Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii Species Complex Isolates on the Slopes of Mount Etna, SICILY, Italy

This study investigated the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii species complex isolates on olive trees growing in the Eastern part of Sicily (Italy) characterized by the presence of the volcano Etna and the ability of these fungal pathogens to sexually reproduce on medium containing volcanic soil. Samples from 124 olive trees were collected from 14 different sites around Mount Etna. Eighteen trees (14.5%) resulted colonized by C. neoformans VNI-\u3b1A isolates, one (0.8%) by VNIV-\u3b1D isolates, and two (1.6%) by C. gattii VGI-\u3b1B isolates. The ability of environmental and reference strains belonging to VNI, VNIV, and VGI molecular types to sexually reproduce on a medium containing volcanic soil was also tested. VNI and VNIV strains were able to produce filaments and basiodiospores more vigorously than on the control medium, whereas VGI strains were not fertile. In conclusion, the present study identified which C. neoformans and C. gattii species complex genotypes are circulating in Eastern Sicily and confirmed the ecological role of olive trees as environmental reservoir of these pathogens. It also showed that Cryptococcus is able to colonize and sexually reproduce in inhospitable environments such as the slopes of a volcano

Effect of different irrigation volumes during fruit development on quality of virgin olive oil of cv. Frantoio

An experiment was carried out in a high-density olive (Olea europaea L. cv. Frantoio) orchard to determine the effect of different irrigation regimes (full, deficit, complementary) on virgin olive oil (VOO) quality over three consecutive years. Irrigation had negligible effects on free acidity, peroxide value, and fatty acid composition of VOO, but strongly influenced its phenolic concentration. Trees with high water status yielded oils with lower concentrations of total phenols and O-diphenols with respect to oils from severely stressed trees. The concentrations of secoiridoids, like the dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl elenolic acid linked to (3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanol (3,4-DHPEA-EDA), the isomer of the oleuropein aglycon (3,4-DHPEA-EA) and the dialdehydic form of decarboxymethyl elenolic acid linked to (p-hydroxyphenyl) ethanol (p-HPEA-EDA), were lower in fully-irrigated trees than in trees under deficit irrigation or those that received complementary irrigation only. The concentrations of lignans (+)-1-acetoxipinoresinol and (+)-1-pinoresinol were unaffected by the irrigation regime. Volatile compounds, evaluated on the VOO head space, seemed to be more consistently influenced by the year rather than soil water availability

Potential of the Oxidized Form of the Oleuropein Aglycon to Monitor the Oil Quality Evolution of Commercial Extra-Virgin Olive Oils

The quality of commercially available extra-virgin olive oils (VOOs) of different chemical compositions was evaluated as a function of storage (12 months), simulating market storage conditions, to find reliable and early markers of the virgin olive oil (VOOs) quality status in the market. By applying a D-optimal design using the Most Descriptive Compound (MDC) algorithm, 20 virgin olive oils were selected. The initial concentrations of oleic acid, hydrophilic phenols, and a-tocopherol in the 20 VOOs ranged from 58.2 to 80.5%, 186.7 to 1003.2 mg/kg, and 170.7-300.6 mg/kg, respectively. K-270, increment K, (E, E)-2.4-decadienal and (E)-2-decenal, and the oxidative form of the oleuropein aglycon (3,4-DHPEA-EA-OX) reflected the VOO quality status well, with 3,4-DHPEA-EA-OX being the most relevant and quick index for simple monitoring of the "extra-virgin" commercial shelf-life category. Its HPLC-DAD evaluation is easy because of the different wavelength absorbances of the oxidized and non-oxidized form (3,4-DHPEA-EA), respectively, at 347 and 278 nm

Azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus in the environment of Northern Italy, May 2011 to June 2012

In recent years acquired azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus has been increasingly reported and a dominant mechanism of resistance (TR34/L98H) was found in clinical and environmental isolates.The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of azole resistance in environmental A. fumigatus isolates collected in Northern Italy. A. fumigatus grew from 29 out of 47 soil samples analysed. Azole resistant isolates were detected in 12.7% of the soil samples and in 20.7% of the soil samples containing A. fumigatus. High minimal inhibitory concentrations of itraconazole, posaconazole and voriconazole were displayed by nine isolates from six different soil samples, namely apple orchard (1 sample), rose pot compost (2 samples), and cucurbit yields (3 samples). Seven out of nine resistant isolates harboured the same TR34/L98H mutation of cyp51A. These findings, together with the occurrence of resistant clinical isolates, suggest that azole resistance should be considered in primary patient care. suggest that azole resistance should be considered in primary patient care

The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on patients with neuroendocrine tumors: Between resilience and vulnerability

The COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of complexity to the fears of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Little is known regarding the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on patients with gastroenteropancreatic or bronchopulmonary (BP) NETs. We longitudinally surveyed the mental symptoms and concerns of NET patients during the plateau phase of the first (W1) and second epidemic waves (W2) in Italy. Seven specific constructs (depression, anxiety, stress, health-related quality of life, NET-related quality of life, patient–physician relationship, psychological distress) were investigated using validated screening instruments, including DASS-21, EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ GI.NET21, PDRQ9 and IES-R. We enrolled 197 patients (98 males) with a median age of 62 years. The majority of the patients had G1/G2 neoplasms. Some 38% of the patients were on active treatment. At W1, the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was 32%, 36% and 26% respectively. The frequency of depression and anxiety increased to 38% and 41% at W2, whereas no modifications were recorded in the frequency of stress. Poor educational status was associated with higher levels of anxiety at both W1 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.33 ± 0.22; p =.07) and W2 (OR = 1.45 ± 0.26; p =.03). Notably, post-traumatic stress symptoms were observed in the 58% of the patients, and both single marital status (OR = 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06–0.48; p =.0009) and low levels of formal education (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.23–0.99; p =.05) predicted their occurrence. No significant deteriorations of health-related quality of life domains were observed from W1 to W2. High patient care satisfaction was documented despite the changes in health systems resource allocation. NET patients have an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms as result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific screening measures and psychological interventions should be implemented in NET clinics to prevent, recognize and treat mental distress in this vulnerable population

Multilocus microsatellite analysis of European and African Candida glabrata isolates

This study aimed to elucidate the genetic relatedness and epidemiology of 127 clinical and environmental Candida glabrata isolates from Europe and Africa using multilocus microsatellite analysis. Each isolate was first identified using phenotypic and molecular methods and subsequently, six unlinked microsatellite loci were analyzed using automated fluorescent genotyping. Genetic relationships were estimated using the minimum-spanning tree (MStree) method. Microsatellite analyses revealed the existence of 47 different genotypes. The fungal population showed an irregular distribution owing to the over-representation of genetically different infectious haplotypes. The most common genotype was MG-9, which was frequently found in both European and African isolates. In conclusion, the data reported here emphasize the role of specific C. glabrata genotypes in human infections for at least some decades and highlight the widespread distribution of some isolates, which seem to be more able to cause disease than others.This research was supported in part by the EU Mare Nostrum (EUMN-III Call) program of the European Union, grant agreement number 2011-4050/001-EMA2. Dr Sanae Rharmitt was the recipient of a scholarship (10 months) signed within the EUMN program for PhD students (F.S. 1.04.11.01 UORI) under the supervision of Prof Orazio Romeo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio