Spring diet of the pine marten in Sardinia, Italy

Alimentación primaveral de la marta en Cerdeña, ItaliaEl conocimiento del comportamiento de alimentación de un carnívoro es esencial para entender su ecología. La marta Martes martes se define comúnmente como un depredador generalista oportunista, porque su dieta en Europa incluye mamíferos, frutas, aves y invertebrados. A partir del análisis de las heces, hemos descrito los hábitos alimenticios en primavera y la amplitud del nicho trófico de la marta en ambiente mediterráneo en Cerdeña (Italia central). Los pequeños mamíferos (sobre todo Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus y Eliomys quercinus) representan la fuente más importante de alimentación de la marta, ya que constituyen aproximadamente el 52% del volumen medio. Otra fuente importante de alimentos secundarios la constituyen los invertebrados (especialmente escarabajos y larvas de insectos) y las aves (paseriformes casi exclusivamente), mientras que los grandes mamíferos, los lagomorfos, los reptiles y las frutas están poco representados en la dieta. La composición de la dieta y el valor del índice de Levins indican que la marta en Cerdeña es un depredador especialista facultativo, con una especialización en la depredación de los micromamíferos.Knowledge of a carnivore’s foraging behaviour is essential to understand its ecology. The pine marten Martes martes is commonly defined as an opportunistic generalist predator since its diet in Europe includes mammals, fruits, birds and invertebrates. Based on faecal analyses, we evaluated spring feeding habits and trophic niche breadth of the pine marten in a Mediterranean landscape on the island of Sardinia (Central Italy). The most important source of food for the pine marten was small mammals (mainly Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus and Eliomys quercinus), accounting for 52% of the percent mean volume. Important secondary foods were invertebrates (mainly beetles and insect larvae) and birds (almost exclusively passerines), whereas large mammals, lagomorphs, reptiles and fruits made little contribution to the diet. The diet composition and the Levins’ index value suggest that the pine marten in Sardinia behaves as a facultative specialist predator, with a specialization towards small mammals.Alimentación primaveral de la marta en Cerdeña, ItaliaEl conocimiento del comportamiento de alimentación de un carnívoro es esencial para entender su ecología. La marta Martes martes se define comúnmente como un depredador generalista oportunista, porque su dieta en Europa incluye mamíferos, frutas, aves y invertebrados. A partir del análisis de las heces, hemos descrito los hábitos alimenticios en primavera y la amplitud del nicho trófico de la marta en ambiente mediterráneo en Cerdeña (Italia central). Los pequeños mamíferos (sobre todo Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus musculus y Eliomys quercinus) representan la fuente más importante de alimentación de la marta, ya que constituyen aproximadamente el 52% del volumen medio. Otra fuente importante de alimentos secundarios la constituyen los invertebrados (especialmente escarabajos y larvas de insectos) y las aves (paseriformes casi exclusivamente), mientras que los grandes mamíferos, los lagomorfos, los reptiles y las frutas están poco representados en la dieta. La composición de la dieta y el valor del índice de Levins indican que la marta en Cerdeña es un depredador especialista facultativo, con una especialización en la depredación de los micromamíferos

Smith-Magenis sindrome and growth hormone deficiency

Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome including physical and neurobehavioural features. The disease is commonly associated with a ca. 3.7 Mb interstitial deletion of chromosome 17p11.2, while a 1.1 Mb critical region has been identified, containing about 20 genes expressed in multiple tissues. Haploinsufficiency of one of them, RAI1, seems to be responsible for the neurobehavioural, craniofacial and otolaryngological features of the syndrome, but not for short stature, commonly seen in SMS patients with chromosome deletion, implying the role of other genes in the 17p11.2 region. Growth failure is a final result of several different mechanisms involving decreased growth hormone (GH) production, reduced tissue response to GH, or impaired activity of epistatic factors. To our knowledge, the association of GH deficiency with SMS has never been reported and rarely investigated, despite the very short stature of SMS patients. We describe a girl with a full SMS phenotype and a typical 3.7 Mb deletion of 17p11.2 who also has GH deficiency. After starting replacement therapy, growth has significantly improved, her stature being now above both the 10th percentile and her genetic target. CONCLUSION: we suggest that an investigation of both growth hormone secretion and function is carried out in patients with Smith-Magenis syndrome and 17p11.2 deletion

"Considerazioni sull'uso della penalizzazione nell'ambliopia strabica"

Considerazioni sull'uso della penalizzazione nell'ambliopia strabica

"Valutazione dell'aggregazione piastrinica nella prognosi evolutiva del microcircolo nella Retinopatia Diabetica. Valutazione fluorangiografica e blue-field."

