Norepinephrine as new functional monomer for molecular imprinting: An applicative study for the optical sensing of cardiac biomarkers.

The continuous research for alternatives to antibody-based detection drove, in the last decades, the development of numerous strategies. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) emerged thanks to the low-cost and long-term stability features, where the choice of natural functional monomer(s) represents the key step for efficient imprinting of biomolecules. The chemical structure of dopamine (DA), one of the most used natural functional monomers, provided the inspiration for this work. We wondered why norepinephrine (NE) that differs from dopamine only for an additional hydroxyl group was not investigated at all in biosensing applications. In fact, there is only one paper exploiting polynorepinephrine (PNE) in molecular recognition applications, taking advantage of molecular imprinting, but not for biosensing purposes. In contrast, hundreds of papers describe polydopamine-based sensors. Therefore, we firstly investigated how the additional hydroxyl group of NE could affect the properties of the resulting polymer, and how these properties could be exploited for biosensing applications. The results highlighted the reduced non-specific adsorption of proteins onto PNE with respect to dopamine polymer. Furthermore, as a case study, we successfully developed a PNE-based imprinted biosensor for the early detection of Troponin I, a crucial biomarker for heart failure, by coupling the MIP biosensor with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detection. The results indicate the feasible use of imprinted PNE as synthetic receptor for biomolecules, opening new perspectives for this biopolymer, so far not considered, and encouraging further investigations on its potential application in biosensing.

Determination of fermentable sugars in beer wort by gold nanoparticles@polydopamine: A layer-by-layer approach for Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance measurements at fixed wavelength.

Polydopamine decorated in-situ with Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR)-active gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) may extend the applicability of nanoplasmonic materials to original and innovative applications in several fields. Here we report the modification of disposable UV-Vis polystyrene cuvettes with AuNPs@PDA for refractive index LSPR-based measurements. An original layer-by-layer deposition method of PDA followed by AuNPs growth is here developed, showing linear correlation between PDA thickness and optical properties. In particular, the modulation from wavelength sensitivity toward absorbance sensitivity is obtained, allowing measurements at fixed wavelength (578 nm). As applicative example of the photonic cuvettes, the measurement of fermentable sugars in beer wort is here reported. The analytical performance of our approach has been directly compared to portable refractometer of reference, displaying excellent results in terms of the precise estimation of sugars in beer wort (expressed in degrees Brix), reproducibility and sensitivity. The approach may be extended to other materials of interest in LSPR based optical sensors, e.g. optical fibers.

Cardiac Troponin T capture and detection in real-time via epitope-imprinted polymer and optical biosensing.

Millions of premature deaths per year from cardiovascular diseases represent a global threat urging governments to increase global initiatives, as advised by World Health Organization. In particular, together with prevention and management of risk factors, the development of portable platforms for early diagnosis of cardiovascular disorders appears a fundamental task to carry out. Contemporary assays demonstrated very good accuracy for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but they are based on expensive and fragile capture antibodies. Accordingly, also considering the massive demand from developing countries, we have devoted our study to an affinity-based biosensor for detection of troponin T (TnT), a preferred biomarker of AMI. This combines a stable and inexpensive molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) based on polydopamine (PDA) with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) transduction. Herein we report the fast and specific answer upon TnT binding onto an epitope-imprinted surface that strongly encourages the further development toward antibody-free point-of-care testing for cardiac injury.

Genotypic characterization of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in beef abattoirs of Argentina.

The non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) contamination in carcasses and feces of 811 bovines in nine beef abattoirs from Argentina was analyzed during a period of 17 months. The feces of 181 (22.3%) bovines were positive for non-O157 STEC, while 73 (9.0%) of the carcasses showed non-O157 STEC contamination. Non-O157 STEC strains isolated from feces (227) and carcasses (80) were characterized. The main serotypes identified were O178:H19, O8:H19, O130:H11, and O113:H21, all of which have produced sporadic cases of hemolytic-uremic syndrome in Argentina and worldwide. Twenty-two (7.2%) strains carried a fully virulent stx/eae/ehxA genotype. Among them, strains of serotypes O103:[H2], O145:NM, and O111:NM represented 4.8% of the isolates. Xba I pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern analysis showed 234 different patterns, with 76 strains grouped in 30 clusters. Nine of the clusters grouped strains isolated from feces and from carcasses of the same or different bovines in a lot, while three clusters were comprised of strains distributed in more than one abattoir. Patterns AREXSX01.0157, AREXBX01.0015, and AREXPX01.0013 were identified as 100% compatible with the patterns of one strain isolated from a hemolytic-uremic syndrome case and two strains previously isolated from beef medallions, included in the Argentine PulseNet Database. In this survey, 4.8% (39 of 811) of the bovine carcasses appeared to be contaminated with nonO157 STEC strains potentially capable of producing sporadic human disease, and a lower proportion (0.25%) with strains able to produce outbreaks of severe disease.

Visual Analysis of Large Graphs Using (X,Y)-Clustering and Hybrid Visualizations.

