Arterial stiffness, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruits intake in a rural population sample: Data from the brisighella heart study

Introduction: There is conflicting information linking fruit and fructose intake with cardio metabolic disorders. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the association between intake of fruits and sugar-sweetened beverages, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a non-invasive marker of arterial aging, in a large population sample. Methods: For this study, we selected four age and sex-matched subgroups from the last Brisighella Heart Study population survey, after exclusion of those in secondary prevention for cardiovascular diseases, affected by gout and moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (defined as eGFR < 60 mL/min), and/or actively treated with direct vasodilating drugs (calcium-antagonists, alpha-blockers, nitrates). The remaining subjects were classified into four groups: (1) low fruit and low sugar-sweetened beverage intake (LFLB), (2) high fruit and low sugar-sweetened beverage intake (HFLB), (3) low fruit and high sugar-sweetened beverage intake (LFHB), (4) high fruit and high sugar-sweetened beverage intake (HFHB). Results: CfPWV was significantly elevated in subjects consuming a higher fructose load, particularly when it was derived from industrially sweetened beverages (pooled LFHB & HFHB: 9.6 ± 2.3 m/s; pooled LFLB & HFLB: 8.6 ± 2.3 m/s, p < 0.001). Moreover, the main predictors of cfPWV values were serum uric acid (B = 0.391, 95%CI 0.321–0.486, p = 0.001), fructose load from both fruits and sugar-sweetened beverages (B = 0.310, 95%CI 0.099–0.522, p = 0.004), triglycerides (B = 0.228, 95%CI 0.117–0.389, p = 0.018), fasting plasma glucose (B = 0.015, 95%CI 0.008–0.022, p < 0.001) and estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (B = −0.043, 95%CI −0.052–−0.035, p < 0.001). Conclusion: our data suggest that increased intake of fructose derived from industrial sweetened beverages, though not from fruits, is associated with higher pulse wave velocity

West Nile Virus lineage 1 in Italy: newly introduced or a re-occurrence of a previously circulating strain?

In Italy, West Nile virus (WNV) appeared for the first time in the Tuscany region in 1998. After 10 years of absence, it re-appeared in the areas surrounding the Po River delta, affecting eight provinces in three regions. Thereafter, WNV epidemics caused by genetically divergent isolates have been documented every year in the country. Since 2018, only WNV Lineage 2 has been reported in the Italian territory. In October 2020, WNV Lineage 1 (WNV-L1) re-emerged in Italy, in the Campania region. This is the first occurrence of WNV-L1 detection in the Italian territory since 2017. WNV was detected in the internal organs of a goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) and a kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). The RNA extracted in the goshawk tissue samples was sequenced, and a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was performed by a maximum-likelihood tree. Genome analysis, conducted on the goshawk WNV complete genome sequence, indicates that the strain belongs to the WNV-L1 Western-Mediterranean (WMed) cluster. Moreover, a close phylogenetic similarity is observed between the goshawk strain, the 2008–2011 group of Italian sequences, and European strains belonging to the Wmed cluster. Our results evidence the possibility of both a new re-introduction or unnoticed silent circulation in Italy, and the strong importance of keeping the WNV surveillance system in the Italian territory activ

West Nile Virus lineage 2 overwintering in Italy

In January 2022, West Nile virus (WNV) lineage 2 (L2) was detected in an adult female goshawk rescued near Perugia in the region of Umbria (Italy). The animal showed neurological symptoms and died 15 days after its recovery in a wildlife rescue center. This was the second case of WNV infection recorded in birds in the Umbria region during the cold season, when mosquitoes, the main WNV vectors, are usually not active. According to the National Surveillance Plan, the Umbria region is included amongst the WNV low-risk areas. The necropsy evidenced generalized pallor of the mucous membranes, mild splenomegaly, and cerebral edema. WNV L2 was detected in the brain, heart, kidney, and spleen homogenate using specific RT-PCR. Subsequently, the extracted viral RNA was sequenced. A Bayesian phylogenetic analysis performed through a maximum-likelihood tree showed that the genome sequence clustered with the Italian strains within the European WNV strains among the central-southern European WNV L2 clade. These results, on the one hand, confirmed that the WNV L2 strains circulating in Italy are genetically stable and, on the other hand, evidenced a continuous WNV circulation in Italy throughout the year. In this report case, a bird-to-bird WNV transmission was suggested to support the virus overwintering. The potential transmission through the oral route in a predatory bird may explain the relatively rapid spread of WNV, as well as other flaviviruses characterized by similar transmission patterns. However, rodent-to-bird transmission or mosquito-to-bird transmission cannot be excluded, and further research is needed to better understand WNV transmission routes during the winter season in Ital

