Description of the zoeal stages of Periclimenes aegylios Grippa & d'Udekem d'Acoz, 1996 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) reared in the laboratory

Muzio, Giorgia Di, Basile, Rita, Pessani, Daniela (2018): Description of the zoeal stages of Periclimenes aegylios Grippa & d'Udekem d'Acoz, 1996 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) reared in the laboratory. Zootaxa 4418 (3): 228-246, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4418.3.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma as a complication of chronic graft-versus-host disease: a case report

Objectives. Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease (cGVHD) is an immunoregulatory disorder which occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation (HCT) and often shares features of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. GVHD related oral manifestations include severe oral pain, xerostemia, ulcerative lesions, and mucositis. Furthermore,a major late suggested complication of HSCT is the dramatically increased risk of secondary malignancies including oral cancer and oral cGVHD-releted inflammation may be considered a potential risk factor. Case report. A 51-year-old male patient referred in 1994 to our surgery for cGVHD oral lesions secondary to HCT for acute myelogenous leukemia developed in 1992. In 2010, an incisional biopsy in left retrocommissural region for an erosive lesion was performed and microscopic analysis revealed an intense lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate. In 2011, clinical intraoral examination revealed white verrucous plaque lesion associated with ulcerations on the gingiva of the V sextant and on the lower labial mucosa; two incisional biopsies of oral mucosa and an incisional skin biopsy were performed. Microscopic analysis revealed a well differentiated SCC, a moderately differentiated SCC and a skin high grade dysplasia. Patient was surgically treated and is currently in follow up. Conclusions. Several authors suggest that cGVHD-related inflammation could be an important risk factor for carcinogenesis, also for oral cavity. Then it is recommended close follow-up to all patients treated with HCT, particularly when they develop graft-versus-host disease, and any suspicious oral lesions should be biopsied to rule out dysplasia or malignancy

Morphology of planktonic zoeal stages of Palicus caronii (Decapoda, Brachyura), identified by DNA barcoding, provides novelties to Palicoidea larval systematics

The zoeal development of the brachyuran crab, Palicus caronii, comprises two zoeal stages and the morphology is described and illustrated in detail. The zoeae were collected in plankton samples from the Southern Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean). Although the morphology of the larval stages of this species was unknown, a combination of characters allowed the zoeae to initially be assigned to the Palicidae, based on the previous unique known first zoeal description of one species of this family. Later, the identification of the larvae as Palicus caronii was confirmed through molecular analysis. The morphological features of the zoeae that characterize the Palicidae and separate them from the Crossotonotidae are confirmed. Also, the larval development comprising only two zoeal stages observed in Palicus caronii, the peculiar and uncommon carapace surface setation, and the presence of anterodorsal and posterodorsal sensory dorsal organs suggest that these characters could be common to the Palicoidea.The collection of the larval stages used in the present work was performed in the context of a project carried out with the financial support of the Italian Ministero della Salute (Research Project IZSPLV 14/14 RC). COI sequence of adult crab of Palicus caronii was obtained within the framework of the MEGALOPADN project (CGL2009-11225) funded by the “Ministerio de Economía y Competividad (MINECO)” Spanish Plan R + D + I and FEDER. Authors would like to thank Prof. Simona Bonelli, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology (UNITO), for her support, and the entomology laboratory of Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Sciences (UNITO) for loaning the camera lucida, with a special thanks to Enrico Busato for his availability. The study was funded by the Italian Ministero della Salute (Research Project IZSPLV 14/14 RC)

The date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga: Biology, ecology and the multiple impacts of its illegal fishery

none8The date mussel Lithophaga lithophaga is an edible endolithic bivalve, protected by the EU Habitats Directive and other international agreements, living inside carbonate rocks. Its illegal harvesting is carried by breaking the rockswhere the bivalve grows. The impact has cascade consequences as it causes permanent changes in the substrate characteristics, the removal of benthic species, a shift from highly complex to structurally simplified habitats. As a result, the rich biodiversity of rocky reefs turns into a biological desert, named “barren”. Alongwith the over exploitation of fish, this practice leads to the increase of sea urchin density and grazing pressure on habitats, hampering the resilience of the associated biodiversity and functions. This paper summarizes the information on date mussel biology, ecology, ecotoxicology, fishery and the legal framework regulating its protection. Evidence indicates that illegal harvesting is still operated and widespread along the Mediterranean and has huge costs in terms of loss of natural capital and ecosystem services, and in terms of active ecological restoration. Two case study areas (the Sorrento and Salento peninsulas) were selected to assess the economic costs of this practice. Tangible economic costs in terms of ecosystems services' loss are huge (from ca. 35,000 to more than 400,000 euros/year in 6.6 km of Sorrento and ca. 1.8 million euros/year along the 69 km of Salento). These costs are, on average, ca. 30 times lower than those of ecosystem restoration. Data mining from websites indicates that date mussels are presently commercialized in hundreds of restaurants in Greece, Balkan countries, Spain and Italy, favoured also by the lack of appropriate consumer information. This practice should be controlled and contrasted at local scale, enforced by national legislations, and implemented by transnational initiatives. Social campaigns are needed to increase public awareness of the serious consequences of date-mussel fishery and consumptionopenAlberto Colletti; Beatrice Savinelli; Giorgia Di Muzio; Lucia Rizzo; Laura Tamburello; Simonetta Fraschetti; Luigi Musco; Roberto DanovaroColletti, Alberto; Savinelli, Beatrice; Di Muzio, Giorgia; Rizzo, Lucia; Tamburello, Laura; Fraschetti, Simonetta; Musco, Luigi; Danovaro, Robert

