Introduzione di colza (<i>Brassica napus</i> var. <i>oleifera</i>) e carinata (<i>Brassica carinata</i>) in sistemi colturali mediterranei

Interest in the production of biomass by means of energy crops has increased over the last 40 years in Europe. In particular, the growing of rapeseed (Brassica napus var. oleifera D.C.) and Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) as oilseed crop for bioenergy production in Southern Europe has gained new concern, following the implementation of policies aimed at increasing the production of locally produced bio-fuels. Experiments presented in this thesis were undertaken to study adaption of rapeseed and Brassica carinata in the Mediterranean type environments in Sardinia. Firstly, to identify the effects of genotype on the phenology, growth, dry matter production, seed yield and yield components of rapeseed and Brassica carinata. Secondly, six genotype of Brassica spp. (four genotype of rapeseed and two of Brassica carinata) were used to study biomass production, contribution of the pre-anthesis assimilates to the seed yield, and their relationship to seed yield. Thirdly, to study dose-response curves development for the control of garland, lamb’s-quarter, common field poppy, sow-thistle and wild mustard in rapeseed for a range of metazachlor doses and to determine from the dose-response curves the dose of metazachlor required for greater than 90% control of these selected weed species that offers the best crop safety in rapeseed. According to our results, both rapeseed and Brassica carinata are adapted to the environments tested being able to produce acceptable seed yields. Higher rainfall during the post-anthesis phase resulted in improved yields as consequence of pods photosynthetic activity

Simultaneous occlusion of three cilioretinal arteries following scleral buckling surgery under local anesthesia

BACKGROUND: Cilioretinal artery (CRA) occlusions are rare in young patients. In these cases, the most commonly associated causes are considered to be the same as those implicated in central retina artery occlusions, such as vasculitic processes, migraine, cardiac disorder, and coagulation abnormality. The aim of this article was to report for the first time the medical records and investigational results of an unusual case of simultaneous occlusion of three CRAs after scleral buckling surgery under local anesthesia. METHODS: A complete ophthalmic examination, including color fundus image, fundus fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, visual field, as well as systemic and laboratory assessments, was performed. RESULTS: A case of contemporaneous blockage of three CRAs after ab externo surgery for retinal detachment in a 29-year-old Caucasian woman was reported. The interdisciplinary approach and the imaging results have allowed us the clinical definition of such a very rare case. CONCLUSION: Here, we reported that optical coherence tomography is an indispensable tool to better delineate the pathological process and follow atrophic changes in the macula, especially in cases in which fundus fluorescein angiography and systemic tests may be poorly informativ

Compass Fundus-Guided Perimetry in Geographic Atrophy

To evaluate compass (CMP), a recently introduced device that combines scanning ophthalmoscopy, automated perimetry, and eye tracking, for fundus-guided perimetry (microperimetry) with the purpose of correlating perimetric retinal sensitivity (PRS) and retinal geographic atrophy (GA) features

Gestione delle infestanti del colza (<i>Brassica napus</i> var. <i>oleifera</i>) in ambiente mediterraneo: risultati preliminari

La coltura del colza è caratterizzata da un lento accrescimento nelle prime fasi di sviluppo, fasi in cui la rapida crescita delle infestanti risulta potenzialmente limitante. Una efficace competizione della coltura verso le infestanti si verifica solo dopo che la copertura vegetale ricopre completamente le interfile. Inoltre, le infestanti dotate di ramificazioni e di apparato radicale vigoroso esercitano una severa competizione per gli elementi nutritivi disponibili (Bishnoi et al., 2007). In Brassica sp.pl., Bishnoi et al. (2007) hanno riportato perdite comprese tra il 30 e il 50%, a seconda dell’accrescimento e della persistenza delle infestanti nel campo. Le difficoltà nella gestione delle infestanti del colza, oltre che derivare dalla possibile inadeguata preparazione del letto di semina e da un eventuale insufficiente grado di umidità del suolo, risiede nelle ridotte dimensioni dei semi e nel loro breve tempo di germinazione, che rendono la coltura molto sensibile alle avversità ambientali nelle sue fasi iniziali (Paudel et al., 2008). In mancanza di validi prodotti ad ampio spettro dicotiledonicida applicabili nella post-emergenza della coltura, il diserbo del colza si basa prevalentemente sull’impiego del metazachlor, che può essere applicato anche nei primi stadi di sviluppo. Rimane quasi insoluto il problema del controllo delle crucifere quali Sinapis, Rapistrum, Raphanus, e Brassica, specie tardive generalmente presenti in autunno e durante gli inverni miti. Obiettivo dello studio è stato quello di valutare l’effetto di diversi trattamenti di controllo delle infestanti, basati sull’impiego di metazachlor, sulla resa e sue componenti in colza var. Kabel

