Le comunità di fillominatori e parassitoidi della Riserva Naturale “Bosco d’Alcamo” (Sicilia)

È stata studiata la comunità di fillominatori e parassitoidi su 16 specie di piante spontanee della Riserva Naturale “Bosco d’Alcamo”. Sono state rinvenute 17 specie di Lepidoptera e 7 specie di Diptera. Da queste sono sfarfallate circa 20 specie di parassitoidi, perlopiù rappresentate da Eulophidae e Braconidae. Viene confermata la presenza in Sicilia del Gracillariidae Phyllonorycter trifasciella Haworth e dell’Eulophidae Derostenus gemmeus Westwood. Per la prima volta Sympiesis notata (Zetterstedt) e Cirrospilus viticola (Rondani) sono stati rinvenuti come parassitoidi di Emme- tia marginea (Haworth). Inoltre S. notata è stata rinvenuta anche come parassitoide di P. trifasciella. Nel complesso viene confermato il ruolo importante dei boschi naturali, soprattutto querceti, come riserva di entomofauna e di diversità biologica.Leafminer and parasitoid community of the Nature Reserve “Bosco d’Alcamo” (Sicily). The leafminer and parasitoid communities of the Nature Reserve “Bosco D’Alcamo” was studied on 16 spontaneous plants. 17 Lepidoptera and 7 Diptera species were detected. About 20 parasitoid species emerged mainly represented by Eulophidae and Braconidae. The presence in Sicily of the Gracillariidae Phyllonorycter trifasciella Haworth was confirmed, as well as that of Eulophidae Derostenus gemmeus Westwood. Sympiesis notata (Zetterstedt) and Cirrospilus viticola (Rondani) were recorded for the first time as parasitoid of Emmetia marginea (Haworth). S. notata was record- ed also as a new parasitoid of P. trifasciella. The important role of natural woods, especially oaks, as reservoir of entomofauna and biodiversity was confirmed

Impact of the Donor KIR Genotype on the Clinical Outcome of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Unrelated Transplants: A Single Center Experience

In recent years, the anti-leukemic potential of Natural Killer (NK) cells and their role in hematologic malignancies and in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants (HSCT) has attracted greater interest and a recent study by Cooley S. et al. showed a better clinical outcome when patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia received a transplant from unrelated Group B KIR haplotypes donors. As a consequence of these results, an algorithm called “KIR B-content score” was formulated. The aim of our research is a retrospective analysis of HSC unrelated transplants performed in our center to analyze the effect of the donor KIR B status on the clinical-outcome. Our results showed a better overall survival-rate in the AML recipients, HLA mismatched with the donor, when the donor KIR B content status is Best/Better (37% vs 18% at three years P=0,028). Moreover, we observed that AML recipients, whose Donors KIR B status was Best/Better, had more incidence of aGvHD grade I and II than patients whose Donors KIR B status was Neutral (70% vs 26%) and also a lower rate of relapse (36% vs 58%) and a better Disease Free Survival-rate (58% vs 38% at three years P=0,1) because of a better GvL effect

Regional variation of organic functional groups in aerosol particles on four U.S. east coast platforms during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation 2004 campaign

Submicron atmospheric aerosol samples were collected during the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation (ICARTT) 2004 campaign on four platforms: Chebogue Point (Nova Scotia, Canada), Appledore Island (Maine), the CIRPAS Twin Otter over Ohio, and the NOAA R/V Ronald H. Brown in the Gulf of Maine. Saturated aliphatic C-C-H, unsaturated aliphatic C=C−H, aromatic C=C−H, organosulfur C-O-S, carbonyl C=O, and organic hydroxyl C-OH functional groups were measured by calibrated Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy at all four sampling platforms. The ratio of molar concentrations of carbonyl C=O to saturated aliphatic C-C-H groups was nearly constant at each sampling platform, with the Twin Otter samples having the lowest ratio at 0.1 and the three more coastal platforms having ratios of 0.4 and 0.5. Organic mass (OM) to organic carbon (OC) ratios follow similar trends for the four platforms, with the Twin Otter having the lowest ratio of 1.4 and the coastal platforms having slightly higher values typically between 1.5 and 1.6. Organosulfur compounds were occasionally observed. Collocated organic aerosol sampling with two Aerodyne aerosol mass spectrometers for OM, a Sunset Laboratory thermo-optical analysis instrument for OC, and an ion chromatography-particle into liquid sampler (IC-PILS) for speciated carboxylic acids provided comparable results for most of the project, tracking the time series of FTIR OM, OC, and carbonyl groups, respectively, and showing simultaneous peaks of similar magnitude during most of the project. The FTIR/IC-PILS comparison suggests that about 9% of the carbonyl groups found in submicron organic particles on the Twin Otter are typically associated with low molecular weight carboxylic acids

