Microencapsulated and uncoated butyric acid as alternative additives to the regeneration of intestinal mucosa in broilers challenged with Eimeria spp.

1. The effect of microencapsulated and uncoated butyric acid as an alternative to antibiotics on performance, intestinal morphology and regeneration of intestinal mucosa was studied in birds experimentally infected with Eimeria spp. 1 to 42 d-old.2. A total of 1,320 male Cobb® broiler chicks were allocated to one of five treatments in a completely randomised design, comprising a negative control, uncoated butyric acid (UA), microencapsulated butyric acid (MA), combined U + M butyric acid and a positive control (antibiotic+anticoccidial) in six replications. At 16 d-old, the birds were inoculated orally with 0.5 ml of a solution containing an Eimeria spp. pool.3. At 21 d of age, the birds receiving butyric acid alone had higher body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) compared to those supplemented with the blend of acids. For the total rearing period, in all variables, the positive control performed best (P < 0.001).4. At 14 d of age, birds that received diets containing UA had a deeper crypt depth in the jejunum than those fed diets containing microencapsulated acid (P = 0.0194). At 21 d of age, the birds fed the acids had higher villi (P = 0.0058) in the duodenum, compared to the negative control group.5. Supplementation with microencapsulated acid contributed to the intestinal health and recovery of post-challenge birds, but did not result in improvements in performance.

Agaricus subrufescens and Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms as alternative additives to antibiotics in diets for broilers challenged with Eimeria spp.

1. The effect of A. subrufescens and P. ostreatus mushrooms as an alternative to antibiotics (avilamycin or monensin sodium) on performance, intestinal morphometry, immunity, and biochemical profile of broilers challenged with Eimeria spp. was studied from 1 to 42 d old. A total of 900 male Cobb® broiler chicks were distributed, according to a completely randomised design, into five treatments with six replicates each.2. The treatments consisted of: negative control (NC) - basal diet (BD) with no anticoccidial or antibiotic (non-challenged birds); negative control challenged (NCC) - NC fed to Eimeria spp. challenged birds; BD with 0.2% A. subrufescens inclusion for challenged birds (As), BD with 0.2% P. ostreatus inclusion for challenged birds (Po); and a positive control - BD with anticoccidial and antibiotic inclusion for challenged birds (ATB).3. At 11 d.o., the birds were each inoculated orally with 1 ml solution containing 2 × 105 sporulated oocysts/ml Eimeria acervulina and 2 × 104 sporulated oocysts/ml E. maxima and E. tenella.4. Birds subjected to Eimeria spp. challenge up to 21 d of age had greater crypt depth, indicating that the presence of undesirable microorganisms had an effect on cell proliferation.5. At 21 d old, the birds receiving ATB had higher average weight gain (AWG), feed intake (AFI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to those fed diets supplemented with mushrooms (As or Po). For the total rearing period (42 days), the birds that received ATB had higher AWG and AFI (P < 0.001) compared to those that received As or Po diets. Feeding avilamycin did not affect (P = 0.0676) FCR compared to the As or Po diet groups.6. From the morphometric and blood analyses there were no differences between broilers fed ATB, Po or As diets in either rearing periods. However, Po and As supplementation lowered blood triglyceride levels. At 21d there was a difference (P < 0.05) for MCV and haemoglobin, in which the mushrooms were similar to the antibiotic. At 42 d, there was a difference (P < 0.05) in haematocrit, erythrocyte, MCV, H: L, protein and albumin variables, in which the use of mushrooms was similar to the positive control, demonstrating that both (mushrooms and antibiotics) promoted a certain improvement in the health of the chickens.7. A. subrufescens and P. ostreatus can be used in broiler diets without compromising intestinal or haematological status, however, these ingredients did not result in improvements in performance.

