Chemical and Electrophysiological Characterisation of Headspace Volatiles from Yeasts Attractive to Drosophila suzukii.

Chemical control of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) based on the use of insecticides is particularly challenging as the insect attacks ripening fruits shortly before harvest. An alternative strategy may rely on the use of yeasts as phagostimulants and baits, applied on canopy as attract-and-kill formulations. The aim of this research was to identify the most attractive among six yeast species for D. suzukii: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hanseniaspora uvarum, Clavispora santaluciae, Saccharomycopsis vini, Issatchenkia terricola, and Metschnikowia pulcherrima. The volatile profile of C. santaluciae was described for the first time. Behavioural experiments identified H. uvarum and S. vini as the most attractive yeasts. The characterization of yeast headspace volatiles using direct headspace (DHS) and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) revealed several strain-specific compounds. With DHS injection, 19 volatiles were characterised, while SPME revealed 71 compounds constituting the yeast headspace. Both analyses revealed terpenoids including ß-ocimene, citronellol, (Z)-geraniol (nerol), and geranial as distinct constituents of S. vini. H. uvarum and S. vini were further investigated using closed-loop stripping analysis (CSLA) and electroantennography. Out of 14 compounds quantified by CSLA, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, ß-myrcene, benzaldehyde and linalool were detected by D. suzukii antennae and might generate the strong attractiveness of S. vini and H. uvarum. Our results highlight a strong attraction of D. suzukii to various yeasts associated with both the flies and their habitat and demonstrate how different sampling methods can impact the results of volatile compound characterization. It remains to be demonstrated whether the distinct attraction is based on special adaptations to certain yeasts and to what extent the metabolites causing attraction are interchangeable.

Factors influencing short-term parasitoid establishment and efficacy for the biological control of Halyomorpha halys with the samurai wasp Trissolcus japonicus.

BACKGROUND: Classical biological control has been identified as the most promising approach to limit the impact of the invasive pest species Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). This study investigated the parasitism rate at sites where the biocontrol agent Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was released and where its unintentional introduction took place, in the Trentino-South Tyrol region. The effect of land-use composition was studied to understand which factors favor the establishment of hosts and parasitoids, including native and exotic species. RESULTS: The released T. japonicus were detected a year after the start of the program, with a significant parasitoid impact and discovery, compared to control sites. Trissolcus japonicus was the most abundant H. halys parasitoid, and Trissolcus mitsukurii and Anastatus bifasciatus were recorded also. The efficacy of T. mitsukurii was lower in sites where T. japonicus was successfully established, suggesting a possible competitive interaction. Parasitism level by T. japonicus at the release sites was 12.5% in 2020 and 16.4% in 2021. The combined effect of predation and parasitization increased H. halys mortality up to 50% at the release sites. Landscape composition analysis showed that both H. halys and T. japonicus were more likely to be found at sites with lower altitude and with permanent crops, whereas other hosts and parasitoids preferred different conditions. CONCLUSION: Trissolcus japonicus showed a promising impact on H. halys, at release and adventive sites, with minor nontarget effects, mediated by landscape heterogeneity. The prevalence of T. japonicus in landscapes with permanent crops could support IPM in the future. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Field and greenhouse application of an attract-and-kill formulation based on the yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum and the insecticide spinosad to control Drosophila suzukii in grapes.

BACKGROUND: The invasive insect Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an important pest of several red grape varieties. The yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum (Niehaus), which is associated with D. suzukii, strongly attracts flies and stimulates them to feed on yeast-laden food. In the present study, a formulation based on H. uvarum culture with spinosad insecticide was applied to the foliage of vineyards and control of D. suzukii was compared to applying spinosad to the whole plant. After successful H. uvarum and insecticide application in the vineyard, we tested additional H. uvarum-based formulations with spinosad in a greenhouse to determine their capacity to control D. suzukii. RESULTS: Application of the H. uvarum-spinosad formulation at 36.4 g of spinosad per hectare reduced the D. suzukii field infestation at the same rate as applying 120 g of spinosad per hectare and prevented spinosad residues on grapes. Leaves treated with H. uvarum and spinosad in the field and transferred to a laboratory assay caused high mortality to flies and reduced the number of eggs laid on fruits. Formulations with spinosad applied in the greenhouse showed that both H. uvarum culture and the yeast cell-free supernatant of a centrifuged culture increased fly mortality and reduced the number of eggs laid compared to the unsprayed control. CONCLUSION: In comparison to typical spinosad spray applications, the use of H. uvarum in combination with spinosad as an attract-and-kill formulation against D. suzukii reduces pesticide residues on the fruits by targeting the treatment to the canopy and decreasing the amount of insecticide per hectare without compromising control efficacy.

