Safety and efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with immune thrombocytopenia: A two-centre review.

Multiple studies have reported immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) relapse following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, however baseline ITP relapse rate and antibody response to vaccination are not known. Patients with ITP who received at least one of the first three SARS-CoV-2 vaccination doses were included in the study. One hundred and twenty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. Relapse rate was 4.2% following a first vaccine dose, 9.1% after a second and 2.9% after a third; baseline relapse rate was 7.6%. Ninety-four per cent of patients who received three vaccine doses developed a clinical antibody response. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination appears to be safe and effective in patients with ITP.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and effects on tendon tissue: A vibrational spectroscopy study.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an invasive medical technique used to provide life support in persons with insufficient cardiac and respiratory functionalities, or to preserve, postmortem, and organ function addressing organ/tissue transplant. Although a lot of information is available about organs in their entirety, the safety and effectiveness of allogeneic tissues collected from ECMO donors have not been fully elucidated. In this preliminary study, samples of tibial and peroneal human tendons were analyzed along their length with Raman microspectroscopy and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared micro-imaging. Both techniques evidenced a different chemical composition in the terminal with respect to the central part of the tendon. Thus, a differentiated analysis was performed depending on the specific position with respect to the bone or the muscle junctions. Spectroscopic analyses showed significant differences in the characteristics of the extracellular matrix between tendons from ECMO and non-ECMO donors, suggesting changes in the amino acid (proline and hydroxyproline) content and protein structure.

Characterization of Anti-Listeria monocytogenes Properties of two Bacteriocin-Producing Enterococcus mundtii Isolated from Fresh Fish and Seafood.

This study addressed the bacteriocin production in 116 lactic acid bacteria isolated from 143 fish and seafood samples. The screening for the production of antibacterial substances allowed for the selection of 16 LAB isolates endowed with inhibitory capability. Bacteriocins (bacLP17 and bacLP18) of two strains, Enterococcus mundtii LP17 and Enterococcus mundtii LP18, respectively, isolated from red mullet and sardine samples, determined large inhibition zones against all the Listeria species. Virulence traits and antibiotic resistances of all producers were verified, and no isolates presented dangerous characteristics, including the two best bacteriocin producers E. mundtii LP17 and E. mundtii LP18, which were subsequently investigated for their potential use in fish and seafood products biopreservation. For both strains, the highest level of bacteriocin production (1280 AU/ml) was recorded when cells were grown at 30 °C in MRS broth at pH ranging from 6.0 to 9.0, and high levels of adsorption of bacteriocins, bacLP17 and bacLP18, to the target cells Listeria monocytogenes were also observed. The results obtained in this study revealed that two strains of E. mundtii originating from seafood exhibited a strong inhibitory activity against L. monocytogenes and may be useful in controlling the growth of this pathogen in the same food products.

Prevalence and characterization of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in food-producing animals in Northern Italy.

The aim of this study was to assess the production of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) in 56 strains of Enterobacteriaceae, obtained from 100 rectal swabs of farm animals, and to evaluate the horizontal transfer ca- pacity of the genetic determinants of resistance. The ESBL-positive strains were confirmed by phenotypic testing, confirmed by PCR and DNA sequence analysis. The localization of beta-lactamase genes was established by conju- gation experiments. Of the 56 analyzed strains, 20 (36%) resulted positive for ESBL production by the double-disk synergy test, and belonged to Escherichia coli 15 (75%) and Klebsiella ozaenae 5 (25%) species. Molecular analysis showed that all ESBL-producing isolates possessed genes encoding for TEM-type enzymes and/or CTX-M. The conjugation assays yielded positive results, thus denoting a plasmidic localization of the genes. This study high- lights the high percentage of ESBL-positive Enterobacteriaceae and the mobility of the responsible genes. Gene mo- bility implies highly negative consequences in terms of drug therapy because of the spread of antibiotic resistance.

Bipolar disorder presenting as stalking--a case report.

BACKGROUND: Stalking behaviour may find its roots in an individual's psychological development and culture-related factors that facilitate it. Psychiatric disorders may underlie some stalking cases, but no reports exist of the relationship of actual psychiatric status with the expression of stalking behaviour. CASE REPORT: A 22-year-old adoptive woman perpetrated stalking towards her gynaecologist, who took legal action to protect herself. She was admitted to a general hospital psychiatric department and diagnosed with bipolar disorder-I, manic phase, and personality disorder, not otherwise specified. She was prescribed lithium and valproate combination and followed-up as an outpatient. She underwent cognitive-behavioural therapy incorporating Bowlby's concepts. Stalking behaviour did not reemerge. CONCLUSION: Exacerbations of psychiatric episodes may trigger stalking behaviour. Drug treatment may prevent its clinical expression, but underlying ideation and affect may need long-term psychotherapy focusing on attachment.