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Poultry eggs are a critical source of protein, vitamins, and minerals for people worldwide; facing the current global egg shortage is a significant concern. The shortage results from various factors, including avian flu outbreaks, changes in consumer demand, and supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic has also impacted the availability and affordability of eggs, particularly in low-income countries. The global egg shortage has implications for public health, particularly for vulnerable populations who rely on eggs for essential nutrients. One Health, an approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, provides a useful framework for understanding and addressing the egg shortage. One Health approaches to the egg shortage involve collaboration between agriculture and environmental sectors to address the root causes of the lack and ensure the sustainable production and distribution of eggs. Addressing the global egg shortage requires a multifaceted approach considering the complex social, economic, and environmental factors. One Health perspectives offer a way to understand and address the interconnected factors contributing to the shortage to ensure access to affordable, nutritious eggs for all in a healthy way

Human exposure to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through food is now very imperfectly understood, creating a significant gap in the design of interventions. The interchange of AMR genes and the transfer of AMR bacteria from animals to humans through the food chain necessitate comprehensive methods to risk reduction. With a focus on AMR in bacterial species isolated from food products, foods (of both animal and non-animal origin), and ambient samples, the current meta-analysis gathered up-to-date information on the epidemiology of AMR in animal-source food chain. As a result, the combined prevalence of AMR across the various food sources was calculated. From the 18,784 food samples obtained as a result of selected publications, 7,676 (40.9%) samples were contaminated, including 4343 (56.6%) and 3363 (43.4%) samples from Taiwan and India, respectively. Meat (chicken, pork, and beef), fish and milk all have moderate to medium potential for AMR exposure to both Gram-positive and Gram-negative foodborne pathogens such S. aureus, Clostridium, E. coli, Salmonella, etc. Antibiotic resistance to β-lactam, fluoroquinolone, carbapenem etc, is present in the majority of food samples. The results of this study emphasize the persistent danger of antimicrobial residue in animal-derived foods in Taiwan, India, and other nations with comparable customs.

Abstract Foods contaminated by pathogens are responsible for foodborne diseases which have socioeconomic impacts. Many approaches have been extensively investigated to obtain specific and sensitive methods to detect pathogens in food, but they are often not easy to perform and require trained personnel. This work aims to propose a textile organic electrochemical transistor-based (OECT) biosensor to detect L. monocytogenes in food samples. The analyses were performed with culture-based methods, Listeria Precis™ method, PCR, and our textile OECT biosensor which used poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) (PEDOT:PSS) for doping the organic channel. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to obtain topographic maps of the gold gate. The electrochemical activity on gate electrodes was measured and related to the concentration of DNA extracted from samples and hybridized to the specific capture probe immobilized onto the gold surface of the gate. This assay reached a limit of detection of 1.05 ng/μL, corresponding to 0.56 pM of L. monocytogenes ATCC 7644, and allowed the specific and rapid detection of L. monocytogenes in the analyzed samples. Keypoints • Textile organic electrochemical transistors functionalized with a specific DNA probe • AFM topographic and surface potential maps of a functionalized gold gate surface • Comparison between the Listeria monocytogenes Precis™ method and an OECT biosensor

This study reports the development of a sensitive magnetic bead-based enzyme-linked immunoassay (MELISA) for the pan-reactive detection of the Influenza A virus. The assay combines immunomagnetic beads and biotin-nanoparticle-based detection to quantify a highly conserved viral nucleoprotein in virus lysates. At the capture step, monoclonal antibody-coated magnetic microbeads were used to bind and concentrate the nucleoprotein in samples. The colorimetric detection signal was amplified using biotinylated silica nanoparticles (NP). These nanoparticles were functionalized on the surface with short DNA spacers bearing biotin groups by an automated supported synthesis method performed on nano-on-micro assemblies with a DNA/RNA synthesizer. A biotin-nanoparticle and immunomagnetic bead-based assay was developed. We succeeded in detecting Influenza A viruses directly in the lysis buffer supplemented with 10% saliva to simulate the clinical context. The biotin-nanoparticle amplification step enabled detection limits as low as 3 × 103 PFU mL−1 and 4 × 104 PFU mL−1 to be achieved for the H1N1 and H3N2 strains respectively. In contrast, a classical ELISA test based on the same antibody sandwich showed detection limit of 1.2 × 107 PFU mL−1 for H1N1. The new enhanced MELISA proved to be specific, as no cross-reactivity was found with a porcine respiratory virus (PRRSV). Graphical abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00216-020-03081-x.

