Bio-Photonic Sensing Cells over transparent substrates for anti-gestrinone antibodies biosensing

In a previous work we introduced the term Bio-Photonic Sensing Cells (BICELLs), referred to periodic networks of nano-pillar suitable for biosensing when are vertically interrogated. In this article, we demonstrate the biosensing capabilities of a type of micrometric size BICELLs made of SU-8 nano-pillars fabricated over transparent substrates. We verify the biochips functionality comparing the theoretical simulations with the experimental results when are optically interrogated in transmission. We also demonstrate a sensitivity enhancement by reducing the pitch among nano-pillars from 800 to 700 nm. Thus, the Limit of Detection achievable in these types of BICELLs is in the order of 64 pg/mL for 700 nm in pitch among nano-pillars in comparison with 292 pg/mL for 800 nm in pitch when are interrogated by Fourier Transform Visible and Infrared Spectrometry. The experiments exhibited a good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation of 0.29% measured within 8 days for a specific concentration. Finally, BICELLs functionality was tested in real conditions with unpurified rabbit serum for detecting anti-gestrinone antibodies, demonstrating the high performance of this type of BICELLs to detect specific antibodies having immobilized the suitable bioreceptors onto the sensing surface.     

Validity of resting energy expenditure predictive equations before and after an energy-restricted diet intervention in obese women

Background

We investigated the validity of REE predictive equations before and after 12-week energy-restricted diet intervention in Spanish obese (30 kg/m²>BMI<40 kg/m²) women.

Methods

We measured REE (indirect calorimetry), body weight, height, and fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM, dual X-ray absorptiometry) in 86 obese Caucasian premenopausal women aged 36.7±7.2 y, before and after (n = 78 women) the intervention. We investigated the accuracy of ten REE predictive equations using weight, height, age, FFM and FM.

Results

At baseline, the most accurate equation was the Mifflin et al. (Am J Clin Nutr 1990; 51: 241–247) when using weight (bias:−0.2%, P = 0.982), 74% of accurate predictions. This level of accuracy was not reached after the diet intervention (24% accurate prediction). After the intervention, the lowest bias was found with the Owen et al. (Am J Clin Nutr 1986; 44: 1–19) equation when using weight (bias:−1.7%, P = 0.044), 81% accurate prediction, yet it provided 53% accurate predictions at baseline.

Conclusions

There is a wide variation in the accuracy of REE predictive equations before and after weight loss in non-morbid obese women. The results acquire especial relevance in the context of the challenging weight regain phenomenon for the overweight/obese population.     

Synergism between prior Anisakis simplex infections and intake of NSAIDs, on the risk of upper digestive bleeding: a case-control study

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prior Anisakis infections and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), and its interaction with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intake.

Methods/Principal Findings

We conducted a hospital-based case-control study covering 215 UGIB cases and 650 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) with their confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated, as well as the ratio of the combined effects to the sum of the separate effects of Anisakis allergic sensitization and NSAIDs intake. Prior Anisakis infections were revealed by the presence of anti-Anisakis IgE antibodies specific to the recombinant Ani s 1 and Ani s 7 allergens used as the targets in indirect ELISA. Prior Anisakis infections (OR 1.74 [95% CI: 1.10 to 2.75]) and the intake of NSAIDs (OR 6.63 [95% CI: 4.21 to 10.43]) increased the risk of bleeding. Simultaneous NSAIDs intake and Anisakis allergic sensitization increased the risk of UGIB 14-fold (OR = 14.46 [95% CI: 6.08 to 34.40]). This interaction was additive, with a synergistic index of 3.01 (95% CI: 1.18–7.71).

Conclusions

Prior Anisakis infection is an independent risk factor for UGIB, and the joint effect with NSAIDs is 3 times higher than the sum of their individual effects.     

Brain morphological signatures for chronic pain

Chronic pain can be understood not only as an altered functional state, but also as a consequence of neuronal plasticity. Here we use in vivo structural MRI to compare global, local, and architectural changes in gray matter properties in patients suffering from chronic back pain (CBP), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and knee osteoarthritis (OA), relative to healthy controls. We find that different chronic pain types exhibit unique anatomical 'brain signatures'. Only the CBP group showed altered whole-brain gray matter volume, while regional gray matter density was distinct for each group. Voxel-wise comparison of gray matter density showed that the impact on the extent of chronicity of pain was localized to a common set of regions across all conditions. When gray matter density was examined for large regions approximating Brodmann areas, it exhibited unique large-scale distributed networks for each group. We derived a barcode, summarized by a single index of within-subject co-variation of gray matter density, which enabled classification of individual brains to their conditions with high accuracy. This index also enabled calculating time constants and asymptotic amplitudes for an exponential increase in brain re-organization with pain chronicity, and showed that brain reorganization with pain chronicity was 6 times slower and twice as large in CBP in comparison to CRPS. The results show an exuberance of brain anatomical reorganization peculiar to each condition and as such reflecting the unique maladaptive physiology of different types of chronic pain.     