Behavioral manipulation of Drosophila suzukii for pest control: high attraction to yeast enhances insecticide efficacy when applied on leaves.

BACKGROUND: The invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii attacks fresh soft-skinned fruit. Broad-spectrum insecticides are implemented for control but there is a need to reduce environmental risks and insecticide residues on fruits. Hanseniaspora uvarum is a yeast frequently found on ripe fruits and associated with D. suzukii. We aim to exploit the ecological association and attraction of D. suzukii to H. uvarum by developing an attract-and-kill strategy, with spray-application on canopy but not fruit. We therefore investigated D. suzukii attraction, egg-laying and mortality when exposed to insecticidal yeast-based formulations. RESULTS: Hanseniaspora uvarum strongly attracted D. suzukii when applied on leaves of grapevine, Vitis vinifera. Notably, this attractiveness was competitive to ripe grape berries that were susceptible to D. suzukii infestation. Moreover, adding H. uvarum enhanced the efficacy of insecticidal formulations against D. suzukii. Flies exposed to leaves treated with yeast-insecticide formulations showed higher mortality and laid a lower number of eggs compared to flies exposed to insecticide alone. In a wind tunnel, all treatments containing H. uvarum alone or in combination with insecticides, caused similar upwind flight and landing at the odor source, which provides evidence that the addition of insecticide did not reduce D. suzukii attraction to yeast. CONCLUSION: Hanseniaspora uvarum can be used to manipulate the behavior of D. suzukii by attracting flies to insecticide formulations. Yeast attraction is competitive to grape berries and improves insecticide effectiveness, suggesting that sprays covering canopy only, could reduce residues on fruit without compromising management efficacy.

Assessing the Distribution of Exotic Egg Parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys in Europe with a Large-Scale Monitoring Program.

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys is an invasive agricultural pest with a worldwide distribution. Classical biological control has been identified as the most promising method to reduce the populations of H. halys. Adventive populations of two candidates for releases, Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii, have recently been detected in Europe. To assess their distribution and abundance, a large-scale survey was performed. From May to September 2019, a wide area covering northern Italy and parts of Switzerland was surveyed, highlighting the expanding distribution of both Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii. Within four years after their first detection in Europe, both species have rapidly spread into all types of habitats where H. halys is present, showing a wide distribution and continuous expansion. Both exotic Trissolcus showed high levels of parasitism rate towards H. halys, while parasitization of non-target species was a rare event. The generalist Anastatus bifasciatus was the predominant native parasitoid of H. halys, while the emergence of native scelionids from H. halys eggs was rarely observed. The presence of the hyperparasitoid Acroclisoides sinicus was also recorded. This study provided fundamental data that supported the development of the first inoculative release program of Tr. japonicus in Europe.

Source attribution of community-acquired cases of Legionnaires' disease-results from the German LeTriWa study; Berlin, 2016-2019.

INTRODUCTION: Sources of infection of most cases of community-acquired Legionnaires' disease (CALD) are unknown. OBJECTIVE: Identification of sources of infection of CALD. SETTING: Berlin; December 2016-May 2019. PARTICIPANTS: Adult cases of CALD reported to district health authorities and consenting to the study; age and hospital matched controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Percentage of cases of CALD with attributed source of infection. METHODS: Analysis of secondary patient samples for monoclonal antibody (MAb) type (and sequence type); questionnaire-based interviews, analysis of standard household water samples for Legionella concentration followed by MAb (and sequence) typing of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Lp1) isolates; among cases taking of additional water samples to identify the infectious source as appropriate; recruitment of control persons for comparison of exposure history and Legionella in standard household water samples. For each case an appraisal matrix was filled in to attribute any of three source types (external (non-residence) source, residential non-drinking water (RnDW) source (not directly from drinking water outlet), residential drinking water (RDW) as source) using three evidence types (microbiological results, cluster evidence, analytical-comparative evidence (using added information from controls)). RESULTS: Inclusion of 111 study cases and 202 controls. Median age of cases was 67 years (range 25-93 years), 74 (67%) were male. Among 65 patients with urine typable for MAb type we found a MAb 3/1-positive strain in all of them. Compared to controls being a case was not associated with a higher Legionella concentration in standard household water samples, however, the presence of a MAb 3/1-positive strain was significantly associated (odds ratio (OR) = 4.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7 to 11). Thus, a source was attributed by microbiological evidence if it contained a MAb 3/1-positive strain. A source was attributed by cluster evidence if at least two cases were exposed to the same source. Statistically significant general source types were attributed by calculating the population attributable risk (analytical-comparative evidence). We identified an external source in 16 (14%) cases, and RDW as source in 28 (25%). Wearing inadequately disinfected dentures was the only RnDW source significantly associated with cases (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 7.8) and led to an additional 8% of cases with source attribution, for a total of 48% of cases attributed. CONCLUSION: Using the appraisal matrix we attributed almost half of all cases of CALD to an infectious source, predominantly RDW. Risk for LD seems to be conferred primarily by the type of Legionella rather than the amount. Dentures as a new infectious source needs further, in particular, integrated microbiological, molecular and epidemiological confirmation.

