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Malaria is still a devastating disease with 228 million cases globally and 405,000 lethal outcomes in 2018, mainly in children under five years of age. The threat of emerging malaria strains resistant to currently available drugs has made the search for novel drug targets compelling. The process by which Plasmodium falciparum parasites invade the host cell has been widely studied, but only a few erythrocyte proteins involved in this process have been identified so far. The erythrocyte protein Rac1 is a GTPase that plays an important role in host cell invasion by many intracellular pathogens. Here we show that Rac1 is recruited in proximity to the site of parasite entry during P. falciparum invasion process and that subsequently localizes to the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. We also suggest that this GTPase may be involved in erythrocyte invasion by P. falciparum , by testing the effect of specific Rac1 inhibitory compounds. Finally, we suggest a secondary role of the erythrocyte GTPase also in parasite intracellular development. We here characterize a new erythrocyte protein potentially involved in P. falciparum invasion of the host cell and propose the human GTPase Rac1 as a novel and promising antimalarial drug target.

spp. are zoonotic nematodes with a global distribution, primarily maintained through wildlife reservoirs which complicates eradication efforts. In Europe, four species- , , , and -circulate in wild carnivores and omnivores, with and being the most prevalent in wild and domestic hosts. This study aimed to assess the presence and species distribution of spp. in wild mammals. This study presents the results of five years of wildlife surveillance carried out within the long-standing monitoring program implemented in the Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy, which has been in place since 2006. Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 104,338 wild mammals, including red foxes, wolves, and wild boar, were tested using the magnetic stirrer digestion method in accordance with EU regulations. A total of 12 animals (0.011%) were found to be infected with larvae. Molecular identification of positive samples, performed at the European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites, showed the presence of in 11 animals, while one isolate remained unidentified. was detected primarily in wolves and red foxes. No infections were identified in wild boar during the study period. Overall, the low prevalence observed confirms that spp. infections in wildlife in Emilia-Romagna are sporadic but persistently present. Only was detected, supporting its role as the predominant species in this area. These findings highlight the importance of long-term surveillance for early detection and risk assessment within a One Health framework.

Cholesterol-rich microdomains are membrane compartments characterized by specific lipid and protein composition. These dynamic assemblies are involved in several biological processes, including infection by intracellular pathogens. This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the composition of human erythrocyte membrane microdomains. Based on their floating properties, we also categorized the microdomain-associated proteins into clusters. Interestingly, erythrocyte microdomains include the vast majority of the proteins known to be involved in invasion by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. We show here that the Ecto-ADP-ribosyltransferase 4 (ART4) and Aquaporin 1 (AQP1), found within one specific cluster, containing the essential host determinant CD55, are recruited to the site of parasite entry and then internalized to the newly formed parasitophorous vacuole membrane. By generating null erythroid cell lines, we showed that one of these proteins, ART4, plays a role in P. falciparum invasion. We also found that genetic variants in both ART4 and AQP1 are associated with susceptibility to the disease in a malaria-endemic population.Olivieri et al. exploit floating properties of microdomain-associated proteins to investigate host proteins important for Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte invasion. Using proteomic and bioinformatic approaches, they analyze clusters of protein abundance profiles from detergent resistant membranes (DRMs) of erythrocytes and identify a host protein, ART4, important for P. falciparum invasion into RBCs.

The genetic variability of a large collection of European samples of the zoonotic pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum has been recently explored on the basis of a novel multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. In this work, we assessed the usefulness of this scheme to type C. parvum samples from Italy, a country where this pathogen is widespread and associated with human infections. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing for the eight markers of the MLST scheme were performed on 31 human- and 21 animal-derived C. parvum samples. MLST data from 27 samples of animal origin previously sequenced at the genome level were also included. Sequence data for the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) gene were also generated. Phylogenetic and cluster analyses were conducted. Full genotyping data were obtained for 72 of 79 samples, and 39 different profiles were categorized, 28 of which were found in individual samples (singletons). A new allele was found at the marker on chromosome 2 in a human-derived sample. When compared with the 154 profiles previously described in Europe, 30 of the 39 profiles (76%) were found to be restricted to Italy, a result compatible with a model of isolation by distance, with geographically structured populations. Analysis of the gp60 sequences identified 19 different subtypes among the 55 samples belonging to family IIa, and 7 different subtypes among the 16 samples belonging to family IId. Phylogenetic and haplotype analyses did not identify clusters related to the host, the geographic origin (i.e., the Italian regions), or the time of collection of the samples but did identify two different populations, mirroring data obtained from whole genome comparative analyses. The MLST scheme appears to be a promising method for genotyping C. parvum samples, as it provided higher discrimination compared with gp60 and enabled the recognition of the two major populations circulating in Europe and in Italy.

The IJ Project proposes, as the first phase of research, that confirmation of the cold transmutation using radioactive isotopes such as 137Cs, 90Sr, and 135Cs to non-radioactive elements will be implemented based on the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) method. A theoretical background has been given by the TSC-induced nuclear reactions (Proc. ICCF 10). Charge-neutral pseudo-particle of 4d/TSC can become as small as 10 fm radius in its minimum state of squeezing motion, and will make 4D-capture reaction with host metal (or added metal) nuclei in the surface region of permeation (Proc. ICCF 9, 10) samples. Major reaction will be: \\[ M(A, Z) + 4d/{\\rm TSC}\\to M(A + 8, Z + 4) + Q\\,. \\] Theoretical modeling of the process is briefly explained and resulting reaction products, their decays and final stable isotopes are predicted for 137Cs, 90Sr, and 135Cs transmutation.

