Two-photon polymerization lithography enabling the fabrication of PEDOT:PSS 3D structures for bioelectronic applications.

Conductive 3D platforms have gained increasing attention in bioelectronics thanks to the improvement in the cell-chip coupling. PEDOT:PSS is nowadays widely employed in bioelectronic applications thanks to its electrical and mechanical properties. In this work, an innovative fabrication method for the realization of PEDOT:PSS-based conductive micropillars and 3D cage-like structures is presented, combining two-photon lithography and electrodeposition techniques.

Visceral Leishmaniasis Associated with B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature.

Infections often complicate the course of hematological diseases and may represent a diagnostic challenge. In particular, visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis may be missed in lymphoma patients, as lymphoma-related immunosuppression can lead to a misleadingly negative Leishmania serology and to atypical clinical manifestations, including the lack of fever, considered a common symptom in leishmaniasis. Herein, we report a case of visceral leishmaniasis in a patient with a long history of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia presenting with increasing fatigue and diarrhea, in the absence of fever. Leishmania serology was negative. Bone marrow biopsy performed with the clinical suspicion of transformation to high-grade lymphoma disclosed intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies resembling Leishmania amastigotes within the cytoplasm of macrophages, and CD1a immunohistochemical expression helped to confirm the diagnosis of leishmaniasis. Liposomal amphotericin B was administered with complete symptom resolution. The correct identification of Leishmania is critical as visceral leishmaniasis represents a severe disease with an often fatal outcome, particularly in frail patients, unless promptly recognized and adequately treated. A review of the literature of visceral leishmaniasis cases occurring in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients is performed.

The Burden of Clostridioides Difficile Infection during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Case-Control Study in Italian Hospitals (CloVid).

Data on the burden of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are scant. We conducted an observational, retrospective, multicenter, 1:3 case (COVID-19 patients with CDI)-control (COVID-19 patients without CDI) study in Italy to assess incidence and outcomes, and to identify risk factors for CDI in COVID-19 patients. From February through July 2020, 8402 COVID-19 patients were admitted to eight Italian hospitals; 38 CDI cases were identified, including 32 hospital-onset-CDI (HO-CDI) and 6 community-onset, healthcare-associated-CDI (CO-HCA-CDI). HO-CDI incidence was 4.4 × 10,000 patient-days. The percentage of cases recovering without complications at discharge (i.e., pressure ulcers, chronic heart decompensation) was lower than among controls (p = 0.01); in-hospital stays was longer among cases, 35.0 versus 19.4 days (p = 0.0007). The presence of a previous hospitalisation (p = 0.001), previous steroid administration (p = 0.008) and the administration of antibiotics during the stay (p = 0.004) were risk factors associated with CDI. In conclusions, CDI complicates COVID-19, mainly in patients with co-morbidities and previous healthcare exposures. Its association with antibiotic usage and hospital acquired bacterial infections should lead to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship programmes and infection prevention and control activities.