Ricerc@Sapienza

Background: We explored the possibility to improve male/female separation (sexing) in Aedes albopictus by selection of two strains, one toward increasing sex dimorphism and another toward increasing protandry. In the laboratory we selected and crossed small males with large females to exploit dimorphism, and early pupating males with late pupating females to exploit protandry. Results: While selection for enhanced dimorphism was not a profitable character, the selection for enhanced protandry up to F10 produced significant improvement in the time interval between male and female pupation.

RATIONALE: Complex immune dysregulation in interferon (IFN) and T cell response has been observed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)-infected patients as well as in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. However, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)/HIV-1 coinfection has been described in only few cases worldwide and no data are available on immunological outcomes in HIV-1-patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Campylobacter spp. is one of the main cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world. The increase of antibiotic resistance in this species is a threat to public health. A Campylobacter spp. surveillance study was performed in Italy in the 2013-2016 period by the Enter-Net Italia network. The most prevalent Campylobacter species identified causing gastroenteritis was Campylobacter jejuni (73.4%) and 45% of all the annual cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in the summer period. High rates of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline resistance in Campylobacter spp. have been observed.

Background: Obesity was recently identified as a major risk factor for worse COVID-19 severity, especially among the young. The reason why its impact seems to be less pronounced in the elderly may be due to the concomitant presence of other comorbidities. However, all reports only focus on BMI, an indirect marker of body fat. Aim: To explore the impact on COVID-19 severity of abdominal fat as a marker of body composition easily collected in patients undergoing a chest CT scan.

Background: Low-grade incomplete post-dexamethasone cortisol suppression in patients with adrenal incidentalomas – recently defined as possible autonomous cortisol secretion (pACS) – has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and mortality. However, prospective studies documenting cardiac abnormalities in these patients are lacking. Subjects and methods: Between July 2016 and September 2017, 71 consecutive patients with adrenal lesions were prospectively screened for hypercortisolism by dexamethasone suppression test (NCT 02611258).

Context: The 250-mg short Synacthen (corticotropin) test (SST) is the most commonly used tool to assess hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. There are many potentially reversible causes of adrenal insufficiency (AI), but no data to guide clinicians as to the frequency of repeat testing or likelihood of HPA axis recovery. Objective: To use the SST results to predict adrenal recovery. Design: A retrospective analysis of 1912 SSTs data. Patients: Seven hundred seventy-six patients with reversible causes of AI were identified who had at least two SSTs performed.

?-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a safe natural molecule involved in the immunomodulation of many physiological processes. Orally administered ALA has been reported to treat several inflammatory pathologies and support pregnancy. Our study aimed at testing ALA vaginal administration in female Wistar rats evaluating its tissue distribution (experiment I), impact on implantation process (experiment II), and effectiveness in contrasting induced preterm birth (experiment III). In experiment I, rats were intravaginally treated with 50 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg ALA, or with a physiologic solution, for 4 days.

Mastectomy and breast prosthetic reconstruction is the most common surgical treatment for women diagnosed with breast cancer. In the last few years, breast prosthetic augmentation in acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has been introduced. The aim of this study is to present our single-center experience in evaluating the outcome of patients who underwent breast reconstruction in ADM, using ultrasound (US) examination.

Background: Although oncological results for resection of colon cancer with inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) ligation at its origin (high tie) or immediately below the left colic artery (low tie) are similar, injury of the superior hypogastric plexus may be caused when the IMA is tied at its origin, thus impairing defecatory functions. Aim: The importance of IMA tie location on defecatory dysfunction in patients undergoing laparoscopic sigmoidal resection without preoperative radiation therapy was studied.