Strelitzia nicolai (Strelitziaceae), new host plant for Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera Curculionidae) in Sicily.

The Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera Curculionidae), is con- sidered the main palm pest in the Mediterranean basin. This species is native to Southeastern Asia and is now widely spread throughout Oceania, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean (MURPHY & BRISCOE, 1999; EPPO, 2008, 2012; CHEBBI et al., 2011; RODA et al., 2011). Moreover, in North America the pest was found in California, where it is now considered eradicated (CDFA, 2010; IPPC, 2015). In Italy the first registered sightings were on nursery palms in Tuscany (SACCHETTI et al., 2005, 2006) and on ornamental palms in urban areas in Sicily (LONGO & TAMBURINO, 2005; LO VERDE & MASSA, 2007). Afterwards, the pest colonized all the Italian Regions in which palms were present, including many small islets such as Lampedusa and Linosa (pers. obs). The species was seen to be invasive and very difficult to control, due to its adaptability to devel- op on several palm species, to its concealed living habits and to its lack of natural enemies in the newly colonized regions. The Red Palm Weevil has been reported to attack more than 20 species of palms, which are listed in the 2010/467/EU Commission Decision regarding susceptible plants and the measures to be taken when the species is detected. In Italy almost 40,000 palms had been infested and killed as of February 2010 (almost 20,000 in Sicily, LO VERDE et al., 2011), mostly Phoenix canariensis H. Wildpret, 1882, a species native to the Canary Islands. This palm species is widely present in Sicily both in private gardens and public green areas (BAZAN et al., 2005; BARBERA & ROMANO, 2009). Moreover, in Sicily the Red Palm Weevil has been found in urban gardens on several other Are- caceae: Phoenix dactylifera L., Washingtonia spp., Chamaerops humilis L., Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman, Jubaea chilensis (Molina) Baill., Howea forsteriana (F. Muell.) Becc., and Livis- tona chinensis (Jacq.) R. Br. ex Mart. (LONGO & COLAZZA, 2009), and most recently its presence was also recorded on Chamaerops humilis in natural conditions (GIOVINO et al., 2012)

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with tonsillectomy in the treatment of severe OSAS

Objective: To establish the efficacy of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with tonsillectomy for treating selected patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome Methodology: Retrospective study of patients who underwent clinical/instrumental evaluation and surgical treatment. Setting: University ENT division with a tertiary snoring referral center Participants: Twenty-two patients with normal body mass index affected by severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome- Main outcome measures: Pre and post operative cardiopulmonary monitoring during sleep, daytime sleepiness evaluation, post treatment complication recording. Results: Complete response to therapy was obtained in 78% of patients. Four patients had relief of symptoms but retained apnea-hypopnea index scores greater than 5 Conclusions: Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty associated with tonsillectomy can be employed safely to treat patients with normal body mass index who suffer from severe obstructive sleep apne

Magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment of brain involvement in alcoholic and nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy

To present the typical and atypical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of alcoholic and non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy

Il primo OBS/H italiano per il monitoraggio e lo studio di faglie e vulcani sottomarini

L’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) ha testato con successo, nel luglio 2006, il primo Ocean Bottom Seismometer with Hydrophone (OBS/H) italiano (Fig. 1). Lo strumento, interamente progettato e realizzato all’Osservatorio di Gibilmanna del Centro Nazionale Terremoti, dopo aver superato i test in laboratorio, in camera iperbarica a 600 bar ed in mare a 3412 m di profondità, è stato deposto per 9 giorni (12-21/07/’06) sulla spianata sommitale del vulcano sottomarino Marsili a 790 m di profondità (Fig. 2) ed ha registrato 835 eventi tra cui un telesisma, 8 eventi regionali e circa 800 eventi vulcanici

YihQ is a sulfoquinovosidase that cleaves sulfoquinovosyl diacylglyceride sulfolipids

Sulfoquinovose is produced by photosynthetic organisms at a rate of 1010 tons per annum and is degraded by bacteria as a source of carbon and sulfur. We have identified Escherichia coli YihQ as the first dedicated sulfoquinovosidase and the gateway enzyme to sulfoglycolytic pathways. Structural and mutagenesis studies unveiled the sequence signatures for binding the distinguishing sulfonate residue and revealed that sulfoquinovoside degradation is widespread across the tree of life

Benefits and risks of the hormetic effects of dietary isothiocyanates on cancer prevention

The isothiocyanate (ITC) sulforaphane (SFN) was shown at low levels (1-5 µM) to promote cell proliferation to 120-143% of the controls in a number of human cell lines, whilst at high levels (10-40 µM) it inhibited such cell proliferation. Similar dose responses were observed for cell migration, i.e. SFN at 2.5 µM increased cell migration in bladder cancer T24 cells to 128% whilst high levels inhibited cell migration. This hormetic action was also found in an angiogenesis assay where SFN at 2.5 µM promoted endothelial tube formation (118% of the control), whereas at 10-20 µM it caused significant inhibition. The precise mechanism by which SFN influences promotion of cell growth and migration is not known, but probably involves activation of autophagy since an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, abolished the effect of SFN on cell migration. Moreover, low doses of SFN offered a protective effect against free-radical mediated cell death, an effect that was enhanced by co-treatment with selenium. These results suggest that SFN may either prevent or promote tumour cell growth depending on the dose and the nature of the target cells. In normal cells, the promotion of cell growth may be of benefit, but in transformed or cancer cells it may be an undesirable risk factor. In summary, ITCs have a biphasic effect on cell growth and migration. The benefits and risks of ITCs are not only determined by the doses, but are affected by interactions with Se and the measured endpoint