Resti di piante antiche: tracce del paesaggio, dell’ambiente, dell’economia e dell’alimentazione

Arheobotanične analize na gradišču so omogočile vpogled v rastlinstvo od železne dobe do obdobja po 4. stoletju n.š. na območju Furlanije – Julijske krajine, kjer do sedaj podobne raziskave še niso bile izvedene. Nastanek gradišča je verjetno zahteval postopno sečnjo gozda, da bi ustvarili ustrezen prostor za naselitev. Prebivalci so ohranjali območje odprto in izkrčeno, o čemer priča nizek dežel pogozdenosti. Skromna, vendar stalna prisotnost rastlin, ki so značilne za vlažno okolje, potrjuje obstoj sladkovodnih zajetij na vrhu vzpetine. Kazalnik človekovega delovanja je dober, kar priča o stalni in neprekinjeni prisotnosti človeka na tem območju. Človekova dejavnost in obdelane površine so oddaljeni od gradišča: gojene vrste so prisotne le v sledeh, gre pa za žitarice in konopljo. Razširjeno je sadno drevje, kot so oreh, sliva in drugo, ki se je verjetno zasadilo na območju v okolici gradišča. Prisotni so prostrani polifitni/neobdelani travniki, ki kažejo na živinorejo v okoliških območjih.The archaeobotanical analyses carried out at the fortified settlement provide an important insight into the plant landscape and the environment between the Iron Age and the period following the 4th century A.D. in an area of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region that had not been investigated previously with specialized techniques. The origin of the fortified village probably determined a progressive felling of trees in the local wood in order to create a suitable space in which to establish the settlement. The area was kept open and deforested, as shown by the low forestation rate. The modest yet constant presence of plants that typically grow in humid environments confirm the existence of fresh water basins/ cisterns on the top of the hill. There is a good level of anthropization, bearing witness to the constant and continuous presence of humans in that area. Traces of anthropogenic activity and cultivations are found far from the fortified village: only a few traces of cultivated species are present and consist of cereals and hemp. On the other hand, there is a widespread presence of fruit plants such as walnut, plum and other fruit bearing trees, that probably grew in the area surrounding the fortified village. The meadow/uncultivated areas that bear witness of farming activities carried out in the surrounding zones are both vast and widespread.Die archäobotanischen Analysen in der Anlage des Castelliere öffnen ein wichtiges Fenster, dass einen Blick auf die Pflanzenwelt und die Umwelt in einer Periode von der Eisenzeit bis nach dem vierten christlichen Jahrhundert erlaubt und zwar in einem Gebiet von Friaul Julisch Venetien in dem es bisher noch nie spezifische Untersuchungen gegeben hat. Die Entstehung der Hügelfestung führte wahrscheinlich zu einem allmählichen Abholzen, um einen geeigneten Platz für die Siedlung zu schaffen. Das Gebiet blieb in der Folge abgeholzt und offen, wie sich aus dem geringen Waldanteil ergibt. Die bescheidene, aber konstante Präsenz von Pflanzen, die typisch für eine feuchte Umgebung sind, bestätigt das Vorhandensein von Süßwasser Becken/Zisternen auf dem Gipfel der Anhöhe. Der Anthropisierungs Index ist gut und zeugt von einer konstanten und kontinuierlichen Präsenz des Menschen im Gebiet. Die menschliche Aktivität und die Landwirtschaft finden abseits der Hügelfestung statt: von den angebauten Arten finden sich nur Spuren von Getreide und Hanf. Verbreitet sind aber Obstgehölze wie Nüsse, Pflaumenarten und andere Obstbäume, die wahrscheinlich im Bereich rund um die Anlage des Castelliere wuchsen. Verbreitet sind ausgedehnte, unbebaute Mischwiesen, ein Hinweis auf die Viehzucht in der Umgebung