How should vaccination services be planned, organized, and managed? Results from a survey on the Italian vaccination services.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement is an increasingly recognized approach to maximize service effectiveness and minimize costs in public health. However, the Italian law never provided for the institutional accreditation of vaccination services. Furthermore, a recently approved law added six more compulsory vaccinations to the original four, which has led to a considerable increase in vaccination efforts, without any previous resources evaluation. The aim of the study was to investigate structural, organizational and managerial characteristics of the Italian vaccination services, in order to suggest the adoption of adequate quality standards. STUDY DESIGN: A survey involving the representatives of the Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces was performed between September 2017 and September 2018. METHODS: An online questionnaire, including 26 items, designed to evaluate the structural, organizational and managerial characteristics of vaccination services was administered. The correlation between the number of vaccination centres and the coverage for each region was used to evaluate the performance of the vaccination services. RESULTS: Respondents from seven Regions, totaling >15,000,000 inhabitants, answered the questionnaire. Overall, each vaccination service was potentially accessed by an average of 519 children aged zero to 24 months, with a ß-coefficient of -0.87 (p = 0.01) for infant vaccination coverage in 2016. Eighty-five percent of vaccination services were provided with architectural features to accommodate the disabled but only 49% provided reserved parking lots. An average of 0.4 physicians and 0.6 other healthcare workers per 10,000 inhabitants were employed in vaccination services, with complete computerization in 74% of them. CONCLUSION: The inverse relation between vaccination services' spatial accessibility and vaccination coverage suggests that distance and accessibility of vaccination services should be considered in planning. This survey constitutes a baseline data for Italian vaccination services that could be useful for decision makers in establishing minimum requirements to provide high-quality preventive healthcare service.

The role of the Community Pharmacist in promoting vaccinations among general population according to the National Vaccination Plan 2017-2019: results from a survey in Sicily, Italy.

INTRODUCTION: The 2017-2019 Italian National Vaccination Plan promotes the improvement of knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers about vaccine prevention, in order to spread a vaccination culture among general population. Similarly to the General Practitioner, the Pharmacist represents a fundamental forefront for both patients and healthy people, also in promoting vaccine acceptance. This research aims to analyze knowledge and attitudes about vaccines of Community Pharmacists and to evaluate the burden of vaccination counselling during their work activities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A standardized, self-administered and previously validated questionnaire, including 5 sections and 28 items, was submitted to a sample of Community Pharmacists working in Western Sicily. The survey was carried out through an online questionnaire, that investigated socio-demographic data, knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination and the role of the Pharmacist as vaccination counselor during his work. RESULTS: A total of 120 Pharmacists were surveyed. 99.2% of them were definitely agreed with the Regional Vaccination Schedule. A large majority (n = 114, or 95%) were fully vaccinated and have vaccinated, or would vaccinate in future, their children. According to Community Pharmacists interviewed, at least 90% of clients asked for further explanations about vaccination, and the citizens' trust towards vaccination increased (30%) or remained stable (54.2%) over time in the last 5 years. Finally, as reported by interviewed Pharmacists, a correct counselling provided by General Practitioners (GPs) and Family Pediatricians was the main boost in increasing vaccination confidence, instead of mass-media and web misinformation that has led to skepticisms among general population. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the key role of the Community Pharmacist for their consumers in vaccination counselling. In future, a strong collaboration between Community Pharmacists and all the actors promoting vaccination themes (GPs, family Pediatricians, public health workers) will be essential, as well as a uniform and standardized University training on vaccination themes for all these categories.

A 72-h intervention for improvement of the rate of optimal antibiotic therapy in patients with bloodstream infections.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs are implemented to optimize the use of antibiotics and control the spread of antibiotic resistance. Many antimicrobial stewardship interventions have demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics, the duration of antimicrobial therapy, and mortality. We evaluated the benefits of a combination of rapid diagnostic tests and an active re-evaluation of antibiotic therapy 72 h after the onset of bloodstream infection (BSI). All patients with BSI from November 2015 to November 2016 in a 1100-bed university hospital in Rome, where an Infectious Disease Consultancy Unit (Unità di Consulenza Infettivologica, UDCI) is available, were re-evaluated at the bedside 72 h after starting antimicrobial therapy and compared to two pre-intervention periods: the UDCI was called by the ward physician for patients with BSI and the UDCI was called directly by the microbiologist immediately after a pathogen was isolated from blood cultures. Recommendations for antibiotic de-escalation or discontinuation significantly increased (54%) from the two pre-intervention periods (32% and 27.2%, p < 0.0001). Appropriate escalation also significantly increased (22.5%) from the pre-intervention periods (8.1% and 8.2%, p < 0.0001). The total duration of antibiotic therapy decreased with intervention (from 21.9 days [standard deviation, SD 15.4] in period 1 to 19.3 days [SD 13.3] in period 2 to 17.7 days in period 3 [SD 11.5]; p = 0.002) and the length of stay was significantly shorter (from 29.7 days [SD 29.3] in period 1 to 26.8 days [SD 24.7] in period 2 to 24.2 days in period 3 [SD 20.7]; p = 0.04) than in the two pre-intervention periods. Mortality was similar among the study periods (31 patients died in period 1 (15.7%), 39 (16.7%) in period 2, and 48 (15.3%) in period 3; p = 0.90). Rapid diagnostic tests and 72 h re-evaluation of empirical therapy for BSI significantly correlated with an improved rate of optimal antibiotic therapy and decreased duration of antibiotic therapy and length of stay.

Iron oxidation dynamics vs. temperature of synthetic potassic-ferro-richterite: a XANES investigation.

We investigated the oxidation behaviour of a synthetic potassic-ferro-richterite up to 750 °C by using simultaneous X-ray absorption spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments with synchrotron radiation. From the X-ray diffraction results, we observed an abrupt decrease of cell dimensions at ∼335 °C accompanied by an anomalous increase in the monoclinic cell angle ß. From the analysis of the XANES spectra at the iron K-edge, we observed that the structural shrinkage is due to the iron oxidation process, coupled to hydrogen loss, occurring at ∼315 °C, slightly before the cell contraction. Combining these results with previous studies performed on similar samples by single-crystal structure refinement, Mössbauer, high temperature-Fourier transform IR and Raman spectroscopies, we show that the temperature evolution in Fe-amphiboles is a multi-step process. Following the iron oxidation driven by temperature, the structural dynamics in this double-chain silicate is ruled by local strains in the ribbon of iron-filled octahedra, mainly due to the contraction of the M(1) site.

Improvement in vaccination knowledge among health students following an integrated extra curricular intervention, an explorative study in the University of Palermo.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccination coverages threaten to decrease because of false beliefs in their unsafety and inefficacy. Therefore formation of future health-care workers on this topic is fundamental to deal with any doubt and to promote active immunization among general population. METHODS: In order to assess health-care students' knowledge about vaccination before an integrated seminar on this topic, and to evaluate their improvement after the educational intervention, an integrated educational intervention was held by a multidisciplinary team. Before and after the seminar, 118 students of medicine and biology schools at Palermo University were asked to answer 10 multiple-choice questions regarding vaccine history, mechanism of action, side effects, composition, use and nowadays issues (hesitancy). Two more questions investigating possible changes on students' attitudes towards vaccination and the usefulness of the formative intervention, were added at the post-test phase of the survey. RESULTS: Eighty-one out of 118 students (68.6%) answered to both pre- and post-test questions. 97.6% and 81.5% of the participating group also completed the two additional questions about their improvement in knowledge (question 11) and attitudes (question 12) towards vaccinations. The post-test results showed a significant improvement for all questions administered, except for number 3 (about a specific immunological content), with an overall percentage of correct answers increasing from 38.8% to 77.6% (p©< 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The present explorative study put the basis for future studies, stronger in the methodology, and highlights the importance of educating health-care professions students by integrated extra-curricular intervention to be held early in their degree curricula and in order to improve knowledge and attitudes towards vaccinations and to prepare them to promote vaccines among the general population.

Initial antifungal strategy does not correlate with mortality in patients with candidemia.

