Genome sequencing provides new insights on the distribution of Erwinia amylovora lineages in northern Italy

Erwinia amylovora is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes a wide variety of plant species causing recurrent local outbreaks of fire blight in crops of the Rosaceae family. Recent genomic surveys have documented the limited genomic diversity of this species, possibly related to a recent evolutionary bottleneck and a strong correlation between geography and phylogenetic structure of the species. Despite its economic importance, little is known about the genetic variability of co-circulating strains during local outbreaks. Here, we report the genome sequences of 82 isolates of E. amylovora, collected from different host plants in a period of 16 years in Trentino, a small region in the Northeastern Italian Alps that has been characterized by recurrent outbreaks of fire blight in apple orchards. While the genome isolated before 2018 are closely related to other strains already present in Europe, we found a novel subclade composed only by isolates that were sampled starting from 2018 and demonstrate that the endemic population of this pathogen can be composed by mixture of strain

Empathy, Social Self-Efficacy, Problematic Internet Use, and Problematic Online Gaming Between Early and Late Adolescence

This study aims to investigate the relationship between empathy, social self-efficacy, problematic Internet use (PIU), and problematic online gaming (POG) and to evaluate how such relationship varies according to the age of the participants. A sample of 1,585 Italian students, both genders, aged 12-20 years, were divided into three groups according to the age filled in these self-report questionnaires: PIU; Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents; Interpersonal Reactivity Index; Scale of Social Self-Efficacy; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. The results allow to confirm that in the Italian context the relationships between the examined constructs change across the three age groups considered in the study. PIU and POG, as well as prosocial behaviors and personal distress, tend to significantly decrease in late adolescence (age 18-20 years); 15-17 years adolescents reported more empathic concern compared with the other groups. PIU and POG are affected by empathy and social-self efficacy in different ways depending on age, suggesting that the two conditions have an at least partially different nature. The different components of empathy seem to play a different role in the development of either PIU or POG confirming the need to separate the components of empathy.Peer reviewe

Analysis of Italian isolates of Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii and development of a real-time PCR-based diagnostic method

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (Pss) causes Stewart’s vascular wilt of maize, and it is responsible for serious crop losses. Pss is indigenous to North America and spreads with maize seeds. The presence of Pss has been notified in Italy since 2015. The risk assessment of the entry of Pss in the EU from the United States through seed trade is in the order of magnitude of hundred introductions per year. Several molecular or serological tests were developed for the detection of Pss and used as official analysis for the certification of commercial seeds. However, some of these tests lack adequate specificity, not allowing to correctly discriminate Pss from P. stewartii subsp. indologenes (Psi). Psi is occasionally present in maize seeds and is avirulent for maize. In this study, several Italian isolates of Pss recovered in 2015 and 2018 have been characterized by molecular, biochemical, and pathogenicity tests; moreover, their genomes have been assembled through MinION and Illumina–sequencing procedures. Genomic analysis reveals multiple introgression events. Exploiting these results, a new primer combination has been defined and verified by real-time PCR, allowing the development of a specific molecular test able to detect the presence of Pss down to the concentration of 103  CFU/ml in spiked samples of maize seed extracts. Due to the high analytical sensitivity and specificity achieved with this test, the detection of Pss has been improved disentangling the inconclusive results in Pss maize seed diagnosis, overcoming its misidentification in place of Psi. Altogether, this test addresses the critical issue associated with maize seeds imported from regions where Stewart’s disease is endemic

Clinical Features and Outcome of 79 Dogs With Digital Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Treatment: A SIONCOV Observational Study