Potential Role of miR-196a and miR-196b as Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

The etiopathogenetic mechanisms involving tumor genesis, including alteration of cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and death, may lead to alterations in microRNAs (miR) expression. The hypothesis is that with the presence in the literature of recent studies conducted on miR-196a and miR-196b, it is possible to clearly determine, by aggregating the results, whether miR-196 upregulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues can represent a prognostic biomarker of survival through hazard ratio (HR) analysis. The systematic review was conducted following the indications of the PRISMA, and four electronic databases were used (Science Direct, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Cochrane Central), with the addition of gray literature. Combinations of keywords were used, such as miR-196, miR-196 AND HNSCC, microRNA AND HNSCC, LSCC AND miR-196, OSCC AND miR-196, OPSCC AND miR-196, HSCC AND miR-196. The meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were performed using RevMan 5.41 software and Stata 13 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) with the implementation of the R 4.2 software. This search identified 1593 reports and, at the end of the selection, five articles were inserted. The results of the meta-analysis report an aggregate HR for overall survival (OS), between the highest and lowest miR-196 expression of 1.67, 95% CI: [1.16, 2.49]. In this meta-analysis, we found that the forest plot is in favor of higher OS in HNSCC patients, compared with the control, with low miR-196 expression, correlating this data with a favorable prognosis, which indicated the potential role of this miRNA in strengthening the therapy sensitiveness of the HNSCC patients. Consequently, the present systematic review places itself, together with other systematic reviews on this topic, in a key role to the finding of Phase 3 clinical trials studies, in search for a prognostic model of miR-196 for HNSCC. In conclusion, with the limitations of the meta-analysis, it can be argued that miRs of the miR-196 family could be independent prognostic biomarkers of survival for HNSCC

MicroRNA-21 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oral Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Oral carcinoma represents one of the main carcinomas of the head and neck region, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50%. Smoking and tobacco use are recognized risk factors. Prognostic survival biomarkers can be a valid tool for assessing a patient’s life expectancy and directing therapy towards specific targets. Among the biomarkers, the alteration of miR-21 expression in tumor tissues is increasingly reported as a valid prognostic biomarker of survival for oral cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis was, therefore, to investigate and summarize the results in the literature concerning the potential prognostic expression of tissue miR-21 in patients with OSCC. Methods: The systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines using electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, with the use of combinations of keywords, such as miR-21 AND oral cancer, microRNA AND oral cancer, and miR-21. The meta- analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.41 software. Results: At the end of the article-selection process, 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and the result for the main outcome was a pooled HR per overall survival (OS) of 1.29 (1.16–1.44) between high and low expression of miR-21. Conclusions: The data in the literature and the results emerging from the systematic review indicate that miR-21 can provide a prognostic indication in oral cancer

The rapid spread of SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant in Italy reflected early through wastewater surveillance

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5-11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12-18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19-25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool

Länderprofil 23 - Italien 2012

For a long time, Italy was known as a country of emigration par excellence. It is only in the last thirty years that it has become a major destination of international migration. Respective policies have been designed from the late 1980s onwards. In this context, strong emphasis has been placed on the much discussed issue of irregular immigration. Nowadays, the majority of immigrants come from Eastern Europe but Italy has also become a destination of refugees and asylum seekers from Africa

Country Profile 23 - Italy 2012

Über lange Zeit galt Italien als Auswanderungsland par excellence. Erst seit Ende der 1970er Jahre ist es zunehmend zum Ziel internationaler Migration geworden. Entsprechende Zuwanderungspolitiken wurden erst seit den späten 1980er Jahren formuliert. Dabei bestimmte vor allem das Thema der irregulären Zuwanderung den politischen Diskurs. Die Mehrheit der Zuwanderer stammt heute aus Osteuropa. Daneben ist Italien aber auch ein Ziel von Flucht- und Asylmigration aus Afrika