CBF) by hypocapnia or metabolic depression and/or arterial hypotension, may be beneficial in hyperaemic brains but may precipitate cerebral hypoxia in ischaemic lesions. Relevant information about cortical metabolism (CMR) may be obtained from EEG monitoring by Cerebral Function Monitor but, unfortunately, no data about CBF are clinically available. The Authors suggest that the continuous monitoring of jugular bulb oxygen saturation (SjO2) may offer a clinically useful index of CBF adequacy to CMR. Findings from a preliminary study in 5 patients demonstrate that a severe decrease in SjO2 has been frequently caused by manual ventilation, hypothetically related to severe cerebral ischemia. High levels of SjO2 have been induced by endotracheal suction and physiotherapy, probably related to severe hyperemia. As prevention of ischaemic and hyperaemic insults is a major goal of treatment, the A. suggest that these undesirable effects of nursing might be avoided if nurses could take advantage of continuous monitoring of SjO2.

The Authors present a review of the reports about methods developed in the latest years for screening high caries risk-subjects. They briefly discuss some basic concepts necessary to assess limits and further possibilities of development of such diagnostics methods.

The Authors present a review of the reports about methods developed in the latest years for screening high caries risk-subjects. They discuss some basic concepts necessary to assess limits and further possibilities of development of such diagnostic methods.