Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università dell'Insubria
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Global spread of Streptococcus pyogenes A genomics-supported narrative review
No full textGroup A Streptococcus (GAS) has recently reemerged as a leading cause of both mild and severe invasive infections worldwide, with recent upsurges in invasive disease among children and adults. Notwithstanding a partial synchronicity with the COVID-19 pandemic, this rapid global dissemination of more virulent GAS lineages has been promptly detected, as well as the molecular shifts underlying the observed changes in clinical patterns. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based genomic epidemiology allowed us to gain relevant insights into this upsurge as it was happening. This review integrates the canonical research publication-based approach with genomic data and metadata and identifies a subset of genomic clusters playing a major role in invasive GAS (iGAS) infections worldwide, which were named as Global Pathogenic Lineages (GPLs). The four GPLs broadly coincide with five sequence types (STs): GPL1 with ST28, GPL2 with ST15 and ST315, GPL3 with ST52, and GPL4 with ST39. While non-GPLs clusters maintain a baseline reservoir of antimicrobial-resistance and virulence genes, GPLs show varying but noteworthy resistance profiles and are frequent causes of iGAS. The integration of WGS into routine diagnostics procedures is a forthcoming improvement, aimed not only at informing tailored therapy and implementing infection control strategies, but also to perform continuous surveillance. Ongoing WGS in clinical microbiology, as a matter of fact, will provide unparalleled insights into lineage emergence, transmission dynamics, and the geographic clustering of virulence and resistance determinants.Group A Streptococcus dramatically reemerged as a leading cause of both mild and severe invasive infections worldwide, spurred by more virulent lineages whose rapid global dissemination manifested with a shift in clinical patterns, and this review combining Whole-genome sequencing data and scientific literature defines the main virulence determinants and novel emerging lineages
La révision de la Constitution italienne sur la protection de l'environnement: qu'est-ce qui pourra changer pour les questions climatiques?
No full textA Preconditioned Version of a Nested Primal-Dual Algorithm for Image Deblurring
Get PDFVariational models for image deblurring problems typically consist of a smooth term and a potentially non-smooth convex term. A common approach to solving these problems is using proximal gradient methods. To accelerate the convergence of these first-order iterative algorithms, strategies such as variable metric methods have been introduced in the literature. In this paper, we prove that, for image deblurring problems, the variable metric strategy proposed in Aleotti et al. (Comput. Optim. Appl., 2024) can be reinterpreted as a right preconditioning method. Consequently, we explore an inexact left-preconditioned version of the same proximal gradient method. We prove the convergence of the new iteration to the minimum of a variational model where the norm of the data fidelity term depends on the preconditioner. The numerical results show that left and right preconditioning are comparable in terms of the number of iterations required to reach a prescribed tolerance, but left preconditioning needs much less CPU time, as it involves fewer evaluations of the preconditioner matrix compared to right preconditioning. The quality of the computed solutions with left and right preconditioning are comparable. Finally, we propose some non-stationary sequences of preconditioners that allow for fast and stable convergence to the solution of the variational problem with the classical l2–norm on the fidelity term
Amyloid-Like Self-Assembling of Black Soldier Fly Proteins and Development of Bioplastics
No full textThe rising demand for sustainable materials has increased interest in biodegradable plastics. The black soldier fly (BSF) is a protein source characterized by the ability to thrive on organic waste, rapid development, and low environmental impact. This study shows that BSF proteins can undergo amyloid-like aggregation in alkaline environments, ultimately leading to amyloid fibrils suitable as reinforcing nanofillers for bioplastic films. The fibrillization process was monitored through Thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence assay and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The fibrils' structure was studied by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses performed on films obtained by casting. Bioplastic films were prepared by blending fibrillizated BSF proteins with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) and glycerol. They exhibited thermal weldability and mechanical and gas barrier properties in line with those of the traditional oil- and biobased plastics used for packaging applications. Due to the current technological interest in BSF as a bioconverter of organic matter, the BSF protein-based materials presented in this work not only could help in mitigating the pressure arising from the accumulation of nonbiodegradable plastics but also provide tangible evidence about the valorization of municipal organic waste
Targeting cell death processes for insect pest control: a promising but still underexploited strategy
Get PDFCell death-related processes are fundamental to insect physiology, playing essential roles in development, immune response, and metamorphosis, thereby maintaining tissue and organism's homeostasis. Among the various cell death mechanisms, apoptosis is crucial for sculpting tissues, eliminating damaged or infected cells, and limiting pathogen replication. In parallel, autophagy serves as a self-recycling process that facilitates nutrient allocation, stress resilience, and remodeling of larval structures during development but, in specific contexts, can be associated to cell death. Beyond their physiological importance, apoptosis and autophagy have emerged as attractive targets for pest control. To this purpose two strategies can be envisaged: i) inducing cell death in key tissues using natural or synthetic compounds to compromise insects' physiology and ii) manipulating apoptotic and autophagic signaling pathways through chemical or genetic tools, such as RNAi or CRISPR, to impair development and immunity, thus reducing insect survival and fitness. Harnessing these cell death pathways offers promising new avenues for controlling insect pests and vector-borne diseases. However, further research is needed to improve the specificity, efficacy, and environmental safety of these approaches
Liver transplantation for hepatitis D virus/hepatitis B virus coinfection in Italy: An intention-to-treat analysis of long-term outcomes
No full textLa baronessa e l’ammiraglio all’ombra di Lissa. Considerazioni a margine delle lettere di Wilhelm von Tegetthoff a Emma de’ Petrettini (1864-1870)
No full textEfficacy of Maxillary Expansion with Clear Aligner in the Mixed Dentition: A Systematic Review
No full textThe purpose of this systematic review is to analyze the dentoalveolar changes resulting from the use of clear aligners in the treatment of transverse maxillary deficiency among growing children in the mixed dentition stage. An electronic literature search was carried out using the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. The review protocol was prospectively registered in the PROSPERO database. Eligible studies included children aged 6 to 12 years in the mixed dentition period, presenting with erupted maxillary first molars and a transverse deficiency of the maxilla, and undergoing treatment with Invisalign® First aligners. The review encompassed various study types including retrospective and prospective designs, randomized controlled trials, preliminary studies, and case series. Two independent reviewers conducted the data extraction process. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Except for studies by Bruni et al., the risk of bias in selected articles was visually summarized in a traffic light plot using the robvis tool, following the ROBINS-I methodology. For the studies by Bruni et al., a separate visual representation was created using robvis with the RoB2 evaluation framework, prepared by the authors S.E.I. and C.A. In total, 14 studies were included in the final synthesis, selected from 265 records retrieved through electronic searches and an additional 36 identified via manual screening. Several parameters were considered in order to assess dentoalveolar expansion: intercanine width, intercanine transpalatal width, intercanine dentoalveolar width, first and second interdeciduous molar width, first and second interpremolar width, first and second interdeciduous molar transpalatal width, first intermolar width, first intermolar mesial, distal, and transpalatal width, molar inclination, arch depth, and arch perimeter, and intermolar dentoalveolar width. An improvement was recorded in all parameters. The studies comparing treatment with Invisalign® First clear aligners and rapid maxillary expander highlighted that these both determined statistically significant differences compared to the natural growth group. Treatment with Invisalign® First in mixed dentition proved to be very effective for dentoalveolar expansion of the maxillary arch, with good control of the crown angulation of the upper first molar and an increase in the palatal area similar to RME, compared to pre-treatment or to the natural growth group. It could represent an effective and comfortable alternative to the traditional rapid maxillary expander treatment. However, further high-quality studies are required to support our current observations and verifying the stability of treatment outcomes on a long-term basis