Campylobacter is the main cause of bacterial foodborne disease and poultry meat is the principal source of human infections. Rapid methods for Campylobacter detection are urgently needed to decrease high bacterial prevalence in poultry products. In this study, we developed new primers, CampyPFw and CampyPRv, that target the 16S-23S rRNA genes of Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, C. lari and C. upsaliensis. The primers were tested on positive and negative reference strains in pure cultures and in inoculated poultry meat samples before their application in real-time PCR (qPCR) protocol for analyzing chicken meat samples. In parallel, the samples were tested by using the ISO 10272-1:2006 method. The qPCR protocol based on CampyPFw and CampyPRv showed good sensitivity, with the limit of detection of 4.6 × 102 cells/mL in chicken samples without enrichment steps.

International audience; Aims This work aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of pure (ZnO) and doped (ZnMgO) zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on bacterial pathogens and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to confirm their applicability as an alternative to antibiotics and to estimate their biocompatibility. Methods and Results Microbial growth inhibition on agar plates, microbial viability and adaptation tests in broth with ZnO nanoparticles, spore germination, random amplified polymorphic DNA and SDS-PAGE analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of ZnO nanoparticles on cell morphology, viability, DNA damage and protein production. For this purpose, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and S. cerevisiae were studied after the addition of ZnO nanoparticles to the growth media. The contact with ZnO nanoparticles produced changes in morphology, shape, viability, DNA arrangement (DNA fingerprints) and protein content (SDS-PAGE) in treated cells. Conclusions As reported in this study, ZnO nanoparticles have an antimicrobial effect on both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Before using ZnO nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents, it is important to evaluate the target because their effect depends on their composition, size and dose. Significance and Impact of the Study We believe that the results obtained can help to optimize manufactured metal oxide nanoparticles in terms of their composition, size and working concentration. The parameters obtained directly define the applicability and biocompatibility of ZnO nanoparticles and thus are essential for any utilization in food, medicine and industry where pathogen control is crucial.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The literature reports many variations of Poland syndrome, which is a congenital disorder and a rare condition. The associated features are extremely variable, including alterations in the ipsilateral thorax and upper extremity and other malformations. This is used to designate the condition as Poland sequence (PS) because a sequence is a primary defect with a secondary cascade of structural changes. It is generally accepted that it is characterized as pathognomonic by absence/aplasia of the sternocostal aspect of the pectoralis major muscle of one side. Because it is considered a rare disease, and the incidence is low, we aimed to determine the features in all patients diagnosed at our institution to analyze the patterns and outcomes. We also revised the diagnosis according to the new classification proposed by Romanini et al to facilitate future treatments as well as to propose an improvement in the assessment and initial behavior when PS is suspected. METHODS We performed a retrospective study using our database from 1988. We identified 66 patients with a clinical diagnosis of PS in the Pediatric Plastic Surgery Unit of Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona. We analyzed the medical charts, records, photographs, and imaging information to gather all the epidemiological information and clinical history, as well as the treatments received to analyze our experience with these patients. We used the TBN classification of Romanini et al, adding an S if there was upper extremity involvement (TBNS).We also conducted a systematic review consulting the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Europe PMC. RESULTS Among the 66 patients, 27 were men, and 39 were women. The right side was affected in 51 patients (77.3%) (19 men and 32 women). In a total of 37 patients (56.1%; 16 men and 21 women), there was no upper extremity involvement. We found 40 cases with other associations, with scoliosis being the most common. Before 2007, the team performed surgery in 1 male patient and 4 female patients; after 2007, the actual team has performed reconstruction in 8 male patients and 16 female patients. In the female patients, the average volume of breast implants was 252.5 cc, and the average volume for fat grafting was 103.5 cc on the side affected with PS. There is a wide range of chest-breast clinical involvement, which was why we decided to readdress all the imaging and clinical history to classify the patients using a new classification system to learn how to optimally treat these cases in the future. In female patients, we used Romanini's TBN classification and added an S for upper extremity involvement; the T1B1N1S0 was the most frequently observed classification. Owing to the sample size and the disparity in sex distribution, we also reassessed publications in PubMed, Cochrane Plus, Scopus, Web of Science, and Europe PMC with more than 5 cases; we found that there were a total of 1600 patients with PS in the literature and that the distribution was almost 50% for men and women, including the patients in our study (611 women, 561 men). CONCLUSIONS We propose to include the presence of upper extremity involvement in Romanini's TBN classification (TBNS) for optimal management of these patients and use a standard number and profile for image documentation presurgery and postsurgery. We found that in the literature the ratio of men and women with PS was not 2 to 3:1, but 1:1. The most frequent phenotype of PS was T1B1N1S0 (hypoplasia or aplasia of the pectoralis muscles and soft tissue/breast hypoplasia/nipple-areolar complex with dislocation of