Bacterial chemotaxis towards aromatic hydrocarbons in Pseudomonas

Bacterial chemotaxis is an adaptive behaviour, which requires sophisticated information-processing capabilities that cause motile bacteria to either move towards or flee from chemicals. Pseudomonas putida DOT-T1E exhibits the capability to move towards different aromatic hydrocarbons present at a wide range of concentrations. The chemotactic response is mediated by the McpT chemoreceptor encoded by the pGRT1 megaplasmid. Two alleles of mcpT are borne on this plasmid and inactivation of either one led to loss of this chemotactic phenotype. Cloning of mcpT into a plasmid complemented not only the mcpT mutants but also its transfer to other Pseudomonas conferred chemotactic response to high concentrations of toluene and other chemicals. Therefore, the phenomenon of chemotaxis towards toxic compounds at high concentrations is gene-dose dependent. In vitro experiments show that McpT is methylated by CheR and McpT net methylation was diminished in the presence of hydrocarbons, what influences chemotactic movement towards these chemicals.     

A single session of intense exercise improves the inflammatory response in healthy sedentary women

Physical activity has a great capacity for modulating the immune system, including the inflammatory response. However, the effects of exercise on the inflammatory response have rarely been studied in women, even though women are more susceptible than men to chronic inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of single sessions of exercise on the inflammatory response of sedentary women, evaluating neutrophil function and circulating concentrations of inflammatory cytokines. Exercise consisted of one session of cycling (1 h at ~70% of VO₂ max) on a cycle ergometer. Blood samples were taken in the basal state and immediately after the exercise session. Neutrophil function was studied on isolated cells by evaluating their phagocytic capacity against latex beads and their oxygen-dependent microbicidal capacity as reflected in the superoxide anion (O₂ ⁻) production. Circulating inflammatory cytokines were determined using a novel antibody-based protein micro-array method. The circulating concentration of IL-8 (a stimulatory cytokine for neutrophils) was also determined by ELISA. Exercise increased the phagocytic and the oxygen-dependent microbicidal capacities of neutrophils in the sedentary women. No variations were found in IL-2, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IFN-γ, TNF-α and -β, TGF-β, MCP-2 and -3, MIG, G-CSF, and GM-CSF. However, while the circulating concentrations of GRO and MCP-1 increased after exercise, there was a decrease in that of RANTES, a pro-inflammatory cytokine. Exercise improves neutrophil function, possibly mediated, at least partially, by GRO (a potent neutrophil activator) but not by IL-8. This stimulation of neutrophil function does not seem to be accompanied by any harmful systemic inflammatory response since no changes in the main pro-inflammatory cytokines were observed, and there was a decrease in RANTES.     

Chromobacterium violaceum lymphadenitis successfully treated in a Northern Italian hospital

Lymphadenitis can be caused by different gram positive and gram negative bacteria and non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Cervical lymphadenitis in children is thought to result from ingestion of or contact with environmental microrganisms. Chromobacterium violaceum is a common inhabitant of soil and water in tropical and sub tropical countries. In these parts of the world Chromobacterium violaceum is able to cause skin infection with diffuse pustular lesions and also multiple liver abscess with often fatal evolution in sepsis. We describe a case of cervical lymphadenitis caused by Chromobacterium violaceum in a 14-year-old boy, born in Guinea and resident in Italy for 7 years in a fair condition with general measurable swelling in the right lateral cervical region and with blood tests that showed increased inflammatory indices. The patient was subjected to surgical incision. Antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone was continued for 10 days, then replaced successfully with oral ciprofloxacin on the basis of purulent material culture positive for Chromobacterium violaceum sensitive to fluoroquinolones.     

Multicompartmental LC-Q-TOF-based metabonomics as an exploratory tool to identify novel pathways affected by polyphenol-rich diets in mice

Metabonomics has recently been used to study the physiological response to a given nutritional intervention, but such studies have usually been restricted to changes in either plasma or urine. In the present study, we demonstrate that the use of LC-Q-TOF-based metabolome analyses (foodstuff, plasma, urine, and caecal content metabolomes) in mice offer higher order information, including intra- and intercompartment relationships. To illustrate this, we performed an intervention study with three different phenolic-rich extracts in mice over 3 weeks. Both unsupervised (PCA) and supervised (PLS-DA) multivariate analyses used for pattern recognition revealed marked effects of diet in each compartment (plasma, urine, and caecal contents). Specifically, dietary intake of phenolic-rich extract affects pathways such as bile acid and taurine metabolism. Q-TOF-based metabonomics demonstrated that the number of correlations is higher in caecal contents and urine than in plasma. Moreover, intercompartment correlations showed that caecal contents-plasma correlations are the most frequent in mice, followed by plasma-urine ones. The number of inter- and intracompartment correlations is significantly affected by diet. These analyses reveal the complexity of interorgan metabolic relationships and their sensitivity to dietary changes.