Wild asparagus domestication for food/energy cropping system setup

The solar greenhouse sector is currently unbalanced towards energy production. Thus, the introduction of new crop options, such as wild asparagus, could contribute to the promotion of economic and environmental sustainability in these food/energy systems (mixed-systems). We hypothesized that wild asparagus is able to adapt both to sunny and partially shaded environments provided that both nutrient and water supply are guaranteed. Over a three-year experiment, we carried out an intensive examination of within-season phenological, physiological and productive dynamics under a greenhouse with 50% of the roof area covered with photovoltaic panels. Under the photovoltaic roof the net assimilation rate was on average 5 time lower, averaged over the growing seasons (0.6 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1), resulting in negative results for some monitoring dates. However, lower net assimilation rate did not negatively impact spears production in terms of number, length and diameter. The year of establishment affected the length of the spear, which was 4 cm shorter in 2013 than in 2014 and 2015, when no significant difference was observed. The novelty proposed in this study could be a successful option for farmers to promote production diversification and a promising strategy to guarantee the environmental and economic sustainability of the whole mixed system

Rebound macular edema following oral acetazolamide therapy for juvenile X-linked retinoschisis in an Italian family

BACKGROUND: Juvenile X-linked retinoschisis (RS1, OMIM: 312700) is a hereditary vitreoretinal dystrophy characterized by bilateral foveal schisis and, in half of the patients, splitting through the nerve fiber layer in the peripheral retina. In the first decade of life, patients usually develop a decrease in visual acuity. Long-term visual outcomes can be poor due to the limited number of known successful treatments. PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to present, for the first time, a p.Arg197Cys missense mutation in the RS1 gene (OMIM: 300839) in a four-generation Italian family with RS1 and to examine the clinical response to the treatment with acetazolamide tablets alone or in combination with dorzolamide eye drops as assessed by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS: Eleven individuals, including two brothers with RS1 (patients 1 and 2), underwent a full medical history examination and a comprehensive ocular assessment that involved SD-OCT, fluorescein angiography, electroretinography and DNA analysis. Each RS1 patient received oral acetazolamide (375 mg daily) during the first three months. Thereafter, patient 1 continued only with dorzolamide eyedrops three times a day for a period of three months, while patient 2 spontaneously stopped both medications. RESULTS: Sequence analysis of the RS1 gene identified a hemizygous c.589C>T (p.Arg197Cys) missense mutation in exon 6, which has not been previously reported in an Italian family. A different response to the medical therapy was observed in the four eyes of the two affected brothers hemizygous for this abnormality. Of note, after acetazolamide interruption, a rebound effect on cystoid macular edema reduced the beneficial effects of the initial therapy for RS1 from p.Arg197Cys mutation. Indeed, a minimal rebound effect on cystoid macular edema, and an improvement in visual acuity, was observed in patient 1 during the six months of treatment. Conversely, in patient 2, an initial improvement in cystoid macular edema was not associated with visual acuity changes, followed by a marked rebound effect. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the sequential use of acetazolamide tablets and dorzolamide eye drops should be considered and studied further as a possible treatment for macular edema and visual impairment in patients with RS1 from a hemizygous p.Arg197Cys mutation

Atypical presentation of juvenile multiple sclerosis in a patient with COVID-19

Purpose: To report our experience with a case of a very atypical clinical onset of multiple sclerosis in a young boy during a COVID-19 infection. Case report: A 16-year-old boy was referred to our ophthalmology clinic with a complete isolated bilateral horizontal gaze palsy. The condition had onset suddenly 2 weeks prior and he had no associated symptoms, as well as no significant medical history. His corrected visual acuity was 0.0 logMAR in both eyes. While hospitalized, he was found infected with COVID-19. Subsequent brain MRI showed multiple lesions typical of a yet undiagnosed MS, as well as an active pontine plaque which was highly probable the cause of the horizontal gaze palsy. High-dose steroid treatment was initiated 1 week later, after the patient exhibited negative COVID-19 test results. Conclusion: Clinical manifestations of MS are rarely seen in male teenagers and only a few cases of isolated bilateral horizontal gaze palsy have been reported as the initial manifestation, but never during concomitant COVID-19 infection. We presume that the presence of COVID-19 may have been a neuroinflammatory trigger of underlying MS