Rapid pathogen detection is an emerging issue in clinical, environmental, and food industry sectors. Biosensors can represent a solution to culture-based and molecular methods as they respond to sensitivity, specificity, and rapidity needs. Screen-printed electrodes have been used in association with nanoparticles to increase the signal and improve sensitivity reaching low numbers of the targets. Antibodies, DNA probes, and aptamers are mainly used to functionalize the working electrodes to ensure high specific pathogen detection by the use of voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, amperometry, and conductivity. Electrochemical biosensors can be miniaturized to construct portable devices useful for in situ assays., Published in: Current Opinion in Electrochemistry

International audience; A miniaturized quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) genosensor is proposed for sensitive and real-time detection of short ssDNA sequences (53 bp) or DNA extracted from Brettanomyces bruxellensis (Brett) yeast cells. The presence of Brett yeast causes a depreciation of the quality of aged fine wines, producing molecules of unpleasant odors and biogenic amines that are harmful to human health. More specifically, standard quartz crystal (S-QCM) and homemade 4 nm gold transmission electron microscopy (TEM)-grid patterned quartz (multi-TEM QCM) are herein proposed for biofunctionalization steps with different ssDNA sequences. By employing a rapid and efficient drop and collect protocol, the specific detection of 1 pg/µL ssDNA Brett of a short sequence and 100 ng/μL DNA of B. bruxellensis extracted from a wine sample (VR2008) is reported.

The authors thank the Centre Technologique des Microstructures of the Lyon 1 University for providing access to its TEM facilities, and the MIMA2 platform Jouy en Josas for access to electron microscopy equipment (MIMA2, INRAE, 2018. Microscopy and Imaging Facility for Microbes, Animals and Foods, https://doi.org/10.15454/1. 5572348210007727E12). JV thanks Maria-Vesna Nikolic (University of Belgrade, Serbia) for English editing.; International audience; Paper-based DNA biosensors are powerful tools in point-of-care diagnostics since they are affordable, portable, user-friendly, rapid and robust. However, their sensitivity is not always as high as required to enable DNA quantification. To improve the response of standard dot blots, we have applied a new enhancement strategy that increases the sensitivity of assays based on the use of biotinylated silica-nanoparticles (biotin-Si-NPs). After immobilization of a genomic Campylobacter DNA onto a paper membrane, and addition of a biotinylated-DNA detection probe, hybridization was evidenced using streptavidin-conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of luminol and H2O2. Replacement of the single biotin by the biotin-Si-NPs boosted on average a 30 fold chemiluminescent read-out of the biosensor. Characterization of biotin-Si-NPs onto a paper with immobilized DNA was done using a scanning electron microscope. A limit of detection of 3 pg/μL of DNA, similar to the available qPCR kits, is achieved, but it is cheaper, easier and avoids inhibition of DNA polymerase by molecules from the food matrices. We demonstrated that the new dot blot coupled to biotin-Si-NPs successfully detected Campylobacter from naturally contaminated chicken meat, without needing a PCR step. Hence, such an enhanced dot blot paves the path to the development of a portable and multiplex paper based platform for point-of-care screening of chicken carcasses for Campylobacter.

