Feeding Preferences of the Italian Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus Festa, 1925) in a Coastal Mediterranean Environment

The present study was aimed to deepen the knowledge on diet and on feeding preferences of the Italian roe deer. The research was carried on in the Castelporziano Presidential Estate, a protected area of Latium coast. Quadrat method was used to assess plant frequency, whereas diet composition was determined by fecal micro-histological analysis. A total of 143 plant species were identified in the site and 109 of them were found in the feces of the Capreolus capreolus italicus. All over the year, most of the taxa were ingested in low percentages (5%) and the most utilized plant species were Quercus suber, Prunus spinosa, Rubia peregrina, and Crateaegus monogyna. Fagaceae and Rosaceae plant families represented the bulk of the diet and were positively selected. In addition, a positive selection on Fabaceae and Oleaceae families was found in wet season but not in dry one. In both periods the Italian roe deer showed a positive selection for deciduous woody plants and evergreen woody plants, instead avoided wild forbs and wild graminoids. Our results confirmed that this subspecies behaved as a generalist highly selective feeder

Diet Selection by the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus de Winton,1898) in Two Protected Coastal Areas of Latium

Abstract: This study was focused on the diet and feeding behaviour of Lepus corsicanus in two protected coastal areas of Latium, Castelporziano Presidential Estate (CPE) and Circeo National Park (CNP). Plant frequency was assessed by the quadrat method, while diet composition was determined by microhistological analysis of faecal samples. Over the year, the Italian hare fed on 185 of the 229 plant species identified in vegetation, with most of them ingested in low percentages (1%). During the dry season (DS), in both areas, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Cynodon dactylon, and Avena fatua were among the most consumed species. In the wet season (WS) the most common plant species in diet were B. sylvaticum, Poa trivialis, and Carex distachya in CPE and Dactylis glomerata, Cynosurus echinatus, and Spartium junceum in CNP. In both sites, considering the annual selection of life forms, grasses and leguminous forbs were preferred, while non-leguminous forbs and shrubs were used less than expected according to their availability. ANOSIM analysis showed significant differences between sites in DS and WS diets. Our study evidenced that the Italian hare behaved as generalist, revealing its capability for exploiting several plant species and to adapt its diet preferences to space-time variation of food availability

Comportamento alimentare di Lepre italica nella Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano

The aim of this study was to investigate the Italian hare feeding habits and feeding selection in three sites of the Castelporziano Presidential Estate. Vegetation and faecal sampling took place in the period June-October. The most abundant families resulted Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Rosaceae. Among inventoried species the most representative were Avena fatua, Dasypyrum villosum, Achnatherum bromoides, and Briza maxima. Regarding to life forms, the most abundant were grasses followed by non-leguminous forbs, shrubs and leguminous forbs. The family of Poaceae was the most ingested followed by Asteraceae and Cyperaceae. The most consumed species resulted Brachypodium sylvaticum, Avena fatua, Cynodon dactylon and Poa trivialis. Grasses was the most utilized life form: plants of this life form represented more of 50% of the diet. The Italian hare showed a positive selection towards graminoids, while leguminous forbs and woody plants were avoided. Among plant families only Poaceae was preferred (p<0.001), while Apiacae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Fagaceae and Rosaceae were negatively selected (p<0.01)

Evaluation of the effects of specific karate exercises during multilateral training in children of primary school

The early specialization in the development of sport skills is a point of discussion among researchers, even if the general trend is to encourage multilateral activities in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of specific karate exercises added during a program of multilateral exercises in a group of school age children. A sample of 82 primary school children (39 females, 6.4 ± 0.3 y and 43 males, 6.3 ± 0.3 y) were randomly assigned to two groups: Multilateral (MG) and Special (SG). MG was composed of 19 females (MGf, 6,4 ± 0,3 y) and 22 males (MGm, 6,3 ± 0,3 y), while SG was composed of 20 females (SGf, 6,3 ± 0,3 y) and 21 males (SGm, 6,4 ± 0,3 y). During the training period of eight weeks, the MG group has played only multilateral activities, while the SG group has also done specific exercises of Karate. At the end of the training period both groups were subjected to some physical evaluation test and the results was statistically analyzed (ANOVA). Although both groups (Mg and SG) have improved significantly (p < 0.05) compared to the initial stage, the comparison between the two groups (MG vs SG) has not revealed significant differences in relation to the considered motor skills (speed, agility, strength, coordination), with the exception of the ability of static balance, in which the SG group showed a significant improvement compared to the MG group (p = 0.019). In particular, the improvement appears to be due mainly to the female component (SGf vs MGf: p = 0,012; SGm vs MGm p = 0,20). The fact that the improvement was mainly dependent on the female group deserves future investigations The results seem to confirm the fact that the multilateral activities would be sufficient to improve motor skills in primary school children, although some neuromotor abilities could be improved through more specific exercises without creating particular damag

Comportamento alimentare di Capreolus capreolus italicus nella Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano

In questa ricerca è stata studiata la composizione della dieta invernale di Capriolo italico in due siti compresi nella Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano. La composizione della dieta è stata determinata mediante analisi microistologica dei pellet fecali. Per valutare le differenze nella composizione della dieta tra i siti sono state utilizzate misure univariate di alfa e beta diversità. Oltre il 60% delle specie vegetali identificate (90) è statoritrovato nella dieta e le specie legnose hanno rappresentato oltre un quarto della dieta. Le specie più consumate sono risultate Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Pyrus communis, e Rubia peregrina. Gli indici di alfa diversità hanno evidenziato, in entrambi i siti, una composizione della dieta ricca e diversificata. L’indice di selezione di Manly ha mostrato in entrambi i siti: a) selezione positiva per gli alberi e cespugli sempreverdi e per gli alberi e cespugli caducifogli; b) selezione negativa per le erbacee spontanee a foglia larga e le graminoidi. Dall’analisi della similarità (ANOSIM) emergono differenze significative fra le diete dei due siti. I nostri risultati hanno confermato che questa sottospecie ha adeguato il suo comportamento alimentare, in relazione alle disponibilità di risorse alimentari. Per le specie endemiche, come il Capriolo italico, la conoscenza del comportamento alimentare può fornire indicazioni utili per la conservazione e la gestione delle popolazioni relitte

Impact of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations on sustained virologic response in HCV-infected patients: Results from the GUARD-C Cohort

BACKGROUND: Despite the introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, peginterferon alfa/ribavirin remains relevant in many resource-constrained settings. The non-randomized GUARD-C cohort investigated baseline predictors of safety-related dose reductions or discontinuations (sr-RD) and their impact on sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients receiving peginterferon alfa/ribavirin in routine practice. METHODS: A total of 3181 HCV-mono-infected treatment-naive patients were assigned to 24 or 48 weeks of peginterferon alfa/ribavirin by their physician. Patients were categorized by time-to-first sr-RD (Week 4/12). Detailed analyses of the impact of sr-RD on SVR24 (HCV RNA <50 IU/mL) were conducted in 951 Caucasian, noncirrhotic genotype (G)1 patients assigned to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin for 48 weeks. The probability of SVR24 was identified by a baseline scoring system (range: 0-9 points) on which scores of 5 to 9 and <5 represent high and low probability of SVR24, respectively. RESULTS: SVR24 rates were 46.1% (754/1634), 77.1% (279/362), 68.0% (514/756), and 51.3% (203/396), respectively, in G1, 2, 3, and 4 patients. Overall, 16.9% and 21.8% patients experienced 651 sr-RD for peginterferon alfa and ribavirin, respectively. Among Caucasian noncirrhotic G1 patients: female sex, lower body mass index, pre-existing cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and low hematological indices were prognostic factors of sr-RD; SVR24 was lower in patients with 651 vs. no sr-RD by Week 4 (37.9% vs. 54.4%; P = 0.0046) and Week 12 (41.7% vs. 55.3%; P = 0.0016); sr-RD by Week 4/12 significantly reduced SVR24 in patients with scores <5 but not 655. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, sr-RD to peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin significantly impacts on SVR24 rates in treatment-naive G1 noncirrhotic Caucasian patients. Baseline characteristics can help select patients with a high probability of SVR24 and a low probability of sr-RD with peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin

Feeding preferences in dry season of the Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) in two sites of Corsica

In this research, the diet composition and feeding selection of the Italian hare were evaluated and compared in two sites of Haute-Corse region localised in the territories of Tallone and Aleria. The present study is the first considering feeding selection of Lepus corsicanus. The considered period ranged from June to October. Quadrat method was used to assess plant frequency, while diet composition was determined by microhistological analysis of faecal pellets collected monthly. Grasses represented the basis of the diet, with frequencies around 50% in both study areas, followed by non-leguminous forbs with an incidence of 29% in Aleria and over 31% in Tallone. Leguminous forbs and shrubs complemented its diet. Poaceae resulted to be the most preferred and selected family in the diet in both sites. In the diet we observed 79 species, but only a few of them were in percentages greater than 5%.. The most utilised species in the diet were Brachypodium sylvaticum, Briza maxima, Trifolium angustifolium in Aleria and Digitaria sanguinalis, Briza maxima, and Daucus carota in Tallone. Our study evidenced that in the considered areas, characterised also in the dry period by wide plant diversity, the Italian hare behaved as generalist. Significant differences in the diet composition and in the diversity index between the two sites showed the adaptability of the Italian hare to different habitats and the influence of the vegetation on feeding habits of the species

An update on integrase inhibitors: new opportunities for a personalized therapy? The NEXTAIM Project

Thanks to the development of antiretroviral agents to control HIV replication, HIV infection has turned from a fatal disease into a treatable chronic infection. The present work collects the opinions of several experts on the efficacy and safety of recently approved second generation of integrase inhibitors and, in particular, on the role of this new class of drugs in antiretroviral therapy. The availability of new therapeutic options represents an opportunity to ameliorate the efficacy of cART in controlling HIV replication also within viral reservoirs. The personalization of the treatment driven mainly by the management of comorbidities, HIV-HCV co-infections and aging, will be easier with antiretroviral drugs without drug-drug interactions and with a better toxicity and tolerability profile. Future assessment of economic impact for the introduction of new innovative drugs in the field of antiretroviral therapy will likely need some degree of adjustment of the evaluation criteria of costs and benefit which are currently based almost exclusively on morbidity and mortality