Many different approaches have been proposed for the challenging problem of visually analyzing large networks. Clustering is one of the most promising. In this paper, we propose a new clustering technique whose goal is that of producing both intracluster graphs and intercluster graph with desired topological properties. We formalize this concept in the (X,Y) -clustering framework, where Y is the class that defines the desired topological properties of intracluster graphs and X is the class that defines the desired topological properties of the intercluster graph. By exploiting this approach, hybrid visualization tools can effectively combine different node-link and matrix-based representations, allowing users to interactively explore the graph by expansion/contraction of clusters without loosing their mental map. As a proof of concept, we describe the system Visual Hybrid (X,Y)-clustering (VHYXY) that implements our approach and we present the results of case studies to the visual analysis of social networks.

Prevalence, characterization, and genotypic analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM from selected beef exporting abattoirs of Argentina.

In Argentina, Escherichia coli O157:H7/NM (STEC O157) is the prevalent serotype associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is endemic in the country with more than 400 cases per year. In order to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of STEC O157 in beef cattle at slaughter, a survey of 1,622 fecal and carcass samples was conducted in nine beef exporting abattoirs from November 2006 to April 2008. A total of 54 samples were found positive for STEC O157, with an average prevalence of 4.1% in fecal content and 2.6% in carcasses. Calves and heifers presented higher percentages of prevalence in feces, 10.5 and 8.5%, respectively. All STEC O157 isolates harbored stx(2) (Shiga toxin 2), eae (intimin), ehxA (enterohemolysin), and fliC(H7) (H7 flagellin) genes, while stx(1) (Shiga toxin 1) was present in 16.7% of the strains. The prevalent (56%) stx genotype identified was stx(2) combined with variant stx(2c (vh-a)), the combination of which is also prevalent (>90%) in STEC O157 post-enteric HUS cases in Argentina. The clonal relatedness of STEC O157 strains was established by phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The 54 STEC isolates were categorized into 12 different phage types and in 29 XbaI-PFGE patterns distributed in 27 different lots. STEC O157 strains isolated from 5 of 21 carcasses were identical by PFGE (100% similarity) to strains of the fecal content of the same or a contiguous bovine in the lot. Five phage type-PFGE-stx profiles of 10 strains isolated in this study matched with the profiles of the strains recovered from 18 of 122 HUS cases that occurred in the same period.

Privacy impact assessment in the design of transnational public health information systems: the BIRO project.

OBJECTIVES: To foster the development of a privacy-protective, sustainable cross-border information system in the framework of a European public health project. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A targeted privacy impact assessment was implemented to identify the best architecture for a European information system for diabetes directly tapping into clinical registries. Four steps were used to provide input to software designers and developers: a structured literature search, analysis of data flow scenarios or options, creation of an ad hoc questionnaire and conduction of a Delphi procedure. RESULTS: The literature search identified a core set of relevant papers on privacy (n = 11). Technicians envisaged three candidate system architectures, with associated data flows, to source an information flow questionnaire that was submitted to the Delphi panel for the selection of the best architecture. A detailed scheme envisaging an "aggregation by group of patients" was finally chosen, based upon the exchange of finely tuned summary tables. CONCLUSIONS: Public health information systems should be carefully engineered only after a clear strategy for privacy protection has been planned, to avoid breaching current regulations and future concerns and to optimise the development of statistical routines. The BIRO (Best Information Through Regional Outcomes) project delivers a specific method of privacy impact assessment that can be conveniently used in similar situations across Europe.

[Management of risk of errors in health: which representation for a systemic approach?]. / Gestione del rischio di errori in sanità: quale rappresentazione per un approccio di sistema?

The management of the risk of error in Health currently configures as an institutionalized multi/hetero-professional and "complex" activity. This implicates the need to establish rules that codify the modalities of interaction among the actors, as well as rules of communication, which, defining in a clear and univocal way the terminology used, allow the different actors to understand themselves. The representation of these rules implies a systemic and global conceptual approach in which the attention is moved from "the physician's performance" to the "performance in Health": the whole System must be structured and employed in order to pretend towards a continuous improvement of Quality and Safety.

Discourses of smoking, health, and the just society: yesterday, today, and the return of the same?

This paper locates the political impact of Bernie Ecclestone's controversial donation to the Labour Party, just before its election to government in 1997, in a recurrent concern among British socialists about the relationship between smoking, health, and the just society. It does so by turning to an earlier episode in the history of British socialism, specifically to Horace Joules' political agitation from 1951 onward, within the Socialist Medical Association, advisory committees to the Ministry of Health, and the British popular and medical press, for government action against smoking. The argument is that the association of concerns over smoking, health and the making of a just society is rooted in aspirations to Christian community that were and continue to be fundamentally important in the development of British socialism. Smoking has been viewed and continues to be viewed as incompatible with this understanding of community because it is the ultimate consumer good, refractory to any discourse of utility and responsibility.

Working memory and updating processes in reading comprehension.