Background Food safety is becoming increasingly important because food industry must provide quality products to minimize the health risks. Traditional methods to assure food safety, such as plate count and polymerase chain reaction are accurate and robust but can hardly satisfy the needs of the food industry because they are costly and time consuming. Therefore, optical biosensors that can analyze food in a low-cost, facile, fast, sensitive, and selective manner started to emerge. Scope and approach This review presents plasmonic biosensors including surface plasmon resonance (SPR), localized SPR (LSPR), fiber optic SPR (FO-SPR), surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF), and total internal reflection (TIR) based sensors and their applications in food pathogens monitoring. Moreover, the strengths and weaknesses of plasmonic biosensors implementation in food control are showcased. Key findings and conclusions Plasmonic biosensors could simplify procedure and radically reduce time, price and consummation of reactants, compared to traditional microbiological methods. Optical biosensors, in particular SPR, have been developed for detection of different foodborne pathogens. In parallel, analytical improvements have been achieved by coupling different techniques (fiber optics, Raman, fluorescence, luminescence) to plasmonic sensors in order to reduce the limits of detection and to improve sensitivity. The future improvements include the miniaturization of instruments to handheld devices and simplification of analysis to enable direct target detection in food matrices. Plasmonic technology can certainly have long lasting impact because the need for a simple and rapid food assay is pressing and guarantees the future development in this field.

DNA probes are important tools in diagnostics to ensure high specificity and sensitivity. They are used in molecular biology methods like PCR, qPCR and hybridization techniques for an accurate detection of pathogens. The need for simple, easy to use, and rapid technologies has led to a great interest in the utilization of biosensors for diagnostic purposes. DNA probes can be utilized for the development of these new devices as they can be easily modified according to needs. Oligonucleotides can be labelled with different kind of molecules to produce detectable signals used for qualitative and quantitative assays. In this review a description of the probe design, in silico tests, and methods for immobilization are reported. Examples of applications of labelled and unlabelled probes in molecular biology methods (PCR, qPCR, hybridization techniques) and optical, electrochemical and quartz crystal microbalance biosensors are reported with examples of antigen-antibodies utilization. Aptamers are oligonucleotides with the same advantages of oligonucleotides probes, but they are able to attach to the surface of a whole cell. Thus, they are used for the construction of aptasensors, biosensors which utilize aptamers as bioreceptors.

To answer to food industry requests to monitor the presence of L. monocytogenes in cold-smoked salmon samples and to extend their shelf-life, a qPCR protocol for the detection of L. monocytogenes, and an antibacterial active packaging reinforced with zinc magnesium oxide nanoparticles (Zn-MgO NPs) were developed. The qPCR allowed the sensitive and easy detection of L. monocytogenes in naturally contaminated samples, with specificity in full agreement with the standard methods. The halo diffusion study indicated a high antibacterial efficiency of 1 mg/mL Zn-MgO NPs against L. monocytogenes, while the flow cytometry showed only moderate cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles towards mammalian cells at a concentration above 1 mg/mL. Thus, the novel active packaging was developed by using 1 mg/mL of Zn-MgO NPs to reinforce the alginate film. Cold-smoked salmon samples inoculated with L. monocytogenes and air-packed with the Zn-MgO NPs-alginate nanobiocomposite film showed no bacterial proliferation at 4 &deg, C during 4 days. In the same condition, L. monocytogenes growth in control contaminated samples packed with alginate film alone. Our results suggest that Zn-MgO nanoparticles can extend the shelf-life of cold-smoked salmon samples.

Paper-based DNA biosensors are powerful tools in point-of-care diagnostics since they are affordable, portable, user-friendly, rapid and robust. However, their sensitivity is not always as high as required to enable DNA quantification. To improve the response of standard dot blots, we have applied a new enhancement strategy that increases the sensitivity of assays based on the use of biotinylated silica-nanoparticles (biotin-Si-NPs). After immobilization of a genomic Campylobacter DNA onto a paper membrane, and addition of a biotinylated-DNA detection probe, hybridization was evidenced using streptavidin-conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of luminol and H2O2. Replacement of the single biotin by the biotin-Si-NPs boosted on average a 30 fold chemiluminescent read-out of the biosensor. Characterization of biotin-Si-NPs onto a paper with immobilized DNA was done using a scanning electron microscope. A limit of detection of 3 pg/μL of DNA, similar to the available qPCR kits, is achieved, but it is cheaper, easier and avoids inhibition of DNA polymerase by molecules from the food matrices. We demonstrated that the new dot blot coupled to biotin-Si-NPs successfully detected Campylobacter from naturally contaminated chicken meat, without needing a PCR step. Hence, such an enhanced dot blot paves the path to the development of a portable and multiplex paper based platform for point-of-care screening of chicken carcasses for Campylobacter.Graphical abstract