Persistence of a Yeast-Based (Hanseniaspora uvarum) Attract-and-Kill Formulation against Drosophila suzukii on Grape Leaves.

The production of phagostimulant and attractive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by yeasts can be exploited to improve the efficacy of attract-and-kill formulations against the spotted wing drosophila (SWD). This study evaluated the persistence over one week of a yeast-based formulation under greenhouse conditions. Potted grape plants were treated with: (i) potato dextrose broth (PDB), (ii) PDB containing spinosad (PDB + S), and (iii) H. uvarum fermentation broth grown on PDB containing spinosad (H. u. + S). Laboratory trials were performed to determine the survival and the oviposition rate of SWD after exposure to treated leaves. Ion-exchange chromatography was performed to measure carbohydrates, sugar alcohols, and organic acids on leaf surfaces, while amino acids were assessed through liquid chromatography-mass-spectrometry. Additionally, the VOCs released by plants treated with H.uvarum were collected via closed-loop-stripping analysis and compared to those emitted by untreated leaves. A higher mortality was observed for adult SWDs in contact with H. uvarum containing spinosad compared to PDB containing spinosad. Generally, a decrease in the amounts of non-volatile compounds was observed over time, though numerous nutrients were still present one week after treatment. The application of the yeast-based formulation induced the emission of VOCs by the treated leaves. The concentration of 2-phenylethanol, one of the main VOCs emitted by yeasts, decreased over time. These findings describe the presence of potential phagostimulants and compounds attractive to SWD in a yeast-based attract-and-kill formulation and demonstrate the efficacy of the formulation over one week.

Comparative Lipidomics of Different Yeast Species Associated to Drosophila suzukii.

Yeasts constitute a dietary source for the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and produce compounds that attract these flies. The study of the chemical composition of the yeast communities associated with SWD should therefore help to understand the relationship between the biology of the insect and the yeast's metabolism. In the present study, the lipidome of five yeast species isolated from grapes infested by SWD (three Hanseniaspora uvarum strains, Candida sp., Issatchenkia terricola, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomycopsis vini) and a laboratory strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was explored using an untargeted approach. Additionally, the lipid profile of two species, S. cerevisiae and H. uvarum, which were reported to elicit different responses on SWD flies based on feeding and behavioral trials, was compared with a chemical enrichment approach. Overall, 171 lipids were annotated. The yeast species could be distinguished from each other based on their lipid profile, except for the three strains of H. uvarum, which were very similar to each other. The chemical enrichment analysis emphasized diversities between S. cerevisiae and H. uvarum, that could not be detected based on their global lipid profile. The information concerning differences between species in their lipidome may be of interest to future entomological studies concerning the yeast-insect interaction and could help to explain the responses of SWD to diverse yeast species.

Assemblage of the Egg Parasitoids of the Invasive Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys: Insights on Plant Host Associations.