Valutazione dell'aggregazione piastrinica nella prognosi evolutiva del microcircolo nella Retinopatia Diabetica. Valutazione fluorangiografica e blue-field.

Use of an IGRA test for prescribing latent TB infection therapy in 374 immigrants applying to night shelters in Milan, Italy

The IFN-gamma tests for latent TB (IGRA) can aim preventive therapy (PT) to selected groups, reducing costs and resources. Homeless subjects (HS) have high risk for TB and for defaulting treatment. We evaluated the impact of Quantiferon TB Gold IT (QFT) in HS immigrants applying for night-shelter in Milan who, according to local TB guidelines based on TST ≥10 mm, normal Chest Xray and age ≤ 35 yrs, were candidate for PT. From Nov 2009 to Dec 2010, 1420 HS were referred to our Centre: 374 (37 F, 337 M, mean age 30 yrs) were eligible to PT and were offered IGRA testing with QFT. Twelve M refused; of the remaining: 187 were QFT+ (51.6%, M166, F 21), and 175 were QFT- (M159, F 16,), mean TST respectively 19.6 and 13.9 mm (P<0.0001). View inlineView popup QFT results by nationality Highest % of QFT+ were in Moroccans (75%), East-africans (67%), Rumanians (65%) Nigerians (60%) and Afghans 57% while lowest level were in other East-europeans (14%), other North-africans (24%) or West-africans (37%). Compared to other studies, our population shows a very high% of QFT+(>50%), especially in some nationalities and in Pts with TST>15 mm, partly decreasing the economic advantage of its use to reduce PTs. Better information on QFT role could be obtained extending this program to HS with TST ≤9 mm or age≥36 yrs but QFT technicalities and health-care budget cuts do not allow this wider on-field application

Gender and other risk factors for multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) among migrants to Milan, Italy

MDR-TB is a threat to global TB control. Identification of risk groups is crucial in low prevalence countries for early diagnosis and to limit transmission. Retrospective evaluation of TB cases treated at the Villa Marelli Inst., Milan, Italy, in the years 2000-2010. Susceptible TB patients (sTB) and MDR-TB patients were considered for the analysis. Potential risk factors for MDR, such as age, thoracic or extra-toracic involvement, HIV status, country of origin, etc were evaluated in a logistic regression model. Results: 91 MDR-TB and 1510 sTB patients were recorded in the study period. HIV seropositive status (OR 3.98, CI95% 1.52 -10.39) and being migrant (IM) from Eastern European countries (OR 3.35, CI95% 1.48 -7.56) were independently associated to MDR-TB. Stratifying for sex, female subjects from Eastern Europe, South America and Asia had an higher risk than male from the same regions (East-European women OR 10.37 CI95% 1.84-58.26 vs men OR 2.06 CI 95% 0.77-5.50; South American women OR 7.06 CI 95% 1.35-36.90 vs men OR 1.04 CI 95% 0.35-3.04; Asian women OR 7.69 CI 95% 1.19-49.68 vs men OR 1.39 CI 95% 0.47-4.11).Treatment success were more frequent in IM women than men both in sTB (94% vs 88%, P 0.01) and MDR-TB (90%vs 67%, P0.02), in sTB Italian than IM men (94%vs 88%, P0.01) and in MDR IM than Italian men (67%vs 36%, P0.02). Conclusions: In an European metropolitan setting, MDR-TB is associated with origin from regions with high prevalence and with HIV seropositive status. The finding that female subjects from Eastern Europe, South America and Asia are at increased risk, opens important questions about equal access to health care and the need of targeted studies