Microbial community structure and metabolic profile of anthropized freshwater tributary channels from La Plata River, Argentina, to develop sustainable remediation strategies.

Microbial communities from freshwater sediments are involved in biogeochemical cycles and they can be modified by physical and chemical changes in the environment. Linking the microbial community structure (MCS) with physicochemistry of freshwater courses allows a better understanding of its ecology and can be useful to assess the ecological impact generated by human activity. The MCS of tributary channels from La Plata River affected by oil refinery (C, D, and E) and one also by urban discharges (C) was studied. For this purpose, 16S rRNA metabarcoding analysis, in silico metagenome functional prediction, and the hydrocarbon degradation potential (in silico predictions of hydrocarbon-degrading genes and their quantification by qPCR) of the MCS were studied. Principal coordinate analysis revealed that the MCS was different between sites, and it was not structured by the hydrocarbon content. Site C showed physicochemical characteristics, bacterial taxa, and an in silico functional prediction related to fermentative/heterotrophic metabolism. Site D, despite having higher concentration of hydrocarbon, presented autotrophic, syntrophic, and methanogenic pathways commonly involved in natural processes in anoxic sediments. Site E showed and intermediate autotrophic/heterotrophic behavior. The hydrocarbon degradation potential showed no positive correlation between the hydrocarbon-degrading genes quantified and predicted. The results suggest that the hydrocarbon concentration in the sites was not enough selection pressure to structure the bacterial community composition. Understanding which is the variable that structures the bacterial community composition is essential for monitoring and designing of sustainable management strategies for contaminated freshwater ecosystems.

Insights into the mechanisms of desiccation resistance of the Patagonian PAH-degrading strain Sphingobium sp. 22B.

AIM: To analyse the physiological response of Sphingobium sp. 22B to water stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: The strain was grown under excess of carbon source and then subjected to low (60RH) and high (18RH) water stress conditions for 96 h. Quantification of trehalose, glycogen, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was studied. Genes linked with desiccation were searched in Sphingobium sp. 22B and Sphingomonas 'sensu latu' genomes and their transcripts were quantified by real-time PCR. Results showed that, in the absence of water stress, strain 22B accumulated 4·76 ± 1·41% of glycogen, 0·84 ± 1·62% of trehalose and 44·9 ± 6·4% of PHB per cellular dry weight. Glycogen and trehalose were mobilized under water stressed conditions, this mobilization was significantly higher in 60RH in comparison to 18RH. Gene treY was upregulated sixfold in 60RH relative to control condition. TEM and quantification of PHB revealed that PHB was mobilized under 60RH condition accompanied by the downregulation of the phbB gene. TEM images showed an extracellular amorphous matrix in 18RH and 60RH. Major differences were found in the presence of aqpZ and trehalose genes between strain 22B and Sphingomonas genomes. CONCLUSION: Strain 22B showed a carbon conservative metabolism capable of accumulation of three types of endogenous carbon sources. The strain responds to water stress by changing the expression pattern of genes related to desiccation, formation of an extracellular amorphous matrix and mobilization of the carbon sources according to the degree of water stress. Trehalose, glycogen and PHB may have multiple functions in different degrees of desiccation. The robust endowment of molecular responses to desiccation shown in Sphingobium sp. 22B could explain its survival in semi-arid soil. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Understanding the physiology implicated in the toleration of the PAH-degrading strain Sphingobium sp 22B to environmental desiccation may improve the bioaugmentation technologies in semi-arid hydrocarbon-contaminated soils.

A 1-year follow-up study on checkpoint inhibitor-induced colitis: results from a European consortium.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding the clinical outcome of patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced colitis are scant. We aimed to describe the 12-month clinical outcome of patients with ICI-induced colitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, European, multicentre study. Endoscopy/histology-proven ICI-induced colitis patients were enrolled. The 12-month clinical remission rate, defined as a Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events diarrhoea grade of 0-1, and the correlates of 12-month remission were assessed. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients [male:female ratio 1.5:1; median age 65 years, interquartile range (IQR) 55.5-71.5 years] were included. Lung cancer (41, 42.7%) and melanoma (30, 31.2%) were the most common cancers. ICI-related gastrointestinal symptoms occurred at a median time of 4 months (IQR 2-7 months). An inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like pattern was present in 74 patients (77.1%) [35 (47.3%) ulcerative colitis (UC)-like, 11 (14.9%) Crohn's disease (CD)-like, 28 (37.8%) IBD-like unclassified], while microscopic colitis was present in 19 patients (19.8%). As a first line, systemic steroids were the most prescribed drugs (65, 67.7%). The 12-month clinical remission rate was 47.7 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 33.5-67.8). ICI was discontinued due to colitis in 66 patients (79.5%). A CD-like pattern was associated with remission failure (hazard ratio 3.84, 95% CI 1.16-12.69). Having histopathological signs of microscopic colitis (P = 0.049) and microscopic versus UC-/CD-like colitis (P = 0.014) were associated with a better outcome. Discontinuing the ICI was not related to the 12-month remission (P = 0.483). Four patients (3.1%) died from ICI-induced colitis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IBD-like colitis may need an early and more aggressive treatment. Future studies should focus on how to improve long-term clinical outcomes.

