Relationship among soil management, organic matter content and root development along the explorable soil profile in the vineyard

In the most ancient wine area of the Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) “Oltrepò Pavese” in North-West Italy, foothills of the Apennine mountains, the soils of 14 representative vineyards managed for about 10 years with tillage (T) or natural grass-cover (G) or the alternation of the two methods between the rows (GT), were compared for their contents of organic matter, main soil parameters and extent of root development, in the first meter of depth. The soils are fine textured, sometimes calcareous, with low levels of organic matter. G and GT soil treatments showed higher organic matter content (on average 1.4%) than T (0.88%). Better root development (number and area) was observed in G and GT, in comparison with T; the number and size of roots showed a positive correlation with the soil organic matter

Flow-diverter treatment for renal artery aneurysms: One-year follow-up of a multicentric preliminary experience

PURPOSERenal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are rare in the general population, although the true incidence and natural history remain elusive. Conventional endovascular therapies such as coil embolization or covered stent graft may cause sidebranches occlusion, leading to organ infarction. Flow-diverters (FD) have been firstly designed to treat cerebrovascular aneurysms, but their use may be useful to treat complex RAAs presenting sidebraches arising from aneurysmal sac. To evaluate mid-term follow-up (FUP) safety and efficacy of FD during treatment of complex RAAs.METHODSBetween November 2019 and April 2020, 7 RAAs were identified in 7 patients (4 men, 3 women; age range 55-82 years; median 67 years) and treated by FD. Procedural details, complications, morbidity and mortality, aneurysm occlusion and segmental artery patency were retrospectively reviewed. Twelve months computed tomography angiography (CTA) FUP was evaluated for all cases.RESULTDeployment of FD was successful in all cases. One intraprocedural technical complication was encountered with one FD felt down into aneurism sac which requiring additional telescopic stenting. One case at 3 months CTA FUP presented same complication, requiring same rescue technique. At 12 months CTA FUP 5 cases of size shrinkage and 2 cases of stable size were documented. No rescue surgery or major intraprocedural or mid-term FUP complication was seen.CONCLUSIONComplex RAAs with two or more sidebranches can be safely treated by FD. FD efficacy for RAA needs a further validation at long term FUP by additional large prospective studies

Relationship among soil management, organic matter content and root development along the explorable soil profile in the vineyard

In the most ancient wine area of the Controlled Denomination of Origin (DOC) “Oltrepò Pavese” in North-West Italy, foothills of the Apennine mountains, the soils of 14 representative vineyards managed for about 10 years with tillage (T) or natural grass-cover (G) or the alternation of the two methods between the rows (GT), were compared for their contents of organic matter, main soil parameters and extent of root development, in the first meter of depth. The soils are fine textured, sometimes calcareous, with low levels of organic matter. G and GT soil treatments showed higher organic matter content (on average 1.4%) than T (0.88%). Better root development (number and area) was observed in G and GT, in comparison with T; the number and size of roots showed a positive correlation with the soil organic matter

Percutaneous Computed Tomography-Guided Lung Biopsies using a Virtual Navigation Guidance: Our Experience

To evaluate the effectiveness of a virtual CT-guided navigation system (Sirio-MASMEC Biomed) in performing lung biopsies, with greater attention to lesions smaller than 1 cm, compared to the traditional procedure

Microhabitat degli artropodi del suolo in vigneti dell’Oltrepò pavese a diversa conduzione agronomica dell’interfila

