Germination behaviour of four mediterranean Cistus L. species in relation to high temperature

Cistus is one of the most characteristic genera of the Mediterranean flora. These species, natives of lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, are present in scrubland and garigue on siliceous ground and often on acid soil; seven species in particular are founded in Sicily. The adaptation of the genus to Mediterranean environments is evident from ecological characteristics such as fire-dependent seed germination; the heat generated by fire is in fact a key germination input.In this view, two experiments were performed to study the effects of high temperature on germination of four Cistus species (C. creticus L., C. crispus L., C. monspeliensis L., C. salviifolius L.). In the first, in relation to untreated control, 7 different high temperature pre-treatments (from 70°C to 130°C) for different timings (from 1 to 10 minutes) were analysed in relation to two sowing strategies (soon after the seed collection and after a 6 month period at 5°C to simulate the winter season effects). The pre-treatment with high temperatures can improve the germination; the storage at 5°C to simulate the winter season effects did not modify the germination process. In any case the results showed a species-dependent response. High germination percentage was obtained for C. creticus, while a lower germination rate was achieved by C. crispus and C. monspeliensis.In the second experiment, seeds were treated for different periods (80°C for 10 min, 90°C for 5 min and 100°C for 1 min) with high temperature in dry and wet (immersion in distilled water) conditions. Also in this case the responses were strictly linked to the species. Especially C. crispus and C. monspeliensis showed high germination percentage in wet conditions. In all species the wet heat treatments determined an accelerating of process like demonstrated by lower T50 values

Clinical, Microbiological, and Genetic Characteristics of Heteroresistant Vancomycin-Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia in a Teaching Hospital

The emergence of vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and heterogeneous VISA (hVISA) is of major concern worldwide. Our objective was to investigate the prevalence, phenotypic and molecular features of hVISA strains isolated from bacteremic patients and to determine the clinical significance of the hVISA phenotype in patients with bacteremia. A total of 104 S. aureus blood isolates were collected from a teaching hospital of Argentina between August 2009 and November 2010. No VISA isolate was recovered, and 3 out of 92 patients (3.3%) were infected with hVISA, 2 of them methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (4.5% of MRSA). Macro Etest and prediffusion method detected 3/3 and 2/3 hVISA respectively. Considering the type of bacteremia, the three cases were distributed as follows: two patients had suffered multiple episodes of bacteremia (both hVISA strains recovered in the second episode), while only one patient had suffered a single episode of bacteremia with hVISA infection. MRSA bloodstream isolates exhibiting the hVISA phenotype were related to HA-MRSA Cordobes clone (ST5-SCCmec I-spa t149) and MRSA Argentinean pediatric clone (ST100-SCCmec IVNV-spa t002), but not to CA-MRSA-ST30-SCCmec IV-spa t019 clone that was one of the most frequent in our country. Although still relatively infrequent in our hospital, hVISA strains weresignificantly associated with multiple episodes of bacteremia ( p = 0.037) and genetically unrelated.Fil: Di Gregorio, Sabrina Noelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Perazzi, Beatriz Elizabeth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Ordoñez, Andrea. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica; ArgentinaFil: de Gregorio, Stella. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Focoli, Mónica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Lasala, María Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Susana. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Vay, Carlos Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Famiglietti, Angela María Rosa. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Mollerach, Marta Eugenia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentin

Quality Productions, Protection and Recovery of the Internal Areas of Aspromonte: the Role of Truffles