Application of clinical indexes in ulcerative colitis patients in regular follow-up visit: correlation with endoscopic 'mucosal healing' and implication for management. Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon of unknown etiology. Several clinical indexes have been proposed for UC disease activity evaluation, but none have been properly validated. Moreover, the reference parameter for the scores and their prognostic value is not clear. Mucosal healing has been recently proposed as an important end-point. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation of four clinical indexes with objective diagnostic tools for UC evaluation, the discriminative ability in identifying patients with endoscopic mucosal healing, and to analyze the possible prognostic indication for disease course in 1 year of follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed data of 75 patients recorded in regular follow-up visit in IBD clinic at S. Andrea Hospital, Rome, between 2007-2011. We recorded clinical data and lab tests at the time of the visit, and endoscopic/histological reports performed within 1 month. Clinical indexes (Seo' activity index, Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index, partial Mayo score and Endoscopic-Clinical Correlation Index) were calculated and correlation to endoscopic and histologic activity, and to C-reactive protein increment, was assessed by mean of Spearman's rank correlation. Discriminative ability of the indexes for patients with and without endoscopic mucosal healing was tested by calculation of area under ROC curve (AUC). Patients with low and high clinical scores were compared for number of flares and increment of therapy during 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: Clinical indexes had a good correlation with endoscopic activity (mean r = 0.73 ± 0.06), a fair correlation with CRP-increment (mean r = 0.55 ± 0.01) and a poor one with histologic activity (mean r = 0.35 ± 0.01). The discriminatory ability of the indexes for endoscopic mucosal healing was good for all the indexes (mean AUC = 0.87 ± 0.05). Patients with high clinical score had more flares and required more frequently increase of therapy at 1 year of follow up compared with patients with low score. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical indexes have a good correlation with endoscopic activity and can discriminate patients with and without mucosal healing. Patients with low and high score have different risk of disease flare and of need to increase therapy at 1 year. Clinical indexes may represent a useful tool for disease assessment in clinical practice in UC outpatients with mild-moderate disease.

The use of teleradiology in an emergency setting with speculation on the near future.

None of these models will automatically come to pass but all are possible today. Radiologists have to realize that the teleimaging era for emergency patients is here to stay. Successful utilization for good and gain may no longer be accomplished by a reliance on old or outmoded practice assumptions. The virtual turf, prepared by the rapidity of the remote transmission of electronically generated pictures, is a real phenomenon for which radiology has and will play a major role. The practice opportunities may not be vast in scope, but on a regional basis the imaging landscape is still green and up for grabs.

Behavior management techniques in pediatric dentistry.

There are many techniques a dentist can use to aid in delivering care to young patients. Proper selection and use can affect the immediate visit as well as future visits.

Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.

The authors discuss hydrocele in the female processus vaginalis (hydrocele in the canal of Nuck) and present new case reports. The treatment of choice is surgical excision. The hydrocele is excised through a groin incision. The authors present four new cases.

Benign fat necrosis simulating bilateral breast malignancy after reduction mammoplasty.

Fat necrosis follows many forms of trauma to the breast, including surgery. In unusual cases, it may be extensive enough to present as a palpable mass on physical examination with mammographic features suggestive of cancer. In these instances, regardless of patient age, surgical history, or multifocality, a biopsy must be done to exclude carcinoma. We describe a young woman who was evaluated for bilateral breast masses with highly suspicious imaging characteristics 2 years after having reduction mammoplasty.

[A critical review of the methods used in evaluating the antistreptolysin titre as a diagnostic index]. / Revisione critica della metodologia utilizzata nella valutazione del titolo antistreptolisinico come indice diagnostico.

Authors review the most common laboratory tests showing an immunologic response caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus infections. After a preliminary evaluation on characteristics and peculiarities of different methods the results obtained are compared with the usually employed systems. The survey of most common analytical methods and personal experience lead to confirm and emphasize the laboratory results supporting and confirming, without substituting, the clinical data.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for the treatment of intractable ascites in a patient with polycystic liver disease.

Though polycystic liver disease (PCLD) has historically been considered a contraindication to TIPS, we present a case where technically successful shunt creation was achieved without the need for modification of the standard TIPS procedure, as was required in a previous report.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit: CT and pathologic correlation.

We report the CT findings of a solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit. The radiologic features included relatively homogeneous contrast enhancement and smooth remodelling of the bones of the orbit, findings consistent with the benign nature of this relatively rare tumor.

Correlation between the degree of contrast enhancement and the volume of peritumoral edema in meningiomas and malignant gliomas.

Peritumoral edema and contrast enhancement of brain tumors are both thought to be due to breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB); however, the exact mechanism by which these two phenomena occur and whether there is a quantitative or etiological relationship is not known. Our purpose was to determine whether the relationship between the breakdown of the BBB, defined radiologically as the degree of contrast enhancement, and the volume of surrounding edema is different for high-grade gliomas and meningiomas. We analyzed 13 meningiomas and 23 gliomas. A direct linear relationship between the degree of contrast enhancement (dC) and volume of peritumoral edema (V) with a high correlation coefficient (R = 0.66, P = 0.0006) was established for gliomas. A mathematical relationship between dC and V could not be established for meningioma. The findings for gliomas offer indirect radiological evidence that the defect in the BBB which causes edema is quantitatively and etiologically related to the defect in the BBB responsible for contrast enhancement. For meningiomas, the lack of a relationship between dC and V implies either that the mechanisms responsible for formation of edema and contrast enhancement are fundamentally different or that a physical barrier in certain meningiomas limits propagation of edema into the adjacent white matter.