International audience; Novel genosensors (Brett DNA) on nanostructured ultrafine coverslips are reported for the identification of Brettanomyces bruxellensis yeast that is well-known to create complex and difficult problems in aged red wine all over the world. Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) and Localize Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) are used as detection methods of target-ssDNA yeast. A specific detection is obtained in the presence of thiol-DNA probe. SERS technique made possible the detection of Brett-DNA with a limit of detection (LD) of 0.1 ng/μL((57.2 nM) and with a wide dynamic range (DR), while LSPR revealed a DL of 0,5 ng/μL real DNA extracted from Brettanomyces bruxellensis DKA in the laboratory and a limited DR (0.5 ng/μL to 5 ng/μL). In this work, fourteen yeasts that can be found in wine-growing environments were SERS tested to confirm the selectivity of the proposed Brett-DNA sensing schemes and used in the construction of the first SERS phylogenetic tree.

Milk is a source of essential nutrients for infants and adults, and its production has increased worldwide over the past years. Despite developments in the dairy industry, premature spoilage of milk due to the contamination by Bacillus cereus continues to be a problem and causes considerable economic losses. B. cereus is ubiquitously present in nature and can contaminate milk through a variety of means from the farm to the processing plant, during transport or distribution. There is a need to detect and quantify spores directly in food samples, because B. cereus might be present in food only in the sporulated form. Traditional microbiological detection methods used in dairy industries to detect spores show limits of time (they are time consuming), efficiency and sensitivity. The low level of B. cereus spores in milk implies that highly sensitive detection methods should be applied for dairy products screening for spore contamination. This review describes the advantages and disadvantages of classical microbiological methods used to detect B. cereus spores in milk and milk products, related to novel methods based on molecular biology, biosensors and nanotechnology.

Breast implants may be responsible for secondary deformities produced by parenchymal atrophy. However, few studies in the literature have reported changes in breast tissue after augmentation surgery. In this study, the breast thickness of patients undergoing breast augmentation was monitored by ultrasound, and correlations with surface, volume and projection measurements were examined. We studied the parenchymal thickness at the lower pole of the breast with ultrasound in 36 women (72 breasts). In another group of 33 patients (66 breasts), we studied the thickness at the upper and lower poles along the meridian of each breast by ultrasound and measured the anthropometric metrics, volume and projection of the breast with a 3D camera. Midline measurements close to the areola showed reduced thickness at the lower pole, with 31.8% at the midpoint of the lower pole and 42% at the infra-areolar level (p

In the quest of greater sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic systems, one continually searches for alternative DNA hybridization methods, enabling greater versatility and where possible field-enabled detection of target analytes. We present, herein, a hybrid molecular self-assembled scaffolded DNA origami entity, intimately immobilized via capture probes linked to aminopropyltriethoxysilane, onto a glass optical fiber end-face transducer, thus producing a novel biosensor. Immobilized DNA nanorobots with a switchable flap can then be actuated by a specific target DNA present in a sample, by exposing a hemin/G-quadruplex DNAzyme, which then catalyzes the generation of chemiluminescence, once the specific fiber probes are immersed in a luminol-based solution. Integrating organic nanorobots to inorganic fiber optics creates a hybrid system that we demonstrate as a proof-of-principle can be utilized in specific DNA sequence detection. This system has potential applications in a wide range of fields, including point-of-care diagnostics or cellular in vivo biosensing when using ultrathin fiber optic probes for research purposes.