The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of truffle production and  its market in the Aspromonte area. Through interviews with leading operators, collectors, transformers, retailers and restaurateurs, the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, the risks to the external environment and the opportunities offered by the economic system, as well as the needs raised by the operators who in various ways deal with truffles in the Calabria Region was considered. The results show that truffles are natural biological products and play an important role in the management of woodlands: if they are present they are a formidable indicator of environmental health. The results showed that the truffle supply chain can contribute to the promotion of growth strategies for Calabria as indicated among the objectives of the 2030 Strategy Agenda in Goal 11.a Session 1, point 1 which aims at the conservation, redevelopment and promotion of poor or fragile areas with qualitatively significant cultural and environmental heritage. The truffle sector's ability to attract new economic flows generated by production activities, from territorial marketing, from fresh or processed product marketing and from services capable of guaranteeing additional income for farmers and supply chain operators was also highlighted. The results finally showed that the use of SWOT analysis in niche food products provides useful indications for regional development planning actions, for marketing activities, for the promotion of sustainable tourism, for the recovery and enhancement of rural buildings and for the food and wine routes that revolve around the production of truffles and the gastronomy based on fresh and / or processed truffles. Produzioni di pregio, tutela e recupero delle aree interne aspromontane: il ruolo del tartufoScopo di questo articolo è esaminare le potenzialità della produzione e del mercato del tartufo nell’area aspromontana. Attraverso interviste ad opinioni leader, operatori, raccoglitori, trasformatori, rivenditori e ristoratori, sono stati messi in luce i punti di forza e di debolezza del comparto, i rischi dell’ambiente esterno e le opportunità offerte dal sistema economico, nonché le necessità sollevate dagli operatori che a vario titolo si occupano di tartufo nella Regione Calabria.  I risultati mostrano che i tartufi sono prodotti biologici naturali e che svolgono un ruolo importante nella gestione dei terreni boschivi: se sono presenti rappresentano un formidabile indicatore di salubrità ambientale. I risultati hanno evidenziato, altresì che la filiera del tartufo può contribuire alla promozione di strategie di crescita per la Calabria come indicato tra gli obiettivi della Strategia Agenda 2030, Goal 11.a Sessione 1, punto 1, che punta alla conservazione, riqualificazione e promozione di aree disagiate o fragili con patrimoni culturali e ambientali qualitativamente significativi. Si è inoltre evidenziata la capacità del settore tartuficolo di attrarre nuovi flussi economici generati dalle attività di produzione, dal marketing territoriale, dal marketing del prodotto fresco o trasformato e dai servizi idonei a garantire reddito supplementare aggiuntivo per gli agricoltori e per gli operatori della filiera.  I risultati hanno infine mostrato che l'uso dell'analisi SWOT in prodotti alimentari di nicchia fornisce indicazioni utili per le azioni di pianificazione dello sviluppo regionale, per le attività di marketing, per la promozione del turismo sostenibile, per il recupero e la valorizzazione dei fabbricati rurali e per i percorsi enogastronomici che ruotano intorno alla produzione di tartufi e alla gastronomia a base di tartufi freschi e/o trasformati.The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of truffle production and  its market in the Aspromonte area. Through interviews with leading operators, collectors, transformers, retailers and restaurateurs, the strengths and weaknesses of the sector, the risks to the external environment and the opportunities offered by the economic system, as well as the needs raised by the operators who in various ways deal with truffles in the Calabria Region was considered. The results show that truffles are natural biological products and play an important role in the management of woodlands: if they are present they are a formidable indicator of environmental health. The results showed that the truffle supply chain can contribute to the promotion of growth strategies for Calabria as indicated among the objectives of the 2030 Strategy Agenda in Goal 11.a Session 1, point 1 which aims at the conservation, redevelopment and promotion of poor or fragile areas with qualitatively significant cultural and environmental heritage. The truffle sector's ability to attract new economic flows generated by production activities, from territorial marketing, from fresh or processed product marketing and from services capable of guaranteeing additional income for farmers and supply chain operators was also highlighted. The results finally showed that the use of SWOT analysis in niche food products provides useful indications for regional development planning actions, for marketing activities, for the promotion of sustainable tourism, for the recovery and enhancement of rural buildings and for the food and wine routes that revolve around the production of truffles and the gastronomy based on fresh and / or processed truffles. Produzioni di pregio, tutela e recupero delle aree interne aspromontane: il ruolo del tartufoScopo di questo articolo è esaminare le potenzialità della produzione e del mercato del tartufo nell’area aspromontana. Attraverso interviste ad opinioni leader, operatori, raccoglitori, trasformatori, rivenditori e ristoratori, sono stati messi in luce i punti di forza e di debolezza del comparto, i rischi dell’ambiente esterno e le opportunità offerte dal sistema economico, nonché le necessità sollevate dagli operatori che a vario titolo si occupano di tartufo nella Regione Calabria.  I risultati mostrano che i tartufi sono prodotti biologici naturali e che svolgono un ruolo importante nella gestione dei terreni boschivi: se sono presenti rappresentano un formidabile indicatore di salubrità ambientale. I risultati hanno evidenziato, altresì che la filiera del tartufo può contribuire alla promozione di strategie di crescita per la Calabria come indicato tra gli obiettivi della Strategia Agenda 2030, Goal 11.a Sessione 1, punto 1, che punta alla conservazione, riqualificazione e promozione di aree disagiate o fragili con patrimoni culturali e ambientali qualitativamente significativi. Si è inoltre evidenziata la capacità del settore tartuficolo di attrarre nuovi flussi economici generati dalle attività di produzione, dal marketing territoriale, dal marketing del prodotto fresco o trasformato e dai servizi idonei a garantire reddito supplementare aggiuntivo per gli agricoltori e per gli operatori della filiera.  I risultati hanno infine mostrato che l'uso dell'analisi SWOT in prodotti alimentari di nicchia fornisce indicazioni utili per le azioni di pianificazione dello sviluppo regionale, per le attività di marketing, per la promozione del turismo sostenibile, per il recupero e la valorizzazione dei fabbricati rurali e per i percorsi enogastronomici che ruotano intorno alla produzione di tartufi e alla gastronomia a base di tartufi freschi e/o trasformati

