Virulence genotypes of Helicobacter pylori in Palermo, Italy

On the hemagglutinating and hemolytic activity of measles virus variants.

The hemagglutinating (HA) and hemolytic (HL) activity of two measles virus variants, differing with regard to type of CPE and other characteristics, have been investigated.

Neurotropism in newborn hamsters of plaque purified measles virus clones

Three plaque purified measles virus clones displayed a different neurotropism in newborn hamsters.

Studies on a measles virus variant inducing persistent infections in cultured cells

Attempts were made to characterized by a plaque assay two variants of the Edmonston strain of measles virus and to obtain plaque purified virus populations. The UP non-cytocidal variant, in all the examined cell systems, mainly produced small but also large plaques; the DP cytocidal variant always large plaques. Three clones, UP-SP4, UP-LP4 and DP-LP4, were derived by plaque purfication respectively of the UP small plaque, UP large plaque and DP large plaque forming particles. The virus populations of the clones could be distinguished by some other biological and physical characters: cytopathic effect in roller tube cultures, growth potential in HeLa cells, thermal stability at 45 degrees C…

Ductal lavage: a valid method of risk assessment and of early diagnosis in breast cancer.

Genotyping of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 strains isolated in Northern Sicily, Italy.

During a three-year period, from April 2002 to May 2005, one hundred-forty-seven samples, taken from technical systems of water distribution at point of use, were repeatedly collected at six different sites in Northern Sicily and assayed for the presence of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 and serogroups 2 to 14. At the first samplings, the water distribution systems of all the sites were heavily contaminated, and disinfection treatments by the superheat and flush method were therefore performed. Treatments were always successful against L. pneumophila sg.1, but only in a few cases against all other serogroups. Eighty-six strains of L. pneumophila sg. 1, isolated from 26 of these samples,…

PREVALENCE OF PERTUSSIS IgG ANTIBODIES IN CHILDREN IN PALERMO, ITALY

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to Bordetella pertussis in a sample of 615 1-12-year-old unvaccinated children in Palermo was estimated by ELISA. The overall prevalence was 56%; it increased from 24% in one to three-year-old children to 67% in 11-12-year-old children (p less than 0.01). IgG antibody prevalence was not associated with the father's years of schooling (OR 1), nor with the family size (OR 1.3; C.I. 95% = 0.8-2.2). For children aged one the three years, serological results showed that the history of pertussis reported by parents in questionnaires gave high specificity (93.2%) and negative predictive value (85.4%). Our seroepidemiological study evidences a great exposure of chil…

The XENON1T Dark Matter Experiment

The XENON1T experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) is the first WIMP dark matter detector operating with a liquid xenon target mass above the ton-scale. Out of its 3.2 t liquid xenon inventory, 2.0 t constitute the active target of the dual-phase time projection chamber. The scintillation and ionization signals from particle interactions are detected with low-background photomultipliers. This article describes the XENON1T instrument and its subsystems as well as strategies to achieve an unprecedented low background level. First results on the detector response and the performance of the subsystems are also presented. © 2017, The Author(s).

Latent measles virus infection in Vero cells depending on a temperature-sensitive phenomenon.

A latent infection by measles virus in a line of Vero cells could be maintained only at 37 degrees C. The conditions of temperature nonpermissiveness were associated with some block in virus production and/or release and with the establishment of an autointerference phenomenon. Reduction of the incubation temperature to 33.5 degrees C induced a rather rapid transition from the latent to a lytical infection with a recue of virus. The rescued virus exhibited a restricted capacity to grow at 37 degrees C.

Infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa: relatively frequent isolation of serogroup 12 from clinical specimens.

Serological typing of P. aeruginosa is the most simple and reliable procedure recommended for ≪ in-house ≫ investigations and for studies of suspected outbreaks of infection by this microorganism. It is also a useful procedure in order to know serotype prevalence in a definite geografical area and to obtain indications about the more appropriate composition of polivalent anti-Pseudomonas vaccines. In the present report, we describe the relatively high frequency of isolation of serogroup 12 from patients in Palermo, Italy. Serogroup 12 is very rare in north-Europe and in the USA, and, as a consequence, it is not included in some vaccine preparations. In Palermo, strains belonging to this ser…