Integration of oil-seed crops in Mediterranean agro-pastoral systems to supply bio-fuels to local power industry

The growing of rape seed (Brassica napus var. oleifera D.C.) and Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) as oilseed crop for biodiesel production in southern Europe has gained new interest, following the implementation of policies aimed at increasing the production of locally produced biofuels. The study reported in this paper is part of a feasibility study designed to provide a scientific assessment on the introduction of oil seed crops in the context of the Mediterranean agro-pastoral systems of central Sardinia. Locally, the oil seed demand is from a 34 MW electric power station recently installed by Biopower Sardegna Spa, who funded the study, to supply the local industrial site. The overall objective of the experiments is also to build a dataset to adapt CROPGRO model of DSSAT (Jones et al., 2003) to rapeseed. In this paper, we will provide preliminary data from the field experiments on rapeseed and an overview of the research design

Oxytocin Nasal Spray in the Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder and Obesity: A pilot, Randomized, Double Blind Trial

1.1. Background Preclinical studies suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin reduces food intake and body weight, but only a few clinical studies have investigated the translatability of these findings in humans. The present study investigated the safety and efficacy of oxytocin nasal spray in patients affected by binge eating disorder and obesity. 1.2. Methods Seventeen outpatients affected by binge eating disorder and obesity participated in a 8 week double-blind trial and received oxytocin (n=8; 24 IU, four times a day, 20 min before each of three meals and before going to bed) or placebo (n=9) with an energy-restricted diet. Primary outcomes included adverse events and the number of binge eating episodes per week. Secondary measures included body weight, BMI, severity of BED, craving for food, quality of sleep, quality of life, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. 1.3. Results One patient of oxytocin group discontinued prematurely the trial before the first post-randomization efficacy measure. Among the other 16 participants, 13 (81.2%) completed the trial, and 3 (18.8%) discontinued [3 in the oxytocin group; 0 in the placebo group (p=0.0625, Fisher’s exact test)]. No significant difference between groups was found in any outcome evaluated. Patients of the placebo group performed slightly better than patients of the oxytocin group in some secondary outcomes, but these differences were not significant. 1.4. Conclusion Oxytocin nasal spray resulted to be safe, including in women of childbearing age but did not significantly reduce the number of binge eating episodes per week in outpatients affected by binge eating disorder and obesity. These findings are discussed in light of the human oxytocin literature. Keyword

Synthesis, cytotoxicity and antiviral evaluation of new series of imidazo[4,5-g]quinoline and pyrido[2,3-g]quinoxalinone derivatives

Linear aromatic N-tricyclic compounds with promising antiviral activity and minimal cytotoxicity were prepared and analyzed in the last years. Specifically, the pyrido[2,3-g]quinoxalinone nucleus was found endowed with high potency against several pathogenic RNA viruses as etiological agents of important veterinary and human pathologies. Following our research program on new antiviral agents we have designed, synthesized and assayed new series of imidazo[4,5-g]quinoline and pyrido[2,3-g]quinoxalinone derivatives. Lead compounds 1-4 were further modified to enhance their antiviral activity and reduce their cytotoxicity. Thus, different substituents were introduced on N atom at position 1 or the O atom at position 2 of the leads; contextually, several groups were inserted on the nitrogen atom at position 7 of diaminoquinoline intermediates. Title compounds were tested in cell-based assays for cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against RNA virus families containing single-stranded (either positive-sense (ssRNA+) or negative-sense (ssRNA-)), and double-stranded genomes (dsRNA), and against two representatives of DNA virus families. Some derivatives emerged as potential leads for further development as antiviral agents against some viruses of public health significance, such as RSV, Reo, BVDV and HCV. Particularly, compounds 4, 11b, 11c, 13c, 15a, 18 and 21 resulted active against BVDV at concentrations ranging from 1.3 to 5\ua0\u3bcM. Compound 21 was also evaluated for its activity on the BVDV RdRp. Compound 4 was also tested as potential anti-HCV compound in a subgenomic replication assay. Molecular simulation results provided a molecular rationale for the anti-BVDV activity of these compounds