Eventos agroalimentarios y de productos típicos: instrumentos de promoción para un territorio del sur de Italia

For most of the hilly, mountainous and inland areas, local and typical agri-food products represent an important tool for producing income, guaranteeing food and nutritional security, providing an answer to basic human needs and the desire to improve the quality of life. The survival of these areas is strongly linked to the persistence of these products, which, in addition to having to be profitable for the communities that produce them and who live from them, must also impose themselves within the framework of the competitiveness imposed by the markets. In fact, it happens that, for many of them, although the production conditions guarantee quality and food safety, the same cannot be said about their ability to compete with most of the semi-industrial productions. Thanks to consumers survey the study proposes a reading of the relationships between food and wine events / manifestations of an internal area in Southern Italy and some local food products offered in the stalls and food stands on occasion of such events. From a methodological point of view, it was decided to apply the “Social Network Analysis” (SNA), comparing gastronomic, folkloristic and cultural events that were detected in the area and with some local food products present in the stalls and stands. The area considered is very interesting with reference to the typical and traditional products, among which the less known and widespread truffle has only recently begun to establish itself. The results showed that some of the products taken into consideration are recurrent, that is, always present in the various events in the area, others less so. The data shows the attractiveness that these events and gastronomic events are able to trigger in consumers and the interest and propensity to buy that the food of local tradition. In particular, tourists seek the experience of local gastronomy and the culture and identity of the destination visited. Reading these data provides some information on the competitive strength that food and wine events and local productions are able to arouse. Events and demonstrations such as those highlighted in the work help to preserve the identity and authenticity of local traditions.Para la mayor parte de las zonas serranas, montañosas y del interior, los productos agroalimentarios locales y típicos representan una importante herramienta para generar ingresos, garantizar la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional, dando respuesta a las necesidades humanas básicas y al deseo de mejorar la calidad de vida. La supervivencia de estas áreas está fuertemente ligada a la persistencia de estos productos, que, además de tener que ser rentables para las comunidades que los producen y que viven de ellos, también deben imponerse en el marco de la competitividad que imponen los mercados. De hecho, sucede que, para muchos de ellos, si bien las condiciones de producción garantizan la calidad y la seguridad alimentaria, no se puede decir lo mismo de su capacidad para competir con la mayoría de las producciones semi-industriales. Gracias a una encuesta a los consumidores, este estudio propone una evaluación de las relaciones entre los eventos / manifestaciones gastronómicas y vinícolas de un área de interior del sur de Italia y algunos productos alimenticios locales que se ofrecen en los puestos de comida con motivo de tales eventos. Desde el punto de vista metodológico, se optó por aplicar el “Análisis de Redes Sociales” (ARS), comparando los eventos gastronómicos, folclóricos y culturales que se detectaron en la zona y con algunos productos alimenticios locales presentes en los puestos. El área considerada es muy interesante en cuanto a los productos típicos y tradicionales, entre los que la trufa es la menos conocida y extendida, y sólo ha comenzado a consolidarse recientemente. Los resultados mostraron que algunos de los productos tomados en consideración son recurrentes, es decir, siempre presentes en los diversos eventos de la zona, otros menos. Los datos muestran el atractivo que estos eventos y jornadas gastronómicas son capaces de suscitar en los consumidores y el interés y propensión a comprar los alimentos de tradición local. En particular, los turistas buscan la experiencia de la gastronomía local y la cultura e identidad del destino visitado. El análisis de estos datos proporciona información sobre la fuerza competitiva que pueden suscitar los eventos enogastronómicos y las producciones locales. Eventos y manifestaciones como los destacados en el trabajo ayudan a preservar la identidad y la autenticidad de las tradiciones locales