The incidence of Candida bloodstream infections (BSIs) has increased over time, especially in medical wards. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different antifungal treatment strategies on 30-day mortality in patients with Candida BSI not admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) at disease onset. This prospective, monocentric, cohort study was conducted at an 1100-bed university hospital in Rome, Italy, where an infectious disease consultation team was implemented. All cases of Candida BSIs observed in adult patients from November 2012 to April 2014 were included. Patients were grouped according to the initial antifungal strategy: fluconazole, echinocandin, or liposomal amphotericin B. Cox regression analysis was used to identify risk factors significantly associated with 15-day and 30-day mortality. During the study period, 130 patients with candidemia were observed (58 % with C. albicans, 7 % with C. glabrata, and 23 % with C. parapsilosis). The first antifungal drug was fluconazole for 40 % of patients, echinocandin for 57.0 %, and liposomal amphotericin B for 4 %. During follow-up, 33 % of patients died. The cumulative mortality 30 days after the candidemia episode was 30.8 % and was similar among groups. In the Cox regression analysis, clinical presentation was the only independent factor associated with 15-day mortality, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score and clinical presentation were the independent factors associated with 30-day mortality. No differences in 15-day and 30-day mortality were observed between patients with and without C. albicans candidemia. In patients with candidemia admitted to medical or surgical wards, clinical severity but not the initial antifungal strategy were significantly correlated with mortality.

Composition and fate of gas and oil released to the water column during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Quantitative information regarding the endmember composition of the gas and oil that flowed from the Macondo well during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is essential for determining the oil flow rate, total oil volume released, and trajectories and fates of hydrocarbon components in the marine environment. Using isobaric gas-tight samplers, we collected discrete samples directly above the Macondo well on June 21, 2010, and analyzed the gas and oil. We found that the fluids flowing from the Macondo well had a gas-to-oil ratio of 1,600 standard cubic feet per petroleum barrel. Based on the measured endmember gas-to-oil ratio and the Federally estimated net liquid oil release of 4.1 million barrels, the total amount of C(1)-C(5) hydrocarbons released to the water column was 1.7 10(11) g. The endmember gas and oil compositions then enabled us to study the fractionation of petroleum hydrocarbons in discrete water samples collected in June 2010 within a southwest trending hydrocarbon-enriched plume of neutrally buoyant water at a water depth of 1,100 m. The most abundant petroleum hydrocarbons larger than C(1)-C(5) were benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and total xylenes at concentrations up to 78 µg L(-1). Comparison of the endmember gas and oil composition with the composition of water column samples showed that the plume was preferentially enriched with water-soluble components, indicating that aqueous dissolution played a major role in plume formation, whereas the fates of relatively insoluble petroleum components were initially controlled by other processes.

Ozone-initiated terpene reaction products in five European offices: replacement of a floor cleaning agent.

Cleaning agents often emit terpenes that react rapidly with ozone. These ozone-initiated reactions, which occur in the gas-phase and on surfaces, produce a host of gaseous and particulate oxygenated compounds with possible adverse health effects in the eyes and airways. Within the European Union (EU) project OFFICAIR, common ozone-initiated reaction products were measured before and after the replacement of the regular floor cleaning agent with a preselected low emitting floor cleaning agent in four offices located in four EU countries. One reference office in a fifth country did not use any floor cleaning agent. Limonene, α-pinene, 3-carene, dihydromyrcenol, geraniol, linalool, and α-terpineol were targeted for measurement together with the common terpene oxidation products formaldehyde, 4-acetyl-1-methylcyclohexene (4-AMCH), 3-isopropenyl-6-oxo-heptanal (IPOH), 6-methyl-5-heptene-2-one, (6-MHO), 4-oxopentanal (4-OPA), and dihydrocarvone (DHC). Two-hour air samples on Tenax TA and DNPH cartridges were taken in the morning, noon, and in the afternoon and analyzed by thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and HPLC/UV analysis, respectively. Ozone was measured in all sites. All the regular cleaning agents emitted terpenes, mainly limonene and linalool. After the replacement of the cleaning agent, substantially lower concentrations of limonene and formaldehyde were observed. Some of the oxidation product concentrations, in particular that of 4-OPA, were also reduced in line with limonene. Maximum 2 h averaged concentrations of formaldehyde, 4-AMCH, 6-MHO, and IPOH would not give rise to acute eye irritation-related symptoms in office workers; similarly, 6-AMCH, DHC and 4-OPA would not result in airflow limitation to the airways.

