Structure and Functionality of the Mesozooplankton Community in a Coastal Marine Environment: Portofino Marine Protected Area (Liguria)

This research is part of the LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) project, a network of terrestrial, freshwater, transitional water and marine sites, on which ecological research is conducted on a multi-decade scale. LTER studies ecosystems, their dynamics and evolution, the relationships between biodiversity and ecological functionality, water quality, productivity, the role of resource availability, the effects of pollution and climate change. The research focuses on the study of the variability of zooplankton groups in the Portofino marine protected area, in Punta Faro. The samplings were carried out in the years 2018\u20132019, and the results were compared with the values of the years 2003\u20132005, interesting from a meteorological climatic and biological point of view. The plankton community of the Punta Faro system was analyzed by means of a modeling approach to obtain information on the functionality and health status of the system and to verify whether this has undergone any alterations in the last decade. The analyses carried out show a clear difference between the three-year period 2003\u20132005 and the two-year period 2018\u20132019, highlighting how environmental changes, such as the increase in temperature, have led to higher costs of system functioning in the last two years. The mesozooplankton community has changed both in terms of abundance of organisms and in terms of organization and functionality

Characteristics of the colorectal cancers diagnosed in the early 2000s in Italy. Figures from the IMPATTO study on colorectal cancer screening

The impact of organized screening programmes on colorectal cancer (CRC) can be observed at a population level only several years after the implementation of screening. We compared CRC characteristics by diagnostic modality (screen-detected, non-screen-detected) as an early outcome to monitor screening programme effectiveness. Data on CRCs diagnosed in Italy from 2000 to 2008 were collected by several cancer registries. Linkage with screening datasets made it possible to divide the cases by geographic area, implementation of screening, and modality of diagnosis (screen-detected, non-screen-detected).We compared the main characteristics of the different subgroups of CRCs through multivariate logistic regression models. The study included 23,668 CRCs diagnosed in subjects aged 50-69 years, of which 11.9%were screendetected (N=2,806), all from the North-Centre of Italy. Among screen-detected CRCs, we observed a higher proportion of males, of cases in the distal colon, and a higher mean age of the patients. Compared with pre-screening cases, screen-detected CRCs showed a better distribution by stage at diagnosis (OR for stage III or IV: 0.40, 95%CI: 0.36-0.44) and grading (OR for poorly differentiated CRCs was 0.86, 95%CI: 0.75-1.00). Screen-detected CRCs have more favourable prognostic characteristics than non-screen-detected cases. A renewed effort to implement screening programmes throughout the entire country is recommended

Primary HPV test screening in cervical cancer: a two-year experience of a single screening center in Latina (Italy).

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect and performance of the new algorithm in cervical cancer screening program in two years’ experience of Latin (Italy). The female population was divided into two groups, the first group was referred to PAP test and the second one to hr-HPV test according to national guidelines. In two years the participation mean rate increased among women 35-64 compared to women aged 25-34. The primary PAP test positive rate and hr-HPV test positive rate were 4.0% and 5.2% respectively. The PAP test positive rate among hr-HPV+ women decreased from 2012 to 2013. Women hr-HPV+/PAP+ were referred immediately to colposcopy and this rate was 1.2%. The predictive positive value for CIN2+ to colposcopy was 10.9% in 2012 and 9.1% in 2013 while the detection rate for CIN2+ was 1.6% in 2012 and 1.4% in 2013. The stratification of the female population leds to a decreased inappropriate therapeutic path while the combination of hr-HPV test with PAP test in woman aged 35-64 lets obtain high levels specificity and sensitivity results.The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect and performance of the new algorithm in cervical cancer screening program in two years’ experience of Latin (Italy). The female population was divided into two groups, the first group was referred to PAP test and the second one to hr-HPV test according to national guidelines. In two years the participation mean rate increased among women 35-64 compared to women aged 25-34. The primary PAP test positive rate and hr-HPV test positive rate were 4.0% and 5.2% respectively. The PAP test positive rate among hr-HPV+ women decreased from 2012 to 2013. Women hr-HPV+/PAP+ were referred immediately to colposcopy and this rate was 1.2%. The predictive positive value for CIN2+ to colposcopy was 10.9% in 2012 and 9.1% in 2013 while the detection rate for CIN2+ was 1.6% in 2012 and 1.4% in 2013. The stratification of the female population leds to a decreased inappropriate therapeutic path while the combination of hr-HPV test with PAP test in woman aged 35-64 lets obtain high levels specificity and sensitivity results