Caciocavallo Podolico Cheese, a Traditional Agri-Food Product of the Region of Basilicata, Italy: Comparison of the Cheese’s Nutritional, Health and Organoleptic Properties at 6 and 12 Months of Ripening, and Its Digital Communication

Traditional agri-food products (TAPs) are closely linked to the peculiarities of the territory of origin and are strategic tools for preserving culture and traditions; nutritional and organoleptic peculiarities also differentiate these products on the market. One such product is Caciocavallo Podolico Lucano (CPL), a stretched curd cheese made exclusively from raw milk from Podolian cows, reared under extensive conditions. The objective of this study was to characterise CPL and evaluate the effects of ripening (6 vs. 12 months) on the quality and organoleptic properties, using the technological “artificial senses” platform, of CPL produced and sold in the region of Basilicata, Italy. Additionally, this study represents the first analysis of cheese-related digital communication and trends online. The study found no significant differences between 6-month- and 12-month-ripened cheese, except for a slight increase in cholesterol levels in the latter. CPL aged for 6 and 12 months is naturally lactose-free, rich in bioactive components, and high in vitamin A and antioxidants and has a low PUFA-n6/n3 ratio. The “artificial sensory profile” was able to discriminate the organoleptic fingerprints of 6-month- and 12-month-ripened cheese. The application of a sociosemiotic methodology enabled us to identify the best drivers to create effective communication for this product. The researchers recommend focusing on creating a certification mark linked to the territory for future protection

Il ruolo degli stili di coping e dei fattori di stress sulla qualita di vita professionale tra gli operatori di una centrale operativa delle emergenze sanitarie: uno studio preliminare cross-sectional