In dogs, digit squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is uncommon. Clinical signs are frequently underestimated, leading to a diagnostic delay. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report our experience regarding the clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, treatment and outcome of 79 client-owned dogs with SCC of the digit. The greatest majority (84.8%) of dogs was dark-coated. Schnauzers represented approximately one third of the study population, and had a poorer outcome compared with other breeds. The majority of SCCs occurred in the front limbs (61%), and bone lysis was frequently observed (92.4%). Approximately 9% of dogs had involvement of multiple digits, and this was associated with a shorter time to progression (TTP; P = 0.047). Similarly, a duration of clinical signs >90 days was associated with a shorter TTP (P = 0.02). Regional lymph node metastases were documented in 17.7% of dogs at admission and were significantly associated with tumor-related death (P < 0.001). At presentation, none of the dogs had evidence of distant metastasis. Digit amputation achieved adequate local tumor control in the majority of cases. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy were carried out in 21.5% of cases, with uncertain benefit. Due to the relatively non-aggressive clinical behavior of digit SCC, chemotherapy should only be offered in the case of metastatic disease. Approximately one fourth of dogs developed de novo SCCs during the follow-up. Careful examination of the digits should be encouraged in breeds considered at high risk and in dogs with a previous history of digital SCC

Pathogenetic investigations on the enteric nervous system plexuses of sarda breed sheep with different PrP genotypes following oral experimental scrapie infection

We investigated the ileal myenteric (MPs) and submucosal plexuses (SMPs) of 32 Sarda breed sheep carrying different PrP genotypes (ARQ/ARQ, ARQ/AHQ, ARQ/ARR, ARR/ARR), which had been orally dosed with scrapie at 8 months of age and euthanized at definite time intervals post-infection (p.i.)

Clinical Features and Outcome of 79 Dogs With Digital Squamous Cell Carcinoma Undergoing Treatment: A SIONCOV Observational Study

In dogs, digit squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is uncommon. Clinical signs are frequently underestimated, leading to a diagnostic delay. The purpose of this retrospective study was to report our experience regarding the clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, treatment and outcome of 79 client-owned dogs with SCC of the digit. The greatest majority (84.8%) of dogs was dark-coated. Schnauzers represented approximately one third of the study population, and had a poorer outcome compared with other breeds. The majority of SCCs occurred in the front limbs (61%), and bone lysis was frequently observed (92.4%). Approximately 9% of dogs had involvement of multiple digits, and this was associated with a shorter time to progression (TTP; P = 0.047). Similarly, a duration of clinical signs >90 days was associated with a shorter TTP (P = 0.02). Regional lymph node metastases were documented in 17.7% of dogs at admission and were significantly associated with tumor-related death (P < 0.001). At presentation, none of the dogs had evidence of distant metastasis. Digit amputation achieved adequate local tumor control in the majority of cases. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy were carried out in 21.5% of cases, with uncertain benefit. Due to the relatively non-aggressive clinical behavior of digit SCC, chemotherapy should only be offered in the case of metastatic disease. Approximately one fourth of dogs developed de novo SCCs during the follow-up. Careful examination of the digits should be encouraged in breeds considered at high risk and in dogs with a previous history of digital SCC

Clinical Features, Cardiovascular Risk Profile, and Therapeutic Trajectories of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Candidate for Oral Semaglutide Therapy in the Italian Specialist Care

Introduction: This study aimed to address therapeutic inertia in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by investigating the potential of early treatment with oral semaglutide. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2021 and April 2022 among specialists treating individuals with T2D. A scientific committee designed a data collection form covering demographics, cardiovascular risk, glucose control metrics, ongoing therapies, and physician judgments on treatment appropriateness. Participants completed anonymous patient questionnaires reflecting routine clinical encounters. The preferred therapeutic regimen for each patient was also identified. Results: The analysis was conducted on 4449 patients initiating oral semaglutide. The population had a relatively short disease duration (42%  60% of patients, and more often than sitagliptin or empagliflozin. Conclusion: The study supports the potential of early implementation of oral semaglutide as a strategy to overcome therapeutic inertia and enhance T2D management

Proceedings of the Fifth Italian Conference on Computational Linguistics CLiC-it 2018

On behalf of the Program Committee, a very warm welcome to the Fifth Italian Conference on Computational Linguistics (CLiC-­‐it 2018). This edition of the conference is held in Torino. The conference is locally organised by the University of Torino and hosted into its prestigious main lecture hall “Cavallerizza Reale”. The CLiC-­‐it conference series is an initiative of the Italian Association for Computational Linguistics (AILC) which, after five years of activity, has clearly established itself as the premier national forum for research and development in the fields of Computational Linguistics and Natural Language Processing, where leading researchers and practitioners from academia and industry meet to share their research results, experiences, and challenges