Search results for "REU"
showing 10 items of 1466 documents
Risk of Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa nosocomial infections in a Burns Centre: the microbiological monitoring of water supplies for a pr…
1995
This paper reports on an extensive epidemiological survey of the microbiological monitoring of the environment, staff, and patients in the Intensive Care Unit of the Palermo Bums Centre (Italy). The aim of the survey was to evaluate the presence and distribution of environmental sources of pathogens and opportunistic bacterial agents of nosocomial infection in immunocompromised hosts. Strains collected from air, tap water, and medical and nursing staff were compared with strains isolated from burn patients in order to study the potential transmission route of bacteria. The results showed environmental strains presenting a profile identical to that of the clinical strains, suggesting a link …
Dried-fruit shell reuse in green construction and building materials
2023
Bio-architecture is a new way of designing and building in line with the European Green Deal and in light of the circular economy principles. This new green approach is guiding the entire construction life cycle toward eco-sustainability and environmental friendliness, from the beginning to the end of the building process. In addition to the use of environmentally-friendly and high-performance building and construction materials, it is necessary to use new technologies that can reduce the environmental footprint. This paper aims to examine the possible reuse of biological wastes of agricultural origin of the Mediterranean basin, whose massive production generates a number of problems for th…
Searching for the Self : Adult International Adoptees’ Narratives of Their Search for and Reunion With Their Birth Families
2019
In this case study, five international adoptees from Finland were interviewed about their search and reunion experiences to find out what meanings they ascribed to their identities and family relations. The thematic analysis yielded three themes: search and reunion in significant periods of life, meaning of reunion for identity, and belonging and relatedness within family. The first theme was characterized by the changing interest in birth family from the inability in childhood to fully understand the meaning of adoption and the growing interest in adolescence to adulthood where participants’ own parenthood intensified their interest. The second theme was characterized by the sense of coher…
Inhibition of bacterial virulence factors of foodborne pathogens by paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) extracts
2022
Abstract Capsicum annuum extracts of different polarities were tested for their antimicrobial, antibiofilm, and anti-Quorum sensing (QS) activity against several pathogenic microorganisms and possible toxic effects using an in vivo model (Galleria mellonella L.). Hexane (HE) and Chloroform extract (CE) were the most active in inhibiting biofilm formation of the eight bacteria tested, with inhibition percentages between 22 and 88% for a concentration of 100 μg/mL. These extracts were potent inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and microscopy analysis confirmed a significant reduction in adhered cells. Moreover, polystyrene surfaces coated with these extracts decreased Staph. aureus a…
ChemInform Abstract: One-Step Synthesis, Crystallographic Studies and Antimicrobial Activity of New 4-Diazopyrazole Derivatives.
2010
Summary A number of new 4-diazopyrazole derivatives were prepared by the reaction of 1- R -3-methyl-5(R 1 -substituted)benzamidopyrazoles with a sevenfold excess of nitrous acid in acetic medium. The compounds were tested for activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria monocytogenes, Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis and Paecilomyces varioti . The highest microbial susceptibility was shown by Gram-positive bacteria, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) in the range 0.5–12.5 μg/mL. For S aureus the R 1 substituents were screened utilizing the Topliss operational scheme. The 4-nitro g…
Iron oxide superparamagnetic nanocarriers bearing amphiphilic N-heterocyclic choline analogues as potential antimicrobial agents
2015
Magnetic nanoparticles represent an advanced tool in biomedicine because they can be simultaneously functionalized and guided using a magnetic field. Iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles precoated with oleic acid and bearing novel antimicrobial N-heterocyclic choline analogues, namely O-, N- and O,N-bis-undecyl-substituted N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinium derivatives, have been obtained as potential biomedical agents for drug delivery and antimicrobial therapy. Structural and size determinations for the novel synthesized magnetic nanosystems were carried out based upon magnetogranulometry, dynamic light-scattering measurements and X-ray diffraction analysis. The most expecte…
Pre-release risk assessment of the egg-parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum for classical biological control of Leptoglossus occidentalis.
2013
Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Heteroptera: Coreidae) is a North American conifer seed pest that was accidentally introduced to Europe. In the Mediterranean area, it threatens the production of Pinus pinea Linna- eus seeds. The egg-parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead) (Hymenop- tera: Platygastridae), the main natural enemy in the native range of L. occidentalis, was imported from British Columbia to Italy. Pre-release risk assessments were made under quarantine conditions by no-choice tests conducted with na€ıve and experienced G. pennsylvanicum offering single eggs of target and non-target species for varying exposure times (1, 4, 48 h). G. pennsylvanicum successfully parasitize…
Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin attack on human platelets promotes assembly of the prothrombinase complex.
1990
alpha-Toxin, the major cytolysin of Staphylococcus aureus, promotes blood coagulation by its attack on human platelets (Bhakdi S., Muhly, M., Mannhardt, U., Hugo, F., Klapettek, K., Mueller-Eckhardt, C., and Roka, L. (1988) J. Exp. Med. 168, 527-542). In the present study we demonstrate that toxin attack on gel-filtered human platelets initiates the assembly of prothrombinase complexes at rates up to 10-fold of controls. Treatment of platelets with 0.1 microgram/ml alpha-toxin resulted in generation of 1.4 units of thrombin/10(8) platelets. A similar rate of thrombin generation was noted when platelets were subjected to three cycles of freezing and thawing. However, the alpha-toxin-induced …
A polyphasic approach in order to identify dominant lactic acid bacteria during pasta manufacturing
2010
Using a polyphasic approach, we have isolated and identified, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in samples directly collected from an artisanal pasta-making manufactory located in Puglia (South Italy). Samples were collected during several steps of pasta processing and LAB were isolated on MRS and M17 plates. Furthermore, strains were grouped in a total of eight species by means of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) typing and 16S rDNA sequencing. The majority of strains were identified as belonging to Pediococcus pentosaceus and Enterococcus faecium species. The remaining strains were characterized and assigned to Weissella confusa, Pediococcus acidilactici,…
The nutritional composition of selected wild edible mushrooms from Sicily (southern Italy)
2011
The wide consumption of wild fungi by the local population is the basis for an evaluation of the as yet unknown nutritional composition of some selected species. Wild edible mushrooms (Fistulina hepatica, Infundibulicybe geotropa, Laetiporus sulphureus, Macrolepiota procera var. procera and Suillus granulatus) were collected in a number of Sicilian (southern Italian) forest ecosystems and analysed according to standard methodologies of fungal analysis, for their basic composition (ash, water, protein, fat, carbohydrate and vitamin). The results showed that the investigated mushrooms could be suggested as a source of nutritional elements for the human diet.