INTRODUCTION: The professional quality of life (ProQOL) is a fundamental aspect of the care providers’ working life and plays an important role in monitoring their mental health status and wellbeing. The objective of this study is to explore the level of ProQOL among the Emergency Operating Center workers in the Italian context and to examine the role of both stressors and coping strategies. Health workers from an Italian 118 Emergency Operating Center participated into the research. METHODS: A preliminar y cross-sectional study has been performed RESULTS:. The survey’s response rate was 72.04% (n = 67). Results found that Stressors arepositively correlated with Burnout and Compassion Fatigue whereas Compassion Satisfaction has a positive correlation with the Task-oriented coping strategy and with the Emotion-oriented strategy. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, it is pivotal to implement strategies and solutions that can enhance the levels of satisfaction of Emergency Operating Center workers in order to improve patients care and organizational outcomes. Key words: Quality of life, Coping, Stressor, Emergency, Nurse.INTRODUZIONE: La qualità della vita professionale (ProQOL) è un aspetto fondamentale della vita lavorativa del personale che eroga assistenza sanitaria e gioca un ruolo importante nel monitorare il loro stato di salute mentale e fisico. L’obiettivo di questo studio è esplorare il livello di ProQOL tra gli operatori della salute di una Centrale operativa delle emergenze sanitarie nel contesto italiano ed esaminare il ruolo dei fattori di stress e delle strategie di Coping. I partecipanti alla ricerca sono operatori sanitari appartenenti alla Centrale Operativa delle emergenze sanitarie del 118. METODO: E’ stato effettuato uno studio preliminare di prevalenza. RISULTATI: Il tasso di risposta ai questionari è stato del 72,04% (n = 67). I risultati indicano che il Burnout e la Compassion Fatigue hanno un correlazione positiva con i fattori di stress mentre la Compassion Satisfaction ha mostrato un’associazione positiva con gli stili di coping Task-oriented ed Emotion-oriented. CONCLUSIONI: In conclusione è importante implementare strategie e soluzioni che possono innalzare i livelli di soddisfazione lavorativa degli operatori delle Centrali Operative di Emergenza per migliorare l’assistenza ai pazienti e i risultati manageriali. Parole chiave: Qualità della vita, Coping, Stressor, Emergenza, Infermiere.   © 202

CIBO LOCALE E ATTEGGIAMENTI SOSTENIBILI

Consumer preferences and purchasing intentions for local food products are constantly changing. These preferences are mainly influenced by various factors such as experiences and personal needs, the levels of perception on dietary trends and on information. The aim of the paper is to understand consumer preferences and their attitude on the ethical and sustainable aspects of local food purchased. 300 consumers were interviewed on two southern Italian regions through a specific questionnaire. After an initial descriptive analysis, data were processed through multivariate analysis models by applying exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. The results show how the sensitivity of consumers regarding purchases and therefore consumption is connected to ethical aspects, to the improvement of local and even global environmental conditions. The data also show a particular attention of consumers to food safety, to the desire to support and sustain the local economy. The study therefore seems to confirm the thesis that sees consumers more attentive, aware and sensitive to the issue of environmental sustainability

A Field Synopsis on Low-Penetrance Variants in DNA Repair Genes and Cancer Susceptibility

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Real-world data to build explainable trustworthy artificial intelligence models for prediction of immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC patients

IntroductionArtificial Intelligence (AI) methods are being increasingly investigated as a means to generate predictive models applicable in the clinical practice. In this study, we developed a model to predict the efficacy of immunotherapy (IO) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using eXplainable AI (XAI) Machine Learning (ML) methods. MethodsWe prospectively collected real-world data from patients with an advanced NSCLC condition receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) either as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy. With regards to six different outcomes - Disease Control Rate (DCR), Objective Response Rate (ORR), 6 and 24-month Overall Survival (OS6 and OS24), 3-months Progression-Free Survival (PFS3) and Time to Treatment Failure (TTF3) - we evaluated five different classification ML models: CatBoost (CB), Logistic Regression (LR), Neural Network (NN), Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). We used the Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) values to explain model predictions. ResultsOf 480 patients included in the study 407 received immunotherapy and 73 chemo- and immunotherapy. From all the ML models, CB performed the best for OS6 and TTF3, (accuracy 0.83 and 0.81, respectively). CB and LR reached accuracy of 0.75 and 0.73 for the outcome DCR. SHAP for CB demonstrated that the feature that strongly influences models' prediction for all three outcomes was Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR). Performance Status (ECOG-PS) was an important feature for the outcomes OS6 and TTF3, while PD-L1, Line of IO and chemo-immunotherapy appeared to be more important in predicting DCR. ConclusionsIn this study we developed a ML algorithm based on real-world data, explained by SHAP techniques, and able to accurately predict the efficacy of immunotherapy in sets of NSCLC patients