Radical Scavenging and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Representative Anthocyanin Groupings from Pigment-Rich Fruits and Vegetables

Anthocyanins, the naturally occurring pigments responsible for most red to blue colours of flowers, fruits and vegetables, have also attracted interest because of their potential health effects. With the aim of contributing to major insights into their structure–activity relationship (SAR), we have evaluated the radical scavenging and biological activities of selected purified anthocyanin samples (PASs) from various anthocyanin-rich plant materials: two fruits (mahaleb cherry and blackcurrant) and two vegetables (black carrot and “Sun Black” tomato), differing in anthocyanin content (ranging from 4.9 to 38.5 mg/g DW) and molecular structure of the predominant anthocyanins. PASs from the abovementioned plant materials have been evaluated for their antioxidant capacity using Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assays. In human endothelial cells, we analysed the anti-inflammatory activity of different PASs by measuring their effects on the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. We demonstrated that all the different PASs showed biological activity. They exhibited antioxidant capacity of different magnitude, higher for samples containing non-acylated anthocyanins (typical for fruits) compared to samples containing more complex anthocyanins acylated with cinnamic acid derivatives (typical for vegetables), even though this order was slightly reversed when ORAC assay values were expressed on a molar basis. Concordantly, PASs containing non-acylated anthocyanins reduced the expression of endothelial inflammatory antigens more than samples with aromatic acylated anthocyanins, suggesting the potential beneficial effect of structurally diverse anthocyanins in cardiovascular protection

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Mitigates Endothelial and Circulating Cells Alterations Following PLLA Electrospun Mat Placement

Background. Synthetic vascular graft calcification is a serious complication of graft placement. Here, we analysed migration and osteogenic genes of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) cultured with a poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) electrospun mat. The role of epigallo-catechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in pathogenic processes involving HUVEC and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was also tested. Methods. HUVEC were cultured in indirect contact with PLLA for 48 h, with or without EGCG, and processed for mRNA expression. HUVEC proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation were evaluated after EGCG treatment. EGCG was also administrated to human PBMCs, to analyse proliferation and migration toward HUVEC cultured with PLLA. Results. HUVEC cultured with PLLA exhibited increased expression of SLUG, VIMENTIN, MMP-9 (migration, vascular remodelling) and RUNX-2 (osteogenic transcription factor). EGCG at 25 μM significantly reduced HUVEC migration, osteogenic differentiation, without affecting cell viability, and mitigated PLLA influence on SLUG, MMP-9, VIMENTIN and RUNX-2 expression. EGCG affected PBMC proliferation and migration toward PLLA in a transwell co-culture system with HUVEC. Conclusion. Our study suggests the pro-calcific effect of PLLA, proposing EGCG as an anti-inflammatory modulatory approach. Research efforts need to deepen PLLA-vascular wall interactions for preventing vascular graft failure

A study on smoking attitude of selected third year and fourth year nursing students of De La Salle - Health Sciences Campus

The quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive method was used in this study. Fifty (50) respondents from third and fourth year levels were selected using convenience sampling. The research instrument was a modified 25-item questionnaire. The statistical tools employed for the analysis and interpretation of the data were frequency and percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test. The study concluded that, 1) Majority of the respondents who smoked were 16-20 years old, male and light smokers; 2) There were more pleasure and occasional smokers than habitual smokers; 3) The respondents were undecided in their smoking attitude in terms of cognitive, effective and behavioral aspects; 4) Respondents who were 21 years old and above had higher smoking attitude that those who were 16-20 years old; 5) Third year and fourth year nursing students had the same level of smoking attitude; 6) There was a higher level of smoking attitude for moderate smokers that light smokers; 7) In terms of the type of smokers, habitual smokers had higher level of smoking attitude than pleasure and occasional smokers; 8) There was a significant difference in the smoking attitude when the respondents were grouped by age, classification of smokers and type of smokers; 9) There was no significant difference in the smoking attitude when the respondents were grouped by gender and year level