In this study, we examine the relation between reading comprehension ability and success in working memory updating tasks. Groups of poor and good comprehenders, matched for logical reasoning ability, but different in reading comprehension ability, were administered various updating tasks in a series of experiments. In the first experiment, the participants were presented with lists of words, the length of which (4-10 words) was unknown beforehand, and were required to remember the last 4 words in each series. In this task, we found a decrease in performance that was related to longer series and poor reading ability. In the second experiment, we presented lists of nouns referring to items of different sizes, in a task that simulated the selection and updating of relevant information that occurs in the on-line comprehension process. The participants were required to remember a limited, predefined number of the smallest items presented. We found that poor comprehenders not only had a poorer memory, but also made a greater number of intrusion errors. In the third and fourth experiments, memory load (number of items to be selected) and suppression request (number of potentially relevant items) were manipulated within subjects. Increases in both memory load and suppression requests impaired performance. Furthermore, we found that poor comprehenders produced a greater number of intrusion errors, particularly when the suppression request was increased. Finally, in a fifth experiment, a request to specify the size of presented items was introduced. Poor comprehenders were able to select the appropriate items, although their recall was poorer. Altogether, the data show that working memory abilities, based on selecting and updating relevant information and avoiding intrusion errors, are related to reading comprehension.

Working memory in aging: maintenance and suppression.

The present research is focused on a fine-grained analysis of memory decline with aging, and the role of suppression mechanisms in age-related memory decline. Three groups of participants (continuous age ranges; young-old: 55-65 years, old: 66-75 years, and old-old: more than 75 years) were administered Forward and Backward span test, and a Working Memory task with Categorization (WMC). This new task requires lists of five words to be processed in order to individuate animal nouns, and that the last word of each list be contemporarily maintained. The words incorrectly recalled as target items, but presented during the task (intrusion errors), were computed in order to analyze the efficiency of suppression mechanisms. The findings indicated a continuous decline in working memory measures, and an early decline in short-term memory (passive storage) measures (between 60's and 70's). An age-related increase in intrusion errors was observed; the intrusion index was inversely related to working memory performance but, according to the hypotheses, was not related to short-term memory measures. These results suggest that the stronger working memory effect observed through age might be due to the combined influence of a decline in the capacity of short-term memory, and a loss of efficiency in suppression mechanisms.

Increases in intrusion errors and working memory deficit of poor comprehenders.

This study tests the hypothesis that the ability to inhibit already processed and actually irrelevant information could influence performance in the listening span test (Daneman & Carpenter, 1980) and have a crucial role in reading comprehension. In two experiments, the listening span test and a new working memory test were given to two groups of young adults, poor and good comprehenders, matched for logical reasoning ability. In Experiment 1, the poor comprehenders had a significantly lower performance in the listening span test associated to a higher number of intrusions--that is, recalled words that, in spite of being in sentence form, were not placed in the last position. In Experiment 2, a new working memory test was devised in order to analyse more effectively the occurrence of intrusions. Subjects were required to listen to a growing series of strings of animal and non-animal words. While listening, they had to detect when an animal word occurred, and at the end of each series they had to recall the last word of each string. The poor comprehenders obtained a significantly lower performance in the memory task and made a higher number of intrusions, particularly of animal words.

Impulsive-reflective cognitive style, metacognition, and emotion in adolescence.

The study investigated the relationship between reflective or impulsive cognitive style, metacognitive functioning, and depression in young adolescents. Metacognitive functioning (metacognitive knowledge about reading and memory, monitoring of text comprehension) and self-reported depressive feelings were analyzed in a group of subjects who showed a Reflective or Impulsive cognitive style. The sample consisted of 56 junior high-school students (Grades 6, 7, and 8) selected from a larger original group of 61 subjects. We excluded from the original group those with an IQ below 75 on both the Verbal and Performance subscales on the short form of the WISC-R, those reported by teachers to have a severe learning disability, and those that did not complete the test battery due to long absences from school. The reflective-impulsive cognitive style was identified with the Matching Familiar Figures Test-20. Using the median of the distribution for both Latency (17 sec. per item) and Errors (9 errors) on this task, the sample was divided in four partially overlapping subgroups: 16 with Impulsive cognitive style (Latency below the median, Errors above the median), 13 with Reflective cognitive style (Latency above the median, Error below the median), 4 fast and accurate (both scores below the median), and 11 slow and inaccurate (both scores above the median). Twelve subjects with one or both scores coinciding with the critical value (median) were excluded. Analysis showed that subjects with Impulsive cognitive style had significantly lower scores than those with Reflective cognitive style in monitoring of comprehension of text. No differences were found on monitoring by eighth graders, irrespective of cognitive style. No differences between the two groups were found in metacognitive knowledge. Subjects with Impulsive cognitive style had significantly higher scores than subjects with Reflective cognitive style on a self-rating scale for childhood depression, the Children's Depression Inventory. The implications of these data are discussed.

Hepatitis B infections in the Arsi region of Ethiopia.

In a sample of inhabitants of the Arsi region of Ethiopia prevalence of hepatitis B is around 80% in the age group 20-24. In addition to age, sex and size of family, exposure to tribal practices is a determinant of seropositivity in this group accounting for as much as 20% of the total burden of the infection. Waiting for a mass vaccination campaign, presently unrealistic in this area of the world, health education, as part of a comprehensive primary health care program, has to be considered as a potentially effective preventive tool.