Definition of miRNAs expression profile in glioblastoma samples: the relevance of non-neoplastic brain reference.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain tumor that may occur in adults. Regardless of the huge improvements in surgery and molecular therapy, the outcome of neoplasia remains poor. MicroRNAs are small molecules involved in several cellular processes, and their expression is altered in the vast majority of tumors. Several studies reported the expression of different miRNAs in glioblastoma, but one of the most critical point in understanding glioblastoma miRNAs profile is the comparison of these studies. In this paper, we focused our attention on the non-neoplastic references used for determining miRNAs expression. The aim of this study was to investigate if using three different non-neoplastic brain references (normal adjacent the tumor, commercial total RNA, and epileptic specimens) could provide discrepant results. The analysis of 19 miRNAs was performed using Real-Time PCR, starting from the set of samples described above and the expression values compared. Moreover, the three different normal RNAs were used to determine the miRNAs profile in 30 glioblastomas. The data showed that different non-neoplastic controls could lead to different results and emphasize the importance of comparing miRNAs profiles obtained using the same experimental condition

miRNAs expression analysis in paired fresh/frozen and dissected formalin fixed and paraffin embedded glioblastoma using real-time pCR.

miRNAs are small molecules involved in gene regulation. Each tissue shows a characteristic miRNAs epression profile that could be altered during neoplastic transformation. Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain tumour of the adult with a high rate of mortality. Recognizing a specific pattern of miRNAs for GBM could provide further boost for target therapy. The availability of fresh tissue for brain specimens is often limited and for this reason the possibility of starting from formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tissue (FFPE) could very helpful even in miRNAs expression analysis. We analysed a panel of 19 miRNAs in 30 paired samples starting both from FFPE and Fresh/Frozen material. Our data revealed that there is a good correlation in results obtained from FFPE in comparison with those obtained analysing miRNAs extracted from Fresh/Frozen specimen. In the few cases with a not good correlation value we noticed that the discrepancy could be due to dissection performed in FFPE samples. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper demonstrating that the results obtained in miRNAs analysis using Real-Time PCR starting from FFPE specimens of glioblastoma are comparable with those obtained in Fresh/Frozen samples

Pattern of care and effectiveness of treatment for glioblastoma patients in the real world: Results from a prospective population-based registry. Could survival differ in a high-volume center?

BACKGROUND: As yet, no population-based prospective studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of glioblastoma (GBM) or the diffusion and impact of the current standard therapeutic approach in newly diagnosed patients younger than aged 70 years. METHODS: Data on all new cases of primary brain tumors observed from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, in adults residing within the Emilia-Romagna region were recorded in a prospective registry in the Project of Emilia Romagna on Neuro-Oncology (PERNO). Based on the data from this registry, a prospective evaluation was made of the treatment efficacy and outcome in GBM patients. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-seven GBM patients (median age, 64 y; range, 29-84 y) were enrolled. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.7 months (95% CI, 9.2-12.4). The 139 patients 64aged 70 years who were given standard temozolomide treatment concomitant with and adjuvant to radiotherapy had a median OS of 16.4 months (95% CI, 14.0-18.5). With multivariate analysis, OS correlated significantly with KPS (HR = 0.458; 95% CI, 0.248-0.847; P = .0127), MGMT methylation status (HR = 0.612; 95% CI, 0.388-0.966; P = .0350), and treatment received in a high versus low-volume center (HR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.328-0.986; P = .0446). CONCLUSIONS: The median OS following standard temozolomide treatment concurrent with and adjuvant to radiotherapy given to (72.8% of) patients aged 6470 years is consistent with findings reported from randomized phase III trials. The volume and expertise of the treatment center should be further investigated as a prognostic factor

Qualitative and Nutraceutical Characteristics after Storage of New Pear Selections in Emilia-Romagna Region

The Emilia-Romagna region is excellent in European pear production. CREA Centro di Ricerca Olivicoltura, Frutticoltura e Agrumicoltura leads a breeding project co-founded by New Plant (a consortium of three growers'associations Apofruit, Apoconerpo, and Orogel Fresco) whose main objective is to improve fruit quality and nutraceutical parameters. The purpose of this study is to describe the qualitative characteristics of some new genotypes obtained by this breeding activity after cold storage, in comparison with the main cultivated varieties, 'Abbé Fétel', 'William's B.C' and 'Doyenne du Comice'. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, fruit samples, stored in a normal refrigeration room and after 100 dd, reaching the consumption ripening (2.5–3 kg/0.5 cm2), were analyzed to quantify the qualitative parameters: average weight, caliber, titratable acidity, soluble solids contents, skin color and overcolor, sugar and organic acids content, the antioxidant capacity, the total polyphenols, and ascorbic acid content. The results showed that the selection 'CREA 171', with red skin and yellow-cream flesh, outstood for the high antioxidant capacity due to the high content of polyphenols and ascorbic acid

Influence of Cold Storage on Pear Physico-Chemical Traits and Antioxidant Systems in Relation to Superficial Scald Development