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive alien species and a key agricultural pest. Its native parasitoids (Trissolcus japonicus Ashmead and Tr. mitsukurii Ashmead) have been registered in several countries where H. halys brought dramatic economic losses and where biological control is considered to be the most effective long-term solution. By searching for stink bug egg masses and exposing sentinel egg masses, we monitored the distribution of native and exotic egg parasitoids in Trentino-Alto Adige (Italy), an area where both the host and parasitoids are in expansion. We recorded ten pentatomids, seven parasitoid species, with the first report of Tr. japonicus in this area and a hyperparasitoid. In the assemblage, Anastatus bifasciatus (Geoffroy) and Tr. mitsukurii were the dominant parasitoids, with a different distribution in terms of context and host plants. Sycamore was the host plant where the highest number of naturally laid parasitized egg masses (26%) were recorded. Trissolcus mitsukurii showed the highest parasitism rate, and was often found in apple orchards. The emergence of exotic parasitoids showed a temporal delay compared to native ones. Sequence analysis of 823 bp of the CO1 mitochondrial gene revealed that the recovered Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii harbored one single haplotype each. These haplotypes were previously found in 2018 in Northern Italy. While sentinel egg masses proved to be very effective in tracking the arrival of exotic Trissolcus species, the collection of stink bug egg masses provided fundamental data on the plant host species. The results lend strong support to the adaptation of exotic Trissolcus species to the environmental conditions of the range of introduction, providing new information on plant host-associations, fundamental for the development of biological control programs.

Profile of dermatological consultations in Brazil (2018)

Abstract: Background: Dermatological diseases are among the primary causes of the demand for basic health care. Studies on the frequency of dermatoses are important for the proper management of health planning. Objectives: To evaluate the nosological and behavioral profiles of dermatological consultations in Brazil. Methods: The Brazilian Society of Dermatology invited all of its members to complete an online form on patients who sought consultations from March 21-26, 2018. The form contained questions about patient demographics, consultation type according to the patient's funding, the municipality of the consultation, diagnosis, treatments and procedures. Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions were compared between subgroups. Results: Data from 9629 visits were recorded. The most frequent causes for consultation were acne (8.0%), photoaging (7.7%), nonmelanoma skin cancer (5.4%), and actinic keratosis (4.7%). The identified diseases had distinct patterns with regard to gender, skin color, geographic region, type of funding for the consultation, and age group. Concerning the medical conducts, photoprotection was indicated in 44% of consultations, surgical diagnostic procedures were performed in 7.3%, surgical therapeutic procedures were conducted in 19.2%, and cosmetic procedures were performed in 7.1%. Study limitations: Nonrandomized survey, with a sample period of one week. Conclusion: This research allowed us to identify the epidemiological profiles of the demands of outpatients for dermatologists in various contexts. The results also highlight the importance of aesthetic demands in privately funded consultations and the significance of diseases such as acne, nonmelanoma skin cancer, leprosy, and psoriasis to public health.

Profile of dermatological consultations in Brazil (2018).

BACKGROUND: Dermatological diseases are among the primary causes of the demand for basic health care. Studies on the frequency of dermatoses are important for the proper management of health planning. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the nosological and behavioral profiles of dermatological consultations in Brazil. METHODS: The Brazilian Society of Dermatology invited all of its members to complete an online form on patients who sought consultations from March 21-26, 2018. The form contained questions about patient demographics, consultation type according to the patient's funding, the municipality of the consultation, diagnosis, treatments and procedures. Diagnostic and therapeutic decisions were compared between subgroups. RESULTS: Data from 9629 visits were recorded. The most frequent causes for consultation were acne (8.0%), photoaging (7.7%), nonmelanoma skin cancer (5.4%), and actinic keratosis (4.7%). The identified diseases had distinct patterns with regard to gender, skin color, geographic region, type of funding for the consultation, and age group. Concerning the medical conducts, photoprotection was indicated in 44% of consultations, surgical diagnostic procedures were performed in 7.3%, surgical therapeutic procedures were conducted in 19.2%, and cosmetic procedures were performed in 7.1%. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Nonrandomized survey, with a sample period of one week. CONCLUSION: This research allowed us to identify the epidemiological profiles of the demands of outpatients for dermatologists in various contexts. The results also highlight the importance of aesthetic demands in privately funded consultations and the significance of diseases such as acne, nonmelanoma skin cancer, leprosy, and psoriasis to public health.

Demographics and spatial distribution of the Brazilian dermatologists.

The medical-dermatological demographics favors health planning and guides expansion of the specialty. We conducted an ecological study of dermatologists members of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD). We evaluated: gender, age, address; which were compared with population and human development index indicators of municipalities. We evaluated 8384 members, distributed in 527 (9.5%) municipalities throughout Brazil. The female sex represented 78.4% of the members and the median age was 43 (36-54) years. The median density of dermatologists was 0.35 (0.21-0.37) per 10,000 inhabitants. The correlation (Spearman's rho) between density of dermatologists and human development index was 0.39 (p <0.01). The Brazilian dermatologist is characterized as: female, age <50 years and presenting an heterogeneous distribution throught the country.