Long-Term Impact of Different Triple Combination Antihypertensive Medications on Blood Pressure Control, Metabolic Pattern and Incident Events: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate clinical, laboratory and hemodynamic effects on the long term of different triple combination antihypertensive medications in a well-characterized Italian cohort. We considered the data of a subset of Brisighella Heart Study (BHS) participants who were consecutively evaluated in three epidemiological surveys between 2012 and 2020. For the current analysis, we excluded normotensive subjects, patients treated with <3 or ≥3 antihypertensive drugs without taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium-channel blockers (CCB) and/or thiazide/thiazide-like diuretics. The remaining participants were divided into three groups depending on whether they were treated with Perindopril/Amlodipine/Indapamide, ACE-inhibitors (other than perindopril)/CCBs/Thiazide or ARBs/CCBs/Thiazide, either with separate drugs or fixed pill combinations. A further group of age- and sex-matched volunteers was selected as control and included patients receiving other antihypertensive treatments. The long-term (8 years) effects of the different antihypertensive treatments were compared among the pre-defined groups. During the observation period, there was a trend towards increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) in all the investigated subgroups (p for trend <0.05), but in the subgroup of patients treated with Perindopril/Amlodipine/Indapamide, such increase was significantly lower than in the other groups (p < 0.05). The combination treatment with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) modulators, CCBs and thiazide/thiazide-like diuretics was associated with significantly lower diastolic BP (p < 0.05) and more strictly controlled lipid pattern than other triple combination of anti-hypertensive medications. Patients treated with Perindopril/Amlodipine/Indapamide did not experience any age-related increase in serum levels of total cholesterol. Moreover, during the follow up none of them developed type 2 diabetes, nor had a need for a greater number of antihypertensive drugs to improve BP control, mainly because of a more stable BP control. Based on our observations, combination treatment with RAS modulators, amlodipine and thiazides/thiazide-like diuretics is more effective than other triple antihypertensive medications for lowering the diastolic BP and has a better impact on serum lipids. Perindopril/Amlodipine/Indapamide is associated with more protective metabolic profile than any other considered combination antihypertensive medications

Correction: Cicero et al. Long-Term Impact of Different Triple Combination Antihypertensive Medications on Blood Pressure Control, Metabolic Pattern and Incident Events: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study. <i>J. Clin. Med.</i> 2021, <i>10</i>, 5921

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Reactions of Nitrosoarenes with Nitrogen Monoxide (Nitric Oxide) and Nitrogen Dioxide: Formation of Diarylnitroxides.

Nitrosoarenes react with nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide) at room temperature and in aprotic media to afford the corresponding diarylnitroxides by the intermediate formation of N-nitrosoarylnitroxides. However, these latter spin adducts, in contrast with literature reports, have never been detected by us. N-nitrosophenylnitroxide is obtained only in the oxidation of the ammonium salt of N-nitrosophenylhydroxylamine (cupferron) with trace amounts of lead tetraacetate. However, it evolves with time to diphenylnitroxide, as demonstrated by following the reaction course in the ESR cavity, On a macroscale level, the reaction between nitrosobenzene and nitric oxide leads to the formation of N-nitrosodiphenylamine, 4-nitro-N-nitrosodiphenylamine, 4-nitrodiphenylamine and 4,4'-dinitrodiphenylamine, in addition to diphenylnitroxide. Diarylnitroxides are also obtained when nitrosoarenes react with small amounts of nitrogen dioxide; the mechanism of this reaction is proposed and discussed. The structure of 4-nitro-N-nitrosodiphenylamine was determined by X-ray analysis