Superficial scald is the most common physiological disorder in apples and pears and causes huge economic losses worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine the different scald susceptibilities of seven pear cultivars/selections during five months of cold storage (CS). Four advanced pear selections and three commercial cultivars were harvested from an orchard located in Emilia-Romagna region, and cold stored at −1 °C and 85% relative humidity (RH).After 90, 120, and 150 days, fruits of each cultivar and selection were removed for ripening for 4 d, after which scald damage, physico-chemical and nutraceutical traits, and enzymatic antioxidant systems were evaluated on peel and pulp. ‘Abbé Fétel’, ‘Falstaff’, and ‘CREA 171’ did not showed superficial scald symptoms after 90 days, while ‘Doyenne du Comice’ and ‘CREA 264’ showed the highest susceptibility. After 90 days, CS ‘Falstaff’ and ‘CREA 179’ showed the highest total polyphenol content (TPH) in peel, followed by ‘Doyenne du Comice’ and ‘AbbéFétel’; lowest TPH was detected in ‘CREA 264’. After 120 and 150 days of CS, ‘Abbé Fétel’ and ‘CREA 171’ showed the highest peel TPH. ‘CREA 264’ and ‘CREA 125’ reached the lowest values of TPH during the three CS time periods. Superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were higher in the peel of scald-resistant than that in scald-susceptible pear cultivars/advanced selections. Superficial scald induced an increase in polyphenoloxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase activities involved in fruit-browning during CS. Furthermore, we observed an increase in lipoxygenase activity and consequent membrane damage in both the peel and flesh of the fruit. This study indicates that pear cultivars/advanced selections have different superficial scald susceptibilities that enable them to induce the activity of several antioxidant enzymes, following CS

Qualitative and Nutraceutical Characteristics after Storage of New Pear Selections in Emilia-Romagna Region

The Emilia-Romagna region is excellent in European pear production. CREA Centro di Ricerca Olivicoltura, Frutticoltura e Agrumicoltura leads a breeding project co-founded by New Plant (a consortium of three growers’associations Apofruit, Apoconerpo, and Orogel Fresco) whose main objective is to improve fruit quality and nutraceutical parameters. The purpose of this study is to describe the qualitative characteristics of some new genotypes obtained by this breeding activity after cold storage, in comparison with the main cultivated varieties, ‘Abbé Fétel’, ‘William’s B.C’ and ‘Doyenne du Comice’. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, fruit samples, stored in a normal refrigeration room and after 100 dd, reaching the consumption ripening (2.5–3 kg/0.5 cm2), were analyzed to quantify the qualitative parameters: average weight, caliber, titratable acidity, soluble solids contents, skin color and overcolor, sugar and organic acids content, the antioxidant capacity, the total polyphenols, and ascorbic acid content. The results showed that the selection ‘CREA 171’, with red skin and yellow-cream flesh, outstood for the high antioxidant capacity due to the high content of polyphenols and ascorbic acid

SVEVA: nuova varietà di fragola molto tardiva

http://www.cpvo.fr/module_tech/holder.php?REGISTERID=2003179

Evaluation of a New Machine for Flower and Fruit Thinning in Stone Fruits

Peach and apricot trees usually set more fruit than they can adequately support. Crop load adjustment through fruit thinning is a routine practice adopted by fruit growers to obtain a marketable product. However, hand thinning is an expensive, labor-intense operation. The interest in the mechanization of thinning has increased in the last decades. A new machine, consisting of a tractor-mounted rotor equipped with elastic rods radially inserted on a central axis, has been recently developed to thin both flowers and green fruits in stone fruit crops. In order to test its effectiveness and optimize the operative conditions, trials were carried out in 2016 in two apricot and two peach commercial orchards located in the northeast Italy. Tests were carried out on narrow-canopied orchards, during blooming time, and on green fruit, assessing the flower and fruit removal percentage and the labor saving as compared with the standard fruit hand-thinning practice. In apricot, the machine removed 20.8% of flowers and 43.6% of fruit, allowing 48% time saving in the follow-up fruit manual thinning as compared with the control (hand-thinning only). In peach, mechanical thinning at blooming time removed 63% of flowers, allowing 42.4% time saving in the follow-up fruit manual thinning as compared with the control, whereas mechanical thinning of fruit at the beginning of pit hardening stage removed less than 10%. The development of a mechanical thinning practice, complemented by a manual finishing, could represent a valuable near-term solution to reduce thinning labor time

Productivity and Fruit Quality of ‘Falstaff^PBR’ Pear Variety Grafted on Different Rootstocks

‘FalstaffPBR’ is a pear variety released by CREA and New Plant in 2012. This study focused on the effects of various clonal rootstocks on the main productive and qualitative traits of ‘FalstaffPBR’ scion. The rootstocks used were ‘EMC’, ‘EMH’, and ‘BA29’ for quince (Cydonia oblonga) and pear ‘Farold 40’ (Pyrus communis). Plants were planted in 2009 with a layout that, depending on the used rootstock, varied between 60 and 120 cm on the row, according to the rootstock standard planting system, and 350 cm between rows. The average yield calculated in the trail field in the 4 years of production (2014–2017) was over 22.7 tons ha−1 on ‘BA29’, 22.8 tons ha−1 on ‘EMH’, 16.3 tons ha−1 on ‘Farold 40’, and 18.4 on ‘EMC’. Fruits of the plants grafted on ‘Farold 40’ always had a medium-to-high size, while fruits produced by the plants grafted onto ‘BA29’ have been larger in size since the first years of production. The plants grafted onto ‘EMH’ produced fruits with the highest percentage of red overcolor. The ‘EMH’ rootstock is optimal for ‘FalstaffPBR’ as it gives the plant an intermediate vigor between ‘BA29’ and ‘EMC’, and a good yield per hectare from the first planting years; the average fruit size is excellent