Dietary yeast affects preference and performance in Drosophila suzukii.

Yeasts play an important role in nutrition physiology and host attraction of many Drosophila species, and associations with various yeast species are documented for several drosophilid flies. The pest Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) has a predominant association with the yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum. However, research has not been conducted on the nutritional physiology of the yeasts associated with D. suzukii (spotted wing drosophila). Therefore, in this study, we determined whether dietary yeast was nutritionally relevant and whether yeast species closely associated with D. suzukii positively affected life-history traits. Our results confirm a crucial role of dietary yeast in the larval development and survival of D. suzukii. Furthermore, we found specific effects of the closely associated yeast species H. uvarum and Candida sp. on larval survival. Observations of the egg-laying behaviour of D. suzukii on cherry fruits artificially colonised with different yeast species revealed that the number of eggs laid increased on fruits colonised with Candida sp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Demographics and spatial distribution of the Brazilian dermatologists

Abstract: The medical-dermatological demographics favors health planning and guides expansion of the specialty. We conducted an ecological study of dermatologists members of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD). We evaluated: gender, age, address; which were compared with population and human development index indicators of municipalities. We evaluated 8384 members, distributed in 527 (9.5%) municipalities throughout Brazil. The female sex represented 78.4% of the members and the median age was 43 (36-54) years. The median density of dermatologists was 0.35 (0.21-0.37) per 10,000 inhabitants. The correlation (Spearman's rho) between density of dermatologists and human development index was 0.39 (p <0.01). The Brazilian dermatologist is characterized as: female, age <50 years and presenting an heterogeneous distribution throught the country.

Cytomegalovirus infection impairs immunosuppressive and antimicrobial effector functions of human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) possess immunosuppressive and antimicrobial effects that are partly mediated by the tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Therefore MSC represent a promising novel cellular immunosuppressant which has the potential to control steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease (GvHD). In addition, MSC are capable of reducing the risk of infection in patients after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HST). Recent data indicate that signals from the microenvironment including those from microbes may modulate MSC effector functions. As Cytomegalovirus (CMV) represents a prominent pathogen in immunocompromised hosts, especially in patients following HST, we investigated the impact of CMV infection on MSC-mediated effects on the immune system. We demonstrate that CMV-infected MSC lose their cytokine-induced immunosuppressive capacity and are no longer able to restrict microbial growth. IDO expression is substantially impaired following CMV infection of MSC and this interaction critically depends on intact virus and the number of MSC as well as the viral load. Since overt CMV infection may undermine the clinical efficacy of MSC in the treatment of GvHD in transplant patients, we recommend that patients scheduled for MSC therapy should undergo thorough evaluation for an active CMV infection and receive CMV-directed antiviral therapy prior to the administration of MSC.

Checks and balances between human cytomegalovirus replication and indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase.

Despite a rigorous blockade of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signalling in infected fibroblasts as a mechanism of immune evasion by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), IFN-γ induced indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) has been proposed to represent the major antiviral restriction factor limiting HCMV replication in epithelial cells. Here we show that HCMV efficiently blocks transcription of IFN-γ-induced IDO mRNA both in infected fibroblasts and epithelial cells even in the presence of a preexisting IFN-induced antiviral state. This interference results in severe suppression of IDO bioactivity in HCMV-infected cells and restoration of vigorous HCMV replication. Depletion of IDO expression nonetheless substantially alleviated the antiviral impact of IFN-γ treatment in both cell types. These findings highlight the effectiveness of this IFN-γ induced effector gene in restricting HCMV productivity, but also the impact of viral counter-measures.

