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The differentiation between Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (BL) and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is sometimes complicated. Laboratory findings that favor BL (e.g., surface expression of μ heavy chain and/or one of the light chains of immunoglobulin, FAB L3 morphology of blasts, MYC gene rearrangements) are not always present simultaneously. Our previous work demonstrated that BL differed from Ig(+) BCP-ALL by expression of Ig and other surface markers. In the current study, we have evaluated additional flow cytometric markers for reliable differentiation between BL and BCP-ALL. Among three studied surface antigens (CD44, CD38, CD58), only CD58 demonstrated significantly higher expression in BL as compared to BCP-ALL. Moreover, BL cases were associated with an increased level of Ki-67 and a higher percentage of cells in the S-phase of cell cycle. These two features reflect an aggressive proliferative potential of BL. Thus, when BL is suspected and results of surface Ig evaluation are controversial, the flow cytometric analysis of CD58, Ki-67 and cell cycle could assist in the differential diagnosis.Protistan parasites have an undisputed global health impact. However, outside of a few key exceptions, e.g. the agent of malaria, most of these infectious agents are neglected as important health threats. The Symposium entitled “Free-living amoebae and neglected pathogenic protozoa health emergency signals?” held at the European Congress of Protistology in Rome, July 2019, brought together researchers addressing scientific and clinical questions about some of these fascinating organisms. Topics presented included the molecular basis of pathogenicity in Acanthamoeba; genomics of Naegleria fowleri; and epidemiology of poorly diagnosed enteric protistan species, including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Blastocystis, Dientamoeba. The Symposium aim was to excite the audience about the opportunities and challenges of research in these underexplored organisms and to underline the public health implications of currently under-appreciated protistan infections. The major take home message is that any knowledge that we gain about these organisms will allow us to better address them, in terms of monitoring and treatment, as sources of future health emergencies.The aim of this article was to conduct a rapid critical review of the literature about the relationship between violence against women (VAW) and the current COVID-19 pandemic. After the screening process, a total of 42 articles were considered. Our review confirmed that the “stay at home” policies to contrast the pandemic have increased the problem of VAW, creating a “shadow pandemic within the pandemic”, as it was called by the United Nations. However, rigorous studies estimating the relationship between VAW and COVID-19 pandemic are scarce; most of the articles are commentaries, letters, editorials, and most of the published data derives from social media, internet, anecdotal evidence and helplines reports. Health care systems should promote further investigations into the relation between VAW and COVID-19, to identify creative solutions to provide clinical care and forensic services for victims of VAW.Working with mitochondrial DNA from highly degraded samples is challenging. We present a whole mitogenome Illumina-based sequencing method suitable for highly degraded samples. The method makes use of double-stranded library preparation with hybridization-based target enrichment. The aim of the study was to implement a new user-friendly method for analysing many ancient DNA samples at low cost. The method combines the Swift 2S™ Turbo library preparation kit and xGen® panel for mitogenome enrichment. Swift allows to use low input of aDNA and own adapters and primers, handles inhibitors well, and has only two purification steps. xGen is straightforward to use and is able to leverage already pooled libraries. Given the ancient DNA is more challenging to work with, the protocol was developed with several improvements, especially multiplying DNA input in case of low concentration DNA extractions followed by AMPure® beads size selection and real-time pre-capture PCR monitoring in order to avoid cycle-optimization step. Nine out of eleven analysed samples successfully retrieved mitogenomes. Hence, our method provides an effective analysis of whole mtDNA, and has proven to be fast, cost-effective, straightforward, with utilisation in population-wide research of burial sites.The global incidence of dengue is increasing, and many previously unaffected areas have reported local cases of the vector-borne disease in recent years. For the effective containment of local outbreaks health authorities rely on the prompt notification of new cases. Gambogic However, due to severe under-reporting and misdiagnosis, non-endemic countries face difficulties in containing local outbreaks, and the possibility of dengue becoming endemic. Outbreak control measures in non-endemic countries are largely reactive and health authorities would benefit from a universal early warning system that forecasts the probability of dengue outbreaks for given times and locations. We develop a model that establishes a link between pre- and post-border risk of dengue outbreaks. Specifically, we predict the probability of travellers importing dengue from other countries as well as the probability of those travellers causing local outbreaks. Our model can act as an early warning system, forecasting likely times and places of dengue outbreaks. We run our model for the Australian state of Queensland over a period of twelve years. Our results reveal the airports where dengue infected travellers are most likely to arrive and geographic locations associated with high outbreak probabilities. Our results can be used by health authorities to better utilise prevention and control resources and lead to the development of new prevention measures.

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is the most common running-related injury. Altered hip and knee kinematics and increases in weekly distance and running pace are often associated with PFP development and exacerbation.

Are altered movements and training load characteristics (weekly distance and running pace) relate to pain intensity or physical function level in runners with PFP?

Forty recreational runners with PFP (20 males and 20 females) participated in this cross-sectional observational study. Three-dimensional hip and knee kinematics were quantified during the stance phase of running. Weekly distance was defined as the average weekly kilometers of running and running pace as the average pace of the activity measured as minutes per kilometer. A visual analogue scale was used to evaluate worst knee pain during the last week. The anterior knee pain scale (AKPS) was used to evaluate knee functional score. A Pearson correlation matrix was used to investigate the association between each dependent variable (worst pain in the last week and AKPS score) and the independent variables (knee and hip kinematics, weekly distance and running pace).