Tar pollution event (2021) at the Southeastern Levantine oligotrophic basin, short-term impacts and operational oceanography perspectives.

The Levantine basin (LB) in the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea is a high-risk oil pollution hot spot owing to its dense maritime traffic and intense oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities. In February 2021 the Israeli LB shorelines were impacted by an exceptional tar pollution event (~550 tons; average distribution: ~3 kg tar m-1 front beach) of an unknown oil spill source. Here we report on the immediate numerical modelling assessment of the oil spill propagation and tar distribution; operational use of underwater gliders for tracking water column anomalies of dissolved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and turbidity signals; the beached tar composition and amounts and the short-term response of the microbial population along the ~180 km shoreline. This pollution event emphasizes the need for improving the early warning systems for oil spills and implementing continuous operational monitoring at high-risk, ecologically sensitive and valuable resource areas like the Israeli LB waters.

Increased grey matter volumes in the temporal lobe and its relationship with cognitive functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by episodic mood dysregulation, although a significant portion of patients suffer persistent cognitive impairment during euthymia. Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research suggests BD patients may have accelerated brain aging, observed as lower grey matter volumes. How these neurostructural alterations are related to the cognitive profile of BD is unclear. METHODS: We aim to explore this relationship in euthymic BD patients with multimodal structural neuroimaging. A sample of 27 euthymic BD patients and 24 healthy controls (HC) underwent structural grey matter MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). BD patient's cognition was also assessed. FreeSurfer algorithms were used to obtain estimations of regional grey matter volumes. White matter pathways were reconstructed using TRACULA, and four diffusion metrics were extracted. ANCOVA models were performed to compare BD patients and HC values of regional grey matter volume and diffusion metrics. Global brain measures were also compared. Bivariate Pearson correlations were explored between significant brain results and five cognitive domains. RESULTS: Euthymic BD patients showed higher ventricular volume (F(1, 46) = 6.04; p = 0.018) and regional grey matter volumes in the left fusiform (F(1, 46) = 15.03; pFDR = 0.015) and bilateral parahippocampal gyri compared to HC (L: F(1, 46) = 12.79, pFDR = 0.025/ R: F(1, 46) = 15.25, pFDR = 0.015). Higher grey matter volumes were correlated with greater executive function (r = 0.53, p = 0.008). LIMITATIONS: We evaluated a modest sample size with concurrent pharmacological treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Higher medial temporal volumes in euthymic BD patients may be a potential signature of brain resilience and cognitive adaptation to a putative illness neuroprogression. This knowledge should be integrated into further efforts to implement imaging into BD clinical management.

Effect of citrulline on muscle functions during moderate dietary restriction in healthy adult rats.

Low calorie diets are designed to reduce body weight and fat mass, but they also lead to a detrimental loss of lean body mass, which is an important problem for overweight people trying to lose weight. In this context, a specific dietary intervention that preserves muscle mass in people following a slimming regime would be of great benefit. Leucine (LEU) and Citrulline (CIT) are known to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in post-prandial and post-absorptive state, respectively. This makes them interesting bioactive components to test in the context of dietary restriction. We tested the concept of combining LEU and CIT in adult female rats. We postulated that the sequential administration of LEU (mixed in chow) and CIT (given in drinking water before a rest period) could be beneficial for preservation of muscle function during food restriction. Sixty female rats (22 weeks old) were randomized into six groups: one group fed ad libitum with a standard diet (C) and five food-restricted groups (60 % of spontaneous intake for 2 weeks) receiving a standard diet (R group), a CIT-supplemented diet (0.2 or 1 g/kg/day, CIT0.2 group and CIT1 group, respectively), a LEU-supplemented diet (1.0 g/kg/day) or a CIT + LEU-supplemented diet (CIT + LEU 1.0 g/kg/day each). At the end of the experiment, body composition, muscle contractile properties and muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rate were studied in the tibialis anterior muscle. Dietary restriction tended to decrease MPS (R: 2.5 ± 0.2 vs. C: 3.4 ± 0.4 %/day, p = 0.06) and decrease muscle strength (R: 3,045 ± 663 vs. C: 5,650 ± 661 A.U., p = 0.03). Only CIT administration (1 g/kg) was able to restore MPS (CIT1: 3.4 ± 0.3 vs. R: 2.5 ± 0.2 %/day, p = 0.05) and increase muscle maximum tetanic force (CIT1: 441 ± 15 vs. R: 392 ± 22 g, p = 0.05) and muscle strength (CIT1: 4,259 ± 478 vs. R: 3,045 ± 663 A.U., p = 0.05). LEU had no effect and CIT + LEU supplementation had few effects, limited to adipose mass and fatigue force. The results of this study highlight the ability of CIT alone to preserve muscle function during dietary restriction. Surprisingly, LEU antagonized some effects of CIT. The mechanisms involved in this antagonistic effect warrant further study.