An easy, rapid and sensitive method for the detection of meat species is important to identify adulteration or fraudulent substitution in raw meats with undeclared species. We report herein the development of an optical fibre genosensor able to detect low level of pork (Sus Scrofa) meat in mixtures of minced meat obtained by an optimized and faster DNA extraction protocol. Our approach uses highly specific and sensitive DNA capture and secondary probes designed out of the mitochondrion genome of Sus Scrofa. Once DNA capture probes were immobilized on optical fibres, we demonstrate their putative application as genosensors in detecting Sus Scrofa DNA in purified samples obtained first using a commercial DNA extraction kit and thereafter using our improved extraction method. Furthermore, analysis of beef (Bos taurus) minced meat samples also show that the assay can determine 1% (w/w) of Sus Scrofa DNA. The sensitivity obtained by the optical fibre and the short time required for the results (about 2.5 h) indicate the usefulness of the system. We envision that this genosensor may serve as a diagnostic tool for food sample screening using a technology that is accurate, simple to perform and has the potential to be used in portable format.

International audience; Foodborne safety has aroused tremendous research interest in recent years because of a global public health problem. The rapid and precise detection of foodborne pathogens can reduce significantly infection diseases and save lives by the early initiation of an effective treatment. This review highlights current advances in the development of biosensors for detection of Campylobacter spp. and Listeria monocytogenes that are the most common causes of zoonosis. The consumption of pathogen contaminated food is responsible for humans hospitalization and death. The attention focused on the recognition elements such as antibodies (Ab), DNA probes and aptamers able to recognize cells, amplicons, and specific genes from different samples like bacteria, food, environment and clinical samples. Moreover, the review focused on two main signal-transducing mechanisms, i.e., electrochemical, measuring an amperometric, potentiometric and impedimetric signal; and optical, measuring a light signal by OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance), and Optical fiber. We expect that high-performance of devices being developed through basic research will find extensive applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnostics, and food safety.

In this study, stable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are fabricated for the first time on commercial ultrafine glass coverslips coated with gold thin layers (2 nm, 4 nm, 6 nm, and 8 nm) at 25 &deg, C and annealed at high temperatures (350 &deg, C, 450 &deg, C, and 550 &deg, C) on a hot plate for different periods of time. Such gold nanostructured coverslips were systematically tested via surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to identify their spectral performances in the presence of different concentrations of a model molecule, namely 1,2-bis-(4-pyridyl)-ethene (BPE). By using these SERS platforms, it is possible to detect BPE traces (10&minus, 12 M) in aqueous solutions in 120 s. The stability of SERS spectra over five weeks of thiol-DNA probe (2 &micro, L) deposited on gold nano-structured coverslip is also reported.

The environmental contamination of soil by metal oxide nanomaterials is a growing global concern because of their potential toxicity. We investigated the effects of Mg doped ZnO (Mg-nZnO) nanoparticles on a model soil microorganism Bacillus subtilis. Mg-nZnO exhibited only a moderate toxic effect on B. subtilis vegetative cells but was able to prevent biofilm formation and destroy already formed biofilms. Similarly, Mg-nZnO (≤1 mg/mL) was moderately toxic towards Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and murine macrophages. Engineered Mg-nZnO produced H2O2 and O2•− radicals in solutions of various salt and organic molecule compositions. A quantitative proteomic analysis of B. subtilis membrane proteins showed that Mg-nZnO increased the expression of proteins involved in detoxification of ROS, translation and biofilm formation. Overall, our results suggest that Mg-nZnO released into the environment may hinder the spreading, colonization and biofilm formation by B. subtilis but also induce a mechanism of bacterial adaptation.

Background Because there has been a great raise in the interest of this type of surgery in our area, we decided to study if there were any differences among our patients and also to review our results. Objective The purpose of this study was to review our experience with labiaplasty. We assessed surgical complications and quality outcomes and compared surgical results according to maternal parity. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of all cases of primary or secondary labia minora reduction surgery performed by the same surgeon from January 2014 to December 2015. We recorded patient demographics, sexual activity, parity, and presurgical and postsurgical quality of life, as well as surgical technique and complications. Results During the study period, we performed 58 labia minora reduction procedures. The average patient age was 32.16 years. Among the patients, 50% were single, 65.52% sexually active, and 62.07% nulliparous. A wedge excision was performed in 75.8% of cases. A complication occurred in 12.06% of cases, usually owing to underresection. The surgical experience was rated very good or excellent by 96.55% of patients. Women with children reported greater satisfaction with their surgical outcome on our postoperative questionnaire. We identified no statistically significant outcome differences according to surgical technique. Conclusions Labiaplasty is safe and shows high rates of overall satisfaction. Women with children reported greater postoperative satisfaction than women who had never given birth.