As reported in previous papers, we performed many electrolytic loading tests using thin Pd wires, achieving loading ratios of H/Pd ≥ 0.95 (H/Pd over-loading). In particular, we defined a reproducible \"loading protocol\" suitable for achieving such an over-loading level, based on the use of very diluted acid electrolytic solutions (with additions of tenths of micro-moles of Ca or Sr or Li cations and some hundred nano-moles of Hg ions) and operating with electrolytic current cycles from a few mA up to one hundred mA. By observing the day/night cyclic fluctuations of electrical resistance, as a function of the corresponding temperature variations, of stable, long term, H/Pd loadings we were able to calculate the temperature coefficient of resistivity (Kθ) of the Pd–H system at very high H/Pd loadings. Many years ago (in 1998), we reported an unexpected value showing that the Kθ parameter values increase when H/Pd exceeds 0.75 (i.e. after that R/R0 goes beyond the 1.8 peak value, i.e. to the right side of the R/R0/H/Pd curve). This fact was confirmed by the ISR-Stanford Group (McKubre and Tripodi) and Pirelli-Research Group (Gamberale and Garbelli). In this paper we show several measurements of Kθ at different overloading values of H/Pd up to ≅1 (corresponding at R/R0 = 1.12) where Kθ=(13 ± 1) × 10-3 K-1, i.e. more than six times higher than the minimum value achieved at the R/R0 = 1.8 peak value. This result can corroborate the hypothesis that a new Pd–H phase (full β-phase or the beginning of β + γ phase) could occur after the H/Pd = 0.75 loading ratio (at the end of α + β phase), as claimed by many authors as the necessary condition for excess (anomalous) heat from Pd–D system (at D/Pd ≥ 1).

We observed neutron emissions from pure deuterium gas after it was cooled in liquid nitrogen and placed in a magnetic field. Neutron emissions were observed in ten out of ten test cases. Neutron burst of 5.5counts/s were 1000 times higher than the background counts. These bursts occurred one or two times within a 300 s interval. The total neutron emission can be estimated from the counting efficiency, and it was 104–105 counts/s. The reaction appears to be highly reproducible, reliably generating high neutron emissions. We conclude that the models proposed heretofore based upon d–d reactions are inadequate to explain the present results, which must involve magnetic field nuclear reactions.

In the framework of anomalous effects coming out because very close interaction of some specific gas [usually Deuterium (D), some times hydrogen (H)] with some specific solid materials [usually Palladium (Pd), some times Nickel or others] is an emerging evidence that the physical condition at the surface of the host element play a crucial role. It has been experimentally demonstrated, by Yoshiaki Arata at Osaka University, that nano-particles of Pd, embedded in a matrix of ZrO2, are able to absorb extremely large amounts of H and/or D, at even room temperature and pressure. Because of such results, we re-analyzed some of our previous experiments under the new point of view and were convinced that most of our \"positive\" results in Condensed Matter Nuclear Science come because of lucky, specific condition of our Pd cathode. We decided to improve the quality of Pd, from the point of view of production of nanostructure at its surface as large (and stable) as possible, in a controllable way, using both electrolytic procedure and special preparation of Pd before the use. Some of our efforts seemed to give positive results, although the stability at long time as to be improved.

In the framework of cold fusion studies one of the most important parameters is the deuterium (D) to palladium (Pd) ratio, D/Pd. It is well known that the value of this parameter is related to the normalised resistivity (R/R0) of the D–Pd system. When at high D/Pd ratios (i.e. at low R/R0 values) some excess heat occurs, the Pd wire temperature increase and, as a consequence, the apparent R/R0 value also increases. This effect might give raise to ambiguous data interpretation: similar results are in fact expected in case of a Pd wire degassing (i.e. decreasing of D/Pd ratio). To solve this problem, we developed an innovative procedure and a suitable experimental set-up for the in situ measurement of the Resistive Temperature Coefficient (which is affected only by the real D/Pd ratio) during electrolysis. We will report the results on the hydrogen and deuterium loading of thin (50 μm), and long (60cm) Pd wires, immersed in a solution of C2H5OD (or C2H5OH) and D2O (or H2O), with addition of thorium (Th) and mercury (Hg) salts at micromolar concentrations. Evidence of “transmutations” of some elements occasionally present on the Pd surface, and sometimes also in the electrolytic solution, have often been claimed in cold fusion experiments. In the present work, unexpected elements have been detected by high-resolution ICP-MS analysis. Some of these elements have also an isotopic composition different from the natural one.

Gastrointestinal disorders are frequent in COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 has been hypothesized to impact on host microbial flora and gut inflammation, infecting intestinal epithelial cells. Since there are currently no coded therapies or guidelines for treatment of COVID-19, this study aimed to evaluate the possible role of a specific oral bacteriotherapy as complementary therapeutic strategy to avoid the progression of COVID-19. We provide a report of 70 patients positive for COVID-19, hospitalized between March 9th and April 4th, 2020. All the patients had fever, required non-invasive oxygen therapy and presented a CT lung involvement on imaging more than 50%. Forty-two patients received hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics, and tocilizumab, alone or in combination. A second group of 28 subjects received the same therapy added with oral bacteriotherapy, using a multistrain formulation. The two cohorts of patients were comparable for age, sex, laboratory values, concomitant pathologies, and the modality of oxygen support. Within 72 h, nearly all patients treated with bacteriotherapy showed remission of diarrhea and other symptoms as compared to less than half of the not supplemented group. The estimated risk of developing respiratory failure was eight-fold lower in patients receiving oral bacteriotherapy. Both the prevalence of patients transferred to ICU and mortality were higher among the patients not treated with oral bacteriotherapy. A specific bacterial formulation showed a significant ameliorating impact on the clinical conditions of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These results also stress the importance of the gut-lung axis in controlling the COVID-19 disease.