Usage of immersive virtual reality as a relaxation method in an intensive care unit.

INTRODUCTION: The usage of immersive virtual reality (iVR) in the context of an intensive care unit (ICU) is scarce. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of the usage of iVR in critical patients with or without mechanical ventilation (MV) and to determine the anxiety degree before and after each session. METHODS: Analytical, descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional research. Pilot test with 20 patients from a polyvalent ICU of a tertiary hospital. Adult patients were included, either connected or not to MV, watchful and calmed (RASS -1/+1) and without delirium (negative CAM-ICU). Oculus Go (Facebook Technologies, LLC) iVR glasses were the model used. The relaxation strategy consisted in the visualization of an experience of 15 min with scenes related to nature and fantasy, relaxing music with a plot. The sessions were individual, with the patient monitored in a fowler position or seated. The anxiety degree before and after each session was evaluated following a reduced version of the Spanish "Cuestionario de Ansiedad Estado-Rasgo (STAI-e)" and they were analysed using T samples coupled (statistical significance when p-value was <0.05). RESULTS: Incorporation of 20 patients with an average age of 63.9 years old (60% men). A total of 34 sessions of iVR were conducted. 32% patients mechanically ventilated, 32% high-flow oxygen therapy, 36% other breathing supports. 80% of the sessions were completed without serious side effects. A significant decrease in the anxiety degree was observed after each iVR session: first session mean change -2.68 (SD = 2.75), p = 0.000; second session mean change -1.86 (SD = 1.57), p = 0.021; third session mean change -1.67 (SD = 1.63), p = 0.054. CONCLUSION: The usage of iVR in the context of an ICU is feasible, even with patients mechanically ventilated. iVR reduces the anxiety degree in the critic patient, which suggests that "digital therapies" can be effective to improve the emotional state during their stay in the ICU.

Downwind gas condensate volatiles affect phytoplankton communities.

We investigated the effects of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evaporated from gas condensate on the cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. WH8103, the diatom Asterionellopsis glacialis, and the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. We used custom algal incubation chambers enabling only the gas condensate-derived VOCs to interact with the cell cultures via an atmospheric bridge, without direct contact with the hydrocarbon oil. The exposure to gas condensate VOCs reduced the abundance, growth rate, and photosynthetic efficiency of Synechococcus sp. WH8103. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays hint at oxidative damage to the chloroplasts and/or the thylakoid membranes in this organism. A.glacialis abundance, physiological state and growth rates remained unchanged, whereas A.minutum abundance and photosynthetic efficiency increased relative to their respective controls. Our results demonstrate that the effects of a gas condensate formed due to an oil spill will not be restricted to the polluted area, but may be prominent in downwind locations through atmospheric transport.

Disrupted network switching in euthymic bipolar disorder: Working memory and self-referential paradigms.