International audience; Diagnostic systems that can deliver highly specific and sensitive detection of hepatitis A virus (HAV) in food and water are of particular interest in many fields including food safety, biosecurity and control of outbreaks. Our aim was the development of an electrochemical method based on DNA hybridization to detect HAV. A ssDNA probe specific for HAV (capture probe) was designed and tested on DNAs from various viral and bacterial samples using Nested-Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (nRT-PCR). To develop the electrochemical device, a disposable gold electrode was functionalized with the specific capture probe and tested on complementary ssDNA and on HAV cDNA. The DNA hybridization on the electrode was measured through the monitoring of the oxidative peak potential of the indicator tripropylamine by cyclic voltammetry. To prevent non-specific binding the gold surface was treated with 3% BSA before detection. High resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed the efficiency of electrode functionalization and on-electrode hybridization. The proposed device showed a limit of detection of 0.65 pM for the complementary ssDNA and 6.94 fg/μL, for viral cDNA. For a comparison, nRT-PCR quantified the target HAV cDNA with a limit of detection of 6.4 fg/μL. The DNA-sensor developed can be adapted to a portable format to be adopted as an easy-to-use and low cost method for screening HAV in contaminated food and water. In addition, it can be useful for rapid control of HAV infections as it takes only a few minutes to provide the results.

Two recent genome-wide association studies in Asians have reported the association between the PSCA (prostate stem cell antigen) rs2294008C>T gene polymorphism and two Helicobacter pylori infection-related diseases such as gastric cancer (GC) and duodenal ulcer (DU). Since rs2294008 allele frequencies differ notably among ethnicities, we aimed to assess the role of rs2294008 on the susceptibility to GC and DU in a Caucasian population in Spain. Moreover, the relevance of rs2294008 on GC prognosis was evaluated. Genomic DNA from 603 Spanish patients with primary GC, 139 with DU and 675 healthy controls was typed for the PSCA rs2294008C>T polymorphism by PCR-TaqMan assays. H. pylori infection [odds ratio (OR): 8.27; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.45-15.33] and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (OR: 6.54; 95% CI: 3.19-12.43) were identified as independent risk factors for DU whereas the rs2294008T allele was associated with reduced risk of developing the disease (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33-0.82). Infection with CagA strains (OR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.63-2.34), smoking (OR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.54-2.61), family history of GC (OR: 2.83; 95% CI: 2.01-3.83), and the rs2294008T allele (OR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.07-1.99) were associated with increased risk of GC. Interestingly, the association with the rs2294008T allele was restricted to noncardia GC (OR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.12-1.82), particularly of the diffuse histotype (OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 1.16-1.92). Finally, Cox regression analysis identified the rs2294008T variant as a prognosis factor associated with worse overall survival in patients with diffuse-type GC (hazard ratio: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.12-3.06). From these results we conclude that the PSCA rs2294008 polymorphism is involved in the susceptibility to GC and DU, as well as in the prognosis of the diffuse-type of GC in Caucasians.

Consumption of meat is increasing worldwide and to prolong both it's shelf-life and safety companies add various chemicals, some of which are under evaluation to assess their responsible cancer induction. The International Agency of research on Cancer classified red meat and processed meat as probably carcinogenic (Group 2A) and carcinogenic (Group 1) respectively for humans. The aim of this study was to propose a biological sensor able to detect DNA mutations that could lead to cancer induction in beef, and chicken as well as processed meats. Genetically engineered E. coli DPD2794 strain is able to produce bioluminescence in the presence of damages in the DNA molecule, allowing for the screening and discrimination between different meats in terms of potential carcinogenic induction. Unprocessed beef and chicken induced low amounts of bioluminescence, whereas processed beef and chicken induced values above the cut-off limit established. These values where low in comparison to the bioluminescence produced by a strong activator used as our positive reference, leading us to the conclusion that processed meat a low carcinogenic effect.