L’Oltrepò Pavese è un’area vocata tradizionalmente alla viticoltura soprattutto nella sua estensione collinare e rappresenta una delle più importanti aree per la produzione di vini di qualità nel Nord Italia. Nell’ambito del progetto “Oltrepò BioDiverso”, finanziato dalla Fondazione Cariplo, la diversa gestione dell’interfila dei vigneti (cv Croatina, Pinot noir, Barbera, Riesling italico, Merlot) è stata valutata con approccio multidisciplinare per determinare:a) biodiversità dei microartropodi valutando le loro abbondanze, indici ecologici come Shannon, Simpson, Margalef, QBSar, acari oribatidi/altri acari; b) composizione delle comunità di funghi e batteri del suolo a due diverse profondità (0-30 e 30-60 cm); c) caratteristiche fisiche (tessitura, porosità), chimiche (come TOC, TN, S) e idrologiche del suolo (CSC, contenuto idrico, ecc.). La ricerca è stata condotta ponendo a confronto 3 vigneti con interfilare lavorato solo superficialmente fino a 20 cm (Conservative Tillage - CT) e 3 vigneti con copertura vegetale naturale senza lavorazione (No Tillage - NT). Nel 2017 sono stati prelevati 3 campioni di terreno nell’interfila di ognuno dei 6 siti. Le comunità dei microartropodi raccolte sono state caratterizzate sulla base del loro adattamento morfologico alla vita nel suolo (forme biologiche). Il DNA totale dei batteri e dei funghi è stato estratto da campioni provenienti dalle due diverse profondità (0-30, 30-60 cm). L'assenza di lavorazione del terreno si ripercuote in una migliore conducibilità idraulica superficiale, con maggiori macroporosità e quantità di materia organica. In tale microhabitat edafico (NT), gli indici di biodiversità degli artropodi presentano valori più alti rispetto ai suoli lavorati (CT), mentre i valori medi di QBSar sono elevati (>140) in entrambi i casi. Le abbondanze totali presentano una distribuzione variabile in base alla località (F5,17= 9,25 p<0,001) probabilmente risentendo anche di altri fattori come l’età del vigneto o l’uso di erbicidi. Il rapporto oribatidi/altri acari è maggiore in NT (O/aA=0,87), denotando una complessità di nicchie ecologiche fruibili per questi acari dall’importante ruolo nel ciclo della materia organica. Un fattore di regolazione della comunità microbica è rappresentato dal contenuto idrico del suolo: gli Actinobacteria sono particolarmente abbondanti in NT, i Firmicutes e i Bacteroidetes in CT. La comunità fungina è composta principalmente da Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota e Basidiomycota. La componente biologica descritta assieme al contesto microambientale è in grado di fornire importanti informazioni, da considerare nell’adozione di pratiche efficaci di gestione dei vigneti per preservare la funzionalità del suolo e la biodiversità

investigations on the insects associated with quinoa (CHENOPODIUM QUINOA) in northern italy

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a chenopodiaceous plant native to South America, cultivated for centuries mainly in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador countries which together account for more than 80% of world production. This herbaceous plant has wide potential for use: in the human diet (both in grain form and as flour and derivatives), as animal feed, and also in non-food and industrial applications, although the main interest is the former, due to its nutritional qualities and because it is gluten free, not being a cereal. In recent years, cultivation has been undertaken in several European countries,including Italy, where quinoa is grown both in experimental plots and in open fields. The study of the insects found on this crop has been carried out above all in South America but also in the United States and, more recently, in some European countries, where experimental cultivation began several years ago. In Italy, where the spontaneous and closely related Chenopodium album L. is present, it is particularly interesting to investigate which insects adapt to feed on the new crop. It is very likely that quinoa attracts indigenous-weed insect pests. As part of the experimental agronomic tests carried out recently to verify the adaptability of quinoa to the territory of Piacenza and Pavia (northern Italy), surveys have been carried out on the insect pests of this plant. In 2016, three test fields of quinoa and one second-level variety comparison field were sampled, while in 2017 the sampling was carried out in four second-level variety comparison fields. The results obtained show that the crop is attacked in the early vegetative phases by aphids (Rhynchota Aphidoidea) and flea beetles (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae), while in the flowering phase until ripening the most harmful insects are bugs (Rhynchota Pentatomidae, Coreidae, Miridae). Attacks by flea beetles, if combined with particularly dry periods, can seriously compromise the crop

Comparison Between Three Commonly Used Large-Bore Aspiration Catheters in Terms of Successful Recanalization and First-Passage Effect

To compare three commonly used large-bore aspiration catheters in terms of final successful recanalization rate and first-passage successful and complete recanalization rates (the so called "first-passage effect")