BACKGROUND: Patients with bipolar disorder (BD) frequently suffer from neurocognitive deficits that can persist during periods of clinical stability. Specifically, impairments in executive functioning such as working memory and in self-processing have been identified as the main components of the neurocognitive profile observed in euthymic BD patients. The study of the neurobiological correlates of these state-independent alterations may be a prerequisite to develop reliable biomarkers in BD. METHODS: A sample of 27 euthymic BD patients and 25 healthy participants (HC) completed working memory and self-referential functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) tasks. Activation maps obtained for each group and contrast images (i.e., 2-back > 1-back/self > control) were used for comparisons between patients and HC. RESULTS: Euthymic BD patients, in comparison to HC, showed a higher ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation during working memory, a result driven by the lack of deactivation in BD patients. In addition, euthymic BD patients displayed a greater dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation during self-reference processing. LIMITATIONS: Pharmacotherapy was described but not included as a confounder in our models. Sample size was modest. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed a lack of deactivation in the anterior default mode network (aDMN) during a working memory task, a finding consistent with prior research in BD patients, but also a higher activation in frontal regions within the central executive network (CEN) during self-processing. These results suggest that an imbalance of neural network dynamics underlying external/internal oriented cognition (the CEN and the aDMN, respectively) may be one of the first reliable biomarkers in euthymic bipolar patients.

First evidence of in vitro cytotoxic effects of marine microlitter on Merluccius merluccius and Mullus barbatus, two Mediterranean commercial fish species.

Marine litter is composed mainly of plastics and is recognized as a serious threat to marine ecosystems. Ecotoxicological approaches have started elucidating the potential severity of microplastics (MPs) in controlled laboratory studies with pristine materials but no information exists on marine environmental microlitter as a whole. Here, we characterized the litter in the coastal Northern Tyrrhenian sea and in the stomach of two fish species of socio-economic importance, and exposed primary cell cultures of mucosal and lymphoid organs to marine microlitter for evaluating possible cytotoxic effects. An average of 0.30 ± 0.02 microlitter items m-3 was found in water samples. µFT-IR analysis revealed that plastic particles, namely HDPE, polyamide and polypropylene were present in 100% and 83.3% of Merluccius merluccius and Mullus barbatus analyzed, which overall ingested 14.67 ± 4.10 and 5.50 ± 1.97 items/individual, respectively. Moreover, microlitter was confirmed as a vector of microorganisms. Lastly, the apical end-point of viability was found to be significantly reduced in splenic cells exposed in vitro to two microlitter conditions. Considering the role of the spleen in the mounting of adaptive immune responses, our results warrant more in-depth investigations for clarifying the actual susceptibility of these two species to anthropogenic microlitter.

Evidence for a role of the ileum in the control of nitrogen homeostasis via the regulation of arginine metabolism.

As arginine plays a key role in the regulation of liver ureagenesis, we hypothesised that a modulation of enzymes involved in arginine metabolism within the intestine contributes to the regulation of N homeostasis according to protein supply. Our aim was to study the influence of variations in protein or amino acid (AA) supply on intestinal arginase, glutaminase, ornithine aminotransferase (OAT), argininosuccinate lyase and argininosuccinate synthetase. We evaluated in vivo in rats the responses of these enzymes to short-term (ST, 16 h) and long-term (LT, 15 d) variations in dietary protein (10, 17 or 25 % protein diet). In addition, in order to test whether these responses could involve a direct action of AA on the gene expression and activity of these enzymes, Caco-2/TC7 cells were cultured for 3 d with increasing AA concentrations. In vivo, in the ST, both high- and low-protein diets increased arginase activity in the intestinal mucosa (ST25 %: 46 (sem 2) µmol/g per min and ST10 %: 46 (sem 2) µmol/g per min v. ST17 %: 36 (sem 3) µmol/g per min, P < 0.05). In the LT, OAT expression was increased in the LT10 % group (+277 %, P < 0.05) compared with the LT17 % group. Caco-2/TC7 cells showed inverse relationships between AA supply and arginase (P = 0.058) and OAT (P = 0.035) expressions. The present study demonstrates the regulation of intestinal arginase and OAT expressions in response to protein supply. Our in vitro experiments further indicate a direct AA-induced regulation of the mRNA abundance of these enzymes. In situations of limited protein supply, this regulation would increase intestinal arginine catabolism and, possibly via a decrease in arginine portal release, decrease hepatic AA oxidation, thus promoting N sparing.