Regulation of IDO activity by oxygen supply: inhibitory effects on antimicrobial and immunoregulatory functions.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid for human beings as well as for some microorganisms. In human cells the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) inducible enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) reduces local tryptophan levels and is therefore able to mediate broad-spectrum effector functions: IDO activity restricts the growth of various clinically relevant pathogens such as bacteria, parasites and viruses. On the other hand, it has been observed that IDO has immunoregulatory functions as it efficiently controls the activation and survival of T-cells. Although these important effects have been analysed in much detail, they have been observed in vitro using cells cultured in the presence of 20% O2 (normoxia). Such high oxygen concentrations are not present in vivo especially within infected and inflamed tissues. We therefore analysed IDO-mediated effects under lower oxygen concentrations in vitro and observed that the function of IDO is substantially impaired in tumour cells as well as in native cells. Hypoxia led to reduced IDO expression and as a result to reduced production of kynurenine, the downstream product of tryptophan degradation. Consequently, effector functions of IDO were abrogated under hypoxic conditions: in different human cell lines such as tumour cells (glioblastoma, HeLa) but also in native cells (human foreskin fibroblasts; HFF) IDO lost the capacity to inhibit the growth of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), parasites (Toxoplasma gondii) or viruses (herpes simplex virus type 1). Additionally, IDO could no longer efficiently control the proliferation of T-cells that have been co-cultured with IDO expressing HFF cells in vitro. In conclusion, the potent antimicrobial as well as immunoregulatory functions of IDO were substantially impaired under hypoxic conditions that pathophysiologically occurs in vivo.

Cytomegalovirus impairs the induction of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase mediated antimicrobial and immunoregulatory effects in human fibroblasts.

Human fibroblasts provide immunosuppressive functions that are partly mediated by the tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Moreover, upon stimulation with inflammatory cytokines human fibroblasts exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial effector functions directed against various clinically relevant pathogens and these effects are also IDO-dependent. Therefore human fibroblasts are suggested to be involved in the control of immune reactions during infectious diseases. As human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) represents a pathogen frequently found in immunocompromised hosts and IDO is involved in the control of HCMV growth, we here investigated the impact of HCMV infection on IDO-mediated antimicrobial and immunoregulatory effects. We show that infection with HCMV substantially impairs IFN-γ-induced IDO-activity in human fibroblasts in a dose and time dependent fashion. Consequently, these cells are no longer able to restrict bacterial and parasitic growth and, furthermore, loose their IDO-mediated immunosuppressive capacity. Our results may have significant implications for the course of HCMV infection during solid organ transplantation: we suggest that loss of IDO-mediated antimicrobial and immunoregulatory functions during a HCMV infection might at least in part explain the enhanced risk of organ rejection and infections observed in patients with HCMV reactivation after solid organ transplantation.

Do the quality of the trials and the year of publication affect the efficacy of intervention to improve seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers?: Results of a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Despite longstanding recommendations by public-health authorities vaccination coverage in health care workers worldwide are poor. The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic review of the trials conducted to increase seasonal influenza vaccination rates among health care workers. RESULTS: Ten articles met the pre-determined criteria. For all article the score calculation was performed. DISCUSSION: The combination of an educational and a promotional element appared the most effective in augmenting the influenza vaccination coverage among health care workers. But some cases, the intervention did not contribute to increasing the vaccination rates among health care workers. In any case, the quality of controlled trials plays an important role in the results obtained by carrying out a specific intervention and contributed to obtaining this debatable results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Research was conducted using Scopus and PubMed database. We selected all clinical trials to perform the meta-analyses.

A gene expression analysis of cell wall biosynthetic genes in Malus x domestica infected by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali'.

Apple proliferation (AP) represents a serious threat to several fruit-growing areas and is responsible for great economic losses. Several studies have highlighted the key role played by the cell wall in response to pathogen attack. The existence of a cell wall integrity signaling pathway which senses perturbations in the cell wall architecture upon abiotic/biotic stresses and activates specific defence responses has been widely demonstrated in plants. More recently a role played by cell wall-related genes has also been reported in plants infected by phytoplasmas. With the aim of shedding light on the cell wall response to AP disease in the economically relevant fruit-tree Malus × domestica Borkh., we investigated the expression of the cellulose (CesA) and callose synthase (CalS) genes in different organs (i.e., leaves, roots and branch phloem) of healthy and infected symptomatic outdoor-grown trees, sampled over the course of two time points (i.e., spring and autumn 2011), as well as in in vitro micropropagated control and infected plantlets. A strong up-regulation in the expression of cell wall biosynthetic genes was recorded in roots from infected trees. Secondary cell wall CesAs showed up-regulation in the phloem tissue from branches of infected plants, while either a down-regulation of some genes or no major changes were observed in the leaves. Micropropagated plantlets also showed an increase in cell wall-related genes and constitute a useful system for a general assessment of gene expression analysis upon phytoplasma infection. Finally, we also report the presence of several 'knot'-like structures along the roots of infected apple trees and discuss the occurrence of this interesting phenotype in relation to the gene expression results and the modalities of phytoplasma diffusion.